Never thought 'religion' would be asked before 'name': Gulzar

October 24, 2015

Patna, Oct 24: Expressing disappointment at the current state of communal discord in the nation, critically acclaimed filmmaker and poet Gulzar on Saturday said the atmosphere of 'uncertainty and fear' had never been seen in the country before.

gulzar"What's happening in the country now is sad, but the uncertain fear it creates is also disturbing. We have never seen an atmosphere like this in India before. There never was any fear to freely voice out one's opinions. Never really thought a day would come that someone's religion would be asked before his name, "Gulzar spoke exclusively to ANI.

The renowned poet also defended the Sahitya Akademi over the outrage it was facing by the writers, saying that the fraternity could not be blamed over 'growing intolerance' in the country as the flaw lied clearly in the 'system' or the 'government'.

"Returning the awards is not the solution because the Akademi is an autonomous body. Awards that have been bestowed by the government are the ones that should be returned, that way there is an influence. What will one do when a government official takes control over the Akademi? That fear must always be in mind," Gulzar added.

However, the literary legend also defended the accusations that the writers were trying to 'politicise' their protest.

"How can a writer do politics? He is speaking from the heart. Writers are the 'conscious keepers' of the society. They are simply doing their job," Gulzar added.

In a resolution passed on Friday, the Sahitya Akademi stressed the need to protect India's diverse culture but sidestepped demands from protesters for holding a condolence meet for Kalburgi in Delhi and action against Akademi president Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari for his 'insensitive remarks'. It also steered clear of any mention of the Dadri lynching.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 8,2020

London, May 8: Actor Florence Pugh says the most terrifying aspect of starring in the upcoming superhero film "Black Widow" was doing the Russian accent.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe's stand-alone film, the Oscar-nominated actor plays Yelena Belova, a sister-figure to Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff/ the titular Black Widow who was trained in the Red Room.

"I was scared because my Russian accent was going to be out there and I didn't know what it sounded like.

"I'm also playing a character who no-one's seen before but they've read about her. I didn't know whether people were going to hate me!" Pugh told ELLE UK for its June issue.

The 24-year-old actor also said the idea of joining the MCU itself was quite "daunting".

"When you think of Marvel, it's big and daunting. Especially being a relatively small actor to look at it and go, 'Oh! I'm going to be a part of this', that's a big decision," she said.

"Black Widow", which was scheduled to hit the theatres on May 1, will now release on November 6 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Directed by Cate Shortland, the film also stars David Harbour and Rachel Weisz.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 3,2020

New Delhi, Jun 3: "This year feels relentless," actor Priyanka Chopra said urging Mumbai residents to take precautionary measures in view of Cyclone Nisarga.

The cyclone storm is approaching the north coast of Maharashtra with a speed of 11 kilometres per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday.

Sharing Mumbai's famous Bandra-Worli Sea Link road picture on her Instagram story, the actor wrote: "Cyclone Nisarga is making its way to Mumbai, my beloved home city of more than 20 million people, including my mom and brother."

"Mumbai hasn't experienced a serious cyclone landfall since 1891, and at a time when the world is so desperate, this could be especially devastating," the 'Don' actor added.

"This year feels relentless. Please, everyone, find cover, take precautions, and follow the guidelines outlines. Please stay safe everyone, " said Chopra as she shared a swipe up link to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) page that details the Do's and Don'ts for Mumbaikars to take on Cyclone Nisarga.

Earlier, the IMD had stated that the severe cyclonic storm is expected to impact the Maharashtra coast by the afternoon/evening of June 3.

On Tuesday, actor Vicky Kaushal shared a picture of the cloudy sky on the photo-sharing platform and hoped that the "first showers only bring relief and joy and not too much drama." The 'Raazi' actor also urged people to stay safe.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
July 12,2020

Mumbai, Jul 12: Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek have tested positive for Covid-19, according to separate tweets by the two. The 'Sholay' actor shared the news about his positive status on his Twitter handle on Saturday and said he has been admitted to Nanavati hospital here where he is being kept in an isolation ward.

Shortly afterwards, Abhishek Bachchan also confirmed the news and revealed that he and his father both had "mild symptoms."
The Big B said he has been shifted to hospital, and the other family members and staff have undergone tests for the virus. However, the results are awaited.

The 77-year-old actor also requested those, who have been in "close proximity" to him in the last 10 days to get tested for COVID-19.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan among others wished the "iconic star" a quick recovery to the 'Gulabo Sitabo' star.

"Dear Amitabh ji, I join the whole Nation in wishing you a quick recovery! After all, you are the idol of millions in this country, an iconic superstar! We will all take good care of you. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! @SrBachchan @juniorbachchan#AmitabhBachchan #COVID," Health Minister tweeted quoting Amitabh Bacchan's tweet.

Abhishek Bachchan too tweeted shortly afterwards. "Earlier today both my father and I tested positive for COVID 19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic. Thank you."

Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis wished the senior Bachchan a speedy recovery.
A slew of filmstars and celebrities including Kailash Kher Sonam Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Paresh Rawal, Pariniti Chopra Adnan Sami, Mahesh Babu etc were among those who wished the Bachchans a speedy recovery.

Mumbai, reported a total positive COVID-19 cases of 91457 with 22,779 active COVID-19 cases, with 5,241 people succumbing to the deadly infection so far, according to the Municipal Coroporation of Greater Mumbai.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.