Not shying away from politics, says Aamir

February 28, 2014

Aamir_politicsKochi, Feb 28: Bollywood actor Aamir Khan today said he is not shying away from politics, but that he was not interested in it.

"I am not shying away from politics. I am not interested in politics. I am interested in touching people's heart," he said responding to a query in this regard.

"People enter politics because they want to serve the country and serve the people. There are many other ways of doing it," he said. "Actors have a huge role to play. We bring joy to people. we give joy, we bring laughter, colour in their life...," he said.

Aamir said the responsibility of those in the entertainment industry is to bring grace to society and build its moral fibre. That was the role of a creative person.

"I feel very proud of what I am doing," he said at a press meet in connection with the TV show 'Satyamev Jayate', the second phase of which will be aired from March 2.

"In India we are constantly looking at a messiah. Our country will finally change when we believe each one of us is a messiah. That is the central thought of a democracy.

"We have to look for stregnth from within us in a democracy. I do not believe in looking at anyone else," he said when asked who would be a better candidate for the PM's post Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi.

"Society changes when society takes a turn," he said. Season 2 of the show would be an "eye opener" in many ways, he said, adding "this journey has been exciting. I feel very enriched having met amazing people. I realise there is so much to learn from them... the kind of heroism I find in people who have no wealth, no political power.."

On the allegations against Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt levelled by a former devotee in a book, he said he was not aware of it. "When we select topics for our show, no matter what tpoic we take, people will oppose it. But any kind of pressure...we will not give in..," he said.

Malayalam actor Mohanlal, brand ambassador of the show in the South, said he had been keen to do a similar show years ago in Malayalam, but it did not take off due to some restrictions from the actors' association "This show has lot of positive energy. It is a very sincere approach to the problems of the common man," he said.

K Madhavan, Managing Director, Asianet Communications Ltd and Gayatri Yadav, Head Marketing and Communications, STAR India, also spoke.

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News Network
June 2,2020

Kolkata, Jun 2: Artistes of the Bengali film industry are trying to get the best out of their creative side amid the lockdown, with many of them giving shape to innovative concepts and ideas to hook the audience.

A short film 'Grub Ne Bana Di Jodi', with RJ-actor Mir Afsar Ali in the lead, transcends boundaries to bring couples from around the world together on one platform, as they engage in discussions on food and culture.

The shot-at-home film, directed by Satrajit Sen, has Ali giving couples tasks to test their culinary skills.

"This is the time to try new concepts and that, too, without the usual technical support. There is no box office pressure, and people can take their own sweet time to watch the film on YouTube," he said.

Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who recently completed the shoot of 'Pabitra Puppies', a web series about seven friends bonding over video games, said it was an "altogether different experience" with no crew to assist him at home.

"The shooting process was complicated but we had a lot of fun. I was in Mumbai when the lockdown was imposed.

Coordinating with the director and other cast members wasn't easy, but this phase has taught us how to overcome challenges," Chatterjee said.

The series, also starring Sohini Sarkar and Saayoni Ghosh, will be streaming on Hoichoi soon.

Director Shieladitya Moulik's third outing on YouTube, amid the lockdown, has garnered good reviews.

The short film 'Eye Candy' tells the story of a blind couple who had been finding ways to connect with each other.

"I wanted to talk about long-distance relationships, and the problems faced by couples in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, but not without a twist. I hope the viewers enjoy the short," Moulik said.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Washington, Mar 23: Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, US media reported Sunday.

Harvey Weinstein, 68, is in prison in northern New York state after being sentenced to 23 years in jail for rape and sexual assault.

The fallen film producer's diagnosis was first reported Sunday evening by local paper the Niagara Gazette.

Harvey Weinstein's spokespeople have declined to comment to US media on the subject.

The New York state Department of Corrections did not respond when contacted by AFP for confirmation of the reports.

Harvey Weinstein was transferred Wednesday to a prison near Buffalo, 350 miles (560 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

Prior to his transfer, he stayed at Rikers Island prison and a Manhattan hospital, where he was treated for chest pains.

Crowded US prisons have the potential to become hotbeds for coronavirus infections. Last week, guards at Rikers and New York's Sing Sing prison tested positive for the virus, local media reported.

As of Sunday, the virus has killed 417 people in the US out of more than 33,000 cases, according to a tracker managed by Johns Hopkins University.

Harvey Weinstein was convicted in February of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, while being cleared of predatory sexual assault charges.

He was convicted of raping ex-actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and of forcibly performing oral sex on former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006.

Nearly 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, have leveled sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of "Shakespeare in Love" and numerous other critical and box office hits.

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News Network
June 6,2020

Indore, Jun 6: An FIR has been registered against television producer Ekta Kapoor and two others here in Madhya Pradesh on charges of spreading obscenity, hurting religious feelings, and improper use of national emblems in her web show 'Triple X season 2', police said on Saturday.

The FIR also mentions about a particular scene which allegedly portrays the Indian Army's uniform in a highly objectionable way, an officer said.

Besides Kapoor, the FIR names director of the web series Pankhudi Rodrigues and screenwriter Jessica Khurana, said Annapurna police station inspector Satish Kumar Dwivedi.

The complaint was lodged on Friday night by Valmik Sakaragaye and Neeraj Yagnik, both residents of Indore.

"Ekta Kapoor's OTT platform ALTBalaji streamed (erotic) web series 'Triple X season 2' which not only spread obscenity but also hurt religious feelings of a particular community," Dwivedi said quoting the complaint.

A scene in the web show portrayed the Indian Army's uniform in a highly objectionable manner and also disrespected the national emblems, he said.

Kapoor and others have been booked under sections 294 (obscene acts and songs) and 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology (IT) Act, and the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, Dwivedi said.

Mumbai-based Ekta Kapoor is the founder of ALTBalaji, which is owned by her production house, Balaji Telefilms.

Further investigation is underway, the police officer said.

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