'Priyanka Chopra's views on Kashmir is of an Indian'

Agencies
August 22, 2019

Kolkata, Aug 22: Eminent lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar has said being an Indian citizen, the views of actor Priyanka Chopra supporting the Centre's recent decision on Kashmir will "obviously be an Indian point of view".

Akhtar was commenting on a Pakistani minister's demand for the removal of Chopra as UN Goodwill Ambassador for Peace, accusing her of supporting the Indian government's decision on Kashmir.

"If her comments have upset the Pakistani establishment, they can do whatever they wish," Akhtar told the reporters on the sidelines of a literary event here Wednesday night.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories.

In a letter, addressed to UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H Fore, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari had said the Bollywood actor supports the Indian government's policies on Kashmir.

She further alleged that Chopra is in favour of a "nuclear war" between India and Pakistan.

"Ms Chopra has publicly endorsed this Indian government position and also supported the nuclear threat issued to Pakistan by the Indian Defence Minister. All this goes completely against the principles of peace and goodwill that Ms Chopra is supposed to uphold as an UN Goodwill Ambassador for Peace," Mazari wrote in the letter.

Speaking about the actor, Akhtar said, "I know Priyanka Chopra personally. She is a cultured, decent and educated person and the fact remains she is an Indian.

"If there is some kind of a controversy and difference in point of view between an average Indian citizen (like Priyanka Chopra) and the Pakistani establishment, obviously her point of view will be an Indian point of view."

To another question, Akhtar said, while he is trolled almost every day on social media, "for the last two-three days there are lot of hate messages because I have made my comment and aired my point of view on Imran Khan's tweet and some people are upset with me."

He said when "religious bigots" of both communities abuse him, he is convinced that what he says is right.

"The day one of them will stop abusing me, I will wonder what is wrong with me," Akhtar commented.

He had recently tweeted, "Imraan saheb. I will be ungrateful if I dont show my gratitude for your concern about the Indian minorities. I cant imagine, if you care so much for others how compassionate n protective you must be towards the Hindus, Christians , Ahmadiyas, Mohajir n Blochs of your own country."

As his tweet invited a vicious attack on the micro-blogging site on Wednesday, Akhtar had replied, " ... I am a secular rationalist Nationalist proud Indian who is inconvenient to both Hindu and Muslim communalists."

Asked to comment on the present situation in the Kashmir Valley, Akhtar said, "I am not aware what is going on. As a matter of fact most of us don't know because there is hardly any information available. We are yet to get details.

"We know that there was some curfew, there were some restrictions, so on and so forth," he said.

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 15,2020

New Delhi, May 15: In an attempt to constructively use leisure time during the lockdown, actor Bhumi Pednekar has started learning Kathak from her mother, Sumitra Pednekar, who is a trained dancer of this discipline.

Elaborating on her keenness to enhance her knowledge on the dance form, the actor explained about her routine followed for the dance practice and how much she is enjoying it.

"I wanted to learn kathak for a long time as my mother is a trained Kathak dancer! So, for about an hour in the evening this what I and my mom do. She is quite enjoying it and I'm loving learning it from her!" the 30-year-old actor said.

The growing fear of coronavirus has halted many entertainment shootings and productions. The 'Pati Patni Aur Who' actor referring to the current situation opened about the uncertainties of going back to shootings.

"It has put a big question mark on when will we get back to work and how things are going to be. There's a lot of uncertainty. Of course, our dates and schedules have gone haywire and we can't plan anything," she added.

However, the 'Bala' actor is finding a silver lining among the gloom as she says that the time has given her an opportunity to get back to what she used to love as a child - the habit of reading.

"I was a voracious reader but since entering Bollywood I haven't got a chance to read something at a stretch," she said.

"But now, I have got all the time and I'm making full use of the time at hand. I have been watching TED talks and have been reading a lot about climate change because that is something, I am severely passionate about. This time has been very educational for me," she added.

On the professional front, Pednekar will be soon seen as a leading lady in the Akshay Kumar's 'Durgavati' and award-winning director Alankrita Srivastava's 'Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare'.

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 23,2020

Mumbai, Jul 23: Mumbai Police will soon issue summons to actor Kangana Ranaut to record her statement in connection with the case related to the suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, officials said on Thursday.

A day after Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide, Kangana Ranaut had released a two-minute video speaking highly of the deceased actor and accusing certain sections of the film industry of not acknowledging the star's talent.

She had also said that some of the last social media posts by the actor made it evident that he was struggling to survive in the industry.

According to the police, statements of 39 people, including film critic Rajeev Masand, director-producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and filmmaker Aditya Chopra have been recorded in the investigation so far.

The Mumbai Police had recently said the statements of three psychiatrists and one psychotherapist have been recorded in connection with the suicide investigation.

Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence on June 14.

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 14,2020

Mumbai, Mar 14: Animal Planet has announced a new documentary "The Zoo: COVID-19 And Animals", which seeks to explore the effects of coronavirus on animals.

The special will see Dave Salmoni, Animal Planet’s big cat expert, talking to a number of experts, from the World Health Organization to wildlife biologists, in order to find out how COVID-19 is affecting animals and what pet owners can do to safeguard them.

The issue came to forefront when a four-year-old Malayan tiger tested positive for COVID-19 at Bronx Zoo in New York.

The documentary will feature chief veterinarian of Bronx Zoo, who will give an update on the big cats and their treatment, and also Dr Peter Embarek from WHO's COVID-19 Task Force, who works particularly on all aspects of the virus related to animals.

In a statement, Salmoni said, "When news about Nadia the tiger came out the questions immediately began; what about my pets? How do I keep my animals and family safe? We’re going to answer these questions and more through this documentary."

"We're speaking to a wide range of experts from the World Health Organization, to wildlife biologists, to veterinarians. We are at war with this disease and so we get down to the nitty-gritty, and discuss practical questions about daily lives with our pets," he added.

Sai Abishek, Director – Content, Factual & Lifestyle Entertainment – South Asia, Discovery, said, "We have been the forefront of busting myths around novel coronavirus with international documentaries. With this latest film, we take a hard look at how animals are being treated during such a crisis and the safety measures that can be taken to keep both, the people and their pets healthy."

"The Zoo: COVID-19 And Animals" will premiere on May 17 on Animal Planet, Animal Planet HD and Discovery Plus app.

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.