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Mumbai, Jul 17: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan who is currently getting treated for coronavirus in Mumbai's Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital on Friday expressed gratitude towards his fans for their prayers for his well being.

Bachchan took to Twitter to thank his fans and also said that he is receiving messages from his concerned fans on all of his social media platforms.

"I receive all your blessings and love and prayers for our well being .. on SMS, on WhatsApp, on insta on Blog .. and all possible social media," he tweeted.

"My gratitude has no bounds .. Hospital protocol is restrictive, I cannot say more .. Love," his tweet further read.

Fans of the superstar have been organising special prayers in different parts of the country for his speedy recovery.

Besides Big B, his son, actor Amitabh Bachchan, daughter-in-law, actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and granddaughter Aaradhya Bachchan also tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
His actor wife, however, actor Jaya Bachchan, tested negative for the virus.

Mumbai, Jun 15: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has paid a heartfelt tribute to actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on Sunday.

Taking to Twitter, the superstar recalled the 'Kai Po Che' actor's "energy, enthusiasm, and his full happy smile."

Sushant, who was a big fan of Shah Rukh, was often compared to him as both the actors made a successful transition from the small screen to Bollywood without any Godfathers.

Sharing a throwback picture along with Sushant, Khan also noted how much the late actor loved him and asserted that he will surely miss him.

"He loved me so much...I will miss him so much. His energy, enthusiasm, and his full happy smile. May Allah bless his soul and my condolences to his near and dear ones. This is extremely sad....and so shocking!!," the tweet read.

Sushant, 34, committed suicide by hanging himself on Sunday, Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Sharma confirmed. However, no suicide note has been recovered from Rajput's residence, as per the police and further investigation is underway.

As per the latest development, the body of the actor is brought to Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital from his residence in Bandra.

The actor, who rose to fame with the 2008 television series 'Pavitra Rishta,' made his Bollywood debut with Abhishek Kapoor's 'Kai Po Che' in 2013.

One widely loved actor for his simplicity and humble nature, the actor gave hit movies to the entertainment industry, including MS Dhoni's biopic, where he played the cricketer on screen.

The star was last seen in Nitish Tiwari's 'Chhichhore,' alongside Shraddha Kapoor in 2019.

The news of the sudden demise of the actor left a bevy of his fans, and Bollywood celebrities in shock, triggering an outpouring of condolences.

Los Angeles, Jul 1: Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan and costume designer Neeta Lulla are among the 819 artistes and executives who have received invitations to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Bhatt's last movie, the Zoya Akhtar-directed Gully Boy was India's official entry for best international feature category at the 2019 Oscars. However, the film had failed to make it to the final five.

Other prominent Indian names to receive invitations are casting director Nandini Shrikent, documentary filmmakers Nishtha Jain, Shirley Abraham, Amit Madheshiya, visual effects supervisors Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal.

In a statement, the Academy said the new invitees include 36 per cent of people of colour and 45 per cent women. Artistes from 68 countries have been invited as members.

Those who accept the invitation will have voting rights at the 93rd Academy Awards, scheduled to be held on April 25, 2021.

"The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travellers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now," Academy President David Rubin said.

The Academy has been actively working to introduce more diversity in its voting to avoid a controversy like 2016 when the Oscars were dubbed "white" for failing to recognise talents of colour.

The 2020 batch boasts of major Hollywood names like Cynthia Erivo, John David Washington, Constance Wu, Zazie Beetz, Florence Pugh, Zendaya, Awkwafina, Yalitza Aparicio, Mackenzie Davis, Ana de Armas, Adele Haenel, Thomasin McKenzie, Olivia Wilde and others.

The stars of multiple Oscar-winning South Korean movie Parasite -- Jang Hye-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Park So-Dam and Lee Jung-Eun -- are among the invitees.

Directors Lulu Wang, Ari Aster, Terence Davies, Matthew Vaughn, Robert Eggers, Matt Reeves, Alma Har’el are on the list as well.

The Academy has announced a new five-year plan that includes implementing inclusion standards for nominees.

"We take great pride in the strides we have made in exceeding our initial inclusion goals set back in 2016, but acknowledge the road ahead is a long one.  We are committed to staying the course.

"We look forward to continuing to foster an Academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new Museum, and in our awards," Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said.

In 2019, the organisation had invited 842 new members which included Indian names such as filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and veteran actor Anupam Kher.