Women are no more just eye candy, says Madhuri Dixit

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January 1, 2014
Mumbai, Jan 1: Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit is set to make a comeback on the screen in a never-seen-before avatar in ready-to-release "Dedh Ishqiya", a hinterland based thriller-drama, and thanks Indian cinema for evolving and making way for strong female characters.

"The more depth in the character the more fun you get to perform," Madhuri said when asked how comfortable she was  with the bold role in "Dedh dixitIshqiya", which brings her out of her comfort zone, Madhuri said in an interview.

"I am so thankful that our cinema has come a long way, and I am happy that women are portrayed as characters and not just eye candy in the films. (Women are) very beautifully portrayed on the screen," she said.

With the lethal combination of oomph and talent, Madhuri rose on the film firmament in the late 1980s and 1990s with blockbusters like "Tezaab", "Ram Lakhan", "Dil", "Beta" and "Saajan".

She is also known for her acting prowess in off beat films "Prahaar" and "Mrityudand", which saw her in a non-glamorous avatar.

After ruling the roost for years, Madhuri shifted base to Denver when she married US-based doctor Sriram Nene in 1999. Her last big hit was "Devdas".

In 2007, she attempted a comeback with "Nach Baliye", which bombed at the box office, and she went back. Four years later, the actress returned to India for good and she hasn't had to hunt for work.

First, she got busy as one of the judges with the fourth and the fifth seasons of the dance reality show "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa" and then two films - "Dedh Ishqiya" and "Gulaab Gang" - fell into her lap. Interestingly, in both the films, female characters are central to the story lines.

In between, she made a special appearance in the "Ghaghra" song in "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani".

Her role in "Dedh Ihsqiya" is certainly a giant leap for the actress. Director Abhishek Chaubey is presenting her as a widow looking for a husband and she organises a poetry competition in her house every year where prospective grooms come and try to woo her.

"For women, it's a great time to be in the industry. When they narrated the script to me, I was very excited. It's a role that appealed to me," said Madhuri who has some bold scenes with Naseeruddin Shah in the film, which also stars Arshad Warsi.

"Begum Para is a beautiful character written by Abhishek. She is a poetic woman. She is a widow and her late husband's wish was that if she ever marries again, she should marry a poet.

"So every year she organises a swayamvar for her. She has been completely unimpressed for two years, but in the third year Babban (Arshad) comes," she said.

Begum Para in "Dedh Ishqiya" marks her second innings in filmdom post marriage and when asked  how important is the film for her, she said: "Everybody wants to see me after a gap. Begum is a strong character. She has many multi-layered kind of a woman. How the film does is very important."

"Dedh Ishqiya" is a sequel to "Ishqiya", a film that made its lead actress Vidya Balan a name to reckon with.

Co-produced by Vishal Bharadwaj and Raman Maroo, "Dedh Ishqiya" will release Jan 10.

Is she getting cold feet?

"I am not nervous, I am very excited about it. The script is very good and I think it's a complete entertainer," said a confident Madhuri.

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News Network
May 26,2020

New Delhi, May 26: As the country celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr in the testing times of coronavirus this year, megastar Shah Rukh Khan's greetings reflected of blessings from the almighty to help the countrymen sail through the tough times.

The 54-year-old actor took to Twitter to extend Eid greetings to his fans.

"May the blessings of Allah see us through these times," he wrote in the tweet.

"In the end, it's Faith that keeps us going... Eid Mubarak to all. May He shower all with love, peace and prosperity always," Khan's tweet further read.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the conclusion of the holy month of Ramzan, which is a month of fasting and prayer for the Muslim community.

This year, Eid is being celebrated amid a nationwide lockdown imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.

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Agencies
February 7,2020

Srinagar, Feb 7: Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking a stay on the release of the movie 'Shikara' which is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.

The film which hit theatres today has Vidhu Vinod Chopra at the helm and narrates the story of the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 that forced lakhs to flee their homeland almost overnight following a genocidal campaign by militants.

Shot primarily in the Valley, the movie is being promoted mainly as a journey of love between the lead couple.

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News Network
May 26,2020

Washington, May 26: Making a slight change to the name of their newborn, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his singer girlfriend Grimes have now named their first child X AE A-Xii.

The difference is only in the numeral part of the name which is now written in the Roman format.

Earlier this month, the celebrity couple hogged headlines for naming their son X AE A-12.

The change in the name came when an Instagram follower of the Canadian singer asked if she had considered changing the name of the child and she replied with, "X AE A-Xii."

However, the performer didn't provide further insight concerning the reason behind the change.

Canadian singer Grimes gave birth to her first child on May 4.

The 32-year-old had earlier taken to Twitter and explained the meaning of the baby's name.  

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