Rani's wish for Salman, Aamir Khan nervous about ‘Thugs…’, Ranveer is a Govinda fan, and other Bollywood updates

MUMBAI: Here we bring an exciting list of news and updates. So, enjoy your evening by reading some interesting Bollywood news.  

Rani Mukerji wishes Salman had a daughter

Actress Rani Mukerji wishes her former Hello Brother co-star Salman Khan had a daughter who could marry Shah Rukh Khan's son AbRam. 

SRK and Salman will be seen together on Dus Ka Dum this weekend. They will be joined by Rani. 

During a conversation, SRK mentioned how his younger son AbRam is like Salman. While the little one expresses his love for his parents quite often, he doesn't shy away from saying "I love you" too to any girl he meets, read a statement.

Taking this conversation forward, Rani said, "Salman, I wish you have a daughter. Your daughter will be the prettiest girl. She will be blessed with all your features. We can actually look at a 'rishta' for your daughter with AbRam."

SRK was quick to add, "We shouldn't have called Rani on the show. She is at it... She is getting people married, making people plan their children, all on this show. She should be called 'Shaadi Mukerji'." 

Lack of toilet facilities forces people to defecate in open: Varun Dhawan 

Nila Madhab Panda's directorial Halkaa, which addresses the problem of poor sanitation in India, has caught the attention of actor Varun Dhawan, who says the absence of sanitation facilities is one of the main reasons for open defecation in India. 

Varun said in a statement, "There are street kids whose role Tathastu (child artiste) is playing... As people who want toilet facilities and if it's not there, where they will go - on the rail tracks or open. The film holds a strong message, where a young boy aspires to build a toilet." 

The 31-year-old actor also shared an incident when he had to defecate in the open. 

"I was a six-year-old and was travelling in a bus with my cousins in England. I wanted to go to the toilet, but there was no toilet in the bus. There were lot of parks there and I just ran from the bus towards the park thinking it's a forest and did it... Because I was a kid, they forgave me," added Varun. 

Halkaa is a story of an eight-year-old boy Pichku played by Tathastu, who lives in the oldest slums of Delhi and cannot bring himself to go out every day and defecate in the open fields around the slum. 

The film is slated to release on 7 September. 

Anushka Sharma named ambassador of a travel company 

Actress Anushka Sharma has been roped in as the first ambassador of travel company Cox & Kings. 

"I am glad to be associated with the world's oldest travel company Cox & Kings. I love to travel and personally think that travelling opens us up to new incredible experiences and changes the way we look at the world," Anushka said in a statement. 

"Whether you are travelling solo, with your partner or friends, Cox & Kings has a holiday experience for every type of traveller," she added. 

She will be seen promoting the company's travel offerings in a TV campaign to be released soon, as well as promote the brand across print, television and digital platforms. 

"Anushka is known for her versatility, experimentation and unusual personality. She perfectly represents a generation that is energetic, unapologetic and fun loving which makes her the right fit to showcase our innovative holiday offerings," said Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings. 

Aishwarya to receive Meryl Streep Award for Excellence 

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be honoured with the inaugural Meryl Streep Award for Excellence at the first Women in Film and Television (WIFT) India Awards. 

 

The Miss World 1994, will receive the award on Saturday at the Hyatt Regency here, reports hollywoodreporter.com. 

WIFT India said that Aishwarya will receive the award for showcasing a 'distinction in her craft and for expanding the role of women within the entertainment industry.' 

Apart from Aishwarya, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar will receive the Wyler Award for Excellence in Direction, and Dhadak star Janhvi Kapoor will receive the WIFT Emerald Award. 

"The Wyler Award is so surreal for me as I grew up in Bombay (Mumbai), got a video player in the eighties and one of the first films I ever saw on it was Ben-Hur," Akhtar said. 

WIFT has been established to honour the best female talent in Bollywood and Hollywood. 

Shahid, Anushka, Radhika to get candid at youth summit in Delhi

Bollywood celebrities Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Tiger Shroff, Anushka Sharma, Taapsee Pannu and Radhika Apte will get candid at youth summit India Today Mind Rocks, which will also have known names from politics, business, technology and sports in attendance. 

The ninth edition of the event will take place on 15 September at the Indoor Weightlifting Auditorium, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. 

Singer Parmish Verma, YouTube star Bhuvan Bam and entertainer Raftaar will get the youth grooving to their tunes, while sports champions Manika Batra, Lakshya Sen and Mehuli Ghosh will inspire the youth to put their best foot forward. 

Corporate market leaders Kris Gopalakrishnan (Infosys co-founder) and Ananth Narayanan (CEO, Myntra and Jabong) will add their wisdom on the steps towards success. 

From the political world, Sambit Patra, Spokesperson, BJP, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Spokesperson, Congress and Raghav Chadha, National Spokesperson, AAP, will engage with the youth on why they should vote. 

I'm a huge Govinda fan: Ranveer Singh 

 

Actor Ranveer Singh, who is currently busy shooting Simmba, says he is a huge fan of actor Govinda.  

"I am a huge Govinda fan. Accessories in my bedroom are arranged in the 'Raja Babu' way. All the hats, all the shoes, all the sunglasses. Govinda is an all-time great, one of the most mesmeric talents to have ever graced the scene," Ranveer said on Saavn's new show Take 2 with Anupama and Rajeev. 

He also called Govinda a genius. 

"Kill Dil was a real trip for me. Both him and Anil Kapoor... I get the same feeling, I didn't know what was happening. (It was) Really surreal. Just to have been slapped by Govinda on-screen felt like 'life ban gayi' (life was made)," he added.

Asked when he does a film like Simmba is he actually channelling these films, Ranveer said, "I might be doing it subconsciously and that’s completely natural but it’s not like I proactively do it. I used to do a lot of prep up in my earlier days, watch performances. After working on Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, I stopped doing that." 

Now he goes to the gym and watches some movies. 

"It's like a nightcap. Like end your day after watching a film," Ranveer added.

 
Malaika Arora loves peppy 'Hello hello'

Actress Malaika Arora says she had fun shooting for peppy song "Hello hello" for the film Pataakha. 

Crooned by Rekha Bhardwaj and composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the song has been penned by Gulzar. 

"Who could refuse a number sung by Rekha ji, written by Gulzar saab with the music being given by Vishal Bhardwaj? And when you have Ganesh choreographing you, there can be nothing better," Malaika told a publication. 

"I was instantly in love with the peppy number. It was a great experience working with Vishal ji. This is the first time I have done a song with Ganesh Acharya, I have always wanted to work with him and it finally happened with this special song. It was fun shooting for it with the entire team," she added. 

Pataakha is a comedy-drama film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj about two sisters who share a difficult relationship with each other. 

Based on Charan Singh Pathik's short story, the film features Sanya Malhotra, debutant Radhika Madan, Sunil Grover, Saanand Verma and Vijay Raaz in lead roles. 

It is scheduled to release on 28 September. 

I'm a super proud brother: Siddhanth Kapoor

Actor Siddhanth Kapoor, who is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming film Paltan, said that he was a super proud brother as his actress sister Shraddha Kapoor is doing really well in Bollywood films. 

Siddhanth was interacting with the media at the special screening of Paltan along with Shraddha Kapoor, Shivangi Kolhapure, Padmini Kolhapure, Harshvardhan Rane, Dipika Kakar, Arjun Rampal, J.P. Dutta, Sonal Chauhan, Monica Gill and Roop Kumar Rathod on Thursday here. 

Shraddha Kapoor's recently released film Stree has done outstanding business at the box-office since its release. 

Praising his younger sister, Siddhanth said, "She is really hardworking. She has done an amazing job as an actor in films like Stree, ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, Baaghi and Haider. 

"She gets into the skin of a character very easily but also comes out of it very quickly. Now she was talking to me about her preparation for a biopic on Saina Nehwal. I am a super proud brother..." 

When asked what kind of work he wants to do in future, Sidhhanth said, "I want to do lot of work by portraying different kind of characters. I just want to work hard as I want to get positive results out of it." 

Sharing her feelings on Paltan, Shraddha said, "I am really excited as my brother's film is releasing tomorrow so, I just want to wish him all the best. He really puts in a lot of effort in every film. He is a brilliant actor and I am big fan of his work.

"I really liked him in Anurag Kashyap's Ugly and now, I am excited for Paltan. I am sure he will keep getting better and better with each film." 

Paltan features Jackie Shroff, Arjun Rampal, Sonu Sood, Gurmeet Choudhary, Harshvardhan Rane, Siddhant Kapoor, Luv Sinha, Monica Gill, Dipika Kakar and Sonal Chauhan in lead roles. 

Directed by J.P. Dutta and produced by Zee Studios and J.P. Films, Paltan released on Friday.

Colleagues, friends ostracised me for fighting for LGBT rights: Celina Jaitly 

Actress Celina Jaitly, who has always spoken up for the rights of the LGBTs (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender), says she was ostracised by her colleagues, friends and family for fighting for their rights but this did not deter her and she kept going. 

An ecstatic Celina called it a historic judgement by the Supreme Court, which on Thursday decrimanlised homosexuality between consulting adults by declaring Section 377, the penal provision which criminalised gay sex as "manifestly arbitrary"

Hailing the verdict, Celina told a publication in a message, "I waited every single day for last 15 years of my life as an LGBT activist with great hope and optimism and it's finally happened, I as a true patriot always had one principle and that being .. I do not accept discrimination should be preserved as a tradition, or that violence should be treasured as a part of any culture."

The actress, a United Nations equality champion who promotes its Free and Equal campaign, says she cannot imagine what the LGBT fellow citizens felt all these years being "victims of an archaic system, the immense ostracism and criticism I faced as a straight ally and LGBT activist is not even a patch on it."

"I was ostracised by colleagues, friends and family too for fighting for LGBT rights, it did not deter me .. kept me going for I knew there were millions going on without a right to life, without dignity, without being able to breathe freely and without feeling safe.

"Today is a historic day, our apex courts have given dignity to millions within our country, What a judgement! "

The 36-year-old actress says the struggle and fighting for equal rights for many has paid off.

"Today history is made, millions will breath the first breath of freedom.. Our apex courts have changed the course of regressive thinking to a progressive one with today's decision.. I am so happy that years I had struggle for many will come to an end and my children will have the opportunity to belong to a country which catered to its each and every citizens rights," said Celina, who won the Miss India title in 2001.

I'm already nervous about 'Thugs Of Hindostan': Aamir Khan

Superstar Aamir Khan says his forthcoming movie Thugs Of Hindostan is just two months away from release and he is already nervous about it.

Aamir was at an event for Vivo mobile here on Thursday.

He said while he is nervous about the film, but there's a trick he had learnt during 3 Idiots which helps him till date.

"Just two months are left for my film, and I am already nervous. After I did 3 Idiots, I got a solution which helps you in little ways... Put your right hand on your heart and say, 'All is well'," said Aamir.

Thugs Of Hindostan is based on Philip Meadows Taylor's 1839 novel "Confessions of a Thug", and stars Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh.

Aamir is sharing screen space with Amitabh for the first time.

Sharing his experience of having fan moments on the set, he said, "I was shooting for Thugs Of Hindostan and I am a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan. When I got to know that I am working with him, it was really exciting.

"Finally, he was in front of me, we were rehearsing, and it was really a fan moment for me. I really couldn't speak properly or remember my lines. I was a little spaced out. And I must tell you, it was joyous for me to shoot with him. Every moment with him was a fan world moment for me."

Dangal star Aamir is also known as Bollywood's Mr. Perfectionist, but the actor disagrees and says he is a learner.

"I see myself as someone who is trying to learn. Each film that I do, each project that I do -- whether it is a film, Vivo, 'Sataymeva Jayate' or work with the Paani Foundation... No matter what I am doing, it is a learning experience for me. It is a journey for me. I see myself as a learner."

"My days are far from perfect. I am someone who is extremely chaotic. I get lost in my head. When I am sitting in a meeting for one hour, it usually goes on for two hours. Then I remember I had something else to do too. My days tend to get longer. I get lost in my work and it takes longer than I think. Usually, my day is very chaotic. I am not perfect," he added.

Thugs Of Hindostan is an action-adventure film written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya. It is set to release during Diwali.

Namaste England' revisits Vipul Shah's old-world romance

The first Namaste London came ten years back. It was an honest sweet gentle film about a NRI London-bred girl Katrina Kaif's attempts to adjust in marriage to a Punjabi rustic man Akshay Kumar who adores her to death. Director Vipul Shah wanted to make the sequel with the same pair but things didn’t work out.

Shah's long-standing association with Akshay Kumar ended abruptly. It is a setback that he doesn't talk about at all.

It took the producer-director ten years to direct another film.

He is happy with the way Namaste England has shaped up. Looking at the trailer, so are we. It seems to take us into a quaint universe where the dramatic complexities are created by cultural rather than emotional conflict between the lead pair.

This time it is Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra, who made their joint debut in Habib Faisal's Ishaqzaade violent brutal interpretation of Romeo and Juliet rooted in the fiercely internecine caste and communal system. This time in Namaste England there is little opposition or tension in their relationship from the outside.

Says Vipul, "I wanted to make a gentle romantic film where the conflicts are very basic, very relatable. I think I've succeeded in doing that."

Vipul took ill recently and had to be hospitalized. But the film didn't suffer on account of his health. "I had finished all my work on the film when I took ill. So there has been no setback due to my health. We are ready to release on 19 October."

The trailer shows Parineeti's Jasmeet fleeing to London to escape the stifling patriarchal bastion of Punjab. Arjun Kapoor playing the devoted duty-bound husband follows her to London to bring her back. But the lady has other plans.

While reveling in the rites of a traditional rural Punjabi family the film seems to suggest that the female population of rural India desperately needs to find its voice. A supportive spouse helps. This is not the first time that Arjun Kapoor plays a caring empathetic husband willing to relinquish the traditional role in a marriage to let his spouse take the lead. But this is the first time that Arjun plays a husband with a hygiene problem.

On two occasions in the trailer, he is heard talking about his lack of care for basic hygiene. Maybe it's just a joke. Then again maybe it's not. Either way, we don't want kids telling their mothers, "Why should we brush our teeth when Arjun Uncle doesn't."

(Source: IANS)