Tag: actress

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Bollywood Health Lite Blogs

Hina Khan Embraces Scars Amid Breast Cancer Battle

The actress, who is undergoing chemotherapy to treat her stage three breast cancer, shared a reel while she was getting a haircut…reports Asian Lite News

Actress Hina Khan, amid her battle with stage three breast cancer, said that she embraces her scars because they are the first sign of progress.

Hina took to Instagram and shared a series of photos dressed in an electric pink racerback paired with black bottoms.

In the selfies, she smiles and poses with a victory sign.

“What do you see in this Picture? The Scars on my body or the Hope in my Eyes? The scars are mine, I embrace them with love because they’re the first sign of the Progress I deserve,” she wrote.

The actress said that she is manifesting her healing.

“The Hope in my Eyes is the reflection of my Soul, I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am manifesting my healing. And I am praying for yours too. #SacredNotScared #DaddysStrongGirl.”

On July 4, Hina chose to let go of her ‘beautiful hair before it starts falling off’.

The actress, who is undergoing chemotherapy to treat her stage three breast cancer, shared a reel while she was getting a haircut.

Hina, who disclosed her diagnosis on June 28, wrote: “You can hear my mother’s wailing voice in Kashmiri (blessing me) in the background as she prepared herself to witness something she never dared to imagine. Not all of us have the same tools at our disposal to manage heartbreaking emotions.”

“To all the beautiful people out there, especially women who are fighting the same battle, I know it’s hard, I know for most of us, our hair is the crown we never take off. But what if you’re facing a battle so tough that you have to lose your hair – your pride, your crown?”

“And I choose to win. I have decided to give myself every chance possible to win this battle. I choose to let go of my beautiful hair before it starts falling off. I didn’t want to endure this mental breakdown for weeks.”

She added: “I have decided to use my own hair to make a nice Wig for this phase.”

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Bollywood Lite Blogs

Actresses Shine in Iconic Marathi Roles

Kriti Sanon played the role of Parvatibai in the 2019 film ‘Panipat’. Like her fellow National Award winner Kangana, Kriti aced both the fight sequences of war and the calm demeanour of the second wife of Sadashivrao Bhau, the commander of the Maratha army, portrayed by Arjun Kapoor, in the film…reports Asian Lite News

The film industry is celebrating Maharashtra Day on Wednesday. The day is recognised for the creation of the state of Maharashtra after the Samyukta Maharashtra movement advocated for the formation of a separate Marathi-speaking state on May 1, 1960.

The leading ladies of cinema have portrayed memorable Marathi characters on screen. IANS takes a look at some of the most memorable performances by the actresses of Hindi cinema where they aced the role of a Marathi character.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has portrayed Marathi characters in three of her films ‘Kaminey’, ‘Agneepath’ and ‘Bajirao Mastani’. Each time, the actress brought something new to the table with regard to her portrayal. While in ‘Kaminey’ she played the role of a gangster’s sister from a lower middle-class background, in ‘Agneepath’ she played a girl belonging to the downtrodden section from Dongri area of Mumbai. However, it was her performance in ‘Bajirao Mastani’ as Kashibai, the first wife of Peshwa Bajirao, which won her critical acclaim. Priyanka played the character to perfection with its inner turmoil, the feeling of being wronged and losing her husband to another woman.

The next on the list is Kangana Ranaut. The actress essayed the role of Rani Lakshmi Bai in her directorial debut ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’. The actress brought the nuances in the portrayal of the queen who headed the princely state of Jhansi in Maratha Empire. Kangana showed her valiant side as an actress and shone bright in the war sequences of the film which portray resistance and rebellion against the British Raj.

While Sridevi has portrayed many iconic characters on-screen, her portrayal of Shashi in the 2012 film ‘English Vinglish’ is pure gold. Sridevi, who was known for her over-the-top projections of characters, played the character of Shashi with immense subtlety. She perfectly aced the mannerism and the diction of the character who hails from a very protected Marathi background and discovers her true worth while studying a new language with English. Her journey of studying a new language arms her with self-confidence and a new perspective to look at life and find her own footing in a foreign land.

Kriti Sanon played the role of Parvatibai in the 2019 film ‘Panipat’. Like her fellow National Award winner Kangana, Kriti aced both the fight sequences of war and the calm demeanour of the second wife of Sadashivrao Bhau, the commander of the Maratha army, portrayed by Arjun Kapoor, in the film.

A special mention to Deepika Padukone, who played the titular character of Mastani Bai in ‘Bajirao Mastani’. While her character in the film was a follower of Islam, she effortlessly joined the steps with Priyanka’s Kashibai in the song ‘Pinga’. Her styling, the ‘nazakat’, the duet with Priyanka in the song and the way she adopts the Marathi culture in the frame makes for a compelling watch.

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Bollywood Interview Lite Blogs

Dimple believes ‘each one plays such an important part’

Saas Bahu aur Flamingo.

The crime drama streaming television series also stars Radhika Madan, Isha Talwar, Angira Dhar, Deepak Dobriyal, Monica Dogra and Naseeruddin Shah…reports Asian Lite News

Veteran actress Dimple Kapadia has been in the industry for five decades and has given unforgettable power-packed performances. Be it her maiden film ‘Bobby’, which released in 1973 or her latest series ‘Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo’, her on screen game is top-notch.

However, the 65-year-old actress says one cannot have a decent performance if not given the meat.

Her latest release ‘Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo’ has redefined the relationship between the women of the family, where often it is shown that “aurat hi aurat ki dushman hoti hai”.

Asked how she feels the show and the relationship of the women in the show has changed the perspective, Dimple told: “I haven’t broken the barrier. It was the character that’s broken the barrier. And that’s important. At the end of the day, it’s the written material, it’s the role, it’s the character, that really works and people often mistake by saying – Oh, what a great performance.”

“You can’t do a decent performance if you’re not given the meat. If the character is not good enough, if the lines are not good enough – it’s an effort by the entire team.”

Dimple Kapadia.

The actress firmly believes that “each one plays such an important part”.

Dimple added: “It’s unbelievable where it can get you. In the sense that even a hug or a dress person or your makeup artist, even that matters and it translates, so it’s a complete team effort. You can’t stand there alone and do anything.”

In ‘Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo’, Dimple plays a strong-headed matriarch and a drug lord. It is the women in her family who take care of the business. The crime drama streaming television series also stars Radhika Madan, Isha Talwar, Angira Dhar, Deepak Dobriyal, Monica Dogra and Naseeruddin Shah.

Talking about how much of herself did she see in her character of Rani Baa, Dimple said: “It would be a lie to say that in every character that you do, there has to be 30 per cent of yourself, otherwise, where do you dig from? Where do you get your experiences from? Where do you get your emotions from? So yes, 30 per cent of it is you.”

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo.

She added: “And the other thing is that I’m silly, but I don’t think I have done any work – I have this thing where some part of my jewellery has to be on me, I don’t know why, it’s been like that always from the beginning, so that there is always some part of me and I take it from there.”

Directed by Homi Adajania, ‘Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo’ is available on Disney+ Hotstar.

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Interview Lite Blogs

Kriti doing a quirky love story with Shahid

Ring in the New Year in pristine white.(photo:IANSLIFE)

The actress, who is at the top of her game, hopes to surprise audiences with some exciting projects that showcase different sides of her persona and talent in 2023 with ‘Shehzada’, ‘Adipurush’ and ‘Ganapath’…reports Asian Lite News

Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon, who is gearing up for her upcoming film ‘Shehzada’, likes to walk the fine line between high-content and high-entertainment films and the films in her pipeline for this year prove the same.

Talking about what audiences can expect from her in 2023, Kriti said: “The audience can probably look forward to far more versions of me. It starts with a very glamorous one which is a family entertainer, followed by probably my biggest film, ‘Adipurush’, which I am extremely proud of. Then there is a lot of action coming in with ‘Ganapath’, something I have done for the first time. You will see me ride a dirt bike, throw kicks and punches and also use a weapon.”

She added: “I am also doing a quirky love story with Shahid Kapoor. We are teaming up on screen for the first time, so you will see fresh chemistry. Then there is ‘The Crew’, which has three women (Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and me) coming together, having a lot of fun and creating something amazing.”

She also spoke about how she picks up various characters and roles.

Kriti Sanon.(photo:Instagram)

The actress further mentioned: “Till ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, I was getting small-town roles one after the other. So, I did the war epic drama ‘Panipat’. Then I took up a strong and meaty role in ‘Mimi’ and moved on to the next level. I want to shift the gear constantly and not stay in one particular zone. You have to move on and think what’s next, otherwise you will stagnate.”

The actress, who is at the top of her game, hopes to surprise audiences with some exciting projects that showcase different sides of her persona and talent in 2023 with ‘Shehzada’, ‘Adipurush’ and ‘Ganapath’.

Kartik Aaryan’s ‘Shehzada’ pushed by a week

The release date of Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan’s upcoming action entertainer film ‘Shehzada’ has been pushed by a week. The film, which also stars Kriti Sanon and Paresh Rawal was earlier supposed to release in cinemas on February 10 but now, it’ll release on February 17.

Senior film trade analyst Taran Adarsh notified about the new release date of the film through his Twitter. He wrote, “#BreakingNews… #Shehzada shifts to a new date… Will now arrive one week late, on 17 Feb 2023… This #KartikAaryan – #KritiSanon starrer is directed by #RohitDhawan”.

The reason behind the release date of the film being pushed is being seen as the earth-shattering performance of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s recent release ‘Pathaan’ at the box-office which while continuing its dream run at the box-office is setting up new records in film trade.

Shehzada First Look Kartik Aaryan.

The performance of ‘Pathaan’ is reminiscent of the Allu Arjun-starrer ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, which set the box-office on fire and affected the business of films that were released with it or a few weeks after it.

‘Pathaan’, which also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, is currently playing in theatres successfully despite boycott calls by certain outfits.

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Revathy returns to direction

Popular Tamil actress Revathy is now making a return to direction with a feature film called ‘Salaam Venky’…reports Asian Lite News

The film is being produced by producer Suuraj Sinngh’s BLive productions, a firm that has entered into a three-film creative collaboration with actress Revathy.

‘Salaam Venky’, starring the talented Kajol, is inspired by an incredible true story of a mother’s strength when faced with life’s challenges. Sources say the film, which is being made in Hindi, will soon release in cinemas this year.

Revathy and Suuraj plan to work on producing engaging content which will bring powerful human and entertaining stories to cinemas.

Talking about the collaboration, actor-director Revathy said, “When Suuraj Sinngh came to me with a story, I immediately wanted to step into the shoes of a director. The result is ‘Salaam Venky’. Working with Suuraj has been comfortable, professionally and felt like family. I trust in him and BLive production’s vision completely. We share strong creative synergies, which will reflect in our forthcoming projects too.”

An elated producer Suuraj Sinngh said, “Revathy is very creative and her work has always inspired me. Our vision is to bring powerful and entertaining stories to life. BLive Productions is grateful to collaborate with a veteran who has a cinematic experience of over 35 years across diverse cultures. We are eager to bring our first film, ‘Salaam Venky’ to the audiences and our journey has just begun!”

Suuraj Sinngh at BLive productions is also gearing up to produce multiple films for theatres and the OTT platform.

Popular Tamil actress Revathy is now making a return to direction with a feature film called ‘Salaam Venky’.

The film is being produced by producer Suuraj Sinngh’s BLive productions, a firm that has entered into a three-film creative collaboration with actress Revathy.

‘Salaam Venky’, starring the talented Kajol, is inspired by an incredible true story of a mother’s strength when faced with life’s challenges. Sources say the film, which is being made in Hindi, will soon release in cinemas this year.

Revathy and Suuraj plan to work on producing engaging content which will bring powerful human and entertaining stories to cinemas.

Talking about the collaboration, actor-director Revathy said, “When Suuraj Sinngh came to me with a story, I immediately wanted to step into the shoes of a director. The result is ‘Salaam Venky’. Working with Suuraj has been comfortable, professionally and felt like family. I trust in him and BLive production’s vision completely. We share strong creative synergies, which will reflect in our forthcoming projects too.”

An elated producer Suuraj Sinngh said, “Revathy is very creative and her work has always inspired me. Our vision is to bring powerful and entertaining stories to life. BLive Productions is grateful to collaborate with a veteran who has a cinematic experience of over 35 years across diverse cultures. We are eager to bring our first film, ‘Salaam Venky’ to the audiences and our journey has just begun!”

Suuraj Sinngh at BLive productions is also gearing up to produce multiple films for theatres and the OTT platform.

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Bollywood Lite Blogs

Priyanka calls Ukraine-Russia conflict as ‘terrifying’

The bombing has created widespread panic among the Ukrainians, who have turned subway stations into underground bunkers to stay safe during the ongoing skirmish…reports Asian Lite News

Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who was appointed the UN Goodwill Ambassador in 2016, has strongly reacted to the crisis which is currently unfolding in Ukraine following the military attack launched by Russia.

Terming the situation as “terrifying”, she has urged people on behalf of Unicef to provide aid to Ukraine. The actress shared a video of a news coverage on the situation in Ukraine, which is getting battered with Russian bombing on their military bases.

The bombing has created widespread panic among the Ukrainians, who have turned subway stations into underground bunkers to stay safe during the ongoing skirmish.

Priyanka wrote in the caption, “The situation unfolding in Ukraine is terrifying. Innocent people living in fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones, while trying to navigate the uncertainty of the immediate future.”

She further wrote, “It’s difficult to comprehend how in the modern world this could escalate to such a catastrophic point, but this is a consequential moment that will reverberate around the world.”

Urging people to lend a helping hand, she wrote, “There are innocent lives living in this war zone. They are just like you and me. Here is more info at the link in my bio about how to assist the people of Ukraine.”

The ongoing crisis in Ukraine has drawn varied reactions from influential people. Earlier, actor Sonu Sood had urged the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to help find an alternative route for evacuating stranded Indians.

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Films Hollywood Lite Blogs

British Indian actress grabs attention in ‘Red Notice’

Arya reprises the role of Interpol’s Inspector Urvashi Das, forever in hot pursuit of the Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds characters in the Netflix comic-action drama ‘Red Notice’…reports Asian Lite News.

After the generation of Meera Syal and Parminder Nagra, and the now-famous Archie Panjabi and Simone Ashley aka Kate Sharma of ‘Bridgerton 2’, Ritu Arya is the newest British Indian actress to get the world’s attention.

Arya reprises the role of Interpol’s Inspector Urvashi Das, forever in hot pursuit of the Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds characters in the Netflix comic-action drama ‘Red Notice’.

She rose to prominence back home with her recurring role as Dr Megan Sharma in the hugely popular British soap opera ‘Doctors’, which even earned her, back in 2014, a British Soap Awards nomination.

The actress starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as a character named Gail in the episode titled ‘The Sign of Three’ of ‘Sherlock’, the series that recasts the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and places them in contemporary settings.

Her performance as Flash in the sci-fi television series ‘Humans’ brought her further recognition. Post ‘Humans’, she was cast in smaller roles in Paul Feig’s ‘Last Christmas’, co-written by Emma Thompson and starring Emilia Ashley, Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh, and in the ‘Fugitive of the Judoon’ episode of the long-running British sci-fi series ‘Doctor Who’.

It was in 2016 when life changed for the actor, as her work in the Netflix original ‘The Umbrella Academy’ changed her career trajectory. Her performance as Lila Pitts in the series is considered to be her breakthrough role. She thereafter starred in the British mystery thriller ‘The Stranger’, the comedy drama ‘Feel Good’ and then in ‘Doctor Who’, which is one of the longest running shows in British television history.

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Bollywood Business Lite Blogs

Bollywood Business Babes

The elaborate range of cosmetics is primarily aimed at catering to the Asian skin tone and texture. It also happens to be the country’s first beauty line to emerge out of Bollywood…writes Nimerta C Sharan.

Film and business are connected together in all sense. Model and wellness enthusiast Malaika Arora recently launched her investment company, Malaika Arora Ventures, which has invested in lifestyle and wellness start-ups such as Sarva and Nude Bowls. While Bollywood’s leading ladies might be in the spotlight for their films and glamorous fashion outings, there’s more to them than meets the eye, for starters most of them have great business acumen and are investing their time and money into projects that go beyond filmmaking.

From setting up funding ventures to starting their own businesses, the industry’s new wave of women entrepreneurs are making all the right moves, here’s a round-up of some popular actresses who are boss babes in their own right:

Alia Bhatt

With a career spanning almost 10 years, Bhatt has been a part of some spectacular films and brand endorsements. Last year, the 28-year-old launched a sustainable clothing line for children ‘Ed-a-Mamma’ catering to the age group of 2-14 years. The actress has invested in companies like Stylecracker and Nykaa and has also launched a platform ‘Coexist’ that works towards animal and ecological welfare.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

From opening an Indian restaurant ‘Sona’ in New York to launching her own vegan haircare brand ‘Anomaly’, there’s no stopping this global trendsetter. A production company under the name, the actress has delivered two successful hits Ventilator and The Sky Is Pink. That’s not all; the superstar became the face of dating app Bumble in 2018 and invested in the start-up as well. You go, girl!



Katrina Kaif

She kickstarted her innings as an entrepreneur in 2019 with the launch of her make-up brand ‘Kay Beauty’, in partnership with beauty giant Nykaa. The elaborate range of cosmetics is primarily aimed at catering to the Asian skin tone and texture. It also happens to be the country’s first beauty line to emerge out of Bollywood.

Anushka Sharma

At 25, Sharma set up a production house ‘Clean Slate Filmz’ with her brother. Known to have produced some incredible movies and web series, she is actively involved in the process, from selecting scripts to finalizing the cast. The 33-year-old also launched her apparel line ‘Nush’ in 2017, which is an extension of her distinct style. A champion of animal rights, the actress has also opened two rescue animal shelters outside Mumbai with her husband Virat Kohli.



Deepika Padukone

With a super successful career, more than a dozen brand endorsements and an exciting international work graph, Padukone is on top of her game. In 2017, she set up her own investment venture ‘KA Enterprises’ which has invested in Epigamia — a brand of yoghurts, hobby-based start-up FrontRow, electric taxi enterprise Blu Smart and aerospace start-up Bellatrix. Padukone made her debut as a producer in 2020 with the release of her film “Chhapaak”.

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Films Lite Blogs

Pranitha loves to work more in Bollywood

“But yes, what is different is the language. All my life I’ve spoken very bad Hindi but now suddenly you’re speaking very good Hindi,” she quipped…Pranitha interacts with Ahana Bhattacharya.

Pranitha Subhash is basically a Kannada artist is now exploring new paths in acting career. Pranitha who features in the film “Hungama 2”, is missing the big screen.

“I’m both nervous and excited because everything starting from the genre to the audience is new for me,” Pranitha told sharing her experience about working in a Hindi film.

Quizzed if she is missing the big screen, the actress replied: “Absolutely, because as actors, especially in the South we are so used to the big screen, the hullabaloo, the firecrackers and the madness! I am going to definitely miss all that.”

With a film releasing digitally, the opening weekend box-office pressure is not there.

Is that a slight relief?

“Actually yes. But then, I think it would have been great if it was released in the theatres at least for a little while like how recent films have been, and then probably bringing it to the OTT, that would have been something I would like,” the actress suggested.

A popular name in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, Pranitha is a working in Bollywood for the first time, what differences does she observe from the South?

“It’s been wonderful. In terms of work, it is almost the same, does not feel like anything different. The work culture, the timings I’ve always heard people telling me how different and stuff like that, but I personally found everything the same. You can’t tell any difference between the working style of a South film and a Hindi film,” the actress replied.

“But yes, what is different is the language. All my life I’ve spoken very bad Hindi but now suddenly you’re speaking very good Hindi,” she quipped.

“So I’ve tried to polish my Hindi. Secondly, we are catering to a much (more) universal audience because, for example, I’ve had friends in Bengaluru, my old classmates who have only watched Hindi films all their life,” she added.

With two Hindi films of her releasing this year, does the actress plan to shift to Hindi cinema?

“Yes, I would love to work more in Bollywood. I would definitely try to balance between Bollywood and South because South has given me everything that I am till date, so I would love to continue working there,” Pranitha said.

Asked about her character in the latest Hindi film “Hungama 2”, Pranitha teased saying: “I play a very easy going girl next door who gets into… well you’ll only know that when you watch the film!”

Directed by Priyadarshan, “Hungama 2” streams on Disney+ Hotstar. The film also stars Paresh Rawal, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Johny Lever, Meezaan Jafri and Rajpal Yadav in key roles.

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Vidya trusts made in India vaccine, urges all to take jab

Speaking to us, Vidya advocates for Indians to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus so that we can all do our bit to reduce the burden on our healthcare systems and workers…writes Siddhi Jain.

Vidya Balan, the fabulous actress of Bollywood is continuing her vibrant career with stronger characters. Vidya who is currently being lauded for her role in Amit Masurkar’s ‘Sherni’ acknowledges that “the coronavirus pandemic put a tremendous amount of pressure and stress on our healthcare workers”. Despite this, “they continue to work tirelessly, giving us the best of care — a reality we don’t see often unless we visit a hospital or a healthcare facility,” Vidya tells.

The popular actor has joined hands with Vicks to lend her voice in support of all doctors and healthcare workers in the country. The brand, through its #TouchOfCare campaign, recently launched a heart-warming film on the inspiring journey of late Dnyaneshwar Bhosale’s selfless acts of care.

Bhosale left no stone unturned to ensure that many less fortunate children received life-saving medical attention during the pandemic. A doctor who lost his life to Covid-19, Bhosale left behind his wife, kids, and his dreams of building his own paediatric hospital. The film pays tribute to Bhosale and hundreds of doctors like him who lost their lives during the pandemic while extending their ‘Touch Of Care’ to the many souls in need.

Vidya said that she wished to bring to light the invisible force behind the doctors themselves: their families.

Vidya shared: “I salute Bhosale’s wife and family for supporting his selfless work! He showed us how a simple act of care can change the lives of those who need it. With his unrelenting spirit, Bhosale worked day and night during the pandemic, and like many other doctors and healthcare workers, left us too soon. I wish Mrs. Bhosale all the strength in the world to make Mr Bhosale’s dream a reality and keep his care alive among the little children of Latur.”

The National Film Award winning actor has acted in many female-led films, paving the path for change in not just the entertainment but also related industries with her bold voice. She supports the well-being message of staying at home and staying safe.

Speaking to us, Vidya advocates for Indians to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus so that we can all do our bit to reduce the burden on our healthcare systems and workers.

To support the selfless, unflinching, and challenging work by doctors and healthcare workers during this pandemic, Vidya said, “I trust the vaccines made in India, and urge everyone to maintain social distance and wash their hands regularly. I hope our country gets vaccinated soon and we are able to fight this virus with zeal!”

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