Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actress Jennifer Winget is finally saying adios to her vacation in the UK and shared how she bid goodbye the “right way.”

Jennifer took to her Instagram stories to share pictures from her “last hurrah.” She shared an image of her plate full of an English meal featuring fish, chips and some greens.

“Bidding the UK farewell the right way: Munching on fish and chips like royalty for my last hurrah,” she wrote as the caption.

On July 14, the actress shared a motley of “stunning” pictures from her visit to Tenby in Wales. The images featured the sun, sea, old buildings and herself.

She captioned it: “Just me, some stunning views and the beautiful town of Tenby.”

One of television’s top actresses, Jennifer started her career as a child actor with the 1995 film ‘Akele Hum Akele Tum’ and made her TV debut in 2002 with ‘Shaka Laka Boom Boom’.

She gained major stardom with her work in ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’ after which she was seen in shows such as ‘Kya Hoga Nimmo Kaa’, ‘Sangam’, ‘Dill Mill Gayye’, ‘Saraswatichandra’, ‘Beyhadh’ and ‘Bepannah’.

Not many know, Jennifer was also seen in the Rani Mukerji-starrer ‘Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat’ in 1997. When she was 15, she starred in ‘Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya’. She has also worked in reality shows such as ‘Zara Nach Ke Dikha’, ‘Dekh India Dekh’ and ‘Laughter Ke Phatke’.

Her latest outing on the screen was in the legal drama ‘Raisinghani VS Raisinghani’, which also stars Karan Wahi and Reem Shaikh.

–IANS

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Los Angeles, July 31 (IANS) Pop icon Taylor Swift is in “shock” after the horrifying stabbings in Southport. The singer-songwriter has shared a statement following the incident.

Two children have died and six are in critical condition following a “horror movie” knife attack close to a Taylor Swift-themed yoga class, reports Mirror.co.uk.

Swift shared on social media: “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously and I’m just completely in shock. The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”

As per Mirror.co.uk, Merseyside Police confirmed that a 17-year-old boy, from the village of Banks, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder following the “major incident” at a property in Hart Street, Southport, Merseyside, at about 11.50 a.m. on the day of the attack.

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said that as the two children who died, nine children were injured in the “ferocious” attack and two adults are also in a critical condition.

In a statement, Kennedy said that it is understood that the children were “attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance school when the offender armed with a knife walked into the premises and started to attack the children inside.”

She said the force believed the adults were injured while “bravely” trying to protect the children. The force said a 17-year-old boy was arrested and is set to be questioned following the “major incident”, which is not being treated as terror-related.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who is busy shooting for her upcoming movie ‘The Bluff’, is having a great time during the film’s schedule and seems to be enjoying every bit of it.

The actress recently took to the Stories section of her Instagram, and shared a BTS picture from the sets of the film which shows a vintage gun.

She wrote on the picture: “Wild! Our period appropriate props are so cool #thebluff #moviemaking.”

‘The Bluff’ is an American swashbuckler drama film which also stars Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Safia Oakley-Green and Vedanten Naidoo.

The film is set in the Caribbean islands during the 19th century, and sees Priyanka in the role of a former female pirate who must protect her family when her past catches up to her.

Meanwhile, Priyanka’s film ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karoge’ co-starring Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar recently completed 20 years. Priyanka Chopra celebrated the 20th anniversary of the film’s release as she shared a throwback photo on her Instagram.

In the picture she can be seen posing with Akshay and Salman. She wrote on the picture: “20 years of being Rani! Woah! Those brows tho.”

‘Mujhse Shaadi Karoge’ was directed by David Dhawan and released in 2004. It quickly became a blockbuster hit. The film revolves around a love triangle involving Samir (played by Salman Khan), Rani (played by Priyanka Chopra), and Sunny (played by Akshay Kumar), blending comedy, romance, and a series of misunderstandings that keep audiences entertained all the time.

–IANS

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Los Angeles, July 31 (IANS) Singer-actress Selena Gomez opened up about her feelings about the time in her life when she was being photographed by paparazzi and dating American popstar Justin Bieber.

Gomez, who is happily settled with her music producer beau Benny Blanco, spoke about how she had the blues at the time in a reaction to throwback footage of herself posted on social media showing her getting pictured and posing with a fan.

A clip was set to her ex Bieber’s song ‘Company’, with a caption the video saying: “I know and so do you that at the time she would never have gotten engaged to Benny (Blanco) (when) she was in her IT GIRL era.”

Text over the video also said Gomez’s former self “would never date Benny Blanco.”

Hitting back at the claim, she said: “Kinda makes me laugh because I was so depressed back then lol.”

Gomez dated Bieber on and off for eight years and a few months after she and the ‘Baby’ hitmaker split in 2018 he married Hailey Bieber, 27, with whom he is expecting his first child, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Gomez has told how she loves the way Blanco treats her, saying online in December: “He has treated me better than any human being on this planet.”

She added to Time magazine that she is not “fazed” when her critics say “the most hurtful things.”

Blanco celebrated her 32nd birthday by buying her a jewel-encrusted necklace in the shape of his first initial made by a 14-karat gold, diamond-studded piece.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) She would have remained a B-grade film heroine, save for one standout moment when she became the first actress to rock and roll in a saree, with no top actor of the time ready to accept her as a co-star. Thankfully for Mumtaz, Dilip Kumar had no such hang-ups.

During casting for “Ram Aur Shyam” (1967), her name was suggested to Dilip Kumar as the romantic partner for one of the twins he would play. The thespian was first undecided but on being shown videos of her performances so far, remarked she was “a scene stealer” and agreed to take her on. She took with gusto to the role of Shanta, who has a bantering relationship with the boisterous Shyam, but eventually finds her real partner in the timid and oppressed Ram.

However, a one-off would not have been enough to catapult Mumtaz, who celebrates her 77th birthday on this day (July 31) to the top league. But the actress, who was as determined as she was talented, was up to the task.

She cemented her presence with the romantic potboiler “Patthar Ke Sanam”, in which as Meena, the second lead, her elfin charm was a foil to Waheeda Rehman’s grace, then, as Shabnam, Sunil Dutt’s spirited onscreen partner, in whodunnit “Hamraaz”, Shefali in V. Shantaram’s “Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti” (all 1967) and then, Reena in “Do Raaste” (1969) – the first of her 10-odd hit films with Rajesh Khanna.

The icing was Shammi Kapoor’s “Brahmachari” (1968), in which she played a vamp out to dupe the promiscuous villain, and jived in a saree in “Aaj kal tere mere pyaar ke charche”. A special one was created for the purpose by ace designer Bhanu Atheya, with inbuilt pleats and a zipper down one side! It would go to be known as the “Mumtaz saree”.

In “Khilona” (1970), Mumtaz bravely took up the role of a prostitute, after many others turned it down, and went on to win her first and only Filmfare Award. She held her own against Zeenat Aman as Dev Anand’s love interest in “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” (1971).

Born to an Indian father and an Iranian mother in 1947 – a fortnight before Independence, Mumtaz Askari had her first experience of the film world when young and became a child artiste at 11. However, as she turned adult, she only managed small roles in films like Sunil Dutt’s stark “Mujhe Jeene Do” (1963), or at best, the second heroine in the Persian epic-inspired “Rustam Sohrab” (1963) – the swan song of Suraiya – where Mumtaz played Sohrab’s (Prem Nath) love interest.

A real-life strongman seeking to turn into a reel-life strongman came to her aid. Dara Singh accepted her as a co-star and they did a string of action thrillers – “Veer Bhimsen”, “Samson”, “Hercules” (all 1964), “Tarzan Comes to Delhi”, “Tarzan and King Kong”, “Son of Hatimtai”, “Sikandar-e-Azam”, “Rustom-e-Hind”, “Jadui Angoothi” (all 1965), “Daku Mangal Singh” (1966), and so on.

While she was making fairly decent money, Mumtaz could have been trapped in this rut, had not her chance with Dilip Kumar given her an opportunity to enter the top league.

With her large smoky eyes that could portray everything from saucy innocence to sparkling sensuality to hurt anguish, dancing skills, and a readiness to experiment, she easily transitioned to become a top heroine and a style icon.

In the process, many heroes, who had spurned her earlier, would now request her to star with them, and she gracefully acceded, even, as a reigning superstar, with whom she had a string of successes, reportedly went into a sulk if she acted with other heroes.

A highlight of her film foray was her kinetic performances in a spate of evergreen songs – the gay abandon of “Jai Jai Shiv Shankar” (“Aap Ki Kasam”, 1974), the intrinsic playfulness of “Gore rang pe na ghuman kar”, and the silliness of “Chal dariya mein kud jaaye” (“Prem Kahani”, 1975) – all with Rajesh Khanna, “Main tere ishq mein” and “Koi Shahri Babu” (“Loafer”) with Dharmendra and the brazen “Le jayenge, le jayenge dilwale dulhaniya le jayenge” (“Chor Machaye Shor”, 1974) with Shashi Kapoor.

She made her presence felt in even those where she was merely serenaded — “Phir tumhari yaad aayi hai sanam” (“Rustam Sohrab”), “Tauba yeh matwali chaal” (“Patthar Ke Sanam”), and “Aaj mausam bada beimaan hai” (“Loafer”).

However, Mumtaz never took her fortune for granted and less than a decade as one of Bollywood’s most popular actresses, bid adieu at the peak of her fame, having married a rich NRI businessman. She did attempt a comeback in 1990 but it it did not work out, and she only returned onscreen in a 2010 breast cancer documentary, having survived the disease herself.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

–IANS

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