Mumbai, July 1 (IANS) Actress Neha Saraf, who is known for her work in ‘Kathal’, ‘Dream Girl’, ‘Lukka Chupi’, ‘Janhit Mein Jari’, ‘Heroine’ and others, will be seen portraying the role of Riteish Deshmukh’s wife in the upcoming series ‘Pill’.

The film is helmed by the National Award-winning director Raj Kumar Gupta. It is based on the pharma industry.

Talking about her character in her upcoming web show, she said: “I’m playing the role of Riteish Deshmukh’s wife in the show. Individually, she is very outspoken and likes to speak her mind. Circumstances have shaped her personality this way. She loves her husband, and vice versa.”

Discussing what attracted her to the role, she shared: “When they came for auditions, the scenes written were very interesting. If I got the chance to do those scenes apart from the web series, I would even do that.”

Sharing her working experience with Riteish Deshmukh, she said: “He is a real gentleman. Working with him was smooth, and the amount of respect he has for women is commendable. He pays attention to every detail of treating a woman; if there is a lady in the room where he is present, he will not sit before her. In one line, he is a true gentleman.”

Reflecting on her working experience with director Raj Kumar Gupta, she said: “He is the kind of person who gives you liberty as an actor, allowing you to showcase your true talent. He definitely guides scene construction, but he also gives you the chance to interpret the scene as an actor. He gives you the liberty to express yourself. It feels very easy working with him. He is a very free-flowing director.”

The series is produced by Ronnie Screwvala.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 1 (IANS) Actress Maika Monroe, who essays the role of Agent Lee Harker in the murder-mystery horror movie ‘Longlegs’, has shared the inspiration behind her character in the series.

‘Longlegs’ is a story of a serial killer, and follows the journey of prodigal detective Agent Lee Harker as she investigates a series of unsolved murders. As Harker delves deeper into the case, she uncovers cryptic clues left by a cunning and notorious serial killer known as Longlegs (played by Nicolas Cage). The film is a hat-tip to classic horror with its blend of cult fiction and surrealistic elements.

Sharing insights into her character, Maika Monroe said: “Obviously, ‘Silence of the Lambs’ is a massive influence on this film as a whole. But I also drew a lot from Rooney Mara’s performance in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. Both characters feel like outsiders in their worlds, unsure of where they fit in, yet finding purpose in solving crimes.”

Director Osgood Perkins also spoke about Monroe’s character, as he shared her unique abilities. He said: “Lee Harker demonstrates an extraordinary intuition and mental acuity. Her perception test scores are off the charts, making her uniquely equipped to unravel the mystery.”

PVRINOX Pictures is set to release ‘Longlegs’ on July 12.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 1 (IANS) Actors Shruti Bhist, Namish Taneja and Megha Chakraborty on Monday were spotted at the Iskcon Temple in Juhu, Mumbai as they promoted their upcoming show ‘Mishri’.

The visuals show Shruti in her character’s look, wearing a half-sleeved red suit and matching salwar and dupatta. Her hair is tied in a braided ponytail.

Megha donned a pinkish-red coloured saree, kept her hair open, and accessorised the look with white jhumkas and matching bangles.

The male lead of the show — Namish sported a long red kurta, and paired it with golden pyjamas.

The trio were seen distributing small packets of ‘mishri’ to the paparazzi, and smiled for the lenses.

The upcoming show stars Shruti as Mishri, Namish as Raghav, and Megha as Vaani.

Set in the cultural hub of Mathura, the show follows the intertwined journeys of Mishri, Vaani, and Raghav. The show revolves around the rollercoaster journey of a girl who brings joy and sweet fortune to others while grappling with her own bitter destiny.

Residing in Mathura, Mishri is the town’s sweetheart, invited to every auspicious occasion to spread her good luck. The plot thickens when her conniving chachi schemes to marry her off to her shady middle-aged brother, swapping out the groom she was supposed to wed.

Just when all hope seems lost, fate throws a curveball. In a dramatic twist, Raghav comes as a saviour and marries Mishri, flipping the script on Chachi’s nasty plot.

But, Mishri refuses to be a burden to Raghav, who’s in love with Vaani. Mishri’s loyalty lies with Raghav and his soon-to-be wife Vaani, whom she loves like a sister.

It will be interesting to see how Mishri will navigate this complex dynamic without hurting the two most important people in her life.

‘Mishri’ will be airing from July 3 on Colors.

Shruti is known for her work in shows like ‘Ek Nayi Chhoti Si Zindagi’, ‘Hitler Didi’, ‘Baal Veer’, ‘Mere Sai – Shraddha Aur Saburi’, ‘Pandya Store’ and ‘Saath Nibhaana Saathiya’ among others.

She has also featured in web series like ‘The Family Man 2’, and ‘The Trial’.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, July 1 (IANS) Jailed Kannada superstar Darshan’s mother, brother, wife and son, who had not visited him till date, met him at the Central Prison of the Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of Bengaluru city on Monday.

Police sources confirmed that Darshan’s mother Meena, brother Dinakar, wife Vijayalakshmi and son Vineesh visited him on Monday morning.

Both Darshan and his mother Meena turned emotional at the meeting and the actor’s brother consoled them both.

However, the preferential treatment given to Darshan in terms of allowing visits of family members has stirred a row in Karnataka.

Significantly, Darshan’s family had not visited him while he was in police custody and after he was shifted to the prison also.

Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others have been arrested on charges of murdering 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga, whose wife is pregnant with the couple’s first child.

The probe revealed that Renukaswamy, a big fan of Darshan, had sent derogatory messages to Pavithra Gowda on social media.

The victim was allegedly kidnapped, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed, and tortured to death.

Darshan is in judicial custody until July 4.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 1 (IANS) Darrsh Clarke, who is currently in the Top 6 on the ongoing 16th season of culinary-based reality show “Masterchef Australia”, said that he had an amazing experience visiting India when he was a teenager.

Reminiscing about his trip from his childhood days, Darrsh, who has a blend of Sri Lankan and Indian heritage, said: “I visited India when I was 14 or 15.”

“My dad and I, we went around the world, and I remember he said, ‘We are going to India, we have to go to India, you have to see India,’ because it’s another world, right? You know, when you grow up in Australia, you think this is the world.”

The visit was an unforgettable experience for Darrsh.

“But really, India was such an amazing experience – to see how a billion people live, and just the noise and the hustle and bustle and being around so many people that look like you, sound like you. It was pretty special.”

The contestant said that he first went to Chennai and then to Puducherry.

“So we were in Chennai and then we went to Pondicherry, which was very nice. We loved it. And then we went across to Kerala as well. I haven’t been to North India. I would love to go there. But yeah, we stayed around the South, so that was probably 2 weeks all up,” he said.

Darrsh remarked on his future plans with co-contestant Savindri Perera.

“I think I would love to go again. Sav and I are planning a trip to Sri Lanka later in the year, and then will probably go to India as well because there is so much to see, particularly in the North.”

“MasterChef Australia” Season 16 is airing on Disney+ Hotstar in India.

–IANS

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