Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) Comedian and singer Munawar Faruqui, who has started filming his maiden web show ‘First Copy’, has called his acting debut an “exciting challenge.”

On making his debut, Munawar said: “I am thrilled to be embarking on this new journey as an actor with First Copy. It’s an exciting challenge, and I’m eagerly waiting for the audience to see this new side of me.”

“The love and support I’ve received so far have been overwhelming, and I hope to make everyone proud with this web series,” he added.

Details about the show and Munawar’s character are still under wraps. He recently shared a picture on social media from behind the scenes of the set.

He had captioned it: “New Journey.”

On Eid this year, the teaser of the web show was released and it took viewers to the year 1999, when DVDs gained momentum. It gave a sneak-peek into the world of piracy.

Written and directed by Farhan P. Zamma, the film is produced by Kurji Productions and co-produced by Salt Media.

Munawar started his journey in 2020 after he uploaded a standup comedy video titled ‘Dawood, Yamraaj & Aurat’. After which, he released his debut song ‘Jawab’ with Spectra, an Indian musician.

He started his journey in showbiz in 2022 with the reality show ‘Lock Upp’, hosted by actress-politician Kangana Ranaut. He was crowned as the winner of the show. He was then seen in ‘Bigg Boss 17’ in 2023 and there too, he lifted the trophy.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Veteran actress Saira Banu is remembering the late singer Mohammed Rafi on his death anniversary. On Wednesday, the actress took to her Instagram and dropped throwback images of the singer with her late husband, the cinema great Dilip Kumar.

She also penned a long note in the caption and shared how Dilip Kumar practised sitar for 7-8 months to do justice to the visuals of the song crooned by Mohammed Rafi.

She wrote: “One of the greatest playback singers, Mohd Rafi Sahab, is a genius when it comes to varied styles of songs. This great singer had an exquisite blend of melody, emotion, and energy, which always resulted in thousands of soulful songs.”

She then quoted her husband in the caption and wrote: “There have been a number of highly talented playback singers, but with Rafi Bhai, it has been a mystical bonding as though he was part of me, practically my own voice, and a humble, unpretentious figure. Rafi Bhai had the God-given ability to mould and adapt his rendering of a number as per the given situation in the film, the characters, the mood of the time, and the overall nature of the character in the film.”

Dilip Kumar and Mohammed Rafi worked together on the song ‘Madhuban Mein Radhika Naache Re’ from the film ‘Kohinoor’.

She further mentioned: “Sahib practised for 7-8 months on the sitar to be perfect. I would like to quote an incident from 1962, soon after the Indo-China conflict, which is fondly recalled by my husband, the legendary Dilip Sahab. Both legends of Indian cinema were on the border to entertain the Jawans of the Border Security Force, but suddenly Rafi Bhai developed a terrible throat infection and lost his voice.”

The actress shared that the singer was in tears and inconsolable at the thought of letting down the eager Jawans who were sending him little notes of requests on pieces of paper for their favourite songs, which they wished to hear live at the show.

She wrote: “Dilip Sahab kept giving him a concoction of ginger and honey, which was his mother’s remedy at home. Like a good boy, Rafi Bhai gulped it down obediently, and lo and behold! It worked wonders for him. Rafi Bhai could not believe it, and when he woke up the next day and cleared his throat to hear his own inimitable, velvety voice.”

“The Tragedy King Dilip Sahab said: ‘There was a feeling of elation and great relief for Rafi Bhai, for me, and for the Border Security Force Jawans. This simple mixture worked, while others were downing hard brandies in the cold weather, but Rafi Bhai, being a complete teetotaler, would not touch it’. There’s a cute personal anecdote with Rafi Bhai that I shall love to share with you tomorrow,” she added.

Saira also wished her fellow actress Mumtaz on her birthday, as she took to her Instagram Stories, and shared throwback pictures with her.

She wrote: “At times, I look back on our journey and find myself, wondering, 60 years, really? Dear @mumtaztheactress, our friendship feels like it has spanned an eternity, and I can’t thank Allah enough for the blessing of your companionship and care. On your birthday, I wish for us to enjoy another eternity of strong friendship and joyful moments, together until the end of time. Happy Birthday, Dearest! In the days to come, I’d love to share a few anecdotes that really capture the beauty of our friendship.”

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actress Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya, who recently returned from her Europe vacation, has now visited her hometown Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and shared a peek into a day in her life, enjoying poha.

Divyanka, who paid a visit to her family, along with her husband and actor Vivek Dahiya, shared a string of pictures and videos on her Instagram account, where she has 26.3 million followers.

The photo shows Divyanka and Vivek having lunch with their loved ones at a cafe. There are also selfies of the couple from the flight. It features Divyanka wearing a white kurta with black threadwork on it.

There is a video where we can see Divyanka, and her parents enjoying poha from their ‘ghar ke peeche ka talab’.

The post is captioned as: “A day with Bhopalis…”

A fan commented on the post, and said: “Mere pyaare log”. Another user said: “Perfect home with sea view.”

Another fan wrote: “Creating unforgettable memories at maykaa with family.”

For the unversed, the couple had earlier shared that they were robbed in Europe, and their essentials like — passports, bank cards, and expensive goods, were taken away.

On the personal front, Divyanka and Vivek got married in July 2016 in Bhopal.

Meanwhile, Divyanka participated in the 2004 reality show ‘India’s Best Cinestars Ki Khoj’. She then played the lead role of Vidya in the 2006 show ‘Banoo Main Teri Dulhann’.

She has been a contestant in the shows like ‘Khana Khazana’, ‘Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan’, ‘Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout’, ‘Comedy Circus’, ‘Nach Baliye 8’, and ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 11’.

The actress last featured in ‘Adrishyam’ as Inspector Parvati Sehgal. It stars Eijaz Khan as Ravi Verma. The show is streaming on Sony LIV.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) The first look of the upcoming movie ‘Hindi-Vindi’ has been unveiled, and it shows Australian musician Guy Sebastian starring in a pivotal role along with Neena Gupta and Mihir Ahuja.

The first look poster, released on Wednesday, showcases the film’s lead actors in a breathtakingly intense frame. The poster hints at a gripping storyline, rich with emotion, drama, and music.

The film is a musical drama exploring intergenerational language barriers within the migrant community.

The film has been directed by Ali Sayed, with its music composed by Javed-Mohsin and Guy Sebastian, himself. The film is currently in the final stages of post-production.

Talking about the film, director Ali Sayed said: “We are incredibly excited to share the first look of Hindi-Vindi with the world. This film is a labour of love, and we can’t wait for audiences to embark on this journey with us. The first look is just a glimpse of what’s in store, and we believe it will leave everyone eagerly anticipating the release.”

Produced by Aniket Deshkar, Anil Sharma and Sunny Shah under the banners of 24Six Films, Australia in association with Drishya Sharma Productions, the film has been written by Jay Sharma.

The film is set to hit theatres in September 2024, close to Hindi Diwas, celebrating the Hindi Language.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actress Sara Khan was taken by surprise after she learnt she had to play six different characters in one frame. She said that she had played a double role before but never a sextuplet.

Sara, who plays Goddess Kritikayein in “Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya”, said: “When the director first told me about the scene where I would appear as six different characters in one frame, I thought it was just for a promo, to create some visual effect or for my entry scene.”

She said that gradually, in every scene she did, she had to act alone with her characters.

“I wondered what was happening. In every scene, I was talking to myself, asking questions and answering them, and reacting to things alone. I kept wondering if this was going to continue.”

“Later, I learned the backstory of Goddess Kritikayein, who was one of six women married to seven ‘rishi munis,’ who raised Kartik and later united against Chhathi Maiyya. It was then that I understood I would always have to play multiple roles,” she said.

The actress added that this was “different and new compared to anything” she has done in her career before.

“I have played a double role before, but never sextuplet roles. So, when I learned about this on the first day of the shoot, it was both shocking and surprising for me,” added Sara.

“Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya”, which airs on Sun Neo, follows an orphan girl named Vaishnavi, who reveres Chhathi Maiyya as her mother.

–IANS

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