Mumbai, July 18 (IANS) On reaching a milestone number on a video streaming platform, Filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan celebrated the moment with her chef by taking him out for a treat.

Farah reached a whopping 500K followers on YouTube.

In the clip, she is seen informing her chef that the channel has now hit a new benchmark. After which, the chef innocently asks that it is in lakhs.

A witty Farah Khan hilariously says that he shouldn’t think it will become his salary and that she is taking him out for a party.

The video then shows the two going, enjoying a car ride, and then reaching the restaurant.

The video also hilariously showcases how people run up to Farah’s chef and push her away for a picture with him. The two are seen enjoying a meal.

A hilarious moment also shows Farah leaving her chef in the restaurant before the bill for the food consumed is given.

Her chef is taken to the kitchen and funnily asked to clean the dishes as the bill is not paid. Later, Farah comes and says she was joking and the two leave.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 19 (IANS) Celebrated designer Neeta Lulla has unveiled her latest concept saree collection, titled “Leher”, and shared that the nine-yard wonder has always held a special place in her heart.

Talking about her new collection, Lulla said: “The saree has always held a special place in my heart. Its grace and versatility are unparalleled.”

The designer said that with the collection, she wanted to celebrate this timeless garment.

“With Leher, I wanted to celebrate this timeless garment while infusing it with youthful whimsy and modern sensibility. The new ‘Leher’ collection captures just that and makes for the perfect ensemble for the modern woman.”

The collection by NISSHK by House of Neeta Lulla is described as a love letter to the saree, reimagined for the modern woman, according to the statement.

The colour palette is designed to suit various occasions, from weddings and vibrant sangeets to colourful haldi ceremonies and dazzling parties. The collection features sarees with playful ruffles and intricately embellished bustiers. Notable new features include embellished mobile pockets, belts, and gold buckles.

In March, Lulla celebrated 40 years in the industry and shared with IANS that it has not been an easy journey.

“40 years in the industry has not been a cakewalk; it has been quite a struggle.”

“Apart from being a fashion designer, I am also a costume designer, a housewife, and a mother. Being able to juggle these roles and seamlessly transition from one role to another was quite a task, Lulla told IANS.

Lulla has worked on over 300 films and has been designing wedding dresses since 1985.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) ‘Pyar vs Love’, ‘Mudda Bahut Ba’ (there are a lot of issues), ‘Dhanda’, ‘Ashlilta ki Tata Thaiya’ (goodbye to vulgarity) — rapper Rohiteshwar Sahaya aka Gypsy Soul, originally from Chapra in Bihar, is no ‘Gully Boy’.

A former head of the DD Sports Graphics Department, Soul who raps only in Bhojpuri and is a rage among teenagers in Bihar and Jharkhand, says his work has never been ‘commercial’, as every song of his takes up burning issues of his home state Bihar.

“Pick up any of my work, and it would reflect the social reality of our time. Gypsy Soul’s soul is not for sale,” he says with all the seriousness in the world.

And he changes avatars too — dressing up like a student in the ‘UPSC Wala Pyaar’ song, a tough guy in ‘Ehe Rajneet Ba’ (this is politics), in ‘Badass’ — a mafiosi look, and well a Bappi Lehri-inspired one in another.

By the way, he also did a Safdar Hashmi play at the age of 14.

“To communicate with youngsters and ensure they understand that only they can change Bihar, I must be in the ‘right’ look. I record all the music in Mumbai to get access to the best of professionals and technology,” asserts the rapper, who is inspired by American legends like Tupac Shakur and Bigg D.

Early on, Soul would write lyrics for other rappers but later decided to jump into the field to make Biharis look within. And he assures all this happened much before ‘Gully Boy’ was released.

“Look I am a terrible singer, so rapping made a lot of sense. Also, many people asked why I was not working on my lyrics myself?”

And the name — ‘Gypsy Soul’… He says he loves travelling and just cannot be still in life as that would lead to stagnation.

For someone who grew up in small town Chapra but worked in Delhi, and now constantly travels between his hometown, Delhi and Mumbai, Chapra will always hold a special place, and that is where his lyrics emerge from.

“Small-town India has not changed, and I am not talking about roads or superstores. How many new schools have been set up? Have the streets become safer for women compared to 20 years ago, has migration become a thing of the past? Think about it,” says this BFA degree holder.

Soul insists that whenever he thinks about such issues, the pen is his catharsis.

“It is important to constantly talk about issues. Being an entertainer does not mean that you start living in an alternate reality,” he cautions.

As he sets to release his new single ‘Khelwar’ which focuses on the state of sports infrastructure in his home state, the rapper points out that he knows several top players who never get selected, lack experienced coaches, fewer grounds and policies for sportsmen that never reach them.

“No wonder you see so many of them selling tea,” laments the artist.

Disclosing that he plans to work on rap numbers around migration and the rising drug menace in Bihar, Soul says, “What efforts have been made to reopen the sugar mills? Did anyone think that Prohibition could result in an increased narcotics inflow in the state?”

Talking about the rap scene in India, he is optimistic that it is going in the right direction.

“One must witness the underground rapping that takes place in Mumbai and Kolkata where people share their work.”

Maintaining that despite numerous offers to rap on lyrics that may become instant hits, he concludes, “But then, Gypsy Soul’s soul will bleed, no?”

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 19 (IANS) Actress Sayantani Ghosh, who will showcase her dancing skills in her show ‘Dahej Daasi’, revealed her passion for Indian classical dance, although she hasn’t yet had the opportunity to pursue it formally.

“When I was very young, probably around six or seven years old, my parents had put me in a generic dance class for a couple of months. At that age, you don’t learn much, but it has always been on my bucket list to learn dance — any form of dance,” Sayantani said.

The actress added: “I especially love Indian classical dance, but I haven’t had the chance to pursue it yet. My love for dance was the first indication that I wanted to be an actor.”

Growing up in Kolkata, Sayantani’s school often performed Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s dance dramas, which combined dance with acting and emotions.

“I was very active in my school’s cultural programs, and that’s when I realised I was inclined towards the creative field. Even though I haven’t formally learned dance, I love it. I just need to turn on some music, and I’m ready to dance,” the actress said.

“Over the years, the industry has recognised and respected my dancing skills. Whenever people talk about actresses who can dance well, my name definitely pops up on the list,” she added.

Talking about the dance sequence in her show, the actress said: “I was very excited when a dance sequence came up, because Vindhya, my character, isn’t someone you’d expect to see dancing, so this sequence was special.”

“We were doing a Maha episode where a tandav was required. In this scene, she was addressing certain energies and had to awaken a spirit trapped in an old sandook.”

Sayantani said: “She was performing a tandav to bring these dark forces to life. The best part was that I got to choreograph it. My producers knew I was a good dancer and gave me the opportunity to choreograph the dance.”

The actress shared that tandav requires a lot of energy, as it involves being super energetic to summon dark forces, and she put her heart and soul into it.

“The response has been amazing, and all the hard work paid off. Another fun part of performing a tandav is balancing physical movements with emotions. Physically, you need to be very aggressive and full of energy, but it’s also important to convey emotions. Tandav is meant to be fiery and feisty, so that energy needs to be reflected in your eyes too,” she said.

The actress said that dance combines physical movements with facial expressions.

“It’s about how your face and eyes convey the story. So, it was crucial to keep that balance where my body is doing its part, putting in all the energy.”

“But the eyes also have that fire in them, then anger in them. So I think that was very fun. That was challenging and fun as an actor to create that balance,” she added.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 19 (IANS) Television czarina Ekta Kapoor, accompanied by her son Ravie Kapoor, visited the Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

Ekta shared a series of clips and pictures from her visit on Instagram stories.

The first video offered a glimpse of the temple, followed by a shot of the flowing river with the geotag “Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Kateel, Mangalore.”

The third clip was a selfie featuring the producer, who is known for her spiritual side, along with her five-year-old son Ravie, both looking into the camera.

In 2019, Ekta announced the birth of her son Ravie via surrogacy, naming him after veteran star Jeetendra, whose real name is Ravi Kapoor.

Ekta, who received the Padma Shri in 2020, is the joint managing director and creative head of Balaji Telefilms Limited, which she founded in 1994. She launched Balaji Motion Pictures in 2001 and the video-on-demand platform AltBalaji in 2017.

In 2023, she was honoured with the International Emmy Directorate Award at the 51st International Emmy Awards.

She is renowned for making shows such as ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii’, ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’, and ‘Pavitra Rishta’, among others.

The filmmaker has also produced films such as ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’, ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, ‘Ek Villain’, ‘Dream Girl’, ‘Kathal’, ‘Thank You For Coming’, and ‘Crew’.

–IANS

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