Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actress Sumbul Touqeer Khan has opened up on her friendship with reality TV personality Shiv Thakare, sharing that she can count on him no matter what.

Their friendship formed during their stint on ‘Bigg Boss 16’ stands out as a rare and enduring bond, as their connection has only strengthened over the years.

Despite the intense and competitive environment of the controversial reality show, Sumbul and Shiv developed a genuine friendship based on mutual respect and understanding. Their friendship was evident, and viewers admired their unwavering support for each other.

Reflecting on their lasting bond, Sumbul shared: “Shiv was a good participant in ‘Bigg Boss’ and I vibed with him; he’s been there, and I know I can count on him no matter what. Our friendship goes beyond the show, and it’s something I cherish deeply. We keep bumping into each other at events too.”

Over the years, the duo has continued to be close friends, celebrating each other’s successes and offering support during tough times. They recently attended the launch of the ‘V4 Once More’ band’s video ‘Bro-Sarikhe’.

The winner of ‘Bigg Boss 16’ was MC Stan, with Shiv as the runner-up.

Sumbul, who started her acting career with supporting roles as a child artiste in ‘Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal’ and ‘Jodha Akbar’, participated in dance reality shows such as ‘India’s Dancing Superstars’, and ‘Hindustan Ka Big Star’.

Sumbul acted as a child artiste in shows like ‘Aahat’, ‘Gangaa’, ‘Baalveer’, and ‘Mann Mein Vishwaas Hai’. She also appeared in the shows ‘Waaris’, ‘Chakradhari Ajay Krishna’, ‘Chandragupta Maurya’, and ‘Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein’.

In 2020, Sumbul essayed the titular role in the show ‘Imlie’, co-starring Gashmeer Mahajani, Fahmaan Khan and Mayuri Deshmukh.

She is currently playing the lead in ‘Kavya- Ek Jazbaa, Ek Junoon’ airing on Sony.

Shiv has been the winner of ‘Bigg Boss Marathi 2’. He also participated in ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 13’, and ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11’.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) Actress Huma Qureshi, who has recently turned 38, has shared a peek into her birthday celebrations with her ‘best family’, and it includes her brother Saqib Saleem, and actors Rajkummar Rao, and his wife Patralekhaa.

Huma celebrated her 38th birthday on July 28, and now on Tuesday, she has shared celebratory birthday pictures on her Instagram account, where she has 8.3 million followers.

The selfies feature Huma in a black dress, Rajkummar in a blue T-shirt, Patralekhaa in a black tank top, and her brother Saqib.

The pictures also show actor Rachit Singh.

The actors are currently holidaying in Europe.

Huma captioned the post as: “Blessed with the best #mafamily… only remember laughing and singing the whole trip… #love #family #friends #blessed.. Thank you all for making it sooo special.”

On the work front, Huma had made her film debut in 2012 with a supporting role in Anurag Kashyap’s directorial two-part crime drama ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.

The movie featured Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadda, Reema Sen, Piyush Mishra, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, and Tigmanshu Dhulia.

She has then starred in movies like ‘Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana’, ‘Ek Thi Daayan’, ‘Badlapur’, ‘Jolly LLB 2’, ‘Bell Bottom’, ‘Double XL’.

Huma was last seen in the biopic ‘Tarla’, which is based on Indian chef and cookbook author Tarla Dalal.

It features Huma in the titular role, and is directed by Piyush Gupta and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari.

The film is streaming on ZEE5.

She also featured as ‘Madness ki Malkin’ in the comedy show ‘Madness Machayenge-India Ko Hasayenge’.

Huma will next be seen in comedy film ‘Jolly LLB 3’, starring Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Amrita Rao and Saurabh Shukla.

She also has ‘Pooja Meri Jaan’, ‘Gulabi’, and ‘Bayaan’ in the pipeline.

On the other hand, Rajkummar was last seen in romantic sports drama ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi’. He next has ‘Stree 2’, ‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’, and ‘Bhul Chul Maaf’ in the kitty.

–IANS

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Los Angeles, July 30 (IANS) Actor Josh Hartnett hopes he has “learned a lot” since his days of early stardom he achieved as a teen idol in the late 1990s.

Hartnett found fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s as he featured in several popular films such as “40 Days and 40 Nights” and “Pearl Harbor”.

“I hope I’ve learned a lot since then. It was all just brand-new, very shiny, and very interesting. I look back on it all fondly, but I also see someone just trying to figure it out,” the actor told Men’s Health, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Following the years where he was known as a teen idol, he decided to take further control of his career.

He said: “I never wanted to chase the hottest property and be one of the guys who could have gotten it but didn’t get it, or whatever… don’t want to be a part of that game. As soon as people see that you’re working in movies that are getting more attention, you become more viable.”

“It’s probably just a reflection of who I am. I’m annoyed by people that play the numbers and game the system and just do the safe thing. Generally, I find that kind of… I’ve always wanted to try to do things that are a little bit more off-centre.”

Recently, the actor appeared in a string of blockbusters such as “Oppenheimer” and “Wrath of Man”.

However, he said he would love to make something like an animation so his children could be involved in his career.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) Director David Dhawan, who ruled the Bollywood of the 1990s, has revealed that it was Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt who motivated him to take up direction.

David Dhawan, who is an Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) graduate, went through many courses during his career.

Although he initially thought of becoming an actor, he enrolled in FTII Pune for the course of film editing.

However, it was during the editing of the film ‘Naam’ when Sanjay told him to explore possibilities as a director.

David, who appeared on the chat show ‘The Invincibles’, told show host Arbaaz Khan, “‘Naam’ has another very big thing in my life. I was editing ‘Naam’, the actor in the film ‘Naam’ was Sanjay Dutt, and Sanjay used to always be extremely friendly, he would come and watch the rushes and one day he said, ‘David yaar tu director Kyun nahi Banta?.'”

“I said, ‘Kaun banayega Mujhe director’ and he said ‘Ban Gaya tu, 3 days ago I signed a film and Tu usko Direct karega’, can you believe it?,” he added.

At this point in the episode, Arbaaz said, “Kya baat hai! Unbelievable but were you prepared for that when this happened? Were you already talking about it?”

David said, “No nothing.”

Arbaaz then said, “So Sanjay Dutt came as a blessing in disguise.”

To which David said, “He was like ‘Tu Kar na yaar, I will be there’.”

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) The makers of Rudhraksh Jaiswal and Nikeet Dhillon-starrer ‘Tujhpe Main Fida’ Season two on Tuesday unveiled the trailer of the modern-day fairytale show, which is a journey filled with love, heartbreak, and mystery.

The one-minute and 35-second trailer takes the audiences back to Cole Town, featuring Rudhraksh as Marcus, and Nikeet as Aaira.

The video gives a peek into how the spark that had once burned so brightly between Marcus and Aaira still lingers.

It further shows the characters mending their hearts post breakup.

Speaking about the series, Rudhraksh said in a statement: “I am stoked to embark on Marcus’s journey once again in Season two. My character experiences profound growth, diving deeper into his personal life and the intricate mysteries of Cole Town. As Marcus navigates the painful process of healing from a severe heartbreak, he must reconstruct and redefine himself before he can fully embrace his path forward.”

“My passion for storytelling and unwavering dedication to my craft propel me to infuse Marcus’s journey with genuine authenticity and intensity, ensuring that every moment resonates deeply with our devoted audience,” he shared.

Rudhraksh added: “I am deeply committed to bringing a rich, nuanced performance that captures the essence of Marcus’s evolution, and I am eager to share this compelling chapter with our viewers. Thank you for all the love and support you have showered us with, it means the world to us.”

Amogh Dusad, Head of Content, Amazon miniTV, commented: “The second season of ‘Tujhpe Main Fida’ is the perfect blend of intense romance, mystery, and intrigue. The narrative and the plot will definitely keep the viewers at the edge of their seats with the evolving mystery that hides in the silent lanes of Cole Town. A stellar cast, engrossing story, and excellent screenplay will undoubtedly appeal to audiences.”

Sameer Gogate, General Manager, BBC Studios Productions India, added: “‘Tujhpe Main Fida’ has really captured the hearts and minds of our viewers and we’re excited to bring Marcus and Aaira back for more romance and intrigue.”

Produced by BBC Studios Productions India, ‘Tujhpe Main Fida’ S2 will stream on Amazon miniTV from August 2.

–IANS

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