Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actor Kinshuk Mahajan, who is all set to play an NRI in the upcoming show ‘Megha Barsenge’ has undergone an extraordinary physical makeover for his character.

Kinshuk, who steps into the shoes of Manoj, an NRI husband shared: “I’m grateful for the fantastic opportunity to challenge myself and grow with ‘Megha Barsenge’. This journey of shedding 10 kilos isn’t just about looking the part, it’s about feeling authentic in Manoj’s skin. Every day, I’m pushing myself to new limits in the gym, sweating it out on the treadmill and challenging myself with weight training.”

To bring out the complexities of Manoj, Kinshuk has kicked off a transformative quest that goes beyond memorising dialogues and wardrobe choices. He has embraced a rigorous workout regimen aimed at shedding 10 kgs in a short span.

“But the real test of willpower comes outside the gym. I’ve completely cut out sugar from my diet, which isn’t easy for someone with a sweet tooth like mine. This transformation is teaching me so much about discipline and dedication. It’s not just about the physical changes, but also the mental strength it’s building,” he said.

The ‘Afsar Bitiya’ fame actor further commented: “I’m learning to see food as fuel for my body and performance, rather than just satisfaction for my taste buds. The challenges are real – from dealing with cravings to pushing through tough workouts when my body wants to give up.”

“But the excitement of seeing the gradual changes in my physique and feeling more aligned with Manoj’s character keeps me going. I’m sure my commitment to the character will translate on screen,” he added.

The marital drama promises to spark meaningful change by shedding light on bride abandonment through the journey of a newlywed bride Megha left behind in humiliation and financial ruin by her NRI husband.

‘Megha Barsenge’ will premiere on August 6 on Colors.

–IANS

sp/dan

Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) In the upcoming episode of “Bigg Boss OTT 3”, actors Tusshar Kapoor and Priyanka Chahar Choudhary will be seen as guests in the controversial reality show and will be promoting their upcoming series “Dus June Ki Raat”.

A promo was shared by the channel on Instagram, where Tusshar asked Ranvir to give a recap of the season but in Naezy, Sana Maqbul and Lovekesh Katarias’s style.

Enacting Lovekesh first, Ranvir spoke about how the house had finished the entire ration in just five days and was left with no food for almost one and a half days. He then went on to enact Naezy on the same topic.

When it came to portraying Sana, Ranvir recalled the moment when she was made the “baaharwala”, a secret task given by the makers, and how she made a gesture to inform her now-evicted friend Vishal Pandey.

“Apne anokhe andaaz mein Ranvir denge Tushar ko season ka recap,” the post was captioned.

In the latest episode, “Bigg Boss 17” winner Munawar Faruqui came in as a guest and was seen roasting housemates. He questioned Armaan Malik on how he took his first wife Payal Malik’s divorce claims so lightly.

He questioned Armaan about his contradictory statements and his reaction to the divorce allegations involving his first wife Payal.

“Your reaction to Payal’s divorce video was also very taken for granted, thinking ‘woh kahin nahi jaayegi.’ I’m surprised you’re not even bothered,” Munawar asked Armaan.

To which, Armaan replied: “I’ve not seen the video, so I don’t trust it. When I go out and speak to her, we will sort it out.”

The show airs on JioCinema Premium.

–IANS

dc/dan

Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Senior actress Bhagyashree recently visited a Mango festival and was super excited to see more than 300 types of mangoes.

The 55-year-old actress, who has 2.3 million followers on Instagram, took to the Stories section and shared a Reel, wherein we can see her wearing an orange and golden border saree and holding a big mango in her hands.

Bhagyashree opted for a minimal makeup look and kept her hair open, styled in soft curls. She accessorised her look with a golden oxidised neckpiece and a matching bangle.

The video further shows different varieties of mangoes displayed on the table, some of which are ‘Neelgoa’ and ‘Nawab-Us-Amdi’.

She captioned the snippet: “Mango festival… more than 300 types of Mango.”

Bhagyashree started her acting career in 1987 with the soap opera ‘Kachchi Dhoop’, which was based on Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’.

She made her film debut in the 1989 commercially successful film ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, starring alongside Salman Khan. The romantic musical film was directed by Sooraj Barjatya in his directorial debut.

Bhagyashree then starred in movies like– ‘Qaid Mein Hai Bulbul’, ‘Paayal’, ‘Red Alert: The War Within’, ‘Thalaivii’, ‘Radhe Shyam’, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’.

She was last seen in the mystery film ‘Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video’, directed by Mikhil Musale and produced by Dinesh Vijan with his Maddock Films. It stars Nimrat Kaur, Radhika Madan, and Subodh Bhave as leads.

On the personal front, Bhagyashree is married to Himalaya Dasani. Their son Abhimanyu Dasani, made his film debut with Vasan Bala’s action-comedy ‘Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota’ opposite Radhika Madan.

Her daughter, Avantika Dassani, debuted with the web-series ‘Mithya’.

–IANS

sp/kvd

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

dc/kvd

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

aa/dan