Have you heard? Starry welcome for Lord Ram

Amitabh Bachchan

Several stars from the Hindi and southern film industries attended the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya yesterday. Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Sachin Tendulkar, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif, and directors Rohit Shetty and Subhash Ghai turned up at the ceremony.

Several prominent film personalities, including Vivek Oberoi, Sonu Nigam, Anuradha Paudwal, Madhur Bhandarkar and Kangana Ranaut, were present at the event. Nigam, and Shankar Mahadevan were among those who put up musical performances at the celebration.

Ranaut appeared enthusiastic and was spotted chanting aloud during the ceremonies. "Yehi janmbhumi hai param pujya Shri Ram ki. Jai Shri Ram," she wrote alongside images shared online.

Now at Berlin

Acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee's film The Fable, which is directed by Raam Reddy, will have its world premiere at the upcoming 74th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival in the competitive category of Encounters. The film, which also features Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose and Tillotama Shome, along with debutant Hiral Sidhu and child actor Awan Pookot, will have an evening premiere on the opening day. The festival will begin on February 15 and the curtains will be brought down on February 25. Bajpayee said: "Our film's presence at Berlinale signifies the global reach and artistic calibre of Indian storytelling."

Kajol's playing mind games

Kajol revealed the trait that she considers to be the most attractive, and it's not her smile. Sharing a picture on social media, she wrote: "My most attractive traits? My mind, my spine and my guts! Stay strong, stay beautiful." Fans took to the comment section and wrote: "And your infectious laughter". The actor will next be seen in Sarzameen, Do Patti, and Maa.

Now online

Vicky Kaushal's Sam Bahadur will start streaming on ZEE5 on January 26, on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the war biopic chronicles the life of Sam Manekshaw, from his early days as the chief of Army staff to his retirement, exploring the milestones and triumphs of his illustrious journey. It also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub.

Run Dutta, run

Nikita Dutta, who participated in the Mumbai Marathon held on Sunday, completed the 21 kilometre race in a little over 150 minutes. "I had countless early morning runs. I'm always in this game, because it is an annual fitness test. It's a personal journey. And I love the vibe of the city during the run," says the actor.

In and out

Saif Ali Khan was hospitalised yesterday and underwent surgery for an old injury that got aggravated while shooting an action scene for his latest film, Devara. The knee and elbow surgeries were conducted at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. Talking about his surgery, Khan said in a statement: "This injury and the surgery that followed is a part of the wear and tear of what we do. I am very happy to be in such amazing surgical hands and thank all well wishers for their love (sic)."

Wishing the wife

Actor Mahesh Babu wished his wife, former actor Namrata Shirodkar, on her 52nd birthday. Their daughter Sitara Ghattamaneni also shared a post wishing her on her special day. Mahesh took to social media to share, "Grateful for another year filled with love and togetherness. Thank you for making my every day better. Have a rocking 2024." Reacting to the post, she wrote, "Thank you MB, missing you at home." Sitara made a picture collage featuring herself and Shirodkar and shared it online.