Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal has passed away at the age of 90 at Wockhardt hospital in Mumbai. His daughter confirmed to Mid-day that he passed away on Monday evening. He was suffering from a kidney ailment for a while. The filmmaker's daughter Pia Benegal told Mid-day, "Mr Shyam Benegal passed away today at 6.38 pm at a city hospital." He had been unwell for some time. Shyam Benegal is often regarded as the pioneer of parallel cinema. He is widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers post-1970s. He has received several accolades, including 18 National Film Awards, and a Nandi Award. In 2005, he was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema. In 1976, he was honoured by the Indian government with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour of the country, and in 1991, he was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour for his contributions in the field of arts. He received independent financing for 'Ankur' in 1973. It was a realistic drama of economic and sexual exploitation in his home state, Telangana. The film introduced actors Shabana Azmi and Anant Nag, and the director won the 1975 National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film. Shabana won the National Film Award for Best Actress.
23 December,2024 08:00 PM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaSinger Sonu Nigam had announced a few days back he is going to perform at a tribute concert on the special occasion of Mohammed Rafi's birth centenary. Titled 'Sau Saal Pehle', the concert organised by NR Talent and Event Management is set to be held on December 24, on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of the legend, at NMACC in Mumbai. Sonu will be performing live with a 50-member orchestra for the legendary singer. Sonu Nigam's tribute concert for Rafi in Mumbai The ‘Satrangi Re’ singer spoke up about the relationship he has with the late singer, who inspires him everyday. "Rafi sahab has been my first guru after my father and mother, because they are the ones who introduced me to his greatness. I have not just treated him like a teacher, I have treated him like a God. I have worshipped him and he has taught me, of course I have listened to so many other singers. But my primary inspiration has been Rafi sahab and I am so elated that on his 100th birthday, I have been given the honour to celebrate his 100th birthday by his family, Shahid Rafi, Firdaus and my guru Ghulam Mustafa Khan sahab's children, Rabbani and his wife Namrata," he told IANS. He further mentioned, “I am so honoured that out of all his disciples, I got this good fortune and I am really thankful to God." The 50-year-old singer had earlier said that this was a tough feat, sharing a video on Instagram. "Pareeksha ki ghadiyaan aaj se shuru hoti hai. Apne Ustad ko Yaad karna, celebrate karna aur Saath hi Saath unke gaano ke Saath insaaf karna, bohot badi zimmedaari hai. Jaise Bachpan mein nervousness hoti thhi, kuch vaise hi jazbaat aaj hain," he said. Biopic on Mohd Rafi There’s also a biopic based on Mohammed Rafi in the works. Ask him if it is 4 decades too late to honour the legend with a biopic, and he disagrees saying everything is predestined, and it will happen at its time. He said, "Even I learnt about it recently. I am very happy. I always feel that you can't plan anything, whenever it's bound to happen, it happens. Like people have been trying for Kishore Kumar’s biopic, but it hasn't happened as yet, you see. So it will happen eventually when it's meant to happen and same with Rafi sahab's biopic also. And I really hope that it turns out to be a super duper hit." (With IANS inputs)
23 December,2024 07:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBollywood actor Anil Kapoor is set to have a working birthday this December 24, which is very characteristic of the actor. The cinema icon will be on the set of an upcoming project in Mumbai, continuing his streak of working through major holidays. Earlier this year, he was filming for a new film Subedaar in UP on Diwali. Anil Kapoor's career-defining year with significant milestones Anil Kapoor has had a phenomenal year, marked by career-defining milestones and global recognition. His performance in the hit series The Night Manager garnered a nomination for Best Drama Series at the prestigious International Emmys 2024. TIME magazine honoured him by including him in their list of the 100 Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence, for his efforts in exploring cutting-edge technologies in storytelling. Kapoor’s memorable role as the father of Ranbir Kapoor in Animal earned him the IIFA Best Actor in a Supporting Role award and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. On OTT platforms, Kapoor captivated audiences as the host of Bigg Boss OTT, while his remarkable performance in the action-packed Fighter had everyone talking. Anil Kapoor continues to inspire with his passion, discipline, and relentless pursuit of excellence. His fans are eagerly waiting for the release of his film Subedaar, marking his first collaboration with director Suresh Triveni, and a bunch of other films. View this post on Instagram A post shared by anilskapoor (@anilskapoor) Earlier this month, Anil Kapoor had posted behind-the-scenes pictures from the set of his upcoming film Subedar. Radhikka Madan will also star in this picture alongside Kapoor. Anil Kapoor shares emotional post, says 'miss him deeply' Today, the 'Lamhe' actor took to Instagram to commemorate his late father Surinder Kapoor's 99th birth anniversary. Anil shared a post on his Instagram account. The actor was overflown with emotions and he praised his dad's honesty, simplicity, and happiness. He further praised him by mentioning that he had a magnetic presence. The Animal actor mentioned that he misses him a lot but his lessons and memories are always there to guide him. View this post on Instagram A post shared by anilskapoor (@anilskapoor) The actor captioned the post, "Celebrating my dad’s 99th birthday today. His simplicity, honesty, and joy not only defined him, but gave all our lives meaning. His presence was so magnetic and though I miss him deeply, his memories and lessons guide me every day, filling my life with strength and warmth. Here’s to the legacy of a remarkable man who will always be my greatest inspiration"
23 December,2024 07:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAnil Kapoor, the Lakhan of Bollywood, came as a guest on Kapil Sharma's show along with his close friend and filmmaker Farah Khan. The duo made an entry on the ninth episode of the first season. During the episode, Anil Kapoor and Farah Khan went on a laugh riot, and Khan shared some hilarious anecdotes about View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in) Anil Kapoor didn’t want to play Sonam’s father One of the most hilarious confessions came when Farah Khan revealed that Anil once denied playing Sonam Kapoor's father in a film. Farah revealed that Abbas-Mastan once came to Anil with a script where the filmmakers offered him a role in their film, and he was offered the role of Sonam Kapoor's father. While reacting to Abbas-Mastan's idea, Kapoor said, "Are you mad? How can I be Sonam’s father?" - Farah revealed. Farah Khan left Anil Kapoor blushing Another hilarious moment came when Kapil questioned Anil about which Hollywood actor he wouldn't mind being linked to. The actor replied, “Anyone.” This is when Farah's one question left Kapoor blushing. As Anil replied to Kapil by saying "anyone," Farah immediately bugged in and asked, “And Bollywood?” which left Anil pink-cheeked. Anil Kapoor on petition on personality rights During the Kapil Sharma episode, Anil also addressed the petition on personality rights, according to which "nobody can mimic the actor without his consent." Kapil quizzed the actor about his petition and asked if he doesn't want anyone to mimic him. Anil replied, saying, “No, in fact, I want more people to do my mimicry.” Anil Kapoor on the work front On the work front, Anil Kapoor is having a phenomenal year. After his box office success with ‘Fighter,’ he was featured in the TIME100AI list and saw his series ‘The Night Manager’ earn an Emmy nomination. He also recently won an IIFA Award for his role in ‘Animal.’ As Kapoor continues to break new ground, his fans are eagerly awaiting his next project, ‘Subedaar,’ which marks his first collaboration with director Suresh Triveni. Anil Kapoor, born on December 24, 1956, has been a part of the Indian film industry for over four decades. Kapoor has earned a reputation for delivering memorable performances in films like Mr. India, Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Slumdog Millionaire, and Dil Dhadakne Do.
23 December,2024 06:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDeepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, the newest parents of Bollywood, invited paparazzi to their house to introduce them to their little princess, Dua Padukone Singh. Mid-day photographer Nimesh Dave, who was part of several invitees at the residence, shared with us that DeepVeer made them meet their daughter with a humble request that they would not click any pictures of Dua. The photographer met the baby girl formally for the first time since her birth on September 8, 2024. Our photographer told us they met baby Dua at their house in Prabhadevi this evening. Dua Padukone Singh meet Papz Dua, who is almost two and a half months old, had her first meeting with the shutterbugs, who are always there to click her parents and actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Deepika and Ranveer, who are currently busy with their parenting duties, are keeping a little away from the limelight for some time. Deepika was recently snapped at Mumbai's Kalina airport with her daughter as they returned to the city after attending Diljit Dosanjh's concert in Bangalore, where she made a surprise entry on stage. More about DeepVeer’s baby girl On February 29, 2024, Deepika and Ranveer joyfully announced their first pregnancy. On September 8, they welcomed their baby girl on Ganesh Chaturthi. Since then, the actress has been busy with her motherhood journey. She has been sharing cute reels and videos on her Instagram stories to keep her fans hooked. She has been staying away from the camera for a while to fulfill her duties as a mother. DeepVeer are not the only couple who chose this approach of making the paparazzi meet their little princess in an informal meet. Earlier, after Raha's birth, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt chose a similar approach, where they hosted paparazzi at their residence and requested them not to click Raha's pictures until they officially introduced her to the cameras. Deepika Padukone’s work front Deepika Padukone recently made news as this morning a report came in that she will be joining the cast of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War. A report in India Today claimed that she will have a cameo appearance in the film, while Orry will play a pivotal role.
23 December,2024 06:19 PM IST | MumbaiMusical maestro Mohammed Rafi is a household name in the country and beyond. He doesn't need an introduction. If the song 'Gulabi Aakhein' starts playing, people from varying generations will start humming and grooving, indicating how his fans are not limited to a specific age group or era and immense love from his fans is what makes him immortal. On his birth centenary, we have brought a list of lesser-known facts about the maestro: Lesser known facts about Mohammed Rafi Rumour has it that the legendary singer has voiced twenty-six thousand songs but researchers have found only 7,405 songs till now. In reality, there's a different story. The fact that he has sung more than 26,000 songs is incorrect. During a concert abroad, while introducing Rafi, the host announced that he had sung twenty-six thousand songs. Considering Rafi's mettle and singing prowess, everyone believed it without any doubt and no one fact-checked the statement. Rafi Sahab himself believed it to be true. Besides singing, Rafi Sahab also displayed his acting skills in the movies, Laila Majnu and Jugnu. Both the films were commercially successful. Mohammed Rafi's first public performance came at the early age of 13 when he sang at a concert of the legendary KL Saigal. Rafi was a philanthropist and a kind hearted person. He used to send money to his widowed neighbour via money order. After Rafi's death, the money stopped coming and the widow went to enquire in the post office. It was only then that she came to know about the real sender of that money order. In an interesting turn of events, once Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar challenged each other unknowingly. RD Burman was the one who manipulated events for this to happen. For the 1969 movie Pyar Ka Mausam, he made both of them sing the melodious song Tum Bin Jaun Kahaan. The song needed two different singers' voices as two different characters in the film would sing them in unrelated situations. Rafi's voice was used for Shashi Kapoor's character, while Kishore Kumar's voice was used for Bharat Bhushan's character. However, Rafi's version gained more popularity.
23 December,2024 06:15 PM IST | MumbaiFilmmaker Karan Johar attended singer Karan Aujla's concert with actress and friend Neha Dhupia. Karan praised Aujla for an amazing experience during his concert and called him 'such a showman'. Karan Aujla performed his popular songs 'Wavy', 'Tauba Tauba' and 'Softly'. This is the second time Karan Aujla is touring India, he first came to India in 2021. Aujla's tour, 'It was all a dream' will conclude with his Jaipur concert on 29 December 2024. Stars who were present at Karan Aujla's Mumbai concert Karan Aujla performed in Mumbai for two consecutive days on the 20th and 21st of December. The concerts were sold out and many celebrities were spotted at the gigs. Parineeti Chopra appeared on sfage with the Canadian singer at his Mumbai show in a surprising event. Vicky Kaushal also grooved to Aujla's electrifying tunes and performed to their hit song Tauba Tauba during the concert. Singer AP Dhillon, who performed in Chandigarh on 21st December, joined the singer for his second Mumbai concert and both put up a great show together. It was an unexpected Punjabi crossover that mesmerized fans, and Aujla also got emotional on stage. Karan Johar grooves with Neha Dhupia at Karan Aujla's concert Neha Dhupia took to her Instagram stories to share a video of Karan Johar enjoying Aujla's concert on Day 2. Neha captioned the video, "Making waves... from one karan to the other." The actress also tagged Karan Johar and Karan Aujla. KJo reshared this story and heaped praises at the singer. He wrote, "Tauba Tauba I had a super time at the Karan Aujla concert!!! He's such a showman!!! Thanks Neha". The filmmaker also hinted at Karan Aujla's popular song Tauba Tauba which made waves on the Internet earlier this year. The Canadian singer also reshared the stories on his Instagram account. Neha had shared another picture with her dear friend and filmmaker Karan Johar mentioning that singer Karan Aujla's concert was her last one for the year. She captioned it, "Our last one 2024!!! Making it count". Karan was dressed in a black tee and a black jacket. He paired a black cap with the outfit. Neha was seen dressed in casuals.
23 December,2024 06:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIt is the season of concerts and controversies and the most recent one is between singer Diljit Dosanjh and AP Dhillon. The feud started when AP Dhillon replied to Diljit's remark that the latter made during his Indore concert. The most recent update in this row tells that AP Dhillon's girlfriend Banita Sandhu skipped his concert but attended Diljit Dosanjh's Mumbai concert. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amul V Mohan (@amulvmohan) Banita Sandhu attends Diljit Dosanjh's concert amid his feud with AP dhillon Banita Sandhu was spotted during Dosanjh's Mumbai concert on December 19, at Mahalaxmi Race Course. Her photos have gone viral on the internet. She is seen posing with Diana Penty, Urvashi Rautela, Sonam Bajwa, casting director Mukesh Chabbra, and film producer Pawan Gill. The Sardar Udham actress was seen grooving to the singer's peppy dance numbers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Diljit dosanjh (@sada_diljit_fanpage) However, the actress missed her rumoured boyfriend AP Dhillon's Mumbai concert held on December 7, which has also stirred breakup rumours. Banita Sandhu featured in AP's song 'With You' last year and their sizzling chemistry in the music video sparked dating rumours too. Banita had attended the screening of AP Dhillon's docu-series 'AP Dhillon: First Of A Kind' in Mumbai. Later, the actress also posted a post with the singer captioned, 'with me' which confirmed their relationship. Although neither of them has made any official statement about it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Banita Sandhu (@banitasandhu) Diljit Dosanjh and AP Dhillon's feud Diljit had said, "Mere aur do bhaiyon ne tour shuru kiya hai Karan Aujla aur AP Dhillon ne, unke liye bhi best of luck (Two of my brothers, Karan Aujla and AP Dhillon, have started their tour; best of luck to them, too)." The 'Dil nu' singer responded to this during his Chandigarh concert on 21st December, "I just want to say one small thing, brother. First, unblock me on Instagram and then talk to me. I don't want to talk about what marketing is happening behind the scenes, but first, unblock me." He further mentioned that its been three years since he entered into the music industry and he has never sparked a controversy for publicity. Dhillon's claim made headlines, following this, the Born to Shine singer denied this claim and clarified that he never blocked him. The war of words did not end there as AP shared a screen recording a few hours later to prove his statement. The first clip showed that he couldn't access the Chamkila actor's profile as it showed an error. He wrote, 'before' in the clip. Another clip showed that he was able to view the singer's profile hours later. He wrote 'after' in it. After posting the clips, Dhillon shared a cryptic post, "I wasn't planning on saying s**t, knowing everyone will hate on me anyways, but at least we know what's real and what's not."
23 December,2024 05:51 PM IST | Mumbai | Divya KhuranaSanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War is one of the highly anticipated films in the news, but a new update will surely take the excitement to a new level, as a report has suggested that social media sensation Orry, aka Orhan Awatramani, has joined the cast of SLB's upcoming drama. It has been learned that Orry will join the cast along with Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal. This is not all—Bhansali has roped in his favourite, Deepika Padukone. Padukone will be seen in a cameo appearance in Bhansali's retro drama. Orry and Deepika Padukone joined Love & War As per a report in India Today, Orry, who has joined the cast of Love and War, will be seen portraying a homosexual character who is Alia’s closest friend. Meanwhile, reportedly, Alia Bhatt will be seen acing the role of a cabaret dancer, whereas the male leads of the film, Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal, will play officers in the Indian Armed Forces. While there is clarity about Orry’s character, there has been no such update about Deepika Padukone's role in SLB's retro drama. About Deepika & SLB’s collaborations If the report of Deepika joining Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War for a cameo role is true, then this will be the director-actor's fourth collaboration together. The duo has earlier worked together on films including Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmaavat. The epic saga, set to be a grand cinematic spectacle, is scheduled to hit theatres on March 20, 2026 About Ranbir Kapoor & SLB’s collaboration Among several highlights of the much-anticipated Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial Love and War is his reunion with actor Ranbir Kapoor after 17 years. Since Bhansali announced the film earlier this year, his lead star remained tight-lipped about featuring in the love story—until recently, when Kapoor opened up about his excitement to return to the sets with the filmmaker who launched him in the movies. Speaking during a session at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Kapoor, who began shooting for Love and War earlier this month, mentioned how he continues to remain in awe of Bhansali. "I am extremely excited to go back to sets with him. He is my godfather. Everything I know about films, everything I know about acting, is something I learned from him. So, for me, working with him again after 17 years still feels the same. I am still in awe of him. I respect him so much," the actor said.
23 December,2024 05:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWell known film choreographer Mudassar Khan has welcomed his first baby with wife Riya Kishanchandan. The couple who tied the knot in November 2023 took to social media handle to announce the happy news. Mudassar and Riya welcome baby girl The Dabangg and Dabangg 2 choreographer took to his Instagram handle to announce the arrival of their baby girl and expressed his gratitude, saying, "Alhumdulillah." He thanked both his and Riya's families and friends for their prayers and blessings. Sharing the good news, the choreographer wrote, “Alhumdulillah. I thank both our families and friends for all the duas and blessings. A big thank you to the noble team of Dr. Anjum @hfhbandra #HolyFamilyHospital #BismillahiMashaAllahuLaQuwataIllahbillaah.” The text on the announcement video read: “With the blessings of Almighty and the prayers of family and friends, we, Mr. & Mrs. Khan, are proud to announce that we are blessed with a baby girl. Alhumdulillah.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mudassar Khan (@beingmudassarkhan) Celebs congratulate the new parents Many of Mudassar’s friends from the industry took to the comments section to shower love and blessings on the couple. Television actress Drashti Dhami commented, “Congratulations.” Akanksha Puri wrote, “Omgggggggggg, this is such happy news! Congratulations, God bless you all.” Azma Fallah wrote, “MashAllah tabarak Allah rehman. Biggest congratulations on the arrival of your little angel.” About Mudassar and Riya's wedding In November this year, Mudassar took to Instagram to share pictures from his wedding to Riya to mark their anniversary. The couple, who got married on November 30, 2023, looked regal as they coordinated in traditional white outfits. Mudassar looked dashing in a white sherwani, while Riya wore a white sharara adorned with intricate golden embroidery. Sharing the photos, Mudassar wrote an emotional post that read, “When we first met i never thought that Our name has been written together 50 thousand years ago, even before the sky was introduced to the sea #alhumdullilah Happy 1 Year Mrs. Khan." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mudassar Khan (@beingmudassarkhan) Salman Khan attended the wedding reception of Mudassar, who had choreographed the popular song 'Humka Peeni Hai' from 'Dabangg' and also worked with him on films like 'Ready' and 'Bodyguard'. Mudassar is widely recognized for choreographing popular songs like 'Dhinka Chika' from 'Ready', 'Chalao Na Naino Se' from 'Bol Bachchan', and 'Party All Night from Boss'. He also earned acclaim as one of the top mentors and judges on the hit reality show “Dance India Dance Season 4.” (with inputs from IANS)
23 December,2024 02:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFour years after their wedding, music composers Sachet and Parampara Tandon have welcomed their first child. The couple have become parents to a baby boy. They took to social media to share the news of the birth of their baby with a sweet video. The couple posted a reel video featuring a video montage on a collaborative post on Instagram to make the announcement. The video montage showed their baby’s tiny hands and feet. The clip ended with “The heart of Sachet-Parampara has arrived! It’s a Boy!” For the background, the couple used their song “Maiyya” from “Do Patti” starring Kriti Sanon and Kajol. The couple captioned the post: “With The Blessings Of Mahadev We are overjoyed to announce the arrival of our precious baby boy . We Seek your blessings and Good Wishes In this Beautiful Time Namah: Parvati Pataye har har mahadev. Jai Mata Di.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by सचेत टंडन (@sachettandonofficial) Celebs congratulate the new parents "Congratulations! Godbless and lots of love and Aashirwaad," commented Raveena Tandon Vishal Dadlani wrote, "Congrats @paramparatandonofficial & @sachettandonofficial . The best of everything to all three of you!" "Jai ho !!!! God bless you guys and the little baby for the best most blissful journey ahead," Akriti Kakkar wrote. About musical duo Sachet-Parampara They are known for their work in Hindi films including Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Bhoomi, Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se, Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, Kabir Singh, Tanhaji and Jersey. They started their journey together in singing with "Subah Ki Train" picturised on Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar from the 2017 film “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha,” a comedy drama directed by Shree Narayan Singh. The film campaigns to improve sanitation conditions in India, with an emphasis on the eradication of open defecation, which, before the Swachh Bharat mission, was still a problem, especially in rural areas. The two Sachet Tandon and Parampara Thakur were born in Darbhanga, Bihar and Delhi respectively in 1989 and 1992 respectively. After becoming finalist of India's first season of reality show The Voice India in 2015, the duo was formed the following year. They got married in November 2020. The two also gained the spotlight for their music video 'Chhor Denge' which was viewed in YouTube as of August 2024 more than 486 million times.
23 December,2024 01:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
