Bollywood
Leading Bollywood singer KK dies at 53
Leading Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, died of a suspected heart attack in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata late on Tuesday night. He was 53.
Local media reports said that the 53-year-old singer fell down the stairs of a private hotel in Kolkata where he was staying, hours after a concert in the city's Nazrul Mancha auditorium. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the reports said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Bollywood celebrities took to Twitter to express their condolences on KK's demise.
READ: Bollywood singer Babul Supriyo quits politics
"Saddened by the untimely demise of noted singer Krishnakumar Kunnath popularly known as KK. His songs reflected a wide range of emotions and struck a chord with people of all age groups. We will always remember him through his songs. Condolences to his family and fans," Modi wrote.
"Extremely sad and shocked to know of the sad demise of KK. What a loss! Om Shanti," Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar tweeted.
Regarded as one of the most versatile singers of his generation, KK recorded songs in a number of Indian regional languages like Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Assamese apart from Hindi. He shot to fame in the late 1990s for songs like 'Pal' and 'Yaaron'.
Shah Rukh Khan's son gets clean chit in drugs case
India's anti-narcotics agency has given a clean chit to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan in the drugs-on-cruise case.
Aryan (23) and his two friends -- Arbaz Merchant and Mummun Dhamecha -- were among 20 people arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 last year in connection with a rave party the agency "busted" on board a cruise ship off Mumbai coast a day before.
Also read: Anti-narco cops seek more time to file charges against Shah Rukh Khan's son
On Friday, the NCB dropped all charges against Aryan, claiming that no drugs were found on him during the raid, and five other accused "for lack of evidence". However, the agency, in its chargesheet filed in the court, named 14 others in the case.
"There were indeed some irregularities in the initial probe. Action will be taken against the officials concerned for the lapses," NCB chief SN Pradhan told the media.
In fact, on the evening of October 2, some 30 NCB sleuths, disguised as passengers, boarded luxury cruise liner 'Empress' which departed Mumbai port for the neighbouring coastal state of Goa.
The cruise ship was carrying mostly celebrities from Bollywood and the fashion industry. As soon as the rave party began later that evening, the NCB sleuths swung into action and claimed to have caught red-handed those having drugs.
Also read:Top officer probing drugs case linked to Shah Rukh Khan's son removed
Aryan, his two friends, and seven others were soon detained. While two of the detainees were freed after questioning, the NCB sleuths placed Aryan and seven others under arrest a day later after over 12 hours of interrogation. Aryan got bail from a court on October 28.
Aryan's father Shah Rukh is considered the most talented Bollywood star. Popularly called "King Khan", he has acted in over 80 films in a career spanning over 25 years. And he has a net worth of USD 700 million.
Bollywood: Ranbir, Alia finally tie the knot!
It's official. Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor and actress Alia Bhatt are now husband and wife.
The 39-year-old Bollywood hunk and 29-year-old actress tied the knot at an intimate ceremony at Ranbir's posh Mumbai home in the upscale Bandra locality on Thursday, after dating each other for over three years.
Also read: Bollywood: Ranbir & Alia to tie the knot on April 14
After the wedding, the couple stepped out for a photo session where their fans and the paparazzi had been waiting since morning to get a glimpse of the two actors. Ranbir carried Alia back to the venue in his arms.
Moments before the photo opportunity, Alia shared some pictures from the ceremony on her Instagram profile.
"Today, surrounded by our family and friends, at home … in our favourite spot -- the balcony we've spent the last 5 years of our relationship -- we got married," she wrote on the social media platform.
"With so much already behind us, we can't wait to build more memories together... memories that are full of love, laughter, comfortable silences, movie nights, silly fights, wine delights and Chinese bites. Thank you for all the love and light during this very momentous time in our lives."
The son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and the grandson of veteran actor-director Raj Kapoor, Ranbir made his acting debut with noted filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's tragic romance 'Saawariya' in 2007, a commercial failure.
Also read: Ex-boyfriends Salman & Ranbir 'not invited' to Katrina's wedding
Ranbir rose to prominence in 2009 with his performances in the coming-of-age film 'Wake Up Sid', romantic comedy 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' and drama 'Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year'. One of the highest-paid actors of Bollywood, he also supports charities.
Alia, on the other hand, is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razdan. She made her acting debut as a child in the 1999 thriller 'Sangharsh'. Her debut as an adult actor was with filmmaker Karan Johar's teen drama 'Student of the Year' in 2012.
Alia won the Best Actress award in 2014 for playing a kidnapping victim in road drama 'Highway'. In addition to acting in films, Alia owns her signature line of clothing and handbags, and is the founder of ecological initiative CoExist.
Bollywood: Ranbir & Alia to tie the knot on April 14
Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor and his actress-girlfriend Alia Bhatt are all set to get married on April 14, a leading Indian entertainment news portal has reported.
The 39-year-old Bollywood hunk and 29-year-old Alia, who have been dating each other for over three years now, will tie the knot at an intimate ceremony at Ranbir's house in Mumbai's posh Bandra locality, according to 'bollywoodhungama.com'.
Also read: Ex-boyfriends Salman & Ranbir 'not invited' to Katrina's wedding
The son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and the grandson of veteran actor-director Raj Kapoor, Ranbir made his acting debut with noted filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's tragic romance 'Saawariya' in 2007, a commercial failure.
Ranbir rose to prominence in 2009 with his performances in the coming-of-age film 'Wake Up Sid', romantic comedy 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' and drama 'Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year'. One of the highest-paid actors of Bollywood, he also supports charities.
Also read: Bollywood's Ranbir, Alia to get married this year: Lara Dutta
Alia, on the other hand, is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razdan. She made her acting debut as a child in the 1999 thriller 'Sangharsh'. Her debut as an adult actor was with filmmaker Karan Johar's teen drama 'Student of the Year' in 2012.
Alia won the Best Actress award in 2014 for playing a kidnapping victim in road drama 'Highway'. In addition to acting in films, Alia owns her signature line of clothing and handbags, and is the founder of ecological initiative CoExist.
Bollywood bids tearful adieu to Bappi Lahiri
Bollywood on Thursday bade a tearful adieu to legendary singer-composer Bappi Lahiri who passed away in the western Indian city of Mumbai on Tuesday.
Lahiri was cremated as per Hindu traditions at the Vile Parle crematorium after his son Bappa rushed back from the US for the final rites of the 'Disco King of Bollywood'.
The 69-year-old, who introduced synthesised disco beats to Bollywood, died at a hospital in Mumbai around midnight on Tuesday. Hospital doctors had attributed Lahiri's death to obstructive sleep apnea.
Also read: Bappi Lahiri, the disco king of Bollywood, departs
Originally from Bengal, Lahiri shot to fame in Bollywood in the 1980s and 1990s for his music in blockbusters like 'Wardat', 'Disco Dancer', 'Namak Halaal' and 'Sharaabi'. He last movie song was for 'Baaghi 3' in 2020.
Lahiri's last public appearance though was on reality TV show 'Big Boss 15', where he had appeared with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to promote his grandson Swasti's new song Baccha Party.
In 2014, Lahiri joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and was made its candidate from Srerampur parliamentary constituency in Bengal. He, however, failed to make it to the Indian Parliament.
Also read: Runa Laila remembers friend, collaborator Bappi Lahiri
Shah Rukh Khan is back on social media!
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is finally back on social media, after a hiatus of nearly four months.
Shah Rukh had stayed away from all social media platforms ever since his son Aryan was held by India's anti-narcotics cops in a drugs-on-cruise case.
Read:Top officer probing drugs case linked to Shah Rukh Khan's son removed
On Wednesday, the Bollywood superstar took to Instagram to share an advertisement for an electronics brand in which he features with his wife Gauri.
"Very few times you associate with a product that has such a harmony of art and technology," the actor also wrote.
Aryan and his two friends were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on October 3 last year in connection with a rave party the federal agency busted on board a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast a day before.
The 23-year-old secured bail from the High Court in Mumbai on October 28 and walked out of the high-security Arthur Road jail two days later, some four weeks after his arrest.
Shah Rukh is considered the most talented Bollywood star. Popularly called the "King Khan", he has acted in over 80 films in a career spanning over 25 years. And he has a net worth of USD 700 million.
Shah Rukh, in fact, rose to prominence after starring in the 1995 romantic film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', the longest-running blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema. The film was shot in India and Europe.
Read:Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan detained after rave party raid
Some of his other blockbusters include 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997) and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998). Shah Rukh was also widely praised for his superb performance in 2002 film 'Devdas', where he played an alcoholic.
The 55-year-old, who owns production company Red Chillies Entertainment and Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders, is married to interior designer Gauri Chibber, a Punjabi Hindu. Apart from Aryan, they have a daughter and a son.
Ex-boyfriends Salman & Ranbir 'not invited' to Katrina's wedding
Two of Bollywood's biggest superstars -- Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor -- have not been invited to the fairy-tale wedding of actors Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal, UNB has learnt.
UNB was, in fact, the first media outlet in Bangladesh to report about the December destination wedding of Bollywood's highest-paid actress Katrina and heartthrob Vicky at a fortress-resort in the princely state of Rajasthan, some 300 kms from the Indian capital.
Read:December destination wedding on the cards for Katrina Kaif & Vicky Kaushal?
Strangely, Salman, Bollywood's poster boy of masculinity who once dated Katrina and now enjoys a friendly relationship with her, is not on the wedding guests' list. "We haven't got any invite for the wedding," Salman's sister Arpita has reportedly said.
Salman and Katrina have worked together in several blockbuster films -- 'Partner', 'Ek Tha Tiger', 'Tiger Zinda Hai', 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya', and 'Bharat' to name a few. In fact, it was Salman who helped Katrina gain a re-entry into Bollywood with 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya'.
After mutually ending her love affair with Salman, Katrina dated Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir -- the son of late star Rishi Kapoor and Neetu -- for some six years before parting ways. The two had even purchased an upscale apartment in Mumbai.
Ranbir, who is currently in a live-in relationship with actress Alia Bhatt, Katrina's best friend, has also not been invited to the wedding at Six Senses Fort Barwara in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, sources said.
"Moreover, 38-year-old Katrina and 33-year-old Vicky have given the wedding photo and video rights to a leading international magazine, and hence barred all guests from carrying their mobile phones to the venue," the sources said.
Basically a model, the Hong Kong-born actress began her Bollywood career with 'Boom', an action film, in 2003 that flopped. Two years later, she earned commercial success -- thanks to the romantic comedy 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya', produced by Salman's brother.
Read:How scandals shaped Bollywood over the years
What followed was a series of box-office hits -- 'Namastey London' in 2007, 'New York' in 2009, 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' in 2009, 'Raajneeti' in 2010, 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' in 2011, 'Ek Tha Tiger' in 2012, 'Dhoom 3' in 2013 and 'Bang Bang!' in 2014.
Katrina's other highest-grossing Bollywood films are 'Tiger Zinda Hai' in 2017 and 'Bharat' 2019, co-starring Salman. Her latest action flick 'Sooryavanshi', co-starring Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgan, hit the silver screens a couple of weeks back.
Born to the action director Sham Kaushal and his wife Veena, Vicky ventured into Bollywoodas an assistant to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in the crime drama 'Gangs of Wasseypur' in 2012. However, Vicky shot to limelight in 2018 with supporting roles in 'Raazi' and 'Sanju'.
A year later, his lead role as a military officer in critically acclaimed action film 'Uri: The Surgical Strike', got him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
Wedding bells for Bollywood actor Rajkumar Rao
The love story of Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao and his long-time Bengali girlfriend Patralekha Paul is straight out of a Hindi movie.
Some 10 years ago, Rajkumar saw actress Patralekha's photo in an advertisement and decided to marry her. They later met at an event in Mumbai and fell in love.
Read:Top 10 Best South Indian Thriller Movies for Weekend Movie Mania
A decade on, the two are tying the knot this week, after being in a live-in relationship.
The low-key, three-day-long wedding ceremony in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, 250km from Delhi, begins on Wednesday evening, media reports said.
"It is going to be a very close affair for Rajkummar Rao, 37, and Patralekhaa, 32. They have invited only select guests from the film industry," a unnamed source was quoted by the media as saying.
A versatile actor, Rajkumar made his Bollywood debut with Dibakar Banerjee's film 'Love Sex Aur Dhokha' in 2010. After a few supporting roles in a couple of films, he made a mark in the film industry with his acting in social drama 'Kai Po Che!' in 2013.
He got the coveted National Film Award with his portrayal of the late human rights activist Shahid Azmi in biopic 'Shahid' in 2013. Rajkumar also acted in hits like 'Queen' in 2014 and 'Trapped' in 2016.
Read:Puneeth Rajkumar: A Popular Benevolent Short-Lived Actor in the Kannada Film Industry
Among the Delhi University alumnus' 2017 blockbuster releases were, 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' and 'Newton', both comedy movies. A year later, his film 'Stree' broke all his previous records in terms of revenue collection.
On the other hand, Patralekha, a Bengali born in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya's capital Shillong, made her debut with director Hansal Mehta's film 'CityLights', opposite Rajkummar.
Two days after bail, Shah Rukh Khan's son walks out of jail
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan walked out of Mumbai's high-security Arthur Road prison to a rapturous welcome on Saturday morning, more than three weeks after his arrest in a cruise-on-drugs case.
Aryan was received outside the jail gate by none other than his father, and greeted by thousands of Shah Rukh's fans. He had been in judicial custody since October 8.
The 23-year-old and his two friends -- Arbaz Merchant and Mummun Dhamecha -- were granted bail by the High Court in Mumbai on Thursday, as Shah Rukh roped in some of India's top legal minds to argue for bail for Aryan in the drugs case.
On Friday afternoon, Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla, Shah Rukh's close friend and co-star in many movies, went to the sessions court in Mumbai and signed Aryan's bail bond of Indian rupees one lakh.
Also read: Shah Rukh Khan's son gets bail in drugs-on-cruise case
Among the 14 bail conditions listed by the Mumbai High Court are that Aryan, Arbaz and Mummun can't leave the country and make any attempt to influence any witness in the drugs case. They were also asked to submit their passports to the court.
Aryan, particularly, has been asked to visit the federal anti-narcotics agency's Mumbai office every Friday and join investigations whenever required. If any of the conditions is violated, his bail could be cancelled.
Aryan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 after hours of grilling in connection with a rave party the federal agency busted on board a cruise ship off Mumbai coast a day before.
During arguments in the High Court, the federal prosecutors told judges that this was not a case of drugs consumption only, "but that of conspiracy too", and that Aryan had tried to sell narcotics in commercial quantity after procuring the same.
On Tuesday, India's former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who was roped in by Shah Rukh, argued in the court that Aryan was a "young man who should be sent to a rehab centre rather than jail". He also crushes the federal prosecutors' theory of conspiracy.
On the evening of October 2 evening, some 30 NCB sleuths, disguised as passengers, boarded luxury cruise liner 'Empress' which departed Mumbai port for the neighbouring state of Goa.
The cruise ship was carrying mostly celebrities from Bollywood and the fashion industry. As soon as the rave party began, the NCB sleuths swung into action and claimed to have caught red-handed those having drugs.
Also read: ndia's anti-narcotics police raid Shah Rukh Khan's house
Aryan, his close friend Arbaaz, and eight others were soon detained. While two of the detainees had been freed after questioning, Aryan and seven others were subsequently arrested by the NCB.
Aryan's father Shah Rukh is considered the most talented Bollywood star. Popularly called the "King Khan", he has acted in over 80 films in a career spanning over 25 years.
Shah Rukh, in fact, rose to prominence after starring in 1995 romantic film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', the longest-running blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema. The film was shot in India and Europe.
Some of his other blockbusters include 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997) and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998). Shah Rukh was also widely praised for his superb performance in 2002 film 'Devdas', where he played an alcoholic.
The 55-year-old has also anchored many TV shows, and owns production company Red Chillies Entertainment and Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shah Rukh has a net worth of USD 700 million. The superstar is married to interior designer Gauri Chibber, a Punjabi Hindu. Apart from Suhana, they have two sons.
Shah Rukh Khan's son gets bail in drugs-on-cruise case
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan was on Thursday granted bail by the High Court in Mumbai, more than three weeks after the 23-year-old was arrested by the federal anti-narcotics agency in a drugs-on-cruise case.
Apart from Aryan, his two friends -- Arbaz Merchant and Mummun Dhamecha -- were also granted bail in the case. But the court added a rider to the bail -- the trio can't leave the country without its permission.
However, the three are unlikely to walk out of jail by Thursday night, as the High Court's detailed order will be issued Friday only.
Also read: No bail for Shah Rukh Khan's son as HC adjourns hearing in cruise drugs case
During arguments, the federal prosecutors told the court that this was not a case of drugs consumption only, 'but that of conspiracy too", and that Aryan attempted to sell narcotics in commercial quantity.
On Tuesday, Aryan's lawyer Mukul Rohatgi argued in the court that the 23-year-old was a "young man who should be sent to a rehabilatation centre rather than jail".
Aryan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 after hours of grilling in connection with a rave party the federal agency busted on board a cruise ship off Mumbai coast a day before. He has been in judicial custody since October 8.
Acting on a tip-off, some 30 NCB sleuths, disguised as passengers, boarded luxury cruise liner 'Empress' on October 2 evening, which departed the Mumbai port for the neighbouring state of Goa.
The cruise ship was carrying mostly celebrities from Bollywood and the fashion industry. As soon as the rave party began, the NCB sleuths swung into action and claimed to have caught red-handed those having drugs.
Also read: Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan arrested after rave party raid
Aryan, his close friend Arbaaz, and eight others were soon detained. While two of the detainees had been freed after questioning, Aryan and seven others were subsequently arrested by the NCB.
Aryan's father Shah Rukh is considered the most talented Bollywood star. Popularly called the "King Khan", he has acted in over 80 films in a career spanning over 25 years.
Shah Rukh, in fact, rose to prominence after starring in 1995 romantic film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', the longest-running blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema. The film was shot in India and Europe.
Some of his other blockbusters include 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997) and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998). Shah Rukh was also widely praised for his superb performance in 2002 film 'Devdas', where he played an alcoholic.
The 55-year-old has also anchored many TV shows, and owns production company Red Chillies Entertainment and Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shah Rukh has a net worth of USD 700 million. The superstar is married to interior designer Gauri Chibber, a Punjabi Hindu. Apart from Suhana, they have two sons.