Irfan Khan, Magnificent Actor, Dies At 54. Last Rites Take Place In Mumbai
Actor Irrfan Khan's last rites took place in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon, soon after he died in Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. Mr Khan, 53, was being treated for an colon infection and just hours before he died, his spokesperson said he "was still fighting the battle." A statement released by his family said, "Irrfan was buried at the Versova kabrastan in Mumbai at 3 pm this afternoon soon after the news of his passing away was announced. In presence were his family, close relatives and friends. Everyone paid their final respects and mourned the loss of his passing away. We pray for his peace and we hope he's in a better place today. He was strong in his fight, and we all have to be strong too in this loss."
Irrfan Khan's family members, including his two sons, were photographed exiting the Mumbai hospital in the afternoon; filmmakers Tigmanshu Dhulia, who worked with the actor in Paan Singh Tomar, and Abhinay Deo, who directed Mr Khan in Blackmail, were also spotted.
Mr Khan, one of India's most respected thespians, battled a tumour for several months and returned to Mumbai some months ago after being treated in London. Irrfan Khan is survived by his wife Sutapa and two sons.
In a statement released after the Piku actor's death, his family said that Mr Khan spent his final hours "surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about." Read the complete statement here:
"I trust, I have surrendered"; These were the some of the many words that Irrfan expressed in a heart-felt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It's saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away. Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, "As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it."
As news of Irrfan Khan's hospitalisation spread on Tuesday evening, the actor's spokesperson released this statement: "Yes, it is true that Irrfan Khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of his well wishers, he will recover soon."
On Wednesday, a fresh statement was released warning against premature reports of Mr Khan's death. "It's really disappointing to know that there are extreme assumptions being made about Irrfan's health. While we are truly appreciative that people are concerned, it's disheartening to see some sources spread extreme rumours and creating panic. Irrfan is a strong person and is still fighting the battle. We really request you to not fall for rumours and not partake in these conversations which are fictional," the actor's spokesperson said.
Irrfan Khan was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in March 2018, soon after which he flew to London for treatment. He returned to India in February 2019 to shoot Angrezi Medium and flew back to London after a brief stay. The actor returned to India in September last year after surgery and treatment in London.
Irrfan Khan's mother Saeeda Begum died at the age of 95 on Saturday morning in Jaipur. According to news agency ANI, Mr Khan paid his last respects to his late mother through a video conferencing session.
Irrfan Khan was last seen in Angrezi Medium, which released a little over a week before the lockdown was imposed in India. The actor wasn't part of the film's promotions because of his health; he spoke to his fans via a video message ahead of the trailer release of the film. His movie credits include internationally acclaimed offerings such as The Lunchbox and the Hollywood blockbuster Jurassic World.
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Baaghi 3 First Poster: Tiger Shroff Is 'Up Against A Nation This Time'
Tiger Shroff's Baaghi 3 released it's first poster on Monday. The makers and the cast of the film unveiled the poster on social media. Directed by Ahmed Khan, Baaghi 3 is the third instalment in the Baaghi series. Like the previous films, Baaghi 3 also stars Tiger Shroff in the lead role as 'Ronnie'. Shraddha Kapoor, who had previously starred in the film's first chapter by Sabbir Khan, will again feature in the new film alongside Tiger Shroff. The poster of Baaghi 3 reads, "This time, he's up against a nation." The film's trailer will be out on February 6. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old actor shared the poster on Instagram and wrote, "Against his strongest enemy, his greatest battle, up against a nation, Ronnie is back! Baaghi 3 trailer out on February 6, Thursday."
Earlier, it was announced Tiger Shroff's father Jackie Shroff has been roped in to play the lead actor's on-screen father, as reported by news agency PTI. Baaghi 3 would mark their first film together in the film industry. Jackie Shroff will be seen making a cameo as a cop in the film. Sajid Nadiadwala, who has produced Baaghi 3, in an interview with PTI was quoted as saying, "Everyone has been waiting to see Tiger team up with his 'Hero' father Jackie since we launched him. There have been plenty of speculation and no one has been able to bring them together in the last six years as the duo was categorical they would only share the screen when a film and role merited their presence."
Baaghi 3 will also feature Riteish Deshmukh as an antagonist. The film has been co-produced by Fox Star Studios and is scheduled to release on March 6, as per PTI.
After Avoiding Clash With Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar Avoids Clash With Himself
Akshay Kumar, on Monday, announced he has rescheduled not one but two films. After shifting Bachchan Pandey to January 22, 2021, Akshay has now moved Bell Bottoms' release date to April 2, 2021. Just an hour after the Bachchan Pandey announcement, Akshay tweeted: "I know there are enough memes out there about me clashing with myself one day but January 22, 2021 is not that day. Bell Bottoms will now release on April 2, 2021." LOL. Bell Bottom was initially slated to release on January 22 while Bachchan Pandey had initially booked Christmas 2020 for release.
Akshay Kumar pushed the release of Bachchan Pandey from Christmas this year to avoid a box office clash with Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha. Aamir thanked Akshay in a gratitude-filled tweet, writing: "Sometimes all it takes is one conversation. Thank you to my friends Akshay Kumar and Sajid Nadiadwala for their warm gesture of moving the release date of their film Bachchan Pandey at my request. I wish them the very best for their film. Looking forward to it. Love, A."
Akshay responded with a new poster of Bachchan Pandey, writing: "Anytime Aamir, we're all friends here. Presenting - new look, new release date. Coming on January 22, 2021."
Last year, Akshay Kumar was subjected to criticism from fans after he rescheduled the release date of Sooryavanshi to avoid a box office collision with Salman Khan's Inshallah, which has now been shelved. Akshay was trolled for appearing to 'give in' but he handled the situation with a tweet, writing: "I can see and understand your angst, all I do is request you all with folded hands not to start/participate in such trends."
Akshay Kumar's busy line-up of films also includes Laxmmi Bomb and Prithviraj.
Kaun Banega Crorepati comes under fire over Shivaji Maharaj reference; Sony TV apologises
Popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati has drawn flak after a reference to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj triggered controversy and invited the charge that it disrespected to the 17th century Maratha king.
Social media platforms saw angry viewers demanding boycott of the show over the incident. Hashtags #BoycottSonyTv, #Boycott_KBC_SonyTv and #Boycott_KBC_SonyTv episode were trending on Twitter.
Maharashtra BJP MLA Nitesh Rane on Friday demanded an apology from the entertainment giant for "disrespectful" reference to Shivaji Maharaj. Rane said that Kaun Banega Crorepate has insulted Shivaji Maharaj by referring him in first person singular form in a question and should tender apology at the earliest.
The controversy erupted when a question was asked in the show, hosted by actor Amitabh Bachchan, about the contemporaries of Aurangazeb, a Mughal emperor who ruled major parts of India in the 17th century.
Among the four options, Chhatrapati Shivaji was mentioned as "Shivaji", while other options were Maharana Pratap, Rana Sanga and Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
FOllowing the outrage, Sony TV apologised for the incident on Twitter and tagged Amitabh Bachhan. "There was an inaccurate reference to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during Wednesday's KBC episode, due to inadvertence. We deeply regret the same and being mindful of the sentiments of our viewers have carried a scroll expressing regret during our episode yesterday. #KBC11," the channel posted.
Election 2019 Updates: All Eyes On Mumbai Elections As Celebrities Queue Up To Vote
Billionaires and Bollywood stars are lining up to vote and elect lawmakers as part of the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2019. In Mumbai, the Congress and its ally, Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress party or NCP, are trying to wrest the six seats from the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. Last time, the Sena won three seats and the BJP three. The Maximum City is set for several high-profile contests: the BJP's Poonam Mahajan versus Congress's Priya Dutt Mumbai North-Central; in Mumbai North, it is Congress's Urmila Matondkar versus sitting lawmaker Gopal Shetty. Congress leader Milind Deora is contesting from Mumbai South against Sena's sitting lawmaker Arvind Sawant. Overall, voters will decide on 72 seats spread across nine states. The star candidates whose electoral fortunes will be decided include six Union ministers. Among them are ministers Giriraj Singh, Subhash Bhamre, SS Ahluwalia, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, PP Chaudhary, Sudarshan Bhagat, and Babul Supriyo. Former union ministers Salman Khurshid and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury are also among the contestants. Polling for the seven-phase election ends on May 19, the counting of votes will be held on May 23.
Actor Priyanka Chopra, Congress candidate from Mumbai North and actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar, BJP lawmaker and actor Paresh Rawal and seasoned actors Rekha and Madhuri Dixit Nene were among the early celeb voters who reached election booths in Mumbai this morning to cast their votes as polling began in all six seats of country's financial capital.
Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani voted at GD Somani School in Cuffe Parade area soon after polling for the fourth phase began at 7 am. Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, Adi Godrej, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das were also among the early voters.
"Every vote is a voice that counts," Priyanka Chopra tweeted after casting her vote.
Madhuri Dixit, who voted at a polling booth in Juhu, urged citizens to "vote wisely". "Voting is our right, let's use it wisely! The future of our country is in our hands. Let's do our duty and #VoteForIndia. (sic)," she tweeted.
Also, there are other actors who voted this afternoon are superstar Salman Khan, Vidya Balan, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kareena Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut, Bachhans and more Queue Up To Vote.