Category: ENTERTAINMENT

Los Angeles, Jan 14 (IANS) Actress Helen Mirren shared her thoughts on the cosmetic procedure that’s gaining popularity among a younger population.

“If women or men are seriously diminished, defeated, or depressed when they look in the mirror and are brought down by what they see, and they have the financial ability and the mental ability or whatever to change it, fine,” the 80-year-old told Elle.

Mirren continued, “I do think because of social media and what apps can do, you (can) look at the reality and you get literally depressed. I think that’s a very, very sad state of affairs.”

The Oscar winner then suggested the one simple change that could sway someone’s decision to go under the knife.

“Before contemplating anything, get really good lighting in your bathroom so that whenever you look in the mirror, you are lit beautifully and look great … It’s a lot cheaper than getting a facelift. I am serious about the good lighting in the bathroom,” she said, reports people.com.

“Bad lighting is so depressing. I think it would be a terrible mistake to get plastic surgery when you’re in your twenties. Your face changes. I don’t like to criticize or attack people for doing what makes them happy. But to try to look like a fake picture of yourself would be terrible.”

Mirren in 2025, reflected on the beauty standards in Hollywood alongside Kathy Bates, Niecy Nash-Betts, Parker Posey, Cristin Milioti and Keri Russell.

During the conversation, the star revealed that she was “told to have a nose job in my 20s.”

“Someone said, ‘You’ll never get work if you don’t have a nose job,’” Mirren recalled, adding, “I said no. I didn’t want to be a pretty actress anyway. I elected to be not so pretty.”

–IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) Actor Vivian Dsena has exited the reality show ‘Laughter Chefs: Fun Unlimited 3’, as he is set to begin work on a new fiction series, which remains under wraps, “but those close to it hint at a familiar universe returning in a new form.”

A source close to the channel shared, “After completing his stint on Laughter Chef, Vivian Dsena has stepped away to focus entirely on a new fiction series with Colors.”

According to sources, the actor has been deeply involved in workshops and pre-production meetings for an upcoming fiction series with Colors.

“The project remains under wraps, but those close to it hint at a familiar universe returning in a new form. With workshops and pre-production keeping him fully booked, Vivian is preparing for something he prefers to let his work reveal — in its own time,” the source added.

Vivian’s career started with a call from Gladrags Manhunt and Megamodel Contest. He was among the top 10 finalists in Gladrags Manhunt contest in 2007. He later walked the ramp for designers like Vikram Phadnis. The actor has said he was rejected 350 to 400 times.

He made his acting debut with the Indian television soap opera Kasamh Se in 2008. He later gained major reach for his portrayal of Abhay Raichand in the supernatural teen drama Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani.

He was then seen as a superstar in the romantic drama Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon, social drama Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki, and romantic drama Sirf Tum.

The actor played a cameo role in the romantic drama Udaariyaan. He also participated in reality shows such as Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa season 8, Khatron Ke Khiladi 7, and Bigg Boss 18.

Meanwhile, Laughter Chefs – Unlimited Entertainment is an Indian competitive cooking comedy reality series. The series is hosted by Bharti Singh and judged by Harpal Singh Sokhi. It is based on the Tamil comedy cooking reality show Cooku with Comali.

–IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) Actor Abhishek Banerjee has shared that his cameo appearance in the second season of “Freedom at Midnight” is a tribute to late star Om Puri, whom he says defied the very meaning of what it took to be a hero.

“I have grown up admiring one of the biggest acting legends of India, the Late Om Puri sahab. He was truly a trailblazer and defied the very meaning of what it took to be a hero. When people see his filmography, one thing that is great takeaway is that he always did roles and films, never evaluated them based on the size of the role,” Abhishek told IANS.

In the series, Abhishek essays the role of a rioter driven by vengeance after losing his pregnant wife to communal violence, a journey that ultimately leads him to surrender before Mahatma Gandhi in the series, which is based on the partition of India and Pakistan, and the religious and socio-political dynamics of the era.

The character was also portrayed by Om Puri in the Ben Kingsley-starrer “Gandhi”, which was directed by Richard Attenborough in 1982.

“When Nikkhil asked me to do this cameo, I wanted to make sure I showed up. That’s what I believe is the true spirit of our industry. The role is an homage to Om Puri Sahab’s role from Gandhi, and just having the opportunity to step into this character was deeply an honour for me.”

Abishek says that he has “no comparison” to Om Puri’s legacy and his craft.

“He will and is truly a cinematic icon. But to step into his footsteps, even for this small cameo role, is truly an honor for me. I want to always remember that roles aren’t always about their size; sometimes it’s the smallest parts that leave behind the highest impact, and the feedback since the release of Freedom at Midnight 2 has been just that. I have been getting so many messages and calls, tags on social media appreciating the cameo,” concluded Abhishek.

The second season of the show delves into the pandemonium that followed Partition, capturing the chaos of communal violence, the refugee crisis, the integration of princely states, and the political tensions among leaders.

It was in 2017 when Om Puri died aged 66 following a heart attack. He was honoured at the 89th Academy Awards in the “In Memoriam” segment for his contribution to world cinema.

–IANS

dc/

Chennai, Jan 14 (IANS) Dismissing the criticism that she had misportrayed leaders of the Congress in her recently released film ‘Parasakthi’, ace director Sudha Kongara has now stressed upon the fact that she had shown Congress leaders to be extremely positive leaders and pointed out that her film portrayed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as one of the greatest leaders ever to have led the country.

During an exclusive interaction with IANS, the ace director’s attention was drawn to the claim made by the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress that its leaders had been mis portrayed in the film.

Responding to the question, Sudha Kongara said, “Not at all. Can there be a greater leader than Nehru who comes and who says, ‘I want to ally your fears, I want to tell you, do not fear. Till my brothers from the south (the non-Hindi speaking states) say ‘yes’, Hindi will not become the sole official language.’ He promises. The protagonist actually tells one Hindi-speaking person, the loco pilot, saying that Panditji had promised us in the Parliament and he’s not going to go back on his words and that’s exactly how they lived and how he was such a great leader. People believed him.”

The director then went on say, “Then you show Mrs. Gandhi. Who in this world can actually go and meet a leader of that stature? People are trying to stop her. People who actually misled her. She actually says stop when they’re trying to pull him (the protagonist) away. She says “Stop!” and she listens to him. She’s having a dialogue with him and how much better can a democratic leader be than this? She’s great and I’ve shown her as one of the greatest leaders ever.”

“I have the utmost respect for Mrs. Gandhi, Mr. Nehru and I have shown them as extremely positive leaders who came down here who actually were democratic. They were not dictatorial,” she said.

For the unaware, director Sudha Kongara’s film ‘Parasakthi’, featuring Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela in the lead, revolves around the anti-Hindi agitation that rocked the state of Tamil Nadu in the 1960s.

Apart from Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela, the film also features Ravi Mohan as the antagonist and Atharvaa in a pivotal role.

‘Parasakthi’, which was tentatively being referred to as #SK25 as it is Sivakarthikeyan’s 25th film, has music by G V Prakash and cinematography by experienced cameraman Ravi K Chandran. Stunts for the film are by Supreme Sundar. The film hit screens on January 10 for the festival of Pongal.

–IANS

mkr/

Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) Global head turner Priyanka Chopra Jonas shared a glimpse into her personal favourites from the Golden Globes 2026 as she shared her latest ‘randoms’, featuring husband Nick Jonas and BLACKPINK member Lisa.

The global star also heaped praise on Hollywood actress Zoe Saldana, fondly calling her an “icon” in her Instagram stories section.

The actress first shared a reel on her Instagram. The clip featured Priyanka getting all dolled up for the Golden Globe Awards. It also featured her husband Nick Jonas and BLACKPINK member Lisa.

Before stepping into the event, the actress and her husband Nick were heard saying, “So we did it, heading out, see ya,” on the red carpet. The video also featured glimpses of Priyanka’s outfit, the actress undergoing red light therapy for her face, and posing with Lisa, who debuted in August 2016 and went on to become part of one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

For the caption, Priyanka wrote: “Randoms…”

She then took to her Instagram stories section, where she shared a news article about Zoe Saldana becoming the “highest grossing actor of all time”.

Priyanka captioned it: “Queen Zoe Saldana wow! What an icon.”

Talking about her film work, Priyanka is currently in Hyderabad for the shoot of her upcoming movie starring South star Mahesh Babu, helmed by SS Rajamouli.

Priyanka, who has been feted with two National Film Awards and a Padma Shri, will next be seen sharing screen space with Mahesh Babu for the first time in the upcoming film.

In addition to this, she has also been roped in for the latest instalment in the popular franchise “Krrish 4”, marking Hrithik Roshan’s debut as a director.

The 42-year-old actress, who is the winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, will also be seen as a 19th-century Caribbean pirate in the forthcoming swashbuckler action drama, “The Bluff”.

She was last seen in “Heads Of State” directed by Ilya Naishuller. It stars Idris Elba and John Cena as the UK Prime Minister and US President, respectively.

–IANS

dc/

Los Angeles, Jan 14 (IANS) Actress Jennifer Lawrence, who has a son, Cy, and a second baby born last year with husband Cooke Maroney, said she is only busy during the hectic press tours for her movies, and for the rest of her time, she enjoys a quiet life.

Speaking on the Smartless podcast, Lawrence said: “That’s me. I identify as a stay-at-home mom. But I am obviously working.

“I’m not used to being busy like this. I normally have a busy like three months while I’m filming, but even in that sense, it’s calm because there is nothing else to do. I just go to work, I do that, I come home, I sleep, and then I do it again. And then, like, two weeks while you promote – it is hectic.”

However, the actress said that she won’t do interviews after 9 PM because she is ready for bed, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

She said: “Oh. I’m in bed. Kindle is lit until like 9:15. And then I don’t even have, like, Kindle light on normally by 9:15.”

And over the Christmas period, Jennifer turned down an invitation to a party because it started at late and she had no desire to be hungover around her children.

She said: “You can’t be hungover with a nine-month-old. Even a three-year-old is just not an option.”

The 35-year-old actress revealed she and Cooke have found the secret to keeping their marriage “alive”.

Lawrence told how she and Cooke are total “opposites”, but she has learned to adapt since having children.

She said: “I married somebody who is the opposite of me. He is so organised. He’s an anchor.

“Everything is ordered. I have to keep the closet doors closed, and I have the little jobs that I work really hard to do… I get it now, I get it. [The kids are] on a very strict schedule. You know, it’s like breakfast: 7:30.

“He’s good at keeping it. But we’ve learned to keep our marriage alive, I have a 15-minute wiggle room.”

Jennifer cited having attention deficit disorder (ADD) as to why she struggles with tight timing.

She said: “I think I should go to, like, occupational therapy for that.”

–IANS

dc/

Chennai, Jan 14 (IANS) Stating that he was a nobody to be warning a stalwart like actor Vijay’s fans, ‘Parasakthi’ creative producer and actor Dev Ramnath has now clarified that a lot of people had misrepresented him and that the point he had tried to make through a post on X had been misconstrued.

Talking exclusively to IANS, the actor and producer explained, “A lot of people have misrepresented me saying that I have spoken against Vijay sir’s fans. It’s a complete misrepresentation. I am nobody to be warning Vijay sir’s fans. Vijay sir is a stalwart. I have grown up watching his films. I am a nobody. My only request, as someone who’s come from a complete non-industry, non-political background, is that this film gets its due. We have put in the hard yards for the last 10 years to come to this and to do this film. And over the last six to 18 months, we’ve put our hearts and souls into it. The same goes for ‘Jana Nayakan’. There are hundreds of people who have worked on ‘Jana Nayakan’. When this happens to a film, it’s difficult for everyone who has worked on it.”

But should there be no criticism then? The producer explained, “Criticisms are fine. Criticisms are always welcome. But whatever the film deserves, it should get. It shouldn’t be pulled down just for the sake of being pulled down. It shouldn’t be brought to a level that is less deserving of what it actually deserves. What’s the point of saying, It’s a good film after watching it on OTT, right? It’s for our theatres.”

Dev Ramnath was equally critical of what had happened to Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ as well.

“What happened to ‘Jana Nayakan’ is wrong. Pulling down a film, be it ‘Jana Nayagan’, be it ‘Parasakthi’ or be it any other film that came last year or that is going to come, is wrong. I am just saying the industry is in a very bad space. I think a lot of producers are thinking twice before starting a film. Lesser number of films are being made. When the industry is in such a space, it is our joint responsibility — the responsibility of writers, the directors, the producers, the actors and the fans to act responsibly and push it to a stage than what it is right now and not pull it down.”

For the unaware, director Sudha Kongara’s film ‘Parasakthi’, featuring Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela in the lead, revolves around the anti-Hindi agitation that rocked the state of Tamil Nadu in the 1960s.

Apart from Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela, the film also features Ravi Mohan as the antagonist and Atharvaa in a pivotal role.

‘Parasakthi’, which was tentatively being referred to as #SK25 as it is Sivakarthikeyan’s 25th film, has music by G V Prakash and cinematography by experienced cameraman Ravi K Chandran. Stunts for the film are by Supreme Sundar. The film hit screens on January 10 for the festival of Pongal.

–IANS

mkr/

Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) Singer-composer Roop Kumar Rathod has lauded actor Suniel Shetty, calling him a “man of discipline, dignity, and depth,” and hailing his timeless values and grounded personality.

Taking to Instagram, Rathod shared a picture of himself with the veteran actor and expressed his admiration in heartfelt words. In the image, the two are seen sitting together. The picture appears to be from the launch of the revamped version of the song “Jaate Hue Lamhon”, which originally featured in the 1997 film “Border” starring the veteran actor.

For the caption, the singer wrote: “A man of discipline, dignity, and depth. Respect only. #Legend” Timeless style. Timeless values. Calm mind, strong soul, grounded heart. That’s real strength. one and only Suniel Anna.”

“Border 2”, which, as per Varun Dhawan, is based on the 1971 war and some true events, is presented by Gulshan Kumar & T-Series, in association with J.P. Dutta’s J.P. Films. Backed by a powerful production team including Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J.P. Dutta, and Nidhi Dutta, and directed by Anurag Singh.

The film is slated to release on January 23.

Meanwhile, J.P. Dutta’s blockbuster “Border’ was released in 1997. The film stars an ensemble cast that includes Sunny Deol, Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Puneet Issar, Sudesh Berry, and Kulbhushan Kharbanda in pivotal roles, alongside Tabu, Pooja Bhatt, Rakhee Gulzar, Sharbani Mukherjee, Sapna Bedi, and Rajiv Goswami.

Talking about Roop Kumar Rathod, he has appeared as a vocalist on albums since 1999. The song “Sandese Aate Hai”, from the movie Border, became one of the breakthroughs of Rathod’s career.

He sang the song “Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai” for the movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and ‘Maula Mere Maula’ for the movie Anwar.

Roopkumar has also performed with the artists Trilok Gurtu, Ranjit Barot, and Abhijit Pohankar in fusion concerts

In August 2005, the comedy serial Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai featured Roopkumar and his wife in one of their episodes that showcased a friendly musical contest. In 2011, he released a Sufi album along with his wife Sunali Rathod called “Kalma”.

–IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) Former beauty queen and actress Sushmita Sen is setting fitness goals, and this time she has her biggest cheerleader, her daughter Alisah is by her side.

The former Miss Universe took to Instagram to share glimpses from her workout session, where she is seen training alongside Alisah, labelling her daughter as her “inspired gang”. In the clip, the two are seen doing a core workout.

“#keepgoing #strongerthanyesterday. My inspired gang @alisahsen47 @zellastrid_ Thank you for being this amazing & sooooo much fun!!! Come join us…let’s get stronger together!! I love you guys!!! #duggadugga #2026,” Sushmita, whoat the age of 18 Sen entered and won the title Femina Miss India, earning the right to compete at the Miss Universe 1994 contest, wrote as the caption.

The 50-year-old actress is the mother of two adopted daughters. At the age of 24 years old, she adopted her first daughter, Renee Sen, in 2000, while her second daughter, Alisah, joined the family in 2010.

On the work front, Sushmita was last seen in Aarya 3, an Indian crime-thriller drama television series by Ram Madhvani. The show stars Sushmita Sen in the title role and is based on the Dutch drama series Penoza.

The series is about Aarya, an independent woman who seeks to protect her family and joins a mafia gang to get revenge for her husband’s murder. Recently, the show has been nominated for the International Emmy Awards for best Drama series.

The 50-year-old star made her acting debut playing a fictionalised version of herself in the 1996 thriller Dastak. She was then seen in films such as Biwi No.1, Sirf Tum, Filhaal, Aankhen, Main Hoon Na, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?, Aarya, and Taali, where she portrayed transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant in the miniseries, which was released in 2023.

–IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) Actress Shweta Tripathi has wrapped up shooting for the movie adaptation of “Mirzapur” and said that her character, Golu Gupta, has given her a voice, strength, and an identity that she will always be grateful for.

Sharing her thoughts on completing the schedule, Shweta told IANS, “Wrapping up the film in Mumbai for Mirzapur: The Movie feels incredibly special and emotional. Golu Gupta has given me a voice, a strength, and an identity that I will always be grateful for.”

The actress says the character truly changed the way audiences see her and “the kind of stories I get to be a part of.”

“Bringing Mirzapur to the big screen is both exciting and fulfilling, because the love for this world and these characters is immense. Reuniting with the cast, especially with Ali Fazal, who is like family, and stepping back into Golu’s shoes felt like coming home, but with a new energy and scale. I can’t wait for audiences to experience this chapter of Mirzapur in cinemas,” she concluded.

“Mirzapur: The Movie” reunites the original cast from the series, including Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Divyendu Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Shweta Tripathi, Shriya Pilgaonkar, among several others. The film is directed by Gurmeet Singh and produced by Excel Entertainment.

Meanwhile, the series “Mirzapur”, follows Akhandanand “Kaleen” Tripathi, a crime boss and businessman who is the proverbial ruler of Mirzapur district in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh state in India.

In the first season, the main cast features Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyendu Sharma, Vikrant Massey, Shweta Tripathi, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rasika Dugal, Harshita Gaur, and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.

The second season retains the main cast from the first season, excluding Vikrant and Shriya, with a new cast consisting of Vijay Varma, Isha Talwar, Lilliput, Anjum Sharma, Priyanshu Painyuli, Anangsha Biswas, and Neha Sargam.

–IANS

dc/