Guwahati, April 4: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday condoled the death of ace Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar and asserted that art remains immortal.

Taking to X, Sarma mentioned, “Even today, Manoj Kumar ji’s films inspire countrymen and fill them with energy to dream new dreams. Many of my childhood memories are associated with the songs of his films.”

“Whether an artist lives or not, his art remains immortal. Om Shanti,” he further mentioned in the X post.

Veteran actor and film-maker Manoj Kumar breathed his last on Friday at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. He was 87.

Reportedly, the medical reports reveal that Manoj Kumar’s death was caused by cardiogenic shock resulting from an acute myocardial infarction, a severe heart attack.

The reports also indicated that he had been struggling with decompensated liver cirrhosis in recent months, which had worsened his health.

The legendary actor was admitted to the hospital on February 21 when his health deteriorated.

Dr Santosh Shetty, CEO and Executive Director at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, said in an official statement, “Veteran actor Shri Manoj Kumar ji passed away peacefully at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital early this morning at around 3:30 am, due to age-related health issues. He had been hospitalised for the past few weeks.”

Following the news of his passing, tributes quickly flooded in from celebrities, politicians, and fans alike.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his sorrow, mourning the loss of the legendary actor-director.

Taking to his X handle, he tweeted, “Deeply saddened by the passing of legendary actor and film-maker Manoj Kumar ji. He was an icon of Indian cinema, who was particularly remembered for his patriotic zeal, which was also reflected in his films. Manoj ji’s works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.”

Mumbai, March 29: The trailer for the upcoming film “The Bhootnii”, starring Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari, Mouni Roy, and Sunny Singh, was unveiled on Saturday. It promises a thrilling blend of fun and spookiness.

The trailer is filled with witty punchlines, eerie thrills, and a generous dose of Sanjay’s iconic swag. The Bhootnii promises to transport audiences into a world where horror meets humor in the most unexpected ways.

The makers launched the trailer of the movie at a mega event in Mumbai in presence of the entire star cast.

It was on February 26, when Sanjay had revealed the title of the film, which was earlier called “The Virgin Tree”, on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri. It was also revealed that the project will be hitting the theatres on April 18, 2025.

The makers had also shared a teaser, which gives an insight into the mystical world where ‘love turns into darkness’.

Soham Rockstar Entertainment and Three Dimension Motion Pictures are presenting “The Bhootnii”, which has been produced under the banner of A Soham Rockstar Entertainment Production by Deepak Mukut, Sanjay Dutt, Hunar Mukut, and Maanayata Dutt.

Additionally, Sanjay’s lineup includes the much-awaited sequel “Welcome to the Jungle.” The Ahmed Khan’s directorial enjoys an ensemble cast with Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Lara Dutta, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, and Tusshar Kapoor.

The film is the third installment to the “Welcome” franchise. It was first released in 2007 and the second part Welcome Back hit the screens in 2015.

Furthermore, Sanjay will also be seen playing a crucial role in “Son of Sardaar 2”. The drama has Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur as the lead pair. Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, Ajay Devgn has produced the film under the banner of Devgn Films in collaboration with Jio Studios.

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) closure report in the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, vindicates that the Bandra Police’s investigation was headed in the right direction at the time. Five years after the actor’s death, the CBI recently submitted closure reports in two related cases at the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Bandra, including the one concerning his death in June 2020.

Agency officials confirmed that their investigation found no foul play in his demise, calling it “a simple case of suicide.” This report supports the Bandra Police’s initial investigation and affirms that their inquiry was on the right track before the case was transferred to the CBI.

On June 14, 2020, Sushant Singh Rajput’s body was found at his rented apartment in Bandra West. At that time, the Bandra Police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR).

However, several politicians, a few celebrities, a few media personalities, and a section of society questioned the Mumbai Police’s investigation, alleging that the actor had been murdered or driven to suicide. Eventually, after conducting its investigation, the CBI found no evidence of foul play and closed the case.

The CBI’s closure report has reinforced that the Bandra Police’s initial investigation was thorough and correctly directed. The Bandra Police had registered the ADR and investigated the matter for 46 days before the case was handed over to the CBI.

During those 46 days, some politicians, celebrities, and sections of the media cast doubts on the credibility of the Mumbai Police, attempting to tarnish its image. However, in the end, it has been proven that their investigation was thorough and impartial.

One of the prime investigating officers (Bandra police) of the case, who was among the first to arrive at the scene after the actor’s death, spoke after the closure report was filed, “I was 100% confident in the findings mentioned in the CBI’s report, and my seniors trusted my investigation. I thank the CBI, but I wish the results had come earlier—it has now been almost five years. I investigated only the ADR, not the other related cases. Officers who handle an investigation from the beginning always know everything. My inquiry was based on the post-mortem report. At that time, many different angles emerged, and we examined all of them thoroughly.”

He further added, “The CBI is also part of the police force, and they conducted a good investigation. When the case was transferred to the CBI, I had no issue because they, too, are part of the same law enforcement system. Whether we work under the central or state government, we belong to the same fraternity. I had a good experience working with the CBI. The Mumbai Police never faced political pressure. However, various illogical theories surfaced in the media and on social media, and the COVID-19 pandemic was also ongoing at the time. Despite all this, nothing impacted our investigation.”

Bhushan Belnekar was the investigating officer in the actor’s ADR case. Along with him, Padmakar Devre, Senior Police Inspector Nikhil Kapse, PSI Ekta Pawar, and Sub-Inspector Vaibhav Jagtap were part of the investigative team. Belnekar, Devre, and Kapse have since retired.

Another police officer from the Bandra Police investigation team stated, “This report proves that our investigation was on the right track. No political agenda influenced us. During our inquiry, we considered all the angles raised by the media and social media. We did not overlook a single possibility and examined every aspect thoroughly. From the beginning, the circumstances, medical reports, and forensic analysis indicated that it was a case of suicide.”

He further mentioned, “The pandemic posed an additional challenge for us. We conducted our investigation based on the available inputs. Many theories emerged, but we found no evidence to support the murder theory or abetment of suicide or murder. All case records have been maintained. At that time, his relatives immediately did not file any complaints.”

When asked whether the Mumbai Police’s morale was affected after the case was transferred to the CBI, he responded, “Our morale was not affected. In fact, we believed that the CBI would conduct a thorough investigation, and now their findings have validated our work.”

The actor used to stay in his sixth-floor duplex flat at Mont Blanc Apartments near Joggers’ Park in Bandra West, where his body was found on June 14, 2020.