Mumbai, Oct 17: Television actor Arjun Bijlani opened up about how he maintained his mental balance while participating in the intense reality show “Rise And Fall.”

In an exclusive interview with IANS, the ‘Naagin’ actor shared insights into the strategies he uses to stay calm and focused amidst the high-pressure challenges. When asked how he maintained his mental balance, Arjun shared, “I had a photo of Neha and Ayaan with me, and I used to draw strength from that. I also have deep faith in Lord Ganesha. Every morning, I would wake up early and take His name, reminding myself not to do anything I might regret later. And today, I can proudly say that I came out of that tower as the winner with no regrets at all.”

When asked if he ever felt stressed during the game, the ‘Ishq Mein Marjawan’ mentioned, “Yes, around ten days into the show, I started missing my family a lot. That was quite stressful for me. I often wondered what my child was doing, what was happening at home, if everything was fine. During captive reality shows, people tend to have strange dreams — and I wasn’t the only one. Everyone experienced it. So yes, there were tough moments, but there were also great ones that made the journey special.”

“I played the game with a lot of heart. I only used strategy during the challenges, but otherwise, I stayed true to myself. I never said one thing and did another. I believe that was my biggest strength — being consistent and honest throughout,” added Arjun.

Arjun Bijlani has clinched the title of winner on Ashneer Grover’s show “Rise and Fall.”

Speaking about his win, he said in a statement, “Rise and Fall proved that every fall is just a step toward rising stronger. This journey was anything but easy — each day brought a new challenge, a new lesson, and a new reason to keep going. The twists, the tension, the friendships, and the rivalries tested me in ways I never imagined. Winning feels surreal. I want to thank each player who’s been a part of Rise and Fall. Thank you, thank you so much, and a special thanks to Aarush and Arbaz, who both took my name to be the winner. I think without them, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

Mumbai: Actor Shilpa Shetty told the Bombay High Court on Thursday she was withdrawing her application seeking permission to travel abroad as the plans had not materialized. Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra are facing a Rs60 crore cheating case lodged by a businessman. 

Shetty’s advocate, Niranjan Mundargi, told a bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad that the actor wished to withdraw her application seeking permission to travel to Los Angeles as the plans have not materialised. “The travel plan is not materialising. She was the only Indian actor to be invited to the event, but it is not happening,” Mundargi said. 

He added that they would approach the court in later when they have to travel. “As and when she and her husband desire to travel in future, they will file a fresh application seeking permission from the court. She (Shetty) is not pressing the present application,” he added.

A complaint was lodged against the couple by one Deepak Kothari alleging that from 2015 to 2023 they had induced him to invest Rs 60 crore in their company – Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd but the amount was used for their own personal benefits.

The couple had last month filed a petition in HC seeking suspension of the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against them at the behest of the city police’s Economic Offences Wing, which is probing the case.

Pending hearing in the petition, they filed an application seeking permission to travel abroad for their professional commitments and one leisure trip between October and January 2026. Subsequently, Kundra dropped plans to travel and Shetty had sought permission to travel to LA with her son, whereas Kundra, their daughter and her mother would stay back in India. 

On Thursday, the court accepted the actor’s withdrawal and posted the couple’s plea seeking suspension of the LOC for hearing on November 17. “Counsel for the applicant number 2 (Shetty) submitted that as and wh en applicants desire to travel, they shall file a fresh application with particulars of details of travel,” the court noted while allowing withdrawal of the  application. 

During the earlier hearings, the court had said that it cannot allow leisure trips when the duo is accused in a cheating and fraud case and had said it would consider their plea only if they are willing to deposit the Rs 60 crore.

Shetty had sought to travel to the United States as she had been invited to attend an event there in October last week. The bench had then asked her to submit the agreement or invitation received by her. Mundargi had then said that no agreement could be signed until the actor obtained travel permission from the court.

He had earlier submitted that both Shetty and Kundra had cooperated with the probe in the case and had also appeared for questioning. 

Mumbai, Oct 16: Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has opened up about his much-anticipated role in the upcoming film “Thamma.” He shared that it’s a role his kids are particularly excited about.

In an exclusive quote shared with media, Nawazuddin revealed that his performance is bound to delight his children, giving a glimpse into the personal connection he feels with this project. Talking about his role, the ‘Lunchbox’ actor shared, “Trust me, I’ve wanted to do something like this for a while,” he grins, clearly excited about the film. “My kids are going to be thrilled. I play a very weird character — but that weirdness is fascinating. It’s nothing like what I’ve done before, and I had an absolute blast on set.”

“It’s like being a batsman. You’re ready, but you still don’t expect that kind of delivery. Thank God I got it! I’m just happy filmmakers still see me in such unexpected avatars,” added Nawazuddin.

In the upcoming film, Siddiqui will be seen playing the role of Yakshasan. “Thamma” also stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna and Paresh Rawal in key roles. Directed by Aditya Sarpotda, the romantic comedy horror is set to hit theatres worldwide on 21st October. “Thamma” is penned by Niren Bhatt, Suresh Mathew, and Arun Falara and produced by Dinesh Vijan alongside Amar Kaushik.

The film serves as the fifth installment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe. Speaking about her role, Rashmika, during the trailer launch of the movie, had shared, Hi guys, I am so sorry that I couldn’t be at the trailer launch. I am shooting for ‘Cocktail 2’ in Sicily right now, but I really really hope that you liked the Thamma trailer and the brand new Maddok horror comedy. Tadaka is such an important and strong character, and I had the honor and the privilege of playing her. I absolutely loved playing her part on screen. I can’t wait for all of you to watch Thamma in the theatre this Diwali.”