Mumbai, Oct 3: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has lauded Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage and presence of mind during the terrifying mid-air incident aboard a Flydubai flight.

He said it would be a pleasure to fly with him as he took to his X (formerly Twitter account) , Salman wrote, “Kamaal kar diya pilot ji, hum sab aap ko salute karte hain will be a pleasure to fly with u.. Well done bro.. Capt #SmitMachchhar.”

Salman’s opening phrase, “Kamaal kar diya pilot ji”, also has the familiar playful tonality associated with his iconic Dabangg dialogue “Kamaal karte ho, Pandey ji”, making the tribute sound the quintessential like a Salman-style salute.

The actor’s message comes after a dramatic incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board. Captain Machchhar was seriously injured after his co-pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit.

Despite deep his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

The brave act has been lauded by millions with a lot of Bollywood stars lauding the captain.

Actor Anil Kapoor also shared a heartfelt tribute to Captain Machchhar, revealing a personal connection to the pilot through his business manager Jalal.

Anil Kapoor recalled that Jalal had known Smit since flying school and had always considered him someone he would want by his side in a difficult situation.

In his post, Kapoor wrote in part, “What Smit did in that moment was nothing short of extraordinary. It takes immense courage to stay strong and put others first…” He went on to express his respect for the captain and wished him a speedy recovery.

Many Bollywood celebrities have also taken to social media to salute Machchhar’s courage.

Vicky Kaushal shared a picture of the pilot in the cockpit and wrote, “Braveheart! Capt Smit Machchhar.”

Sunny Deol praised Machchhar’s “extraordinary courage and presence of mind”, saying he had helped avert a disaster and save lives, while wishing him a speedy recovery.

Tamannaah Bhatia highlighted the extraordinary responsibility Machchhar carried during the crisis.

R. Madhavan also joined the tributes, praying for the speedy recovery of what he described as a true hero.

Mumbai, Oct 3: After mid-week elimination from Bigg Boss 20, Rhiti Tiwari penned a heartfelt note for fellow contestant Qazi Touqeer.

Signalling a warmer equation between the two after their much-talked-about feud inside the house, Rhiti took to her social media account and shared a series of pictures from her final days inside the Bigg Boss 20 house, including a picture of herself hugging Qazi.

Along with the pictures, she wrote, “I’ve got your back. And when I am back, I’ll have it again.” She also tagged Qazi and added hashtags including #RhitiTiwari, #RhitiInBB20, #BB20, #BiggBoss20 and #QaziTouqeer.

Qazi’s team responded to Rhiti’s post with a message of support, writing, “Sending you lots of love and Respect , Everyone is so proud of you. Wishing you endless success and happiness—keep rising and shining! All the very best! -Team Qazi”

The post comes after Rhiti and Qazi’s equation went through a turbulent phase on the reality show.

During a diss battle task, their argument escalated, with Rhiti using abusive language against Qazi and Uditi Singh.

The matter was addressed by host Salman Khan during Weekend Ka Vaar. Salman reprimanded Rhiti over her language and aggressive behaviour, questioning her remarks towards Qazi and telling her that she had crossed the line of disrespect.

Following Salman’s schooling, Rhiti apologised to Qazi and Uditi and was seen making efforts to mend her equations with the housemates.

Her journey came to an abrupt end when she was eliminated mid-week after Mahhi Vij, Uditi Singh and Yung DSA chose her during a captaincy-related task that resulted in her losing her final lifeline.

For the uninitiated, Rhiti Tiwari is the daughter of Bhojpuri superstar and politician Manoj Tiwari.

Mumbai, Oct 2: The ongoing tussle within the Cine and Television Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) has brought to the fore allegations of internal spats and discord.

Actress and former office-bearer Upasana Singh speaking about the treatment allegedly meted out to veteran actors Mukesh Rishi, Deepak Parashar and Vikas Verma during meetings of the association.

In an interaction with media, Upasana spoke about what she described as repeated instances of senior members being humiliated during CINTAA meetings.

Upasana alleged that the atmosphere became uncomfortable for senior members, including actor Mukesh Rishi.

Recalling one CINTAA meeting, she said Rishi had arrived late because of Mumbai traffic and was allegedly told that he would not be allowed to vote or raise his hand because he was half an hour late.

She claimed that the incident and constant humiliations eventually led an otherwise introverted and soft-spoken Mukesh Rishi, to lash out and express his anger by shouting publicly during the AGM.

“He had to scream in the AGM on the mic that, ‘So much misbehaviour with me, how can you people do it?’” Upasana recalled.

Upasana also spoke at length about veteran actor Deepak Parashar, who, according to her, was allegedly treated disrespectfully despite his age and seniority, where at times he was left in tears.

Recalling an incident surrounding a CINTAA press conference for Hema Malini’s event, she said Parashar, who was then the association’s treasurer and was around 74 years old, allegedly went to knock on the door but was not allowed in.

“Deepak Parashar ji was our treasurer and he is 74 years old and he has done so many films, kept knocking at the door but they did not open it for him. So he came and told me ‘let’s not go there, it is extremely insulting’,” she said.

Upasana added that she tried to convince him to stay because the event involved veteran actor Hema Malini, who was associated with the proceedings.

She also highlighted Parashar’s efforts for his fellow CINTAA members, saying he has been waking up early and cooking food for the executive committee during meetings.

“For two and a half years, during EC meetings or any meetings, he used to get up at 5 o’clock and cook food for us and feed us,” she said.

“Deepak ji is senior to them, he is elder to him, at every level. If he is a senior, then we should respect his regard, we should not talk to him like that, no matter what the differences are,” she said.

She also alleged that Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure would maintain a distance from other members because of their status as stars, saying: “Poonam ji and Padmini ji would never even enter the same lift as others, claiming that they were stars.”

Recalling actor Vikas Verma’s experience, she said his lack of English fluency had allegedly been used to belittle him despite his long career and work within the industry.

“Vikas Verma, the man who is always available for everybody and helps each one in need, was humiliated just because he did not know English and they did not consider him of their class and stature,” Upasana said.

She went on to praise Vikas Verma’s contribution to the fraternity, pointing out that he had worked across different languages and had also been involved in charitable work. According to her, he would help colleagues in need and even assist members struggling with substance-abuse issues through his NGO.

“He has been insulted so many times there. That boy has come out crying and he is the youngest among us,” she said.

These allegations come amid a larger dispute over CINTAA’s administration and leadership.

In August, eight executive committee members resigned, including Mukesh Rishi, Vikas Verma and Deepak Parashar. The resignations followed allegations concerning decision-making and the functioning of the association.

Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure have previously rejected allegations levelled against them and have publicly responded to criticism surrounding the CINTAA dispute.