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Bombay High Court junks Kangana Ranaut’s plea against defamation case by Javed Akhtar

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The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea by Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut seeking to quash the criminal defamation proceedings initiated against her before the Andheri Magistrate Court by poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar last year.

In her verdict, Justice Revati Mohite-Dere upheld the discretionary orders of the Andheri Court Magistrate directing the police to probe into the allegations levelled by Akhtar against Ranaut, both stalwarts in the film industry.

In his complaint, Akhtar, a Padma Bhushan and five-time National Award winner, had accused Ranaut, a Padma Shri and three-time National Award winner, of making defamatory statements against him on national and international television in an apparent “clear campaign to tarnish and malign” him in the eyes of the people.

In March this year, the Magistrate issued a bailable warrant against Ranaut who appeared before the court and was granted bail, and in July she moved the high court challenging the proceedings initiated by the lower court.

Through her lawyer Rizwan Siddique, Ranaut contended that instead of directing the Juhu Police to probe the matter, the court was duty bound to examine Akhtar and the witnesses named in the complaint under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Siddique argued that the Magistrate should have ascertained the veracity of the “one-sided complaint” instead of passing an order ‘mechanically’, pointing out that no evidence was brought on record by Akhtar, and the material relied upon was brought by a third party who was not examined under oath.

Seeking dismissal of Ranaut’s plea and saying it was with the sole intent to delay the matter, Akhtar’s lawyer Jay Bharadwaj said that the due procedures were followed by magistrate and to conduct an impartial probe, all persons involved were summoned but Ranaut remained absent from the proceedings.

Bharadwaj said that the Magistrate could either conduct the investigation, or direct a police officer or a third party for the same, and the Magistrate for one of these three options.

Bollywood

Actor Imran Khan gets major relief as Bombay HC stays ‘Leave India’ notice

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Bollywood actor Imran Khan secured interim relief from the Bombay High Court on Tuesday as the court stayed the implementation of a ‘Leave India’ notice issued against him by the Centre.

A division bench of the High Court, hearing Khan’s petition challenging the notice, directed that no coercive action be taken against him until the next hearing.

The court also stayed the operation of the impugned notice, which had required the actor to leave India by October 28.

During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG), appearing for the Centre, sought time and requested that the matter be adjourned until next week.

The ASG also gave a verbal assurance to the court that no punitive action would be initiated against Khan in the meantime.

Taking note of the submissions, the court scheduled the next hearing for November 2 at 3 p.m. and granted interim protection to the actor by keeping the notice in abeyance until then.

The controversy stems from a notice issued to Khan following his participation in a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Authorities alleged that Khan violated provisions of the Foreigners Act by taking part in a political demonstration despite not being an Indian citizen.

Khan, however, challenged the action before the High Court, arguing that the order was arbitrary and violated principles of natural justice. In his petition, he contended that he was given only 14 days to leave the country without any prior inquiry, show-cause notice, or opportunity to present his case.

The petition further stated that the protest was held at a location that was not designated as a restricted area and that Khan had not breached any barricades or violated any law during the demonstration.

According to his plea, he was in the process of leaving the venue when he was suddenly surrounded by members of the media and subsequently detained.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), in its order, accused Khan of violating the Foreigners Act by participating in the protest despite holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status rather than Indian citizenship.

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BB 20: Qazi Touqeer recalls sharing a room with Arijit Singh during struggling days before ‘Fame Gurukul’ win

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Singer Qazi Touqeer has recalled his early days with singer Arijit Singh, sharing memories of their friendship that began on the reality show ‘Fame Gurukul’ in 2005.

During a conversation in the ‘Bigg Boss 20’ house, Qazi, who is participating in the show, spoke about his bond with Arijit.

He recalled how they shared a room after being selected for the singing reality show 20 years ago. The two were teenagers at the time, beginning their journeys in the music industry, long before Arijit went on to become one of India’s most celebrated playback singers.

He also promised Gullu that he would get him front seats of Arijit Singh’s concert after Bigg Boss season 20 gets over.

Qazi and Arijit Singh’s friendship recently came into the spotlight after the latter publicly cheered for Qazi following his entry into the ‘Bigg Boss 20’ house. Taking to his private X account, Arijit had written, “I will have to watch Bigg Boss for the first time because apna rockstar Qazi hai udhar.”

Qazi has also spoken warmly about Arijit on earlier occasions. During a recent visit to Arijit’s hometown in West Bengal, Qazi shared glimpses of their reunion, with the two seen riding a scooter, meeting locals and playing cricket.

Recalling their journey from ‘Fame Gurukul’ to the present, Qazi said they were teenagers when they first met and remained teenagers at heart even in 2026. He described Arijit as someone driven by pure passion, adding that he had no insecurity or jealousy and was genuine in his approach to life and music.

Qazi and Arijit participated in ‘Fame Gurukul’ in 2005. Qazi won the competition alongside Ruprekha Banerjee, while Arijit finished sixth.

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Wamiqa Gabbi says prosthetics made her ‘forget’ her real appearance while playing Jyoti Nikam in ‘Prahaar’

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Actress Wamiqa Gabbi has opened up about her experience of wearing prosthetics to play 50-year-old Jyoti Nikam in her 30s, recalling how she couldn’t stop staring at herself in the mirror after the transformation.

Wamiqa said the process of watching her face change in the makeup chair made the character feel more real.

“The first time I saw myself in the mirror after the prosthetics were done, I couldn’t stop staring! It was such a strange feeling because I knew it was me, but I couldn’t quite recognise the person looking back. What I really enjoyed was the entire process of getting there,” Wamiqa, who has showcased her prowess in films such as Bhooth Bangla, and Pati Patni Aur Woh Do to name a few, told media.

She went on to describe the role as a unique acting experience that allowed her to explore a side of the craft she had not experienced before.

“You sit in the makeup chair, watch your face slowly change, and somewhere along the way, the character starts feeling more real to you. There were moments when I’d forget how different I looked until someone showed me a picture from the set,” said the actress.

For the star, playing Jyoti Nikam was a unique experience.

“Playing Jyoti Nikam was a very different experience for me, and I’m glad I got to explore a side of acting that I hadn’t experienced before.”

Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is a legal drama film directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the banner of Maddock Films.

It also stars Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Lalit Prabhakar, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar Kher. The film explores Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam’s role in legal battles surrounding the 1993 Bombay bombings and 2008 Mumbai attacks.

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