Chennai, Jan 25: Actor Manikandan, who is now a fast rising Tamil hero, has disclosed how actor Vijay Sethupathi was caring and always ready to lend a helping hand to him when he was a small time actor.

During the course of an interview to a YouTube channel, Manikandan said, “While working on Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum, I didn’t get the time to talk to Sethu anna. He would come, finish his portions and leave.”

“One day, while we were on the sets, it began to rain. Everybody fled to any place where they could find shelter. I found a small space with a tile for a shelter. Sethu anna too came and stood next to me because he could not go to his vanity van which was parked at a distance,” the actor explained.

“It rained for 15 minutes and that was the time we got talking. The more we talked the more he became interested. At one point, when the rain stopped, he did not leave. He asked me to sit down and we spoke. My younger sister had to undergo an operation and I had asked the executive producer of the film to pay me my payment in advance to pay for the operation. When Sethu anna got to know that I had asked for money for an operation, he called me and said, ‘Is this where the operation is taking place? We are on our way.”

“Similarly, on another occasion, when my younger sister was getting married, I had not even invited him properly. However, on the day of the wedding, after the wedding got over, as we were all about to leave, I received a call from Sethu anna. He asked, ‘Today is the day your sister is getting married, right? Ok, send me the location.’ I told him that the wedding was over but he enquired, ‘You will be there for another 20 minutes, right?‘ I said, ‘yes.‘ Sethu anna arrived within the next 20 minutes.

“He greeted everybody and when he was on his way to leave the place, he suddenly took Rs Three lakhs in cash and gave it to me, saying, ‘Keep this’. When I hesitated, he insisted, saying, ‘This is the time you will need money. Keep it inside.’”

Actor Manikandan then went onto say, “You won’t believe it. Only because of the money Sethu anna gave, we were able to pay for all the wedding expenses. Finally, after paying off everybody, we had just Rs 700 in our hands.”

Mumbai: Political leader Waris Pathan has expressed doubts over the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. He recently shared a video statement, urging the Mumbai Police officials as well as the actor’s family to address the public’s concerns. Ever since Saif got discharged from Lilavati Hospital, netizens raised doubts about his swift recovery, calling it ‘too good to be true.’

It has been nine days since the attack, however, several questions of public, concerning security measures and the attacker, remain unanswered.

Amid this, Waris Pathan shared a video statement, demanding clarity on the horrifying incident and urging transparency in the investigation from Mumbai Police.

‘Saif Ali Khan Hospital Se Haste Khelte Bahar Aa Raha Hai’

“We condemn attack on Saif Ali Khan. In a city like Mumbai, in a place like Bandra, a man climbs 12 floors and enters his house. He attacks him with a knife. He goes to the hospital. Saif Ali Khan gets his treatment done there. The doctor says that he took out a 2.5-inch knife. And the police posted a photo a few days ago that a man was coming down the stairs. This could be the attacker. And then the police arrested someone… Later, people started asking questions on social media. First of all, how did someone climb 12 floors? And the photos that people were showing, they said that these are completely different photos,” he is heard saying in the video.

“Secondly, Saif went to the hospital…he was treated in Lilavati. And if such a major operation was done by a doctor, and he took out a 2.5-inch knife. Post such a major surgery, he comes out walking joyfully from the hospital after 3-4 days (haste khelte bahar aa raha hai)..good we want him recover soon. But a lot of things are coming to people’s minds. They are asking me if there’s something being hidden. Why isn’t the police telling us what it is? We would like the police to come forward and say what the reality is. What happened that night? Police should clarify that. The family should clarify what happened. Why did this happen? Why did Saif go to the hospital in an auto? We will pray for his health. He should get well soon. But there are a lot of things that people want to know,” he added.

On a concluding note, he mentioned in the video, “People have the right to know. He is a film star. He was attacked in a city like Mumbai. So we would like the police and the administration to come forward and tell the people the whole truth so that all the doubts that are arising in people’s minds can be stopped.”

The investigation

The Bandra police produced the accused, Shariful Islam, 30, in the metropolitan magistrate court on Friday (January 24). Meanwhile, the court extended his custody till January 29.

Investigating Officer (IO) Ajay Lingurkar told the court that they recovered the weapon but still need to investigate where and from whom the accused bought it. The officer added that Shariful’s facial recognition process needs to be conducted, and the shoes worn by him on the day of the incident need to be recovered and matched with his size. Additionally, they need to investigate his other associates. The officer further stated that the accused has been evading questions and not cooperating with the investigation.

Saif was attacked in the wee hours of January 16 at his Bandra apartment.

Mumbai, Jan 25: The climax of the upcoming film ‘Deva’, which stars Shahid Kapoor and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles, has an interesting story.

As per a source in the production, all the actors didn’t get the script for the climax scene as the director wanted the actors to have a sense of intrigue and as to what’s coming next to them. The film also stars Kubbra Sait and Pavail Gulati.

The director Rosshan Andrrews ensured that the final scene of the film was kept a complete mystery.

The source said, “The scripts shared with Shahid, Pooja, Kubbra, Pavail, and others didn’t have the climax scene written. The director wanted to create the same sense of intrigue and anticipation among the cast that the audience will feel when the film releases”.

This decision was part of Rosshan Andrrews’ strategy to maintain the element of surprise during the shoot and to ensure genuine, unfiltered performances from the cast. By keeping everyone in suspense, the director aimed to preserve the authenticity of their reactions and heighten the thrill of the narrative.

Prior to this, the song ‘Bhasad Macha’ from the movie was released. It features a catchy rhythm coupled with a thumping groove, and has been crooned by Mika Singh, Vishal Mishra, and Jyotica Tangri.

It has been composed by Vishal Mishra with lyrics penned by Raj Shekhar. The song features Shahid Kapoor as the cop and Pooja Hegde’s striking presence lights up the screen. Shahid’s swag and mass appeal blends perfectly with Pooja’s elegance and fierce energy, making their chemistry magnetic. The chemistry between the lead pair is palpable.

Shahid’s raw energy is perfectly balanced by Pooja’s grace and boldness. As they dance together, their moves are in perfect sync, creating a high-octane performance that you can’t take your eyes off. The sharp, fluid choreography and their flawless execution of the hook step will have everyone mimicking it on repeat.

The song has been choreographed by Bosco Leslie Martis. The iconic “Ala Re Ala, Deva Ala” chant intensifies the vibe, creating an electrifying experience that demands to be replayed.

Produced by Zee Studios and Roy Kapur Films, ‘Deva’ is set to release on January 31, 2025.