Mumbai, Aug 18: Actress Pooja Hegde showcased pride after being invited as the Guest of Honour at the India Day Parade in New York, saying the experience of seeing the Indian community come together to celebrate the country was “truly an honour”.

The actress shared a slew of images on Instagram, where she is seen holding the Indian flag and waving it as she stood atop a car during the parade. She was also felicitated with a sash that read “Chief Guest.”

“It was truly an honour and a matter of immense pride to be the Guest of Honour at the India Day Parade in New York. There was something incredibly surreal about seeing the streets of New York come alive with so many Indians, proudly celebrating our country and everything that connects us to home,” she wrote as the caption.

The actress added: “Thank you to @federationofindianassociations for the honour and a beautifully organised event along with the officials of New York. To be there, doing this with you all is a privilege I don’t take lightly. Gratitude for this moment that I’ll carry with me for a long time. Jai Hind.”

It was the 44th annual India Day Parade in New York City, which took place along Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Organized by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), it is celebrated as the largest India Day Parade outside of India.

Pooja was joined by actor Adivi Sesh, who also served as a chief guest and grand marshal. The lead actors of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah made their first-ever New York City appearance at the event.

Pooja’s latest release is Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, a romantic comedy film directed by David Dhawan. The film also stars Mrunal Thakur, Varun Dhawan, Maniesh Paul, Chunky Panday, Jimmy Sheirgill and Mouni Roy. The film is intended to be David Dhawan’s final directorial film.

Mumbai, Aug 14: Yash revealed that he was surprised to learn that Kiara Advani had never done a rain sequence before ‘Toxic’, despite spending so many years in Bollywood.

Addressing the album launch event of ‘Toxic’ in Mumbai, Yash shared that when he asked Kiara if she had done a rain sequence, she said no, and he convinced her that it was going to be easy.

Yash was heard saying, “When Kiara came into this film, I was a little worried because it is too demanding. The first time we spoke, I asked her, ‘have you ever done the rain sequence?’ and she said, ‘Never, how is it?’ And I was like ‘Oh, all these years you have worked and you have never done a rain sequence’. She said, ‘No’. And I said, ‘Yeah, it’s going to be good, easy’.”

Yash also praised Kiara, saying that the actress came with 100% commitment despite being pregnant with her daughter at the time of the shoot.

He revealed that he and director Geetu Mohandas were extremely scared and acted like Kiara’s bodyguard during the shoot.

“And then I saw the way she dedicated herself, and I must say, even after she was pregnant, she came with 100% commitment. We all were so scared. I was more worried. Gitu was more worried. We were more like bouncers or bodyguards, where we used to take care of her. But she has really dedicated herself. So thank you, Kiara. This one is special,” the ‘KGF’ actor went on to add.

Yash even went on to call another leading lady from ‘Toxic’, Tara Sutaria, a ‘stunning beauty’.

“I was told, ‘You know in your whole movie the character what she is playing that looks authentic like a Disney queen or a character from that era’. So that makes me a little conscious standing next to her that I am not looking according to the period or because she is so good looking that that’s making me look little local,” he said.

Mumbai, Aug 13: Yash lauded his ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ co-star Sudev Nair for his immense commitment and contribution to the highly anticipated action-thriller.

Speaking during the grand trailer launch event for ‘Toxic’, Yash called Sudev the ‘invisible pillar’ behind the movie, singling him out as one of the movie’s key backbones.

The ‘KGF’ actor even went as far as to say that ‘Toxic’ would not have happened if it weren’t for Sudev.

Yash expressed his deep gratitude to Sudev, saying, “If not for Sudev, this movie wouldn’t have happened. Every time somebody’s dates could not be accommodated, he would make up for it.”

Yash also revealed that Sudev acted as an “invisible pillar” during the production of the action entertainer.

He shared that Sudev stepped up continuously, making sure that the shooting schedules remained uninterrupted despite complex date clashes among the cast.

Going by the recently released trailer of ‘Toxic’, the eagerly awaited actioner talks about the complex relationship between Raya and his son, Ticket, both roles played by Yash. These two are surrounded by a web of relationships and rivalries.

The power-packed preview included all the elements of a masala entertainer – striking visuals, jaw-dropping action, intense characters, and complicated relationships.

Made under the direction of Geetu Mohandas, ‘Toxic’ enjoys a promising cast with Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, Akshay Oberoi, and Sudev Nair in key roles, along with others.

Backed by KVN Productions, along with Monster Mind Creations, ‘Toxic’ is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on 26 August.

Shot simultaneously in English and Kannada, ‘Toxic’ will also be available to the audience in dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.

The camerawork for the drama has been performed by Rajeev Ravi, whereas Ujwal Kulkarni has looked after the editing department of the film.