Mumbai, March 1: In the midst of growing rumors surrounding the separation of Bollywood actor Govinda and his wife Sunita Ahuja, the actor’s sister, Kamini Khanna, has finally spoken out.

In a recent conversation with media, Kamini revealed that she does not have much information about the situation, citing the busy schedules of both Govinda and Sunita. She stated, “No, I don’t know much. I stay very busy, and they are very busy too. We meet very rarely, so I don’t know much. I don’t want to say too much on this topic because both families are involved, and I have a lot of love for both.”

When asked about her bond with Sunita, Kamini shared, “Our parents are no longer with us, so we are like parents to each other. And we are also very good friends.”

Kamini also mentioned that she did not feel it was appropriate to reach out to Sunita and Govinda regarding the speculation. According to her, while she is aware of the rumors circulating in the media, she believes that such personal matters should be handled privately within the family. She emphasized that it’s important to respect the privacy of both Sunita and Govinda, especially when it comes to sensitive issues such as their relationship.

Rumors have been circulating regarding a possible divorce between Govinda and his wife, Sunita Ahuja. It was reported that Sunita had issued a divorce notice to Govinda six months ago. However, the actor’s legal representative has since clarified that the couple has worked through their issues and resolved their differences.

In a recent interview, Sunita made a startling revelation about living separately from Govinda. She also shared that she has been celebrating her birthday alone for the past 12 years, which sparked further speculation about issues in their marriage.

For the unversed, Govinda and Sunita tied the knot in March 1987. The couple welcomed their daughter, Tina, in 1988, followed by their son, Yashvardhan.

Mumbai, Feb 26: The British psychological thriller ‘The Eye’. which stars Shruti Haasan, is set to have its India premiere as the opening feature of the 5th Wench Film Festival, founded by Sapna Bhavnani.

The film festival is dedicated to horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films, and will be held from February 27 to March 2, 2025.

The film marks Shruti’s international debut as a leading lady, and is directed by Daphne Schmon. ‘The Eye’ tells the haunting story of Diana (played by Shruti Haasan), who journeys to the remote island where her husband Felix (Mark Rowley) drowned, seeking closure by scattering his ashes.

However, her grief soon turns to intrigue when she learns of the mysterious ‘Evil Eye’ ritual, an ancient practice that might bring Felix back but demands a dark and unsettling sacrifice. The film has been shot in Athens and Corfu.

Talking about the film’s Indian premiere, Shruti Haasan shared, “Psychological thrillers have always been a genre that fascinates me. To be part of a story that dives deep into human emotions, grief, and the supernatural is incredibly exciting. Besides the fact that the film has a riveting storyline and top-notch production quality, what makes this project even more special is that it was created under an all-women-led production house, which aligns with my passion for supporting women in the film industry”.

“Furthermore, this film champions a sustainable way of filmmaking, something that the world desperately needs. If we want to continue telling our stories, we must be able to tell them in a manner that is conscious of our impact”, she added.

Director Daphne Schmon said, “‘The Eye’ is both a love letter to Corfu, the island where my family is from, and an exploration of the dark psychological impulses surrounding grief. The story demanded an actor who could embody its emotional depth and complexity, and Shruti Haasan was the perfect fit. Her ability to navigate Diana’s grief, paranoia, and resilience with such authenticity is truly remarkable. It was only an artist of Shruti’s calibre who could do justice to this role, and she has delivered a stellar performance that will leave a lasting impact”.

The film has been produced by Fingerprint Content.

New Delhi, Feb 26: Telecom major Bharti Airtel Ltd. on Wednesday said that it is holding bilateral discussions with the Tata Group for a potential merger between Tata Play’s Direct To Home business and its subsidiary Bharti Telemedia.

The statement to the stock exchanges came in response to a media report stating the Tata and Bharti Groups are “near a mega DTH merger”.

“We wish to submit that Bharti Airtel Limited (‘Airtel’) and Tata Group are in bilateral discussions to explore a potential transaction to achieve a combination of Tata Group’s Direct To Home (‘DTH’) business housed under Tata Play Limited, with Bharti Telemedia Limited, a subsidiary of Airtel, in a structure acceptable to all parties,” Airtel said in the statement to the exchanges.

However, Airtel emphasised that “the above is at a discussion stage only”.

The media report cited sources as saying the merged entity is expected to be run by Bharti Airtel, which will likely hold between 52-55 per cent with the remaining held by Tata Play shareholders, including Walt Disney.

Tata Play, a 70:30 venture between Tata Sons and Disney, and Airtel had a combined 35 million paid subscribers as of last September, more than half the 60 million subscribers industry-wide at the time, official data showed.

The two businesses are being approximately valued between Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 7,000 crore each, according to the media report.

In a separate development, Airtel has announced its collaboration with Ericsson to roll out 5G Standalone (SA) network technology. This partnership aims to enhance Airtel’s network capabilities, ensuring a seamless transition to a full-scale commercial 5G SA network over time.

Ericsson will be supplying key 5G equipment to telecom operator Bharti Airtel for a seamless transition to a commercially live, full-scale 5G Standalone (SA) network over time.

“Ericsson’s enduring partnership with Airtel has entered an exciting new phase, marked by the deployment of Ericsson’s 5G core solutions to support Airtel’s transition to 5G Standalone. This rollout will play a pivotal role in Airtel’s long-term 5G strategy, boosting network capacity and enabling the delivery of innovative, differentiated services to customers,” Airtel’s Chief Technology Officer Randeep Sekhon said.

The new capabilities represent a strategic enhancement to Bharti Airtel’s 5G monetisation efforts, enabling the development of new business models, Ericsson said.

In the SA mode, the network is built only on 5G, whereas in the NSA mode, the 5G network operates as a top-up on an existing layer of the 4G and 3G radio network.

As part of the agreement, Ericsson will deploy its signalling controller solution within Airtel’s network. Ericsson’s 5G SA-enabled charging and policy solution will also be introduced. These new capabilities represent a strategic enhancement to Bharti Airtel’s 5G monetisation efforts, enabling the development of new business models.