Mumbai, Sep 8: Aamrapali Dubey, one of the most successful female stars of Bhojpuri cinema, says her journey to stardom was rooted in her acting rather than merely her popularity and added that she was fortunate to be offered diverse roles in an industry where female actors are often restricted to ornamental parts.

Asked if she believes the Bhojpuri industry gave her enough respect as an actor, or did it mostly value her star power, Aamrapali told media: “They did give me extreme and a lot of respect because of my acting skills, which is very rare for female actresses in my industry because most of the time, being a female actress in regional cinema constrains you to limited, ornamental kinds of roles.”

Aamrapali, who made her acting debut with the television soap opera Saat Phere – Saloni Ka Safar in 2009. Following her known portrayal of Suman in Rehna Hai Teri Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein. She ventured into Bhojpuri films with Nirahua Hindustani in 2014, considers herself very “lucky.”

“ I’ve been offered and I’ve done films which have different concepts and there’s a lot to perform in them. So, as an actress, I’ve been able to play a lot of different roles,” she said.

Talking about her performance, she said: “I’ve played the role of a Pakistani girl, I’ve also played the role of a Hyderabadi girl. So I’ve played a lot of different roles in the Bhojpuri industry, and people gave me a lot of love for those roles. After that, I’ve been given the title of a star. So that’s that.”

Aamrapali is currently seen in the 20th edition of Bigg Boss which started on September 6.

It has a diverse lineup of 16 celebrity contestants including names such as MC Mary Kom, Kanika Mann, Mahhi Vij, Kushal Tanwar, Aman Gandhi, Isha Rikhi, Arishfa Khan, Qazi Touqeer, Asif Khan, Aamrapali Dubey, Rhiti Tiwari, Uditi Singh, Tanmay Singh aka ScoutOP, Rohed Khan, Yung DSA and Love Gill.

Mumbai, Sep 7: Filmmaker Subhash Ghai apologises for missing ‘Dear Friend’ Rakesh Roshan’s birthday bash last night.

However, to make up for it, Ghai took a trip down memory lane and published a photo from Rakesh Roshan’s birthday bash last year.

The throwback picture featured Ghai, Rakesh Roshan, his better half, Pink Roshan, Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff.

Wishing the ‘Karan Arjun’ maker, Ghai wrote on the photo-sharing app, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR FRIEND #RAKESH ROSHAN – a person n director i always admire but i had to miss his last night party. Here is my memory pic with my ram Lakhan on his last year party when his karan Arjun were missing. Rakesh n pinki Wonderful couple I love to be with them. Stay blessed always with happy life ahead (sic).”

Rakesh Roshan also reacted to the post, saying, “Subhash ji much gratitude”, along with a folded hands emoji.

As Rakesh Roshan turned a year older on Sunday, his daughter Sunaina Roshan penned a heartfelt birthday wish for him on Insta.

She posted a video montage of some rare father-daughter moments over the years.

Sunaina revealed that for her, the biggest compliment is being told that she is like her father. She added that she highly admires his strength, wit, and resilience.

Her birthday wish for her dad read, “If being called your daughter wasn’t enough of a blessing, being told that I’m like you is one of my favourite compliments. Your strength, your wit, your resilience… these are the qualities I’ve always admired in you and I’m so happy to carry a little piece of them with me”.

“Forever proud to be your daughter. Forever your Daddy’s girl. Happy Birthday, Papa. I love you”, she further wrote.

Rakesh Roshan commented, “Thank you Niks” on his daughter’s post.

Mumbai, September 7: Actress Rubina Dilaik has reacted to the controversy surrounding Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement.

The actress stated that brands should not use public sentiment around festivals merely to generate buzz.

Discussing the controversy on The4POV, a podcast featuring Rubina and her husband Abhinav Shukla along with actress Hina Khan and her husband Rocky Jaiswal, the actors put forth their individual perspectives on the debate surrounding the advertisement.

Rocky said that while clothing should not have become such a major issue, there are certain boundaries when it comes to religious spaces and sentiments.

“Clothing shouldn’t have created such a big issue. Freedom of expression is not absolute. My body, my rule does not enter in a religious space,” Rocky said.

Rubina further questioned the approach of brands that choose to build campaigns around festivals and then take creative liberties that could potentially hurt public sentiment.

“You can’t play on public sentiment and want to create a buzz,” she said, reiterating the point during the discussion.

She added that actors always have the option of opting out of a campaign if they feel uncomfortable with its creative direction.

“Actors always, always have an option of opting out,” Hina said.

The discussion comes after a jewellery advertisement featuring Kriti for Raksha Bandhan sparked a debate online over her outfit and the manner in which the festival was portrayed.

In the campaign, Kriti was seen wearing a bralette-style blouse with a cape and draped skirt while celebrating Raksha Bandhan, including tying a rakhi to her pet. The advertisement subsequently faced backlash and was withdrawn by jewellery brand.

The controversy escalated after actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised the advertisement. In her initial reaction, Kangana questioned the choice of outfit and called the campaign “intentionally creepy”. She also questioned the portrayal of Raksha Bandhan and its cultural context.

Kriti, meanwhile, hit back at the criticism through her social media post. Without naming Kangana, she questioned the tendency to judge a woman’s connection with culture through her clothes.

“The essence of festivals is not in the clothes you wear, it is in the emotions and meaning you hold for the traditions,” Kriti wrote. She added, “Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!”