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Subhash Ghai, Amjad Ali Khan, Hema Malini pay tribute to Birju Maharaj

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One of the first Bollywood personalities to tweet his personal tribute to Pandit Birju Maharaj was the veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai.

Remembering the days when he was organising a college festival where Maharaj ji was performing, Ghai remembered how he “expressed a romantic conversation” between Lord Krishna and Radha with his eyes doing the talking.

“I learnt ‘DANCE’ means the body but the soul is in the eyes. That’s why he was a Jagat Guru in Kathak,” tweeted Ghai, who’s back in the news for making his debut as music composer for the upcoming film ’36 Farmhouse’.

Among the cultural personalities who mourned the passing away of Maharaj ji was the sarod maestro, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Saheb, who tweeted that it marked the end of an era for Indian dance and Kathak.

“For me it’s been a personal loss,” Khan Saheb wrote. “He was loved immensely by my family and his memories live in our hearts forever. The heavens will dance for him today and everyday!”

Along with his tweet, he carried a rare picture of a young Birju Maharaj playing the tabla to his sarod. Besides being a renowned dancer, Maharaj ji was a talented percussionist and was also well-known for being a Hindustani classical vocalist.

Maharaj ji, in fact, composed the music and sang for the two period dance pieces in Satyajit Ray’s historical drama ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’, starring Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffery and Amjad Ali Khan.

Describing Maharaj ji as “a true legend” and “Kathak exponent par excellence”, the Bollywood veteran and Lok Sabha MP from Mathura, Hema Malini, tweeted: “His ghungroos were on his ankles till he breathed his last. I always admired and respected him as a giant of the medium of Kathak and will miss his presence on the firmament of dance.”

Maharaj ji was closely associated with the world of cinema. He choreographed the ‘Kaahe Chhed Mohe’ track picturised on Madhur Dixit in the 2002 version of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Devdas’.

And he won the National Award for choreographing ‘Unnai Kaanadhu Naan’ in the Kamal Haasan multi-lingual megahit ‘Vishwaroopam’ and the Filmfare Awards for the Bajirao Mastani number ‘Mohe Rang Do Laal’.

Bollywood

Mumbai: Farhan Akhtar’s Family Driver Misuses Actor’s Cards To Fill His Pockets, Booked For ₹12 Lakh Fraud

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Mumbai: The police have registered a case against the driver of actor Farhan Akhtar’s mother, Honey Irani, and an employee of a petrol pump near Bandra Lake. The accused driver, Naresh Singh, 35, used Akhtar’s cards to fill fuel in Irani’s cars. However, he merely swiped the cards at the petrol pump and an employee there, Arun Singh, 52, gave him cash after keeping his share for the deal.

On October 1, Irani’s manager filed a complaint with the Bandra police against Singh and the petrol pump employee for allegedly cheating them of Rs 12 lakh. According to the FIR, Irani’s manager, Diya Bhatia, 36, while checking the fuel accounts, discovered that a Maruti car with a diesel capacity of 35t was recorded as having received 621t.

When Bhatia questioned Singh, he gave unsatisfactory answers, claiming he only had one card to fill petrol and diesel. The manager examined the cards’ history. She discovered that Singh had used three cards, all registered under Akhtar’s name. She further found that Singh had purchased vehicle oil for a car that had been sold seven years ago. She arranged a meeting with Trani, during which Singh confessed to cheating them.

Singh revealed that in 2022, he obtained three cards from Akhtar’s former driver, Santosh Kumar. After obtaining the cards, he always filled petrol and diesel at the SV Road petrol pump near Bandra Lake, where he conspired with the petrol pump employee. Singh frequently swiped the cards without filling petrol or diesel and was given cash after a deduction of Rs 1,000- 1500.

A case has been registered under Sections 318 (criminal breach of trust), 418 (cheating), and 3(5) (general provisions) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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‘Stranger Asked For Nude Pics’: Akshay Kumar Reveals Daughter’s Disturbing Online Game Incident; Warns Parents Of Cyber Threats

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Mumbai: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, known for keeping his personal life private, revealed a disturbing incident involving his 13-year-old daughter. Speaking at a cyber awareness program, the actor recounted how an unknown individual tried to target his daughter while she was playing an online video game.

Kumar explained, “A few months ago, my daughter was playing an online game. Some games allow interaction with strangers. While she was playing, she received messages like ‘Thank you,’ ‘That was great,’ ‘You’re doing so well,’ ‘Fantastic’ – very courteous messages that seemed harmless.”

However, the tone soon changed. “Suddenly, the person asked where she was from. She replied, ‘Mumbai.’ The conversation continued politely at first, but then the stranger asked, ‘Are you male or female?’ She answered, ‘Female.’ Shockingly, the stranger then requested her to send nude pictures,” Akshay said.

Nitara immediately closed the game and informed her mother, Twinkle Khanna, about the incident. Akshay praised his daughter’s quick thinking and her decision to share the matter with her parents.

“This is exactly how such incidents start. Children are often trapped online, later extorted for money, and in many cases, these crimes have even led to suicides,” Kumar warned.

The actor urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities and stressed the importance of awareness about the dangers on gaming and social platforms.

“Parents must educate their children, supervise online interactions, and teach them how to respond to strangers in digital spaces,” he added.

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Rani Mukerji-starrer ‘Mardaani 3’ poster unveiled on first day of Navratri

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Mumbai, Sep 22: On the first day of Navratri, the makers of “Mardaani 3” unveiled a new poster of the upcoming film setting up an epic battle between good and evil.

Yash Raj Films’ on Monday shared the poster on Instagram. The poster focuses on a close-up of Rani’s hand holding a black handgun, pointing downward. The blurry background features a yellow police barricade with the text “DELHI POLICE” prominently visible.

The caption read: “On the auspicious Day 1 of Navratri, here’s to celebrating the victory of good over evil. #RaniMukerji returns as top cop Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 3 to investigate the most challenging case of her career. #Mardaani3 in cinemas 27th February, 2026.

Directed by Abhiraj Minawala, the film is slated to release on February 27, 2026.

‘Mardaani’, produced by Yash Raj Films, is the biggest solo female-led franchise in Hindi cinema which came into force 11 years ago. The film franchise has since garnered love and acclaim for its taut storytelling. The blockbuster franchise has received unanimous love from people and has attained a cult status amongst cine-lovers.

‘Mardaani 3’ will see Rani Mukerji reprise the role of a daredevil cop, Shivani Shivaji Roy, who selflessly fights for justice.

Rani had earlier revealed that the edge of the seat thriller is ‘dark, deadly and brutal’ and it immediately piqued curiosity amongst netizens, the fans of the star and the franchise.

‘Mardaani’, which was released in 2014, was directed by Pradeep Sarkar. The second instalment was directed by Gopi Puthran, who wrote the first part of the film franchise.

While ‘Mardaani’ followed the story of human-trafficking, ‘Mardaani 2’, which was released in 2019, followed the story of a psychopath, rapist and murderer. The film franchise is known for sketching dreadful characters of its villains who are eventually countered by the titular character symbolising the victory of good over evil.

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