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Television fraternity mourns loss of ‘younger brother’ Sidharth

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The passing away of Sidharth Shukla due to a heart attack at the age of 40 has surely left the entire television fraternity in shock. He was a multi talented personality who not only did daily soaps but also hosted reality shows besides Bollywood projects.

He was best known for his role of ‘Shivraj Shekhar’ in ‘Balika Vadhu’. Even after his demise he is being remembered for the way he showed his acting skills in the serial. Besides this he also did ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’, ‘Bigg Boss 13’, ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7’ and hosted shows like ‘Savdhaan India’ and also did projects with Karan Johar like ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’.

Director Ashish Shrivastav who directed him in ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’ said: “The news of Sidharth’s passing is just terrible. He was such a lively person. He was full of life and he was a very straightforward person. He did not shy away from saying what he felt, and I liked that quality in him. I have directed him in the first few episodes of ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’ and we shared a good equation. It was very shocking news and I still can’t believe he is no more.”

Actor Eijaz Khan who is a close industry friend of Sidharth said that he was like a brother to him. Though they never worked together, Eijaz has met him a number of times in social events. He shared: “He was like a younger brother and I loved him so much. I looked up to his understanding, approach and fairness. I just pray for strength and patience for his family.”

Actress Roop Durgapal, who was also part of the show ‘Balika Vadhu’ and played Sidharth’s sister, was understandably saddened by the news.

“When I heard the news, I couldn’t believe my ears. I thought I heard the wrong name. I really don’t know how to react to this. I feel numb, shocked and very sad. May his soul rest in peace and may God give strength to his mother. I was in touch with Sidharth even after the show ended. Even though we didn’t meet often, we would share messages. We last spoke when actress Surekha Sikri ji passed away. I also spoke to him when he won Bigg Boss 13. We didn’t just play brother-sister on ‘Balika Vadhu’, I actually used to consider him as my brother. We always had that brother-sister type relationship,” she added.

Actress Shubhangi Atre, a close industry friend of the ‘Balika Vadhu’ actor recalled him and said: “I couldn’t believe the news. I am really saddened and don’t know how to react to it. I just pray for his family. May his soul rest in peace.”

Actor Abhilash Chaudhary also was shocked after listening to this sad news. He shared: “Its very heartbreaking to come across this sad news. I was shocked when I heard I was shooting for a film in Chennai and was like still for a while as this happened suddenly. He was a good man and actor and this is totally heartbreaking. I remember working with him in ‘Balika Vadhu’. He was one who inspired me a lot. I was waiting for a chance to work with him again.”

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Yash was surprised to learn that Kiara Advani had never done a rain sequence before ‘Toxic’

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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.

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Yash calls co-star Sudev Nair the ‘Invisible Pillar’ of Toxic

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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.

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Mini Mathur calls ‘Alliance’ the best digital detox experiences of her life: Had so much fun

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Mumbai: Mini Mathur, the winner of the reality show ‘Alliance’, called it the best digital detox experience of her life. She shared that she did not miss her phone at all during her time in the show.

Mini said that, given it was her first experience of a reality show, she was surprised that she ended up having so much fun.

The ‘Mind the Malhotras’ actress was asked, “This was your first reality show, while many contestants had years of experience in this space. How challenging was the learning curve in the beginning, and what surprised you the most?”

Mini believes that the fact that she did not enter the show with any preconceived notion ended up working in her favour.

“I did not come with the sole intention of winning. Of course, I did not come to lose either, but my focus was simply to enjoy every challenge and give it my best. I think people connected with that enthusiasm,” she added.

Explaining her strategy for ‘Alliance’, Mini added, “Many people told me that reality shows are all about creating drama, speaking to the cameras, and manufacturing conflicts. But I never wanted to be known for that. I wanted people to see me exactly as I am—authentic. That is how I played the game.”

Talking about her learning curve, she said, “The learning curve lasted through the first couple of weeks. Fortunately, many contestants were also new to reality television, so we were all learning together. That made the environment much more comfortable because there were fewer preconceived ideas.”

Mini also revealed how the show unexpectedly turned out to be a fun experience for her, also becoming the best digital detox of her life.

“What surprised me the most was how much fun I ended up having. I honestly thought I would come out mentally exhausted, physically drained, and probably needing therapy. Instead, I came out feeling sharper, more focused, and fitter than I have felt in a very long time,” she concluded.

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