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‘Unpaused: Naya Safar’ trailer: A bouquet of hope, ambition and forgiveness

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Mumbai, Jan 15 (IANS) The trailer of ‘Unpaused: Naya Safar’, an anthology of five short films that highlight stories of hope amid Covid, was released on Saturday.

The anthology features five stories: ‘Teen Tigada’ directed by Ruchir Arun; ‘The Couple’ by Nupur Asthana; ‘Gond Ke Laddu’ by Shikha Makan; ‘War Room’ by Ayappa KM; and ‘Vaikunth’ by Nagraj Manjule of ‘Sairat’ fame. Each showcases the emotions of hope, positivity and forgiveness playing out as the pandemic rages.

Talking about the anthology and his film ‘Teen Tigada’, Ruchir Arun, said: “‘Unpaused: Naya Safar’ anthology boasts of compelling narratives, showcasing a multitude of emotions and we’re really excited to bring our film as part of this anthology. With ‘Teen Tigada’, our effort was to highlight the threshold of human emotions, amidst the tribulations of an ongoing pandemic which hit us like a storm. This film has a unique narrative, beautifully translated on screen by the actors and we hope it will resonate strongly with the masses as well.”

Director Nupur Asthana spoke about her narrative choice saying: “Layoffs were a glaring reality of the pandemic that hit professionals very hard the world over, leaving them uncertain and demotivated.”

Commenting on her film’s core theme, she said: “‘The Couple’ captures the emotional upheaval and complexities caused by such a professional setback and how it impacts personal relationships between two people, altering their realities. The first edition of the anthology beautifully struck a chord with the audience, and we hope now Unpaused Naya Safar will, am sure, open to similar love and appreciation.”

Reflecting on the impact of Covid pandemic, director Shikha Makan said: “The pandemic has affected one and all in ways that are unexpected and uncalled for. We all worry for our loved ones living far away and look for means to connect and care for them even from a distance. And sometimes we find connections with strangers too.”

Shedding light on her film’s idea, she said: “The idea of ‘Gond Ke Laddu’ was to showcase the spectrum of human bonds, but with a twist. It was an enriching experience to shoot this film with an amazing cast and crew who breathed life into this subtle yet substantial narrative. We’re sure the story will connect with the audiences at an emotional level.”

Director Ayappa KM, whose film ‘War Room’ captures the reality of frontline workers, said: “‘War Room’ showcases the vulnerability of frontline workers who encountered unfavorable situations during the outbreak of the pandemic. This is a gripping story that unravels a different facet of human emotion in duress and I owe it to the entire team for bringing it alive so beautifully.”

Vaikunth director Nagraj Manjule, said: “‘Unpaused: Naya Safar’ anthology reflects on a range of emotions with each of its films, and Vaikunth adds on to this with a unique balance of gloom and hope, peppered with unpredictability. We, as a team are humbled and honored to bring this story as part of this anthology and we hope that it stays with the audience for a long time.”

Starring an ensemble cast of Saqib Saleem, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Neena Kulkarni and Priyanshu Painyuli, ‘Unpaused: Naya Safar’, will be available to stream on Prime Video from January 21.

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Amitabh Bachchan reacts as KBC contestant recalls waiting for 5 hours outside Jalsa with his mother

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Mumbai, Oct 6: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s massive fan following was highlighted during the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18.

Contestant Subhoto Bhattacharya recalled his experience of visiting the actor’s Mumbai residence, Jalsa, with his mother.

Contestant Subhoto Bhattacharya shared that he had visited Mumbai for the first time in 2024 with his mother. While they explored the city and even watched an IPL match, his mother’s biggest wish was to see Amitabh Bachchan in person.

Subhoto recalled that he knew about Amitabh Bachchan’s tradition of meeting fans outside Jalsa on Sundays, so they reached the residence at noon, several hours before the actor’s appearance.

He said, “2024 mein main pehli baar Mumbai aaya tha apne mata ji ko leke.. Yahan aakey maine bahut saare monuments wagera, Gateway of Mumbai dekha.. IPL match bhi dekha.. lekin phir Mummy ka asha poora nahi hua woh bol rahein the… Bachchan ji se kab milege? Mujhe maalum tha aap har Sunday 5 baje Jalsa main apne fans se milte hain toh hum Sunday mein 12 baje Jalsa ke aage khade ho gaye. Aur 12 baje iski maaniyan aap, fans ke sailaab aane lagi. Maine apne jeevan mein aisa fans ka sailaab kabhi nahi dekha tha… Toh hum 12 baje se leke 5 baje tak aapke Jalsa ke bahar the… aur jab 5 baje aapka darshan hua, woh main kabhi nahi bhool sakunga sir.”

(In 2024, I came to Mumbai for the first time with my mother. After coming here, I visited many monuments and places, including the Gateway of India. I also watched an IPL match. But my mother’s wish was still not fulfilled. She kept asking, ‘When will we meet Bachchan ji?’ I knew that you meet your fans at Jalsa every Sunday at 5 p.m., so we stood outside Jalsa at 12 noon that Sunday. And from 12 noon onwards, a sea of fans started arriving. I had never seen such a sea of fans in my life. So, we stayed outside Jalsa from 12 noon to 5 p.m., and when I finally got your darshan at 5 p.m., it is something I will never forget, sir)

Subhoto’s story left Bachchan touched. With his trademark warmth and humour, the actor told him, “Agar humko pehle pata hota ki aap aane wale hain, toh hum phatak khol dete aur aapko andar…”

He then turned towards Subhoto’s mother and warmly added, “Mata ji, agli baar aisa hi kijiyega. Humko pehle bata dijiyega ki aap aane wali hain.”

For the uninitiated, Sunday gathering outside Jalsa has been a long-standing tradition for Amitabh Bachchan and his fans.

The actor has previously said that the tradition dates back to 1982, with fans gathering outside his home every Sunday to see him.

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‘Bigg Boss 20’: Qazi Touqeer battles fever, his team says he remains under medical care

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Mumbai, Oct 6: ‘Bigg Boss 20’ contestant Qazi Touqeer has been unwell for the past few days after developing a fever inside the reality show house. His team has issued a statement sharing that he was recently taken to the medical room for a check-up after feeling low on energy.

The statement further mentioned that Qazi continues to remain inside the house while they stay in touch with the ‘Bigg Boss’ team regarding his well-being.

A statement was shared by “Team Qazi” on the contestant’s Instagram stories section which had a “heartfelt update for the Qazi family.”

The statement read: “Our rockstar Qazi has been dealing with fever for the past few days inside the Bigg Boss house and has been taking some much-needed rest whenever he gets the chance.”

“Recently, he was feeling a little low on energy and was taken to the medical room, where he was examined by the doctor. He continues to be inside the Bigg Boss house, and we remain in touch with the BB team regarding his well-being.”

The statement added: “Even while taking it a little easy, Qazi continues to participate, entertain everyone and bring his infectious positivity to the house. That’s our rockstar! We request everyone to stay calm, keep faith and continue showering Qazi with your love, prayers and positive energy.”

“We’ll keep you updated, and once he’s feeling completely back to himself, we know our most energetic rockstar will be back with his full aura and unstoppable energy! Until then, keep supporting him and keep the love coming. Rest. Recover. And roar back, rockstar!We’re all with you -Team Qazi.”

Meanwhile, the 20th edition of Bigg Boss 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, Arishfa Khan, Qazi Touqeer, Asif Khan, Aamrapali Dubey, Uditi Singh, Tanmay Singh aka ScoutOP, Yung DSA and Love Gill.The show airs on JioHotstar and Colors.

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Shriya Saran reveals she couldn’t sleep a day before ‘Drishyam 3’ release: ‘Every scene, I was revisiting emotionally’

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Mumbai, Oct 5: Actress Shriya Saran has opened up about her nervousness ahead of the release of ‘Drishyam 3.’

In an exclusive interview with media, she admitted that she could not sleep the night before as she kept thinking about how audiences would receive the film. Speaking about the film, Shriya said she found herself emotionally revisiting every scene she had performed.

“I couldn’t sleep last night. I was thinking what will happen, what kind of a film it will be. And you know, it’s a sense of nervousness. Every scene that I have done in the film, I was revisiting it emotionally and mentally. I was thinking how it will be,” she said.

Shriya also spoke about the evolution of dubbing and sound technology in filmmaking. She noted that while actors earlier spent considerable time watching films during dubbing, the sound process has now become much more sophisticated.

“Because earlier when the film was made, we used to watch a lot of films in dubbing. But now dubbing has become so sophisticated. The sound system is so amazing,” she said.

Shriya praised the film’s sound team and revealed that the team did not have to rely on dubbing extensively as the film was shot with sync sound. “And in conclusion, Abhishek has got such an amazing sound system, sound director. It’s amazingly sync sound that we didn’t have to dub it at all. So, we are very lucky,” she added.

Describing ‘Drishyam 3’, Shriya said the film carries a sense of responsibility because of its emotional and dramatic nature. She explained that the film is rooted in family drama and mystery rather than being a larger-than-life visual spectacle.

“So, I was thinking what it is. But I know for a fact it’s a beautiful film. Yes, I know there is a lot of responsibility. Because it’s not like, it’s a drama. Family drama, mystery. And it plays with your emotions,” she said. The actress added that the film’s strength lies in its emotional connection with the audience.

“But it’s not like a visual spectacle, spectacularly. It’s not like, it’s a larger than life kind of a film. It’s a film that connects to your heart. So, it’s that. And there is a lot of responsibility. But I know that Abhishek is on a great job,” Shriya said.

On a related note, Shriya Saran returned as Nandini Salgaonkar, the wife of Vijay Salgaonkar, portrayed by Ajay Devgn, in the concluding chapter, Drishyam 3: The Conclusion. The film hit theatres on October 2, 2026, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.

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