Tahira Asif succumbs to her injuries

 

LAHORE: Muttahida Qaumi Movement MNA Tahira Asif succumbed to her bullet injuries here late on Thursday night at the Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH).
She was being treated at SZH after being shot at and injured by two unidentified bike-riders near Bismillah Chowk in the Allama Iqbal Town police limits on Wednesday afternoon.The police concerned have registered an FIR against the unidentified gunmen on the complaint of Tahira Asif’s daughter under Section 324/34 and 780-A.

The MQM leadership has held the Punjab government responsible for the murder. Senator Babar Khan Ghauri told The News the Punjab government’s negligence and inefficiency resulted in the death of Tahira Asif.

He said despite repeated requests, no security measures were taken to protect her life. He said if any such incident takes place in Islamabad or Punjab, the PML-N government will be held responsible for it.

Another MQM parliamentarian, Nabil Gabol, said the death was a most tragic incident for all Pakistanis, especially the MQM. He said no good could be expected from the Punjab government which had turned the province into a terror state. Senior PPP MNA Syed Naveed Qamar said the murder of Tahira Asif was the result of a mindset which wanted to destabilise the country.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said the Punjab government had failed miserably to protect the people. Qaumi Awami Tehreek leader Ayaz Palejo expressed his shock over the news and voiced serious concern over law and order situation in Punjab.

News Desk adds: MQM chief Altaf Hussain expressed profound grief over the death of Tahira Asif. The MQM has announced three days of mourning nationwide in protest. It appealed for the hoisting of black flags atop buildings but no shutdown of businesses and transports.

Indian lady dies of heart attack after seeing her brother after 16 yrs

LAHORE: An Indian woman, who came to Pakistan to visit her brother after span of 16 years, has died after a heart attack.

Mahesh Kumar, a resident of Larkana and brother of the visiting woman Sarala Devi, said that the tragic incident occurred when her sister embraced him at upon her arrival at Lahore railway station and started crying with deep emotions after which she suffered fatal heart attack.

Kumar said that her sister’s application for visa to Pakistan had been refused four times and this was the fifth time when the application was accepted and she visited Lahore.

'Nanda was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper'

Subhash K Jha

'She was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper. She loved being at home.'

'She was a delight to work with. Unlike many heroines, she never threw tantrums on the sets.'

Asha Parekh, one of Nanda's closest friends, and Sanjay Khan, her costar in three films -- Beti, Abhilasha and Woh Din Yaad Karo -- remember the yesteryear actress, who passed away on March 25.

Asha Parekh

I spoke to her over the phone on Monday night (March 24). She was gone the next day.

She sounded absolutely normal. It is frightening to know that sometimes you don't even get a chance to say goodbye. It reminds one just how fragile life is.

We (along with Helen, Waheeda Rehman and Sadhna) would meet regularly. Sadhana had lately been busy, so she couldn't join us every time. In fact, she couldn't even make it to the funeral.

All four of us had met on Saturday for lunch. That was just three days before she was suddenly snatched away from us.

Now I wonder if the rest of us will ever meet without missing her constantly.

She was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper. She loved being at home.

She had become more of a homebody in the later years. She loved her family. The death of one of her brothers a few years ago left her shattered. 

Getting Nanda out of the house was an ordeal.

She had come for my 60th birthday but didn't show up for the 70th.

But I never held that against her. I knew it was too much work for her to dress up for public appearances.

We were very close. We spoke about everything under the sun. My last conversation with her is now etched permanently on my mind.

It's hard to believe that now when I dial her number, she won't be there on the other end of the line. I have lost not just a friend but my confidante.

I am in a relationship with Saachi Kumar and will marry her: Bilal Amrohi

 

Bilal Amrohi, 30, is the grandson of Kamal Amrohi, the great director who directed cult classics Pakeezah and Taj Mahal. Naughty and affectionate, he prides himself in being the favourite of his three mothers — his tayee Mrs Shandar Amrohi, his own mother Niloufer Amrohi and Alvira Agnihotri. Ahead of his debut film O Teri, he talks to Bombay Times about his hero Salman Khan, his mentor Atul Agnihotri and why he will marry Kumar Gaurav's daughter, Saachi. Excerpts:

Why did you choose to be an actor? I am born, bred and brought up in Mumbai and have all through been a Bandra boy. My grandfather Kamal Amrohi directed and produced movies and owned the Kamalistan Studio. He had two sons, the older Shandar (who died three years back) and my father Tajdar. I have three very protective mothers — one, my own mother Niloufer Amrohi, second my taya Shandar Amrohi's wife, who raised me, and the third, Baby Ma (Alvira Agnihotri). My taya didn't have children and so his wife took care of me. That is why I am a little more spoilt than usual. I went to Learners Academy, Bandra, but was very naughty in school and was horrible in studies. Ranveer Singh was a year junior to me and while now we are buddies, in school we had a major fight. He too was very naughty. I was initially a year senior to him, but failed in Class VIII when suddenly I found myself in his class. I was a little bit of a sweet kamina type. The tension had anyways always been building up between us as I was his senior, but being in the same class it got worse. So we had a proper mukka mukki and had a go at each other. Of course, we finally got tired of hitting each other and hugged each other finally. I dropped out of school after Class X and first assisted JP Dutta in LOC after which I started assisting Atul bhai (Atul Agnihotri) and have been with him ever since.

I look at Atul bhai's place as my playground and do whatever work is given to me. He is a father figure and guide to me and we have this great camaraderie and rapport, and I love him. I sometimes call him just Atul or even Papa. I always wanted to be an actor. My dad also directed a film Ek Number Ka Chor, where my older brother debuted as a child artiste. I remember going on the set and watching everyone giving so much attention to the actor that I had decided that I too wanted to be one.

How did O Teri happen? I partied so much that I would just be partying every night till I eventually got fed up of it and was totally done with it at 21. I have known Varun Dhawan and Ranveer since I was a kid and had seen everyone come into films. I was 25 when Atul bhai said, 'I want you to now look at acting', which is when I went to LA to study acting. When I came back, our families were holidaying together in Dubai when I told Atul bhai, 'I am ready' and he decided to make O Teri.

You are debuting at 30. Did you lose confidence? I remember the first day of acting school in LA. They switched on the camera and said, 'Speak anything you wish to for two minutes, you can even speak lies, but speak.' That was the first time I was standing in front of the camera. And all I managed to say was, 'I am Bilal Amrohi from India.' I thought to myself whether it was too late and whether my confidence had been broken, as just before going to LA I had already started feeling that it was too late and started questioning whether I could become an actor at all. I am still shy and like to be around people I trust.

Do you have a hero you look up to? Only Salman Khan. I got my navel pierced as he got his pierced during Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. I started working out because of him. I have grown up watching Salman, Arbaaz, Sohail and Atul bhai. My mom ties rakhi to Salman bhai. The person I love the most is Atul bhai. While I was assisting him, he would come and pick me up as if he was taking me to school. Atul bhai has always been very protective towards me. He is always very calm and composed. When he loves you, he spoils you and I love that.

Who do you love the most in the world? My mother. I have been very close to her. When I failed, everyone judged me except for my mom and my nani. My nani was not educated, but she would say, 'Chhodo chhodo bahut lambi zindagi hai.'

Despite your family disputes, you are so close to your father's older brother's wife. We lived in the same house till I was 21 and my amma (Shandar Amrohi's wife) raised me. Even when my dad and taya were in a legal battle, he was completely fine with me going to his brother's house and calling his wife amma. My taya too would love me. I meet her almost every single day even today and she is very loving. She is old-fashioned like my nani, who will feed me with her hands and will always say, 'Baba kamzor ho gaya hai.' My own mother is very secure. I have kind of segregated my mothers — Mrs Shandar Amrohi (my amma and tayee) is the one who brought me up and I become a baby in front of her. My mom is someone I am not afraid to make mistakes in front of, she loves me unconditionally and I know that she will not judge me. And with Baby Ma, she is as right as it comes. I listen to her. I am also very secure when Atul bhai is around me. I think I am a little bit of a baby and don't mind being that way.

Are you in a relationship currently? My first girlfriend was at 13. Past four years, I am in a relationship with Saachi Kumar (Kumar Gaurav's daughter). Saachi is into fashion designing and is very good at that. She is lovely and very supportive. She likes the fact that I am a bit of a brat. But she knows that I may seem a little brattish, but I am really not and I will marry her.

What are you like? I have so many moods. I have learnt to control my anger by doing kickboxing and yoga. But I know I will never lie to hurt somebody. Innocent lies is okay. I am stubborn and I want things very fast. I get very anxious and hyper. I am honest. My mother knows that I will not put on a garb of lies and everything is black-and-white about me. I think that is what all my women like about me. I want to make my family proud of me. But for now, I am just happy that the family I grew up with is where I am debuting as an actor.

Sunny Leone says ‘Ragini MMS 2′ will be her last erotica in Bollywood

Sunny Leone said, “I now want to explore the actor within me."

Adult film star Sunny Leone wants to shed her bold avatar and focus on doing movies that will get her noticed as an actress.
With her choice of films like ‘Jism 2′ and ‘Ragini MMS 2′ Sunny has been tagged as a bold actress and now she wants to change that image.

“I am ecstatic at the response that my songs and scenes from ‘Ragini MMS 2′ have received. While I loved doing all of this, I now want to explore the actor within me,” Sunny said.
The 32-year-old said that ‘Ragini MMS 2′ will be her last erotica in Bollywood as she wants to take a break from ‘horrex’ (horror and sex) movies.

“Sex and horror is a lethal combination. They are proven sellers. When oomph is combined with horror, it creates an entirely new experience for fans of the genre,” Tanuj Garg, CEO, Balaji Motion Pictures said.
Directed by Bhushan Patel and produced by Ekta Kapoor, ‘Ragini MMS 2′ releases on March 21.

Angelina Jolie used to scare her children to prepare for ‘Maleficent’

Angelina Jolie: I loved being Maleficent.

Angelina Jolie says she went ”nuts” while preparing for her negative role in Disney’s ’Maleficent’ as it involved screaming at bushes and trying to scare her children with her costume and voice.
The 38-year-old actress enjoyed playing the villaneous fairy in the children’s classic and would bring her scary costume home to practice for her role, reported Entertainment Weekly.
“I loved being Maleficent. I was quite sad to put my staff down and put my horns away because somehow, she just lives in a different world,” Jolie said.
“But I did have to take my staff home to practice walking with it in my cloak, and then I would go outside and scream at the bushes to expand my voice and play with my voice. So, mom was a bit nutso for a period.”
Describing her character in the film, Jolie said the role demanded something that she has never done before. ”Maleficent was always so elegant. She always was in control. And to play her was difficult. I worked on my voice a lot. She’s bigger than me. She’s on a different level of
performance that I have never done. She’s very still.”
“She’s very sure of herself, but I couldn’t figure out her voice, I kept playing with these different types of British voices, making my voice darker and scarier.”
Jolie’s daughter Viv plays young Princess Aurora, while Pax and Zahara both play princes and princesses from foreign lands.

Shanti Dynamite Accuses Sunny of Copying Her

Playboy girl Shanti Dynamite, who is in India right now, alleges that adult star Sunny Leone has copied her poster for her song Baby Doll and that it is very upsetting. The Britain-based adult star of Indian-Greek origin, who does adult chat shows, is nurturing dreams of working in Hindi films.

"A lot of people contacted me and said you should see the new Sunny Leone song Baby Doll for the Ragini MMS 2 movie, she copied a concept of yours. I saw that and was shocked," Shanti told reporters on Saturday.

"I was like, 'Oh my god people do such things!' And it was very upsetting for me because for someone to use someone else's concept to gain popularity is not good," she added.

Shanti came with her poster at the venue. "That particular poster Baby Doll was a replica of something I had done previously. That picture is right there and I had done that picture some time ago. Then the same concept was done for her poster," Shanti said.

Miley Cyrus inks sad cat on her inner lip

Miley Cyrus has got a colourful sad cat inked on her inner lip.

Pop star Miley Cyrus has got a colourful sad cat inked on her inner lip.
The 21-year-old singer, who has been grabbing eyeballs with her bizarre stage antics during her on-going Bangerz tour, posted a close-up selfie on Instagram revealing her “sad kitty” tattoo, reported Daily Mirror.
“Sad Kitty,” Cyrus captioned the photo. In the picture, Cyrus is looking up at the camera as she flaunts the face of a yellow and black cat.

In a second snapshot, the ‘Wrecking Ball’ has given her fans a closer view of her tattoo. It shows a blue tear running down the cat’s cheek.
Last year Cyrus had inked the portrait of her grandmother on her right forearm.

Shruti Haasan Wants Her Co-star Thrown Out?

Shruti Haasan is presently shooting for Anees Bazmee's Welcome Back in Dubai. She will be seen sharing the screen space with John Abraham. However, Shruti is not quite pleased with Anees' decision of introducing Shiney Ahuja into the movie.

 

Shiney was charged in a rape case in 2009 and subsequently he was sentenced to seven years in prison. However, his criminal background doesn't seem to have bothered the director. "Shiney will be doing Welcome Back, in which he has an important role. It is not a guest or cameo appearance. He has never done this kind of a role. I felt he was apt for the role, and hence I called him up and he agreed to do it. He is quite excited about this project," said Bazmee to a leading tabloid.

 

Shruti has reportedly expressed her displeasure over his casting and wrote an email to the director stating that she was not happy with Shiney's presence. Moreover, she also said that the director failed to consult her about the casting of Shiney in the film.

Deepika Padukone recalls her childhood Holi

 

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone says that Holi is one of her favourite festivals and she remembers the time when she was a kid and played colours with friends.

"Holi has been one of my favorite festivals since childhood. Playing Holi with my friends from my building after coming back from school is one of my favorite childhood Holi memories. Preparations for the festival would start at least a week before," Deepika told IANS.

The actress, who delivered four back-to-back hits "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani", "Chennai Express", "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela" and "Race 2" in 2013, is currently shooting for "Happy New Year".

She is looking forward to celebrate the festival with the cast of the film this year.

"This year I will be shooting for my film 'Happy New Year'. It's a fun bunch and I'm sure celebrating Holi on the set will be a lot of fun," she said.

Deepika, who is known for her beautiful skin, also keeps a check on her beauty regime around Holi.

"During Holi, I am concerned about my hair the most. Applying a coconut based hair oil acts as a protective layer for my hair against the colours and the summer heat. I tie my hair in a side braid or a messy pony tail. Also I make sure to keep myself hydrated," said the actress.

"Playing Holi can be exhausting. When I return home, I like to pamper myself with a coconut based hair oil massage and a cup of hot coffee," she added.

Deepika Padukone Defends Her Bodyguard

Deepika Padukone had hired Ronit Roy's security agency for her protection and the guards keep changing every few months. Recently, when she was shooting on the sets of Chennai Express, she had a regular bodyguard. However, after he met with an accident and fractured his leg, he had stopped coming and was replaced by a new guard. Yet, Deepika was concerned about him and ensured that he received proper medical treatment.

 

"She doesn't like to talk about all these things. She feels that everyone should take care of the ones who take care of you. When this incident happened, she inquired about his well-being and also gave monetary support," a source close to her said to Deccan Chronicle.

Sonakshi Sinha introduces her #NeverOffDuty team

Sonakshi along with her team

Bollywood beauty Sonakshi Sinha has always been appreciative of her team who cater to all her needs. The actress is known to tweet pictures along with her entourage and those who are responsible for making her look fabulous.
The ‘R…Rajkumar’ actress shared a picture of her ‘Hoilday: A Soldier is Never Off Duty’ team. “Meet my #NeverOffDuty team!! Divya, sheetal, nilu, gangadhar and shyam! Cant do without them whos your #NeveroffDuty hero??,” she posted.

The actress will put on her boxing gloves for her role in the film which also stars Akshay Kumar, Govinda and Sumeet Raghavan.
Before a recent award function too, Sonakshi had shared a picture of herself along with her team, saying, “Off to the HT style awards! Meet the people responsible for mine love my team!”
And lastly, Sonakshi Sinha posted another picture of herself on the sets of a photo shoot for a cosmetic product. “Shooting for my first ad with Boroplus anti pollution facewash today… What can i say, its a #Joyride! @nilu9978 @smehraa @sheetalfkhan @chinar_desai10,” she posted.

Did Alia Struggle With Her Tamil Girl Avatar?

Alia Bhatt, who sported a de-glam look in her second film Highway, may not be "constantly fashionable" but she says there is nothing wrong in being fashion conscious.

The actress made her debut as an upmarket glamorous girl in Student of the Year. "I am closer to my second character. But I don't think it's shallow to care about clothes and make-up. Every girl likes to dress up. I didn't really begin to care about my looks until I started acting. Now I enjoy dressing up. But I am not constantly fashionable. There are days when I am in pyjamas at home," she said in an interview.

Excerpts from the interview:
Q. Which is closer to the real Alia, the shallow clothes horse in Student Of The Year or the sensitive pained girl in Highway?
A. I am closer to my second character. But I don't think it's shallow to care about clothes and make-up. Every girl likes to dress up. I didn't really begin to care about my looks until I started acting. Now I enjoy dressing up. But I am not constantly fashionable. There are days when I am in pyjamas at home.

Q. Not looking good is not an option for you?
A. You think so? (laughs) In that case I'll have to be more careful about my appearance.

Q. How do you rate yourself in 2 States?
A. I haven't seen the film. But I love my character in 2 States. She is very different from the girls that I've played in my first two films. She is strong and mature. Which I am at times. At other times, I am not. But the emotions in 2 States were all new to me. I may be speaking too soon. But the director Abhishek Varman is absolutely fantastic.

Q. Will you live up to the audience's expectations in 2 States?
A. Expectations will always be there. But I can't be thinking about that all the time. Only when the film is out, then all the anxieties will sink in. But I still feel I am too new to raise too many expectations. I am okay with failing.

Q. That's Mahesh Bhatt's daughter speaking?
A. My father was the most excited after seeing Highway. He told me he couldn't sleep after seeing my performance. To me that's very personal triumph. My father's approval means a lot to me. Actually, my entire family's approval means a lot to me. But my father's approval means a little more since he is a fantastic filmmaker and can separate Alia the daughter from Alia the actress.

Q. Maybe you bring out the fantastic side of all your directors?
A. Nooooo, that's giving me too much credit. The novel 2 States was so good. We could easily go wrong in the screen adaptation. I hope people don't feel so. Because we’ve worked genuinely hard to keep the spirit of the novel intact in the film.

Q. Which was harder in 2 States - playing a South Indian or playing a wife?
A. Speaking Tamil was really hard for me. Fortunately, I didn’t have to play the Tamil girl in a loud caricatural way. She is a city girl. She can be from any part of the world. The Tamil side of her comes out when she’s speaking to her parents. I didn't have to learn too much Tamil. (IANS)

Did Deepika Catch Ranbir in Bed With Her Rival?

Deepika Padukone was recently at an event where she got quite candid. The leggy lass sure knows how to get all eyes on her. While interacting with the reporters, she had to field a barrage of questions. Another interesting answer was when she was asked how she would react if she sees her boyfriend in bed with her arch rival, "Oh no! I can't go through that again" came her reply! Looks like Deepika is taking an open dig at her ex-flame Ranbir Kapoor.

KANGANA SAYS SHE HAS GIVEN HER BEST IN ‘QUEEN

Kangana Ranaut starrer ‘Queen’ released yesterday. The film has got a lot of appreciation from the critics and it has also taken a decent start at the box-office. Kangana, who is playing the central character of Rani in the flick, says that she has given her best in the film.

The 26 year old actress says, "My role in 'Queen' is very challenging and as an actor, I believe I have never done such good work in any film before. I haven't got such a good opportunity before."

The movie also features Lisa Haydon and Rajkummar Rao.

Bebo Confesses Her Sins?

Breathtaking Bebo recently had confessed her twin vices after her annual holiday in Gstaad. She said that after skiing, it's an occasion to indulge her twin vices of wine and Blue cheese.

 

The actress also told India Times that though she has nearly two months in hand before Singham 2, she has her hands full. There's always plenty of commercial work to tide her over. But she says she will be, "Spending time with my family, my husband, my friends, people I love, reading, travelling and reading great scripts."

Veena Malik marries again to fulfil her white wedding dream

According to the Times of India, Pakistani actress Veena Malik has tied the knot with businessman Asad Bashir Khattak once again. However, this time it was an was an American style wedding, as Malik wanted.The couple, who earlier had a court marriage in Dubai on December 25th, married again last night in US.They held their grand white reception in one of the world's most luxurious cruise, called 'Spirit of Washington'. Only close friends and relatives ...

Katy Perry says Russell wanted to have kids ’as a way’ to control her

According to the Daily Mirror, American pop artist Katy Perry said her ex-husband Russell Brand ended his relationship with her because he wanted her to sacrifice her profession. The ‘Roar’ singer believes Brand wanted her to have a child as it would have diverted her attention from music career by restricting her to home. According to the Daily Mirror, Perry told Elle magazine, "When I decide to have a family, I'll just want to be ...