Atif and Baarish

Pop star Atif Aslam is all set to shoot a video in Los Angeles for his upcoming song Baarish. The girl that he and the producers of the track have chosen to feature in the video is none other than the delightful Nushrat Bharucha.

In case you’re finding it difficult to place her, well, she is the star of two of the very interesting Indian films that have caught the fancy of the younger audiences in recent times: Pyar Ka Punchnama and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. So, now Nushrat B is Atif ke video ki cutie.

Majid Jahangir’s appeal

Last week, a picture of comedian Majid Jahangir (of the skit show Fifty-Fifty fame) went viral on the Internet in which he’s seen alongside a car on which a banner was placed requesting people to help him because these days he is financially challenged and his health is deteriorating.

A day or two later, a video appeared on social media in which he and his wife are seen profusely thanking Malik Riaz of Bahria Town for providing him with a place to live in and bearing the expenses for his treatment. The artist went on a similar campaign a couple of years back, and according to a media report, he was given 0.5 million rupees by the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif as financial assistance. It would be best if an entertainment media house or production company gave him employment on a permanent basis, so that he wouldn’t have to hurt his self-esteem.

Harvey, in and out

Film tycoon Harvey Weinstein, reports of whose salacious (and criminal) shenanigans with aspiring actresses and other women in the film industry triggered the #MeToo movement, finally surrendered to the New York Police Department on May 25.

The police, as per rules, fingerprinted him and took his pictures. The film producer was then charged with rape and sex abuse against two unidentified women. However, it didn’t take him long to get out of jail on a million dollar bail, after surrendering his passport to the police and agreeing to wear a GPS tracker. His lawyers say that he would plead ‘not guilty’ because Harvey W claims he never indulged in non-consensual sex. There is plenty more drama to come, methinks.

He is recovering

Great news for Irrfan Khan’s fans! The actor who has been suffering from a neuroendocrine tumour is under treatment in London and, according to one of his closest friends Shoojit Sircar (the director of the critically acclaimed film October), he is recovering well. Not just that, Shoojit S intends to visit Irrfan K in London and discuss a film with him based on the life of Udham Singh, the freedom fighter during British rule.

Irrfan K will soon be seen in a forthcoming Hollywood film, Puzzle, as well. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope he can soon be back on the screen in other films as well. He can still teach a thing or two to others about effortless acting.

Is it November?

Rumour mongers have gone nuts. They are getting super-hyper about the Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone jorri, claiming that the top-drawer Bollywood love birds have finalised the date for their wedding. It is, if they are to be believed, Nov 19, 2018.

Apparently, both Ranveer S and Deepika P have stopped signing new movies for now, and are trying to wrap up their ongoing work by October. The two are being hush-hush about their big day, but Bollywood insiders believe that they have decided to tie the knot this year and the ceremony will take place in Mumbai. Hmmm … Perhaps because now they have a template in the form of the Sonam-Anand wedding, and may be aiming for something glitzier than that … Damn this competitive streak among showbiz wallahs!

Battle Brangelina

Even after their much-publicised divorce, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie can’t seem to go off the media radar. So much so, that sometimes you wonder whether they’re taking the media for a ride.

The latest on their front is that both are engaged in a fierce custody battle for their kids. Angelina J has the movie Maleficent 2 on the anvil and therefore wants the kids to be with her in London where the film is going to be shot, whereas Brad P thinks it’s best for them to stay in Los Angeles, their ‘home base’. Let’s see who wins this little battle. The couple should think about the fact that they’re turning the proverb ‘home is where the heart is’ to ‘home is where the fight is’.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 3rd, 2018