When Manisha Koirala almost got rejected for ‘1942: A Love Story’!

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January 3, 2019

After watching her enact a scene during the screen test for “1942: A Love Story”, director Vidhu Vinod Chopra dismissed Manisha Koirala as a “terrible actress,” but in no mood to give up, she requested him for a second chance the next day and the rest is history.

A gritty Manisha came the next day and after her performance, Chopra remained silent for long, as if in a daze.

And then he said the words that were music to Manisha’s ears: “If this is the heart and soul that you promise to put into each scene of my movie, I will sign you up instead of Madhuri Dixit. Manisha, yesterday, you were at zero. You are at a hundred today.”

Manisha recalls this episode in her memoir “Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life”.

“I remember my screen test for ‘1942: A Love Story’. Veteran filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra had called me to do a scene. But to my disappointment, at the end of it he remarked: ‘Manisha, you were shit. You’re a terrible actress.’

“This was not acceptable to me. The warrior woman inside me had been challenged. I requested him to give me twenty-four hours to come back for a second chance. Back home, I practised my lines passionately, over and over again, until my mother became distressed at my state,” she writes.

“What are you doing to yourself? It’s okay if you don’t get this movie. Don’t kill yourself over it,” her mother told her.

The next day, Manisha says, that she poured her soul into her performance and subsequently got signed for the movie.

Manisha, who won a tough battle against ovarian cancer, talks in her book her treatment in the US, the care provided by the oncologists there and how she rebuilt her life once she returned home.

Born into the prominent Koirala family in Nepal, Manisha made her Bollywood debut with “Saudagar” in 1991 and went on to act in films like “1942: A Love Story”, “Akele Hum Akele Tum”, “Bombay”, “Khamoshi: The Musical”, “Dil Se”, “Mann”, “Lajja” and “Company”.

She took a break from acting in 2012 and returned five years later with the coming-of-age drama “Dear Maya”, Netflix’s “Lust Stories” and biographical drama “Sanju”.

Toni Braxton, Birdman part ways?

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January 3, 2019

Seems like, musicians Toni Braxton and Birdman have called it quits.

In a now deleted post on Instagram, Birdman-given name Bryan Christopher Williams-hinted that the two have ended their engagement. According to E! Online, he had written, ‘It’s over…’

Around the same time, Toni also deleted all the pictures of her ex from her social media feed.

The ‘Un-Break My Heart’ singer later shared a photo of herself in a red dress and captioned it as, “Starting a new chapter isn’t always an easy choice. but ALWAYS choose to be chosen. Cheers to a new year.”

The pair announced their engagement in February, last year.

In November, Braxton said she was planning a “vintage ’20s and ’30s-like Great Gatsby-themed” wedding and told Wendy Williams there was a 70 percent chance they’d be married by the end of 2018.

“We almost had a date,” the singer had said. “Well, we had two dates. But we were doing Braxton Family Values and we were going through a little drama. And I was like, ‘The wedding is a good thing to get all the sisters together.’ [But] I couldn’t get us all together.

Sam Rockwell, Jessica Chastain to present Golden Globes ’19

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January 3, 2019

American stars Sam Rockwell and Jessica Chastain will present the 2019 Golden Globe Awards, Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced.

Chastain is a five-time Globes nominee, while, Rockwell won the 2018 Golden Globe for his supporting role in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,’ ‘Missouri’. He is also nominated this year for playing George W. Bush in ‘Vice.’

The pair was last seen together in 2017’s Woman Walks Ahead, confirmed The Hollywood Reporter.

While Chastain and Rockwell will present the awards, the show will be hosted by Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh.

The Golden Globes serve as the official kickoff to the 2019 awards season. Winners in 25 categories – 14 in film and 11 in television – are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards will air live on January 6, 2019.

‘Big Little Lies’ season two eyeing June premiere, says Nicole Kidman

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January 3, 2019

Actor Nicole Kidman has hinted that the second season of hit HBO series “Big Little Series” might start airing from June this year.

Appearing alongside her husband, singer Keith Urban, on CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” recently, the 51-year-old actor said the season two is still in post-production phase.

“June, I think. We’re looking at June,” Kidman said when host Andy Cohen asked her about the premiere date.

“We’re still in the midst of editing it, but thanks for asking ’cause we’re glad that people are excited about it,” she added.

In the second season, veteran actor and multiple Oscar winner Meryl Streep will join the series’ original cast — Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz and Shailene Woodley.

The “Big Little Lies” season two, having seven episodes, is being directed by Andrea Arnold. Kidman and Witherspoon also serve as executive producers on the show.

HBO is yet to officially announce the show’s premiere date.

Ariel Winter hits back at trolls for body shaming her

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January 3, 2019

Seems like Ariel Winter has had enough of bizarre allegations.

The ‘Modern Family’ star clapped back at body shaming trolls on social media who maligned her New Year’s Eve Instagram post with her boyfriend Levi Meaden, alleging that she took drugs for weight loss.

The 20-year-old shared a snap of herself and her beau sharing an intimate moment during a party.

The star, who is no stranger to online trollers, fired back at one person, who took the opportunity to chastise her for drinking underage. She wrote, “Drinking underage! Very bad! Lol.”

However, it was the response by another fan that raised her anger. “Not half as bad as all the coke. meth she uses. She literally dropped 30 pounds.”

In her reply, Winter wrote, “Yup… I dropped 30 bodies of water so fast. and yes!! My psychiatrist switched me from my previous antidepressant that didn’t work and made me gain weight, to coke/meth!! Definitely not a new one that worked and then regulated my metabolism. Coke/meth was a controversial decision but she stands by it.”

Winter, clearly having had enough of the exchange, issued a lengthy response.

“…thanks for the compliment…? I’m sure you know EXACTLY what goes on or is hand in hand with EVERYONE in Hollywood seeing as everyone knows everything about people they DON’T know. And apparently, everyone does the same thing now??? I couldn’t have lost weight for any other reason just because of the industry I’m in? I’m not trying to be rude, but I am trying to let you know that telling someone how something happened to them AFTER they told you what actually happened (only the person it happened to would know) is sh—-y and completely arrogant. I don’t need to explain myself to anyone. No one does. However, I want to cut this sh– out of my thread right now. I think it definitely counts as hating on someone when you completely ignore the truth coming from the actual person, to just follow your own fantasy narrative.

SC to hear Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case on Friday

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January 3, 2019

The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up on Friday a batch of petitions for hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case.

The matter is listed before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul.

It is likely to constitute a three-judge bench for hearing as many as 14 appeals filed against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgement, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land be partitioned equally among the three parties – the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

The apex court on October 29 had fixed the matter in the first week of January before an “appropriate bench”, which will decide the schedule of hearing.

Later, an application was moved for according an urgent hearing by advancing the date, but the top court had refused the plea, saying it had already passed an order on October 29 relating to the hearing on the matter.

The plea for early hearing was moved by the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) which is one of the respondents in the appeal filed by legal heirs of M Siddiq, one of the original litigants in the case.

A three-judge bench of the top court had on September 27, by 2:1 majority, refused to refer to a five-judge constitution bench the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgement that a mosque was not integral to Islam. The matter had arisen during the hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute.

Various Hindutava organisations have been demanding an ordinance on early construction of Ram temple at the disputed site.

The hearing on Friday assumes importance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday suggested any decision on an ordinance on Ram temple in Ayodhya can happen only after the completion of the judicial process.

Modi’s comments came amidst heightened demands by Hindutava organisations, including the RSS, for an ordinance for an early construction of the temple.

“Let the judicial process take its own course. Don’t weigh it in political terms. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever be our responsibility as government, we are ready to make all efforts,” the Prime Minister said during an interview, broadcast by several TV channels.

Corruption, securing funding key challenges for startups in 2019 : Report

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January 3, 2019

A large number of startups, and small and medium enterprises in the country view corruption or bureaucratic inefficiencies, securing loans and funding as major challenges in 2019, according to a report by citizens engagement forum LocalCircles.

The report, which is based on response from over 15,000 startups, SMEs and entrepreneurs found 45 per cent respondents saying they foresee corruption or bureaucratic inefficiencies as the top challenge in 2019, followed by securing loans and funding (37 per cent), and business growth (18 per cent).

“Angel tax is one area that falls under corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies as it takes the focus of startup entrepreneurs away from building a product or service to responding to tax notices and filing appeals, something that startups can clearly do without,” it added.

Several startups and angel investors have, in the recent past, raised concerns over notices received from the income tax authorities related to taxation of angel funds. The government has also set up an expert committee to look into all the taxation issues faced by startups and angel investors.

The study highlighted that 38 per cent of the respondents said they had received at least one notice.

“Angel tax continued to be a key pain point for startups where the assessing officers in many cases reject the valuation method utilised by the startup and instead treat the capital raised as income from other sources, thereby, raising a tax demand and penalty on the startup,” it added.

Also, majority of the respondents said they feel there is an urgent need for the income tax authorities to be educated on startup valuations.

LocalCircles, on behalf of thousands of startups had raised the issue with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and Central Board of Diret Taxes in late December 2018.

“…though an order was issued to not take coercive measures to recover the demand, assessment orders continue to be issued against startups,” it added.

Parliamentary panel slams ‘headless’ CBI for delay in filling up vacancies

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January 3, 2019

A Parliamentary Committee on Thursday expressed concerns over vacant posts in the CBI, which is working without a regular chief, and asked the government to take proactive steps to ensure that it does not remain under-staffed.

It also objected to the “snail pace” of the International Centre of Excellence in Forensic Science-CBI, which is yet to get approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“Shortage of personnel at various levels in CBI is a perennial problem. The Committee has expressed its concern on this on several occasions. Vacancy in any organization, to a large extent, can be anticipated well in advance and proactive efforts should be initiated to complete necessary procedure to fill up the vacancies on time. The CBI seems to have failed in anticipating such a situation,” the panel said in a report tabled in the Parliament.

The Committee hopes that compliance of recruitment rules do not lead to delay in filling up of the vacancies in time.

“If so, the rules can be revisited so as is eliminate the delays. In view of this, the Committee reiterates that the government should take proactive steps in filling up of vacancies well in advance, so that the premier institution like CBI do not remain under-staffed, which certainly will have bearing on its performance,” the report said.

CBI or the Central Bureau of Investigation is working without a regular chief after the agency’s Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana were divested of their powers and sent on leave for accusing each other of corruption and other irregularities.

The Committee observes that the level of vacant positions in executive ranks, law officers and technical officers is about 16 per cent, 28 per cent and 56 per cent respectively.

“At the top level, out of four posts of Special Director/Additional Director, three are lying vacant. CBI, in their presentation, has stated that they are feeling the impact of vacancies due to rising burden of investigations. The Committee is deeply concerned about the vacancies remaining unfilled in the CBI due to various reasons,” it said.

The panel noted that increasing number of cases are now being referred to the CBI pertaining to areas like internal security, cyber-crimes, corruption, financial irregularities and the nation cannot afford to have its premier investigative agency understaffed and thus ill-prepared.

It asked the government to consider making terms of deputation to the CBI more rewarding in order to retain capable officers and to attract best officers from the state police forces, central paramilitary forces and the Intelligence Bureau, among others.

The Committee said that the proposal for setting up of the ‘International Centre of Excellence in Forensic Science-CBI’ is pending for long and as informed by the CBI, it is still pending with the Home Ministry at approval stage.

“The CBI has not provided any justification for their snail pace of setting up of this institution. If the government is serious enough in setting up of this institution, Department of Personnel and Training, MHA and the CBI should expedite their efforts to make the establishment of ICEFS-CBI a reality soon,” the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice said in the report.

To strengthen the capacity building and to reduce the pendency in the courts, the Committee felt the need for establishment of new forensic labs in the country.

The Committee observes that there is huge gap between forensic facilities available and the demand for such services to handle cases promptly and efficiently, it said.

“Police, courts and other public sector bodies like banks, financial institutions which have to depend upon forensic services shall have to wait for the report from government forensic science laboratories for several months to a few years. The Committee therefore recommends for establishment of new forensic labs under its capacity building programme within a specific time frame,” the report said.

It also hit out at the CBI over slow pace of fund utilisation.

“The bottlenecks in utilisation of funds should be identified, and proactive steps should be taken, so that schemes do not remain pending for long,” said the report by the Committee headed by BJP lawmaker Bhupender Yadav.

Govt paid Rs 10 lac compensation each to 210 dead sewer

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January 3, 2019

The government has given a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each since 1993 to 210 families whose members died due to cleaning of sewer or septic tanks, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

Replying to Supplementaries during Question Hour, Social Justice and Empowerement Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot said that the government has been giving Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the families of the dead sewer workers as per the Supreme Court verdict of 1993.

“So far, 331 people have died. Out of which, the compensation was given to 210 families,” he added.

The Minister informed that a survey on it, which began in December 2013, is still on and is being conducted in 166 districts in 17 states.

He said that the government was rehabilitating sewer workers in the country. The government has provided skill training to 13,585 people and given Rs 950 crore help for them so far.

To another query on non-release and misappropriation of funds under the post-matric scholarship scheme for scheduled castes, especially in Punjab, the Minister said that the central scheme is being implemented by state governments.

He said that Punjab government has ordered a special audit of all educational institutions under this scheme and has received the report from 2059 institutions out of 3606 till October 2018.

“The audit report have been sent to the concerned institutions for their comments and reply,” the Minister said in his written reply.

For the current fiscal, the central government has released Rs 327.39 crore for the post-matric scholarship scheme to SC students.

No community has been specified as scheduled tribes in Punjab, he added.

60 protesters held in TN over women’s entry into Sabarimala

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January 3, 2019

Sixty workers of a Tamil Nadu-based fringe Hindu outfit were arrested for trying to stage a ‘rail-roko’ on Thursday in protest against the entry of two women of menstruating age group into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, police said.

The Hindu Makkal Katchi activists were prevented from staging the protest at a railway station in Coimbatore, the police said.

Fifteen members of the Bharatiya Janata Party lawyers’ wing burnt a portrait of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. They raised slogans against him for failing to maintain the shrine’s “sanctity”.

In view of the one-day hartal in Kerala over the issue, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation suspended services to that state from Coimbatore. About 25 bus services were cancelled, the police said.

Ten Hanuman Sena activists have urged the Union Home Ministry to take note of the incident, alleging that it had “hurt the sentiments of Hindus” and sought necessary action against the Kerala government.

Kanakadurga (44) and Bindu (42) had made history when they stepped into the hallowed precincts of the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala early on Wednesday, breaking a centuries-old tradition and defying dire threats from the Hindu right.

It came over three months after the Supreme Court’s historic judgment that lifted the ban on the entry of girls and women between 10-50 years into the shrine of Lord Ayyappa, its “eternally-celibate” deity.