‘XXX 3’ will be action of highest order: Vin Diesel

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November 9, 2015

Actor Vin Diesel took to Facebook to share some new updates about his two upcoming projects.

The 48-year-old actor said “XXX 3” will be an “action of the highest order” and “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” has a great script.

“I’m lucky this Sunday because this weekend I was blessed with three great new scripts. In ‘XXX’ there is this extreme sports take on the spy genre,” Diesel teased. “One of the great things about this script is how much fun it is. But Xander Cage is a character that just truly has fun,” he added.

The “Fast and the Furious” star praised James Gunn, director of “Guardians 2”. “I read this script and I go, ‘You’re a great director, and you’re this good a writer too. ‘No wonder Marvel is so excited about what you’re doing. No wonder Marvel can’t wait to see “Guardians 2″. Yeah, it’s one of those page turners, you cannot put the script down”.

The third project was “Kojak”, but Diesel said that he’s not doing it anytime soon.

Justine and I love to have dinner nude: Jennifer Aniston

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Afternoon Voice

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November 9, 2015

Actress Jennifer Aniston and her “adventurous” husband Justin Theroux reportedly like to eat their dinner nude.

“She says their sex life is off the charts, and Justin is very adventurous. Their new thing is eating dinner in the nude! Jen says marriage seems to have made Justin even more passionate,” a source close to the 46-year-old star said.

“There’s no doubt they love each other and really are best friends, but they are careful not to spend too much time together. They just enjoy their own space too much. They flirt by text and love to send each other pictures of their wedding rings,” the insider added.

Amitabh Bachchan apologises to a fan for not meeting her

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Afternoon Voice

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November 9, 2015

Amitabh Bachchan is feeling sorry for not being able to meet a wheel-chair bound female fan, who has come from South Africa to catch a glimpse of the megastar.

Bachchan, 73, regularly addresses his fans every Sunday at his residence Jalsa in Mumbai.

Though the “Piku” star extended his sincere apologies to his admirer, but he said he will try his level best to meet her some other time.

“My sincere apologies to this lovely lady for not being able to meet her in the crowd… But will try…,” he tweeted.

The actor said his fans play an important role in his life. “My love and my affection to all that make life existing for me…,” Bachchan wrote along with some pictures of the gathering outside his house.

Alia, Kangana are fantastic, says Sonakshi Sinha

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Afternoon Voice

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November 9, 2015

Most oft-told tales of catfights instead of friendship make way out of the world of glitz and glamour. But SonakshiSinha has no qualms in appreciating her fellow counterparts. The actress says her contemporaries KanganaRanaut and Alia Bhatt are “fantastic”.

The actress, who likes to call herself “Shotgun Junior”, also shared that there is just one movie that she wanted to do and that was “Queen”.

During a live chat session on Twitter, when some of the users asked questions like “who’s that contemporary actress you admire the most?” and “Is there a role you wish you could have done?”, the “Son of Sardaar” actress said: “I think Alia and Kangana are fantastic!”

Sonakshi, who is often seen in jovial roles in films like “Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty”, earned appreciation with her serious act in “Lootera”.

The daughter of veteran actor and politician ShatrughanSinha also asked her fans to wait for her upcoming film “Akira” to see her in serious avatar again.

The action-thriller — a remake of 2011 Tamil film “Mouna Guru” — also stars KonkonaSen Sharma, AnuragKashyap and AmitSadh.

I share raw, sensual chemistry with Ranveer; with Ranbir it is different: Deepika Padukone

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Afternoon Voice

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November 9, 2015

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone says she shares a “raw and sensual” on-screen chemistry with actor and rumoured boyfriend Ranveer Singh.

The duo previously worked in Sanjay LeelaBhansali’s “Ram-Leela” and will be seen in the director’s upcoming period-drama, “Bajirao Mastani”.

When asked about her chemistry with Singh, 30, and ex-boyfriend actor Ranbir Kapoor, the “Chennai Express” star said, “When it comes to Ranveer and me, whether it’s ‘Ram Leela’ or ‘BajiraoMastani’ I think I have and amazing chemistry with both of them.

“But I think the type of chemistry is a little different with Ranveer and me, it’s a little more raw, a little more sensual, whereas with Ranbir, I think it’s very, very different”.

On her rapport with Ranbir, with whom she has worked in “YehJawaaniHaiDeewani” and will be next seen in Imtiaz Ali’s “Tamasha”, Deepika said she shares a “different equation.”

“The chemistry depends on the kind of work we do. What Ranbir and I shared in ‘YehJawaaniHaiDeewani’ or what we share in ‘Tamasha’, it’s a different kind of equation, a different kind of chemistry. People like to see us in certain types of movies”. The 29-year-old “Piku” actress, however, is equally comfortable working with both the actors.

“If you ask me, it depends on the film, it depends on the kind of characters we are playing. I am equally comfortable with both of them and I think both of them do equal justice to me when it comes to our on-screen pairing”.

Time to light the Diyas

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Afternoon Voice

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November 9, 2015

It’s that time of the year when this country is lit up with colourful lights and prayers to the Goddess Laxmi for wealth and prosperity are chanted to thank her for all her benevolence and to open more opportunities to generate more. This is also the time when various e-commerce portals are offering merchandise at discount rates so that all your shopping for yourself and the gifts you want to give your friends and relatives becomes fun. There are now various sites offering you mithai’s and crackers as well, so take your pick.

The ‘DIY’ for that personal touch and to delve into your creative selves is also picking up. Some suggestions of adding glitter to small glass bowls and filling them with oil which are more eco-friendly instead of candles will make you feel more upbeat instead of buying the regular ones. You could also adorn your rangolis with flowers and rice grains. Like last year, this time too a news channel with a FMCG company took the initiative to deliver chocolate boxes to the soldiers who protect our borders and don’t get a chance to spend time with their families and friends. So spare a thought for them and take the initiative of distributing few crackers to an orphanage if you can.

What’s different however is since the past few years in America and Great Britain, Barack Obama and Cameroon have been throwing Diwali parties at the White House and 10 Downing Street with Indian dignitaries and established businessman. This augurs well for our country as it means we are today recognised for international trade that India facilitates overseas and that we have a foothold in various industries and can empower jobs to people residing overseas as well. There is nothing better than being proactive sharing and reaching out through transnational parleys leading to more understanding of various cultures culminating into trade generating goodwill. It also opens up more avenues for prolific deals to materialise and build consensus on various issues and celebrating these to more trade and cultural exchanges for the betterment of societies. Nuclear power for peaceful purposes and growing energy are some of the high points in geo-political circles which are meant to build more friendships. This message if inculcated in our everyday lives will surely make the world a better place to live.

So dress yourselves in new clothes and jewellery, adorn your homes with ‘torans’ ,(string of flowers for door) buy new home décor or appliances, light the lanterns. Go visit your friends and relatives, burst some rockets and let the skies look like a bedazzled heaven and in this spirit of festival get together with different communities, make them friends share and eat together so that we can live in the ambit of harmony.

Allka V Aswani

MahaGutsBandhan Is Modi wave fading?

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Afternoon Voice

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November 8, 2015

The Bihar assembly election verdict serves as a wake up poll for the Modi government as it will have to push ahead reforms agenda.

The Grand alliance comprising Janata Dal (U), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress has emerged victorious in the Bihar assembly polls by defeating the BJP led NDA. The assembly election verdict has turned out to be a major setback for the NDA as Prime Minister Narendra Modi too had campaigned aggressively for the polls. Thus voters have sent a clear message to the BJP that divisive politics won’t work as they have voted for good governance. The Bihar assembly election verdict serves as a wake up poll for the Modi government as it will have to push ahead reforms agenda and stalled developmental plans. Alternatively, the Third Front may get a renewal once again and it would post a much bigger challenge to the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections. The issue of intolerance dominated the national debate during the five-phase elections in Bihar with a large number of artists, writers and others returning their awards to protest against what they called an ‘atmosphere of rising intolerance’ in the country.

Political analysts said that the reasons for the victory of Grand Alliance of JD-U, RJD and Congress mainly included Nitish Kumar’s popularity, while some of them also said voters are showing a tendency to prefer different parties at Centre and in States.

Leader of opposition in the state assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said, “The verdict of Bihar assembly polls shows that people are unhappy with the functioning of the central government. The BJP has failed to fulfil the promises made by it after coming to power. They have ignored the interests of farmers who are affected due to drought. The government has not provided loan waiver to debt ridden farmers as many of them are committing suicide. BJP has been indulging in politics of hate which led to its downfall in Bihar election.”

MPCC President Ashok Chavan said, “It’s a defeat of PM Modi as he had personally campaigned for the Bihar election. Thus the BJP has lost a major election after Delhi assembly poll. Thus situation has drastically changed now and there is no Modi wave. The Congress had won 4 seats during the last assembly polls and this time it has won 24 seats. This verdict has boosted the morale of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi.”

Targeting the BJP government at the Centre, the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said, “It is clear message for PM Modi. The country is telling him (PM) you cannot win election by polarising two communities. The BJP, RSS cannot make Hindu-Muslims fight.”

“The arrogance of the Modi government should come down. This has led to BJP’s defeat in Bihar. This will benefit him and the country,” he added.

Rahul took a jibe at PM Modi’s foreign tours and said, “PM should stop foreign tours, instead go and meet farmers, labourers and the youth whom he had promised jobs while campaigning for Lok Sabha polls in 2014.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said, “This is the thrashing of Modi and Shah and victory of Nitish and Lalu Yadav, who were successful in convincing the voters…Modiji had raised the expectations of the common man so high, but he failed miserably to live up to it.”

“Since Modi has taken over, he has been only in campaign mode, while people voted him to govern the country. He should now do away with the campaigning mode and start fulfilling his tall promises” he added.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “This is the beginning of the end of Modi’s era and is going to continue in future elections too. Secularism, love and affection triumphed while politics of hatred is done and bit the dust in this election.”

The Shiv Sena held the Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for the BJP combine’s defeat in the Bihar assembly election.

“This is a big win for Nitish Kumar. He has emerged as a political hero,” Sena’s Sanjay Raut said.

“When Congress loses, then it’s (president) Sonia’s (Gandhi) responsibility. Similarly, BJP must accept that Bihar results is Modi’s responsibility,” Raut said. He added, “We congratulate Nitish Kumar. This result will be a turning point in the country’s political future.”

Negative statements from leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the RSS during the Bihar assembly election campaign went against the NDA, Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav said.

“Mohan Bhagwat’s (RSS chief) remark on (doing away with) reservation also went against them. It became a big factor. It’s a win for the Grand Alliance and Nitish Kumar’s developmental work.”

BJP spokesman GVL Narsimha Rao denied the loss was a personal blow for Modi, saying the odds were stacked against their party after regional rivals joined forces.

“This election was loaded against us. It is a defeat of the arithmetic,” Rao said.

“Our PM has delivered even in this election. It is because of his appeal that we managed a creditable performance,” Rao said.

BJP mukt Bharat begins from Bihar?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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November 8, 2015

Bihar results were not surprising at all, many were sure about Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav’s victory. However, nobody expected BJP to lose with such a huge margin. The beginning of the ‘End of BJP Era’ has started with this assembly election. Thanks to the ‘slip of tongues’ of BJP politicians with ‘bhagwa’ clothes (Read: Sakshi, Prachi and Adityanath). Majority of the Indians are intelligent enough and harping on religion, food, caste, does not tally with an average Indian. There was repercussion on Modi’s policies. It does not augur well for Bihar. The strong showing of JD(U) led Grand Alliance carved out landslide victory. BJP will have to change its intolerant policies and accommodate the interest of all. It has to become ‘Serve dharma sambhav’ party and not a dividing one. Conflict-ridden politics has no place in India. What is at stake is the secular and democratic character of the state. Nitish Kumar and Grand Alliance deserve all the accolades and congratulation. Moreover, one man show will not take the BJP anywhere in the future and politics is the game of group. If the party continues to marginalize and ignore the local leaders and cadres, it is definitely heading for a disaster. Also, in the caste ridden Bihar politics, development agenda is well recognized with Nitish at the helm. BJP failed to project a strong leader from its ranks in Bihar, resulting in the rejection. It is a clear division of votes, upper caste voted for BJP whereas rest voted for Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar’s Mahagathbandhan. It is also time for BJP to decide on party leadership. Amit Shah unfortunately is seen as a communal face of the party, despite his best efforts to push the cadres to go for the kill. Congress took a great decision by aligning in grand alliance to tackle Modi’s waves.

The grand alliance of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad seemed to be comfortably gaining the power, despite of aggressive propaganda against them. They very well applied the butter on people but till the end duo gave fitting replies to PM Modi’s allegations. The web of lies which BJP and the multinational media stitched up to bring down Congress lead UPA in Lok Sabha elections, same was applied here also. We are looking forward to the next Lok Sabha election by the time people would have surely seen the lies of BJP and will rectify their mistake of last Lok Sabha election. It’s really a painful defeat for such a Grand National party. I become very happy when someone’s arrogance is answered correctly. It’s too bad that they will not learn any lesson by this and will use the divisive politics as usual. BJP paid for the over-confidence of Modi. Now, he should learn the lesson from the shameful defeat of Bihar and change his arrogant behaviour. People elected him for the development of this country and not for condemning Congress Party. Modi should concentrate on his duty otherwise his party will have to pay more badly than this in future. He should show positive attitude and refrain himself from negativity. Modi should realize that he is the Prime Minister of this country more than a BJP campaigner. He should mind his language and expressions; people are fed up with his foreign tours and speeches. They want promises made by him to be delivered.

Bihar poll outcome was a referendum on the performance of Narendra Modi. This is the second successive defeat of the BJP after Delhi Assembly polls, would lead to realignment of political forces as “bubble” created by the last Lok Sabha polls has finally busted. It will reflect on his leadership. Like entire country, people of Bihar were disappointed over the performance of the Prime Minister and his government. Modi held as many as 31 rallies in the state when generally Prime Ministers address four to five such rallies. He and BJP need to understand that there is anger against him within his own party. Margdarshak Mandal is mainly a group of elderly BJP leaders like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi besides the indisposed former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Prime Minister as well as Home Minister Rajnath Singh are also members of the Mandal which has not had its meeting so far. It was constituted soon after the BJP-led NDA came to power in May last year. Detractors of the BJP have always dubbed the Margdarshak Mandal as an Old Man’s club to accommodate sidelined veterans.

Coming back to voters, BJP should introspect on why the people of Bihar have lost faith on them. The people of India have voted BJP for pushing the reforms and to show them development. Why the PM is not showing interest to solve the long standing problems of farmers? Going to foreign countries may work for bringing investments, but the poor and middle class have desires for simple things which are not considered with utmost care. Launching schemes is easy but how far the poor have benefited from them is a big issue.

Whatever happened in Bihar, it’s a lesson for everyone. Now, even we have to watch, how long Lalu will hold his ego. This is not the victory of Lalu, but the defeat of Modi and his arrogant strategists, cow politics, divisive and communal politics. Like always, Indian voters choose lesser evil, at least for now. Caste politics seems to be lesser evil than communal politics. The fight between Lalu and Nitish is not too far away. Caste can get votes but can’t keep in power. Like religion, caste is even more divisive and dangerous. So, two lessons here one for BJP- Cow can’t bring votes always, cow too can kick you into dung. And for Lalu and Nitish caste can bring you votes, but will not keep you united. Lot of people are excited, but it is sad indeed. Indian voters have choice between fundamentalists of caste and religion, which one is worse? I hope here after, there will be peace in India and Modi will gain some wisdom.

Those practicing communal politics will be rejected: Sharad Pawar on Bihar results

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Afternoon Voice

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November 8, 2015

NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Sunday took a dig at the Narendra Modi-led BJP after the latter failed to live upto expectations in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections.

As the BJP-lead NDA suffered defeat in the elections and the Mahagathbandan headed for a landslide win, Pawar said that the Bihar polls will give a new direction to Indian politics.

“I have always stated that Bihar elections will give a new dimension to the Indian politics,” he said.

The NCP chief sought to remind that those practicing communal politics will be rejected by the people.

“Change has started. Those who want to rule must know, the people of India will reject anyone who tries to communalise national politics,” he stated.

Develop Bihar so that Biharis don’t need to migrate to other states: Raj Thackeray

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Afternoon Voice

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November 8, 2015

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday congratulated ‘grand alliance’ leaders Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, and described their win in Bihar elections as a “victory for politics of regional pride”.

Raj wished Nitish and Lalu to lead the state on the path of development, so that Biharis do not need migrate to other states.

“It’s a victory for the politics of regional pride, development and social justice. I feel that development of Bihar should happen so rapidly that Biharis will stop migrating to Maharashtra and other states,” he said.

“Migrant Biharis from all states must aspire to go back to their own state,” Raj said.

Notably, the MNS had in the past launched agitation against migrants from north India, accusing them of “usurping jobs” of local youths in Maharashtra.

The JDU-RJD-Congress alliance is set for a massive victory in the 243-seat Bihar Assembly polls, trouncing the BJP-led grouping.