He is one of the most popular baddies on the small screen, but in real life, Karanvir Bohra is putty in the hands of his three daughters. A hilarious post on Instagram shows the muscular TV actor with a ponytail and blue tutu skirt, spinning on one foot like a wind-up doll after his youngest turns a pretend key on his back. Bohra, who has been part of many hit dramas like ‘Kasauti Zindagi Kay’ and ‘Shararat’, spoke to Neha Bhayana about fatherhood and how he talks so his kids listen

The toughest part of being a father to three girls will come when they become teenagers, when they start having their own likes and dislikes, crushes, late-night plans, and a world of their own. The best part of being a girl dad is knowing that no matter how grown up they become, a part of their heart will always belong to you…and they’ll always love you the most.

I think I’m a pretty cool dad, but I don’t know how I’m going to react when boyfriends enter the picture or when my daughters go through their first heartbreaks. I know it is all part of life, and while my instinct will be to protect them, I hope I’ll also be understanding.

As for things like partying, tattoos, drinking, and all other choices they will make as they grow up, I may not always agree with everything. There will definitely be moments that challenge me. But I don’t want to be the kind of father who controls or forces. I want to be someone they can always talk to, someone who guides rather than dictates. A dad who is a mix of fierce and understanding, who sets boundaries but never stops listening.

The past two years have been difficult being away from them while they study in Canada, and I’m here working and attending to my parents. I miss the little moments we once shared every day. Those hugs, conversations, laughter, and simple togetherness…I miss them immensely. My little one, Gia, is such a beautifully free-spirited soul. She stayed with me (in Mumbai) for a year, and those moments were truly special.

Being a television actor comes with its own challenges. There were days when I would shoot for 12 to 14 hours straight, so many times I’d bring Gia along to the set, and she would just chill with me there. And honestly, she loves the set. If you ask her, “What does papa do?” she’ll smile and say, “He’s shooting.”

There’s no trick in the book to make children listen to you. The only real way is to speak to them in their language. Talk to them with respect, as though they are individuals with their own thoughts and emotions. Explain to them what’s right, what’s wrong, and help them understand the consequences of their choices. And then, instead of forcing an answer on them, ask them gently: “What do you think you should do?”

People often misunderstand the meaning of gentle parenting. Gentle parenting does not mean spoiling your child. It means not getting angry over every little thing. It means not constantly scolding them for mistakes, but instead guiding them with patience and understanding. It means giving them your time when they say, “Dad, let’s play,” “Listen to my story,” or “Tell me a story.” At the heart of it, gentle parenting is simply about giving your children the quality time, attention, and emotional presence that many of us wish we had received growing up. And at the same time, I completely understand our parents, too. They came from a very different space and generation of parenting, and they did the best they could with what they knew at that time.

That’s primarily the reason I chose to share my experiences and the experiences of other fathers as well. There are so many momfluencers today, but very rarely do we get to hear a dad’s perspective on parenting or co-parenting. I genuinely felt people needed to hear that side too. That’s what led me to start a podcast on my YouTube channel called ‘Daddy Adventures’. I’ve had some really interesting and heartfelt conversations with Karan Singh Grover, Raghu Ram, Tusshar Kapoor, Gurmeet Choudhary, Zaid Darbar, Kiku Sharda and many other dads. What touched me the most was getting such a beautiful insight into how they feel as fathers, the emotional journeys they go through, and how each of them is navigating this entire new-age approach to parenting.

I still remember when my dad and uncle pushed me to take a bus alone for the very first time. I was barely 10, travelling from Colaba to Nana Chowk. When I completed that journey by myself, I felt so empowered. Years later, a similar situation arose with my daughter when she had to travel alone because of an issue with my visa. I realised airlines take great care of children travelling solo. I felt secure knowing she was safe, and I could also see how empowered and confident the experience made her feel. I truly believe parents should encourage children to have small adventures and independent experiences — that’s how they become mentally and emotionally strong.

Becoming a father changed everything for me. Life is no longer just about my dreams, my ambitions, or my journey. It’s about them. Every decision I make now carries a greater sense of responsibility because little eyes are always watching.

What I have learned over the years is that children are not ours to control; they are ours to love, guide and support. My role is not to shape them into who I want them to be, but to help them become who they are meant to be.

My journey as a father has been like a merry-go-round. I have chased my kids to eat food, get ready, go down and play, go to school, etc. Watching my daughters grow up has given me some of the most beautiful moments of my life; it’s like a bouquet of memories I will cherish forever.

Actor-singer Gippy Grewal who is gearing up for the release of Carry On Jatta 4, recently opened up about his journey towards success, including the struggles he faced in Canada in his early years.

During a conversation with comedian Bharti Siingh and husband Harssh Limbachiyaa, Gippy shared that although his debut song Chakk Ley was a hit, he had to juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet until his second album’s release.

“I used to do 3-4 jobs. By the time I returned home, it would be 4 o’clock in the morning. Then, I would pick up my wife (Ravneet Grewal) and the two of us would distribute newspapers. She also worked at Subway from 6 am to 4 pm and then worked as a security guard,” revealed the Angreji Beat singer.

The 43-year-old added that he and his wife even took on a cleaning contract at a mall to support themselves. “In the evening, we would work for 2-3 hours. Picking trays from the food court was her work and I did the cleaning. I had to clean the toilets as well. In other jobs, I would make 8 dollars, but in the mall cleaning job, I would get almost $13 (around Rs. 900).”

Despite the hardships, he and his wife always supported each other. Recalling the newspaper job, he shared, “My wife and I would think that this is our time together. So we would keep talking the whole time and get done with that job in two hours.”

Gippy married Ravneet in 2007. They are parents to three kids: Ekom Grewal, Shinda Grewal and Gurbaaz Grewal.

DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE smashed all records in Canada as it has collected almost $10.8 million till date which is a record by a distance and the first $10 million Indian film in the country. The film beat the record of DHURANDHAR by over $3 million and ANIMAL, by $3.7 million which are second and third best.

The market has grown by leaps and bound post the pandemic and is the fastest growing market for Hindi films in Overseas. There was a time 8-10 years back when $2 million was a big mark in Canada and here you have a film crossing $10 million. The share of Canada from the US/Canada market is 31% for DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE. This is roughly the average today though if the film has less of a gentry audience, then Canada can go up as USA has a bigger market for gentry films.

DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE has not beaten the BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION record in USA alone as that was $19.9 million and DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE will be $17.5 million. But BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION was only $275k in Canada while DHURANDHAR's sequel will be $7.9 million (USD) giving it $25.4 million total as compared to $20.175 million of BAAHUBALI 2.

Below are the all time top grossers in Canada. All figures are in CAD $.

2. Dhurandhar - $7,700,000

3. Animal - $7,103,000

4. Pathaan - $6,054,000

5. Jawan - $5,278,000

6. Pushpa 2 - The Rule - $4,218,000

7. Stree 2 - $4,213,000

8. Jatt & Juliet 3 - $3,860,000

9. Kalki 2898 AD - $3,623,000

10. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani - $3,281,000

World Cups are usually a quadrennial affair. But in Nora Fatehi’s calendar, they are turning out to be a much more frequent event. In February, the actor and dancer performed at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup’s opening ceremony in Mumbai. Is another World Cup outing on the cards? That’s what we’ve heard. mid-day has learnt that Fatehi has been approached to perform at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

According to sources, her act will be held at the Toronto Stadium in Canada on June 12, before the host country plays its opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. This has been lined up a day after the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony takes place at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. 

A source told mid-day, “Nora has been approached to take part in the ceremony before Canada’s first match. As one of the three countries hosting the football World Cup, Canada is planning a grand entertainment launch on June 12. Nora has a busy work schedule in June. So, she is weighing in on the situation. That said, she will most likely perform at FIFA as it’s an extremely prestigious event.”

After she gives her nod, Fatehi will zero in on the songs she will be shaking a leg to.

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If things work out, this will be Nora Fatehi’s second appearance at the FIFA World Cup. The actor and dancer had performed at the closing ceremony of the 2022 edition in Qatar

Age is merely a number for Kabir Bedi. At 80, the veteran actor is busy juggling international and Indian projects while navigating a film industry that has evolved dramatically over the decades.

He shares, “For me, this last year has been one of the busiest I’ve had. I completed an Italian film, a Canadian film, a Bollywood film and a series, all of which will be released this year. I’m thrilled that I’m still a dynamic part of the industry.”

According to Bedi, technology has been the single biggest change over the years. He says, “It has changed the way films are shot, edited, distributed and seen. I’ve seen the journey from single-screen theatres to multiplexes, to video, to the internet, and now streaming platforms. There’s been a complete revolution in how the film industry operates.”

Talking about it further, he shares, “The biggest change I see as an actor is that people are very happy for multiple retakes now. Film used to be expensive and we rehearsed a lot because nobody wanted to waste film stock. With digital, people are far more relaxed about cost, and that has changed the rhythm of shooting.”

Yet, Bedi believes the essence of acting has endured. “The fundamentals remain the same. Interpreting your character with emotion, passion and sincerity, and telling a larger story through that. That hasn’t changed. What has changed dramatically is the price paid to the biggest stars today—it’s increased more than a hundredfold,” he says.

On playing a variety of roles over the years, he says, “By now, I’ve played everything from grandson to grandfather. From hero to villain, from leading roles to supporting roles. I’m still playing leading roles, still playing supporting roles, and if a good villain role comes along, I’m happy to do that too.”

He adds, “I’ve never crossed my annual 60th birthday. I get energy from the fact that I love what I do. I’ve been given a good, sound body by my parents and the universe. I feel wonderful, and I count my blessings.”

Madhuri Dixit Nene faced backlash after her ‘Dil Se… Madhuri’ show in Toronto on November 2, where fans accused organizers of misleading promotion and poor management. Many claimed the event was presented as a concert but turned out to be more of a talk session, with Madhuri arriving nearly three hours late.

Responding to the criticism, the organizers, True Sound Live Ltd., issued a statement against the “misleading social media commentary” They clarified, “The event commenced on time with a high-energy opening act featuring exceptional singers from Indian Idol, exactly as scheduled.”

Atique Sheikh, the event organizer said, “It was a management miscommunication. That’s how some fans must have gotten confused, we can’t have a concert in a small banquet. It was pretty well mentioned that the show was a fan meet. Madhuri ji has worked with us in the past as well and something like this has never happened. She performed on her hit songs. Our idea was to present her celebrated journey in the industry and have a fan interaction.”

Shreya Gupta, tour manager and owner of Crazy Holic, further clarified this situation stemmed entirely from a management error. She revealed, “The audience was incorrectly informed that the event was a concert, while the official contract clearly stated it was a meet-and-greet with fans. The same format was successfully executed in the USA last year with an overwhelming positive response.”

She added, “Madhuri Dixit Nene’s call time for the event was 9:30 pm and she arrived punctually. Her scheduled stage entry was between 9.45 pm and 10.00 pm. There was absolutely no delay or lapse from Madhuri Dixit Nene’s side or ours.”

While Nora Fatehi has taken on roles in films like Bhuj: The Pride of India and Madgaon Express, this year she is looking to strengthen her presence in films. The actress, known for dance numbers such as Dilbar, O Saki Saki and Hai Garmi, is set to make her Tamil cinema debut with Kanchana 4. Excerpts from a quick chat.

As someone of Moroccan-Canadian origin, venturing into a new industry came with its own set of challenges, but Nora embraced them. She says, “South Indian cinema has always fascinated me — not just for its scale and storytelling, but also for the sheer passion and discipline that goes into every frame. Kanchana 4 was an opportunity to push myself creatively and take on a role that’s intense, performance-driven and rooted in a different cultural rhythm. Learning Tamil was definitely one of the bigger challenges. I spent a lot of time preparing for it. On set, I noticed how focused and technically precise the Tamil film crew is — there’s a quiet intensity, a respect for craft and a collaborative environment. It’s been a humbling learning experience.”

Nora recalls that she was tough on herself when she started her career in Bollywood. “In the early years, I was extremely hard on myself,” she says, adding, “I had this constant pressure to prove myself and never show weakness. I was in a new country, in a competitive industry and with no connections. So, I pushed myself beyond limits, physically and emotionally. There was no room for failure or even self-compassion. Success to me isn’t just about fame or followers. It’s about legacy. It’s about how many boundaries I’ve broken, how many young girls I’ve inspired — especially those who feel like outsiders. It’s about being respected for my work ethic and for always showing up, regardless of the challenges.”

The actress, who attended the Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, says that for her, fashion has a deeper meaning.

“I never wanted to just fit in; I wanted to stand out. Whether it was on the dance floor, in music, or in fashion, I’ve always approached everything like an artiste — with intention, vision and ambition. For me, stardom is about bridging cultures, breaking stereotypes and showing that talent doesn’t need to come in one specific form or background. I’ve embraced who I am — Moroccan roots, Canadian upbringing, Indian dreams — and blended all of that into my work. That fusion is my strength.”

Actor Madhuri Dixit’s UK-Canada tour opened with a storm in Toronto on November 2, when attendees arrived at the venue expecting a full performance, only to be kept waiting. One attendee posted a Reel, claiming that the event began at the scheduled time of 7.30pm, but Madhuri (58) only took the stage nearly three hours late at around 10pm (see inset).

Several angry fans commented over the alleged format shift: instead of a dance-based concert as advertised, the evening largely consisted of a talk-show style segment, with the actor dancing only briefly. One Instagram user wrote: “Worst show ever, full of lame talks.”

Several fans demanded refunds for the “$200 tickets”, and many walked out before the performance ended. However, some loyal followers defended her, suggesting that organisers should bear responsibility for the event’s execution.

As of now, neither Madhuri nor her team have commented on the controversy. 

Why did I change the spelling of my name? It’s about reinventing myself with a fresh energy & vibe. It’s a new role for me, after all

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Shots were fired at a restaurant reportedly linked to comedian Kapil Sharma, Kap's Cafe, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on Wednesday night. No one was hurt.

Harjit Singh Laddi - a Germany-based Babbar Khalsa operative on NIA's most wanted list - claimed responsibility for the shooting, citing some remarks on the outfit of Nihang Sikhs on a TV show hosted by Kapil.

A video clip doing the rounds of social media shows a man unloading a magazine of what appears to be a semi-automatic pistol into the building that houses the cafe. The property didn't suffer any significant damage.

The local police were alerted about the incident and an investigation is under way. Forensics have lifted exhibits from the spot.

A reaction from Sharma on the shooting is awaited. Sources close to comedian Kapil Sharma claimed that the restaurant and the building that were fired upon were owned by a different individual.

In a social media post, Laddi said: "In an episode of Kapil Sharma's comedy show, a character made some humorous remarks about the dress or behaviour of Nihang Sikhs. We tried to contact Kapil Sharma's manager by calling him several times, but there was no response from him. All our calls were ignored. If Kapil Sharma doesn't apologize publicly..."

Laddi, sources said, was behind a string of targeted killings and attempts, including that of the murder of VHP's Vikas Prabhakar in Punjab last year. NIA filed a chargesheet against Laddi besides BKI kingpin Wadhwa Singh and others.

Laddi also orchestrated the attacks on Shiv Sena (Bharat Vanshi)'s Yogesh Bakhshi and Shiv Sena (Hind)'s Harkirat Singh Khurana in Punjab. A petrol bomb was lobbed at Bakhshi's house on Oct 17 and at Khurana's house on Nov 2 last year. Laddi's aide Manish had arranged youngsters involved in drug peddling and other petty crimes, to execute the attack, probe had revealed.

Surrey has a large Punjabi population. In 2019, an attack was made on the property of Punjabi singer Karan Aujla in Surrey, followed by one on the residence of Punjabi artist A P Dhillon in Colwood, Vancouver Island, on September 2, 2024.

Delhi-born singer Jonita Gandhi, who moved to Canada when she was nine months old, recently opened up about facing racial bullying as a child.

“I used to get a lot of racist comments while growing up. But I was more bothered about being bullied for my facial hair. I used to have curly side-locks. They called me ‘Godzilla’. I think they just thought I was ugly. I used to come home and cry. Even the Punjabi boys in my class would make fun of me,” she told Hauterrfly.

She added that she struggled with body image issues. “Growing up, I was convinced that I was never going to have sex because of the same issues. I couldn’t accept my own body; how can someone else accept it?” she says.

Music helped her find confidence and a sense of uniqueness. She said, “I still have some of those issues; music helped me. It made me feel I am doing something different in life. That made me feel cool when nothing else made me feel cool. I now feel like the ugly duckling who became the swan.”

As a mom of three who is married to a businessman, life is so different. In the movie field, we’re like princes and princesses; we’re pampered and spoon-fed. But the outside world is entirely different,” begins Rambha, who is planning a return to films after a 15-year-gap. As the first step, the actress is now a judge on the TV reality dance show Jodi Are U Ready Season 2.

In an interview, the dream girl of the ’90s, who had settled down in Canada post marriage but is now back in India, opens up to us about her break from cinema, her family and why she’s decided to get back to acting. Excerpts:

“As a mom, I felt that kids needed at least one parent beside them up to a certain age and stayed away from films. But my husband knew of my interest in acting. Our son is six now, and my husband felt since our daughters are also older — 14 and 10 — he’d be able to handle them. It was at this time that the TV channel reached out to me to be part of their show. I was hesitant as I’d have to shift my son’s schooling. But my family literally forced me to take it up,” she says.

About her return, the actress reminisces, “It felt like a dream until the first day of the show’s shoot. And on that day, I was terribly nervous. I was scared to step out of the van. And the first shot I had to do was the Azhagiya Laila song. Sandy Master, who I’ve known since Manada Mayilada, gave me the confidence. And when I finished the first shot, everyone clapped, and said I recreated what I’d done 30 years ago! From there on, I slowly gained confidence.”

“After our marriage, we settled in Canada, where my husband runs an interiors business. There, we hardly went out for movies, except for big ones like Rajini sir’s films. Even with outings, we’d go to places nearby, and those that had something for kids. We had a home theatre set-up, so we’d sit together and watch films at home. Every Friday night was Tamil movie night. I was a bit out of touch with films. In fact, I didn’t know Yogi Babu sir. Only when watching Beast, I realized he is currently the top comedian, like Vivekh sir during my time.”

“When I got into films, I wanted to focus on one thing at a time, and gave acting my complete attention. But after marriage, I wanted to take a break from films. I’m also a foodie, and wanted to indulge myself. But that was also where I made a mistake. I started eating quite a bit after my first delivery. I was putting on weight, but it was all OK until my kid started going to school. There, my daughter was seeing moms of other kids dressed stylishly. ‘Why can’t you be like them and wear such stylish clothes?’ she asked me, and that’s when it hit me. I was a movie star, and here, my daughter was saying I was not a pretty mom! I broke down. That comment spurred me to get back in shape. My husband, too, encouraged, saying that it would be good for me health-wise, and also to show people that I was still a movie star.

“My husband had opened his business here in India, and though it was not planned, thanks to Kala master’s insistence, I, too, came down for the inauguration. Putting on makeup, getting on to the stage and seeing the response from the crowd… they all kindled an interest in me to return to films. My kids, too, were thrilled by the reception that I received. I may have not done films for 15 years, but cinema is in my blood. And I’m seeing a lot of colleagues from my time still acting now. So, I, too, got that desire. But I wanted to ensure I kept my reputation intact, and didn’t want to return just for the sake of it.”

“Even today, only a handful of actresses are surviving after 10 years in the industry. Now, who apart from Nayanthara ma’am and Trisha ma’am has managed to survive for long? Maybe Rashmika Mandanna, because her films have become huge hits in the north. In every era, heroines have faced such problems. The world is like that. A woman undergoes physical changes once she has a baby. Take Deepika Padukone. She had such a craze during the time of Padmaavat, but once she became a mom, that seems to have come down. Women undergo changes physically and mentally after delivery, and it becomes hard to fit ourselves into younger characters. At the same time, we, women, should feel proud of ourselves.

“Back then, we’d start in Telugu and after becoming popular, we’d enter Tamil, then go to Kannada, Hindi, and so on. We got a different type of recognition in each language. But now, you can become world famous with one pan-Indian film. I appreciate this change because you have recognition coming in from everywhere. The industries have become one.”

Udit Narayan stirred controversy after an undated video of him kissing a female fan on the lips while taking a selfie during his performance started doing the rounds on social media. In the video, the singer was seen performing the iconic track Tip Tip Barsa Paani when a female fan turned around and kissed him on the cheek. He then kissed her on her lips.

When we reached out to Udit Narayan, he said, "This is a six-month-old video which has resurfaced, and I am quite amused that it has gone viral. It was a concert abroad. Fans sometimes go crazy when an artiste performs to a large audience. They show a lot of affection, and we reciprocate. It is not new that fans want to click pictures with artists when they perform. I have been performing for many years now. This incident is so old that I don't recall if it happened in US or Canada. I have been laughing over it since morning because people are calling me for it."

The Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan award winner musician has had many hit songs to his credit in the 90s and 2000. His songs like Koi Mil Gaya (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai), Ae Ajnabi (Dil Se), Dil Ne Yeh Kaha Hai Dil Se (Dhadkan), Yun Hi Chala Chal (Swades), Pehla Nasha (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar) have been big hits. In an earlier interview with BT, he said, "I am glad that I have been singing for the past three decades. In the past three years, I am enjoying live performances a lot."

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Singer Udit Narayan Jha has found himself at the centre of controversy after a clip from one of his concerts went viral. In the video, the 69-year-old singer was seen kissing a female fan on the lips during his performance of Tip Tip Barsa Paani (Mohra, 1994). This has led to outrage from social media users.

HT City reached out for his reaction to the backlash. He tells us, “Fans itne deewane hote hain na. Hum log aise nahin hain, hum decent log hain.”

Addressing this incident of kissing a female fan on the lips, he calls it a spontaneous moment: “I’ve been in Bollywood for 46 years now, my image hasn’t been such (that I forcefully kiss fans). In fact, I fold my hands when I see the love my fans shower on me, while on stage, I bow down, thinking phir aaj ka yeh waqt laut ke aaye na aaye.”

Speaking about how some fans “encourage” and “show their love through this”, he adds, “Fans think they are getting a chance to meet, so someone extends their hands for a handshake, some kiss the hands... Yeh sab deewangi hoti hai. Uspe itna dhyaan nahin dena chahiye.”

The singer also believes that there might be an ulterior motive behind the controversy. “My family’s image is such. Aditya (Narayan Jha, son and singer) chup chaap rehta hai, controversy mein aata nahin hai... There is madness when I am singing on stage, fans love me, I think let them be happy. Humein bhi unko khush karna hota hai,” he ends.

A clip going viral shows Udit singing Tip Tip Barsa Paani when several female fans approach him for selfies. He kneels down for pictures, kissing fans on the cheek. He can also be seen gesturing to the security person to let a female fan come forward. After she clicks the selfie, she kisses Udit on the cheek, who then turns and kisses her on the lips. The audience can be heard shouting and cheering.

The video has sparked an intense debate on social media. One user wrote, “Sir age ho rahi hai respect hai apka thodi toh sharam karlo! Public me ye sab!” Some called it “disgusting.” A few also dug out past videos showing Udit allegedly kissing colleagues like Alka Yagnik on the cheek, catching them by surprise. A section also came to his defence, with one commenting, “Why? It’s consensual. The Women are smiling like hyenas after each kiss.”

Nora Fatehi has been a part of multiple acting gigs including one with Ajay Devgn - Bhuj: The Pride of India, and another one with Salman Khan - Bharat. However, Nora is primarily remembered for her hit tracks. Whether it is Dilbar or O Saki Saki , Nora has been the go-to girl for hit dance tracks in the Hindi film industry. With Madgaon Express getting her laurels for her acting chops and her signing with a music label, Nora is now on her way to prove her mettle as an actress and singer.

Ask her if that means she would take a step back from songs and doing special appearances and she replies, “I'm not going to take a step back from anything.”

Nora further explains, “I've solidified my brand as Nora Fatehi – someone who is multidimensional, multifaceted, doing more than one thing, and is an entertainer. You're going to see me doing films, the songs, and you're going to see me working on my international career as a global music star. You're going to see me doing the biggest stage performances in the biggest arenas and stadiums. This is who I'm going to be. It's a breath of fresh air to see that these kinds of artists can exist in Bollywood. They exist in Hollywood. So why can't they exist in Bollywood? I'm pretty sure we have some actors who could be great entertainers and performers. But there is this fear of being typecast, which is our industry's fault. They should never have created these stereotypes to begin with. You never know, we could be having a Lady Gaga right now in our industry, right? I feel I'm here to break stereotypes. I'm here to break this narrow-minded way of thinking. When it comes to art, it cannot be one-dimensional. And this is my goal.”

As the actress is set to embark on her new journey of striving to be a global phenomenon, she looks back at the journey so far. It's been 10 years since Nora marked her debut in Hindi movies with the rather forgettable Roar: Tigers Of The Sundarbans.

She recalls, “It's been a roller coaster ride. I still remember not even knowing or understanding the ABCD of a camera or how to be on a set. It was all so new to me. I remember for my first scene in that film, the director called ‘cut’ and I immediately cut. I immediately just got out of character. He had to come to me and say, ‘Sweetie, when we say cut, you have to wait a good four or five seconds, then you break out’. I didn't know that. So, there was so much I didn't know that I was learning on set. Learning through experience. Nonetheless, I would look at these 10 years and say, let's add another five years and this will be documentary-worthy.”

Ask her if there was ever a documentary made as she claims, which part of her career would be the toughest for her to open up about, and she replies, “Probably the last four or five years. So much has happened that nobody knows about – inside out in my personal life. The last four or five years have been really insane. That would be a little tough for me to open up about. But if I'm ever going do a documentary, then I'll have to be honest with the people.”

The Moroccan descent Nora was born and raised in Canada. Moving to another country for a career must have been a tough decision not only for her but also for her family. For the first time, she opens up about her family and what they think about her success.

“Initially, obviously when I was embarking on this journey, all of them thought I was crazy. No one was supporting me at all and I don't blame them. Just the idea of someone going to the other side of the world with no friends, no family, no contact, no relations is insane. It's almost like deadly. I come from a very conservative and simple background. My family and the family before them had a very simple way of approaching life – get older, get married, have kids. That is it. I'm the only one who kind of came out of the edge and decided to do something that is not even thinkable. They're not very expressive but I'm sure they're supportive, they're proud and sometimes a little surprised at the level of where allI can go. When I'm with them, and we go to Dubai or Morocco or Canada they see the fandom. They are overwhelmed and they're like, ‘How is this even possible?’ It is very new to them. I think it serves as a sign or makes me the poster girl in my family for my cousins and my nieces. All the girls and the boys in my family who are younger can believe in themselves," she concludes.

Toronto: Moviegoers in three Greater Toronto Area regions in Canada were evacuated and some were treated for exposure to an unknown substance sprayed by masked men in theatres playing Hindi movies earlier this week, according to police and media reports.

One such incident happened around 9.20 pm Tuesday at a cinema complex in Vaughan, York Regional Police said in a statement on Wednesday. Numerous moviegoers started coughing after two men in masks and hoods sprayed an “unknown, aerosol-based, irritating substance into the air” in a theatre, police said. Around 200 people were inside when a Hindi film was playing at the time, said police.

Several people were treated for exposure to the substance and the theatre had to be evacuated, police said. No serious injuries were reported.

The suspects fled before police arrived. Police said the first suspect was a Black man with a light skin tone while the second man was described as brown with a light skin tone.

York Police said they were liaising with both Peel and Toronto police about similar incidents, CBC News reported.

“Coincidentally, they took place all within less than three hours on the same evening,” a York Police officer said. “So we are certainly looking into the possibility these incidents are linked.”

Peel Police confirmed officers were called to a theatre in Brampton on Tuesday following reports of a substance sprayed on the premises. Toronto Police said officers similarly got a call Tuesday night about someone setting off a “stink bomb” in a theatre at Scarborough Town Centre.

London: A section of the Indian diaspora in Britain is furious after ‘The Kerala Story’ got mysteriously pulled from cinema websites and all the tickets bought were refunded as it failed to get classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in time for its release.

It was due to be released in Hindi and Tamil in 31 cinemas in the United Kingdom and Ireland on May 12. But out of the blue on Friday, all cinemas stopped ticket sales from their websites and all shows were cancelled.

Saloni Belaid had bought three tickets on Wednesday to view the movie at Cineworld on May 12. On Friday afternoon she received an email, which TOI has seen, saying: “Due to the lack of age certification for The Kerala Story by the BBFC, we have had to cancel the booking you made. We have processed a full refund. We apologise for any inconvenience.”

She told TOI: “Loads of people had booked to see it this weekend and our screening was 95% full.”

The BBFC said: “The Kerala Story is still going through our classification process. Once the film has received a BBFC age rating and content advice, it will be available to be screened in UK cinemas.”

Scores of British Indians expressed their disapproval on Twitter. “Surely BBFC is not delaying as part of its move to appease the extremists?” tweeted Kapil Dudakia.

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London: Suresh Varsani, director of 24 Seven Flix4U, which is distributing ‘The Kerala Story’ in UK, was forced to contact all the cinemas at midday on Friday and ask them to pull the film as it is illegal to release a film in Britain without classification.

He said, “It is very concerning. I gave them the film on Wednesday and there were three versions — Hindi, Tamil and the Malayalam. They watched one on Wednesday and the other two Thursday. Age classification is normally done on the day.”

He has been emailing the BBFC since Thursday and all they keep telling him is that “compliance is reviewing it”. On Friday he called them and they confirmed it won’t get classified that day. He emailed and called again and they did not respond.

“I am very suspicious that they have not given a valid reason. Why do they need more time when they have had three days? I have never come across a situation like this where a film has not been classified when it is meant to be released. USA, India, Australia and Canada and Ireland have all passed it. I don’t get what the issue is,” he said. Varsani said between him and the cinemas they have lost a combined £40,000 to £50,000 (Rs 40 to 50 lakh).

The Hindu Community Organizations Group UK, which represents more than 45,000 Hindu and Jains, has written to the BBFC requesting an immediate investigation.

But not everyone wants the movie released. “OK Ki Report” tweeted: “Never screen this film, it is actually made to spread mischief, its purpose is to spread hatred against Muslims for political gains.”

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The Kerala Story was released in over 200 screens in the US and Canada on Friday. “The Kerala Story is a mission which is beyond the creative boundaries of cinema, a movement that should reach the masses all over the world and raise awareness,” director Sudipto Sen told a group of Indian American reporters during a virtual news conference.

Rupali Ganguly was pleasantly surprised recently when she got to know that somebody had adopted an elephant on her behalf. A fan from Canada adopted an elephant called Mayan, which is in Kenya with the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Incidentally, Rupali wasn’t even aware of this; it was brought to her notice by one of her friends.

Rupali shares, “One of my writer friends saw it on Instagram and told me about it. That’s when I got to know that this girl had adopted the elephant last year on my birthday and she has done it this year, too. I was overwhelmed. I missed seeing her message on social media last year, but I am glad I got to know about this beautiful gesture. I always say that I have the spirit of tigress, the soul of an elephant and the loyalty of a dog.”

Talking about her wish to meet elephant Mayan, the Anupamaa actress says, “I am very fond of elephants and I hope that I am able to visit Kenya someday and meet elephant Mayan. I would love to do that. I haven’t yet spoken to Sandhya Bodapati, who has done this for me. My team has connected with her and I’ll speak to her soon.”

For Nimrat Kaur, birthdays are all about spending quality time with family, and this year was no different. The actor, who turned 41 on March 13, rang in her birthday with her loved ones in Delhi. “It was all the more special because after Covid-19, this was the first time that my maasi and mama came down from Canada. I had not seen them in three-four years. It was a family reunion of sorts,” shares Kaur.

Reflecting on the year that went by, the Dasvi (2022) actor feels it was like a “life marker” as “a lot of exciting and new things happened” on both the personal and professional fronts. “I changed my house. Moving to a new place was a major step. Moreover, I bought myself a new car, which had been a dream for a while. Professionally, too, last year has been really interesting as it’s been my busiest yet. I worked in four different projects. So, it’s been like a bookmark in my life,” says the actor, who shot for Happy Teacher’s Day, which is scheduled to release this year, among other unannounced projects.

Birthdays are a time for self-reflection. On that front, Kaur feels she has become “free and fearless” over the years. “I can sense that I am becoming more free and more forgiving of myself. [But] I haven’t perfected that yet. I do know I’m in a place where I judge myself less. I’m willing to take bigger risks in life. I’ve learned to prioritise my time,” she shares.

On the one advice that she would give to her younger self, the actor says, “That little girl should know that she’ll never really have everything figured out. She’s always going to keep learning. Perfection is nothing. It’s all about the journey.”

For makeup artist Dikshita Jindal, transforming into different celebrities might just be passion turned profession, but for those who follow her videos on Instagram, it’s nothing short of magic. Using prosthetics and special-effects makeup techniques, the 25-year-old, who hails from Delhi, has successfully recreated looks of over a 100 Indian celebrities.

Her latest Instagram reel, where she created Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan look, has crossed 13.4 million views in just 20 days. “It was crazy how people love this Pathaan transformation video. I uploaded and within a day, it garnered so many views,” an excited Jindal tells us.

The artist, currently in Canada, pursuing professional makeup studies in advanced prosthetic effects makeup, shares, “I really enjoyed creating the Pathaan look because I was doing a transformation after a long time, as I’d been busy with shifting and studies. Now that it has gone viral, I really hope Shah Rukh sees it and comments on it.”

Talking about her tryst with makeup, Jindal recalls being very passionate about makeup since childhood. Then, while she studied engineering, she bought a makeup kit with her savings and tried her hand at fun videos.

“I saw a few international artists transforming themselves into celebs, and I got really inspired. I thought to myself, ‘Why don’t I do it for Bollywood celebrities?’ I tried some looks with Indian celebs. That’s how I started practising and learnt these skills,” explains Jindal, who looks up to acclaimed British drag artist Alexis Stone and Brazilian makeup artist Letícia Gomes.

These transformations are, however, no cakewalk, and a lot goes into making them realistic and getting the intricacies right, asserts Jindal. “On average, it takes me about five to seven hours to do a transformation look. But there’s a lot of research that goes into it beforehand and also afterwards — during editing,” she shares, adding that getting everything right is important, including the choice of music for the video.

Jindal reveals that the longest it has ever taken her to recreate a celebrity look was 15 hours, when she transformed into the late actor Sidharth Shukla. “It was quite difficult and challenging because of his face cut and minute details,” says the artist, whose work was praised by actor Anupam Kher, who also shared it on his social media.

Jindal feels India has a huge market for prosthetic makeup and a lot of it has to do with the evolving film industry. “Many people in India don’t know that makeup is used differently in different industries. I see the prosthetics and special-effects makeup industry growing in the future — there are so many films that require artists to create bruises and cuts, or dusty makeup etc. For example, in the movie ’83 (2021), we saw Ranveer Singh being transformed into cricketer Kapil Dev using prosthetics, and he looked so real. So, it’ll only grow in the coming times,” says Jindal, who aspires to “be part of a Marvel movie or share screen space with Shah Rukh Khan.”

Fans loved Tom Cruise’s thrilling actions in Top Gun: Maverick, and Avatar’s lifelike 3D visuals. Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX Corporation, told us on a visit to Delhi recently that very few people realize these immersive movie watching experiences are a result of cutting-edge proprietary technology developed by them.

There is a lot of science and technology, he says, that go into turning every movie viewing at IMAX theatres into an event – from custom-made camera lenses for recording particular scenes and for shooting in specific regions, to the ability to shoot in 16K resolution over traditional 4K, 12-channel sound systems that make you hear a whisper over your shoulder, laser projectors that provide better colour and contrast compared to lamp-based models, paint colour of the screens, and theatres with specific, well-researched dimensions.

There are two ways to approach a movie. One is to take a fully shot movie and use IMAX’s proprietary algorithms to enhance the video. Usually, videos are shot using different cameras, shooting modes and frames. IMAX’s video engineers compress noise (random variations of brightness or colours) in images so that there’s consistency in frames. They sharpen the edges – removing blurs or halos. Today, rather than receiving physical copies of films, the tech teams have started working on videos stored on secure clouds. In the case of Indian language movies such as Padmaavat, Brahmastra, KGF and RRR, they completed the entire editing process on cloud within three to four days.

The other way to shoot is to use IMAX cameras that have special lenses developed for shooting in different instances. These cameras have been used to shoot in space, on aircrafts, deep under oceans, and through the narrowest and smallest possible spaces like 3D models. Christopher Nolan, James Cameron and Peter Jackson are some popular moviemakers who use these cameras. These cameras, Gelfond says, will be used for the first time this year in India as well. While IMAX worked on six Indian movies last year, this year they plan to do 10-12 Indian language movies. One is already out – Pathaan. “We are always trying to figure out ways to transcend the ordinary,” Gelfond says.

Every IMAX theatre has a high-definition camera and microphones that monitor the video and sound quality of every movie being played in real-time. The company’s command centres in Canada and China monitor these, and send immediate alerts if the screen and images are not in range, or if the volume is too high or low. A technician is immediately sent to the theatre. Gelfond says simple factors like heat can change contrast ratios and focal points. So, video and sound calibrations are done daily through an automated process, and not once a fortnight or a month, manually, like in traditional theatres.

The reason for being the industry benchmark today, Gelfond says, is their 800-member team, many of who are techies and engineers specializing in sound, optics, electronics and mechanics. Architects, for instance, work with screen and sound engineers to determine the best ratios and dimensions for the best experience.

Gelfond started the year with his visit to India, the country that he believes has the most potential for growth. While China has 800 IMAX theatres and 200 more in the works, India, he says, has only 29 theatres, and 19 in progress.