Film producer and educationist Abis Rizvi, 49, was ushering in the New Year with his friends at the popular Reina nightclub in Istanbul when gunman opened fire
Aditya Anand (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 2, 2017)


The massacre at an Istanbul night club on New Year by a lone gunman claimed the lives of 39 people, including well-known movie producer Abis Rizvi from Mumbai. The other Indian killed in the attack is Khushi Shah from Gujarat. Abis, 49, who was also an educationist and the CEO of Rizvi group of companies, was ushering in the New Year at the popular Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus with his friends when an unidentified gun man opened indiscriminate fire inside the venue. A man hunt is on in Turkey for the attacker.

Abis was the elder son of Dr Akhtar Hasan Rizvi, a former Rajya Sabha MP and noted builder and educationist from Bandra. The family is on its way to Istanbul. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter that she had spoken to Abis's father and was organising visas for the family to go to Istanbul. The funeral is likely to take place in Mumbai on Tuesday.

In a statement, Javed Rizvi, trustee, Rizvi Education Society, said, "Rizvi Educational Society mourns the death of its secretary Abis Rizvi in a terrorist attack in Istanbul on Sunday. Abis Rizvi was vacationing in Turkey when he fell victim to the heinous act. He is survived by his son, wife and parents. The family requests privacy in this hour of grief."

Officials from Ministry of External Affairs informed the Rizvi family about the tragic incident on Sunday afternoon.

Actor-director Puneet Issar, who has been working with Rizvi on a film, was shattered at the news. Issar had spoken to Rizvi around two hours before the attack. "I spoke to him on December 31 at 10.45 pm and couldn't believe it when I heard about his demise. I have written and directed a film called He-Man which he is producing. We even saw the rough cut of that film together on December 24." Issar said that their association had strengthened in the last two years while they were working on this film. "He was a fantastic person and a lovely man. His friends swore by him," he added. Rizvi had co-written and produced the movie Roar -Tigers of the Sundarbans directed by Kamal Sadanah in 2014. He also played a vital role in running Rizvi College in Bandra.

Abis and his friends, who were vacationing in Turkey for the past few days, chose Reina, one of Istanbul's most popular nightclubs, which overlooks the Bosphorus Strait separating Europe and Asia in the city's cosmopolitan Ortakoy district.

In 2010, Abis's younger brother Saquib passed away in an accident.

Puneet Issar's bilingual marks the B'wood debut of Varinder Singh Ghuman, a pehelwan, who after being crowned Mr India is now vying for the Mr Olympia title
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 9, 2015)

Mirror was the first to report that Aankhen girl Ritu Shivpuri was making her big-screen comeback with the Puneet Issar directed He-Man, a Hindi-Punjabi bilingual set in Punjab (July 2). Now, the actor-director has finalised Varinder Singh Ghuman as his leading man. A professional wrestler and bodybuilder from Punjab, Varinder is the first Indian to get a Pro Card by International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB). He won the Mr India pageant in 2009 and is now vying for the Mr Olympia title.

"We have all grown up hero worshipping Dara Singh. I believe Dharmendra, Sunil Dutt and Vinod Khanna were the last of the true action heroes. I wanted to fill this space which has remained largely vacant since. I knew Varinder was my leading man the moment I met him," says Puneet, who began shooting with his 6'4" hero in a suburban Mumbai studio in November.

He reveals that it's an emotional father-son story. The father puts up a brave front for his child after losing his wife. "Every man is a He-Man for his child," asserts Puneet, who spent eight months training Varinder for the role and believes that with his imposing body offset by his soft face and gentle demeanour, he suits the role of the father to the T.

He adds that despite his bodybuilding background, Varinder was made to undergo training with action director, Moses Kaushal. "We also had speech classes and reading sessions with him," says the director who has already shot some high-octane action sequences with his He-Man and will film some more in December.

After that, they move to Punjab and Shimla for the last leg and are hoping to wrap up the film by February. Puneet has co-written the film with his son Siddhant and also plays a Superintendent of Police (SP). "You will also see my Bigg Boss mates, Praneet Bhat and Pritam Singh, in pivotal roles," he says.

Before signing off, he is quick to add that despite its title, his film has nothing to do with the popular comic book superhero or the 1987 Hollwood film, Masters of the Universe, popularly referred to as He-Man. Nor does it have any connection with Anil Kapoor's much-loved character, Mr India. "Our He-Man is a loving dad and in a league of his own," he smiles.

Ritu Shivpuri is returning after a 13-year sabbatical in a film titled He-man
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 2, 2015)

Following in the footsteps of her parents, actors Om Shivpuri and Sudha Shivpuri, Ritu Shivpuri jumped into Bollywood at the age of 17 and caught our eye in films like Aar Ya Paar and Aankhen. But after the Karisma Kapoor starrer, Shakti: The Power, in 2002 she disappeared from the screen. The 13-year vanvas, which she took to focus on her twins, eight-year-olds Rohail and Samara, and husband Hari Venkat who at 36 was diagnosed with a tumor in his spine, will end soon. Ritu will make a comeback with the Puneet Issar's directorial, He-Man.

"I'm playing the protagonist's bhabhi. I can't reveal much but it's a great script which makes me believe it's the perfect film to return with. I want to do roles that make a difference and if I'm one of the central characters, I am happy doing it," says Ritu, who will wrap up her portions in one schedule.

After Aankhen, she found herself cast in the 'sexy' mould with comparisons being drawn to Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman. "But I never looked into the mirror and thought I was hot, I'm not that vain," she laughs. "I can play a mother, sister, bhabhi or even a man if need be!"

She was earlier offered a negative role in a big banner film but later the makers felt that she looked too young for that role. "I don't want to be an accessory in a film but if a friend requested, I might do even that," she laughs.

Prod her on the tough times with an ailing husband and two young kids and she retorts, "I don't want to gain sympathy by appearing as a martyr. I married my best friend, we share everything. Those six years were bad but I'm a fighter and he's a cool guy. We got the tumour removed a couple of years ago."

Ritu recently lost her mother, Sudha Shivpuri, popularly known as Baa after playing the great grandmother in Ekta Kapoor's long-running TV show, Kyunki...Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She chokes up saying, "My mother was my backbone. Whoever has worked with her will tell you she had only love and happiness to give. She would speak fondly of her co-stars from Kyunki, like Smriti (Irani), Apara (Mehta), Shilpa (Saklani) and Kamalika (Guha)."

Meanwhile, her brother, Vineet, who was earlier assisting filmmaker Vipul Shah, will soon be directing his own film. "He is a brilliant boy and a wonderful brother," she gushes. "I hope things work out for him and me. I'm not one of those who will sit on the actor's lap or dance around him to get work. I rely on my talent."