Sonu Sood is walking the talk about being there for those in need. He reached Kathmandu on Tuesday to help the victims of the horrific Nepal floods.

Talking to HT City from ground zero, he says, “Yes I am here, at a place called Nuwakot, it’s among the most affected areas. Meeting those families, the survivors was heart-wrenching. We are trying to do a lot of relief work for them- from arranging food supplies, medical help to shelters. We have been to many camps, met families. We have noted down their details too.”

Sonu took to Instagram on Tuesday and shared a carousel of pictures where he is seen meeting the children who have survived the floods.

He wrote in the caption, “They lost their homes, their families, their childhood…but together, we will help them find a new beginning. Nepal, you are not alone.”

The actor, who had garnered immense goodwill for helping people during the Covid outbreak too few years back, adds as he speaks to us, “The situation on ground is not good. All the relief camps are full of heartbroken people, especially Nuwakot. The debris here are unreal. Whole houses have been buried under the slush. I visited the miracle green house too which has survived, and met the family living in it. A lot of people have lost their livelihoods. It is important for us to come together in this hour of need. If you find any details or connection to some survivor, try to help them. Our charity is doing their bit. You can also get in touch with us, we will do whatever we can.”

Sanjay Dutt and Rahul Mittra

Be it a road trip or a vacation, anything is great if you have good friends for company. For years, Sanjay Dutt has hoped to take a trip to Kathmandu to visit the Pashupatinath Temple. This time, he roped in close friend and actor Rahul Mittra for a two-day getaway, squeezed in between their busy schedules.

Their initial plan was deferred due to political unrest in Nepal since September 8, 2025. However, Mittra assures that the “situation is peaceful and everything is fine now. We are artistes and we stay away from politics”. It is a known fact that Dutt often read the Shiv Puran during his imprisonment in April 1993 for the illegal possession of arms.

“Sanju has a strong connection with Lord Shiva. Baba ka bulawa aaya hai toh jana hi hai ab. It is a well-timed visit. We have been concerned about the political unrest [in Nepal], that is the reason that we timed it for this year. My friends there tell me that the situation is much better now,” shares the Haq actor, who has worked with Dutt in Torbaaz (2020) and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 (2018).

While their primary agenda is to visit the temple, Mittra adds that during the trip they will meet Dutt’s fan clubs in the country, visit a friend’s newly opened casino, and sample local delicacies.

“It’s a short visit. We will be back by tomorrow night as we are both busy with our respective work. His fans in Nepal are excited to [meet and greet] Sanju. We are both foodies, so wherever we travelled — Arunachal Pradesh, Kyrgyzstan, or Rajasthan — we always made it a point to try out the local cuisine. We will indulge in the local Himalayan delicacies like the national dish dal bhat, dumplings, lentil patty bara, noodle soups, and mutton katiya, among other things,” smiles the actor.

Earlier this year, American  rapper and singer Svetha Yallapragada Rao aka Raja Kumari was invited to visit Nepal by the country’s tourism board. So taken was she by the country’s energy that she pitched the idea of a live performance there. “This was my first solo show performing Kashi to Kailash,” she tells us, days after she performed her latest album at the historic Lohan Chowk in Hanumandhoka, Kathmandu.

“Usually, in my shows, a small section has spiritual undertones. But this time, the entire show was rooted in that energy. I really opened up, and spoke about moments when I felt God was guiding me in my journey as a musician. It was beautiful to share in such a sacred space,” she says.

In her older interviews, the Grammy-nominated songwriter had spoken about going through a dark phase around 2023 when she was blackballed and her India tour was cancelled. This album centred her, she says.

“Looking back now, I see that period as necessary for my healing. It forced me to examine what parts of me were performative, and what was authentic. I took a year off the album cycle. That year, I wanted to reconnect with my body, and I realized how important it was to allow myself to heal. It’s no longer about meeting external expectations. It’s about creating from a place of truth.”

It is from this place that Kashi to Kailash was born. In a way, it is also Kumari’s response to people trying to limit her identity. “People said, ‘She can’t sing in Hindi,’ or ‘Why is she trying Punjabi?’ With Kashi to Kailash, I went straight into Sanskrit, one of the most complex languages. If I can do Sanskrit, why should I be scared of any language? Now, I want to do Ganpati songs, the Hanuman Chalisa, but produced in a way that feels fresh and musically relevant,” she says excitedly.

This is a fascinating time to be a South Asian artiste. While Diljit Dosanjh is selling out shows in the US, Ali Sethi has become a prominent name in music. Kumari is confident that the future is big for South Asian music.

“Earlier, when I was writing songs for top talents, I used to be the only Indian in the room. They’d call me India or Yogi, and I’d play into it too, with lyrics about mangoes and curry. But we’ve evolved. Now there are more South Asian stories being told — not just by musicians, but also actors, writers, and directors. Sure, the West still exoticises us. But we’re pushing back and saying that we’re more than their stereotype. For instance, why didn’t Cartier give Diljit the legendary Patiala necklace for his Met Gala appearance? Instead, they gave it to a YouTuber two years ago. That kind of erasure is infuriating. It’s performative inclusion. Yet, we’re pushing — that’s the shift,” she asserts, before recalling an incident where she stood her ground with a US music label. “They couldn’t understand why I insisted on wearing a bindi. That inspired my song, Bindis and bangles.”

Raja Kumari, who was a songwriter of the Grammy-nominated song Change Your Life, is eyeing her shot at the Grammys. “I hope to give Kashi to Kailash the life it deserves, and maybe get nominated. We will enter the album,” she says.

They may be a decade apart in age, but Danny Denzongpa (76) and Jackie Shroff (67) have been best friends for years. Danny lives in Sikkim now and travels to Mumbai only occasionally, but neither distance nor work commitments can keep these dosts apart. This Friendship Day, the veteran actors share their little-known buddy stories with us. Excerpts:

Danny Denzongpa: I met Jackie when he was working on his launch film, Hero. We met at a hotel, where I saw him wearing cowboy boots, with his feet up on the table. He was looking very shabby, because that’s how the character was. We shook hands and I hugged him, wishing him the best and I liked his confidence. Though he was a newcomer, he was very likable, and we clicked. After Hero became a big hit, I went to meet him at Teen Batti chawl in Mumbai, where he stayed. I was already a star then and a crowd had gathered around me. Jackie stepped out shirtless with just a towel around his waist, asking people to step away. He was like a dada those days. I was surprised to see that he lived in a one-room chawl, though his movie had become a hit, and he could have moved out. I met his mother as well and we became close friends. Later, I also met his then girlfriend, now wife Ayesha, and she became my rakhi sister.

Jackie Shroff: The first time I saw Danny saab on-screen was in Mere Apne and I identified with him – the kurta-pyjama, long hair and bag on his back. (Not the bomb in the bag, but the rest of the look!) When I became an actor later, we got the opportunity to work together in films like Andar Baahar and we really bonded. We were shooting on an oil rig near the Gateway of India and for a week, we would travel together by boat. Post shoot, Danny saab would often drop by and have a cup of tea with my family. He calls me “sangeet ka dushman”, because he likes to sing while I just hum my lines. Both of us share a common interest – cooking.

Danny: We shot for Yudh in Kathmandu and travelled to Pokhara, where we shot for 15-20 days. I would take off for a nearby lake after the shoot, and park myself in a boat in the middle of the lake. When Jackie found out about it, he started joining me. We would go off to beautiful locations, watch the sunset and sing songs, and that’s how our friendship progressed - Danny Denzongpa

Danny: When they got married, Jackie invited just five-six close friends, including Subhash Ghai, Rajinikanth, Anupam Kher and me. A year later, Tiger was born, and Jackie called me up at 4 am to give me the news! I took glasses and champagne bottles in my icebox and went to the hospital. Then, Jackie, some of his friends and I went to a dhaba for an idli-vada breakfast, and we popped the champagne there. When my kids were born, the four children – Tiger-Krishna and Rinzing-Pema – would spend time together at his home or mine.

Jackie: Rinzing is more like my son; for me, there is no difference between him and Tiger and it’s the same for Danny saab. Both of us see Pema and Krishna as sisters; they are in the same age group and buddies as well.

Danny: I ran away from Mumbai’s polluted air and water and now I live in Sikkim. While spending time with me, Jackie started taking an interest in nature and started planting organic fruits and rice. He did not even know how to grow a flower, but now he gives me lectures on gardening (laughs).

Jackie: He is the one who made me learn all about respecting nature, and that every plant and tree is different. That’s how I started propagating the message about being environmentally conscious.

Danny: Jackie visited me last October and stayed for a week. When it gets cold in Sikkim I come and stay at Jackie’s farmhouse near Mumbai.

Jackie: We go down to Mahabaleshwar or Matheran together and every memory is special, or I go to Sikkim sometimes. We have a lot to talk about, be it jhaad-paan (plants), waterfalls and other facets of nature. I’m waiting for him to finish his work and come meet me soon.

Danny: The best thing about our relationship is that we have no expectations from each other – it’s pure. We sit together for hours without talking; it is the kind of relationship I had with my mother. I used to lie down in her lap as she said her prayers and our communication would go on though we weren’t talking. Jackie, too, isn’t very talkative and that is why the relationship is special.

Jackie: We are more than brothers and ours is a friendship that will never change. He is a pure soul. It's difficult to find a person like Danny saab – so dignified and with no malice towards anyone. He has a sense of decorum and grace, wherever he is. He is very smart and refined, and I’m surprised he is my friend. I'm not polished at all like him, but we are the best of buddies.

Kathmandu: All Hindi films, including ‘Adipurush’, were banned in Nepal on Monday following a controversy over its dialogues, including the mention of Sita as “India’s daughter”.

According to reports, the screening of Om Raut-directed ‘Adipurush’ has been halted nationwide, after the movie, a retelling of epic Ramayana, was banned in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Police personnel were deployed across 17 halls in Kathmandu to ensure that no Hindi film was screened.

Kathmandu mayor Balen Shah on Sunday said that no Hindi film will be allowed to run in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) until the dialogue “Janaki is a daughter of India” is removed, not just in Nepal, but also in India. Sita, also referred to as Janaki, is believed by many to have been born in Janakpur in southeast Nepal.

According to Shah, screening ‘Adipurush’ without getting the dialogue removed will cause “irreparable damage”. Pokhara metropolis mayor Dhanaraj Acharya said ‘Adipurush, starring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, would be barred from screening from Monday onwards.

“Screening of all the Hindi films will be barred within the KMC from Monday as the objectionable words in the dialogue of the film ‘Adipurush’ has not yet been removed,” the mayor said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Raju Pandey, KMC police chief, said that the police inspected cinema halls within the city on Sunday in accordance with the mayor’s instructions.

“We got a positive response during inspection on Sunday,” Pandey said. A security guard at Q’s Cinema situated at the Rising Mall in Kamaladi said that the theatre stopped screening ‘Adipurush’ after showing the movie once on Friday evening.

“Now, we are screening Nepali film ‘Neer Phool’ from Monday,” he said.

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From mid-May, Salman Khan has been giving his undivided attention to Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali. The superstar was to take three days’ break from the shoot to front Da-Bangg The Tour Reloaded in Nepal. However, with the show getting postponed due to the local elections and poor weather, he will devote the time to Farhad Samji’s directorial venture. It is heard that Khan has lined up a non-stop month-long schedule in Mumbai and Telangana.

A source from the creative team says, “Salman was to fly to Kathmandu yesterday to perform at Da-Bangg The Tour. But, after the show got postponed, Salman sat down with Farhad and reworked the dates. He will film his portions over the week at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, before leaving for an awards gala in Abu Dhabi on June 3. While he does his hosting duties in the UAE, Farhad will continue filming with the rest of the cast in Mumbai, only to be joined by Salman by June 5. After a week-long stint in the city, the team will go south in mid-June. A massive set of a village has been built in Kokapet, where the director will can two crucial tracks — one focusing on Salman’s character and his on-screen brothers, and the other dedicated to leading lady Pooja Hegde. The entire cast, including south star Venkatesh, will be present during the month-long spell.”

Khan is supervising every aspect of the film that is slated to hit the marquee on December 30.  “The action sequences have been designed by Anbu-Arivu, while Prabhudheva is handling the choreography,” adds the source. 

Things are looking up in the film industry as cinema halls in Maharashtra are opening their doors to movie lovers from today, October 22. And actor Parineeti Chopra is especially thrilled about this latest development because it falls on her birthday. “It is such a great thing... On my birthday, cinema halls are opening up again. It just feels good,” shares Chopra, who is currently in Kathmandu, Nepal, filming her upcoming Sooraj Barjatya movie, Uunchai.

The actor, who turns 33, says that it will be a working birthday for her and asserts that it is exactly how she wants the special day to be.

“I won’t take the day off. I am, especially, excited about this year’s birthday... First of all, I am going to be with my most favourite film crew — Sooraj Barjatya, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Sarika ma’am. Plus, I will get to celebrate it in this beautiful location, in this very exotic place (Kathmandu),” she says, adding that as an actor she feels lucky to get to see such amazing places while at work.

Chopra has had three releases this year with Saina, The Girl On The Train and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, giving her more reasons to celebrate her special day. “All my family and friends have been asking me about what I want as a birthday gift this year, and I have told them that 2021 has been a gift for me. It has given me success with my three films. I wanted the audiences’ love back, wanted back the accolades that I used to get. The fact that it has come to me after a wait of two-three years is the biggest birthday gift for me,” admits the actor.

Chopra will also be seen in Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and co-starring Ranbir Kapoor, set to release next year. Her birthday wish is to keep the momentum going in the years ahead. “I want 2021 to be the trailer of the rest of my career. It is exactly how I had started my career… I had done amazing successful films and I used to get accolades for my performances. This year gave me that. As an actor, I want 2021 to be the precursor to the rest. I am doing such amazing, big films. I want next year’s releases to be bigger and better,” she ends.

Prawaal Raman's upcoming film Main Aur Charles is based on the famous Tihar jail break of 1986 of Charles Sobhraj, where the powerhouse performer Randeep Hooda is portraying Charles.Charles Sobhraj is currently in Kathmandu jail and it's almost impossible to meet him. But on Sunday morning, Randeep Hooda along with his director managed to do the impossible, they met Charles, now a 72-year-old man in Kathmandu jail. Excerpts from an exclusive conversation with Randeep on his meeting with the man he portrays on screen this Friday.

How long was your meeting?
We met him in the area of mulaqat for about 10 minutes. He was at a distance of seven feet from us.

How did you manage to meet Charles?
It's not difficult to meet him, it's almost impossible. We had to go through a lot to meet him and finally got the permission but even after that when we landed in Kathmandu, we were still not allowed to meet him initially.

Talk about the details of your meeting?
I had gone dressed looking myself and not dressed as Charles, so when he saw me he could not recognise till I told him, 'I am the guy who plays Charles.' He looked at me with a long silence and then gave me a thumbs up. I had heard from our sources that he had seen the trailer of our film on his TV there and had liked it. We wanted to present him the poster of the movie. But he had not only already seen the poster, but had already put it up on the wall of the jail. We sent him some posters to sign and he not only signed them but also wrote his best wishes for us. He told us how seeing the trailer, he felt that the film was a great quality product and seeing it, he felt nostalgic about his young life. He told us how it needed guts for producers to make a film like this and he applauded Prawaal Raman for capturing it right. He was specially very high on the fact that I could portray him so correctly. He asked me, 'Where did you get my speech and mannerisms?' I said, 'Out of your available footage.' He said, 'Spot on.' Generosity is a big part of his nature wherever he goes. He requested for a screening of the movie after it releases not only for himself, but also for all his 3,000 inmates. He asked me whether it would be possible. I said, 'Yes. We will need to take permission but we will try our best.'

Did he talk about the possibility of his release?
He told us that there was a hearing on November 3 and that he might be getting out of jail in three months.

Did you present him anything else apart from the poster?
I presented him a book Mandela: My Prisoner, My Friend. Charles has been kept in a special cell but he still reads a lot and is very clued on to what is happening around.

How do you feel having met him?
I am so happy meeting him. It was such a surreal experience for me. He was everything larger than life that I had expected him to be. He was surrounded by security and a lot of his young boys that he pampers and he was all like enthusiastic about meeting us. I thought he was so full of life, almost virile. He is still such a handsome man. Even at the age of 72, he has his aura fully intact.

Has he sent any message?
He sent his salaam to Amod Kant. He complimented us for choosing to portray this part of his life, which he said was very interesting. He also said that once he was out of jail, he would like to meet Prawaal and me to share more interesting stories about his life, which could mean more sequels to his story.

Having spent three days in Kathmandu after the horrifying earthquakes, Jannat director Kunal Deshmukh returned to Mumbai Tuesday early morning with his girlfriend Sonali Rattan, who was with him during this time. While Kunal is still in a blur and very exhausted, both physically and emotionally, he speaks exclusively to Bombay Times about his life-changing experience. When I called him, the first thing he said to me was, “I still have the feeling that the ground under me is shaking. I feel like holding onto something.“ Excerpts from our conversation: 

SATURDAY: THE DAY OF THE FIRST EARTHQUAKE IN NEPAL
We had gone to Kathmandu for the wedding of one of our friends from Dubai.The saving grace was that the wedding was over on Thursday and there were friends from across the world who were going back that day. We were in the process of packing and checking out when suddenly the entire room began to shake and shake. It got so violent that Sonali was standing just six feet away from me, but I could not even reach out to her. Then I somehow managed and held her. We both knew it was an earthquake. And while you have been taught all your life to get under a table or get out in the open, physically at that time, it was shaking so much that it just paralyses you and your brain shuts off. We were staying at the Gokarna Forest Resort, an old structure made out of wood. We could hear the whole structure crunching with a freaky sound. The fan was literally swinging from side to side, our bags and suitcases were falling and we knew we had to somehow get out. We got out of our room and could see everyone rushing out of their rooms. We tightly held onto the side of the stairs and went out to the central courtyard lawn area of the hotel, where everyone had gathered. I was in my night clothes and boxers. We had ran out even without our passports as at that time, you can't think of anything. People were in shock, some of them even crying. Till about 7 pm, every 15 minutes, there were tremors when the ground would start shaking. We all huddled in the centre, holding each other's hands, trying to keep calm with no one talking. The water and power had been cut off and no one knew whether it was safe at all to go back to the hotel or not. Except for the manager of the hotel, the entire staff had left as their families had also been hit, so there was no one to take care or tell us anything. By 6 pm in the evening, it also started getting cold. Then some of us just went from room to room and emptied out all the minibars and picked up our jackets and passports and returned to the lawn again. Phones were not getting through and we had no access to news, so did not know how bad the earthquake was, but we managed to reach out to our families to let them know that we were safe. We knew that we had to use our phones sparingly as we had no way to get charge. We had confirmed tickets back to India for that day and we had to somehow make it to the airport. Getting a taxi was extremely difficult, but we managed.

The airport was a complete chaos. People had just thronged there, but there was no information available. No flights were taking off and we decided to return to the hotel. They were kind enough to let us in and we stayed there, 6 of us in a room. It felt good to be together with people. Throughout the night there were tremors, when we would all run down to the lawn freezing, waiting there for an hour or two and then again return to our room.

Information kept coming about the aftershocks and you had to believe the news, as believe it or not, the aftershocks came bang on time when they were predicted. We finally got tired and went off to sleep at 3am on Sunday morning. But at 4.30 am, there was such a big aftershock that we again ran down. After that, no one slept. With daybreak on Sunday, we packed our bags and again left for the airport.

SUNDAY TO TUESDAY: TWO NIGHTS AT THE AIRPORT
We knew through the news channels that the Air Force was coming in to get us. It was easier getting through to people in India than to anyone in Kathmandu. We had rescheduled our flights for Sunday. We drove past the city on the way to the airport and the sights were horrific and heartbreaking. There were people all over the place. Thousands and thousands of people. The sight was straight out of a disaster movie, but when you see the devastation just 5 feet away, it numbs you. Buildings had collapsed, roads cracked, bodies under the rubble everywhere.

We finally got to the airport, but this time it was even more chaotic than the first day. The Air Force evacuation line was kilometres long. That day, there was an over 6 point earthquake again that led to a mini stampede of sorts. The ground moved violently beneath your feet and it makes your stomach feel squeezy. There were people crying and collapsing being on the edge for so long. For those two days, we survived on chips, biscuits and water that the little shops were selling, but we didn't want to eat as the loos were so bad. There was no airport staff and can you imagine there was no security, literally no ground staff. Amongst thousands and thousands of people, there was just one toilet and no one to clean it, so if you landed up going to the toilet, there was shit lying everywhere on the floor. We tried to stay with minimum water and nothing to eat and just wanted to get out somehow.

By now, due to there being no security, passengers were all on the tarmac, a sight I have never seen before in my life. We all sat there for hours, just 10 feet away from the runway, waiting for the flights to come and take us. As soon as an Air Force plan would land, people would rush to the plane, desperate to get onto it. It was really sad. The Air Force was really warm and encouraging, but told us that to get onto the plane, we needed to be on the embassy list. They told us that they had brought some puri bhaji and parantha. While we could not get our hands onto them, my friend got a packet of some medical supplies. It was freaky to feel that you could walk around freely on the runway without any security stopping you.

Sitting waiting there, everytime a plane would land or take off, everyone would clap and felt ecstatic for people that had managed to get out.

After waiting for two days at the airport, we came to know that the plane that was coming for us had taken a detour and landed at Lucknow due to fresh tremors. Finally on Monday night, we got onto a plane and were thrilled, but again the plane was not able to take off as there were tremors, so we had to wait inside for 3 hours before it could take off. Finally when the plane did take off, it was truly like in Argo, where we all clapped, people were in tears holding each other, hugging each other.

WHAT THIS EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME
There was a taxi driver who drove another group from our hotel to the airport. Can you imagine he had been told midway that he had lost his daughter and wife, but he still continued driving to be able to leave those people to the airport?

We have been so exhausted ever since we came back and I cannot process anything that is happening to me, as it all feels like a blur. Those three days felt like a really long time. I have been quiet all day. And there is this gratitude and reverence that we made it and honestly, nothing else matters. Before leaving I was thinking of which film and which producer, but now I don't care anymore. I will never ever complain about the small stuff in life. They just don't matter once you know that you could have lost your life and barely got away .Our hearts are breaking thinking of people still stuck there, still trying to get back. You see the news on TV, you've seen disaster movies, but just going through it is something else. Your body just kicks on into another gear. There was constant support from everywhere back home. But the person I want to make a special mention of is Parveen, Emraan Hashmi's wife. She was in touch with Sonali every one hour and we know that she too didn't sleep throughout. She just made us feel that we will be able to go through it. I honestly wish that no one should ever go through this. I sincerely pray that between the disaster management teams, the Air Force and the world, they can look after people in Nepal.

Last Thursday when Emraan Hashmi bid his director friend, Kunal Deshmukh, goodbye after a meeting, he had no premonition of the calamity which was to follow.

Kunal flew to Nepal for a school friend's wedding and two days later, an earthquake shook Nepal and Emraan recieved the first of many texts from Kunal, who with the rest of the baraatis, was at the Gorkhana Forest Resort, 10 kms from Kathmandu's city centre. He assured the actor that he was fine and the two have been in touch, intermittently, except for seven hours in between when the power went off. Once electricity was restored, Kunal started reporting from Ground Zero, all the while trying to conserve his cell phone battery.

“The hotel was evacuated following fears of after shocks and everyone spent Saturday night out on the 18-hole golf course,“ Emraan informed Mirror.

Early on Sunday, they reached the international airport hoping to catch the 2.20 pm Jet Airways flight back to Delhi. But after fresh tremors, the flight didn't get permission to land. And around 4 pm, Kunal whatsapped Mahesh Bhatt, “Waiting for Jet flight. Meanwhile, have made a queue behind a Royal Air Force plane evacuating people to Delhi.“ He had earlier reassured the frantic filmmaker that they were “lucky to be safe“. Three hours later, he texted Emraan that both the 2.20 pm and the 5.15 pm flights had been suspended and they were camping on the tarmac with no plans of returning to the resort even though the control tower had been evacuated. “It's crazy but at least my friends are together. I think rations are running low at the airport. Since all commercial flights have been cancelled, the Indian Air Force flight is the best bet,“ said Emraan.

Bhatt who was to meet Kunal on Monday to discuss their next film, added that he's been told that the small airport was crowded, information network poor and it was getting cold with a thunderstorm brewing. Around 8 pm he got a text from Kunal, “If Jet cancels its flight we either stay at the airport or leave and come back tomorrow.“

Forty minutes later there was better news: “One Jet flight just landed. Our flight is expected to get here at 10 pm. Fingers crossed.“ Bhatt sighed: “This is life imitating cinema. Kunal's Tum Mile was about lovers trapped in a natural calamity (floods in Mumbai). Now he and Sonali, sweethearts since school, are trapped in a similar situation.“


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Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; April 27, 2015)

When Kunal Deshmukh left for a friend’s wedding in Kathmandu four days ago, little would he have imagined about a fun trip turning into a nightmare of sorts. As Nepal’s worst earthquake in eight decades struck on Saturday — recording 7.9 on the Richter scale and claiming more than 1500 lives — the director was desperate to call up his loved ones and inform them of his well- being.

But thanks to jammed phone lines, his family spent a few anxious hours before they heard his voice in a five- second call. “We were extremely worried when news first trickled in about the earthquake,” said Kunal’s sister, Devika. “I am in Jakarta with my parents. After trying his number several times, I managed to speak to him through one of his friends, but the call lasted for only five seconds due to poor network. He was standing in the lawns (of Gokarna Forest Reserve) when the quake hit and he is safe. I spoke to him again when he was waiting at the Kathmandu airport,” she said with a hint of relief in her voice.

Concerned about his safety, Mahesh Bhatt tweeted soon after the incident, saying: “Can someone help us search Kunal Deshmukh (director of my film Jannat) in Kathmandu? He was living in the Gorkana Forest Resort (sic).” Mukesh Bhatt said he had spoken to Kunal before he left for Kathmandu. “After we heard the news about the tragedy in Nepal, we tried calling him up, but didn’t get through. Today, the airport has been closed down due to powerful aftershocks. We are trying to put him on the first flight back home,” he added.

Kunal’s stylist-friend Rick Roy is also relieved after speaking to him. “I called him many times, but the phone lines were busy. I sent him a few text messages and when I didn’t get a reply, I began to panic. But a few hours later, I spoke to a common friend who was with Kunal at that time. Thank god he is safe and sound,” he said.

A source close to the director says he is still in a state of shock. In a text message Kunal tells us, “The network is bad and I am at the Kathmandu airport. Trying to get home.”

The airport was shut down again at 1.15 pm yesterday following the strong aftershocks.
In a tweet, Mahesh Bhatt wrote, “Kunal says: Jet flt is suspended. Airforce has promised to get all of us out. They are setting up tables for chai, parathas & puri bhaji (sic).”