Shriya Pilgaonkar still remembers how her father, Sachin Pilgaonkar, would sit by her bed when she was a child and tell stories as she fell asleep. “Each night, it was a new story with different characters. Papa is an amazing storyteller, and I think that is where my love for stories and performing comes from,” says Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar’s daughter.

While both her parents are actors, she didn’t fully realize how well known they were till the time came for the school parent-teacher meetings. “Everyone would be excited to see them, and those moments made me realise the impact they had as actors on people’s lives. At other times, they were my hard-working parents, who were very involved in my life,” Shriya adds.

I met Supriya first, congratulated and thanked her for giving me a daughter. Then I went to see my little one with dimples on her cheek. Holding Shriya in my hands for the first time was the biggest joy of my life. On the morning of 25th April, Shriya was born and the same evening, there was an announcement on TV that Supriya won best actress and I won for best director for a Marathi film that year.

Once when Shriya was three years old, I came home after work and was just lying on my bed. Shriya looked at me and like a mother she asked me “Are you tired?” I said yeah. She started patting me like a mother, and I fell asleep, and that sleep was the soundest sleep I’ve ever had in my life.

Of course I have visited papa’s film sets. I have so many fun memories of visiting the sets of Tu Tu Main Main and seeing him in action as a director and mom as an actor. He would call me to do cameos and I would happily show up. He is an incredible teacher and there’s so much I have learnt from him.

“Her mannerisms are like Supriya’s, but her personality is like mine,” says Sachin, adding that Shriya is a foodie just like him. The father-daughter duo bonds over their shared love of travel. “One of our most memorable trips was the family holiday we had in Maldives last year. Papa loves to swim, but not in the ocean. I wanted him to try snorkelling and though he was scared at first, he finally overcame his fear. Like me, he’s always up for a good adventure,” Shriya remembers.

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Holding Shriya in my hands for the first time was the biggest joy of my life

We speak about work, but I don’t give advice unless she asks me for it. Now, we like to travel and just chill together, discussing film & music

– Sachin Pilgaonkar

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Papa is a one man army

Papa is an incredible teacher. He is a one-man army & it’s amazing to see him work with so much passion

He lifts the energy of a room. One of his life lessons to me is that one should learn not just from their seniors but also from juniors

– Shriya Pilgaonkar

His roster is full, but that won’t deter Salman Khan from picking up interesting projects, especially ones that talk of National history. The actor, who kicked off his new film with A R Murugadoss this summer, has his calendar booked till early next year. Ideally, his next film was supposed to be the Vishnuvardhan-directed venture, The Bull. Rumours suggest that certain portions of the film have to be rewritten because of the current political strain and conflict between India and Maldives.

Produced by Karan Johar, The Bull revolves around the events of Operation Cactus, which occurred on November 3, 1988. “During this operation, the Indian Armed forces aided the Maldives government in regaining control after a coup attempt, orchestrated by businessman Abdullah Luthufi and the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The forces swiftly incapacitated the mercenaries, ensuring the restoration of authority to President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s government within a matter of hours,” shares a source.

The makers are now trying to fictionalize a few parts of the story. The source adds, “It’s still a heroic tale, but instead of keeping the references direct, it is safer at this point to make changes to the geographical specifications of the story. The director wants to stick to the real story [and will use] the details of the operation. The rework is expected to be completed by the end of the year. In all likelihood, Salman will start the film in 2025.”

The Maldives has been a favourite shooting location for Bollywood filmmakers, with movies such as Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005), Agent Vinod (2012), Ek Villain (2014) and Ram Setu (2022), shot in the island country. However, given the deteriorating relations between India and the Maldives lately after three ministers made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his visit to the Lakshadweep, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has appealed to the producers to boycott shoots in the Maldives.

Their statement read: “In solidarity with the nation, the members of the FWICE have decided to boycott Maldives for their shooting locations. Instead, we appeal to its members to choose similar locations in India for their shooting purpose and contribute towards developing the tourism in India.”

FWICE chief advisor, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, says, “It was important for Bollywood to extend support to show the Maldives that we can’t be taken for granted.”

There are a lot of locations for us to shoot our films. Nothing matters more than our country’s pride.

A couple of songs were scheduled to be shot in the Maldives. FWICE’s notice would dent the whole travel economy and film shoots.

Changing any location at the last minute costs us. It also delays schedules as you have to start the process all over again. As a filmmaker, I think it’s unfair to the director, but then, this can happen for many other reasons too, including natural disasters, airline issues, etc. I don’t think filmmakers or the film fraternity should boycott any country or location unless the government officially asks us to do so.

We can find alternatives. We are no longer in the cinematic era where foreign locations were necessary for romantic songs. From a monetary point-of-view, I don’t see any negative impact of FWICE’s decision.

We have many islands in India that are like the Maldives. Maldives waise bhi bahut expensive country hai. We support PM Modi and the country with this decision. Maldives ne apna bahut nuksaan karaya hai in statements se.

Inspired by his patriotic sentiments, singer Ankit Tiwari recently cancelled his family trip to the Maldives amid the #BoycottMaldives row. He took to X to share the change of plans, mentioning, “My wife, daughter, and I were about to visit the Maldives, but we found a better and unexplored island in our very own country, Lakshadweep Island.”

Explaining the decision, Tiwari tells us that the trip was initially planned for February but, upon learning about the Maldives controversy, he decided to switch the destination: “Why should we visit a place where people, especially ministers, make such hateful comments about our PM and our country? Is it really worth it? So, my wife and I dropped the plan immediately.”

The singer adds, “Meanwhile, we also saw our PM Modi’s amazing pictures of snorkelling and taking a walk by the beach at the beautiful Lakshadweep island, and we immediately changed our plan.”

Addressing the challenges of taking a stance as a public figure on political issues, the singer admits that it is indeed difficult. But it also highlights the responsibility that comes with a wide-reaching audience. “When you (as a public figure) say something, it’s not just heard by 100 or 200 people; it’s heard by the entire nation. This time, I never questioned whether I was doing the right thing; I knew I was promoting Indian tourism,” he shares.

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"Being underwater drains out all the noise and transports me to a completely different world. I find a lot of peace underwater. It is a very beautiful and calming experience. It's a beautiful world out there"

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"It is important for our environment to have healthy oceans, because if there's no blue, there's no green! Our underwater plants and corals are getting bleached out because of global warming. People leave beaches dirty and there's so much plastic underwater. Single-use plastic should be banned"

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"We have started beach clean-up drives now, which makes the beaches more accessible. When we see clear beaches abroad, it just shows us how we need to seriously make more effort to save our oceans"

She’s travelled across the world on holidays and for work, but what’s the one travel goal Sonakshi Sinha hasn’t met yet? A solo trip, which is still on the bucket list! “I really enjoy travelling with friends. We like doing the same things together and are not fussy. It’s important to have likeminded people while travelling,” shares the actress, who always plans a holiday to coincide with her birthday in June.

Sonakshi, who rang in 2023 in Finland, says that the Christmas New Year period is the best time to travel. “By Christmas everybody has checked out of work mode and wants to take a break, leave the year behind, focus on how the next year is going to be and be in a positive mind space. I think travelling is very enriching for the soul,” she adds. Here are some highlights from her travel diaries.

I went to Finland and witnessed so much snow for the first time! I did husky sledding, chased the northern lights, went on a snowmobile – and a lot more. I want to visit Japan in the cherry blossom season, though I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it. Among other places that I want to visit is Africa, where I want to go on a safari. I also want to see Machu Picchu in Peru.

I am an adventurous person, so I like to do stuff that I don’t get to do back home. On the beach, I spend more time in the water, scuba diving and doing water sports. No surprises for guessing my favourite travel destination – Maldives! It has the most beautiful seas I have ever seen. The underwater life – the corals, reefs, sea animals – opened my horizons and changed the way I look at nature.

My favourite outdoor shoot was in Budapest for Force 2. I was there for about 50 days, and when I was not shooting, I would take off on my own to explore the city – and it was just stunning. One day, I took a bus tour and saw all the main sites.

Last seen together in a blockbuster (RRR) that took the global audience by storm, Shriya Saran is back with Ajay Devgn in Drishyam 2 as his wife, Nandini Salgaonkar. She married Russian entrepreneur Andrei Koscheev in 2018 and welcomed their first child, Radha Saran Koscheev, who was born in Barcelona last year. In an interview with Bombay Times, the actress talks about sharing screen space with Ajay and Tabu in Drishyam 2, her return to Mumbai, her gypsy soul finding an anchor in her daughter and the changing culture of films. Read on…

Director Abhishek Pathak has pushed the envelope further this time around. It’s a strong character and though she is helpless, she wants to protect the family. It’s a well-written character that you can relate to, and the scenes are extremely intense… I would say even more than the previous film. I know the crux of the story, but I haven’t watched the Malayalam original. I think it’s better to approach a different language adaptation as a standalone film, as it has its own style and treatment.

Ajay doesn’t talk much, he is a man of few words and gives you enough room to react as an actor. Maintaining that longevity as an actor for decades isn’t easy and he has achieved that. He acts, has directed and produced films… it’s inspiring to work with someone who is constantly reinventing and growing. I love to work with Tabu as well. She is so easy to talk to and is involved in every scene.

It was very random. We met on a boat in the Maldives and there was an instant connect. We both love travelling, are self-made and started working from a young age. His mom’s a teacher and dad’s an engineer, we had similar upbringing and background. We knew it might work. From the time we met, we travelled everywhere together for a year, and then our parents suggested we get married. We got married a year later on the same day that we had met for the first time (April 19).

Of course, you need to explain a few things, but there’s a lot of beauty in diversity. I didn’t tell him that he doesn’t need to fast for Karva Chauth, he only found out this year that he didn’t need to (laughs). He has been fasting with me before that. He loves rajma chawal, roti sabji and ghar ka khaana over restaurant food. He is completely Indian now.

We are based in Mumbai now as my work really got intense. He is quite funny and he loves the paps. For a Halloween bash, we were both dressed as Mumbai cops, and he enjoyed it. He kisses me when someone’s taking a picture because it’s cute. He is still learning the cultural differences as to how it’s not common for people to kiss in public here. He knew that I was an actor before he came here, but he didn’t know that I was a known face. He is not overwhelmed by the shutterbugs at all. I think my baby loves the cameras as well.

It has taught me a lot. Yes, our lives have changed. We had a bohemian lifestyle, where we wouldn’t follow a set pattern. After marriage, we decided to go to Spain out of nowhere because we wanted to learn a new language or start a business. For some reason, that didn’t happen, so we went to South America instead and lived there for months. I would head back to India for my films and then go to London, we were constantly on the go. During the pandemic, our daughter was born, and our lives are drastically different now. She is like an anchorin our lives, and every life-changing experience makes you a better actor

The moment your child is born and you hold your baby, your heart is no longer yours. It changes you forever. Becoming a mother was beautiful, and I wanted to get back to work for her. I wanted her to know that I am a working mom and have always been a hard-working woman. Also, getting back wasn’t easy. I had to shed all my post-pregnancy weight and get back into shape within seven months. It was extremely hard, but the toughest was to leave her at home and go to work. I want the best for her, but I also want her to see who I am. The first time I travelled for work without her, I couldn’t sleep at night. You constantly ask yourself if you are doing the right thing. Perhaps, I am more serious about my work now because when she sees my films, I want her to say, ‘Mamma, that was great. I am happy you did this.’ She is 22 months old and says ‘Bye’ when I leave and hugs me when I return. I want her to be a child who sees that you need to work hard for the things you want.

If rumour mills are anything to go by, actress Ileana D’Cruz has found love again with London-based model Sebastian Laurent Michel, who is Katrina Kaif’s brother. He was spotted in Mumbai and Rajasthan last year when Katrina and Vicky Kaushal had tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony.

Sebastian and Ileana are said to be in a relationship for about six months now. The two also follow each other on Instagram. Ileana was seen among Katrina’s near and dear ones with whom the actress celebrated her birthday in the Maldives on July 16. Ileana also posted a picture which features Katrina, Vicky, Sebastian, Isabelle, Anand Tiwari and Mini Mathur.

It has been a few years since Ileana D’Cruz parted ways with photographer Andrew Kneebone. Even though the actress acknowledged it, she has chosen to remain silent about what pushed her and Andrew to end their relationship.

Since then, Ileana had been single, busy with work and travelling in her free time. We sent a text to Ileana for a comment asking for confirmation about her relationship with Sebastian, but she didn’t respond.

Singer-anchor Aditya Narayan is enjoying fatherhood and calls the phase “surreal”. He shares that taking a break to be with his daughter, born in February, is what is on his mind. “We all need a break, and for me, it has to be around my daughter, Tvisha, and my wife, Shweta. This is the best phase of my life. It not only made me more responsible, but I feel elatedly content with life,” he tells us.

Excited about a vacation with his family next month, he shares, “I had planned the Maldives vacay well in advance as a self-reward after days of hard work, completing my commitments.”

On the subject of his professional future, Narayan, who has been seen hosting reality shows, shares that he will soon be back to acting after a gap of 12 years.

“After Shaapit (2010), nothing much came my way. But my innings as an anchor gave me a new lease of life. And now, I also have my first OTT series slated in the second half of this year. In fact, 2022 is a year of many firsts for me! My first album will also be launched this year. I am filled with deep sense of gratitude at the moment,” he concludes.

Actor Disha Patani has frequently been the target of relentless trolling on social media for her bold fashion choices. The most recent example of this were the bikini photos from her Maldivian vacation. But, the actor is unbothered.

“I’ve learned to block out the comments from people who choose to spread hatred rather than love on social media. Insta is a platform for self-expression, and I post what I enjoy. It’s as simple as that. I don’t pay attention to negative comments,” elaborates Patani.

Meanwhile, on the professional front, the actor made her Hindi film debut in M S Dhoni - The Untold Story (2016) and has since appeared in a slew of action films in which her male co-stars did most of the heavy lifting. The 28-year-old informs that going forward, the audience will be able to see her perform stunts as well.

Patani will next be seen in Ek Villain Returns and Yodha, and in the latter she will engage in high-octane action sequences: “Action and stunts have always been viewed as a man’s domain, but slowly things are changing, and I’m hopeful that women will be able to headline action films soon. I’d love to work on a film like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). That has been a dream.”

She goes on to share that one of her biggest career aspirations is to be a part of a superhero film. Patani shares, “I have always been a fan of this genre and Marvel movies. It would be great to star in a superhero film someday. The entourage of such films is extravagant, and shooting in that setting would be something I’d really want to do at some point in my career.”

Actors Malaika Arora and Arjun Kapoor have been dating for about three years now. But now the grapevine suggests that all may not be well in their relationship.

Entertainment portals and social media are abuzz with their breakup rumours, claiming that Arora did not step out of her house for about six days. It’s also being said that she was sad about the alleged breakup, and withdrew herself from the world, putting herself in isolation.

Reportedly, even Kapoor has not visited her in the past few days. 

Both the actors had switched off their phones when we tried reaching out to them for a confirmation or denial of the breakup rumours. However, they still follow each other on social media, and Arora had even liked Kapoor’s last post on Instagram, three days ago. 

It’s worth noting that speculations about the couple heading to splitsville had been doing the rounds a month back as well. Reports had suggested that they would not be celebrating Christmas and New Year’s together. But the couple quashed all such rumours when they jetted off to the Maldives, shared glimpses from their vacation on social media, and even celebrated Christmas at Arora’s parents’ house.

Bipasha Basu Singh Grover admits to being ‘paranoid’, especially about her parents, amid the increase in Coronavirus cases in India. The actor says she keeps tabs on everything they do, as any concerned daughter would, and ensures that they are safe.

Bipasha also makes sure that the staff caring for her parents follow all protocols, and maintain hygiene. “I am very particular about what my parents do, where and how they go. For a long time, they didn’t travel, so when everything felt better (last year), with all possible protocols in place, I took them to the Maldives. Then my father flew to Kolkata. I was very paranoid and wanted him to come back to Mumbai, and thankfully he reached just before this new wave,” says the actor, who turns 43 today.

Bipasha will be celebrating the day with her parents and husband, actor Karan Singh Grover, and says it is one of the most special days of her life. She gushes, “I am very excited about my birthdays each year, no matter how old I am getting. I am as excited as I was in childhood.”

Bipasha adds, “I had a lot of plans for this year… I was supposed to go to the Maldives, it is Karan’s and my favourite place. A lot of plans were there, but owing to this third wave that has come in, we are trying to be responsible and stay put at home, doing our bit to contain the wave.”

Talking further about her plans for the day, the Alone (2015) actor says, “There will be no party as such; it will be very simple, with my mum and dad and food. I am a foodie. All my favourite specialties will be made by my mum. I will miss all my friends and my birthday holiday, which I love.”

The actor adds that “this will be the second year in a row” that she hasn’t “celebrated her birthday” in a big way. She shares, “Last year, Karan got Covid-19 and was stuck in Serbia. Our plans for the New Year’s and my birthday got cancelled. I am grateful that this year my entire family is healthy and all are happy.”

The big day is here! Actors Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal are all set to take pheras at Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur. As per reports, the theme for the wedding is pastel sorbet. We’ve exclusively learnt that Hari and Sukhmani, the folktronic duo, will perform, in sync with Kaushal’s love for Punjabi music.

As for the food menu, aside from fish platters, Rajasthani delicacies such as daal baati churma, paya, and laal maas will be served. There will be stalls selling Indian street foods such as golgappas, chaats, dahi bhalla, kebabs, kachori, and paan. The duo will reportedly cut a blue-and-white five-tier Tiffany wedding cake prepared by a special chef from Italy.

The couple’s mehendi ceremony was held yesterday and as per a Bollywood Life report, soothing music — filmy numbers and Rajasthani folk — along with the “beautiful weather of Rajasthan” served as the perfect backdrop. According to a source, it was held at the open maidaans inside the fort with tents set up for guests. Apparently, 100kg of flowers, including lilies, orchids and marigolds, were ordered to decorate the venue. Sojat mehendi from Pali district had been ordered for Kaif, and mehendi artists from Mumbai and Barwara had been called. But they refused to come due to financial disagreements. Celebrity mehendi artiste Veena Nagda flew down for the ceremony.

Meanwhile, due to heavy security, the locals are miffed as they aren’t allowed to move freely in their own village. “It is the first time a wedding of this scale is happening in the village. Everyone is excited to see them, but they aren’t allowed anywhere near the venue,” a source told News18.

Furthermore, contrary to previous reports, the couple will go on a short honeymoon to the Maldives after hosting a reception for industry friends at Taj Lands End in Mumbai, and will not return to work immediately, according to Pinkvilla. The OTT deal to exclusively stream VicKat’s wedding also seems to have come through as they sold their wedding telecast rights for ₹80 crore, reports Mid Day. Meanwhile, India Today reports that the couple is likely to sign two big endorsements after their nuptials, for a luxury product and fitness brand. HTC

While Alibaug has always been favoured by Mumbaikars for short holidays, in the last two years, due to the pandemic, it became one of the preferred destinations for a quick getaway from the city to soak in the sun and sand. Recently, actor-couple Ram Kapoor and his wife Gautami bought a sprawling holiday home in Alibaug. Ram says that the pandemic was not the reason to invest in a property at the lovely locale.

He shares, “I have holiday homes in Goa and Khandala, so there was no reason to find one more. But, since 2017, I was looking for a property, which would be an extension of my home in South Mumbai, and now, given the quick access to Alibaug, I thought it would be a good idea to buy this home. The plan was to find a place that wouldn’t be too far where I could relax on weekends with my family. Goa and Khandala are great, but they are not close to home. It was a dream to buy a home where I can see my grandchildren enjoy their time.”

He further added, “Alibaug has developed a lot in the past two years. Today, you find the best eateries, good services and facilities there, so I found it a convenient option. Finally, my dream to own a second home near Mumbai has come true.”

Ask Ram if he plans to ring in the New Year at his new home and he says, “No, I had booked a holiday to the Maldives before I bought this property, so I am spending my New Year there. But, my wife and kids are looking forward to spending their weekends in Alibaug now. I plan to go there every Thursday evening and come back on Sunday.”

Sameer Wankhede, NCB’s zonal director, visited Dubai and Maldives with his family during the Sushant Singh Rajput episode last year and did “settlements” with Bollywood people, alleged state minority minister Nawab Malik on Thursday, intensifying his attack on the anti-drug officer. Wankhede said he never visited Dubai and that he would sue the minister. Malik has been relentless in his attacks following Aryan Khan’s arrest.

Malik said the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer had extorted crores of rupees from Bollywood personalities in connivance with the BJP. “He has been making false cases against celebrities to extort money and some dealings have happened in Dubai and Maldives. He along with his family visited Dubai and Maldives during the investigation of Sushant Singh Rajput last year between September and December. There are pictures of his sister in Maldives which she has posted on her social media handle.” he said.

Though Malik says Wankhede’s sister visited the Maldives in September 2020, her photos taken in the island nation were posted on her Instagram page last month. Malik said, “The entire Wankhede family is bogus and I am going to prove this with evidence very soon. The day I bring those evidence before the public he will lose his post as an officer and he has to face suspension. Now he has been calling through other people that he didn’t frame my son-in-law and it was done on behalf of some people but he is not revealing the names of those people.”

Earlier, the NCB had arrested Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan in an illicit drug trafficking case. A special NDPS court granted him bail, saying charges of illegal drug trafficking and harbouring won’t sustain against him under section 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act. Insisting that it has strong material against Sameer Khan, the NCB said that it would move the high court to challenge the order. Sameer Khan spent nearly 8.5 months in jail.

Addressing party workers, NCP leader Malik also said, “The MVA government is not scared of anybody or any agency that the Centre is using to destabilise the government. I want to tell them that they won’t succeed.”

Wankhede rejected Malik’s allegation. “The allegations levelled by Malik are baseless. I will take legal action against him for targeting female members of my family. I have never visited Dubai in my life since I have joined the service. I have never visited Maldives with my sister. I officially took leave from the government and went on a holiday with my family with my hard-earned money.”

Malik has held four press conferences where he made serious charges against what he called NCB’s wrongdoings in the Aryan Khan case. He said that the case was fake and Aryan Khan was framed by the NCB on the instructions of the BJP. The informer in the cruise drug bust case, Manish Bhanu, was a BJP member and he was a panch in the case, while another panch K P Gosavi is a wanted accused, he has said. He alleged that NCB let go of three people, including the brother-in-law of a BJP leader on October 3.

Mutha Ashok Jain, NCB’s deputy director-general, said through a press release that Wankhede had visited Maldives with his family on July 27 last year after the approval of the “competent authority”. “Certain incorrect information has been circulated against Sameer Wankhede, IRS, Zonal Director of Mumbai. He was inducted as Zonal Director, Mumbai on 31.08.2020 on loan basis for the period of six months and after this, he has not submitted any application for Ex-India leave to Dubai and as per the approval of Competent Authority on 27.07.2021, the officer has availed Ex-India leave along with his family to Maldives,” reads the press release. 

Soon after, Malik tweeted photos of Wankhede and his sister saying, “Sameer Wankhede has accepted the fact that he had visited Maldives but he denies the visit to Dubai. Here is the proof of his visit to Dubai with his sister. Sameer Wankhede was at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai on 10th December 2020. His lie stands exposed.”

The pictures were taken from the social media account of Wankhede’s sister. Wankhede said, “The photos Malik is talking about are of Mumbai. I was in Mumbai at that time.”

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Sanjana Sanghi is back to work, and recently shot action scenes in Russia for her next, OM: The Battle Within. She sounds excited when she tells us that the audience will get to see “a new side” to her. “It was satisfying to shoot, in the sense that you could go ahead and do that with all precautions. Also, what we filmed there was very exciting for me as an actor. I’ve been prepping for the sequence for a while now, and to finally do that was creatively very exciting,” says the actor, who turns 25 today.

Sanghi says she takes her birthdays seriously, and expects the same from her loved ones. “It has always been a grand celebration. In school, it used to be in the middle of our half-yearly exams, but I’d still have a party... I love getting everyone in my life together. Last year was the first time I couldn’t do that, but my closest friends came outside my gate and sang happy birthday,” she recalls fondly.

This year, she plans to ring in her birthday in Maldives with her close friends. We talk to her before she has taken off, so she has jitters amid the pandemic. “I just wanted to zoom out a bit, take notice of where’s one at and where life is. A little bit of the ocean and nice sunsets could do that,” says the actor, who debuted as a lead in 2020’s Dil Bechara.

Exclaiming that she finds it surreal that she’s hit the “big 25th”, she says, “I’ve been the younger sibling, the little one at home. In the industry, I started off as a child actor (in Rockstar; 2011)... When I look back, there is so much growth, experiences that have added to the person I am now. I can’t believe I’m turning 25! Maybe once I cut the cake, it’ll sink in.”

It’s family time for Saif Ali Khan, who’s taking a short break from his film shoots. The actor turns 51 on August 16, and to ring in the special day the Kapoors have set off to the land of sun and sand, the Maldives, today.

Shedding more light on the family vacation, a source informs Bombay Times, “Saif is looking at having a cosy family time this year on his birthday. He was just too exhausted with the work and wanted to hit the pause button to relax and unwind. This is going to be his first break after a long time as he was juggling between the tiring shooting schedules and other work commitments. He will be spending the much needed familytime at a peaceful resort on a private island.”

The actor has been shooting for his upcoming multi-starrer horror comedy, and the mythological film Adipurush starring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon.

BT has it that Kareena Kapoor Khan planned the family getaway. However, the birthday celebration is going to be a low key affair. “Kareena was very excited to have a good time, so she planned every detail of the vacation. It will just be the couple and their kids Tim and Jehangir aka Jeh. No more guests are expected as Saif wanted to keep it subdued and be in the company of his family. Both Kareena and he are very excited as it is going to be Jeh’s first family outing,” adds the source.

Aahana Kumra recovered from Coronavirus a few days ago and presently, she is busy amplifying requests and requirements for those battling the coronavirus. She points out how verifying leads is the need of the hour. She says, “At a time when people are running around to get oxygen cylinders, nobody is going to verify names and contact details. I don’t put up a single request without cross-checking details and that is a call social media influencers must take.”

She reckons that social media is quite a boon in these times, when people are co-dependent for hospital beds and oxygen cylinders. “So many people are amplifying, they are using social media responsibly. People with a wide reach, including influencers, are making good use of their platforms. I’m very impressed and proud of the way actors and influencers have begun amplifying SOS calls. We are being able to reach out to people in places we couldn’t have imagined sending help to earlier,” Kumra shares.

The Khuda Haafiz (2020) actor says that she was disappointed in her peers posting pictures from their Maldives vacations, and recognises the importance of empathy and sensitivity.

“Everyone is allowed to take a break. When I was recovering from Covid and I saw pictures of them in Maldives, I was wondering why are they posting such pictures!” she says, adding, “Those who faced flak understood that they’ve lacked empathy. Empathy and not showing off is the need of the hour.”

“This year, Shraddha’s birthday celebration will be huge as all of us including the extended family are in the Maldives,” says dad Shakti Kapoor, talking about actor Shraddha Kapoor who is attending the wedding of her cousin, Priyank Sharma, aunt (actor) Padmini Kolhapure’s son. “Wedding and birthday will be big time, sab saath mein hai, toh maza aayega,” he adds.

The senior actor shares that his daughter enjoys her work and feels elated when people appreciate her performances. “As a person, no one can be better than her. In fact, she has qualities that I don’t have (laughs). She has a heart of gold. She is generous and an animal lover. I am so happy that even today when she is so successful, she listens to me, consults me on all major decisions in life. She has given me that respect. I have no complaints in life. I am blessed. She is God’s gift to me, an angel, a golden child. I remember, in school, she would perform on stage and I felt she could become an actor but as she was an intelligent student, she went to study in the US. I never thought she would be an actor. But achanak, when I returned from shoot one fine day, I heard she had signed Teen Patti (2010),” says the actor, revealing that as a birthday gift, Shraddha wants him to give up smoking.

Ask him on what he wants for her and he replies, “As a father, I want my children to settle down in life. But ab kab karenge.. let’s see. Today, times have changed and people settle late in life unlike our times when people got married at 20. I guess, each to one’s own. I have no complaints.”

Padmini Kolhapure’s son, actor Priyaank K Sharma, tied the knot with producer Karim Morani’s daughter Shaza on Thursday. The couple had a court marriage in the morning, and later, celebrated the occasion with family members and close friends. Shraddha Kapoor and brother Siddhanth, who are very close to Priyaank, joined in the revelry with their parents, Shakti and Shivangi Kapoor.

Talking about the wedding, Siddhanth says, “Priyaank is more of a buddy than a cousin and I have known Shaza for many years. She ties me rakhi every year. They are perfect for each other. On Thursday, we had an intimate celebration at Shaza’s home after their court marriage. We made merry all evening. There was music, dancing and some delicious food to complete the celebrations. This is just the beginning. We have a dhamaal wedding ceremony, the traditional one, that will take place in the Maldives early next month.”

Apart from family members, Padmini’s Woh Saat Din co-star Anil Kapoor was in attendance for the celebration on Thursday with brother Boney Kapoor. Also on the guest list were, Juhi Chawla, Sunny Deol, Poonam Dhillon, Bhagyashree, Zaheer Iqbal, Suraj Pancholi and Zayed Khan among others. Shraddha Kapoor’s rumoured boyfriend, photographer Rohan Shrestha was also seen at the wedding.