Showing posts with label Meghalaya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meghalaya. Show all posts
Kanika Kapoor stays calm as intruder grabs her onstage
8:19 AM
Debarati S Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; December 9, 2025)
Kanika Kapoor set the stage ablaze at the MeGong Festival in Meghalaya on Sunday night, delivering what many in the audience have already crowned the standout set of the event. With her trademark energy, powerhouse vocals and a crowd that sang along to every hit, the singer turned the festival grounds into a roaring sea of lights and music.
But beyond the spectacle, an unexpected moment unfolded, one that revealed a deeper truth about the realities artistes, especially female performers, still navigate. Midway through her performance, at one of the biggest stages in the Northeast, an over-enthusiastic fan breached security, sprinted onto the stage, grabbed her legs and became physically intrusive.
The intrusion lasted only a few seconds before security personnel intervened and pulled the man away, but witnesses say the moment was jarring. What stood out, however, was Kanika Kapoor’s remarkable composure. She did not flinch, did not pause, and did not allow the disruption to break her rhythm.
She continued performing, vocals steady, expressions unfazed, presence intact. Speaking to us after the incident, Kanika said, “As artistes, we face many unexpected situations, especially as women. But I believe in holding my space with grace and finishing what I came to do.”
Her words echo a reality that often goes unseen behind the glamour of the stage: artistes constantly navigate boundary violations, safety risks and the unpredictability of large crowds. For women performers, these challenges often come with an additional layer of vigilance.
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HINDUSTAN TIMES (December 9, 2025)
Singer Kanika Kapoor faced a shocking moment at the Me’gong Festival on Sunday night when a fan rushed the stage and grabbed her, raising serious security concerns.
During the performance, a fan climbed on stage and grabbed Kanika’s legs, but security quickly intervened. Unfazed, she continued her performance without pause.
The incident stirred a flurry of concerned reaction by users online, who called out such trespassers. One fan commented, “In India, woman are not safe even on stage in front of several people with such a limelight.” While another one added, “WTF was he trying to do, lift her/ molest her/ hug her, no respect, such people should be sent to jail.”
This marks another incident where celebrities were ambushed by fans in public. Recently, actor Ariana Grande faced something similar at the premiere of Wicked: For Good when a fan rushed to hug her. Co-star Cynthia Erivo had jumped in to push the man away instantaneously.
At the Cherry Blossom Festival 2025, an intruder was seen pushing towards the stage during rapper Tyga’s performance, leading to the security getting alert and a guard tripping and colliding with the rapper.
During his recent Rolling Loud India concert in Navi Mumbai, singer Karan Aujla was also hit in the face by a flying T-shirt thrown from the crowd. However, the singer handled the moment with grace, picking the t-shirt up, wiping his sweat, and tossing it back to the crowd.
Film on Meghalaya murder to be shot in Indore, Shillong
9:22 AM
Deep Saxena (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 31, 2025)
A film based on the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi is in the making, months after the crime sent ripples through the country.
Filmmaker S P Nimbawat (known for helming Kabbadi, 2018) confirmed the project, adding that Raja’s family had given their consent. Speaking about the film, tentatively titled Honeymoon in Shillong, the filmmaker tells us, “Dil mein dard to sabhi ke tha; this is one of the biggest subjects in recent times, and if not me someone else would have made the film.”
Earlier, Raja’s brothers Sachin and Vipin told PTI, “We believe that if we do not bring the story of [our] brother’s murder on the big screen, people will not know who was right.” The brothers also want to “present the correct image of Meghalaya” through the film.
Meanwhile, Nimbawat says the film’s broader storyline is ready: “We are now bringing scriptwriters and hope to begin shooting later this year, after locking the script and cast. Eighty percent will be shot in Indore and the remaining in Shillong.”
Raja (28) had travelled to Meghalaya with his wife Sonam (24) shortly after their wedding in May. He was reported missing before his mutilated body was found on June 2 in a gorge near in the East Khasi Hills district. Eight people, including Sonam and her suspected lover, Raj Kushwaha have been arrested.
Aamir Khan’s next on Meghalaya Honeymoon murder case?
10:29 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (July 21, 2025)
While he is still revelling in the success of his latest release Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan is already on to his next project. The actor-producer is reportedly planning to make a film on the infamous Meghalaya murder case that shook the nation. “Aamir is closely following the updates and has tracked and discussed the Meghalaya murder case with his close circle,” a source told Zoom, adding, “There might soon be a development on the subject from his production too.”
The project will revolve around the gruesome murder that took place in May, when Raja Raghuwanshi from Indore (Madhya Pradesh) went for honeymoon with his wife, Sonam, to Shillong and went missing. His decomposed body was later found in a gorge, after which Sonam surrendered to the police. The film is reportedly in the early stage of production. It is unclear if Aamir, 60, will also act in the film besides producing it.
We reached out to Aamir for a confirmation, but there was no response till the time of going to press.
I would love to work on Chammak Challo 2.0-Akon
10:57 PM
Soumya Vajpayee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 17, 2024)
Akon’s love for India and Bollywood goes a long way. As we sit down for a tête-à-tête with the Senegalese-American singer ahead of his performance at the Cherry Blossom Music Festival in Shillong (Meghalaya) on Friday night, he says that he’s “set to mark” his “Bollywood comeback”.
He adds, “Since I was on a musical hiatus for the last few years, I didn’t think of anything in the music space. But, I have been following India’s music scene very closely and I miss Bollywood. There is a lot of Bollywood work that will happen in 2025. I am already in touch with some of my friends in the industry, and I am looking forward to announcing the project soon.”
Akon’s on-screen collab with actor Shah Rukh Khan in Ra.One (2011) continues to be talked about. So, would he be keen to associate with the project again if a sequel is made? The singer tells us, “Bollywood has always been very close to my heart, and if an opportunity to work on Chammak Challo 2.0 presents itself, I would love to grab it.”
Talking about his love for India, he adds, “Alongside the Bollywood music scene, I am so happy to see independent music thrive in India. Indian artistes are travelling the world. It’s amazing. India is my second home. I try to visit the country every year. I performed in Pune last year. I love India’s vibrance and spiritual energy.”
Ask the 51-year-old, who has a career spanning almost three decades, what keeps him relevant, and he replies, “It’s the audience. I feel blessed to have done the kind of music that’s long-lasting and I am glad it continues to resonate with the audience despite changing times. It’s a blessing.”
One day I aspire to do a film that will be shown at Cannes-Sara Ali Khan
9:37 AM
Raima Ganguly (BOMBAY TIMES; May 28, 2023)
Sara Ali Khan, who recently returned from Cannes, spoke to us about her experience, why she likes to stay true to her roots and her travel plans in the future. Excerpts:
ON BEING COMPARED TO HER DAADI AT CANNES
Sara says, “As a girl, I am modern, I have studied abroad, but my roots, my heart, and my soul is completely Indian. I think as I was representing my nation to millions of people worldwide, on a global forum at Cannes, it was crucial to bring forward what I represent. My look was a modern twist to a very traditional attire that is inherent to the Indian woman’s identity. The deconstructed saree look was the best take I could have on that. I think there was something extra special about this look, especially because many made a humbling comparison of me with my daadi.”
Sara says, “One day I aspire to do a film that will be shown at Cannes. But in the meantime, I’m a proud Indian actor and I’m a woman. I talk about the importance of women in cinema and behind the camera, and in front of the camera. If I had to describe Sara with three adjectives, they would be woman, actor and Indian. I went there to represent all these. If in the bargain anybody said it’s a statement that I’m making, it’s a compliment to me. But that was not the intention.”
ON HER TRAVEL PLANS
A self confessed travel junkie, Sara says, “I want to go backpacking around the north-east region of our country. The farthest I have been towards the east is Kolkata, and Assam only once. I really want to visit Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. That’s the next thing on my bucket list. Norway and the northern lights are also very high on my bucket list, I would love to visit soon.”
She, who recently tried puchka in Kolkata, shares, “I firmly believe in being fully present in the moment, especially when I am travelling. I like all kinds of food, to be honest. I like the idea of living like a local wherever I go be it in terms of food or aesthetics.”
Almost 70 to 80 per cent of the actors in Anek are from the north east-Ayushmann Khurrana
8:01 AM
With Anek depicting discrimination against people from the region, Ayushmann says inclusive attitude towards the community will strengthen our country
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; May 25, 2022)
Last year, when the country was hailing weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s silver medal win at the Tokyo Olympics, Ankita Konwar had called out the Indian population’s hypocrisy, pointing out how people usually subject north-east Indians to discrimination and harassment. The otherisation of the community runs deep, festered by our society’s ignorance and apathy. Fortunately, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha and actor Ayushmann Khurrana are taking a step in the right direction with Anek that brings the geopolitical issues of north-east India to the big screen.
The drama has a singular intent — to encourage inclusivity. The actor states, “We generalise the region as north-east, but people there don’t like to be called so. They are proud of their community, their states, and their languages. We don’t get to know much about them because the media has not covered them. Whenever they [go] to other parts of the country, they are discriminated against and suffer racial abuses. We need to make them feel one with the country. We cannot ignore the region that is far more progressive than the mainland. Including them will help the country become more progressive.”
Anek was shot primarily across Assam and Meghalaya. It gave Khurrana the opportunity to get acquainted with diverse communities, their customs and traditions. “The people in Meghalaya carry forward their mothers’ names; most of the shopkeepers are women while the men take care of children at home. It’s among [the few matrilineal] societies in our country,” he marvels.
When telling a story about north-east India, it would only be right that actors from the region give voice to their experiences and hardships. The director roped in Andrea Kevichusa and Loitongbam Dorendra to play pivotal parts in the drama. Proud that the film places importance on representation, Khurrana says, “Almost 70 to 80 per cent of the actors are from the north-east, with the protagonist [Kevichusa] from Nagaland. I have realised that the story needs to be told by those who have suffered it.”
The actor agrees that an attitudinal shift in our society is necessary, and wants to give momentum to the cause through his work. “I will always say something through my art. I am not confrontational as a person, but as an artiste, I am extremely confrontational.”
I am not greedy for work-Ihana Dhillon
9:01 AM
Nikita Deb (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 5, 2020)
“Jubin is a very talented singer. He had earlier sung a song in my movie Hate Story 4 (2018). I knew him from before and I had always been a fan of his music. When I heard this track, and found out that it was going to be sung by Jubin, I immediately knew that I wanted to be part of it,” says actor Ihana Dhillon, who features in a new track by Jubin Nautiyal, titled Meri Aashiqui.
The song, which has been composed by Rochak Kohli, is a sad, romantic number, and has garnered over 13 million views on YouTube within three days of its release. “It’s a soulful track, and people are loving it. We have put in a lot of effort into the song and it was totally worth it. Working on this song was one hell of a ride. We shot the song in the north eastern state of Meghalaya, and sometimes, it was incredibly difficult to reach the location. We often trekked for hours to reach the location,” she says.
This is the first music video that Dhillon has featured in, but she says that if a song is beautiful and she likes it, she wouldn’t mind doing more such videos. The actor also says that she had three to four film releases scheduled for this year, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, everything has been postponed for now. I also have a web series that is coming out soon,” says Dhillon, who will next be seen alongside Ajay Devgn in Bhuj: The Pride Of India.
The actor insists that she is very “choosy” about her work, and is very conscious about always doing different kind of roles. “For me, content matters more. The digital platform has become huge and therefore, it doesn’t matter to me if I am working in a movie or a web series. Acting is my passion and I love acting, but besides, I also have other business ventures, so I am not greedy for work. I take my time and choose my projects very carefully. But yes, I am never going to leave acting,” she signs off.
My parents are in Shillong… I have been panicking-Patralekhaa
8:23 AM
Actress Patralekhaa informs that she has been paranoid ever since Meghalaya registered its first Covid-19 death on Wednesday
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 18, 2020)
She has been in lockdown in Mumbai for a month now, but the Coronavirus scare struck home when the North-Eastern state of Meghalaya registered its first Covid-19 death. The deceased, a 69-year-old doctor from a city hospital, passed away on Wednesday. “My parents are in Shillong and I have been panicking ever since. It’s not about just one case; it’s the people who have come in contact with the infected person,” admits an agitated Patralekhaa, confessing that news reports have added to her paranoia. “My brother is there too, so my parents won’t have to venture out for groceries, but I’m still worried.”Insisting that besides physical concerns, there’s a mental health aspect that needs to be addressed too during the pandemic, the actress points out that she has never seen her father sit at home. “Even on Sundays, he’s working in his firm. Time slips by when you are busy, but not having anything to do adds to the stress,” states Patralekhaa who has set a timetable to account for all her waking hours since day 1 of the lockdown.
The self-confessed “spoilt hostel kid” was in a fix when she sent her cook on leave 10 days before she was shut in. She’s learnt cooking watching YouTube videos, starting with a simple dal palak with quinoa dish to healthier versions of chocolate cakes. “Of course, there were some misadventures along the way. I don’t want to be reminded of my first attempt at a dosa or a flourless chocolate cake,” she laughs.
Patralekhaa, who binges on online content often, has got back to reading now and already finished Conversations with Mahavtar Babaji. “It was a breezy read, now, it’s Ira Mukhoty’s Heroines which is insightful,” shares the actress, who has also reconnected with cousins, aunts and long-lost school friends. “We play Ludo in the evenings. I just won a round,” she brags.
And what about beau Rajkummar Rao? Patralekhaa turns evasive, refusing to discuss the subject. However, pictures speak louder than words. On Friday she shared a video of Raj giving her a hair trim with the caption, “Jahan chhaah wahan raah.”
Rock On 2 most probably to be shot in Shillong, the rock capital of India
7:43 AM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 21, 2015)
On
Friday, Ritesh Sidhwani came out of a 45-minute meeting with the
Meghalaya Chief Minister in Shillong on a high. "Dr Mukul M Sangma is
really keen that we shoot the Rock On!! sequel in the state because the
film will get this part of the country a lot of attention. He's promised
us full cooperation," reasoned the producer who is presently on a
recce.
Shillong was his first stop, he moves to Cherrapunji next. This is his first visit to the North-East and he's entranced by the view from his hotel window. "We start shooting for Rock On 2 in Mumbai before we move someplace scenic with lots of mountains for six-seven weeks. "The script can lend itself to any picturesque place away from Mumbai and right now Shillong is a hot favourite. I'll push for it but eventually the logistics have to work out," he cautioned.
Shillong he points out, is the rock capital of India and lots of foreign bands have performed here. The Shillong Choir is also world renowned. Will he incorporate the choir and other local talent into the project? "We've always used local talent. There are lots of surprises in store, plesant ones," he promises.
Shillong was his first stop, he moves to Cherrapunji next. This is his first visit to the North-East and he's entranced by the view from his hotel window. "We start shooting for Rock On 2 in Mumbai before we move someplace scenic with lots of mountains for six-seven weeks. "The script can lend itself to any picturesque place away from Mumbai and right now Shillong is a hot favourite. I'll push for it but eventually the logistics have to work out," he cautioned.
Shillong he points out, is the rock capital of India and lots of foreign bands have performed here. The Shillong Choir is also world renowned. Will he incorporate the choir and other local talent into the project? "We've always used local talent. There are lots of surprises in store, plesant ones," he promises.
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