Actor Aamir Khan faced backlash after photos of his 2017 meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan resurfaced online. The criticism follows Turkey’s alleged support for Pakistan in its recent attack on India and claims of supplying drones.

Aamir finally addressed the issue in a recent appearance on journalist Rajat Sharma’s talk show. “Turkey ne bahut galat kiya, and every Indian is hurt. During the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, the Indian government was the first to send humanitarian aid. At that time, neither I nor our government knew what Turkey would do later,” he said.

Aamir added that his meetings had happened years ago and were in good faith at that point in time. “When I met President Erdogan, I did not know that his country would support actions against India seven years later. As a public figure representing India abroad, it is customary to accept diplomatic courtesies. When invited for tea, I couldn’t refuse. But let me reiterate, what Turkey has done now is completely wrong, and it has deeply hurt us. I was angry too.”

As for the current boycott of Turkish tourism and goods by Indians, the actor said, “They are doing the right thing. We must not support a country that is siding with those who attack us. We extended friendship during their time of need, and in return, they supported Pakistan. Bahut hi galat baat hai.”

More than a year after their wedding in Udaipur (Rajasthan), actor Parineeti Chopra and politician Raghav Chadha have finally addressed the speculations surrounding the grand ceremony. Chopra and Chadha tied the knot in September 2023 and soon after, the internet was abuzz with rumours about the extravagant costs of their nuptials, particularly hotel rooms that cost a staggering Rs. 10 lakh.

In a recent interview with Rajat Sharma, Editor-in-Chief of India TV, the couple dismissed the rumours. Chadha clarified, “It was a five-star hotel, not a seven-star hotel, where 40 to 50 rooms were booked for the guests. None of the rooms cost Rs. 10 lakh as is being alleged.”

The two also shared insights into their love story. They revealed that their relationship began in London, followed by secretive meetings in Punjab, before they eventually decided to take the plunge. The Aam Aadmi Party MP shared, “We met a lot and gradually, the silsila continued.”

Chopra shared a lighthearted anecdote about their early days together. She admitted that after their first meeting, she couldn’t resist digging for more information about Chadha online: “I Googled questions like, ‘Is he married?’ What is his age?’”

The couple also gave a lighthearted response when asked about the secret to their happy marriage. Chadha remarked, “Mujhe aisa lagta hai ki humari shaadi achchi isiliye chal rahi hai kyon ki mujhe Bollywood ka B bhi nahi aata aur isse politics ka P bhi nahi aata. Isiliye humari gaadi badi achchi chal rahi hain.”

His Facebook page has over 20 million likes. He has nearly 4 million followers on Twitter. Google his name, and it will get you more pages than Kapil Dev and Kapil Sibal put together. And he is ranked ahead of red hot stars like Ranveer Singh on Forbes' 2014 celebrity list.

Still, when Kapil Sharma, the king of guffaws in north India, decided to act in a feature film, boxoffice pundits were sceptical. “Quite a few wondered,“ says Bollywood trade analyst Taran Adarsh, “if people would spend money to watch him at a multiplex when they could see him at home on TV.“ Kapil had the last laugh. Made at an estimated Rs 15-20 crore, his debut film, Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon (K2PK), has already netted over Rs 44 crore at the domestic box-office, one of the highest returns on cinematic investments this year. “The film is doing well abroad too,“ adds Adarsh.

For many young and restless TV stars, the small screen has always been a pit stop to the dream destination: Bollywood. But exceptions like SRK aside, the ruthless dream factory spits out most. But the stand up comic who started off doing small plays in college now has a box office hit to his name. As in his hit TV show Comedy Nights with Kapil, he is the movie's selling point (he's also sung two numbers). "I knew people would watch my first movie. If you win people's trust, they stand by you,“ says the 33-year-old from Amritsar.

Kapil typifies the self assured youth of small-town India today. Not embarrassed about his so-called limitations, he can use it to his advantage by laughing at his lack of command over English. The quipster knows that his core constituency - which includes quite a bit of the diaspora - loves his desi humour. “I think in Punjabi and translate it into Hindi when I speak,“ he says.

He found his funny bone while cracking jokes during rehearsals for college plays in the late 90s. Theatre was his passion then. When his father, a head constable, succumbed to cancer in 2004, Kapil had to deal with tough times. “But I had faith in my ability. Keep moving, keep working, that's what I believe in,“ he says.

The tide turned in 2007 when he won the Great Indian Laughter Challenge. Part of the winner's cheque of Rs 10 lakh was used to fund his sister's wedding. “Uske baad kitchen ki koi tension nahi thi (I didn't have to worry about making a living thereafter),“ he says. His reputation as a funnyman grew in Comedy Circus where he created memorable characters such as the Punjabi cop Shamsher Singh.

In 2013, Kapil became an entrepreneur, launching his own production house, K9, and co-producing Comedy Nights with Kapil. “I thought why not use my strengths in my own show. If you don't take risks, you are stuck in one place,“ he says over the phone. The show is so popular that stars like SRK, Salman Khan and Akshay use it as a platform to promote their films.

In the show, it's evident that the comic actor is better than his script. You laugh not because of what's being said, but the way Kapil says it. His rapid repartee reminds you of early Govinda. Some of his jokes could seem regressive but they are seldom lewd. The actor's one-liners often have a hinterland feel. During a show with Farah Khan's Happy New Year team, he described the cutesy Vivaan Shah as “pacchas (50) gram paneer ka tukra“. When the team was asked to pick the member with the worst body odour, Deepika Padukone raised her hand to respond. He quipped: “Aap shooting karne jaati thi ya soonghne jaati thhi sabko (Did you go to shoot or smell people).“

Journalist Rajat Sharma says that Kapil's humour and spontaneity are unique. “He has a keen sense of observation and the ability to laugh at himself,“ says Rajat, who interviewed him on television.

Actor Rakesh Bedi says he is blessed with the gift of gab. “He can create humour out of thin air,“ says Bedi. The portraits he creates on screen are all aam aadmi. “I borrow my characters from society, from life,“ says the humorist.

And it seems he is a savvy businessman too, bagging ads for brands like Honda Mobilio, Olx and Micromax. The Forbes 2014 list says he earned Rs 12.5 crore. Enough to buy a Mercedes S class before K2PK's release. But Kapil wants more. The comic star has started working on his second film. “In future I want to produce my own films,“ he says.