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Los Angeles, Feb 18 (IANS) Hollywood actress Zendaya has opened up on her initial thoughts about actor Robert Pattinson. The actress has shared that she may have gotten the wrong idea about Robert Pattinson when they first met.

Co-stars Zendaya, 29, and Robert Pattinson spoke with each other about working together on their new film ‘The Drama’, and how Zendaya's fiance, Tom Holland, had a totally different view of the ‘Twilight’ star, reports ‘People’ magazine.

Zendaya told Robert Pattinson, 39, during a session with ‘Interview’, "I think it’s interesting, because you probably know what I thought about you before I met you, but I don’t think I asked you what you thought about me. Truthfully, I met you because we had common friends, and you were always pretty quiet and chill, which is a little different from my experience of Rob. You didn’t say much, and I was like, 'Ooh, mysterious'. Then I talked to Tom and he was like, 'No, he’s super fun and always laughing and joking,' and I was like, 'Really? I haven’t experienced that side of him, I guess’”.

Robert Pattinson said, "That’s so depressing. I wish I could stay mysterious. I’ve learned again and again that if you just don’t speak, people are like, 'Wow. You’re really intimidating’, but I just can’t f****** maintain it”.

“You maintained it for a while, until we made a few movies together”, Zendaya replied. The two are co-starring in three movies this year, ‘The Drama’, ‘Dune: Part Three’, and ‘The Odyssey’, which also stars Holland, 29.

As per ‘People’, Zendaya and Holland got engaged in January 2025 , four years after the pair confirmed their relationship. Holland and Pattinson are longtime friends, co-starring in the 2020 Netflix drama ‘The Devil All the Time’.

Last year, Holland spoke to GQ about their friendship. He said, “I love Rob to death, he's a good friend of mine. We just made another movie together”.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) Babil Khan, son of the late acclaimed star Irrfan Khan, trained in the martial art form Muay Thai, which he underwent during his time in Thailand. The actor is required to do intense training for the project that goes on floors in mid-2026.

A source close to IANS shared: “Babil spent time in Thailand through December and early January to train in Muay Thai in Thailand. He took various classes to learn the form of MMA that originates in Thailand.”

“He’s been prepping for this and it’s for a project that is soon upcoming but requires him to do intense training for a project that goes on floors mid 2026,” the source added.

The source shared that Muay Thai requires stamina, control, and discipline.

“Given his new found love for the activity, it has naturally led to people connecting the dots. Some believing that this could be prep for an upcoming role”.

Babil started as a camera assistant in Bollywood film Qarib Qarib Single. In 2022, he made his acting debut with Anvita Dutt's psychological drama Qala alongside Triptii Dimri.

In 2023, he was seen playing Juhi Chawla's son Siddharth Menon in Friday Night Plan. He was then seen in the web series The Railway Men, a story on Bhopal Gas Tragedy, alongside Divyendu Sharma, Kay Kay Menon and R. Madhavan.

It was last year in October when Babil returned to Instagram after almost 6 months of his absence from the social media platform. On Saturday, the actor took to his Instagram, and shared 2 pictures from his latest photoshoot.

In May 2025, Babil deleted his Instagram profile, as the web search for the actor’s profile didn’t yield any results and showed the webpage linked to the Instagram account as non-existent.

Babil, the son of the late Indian acting legend Irrfan Khan, had earlier shared a video (later deleted) in which he appeared visibly upset and in tears as he spoke about feeling alienated in the film industry.

In the video, Babil mentioned several names, including Shanaya Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Arjun Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Adarsh Gourav and even Arijit Singh.

--IANS

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Los Angeles, Feb 18 (IANS) Hollywood star Margot Robbie shared that she worried she was "dumb" after deciding against going to university.

The Wuthering Heights actress, who grew up in Australia, discovered her love of acting when she was in high school so she decided to chase her dreams of stardom instead of enrolling in higher education.

However, Robbie questioned herself so she asked her sister if she could complete some of her university coursework in a bid to prove her intelligence, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

During an appearance on the Smartless podcast, Robbie said: "Part of me was like: 'Oh no I started acting like on (Australian soap) Neighbours ... I haven't gone to university and I guess I'm never going to at this point. Am I dumb?'

"I remember asking my sister, I like almost wanted to check ... this didn't mean I wasn't smart. My sister was, we're very very different people, she was studying to be an accountant in university. Something I never would have done."

"But I remember saying: 'Can I do one of your assignments? Your uni assignments. Because I just need to check that acting's not making me dumb'. And I did it. And by the way numbers and accounting are not my forte at all but I got like an A minus. And I was like: 'OK cool' and I felt good after that. I'm good. I know I can do it if I need to ... Well I mean I studied. It was all about cognitive dissonance or some boring."

It comes after Robbie opened up about her wild days living in London before she shot to fame.

She revealed she was kicked out of "most of the clubs in Clapham" while living with six friends in a four-bedroom apartment until 2016.

Appearing on the Table Manners podcast, she recalled a time before they moved in together when they got booted out of Infernos on a particularly wild night, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The actress told hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware how her roommates insisted you "can't get kicked out" of the former cinema, and she visited for herself after a weekend's work in Belgium.

She said: "So we all had a weekend in London when the job was done. And of course, we went to Infernos, and within about 15 minutes, we got kicked out.

"And while we're getting dragged out by security, I was screaming, 'but this is Infernos, you can’t get kicked out of Infernos.' "And the bouncer was like, 'Look, we allow most things, but when your friend does (redacted), then we kick you out'. And I was like, 'okay, fair enough!'"

Robbie didn't reveal exactly what her friend did to cause a scene, though she noted it wasn't uncommon for them to get in a spot of bother.

--IANS

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Mumbai Feb 17 (IANS) Actress Shilpa Shirodkar on Tuesday shared glimpses from her visit to a Chinese temple in Mumbai, extending wishes on the occasion of Chinese New Year.

Posting a carousel post featuring herself offering prayers in the Chinese temple, Shilpa wished everybody through her social media post.

She captioned the post as, “The Chinese temple in the city I love and live in.

#Mumbai. Also, #HappyChineseNewYear

- @portraitsatplaces

#ShilpaShirodkar #ChineseTemple.”

In the pictures, Shilpa is seen dressed in a green printed shirt paired with brown trousers. The actress seated by a window inside the temple premises, is seen smiling warmly for the camera. Another picture captures her lighting incense sticks near red candles, offering prayers. In a different picture, she is seen observing a wall lined with pink prayer notes pinned in neat rows.

Talking about her professional front, Shilpa Shirodkar made her Bollywood debut in the late 1980s and went on to feature in several popular films through the 90s era of Bollywood. She starred in movies such as Bhrashtachar (1989), Kishen Kanhaiya (1990), Hum (1991), Aankhen (1993) and Gopi Kishan (1994), among others.

Shilpa took a sabbatical from work and stepped away from the industry following her marriage while st the peak of her career, choosing to focus on her personal life. The actress was last seen in Sonakshi Sinha starter Jatadhara. She had also participated in the reality show Bigg Boss season 18.

For the uninitiated, Shilpa is the sister of actress and former Miss India Namrata Shirodkar, who is married to Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu, making him Shilpa’s brother-in-law. The sisters are often seen hanging out together and share pictures of their family time together. Recently Namrata had surprised Shilpa during a visit to Dubai, and shared fun images of their outing on social media.

On the personal front, Shilpa married UK-based banker Aparesh Ranjit and the couple has a daughter, Anoushka.

–IANS

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Mumbai Feb 17 (IANS) The Kerala Story 2 - Goes Beyond makers have uneveiled the trailer of the highly anticipated movie backed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and his banner Sunshine Pictures.

Sharing the trailer on social media, the makers wrote, “They targeted our daughters.

They broke their trust.

They stole their futures.

This time, we do not stay silent. The story goes beyond. Is bar sahenge nahi... ladenge.

#TheKeralaStory2Goes Beyond trailer out now. In cinemas on 27th February, 2026.

The trailer opens with a chilling proclamation: a warning that in the next 25 years, India could be transformed into an Islamic country. The narrative then cuts sharply to Rajasthan, where a distraught Hindu family walks into a police station to lodge a POCSO complaint, alleging that their 16-year-old daughter has been forced into religious conversion. The emotional weight of the parents’ anguish sets the tone for what follows. From there, the story shifts to Madhya Pradesh. A young Hindu woman is allegedly manipulated into marriage under false pretenses, only to find herself forced into a religious conversion.

The third thread takes viewers back to Kerala. A Muslim man proposes a live-in relationship to his Hindu girlfriend. When she firmly states that she will not convert, the situation escalates. The trailer reflects on the intense confrontations, including a scene where a young woman is pressured to abandon her beliefs.

The Kerala Story 2 - Goes Beyond has been directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, and the film brings to the forefront the harrowing story of three Hindu girls, played by Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia, and Aishwarya Ojha, whose lives take a terrifying turn after they fall in love with three Muslim boys.

The movie is a sequel to the 2022 film, The Kerala Story and is slated to release in cinemas on 27th February, 2026.

–IANS

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Mumbai Feb 17 (IANS) Actor Gourav Adarsh has admitted that his latest film Tu Yaa Main has had a slow start at the box office, but alongside has also expressed gratitude for the love coming their way. Gourav also lauded his co-star Shanaya Kapoor, calling her “real and vulnerable” further revealing that she surprised the team on set with her performance.

Sharing powerful stills from Tu Ya Main, Gourav opened up about his journey playing Maruti and reflected on the film’s reception. He wrote,

“Tu yaa main came at a time to me where I was feeling confused and helpless reading everything that was being developed. But when I walked out of @abzeebandekar insane narration at the colour yellow office, I knew i had to be Maruti.”

He added, “What was it about him that felt so personal to me? Maybe his desire to breakout and find an identity. Something infectious about a character who knows where he’s coming from and does not shy away from it. Would I ever be able to walk up to someone while owning my fears and let them see me for who I am? Probably not. Probably what I wanted to be. Maruti gave me a chance to be what I always envied. I wanted to be his friend the moment I read about him.”

He added that he has been a big Bejoy Nambiar fan.

“Been a big bejoy fan since day 1. The films he makes and the high stakes situation that his characters often find themselves in- is something I devour. Thank you @bejoynambiar for making me part of such a cool film and believing in me as Maruti. @aanandlrai I cannot thank you enough for backing me and always being such a calm and supportive producer.”

Lauding his co-star Shanaya Kapoor, Gourav wrote, “@shanayakapoor02 surprised all of us on set. I saw herself surrendering to the situation and the character . she was so real and vulnerable. Thank you for bringing believability to Avni and for being the best sport on set and off. Had such a great time shooting with @ansh too. Phenomenal actor and human being and can’t wait for everything in store for him.”

He further wrote, “This film is truly made by its crew. Blood sweat and tears literally for everyone who worked on this. @priyalahon @gopikagulwadi @remydalai @protekthero @pujapalan6 @sidmeer and all the other crew who made this vision possible, only love and respect.”

“It’s important that people show up in bigger no.s and watch smaller commercial films like ours too cause it gives a real chance to other writers and directors to develop films that are clutter breaking. It encourages producers to back films that are trying do do anything unique. Plus this one is tailor made for a big screen experience. We are off to a slow start but we’ve been feeling all the love coming our way. If you liked the film- pls tell your friends about it and watch us all get destroyed by an 18 foot Crocodile,” he concluded.

Talking about Tu Yaa Main, the movie has been directed by Bejoy Nambiar and backed by Aanand L Rai. The film features Gourav Adarsh and Shanaya Kapoor in lead roles, alongside Ansh in a pivotal part.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) Filmmaker Kiran Rao has shared that she is down with chikungunya and is currently recuperating at home, while urging people to take necessary precautions.

Kiran took to her Instagram stories section, where she shared a picture of herself lying down with her cat beside her.

Sharing a health update on social media, Rao wrote, “Ok folks, I now have chikungunya. And yes, Miri is an excellent paramedic, timely monitoring her mamma's fever.”

She also shared a picture of a book, thermometer and a card kept next to her.

Despite the illness, the filmmaker said she is trying to stay positive and take things slow. She also highlighted the severity of the symptoms.

Kiran wrote: “Taking it slow, admiring my friends’ cards, and catching up on my reading - when I can hold up the book! “I know you know this but the joint pain is so TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS!”

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans through by mosquitoes infected with the chikungunya virus. The most common symptom is fever, along with joint pain.

Kiran, who is the former wife of superstar Aamir Khan, started her career as the assistant director in the epic film Lagaan directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, whom she also assisted later on Swades: We, the People.

Before Lagaan, she had also done a minute-long role in the 2001 hit film Dil Chahta Hai. She also worked as second assistant director with Academy Award-nominated director Mira Nair on the indie hit Monsoon Wedding.

She scripted and directed the film Dhobi Ghat, which was released in January 2011 under Aamir Khan Productions. She also sang a Marathi song 'Toofan Aalaya', the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup Anthem.

Her film Laapataa Ladies was selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film for the 97th Academy Awards.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) Actor Zahan Kapoor took a trip down memory lane as he shared behind-the-scenes moments from the making of his latest series ‘Bandwaale’.

Expressing gratitude to the team, Zahan first took to Instagram and shared a string of images from the sets. He then thanked creators Ankur Tewari and Swanand Kirkire for including him in what he described as a special creative journey.

He wrote: “BTS bits from the days of creating Bandwaale (aka Janta Band at the time) Thank you @ankurtewari & @swanandkirkire for including a of us on this journey of your creation, thank you @tessjosephcasting for building the bridge for me to enter wonderful world of this story (sic).”

Zahan expressed appreciation for the entire cast and crew, calling them dedicated artists and craftsmen who made the process memorable

“I felt empowered by the entire crew and blessed to be able to play alongside such dedica artists and craftsmen. Thank you @primevideoin @onlymuchlouder for backing th band of misfits both in front and behind the camera, foreve grateful for this journey, cannot wait to discover more and more.”

The show also stars Shalini Pandey and Swanand Kirkire. It follows Mariam, a young poetess in a sleepy town, seeks freedom through uploading her poetry online with help from misfits: a brass band singer and DJ.

Zahan's career started at the Prithvi Theatre, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Shashi Kapoor. He began his career by assisting theatre director Sunil Shanbag in a workshop for children.

He even hosted performances for newcomers. In 2019, he made his theatre debut in Makarand Deshpande's play "Pitaji Please" at Prithvi Theatre.

He debuted in Bollywood film industry with the film "Faraaz", directed by Hansal Mehta, in 2022. The film depicts the tragedy of the July 2016 Dhaka attack.

After his film debut, Zahan returned to theatre in June 2023 with the play "Siachen", written by Aditya Rawal and directed by Makarand Deshpande, portraying the survival story of Indian soldiers stuck on the Siachen Glacier.

He was also seen in Black Warrant, based on the 2019 non-fiction book Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer by Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhury, about Gupta's time as a jailer at Tihar Prisons. The first season covers Gupta's experiences until 1984, and features real-life criminals, including Charles Sobhraj and Ranga-Billa.

--IANS

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Mumbai Feb 17 (IANS) Actress and beauty queen Manushi Chhillar took to her social media account on Monday to celebrate her parents’ 35th wedding anniversary. The actress shared heartwarming pictures of her parents reflecting on their warm bond.

Taking to her social media account, she penned, “Happy Anniversary to my favs

Here’s to 35 years of endless love.@neelam_chhillar4153@dr_mitra_basu_chhillar”

The photograph shows Manushi posing alongside her parents at a dinner gathering. All of them are seen smiling warmly at the camera.

In another post, she wrote:

“Dream team @dr_mitra_basu_chhillar @neelam_chhillar4153”

This particular image features her parents standing outdoors near an aircraft looking at each other with a lot of love.

She further added, “Here’s to many more years of being a part of your happy world. @neelam_chhillar4153 @dr_mitra_basu_chhillar”

In the third photograph, her parents are seen dressed in formal attire at a celebratory event.

Talking about Manushi Chhillar, the young lady rose to international fame after winning the Miss World 2017 title, bringing the coveted crown back to India after 17 years. Prior to that, she was crowned Femina Miss India World 2017.

A trained medical graduate, Manushi went onto forray into movies. She made her Bollywood debut opposite Akshay Kumar in the historical drama “Samrat Prithviraj” (2022), where she portrayed Princess Sanyogita. She was later seen in the movie “The Great Indian Family” alongside Vicky Kaushal.”

A few months ago, she had appeared in popular singer Diljit Dosanjh's song, "Kufar", which was a part of his then new album, "Aura". Although the track gained a lot of love from music lovers, a specific shot in the video faced a massive backlash from the netizens.

Some users raised objections to a particular section in the song showing a woman's leg. As it coincides with the lyrics ‘jannat ke darwaaze’, they termed the sequence to be sleazy and suggestive.

Clearing the air, Manushi had taken to her X (formerly known as Twitter) handle and shared, “Not mine #iykyk (face upside down and love hands emoji)” While she refrained from addressing the issue directly, she urged all to be kind.

“But can we please not disrespect the dancer who was simply doing her job," Manushi further wrote.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s production house B62 Studios could be blacklisted by the A-Ward office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over repeated violations of safety norms and civic regulations during the shooting of ‘Dhurandhar 2’ starring Ranveer Singh.

A source form the BMC said that rules were violated multiple times during the shooting of the film Dhurandar 2.

Gas cylinders were reportedly used on the set for cooking, which is against the prescribed regulations. Additionally, the shooting location was changed without obtaining the necessary permission, said the source.

Following these violations, the A-Ward office wrote a letter to the Deputy Municipal Commissioner recommending that the studio be blacklisted. However, the studio has not been officially blacklisted so far.

The A-Ward office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recommended blacklisting B62 Studios, the production company of filmmaker Aditya Dhar. The recommendation comes amid allegations that safety norms and civic regulations were repeatedly violated during the shooting of the film Dhurandhar 2.

According to information available, burning torches were used in a high-security zone during the shoot. Terming it a serious security lapse, the Mumbai Police had to intervene and equipment was seized from the spot.

As per the source, crew members allegedly changed the shooting location without permission and used the terrace of a building without obtaining the required clearance from the civic authorities.

It has also been reported that two generator vans were operating on the set without valid approval from the local administration.

In this regard, the BMC has sent a formal letter to the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC), proposing a permanent ban on the studio from undertaking shoots through the state’s single-window filming portal.

As part of the action taken, the civic body has already forfeited the production’s Rs 25,000 security deposit and has proposed imposing an additional fine of Rs 1 lakh. However, the studio has not yet been officially blacklisted, though the proposal has been cleared for further action.

Titled ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, the film is slated to release on March 19. Dhurandhar also stars Ranveer Singh, R. Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal. Serving as the first instalment of a two-part film series, it centres on a high-stakes covert counter-terrorism operation.

The film follows an undercover Indian intelligence agent who infiltrates Karachi's criminal syndicates and political power structures in Pakistan in an effort to dismantle a terror network targeting India.

The film's storyline draws loose inspiration from multiple real-life geopolitical events and conflicts in South Asia, including the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and developments linked to Pakistan's Operation Lyari.

“Dhurandhar 2” resumes with Hamza Ali Mazhari, an Indian undercover agent who has successfully infiltrated Pakistan’s underworld. After taking down Rehman Dakait, Hamza ascends the ranks of power, only to face his most formidable adversary yet Major Iqbal, the ISI mastermind known as Bade Sahab.

--IANS

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