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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Filmmaker Subhash Ghai paid a heartfelt tribute to legendary comedian and actor Johnny Walker on his 100th birth anniversary.

He remembered his remarkable contribution to Hindi cinema and recalled his personal association with the late star across different phases of his life. Taking to Instagram, Ghai shared a nostalgic note, reflecting on how Johnny Walker had been his favourite comedy star since childhood and how their association eventually extended beyond admiration to working together professionally.

Recalling his childhood memories, Ghai wrote, “At the age of 10, he was my favourite comedy star. At 25, I had the opportunity to work with him as the lead actor in the film 'Shehar Se Door'."

Sharing how their association continued over the years, the filmmaker added that Johnny Walker later became his neighbour at Cliff Tower in Bandra, Mumbai. He also recalled the actor moving into his home in Versova with his family.

“AT my 40 he was my gentle neighbour at cliff tower Bandra Mumbai At my 50.He bought his home at varsova with lovely family. He ruled the world of Hindi cinema as one of its finest comedians from the 1950s to the 1970s, but above all, he remained a thorough gentleman until the very end. We have every reason to pay our heartfelt tribute to the legendary Johnny Walker, born Badruddin Kazi Saheb, a true and genuine star of Hindi cinema. We will always remember him with love and admiration,” he wrote.

Concluding his tribute, Ghai said that Johnny Walker's legacy deserved to be celebrated and remembered with love and admiration, calling him a genuine star of Hindi cinema.

Johnny Walker, born Badruddin Kazi, remains one of the most celebrated comic actors in the history of Indian cinema. Known for his distinctive comic timing and memorable performances, he carved a special place for himself in Hindi films during the golden era of cinema.

Subhash Ghai and Johnny Walker worked together in two films, “Taqdeer” and “Shehar Se Door.”

--IANS

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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Music composer Himesh Reshammiya shared a glimpse into his latest romantic composition, inspired by his love for his wife, Sonia Kapoor, and the feeling of love at first sight.

Sharing the story behind the song on Indian Idol, Himesh reveals how his personal experiences and a conversation with filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya helped shape the melody. The composition was performed by Rishi Singh and Anshika Chonkar.

Introducing the composition, Himesh described it as a powerful romantic number that captures the feeling of love at first sight. Building anticipation around the song, he said: "Toh yeh humara love at first sight ka bahut hi zabardast romantic gaana hai. Jab tak yeh gaana telecast ke din hoga, yeh phat chuka hoga. Aur jab main bol raha hoon toh yeh phatega, toh wohi reaction mujhe sabke face pe chahiye, blockbuster!"

(So, this is our very powerful romantic song about love at first sight. By the time this song is telecast, it would have already become a massive hit. And when I say it is going to be a hit, it will be a hit, so that is the very reaction I want to see on everyone's faces. Blockbuster!)

Taking everyone behind the inspiration for the song, Himesh revealed that the emotions came from his own relationship with his wife, Sonia Kapoor.

Sharing how their relationship inspired him to create the melody, he said: "Ghar mein daant khata hoon roz-roz. Mujhe daantti hai, pareshan karti hai, lekin dost, itna pyaar karta hoon ki usse kuch keh nahi pata hoon. Toh uske baad thodi si muskurahat lane ke liye maine yeh compose kiya, 'Tum Jeene Ki Wajah Ho', kyunki yeh jo situation hai humari."

(I get scolded at home every single day. She scolds me, troubles me, but my friend, I love her so much that I am unable to say anything to her. So, to bring a little smile to her face after that, I composed this song, 'Tum Jeene Ki Wajah Ho', because this is the situation between us.)

Recalling his conversation with Sooraj Barjatya about the film’s characters and their love story, he shared how the filmmaker’s vision reminded him of the emotions behind the song.

He said: "Sooraj ji ne kaha ki humare jo Prem hain, unhe mohabbat ho jaati hai kuch aisi beautiful cheez... main batana nahi chahta hoon, Sharvari ke character mein kuch aise moments hain jo kisi ko bhi mohabbat ho jaaye. Toh woh pehli nazar mein itna gehra gaana, jo main apni Sonia ke liye feel karta hoon, woh gaana 'Pehli Nazar Mein Pehli Mohabbat' mein woh ek moment deep composition bana tha. Kya hota toh maine Sooraj ji ko sunaya, Sooraj ji loved it and then Kumar ne likha, Vishal ne gaya, and it is something else.."

(Sooraj ji said that our Prem falls in love with something so beautiful. I don't want to reveal it, but there are certain moments in Sharvari's character that would make anyone fall in love. So, that deep song about love at first sight, which I feel for my Sonia, became a deeply composed moment in the song 'Pehli Nazar Mein Pehli Mohabbat'. So, I played it for Sooraj ji, Sooraj ji loved it, and then Kumar wrote it, Vishal sang it, and it is something else.)

Himesh revealed that the melody has been adapted for the film in two different versions, with separate solo male and female renditions.

The song then found a special place on the Indian Idol stage as Rishi Singh and Anshika Chonkar delivered their rendition of the romantic composition. Their performance struck a chord with Ayushmann and Sharvari, who were so impressed that they walked onto the stage to appreciate the contestants.

Sharing his reaction, Ayushmann, who plays Prem in the film, said: "Bahut achhi lagi, that's why we were on stage right now, kyunki hum nahi rok paaye. Jaise HR ne bola, yeh film ki situation aisi hai ki train mein pehli baar Sharvari ko dekhta hoon aur pehli nazar mein pyaar ho jaata hai. It's like that love at first sight. Bahut rare hota hai aajkal filmon mein.”

“It's beautiful, Yeh Prem Mol Liya. Aur jis tarah se in dono ne nibhaya hai, it's very commendable. Kya range hai Rishi, aur aapne jaise kiya hai, is range ko match kiya hai. So I think we are truly blessed to be here."

(I liked it very much. That's why we were on stage right now, because we couldn't stop ourselves. As HR said, the situation in this film is such that I see Sharvari for the first time on a train and fall in love at first sight. It's like that, love at first sight. That is very rare in films these days. It's beautiful, Yeh Prem Mol Liya.)

(And the way both of them have performed it is very commendable. What a range, Rishi, and the way you have performed it, you have matched that range. So I think we are truly blessed to be here)

Sooraj Barjatya also shared the thought behind the song’s lyrics, recalling how a simple expression gradually evolved into a deeper romantic sentiment.

Speaking about the creative process, he said: "Phir inhone jaise itna simple banaya, toh inhone kaha ki 'Tum jeene ki wajah ho.' Phir main bola, Himesh, itna simple? But phir baad mein jo bola, 'Tum nahi, tum jeene ki wajah ho, tum ho jeene ki wajah ho'."

(Then, when he made it so simple, he said, 'Tum jeene ki wajah ho.' Then I said, Himesh, so simple? But later, what he said was, 'Tum nahi, tum jeene ki wajah ho, tum ho jeene ki wajah ho')

Himesh praised lyricist Kumar’s words and highlighted the beauty of the composition by reciting some of its lines.

He said, "Meri dil ki dua ho, tum ho jeene ki wajah. Jo bhi hai tu, nahi hai bewajah. Aur Kumar sahab ne bahut achha hi likha. You know, iska jo ek ek line hai, 'Pehli bhi toh baarish thi, dheemi hawayein, baadal hain, mausam. Tere milne se sach hai ya khwaab, tu rang hai ya raag tu, jo bhi hai tu nahi hai bewajah. Tum ho jeene ki wajah, tum ho jeene ki wajah.'"

Indian Idol Legends Return airs on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Actor Sunil Lahri, best known for portraying Lakshman in Ramanand Sagar's iconic television series 'Ramayan,' has shared his mixed reaction to the newly released film 'Ramayana.'

While praising its grand visuals and world-class visual effects, the actor said the film falls short when it comes to capturing the devotional essence and divinity associated with the epic. Taking to social media, Sunil shared a video in which he spoke about his experience of watching the film. Describing it as a bittersweet experience, he said that although the film is visually impressive, he felt the makers could have paid greater attention to certain important scenes and dialogues.

In his video, the actor said, "I recently got the opportunity to watch the newly released film 'Ramayana.' It is a grand spectacle made on a massive budget, and its visual effects are truly world-class. The cinematography is exceptionally beautiful and visually appealing. All the actors have performed their respective roles remarkably well and portrayed their characters with great sincerity and dedication. There are several outstanding scenes in the film."

However, he pointed out that some emotional sequences and dialogues could have been handled better. He also highlighted the absence of certain important episodes, including the Ahalya sequence, and said he found the Parashurama sequence rather weak.

“However, in my opinion, certain sequences, particularly the emotional scenes, could have been handled better. I feel that not enough attention has been paid to some of the dialogues and important moments, while a few significant scenes are missing altogether.”

Sunil went on to state, “For instance, I found the Parashurama sequence rather weak. The Ahalya episode is missing entirely. Similarly, I did not like the way Shurpanakha addresses Lord Ram during their conversation. The way Sita Ji addresses Lord Ram also did not feel appropriate to me. There are several other sequences that I felt were weak and lacked the devotional sentiment and divine essence that are integral to the story of the Ramayana.”

Concluding his review, the actor encouraged viewers to watch the film and share their own opinions.

“In my opinion, the film focuses more on grandeur and power than on devotion. It is more Shakti Pradhan (centred on power) than Bhakti Pradhan (centred on devotion). I would encourage all of you to watch the film and share your thoughts and opinions. Today is the auspicious occasion of Bhai Dooj. It is a special festival when, on this particular day of the year, sisters apply a tilak on their brothers' foreheads and pray for their long lives, happiness, prosperity and good health.”

Alongside the clip, Sunil Lahri wrote in the caption, “Watched the new Ramayan. It was a bittersweet experience. There was no sense of divinity or devotion. Several important scenes are missing, and the dialogue in many scenes lacks the dignity that should be present in a film like this. Ravana has been glorified quite a lot. Saw new Ramayan, it was a mixed experience, divinity was not visible.”

“Ramayana,” directed by Nitesh Tiwari, features Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Ravie Dubey, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, and others. The movie was released in theatres on November 5.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Bollywood star Jackie Shroff wished veteran actress Mala Sinha on her 90th birthday with a vintage picture of the legendary actress.

Celebrating the legendary actress’ milestone birthday, he captioned it with a simple “Warm Wishes!” tribute.

Jackie shared a classic image of Mala, dressed in a traditional sari and jewellery, with her hair styled in the quintessential look of the retro era.

The post also features the iconic song ‘Tasveer Teri Dil Mein’ in the background. Sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi, the song is from Mala Sinha’s 1961 film ‘Maya’, in which she starred opposite Dev Anand.

Talking about Mala Sinha, she was born Alda Sinha on November 11, 1936, in Kolkata, and began her career as a child artiste before establishing herself as one of Hindi cinema’s leading actresses.

She went on to work across Hindi, Bengali and Nepali cinema during a career spanning more than four decades.

Mala Sinha rose to prominence with Guru Dutt’s ‘Pyaasa’ in 1957, where she played Meena, and further established herself as an actress with films such as ‘Phir Subah Hogi’, ‘Dhool Ka Phool’, ‘Anpadh’, ‘Gumrah’, ‘Jahan Ara’, ‘Himalay Ki God Mein’, ‘Aasra’, ‘Aankhen’ and ‘Do Kaliyan’.

Her iconic songs were ‘Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha’ from ‘Anpadh’ and ‘Tasveer Teri Dil Mein’ from ‘Maya’, among many others.

On the personal front, Mala Sinha married Nepali actor Chidambar Prasad Lohani in 1966 after meeting him during the making of the Nepali film ‘Maitighar’. The couple have a daughter, Pratibha Sinha, who also acted in Hindi films during the 1990s.

Pratibha Sinha made her Bollywood debut with Mehboob Mere Mehboob in 1992 and went on to appear in films including Kal Ki Awaz, Dil Hai Betaab, Ek Tha Raja, Tu Chor Main Sipahi, Gudgudee, Deewana Mastana and Le Chal Apne Sang.

She remains best remembered for her brief appearance in the iconic ‘Pardesi Pardesi’ song from the 1996 blockbuster Raja Hindustani, which became her signature screen appearance and earned her the tag of the ‘Pardesi girl’.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Singer Lucky Ali remembered his late uncle and legendary actor-comedian Johnny Walker on his 100th birth anniversary on Wednesday.

The singer shared a rare throwback picture of the veteran with his father, actor Mehmood on his social media account. Lucky shared a black-and-white picture featuring Johnny Walker and Mehmood in a candid moment.

Alongside the picture, Lucky marked Johnny Walker’s birth anniversary with a brief tribute. “Our elders passed on and we follow....(sic)”

Bollywood star Jackie Shroff also shared a post remembering the legendary actor-comedian. The post also mentioned Johnny Walker’s birth and death dates - November 11, 1926, and July 29, 2003.

Born Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi, Johnny Walker began his journey in cinema after working as a BEST bus conductor in Mumbai. Apparently, actor Balraj Sahni noticed his comic talent and introduced him to Guru Dutt, who cast him in ‘Baazi’ in 1951 and gave him the screen name Johnny Walker.

He went on to become one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated comedians, known for his impeccable comic timing and memorable characters in films including ‘Aar Paar’, ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Mr. & Mrs. 55’, ‘CID’, ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Madhumati’ and ‘Naya Daur’.

Johnny Walker also shared a professional association with Mehmood, with the two comedians appearing together in films. They were seen together in ‘Pati Patni’, released in 1966, in which Mehmood played Pashupati Pachisiya and Johnny Walker played Padampath.

The two also featured together in ‘Chhote Nawab’, the 1961 comedy starring Mehmood in the titular role and Johnny Walker as Captain. Johnny Walker passed away on July 29, 2003.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Actress Kiara Advani appeared to hint that she does not want to have any more pregnancies as she joked about her date nights with husband and actor Sidharth Malhotra on the upcoming episode of ‘Koffee With Karan’.

Kiara and Sidharth are set to make their first joint television appearance together on ‘Koffee With Karan Season 9’. The latest promo of the episode released by the makers, gives a glimpse of the couple’s playful chemistry with host Karan Johar.

During the conversation, Karan asked the couple how they make sure their date nights do not end at dessert. Kiara, who was seen cradling her baby bump, responded with a cheeky, “Ab bass ho gaya!”, leaving Sidharth and Karan in splits.

The conversation then moved towards whether the couple would like to roleplay a particular character. Sidharth responded by drawing a line between their professional and personal lives, saying, “We don’t want to bring our work home and certainly not to our bedroom!”

The promo also features the couple talking about their wedding and recalling a moment when Karan hilariously threw Shahid Kapoor off the stage when he attempted to join him during a dance performance.

While making their entry on the show, Kiara was seen flaunting her baby bump for the first time on national television and ever since they announced their second pregnancy.

Talking about Kiara and Sidharth, the couple is set to embrace parenthood for the second time. They had announced their second pregnancy a few months ago, with a social media post where they shared a picture featuring two pairs of baby shoes along with the message, “The greatest gift of our lives. Coming soon.”

Kiara and Siddharth are already parents to their daughter Siara, whom they welcomed in 2025.

The couple got married in an intimate ceremony in Suryagarh, Jaisalmer, in February 2023, after dating for a few years after falling in love on the sets of the movie, Shershaah.

–IANS

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Chennai, Nov 11 (IANS) Actress Manjima Mohan, who is also the wife of actor Gautham Ram Karthik, has now penned a note of gratitude on the occasion of her debut film, 'Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada' completing 10 years.

Taking to her Instagram stories section to pen the note of gratitude, the actress who played the female lead in the film, wrote, "10 years of Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada. 10 years since my Tamil cinema debut. So much to look back on and so much to be grateful for. Thank you for all the love and support you have given me through these years. I wouldn't be here without it. Here's to many more memories and hopefully many more films."

Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada was directed by ace director Gautham Vasudev Menon and featured Simbu as the lead.

Meanwhile, Manjima had only recently announced that she had revived her dancing practice. The actress, who posted a graceful dancing clip of hers on Instagram, wrote, "My amma introduced me to Bharatanatyam when I was six, being a trained dancer herself. I did my first arangetram in Guruvayoor when I was around 10 and continued learning until college. And then somehow life happened and almost 10 years went by without me practising."

She went on to say, "I did semi-classical dancing in between but always hesitated to go back to Bharatanatyam because I was so out of practice. So this is a small attempt after a really long time and I had almost forgotten how much I loved doing this. I do regret letting go of such a beautiful art form for so long but I am so happy to be finding my way back to it. Here's to many more!"

The actress made it a point to thank her guru for teaching her the dance she had performed in the clip and wrote, "Thank you @leelavathimaster master for teaching me this beautiful piece and for pushing me to give it a try."

--IANS

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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Actor Ronit Roy wished his wife Neelam Bose Roy on her birthday with a heartfelt post.

He thanked her for a lifetime of unwavering support, unflinching love and beautiful memories.

Taking to his social media account, Ronit shared a video montage featuring many cherished moments with Neelam. The montage captures the couple sharing affectionate moments together across their years of marriage.

In one of the pictures, Ronit and Neelam are seen posing closely together, smiling for the camera. Another picture shows Neelam dressed in white while Ronit sits at a piano. A picture also shows both of them sharing a liplock. The montage also features pictures of the couple enjoying their travels together.

Sharing the montage, Ronit wrote, “Thank you for a lifetime. A lifetime of unwavering support and unflinching love. Thank you for a lifetime of beautiful memories. Thank you for being mine in this lifetime and I’d want that in every other one. This is your first birthday since we met that we are not together but I’m happy that you’re with our babies. Happy Birthday my Love”

Ronit has often spoken about his love and admiration for Neelam and has regularly shared affectionate pictures and posts featuring his wife on social media.

The couple got married on December 25, 2003, after dating for three years. They celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary by renewing their wedding vows in Goa in 2023, surrounded by their children and close family.

Ronit and Neelam have two children together, daughter Aador and son Agastya. Ronit also has an elder daughter, Ona, from his previous marriage, making him a father of three.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Television actress Divyanka Tripathi shared a belated birthday wish for her husband Vivek Dahiya, recalling how his birthday on November 8 turned out differently than planned after a fire broke out in their residential building the previous night.

Sharing pictures from their November 7 outing on Instagram, Divyanka described the couple as “yin and yang”, saying she was the calm one while Vivek found adventure in everything.

“These pictures are from November 7th, just a day before Viv’s birthday (& Diwali). Little did we know that the night would take an unexpected turn with a fire breaking out in our building after shoot. And just like that, November 8th, his birthday, turned out rather differently than we’d imagined! My birthday shout-out got delayed, but the love certainly hasn’t.”

“Coming back to these pictures… just look at us! Me, perfectly content sitting under a tree, soaking in the moment. And him? Hanging upside down, swinging, climbing… finding adventure in absolutely everything!”

The actress wrote: “We really are Yin and Yang. I’m the calm to his chaos, and he’s the mischief to my peace. He makes sure life never gets too predictable, and I make sure we occasionally have our feet on the ground. (Well, at least one of us does!)”

She also expressed her love for her husband, wishing that he never loses the mischievous little boy in him.

“Happy belated birthday, my Viv! May you never lose that mischievous little boy in you. And may I always be around to watch your antics, laugh at them, and occasionally roll my eyes at you! Love you, my favourite adventure!”

Divyanka and Vivek’s love story kick-started on the sets of their show “Yeh Hai Mohabbatein”. Before getting married in Bhopal in 2016, the couple got engaged in January.

The actress became a household name for playing Vidya Pratapsingh and Divya Shukla in Banoo Main Teri Dulhann and Dr. Ishita Bhalla in Yeh Hai Mohabbatein. She had participated in the dance reality show Nach Baliye 8 and emerged as the winner. In 2021, she participated at Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 as a contestant, where she emerged as the runner-up.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut questioned the timing of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi acquiring Indian citizenship, pointing to her marriage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and her decision to become an Indian citizen in 1983.

In a post on Instagram, Kangana linked the timeline to the death of Sanjay Gandhi in 1980 and questioned why Sonia Gandhi, who has come out with a memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love," acquired citizenship 15 years after her marriage.

Kangana took to her stories section, and wrote: “Sonia Gandhi got married in 1968. Sonia Gandhi was living in the Prime Minister house, was voting without citizenship but didn’t get Indian citizenship for 15 years. Sanjay Gandhi dies in 1980, Sonia Gandhi after 15 years decides to get Indian citizenship in 1983. Why she got the citizenship only after the death of Indira’s political heir? (sic).”

Kangana on November 10 made a series of accusations against Sonia Gandhi. In an Instagram Story, she questioned the political rise of 'mysterious foreign national' Sonia Gandhi.

Kangana shared that she did a lot of research on the Gandhi family for her movie 'Emergency' and what stuck her as odd was how, following the arrival of Sonia Gandhi, all potential heirs - India Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, and Rajeev Gandhi passed away one after the other, leaving only her as the only choice.

The 'Queen' actress pointed out that the sequence of events had 'way too many coincidences'.

Kangana wrote: "Every one is talking about NVIDIA honey trap controversy, for Emergency I did a lot of research on Indian politics and Gandhi family and I must confess that one thing I could never wrap my head around is that one mysterious foreign national enters Gandhi family and Indira Gandhi killed, Sanjay Gandhi Rajeev Gandhi all potential heirs to the throne killed leaving just one and only sympathy choice for the throne that one foreign national called Sonia Gandhi and people didn't even think there were way too many coincidences also that foreigner notoriously and openly propagated foreign agendas shed crocodile tears for terrorists, yet she managed to head the government for decades until of course 2014 happened (sic)."

A few hours later, she dropped another Insta post in which Kangana even accused Sonia of throwing out Maneka Gandhi following the demise of Sanjay Gandhi.

"And just like that a vulnerable teenage girl Maneka who Sanjay Gandhi married and loved like crazy, after his death his young widow with their son was thrown out of his house for random reasons as mentioned by Sonia Gandhi, she was out of the way just before every one else was to get killed, how convenient!," Kangana penned.

Kangana also found it odd that Sonia Gandhi simply bumped into Rajiv Gandhi in a cafe and made her way into the powerful Gandhi family.

In her latest post on social media, she mentioned, "Even in the end of the clip every one leaves but Maneka stays looking at Mrs Gandhi like a wounded little child seeking some comfort may be a little smile or a gaze in her direction, she stays hoping for one sign but nothing comes only coldness and slowly she disappears like she is there but doesn’t exist. Heartbreaking! On the other hand every one seems to be wrapped around little finger of a mysterious foreign national who bumped in to older son Rajeev Gandhi in a cafe abroad and ever since became inseparable, younger son Sanjay was being formally trained by Mrs Gandhi but he dies mysteriously and his vulnerable young window Maneka was thrown out of his house for random reasons and shortly after that the mother in law and husband were also killed one after the other."

Towards the end of the tweet, Kangana reiterated how the demise of Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi conveniently left the 'mysterious foreigner' Sonia Gandhi as the head of government.

--IANS

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