ShowBiz

Chennai, Nov 11 (IANS) Actress Kayadu Lohar, who worked with late cinematographer Shaji Kumar on the period action drama 'Pathonpathaam Noottandu', has now penned a tribute to the ace cameraman in which she has said that it was an honour to have worked with him, early in her journey as an actress.

Taking to her Instagram page to pen a heartfelt tribute to Shaji Kumar, the actress wrote, "...It was an honour to have worked with him early in my journey. The experience and the memory will always remain close to my heart. His vision, his craft and the beautiful body of work he leaves behind will continue to be celebrated.Rest in peace."

Kayadu Lohar wasn't the only one to be shocked and pained by the demise of the cameraman. Actor Siju Wilson, who played the lead in the same film, too was among those who condoled the sudden demise of the ace cinematographer.

On Monday, Siju Wilson had penned a condolence post in which he had noted that the industry had lost "a true master of his craft".

Taking to his social media timelines to pen a post on Shaji Kumar, with whom he had worked in the critically acclaimed period action drama 'Pathonpathaam Noottandu', Siju Wilson wrote, "Heartbroken by the sudden passing of Shaji chettan. Working alongside him on 'Pathonpathaam Noottandu' is an experience I will always hold close to my heart."

He went on to observe, "Beyond his extraordinary vision and mastery behind the lens, he was one of the most genuine, warm, and pure-hearted souls in our industry. Every day on set was filled with shared laughter, positivity, and a beautiful bond of friendship."

The actor concluded his note saying, "We have lost a true master of his craft and, above all, an exceptional human being. Rest in peace, Shaji chetta. Your presence will be deeply missed. My heartfelt condolences to his entire family during this painful time."

For the unaware, ace cinematographer Shaji Kumar passed away at a private hospital in Kochi on Monday. He was 57. The sudden demise of the ace cinematographer, who was currently working on a film featuring Dileep in the lead, has plunged the entire Malayalam film industry in shock and gloom.

Reports claimed that the cinematographer had, a couple of days before his demise, collapsed on a film set in Alappuzha. He was provided treatment and shifted to a private hospital in Kochi, where his health condition seemed to improve temporarily. However, the cinematographer's health deteriorated thereafter and he passed away on Monday.

The ace cinematographer, who began his career in Malayalam cinema with Uthaman, featuring actor Jayaram in the lead, has so far worked in over 50 films, many of which have gone on to emerge as superhits or blockbusters.

Some of the notable films that Shaji Kumar has worked on include 'Pulimurugan', 'Thudarum', 'Odiyan', 'Pathonpatham Noottandu' and 'Ramaleela'.

Two of the year's most eagerly awaited films, director Tharun Moorthy's 'Athimanoharam', featuring Mohanlal in the lead, and director Mathews Thomas's Ottakomban, featuring Suresh Gopi in the lead, have cinematography by Shaji Kumar.

--IANS

mkr/

Chennai, Nov 11 (IANS) The third instalment of the superhit franchise 'Pichaikkaran', featuring actor, producer and music director Vijay Antony in the lead, is to be directed by Ananda Krishnan, best known for having directed the Tamil action entertainer 'Kodiyil Oruvan'.

The announcement regarding the much-awaited third instalment of 'Pichaikkaran' was made at the pre release event of 'Appa Kutty', actor Vijay Antony's upcoming film that has been directed by Mu Maran.

Actor Vijay Antony, who spoke at length about working on 'Appa Kutty' at the event, concluded by making a couple of announcements including the announcement on Pichaikkaran 3.

He said, "Work on Pichaikkaran 3 is progressing swiftly, and we are hoping for an Ayudha Pooja release next year."

Director Ananda Krishnan, who also spoke on the occasion, said, "Pichaikkaran 3 will be my second film with Vijay Antony, following Kodiyil Oruvan. He first approached me when I was working on 'Metro', expressing an interest in collaborating. We have been discussing projects since then, and we are now working on Pichaikkaran 3."

The film has triggered huge expectations in fans of Tamil cinema as the first film in the franchise, which was directed by Sasi, went on to emerge not only as a blockbuster but also as a cult classic.

Pichaikkaran's story revolved around a renowned and wealthy businessman, who, in a bid to save his mother's life, seeks alms and lives the life of a beggar for a period of 48 days as part of a vow made to God. The film, which was based on a real life incident, moved audiences across not just Tamil Nadu but other regions of the country as well.

Pichaikkaran, which went on to emerge as a huge blockbuster in Tamil, was remade in Telugu as Bichagadu, in Odia as Baby, in Marathi as Bhikari and in Kannada as Amma I love you.

Vijay Antony himself directed the second instalment of the franchise, which was titled Pichaikkaran 2 - Anti Bikili. However, it was not as successful as the first part.

Now, the third instalment of the film has been announced and it is to be directed by Ananda Krishnan, who directed Vijay Antony in 'Kodiyil Oruvan'.

--IANS

mkr/

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Reality television star Kris Jenner celebrated the 10th birthday of her granddaughter Dream, sharing an emotional tribute in which she described her as a loving, kind, funny and creative child with the biggest heart.

Calling watching her grow up one of her greatest blessings, Kris wrote on Instagram she was immensely proud of her and reminded her how deeply she was loved. She also shared a heartfelt birthday wish for her partner Corey Gamble, expressing gratitude for his love, support and the joy he brings to their family

Kris took to Instagram, where she shared a string a pictures from her son Rob Kardashian’s daughter Dream’s birthday party and wrote: “Happy birthday to our beautiful Dream Girl!!! I can’t believe you are 10 years old today! You are the sweetest, smartest little girl with the biggest heart and the most incredible personality!!!”

“You are so loving, kind, funny, creative, and full of life, and watching you grow into the amazing young girl you are becoming has been one of my greatest blessings. I am so proud of you, and I hope you always know how deeply you are loved and how much joy you bring to all of us. Lovey loves you forever and ever!!!!”

She then shared a picture of her partner Corey and said that she feels lucky to “do life” with him.

The mother of Kim Kardashian wrote: “Happy birthday to my love, @coreygamble. I feel so lucky to do life with you. Thank you for all you do for me and for all of us, every single day.”

She wrote: “Thank you for always being there for us, for the love you give, for the laughter and joy you bring, and for making even the most ordinary moments feel special. I love you babe!!!”

--IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Singer-composer Himesh Reshammiya heaped praise on filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya’s upcoming film ‘Yeh Prem Mol Liya’, calling it an outstanding movie and promising audiences a story they would love and cherish.

He also lauded the performances of actors Sooraj Barjatya, Ayushmann Khurrana and Sharvari, while praising the entire cast and crew. Himesh further expressed gratitude on Instagram for the overwhelming response to the film’s music ahead of its release.

Sharing a string of pictures on Instagram with Ayushmann and Sharvari, he wrote on Instagram: “Jai MATADI Let’s Rock Yeh Prem Mol Liya , what an outstanding movie #sooraj Ji has made, genuinely promising you a movie which you will love and cherish and every performance in the movie is mindblowing @ayushmannk@sharvari are just fabbbbb and the entire cast and every department are in full form, and special thanks to everyone for making the music of Yeh Prem mol Liya into an epic blockbuster hit before release which is so rare.”

Himesh added: “Grateful To God and this pic ( courtesy @sharvari ) is from the sets of our blockbuster hit show Indian idol where the cast of Yeh Prem Mol liya and the super legend #soorajji were v happy to promote yeh Prem mol Liya where the fab singers from the show performed to yeh Prem mol Liya songs brilliantly and they also performed to other super hit songs, this weeks episode is Yeh Prem mol Liya special and it’s epic, what an episode, historic vibe.”

Himesh has over 1,300 credited songs. He started his career as a music director in the film Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya in 1998 and made his acting debut with the film Aap Kaa Surroor in 2007. In 2025, he was ranked #22 in the Bloomberg's World's Most Influential Pop-stars list and was the only Indian artist to feature on the list.

He has returned to the judge's chair with Indian Idol: Legends Return and in October 5 said that winning just once is not enough.

Himesh said: "Indian Idol ke itihaas ki sabse bari jung lekar aa raha hoon main... Let's begin!"

(I am bringing the biggest battle in the history of Indian Idol... Let's begin.)

He further added: "Jahan Idol ke ab tak ke stars phir se sabit karenge khud ko. Kyunki sirf ek baar jeetna kaafi nahi hota, baar baar jeetna padta hai. (Where the stars of Idol so far will once again prove themselves. Because winning just once is not enough, you have to win again and again.)

--IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor revealed that megastar Amitabh Bachchan has a private recording studio at home, where the veteran actor records raps and bhajans through the night but never releases them.

Ranbir made the revelation while talking about Amitabh’s passion for music and his lesser-known side, while appearing on the quiz reality show, Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Ranbir said Amitabh Bachchan continues to experiment with music and records songs at his home studio, even though he does not put them out for the public.

“Bachchan sahab ke ghar mein ek recording studio hai. Woh raat-raat bhar rap aur bhajan record karte hain, lekin kabhi release nahi karte.” (Amitabh Bachchan has a recording studio at home. He records raps and bhajans all night, but never releases them)

Responding to Ranbir's observation, Amitabh Bachchan jokingly spoke about the quality of the recordings and the magic of modern music technology.

The megastar said referring to pitch-correction technology that, "Par woh gaane layak ho toh na… ek woh yantra sa aata hai na jisme idhar se gaana gao besura, udhar sur mein nikalta hai.." (But only if those songs are worth listening to! There's this device, you know, where you sing off-key on one end, and it comes out perfectly in tune on the other)

The revelation offers a glimpse into Amitabh’s continued association with music. The actor has himself sung many songs during his career, beginning with ‘Mere Paas Aao’ from ‘Mr Natwarlal’ in 1979.

He went on to lend his voice to a lot many memorable tracks, including ‘Rang Barse’ and ‘Neela Aasman So Gaya’ from ‘Silsila’, ‘Mere Angne Mein’ from ‘Laawaris’, ‘Jahan Chaar Yaar’ from ‘Sharaabi’, ‘Main Yahan Tu Wahan’ from ‘Baghban’, ‘Ekla Cholo Re’ from ‘Kahaani’ and ‘Piddly Si Baatein’ from ‘Shamitabh’.

Amitabh has also sung for films in later years, including ‘Hori Khele Raghuveera’ from ‘Baghban’ and ‘Rozana Jiye’ from ‘Nishabd’.

A lot many songs picturised on Amitabh Bachchan have also been sung by playback singer Sudesh Bhosle, whose voice became closely associated with the actor.

–IANS

rd/

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Actor Chetan Hansraj offered a glimpse into the extensive creative work behind the making of the upcoming epic “Ramayana: Part 1” and revealed that it took four hours of daily work to sculpt the look of his character Raja Mali.

Chetan took to Instagram, where he also praised action director and movement expert Terry Notary, stunt coordinator Ian Van Temperley and animation supervisor Andrew Doucette for their contributions to the film, which he described as a historic cinematic undertaking.

Taking to the caption, Chetan spoke about the “architects of the epic.”

“The visual madness you are all seeing on the big screen doesn't happen in isolation. It takes a village of absolute masterminds to build a cinematic universe of this scale. Massive respect to our visionary director @niteshtiwari22 for steering this colossal Rs. 1,500 crore ship and trusting me to anchor the opening sequence,” Chetan wrote in the caption.

He went on add: “Before I even stepped onto the Volume, the brilliant Virginia Holmes @virgholmes and her team spent 4 grueling hours every day meticulously sculpting the ancient, brutal visage of Raja Mali onto my face.”

Then came the physical execution, he mentioned.

“An incredible honor working alongside the legend Terry Notary @terrynotary(Action Director , Motion Capture & Movement Director). We spent hours breaking down the exact physics and psychology of a demon king so that every single movement felt lethal.”

“Huge props to Ian Van Temperley @stuntalliancegroup and his stunt team for curating those absolutely insane action sequences, ensuring every swing of the axe was merciless.”

Chetan concluded: “And a massive shoutout to Andrew Doucette (Animation Supervisor) for taking all that raw performance capture data and translating it into the most groundbreaking VFX Indian cinema has ever seen. The blood, sweat, and scale of this film is historic. Thank you for the massive love on the recent posts!”

Ramayana: Part 1 directed by Nitesh Tiwari. The film is based on the Hindu epic Ramayana by Valmiki. It is the first of a two-part film, with Part 1 being based on the first three kāṇḍa (chapters) of Ramayana which chronicles the life of Prince Rama from childhood up to his adventurous 14-year exile.

--IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan shared a thoughtful note on the importance of movement, wellness and maintaining a healthy routine, saying that even a simple walk in the park can make a difference.

Reflecting on the Earth's continuous movement over millions and billions of years, the icon took to his blog and drew a parallel with life, encouraging people to keep moving, live well and find happiness through prayer.

The icon wrote on his blog: “movement is the ultimate .. wellness attracts it .. gives it the needed impetus of worth… a walk in the Park .. busy on the work mode .. just moving … move and be in movement…”

“Be in movement to bring that routine back .. if you are moving , remember the Earth is moving .. and has been moving millions and billions of years and no estimate of when and for how long the Earth has been moving … when the Earth is moving all else moves .. to us it seems the opposite .. but look at the propensity and its longevity … live well .. in prayer and happiness.”

Amitabh was currently hosting the quiz-based reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati. However the shoot halted for a week amid the icon’s health concerns on November 7.

According to a source, the legendary actor has not been keeping well and the makers have temporarily stopped filming new episodes. In the meantime, the channel has been re-airing a few week-old episodes featuring celebrity guests as part of its Diwali special week.

The source revealed that the last major celebrity episode shot for the show featured Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Ravi Dubey, who appeared on the quiz show to promote their upcoming film “Ramayan”.

On November 10, Big B reflected on celebrating a quieter, more peaceful Diwali, noting fewer firecrackers, less noise, and clearer roads.

The cine icon took to his blog and wrote: “Ek Sahaj Diwali Manayi Hai; Patakhe Kam Chalaye Hain; Sadkein Khuli Aur Shor Kam Hai; Vatavaran Kuch Shaant Roop Mein Gahra Hai; Bas Yahi Rahe Hum Sab Par Bhar, Sukh Rahe, Samriddhi Bane, Khushiyon Ki Hahakaar Mache Har Baar…”

“(A peaceful Diwali was celebrated; fewer firecrackers were burst, the roads were clear and there was less noise. The atmosphere felt somewhat calm and serene. May this peace remain with all of us, may happiness and prosperity prevail, and may every occasion be filled with an abundance of joy.)”

--IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Hollywood actress Jamie Lee Curtis mourned the death of actor Stacy Keach, remembering him as a talented performer and a “lovely man”.

Recalling their time working together on the 1981 Australian film ‘Road Games’ on Instagram, Curtis shared fond memories of their road trip from Adelaide to Perth along the Nullarbor Highway and revealed how Keach taught her the importance of carrying familiar comforts while shooting away from home.

She shared a string of stills from the film and captioned it: “Stacy Keach has died. He was a talented actor and a lovely man. I worked with him in 1981 on a movie in Australia called Road Games. It was a road picture and he was the truck driver, and I, the hitchhiker.”

“The movie company shot and drove from Adelaide to Perth on the Nullabor Highway. I remember so well that he had done so many movies on location and so he traveled with big steamer trunks filled with creature comforts, rugs and pillows and objects to make a hotel room feel like home and I learned that from him way back then, and do it to this day. Another big loss this year,” she added.

Roadgames is a 1981 Australian thriller film directed by Richard Franklin and starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis.

It follows an American truck driver travelling across Australia who, with the help of a hitchhiker, seeks to track down a serial killer who is butchering women and dumping their dismembered bodies along desolate highways.

Keach, who passed away aged 85, was an American actor, active in theatre, film and television from the 1960s onward. He first distinguished himself in Off-Broadway productions and was a prominent figure in American theatre, particularly as a noted Shakespearean.

Keach was the recipient of several theatrical accolades, including four Drama Desk Awards and two Helen Hayes Awards.

He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Arthur Kopit's 1969 production of Indians and twice nominated for the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actor.

--IANS

dc/

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Actor Manish Goel’s son Aryaveer has come out in support of his father amid the ongoing controversy involving his ‘Bigg Boss 20’ co-contestant Qazi Touqeer.

The young boy lashed out at Qazi for his “crossed a line” remark on Manish and his allegations in the pretext of a prank and said that the episode has been deeply hurtful for their family.

Aryaveer shared a series of stories on his social media account reacting to the controversy after Manish broke down following Qazi’s comments about their interaction during a playful role-play activity inside the ‘Bigg Boss 20’ house.

In his first post, Aryaveer wrote, “Thank you to all the contestants who took a stand.

And to the Qazi fans, I am NOT scared of any of you. The blindness and toxicity is honestly unbelievable. I have always supported my father's friendship with Qazi and their masti. But what happened yesterday crossed a line. Qazi was the one who pounced on my father first, made strange gestures and provoked him. My dad played along too, and nobody had a problem then. It was all fun and games until he decided to pull a prank by making an accusation as serious as inappropriate touching. Are you fucking serious? Do you understand the gravity of such allegations?”

He added, “I KNOW MY FATHER. One person's narrative doesn't make it the truth. Even the people inside that house know Qazi overdid it. Please stop blindly following someone and start using your own judgement. And to those saying my dad is playing the wife-and-kid card, maybe question why you've become so accustomed to fake faces and manufactured emotions on Bigg Boss that you cannot recognise a genuinely good, mature man when you see one.”

“You can dislike his game, disagree with him or criticise him. But you will NOT get away with disrespecting his character. I love you, Papa. I know the man you are, and I will ALWAYS stand by you. No matter what.”

Aryaveer then shared another post clarifying the context of his earlier remarks and explaining why he had spoken out.

“Since some people are making an issue out of my story, let me clarify what I meant by “explains it all. This was one of many comments my family and I received, and it was an outright death threat, which is why I addressed it. I later realised that I cannot respond to or defend against everyone saying such things.”

“Unfortunately, some chose to turn this into an issue about another country, which was never my intention. I only noticed the language used and the threat given, not anything beyond that. Nothing against any country or its people, and no intention of hurting anyone’s sentiments. I won’t be speaking further on this. Sorry I couldn’t articulate it properly, I am also overwhelmed, please understand.”

The post came after a fun activity in which Qazi was seen portraying a female character and dressed like one in a lehenga choli and Manish participated in the playful interaction. Qazi later accused Manish of touching him inappropriately during the act and said that the interaction made him uncomfortable.

The incident escalated when Qazi reportedly compared the alleged behaviour to the kind of conduct associated with eve-teasers and hooligans who harass women on the road. Manish, who was in the nomination room, became emotional and broke down while defending himself.

Manish repeatedly spoke about his wife, daughter, sister, mother and his female co-stars, stressing that he has always respected women. He also referred to actor Juhi Parmar, with whom he had worked for many years, saying he knew that she had always felt safe around him.

Initially, all the housemates who had treated the interaction as a joke and played along with Qazi, after his comments escalated, came forward to support Manish. The women in the house also said that they felt completely safe around Manish and vouched for his character.

Manish denied having any inappropriate intention and maintained that the interaction had been part of the joke.

–IANS

rd/

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds left everyone in splits after he shared his “most emotional performance to date”, describing months of preparation and a strict diet of ketchup.

However, the dramatic build-up turned into a hilarious reveal as the actor on Instagram shared a live-action appearance of his character Detective Pikachu, urging everyone to brace themselves for the supposedly “devastating” moment.

He shared a few glimpses with text overlays that read: “I’m about to share with you my most emotional performance to date. Now’s your chance to swipe away this wil be devastating. You’ve been warned.”

Then comes a live action character of ‘Detective Pikachu,’ a character he played in the 2019 film based on the Pokémon franchise.

He wrote in the caption: “I prepped for months. Sheltered myself from the outside world on a diet of ketchup alone. But it was all worth it for this moment.”

Directed by Rob Letterman, the film stars Ryan Reynolds as the voice and motion capture of Pikachu, with Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy in live-action roles.

The plot follows Detective Pikachu and his partner Tim Goodman as they attempt to solve the mysterious disappearance of Tim's father, Harry. Filming took place from January to May 2018 in Colorado, England, and Scotland.

Talking about Reynolds, he is known for starring in comedic and superhero films, he was the world's second-highest-paid actor in 2020 and 2024. Reynolds has received numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations for two Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

The film features an ensemble cast led by Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. In the film, the Avengers, Wakandans, New Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men converge from different universes to face Doom amidst the collapse of the multiverse.

--IANS

dc/