Have you heard? All for the Army

Vicky Kaushal

Four years ago, Vicky Kaushal won hearts for his portrayal of Major Vihaan Singh Shergill in Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019). The actor, who is leaving no stone unturned in essaying real-life legend, Sam Manekshaw in Sam Bahadur, has gone one step ahead to show his support for the Indian Armed Forces. Vicky features in a special anthem of the Durand Cup that drops today. A symbol of the country's football history and culture, the Durand Cup is Asia's oldest tournament, held mostly between top Indian football clubs across divisions. Organised by the Indian Armed Forces, the tournament has been the breeding ground for India's best football talent over the years. The inaugural edition happened in Shimla in 1888, when it started off as an Army Cup, open only to the British Indian Army troops in India, but soon opened up to civilian teams. The song, titled Bhidein, has been composed by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya and rendered by Arijit Singh and Vivian Fernandez aka Rapper Divine. The fast-paced song captures the nation's enthusiasm and passion for the game.

Maintaining a dignified silence

When Nora Fatehi recently recorded her statement in a Delhi court in the R200 crore extortion case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, she mentioned Jacqueliene Fernandez. Now, the Bachchhan Paandey actor has replied through her lawyer. Stating that they haven't received any official communication from the court, Jackie's lawyer reportedly said, "It is a matter of admitted fact that Jacqueline has never ever made any statement against anyone for that matter before any electronic, print or social media. Jacqueliene has always maintained a dignified and graceful silence about the case as the matter is sub-judice and pending before Honourable Courts for adjudication. However, that does not mean that she can be dragged into certain unwarranted legal proceedings for no fault of hers." He concluded that the courtroom arguments cannot be discussed in public domain and the sanctity of the judicial proceedings need to be respected.

Not such a dream duo?

Uh oh, it looks like all is not well between Ayushmann Khurrana and Ananya Panday. There is more to her complaint about his on-screen feminine avatar Pooja getting more prominence in the promotional social media posts. We hear that Ayushmann and Ananya didn't exactly share friendly vibes during the trailer launch event. According to a source, the two actors didn't exactly see eye to eye before and after the event, and preferred to keep to their respective spaces. Apparently, all that camaraderie on the stage at the trailer launch was just dikhawa for the media. While we know that Ayushmann is a good actor, it looks like his talent has rubbed off on Ananya as she managed to convince us of their bonding.

Back at the border

Over 26 years since he played Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri in Border (1997), Sunny Deol returned to the Longewala post in Rajasthan. This time around, to kickstart the promotions for his upcoming period action drama, Gadar 2: The Katha Continues. The actor participated in a series of activities with the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and also posed for a picture with the Pakistani tank that was captured by Indian forces during the 1971 Battle of Longewala. Sharing some pictures, Sunny wrote, "Remembering Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri and all the brave martyrs who fought the Battle of Longewala and wrote history. It's always an overwhelming feeling to be at such a historic place with our bravehearts and share the love."

Angrezi mein kehte hain...

Even as she is upbeat with the response to Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Alia Bhatt is gearing up for the release of her Hollywood debut, Heart of Stone, on Netflix on August 11. The actor recently revealed to an international publication that she felt weird mouthing English dialogues as she shot the action thriller, starring Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. "I'm so used to speaking in Hindi, suddenly speaking in English was weird on day one of the shoot," she recalled. Adding that even though she speaks in English most of the time, "acting in English suddenly felt a bit strange." Fortunately, the awkward phase didn't last beyond the first day of shooting.

Art and the artiste

It appears that Kirti Nagpure is an artiste, 24x7. Reading and painting are her passion, which she carries to the shoot of her television show, Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan. During her breaks on the set Kirti either catches up on her reading, or gets busy with a new painting. She enthuses, "It's my escape from the crazy working hours, bringing a sense of peace and rejuvenation. Painting is truly therapeutic and allows me to find inner peace."

Masterclass with Rani

On August 10, Rani Mukerji will conduct a masterclass at the 14th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). Eager to revisit some of her most memorable characters from her filmography, the actor said, "I'm ready to try to peel off layers of emotions and nostalgia attached to those characters and scenes. I'm humbled that the film festival feels such roles and films have had an everlasting impact in the history of Indian cinema."