1. Chitrangda Singh’s ex-husband arrested in a poaching case
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On Wednesday morning, actress Chitrangda Singh’s ex-husband and national golf champion Jyoti Randhawa was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department in a poaching case in Motipur range of Katarniaghat. It’s not only a protected area but also an important part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
Though Chitrangda and Jyoti are divorced, they continue to co-parent their son Zorawar. In fact, the couple is on amicable terms and reportedly takes joint vacations on occasion with their young child.
It is said that the forest officials were keeping an eye on Jyoti as they found his movements in the past few days suspicious. Incidentally, his father owns a farm in Motipur.
The national golfer, who has also participated in international shooting events, was intercepted inside the forest after he allegedly killed a jungle fowl. From his vehicle bearing a Haryana registration number, the officials reportedly recovered the skin of a dead animal, which he apparently claimed was of a wild boar.
However, the officials are said to have found that it was of a sambhar deer. The officials also recovered equipment like range finders, binoculars and a gun registered in his name.
2. Kangana Ranaut roots for technicians
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At a recent event, Kangana Ranaut, who plays the titular role in Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, was asked what is the one thing she would like to change about the industry if she was a real-life Laxmibai. The actress, known to be upfront about her opinions, said, “Technicians don’t get enough credit. Actors also get paid well. There is disparity especially when it comes to male actors who charge 60 per cent of the film’s budget and sometimes even 80 per cent.
Technicians do not even get enough respect. Two types of food are ordered — one for Unit A and one for Unit B, which in itself is absurd, it’s not fair when they all work on the same film set. There is no insurance for them. They work at a height of 40 feet but do not have the necessary documents for insurance. So, there are a lot of things that can be worked around and I hope it will be done in future.”
3. Rajkummar Rao avoids clash with Akshay, John, Prabhas
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The Independence Day weekend of 2019 had got crowded as four films were announced to release to make the most of the national holiday. Akshay Kumar and John Abraham, who vied for the box-office pie the 2018 ID weekend with their respective films, Gold and Satyameva Jayate, are in for an encore next year as well.
Mission Mangal, Akki’s co-production with R Balki and Batla House, John’s next venture with Nikkhil Advani, have been announced as I-Day 2019 releases. If that wasn’t enough, Prabhas’ next, the Hindi-Telugu bilingual Saaho, too, will be coming to cinemas on the same day.
The fourth film, Rajkummar Rao and Mouni Roy starrer Made In China, which was the first to announce its release, has been pushed ahead by two weeks. The Stree actor’s collaboration with the Gold actress will now release on August 30.
4. Bhumi Pednekar spreads Christmas cheer
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Like other Bollywood celebs who also believe that sharing is caring, Bhumi Pednekar paid a visit to the St. Catherine’s Home for Orphans, Mumbai, this Christmas. She entertained the children by dancing and singing with them and clicked loads of pictures. The actress, who has a packed 2019, is also expected to take some down time before plunging headlong into her acting assignments.
5. Ayushmann Khurrana to take an eight-day break
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Ayushmann Khurrana has had a dream run at the box office with back-to-back hits like AndhaDhun and Badhaai Ho. The actor, who believes in sharing his good luck and fortune, decided to indulge some locals in Agra by joining them for a game of cricket on Christmas. In fact, it wasn’t just on Yuletide Day, but for a few days through his shooting schedule that the actor, who is actually quite proficient at the sport, had a blast playing with the local team.
Meanwhile, we have also learnt that the Bareilly Ki Barfi actor has planned a quiet holiday on the outskirts of Mumbai to bring in the New Year with wife Tahira Kashyap and children Virajveer and Varushka. Said a source close to AK, “After shooting for AndhaDhun and Badhaai Ho, the actor was busy promoting them before he began shooting for his next movie, Dream Girl. He deserves a bit of rest and quality time with the family. He wraps up the shoot in Agra today, after which, he will take an eight-day break and then resume work on the project again.”
