MUMBAI: Ahead of the release of ‘Shershaah’, actor Sidharth Malhotra opened up about his experience of working on the war drama. “For me becoming Shershaah was like a dream come true moment… I think the biggest obstacles all of us face is fear, and Capt. Vikram Batra broke that and said it with style and confidence by saying ‘Yeh Dil Maange More, sir’,” Sidharth said in the film’s BTS video. Directed by Vishnu Varadhan, ‘Shershaah’ is based on the life of Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Vikram Batra, who laid down his life in the service of the nation while recapturing Indian territories from Pakistani intruders during the Kargil War in 1999. Actor Kiara Advani, who is also a part of the upcoming film, recalled how Capt Vikram Batra’s parents were keen for Sidharth to play their son’s character. Jointly produced by Dharma Productions and Kaash Entertainment, ‘Shershaah’ will stream on Amazon Prime Video on 12 August 2021.

MUMBAI: Arjun Kapoor knows how to entertain his audience. He often wows his fans with his quirky social media posts. And now he is all set to increase the level of entertainment with his new digital show, titled ‘Bak Bak with Baba’. In the show, Arjun will be seen engaging in candid conversations with his industry friends and family members. He said, “We live in a digital era where one has the liberty to create some cool, conversation starting campaigns. I have always liked to be on the forefront to create something new for my audience and fans on the Internet. My recent digital IP will give everyone a sneak peek into things that might not have been known about their favourite stars.”

WASHINGTON: Hollywood star Matt Damon recently clarified the controversial remarks he made about “retiring” his use of the homophobic ‘F-slur’. In a statement obtained by People magazine on Monday, the ‘Ford v Ferrari’ actor insisted that “I have never called anyone ‘f–t’ in my personal life,” and that “I do not use slurs of any kind.” Just over the weekend, Damon’s interview with the UK’s Sunday Times caused a stir when he revealed that he was recently given a lesson by one of his daughters about why using the “f-word for homosexuals” is “dangerous.”

He told the outlet that he had “made a joke, months ago, and got a treatise from my daughter”. “She left the table. I said, ‘Come on, that’s a joke! I say it in the movie Stuck on You!’” Damon said in the interview. “She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. And I said, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood,” he added.

The actor didn’t reveal which daughter he had the conversation with. The star shares daughters Stella, Gia, Isabella, and Alexia with wife Luciana Barroso. But in his statement on Monday, he said, “this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening.”

He went on to detail the conversation he said he had with his daughter. “During a recent interview, I recalled a discussion I had with my daughter where I attempted to contextualise for her the progress that has been made—though by no means completed—since I was growing up in Boston and, as a child, heard the word ‘f–’ used on the street before I knew what it even referred to,” the actor said. “I explained that that word was used constantly and casually and was even a line of dialogue in a movie of mine [Stuck on You!] as recently as 2003. She in turn expressed incredulity that there could ever have been a time where that word was used unthinkingly,” he added. Damon said he was proud of his daughter. ­

MUMBAI: Actor Akshay Kumar, who is gearing up for the release of ‘Bell Bottom’, has completed the Mumbai schedule of his upcoming film ‘Raksha Bandhan’. He shared a post on his Instagram account, appreciating his time working on the Mumbai sets. He captioned the post, “I’m already missing walking down these streets of Chandni Chowk. Even though it was a make-believe set…you made it look so real, take a bow @sumitbasu62.”

Sharing a fun picture of him tripling on a scooter with co-star Bhumi Pednekar and director Aanand L. Rai, he added, “My wonderful co-star @bhumipednekar, thank you for providing the right balance with your splendid talent.”

“And @aanandlrai sir…what can I say about you, besides that you’re a wizard and today as we wrap up the Mumbai schedule of #RakshaBandhan, I know I’m leaving the set a better actor,” he concluded.

‘Raksha Bandhan’ is a heart-tugging story of the indelible bond between a brother (Akshay Kumar) and his sisters, essayed by Sahejmeen Kaur, Deepika Khanna, Sadia Khateeb and Smrithi Srikanth. The film went on floors on 21 June.

Mumbai : Vaani Kapoor, who was last seen in the 2019 hit film ‘War’, is thrilled that she got the opportunity to work opposite Akshay Kumar in ‘Bell Bottom’, a movie in which she has a small but impactful role. Vaani, who made her Bollywood debut with the 2013 romantic-comedy ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’, said the decision to do ‘Bell Bottom’ was instant because she got a chance to share the screen with her matinee idol. Vaani said, “I’m fortunate to have got the opportunity to work with one of the icons of Hindi cinema today, Akshay Kumar sir. I’m deeply thankful for his trust and faith. I have a small but impactful role in BellBottom which I’m hoping will be loved by audiences and critics alike.” She added, “I’m just thrilled that my journey in cinema so far has enabled me to be a part of the film and fact that I could share screen space with Akshay sir, who is larger than life and such a great person, the decision was a no-brainer.”

MUMBAI : Indian actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood has always been a step forward to aid those in need, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ‘Dabangg’ star has added another feather to his cap by becoming the brand ambassador of India at the Special Olympics to be held in Russia.

Sonu announced the news on his Instagram account with a picture of him wearing the jersey and posing with the Special Olympics Red Ball. He wrote, “Feeling proud today as I’m chosen to be the Brand Ambassador for India at the #SpecialOlympics to be held in Russia! I’m sure our champions will make us proud and I wish them all the best! Jai Hind.”

The virtual event of the inaugural session was viewed by over 500 athletes, coaches, families, officials and volunteers.