Bollywood Roundup: Salman Khan, Bhumi Pednekar, Anil Kapoor, and more…

Salman Khan Moves Delhi High Court to Block Release of ‘Kaala Hiran’

Mumbai — Actor Salman Khan has moved the Delhi High Court seeking to stop the release of the film “Kaala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy,” alleging that it violates his personality rights.

Khan has sought permanent and interim injunctions against Amit Jani, Jani Firefox Films, Bharat Shrinath, Akshay Pandey and others, asking the court to restrain them from producing, developing, financing, distributing, directing or promoting the film.

In his petition, Khan alleged that the film’s poster misuses his name, image and public identity for commercial gain without his consent. He also claimed the proposed film and its promotional material could harm his reputation and legal rights.

Khan had earlier sent a legal notice to the film’s makers, asking them to immediately stop development and promotion of the project. The notice alleged that the film appeared to be inspired by his blackbuck hunting case and could prejudice ongoing judicial proceedings.

The case, which is pending before the Rajasthan High Court, stems from allegations that Khan hunted two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur in September 1998 while filming “Hum Saath Saath Hain.” The Bishnoi community had filed a complaint against Khan and his co-actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu.

Bhumi Pednekar Says Sikkim Border Visit Deepened Her Respect for Armed Forces

Mumbai — Actress Bhumi Pednekar, who is on a three-day visit to Sikkim, said visiting the border deepened her respect for India’s armed forces and left her feeling grateful for their service.

“I’m a very, very patriotic person. I was very excited about visiting the border and once you go there you just realize how much our armed forces do for us and we as civilians don’t really do that much back for them,” Bhumi told the media.

She said every interaction with members of the armed forces leaves her feeling indebted.

“Every time I have an opportunity to interact with anybody from the armed forces I just feel so deeply indebted and full of gratitude, and being at the border, I was like that’s China…” she said.

Bhumi said she also learned about the history of the area and spoke with several officers during the visit.

“It was very cold, so breathtakingly beautiful up there and I was just filled with this sense of extreme pride for everything that our country does to protect us,” she said.

On the work front, Bhumi was last seen in “Mere Husband Ki Biwi,” directed by Mudassar Aziz and co-starring Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh. Her recent work also includes the series “Daldal.”

Bhumi made her film debut in “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” in 2015 and has since appeared in films such as “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha,” “Shubh Mangal Saavdhan,” “Bala,” “Badhaai Do,” “Bheed,” “Afwaah” and “Bhakshak.”

Anil Kapoor to Host Star Plus Show ‘India Ke Top 1%’

Mumbai — Veteran actor Anil Kapoor is set to host Star Plus’ upcoming show “India Ke Top 1%,” which will test contestants on logical reasoning, common sense and mental agility rather than memory.

The makers released a promo for the show on Friday, saying it will focus not just on book knowledge but also on quick thinking.

Speaking about why he connected with the format, Anil said India is driven by “raw instinct, unmatched observation, and incredible street-smartness.”

“Walk down any street in our country, and you will find people who can outsmart anyone under the sun, not because they memorized an encyclopedia, but because their brainpower is sharpened by life experiences,” he said.

The actor said Indians take pride in being “jugadu,” calling it a national strength.

“It is our ultimate superpower that makes Indians everywhere the top 1% of their fields. That’s why when I saw the format of ‘India Ke Top 1%,’ it instantly clicked with me,” Anil said.

He said the show does not ask contestants to recall historical facts but tests how well their minds work under pressure using logic and common sense.

“I am thrilled to host the show on Star Plus. We are giving our people a stage to flaunt the logical prowess that is so unique to India and Indians, and I’m proud to play my part in it,” he said.

“India Ke Top 1%” is expected to premiere on Star Plus soon, though the makers have not yet announced a release date.

Poonam Dhillon Says She Put Career on Hold for Motherhood

Mumbai — Veteran actress Poonam Dhillon has opened up about stepping away from her film career for several years to focus on raising her children.

Speaking on “Tum Ho Naa – Ghar Ki Superstar,” Poonam said she turned down film offers when her children were young because she did not have enough support at home.

“Look, mostly all women raise children single-handedly. I have seen this mostly. Married or in a joint family, the responsibility of children is carried out by every mother with full heart and full courage,” she said.

Poonam said that while she did receive financial support, she still had to shoulder much of the responsibility as a parent.

“But in my case, yes, I was to some extent a single parent. Financial support was provided, but… You never know when it can be needed. This is a very important thing. Your respect also depends on how much you can make yourself capable,” she said.

The actress said she stopped working for a few years because her children were very young and she did not want to neglect them.

“For a few years I completely stopped working. The children were very small and I did not have the support of my parents to leave them at home. I was the one who took care of the children. That’s why for a few years I refused films,” she said.

Poonam later moved to television because it required fewer outdoor shoots. She also set limits on her working hours because her son was only 1 1/2 years old.

She recalled arranging her schedule around her children’s routines, including getting her daughter ready for school and having her do homework on set.

“I am very proud of my children. Wherever I go and people say how good your children are, it feels very nice,” she said.

Madhuri Dixit Says Her Dance Journey Began in Mumbai’s JB Nagar

Mumbai — Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit has revealed that her dance journey began when she was just 3 years old at a dance school in Mumbai’s JB Nagar area of Andheri.

Speaking on an upcoming episode of “India’s Best Dancer Season 5,” Madhuri recalled her early years in the neighborhood and said many important milestones in her life happened there.

“Dance maine wahan shuru kiya tha pehle. Main jab teen saal ki thi, wahi pe JB Nagar mein dance school tha. Dance karna shuru kiya. Itni saari memories hain wahan. Meri pehli film jab release huyi, ‘Abodh’, tab bhi hum wahan the. ‘Tezaab’ ke baad phir hum log nikle wahan se kyunki wahan security nahi thi, toh phir baad mein mushkil hone lagi. After ‘Tezaab’, koi bhi aa jaata tha ghar pe. ‘Madam ne bulaya humko,’ suitcase saara leke aa gaye the,” she said.

Madhuri said JB Nagar had a close-knit atmosphere where neighbors felt like family.

“Jo neighbours the woh bhi family members hua karte the. Hum bacche kisi ke ghar mein chale jaate the, ‘Aunty, aap pakode banaiye, aapke bahut pasand hain humein.’ Woh jo relationships the, amazing the. Kyunki ab aise gharon mein rehte hain jahan pata bhi nahi hota aapke neighbours kaun hain. Ek family jaisa atmosphere tha JB Nagar mein, woh bahut kamaal ka tha. Bacche saath khelte bhi the, pitte bhi the saath mein sab log. It was amazing,” she said.

The actress said her family moved out of JB Nagar after the success of “Tezaab” because the lack of security made it difficult to continue living there.

Madhoo Says She Almost Worked With Shah Rukh Khan

Mumbai — Veteran actress Madhoo has recalled that she once came close to working with Shah Rukh Khan, but the film was eventually shelved.

In an interview with IANS, Madhoo said she never had a chance to work in a film with Aamir Khan or Salman Khan, though she did travel and perform with Salman during stage shows.

“There was an opportunity to work with Shah Rukh. I have always been a big fan of his. We did a film that got shelved, that was as close as I got to working with Shah Rukh. Aamir and Salman, I never got a film opportunity. Aamir, nothing at all, but with Salman Bhai, I had a chance to travel with him. We did a full tour. The dance tour that we used to do, the shows. So, that’s when I got to perform with him on stage and stuff, but other than that, I did not get to do work with Khans,” she said.

Madhoo said she could not clearly remember the name of the shelved film, though she thought it may have been called “Chahat” or something similar.

“I can’t remember the name, I was ‘Chahat’ or something like that. I think we did half a scene of something, I can’t even remember. But there was one film that was signed and never got made,” she said.

Madhoo made her Hindi film debut opposite Ajay Devgn in “Phool Aur Kaante” in 1991. She later appeared in films such as “Roja,” “Allari Priyudu,” “Yoddha” and “Gentleman.” (Source: IANS)