Banking on Akshay!

Kudos to Akshay Kumar for taking PadMan from merely a movie to a movement, promoting the need for low-cost sanitary pads for rural women and striving for menstrual hygiene! Now, the actor is launching a Pad Bank for Daughters of Maharashtra along with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The idea is to make Maharashtra the first state where every woman in the rural areas and slums has access to sanitary pads. All can contribute to the cause by donating sanitary pads or money that will be used to buy pads that will be distributed to the needy.

Honours for Ilaiyaraaja, Manoj Joshi

Tamil instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and music composer, Ilaiyaraaja was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest civilian award. He was among the 85 personalities named for the 2018 Padma Awards. He has worked for over 1000 films (including Hindi and South films) in a career over four decades. Also receiving this prestigious award was classical singer Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Versatile actor Manoj Joshi, who is known for his films like Hungama, Hulchul, Phir Hera Pheri, was also named for the Padma Shri. Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been named for the Padma Bhushan this year.

She’s back!

Last seen on the Hindi film screen in Dilwale in 2015, the scintillating Kajol returns, to shoot for husband Ajay Devgn‘s home production, Eela. Said to be an adaptation of Anand Gandhi’s Gujarati play, Beta Kaagdo (Son, Crow), the film will be helmed by the wonderful Pradeep Sarkar. According to sources, Kajol plays the role of a single mother who enhances her singing skills with encouragement from her son and eventually gets appreciated for her craft.

SOTY2 arrives November 23

In good news for all the teeny-boppers, Karan Johar has announced that the second instalment of the Student Of The Year franchise, starring Tiger Shroff, will release on November 23. The two new leading ladies of this Pubnit Malhotra directorial are yet to be announced. Good luck, wannashines!

Deepika rules the pay-scales

On ‘BFFs with Vogue’, Deepika confirmed what we had always suspected… In the show’s ‘Say It or Strip It’ segment, host and actress Neha Dhupia asked her, “How much were you paid for Padmaavat?” DP diplomatically avoided answering the question and chose to strip off her earrings instead. The next question was, “Were you paid more than Ranveer and Shahid?” To this, Deepika simply said a loaded, “Yes”.

Take a bow, Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat finally hit the screens. An epic period war film loosely based on the legendary Rajput queen and inspired by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s 1540 work Padmaavat, the film was long yet entertaining. Kudos to Bhansali for this handsome effort to make a film based on his beliefs and after his own heart.

Inseparable!

Lovely Rani Padmini and wicked Allaudin Khilji weren’t allowed any screen time together in Padmaavat. But there was no stopping the actors behind these awesome characters in the period drama from stepping out together and attending the film’s premiere show hand-in-hand. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh made a rare public appearance together and they were a sight to behold!

Covering up Padmini!

Fringe group Karni Sena had found intolerable the sight of Rani Padmini baring her midriff as she twirls 66 times to Ghoomar steps in the folk song. Its agitated members felt it was unbecoming for a Rajput queen to expose herself in this ‘ungainly manner’. Cosmetic changes later, Ghoomar was back – with Deepika’s exposed waistline now covered via computer graphics with red layers of cloth. Close-up shots that were difficult to cover were reportedly deleted from the song altogether.

Fash Fails at the Style Awards

Amidst the on-point looks at the HT Most Stylish Award event, were some absurd and hideous fashion foibles had eyes popping! Shama Sikander’s zipper body con dress paired with loud voluminous curls and a bright lip was all a bit too much. Sonakshi Sinha’s shiny power suit didn’t work, neither did Varun Dhawan’s indescribable outfit. Hina Khan came dressed for a Halloween do in dramatic puffy sleeves and metallic shine, while Sridevi had us covering our eyes as her sequinned separates outshone everyone – and not in a good way! Richa Chadha’s cleavage-baring thigh-high risqué gown did nothing for her at the style stakes, while Taapsee Pannu tried but failed to give her power suit the quirky spin she was aiming for.