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Born to dance
The story of Pradeep Gurung is one of courage and commitment. This boy, passionate about dance, ended up as the runners-up in the popular show Dance India Dance Season 3.
In Chandigarh to announce the next season of Dance India Dance, this witty youngster shared the story of his struggle and success. "Jab main chota bachcha tha, bahut dance karta tha - stage pe, birthday pe, pooja pe (when I was kid I danced a lot - on stage, in birthdays and religious ceremonies). My parents were fine as far as this," Pradeep opens up the conversation. But as this kid grew his passion for dance was only fuelled more, much to the distaste of his parents. So much so that he had to leave home (he is a non-residential Nepalese) and choose a life alone in Guwahati teaching what he loved most — dance. Dance India Dance figured on his wish-list and he did get through the auditions in Season 1, but as luck would have it he couldn't continue. Season 2 he dropped, for he was not ready enough. It was Season 3, which got him till the finale and won him much love as well as appreciation both from his family and the audience. "Once I was in top 10 on DID, my family made peace with my decision to pursue dance and supported me fully, as did the audience. I was to be the winner but…," his voice trails off. Quiz him on his favourite dancer and pat comes the reply, "Pradeep Gurung, he is quite versatile, can do anything." This 26-year-old is back to his chirpy self! On a serious note, he admits that Prabhu Deva is by far the best dancer and it is Govinda whose dances he has enjoyed the most. His journey so far has been challenging, "The dancers who reach top eighteen from across the country are not ordinary. And training at DID further hones their skills." Pradeep shares his success mantra, "Focus on your act that you have spent months and years working upon. Don't think, just do! The more you think, the more nervous you get and just stop there. Be confident of making it to the finale." What next? "Well, there is loads to do, you will see," he signs off. mona@tribunemail.com
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Rock & role
There is something really interesting about music, besides working as a great stress buster, binding hearts, breaking barriers, you can actually make various combinations in music and surprisingly they all work well. Like for instance, a young boy from Delhi, Ssameer combines Punjabi folk with rock. And you bet, the results are fabulous! Rising on the music charts is his recent album Sohniye. Punjabi folk with rock, this definitely intrigues. "Like everyone else who loves music, I too make it from my heart, and the result is generally nice," shares Ssameer, who likes how Punjabi singer Amrinder Gill weaves romance with music. "I like to make songs that you can dedicate to someone, which means they should have excellent lyrics. I focus a lot on melodies that can touch the strings of the listener's heart."
Apparently Ssameer is one of the few music directors who have turned into a singer. "I did music production in Bollywood for nearly two years before I decided to sing," shares Ssameer who doesn't call it an out of the blue decision. "My friends encouraged me to sing, a talent that I found was hidden inside me." He can play all kinds of Punjabi folk instruments, but he likes tumbi the best. "It has a lot of scope for experimentation," he says. Ssameer has made waves in the Punjabi music scene with his album Saiyyaan. His two music videos have been immensely popular on web and television. If it is Punjabi rock, the name Honey Singh cannot be ruled out. "I do appreciate his music. However, my music is more like Dr Zeus of Kangana fame." A Punjabi singer is never far away from movies. This makes Ssameer laugh. "Of course, I like to sing. As of now, this is what I want to do. Bollywood is open to Punjabi music and also to any kind of experimentation. If acting happens, you never know!" jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Screen shot
For Darshan Aulakh, who has a penchant for the silver screen, especially acting, which follows his fondness for production, the taste of success comes in small packages and he relishes each one of them. Apart from serving as a line producer in Punjabi films and exploring his talent for writing, Darshan also fancies acting in Bollywood films.
After playing small roles in several Bollywood films, including Veer Zaara, Mere brother ki dulhan, Singh is kingg, Jab we met, Namaste London and Rab ne bana di jodi, Darshan will now be seen in the upcoming Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Besharam and Imtiaz Ali's directorial venture Highway. Besides, he has also played the role of an ISI agent in the Hollywood film Zero Dark Thirty. "I have been involved in the line production of several films for a very long time now, but as I am a theatre artiste acting comes naturally to me. When Abhinav Kashyap came over to Chandigarh and we went about looking at the locales of Punjab, he decided to offer me a small role in his film Besharam. I essayed the role of a corrupt MLA and you will see me right in the beginning of the film, along with Javed Jaffrey," he smiles. Darshan will be essaying a small role in Imtiaz Ali's forthcoming film, Highway. "My association with Imtiaz dates way back to his first film Jab we met, for which I was assisting him as a line producer. Now in his upcoming film Highway, which will feature Randeep Hooda
and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles, I will be essaying the role of a Punjabi cop," he shares. Darshan continues with his love for production as he reveals his plan of coming up with a Punjabi film, "I have a very nice subject in mind and shall work on it soon. I'm planning to come up with a Punjabi film next year," he says. amarjot@tribunemail.com
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Freedom of expression
They wanted to stretch the retrospection beyond just a day and continue paying obeisance to a date that gave us identity as a nation. Beyond August 15, an artistic rendition organised by Kadamb Art in collaboration with Chandigarh Literary Society, paints a sometimes promising, at times a thought-provoking picture.
There are 16 works by eight artists that bring forth the three colours we associate the national flag with. To begin with there's city-based Bheem Malhotra's landscape inspired by the Tricolour. The acrylic on canvas, paints the saffron, green and white in long, casual strokes that appear to merge the colours and strokes. Vishal Bhuwania's works speak of freedom and present an abstract idea with a significant portrayal. There's a bird perched atop a rock along a sea shore, perhaps, standing for dreams and independence, in Alka Kalra's creation. Yet another canvas paints a busy picture comprising a sea of faces pouring out against a yellow backdrop. Shares Neenu Vij, the curator, "Through this event we've tried to bring together artists who have portrayed in their creative style, an emotional connect with this date." Madan Lal was intrigued by the multiple emotions playing a vital role in the construction of cities. Accordingly, his canvas is a mish-mash of contrasting colours merging into each other to form various shapes and symbols. Meena Baya wanted to highlight the self-esteem of hard working rural population through wide-eyed and elongated figures. Namita Kohli's acrylic on canvas dominated with the hues of scarlet and crimson and geometrical shapes. Moving on, there's Nitasha Jaini's painting that draws rows and columns of faceless men carrying suitcases. Amargeet merges nature and patriotism and brings out the beauty of a landscape painted in the three hues. One nation reflected in a million hues. That's the freedom of expression. manpriya@tribunemail.com On till August 24 at Hotel Aquamarine-22, Chandigarh
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Back to the roots
Aa taliyan te rakh ke turiye yeh jo jagdey deeve…are the lines from Jagde Deeve, an anthology of ghazals penned by Iqbal Singh Dhillon. At 68, Dhillon leads an active life, physically as well as intellectually. A practicing naturopath, he spends his days growing vegetables and reading as well as writing. "Those with a creative streak must give it back to the society," says Dhillon, who labours over his works for he wants to give something meaningful. His recently released book Jagde Deeve has 82 ghazals. But they are not on saki, beauty or love, which traditional ghazals talk about. His subject is life, its problems and solutions. Having extensively worked as director, Youth Welfare, Panjab University, for many years Dhillon has worked extensively with youngsters and continues to write as well as guide them post his retirement too. He has written on Sikhism, folk dances, Punjabi verse techniques, naturopathy and more. His upcoming books are on phonology of Punjabi and Punjabi prosody. Dhillon is currently busy penning his next on Philosophy and the basis of Sikhism.
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punjabi
scope Jasmine Singh
Movie: Putt Jattan De Statutory warning: Watch this movie at your own risk; it might affect your thinking and reasoning sensibilities. Putt Jattan De, okay; with a heavy duty name like this, you definitely expect a lot. But then haven't you heard, expectations can be killing! In almost fifteen minutes flat, your brain will stop registering anything; it will go numb and you wouldn't know what happened to you. Putt Jattan De directed by Simranjit Singh Hundal has such a deep impact. If you are lucky to escape unhurt, the first thing you would look for is the director. Yes, you would bow down and ask him—"Why did you do this to us." Indeed! What was the director thinking when he made Putt Jattan De; not a single scene bears any connect with the next one; the movie can easily be broken into a hundred parts and seen separately everyday! The only visible signs of direction are seen on the banner of the film, which says directed by Simranjit Singh Hundal. The next person you want to approach is the writer Prince Kawaljit Singh, who also plays the role of the villain in the movie, and tell him: "Why did you do this to us, you could have saved us from the horror if only you could have chosen between writing and acting." Putt Jattan De definitely has a storyline, only you can't figure it out till the end. As for the dialogues, please spare us! If we scrape really hard, the two things we find that can remotely be called as saving grace are actors Gugu Gill and Aman Dhaliwal, who sound and look like 'jatts'. As for the rest, debutant singer-actor Sippy Gill is far from the act. And what happened to Om Puri and Mukul Dev, the two fabulous actors have been completely wasted or they allowed themselves to be wasted. Talking about waste, Karamjit Anmol is another good artist who couldn't tickle the funny bone. Or you are so numb that you don't know how to react. Putt Jattan De marks the entry of actress Isha Rikhi in Pollywood. She is pretty no doubt; if only she doesn't speak anything! Like we have mentioned before, the movie has some bearable music that works as the topping on the base. On scraping more, we found two out-of-this-world scenes. Mukul Dev has undergone skin-grafting on his hand and because the patch of skin for graft was peeled off from his thigh, the new skin patch on the palm of his hand has hair! What! Who does that, we can understand the director was weak with direction, but this is common sense. The skin used for graft is always shaved before it is used! In the second scene, Om Puri always commutes on the tractor with his two wives sitting on the either sides holding the dunali (gun), which they never use. Oh my god! Putt Jattan De does nothing, except one thing— it hurts like hell.
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first-day-first show
Madras Café
Directed by Shoojit Sircar, Madras Cafe is a political espionage thriller film that features John Abraham, Nargis Fakhri and Rashi Khanna in lead roles. The film is set in the late 80s and early 1990s, during the time of Sri Lankan civil war and the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Vikram Singh (John Abraham) is an Indian Army special officer, appointed by the intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing, to conduct covert operations in Sri Lanka shortly after Indian Peace Keeping Force was forced to withdraw. As he advances towards Sri Lanka, with the intention of disrupting a rebel group, he discovers the larger issue. There he meets a British journalist (Jaya) who wants to reveal the truth about the civil war, and in the process he uncovers a conspiracy. Politically stirring Madras Cafe intimates us with several issues that changed the political history of India. The film is well researched and creative as per the Bollywood standards. I think that the film deserves a larger audience, simply because of its creative storyline. Viraj Pratap
Sekhon, Delhi-based professional Intellectually stimulating It is in this film, one is made to understand how fiction and historical events blend seamlessly into each other, without tampering the subject-the Sri Lankan ethnic strife and the Indian government's embarrassing entanglement in it. This film leaves you with a thought-a defining character of every good film. Rachit Sharma, student Exceptionally interesting The film has a very compelling storyline. Besides, John has acted very well too. It is an exceptionally good film and I really think that people must go and watch it. It's interesting, entertaining and incredibly well made. Nandita Sharma, housewife — As told to Amarjot Kaur
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star track Finally the mystery is revealed for the special song of Ram Leela. It was rumoured earlier that Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to have a special dance song in his movie. For that he shortlisted a number of leading heroines of Bollywood. It was rumoured that Aishwarya Rai might perform on this special number. Aishwarya has been the favourite heroine of Sanjay Leela and he has worked with her in several movies. But it is now revealed that Aishwarya is not doing this song.
"Bhansali likes to meet a lot of people before he finalises anyone. But it looks like he has something bigger planned for Aishwarya, may be a different film altogether," the source adds. Before Aishwarya, Madhuri was also considered for the item dance in Ram
Leela.
Come what May!
Hot seat
John Abraham loves fancy bikes and he owns a jeep. Now he wants a tailor-made luxury car. He has an Audi already and wants another one customised to his tastes.
Anushka Sharma has the image of a self-made person. She reportedly charges Rs 1 crore a day for endorsements and brand shoots that cash in on her glamourous, independent, bold and fashionable image.
SRK turns to yoga
Jab Tak Hai Jaan will be released in Romania in October and this will be followed by the release of Ek Tha Tiger. YRF continues to make waves all over the world!
Singing sensation
From Guru's Tere Bina and Chennai Express' Titli, award winning singer Chinmayi Sripada has sung numerous hit songs. Picked at the age of 15 by music maestro AR Rahman, she has sung more than 35 songs for him alone. Chinmayi, who has been singing for more than ten years in the South, is now making waves in Bollywood. In an exclusive interview, she talks about music and more…
It feels nice to have your hard-work acknowledged. I had tweeted thanking the music composers for giving me an opportunity to sing for the film and Shah Rukh Khan thanked me instead. He wrote, "You sang a lot like love." Deepika also tweeted about the song. It's rare in South that big stars praise singers publicly. So I'm indeed very grateful for the opportunity. You recently dubbed in Telugu for Priyanka Chopra for Toofan. How did it happen? I had actually dubbed for the trailer. I've been dubbing for many known artistes from South, so people know me here. But when they had a screening test for the film in Hyderabad, I happened to be in the city and the sound engineer asked me to audition and I did. They told me that my voice matches Priyanka's character the best and so they asked me to dub. Coincidentally, your song Tere Bina with AR Rahman has been featured in Disney's upcoming animation film Planes. Did Priyanka Chopra pick your song? Honestly speaking, I have no idea. I really want to know. Though I am glad that they picked the song for Priyanka's character. It's a lovely composition by Rahman sir. You have also sung for Main Rang Sharbaton Ka for Phata Poster Nikla Hero. I had missed singing for Pritam when I hosted Chote Ustad. But I am glad I could do it now. This song in PPNH is my fastest release ever. I recorded the song only last week in Mumbai. And a correction was done only three days back. Pritam is clearly working at the speed of a jet plane. I loved singing it. I am grateful for the opportunity. What's happening in down South? There are quite a few films. But most prominent of them all is Ranijikanth's Kochadaiyaan. I can't really talk much about the song and it is a nice one. People will like it. Who are your musical inspirations? Rahman sir and Lata Mangeshkar for sure. Down south, I admire P. Susheela and Chithra ji. Do you enjoy writing music and/or lyrics? Honestly I haven't tried till now. But I would love to give it a try some day.
Anurag’s dream becomes a reality
Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma's Bombay Velvet is a realisation of Anurag Kashyap's long cherished dream that he has lived day in and day out for the last nine years. The ace director made this revelation at the first ever press conference of the film in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where the first schedule of the film is currently underway.
Anurag said, "This is my biggest film ever and when I was leaving for Sri Lanka, it hit me that my nine year dream was becoming real." The film maker who has also spoken about the film being his most commercial ever, has left no stone un-turned to make sure Bombay Velvet turns out to be an epic in its scale and magnitude. In fact, Anurag's partner at Phantoms, co-producers of Bombay Velvet, Vikas Bahl added, "When we got an idea about the scale of the film, our first worry was to find a place where we could make a film of such a massive scale. We were sure that we won't make any amends for this film. We wanted to ensure that we did full justice to Anurag's dream."
Taapsee to shift base
Taapsee Pannu is a Delhi girl and keeps flying in and out of the capital for her film shoots and ad shoots. She is planning to have a career in Bollywood so she wants to buy a flat in suburban
Mumbai.
Apparently Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur are an item. They were spotted dancing and were totally into each other at a party in a nightclub in south Mumbai. Their friend Ayan Mukerji was also there and the group had a great time. |
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chatter box There is some good news for Anita Hassanandani's fans as they will soon see the pretty actress enacting a sensitive love story on Bindass' new television show, Yeh Hai Aashiqui. The show, which chronicles unusual love stories, will see the seasoned actress play the role of a married woman and a mother in the first episode that will premiere on August 25. The first episode is a story of Tushar, a young photography student who goes to his hometown, Dehradun, for his vacations and meets Priyanka (played by Anita Hassanandani), the wife of an Army officer. Tushar instantaneously falls in love with Priyanka and this is when their lives turn upside down, as Priyanka also feels the same about him. In the process of discovering their feelings and understanding the situation, both Tushar and Priyanka are faced with the eternal dilemma of heart versus mind. Talking about her role in the first episode of the show, Anita Hassanandani says, "I'm excited about playing a romantic character after a really long time. The concept of the show is brilliant and very interesting as it reflects today's youth. They are more open and bolder, but then that's what love is. One
Along with Anita Hassanandani, young and popular television actors like Yuvraj Thakur, Charlie Chauhan, Jay Kanani, Sanjay Sharma and Vineet Raina will also be seen on the show. The host of the show is none other than popular TV actor Vikrant Massey who was also seen last in the movie
Lootera.
Image makeover
Playing the negative role is taking a toll on Avinash, who finds it difficult to be his own self even after the shoot. He is living up to the role and often found in an irritable mood post the shot. "It's a different character all together. I am playing a male chauvinist who feels that women are inferior to their male counterparts. My friends have never seen this side of me and therefore they are shocked as well as extremely surprised with my behaviour. "Moreover they are claiming that I am slowly becoming like my on-screen character — cold and rude," laughs Avinash. — HRM
So Tweet!
Sony Entertainment Television's new fiction show Kehta hai dil jee le zara has successfully grabbed the attention of the audience with its simple yet unique storyline. The show managed to find a widespread space among Bollywood celebrities as well. Sony Entertainment Television has captured the digital space with the premiere of Kehta hain dil jee le zara on August 15. Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Riteish Deshmukh, Mini Mathur and Nikhil Advani were amongst the many who posted best wishes for the show on Twitter.
The show, starring Sangeeta Ghosh as the female lead, created a lot of buzz among Twitter fan and became the number one topic nationwide. It garnered over 7,700 tweets with as many as 5.37 million people joining the conversation. This is not all. The social space also buzzed with Tweets by Bollywood celebrities. The digital medium is indeed the new platform for show premieres!
Change of heart
Chef Kunal Kapur, who is known for his blunt feedback, seems to have mellowed down. The reason for this change is kids and it is for the first time that he is dealing with so many of them. Kunal, who is a veteran on Masterchef, is very happy with this change in himself.
While she wasn't confident to finish the dish in time, Kunal boosted the moral of the twelve-year-old and put in a word of confidence. "I have always been very strict about food and feedback but these contestants have melted my heart. They are so good and it's an amazing feeling to watch the tiny hands chop vegetables so finely. The credit of this change in me totally goes out to these wonderful small packets of joy. My heart melts to watch any of these kids cry, as they are all doing great cooking, something which even a full-grown chef would find difficult. We are all very proud of these little chefs," confessed Chef Kunal Kapur. — HRM
Fun with toys
What can be more fun than spending a day with the adorable Woody and Buzz Lightyear? Be prepared for an adventurous weekend as Disney Channel showcases Toy Story 2 in their Magical World of Disney block on Saturday at 11.00 am.
While Andy is away at summer camp, Woody is toynapped by Al, a greedy collector. Before you can say 'to infinity and beyond', Buzz Lightyear, Mr Potato Head, Hamm, Rex and Slinky Dog spring into action in a thrilling and hilarious rescue mission.
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Astro turf
ARIES: Love, celebration and romance are on the cards. You will be able to accomplish many things today. Working out a new schedule will be useful. You are generous in personal relationships.
Tarot message: You shall prevent a lot of trouble by taking timely action. Lucky colour: Yellow.
Lucky number: 25
TAURUS: You can find yourself involved in noisy confrontations with close companions. Try to keep your confidence high. Leave things to simmer under the surface and they will only continue to fester.
Tarot message: Arrogance will not be rewarded. Lucky colour: Orange. Lucky number: 36 GEMINI: You need friends around today to make you feel loved and appreciated. You want protection and advice about long-term issues. Beware of over-indulgence in emotion, food or drink.
Tarot message: Don't read too much into ordinary situations. Lucky
colour: Red. Lucky number: 59 CANCER: Professional entertainment and communication flows well. Organisation and negotiation brings favourable agreements. Take the chance to throw off all your worries and cares. Tarot message: Don't get embroiled in longterm ventures.
Lucky colour: Sea-green. Lucky number: 40 LEO: Money you have been waiting for finally arrives. Don't be in too much of a hurry to spend. Be wary about making new commitments of a financial nature. Tarot message: Do not cover up your own mistakes and keep emotions aside. Lucky colour: Brown.
Lucky number: 33 VIRGO: You achieve an ambition through hardwork and endurance. A happy event calls for a celebration. Do not hesitate to make settlement and compromises in business matters.
Tarot message: Do not let anyone take advantage over you. Lucky colour:
Metallic-grey. Lucky number: 45
LIBRA: Your relationships are especially affectionate and friendly today. This is a good time for parties, social gatherings and other pleasurable activities. A journey is on the cards.
Tarot message: You must learn to accept responsibility for yourself and others. Lucky colour: Black.
Lucky number: 39 SCORPIO: An excellent day to take stock of your life, to see how you are holding yourself back and to determine your next steps. Relationships at work will
progress smoothly. Tarot message: Take time before reacting. Lucky
colour: Golden. Lucky number: 62 SAGITTARIUS: You will be focused and alert at work, which will enable you to get through your tasks without putting in much effort. Those in creative fields will have a very productive day.
Tarot message: Cope better with success; its demand and limitations. Lucky colour: Pink Lucky number: 36 CAPRICORN: Forgive a friend for an error of judgment despite losses incurred in a speculation. You will be in a sensitive frame of mind and can overreact to perceived criticism from colleagues or loved ones. Tarot message: Boost your confidence with positive thinking.
Lucky colour: Peach. Lucky number: 27 AQUARIUS: You will be enthusiastic and optimistic about your assignments. Work has taken its toll, as you have been totally engrossed in projects and careless about health as well as finances.
Tarot message: Focus on your emotional and spiritual space. Lucky colour: Crimson.
Lucky number: 46 PISCES: You will be energetic and confident about your abilities. Students need to focus more on their studies. Love and romance lead to lasting commitments. A spiritual experience is elevating.
Tarot message: You are on the right track. Lucky colour: Fuchsia. Lucky number: 32
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Aukha, bhaira, goorha nehra phir bi pand makauna
However, the song has been bagged by none other than Priyanka Chopra. She will be seen in a dance number shaking a leg with the lead actor of this movie, Ranveer Singh. She will soon start shooting for the item number. The shooting will take place at the Film city in Mumbai. Designer Anju Modi, who is styling Deepika Padukone for the film, has also designed costumes for Priyanka. A source close to Priyanka said, "Bhansali met Priyanka two months ago to discuss the song in detail. Priyanka loved the idea but dates were a concern as she is also shooting for Gunday and Mary Kom simultaneously."
British-Arabian model Jasmine May will feature in an item song in the opening credits of Zanjeer 2.0. She was finalised after the makers saw her in a Honey Singh video. She is gorgeous.
Fresh face:
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, who is enjoying the success of his latest film Chennai Express, has decided to stay fit and try yoga. "Need to get into full mode work out soon. Rite now I am at minus 11 level. Hate my shoulder's lack of movement. Will start with Yoga today," the 47-year-old actor tweeted. "Yoga beckons...in touch with my inner self time. Sole to Soul...," he added later. Shah Rukh is recovering from a shoulder injury that he suffered on the sets of Chennai Express.
Your song Titli has crossed over 2 million views. How does it feel?
falls in love without thinking! I'm sure the audiences will connect with Yeh Hai Aashiqui as it will feature stories inspired from real life". 
He has been popular as the cute boy every girl would want her mother to meet, however, in a change of roles the charming Avinash Sachdev is all set to play Shlok, a guy who hates women and challenges their need for equality in Star Plus' soon-to-be-launched show Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon — Ek Baar Phir.
Recently while shooting for Junior Masterchef Swaad Ke Ustaad, Chef Kunal's emotions took an upper hand when one of the contestants started crying at the cooking stations. Sakshi who oozed out tears because of her dish, melted the heart of Chef
Kunal. 