IOL Entertainment brings you the latest in Bollywood entertainment news and trends with our newly released column, Bolly-Fix Weekly.
From breaking news to whose up to what in the Bolly-sphere, the column will ensure to keep you up to date.
This week we look at Bollywood celebrities setting up Covid-19 relief fund-raisers, actress Dia Mirza speaking up on sexism in Bollywood and Salman Khan’s latest movie, “Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai”.
Indian celebrities set up Covid-19 relief fund-raisers
Actress Anushka Sharma and her husband and cricketer, Virat Kohli launched a Covid-19 relief fund-raiser.
The couple took to their Instagram accounts to share their message with their followers to get involved and help with donations.
In the caption it read: “Since the Covid-19 outbreak, our country is going through trying times, our health systems are being challenged, we need to come together and help our India.
“Anushka and I have started a campaign on Ketto, to raise funds for Covid-19 relief, and we would be grateful for your support.
“No amount is too small to save lives. We will do everything we can to make a difference, but we need your help to fight this.
“I urge you all to join our movement. Let’s do our part to keep our country safe and strong. Thank you.
“Click on the link in my bio to make an impact. #InThisTogether #ActNow #OxygenForEveryone #TogetherWeCan #SocialForGood @kettoindia @actgrants.”
Within five days, the initiative collected 5 crore with daily donations pouring in. Sharma shared a thank you message to all who donated on her Instagram stories.
Actress Priyanka Chopra also set up a fund-raiser with GiveIndia Fund and to date a staggering $961 724 (R13.5 million) has been collected.
Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan has also helped do his bit for the cause by donating 20 ventilators and about 15 crore towards the relief of Covid-19.
Actor Dia Mirza is a strong supporter of feminism
Actress Dia Mirza is a strong supporter of feminism and is very vocal about sexist issues in society.
The 39-year-old actress recently spoke to Brut India about living in a patriarchal society that is “largely led by men”.
She also talked of “rampant sexism” in the Bollywood industry and even revealed that her first Hindi film ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’ had “sexism in it”.
She confessed that it was crazy for her to work with people who were writing, thinking and making sexist cinema.
She said: “We live in a patriarchal society and it is an industry largely led by men. So there is a rampant sexism.
“And I think for a large part it is not even conscious sexism because there are so many men who are writers, who are directors, who are actors, who are not even aware of their sexist thinking.“
Citing examples, she further revealed several sexist things about the industry like how a make-up artist could only be a man or a hairdresser had to be a woman.
“Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai” shot before Bollywood drug probe
Salman Khan clarified that the drugs angle in the plot of his upcoming movie “Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai” was not added after the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) investigation into the drug racket in Bollywood.
In a virtual press conference, Khan said that the shoot was completed before the NCB investigation.
“It has been a problem for a long time. Even before this drugs investigation took over Maharashtra, we had already completed shooting the film.
“But now it became relevant. I have always been against drugs.
“As soon as you take it, you are done...your body and mind both will want it so you will have to be 10 times stronger.
“In the movie we have touched upon this subject...a man who goes on to clean up the city,” he said.