Latest news with #HumAapkeHainKoun.
NDTV
14-07-2025
- NDTV
Why Indians Are Picking Monsoon As Peak Travel Season, From Goa To Udaipur
Whenever we travel, we generally want the weather to be pleasant and sunny. In fact, whenever it rains, we think it is the worst thing that can happen to our vacation plans. But what if we told you that Indians are actually stepping out in the rain intentionally? Yes, in fact, monsoon, once the most loathed weather to travel in, as it would spill water all over plans (quite literally), is now becoming the new cool time of the year to travel. Data Also Agrees Data also shows the rise in monsoon travel. According to data from Thomas Cook (India), monsoon getaways are rapidly gaining traction among young Indian travellers - Gen Z, millennials, working professionals, couples, multigenerational families, and a new emerging group known as "frolleagues" (friends who are also colleagues). Cleartrip's PeekABoo travel tracker highlights a significant 46% increase in monsoon trip bookings this year, with Tier I cities driving the surge and accounting for a remarkable 78% of total travellers. Most of these adventurers are between 24 and 30 years old, opting for refreshing three-day escapes, what they've dubbed "70-hour monsoon breaks" as an antidote to the typical 70-hour work week (sorry, Narayana Murthy). Despite the growing interest, hotel rates have remained relatively stable with only a slight 3% rise, while airfares have climbed by 13% - still keeping travel within reach for many. PeekABoo also notes a preference for short hotel stays (averaging two nights), while flight bookings suggest longer holidays around seven days. Interestingly, spontaneity is trending - with last-minute bookings up 14% - but so is early planning, which rose by 10%. In short, monsoon travel is peaking in India. But Why? " Yeh mausam ka jaadu hai mitwa (It's the magic of the weather)," is an iconic song from the film Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, and clearly, the rise of monsoon travel is also about the weather (the vibes), above anything else. Let's have a look at some reasons: Natural beauty and waterfalls Monsoon breathes life into landscapes, turning them into vibrant green paradises. For example, Coorg is famously called the "Scotland of India" because of its mist-covered hills and lush coffee plantations that come alive during the rains. Waterfalls like Abbey Falls, Irupu Falls, Chelavara Falls, and Barapole River in Coorg are at their most spectacular, attracting nature lovers and photographers who want to witness the roaring cascades and verdant surroundings. Similarly, places like Cherrapunji and Mawsynram in Meghalaya become mesmerising with their dramatic waterfalls and living root bridges during the monsoon. Adventure and trekking The monsoon season offers thrilling activities such as white-water rafting on Barapole River in Coorg, trekking through the Brahmagiri range, and exploring misty trails in hill stations like Kodaikanal and Lonavala. The rains add an element of excitement, thrill and freshness to these adventures, attracting young travellers and adventure seekers. Cultural and festive experiences Some regions celebrate monsoon-related festivals and offer rich cultural experiences. Cost-effective travel Many hotels and resorts in monsoon hotspots offer attractive discounts and packages, especially because traditionally people avoid travelling during these seasons (the off-season), making it an affordable time to even stay at luxury resorts for leisure trips. Peaceful and less crowded Destinations like Goa and Udaipur see fewer tourists during the monsoon, allowing visitors to enjoy serene beaches, lake views, and heritage sites without the usual crowds. Monsoon enhances the charm of places like Udaipur's Monsoon Palace and boat rides on Lake Pichola with the cool, refreshing weather. Unique experiences Monsoon brings out a different side of destinations. Waterfalls are at their peak, lakes brim with water, and cultural festivals related to the rains are celebrated in many regions. The allure of this is now understood by many, thanks to the rise in promotion on social media. The tea-garden belt of India, from North Bengal to Assam, is also at its greenest best in monsoon. A drive down tea-garden-flanked roads, or a cup of steaming hot tea in one of the many tea estates in the area make for a stunning escape. Short getaways Many travellers, especially Gen Z and millennials, are opting for short, frequent breaks -- "mini-cations" or "micro-breaks" -- to enjoy the monsoon ambience (it's all for the vibes), often just for a weekend. In A Nutshell Monsoon is no longer the time to cancel travel plans -- it's the season to make new ones. What was once considered an inconvenience is now nature, culture, and spontaneous adventure. So, pack your raincoat, playlist, and chai flask, because it seems the best time to travel in India might just be when the clouds burst open.
News18
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Madhuri Dixit Finds Hum Aapke Hain Koun Cassette. Fans, Feeling Nostalgic?
Last Updated: While sifting through the pile, Madhuri found a hidden treasure, a cassette of her iconic movie Hum Apke Hai Kaun. Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit gets nostalgic as she recovers a treasure from the sets while shooting. On Sunday, July 13, the actress took to social media to share a behind-the-scenes glimpse from her shoot as she found a series of old film cassettes. While sifting through the pile, Madhuri found a hidden treasure, a cassette of her iconic movie Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, co-starring Salman Khan. Madhuri took to Instagram Stories to share a video of her going through a bunch of set props. The video showcased a vintage-themed set design with a wooden table and floral wallpaper. Madhuri was seen going through a stack of old cassettes placed on the table when she found a gem, the cassette of her hit film Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! Sharing this nostalgic moment, Madhuri wrote, 'Found a treasure on set today… #classiccassette #humapkehaikaun," followed by a red heart emoji, and tagged his co-star Salman Khan. Heightening the nostalgia, she also added one of the most popular tracks from the film, titled Pehla Pehla Pyar Hain, to the clip. Pehla pehla pyar… 😘❤My sweet Nisha Ji….. 🧿😘🌹One of my most favorite love song..❤🎶 #HAHK love u love u love u love love so much…😘🌹My sweet ma'am..😘🤗❤🌹🙏🏻 @MadhuriDixit #MadhuriDixit #PehlaPehlaPyar — SoSweetMadhuriJi 🤗😘🌹 (@SoSweetMadhuriG) July 13, 2025 Released in 1994, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year and became a cultural phenomenon of the 1990s. A remake of the 1982 film Nadiya Ke Paar, itself based on Kesav Prasad Mishra's Hindi novel Kohbar Ki Shart, the romantic drama struck a chord with audiences through its heartfelt storyline, family-centric themes, and memorable music. The film starred Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan in lead roles, supported by a talented ensemble cast including Mohnish Bahl, Alok Nath, Anupam Kher, Dilip Joshi, Renuka Shahane, and others. Its emotional depth and feel-good charm made it a timeless classic in Indian cinema. Madhuri Dixit is all set to appear in the lead role of the much-awaited web series Mrs. Deshpande. Created by Nagesh Kukunoor, this psychological thriller series will feature Madhuri in the role of a serial killer. Based on a French series, Mrs. Deshpande revolves around the police enlisting a serial killer's help to understand and capture another killer's habits and patterns. The excitement surrounding the series is palpable, as fans await to witness Madhuri's transformation into the character of a serial killer that contrasts with her glamorous roles so far. view comments First Published: July 14, 2025, 13:53 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
How Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Made Smriti Irani A Household Name, From TV To Amethi
She was like the first line of defence between the world and her Gujarati family, the rich, industrialist Virani clan. Smriti Irani as Tulsi Virani welcomed the world into into her home which housed a multigenerational, joint family and stood on guard on the door to protect her loved ones, preserve tradition, and practice selflessness in her eight-year stint as the adarsh bahu in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. While Smriti Irani was a relatively lesser known face at the time, she was a former contestant at the 1998 Miss India contest, had done a few advertisments, and featured in supporting roles in TV serials. But when the clock struck 10.30 pm on July 3, 2000, Monday, the actor appeared on the small screen and invited viewers into the world of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi on the TV channel Star Plus. That was when the first episode of the soap opera, which went on to become one of the longest and most popular shows in Indian television history aired. Virani family scion Mihir Virani, played by Amar Upadhyay, falls in love with his childhood friend Tulsi (Smriti Irani), who is the daughter of the family's priest. Despite initial friction from Mihir's mother Savita (Apara Mehta), the young and brave couple are able to cross the gulf of class difference between them. Throw in a wardrobe full of traditional seedha-palla Gujarati sarees, jewellery, and bindi on the adarsh bahu, who would be armed with loads of glycerine, melodrama, loud background music with long aalaap s, and those repetitive shots of slaps... And, your audience is hooked, so hooked, booked, and cooked that they are waiting for the Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reboot. Tulsi was sweet, sanskari, sensitive and most importantly non-sexy. Perfect as the India's adoptive bahu. She would probably be Renuka Shahane's Pooja from Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! had she not fallen off that damn staircase. (Cue: Pehli kiran jab se uge, bhabhi meri tabse jage) When The Bahu Became The Saas In its eight-year run on Star Plus, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was a rage. From Tulsi's pregnancy, Mihir's death, Tulsi's remarriage, to Mihir's comeback on public demand, the show saw lots of peaks during its initial years. Roughly two years after its premiere, the show took a 20-year leap in 2002, which marked the advent of a new generation of actors coming in to take it forward. What didn't change was Smriti Irani's dominance on the landscape of Kyunki as the wiser, more mature and responsible Tulsi Virani, who handholds the nayi peedhi into the world. When it's revealed that Mihir (Inder Kumar/ Ronit Roy) has an illegitimate son Karan (Hiten Tejwani) with Mandira (Mandira Bedi), tell me one soul who didn't want to strangle the adarsh beta Mihir for cheating on his ideal wife and keeping it a secret for decades! Despite the hurt and heartbreak, Tulsi eventually accepts Karan as a member of the Virani family. She is also the same woman who channels her inner goddess (with a gun, since times have changed) to shoot her estranged and abuser of a son Ansh Gujral (Akashdeep Sehgal) to death. She was Mother India too. Then, after another time jump or two, Tulsi became Baa, the grandmother, a title that was reserved for Sudha Shivpuri, the OG Baa of Kyunki. In 2008, curtains came down on Kyunki and it, as is oft-repeated these days, marked the end of an era. It was. Smriti Irani: From Abhineta To Neta While she was still working on Kyunki, Smriti Irani, nee Malhotra, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2003. She comes from a family of Swayamsevaks. She had been part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP's ideological mentor, since her childhood days. As someone who worked herself up from the ground level, having put posters on walls during campaigning and working in "the trenches", Smriti Irani had a good one-on-one experience with people and her popularity after Kyunki was through the roof. But there was little success initially. During the 14th Lok Sabha elections, she contested unsucessfully against Congress heavyweight Kapil Sibal in the Chandni Chowk seat in 2004. Despite the loss, the BJP appointed Smriti Irani as vice-president of the party's Maharashtra youth wing. In six years, she rose to the higher rungs of the ladder as a BJP national secretary and also national president of the BJP's Mahila Morcha. In 2011, she was sent to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. In 2014, the BJP fielded Smriti Irani as its candidate from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. While Rahul Gandhi defeated Smriti Irani by a margin of 1.07 lakh votes, she was appointed as the Minister of Human Resource Development in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first Cabinet. Since then, Smriti Irani has served as the Minister of Textiles (2016), with an additional charge of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in 2017. Two years later, she won the Amethi seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, emerging a winner over Rahul Gandhi. In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, Smriti Irani lost to Congress loyalist Kishore Lal Sharma in Amethi by a margin of 1,67 lakh votes. Be it her educational qualifications, her handling of the Rohith Vemula suicide, or her stance on paid period leave, Smriti Irani often made headlines. Smriti Irani Back As Tulsi Irani For Kyunki Reboot During an interview on the campaign trail in 2014, Smriti Irani had once said that she will "never return to the entertainment world", with a caveat: "but you never know what will happen in the future". After a lot of "Will They, Won't They", Smriti Irani and producer Ekta Kapoor recently announced that Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is returning to the small screen as a reboot. The show went off air in 2008. Smriti Irani, who is now also a prominent BJP leader, will be stepping back behind the camera once again. The Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reboot will premiere on the same channel in the same time slot on July 29 with Smriti Irani back as Tulsi Virani. In a statement issued on Monday, Smriti Irani said some journeys come full circle-not for nostalgia, but for purpose. "Returning to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is not just a step back into a role, but a return to a story that redefined Indian television and reshaped my own life. It gave me more than commercial success-it gave me a connection with millions of homes, a place in the emotional fabric of a generation. "In the 25 years since, I've straddled two powerful platforms-media and public policy-each with its own impact, each demanding a different kind of commitment. Today, I stand at a crossroads where experience meets emotion, and creativity meets conviction. I return not just as an actor, but as someone who believes in the power of storytelling to spark change, preserve culture, and build empathy. In contributing to this next chapter, I hope to honour the legacy of Kyunki -and help shape a future where India's creative industries aren't just celebrated, but truly empowered," she said. Kyunki was a darling of at least three generations, who would sit in rapt attention to catch the show when it aired and also during its re-runs during the dreary afternoons. While there still might be two generations who were regular viewers of the soap opera, it would be interesting to see what the makers do to hook the new generation, especially Gen Z. With the show being simulcast on the channel's sister streamer JioHotstar, we'd say the battle is already half won. Also Read | Smriti Irani Returns To Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Reboot, First Look As Tulsi Out Featured Video Of The Day "I Get Emotional Very Quickly": Aamir Khan On Getting Tearful When Watching 'Sitaare Zameen Par'
News18
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Renuka Shahane On Bollywood's ‘Entourage Obsession': 'It's A Matter Of Comfort'
Last Updated: Renuka Shahane talks about the film industry's shift from the 1990s to today, noting higher costs and larger entourages. Her third film, Loop Line, screened at the 2025 NYIFF. Veteran actress and filmmaker Renuka Shahane has opened up about the stark difference in how the film industry operates today compared to the 1990s. Reflecting on the rising cost of actors and the large teams that accompany them, the 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' actress pointed out how stars in the 90s managed their careers without elaborate entourages. She believes the culture has shifted significantly, with today's actors relying on multiple managers, stylists, and social media teams—adding to the overall production cost. Renuka told IANS, 'I think the culture has changed because there are so many mediums and media today to kind of explore yourself as an actor. So, if you are a huge star, for instance, then there are people who are managing your social media. There are people who are separately managing your social media ads, separately managing your proper TVC ads. Then there are others who are managing your costumes and, you know, that kind of collaboration." 'And that's why, you know, there's a division of labor. Therefore, there are that many people. And those many people can only exist if it's commercially viable for the people paying." Renuka went on to explain, 'So, it's not as if one fine day the star gets up and says, Oh, I need ten people instead of one. If there are ten people with the star and if the producer has, you know, feels that it is important that the star feels comfortable and I'm willing to pay that much for the star's entourage, then they'll invest in it or they'll compromise and say that, Listen, we can only handle five people on the set, not more than five. So, I think that, you know, it's not something that someone is doing it forcefully." 'If you can afford it, then they are doing it. Those who can't afford it—if you can't afford it, the star might put their foot down and say, Listen, I'd rather not do your project because I need my staff with me. Or they'll say, Okay, I'll compromise for this project, or I'll do it." 'You know, so I think that one should judge people that, oh, such a big entourage used to manage before. There weren't so many avenues that used the star, you know, in terms of the commercial prospects. So, I feel that one should also be more kind. You know, we generally judge that they have a lot. So, we are quick to judge. But I think that it's a matter of comfort," the actress further mentioned. Work-wise, Renuka Shahane's third directorial venture, a Marathi animated short titled 'Loop Line," was screened at the 2025 New York Indian Film Festival on June 21. The film explored the emotional neglect and silent battles faced by Indian housewives trapped in traditional, patriarchal households.
Hans India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Renuka Shahane talks about today's expensive actor culture compared to the 90s
Mumbai: Veteran actress and filmmaker Renuka Shahane has opened up about the stark difference in how the film industry operates today compared to the 1990s. Reflecting on the rising cost of actors and the large teams that accompany them, the 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' actress pointed out how stars in the 90s managed their careers without elaborate entourages. She believes the culture has shifted significantly, with today's actors relying on multiple managers, stylists, and social media teams—adding to the overall production cost. Renuka told IANS, 'I think the culture has changed because there are so many mediums and media today to kind of explore yourself as an actor. So, if you are a huge star, for instance, then there are people who are managing your social media. There are people who are separately managing your social media ads, separately managing your proper TVC ads. Then there are others who are managing your costumes and, you know, that kind of collaboration.' 'And that's why, you know, there's a division of labor. Therefore, there are that many people. And those many people can only exist if it's commercially viable for the people paying.' Renuka went on to explain, 'So, it's not as if one fine day the star gets up and says, Oh, I need ten people instead of one. If there are ten people with the star and if the producer has, you know, feels that it is important that the star feels comfortable and I'm willing to pay that much for the star's entourage, then they'll invest in it or they'll compromise and say that, Listen, we can only handle five people on the set, not more than five. So, I think that, you know, it's not something that someone is doing it forcefully.' 'If you can afford it, then they are doing it. Those who can't afford it—if you can't afford it, the star might put their foot down and say, Listen, I'd rather not do your project because I need my staff with me. Or they'll say, Okay, I'll compromise for this project, or I'll do it.' 'You know, so I think that one should judge people that, oh, such a big entourage used to manage before. There weren't so many avenues that used the star, you know, in terms of the commercial prospects. So, I feel that one should also be more kind. You know, we generally judge that they have a lot. So, we are quick to judge. But I think that it's a matter of comfort,' the actress further mentioned. Work-wise, Renuka Shahane's third directorial venture, a Marathi animated short titled 'Loop Line,' was screened at the 2025 New York Indian Film Festival on June 21. The film explored the emotional neglect and silent battles faced by Indian housewives trapped in traditional, patriarchal households.
