Latest news with #IndiaToday
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Priyanka Chopra's voice reminded Andaaz producer Suneel Darshan of Rekha: ‘Nobody had faith in her'
After winning the Miss World title, Priyanka Chopra began her Bollywood journey with the film The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She followed it with Andaaz, for which she was praised for her performance. Now, in an interview with India Today, Andaaz producer Suneel Darshan has revealed how Priyanka's voice reminded him of Rekha. (Also Read: Priyanka Chopra shot Fashion amid her father's cancer diagnosis, says co-star Arjan Bajwa: 'She is a very strong girl') Suneel shared that the search for the second lead required someone who could match Lara Dutta's presence. The filmmaker recalled sitting in his chamber when he received a call — an actor's secretary had arrived with a young woman he wanted to introduce to him. Following his usual practice of meeting newcomers personally, he agreed to the meeting. That day, the visitor was Prakash Jaju, the secretary of none other than Miss World, Priyanka Chopra. Suneel admitted that he wasn't particularly impressed initially. He said, 'My first response was not wow. But later, she groomed herself - evolved is the right word. Fifteen minutes into the conversation, I observed her eyes and said to myself, 'Iski aankhein kya kamaal hai, aur iski awaaz Rekha ki yaad dilati hai (She has such beautiful eyes and her voice reminds of Rekha).'' He added, 'That day I was sure - this is Rekha coming back. I had known Rekha ji earlier. But except for me, nobody else involved in the film saw that or had faith. They were more supportive of Lara and her personality. Priyanka was a different ball game. But I was very sure Priyanka Chopra was going to be a top star.' Directed by Raj Kanwar and produced by Suneel Darshan, Andaaz was a romantic musical starring Lara Dutta, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. The film revolves around Raj (Akshay), a young man who falls in love with his best friend, Kajal (Lara). However, his love remains unspoken, and Kajal ends up marrying someone else. Heartbroken, Raj moves on with life and eventually meets Jiya (Priyanka), a vibrant and independent woman who falls in love with him. Just as Raj begins to consider a future with Jiya, his past resurfaces, complicating their relationship. The film was a major box office success.
India Today
5 hours ago
- Health
- India Today
Snoring, Sleep Apnea & the Sleep Crisis No One Talks About
India Today Podcasts Desk UPDATED: May 28, 2025 20:10 IST How can a series of snorts and sniffs in your sleep impact your health? How do you diagnose whether you are sleeping properly? And when did quality sleep become a luxury? Tune in to hear the answers from Dr JC Suri, pulmonologist and founder of India's first sleep clinic at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi in 1991. With over 40 decades of treating sleep issues, Dr Suri shares all you need to know about snoring and a highly under-diagnosed condition called sleep apnea. Produced by Prateek Lidhoo
India Today
5 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
'Feels like home': Interview video of Indian 'spy' in Pak alerted agencies
Kasim (marked in red circle), the man arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan's ISI, is seen in a YouTube video posted by a Pakistani media outlet. (Screengrab) Kasim arrested from Rajasthan for spying for Pakistan Radicalised several individuals in India Kasim's brother Asim also arrested for espionage activities The man arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly spying for Pakistan visited the country twice in a year to receive training from his ISI handlers, officials told India Today. That Kasim, a resident of Rajasthan, visited Pakistan was confirmed after he was seen in a YouTube video speaking to a Pakistani media outlet. Kasim was arrested in the Deeg area of Mewat in Rajasthan on Thursday. The video, posted by the YouTube channel 'Rehbar-e-Mewat', shows Kasim telling the news anchor that it "felt like home" in Pakistan. "Mr Kasim, welcome to Pakistan once again. How does it feel to be back in Pakistan?" the anchor is heard asking him. To this, Kasim replies, "It feels like home. I get so much love and affection here that it brings me back so soon. I am back here in less than three months due to your people's love and affection". According to officials, Kasim visited Pakistan for the first time in August 2024 and again in March 2025, staying for about 90 days in total. During these visits, he received espionage training from his ISI handlers and senior operatives. Investigations revealed that Kasim was sending Indian SIM cards to Pakistan, which were then used by Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) to contact Indians via WhatsApp for gathering sensitive military and government-related information. Kasim is also alleged to have radicalised several individuals in India and authorities believe he has a wider network, with further arrests expected soon. KASIM'S BROTHER HELD FOR ESPIONAGE Kasim's brother Asim has also been arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly spying for Pakistan's ISI, sources told India Today. He had been on Indian intelligence agencies' radar for some time due to his suspicious cross-border connections. His name came up during the questioning of Kasim. As per sources, Asim made repeated visits to Pakistan under the pretext of meeting relatives, during which he allegedly came in contact with ISI agents. These interactions during his visits to Pakistan are now part of a broader probe, sources said. During interrogation, Kasim told the police that after reaching Pakistan for the first time, he was informed by his handlers that his brother was already working for them. Kasim came into the picture after Asim's visa expired. It was then that Kasim was allegedly asked to continue the link and facilitate further communication. Sources said that Asim would be taken to Gurugram and Barmer for further investigation. Hearing the matter on Saturday, a Delhi court asked the Delhi Police if this could be a case of cyber fraud rather than espionage. Police said there have been multiple instances where Indian numbers were used in Pakistan to honey-trap officials. The SIM cards, obtained from Central Delhi's Anand Parbat area, were issued in Asim's name and were taken to Pakistan by Kasim, they added. Meanwhile, sections under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) are likely to be invoked against Kasim at a later stage, according to sources. The man arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly spying for Pakistan visited the country twice in a year to receive training from his ISI handlers, officials told India Today. That Kasim, a resident of Rajasthan, visited Pakistan was confirmed after he was seen in a YouTube video speaking to a Pakistani media outlet. Kasim was arrested in the Deeg area of Mewat in Rajasthan on Thursday. The video, posted by the YouTube channel 'Rehbar-e-Mewat', shows Kasim telling the news anchor that it "felt like home" in Pakistan. "Mr Kasim, welcome to Pakistan once again. How does it feel to be back in Pakistan?" the anchor is heard asking him. To this, Kasim replies, "It feels like home. I get so much love and affection here that it brings me back so soon. I am back here in less than three months due to your people's love and affection". According to officials, Kasim visited Pakistan for the first time in August 2024 and again in March 2025, staying for about 90 days in total. During these visits, he received espionage training from his ISI handlers and senior operatives. Investigations revealed that Kasim was sending Indian SIM cards to Pakistan, which were then used by Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) to contact Indians via WhatsApp for gathering sensitive military and government-related information. Kasim is also alleged to have radicalised several individuals in India and authorities believe he has a wider network, with further arrests expected soon. KASIM'S BROTHER HELD FOR ESPIONAGE Kasim's brother Asim has also been arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly spying for Pakistan's ISI, sources told India Today. He had been on Indian intelligence agencies' radar for some time due to his suspicious cross-border connections. His name came up during the questioning of Kasim. As per sources, Asim made repeated visits to Pakistan under the pretext of meeting relatives, during which he allegedly came in contact with ISI agents. These interactions during his visits to Pakistan are now part of a broader probe, sources said. During interrogation, Kasim told the police that after reaching Pakistan for the first time, he was informed by his handlers that his brother was already working for them. Kasim came into the picture after Asim's visa expired. It was then that Kasim was allegedly asked to continue the link and facilitate further communication. Sources said that Asim would be taken to Gurugram and Barmer for further investigation. Hearing the matter on Saturday, a Delhi court asked the Delhi Police if this could be a case of cyber fraud rather than espionage. Police said there have been multiple instances where Indian numbers were used in Pakistan to honey-trap officials. The SIM cards, obtained from Central Delhi's Anand Parbat area, were issued in Asim's name and were taken to Pakistan by Kasim, they added. Meanwhile, sections under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) are likely to be invoked against Kasim at a later stage, according to sources. Join our WhatsApp Channel
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Crow plays football with kid in South Goa, video goes viral: netizens ask ‘need a striker'?
A heartwarming video of a crow and a boy playing football together in South Goa is currently going viral on the internet. In the clip, the boy gently kicks the ball towards the crow, who then taps it back using its beak. The two continue passing the ball back and forth, and the video has thoroughly impressed social media users. The video was originally shared by @thegoanonline on X and was later reposted by @chakdefootball on Instagram with the caption, 'In a rare video, a crow is seen playing football with a child somewhere in South Goa. How beautiful is this?' The video has already amassed over 549K views and 49.2K likes on Instagram. A post shared by Sagil (@chakdefootball) Social media users were quick to react. One user commented, 'Available on Sunday?? We have a match, need a striker with good heading ability.' Another user wrote, 'He must be someone from your family who loved football and came back as a crow… that's what my mom said.' A third user said, 'That boy is very gentle with his friend.' A fourth Instagram user wrote, 'Football is in the air of Goa.' One Instagram user commented, 'Crownaldhino, cownesta, crowdini, crowdoski, crowmuller' This isn't the first time a crow has gone viral for its unusual abilities. In Maharashtra's Palghar district, another crow has made waves on social media for its human-like speech. According to a report by India Today, a 15-day-old injured crow was discovered under a tree by Mangalya Munke, who took it home. The crow soon became part of the family, bonding with the children and roaming freely around the house. Over time, the bird began mimicking human speech, uttering words like 'Aai' (mother), 'Baba' (father), and even phrases like 'What are you doing?' and 'Why did you come home?'
India Today
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Anupam Kher, victim of terrorism, applauds Operation Sindoor: Felt vindicated
Actor Anupam Kher spoke about his personal experience with terrorism, describing himself and his family as victims. He recalled the plight of Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to leave their homes on the night of January 19, 1990. Speaking exclusively to India Today, the actor-director also commended the Narendra Modi-led government's Operation Sindoor, an attack against terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied expressed his feelings of anger rather than helplessness, especially after seeing distressing visuals such as a woman sitting beside her deceased husband during the Pahalgam attack on April 22. He said seeing the distressing images evoked anger in him like that of any common Indian."I am a victim of terrorism. My family is a victim of terrorism. For 32 years, nothing happened to the Kashmiri pundits, who had to leave their homes one night on January 19, 1990. And then again, there's something like this [referring to the Pahalgam incident] happening after the abrogation of Article 370. Lots and lots of people are going over there [to Kashmir]. I've stopped feeling helpless. I get angry because when I see the visual of a woman sitting next to her dead husband, it makes me angry like any other common Indian," he explained."I stopped feeling helpless. I get angry now. I get angry when I see the visual of a woman sitting next to her dead husband. When I see something like that, it makes me angry like any other common Indian. So you expect your leadership to act. And when they did that, I felt IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) May 31, 2025advertisement Applauding the government's retaliation by launching Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, he said, "You expect your government or your leadership to act and when they did that, I felt vindicated. I don't know whether that's the right word, but I did feel that that's how it should have happened. Within two days, we know what happened there. People have their own theories, but now we are getting to know the facts and how precise our attack was."Kher also appreciated our Indian Armed forces for their precise attack on nine terror bases in Pakistan. "How wonderful our armies, how intelligence worked. It is the leadership which takes the decision. Unfortunately, when 26/11 happened in Mumbai, the leadership did not do anything about it and it was unfortunate. Now we know that we have people who will not take things for granted," he people were killed in one of the worst terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir that took place on April 22. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and attacked nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Watch
