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News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Aftab Shivdasani Once Spoke About Facing Casting Couch: 'He Used To Call Me Late At Night…'
Aftab Shivdasani once revealed that he faced casting couch during early days in his career. Ram Gopal Varma gave him his big break in Mast with Urmila Matondkar. Actor Aftab Shivdasani started his acting career as a child artist, having starred in films such as Mr India, Shahenshah, and ChaalBaaz. He then took a break and returned to the film industry, only to restart his career with modelling and ad gigs. It was during that phase in life when the actor admitted to facing the casting couch. Aftab Shivdasani and Vivek Oberoi, together, appeared as guests on Riteish Deshmukh and Sajid Khan's game show, Yaaron Ki Baraat. During a segment on the show, Aftab shared his ordeal when a renowned personality from the entertainment industry would call him late at nights and ask him to visit him at a hotel. Upon realising the intent, the Kasoor actor stopped entertaining him. Aftab said on the show, 'When I was not an actor and was doing music videos and modelling assignments, I visited a person who promised me a film. He used to call me late night, kept me hanging. Later on, I realised that it's a hoax and stopped picking his calls. And the guy was a very well known personality and I can't name him here. I did meet him once or twice but later I stopped when his intentions became clear." For the unversed, casting couch refers to the exploitative practice where people in positions of power in the entertainment industry demand sexual favours from aspiring actors in exchange for roles or career opportunities. It's widely condemned as unethical and abusive. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma gave Aftab Shivdasani his first big break in Mast, co-starring Urmila Matondkar in 1999. In a conversation with ETimes, Aftab clarified that his background as a child actor had no connection to him landing the lead role in Mast. While still in school, he often auditioned for commercials simply because he enjoyed being in front of the camera. It was during one such stint, a cola advertisement, that he caught the attention of RGV, who later cast him in Mast. Meanwhile, on the work front, Aftab Shivdasani has been a part of superhit films such as Kasoor, Awara Paagal Deewana, Hungama, Footpath, 1920: The Evil Returns, Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3, and several others. Next, he has an array of films in the pipeline. He is a part of Welcome To The Jungle in Akshay Kumar's multi-starrer, Masti 4 with Riteish Deshmukh and Vivek Oberoi and Kasoor 2 with Urvashi Rautela. First Published: July 18, 2025, 19:56 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.
India.com
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Amrish Puri's daughter, as beautiful as many Bollywood heroines, works as a fashion designer, is married to..., her name is...
Late veteran actor Amrish Puri is one of the greatest actors that Indian cinema has ever produced. He dominated the silver screen with his unique style of acting for decades. Despite playing a villain in most of his films including Vidhaata, Nagina, Mr India, Shahenshah, Ram Lakhan, Damini, Tridev, Karan Arjun and others, he received a lot of love from fans and garnered immense fame for his performances. But, when it comes to his personal life, little is known. Amrish Puri was married to Urmila Diveker and the couple has two children- Rajeev and Namrata Puri. While Rajeev is a producer, Namrata is a fashion designer. Who is Amrish Puri's daughter? Although Namrata stays away from the glitzy world, she is an avid social media user and loves to showcase her work online. She studied software engineering, but is best known for her craft as a fashion designer. Her creations have been well-received in many fashion shows. Some of her pictures went viral on social media and fans can't get enough of her beauty. In one of her Instagram snaps, she was seen all draped up in a saree, exuding elegance and grace. She gave a stylish back pose, and flaunted her backless blouse. With open hairdo and subtle makeup, Namrata completed her ethnic look perfectly. In another Instagram picture, Namrata was seen in a stunning hand embroidered sharara set. While the bottoms were simple, the top had intricate golden embroidery on it. With dupatta on one-side, Namrata smile and posed for the cameras. In slide 2, Namrata can be seen candidly posing and smiling in a stylish black saree, featuring golden embroidery on the ruffles. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @namratapuribespoke Namrata is currently married to Shrish Bagwe. Her brother Rajeev works as a producer in the entertainment industry. His son, Vardhan Puri, followed his grandfather's footsteps, and featured in a movie titled Yeh Saali Aashiqui featuring Shivaleeka Oberoi. He also worked as an assistant director on the sets of Daawat-e-Ishq, Shuddh Desi Romance and Ishaqzaade.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shekhar Kapur poses a big question on the future of coaching classes in the light of AI
Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has posed a big question on the future of coaching classes in the light of constant advancement in the field of AI. Taking to his X timeline, Shekhar shared that as he was recently driving from Delhi to Mussoorie, he noticed the huge number of signboards for coaching classes. The 'Mr India' maker revealed that the urge to get a certificate in an attempt to procure a nice job has turned the coaching classes into a $ 25 billion industry. Aamir Khan's son, Junaid Khan's 'cool' transformation wows the internet; fans call him 'Indian Henry Cavill' "The informal unregulated education sector in India .. Coaching classes etc is estimated to be worth about $ 25 billion. Spread across both the Urban and rural areas .. parents , middle and lower class, desperately need their kids to have some certificate that proves they have some education ... a certificate ! That enables them to potentially get a job .. potentially be recruited .. but all potentially," he wrote. Shekhar pointed out that AI is also capable of providing the same education in the comfort of one's home, and that too at a much cheaper rate; however, one thing it lacks is a certificate. "Why do you need a certificate .. because any recruitment for a job needs that certificate ... Job? Recruitment ? Certificate ? .. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Redefine Your Future with a Top Online MBA SRM Online Enquire Now Undo AI is soon not only going to change the nature of recruitment... but also the nature of job," he added. Shekhar is of the opinion that AI will soon give every job seeker the ability, and the power of exploring their own abilities - something beyond the coaching class certificate. "We are heading to a time where everyone will be their own CEO," he concluded. On the professional front, Shekhar is currently working on the sequel of his iconic drama "Masoom"- "Masoom, the next generation", which is expected to star Naseeruddin Shah , Manoj Bajpayee , Nithya Menen , Shabana Azmi , and his daughter Kaveri Kapur .
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aussie vlogger visits Delhi gym, reacts to Indian bodybuilder's physique: ‘Legend's gym'
Jaden Laing, an Australian vlogger who often refers to himself as the 'third strongest man in Australia,' recently visited the Iron Warrior Fitness Club in Delhi's Malviya Nagar and was completely left stunned. Known for its budget-friendly rate of just Rs 150 (around $2) for a day pass, the gym turned out to be anything but ordinary. What began as a casual workout stop during his India visit turned into a surprising encounter when Laing noticed photos of the gym's owner, Nepal Singh Dagar, displayed on the walls. Dagar, a former Mr India (2009), black belt in judo, and a widely respected fitness figure, happened to be there in person. Laing was stunned by Dagar's ripped and chiseled physique. 'I need to hit the weights harder back home,' he says in the video. The surprise did not end here. Another gym-goer with an equally chiseled body caught Laing's attention. Laughing on the camera, he said, 'This guy's physique is insane; I need to start training again,' adding, 'I can't believe you are 51.' Sharing the video, Laing wrote, 'It cost me $2.66AUD for casual visit at this gym and the owner was a bodybuilding legend in India!' Watch the viral video here: A post shared by ujjwal – THE EXPLORER (@ With nearly 30 million views, the video prompted a wave of reactions. Several users requested for the full workout video, with one commenting, 'Bro, now I wanna see the whole workout video! Also love how positive you are and the way you were appreciating those guys. More power to you big man.' Another user wrote, 'Man I really appreciate how positive you are. Your completely break that intimidating gym boys stereotype. Like if you were in the gym I'm planning to go to of start tomorrow cause I know you'd be helpful and not judge my fat a55.' 'That's a true legend there with honest pricing and encouragement,' a third user wrote.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Was kicked out of Mr India and replaced by Amrish Puri; felt belittled, hurt, jealous', says Anupam Kher: ‘I wouldn't have played it so stiff'
Actor Anupam Kher said that he was fired from the hit film Mr India and replaced by the legendary Amrish Puri, whose performance as Mogambo has gone down in Hindi cinema history as one of the greatest villainous acts ever. In an interview, Anupam said that he and director Shekhar Kapur had a different idea for the character, and that his performance wouldn't have been as stiff as what audiences eventually saw in the movie. He admitted in a new interview that being kicked out of the project made him feel belittled and jealous. 'Arrogance, if used in the right manner, is not a negative quality… Jealously is also very healthy if used in the right manner,' he said in appearance on Raj Shamani's podcast. Asked when he felt jealous, the actor said, 'When I was removed from Mr India and replaced as Mogambo by Amrish Puri. I felt small. After watching the film, I knew that I wouldn't have played the character so stiffly. Me and Shekhar had a different idea for the character, he would've been more Machiavellian.' Also read – Anupam Kher recalls shutting down Aamir Khan on Dil He Ke Manta Nahin sets 'with an English phrase': 'He complained to Mahesh Bhatt' Explaining further about what he felt at the time, Anupam said, 'I felt belittled. I wondered why I had been replaced, why I had been fired. It's natural to feel small. They did it for themselves. But that I understand now. Back then, I felt inferior, hurt, and jealous. 'How could he get the role?'' Anupam said that he watched Jack Nicholson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest five times in a row when he was studying at the FTII. 'Professional jealously makes you want to push yourself,' he said. In an earlier interview, Anupam had revealed that he was replaced after having filmed a large portion of the movie. 'Mogambo's role was offered to me before Amrish Puri. However, after one or two months, the filmmakers replaced me. When you are dropped from a film then generally an actor feels bad, but when I watched Mr India and saw Amrishji's work as Mogambo then, I thought that makers of the film took the right decision by casting him in their film,' Anupam had said earlier. In his autobiography, Amrish Puri admitted that he was apprehensive about taking on the role after so much of the movie had already been shot. 'I thought to myself, 'inhe ab jaakar meri yaad aayi (Now they remember me?)'' he wrote.
