Latest news with #Sardars
Hindustan Times
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Ammy Virk completes 10 years as an actor: Now we are approached to play heroes, not just a Sardar character in Bollywood
Ammy Virk recently completed a decade in the industry as an actor, and talking about it in his signature quirky style, he quips, 'Ab to senior si feeling aa rahi hai. Pata hi nahi chala ki kab time nikal gaya but pyaar bahut zyada mila hai.' The actor-singer states that it has been an amazing journey and while his musical career started way earlier, he was inspired by the likes of singer-actor Kishore Kumar to venture into acting. Ammy Virk 'Even when Bollywood started in the '30s and '40s, the actors first entered as singers and chose acting later. That's the kind of culture that even Punjab follows. There are two advantages for makers also of casting them as they have a fan following already and they have faced the camera before as well. Kaam kar kar ke seekh liya hai itna ki it has become easier,' he says. Reflecting on his 10 years as an actor, Ammy Virk takes pride in his success rate at the box office. 'You need your first few films to do well to mark your footing, and fortunately, for me, it happened. I got back-to-back successes, and even till today, my success ratio is 80-85% and it's rare. I have grown day-by-day and even made films that weren't usually associated with Punjabi cinema,' he says. With the likes of him and actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, Punjabi artistes have found a pan-India footing and have been actively working in Bollywood, and Ammy feels it has brought about a much-needed change: 'Now we are being approached to play heroes and not just a Sardar character in Bollywood,' he states, adding, 'Up until a decade or so ago, Sardars were used in Hindi films just for comedy or gags. What we were not, we were shown as that. We would question why are they showing us like that? But over time, they recognised the potential of Punjabi stars including people like me and Diljit paaji and they started approaching us. The makers started taking real Sardars for Sardar roles and that brings authenticity.' Taking the example of Animal, Ammy says, 'Vanga (Sandeep Reddy Vanga, director) sahab took actors from Punjab for the parts of (actor) Ranbir Kapoor's cousins. So, the writers and directors today are not thinking as how typical bollywood used to. They are also vying to get as close to reality as possible. They also want ki aise characters se us region ki khushboo aaye.' While his success ratio in Punjabi has been high, Ammy is yet to see a big success in Hindi as his first two films–Bhuj: The Pride Of India (2020) and '83 (2021) failed at the box office. Even his last two releases– Bad Newz and Khel Khel Mein (both 2024) were average grossers too. But he is unperturbed. 'The industry in Mumbai knows my calibre and potential. They know the timing was a bit dicey for my releases, but if given the chance, I can prove myself. Film upar neeche hone se artiste ki kaabiliyat kam nahi hoti, bas rate upar neeche ho jata hai,' he ends.
Mint
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
‘Was my duty to send tourists back safely, couldn't do it': Omar Abdullah on Pahalgam terror attack
Speaking about the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said, 'As the host, it was my responsibility to ensure the tourists returned safely. Unfortunately, I was unable to do so.' Advertisement The Pahalgam attack is one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India has taken decisive actions against Pakistan for its alleged support of cross-border terrorism. An emotional Abdullah, addressing a special session at the J&K legislative Assembly, said that he did not know how he should apologise to the families of the victims of the attack. As reported by PTI, Omar Abdullah said, 'Mere paas alfaaz nahi the ki kya keh ke unke gharwalon se maafi mangu. Ye jaante hue ki Jammu Kashmir ki security, Jammu Kashmir ke logon ki chuni hui hukoomat ki zimmedari nahi hai. Maine inlogon ko daawat di thi yahan aane ke liye. Mezbaan hote hue meri zimmedari thi ki sahi salamat unko wapas bhejun, nahin bhej paya. Aur, maafi maangne ke alfaaz nahi the. Kya kehta unko? Un chote bachhe ko jinhoune apne valid ko khoon mein lapeta hua paya; Un Navy officer ki vidhwa ko jinko shadi huye hi chand din hue the. (I do not have the words to apologise to their families. Despite knowing that the security of Jammu and Kashmir and the welfare of its people is not the responsibility of the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir, I had invited these people here. As the host, it was my responsibility to ensure their safe return, but I could not send them back safely. And there were no words to ask for forgiveness. What could I say to them? To that little child who found his father covered in blood; to the widow of the Navy officer, who had been married just a few days ago).' Advertisement He further said, "From north to south and from east to west... from Arunachal to Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala... the entire country has been affected by this attack. We have witnessed several attacks. We have seen attacks on the Amarnath Yatra camp and attacks in several villages of Doda. We have seen attacks on villages of Kashmiri Pandits, and Sardars (Sikhs). However, there was a time in between... this attack is Baisaran... such a big attack on civilians has happened after 21 years. We were thinking that these attacks were now part of our past." Advertisement Also Read: Social activist Ghulam Rasool Magray shot dead by terrorists in J&K's Kupwara What could I say to them? To that little child who found his father covered in blood; to the widow of the Navy officer. The J&K chief minister said he would still demand statehood for the region, but not at this very moment when the country still mourns the loss of the 26 people. "I will not use this moment to demand statehood. After Pahalgam, with what face can I ask for statehood for Jammu and Kashmir? Meri kya itni sasti siyasat hai? We have talked about statehood in the past and will do so in the future too, but it will be shameful on my part if I go and tell the central government that 26 people have died; now give me statehood," Omar Abdullah said. Advertisement The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution expressing shock and sorrow over the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. The resolution vowed to fight resolutely against the malicious efforts to disrupt communal harmony and hinder progress in the region, PTI reported. Advertisement Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary moved the resolution during a special session of the Assembly, which began with members observing a two-minute silence to honour the victims of the tragedy that occurred last week. (With inputs from agencies) Key Takeaways The emotional toll of violence extends beyond immediate victims, affecting the broader community and leaders. The responsibility of government officials includes ensuring the safety of both locals and visitors in conflict-prone areas. Historical patterns of violence in Jammu and Kashmir highlight ongoing security challenges that impact tourism and local stability.
Mint
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
'Was my duty to send tourists back safely, couldn't do it': Omar Abdullah on Pahalgam terror attack
Speaking about the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated, 'As the host, it was my responsibility to ensure the tourists returned safely. Unfortunately, I was unable to do so.' The Pahalgam attack is one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India has taken decisive actions against Pakistan for its alleged support of cross-border terrorism. An emotional Abdullah said that he did not know how he should apologise to the families of the victims of the attack. As reported by PTI, addressing the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said, 'Mere paas alfaaz nahi the ki kya keh ke unke gharwalon se maafi mangu. Ye jaante hue ki Jammu Kashmir ki security, Jammu Kashmir ke logon ki chuni hui hukoomat ki zimmedari nahi hai. Maine inlogon ko daawat di thi yahan aane ke liye. Mezbaan hote hue meri zimmedari thi ki sahi salamat unko wapas bhejun, nahin bhej paya. Aur, maafi maangne ke alfaaz nahi the. Kya kehta unko? Un chote bachhe ko jinhoune apne valid ko khoon mein lapeta hua paya; Un Navy officer ki vidhwa ko jinko shadi huye hi chand din hue the. (I did not have the words to apologize to their families. Knowing that the security of Jammu and Kashmir and the welfare of its people is not the responsibility of the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir, I had invited these people here. As the host, it was my responsibility to ensure their safe return, but I could not send them back safely. And there were no words to ask for forgiveness. What could I say to them? To that little child who found his father covered in blood; to the widow of the Navy officer, who had been married just a few days ago.)' He further noted, "From north to sound and from east to west... from Arunachal to Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala... the entire country has been affected by this attack. We have witnessed several attacks. We have seen attacks on the Amarnath Yatra camp and attacks in several villages of Doda. We have seen attacks on villages of Kashmiri Pandits, and Sardars (Sikhs). However, there was a time in between... this attack is Baisaran... such a big attack on civilians has happened after 21 years. We were thinking that these attacks were now part of our past." What could I say to them? To that little child who found his father covered in blood; to the widow of the Navy officer. He, however, stated that he would still demand statehood for the region, but not at this very moment when the country still mourns the loss of the 26 people. "I will not use this moment to demand statehood. After Pahalgam, with what face can I ask for statehood for Jammu and Kashmir? Meri kya itni sasti siyasat hai? We have talked about statehood in the past and will do so in the future too, but it will be shameful on my part if I go and tell the central government that 26 people have died; now give me statehood," Abdullah said. Jammu and Kashmir CM added, "From north to sound and from east to west... from Arunachal to Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala... the entire country has been affected by this attack. We have witnessed several attacks. We have seen attacks on the Amarnath Yatra camp and attacks in several villages of Doda. We have seen attacks on villages of Kashmiri Pandits, and Sardars (Sikhs). However, there was time in between... this attack is Baisaran... such a big attack on civilians has happened after 21 years. We were thinking that these attacks were now part of our past." The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution expressing shock and sorrow over the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. The resolution vowed to fight resolutely against the malicious efforts to disrupt communal harmony and hinder progress in the region, PTI reported. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary moved the resolution during a special session of the Assembly, which began with members observing a two-minute silence to honour the victims of the tragedy that occurred last week. (With inputs from agencies) Key Takeaways The emotional toll of violence extends beyond immediate victims, affecting the broader community and leaders. The responsibility of government officials includes ensuring the safety of both locals and visitors in conflict-prone areas. Historical patterns of violence in Jammu and Kashmir highlight ongoing security challenges that impact tourism and local stability.
