Latest news with #Virasat
India.com
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actress who studied MBA, left her marketing job to work with Anil Kapoor in superhit movie, later quit Bollywood, got married twice, now looks like this
If you want to make a name in Bollywood, sharing the screen with a big star can be enough to get noticed. If you're an actor, working with a veteran actress can boost your profile, and if you're a heroine, acting alongside the industry's leading men can open doors. However, sustaining that recognition depends entirely on your talent. Today, we're going to talk about one such actress who got the opportunity to work with stars like Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor and Govinda. Despite these big breaks, she couldn't achieve the stardom she hoped for. The actress from Ludhiana was an athlete and competed in the 200 and 400-meter dash when she was in school. She graduated in Economics from Fergusson College, Pune and completed her MBA in marketing from Symbiosis, Pune. She was approached by many companies, however she always wanted to do get into modelling. She participated at the Miss International beauty pageant and won the runner-up title at the Femina Miss India contest in 1993 and was crowned Femina Miss India International 1993 and represented India at Miss International 1993. We are talking about actress Pooja Batra whose first film was with Anil Kapoor. It was Virasat in 1997. She also appeared in 2001 film Nayak as a reporter. She starred alongside major names such as Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal, and Johnny Lever. After working in around 20 movies, Pooja left acting after her first marriage. She chose love over fame and glamour and bid farewell to acting. Sadly, that marriage with US-based Dr. Sonu Ahluwalia also ended in divorce. There were reports that Pooja had received offers for Hollywood films, but her husband was reportedly against it, which eventually led to their divorce. After the separation, Pooja returned to Bollywood, but she didn't find many opportunities. She then married actor Nawab Shah in 2019 in Delhi according to Arya Samaj traditions.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Anju Modi's new collection Virasat is an ode to Madras
For designer Anju Modi, every time she visits Chennai, it feels like homecoming. When she started her eponymous label in 1990, Madras was her 'epicentre' for all things fabric-related. 'This was my base when I used to go to nearby villages, towns and cities like Salem, Coimbatore, Kanchipuram, and Venkatagiri (Andhra Pradesh), and stay with weavers in their homes. Their culture, temples, and even things like the kolam that they draw every morning, reflect in the fabric they weave. And these have stayed with me,' says Modi, whose new collection Virasat is an ode to Chennai. Virasat, which translates to legacy, was launched, over the weekend, in collaboration with city-based legacy jewellery brand Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers, at an event at the Leela Palace Chennai. 'VBJ is a 125-year-old brand. For this collaboration, they were looking for a designer who understands the heritage of the South, especially Tamil Nadu. And I have been working with clusters of weavers in the region, so the whole thing vibed well with our ethos,' she says. While Vummidi showcases the jewellery at their stores, Modi's garments are on display at Evoluzione. 'I have been coming to Evoluzione for 30 years. I am also very much in love with the people of Chennai. They are value- oriented and evolved. They don't get influenced by the glam factor, they are classic in their choice,' she says. The collection features saris, lehengas, anarkalis, jackets and lehenga saris (a fusion of the two) in Kanjeevaram silk, georgette, tussar, mashroo silk, Kota tissue, Chanderi, crinkle tissue, brocade, and velvet. Craftsmanship shines through in the form of zardozi embroidery, and traditional adda work. Vummidi does temple jewellery, and keeping that in mind, the designer has used intricate embroidery that draw inspiration from temples. Tones of emerald and gold have been used in the garments to match the temple jewellery pieces. There is bridal wear in red and gold, and rose colour drapes to go with rose cut diamonds. 'They also designed the jewellery line with my colour scheme. So it was collaboration in the real sense and we took over two months to complete it,' says the doyenne of couture. Thirty five years in the industry and Modi is still passionate about her craft, and working with weavers. From Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to Uttar Pradesh, she has been working with 25 clusters and in many cases with three generations. There is an endearing tone in her voice when she talks about the weaving communities. 'You see, initially the weavers were disillusioned. People had forgotten about woven treasures and were going for mill-made fabric and clothes. I helped revive this handwoven legacy. Now consumers have started understanding the beauty of it,' she says. After a prolonged episode of weavers' children leaving their family business and moving to other cities in search of jobs, Modi says she is finally seeing a reversal happening. There is a certain pride about being self-employed and taking up a family business and this is what many of them have realised. 'Now, the children of weavers are going to NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) and learning fresh trends and getting equipped with the latest technology. Design inputs are coming from the younger generation. They work on computers, have email IDs, can work out the warp and weft on computers and implement them on looms. From Delhi I can email weavers in Bhuj and other cities and villages,' she smiles. Even though these technological advancements were unthinkable in the 90s, Modi reminisces travelling back and forth on buses, trains, and cars to meet and work with weavers. 'But that was another level of experience; I enjoyed it,' she says, adding, 'That way, you could see a country at the ground level, people's living habits, the rains, the heat..., and one needs to absorb it all to be part of that culture.'
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Jaspinder Narula: I dedicate my Padma Shri to the victims of the Pahalgam attack, and their families
Singer Jaspinder Narula's dedicated almost her entire life to music- and now, she is dedicating her Padma Shri to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. 'I was honoured on Monday in Delhi, but meri Padma Shri ki khushi aadhi ho gayi kyunki mera mann bauhaut dukhi tha. The incident which happened in Pahalgam recently disturbed me. I pray to God that the people killed and their families find peace. I dedicate my honour to them,' says the 54-year-old. Popular for chartbusters such as Taare Hain Baraati (Virasat) and Bumbroo (Mission Kashmir), Jaspinder still remembers the first ever time she sang, 'I was eight! I sang on Doordarshan, and after that I sang Dumadum Mast Qalandar at the launch of Doordarshan in Jalandhar. I was one of the first people in the country to sing Dumadum Mast Qalandar. I would accompany my mother to her shows in Canada and London. Someone gifted her a record of the song, and when I listened to it I liked it, and prepared it.' Ask her about the high points of her prolific career, and she replies, 'Every song of mine gave me so much gratification. I got love of the people. When I received the Padma Shri from our President, she remembered that she had also honoured me on April 12 at another felicitation at the Punjab University. Waqt kam hota hai Padma awards mein baat karne ka unse, but she did smile and remember.'
