Latest news with #YoungMan
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Cote First Nation selects 'Chief for a Day'
Regina Watch WATCH: A young man living with Down syndrome got to be co-chief of Cote First Nation for a day. Fruzsina De Cloedt has the uplifting story.
New Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Silver anniversary of a marriage made for TV
These days, much of my family time is spent watching my ageing father watch KBC episodes on a loop on YouTube. I jokingly call it a 'soother' for his fretful, fading mind. His unconditional love for the show and my shared viewing with him has given me an empathetic perspective beyond my entrenched cynicism and equivocation. The recent seasons of KBC have been all about Bachchan carrying forward the mantle of the Baghban patriarch effectively to the next level. He is the dignified elder but not distant, stately but not authoritarian. He is a confidant who inspires people across age groups to share their deepest feelings with him and, in turn, the nation at large. Be it a young couple's pain at their parents not accepting their inter-caste marriage or a couple forced to live separately in distant cities because of workplace demands. It's something Shah Rukh Khan couldn't channel in his one season as a host despite his flair. Bachchan smoothly adapts to the personality of each of the contestants—playful, jocular, theatrical or serious. He might be playing the lead, yet becomes the supporting actor and ally for participants, letting them take centre-stage. He tries not to be the hero in what is arguably his best role since being Salim-Javed's Vijay. The very sentimentality and wealth creation that KBC has been critiqued for appear to be its trump cards, because it all boils down to the triumph of the underdog. It's tough to not get moved by the plight of Usmanbhai, a farmer from Uttar Pradesh, matter of fact in talking about the vagaries of income and the inability to pay his child's fee for seven months. Or Sudhir Kumar Verma, a daily wage earner, referring to his trial by fire of being scorched in the furnace of mines. How can one not celebrate the never-say-die spirit of Himani Bundela, the first visually impaired crorepati on the show? And what's not to appreciate about Jayant Dule playing for the money to build bathrooms for the women in his village? It's a peep into the social contradictions of India and puts the spotlight on the struggles of the invisibilised, and their rare shots at success. In the last episode of season 16, Bachchan admitted being the kendra (centre) of the show, but one supported by three mahashaktis (superpowers)—the participants, viewers on the sets and those watching the show in their homes. It's hard to imagine that this trinity would have left him untouched. For someone who has been mythologised as the representative of the marginalised, personifying the social discontent and defiance of the times in the peak of his stardom as the screen's Angry Young Man, it's somehow apt to see him interacting with those common Indians in his most persuasive avatar since Vijay. It's about a superstar climbing down from his ivory tower to mingle with hoi polloi and make the privileged among us do the same. Read all columns by Namrata Joshi Consulting Editor Follow her on X @Namrata_Joshi
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
This Amitabh Bachchan fan moved to Mumbai after watching Trishul, eventually sold his Rs 50 crore bungalow to the star
Amitabh Bachchan is among the most beloved Indian actors of all time. His Angry Young Man avatar in several films, such as Deewaer, Sholay, Zanjeer and Trishul, inspired many of his fans. One such fan is real estate developer and producer Anand Pandit. In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, the producer shared how Amitabh Bachchan's 1978 film Trishul inspired him to leave his hometown Ahmedabad and move to Mumbai. The then 15-year-old Anand was in such awe of Bachchan's on-screen persona of Vijay that he wanted to start a Shanti Constructions business of his own. In Trishul, Amitabh Bachchan runs a construction business of the same name. Speaking to SCREEN, 'I have grown up watching Amitabh Bachchan's films. His film, Trishul, really inspired me and motivated me to leave Ahmedabad and move to Mumbai. And I also wanted to have my own Shanti Construction Company, and fortunately today I have made Lotus Developers. His character Vijay inspired me to be where I am today. It is all because of Bachchan sahab.' As years passed, Anand managed to become Amitabh Bachchan's neighbour. Additionally, he also bought the bungalow right behind Jalsa, which he eventually sold to the star for Rs 50 crore in 2013. Anand told SCREEN, 'I feel so privileged to know him so closely. He treats me like his family. He always stands by me whenever I need him. I had a bungalow next to him and he wanted to expand his bungalow. He requested me to sell him my property and I did.' ALSO READ | 'I gave Shah Rukh Khan vaastu tips before Pathaan and Jawan, it worked for him': Anand Pandit reveals he 'adjusted the energy' at SRK's house According to reports, Anand Pandit had bought the bungalow in 2010 as an investment. He lives in Janaki Kutir complex less than 50 metres away from Jalsa. On Amitabh Bachchan's birthday, Anand Pandit shared how he was among the millions who thronged to Mr Bachchan's bungalow to catch a glimpse of him. 'I was an ardent fan who had grown up watching his films and a twist of fate then made me his neighbour when I bought a bungalow next to his. I eventually ended up selling it back to him and that is when we grew closer.' Previously, attending his 60th birthday party, which was also attended by Big B, Shah Rukh Khan shared that he goes out on drives with Anand at night. In a viral video from the producer's birthday, SRK said, 'In the night, at 12-1 am, he comes visits me and we roam around Juhu. He doesn't tell me, 'This is my building, that is my building.' Instead, in the two-kilometre drive, he tells me barring two to three buildings, all buildings are his. Our journey becomes easy.' Jyothi Jha works as a Copy Editor at the Indian Express. She brings in more than 5 years of experience where she has covered Entertainment majorly for TV9, NDTV and Republic Media. Apart from Entertainment, she has been an anchor, copy editor and managed production team under the Politics and Daily News segment. She's passionate about Journalism and it has always been her first choice, she believes in what George Orwell had once said, " Journalism is printing what someone else does not want you to do, rest everything is public relations". ... Read More
