Category: Features

Top 5 Most Meaningful Punjabi Movies of 2019

The present day Punjabi movies are high not just in entertainment quotient but also give a number of life lessons. So, as the year 2019 is ending, here we are presenting you the list of the Top 5 Most Meaningful Punjabi Movies of 2019 that gave important life lessons apart from entertaining. 

The present day Punjabi movies are high not just in entertainment quotient but also give a number of life lessons. So, as the year 2019 is ending, here we are presenting you the list of the Top 5 Most Meaningful Punjabi Movies of 2019 that gave important life lessons apart from entertaining. 

Top 5 Most Meaningful Punjabi Movies of 2019 

1. ARDAAS KARAAN

Directed and produced by Gippy Grewal ‘Ardaas Karaan’ is a masterpiece made this year that’s mini book on life lessons itself. Based on Gurbani, the film’s story is weaved in a way that it teaches one the importance of life and how to live it in a meaningful way. It also preaches that every moment of life is not just for living, but loving. 

2. UDA AIDA

Dealing with a social issue in a light-hearted manner, was Tarsem Jassar and Neeru Bajwa starrer Uda Aida that took on the obsession of our society on English language. Written by Naresh Kathooria and directed by Kshhitij Chaudhary, Uda Aida made a convincing point that speaking English might be necessary in today’s times but it doesn’t mean one should hate one’s native tongue. The film was especially loved for its child artistes’ remarkable performances. 

3. RABB DA RADIO 2

Tarsem Jassar’s movies are generally known for their meaningful content that can be enjoyed by the entire family together. Another of his film that made a mark this year was Rabb Da Radio 2 that through its interesting storyline taught the value of family relations and how important they are for living a fulfilling life. Though walls have separated houses but the walls should never separate hearts. 

4. ARDAB MUTIYARAN

An extremely innovative take on modern day feminism, Ardab Mutiyaran produced by White Hill Studios and directed by Manav Shah deals with how it’s mostly women who have to mould themselves according to the wishes of the family. The film showcases a fierce and tomboyish protagonist Babbu Bains played by Sonam Bajwa that lives life on her own terms and indirectly teaches us that women are no less than men in any way, and that marriage doesn’t mean that a girl would have to sacrifice her freedom and choices. 

5. KALA SHAH KALA

A beautiful film that took our society’s obsession with the white skin, Kala Shah Kala deals with the story of a man who is ridiculed for his dark complexion and how no woman wishes to marry him. It’s a story of how this man hides his heart’s feelings, deals with inferiority complex and eventually wins everyone’s heart with his kindness. Kala Shah Kala was produced by Sargun Mehta and Binnu Dhillon who also played the lead roles in this movie. 

 So this was our list of the most meaningful films in Punjabi cinema in year 2019. Hope you enjoyed reading the same. 

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When Kabir Bedi Played A Sikh In A James Bond Movie #SikhsInHollywood

[h4]Perhaps not many are aware of the fact that global actor Kabir Bedi has represented Sikhs in Hollywood by featuring as a Sikh henchman in a Roger Moore starrer James Bond movie.[/h4]

[h4]Perhaps not many are aware of the fact that global actor Kabir Bedi has represented Sikhs in Hollywood by featuring as a Sikh henchman in a Roger Moore starrer James Bond movie.[/h4]

A 1983 Bond movie called Octopussy, the thirteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as James Bond, the movie had a character named Gobinda, a Sikh guy. Interestingly, Bedi had a famous scene in the movie where he fought with Bond on top of a moving train with a sword in hand.

[h4]Bedi had a famous scene in the movie where he fought with Bond on top of a moving train with a sword in hand.[/h4]

Reminiscing his role, Bedi told to a leading portal, 

“Of the five months over which Octopussy was shot, Roger and I spent two months together. A lot of scenes were shot in London’s Pinewood studios, where a lot of historic Bond films—and the famous train fight scenes from Octopussy—were shot. We also filmed a major part in Rajasthan.

We were staying at the Taj Lake Palace, where the villas overlook the lake. There was a beautiful oval pool surrounded by hotel suites, where we would gather in the evenings after the shoot and sit and chat.

Roger was an introverted man. He wasn’t very forthcoming in the beginning and it took me some time to break the ice and get to know him. Roger’s mother was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and he was interested in hearing about my parents’ participation in the freedom struggle. He knew that I was famous in India, and in Italy for The Black Corsair, and he treated me like an equal. He would try to help out other actors in a scene, and I don’t remember him losing his temper even once.

Now, I am a fan of Sean Connery. I have grown up watching those movies and he remains the definitive Bond for me. But what Roger brought was a wry sense of humour and a lightness to the role, a tradition which was carried forward by Pierce Brosnan. We didn’t see the more muscular Bond making a comeback until Daniel Craig. Roger would introduce unexpected humour into scenes, because he would joke about practically everything.

There is a scene in Octopussy where he comes across a tiger in the jungle. He sat and spoke to it like he is talking to a dog. There was another moment during the shoot which I remember for his impish humour. I was wearing an elaborate turban which was completely white. It almost looked like a bandage. When he saw me on the set, he asked, ‘Are you feeling better now?’

Moore’s sense of humour was very British. But he was more European than English or American, especially in the later stages of his life, after his marriage to the Danish Kristina ‘Kiki’ Tholstrup. That last marriage, I believe, gave him a lot of happiness. We in the movies move on after working on one project. Roger and I had exchanged some messages later and would find out about each other through mutual friends. I didn’t know about his cancer, though.

If you scratched the surface, Roger could also show a profound philosophical side. I remember taking walks with him in the English countryside, talking about love, birth and death.”

(As told to Sankhayan Ghosh – LiveMint)

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Punjabi Cinema 2017 vs 2018: How Many Films Actually Recovered Their Cost?

While there’s no doubt that Punjabi cinema is soaring to new heights like never before, yet what the budding producers and investors must know is the kind of business it’s doing overall.    

While there’s no doubt that Punjabi cinema is soaring to new heights like never before, yet what the budding producers and investors must know is the kind of business it’s doing overall.    

Although there’s no denying that Punjabi cinema has improved itself in almost every sphere of filmmaking. From powerful acting performances to unique storylines, to world-class production standards to 360 degree promotions, our industry doesn’t lag behind any other Indian film industry, when it comes to the quality. But at the same time some experiments by our filmmakers, no matter how strong subjects they choose, don’t go down well with our audience which is ‘famous’ for accepting only light-hearted family dramas or heavy comedies mostly. Or, is the truth something else? Let’s find it out.  

This year Punjabi cinema did a business of INR 159 Crore in total (India Only) compared to INR 135 Crore last year (India Only). Total films released this year were 46 as compared to 35 last year, and while this year out of these 46 only 9 were declared by the box-office as hit, semi-hit (covering their costs and staying in theatres), last year they were 8 out of 35. 

So while the makers tried foraying into war movies, sports-based movies, movies based on intense social dramas – they didn’t quite receive the kind of response that could help them even recover their costs. Take for instance, Sajjan Singh Rangroot and Subedar Joginder Singh. None of these films worked well at the box office resulting in the actors going once again on the tried and tested path.

So now Diljit Dosanjh, the lead hero of SSR, is coming up with ‘Shadaa’- a mindless comedy (judging from the way it is being promoted right now – ‘Kutta Howe JO Vyaah karwaaye’ – really very good way to promote a film? Eh..?), Gippy Grewal too, in less than two weeks of the release of SJS, had announced Mar Gaye Oye Loko, another comedy which despite its lame subject did much better than SJS and even set the cash registers ringing at the box office. But you can’t blame these actors, right? At least, they TRIED doing something different! 

Moving on to the other set of films like Ammy Virk’s Harjeeta and Ranjit Bawa’s Khido Khundi, both the films were much-awaited due to the kind of efforts that these actors put in looking the part and learning a new sport, and sadly both of them went without leaving a trace at the box-office! Were the films too bad? Or was our audience unwilling to accept such films? Or simply put, were these films the victims of bad promotional strategies? Whatever be the reason, we appreciate these filmmmakers for at least ‘attempting’ to do something out of the league. 

Another disappointment this year was Kapil Sharma’s production – Son Of Manjeet Singh, in which Gurpreet Ghuggi perhaps gave the performance of his lifetime. The film was so well-made that it was difficult to find any flaw in it, yet it bombed at the box-office! 

So talking about the business, first thing first: This year Punjabi cinema did a business of INR 159 Crore in total (India Only) compared to INR 135 Crore last year (India Only). Total films released this year were 46 as compared to 35 last year, and while this year out of these 46 only 9 were declared by the box-office as hit, semi-hit (covering their costs and staying in theatres), last year they were 8 out of 35. 

Some of the confirmed hits this year have been:

1.Carry On Jatta 2,

2.Qismat

3.Vadhayiyaan ji Vadhayiyaan

4.Daakuan da munda

5. Mar Gaye Oye Loko

6. Golak bugni bank te batua

7. Mr and Mrs 420 Returns

(We can’t name all 9, as every producer wants to claim their movie as a superhit and we’re not interested in any kind of debate with them! So, keep guessing the remain! ).  

And now the moot question remains: Should the film producers stop experimenting with new subjects and rely only on comedies? In our opinion – No! Take for instance, Daakuaan Da Munda – who thought that a film without any big star as the super hero and based on a biography of a a non-sports/non-film star/politician, would become such a huge hit? The truth is that the film (apart from being well-made) was marketed very well to its “target audience”. 

Who thought that Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua, based on a contentious subject like Demonetisation, without having the lead character with a JATT Surname, would become such a hit despite having Harish Verma as a hero, who was out of the hit films’ league for so long?

And though it wasn’t released this year, but the success of a film like ARDAAS two years back also made the point very clear : If a Film is good, promote it well to the target audience as strategically as possible. Who thought a film without any hero or heroine and based on some “social issues” of Punjab can do well ‘Commercially’?

Also, sometimes if a film’s subject is good and even if the actors’ seem to have put in their very best, DOESN’T mean that the film is actually that good as well.

Take for instance, Sajjan Singh Rangroot. The film was technically superb with each actor having played their part very well, yet the film failed to touch any emotional chord with the audience. Why? Because the makers put in so much effort in just making the film technically so sound and ‘Hollywood like’ that they forgot that the film needs to have a heart too! Sunanda Sharma was wasted and what worse than having NOT even a single song of hers in the movie? Really, who actually conceptualised this promotional strategy? Finally, the film also suffered due to the makers touting it not as a Punjabi war movie, but a film catering to one religion only. When it comes to religion, the audience always remains a bit apprehensive in India which affects the business, for sure! 

Subedar Joginder Singh suffered because of the trailer being too similar to Hindi film, Border and also due to the fact the person on whom the biography was made, wasn’t a known historic figure. The spillover effect of SSR was another reason behind its failure. After all, if one war movie doesn’t register much influence, the other releasing just two weeks apart, is bound to face some heat as well! Finally, taking most non-actors as actors in the film, was perhaps not a very smart move by Simerjit Singh. 

Son Of Manjeet Singh? A brilliant film that suffered due to its inability in reaching out to the audience well. Getting some tweets from your Bollywood’s Friends doesn’t result in the sale of tickets in Punjab, Mr Sharma and also, you should’ve perhaps hired a better marketing team! 

The reason for Harjeeta not doing much at the box-office was its inability to meet the expectations of the viewers. The film was promoted as a hockey-based film, however in reality, it turned out to be just another love-story with hockey as a mere backdrop. As for Khido Khundi, it wasn’t a remarkable movie, anyways. 

Finally, we hope that our Punjabi filmmakers shall keep trying new subjects and  entertaining us, at the same time, we hope they make more profits too! With the right subject, professional actors and technicians and well thought-out targeted marketing strategies, they certainly can!

Here we urge our readers to never resort to piracy and help our producers earn some money so that Punjabi cinema keeps shining always. 

And a NOTE to the Filmmakers: Punjabi Audience Is Not Foolish. It is however, Foolish to think that they are. 

[h3] And Now Come OUR Top 5 Entertainers From This Year! [/h3]

(Not based on the business, and purely OUR personal viewpoint! You’re free to disagree but please don’t fight!)

    1. Mr and Mrs 420 Returns

    2. Qismat

    3. Carry On Jatta 2

    4. Daana Paani/Ashke (Tie)

    5. Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua

    The Topmost Boring Movies Of 2018

    1. Aate Di Chidi

    2. Afsar

    3. Laatu

    4. Harjeeta

    5. Banjara

    Special Thanks To Films Like:

    1. Subedar Joginder Singh

    2. Sajjan Singh Rangroot

    3. Son Of Manjeet Singh

    4. Asees

    5. Rang Panjab

    Production Houses That Made A Strong Mark

    1. Whitehill Studios (Carry On Jatta 2, Distributed – Qismat)

    2. Rhythm Boyz Entertainment (Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua, Ashke, Bhajjo Veero Ve) 

    3. Humble Motion Pictures (Mar Gaye Oye Loko – Unexpected Box Office Hit)

    4. Friday Russh Motion Pictures (Mr and Mrs 420 Returns)

    5. A&A Advisors/Naughty Men Productions (Vadhayiyaan Ji Vadhayiyaan)

    Directors That Stood Out: 

    1. Jagdeep Sidhu – Qismat

    2. Tarnvir Singh Jagpal – Daana Paani

    3. Ksshitij Chaudhary – Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua/Mr and Mrs 420 Returns

    4. Vikram Grover – Son Of Manjeet Singh

    5. Smeep Kang – Carry On Jatta 2/Vadhayiyaan Ji Vadhayiyaan 

    Some of the most memorable Character artistes of 2018: 

    1. Ranjit Bawa’s in Mr and Mrs 420

    2. Yograj Singh’s in Sajjan Singh Rangroot

    3. Rahul Jungral’s in Laatu

    4. Harby Sangha – Son Of Manjeet Singh/Vadhayiyaan Ji Vadhayiyaan 

    5. Jagjeet Sandhu’s in Daakuan Da Munda/Rang Panjab 

    One Film that shouldn’t have been made at all: 

    Nankana 

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When Karamjit Anmol Acted In A Hollywood Movie

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Karamjit Anmol, one of those indespensable actors in our Punjabi film industry, who has crossed many a milestone when it comes to showing his prowess as an actor, is a man who’s trudged a long path before getting his claim to fame. The deep-skin-toned, cute-faced actor, who’s generally known for his comic roles in our Punjabi cinema, has worked in more than a 100 movies so far with some of them being all-time blockbusters.  

(Karamjit Anmol In Manje Bistre)

First recognised in Bhagwant Mann’s show on TV – Jugnu Kehnda Hai – Anmol, who was interested in acting since childhood – has come a long way today. Whether it’s a role of playing a woman (Mr and Mrs 420 returns) or an elderly man (Manje Bistre) or even crooning sad romantic songs, Anmol has proved that he’s one talent in our entertainment industry that we simply cannot do without. 

But do you know besides acting in Punjabi and Hindi films (Dev D, Singh is Bling), Karamjit Anmol has also acted in a Hollywood movie? Yes, he worked in a film called WEST IS WEST with  stars like Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Aqib Khan, and Jimi Mistry. The film was directed by Andy DeEmmony, and produced by Leslee Udwin for Assassin Films. In this film, Karamjit Anmol played the role of one of the Indian cousins of the protagonist. It released in 2010. 

Here’s the still from WEST IS WEST with Karamjit Anmol on Extreme right. 

You can watch this movie on Youtube. 

Leaving you with more pictorial moments from Karamjit Anmol’s life. 

(Karamjit Anmol in ‘Jugnu Kehnda Hai’ with Bhagwant Mann) 

 

(Young Karamjit Anmol – Right)

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Ballewood’s Men Finally Break The Silence on #MeToo

With the “MeToo” movement being on an upsurge recently, Ballewood industry voices out to support the crusade against sexual harassment and sexual assault at workplace. However, they claim that the allegations must not turn out to be a rebellious revenge.

With the “MeToo” movement being on an upsurge recently, Ballewood industry voices out to support the crusade against sexual harassment and sexual assault at workplace. However, they claim that the allegations must not turn out to be a rebellious revenge.

Renowned Punjabi film writer, Naresh Kathuria shows his support to the movement, yet requests to put a halt to the misuse. “The history stands testament to the fact that even earlier when the laws were being made in the favour of certain segment of the society, they were being misused to a large extent. Similarly, I extend my genuine backing of the #MeToo movement. However, I really hope and advise that it is being used for honest complaints only,” he states.

The Carry on Jatta writer further adds, “Wherever there’s an unequal power-equation, the person at authority tries to exploit the weaker one. But I think the women should not fear voicing their complaint. If today this revolution picks up in the right direction, the future of our children who want to work in our film industry shall be much better. “

The #MeToo movement has come a long way in disclosing the untold stories with the conquering vocals of #MeToo and pulling down the sexual predators like never before. Syncing with the same, director Ksshitij Chaudhary, who’s given us superhits like Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua, Vekh Baraatan Challiyaan, Mr and Mrs 420 etc, , avers, “I think that the best way to curb injustice is by voicing out your opinion in the public, and the #MeToo movement is providing a great platform for the same. I would also like to emphasize that the victims should complaint as soon as such an unfortunate incident takes place and not wait for 10-15 years to voice their complaint. Any delay will weaken the case further.”

On speaking about his thoughts on Punjabi film industry, in particular, the director says, “As far as our Ballewood industry is concerned, we all are like a close-knit family and I don’t think any such disgraceful incident has been evident here. However, exceptions are there in every profession, and if there are any miscreants in our industry, at least I am not aware of them.”

Punjabi singer and actor, Harish Verma extends his support to the movement. He says, “I truly support the #MeToo movement. But at the same time, I staunchly believe that it should not be misused as it is evident in certain cases.”

On a similar note, Punjabi actor and comedian Binnu Dhillon shares, “My support for women in our industry is always there. As a producer too, I try my best to make sure that the women working in our film feel safe and secure in every way. However, on the occasion of Dusshera, I truly wish and hope that people get rid of their inner negativity and make the work environment for women as much safe and healthy as it is for men.”

We contacted other directors and producers too, but they refused to comment on the issue. 

5 Times Diljit Dosanjh Made It To The Headlines This Year

2018: Diljit Dosanjh Dedicates To His Dreams

Punjabi actor and singer, Diljit Dosanjh has been having a good time in 2018, owing to his versatile talent and modesty which has made him the recipient of an array of awards & recognition, so far. Here’s some of his achievements in this year!

2018: Diljit Dosanjh Dedicates To His Dreams

Punjabi actor and singer, Diljit Dosanjh has been having a good time in 2018, owing to his versatile talent and modesty which has made him the recipient of an array of awards & recognition, so far. Here’s some of his achievements in this year!

1. Bags the ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award 2018’: Earlier this year, Diljit was awarded the much – coveted ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award 2018’ at the ceremony in Mumbai for being the most trending personality of the year. An active social media celebrity, Diljit shared the picture of his success on his social media portals, stating that he owes all the success to his fans and almighty. He even expressed his gratitude to his roots in Punjab; which speaks volumes about his unconditional love with his hometown.

2. All set to get his wax statue at Madame Tassauds Delhi: A big boost came to the Ballewood industry with the news of Diljit Dosanjh getting his wax statue at the prestigious museum of Madame Tassauds Delhi. His wax figure is under progress, and it will be placed with other connoisseurs of the film industry, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Asha Bhosle to name a few.

3. His awe-inspiring roles in Soorma and Dream-Come-True Moment in Sajjan Singh Rangroot: The biopic on the life of Indian Hockey Player, Sandeep Singh could not have been portrayed so realistically by anyone but Diljit Dosanjh. Acting parallel to Taapsee Pannu and Angad Bedi, Diljit Dosanjh’s acting in Soorma was well-received across the globe; adding versatility to his acting forte. The movie is also on the way to making its presence on Netflix.         

Further, for the past one year Diljit kept reiterating his wish and ream to play the role of a Sikh martyr, Sajjan Singh, who dedicated his life to bring out his country from the clutches of British rule. The film did fairly well at the box-office but the numbers were not important in this one. It was Diljit’s determination to do this role and the conviction with which he did it, that shall be remembered forever in the history of Punjabi cinema. 

4. Sustaining his love for music: Diljit has never let his passion for singing take a backseat, and his immensely-loved CON.FI.DEN.TIAL album speaks volumes about the same. He also did another album this year – ROAR that topped worldwide itunes charts. 

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5. The reunion of Neeru Bajwa & Diljit Dosanjh: One of the most-loved on screen jodi’s of the Ballewood industry, Diljit Dosanjh & Neer Bajwa have made a comeback in this year. The duo has been working on Jagdeep Sidhu’s directorial romantic comedy, ‘Shadaa’, which is scheduled to release on May 24, 2019.

5 Times Gippy Grewal Hogged The Limelight This Year

Mainstream cinema, experimental cinema, being the hero onscreen or behind the camera –  from singing to acting to directing to producing, there seems no field of entertainment that Gippy hasn’t tried his hands on and more importantly, OWNED it! Even in this year, there have been several occasions when our desi Rockstar made it to the headlines! Check out!

Mainstream cinema, experimental cinema, being the hero onscreen or behind the camera –  from singing to acting to directing to producing, there seems no field of entertainment that Gippy hasn’t tried his hands on and more importantly, OWNED it! Even in this year, there have been several occasions when our desi Rockstar made it to the headlines! Check out!

1. Smashing the Box Office

Whether it was Carry On Jatta 2 or Mar Gaye Oye Loko, Gippy Grewal made sure that both his avatars as a “hero” and a “writer” don’t go unnoticed! While the much-awaited hysterical movie ‘Carry On Jatta 2’ smashed all records at the box office, becoming the highest Punjabi grossing of all time (earning a whopping Rs 3.65 crore gross on the first day itself), Mar Gaye Oye Loko’s first day collection was pretty impressive as well (around 2 crore gross!). Though the producer in Gippy took a big risk by making a film on “life-after-death” for Punjabis – a concept totally novel for Punjabi cinema audience- yet his massive fan following showed full support fetching in some awesome numbers at the box-office.

2. Playing the National Hero

No matter what the fate of the movie at the box office, there’s no denying the fact that Gippy Grewal’s hugely ambitious project Subedar Joginder Singh will be remembered for a long time to come. The honesty with which he played the role of the martyr, and the hard work that our ‘kaptaan’ put in looking the part in this coming of age film, can never be forgotten. When the poster of the movie came out, his uncanny resemblance to the national hero was lauded by one and all. Later, when the movie released, Gippy’s work was highly appreciated. His attempt of bringing the valor of a soldier, who with a battalion of 21 men fought against a whole army, helped him gain a lot of love and respect from Punjabi cinema’s ardent lovers. It’s a different story though that the film suffered badly due to its not-so-clever promotional strategy. 

3. When he bagged the offer of being the Director for a Bollywood flick

During Carry On Jatta 2’s release, it was revealed that Gippy Grewal had bagged the role of directing a Bollywood film which will star Taapsee Pannu as the lead actress. He was also quoted as saying,  “I have been signed on as a director for a Hindi film which has a huge star cast. I got the offer after the makers saw my Punjabi film ‘Ardaas’ that was directed by me.” 

4. When he was chosen for Punjab CM for his #NashteToAzaadi Campaing

In order to liberate the State from the deadly clutches of drug menace, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh in August, launched a #NasheToAzaadi (freedom from drugs) campaign. Capt Amarinder urged Gippy Grewal to promote and encourage a drug free Punjab through his songs and films.  Gippy Grewal happily accepted the challenge and said that drugs is a “trying problem of our times, and we have to beat drugs in Punjab”. He urged the youth not to do drugs, and also not to allow others to do drugs.

5. When he received a threat call

In a disturbing event, Gippy Grewal, was threatened by a mobster named Dilpreet in June — the same person who shot at Parmish Verma in April.  In an interview during Mar Gaye Oye Loko Promotions, Grewal said that the threat didn’t “Affect” him and he has moved on from that incident. “One has to work, and you can’t get affected by such incidents. In my case, I’ve been really lucky to get the support of the police and my team, who have made sure that I don’t get bothered by such incidents,” he said in an interview. 

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