Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was granted bail Thursday three weeks after being arrested during a cruise ship drugs bust in a case that has gripped India.

Aryan Khan, 23, the eldest son of the actor dubbed the “King of Bollywood”, was detained in early October alongside 19 others after the Narcotics Control Bureau raided a ship set to sail from Mumbai to Goa.

Shortly after the court granted bail to Aryan, SRK picture with a team of lawyers went viral in India. The picture shows Khan posing with Lawyer Satish Manashinde  along with his team.

Aryan would likely be released on Friday or Saturday, his lawyer and India´s former attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi told reporters. The case has grabbed headlines across India, dominating front pages and receiving non-stop coverage on news channels.

Some have claimed that Khan, a Muslim, is a victim of religious persecution in a country governed by a Hindu-nationalist party.  Social media has been flooded with messages of support for the family, with many calling the arrest a witch-hunt.

Fans gathered outside the elder Khan´s seaside mansion in Mumbai to show solidarity and the family have also received support from several Bollywood A-listers.

The officer investigating the case, Sameer Wankhede, is facing an internal probe within the narcotics bureau and another by Mumbai police over allegations of bribery and extortion related to the case. Rohatgi told the court Aryan Khan should be granted bail as no drugs were found in his possession and prosecutors had no proof of any consumption.

The narcotics agency opposed bail, arguing that the investigation revealed an international drug connection and had found drug-related WhatsApp chats on his phone.

The high-profile case comes a year after the suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the arrest of his ex-girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty, for allegedly buying him drugs.

Her arrest sparked a wider probe into drug use in Bollywood, with superstar Deepika Padukone and others hauled in for questioning. Shah Rukh Khan, whose career spans three decades, is arguably Hindi cinema´s biggest and most recognisable star of the modern age.

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

After a long wait of 25 days, Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan has officially been granted bail.

On Thursday, the Bombay High Court passed the order to release Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha in the Mumbai cruise drugs case. The accused are currently lodged in Arthur Road Jail.

Aryan Khan will step out of  jail on Friday in light of pending paper work and procedures.

Highlights from the Thursday session included NCB advocate ASG Anil Singh stating his argument before the judge.

“My contention is he was found in possession. He was connected with drug peddlers. It was a commercial quantity. Hence we invoked 28 and 29. It was only 4 hours and they were aware of the grounds so it cannot be an illegal arrest. Conspiracy is difficult to prove. Only the conspirator knows how they conspired. I will leave to the conscience of the court.”

Aryan’s advocate, Mukul Rohatgi argued on Aryan Khan’s behalf and stated, “I knew only Arbaaz, I did not know anyone else. It is true it is difficult to prove that there is common meeting of mind. But facts cannot be ignored. There has to be meeting of minds. There may be conscious possession of 6 gms, but how do you prove the other recovered substance?”

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Lahore (NUT-SHOWBIZ)

Bollywood power couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor are officially getting married by year end, reports Indian media. A source close to the couple has confirmed a winter wedding for the Bhramastra duo.

“Ranbir has pushed the Animal shoot to 2022; besides, he has to Shamshera to promote, which releases in March 2022. The buzz is that the two are getting married in December, which is why they’ve kept their date diaries empty, just as Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma had done even as they denied about the wedding before going off to Italy to get married. Hopefully, there’ll be an official announcement, just as the Kapoors normally do.”

Ranbir and Alia have been waiting for a couple of years now. Speaking with Rajeev Masand in an earlier interview, Ranbir revealed that he will be ‘ticking off’ wedding from his checklist ‘very soon.’

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

With all the hype going on during ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Coke Studio and Pakistan’s sensation Atif Aslam collaborated to make it more exciting for the cricket lovers.

Coke Studio released ‘Cricket Khidaiye’ for the fans; the lyrics of the song ‘Mitti da maan tu rakh ley’ focus on Nationalism and aims to raise the spirits of the players as well as the Nation.

The fans are always desperately waiting for a new release from the superstar and so Atif Aslam returns to the canvas of Coke Studio this season with an experimentation of ambient and introspective discovery.

Anthems have always proved to be a morale booster when it comes to Cricket. Let s celebrate the magic of cricket, Coke Studio wrote.

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Actor Yasir Hussain is comparing model Saheefa Jabbar Khattak to Korean star HoYeon Jung. The South-Korean series, that is trending number 1 on Netflix Pakistan to date,

Turning to his Instagram Stories on Thursday, Yasir Hussain attached a photo of Squid Game’s Kang Sae-byeok as he tagged Saheefa.

“@saheefajabbarkhattak loved your acting in Squid Game,” quipped Yasir in the caption.

Saheefa, who was quick to play along, re-shared Yasir’s post to her photo-sharing app.

“Thanks mate. I really but my sweat and blood in this project,” hilariously replied Saheefa.

Netflix original series Squid Game is breaking records around the world. The show is trending number 1 on Netflix Pakistan, even after a month of its premiere.

 

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Turkish superstar Engin Altan Duzyatan’s wife Neslisah Alkoclar heaped praises on her husband for his stellar performance in the latest drama serial Barbaroslar, saying she is so ‘proud’ of him.

Sharing a sweet photo of their hands in her Instagram Stories, Neslisah said “So proud of you @enginaltandzytn”.

She also showered love on Engin with a heart emoticon.

Earlier, Neslisah posted video clips recorded from their TV screen and admired her husband for his performance in the Barbaroslar.

She also liked Engin’s new look from the drama serial.

Engin Altan, who essays titular role in Dirilis: Ertugrul, is currently seen in another historical drama serial Barbaroslar in which he also plays the lead role.

He also took to Instagram and shared a behind-the-scene photo from the sets of Barbaroslar.

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Yash Raj Films owner, filmmaker Aditya Chopra, is all set to take Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Broadway musical.

Almost after 26 years when the movie first hit the theaters, Chopra has expressed his ambition to make it on to a musical.

In a statement written to the media, Chopra announced how “terribly nervous and incredibly excited” he is about the next project. “I feel like 23 again,” he wrote in his note.

Chopra continued, “I’m a hardcore cinema guy, I have never done theatre in my life and here I am trying to pull off the craziest ambition of my life.” 

DDLJ is one of the films that have defined Bollywood romance over the years. The movie released on October 20, 1995 and starred actors including Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Only a few days ago on October 16, National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) reassessed restrictions imposed on different parts of the country due to COVID-19. Their latest decision allowed malls and markets across Pakistan to remain open throughout the week, as opposed to six days a week.

NCOC also announced for cinemas across the country to reopen. While movie theatres opened in eight cities last month, cinemas across Sindh, including Karachi, remained shut. Now, however, Karachi is set to open its cinemas as well.

Atrium cinemas announced on their Facebook that they will be reopening in Karachi from October 22. Nueplex Cinemas, the other cinema facility in the city, however, is yet to announce their decision to reopen. The NCOC are also set to meet again on October 28 to evaluate the situation and decide the further course of action.

While local directors and actors like Nabeel Qureshi have been keen on cinemas across the country reopening, no local movies are set to release in the near future.

Even though a number of Lollywood movies were shot and produced before and during COVID, including Ghabrana Nahi Hai, Tich Button, Maula Jutt and Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, audiences are yet to know about their release dates.

With local movies out of the picture atleast for now, our cinemas will have to rely on Hollywood. Amongst the movies listed on Atrium cinemas’ website to release on October 22 are Dune and Ron’s Gone Wrong.

The much awaited Eternals is set to release early next month. Movie enthusiasts are also eager to watch No Time To Die and Venom 2 in local cinemas.

As cinemas across Karachi and other cities open for audiences once again, the local movie industry may take some time to go into full gear. Regardless, we hope for the world to go back to normal soon and for artists and audiences alike to make the most out of the improving situation.

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