Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Downward spiral for Shah Rukh Khan

by Asjad Nazir

E-GUIDE ROUND UP


Actor Shah Rukh Khan thinks there is no point in making a biopic on his life because the focus would just be on his success story and there would be no controversy. The 51-year-old said he has never let people know about the interesting parts of his life and that is why a film on his life would be boring. I think a more interesting story would be how he is slowly sliding down the Bollywood ladder despite once being the undisputed king and his seeming addiction to money that sees him do everything from endorsing skin lightening products to dancing at weddings, despite being super wealthy. 

TUBELIGHT FLOPS

For many years Bollywood has feared box office king Salman Khan and allowed him to have the year’s most lucrative release date during Eid, but the disastrous failure of Tubelight has changed all that. The fear is now gone and rivals are lining up to reclaim Eid from Salman. Distributors losing buckets of cash on Tubelight means Salman has almost certainly lost the lucrative release date for next year and he can expect a slide in his career during the coming years. 

PAUL SINHA OPENLY GAY

Comedian turned trivia expert Paul Sinha recently claimed producers of The Chase have repeatedly removed references to his sexuality from the popular game show. In one of his most open interviews the funny man revealed he had a boyfriend with whom he was in an open relationship. He was surprised at the reaction when the first reference to him being gay was included in The Chase because he has never hidden his sexuality. 

SAIMA AJRAM TRYING HER LUCK AT ACTING

Talented radio host Saima Ajram has turned actress and appears in the new music video of Abida Parveen song Ahat Si. The BBC Asian Network host acts opposite TV star Mazer Yasir in the 1960’s set music video for the romantic ghazal and was involved heavily with the production itself. “Ahat Si has a list of legends attached to if from India and Pakistan, so when I was approached for the project I couldn’t resist. The video has turned out beautifully and Abida ji loves it. Athar Bilal Films conceptualised the whole thing with me in mind, so I can’t thank them enough,” said Saima.

Working on this video made the host of the weekly Pakistani show realise a hidden passion for film making and she has exciting plans on the way.

ANXIETY ATTACKS TO BLAME FOR CANCELLED LIVE DATES?

The anxiety attacks that forced Zayn Malik to pull out of live dates last year don’t seem to have healed because he recently cancelled rescheduled live dates in Japan. Zayn is currently putting the finishing touches to his second live album and according to experts will have to go on an extended world tour if he wants to remain at the very top. I am sure the backers behind the multi-million selling pop star are working overtime to get him ready for the live circuit so they can cash in on his global popularity.

THREE GREAT SHOWS LINED UP BY SAJEELA KERSHI

Stand up comedian and writer Sajeela Kershi will be taking three great new shows to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, which runs from August 3-27th. Fights Like A Girl, Immigrant Diaries and Nasty Women On The Fringe all promise plenty of thought provoking comedy throughout the festival. She will have guest appearances and provide plenty of entertainment for those present. You can keep up to date with various projects from the award-winning funny woman by following her on Facebook and Twitter: @sajeelakershi

HAS ADNAN LEFT IT TOO LATE?

Singer Adnan Sami told me over a decade ago about his ambition of acting in a Bollywood film and repeated the same many times in subsequent years. He will finally get his wish by playing the lead role in musical drama Afghan, which commences shooting in August and releases next year. Unfortunately for Adnan, I fear he has left it too late to become a leading man and think those who back the film will incur heavy losses. The only way they can make any time of money will be if the soundtrack is good, but even that doesn’t look likely because Adnan hasn’t exactly been churning out the hits in recent years.  

SNAPPED

Actress turned housewife Celina Jaitly is expecting twins with her hotelier husband Peter Haag and showed off her baby bump by the beach with this photo. The couple already have five-year-old twins and Celina said motherhood has helped her discover a lot about herself.

SNAPPED

It was great to catch up with Cary Sawhney and Satwant Gill. They along with a dedicated team including hardworking volunteers put on another memorable London Indian Film Festival, which once again celebrated the best in South Asian cinema.

SNIPPETS

  • Director Gurinder Chadha’s film Viceroy’s House has been retitled Partition 1947 for its India release next month.
  • Actor Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira Rajput are planning to have another baby. They are currently proud parents of a baby daughter named Misha.
  • Actor Saif Ali Khan said he and his ex-wife Amrita Singh are both supporting his daughter Sara Ali Khan’s decision to become a Bollywood actress.
  • A global hunt is underway for young newcomers to play the two lead roles in the live action version of Aladdin, including across India. Guy Ritchie is directing the big budget Hollywood adventure.

More For You

London Jains honour teens for completing Athai Tap fast

The young tapasvis seated during the community celebration

London Jains honour teens for completing Athai Tap fast

THE Jain community in London came together for a historic celebration, honouring five teenagers who successfully completed the eight-day Athai Tap fast, one of the most respected spiritual practices in Jainism.

The children – Moksh Shah, Labdhi Mehta, Mithil Shah, Svara Gandhi, and Dylan Shah – each from different families, were recognised for their discipline, devotion, and inner strength. Athai Tap involves abstaining from food for eight continuous days, a test of both body and spirit, undertaken as a way of seeking spiritual progress and self-control, according to a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Edward Enninful warns fashion is sliding into anti-diversity as ‘being super-thin is the norm’

Enninful also gave his view on a recent American Eagle campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney

Getty Images

Edward Enninful warns fashion is sliding into anti-diversity as ‘being super-thin is the norm’

Highlights:

  • Former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful says “anti-woke” rhetoric is influencing fashion.
  • He warns the industry is reverting to European and super-thin beauty standards.
  • Enninful has launched a new inclusive media venture, EE72, with Julia Roberts on its debut cover.
  • He dismisses rumours of a fallout with Anna Wintour, saying she supported his departure from Vogue.
  • He also commented on recent advertising controversies, including Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign.

Fashion industry ‘in flux’

Edward Enninful, the former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, has warned that fashion risks going backwards on diversity, with super-thin and European looks once again dominating as the beauty norm.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Radical with Amol Rajan during London Fashion Week, he said that “anti-woke” and anti-diversity sentiment was “having a moment.”

Keep ReadingShow less
menstruation

The findings come from a UK survey of more than 12,000 women

iStock

Heavier bleeding and iron loss linked to long Covid in women, study finds

Highlights:

  • Survey of more than 12,000 UK women finds heavier, longer periods linked to long Covid
  • Symptom severity rises and falls across the menstrual cycle, worsening during periods
  • Tests reveal inflammation in womb lining and hormonal changes, but no damage to ovaries
  • Iron deficiency risk may exacerbate fatigue, dizziness and other common long Covid symptoms

Study highlights link between long Covid and menstrual changes

Women with long Covid are more likely to experience longer and heavier periods, putting them at increased risk of iron deficiency, researchers have found. The findings come from a UK survey of more than 12,000 women, which also showed that the severity of long Covid symptoms fluctuated across the menstrual cycle and often worsened during menstruation.

Findings from UK survey

Between March and May 2021, 12,187 women completed an online survey. Of these, more than 1,000 had long Covid, over 1,700 had recovered from the virus, and 9,400 had never tested positive. The study revealed that women with long Covid reported heavier and longer periods, as well as more frequent bleeding between cycles, compared with other groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
World Curry Festival 2025

The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations

World Curry Festival

Bradford’s first curry house traced back to 1942 ahead of World Curry Festival

Highlights:

  • Research for the World Curry Festival uncovered evidence of a curry house in Bradford in 1942.
  • Cafe Nasim, later called The Bengal Restaurant, is thought to be the city’s first.
  • The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations.
  • Festival events will include theatre, lectures, and a street food market.

Historic discovery in Bradford’s food heritage

Bradford’s claim as the curry capital of Britain has gained new historical depth. Organisers of the World Curry Festival have uncovered evidence that the city’s first curry house opened in 1942.

Documents revealed that Cafe Nasim, later renamed The Bengal Restaurant, once stood on the site of the current Kashmir Restaurant on Morley Street. Researcher David Pendleton identified an advert for the cafe in the Yorkshire Observer dated December 1942, describing it as “Bradford’s First Indian Restaurant”.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

We are living faster than ever before

AMG

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

Shiveena Haque

Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still

When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.

Keep ReadingShow less