Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Genelia on her 10-year sabbatical from screen: I'd have taken more time if it wasn't for Riteish

Genelia, who shares sons Riaan (nine) and Rahyl (six) with Riteish, said her husband had her back both at home and work.

Genelia on her 10-year sabbatical from screen: I'd have taken more time if it wasn't for Riteish

Actor Genelia Deshmukh says her decade-long break from showbiz helped her breathe life into the character of Shravani from her latest film release "Ved", which marks the directorial debut of her husband-actor Riteish Deshmukh.

While she appeared in cameos through the years in Hindi films such as "Jai Ho" and "Force 2", Marathi movie "Ved" is her full-fledged role since the 2012 Telugu title "Naa Ishtam".


The 35-year-old actor said the unplanned hiatus added layers to Shravani, an Indian Railways employee who is in love with her childhood crush and now her alcoholic husband Satya (Riteish). Satya, on the other hand, is pining for his former girlfriend Nisha (Jiya Shankar).

"The 10-year break gave me a chance to do other things in life, be a homemaker, to have children with my husband. Today, I feel nothing was designed or planned. But when I look at it, it's also a homemaker's character, and I think it helped...

"As an actor, I take things from life, be it mine or someone else's. If I wasn't a homemaker or wife, I would never have been able to play Shravani's character," Genelia told PTI in an interview here.

Had it not been for Riteish, with whom she made her acting debut in 2003's "Tujhe Meri Kasam", she said she would have taken more time to resume work in films. "Ved" is her maiden Marathi feature film on which she also serves as producer.

During these 10 years, filmmakers approached her with offers but she thought it wasn't the right time to get back on set, said the actor, whose film credits include "Masti", "Bommarillu", "Urumi", and "Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na".

"There were quite a few films, which I thought wasn't the right time for me. Honestly, I'd have taken a lot more time if it wasn't for Riteish. He said that 'Now it's time to get back to doing what you're good at and what you like doing'."

Genelia, who shares sons Riaan (nine) and Rahyl (six) with Riteish, said her husband had her back both at home and work.

"I love being a mum. I always think 'What if my children are getting neglected?' But, he always steps in and says, 'If you're working, I'll be the person who sees the house, I'll be the homemaker'. That kind of understanding and support gives me the chance to do a film," she added.

For someone who has featured in movies across Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages, the Mumbai-born actor said she is proud to add Marathi to her filmography.

"I love what I've done. I think I've had the good fortune to have worked in six industries and have had very prominent and positive films in each industry. Like I say, count your blessings. I'm extremely happy if someone offers me a film.

"And if I'm their actor in that film, they work with me like there's no one else who can do that role, and that's why I keep going from one industry to the other because it stimulates me," she said.

Mounted on a reported budget of Rs 15 crore, "Ved" has earned over Rs 30 crore since its December 30 release.

(PTI)

More For You

South Park Paramount Plus

South Park fans call out Paramount Plus for pulling the show worldwide

Variety

'South Park' fans lash out after Paramount Plus removes show outside the US ahead of season 27

Highlights:

South Park pulled from Paramount+ globally after licence expiry
• Fans in UK, Canada, Australia, and Europe react with outrage
• Dispute linked to £6.3 billion (₹673 billion) Paramount-Skydance merger and ongoing contract standoff
• Season 27 premieres 23 July on Comedy Central in the US, leaving global fans stranded

Fans around the world are up in arms after South Park disappeared from Paramount+ outside the US. With just days to go until the season 27 premiere, international viewers are calling out Paramount Global for yanking the show due to a lapsed streaming deal and are threatening to cancel subscriptions over what they see as corporate mishandling.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kanye West responds to ex-assistant’s amended sex assault

Lauren Pisciotta has accused Kanye West of repeated sexual misconduct

BBC/Getty Images

Kanye West responds to ex-assistant’s amended sex assault lawsuit, calls it “fantasy fiction”

Highlights:

  • Kanye West has dismissed ex-assistant Lauren Pisciotta’s latest lawsuit as a “delusional” and “contradictory” narrative.
  • Pisciotta accuses West of multiple acts of sexual assault and misconduct, including forced oral sex and workplace harassment.
  • West’s team argues the claims are inconsistent and defamatory, pledging to fight them in court.
  • Pisciotta’s attorney Lisa Bloom insists West has already admitted to key parts of the allegations and will face justice.

Kanye West has hit back at explosive sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations from former Yeezy employee Lauren Pisciotta, branding her newly amended lawsuit as a fabricated and conflicting tale. The rapper’s legal team released a fiery statement slamming the accusations, which include claims of rape, forced sexual exposure, and workplace abuse.

  Kanye West’s spokesperson says the claims are inconsistent and defamatoryBBC/Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Gregg Wallace misconduct BBC

Gregg Wallace was dropped after a 19-year misconduct span

Getty Images

Gregg Wallace faces permanent BBC exit as MasterChef report confirms 45 misconduct claims

Highlights:

  • Investigation confirms 45 out of 83 allegations against MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.
  • BBC and production company Banijay say his return to the show is “untenable”.
  • Complaints span nearly two decades, including inappropriate sexual comments and unwanted touching.
  • Wallace insists he was “cleared of the most serious claims” and blames a toxic culture.

The BBC has formally cut ties with MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace after a seven-month investigation upheld 45 allegations of misconduct, including unwanted physical contact and inappropriate sexual remarks, made against him over a 19-year period.

The inquiry, commissioned by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK and led by law firm Lewis Silkin, examined 83 separate claims against the 60-year-old, with over half substantiated. The BBC has confirmed it has “no plans to work with him in future,” citing behaviour that falls short of the broadcaster’s values.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal shuts down age criticism after being cast as Mister Fantastic

Instagram/fantasticfour

Pedro Pascal hits back at At Marvel fans questioning his 'Fantastic Four' casting at 50

Highlights:

  • Pedro Pascal is cast as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps, making him the oldest actor to play the role.
  • Some Marvel fans criticised his age, claiming he’s too old to portray the superhero.
  • Pascal responded at a London fan event, saying the negativity "comes with the territory."
  • The Marvel reboot releases in cinemas on 25 July 2025 and features Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Julia Garner.

Pedro Pascal is brushing off the online criticism surrounding his casting as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps, saying he’s focused on meeting fan expectations, even if some think he’s too old for the role. The 50-year-old The Last of Us star, who will soon join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the stretchy genius Mister Fantastic, addressed the backlash at a fan event in London. Many social media users had argued that Pascal was miscast due to his age, but the actor says he’s learned to take the criticism in stride.

  Pedro Pascal addresses fan backlash over playing Reed Richards at 50Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Kangana Ranaut

Kangana says she isn’t equal to a labourer, mother or Mukesh Ambani

Getty Images

Kangana Ranaut calls equality a delusion, says it created a "generation of morons"

Highlights:

  • Kangana Ranaut says the concept of equality has created a “generation of morons”.
  • Claims she’s not equal to Ambani, her mother, or even a labourer.
  • Her current views contradict her 2018 stance on gender equality in cinema.
  • Actor-MP to appear in a psychological thriller with R. Madhavan.

Kangana Ranaut has courted controversy again, this time with her take on equality. In a recent interview, the actor-turned-politician called the modern idea of equality “a delusion”, claiming it has produced a generation that overestimates itself. The Queen star, now an elected MP from Mandi, also argued that no one is equal to anyone, citing herself, Mukesh Ambani, her mother, and even daily-wage workers as examples of how everyone plays unique roles in society.

 Kangana Ranaut Kangana Ranaut speaks on equality and her role as a ParliamentarianGetty Images

Keep ReadingShow less