ACTOR DISCUSSES HIS CAREER AND PASSION FOR ENTERTAINING
ACTOR Kiran Raj has carved out a place for himself in the hearts of Kannada and Hindi language audiences around the world.
The self-made star has risen up from being a backing dancer to delivering winning turns in popular film and television projects such as Heroes, Love By Chance, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Tu Aashiqui, Devathe, Kinnari, Chandramukhi, March 22, Asathoma Sadhgamaya and Kannadati. The versatile actor with nearly a million Instagram followers has balanced out big performances with philanthropic work.
With more big projects on the way, Eastern Eye caught up with the popular Indian personality to discuss his acting journey, future hopes, lockdown life lessons and secret of a great performance.
What first connected you to acting?
Initially, I wanted to get into direction and editing and studied for the same too. During my course, there was some audition happening and my friend insisted that I should give it a shot, so I did and ended up with the part. That’s when I realised, I’m quite decent in front of the camera and can act well too. So, one after the other I landed up with roles, and kept improving and learning. Gradually, I realised that I enjoy acting and eventually it became my passion.
How do you look back on your journey as an actor?
I would say it wasn’t easy. I’ve been a background dancer too and have done side roles, but every project of mine has taught me a lot. Today, when I see myself in proper full-fledged roles, I feel proud of my journey as I’ve earned it. Whatever I am today is due to my hard work, along with my parents’ support and blessings.
Which of your characters is closest to your heart?
It’s hard to pick as I give my 100 per cent to each and every character I play. But the one character that’s really interesting, and I’m looking forward to is in my upcoming Kannada movie Swaagatha, as it’s so versatile. I also have a monologue in it, which I’ve attempted for the first time. I hope my audiences love and appreciate it, because I’ve put in a lot of effort into this character.
Which role challenged you most?
I would say Harsha in Kannadathi, as the storyline began with a carefree rich ambitious guy who does not bother about his surroundings and gradually, how he changes and becomes caring and loving. This transition was not easy as I had to play it in a way that my audiences would connect with it, which I think they did like always.
Who have you enjoyed working with the most?
I enjoy working with every creative person, no matter new or experienced, as it teaches me something new in some or the other way.
Does your approach between cinema and TV change?
No, I’m an actor and acting is my job, be it cinema or TV. I do both with equal dedication because at the end of the day what comes on screen has to be 100 per cent good for me and give me self-satisfaction, that ‘yes, I’ve done a good job’. Then only my audiences will be able to love it.
How do you approach a new project?
Every new project is a fresh journey for me. With the kind of person I am, I get involved 100 per cent with it. I am a perfectionist, so need things to be proper. I pick things that I am confident about and which I think I can justify to my audiences.
What can we expect next from you?
I have quite a few interesting films lined up in Kannada and Telugu, and every story is different from the other, so audiences will get to see me in a variety of interesting roles, which I am sure they will enjoy.
Do you have a dream role?
Yes, I have a few in mind that I will someday portray on a larger scale, but until then it’s a surprise.
What according to you is the secret of a great performance?
Dedication completely. You have to live a role to give a great performance; until you don’t feel it from within, you won’t be able to perform. At least that’s what works for me. And I believe that when my audiences are investing their time and money to watch me, and showering me with so much love and appreciation, I owe them a great performance each time.
What is it that inspires you?
Challenges in life inspire me. Every time there is a new project or situation in my personal life and the way I have to deal with it according to the situation really inspires me, because it teaches me how life moves on, and how we need to move ahead with equal motivation and dedication, balancing everything at the same time.
If you could master something, what would it be?
I would like to master the art of filmmaking for sure as I’m very passionate about it from my college days. Even in my free time, I keep trying my hands at editing, writing, etc., and one day it’s my dream to make my own film and be behind the camera.
What kind of content do you enjoy watching as an audience?
Action flicks any day and anytime!
What is the biggest life lesson lockdown has taught you?
Nothing is permanent. We should value everything and every person that God has given us in our lives, and thank God for at least giving us the capacity to go through these difficult times, because there are many around us that don’t have what we do. And try to help as many as possible.
The Peter Rabbit™ Adventure runs at Hampton Court Palace from 25 July to 7 September 2025
Trail includes interactive games, riddles and character encounters across the gardens
Children can meet a larger-than-life Peter Rabbit in the Kitchen Garden
Special themed menu items available at the Tiltyard Café
£1 tickets available for families receiving Universal Credit and other benefits
Peter Rabbit comes to life at Hampton Court
This summer, families visiting Hampton Court Palace can step into the world of Beatrix Potter as The Peter Rabbit™ Adventure takes over the palace gardens from 25 July to 7 September 2025.
Explore the Kitchen Garden, Tiltyard and WildernessHRP
The family trail, officially licensed by Penguin Ventures on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co., combines the palace’s historic gardens with the much-loved tales of Beatrix Potter. Visitors will encounter interactive activities, puzzles and games while exploring the Kitchen Garden, Tiltyard and Wilderness.
Interactive activities and wildlife learning
Along the trail, children can try Mrs Tiggy-winkle’s washing equipment to make music, search for Peter Rabbit under wheelbarrows, or test their hopping skills alongside Beatrix Potter’s characters.
The experience also highlights Potter’s role as a committed environmentalist. Young visitors are encouraged to look for real wildlife such as hedgehogs, squirrels and toads while learning about habitats and conservation in the palace grounds.
Children can meet a larger-than-life Peter Rabbit HRP
Meet Peter Rabbit and enjoy themed treats
Peter Rabbit himself will make appearances in the Kitchen Garden at set times each day, where families can take photos among the seasonal produce. Fresh fruit and vegetables grown in the gardens will feature in special Peter Rabbit™ menu items at the Tiltyard Café.
After completing the trail, children can also explore the Magic Garden playground or visit Henry VIII’s Kitchens inside the palace, where live cookery demonstrations take place each weekend.
Tickets and access
The Peter Rabbit™ Adventure is included in general admission:
Off-peak (weekdays and bank holidays): Adults £27.20, Children (5–15) £13.60, Concessions £21.80
Peak (weekends and events): Adults £30.00, Children £15.00, Concessions £24.00
HRP Members go free
Families in receipt of Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits can access £1 tickets throughout the summer (advance booking required).
Membership offers unlimited visits to Hampton Court Palace and other Historic Royal Palaces sites, including seasonal events such as the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival and Henry VIII’s Joust.
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The former Match of the Day presenter was voted best TV presenter by viewers at the ceremony on Wednesday
Gary Lineker named best TV presenter, breaking Ant and Dec’s 23-year run
Former Match of the Day host left BBC after social media controversies
Netflix drama Adolescence wins two awards, including best drama performance for 15-year-old Owen Cooper
Gavin & Stacey takes home the comedy award
I’m a Celebrity wins in the reality competition category
Lineker takes presenter prize after BBC departure
Gary Lineker has ended Ant and Dec’s record 23-year winning streak at the National Television Awards (NTAs). The former Match of the Day presenter was voted best TV presenter by viewers at the ceremony on Wednesday.
Lineker stepped down from Match of the Day in May after 26 years, following controversy around his social media posts. Accepting the award, he thanked colleagues and said the prize showed “it is OK to use your platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice.” He added: “It’s not lost on me why I might have won this award.”
Asked if he might work with the BBC again, Lineker said he was uncertain but was “really looking forward to working with ITV.”
The last winner before Ant and Dec’s run was Michael Barrymore in 2000.
Netflix drama Adolescence scores double win
Netflix’s hit drama Adolescence won best new drama and best drama performance for 15-year-old Owen Cooper. The show, which follows the story of a teenage boy accused of murder, became a national talking point earlier this year.
Cooper beat fellow nominee Stephen Graham, who plays his on-screen father, though neither attended the event.
Gavin & Stacey named best comedy
Gavin & Stacey’s Christmas finale, watched by more than 20 million viewers, was named best comedy. Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa, accepted the award and joked: “Alright, calm down. I’m going to the bar now for a pint of wine.”
Backstage, Jones paid tribute to co-writer and co-star James Corden, who could not attend, and addressed reports of a new Apple TV+ project, saying nothing had yet been confirmed.
I’m a Celebrity beats The Traitors
In the reality competition category, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! triumphed over The Traitors, Love Island, and Race Across the World. Presenters including Coleen Rooney and Oti Mabuse collected the award.
Other winners of the night
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show won the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
Molly-Mae Hague’s Behind It All won best authored documentary
Wallace & Gromit received a special recognition award
Gogglebox won factual entertainment, while Call the Midwife secured returning drama
The NTAs remain unique in British television for being entirely voted for by the public.
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UN human rights office urges India to drop cases against Arundhati Roy
ARUNDHATI ROY’S forthcoming memoir, Mother Mary Comes To Me, is about the author’s close but fraught relationship with her mother, Mary Roy, whose death in 2022 her daughter has likened to “being hit by a truck”.
Mary Roy, who insisted her children call her “Mrs Roy” in school, belonged to the Syrian Christian community. She does not seem a very nice person.
The Financial Times, which interviewed Arundhati at her home in Delhi, reveals: “In an episode to which the writer makes oblique reference early in the book but withholds until later — because of the pain it caused — she returned from boarding school for the holidays, aged 13, to find that Mrs Roy had had her beloved pet dog, Dido, shot and buried as ‘a kind of honour killing’ after Dido mated with an unknown street dog.”
In 1996, someone tipped me off that a publisher had won an auction by paying £1 million for The God of Small Things by an unknown Indian writer. This was unprecedented for a debut novel. But the buzz among the bidders was that the novel was a possible contender for the Booker Prize.
As I was writing my story at the Daily Telegraph, the night editor, Andrew Hutchinson, leant over and quipped: “Writing about your sister again?” As we know, Arundhati Roy did win the Booker in 1997. I had actually met Arundhati two years previously when she had stuck up for Phoolan Devi, the subject of Shekhar Kapur’s movie, Bandit Queen, based on Mala Sen’s biography.
Phoolan had been repeatedly raped by upper class Thakurs (the men were later lined up in the village of Behmai and executed by Phoolan’s gang in 1981). The film was exploitative, claimed Arundhati, because for Phoolan, it was like being raped again. She wrote a piece in Sunday in Calcutta (now Kolkata), headlined, “The Indian rape trick”.
Mala arranged for me to interview Phoolan who was refusing to talk to Channel 4 which was making a documentary in India on the controversial movie. In public, she supported Arundhati, but behind the scenes did a deal with C4 which paid her £40,000.
The FT interview says Arundhati “left home at 16, putting the length of the subcontinent between her mother in Kerala and herself in New Delhi, where she was admitted as one of the few women students at the School of Planning and Architecture. ‘I left in order to be able to continue to love her, because I knew she would destroy me if I stayed,’ she says.
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The mural has been covered and is being guarded by security
A new mural by street artist Banksy has appeared on the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The artwork depicts a judge hitting a protester, with blood splattering their placard.
It comes days after nearly 900 arrests at a London protest against the ban on Palestine Action.
The mural has been covered and is being guarded by security; Banksy confirmed authenticity via Instagram.
Banksy’s latest work at the Royal Courts of Justice
A new mural by the elusive Bristol-based street artist Banksy has appeared on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The artwork shows a judge in traditional wig and black robe striking a protester lying on the ground, with blood depicted on the protester’s placard. While the mural does not explicitly reference a specific cause or incident, its appearance comes just two days after almost 900 people were arrested during a protest in London against the ban on Palestine Action.
Security and public access
Social media images show that the mural has already been covered with large plastic sheets and two metal barriers. Security officials are guarding the site, which sits beneath a CCTV camera.
Banksy shared a photo of the artwork on Instagram, captioning it: “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.” This is consistent with the artist’s usual method of confirming authenticity.
Location and context
The mural is located on an external wall of the Queen’s Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex. Banksy’s stencilled graffiti often comments on government policy, war, and capitalism.
Previous works in London
Last summer, Banksy launched an animal-themed campaign in London featuring nine works. The series concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift a shutter at the London Zoo. Other notable pieces included piranhas on a police sentry box in the City of London and a howling wolf on a satellite dish in Peckham, which was removed less than an hour after unveiling.
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Works are painted on bark cloth from Lake Victoria
Artist Shafina Jaffer presents a new chapter of her Global Conference of the Birds series.
The exhibition runs from 7–12 October 2025 at Mall Galleries, London.
Works are painted on bark cloth from Lake Victoria, combining spiritual themes with ecological concerns.
Exhibition details
Artist Shafina Jaffer will open her latest exhibition, Whispers Under Wings (Global Conference of the Birds), at the Mall Galleries in London on 7 October 2025. The show will run until 12 October 2025.
This practice-led series reinterprets Farid ud-Din Attar’s 12th-century Sufi allegory, Conference of the Birds, reflecting on themes of unity, self-realisation and the idea that the Divine resides within.
Material and meaning
Each work is painted on sustainably sourced bark cloth from the Lake Victoria region, using natural pigments, minerals and dyes. Large panels are formed from the bark of single trees, aligning material ecology with the spiritual narrative.
The series weaves together sacred geometry, Qur’anic verses and depictions of endangered bird species, underscoring the connection between ecological fragility and spiritual awakening.
Previous recognition
Whispers Under Wings follows earlier presentations in London and Dubai, extending the project’s message of peace, unity and environmental care.
A central work from the series — the Simurgh, conceived as a symbol of light (Noor) — was recently acquired by Prince Amyn Aga Khan for the new Ismaili Centre in Houston. A feature on the exhibition also appears in the September edition of Twiga, Air Tanzania’s inflight magazine.