Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Salman Khan is fiercely loyal, says designer Vikram Phadnis

Designer-turned-filmmaker Vikram Phadnis says superstar Salman Khan is a loyal friend and has been by his side throughout his career.

Vikram says it was Salman who helped him find a footing as a designer.


"He (Salman) gave me a life. I had none before I met him. I have known him for long, even before I got into fashion, it is a 30-year-old friendship.

"I owe him back in life. I haven't seen a loyalist in this industry as bigger and better than Salman Khan...I have not interacted with somebody who is that fiercely loyal," Vikram said.

Vikram asked Shah Rukh Khan to do the mahurat shot of his directorial debut Hrudayantar, Hrithik Roshan launched the trailer of the film and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan turned up for the music launch event.

"They all were part of my film in some or the other capacity due to the friendship and the relationship I share with them over the years. But, whatever I am today is because of Salman. Unfortunately, every time I had an event he was busy with his film Tubelight. I feel so bad he couldn't be part for these important events of my life," he says.

The designer insists it is not a conscious decision to rope in stars to promote his debut film.

"It was overwhelming to see not one person declined (to be part of my film)...it did give my film a certain mounting. When SRK did my mahurat, Hrithik did trailer launch and Aishwarya did music launch, I felt this film was blessed," he adds.

The Krrish star also has a cameo appearance in Hrudayantar and the director says the actor gave his nod to the role as he believed in the film.

"Hrithik has acted in this film. He didn't do that because he is a friend, he did it because he believed in it.

There was no need for Hrithik to do the film but he believed in it. If Hrithik didn't do the role I couldn t have taken any other hero. He did this role because he liked it," Vikram says.

Hrudayantar is a Marathi-language drama film starring Subodh Bhave and Mukta Barve in lead roles. The film is scheduled for release on July 7.

More For You

Instagram Restricts Top Pakistani Artists in India Over Tensions

Pakistani stars Fawad Khan, Atif Aslam, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan among celebrities whose Instagram profiles are now blocked in India

Getty Images

Instagram blocks profiles of Fawad Khan, Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in India amid rising tensions

The Instagram profiles of Pakistani celebrities like Fawad Khan, Atif Aslam, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan are no longer accessible in India. This development comes just weeks before Fawad’s planned Bollywood return with Abir Gulaal and follows a series of social media restrictions tied to the worsening India–Pakistan relationship.

When Indian fans try to view the artists' Instagram pages, they’re met with a message: "Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content." No official clarification has come from either the Indian government or Meta, but the timing is significant. The move comes days after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region killed 26 people, most of them tourists. It was one of the deadliest attacks since the 2008 Mumbai carnage.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hajj pilgrims cautioned over meningitis and MERS bug

Hajj and Umrah pilgrims are required to show proof of a valid MenACWY vaccination when arriving in Saudi Arabia

iStock

Hajj pilgrims cautioned over meningitis and MERS bug

BRITAIN’s health security agency has urged pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah to get vaccinated against meningococcal disease, following a small number of recent cases in the country linked to travel.

Between February and March, five people in England and Wales developed MenW, a type of meningococcal infection, after either visiting Saudi Arabia or having close contact with someone who had, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

Keep ReadingShow less
cricket representational

The ECB said its recreational cricket regulations had always aimed to make the sport inclusive.

iStock

Trans women banned from playing women's cricket in England and Wales

TRANSGENDER women have been banned from playing in women’s and girls’ cricket in England and Wales following a policy change announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday.

The ECB’s decision follows a UK Supreme Court ruling last month which stated that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person’s sex at birth and does not include transgender women who hold a gender recognition certificate.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lancashire bats for Indian
board to join The Hundred

The Indian cricket board currently does not allow its men’s players to participate in any overseas T20 leagues, including The Hundred

Lancashire bats for Indian board to join The Hundred

THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) should offer the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) a minority ownership stake in The Hundred to attract Indian players to the competition, Lancashire CEO Daniel Gidney has suggested.

“I think it’s possible. If I was the ECB, I’d be talking about perhaps bringing the BCCI in as a minority ownership partner in the tournament as a whole. If you do that, then you are aligning interests,” Gidney told the ESPNCricinfo website.

Keep ReadingShow less
Why strengthening UK-India bonds ‘is personal’ for Nandy

Lisa Nandy and Vikram Doraiswami

Why strengthening UK-India bonds ‘is personal’ for Nandy

LISA NANDY has said the UK hopes to forge a “closer cultural partnership” with India after she returns from her first trip to Mumbai and New Delhi as secretary of state for culture, media and sport from Thursday (1) to Sunday (4).

She made the promise at a reception hosted jointly last week by her department and the High Commission of India at the St James Court Taj Hotel in central London.

Keep ReadingShow less