MUMBAI: A Bollywood and Bhojpuri film actor, Mahima Singh Puri, who was slated to get married in May 2024, to a media professional, has reportedly cancelled her nuptials after her would-be husband (and in-laws) refused to have the wedding reception in Goa.

Mahima was quoted by a YouTube channel saying, “I was very keen on a destination wedding in Calangute. I have been visiting the Calangute-Candolim beaches since I was a kid and always dreamt of getting married on the Calangute beach. My favourite restaurant is Souza Lobo at Calangute, which I visit everytime I am in Goa. Accordingly, I suggested to my would-be in-laws and future husband that we book a resort in Calangute for the wedding reception and get the Souza Lobo team to handle the food and catering part. But my in-laws flatly refused, turned down my Calangute dream wedding plans and instead chose a “ghost house” in Jodhpur for the wedding party. As I couldn’t stand their attitude, I called off the wedding,” she told her interviewer.

Who is Mahima Singh Puri?

Mahima Singh Puri was born in Guwahati, but finished her schooling in Bhopal and Hyderabad. Her family then moved to Delhi where she completed her college and holds a Bachelors in Arts as well as Home Science. She has done a diploma in Sound Effects and VFX as well an Acting Course from a film institute in Delhi. She is a trained actor and dancer and is proficient in several dance forms including Indian classical dance like Kathak.

She worked for a short while as a model in Delhi and with a Hindi news channel as an anchor, before moving to Mumbai to try her luck in films. She has featured in hundreds of web series and even did hot roles for Raj Kundra’s HotShots app.

Mahima Singh Puri has walked the ramp for various fashion events including the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week and Wills Resort Fashion Week as well as the Goa Resorts Fashion Week.

She first started doing Bhojpuri films years ago, as she was approached by producers from Ghaziabad and Bhopal. She has done two Bhojpuri films till date and is shooting for the third Bhojpuri film. In both Bhojpuri films, she has done very spicy and hot item songs, which the producer claims are superhits.

She is also doing Tamil films and has featured in a Tamil film titled “College Girls” as well as in the film “Love, Sex and Passion”.

MUMBAI:  Ashwini Sowmya Yashwant also known as Gudiya, Babydoll and Chutki, among her friends is an upcoming actor,  singer, dancer and model presently based in suburban Mumbai.

She originally hails from Pune and was selected as the Trident Ms Pune Youth Icon winner in the year 2021.

Ashwini Sowmya Yashwant was in the news after she alleged that Bigg Boss OTT Season 2 contestant Manisha Rani stole her clothes and makeup items during a stage show in Kolkatta when they were sharing a common make-up room.

She is 24 years of age and will turn 25 by the end of this year. She is fond of singing, cooking, dancing, music and in her words also eating. She is a budding singer and is taking professional music lessons including Indian classical music. Besides this she is a professional dancer and stage performer and has done several shows along with other Kathak and Bharat Natayam dancers.

She has good knowledge of Indian classical dance forms like Bharat Natayam and Kathak and for a short while trained under the legendary (late) Kathak exponent, Padmashree Sitara Devi several years earlier, when she was still doing her schooling.

According to Ashwini Sowmya Yashwant’s allegations, Manisha Rani has a chronic habit of stealing clothes, makeup items and even undergarments the moment she got a chance. She has claimed her stuff was stolen at an event in Kolkatta a couple of years ago but she couldn’t do much about it.

Ashwini Sowmya Yashwant’s vital stats are 36C-28-36 and her height is 5.5. She is a fitness freak and is fond of exercising, zumba and aerobics.

She has been signed on by Vrindaavan Tele Films to play the lead role in a South historical Tamil film to be directed by Maneesh F Singh. She is also doing a couple of mythological web series for an OTT platform and other projects. She will also been seen shooting for a Telugu film in the coming months.

She has been selected as to represent the city of Pune for the Ms Maharashtra International pageant organised by Trident Films International and another event management firm.

The 24-year-old Pratibha who is of mixed descent and has done several modelling assignments, print shoots and social media platform promotions, including ad films and other fashion shoots. She has also featured in regional music videos and related projects. She is primarily a vegetarian by choice and advocates vegan campaigns.

She was also seen in a Punjabi rap music video and in other Hindi music videos and songs and aspires to do reality television as well. She is single and is presently not dating anyone.

She has lived in Afghanistan and a couple of countries abroad and has a wide cultural and social experience.

MUMBAI: In a first, the winners of two of India’s most prestigious musical talent shows, Rishi Singh (Indian Idol) and Ishita Vishwakarma (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa), have come together to lend their voices for a duet titled “Kurban.” The recording was concluded on Friday at a studio in suburban Mumbai.

The soulful composition is a part of the upcoming film TROY: The Bharat Putra, a unique canine tale written, produced, and directed by Kumaar Aadarsh under the banner of UV Talkies, a film production venture of Mumbai-based UVT Cinemas.

“Kurban” is composed by the acclaimed music director Gufy, and the lyrics are penned by the talented Manzar Baliavi. The song promises to be a musical highlight, adding depth and emotion to the captivating narrative of TROY.

The film, TROY: The Bharat Putra, is a heartwarming story that unfolds through the eyes of Troy, a chow chow dog, in the title role. The stellar cast includes Anuja Jain, Kumaar Aadarsh, Yashica Singh, Feroz Shaikh, Anup Bindal, Sanjeev Shrivastav, Nitin Katare, Amisha Singh, Pragati Jaiswal, and more.

Producer Jaya Patwa, Associate Producer Mohan Mansukhani, and Shameen Ahuja have played pivotal roles in bringing this cinematic gem to life.

Kumaar Aadarsh expressed his excitement, stating, “The collaboration of Rishi Singh and Ishita Vishwakarma for ‘Kurban’ has added an unparalleled musical dimension to TROY: The Bharat Putra. Their voices bring to life the emotions of the film, making it a truly special experience for the audience.”

Stay tuned for the release of “Kurban” and witness the magic these talented artists have crafted for TROY: The Bharat Putra.

MUMBAI: Indian-Assamese glamour and erotica model Ishika Borah has recently done a shoot with Hollywood photographer Lynn Baxter for the Lynn Baxter Yearbook, Ishika said last week while speaking to media persons on the sidelines of another event.

Meanwhile, Goan-origin, Hollywood film director Jazon Fernandez and photographer Lynn Baxter’s team will collaborate on a fashion-glamour project for a French Festival film. Speaking about the project on his visit to Goa during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Jazon claimed that remote parts of Goa’s villages could house a treasure trove of buried secrets including gold, silver and copper work and artifacts, some of which could date to the 10th or 12th centuries, which he wanted to explore and catalogue with the help of Baxter.

Fernandez who is associated with the Hollywood studio Apollonius Films and Lynn Baxter, both known internationally in their respective segments announced their joint collaboration and business association at IFFI in Goa.

Fernandez who is a vocal advocate of authentic, mythology-based cinema said he was inspired to work with Baxter primarily due to his voluminous creative energy and a keen eye for the esoteric.

MUMBAI: A Mumbai-based lawyer Chandrakant Ambani has sent a legal notice to Dj Dolly Sinha regarding her allegations against Bigg Boss OTT’s Manisha Rani and the ensuing media coverage of her press conference with Instagram influencer Faizan Ansari.

In the notice, the lawyer has demanded proof of the allegations made and failing which, if Dj Dolly Sinha is unable to produce the same, he has asked for an apology.

The senior criminal lawyer has demanded an unconditional apology from Dj Dolly Sinha and Faizan Ansari for their allegations against Manisha Rani or threatened to take stringent legal and criminal action.

A day earlier, in a joint press conference by Bollywood disc jockey Dolly Sinha and influencer and actor Faizan Ansari at Lokhandwala in suburban Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, the duo blasted and exposed the lies, fakery and deceit of Bigg Boss OTT season 2 contestant Manisha Rani.

Ansari and Sinha, while speaking to media persons had revealed that Bigg Boss OTT’s Manisha Rani used fake “paid news” articles in reputed publications and digital platforms to get verified on Instagram and obtain the coveted “blue tick” – the sign that the account or profile is genuine and is what it claims to be.

ALSO READ: Bigg Boss OTT 2: Manisha Rani’s fans file Rs 10 cr defamation case against Dj Dolly Sinha

Dj Dolly Sinha shared and played a voice recording, that according to her was Manisha Rani’s voice discussing and arguing with someone on the phone she referred to as one “Saurabh” regarding the “blue tick” on her Instagram profile. The so-called Manisha Rani’s voice in the audio clip also referred to a “news article” on a reputed digital platform. According to Dj Dolly Sinha, the audio in the clip is that of Manisha Rani and the reference to “Saurabh” refers to actor Saurabh Sharma, who was last seen in the television show Bhagya Lakshmi in a negative role of Aashish and who is supposedly a supporter of Manisha Rani.

Dj Dolly, while speaking to the media along with social media influencer and actor – Faizan Ansari, who spoke up in favour of the former, alleged that Manisha Rani’s life was full of fake incidents aimed to get her into the reality show by hook or by crook.

She had also mentioned an incident involving a famous personality and actor Akshara Singh, who had interacted with Manisha Rani and explained how the latter ridiculed the former behind her back and had allegedly said very nasty things about her in her absence.

The duo had also alleged that Manisha Rani did not pay Sinha’s dues and a loan which she had given her and had further refused to even take her calls because she did not intend to clear the debt and repay the loan. “She (Manisha Rani) stole my clothes, make up items and even undergarments,” Dj Dolly Sinha had alleged during the press conference.

MUMBAI: Pratibha Sonal Singh also known as Ritu, Gudiya, Babydoll and Chutki, among her friends is an upcoming actor, dancer and model presently based in suburban Mumbai.

Pratibha Sonal Singh was in the news after she alleged that Bigg Boss OTT Season 2 contestant Manisha Rani stole her clothes and makeup items during a stage show in Delhi when they were sharing a common make-up room.

She is 24 years of age and will turn 25 by the end of this year. She is fond of singing, cooking, dancing, music and in her words also eating. She is a budding singer and is taking professional music lessons including Indian classical music. Besides this she is a professional dancer and stage performer.

She has good knowledge of Indian classical dance forms like Bharat Natayam and Kathak and for a short while trained under the legendary (late) Kathak exponent, Padmashree Sitara Devi several years earlier.

Btw, for the unversed, Pratibha is not the first one to complain of Manisha Rani’s stealing habit. A Mumbai-based DJ, Dolly Singh who cohabited with Manisha Rani at a flat in a suburban housing society in Mumbai at Oshiwara also complained of the same problem and even alleged that Manisha Rani even steals undergarments and inner wear from her roommates.

According to Pratibha’s allegations, Manisha Rani has a chronic habit of stealing clothes, makeup items and even undergarments the moment she got a chance. She has claimed her stuff was stolen at an event in New Delhi a couple of years ago but she couldn’t do much about it.

Pratibha Sonal Singh’s vital stats are 36C-28-36 and her height is 5.4. She has been signed on by Vrindaavan Films to play the lead role in a South historical Tamil film to be directed by Maneesh Singh. She is also doing a couple of mythological web series for an OTT platform and other projects.

The 24-year-old Pratibha who is of mixed descent and hails from North India, has done several modelling assignments, print shoots and social media platform promotions, including ad films and other fashion shoots. She has also featured in regional music videos and related projects. She is primarily a vegetarian by choice and advocates vegan campaigns.

She was also seen in a Punjabi rap music video and in other Hindi music videos and songs and aspires to do reality television as well. She is single and is presently not dating anyone.

KABUL: Even while Iranian director Ali Zafar Abbasi’s controversial silent film “Sex Inside A Burkha” based on true incidents of prostitution among married Muslim women in certain Muslim societies across the world has stirred protests, Indian soft-porn star Ishika Borah today claimed that she was offered Rs 50 lakh to play the main lead role in the film.

Ishika said she refused to do the film as it was “too controversial and blasphemous to some extent” and she wanted to avoid religious controversy. The short film of 45 minutes duration was partly short in Rajasthan and Old Delhi and features two Indian actors. The rest of the film’s cast includes actors of different nationalities including Iranian and Pakistani actors. However, Abbasi said he plans to re-shoot some portions of the film as he was not happy with the final outcome.

“The film is based on true incidents wherein young and good-looking married women from poor families are “hired” out by their husbands to satisfy the carnal needs of rich men from the Gulf countries for varying periods of time ranging from three to 24 months. The women are paid decent sums of money, but sometimes are physically or brutally abused by the men hiring them who want to get their money’s worth. This illegal practice is prevalent in several Muslim nations in very poor communities and is spoken of in hushed tones, although the entire family knows what is actually happening. It’s considered a ‘job’ or ‘service’ rendered by the woman to take care of the financial needs of her family and in some cultures is sort of revered,” explained Abbasi. He added that the film is not judgemental in anyway but only portrays existing customs in some sections of the community.

The practice has no legitimacy in Islam and yet is defended by some Conservative religious leaders in some places as a “noble service”. Abbasi says he wants to expose this practice through his short silent film and give it international coverage. Ishika Borah was chosen for the project for her bold image and attitude, which has won her the title of an Indian soft-porn star.

MUMBAI: With the explosion in the OTT space, hundreds of female actors have begun ruling the waves and also making some decent money in the bargain. While names like Ishika Borah have been floating around for over a decade now, others like Jayashree Gaikwad and Aayushi Jaiswal are comparatively new.

Ishika Borah as readers may recall, first shot to fame with her nude and topless magazine covers and centrespreads for men’s magazines like Debonair and Chastity during 2007-12. Those were the days when mobile phones were keypad driven with small B&W screens and almost no graphics capability at all. The mobile Internet was at the 2G level and only text-based mobile pages (or WAP pages) could be rendered on mobile phones. Magazines, glossies and periodicals ruled even the glamour world and men hid girlie magazines in their closets and office bags. Ishika Borah was one of the more sought-after pin-up girls during that time and was doing photo shoots almost everyday for various men’s magazines in the country.

But the advent of smartphones like the iPhone and other android devices changed things forever. Print magazines were gone and replaced by apps. And this time around names like Aayushi Jaiswal, Jayashree Gaikwad, Nandita Dutta and Priya Soni are ruling the men’s private entertainment plane.

But that’s not all. More and more bolder actors keep coming up as the industry grows. The entire OTT or digital entertainment industry in India is about Rs 5000 crore annually and the bold or adult space takes up more than 50 percent of this business pie which works out to Rs 2500 crore.

With this kind of budget and money, hundreds, if not thousands of women compete with each other for viewers and eyeballs. While names like Aayushi Jaiswal, Jayashree Gaikwad, Nandita Dutta, Zoya Rathore and several others, not to forget the still ruling Ishika Borah are known and seen around on social media, let’s not forget it’s the hundreds of unknown female actors who make up nearly 90 percent of the Rs 2500 crore market in India and are as popular as the above names in their individual regional fiefdoms or kingdoms.