Blog

Soha Ali Khan turned a year older on Friday (October 4). The actress celebrated her birthday at home in the presence of her friends and family. Soha and her husband Kunal Kemmu invited Saba Pataudi, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Angad Bedi, cricketer Yuvraj Singh, actor-TV presenter Gaurav Kapur and others. Soha gave a sneak peek into the birthday bash on Instagram. The actress posted a video of herself cutting two cakes. The clip also featured Kunal clapping and singing the birthday song. Oh, and we also saw a fleeting glimpse of Soha and Kunal’s daughter Inaaya kissing the birthday girl’s cheek. 

Soha Ali Khan looked stunning in a multi-coloured flowy dress. On the other hand, Kunal Kemmu chose a more casual attire – a white tee with blue jeans. “Heart and stomach both full to bursting,” read the side note. 

Reacting to Soha Ali Khan’s post, Raashii Khanna wrote, “Happy happy birthday”. Kritika Kamra dropped some red heart emojis in the comment section. Delnaaz Irani said, “Happy birthday dear Soha. God bless you always have a great bday.” Saba Pataudi wrote, “Happy happy Birthday sis. Glad I took some of us sibling group pics for u to share;) Memories Moments for life!” 

On Friday, Kareena Kapoor shared a heartwarming message for her sister-in-law, Soha Ali Khan on Instagram. The actress wrote, “Smart, funny, loving, caring, workout maniac, gluten-free, chocolate cake, beautiful, sister-in-law Happy Birthday Soha. Love you lots (red heart emoji) Soha Ali Khan (sic).” 

Soha Ali Khan made her acting debut in 2004 with the Bengali film, Iti Srikanta. Her Bollywood debut came in the same year with the romantic comedy film, Dil Maange More. Throughout her career, the actress has been part of many films like Rang De Basanti, Khoya Khoya Chand and Tum Mile. She is next expected to be seen in Chhorii 2.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked the BJP-led government, saying there was no use bowing before Shivaji Maharaj after scaring people.

He also alleged that Shivaji Maharaj’s statue collapsed in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra as the intentions and ideology of those in power were wrong.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha was addressing a public meeting before unveiling a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire, in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.

“There is no use of bowing before Shivaji Maharaj after scaring people, destroying the Constitution and institutions in the country,” he said.

His comments were apparently targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had apologised to Shivaji Maharaj and those hurt by the collapse of his statue.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity,” Mr Modi had said on August 30 during his visit to Maharashtra.

The 35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj, which collapsed on August 26, was unveiled by the PM on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day.

“There are two ideologies in the country – one which protects the Constitution that talks of equality and unity. This is Shivaji Maharaj’s ideology. The second ideology is the one that is into destroying the Constitution,” Mr Gandhi said.

“They get up in the morning and plan how to destroy the Constitution, which is based on the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj. They attack the institutions of the country, scare and threaten people and then bow before Shivaji’s statue. There is no use of (doing) it. If you pray before Shivaji’s statue, then you have to protect the Constitution,” the Congress leader, said, adding that the intentions are visible and cannot be hidden.

“They built Shivaji Maharaj’s statue and, in a few days, it collapsed. Their intentions were not right. The statue gave them the message that if you built Shivaji Maharaj’s statue then you have to follow his ideals. Which is why the statue collapsed because their ideology is wrong,” he said.

When Shivaji Maharaj was to be coronated, it was the same ideology that did not allow his coronation. This is not new, he said.

“This is the same ideology that Shivaji Maharaj fought with. Congress is fighting with the same ideology that Shivaji Maharaj fought with,” Mr Gandhi added.

Chhatrapati Shivaji’s message to the world was that the country belongs to everyone. The Constitution is a symbol of his ideals, he said.

“If people like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and social reformer Shahu Maharaj were not there, the Constitution also would not have existed,” the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

On his arrival in Kolhapur this morning, Mr Gandhi was welcomed by top Congress leaders in Maharashtra, including the party’s state unit chief Nana Patole and former minister Balasaheb Thorat.

Mr Gandhi also interacted with Ajit Sandhe, a tempo driver.

Meanwhile, BJP workers staged a protest and showed black flags to Mr Gandhi over his remarks on freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar. 

India will have to regroup quickly and iron out the imbalances in team combination when they face arch-rivals Pakistan in a crucial second group A match of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday. An early 58-run defeat to New Zealand on Friday has not just dented India’s chances of entering the semifinals of the ICC showpiece, but it certainly has pushed them to a tight corner. India’s run-rate currently stands at a poor -2.99 and it makes big victories mandatory for them in the remaining three matches against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side was wretched in all three departments of the game against the Kiwis in its World Cup opener, and India now need a reversal within 24 hours.

It’s tough but that is the path they have to tread against Pakistan, high on confidence after beating a strong Sri Lanka in the first match on Thursday.

As a first step, India will have to sort out their combinations ahead of the Pakistan game.

They went a batter light against New Zealand to accommodate an extra pacer in Arundhati Reddy and it meant a wholescale rejigging of the line-up.

It forced the promotion of Harmanpreet to No. 3, Jemimah Rodrigues to No, 4 and Richa Ghosh to No.5, not the usual slots for these batters.

For instance, Harmanpreet, who is a solid presence at No. 4, has never made a fifty in her previous 19 gigs at No.3 and to make her play precisely at that position in a World Cup was quixotic.

The inclusion of three pacers was not wrong move on the hindsight as there was no dew and the Kiwis pacers made full use of a hard deck.

But India made a hash of their three-pronged pace attack move, giving just one over to Pooja Vastrakar, the third-best bowler in T20Is this year with 20 wickets from 16 matches.

Also, the decision to go with the pace troika cost India the presence of left-arm spinner Radha Yadav, their second most successful T20I bowler with 22 wickets from 13 matches.

So, head coach Amol Muzumdar will need to take a long look at the combination as another defeat will seriously hamper India’s chances of progressing to the last-four stage from Group A.

But stats apart, India, particularly batters, looked mentally frozen against the Kiwis, evidenced by the highest individual score in their innings – a 15 by Harmanpreet.

In that context, India might just think of adding Dayalan Hemalatha to bolster the batting.

Though India have a head-to-head edge over Pakistan in T20Is, winning 12 out of 15 matches so far, they have the ammunition to stun any opposition.

Their bowling is especially formidable with the likes of experienced Nida Dhar, captain Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal leading the pack.

However, Pakistan will keep a close eye on the fitness lead pacer Diana Baig after she suffered a calf strain in the match against Sri Lanka, limping out after bowling just one ball.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia (subject to fitness), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness), Sajana Sajeevan Travelling reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor.

Pakistan: Fatima Sana (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal (subject to fitness), Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan Travelling reserve: Najiha Alvi (wk).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was recently spotted on the sets of the popular reality show Bigg Boss Season 18. The viral pictures and videos from the set hint at the preparations for a grand premiere, which is scheduled to air this Sunday. The actor looked suave in a formal black-blue velvet blazer, complemented by a sleek black shirt and matching pants. Take a look at the photos and videos below.

Megastar Salman Khan looks ready to rock the shoot of ‘Bigg Boss 18’ premiere – Get ready for Time Ka Tandav! Tomorrow 9pm#BiggBoss18#BiggBoss#SalmanKhanpic.twitter.com/YQ5gJwF6YH

— Pavan Kumar Suman (@pavankumar__123) October 5, 2024

HD : Salman Khan shoots for the premier episode of Bigg Boss 18#SalmanKhan #BiggBoss18 pic.twitter.com/lUBMWMuzGo

— Pooja Kumari (@puja_kumari9) October 5, 2024

Megastar Salman Khan looks ready to rock the shoot of ‘Bigg Boss 18’ premiere – Get ready for Time Ka Tandav! #BiggBoss18 #SalmanKhan#BB26 pic.twitter.com/FovKE57yKs

— Sushmita kujur (@sushm6197) October 5, 2024

Latest: Salman Khan At The Sets Of Bigg Boss Season 18 Time Ka Tandaav!
Bhaijaan’s SIKANDAR Look!
The OG HOST IS BACK!#SalmanKhan? #SIKANDAR #BiggBoss18 #SikandarOnEid2025 #SalmanKhan@BeingSalmanKhan Bhaijaan pic.twitter.com/AgWpLbj4tz

— Sameer (@beingsameer__) October 5, 2024

This season’s tentative lineup features contestants such as Vivian Dsena, Nia Sharma, Shoaib Ibrahim, Padmini Kolhapure, Sameera Reddy, Surbhi Jyoti, Karan Veer Mehra, Shilpa Shirodkar, Krishna Shroff, Gashmeer Mahajani, Nyra Banerjee, Muskan Bamne and Alice Kaushik.

Before the main broadcast, the streaming edition of Bigg Boss OTT premiered, crowning Sana Makbul as the winner, with rapper Naezy finishing as the runner-up.

Bigg Boss 18 is set to premiere on October 6 on Colors TV and will also be available for streaming on JioCinema. This season’s theme, “Time ka taandav,” will explore the intriguing concepts of past, present and future, intricately woven into the design of the Bigg Boss house. This year’s set takes inspiration from the grandeur of ancient caves and forts, featuring motifs, intricate sculptures and a warm, earthy colour palette. Contestants will discover secret entrances, hidden doors and cleverly placed cameras throughout the house. The garden area is particularly striking, with grand pillars and a pathway leading to the entrance.

The house’s design took 45 days and involved nearly 200 workers. While speaking to Indian Express, art director Omung Kumar spoke about the creative decision to embrace an Indian theme and said, “This year we decided to do something Indian because it has not been done for a long time. One specification the creative team had was that they wanted levels in the house. India is so beautiful and we hadn’t tapped into that, so we did that. The entrance is a tribute to the pre-historic era. This year is about the claustrophobia of the cave. Everything is muted in terms of colours, but it will eat you up later on. There are hidden entrances, and secret doors in the house. The best part is that the house will be confusing initially for the contestants.”

Santa N Marak, 57, was working in a kitchen with her 28-year-old daughter Moralistic Marak when a fatal landslide struck Koinadubi in Dalu village on Friday morning, leading to her death. Moralistic was injured and admitted to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Dalu. Incessant rainfall has triggered multiple landslides, mudslides and flash floods across the Garo Hills region in Meghalaya, claiming 10 lives and leaving several others injured.

The natural calamity has also caused infrastructure loss with wooden bridges being washed away, houses damaged and road connectivity from Dalu to Baghmara and other places completely cut off.

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma reviewed the flood situation in the morning and directed the district administrations to seek any assistance from the government and ensure relief work is carried out in the affected areas.

Directions were given to identify alternative routes to restore road communication in Dalu – Baghmara area.

Rescue operations led by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are in full swing, with flood-hit areas like Silkigre Primary Health Centre (PHC) requiring immediate assistance.

Widespread damage has been reported in areas like Reserve Gittim, Modoltila, Rishipara, Hawakhana, Sweeper Colony, Kamipara, Sunny Hills, Matchikolgre, Akonggre, and other localities, which are still under assessment by teams from the Tura Municipal Board (TMB) and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

The incessant rains started Friday midnight. On the first day, three civilians lost their lives in Dalu in West Garo Hills districts while seven others were buried under a landslide at Hatiasia Songma village in South Garo Hills.

District administrations have also been directed to release compensation to the family. Meanwhile, the NDRF team is carrying out the search and rescue operation.

Rainwater flowing down from the West Garo Hills of Meghalaya has created a flood-like situation in Assam’s Mankachar, with several villages now inundated.