Ali Fazal's personal connection with 'Mirzapur'

Actor Ali Fazal, who will soon be seen in "Mirzapur", has a personal connection with the web series.

He said Guddu and Bablu -- characters in the show -- are nicknames of his maternal uncles.

"Guddu and Bablu are literally the names of my Mamas. Their names are Faizan and Rizwaan, pet names are Guddu and Babalu and they have the the same difference as the characters. Bablu has brains and is hardworking, and Guddu Mama has always been more wild. 

"He had gone hunting, he built muscles, he has jumped off some five or six-floored building... Why? Because ladki ke chakkar mein police aa gayi thi (because he was chased by the police over a girl). He has been through shit. So my way of talking even when intoxicated is literally him... I had him on top of my mind," Ali said in a statement.

Ali underwent a physical change to look like a gangster for "Mirzapur". The Amazon Prime Video show also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Vikrant Massey, Divyendu Sharma, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Shweta Tripathi, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rasika Dugal, Harshita Gaur and Amit Sial.

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Sports must be crucial part of school syllabus: Neetu

Actress Neetu Chandra believes sports must be given due importance in children's life since a very young age.

Neetu has been involved in three different sports in India -- taekwondo, basketball and now kabaddi.

"Sports must be inculcated in children at a very young age in school. It is important that marks should be given for participation in sports. It's only then that India will be able to take part as a major force in the international arena, with confidence and positivity," Neetu said in a statement. 

"With our huge population, if the kids are trained from their school time, we have the capability of creating Olympians," she added,

Neetu is supporting the Kabaddi team from her hometown Patna in the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League. She also is the brand ambassador of Taekwondo in India with fourth Dan black belt and has been closely associated with the National Basketball Association (NBA) besides being an avid sports enthusiast.

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Sonu Nigam dresses up as cleaner

Singer Sonu Nigam, who is currently shooting in Panipat at the Institute of Engineering and Technology, was amused to see a video clip which shows him dressed as a cleaner who is cheerful and in high spirits -- something the singer believes holds true in real life as well.

Sonu, who was shooting a video which focusses on the nostalgia of college and friendships at the institute, believes that in life one must have the zeal to succeed and work hard no matter how arduous the situation. Even a cleaner who works so hard has a smile on his face and that's how one must go through hardships -- that's the idea behind the video. 

The song, based on friendship, is composed by Vibhas, while the lyrics have been penned by Sonu Sagu. The single will release in January, read a statement.

The "Bijuria" singer has his plate full with back-to-back performances in Delhi, Mumbai and Lagos. Sonu will be flying to Shanghai for a show, and his next track "OMT" with Shannon K is on the verge of release.
-IANS