Actor Anupam Kher, star of the recently released Netflix film Vijay 69 has revealed that he still lives in a rented apartment. In an interview with The Curly Tales, he explained the reason why he never owned a house.

ALSO READ: Interview with Anupam Kher: I have just started out

“I live in a rented apartment, because I decided I don’t want to own a house. Kiske liye (for whom)? Pay the rent every month and live. The money that you will buy a house for, keep it in your bank account and use that to pay your rent instead.”

Kher went on to say that it is better to give the money to the less fortunate and that the only house he has ever bought was the one his mother lives in. “It’s better to give after you go many years later and to distribute the money rather than people fighting for your house. I bought one house for my mother in Shimla. That too because I was teasing her seven years ago, saying that I am a big star and she can tell me what she wishes to have. I thought she will say, ‘Nahi, kuch nahi’ (no, nothing), but she instantly said, ‘I want a house in Shimla’. I asked her why, because we haven’t lived there since my father’s death, but she lived in a rented house all her life there, hence wanted one of her own.”

Kher is best known for his films Saaransh, The Kashmir Files, Khosla ka Ghosla!, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and I Did Not Kill Gandhi. He was also a recurring character in American hospital-drama series New Amsterdam.

The Supreme Court granted temporary relief to Malayalam actor Siddique and extended his interim anticipatory bail by another week on Tuesday. The hearing on the actor’s bail petition was adjourned after his counsel complained of ill-health.

Hearing the anticipatory bail plea of the actor in a rape case, a bench comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma enquired whether the actor was appearing before investigators for probe. The state government informed the apex court that though the actor appeared for interrogation, he was not cooperative and his responses were evasive.

The actor informed the bench that the Kerala police was asking him to hand over his personal devices used in 2016 despite informing the police of his inability to do so. Justice Sharma asked the state government how could a person hand over a device used in 2016. “Material and question are two different things. He is saying you want the 2016 iPhone. As per my personal experience, I bought an iPhone 16 giving my iPhone 15 back in the shop,” Live Law reported quoting the bench.

Actor Siddique is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a young actress in the Malayalam industry. The apex court granted Siddique interim protection from arrest after the Kerala High Court dismissed his bail pleas saying prima facie, there was evidence for his involvement. 

The actress levelled the allegations soon after the Kerala government released the Hema Committee report in August this year. The charges forced Siddique to resign from the post of general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA). The Kerala police have registered a case against the actor under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The Kerala police has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe allegations of sexual harassment which came to light after the release of the Hema Committee report. Police have so far registered 17 cases against various artists and technicians from the Malayalam film industry, including Siddique. 

BIG Brother has revealed this year’s SIX finalists following a brutal double eviction.

Fans have watched as show bosses aired a mass exodus of housemates before this year’s live final.

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On Sunday night Baked Potato was evicted from the Big Brother house after entering the vault with Ali, Nathan and Segun.

But the departures kept coming as two more were booted out of the reality house.

As the vote to win was frozen, the four housemates with the fewest votes – Sarah, Thomas, Nathan and Segun – were called back to the vault.

The remaining housemates then had to place £5k of the overall £100k prize fund on each housemate they thought received the fewest votes.

If they guessed incorrectly, they’d lose the £10k but the eviction would still happen.

After picking Sarah and Thomas, Big Brother revealed they indeed collected the fewest votes and were immediately evicted, as the £10k was returned to the prize pot.

The final twist now means Ali, Nathan, Hanah, Emma, Segun and Marcello are this year’s finalists.

AJ Odudu and Will Best will host the Big Brother Live Final this Friday night from 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

Big Brother’s future has not yet been revealed by ITV, who ordered two series of the civilian edition when they relaunched the format.

A further celebrity series has been commissioned, which is set to air in Spring next year.

Big Brother 2024 cast

A brand new batch of Big Brother housemates are living it up in the famous compound.

Meet the cast of the 2024 series:

• Rosie, 29, dental assistant from Cornwall.
• Emma, 53, aesthetics business owner from Altrincham.
• Segun, 25, charity videographer from Watford.
• Nathan, 24, pork salesman from Dumfries.
• Daze, 24, climate activist from London.
• Khaled, 23, sales manager from Manchester.
• Martha, 26, NHS administrator from Scarborough.
• Lily, 20, Chinese takeaway server from Warrington.
• Ali, 30, Forensic psychologist from London.
• Thomas, 20 amputee footballer from Carlisle.
• Ryan, 28, marketing and events from Stockport.
• Hannah, 24, HR consultant from West London.
• Izaaz, 29, sales consultant from London.
• Sarah, 27, spa account manager from Shrewsbury.
• Marcello, 34, youth mentor from East London.
• Dean, 35, barber from East London

Days after actor Shah Rukh Khan received a death threat, police have arrested the accused.

Identified as Mohammad Faizan Khan, the man was arrested from his home in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Police said he is a lawyer.

Faizan Khan called the actor and threatened to kill him if he did not pay Rs 50 lakh.

He had earlier told the Bandra police that he will appear before them on November 14, according to TV reports. 

However later he wrote to the city police commissioner, requesting his statement should be recorded virtually as he could not travel due to threats to himself.

Faizan Khan earlier said his mobile phone was stolen and that he lodged a police complaint regarding the same on November 2. Mumbai police have registered an extortion case.

This comes after Salman Khan has received multiple death threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang over the blackbuck poaching case in 1998. Bishnoi gang is reportedly behind the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique over helping Salman.

Gladiator 2, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s iconic film Gladiator, is making its way to the big screen this week, alongside Hindi film The Sabarmati Report, based on the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002, involving Sabarmati Express.

OTT RELEASES

Deadpool and Wolverine

Release date: November 12

Streaming platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Wade Wilson aka Deadpool is confronted by the Time Variance Authority and tasked with a mission. On opposing, he teams up with Logan/Wolverine, from another timeline, and together they set out on a daring mission to save the world from existential threat. Directed by Shawn Levy, the film stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Dafne Keene, Channing Tatum, Jennifer Garner and Wesley Snipes.

Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley

Release date: November 13

Streaming platform: Netflix

This 90-minute documentary details the epic comeback of Elvis Presley in 1968 to prove to the world that he is still the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The documentary features rare footage and interviews with Elvis (2022) director Baz Luhrmann and Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley, providing a deeper look into the rockstar’s life and the legacy he left behind.

St Denis Medical

Release date: November 13

Streaming platform: JioCinema

From Superstore creator Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin, comes a medical mockumentary set at St Denis Hospital. Alex has been assigned as Supervising Nurse in the emergency department and finds herself surrounded by overworked staff, managing patient care while providing support to each other.

Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 2

Release date: November 15

Streaming platform: Netflix

The second of the three-part season 6 is coming to Netflix almost four months after the release of Part 1. Created by Josh Heald, Hayden Schlossberg and Jon Hurwitz, the five episodes will focus on a karate competition between two dojos—Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai—in the Sekai Taikai tournament in Barcelona, Spain. The series stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Tanner Buchanan, Peyton List and Xolo Maridueña.

Freedom at Midnight

Release date: November 15

Streaming platform: SonyLIV

Adapted from the book of the same name, written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, Freedom at Midnight is a historical drama web series that showcases the events surrounding the partition of India and Pakistan. Directed by Nikkhil Advani, the show stars Chirag Vohra as Mahatma Gandhi, as well as Luke McGibney, Rajendra Chawla, Arif Zakaria, Sidhant Gupta and Ira Dubey.

The Day of the Jackal

Release date: November 15

Streaming platform: JioCinema

Based on the political-thriller novel by English author Frederick Forsyth, The Day of the Jackal follows an elite assassin tasked to do a job that will pay him enough to leave his risky lifestyle. A British intelligence officer, Bianca, is assigned to hunt him down. What follows is an intense cat-and-mouse chase. Directed by Brian Kirk and Anthony Philipson, the series stars Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.

THEATRE RELEASES

Kanguva

Release date: November 14

Directed by Siva, Kanguva is based on a tribal warrior who saved his village a thousand years ago and his death due to a mysterious illness and how the warrior seems to be connected to a shadow cop’s brave quest in the present. The film stars Suriya, Disha Patani, Bobby Deol, and Yogi Babu.

Gladiator 2

Release date: November 15

A sequel to the critically acclaimed Gladiator, is heading to the big screens. Years after the death of Maximus, Lucius, the nephew of Commodus, enters the Colloseum after the emperors of Rome take over his home. Lucius carries the onus of bringing glory back to his people. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and features returning cast of Derek Jacobi and Connie Nielsen.

The Sabarmati Report

Release date: November 15

The Sabarmati Report is based on a journalist’s journey to uncover the truth behind the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002, involving Sabarmati Express. A total of 59 casualties were reported, all who were Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya. Directed by Dheeraj Sarna, the film stars Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna.

Matka

Release date: November 14

Matka is a Telugu crime-drama that focuses on the Matka gambling scams that took place between the years 1958 and 1982. Although it will not focus on Ratan Khatri, the Matka King himself, the main character, Vasu, will be inspired by him. Directed by Karuna Kumar, the film stars Varun Tej, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Nora Fatehi, Naveen Chandra and Saloni Aswani.

Small Things Like These

Release date: November 15

Based on the book Small Things like These by Claire Keegan, and dedicated to the victims of the Magdalene Laundries, the film, set in 1985, follows Bill Furlong, who, after encountering a disturbing event at a convent, cannot seem to shake it off. As he investigates further, he finds himself in a rabbit hole, where he discovers truths about his own past. Directed by Tim Mielants, the film stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson, Eileen Walsh, Clare Dunne and Zara Devlin.

Anand Sreebala

Release date: November 15

Anand Sreebala is a Malayalam mystery-thriller where titular character Anand is investigating the disappearance of a 20-year-old woman but he soon finds out that this one mystery is linked to the disappearance of many more women in Kerala. Directed by Vishnu Vinay, the film stars Arjun Ashokan, Aparna Das, Sangita Madhavan Nair and Dhyan Sreenivasan.

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Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin has teased a new project with Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark in the original HBO series.

Martin took to his blog, Not a Blog, to post about a recent trip to London, and described who he met and what he did. Mentioning Williams, the Song of Ice and Fire author hinted at a project they may have discussed.

“We also got together with Maisie Williams for pizza and pasta, and talked about…Well, no, better not get into that, do not want to jinx it,” Martin wrote cryptically. “But it could be so much fun.”

He did not provide further information, so it is unclear if the project is related to Game of Thrones or something else entirely.

Williams was cast as Arya in the hit HBO fantasy epic, created by David Benioff and DB Weiss, when she was 12 in 2009.  She spent her teenage years acting in the series, which ended after eight seasons in 2019.

Martin’s cryptic post comes amid reports that a Game of Thrones film is in development at Warner Bros.

The Independent has contacted Martin’s representatives for a comment.

Meanwhile, HBO and Max head Casey Bloys talked about working with Martin on adapting his books for television and on disagreements with the author.

“Obviously, I will say George and Game of Thrones really changed the course of HBO. So I want him to be happy,” he said on Tuesday.

“He’s very important to me, to us. But when we put shows together, you know, you’re putting a marriage together and marriages can be difficult, especially when Ryan is making creative decisions, adapting work. It can be fraught, and like any marriage, sometimes it gets rocky.”

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Casey was referring to the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, which is based on Martin’s Fire & Blood and covers the history of the Targaryen family.

Ryan Condal serves as showrunner on House of the Dragon, which has been renewed for a third season.

HBO is developing another Game of Thrones prequel called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The series is based on Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas and is due for release in late 2025.

Fans of Martin’s books have been eagerly waiting for the sixth instalment of A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter, which Martin began writing in 2010. A seventh and final book, A Dream of Spring, is set to follow afterwards.

In September, Martin shared an update on the book on his blog, writing: “Writing came hard, and though I did produce some new pages on both The Winds of Winter (yes) and Blood & Fire (the sequel to Fire & Blood the second part of my Targaryen history), I would have liked to turn out a lot more.”

In a wide-ranging interview with The Independent in 2022, the author revealed he’d delayed finishing A Storm of Swords because he was struggling with saying farewell to so many of his beloved characters.

“I finished the entire book, except for the Red Wedding,” Martin recalled with a grimace.

“That was such a painful chapter for me to write, losing some characters that I had come to know and love. Nine years I’d been with these characters, and now I was going to kill them horribly! That was difficult.”