Have you heard? 88th celebrations

Dharmendra

Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra, who was recently seen in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, celebrated his 88th birthday yesterday at his residence in Juhu. The actor celebrated the special day with his fans, with his son Sunny also in attendance. The actor cut a massive cake that was offered to him as a special gesture from one of his fan clubs. The cake featured the actor's photos and colourful, edible roses. Dharmendra's daughter Ahana Deol took to her Instagram account to share: "Happy birthday to my first love - the strongest and most loving man I know." Esha Deol added: "I pray for you to always be happy, healthy and strong." Hema Malini wrote: "May you have all the love your heart can hold, all the happiness a day can bring, and all the blessings a life can unfold. I hope you can see how special you are to me." Salman Khan shared their images on social media while wishing him.

Social media PDA

Vijay Varma and Tamannaaah Bhatia indulged in some social media PDA. Varma, who recently bagged the Best Actor title at an awards gala, celebrated his win on social media. Bhatia celebrated his win and shared, "Making India proud by winning big at the @asianacademycreative awards." To this, Varma responded by writing, "Bringing the golden goddess to my goddess." Several fans reacted to his comments with love.

From the horse's mouth

On the day of the release of the teaser of Fighter, Shah Rukh Khan heaped praise on its cast members and director. "The only thing that can be more beautiful than Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor is the way Siddharth Anand presents his films.

Looking so good all round. All the best to everyone. Ready for take off (sic)," wished the actor. As soon as the teaser released, Roshan and Padukone's pairing was much-talked about, with several individuals comparing their chemistry with that of Padukone and Khan.

No child's play

First Act, an original docuseries that chronicles the experiences of child actors and their parents as they navigate the Hindi entertainment industry, will start streaming on Prime Video on December 15. First Act presents narratives shared by former child artists who have transitioned into lead actors, such as Sarika, Jugal Hansraj, Parzaan Dastur, and Darsheel Safary.

In contention

The Hina Khan-starrer Country of Blind, based on a novel by HG Wells, is among various films contending for the nomination race for the upcoming edition of the Academy Awards. The screenplay for the film was acquired by the Oscars Library in October 2023 to be a part of its permanent core collection. Sharing her excitement about this achievement, Khan said, "Fingers crossed for this to turn into a nomination! I am happy to see all the hard work pay off in such a special way. From Cannes to the Oscars, it's been an exciting journey."

Ideal launch pad

Actor-musician Aditi Saigal, professionally known as Dot, called Zoya Akhtar's The Archies a "perfect jumping off point" for her as she got to contribute musically and lyrically to the film. Dot, who features in the Netflix offering, plays the role of Ethel, has written and sung all four Dear Diary themes picturised on Khushi Kapoor, and has lent her voice to the character of Betty (Khushi). She has also sung Dhishoom dhishoom and Sunoh. "Zoya has sparked such curiosity in me about the film world, I can't wait to explore it deeper and see how my career can take shape through both acting and music," she said.

Deftly done

Anupam Kher applauded the writing of The Freelancer filmmaker Neeraj Pandey. Kher, who is gearing up for the release of The Freelancer: The Conclusion, which sees him along with Mohit Raina, said, "The best part about Neeraj Pandey's writing is that whatever he writes is shown exactly that way with his minimalistic approach. It's a great story that draws you in." The series is based on the book, A Ticket to Syria, and will release online on December 15.