Zoya Akhtar’s adaptation of The Archies was released earlier this month. The movie marked the impressive debut of Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda, Sridevi’s daughter Khushi Kapoor, Aditi Saigal aka Dot, Yuvraj Menda and Vedang Raina. In a recent interview, Dot opened up about the positive reception she has received due to the film. She also reminisced about her experience working with the film’s cast.

During a conversation with a leading news portal, Aditi Saigal aka Dot commended Suhana Khan for her dancing abilities and said that they spent a lot of time together as a group, engaging in acting and dancing workshops. Aditi found the dancing workshops challenging as she was not a dancer and had to learn on the job. She praised Suhana as the standout dancer and also mentioned Yuvraj’s great dancing skills.

Aditi, along with Agastya, Vedang, and Khushi, learned to dance on the job, while others, apart from Suhana and Yuvraj, had little experience in dancing. Additionally, she shared that she didn’t have singing lessons due to her background in music and that music was a significant part of their time on set, with guitars and pianos always around.

She further added that the cast shared a very close bond. They spent a lot of time together which enhanced their performance on-screen.

The Archies is a musical film adapted from the popular Archie comics. The film is currently streaming on OTT. 

See Also: The Archies: Aditi Dot says she couldn’t have asked for a better debut 

Twinkle Khanna marked her 50th birthday on Friday. She took to her Instagram handle to share that she celebrated her special day with an adventurous snorkelling experience alongside her husband Akshay Kumar and their children. 

In the video, Twinkle sported a black swimsuit while the boys wore swimming trunks for the memorable outing. She was seen exploring the deep blue sea and even sharing a sweet moment with Akshay.

Sharing the video, Twinkle wrote, “On my 50th birthday, my eyes and heart are still filled with wonder when I look at the world around me and at my family. People may cite great philosophers, but I follow Dory from Finding Nemo, where, no matter what life brings, she says, ‘Just keep swimming.’ May the adventures never cease.”

Twinkle celebrates her birthday on the same day as her late father, the legendary Rajesh Khanna. She frequently posts in remembrance of him on social media.

See Also: Birth Anniversary: Rajesh Khanna’s candid moments from the Filmfare Awards 

A tripartite peace deal between the Centre, the Assam government, and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has been signed in Delhi, bringing the curtains down on one of the biggest insurgent groups in the northeast region.

The ULFA (Independent) faction led by Paresh Baruah remains opposed to talks.

The peace deal with the oldest insurgent group of Assam aims to address issues such as illegal immigration, land rights for indigenous communities, and a financial package for Assam’s development.

Home Minister Amit Shah told reporters in Delhi the Centre will ensure all the reasonable demands by ULFA will be met in a time-bound manner, and ULFA as an organisation will be disbanded.

“We want to assure the ULFA leadership that their trust in the Centre to ensure the success of the peace process will be honoured,” Mr Shah said, and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing peace and stability in the northeast.

ULFA the oldest insurgent group of Assam agreed to abjure the path of violence. Speaking on the signing of a memorandum of settlement with ULFA.
https://t.co/6H1DIHmmHy

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 29, 2023

Mr Shah said the removal of the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA) from many areas of Assam and other northeast states is proof that insurgency is nearly extinct in the region.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who sat beside Mr Shah, said the peace deal with ULFA will solve the problem of insurgency in the region to a large extent.

The Modi government has signed many peace deals with insurgent groups in the northeast after they agreed to lay down arms. In November, Manipur’s oldest valley-based armed group UNLF also signed a tripartite peace agreement with the Centre and the state government.

Founded on April 7, 1979, in Sivasagar, Assam, ULFA emerged with the objective of establishing an independent sovereign state for the indigenous Assamese people. The group began its armed operations in the late 1980s, led by figures such as Paresh Baruah, Arabinda Rajkhowa, and Anup Chetia.

Initially perceived as a group aiding the needy and the poor, the ULFA’s tactics soon escalated to armed struggle against the Indian government.

The catalyst for ULFA’s branding as a banned terrorist organisation was the killing of Surendra Paul, a prominent tea planter and brother of Lord Swraj Paul, and the subsequent extortion and threats to tea estate owners. These events exerted international pressure on the Indian government, leading to decisive action against ULFA.