Expresso TV and OTT Shows News Update at 6:30 pm on 12 September 2023

Let's begin with our top story. Mohit Raina, in a recent candid conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia on his YouTube channel, recalled losing his father on the same day he was cast as Lord Shiva in Devon Ke Dev Mahadev, and said, "Can’t be a coincidence." Mohit who gained fame after playing Lord Shiva, added, “I have never said this but my father was a firm believer in Lord Shiva. So, I think this role was a gift from my father to me." Following his immense popularity, Mohit did the 2008 comedy film Don Muthu Swami. Later, he gained widespread acclaim for his role in the blockbuster film Uri: The Surgical Strike.

Next up. Mohit also recalled a sweet incident that made him realise how he’s a connection between fans and the almighty. He said that once an elderly woman came up to him and touched his feet. As he stopped her citing that she was his grandmother’s age, the lady told him he had no right to stop her. “She said, ‘I am not touching your feet.’ You are just the medium for me to connect with my God. You cannot stop me from connecting spiritually to him in those few seconds. That was the day I gave in, realising that I was just a medium for them. I cannot keep them away from that connection.”

Sobhita Dhulipala, in a recent interview with Film Companion, commented on criticism against her performance in Made in Heaven, saying she would’ve liked to ‘play Tara differently’. She said, “It would be interesting to depict the same Tara in identical circumstances and with the same inner landscape, but different disposition. What if she was snappy and snarky? It’s easy for me to look cold, leading to assumptions that I didn’t do any acting and merely played myself on-screen.” The complaints predominantly focused on her performance, with many claiming that her acting in the series was poor, while some others stated that she “did not act” at all, and was basically playing herself.

Gautam Rode and Pankhuri Awasthy revealed the names of their twins Radhya and Raditya at a naming ceremony at their home in Mumbai on the day of Janmashtami on September 7. They explained the Vedic and Javanese meanings saying, "RADHYA. One who is worthy of worship. Also an endearing name for Radha ji who in Hinduism is revered as the Goddess of Love, Tenderness, Compassion, and Devotion. In Sanskrit, it means prosperity, success, perfection. RADITYA means Surya – the Sun. Ra in Sanskrit means Fire and strength. Aditya refers to the offspring of Aditi, the goddess representing infinity. Raditya in old Javanese (from Indonesia) is Ra +‎ Aditya also means Sun or the light of the Sun."

Meanwhile, Dheeraj Dhoopar is all set to play a grey character in Saubhavgyavati Bhava. Talking about his role he said, “Right after completing the shoot for my OTT debut I got this show and I was absolutely certain of doing this. Right from the team that I am working with to the character that I am playing made me take the decision to do this show. The character is something that I have had to work hard to get into the skin of. It will be something completely different for my fans and followers, they will be surprised to see me in this avatar.”

Sanjeev Kapoor and his wife Alyona, in a recent interview on the YouTube channel Couple of Things, recalled the innocent start to their love story on a train journey almost 35 years ago. The couple shared that they knew each other via Alyona’s sister Vandana. Once when Alyona was traveling to Benares, Sanjeev was also on the same train. He recalled, “Her hands were getting cold, my hands were warm so I just offered her my hand and she held it.” Alyona recalled with a smile, “It was a long train journey. We were both sitting on the aisle so anytime anyone had to pass through, our hands would separate but then we would hold hands again.”

An expose by Rolling Stone magazine has alleged that The Tonight Show has had a toxic work environment for years, which forced many staffers to develop mental health issues and quit despite complaints to HR about being bullied and belittled by their bosses including Fallon. According to Variety, Fallon apologised to his crew over a ‘brief’ Zoom call on Thursday, Sep 7th, and said, “It’s embarrassing, and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends. I feel so bad I can’t even tell you. I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people.”

Lastly, the first trailer of Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming murder mystery series Charlie Chopra and The Mystery Of Solang Valley, with Wamiqa Gabbi in the lead, was released recently on SonyLIV. Vishal Bhardwaj’s Agatha Christie mystery also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Neena Gupta, among others. The show starts streaming on September 27. It has been a few months since the makers released the first episode which was relatively quiet and left viewers wanting more. Now, the trailer has teased some more clues. The show follows Wamiqa Gabbi’s Charlie as she tries to solve the murder case of Gulshan Grover’s character, as her boyfriend, played by Vivaan Shah, is framed for the murder.

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