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Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Kiara Advani mourn Kamini Kaushal's death and pen heartfelt tributes: ‘Rest in light’
Bollywood

Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Kiara Advani mourn Kamini Kaushal’s death and pen heartfelt tributes: ‘Rest in light’

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Veteran Bollywood actor Kamini Kaushal died at the age of 98 on Thursday night, and a close friend of the family confirmed the news. Soon after this, Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani, who worked with her in Kabir Singh, penned heartfelt tributes mourning the actor’s death on social media.

Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani mourn the demise of Kamini Kaushal.

Bollywood actors pay tributes to Kamini Kaushal

On Friday, Kiara took to Instagram and, sharing a picture of Kamini Kaushal, wrote, “It was an honour to work with you. Your grace, humility and talent inspired generations and left an unforgettable mark on Indian cinema. Rest in peace, Kamini Kaushal Ji.”

Kiara Advani pays tribute to Kamini Kaushal.
Kiara Advani pays tribute to Kamini Kaushal.

Shahid also reacted to the death of his on-screen grandmother in Kabir Singh, Kamini Kaushal, and wrote, “Rest in light ma’am.” Kareena also shared a picture of Kamini on Instagram and added a red heart, rainbow and folded hands emoji to pay her tribute to the veteran actor.

Kareena Kapoor's post for late veteran actor Kamini Kaushal.
Kareena Kapoor’s post for late veteran actor Kamini Kaushal.
Shahid Kapoor mourns the death of Kamini Kaushal.
Shahid Kapoor mourns the death of Kamini Kaushal.

About Kamini Kaushal and her death

Kamini was a popular Indian actor who started her career with Chetan Anand’s film Neecha Nagar in 1946, which went on to win the Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film Festival. With hits like Aag, Shaheed, Nadiya Ke Paar and Ziddi, she became one of the highest-paid actresses of the late 1940s.

She went on to work alongside Bollywood superstars like Raaj Kumar, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and others. In her career spanning over seven decades, she was part of several films including Do Raaste, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Heer Raanjha, Beti, Waaris, Chennai Express, Kabir Singh and more. She was last seen in Aamir Khan’s film Laal Singh Chadha, in a cameo role.

On Friday, Sajan Narain, a close associate of the family, told PTI, “She died at her Mumbai home late on Thursday night. She would have turned 99 in February.” The cause of her death remains unknown. The veteran actor is survived by her sons, Shravan, Vidur and Rahul Sood, who are yet to release any official statement.

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bitchy | The state of California will sell its own affordable insulin for $11 per pen
Celebrity News

bitchy | The state of California will sell its own affordable insulin for $11 per pen

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Embed from Getty Images
In 2020, the California legislature set up CalRx, a signature program for Governor Gavin Newsom which he envisioned as a way to reduce ever-increasing health care costs by cutting Big Pharma out of the process. CalRx was finally funded in 2022, and by the next year the state had contracted a nonprofit manufacturer to produce long-acting insulin. After a couple years in development, CalRx has announced that starting in January they will be selling insulin pens to pharmacies for $45 per five-pack, who in turn will make the packs available to patients with a suggested retail price of no more than $55 a pack. What’s the comparison to packs offered by Big Pharma companies? Anywhere from $89 to $411. Big Pharma, working for the profits; Big Govt, working for the people.

Rx to the rescue: The insulin pens will be supplied through the CalRx program, an initiative launched under Newsom in which the state contracts with manufacturers to produce generic pharmaceuticals. The pens, which people with diabetes use to control the level of insulin in their bodies, will be the same as other long-acting insulin on the market. They will come with a suggested price for consumers of no more than $55 for a pack of five — a significant discount from current prices.

Doing the right thing: “California didn’t wait for the pharmaceutical industry to do the right thing — we took matters into our own hands,” Newsom said in a statement announcing the new drug. “No Californian should ever have to ration insulin or go into debt to stay alive — and I won’t stop until health care costs are crushed for everyone.” The announcement establishes California as the vanguard among states for ways to keep health care affordable in a system dominated by for-profit companies and underscores the Golden State’s ability to leverage the scale of its massive economy and buying power.

The scrooges making our medicine: The cost of insulin has come down since it was a major political issue in 2017 when the top manufacturers of the drug — Eli Lilly, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk — were accused in a class action lawsuit of dramatically raising prices each year. A prescription that had cost patients $25 had ballooned to $300, the lawsuit claimed, and politicians latched on to the issue as an example of the pharmaceutical industry run amok. In 2024, the federal government brought a suit against pharmacy middlemen, also accusing them of contributing to the ballooning cost of insulin.

A new deal: Under the CalRx deal, pharmacies in California will be able to purchase the 5-pack of insulin pens for $45 and sell them to patients at the suggested retail price of $55. Similar products from name brand companies cost pharmacies between $89 and $411, according to state figures.

Naloxone is next: Through CalRx, the state has also contracted to provide a cheaper version of the naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose. And earlier this year Newsom announced plans to work on bulk-purchasing asthma medication. He has also floated the idea of using CalRx to either produce or stockpile abortion medication.

[From Politico]

Damn, between this and California recently banning loud ads on streaming platforms (ok, less life and death but still important!) I’m feeling downright nostalgic for my home state! As the fifth fourth largest economy in the world, this is exactly the kind of ballsy move California should be making. To paraphrase Newsom (to exaggerated effect), we’re all gonna die waiting for Big Pharma to do the right, humane thing. Even when it comes to lifesaving medicine. So that’s why we need government to advocate on our behalf rather than try to kill us.

Photos credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com, Avalon.red, Getty

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'Salaam Bombay' Writer Sooni Taraporevala to Pen Vicky Roy Biopic
TV & Streaming

‘Salaam Bombay’ Writer Sooni Taraporevala to Pen Vicky Roy Biopic

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Award-winning Indian screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala has been tapped to write “Street Dreams,” a biopic based on the remarkable true story of Vicky Roy, a former street child who rose to international acclaim as a photographer.

Taraporevala, whose credits include Mira Nair‘s “Salaam Bombay,” Venice best screenplay winner “Mississippi Masala,” “The Namesake,” Netflix’s “Yeh Ballet” and Prime Video’s “Waack Girls,” will pen the script for Nirvana Films founder Mauktik Kulkarni, who is producing the project. Indian-American filmmaker Ben Rekhi (“The Reunited States”) is attached as consulting producer.

Roy’s story begins in poverty-stricken rural East India, where desperation drove him to theft and ultimately to flee his home village. He found himself among Delhi’s street children, surviving by collecting rags on train platforms before the Salaam Baalak Trust — a rehabilitation organization established following the success of the Oscar-nominated “Salaam Bombay” — stepped in to change his trajectory. The intervention launched an ascent that would see Roy photograph the 9/11 Memorial construction and secure an MIT Media Labs fellowship. He currently oversees photojournalism initiatives for India’s nationwide Everyone Is Good at Something program, dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities.

“This is truly a full-circle moment for me. ‘Salaam Bombay’ was made in 1987, the year Vicky Roy was born. I was the writer and still photographer on the film, which launched my careers in both fields. I had no idea then that the film would be so successful and would birth Salaam Baalak Trust that would help so many street children like Vicky find purpose and meaning in life,” Taraporevala said. “As a photographer myself I have followed Vicky’s incredible journey and seen his work since 2009. Now, after the film I initially wrote might have changed his life, to have the opportunity to write a film about his life is quite surreal and wonderful.”

Producer Kulkarni, who transitioned from neuroscience to filmmaking, brings experience from his previous work on travel documentary “Riding on a Sunbeam” and maintains an active Los Angeles-based development slate.

“India is known as a land of myths and fantasies. When I first heard about Vicky’s unbelievable story, I was inclined to believe that it was a bit of both. It has been inspiring to get to know him since then and I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring his story to the screen. Given Sooni’s mastery at crafting India-centric narratives for global audiences and her brilliant work as a photographer, she is the ideal writer to bring this script to life,” Kulkarni said.

The Salaam Baalak Trust’s founder Sanjoy Roy is supporting the film’s development, viewing it as an extension of the organization’s three-decade mission to secure basic rights for India’s street children. The timing follows another success story from the Trust’s network — last year’s Oscar-nominated short “Anuja” featured one of their alumni in a starring role.

“We began in 1988 with the singular mission of ensuring street children in India have access to their basic rights. With the help of our patrons, we are glad that we have gone beyond that mission and spawned thousands of success stories. And Vicky is no exception to it,” Sanjoy Roy said. “Coming on the heels of last year’s Oscar-nominated short film ‘Anuja,’ in which another stellar fellow of our Trust played a leading role, I am hoping ‘Street Dreams’ inspires audiences to believe that it is not where you come from, but rather what you do with your life that matters.”

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