New Delhi, Jan 14: Actor Anshu Ambani on Tuesday urged fans to move past the controversy over "Mazaka" director Trinadha Rao Nakkina's comments about her body and focus on the release of their upcoming Telugu film.

At the teaser launch event of "Mazaka" on Sunday, Nakkina's comments about Ambani's body type and "size" drew sharp criticism on social media and within the industry, leading the director to apologise to the actor publicly. He also said the remarks were made in "jest".

Ambani, in a video statement shared on social media, downplayed the incident and called Nakkina "the loveliest man on the planet".

"I believe his words may have been taken out of context... He has treated me as a member of his family. I've worked on this movie for 60 days, and I have been given nothing but respect, love, and lots of good wishes. Please, everybody, if we can put this to bed because I'm so excited about the movie.

"I feel we should all watch the film for the right reasons. Trinadha sir has been an absolute pleasure to work with. I could not have asked for a better director to bring me back to the Telugu film industry. I'm grateful that he has been guiding me through this process. I have nothing but love and gratitude for him and the entire team," the London-born actor said in the clip.

On Monday, Nakkina released a video statement and apologised for the comments he made, calling them "unfortunate".

“I made those comments in jest, hoping to make everyone laugh. However, if these remarks have hurt you, this is my mistake. I would like to issue a heartfelt apology, as they were objectionable. I will also personally apologise to Anshu. I didn’t realise this would become such a significant issue," he said.

Ambani, known for Telugu films "Manmadhudu" and "Raghavendra", and Tamil title "Jai", is returning to Telugu cinema after over 20 years with "Mazaka", which will release in theatres on February 21.

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Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Jul 9 (AP): At least 40 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said Wednesday, as international mediators raced to complete a ceasefire deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a second meeting in two days with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday evening. Trump has been pushing for a ceasefire that might lead to an end to the 21-month war in Gaza. Israel and Hamas are considering a new US-backed ceasefire proposal that would pause the war, free Israeli hostages and send much-needed aid into Gaza.

Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said the dead included included 17 women and 10 children. It said one strike killed 10 people from the same family, including three children.

The Israeli military did not comment on specific strikes, but said it had struck more than 100 targets across Gaza over the past day, including Hamas members, booby-trapped structures, weapons storage facilities, missile launchers and tunnels. Israel accuses Hamas of hiding weapons and fighters among civilians.