John Cena pays tribute to Sidharth Shukla on Instagram
Mumbai, (PTI): Hollywood star John Cena on Saturday paid a tribute to the actor Sidharth Shukla, whose sudden death has stunned the Indian showbiz industry and his fans.
Shukla, 40, who became a household name with his role in the long-running TV show Balika Vadhu and emerged as the winner of Bigg Boss 13 , was declared dead on arrival on Thursday morning when he was taken to a hospital in suburban Juhu.
Several Bollywood and TV celebrities expressed shock and were in a state of disbelief over the untimely demise of Shukla.
Taking to Instagram, Cena simply shared a black-and-white picture of Shukla without any caption.
Cena is known for posting photos on Instagram without captions.
His bio on the social media platform reads, "Welcome to my Instagram. These images will be posted without explanation, for your interpretation. Enjoy."
His post has since garnered 453,059 likes and 8,325 comments.
Bollywood star Varun Dhawan, who worked with him in 2014 movie Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania , also liked Cena's post on the social media platform.
The exact cause behind Shukla's death is not known yet, even though several reports suggested that a heart attack took the life of the actor.
Shukla, who is survived by his mother and sister, was cremated in Mumbai on Friday in the presence of his family, friends and colleagues.
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Speculation over Nitish Kumar’s Rajya Sabha entry roils Bihar; Giriraj calls it ‘Holi prank’
Patna (PTI): Bihar was abuzz with speculation on Wednesday over rumours that JD(U) president and the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may move to the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the BJP to take the top post while accommodating his son Nishant as deputy CM.
However, senior BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh dismissed the rumour as a "Holi prank", asserting "Nitish Kumar ji is the chief minister".
The filing of nomination papers for five Rajya Sabha seats in the state will close on Thursday.
While the BJP has named its two candidates, including national general secretary Nitin Nabin, and confirmed a second consecutive term for junior NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha, the JD(U) is yet to officially announce its nominees.
The rumours of Kumar, who turned 75 earlier this month, being one of the candidates of JD(U), surfaced a day after the party had announced that his son Nishant would be making a belated entry into politics.
Earlier, there were speculations that the reclusive Nishant, who is in his late 40s and is yet to be formally inducted into the JD(U), could be sent straight to the Rajya Sabha.
However, with less than 24 hours left for filling of nomination papers, several media outlets ran reports claiming that the chief minister, who has been at the helm since 2005, could choose the Rajya Sabha route to make an "honourable exit".
According to these unconfirmed reports, the BJP, which has been outperforming the JD(U) in elections, will have its own CM in the only Hindi heartland state where the highest seat of power has eluded it.
These reports also suggested that as a bargain, Kumar could settle for the deputy CM's post for his son.
When Giriraj Singh, who represents Begusarai Lok Sabha seat in the state, was approached with queries, he said, "Today is Holi. Such pranks are common on the occasion. Nitish Kumar ji is the chief minister".
JD(U) MLC Sanjay Kumar alias Gandhi ji, a close aide of the party supremo, reacted with bewilderment when his response was sought to the rumours.
"We have no information about who will be the Rajya Sabha candidates of the party. There is an impression that Union minister Ram Nath Thakur may retain his seat, but that is also not official. As regards the other seat, it is a decision to be taken by the chief minister, who is known to reveal his cards at the eleventh hour. We cannot say anything on the reports in the media," he said.
