TV actor Gaurav Khanna wins 'Big Boss 19'
Mumbai (PTI): TV actor Gaurav Khanna is the winner of the popular reality TV show “Bigg Boss” season 19 after he beat rival Farrhana Bhatt to claim the trophy.
Show host and Bollywood superstar Salman Khan presented Khanna with the prize money of over Rs 50 lakh and the trophy.
"It is yet to sink in. It is very surreal for me now. I received so much of love. What I love about it that I didn't change a bit. I am the same when I went inside the house and came out and people like that (quality) a lot. I didn't change or faked anything," Khanna told PTI in an interview,
The TV star, known for his roles in "Anupama" and "CID", said the turning point was when the the superstar host expressed his desire to work with him.
"I cried at that very moment," he added.
Asked what he will do with the winning amount, Khanna said he will take the advantage of his MBA degree and invest it wisely.
The season 19 of the show, which kickstarted on August 24, saw Bhatt emerge as the first runner-up.
Bhatt, who has acted in movies like "Laila Majnu" and "Notebook", said she is happy that she got a chance to win many hearts while on the show.
"I never had my eyes on trophy. I was just going with the flow, doing my best and trying to contribute 100 per cent. When I came out and saw the love of the people, I didn't feel the sadness of not winning the trophy. I was like whoever wants to win trophy can win, I have won hearts outside. So I am very happy and I not sad at all," she said.
The stand-up comedian Pranit More ended up in the third spot.
Content creator Tanya Mittal was at the four position and composer Amaal Malik settled at the fifth place.
The highlights of “Bigg Boss 19” was the spiritual content creator Mittal who found a new fame inside the house due to her distinct equation with each housemates.
The grand finale also saw Bollywood star Kartik Aryan promote his upcoming film "Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri" along with the co-star Ananya Pandey. TV actor Karan Kundrra and Sunny Leone, and Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh also marked their attendance.
At the beginning of the show, Khan thanked “Big Boss” fans and followers for their love and support for the contestants.
Khan also paid tribute to late superstar Dharmendra. Khan, who shared a personal bond with Dharmendra, said there won't be any one like the late superstar who gave 60 years of entertainment.
An emotional Khan said he lost Dharmendra on his father Salim Khan's birthday which was on 24th October.
This season of "Bigg Boss" had a blend of actors, influencers, musicians, and reality stars.
Awez Darbar, Ashnoor Kaur, Kunickaa Sadanand, Mridul Tiwari, Basheer Ali, Abhishek Bajaj, Zeishan Quadri, Nehal Chudasama, Nagma Mirajkar and Neelam Giri were also among the participants of season 19.
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Protests against Khamenei's killing: Curbs remain in force in Kashmir
Srinagar (PTI): Strict restrictions remained imposed in many areas of Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Wednesday following massive protests across the valley against the killing of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials said.
As a precautionary measure, the government shut educational institutions till Saturday, while mobile internet speed continued to remain throttled.
"Restrictions on the movement and assembly of the people continued in many parts of Kashmir on Wednesday," the officials said.
They said strict restrictions were being enforced especially in the parts having large Shia population and those areas which have witnessed massive protests over the last three days.
A large number of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed across the city to prevent gatherings of protestors, the officials said.
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They added that concertina wires and barricades were placed at important intersections leading into the city, while asserting that these were precautionary measures imposed to maintain law and order.
The iconic Ghanta Ghar in the city centre of Lal Chowk here continued to remain a no-go zone after the authorities sealed area with barricades erected all around it on late Sunday night.
The move to seal the Ghanta Ghar came after it witnessed massive protests on Sunday after Khamenei's assassination in the joint air strikes by the US and Israel.
This is the first time since August 2019 that protests on such a large scale have taken place in Kashmir.
The government had first ordered the closure of schools, colleges and universities for two days. However, on Tuesday it decided to close the educational institutions till Saturday as a precautionary measure in view of the protests.
Mobile internet speeds continued to remain throttled while some prepaid mobile connections were also barred, the officials added.
On Tuesday, protests rocked several places in the valley, including Sumbal and Pattan areas of North Kashmir.
In Sumbal of Bandipora district, security forces had to resort to force to disperse the demonstrators.
Some media outlets and individuals, including National Conference Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, faced police heat for allegedly circulating misleading information.
A case was filed against Mehdi and Mattu under BNS sections 197(1)(d) and 353(1)(b) at Cyber Police Station, Srinagar, for allegedly circulating "false, fabricated and misleading content" on digital and social media platforms.
"The content in question, prima facie, reflects the dissemination of distorted narratives and unverified information capable of causing public unrest and societal disharmony. Such deliberate attempts to spread misinformation pose a serious threat to peace, security, and overall stability," the police said in a statement.
Both have been condemning the killing of Khameinei and the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran.
However, hours after the registration of the case, Mehdi, an influential Shia leader, said he would not be deterred from speaking the truth.
"The people of Srinagar did not elect their MP to recite government-approved condolences. They elected him to speak truth. That mandate does not expire with an FIR," he said in a post on X.
Police has issued an appeal to people to refrain from violence and provocation.
"We appeal to all sections of the society to exercise restraint and refrain from violence and provocation," it said.
Police said they will take strict legal action against instigators of violence and those involved in unlawful activities.
On Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed officials to be on high alert and chaired a meeting of top officials of the police and army here.
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"Chaired a meeting of senior police & civil administration officials at the Police Control Room, Kashmir, to review the law and order situation. Directed the officers to remain on heightened alert and take all necessary measures to ensure public peace and tranquillity," Sinha said on X.
He appealed to the people and community leaders to maintain peace.
"I also appeal to the citizens and community leaders to uphold harmony and contribute to an atmosphere of calm and goodwill in society. Preserving peace and sustaining the progress of society is a shared responsibility that rests equally upon each one of us," he said.
