The Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna, who was admitted to hospital on Saturday, will be discharged this week, according to his estranged wife, the actress Dimple Kapadia. "He is doing well. He is much better now. He shall be discharged soon," Kapadia said. The 69-year-old actor is confined at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai. He has been ill during recent months and early reports said he was diagnosed with a liver infection. But Kapadia denied the news and said: "He is just exhausted and a little weak." Khanna and Kapadia married in 1973 and separated a decade later. They have two daughters, Rinke and Twinkle, who is married to the actor Akshay Kumar. * IANS
Ayushmann Khurrana to focus on film career
The television anchor Ayushmann Khurrana, who recently made his Bollywood debut in the comedy Vicky Donor, says he now wants to focus on his movie career. "For now, movies are on my agenda. I will be more selective with my TV projects," said Khurrana, 27, who started his showbiz career in 2004, after winning the MTV India reality show Roadies. Asked to comment on Vicky Donor's success, he said: "I'm relishing the added fame and attention that I'm getting now, but I know how to handle it. If you start taking yourself too seriously, you'll end up killing yourself." Khuranna said he's working on three new films: the drama Hamara Bajaj to be directed by Shoojit Sircar, an untitled Rohan Sippy project and the sequel to the 2010 comedy hit Tere Bin Laden. * IANS
Farah Khan talks acting debut
The choreographer and director Farah Khan, who is making her acting debut in the forthcoming film Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi opposite the actor Boman Irani, says she couldn't have done it without the support of her husband, the filmmaker Shirish Kunder. "I first asked Shirish whether I should do it. Will he be comfortable with it? Without his support, I don't think I would have dared to do it," said Khan. "He told me: 'If the script is good and if the film is well-made, then you will have another feather in your cap.'" Shirin Farhad, directed by the newcomer Bela Bhansali Sehgal, is scheduled for release in August. * IANS
Indian animator recalls Hollywood stint
The animator Arjun Rihan, who has just finished working on his first international project, Disney Pixar's 3D animation film Brave, says it would be a mistake to underestimate Indian talent and feels the local film industry should tell its own stories. "Most animation films in the West revolve around the storytelling. It's important for us in India to hold on to our cultural context and tell our own stories rather than get influenced by them," he said. "The technicalities will fall into place. I think it's a mistake to underestimate the existing talent in India." Rihan previously worked on the animated short films Abridged, Topi and Arjuna. "My interest in animation was sparked at age nine, by the books of the American animator Preston Blair. Today I'm working with his animation group," he said. "While growing up in India, I found it difficult to pursue animation because there was no formal curriculum." * IANS
Salman Khan rushes technician to hospital
After a fire broke out on the set of his forthcoming action film Dabangg 2, the actor Salman Khan personally took an injured production member, the still photographer Ajay Thakur, to a Mumbai hospital on Saturday. Khan, speaking to the media hours after the incident, said: "He is out of danger. Everything is fine. It's just that it took us time to reach the hospital because of a traffic jam." The actor also promised to take care of Thakur's medical expenses. * IANS