BCCL

Hugh Hefner: The Playboy Life, In Pictures

Sep 282017

Hugh Marston Hefner was the father of the most successful men’s magazine ever. He was also an icon who brought about a sexual revolution in conservative America back in 1950’s. Hefner led a life most men can only dream of and that is why he is considered an icon who had a massive influence on the pop-culture of the 60’s and 70’s. Here, we relive some moments from the incredible life of the original playboy, in pictures.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Bccl

1. Hefner was born on April 9, 1926 to Grace and Glenn Hefner who were strict Methodists.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Pinterest

2. He had an IQ of 152, although his high school performance was only average.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Pinterest

3. In 1944, Hefner joined the army as an infantry clerk.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Pinterest

4. After being honorably discharged from the army, Hefner joined the Art Institute of Chicago in 1946 and later enrolled at the University of Illinois in fall that year.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Playboy enterprises

5. In 1949, Hefner joined the Chicago Cartoon Company as an assistant personnel manager.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Peru21

6. Although Hefner switched to Esquire in 1951, he later on dropped out to create his own publication.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © BCCL

7. All through 1951 and 1952, Hefner works on various stop-gap jobs only to discover that no other publication was serving content for the new-age gentleman.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Claire barliant

8. Playboy’s first edition came out in 1953 and sold 54,175 copies. A huge success for a first time entrepreneur.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Playboyenterprises

9. By 1956, Playboy’s circulation surpassed that of Esquire – the company Hefner once worked for.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © playboyenterprises

10. By 1959, Hefner’s Playboy was selling a million copies a month and the company expanded its business to organising jazz festivals and producing television series (Playboy After Dark).

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © la confidential

11. Within a decade, Playboy became the most consumed men’s magazine ever with 7 million copies a month being sold (1970).

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © BCCL

12. A picture that perfectly defined Hugh Hefner’s high flying Playboy lifestyle at the time. He and his girlfriend Barbara Benton with film director Roman Polanski arriving in the Big Bunny, Hefner’s private jet in 1970.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © BCCL

13. In 1971, as Playboy goes public, Hefner becomes a media mogul with involvement in clubs, resorts and casinos apart from various other media properties.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © we-heart

14. Awarded Hollywood Hall of Fame in 1980, Hefner still preferred the high life with weekend poolside parties.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Reuters

15. In 1985, Hugh Hefner suffered a stroke after which he decided to limit his excesses and subsequently settled with longtime girlfriend Kimberly Conrad in 1989.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © BCCL

16. All through the 90’s Hefner remained involved in various philanthropic projects and a pretty decent family life.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Pinterest

17. In 1998, he separated from his wife Kim Conrad. Launches ‘The Girls Next Door’ in 2003 which airs in more than 150 countries.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Reuters

18. On his 80th birthday in 2006, apart from the yearly grand parties Hefner donated $1 million to UCLA Film and Television Archive.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Reuters

19. Hef finally divorced from his wife Kim in March, 2010 and got engaged to Crystal Harris.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Reuters

20. After breaking up and getting re-engaged, Hugh Hefner married the 26-year-old Crystal Harris in 2012.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Reuters

21. In 2015, Hefner, in an apparent compromise agreed with Playboy’s chief content officer Cory Jones’ vision of a ‘no-nudes’ Playboy magazine.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © BCCL

22. Hugh Hefner breathed his last on 27th September, 2017. He died of natural causes.

The Life Of Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner In Pictures © Reuters

23. His Playboy Mansion has been listed on the market for $200 million.

This Beautiful Video About Kashmir Shows Us Why It Is The Warmest Place On Earth

Celebrities

Sep 272017

Kashmir, a land of serenity, is perceived to be a slice of heaven on Earth. The sad reality of inflicted terrorism, people being uprooted and the perennial fight between two neighbouring countries has made life difficult, but this particular piece of land is not just known for its concrete nature, but the culture, and the people who give it an identity. Once upon a time, the gorgeous valley was the ideal destination for vacations and even inspired many Bollywood movies, but today, thanks to the current fabricated perception of the land, tourism is experiencing an all time dip. The tourism department of Kashmir has taken a wonderful initiative to change all of this and focus on the positive aspects of the valley. This video, titled ‘Kashmir: The Warmest Place On Earth’ is directed by the talented Amit Sharma and has already crossed two million views in less than two days. The video was shared by Mehbooba Mufti as well.

Kashmir, our home.https://t.co/fgbEfTI9KV

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 24, 2017

Amit Sharma is no stranger to success. He’s a stellar director who has a unique vision by drawing inspiration from the world around him. Do you remember that heart warming advertisement by Google that involved the reunion of two childhood friends separated by partition but united by technology? It was directed by him only.

He runs ‘Chrome Pictures’, a production house with many reputed brands as their clientele. It’s no wonder excellence comes naturally to him! “It was the first time, that in a tourism film, someone was trying to talk not just about the beauty of the land but about the people as well. And it is so true. The innocence that thrives in this land can be found nowhere else. I was humbled by the hospitality of the people. Every location we went to, the people there (the locals) personally served ‘kahwa’ with something to eat, and we could not say no to them because otherwise they felt as though they did something wrong. All I have done is tried to capture the true essence of Kashmir. Everything that you see in this film is true. Kashmir is an experience, and the people play a major part in that. It is one place that I can call my own”, says Amit, when asked about the reception that this video was getting.

kashmir warmest place on earth amit sharma © BCCL

The video on Kashmir captures the essence that resonates in the people of the valley, the ones who have not abandoned their land yet. The movie has caught the eye and attention of everyone and even celebrities on Twitter are overjoyed.

The beauty and warmth of Kashmir….. https://t.co/L42HWLlgoU

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) September 24, 2017

This short film truly captures the essence of Kashmir!!! The warmest place on earth! Please watch! ðŸ’™ https://t.co/6rvIkx8XmZ

— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) September 24, 2017

You can watch the full video here:

Kashmir is indeed the warmest place on Earth and this video has the power to melt the coldest hearts, and act as a magnet that compels us to visit the valley just to experience the warmth that lights up every heart.

After Wooing Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli Floors Kareena Kapoor With His Majestic Batting

Celebrities

Sep 212017

Arguably one of the most popular and consistent batsmen in modern-day cricket, Virat Kohli has won accolades and continues to grow his fanbase in every corner of the globe. The Indian captain has undeniably been the driving force behind India’s meteoric rise in cricket over the past few years.

Whether it’s limited-overs or Test cricket, the Indian batting sensation has developed a knack of decimating the opposition bowlers with his majestic batting display. Currently ranked No. 1 in both ODIs and T20Is, only a handful of batsmen can match the influence Kohli tends to have on the opposition in international cricket.

After Wooing Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli Floors Kareena Kapoor With His Majestic Batting © BCCL

Owing to his exploits, it’s only fair that the 28-year-old is probably the most sought-after cricketer in the country. From politicians to celebrities, Kohli’s aggressive batting has clearly floored us all. And, we bet, that’s probably one of the things that helped Kohli to woo Bollywood hottie Anushka Sharma.

While Kohli and Anushka continue to set new relationship goals for modern-day couple, another Bollywood actress has become the latest addition to the Indian batsman’s fan club.

Kareena, who is celebrating her 37th birthday today, confessed her love for the swashbuckling right-handed batsman. During a recent interview, she showered a lot of praise on Kohli and claimed that he is her favourite batsman.

After Wooing Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli Floors Kareena Kapoor With His Majestic Batting © BCCL

“I love the way Virat plays. He is my favourite.” When asked if Virat Kohli is soon to become the next Sachin Tendulkar, she stated, “Isn’t he already the next Sachin Tendulkar? After all, he’s the reason why we are winning so many matches in succession,” she said.

Kareena is married to Saif Ali Khan – son of the legendary Indian cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Known as the ‘Tiger’, Pataudi will always be remembered for his contribution to Indian cricket.

At a time when the caste-system had over-ridden the field, the Nawab of Pataudi – despite coming from a family of royals – took it upon himself to unite people to play together as Indians rather than playing in accordance to their respective castes.

After Wooing Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli Floors Kareena Kapoor With His Majestic Batting © BCCL

Taking over the reins of the Indian team at the age of 21, barely months after being involved in a car accident that would impair the sight in his right eye forever, he led India in 40 of 46 Tests he played in, and won 9 of them.

But more than anything else, he led Indian cricket out of its morass of defeatism and instilled in his fellow cricketers a belief that winning was possible. Under him, India achieved their first overseas Test victory against New Zealand in 1967.

Kangana Ranaut Owns Bollywood On Her Latest Stint With AIB In 'The Bollywood Diva Song'

Celebrities

Sep 122017

Bollywood’s “Queen” Kangana Ranaut needs no introduction. She is one actress who doesn’t hold back from speaking her mind and sticking to her opinions, even when the whole world goes against her or bows down in front of those who are standing against her. That’s probably what makes her the most badass actress in Bollywood. Be it her shocking revelations about her relationship with Hrithik Roshan or about her abusive relationship with Aditya Pancholi, she went all out to shut the rumours down and cleared the air around everything we were ever curious about.

Kangana Ranaut Featuring AIB In ‘The Bollywood Diva' Song © BCCL

In fact, her explosive comments on nepotism, an issue that no one in Bollywood dared to speak openly about, took the whole country by storm. A quick recap to refresh your memory – she called Karan Johar the “flag bearer of Nepotism” on his chat show, ‘Koffee With Karan’. Now if this isn’t called being a rebel, we wonder what is. However, these aren’t the only aspects the actress is making headlines for. Her movie ‘Simran’ will soon hit the theatres and even before its release, it has already intrigued us with its fair share of controversies. She was allegedly criticized for taking credit as the “additional dialogue and story writer.” Ahead of the film’s release, the actress recently collaborated with AIB (All India Bakchod) for a satirical comedy video called ‘The Bollywood Diva Song’.

From calling her a ‘Bollywood Diva’ for making “unjustifiable demands” to giving her a script written on toilet paper and bowing down in front of the male leads, this video is spot on. This is possibly the best cover of the famous ‘Chittiyan Kalaiyan’ song one can ever make. With lyrics like “Coz I have vagina re”, this is definitely the peppiest number of this year.

Akshay Kumar Raises 6.5 Crores For Soldiers Within Minutes With An Emotional Appeal

Celebrities

Sep 052017

On days when Akshay Kumar is not busy smashing box office records with his exceptional movies, the actor is occupied with providing financial help to the families of martyred soldiers. His love for the Indian Armed Forces isn’t unknown and the fact that Akshay always stands next to the families of jawans, even in times of distress is something we truly love and respect him for. Earlier this year, he suggested the launch of the app and website called ‘Bharat Ke Veer’, which was acknowledged and brought about a positive change almost instantly. He has earlier donated crores to the families and even urged his fans to contribute financially to the cause.

This time around, Akshay helped raise Rs. 6.5 crores at the event for the families of the martyred soldiers. At a conference called, India Rising, the actor made an impromptu speech where he informed the businessmen about this website, a platform where anyone can make the donations. His sincere appeal reached the right ears, which got the CEO and corporate honchos to raise Rs. 6.5 crores for the families of martyred soldiers. Akshay reportedly said, “I just felt like talking about the bharatkeveer initiative because the entire audience comprised high profiled individuals with influence and resources. If they won’t come forward for the cause of our armed forces, who will?”

The actor first spoke about the 112 slain soldiers, whose details are mentioned on the website and stay there till the time the amount of donation to their family does not reach 15 lakh rupees. The 49-year-old further added, “These martyrs belong to various states of India. I said if each corporate or CEO pledged to adopt martyrs of at least one state, we could raise enough funds to remove as many soldiers’ details from the site as possible. I started with volunteering to donate for all martyrs from Maharashtra.” Well, when someone is so passionate about a noble cause, how can one not be moved by it? The actor who was overwhelmed by such a great response said that they raised this huge amount within minutes.

In fact, apart from providing financial aid to the families of martyred, he is also someone who actively works towards creating awareness about social issues, things which have been pulling our society down for the longest time now. His latest release ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ and its success is proof of his hard work and efforts.

Source: Hindustan Times

Aishwarya Rai & Abhishek Bachchan Reunite After 7 Long Years For Biopic On Sahir Ludhianvi

Celebrities

Sep 042017

The untold love saga of renowned poets Sahir Ludhianvi and Amrita Pritam is being revived on the big screen by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and our excitement levels were quite high when it was rumoured that Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan will play the lead in the biopic. Well, the recent developments have put all these rumours to rest as it turns out that neither our favourite resident bae from Hollywood (PeeCee) nor Irrfan are going to be in the movie.

Aishwarya Rai & Abhishek Bachchan In Sahir Ludhianvi's Biopic © Reuters

But, Bhansali did not leave any room for disappointment since the actors that have been roped in, will surely sizzle the screen with their real-life chemistry. We are talking about none other than the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, who are reuniting for a movie after 7 long years. The last film they did together was Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’.

Aishwarya Rai & Abhishek Bachchan In Sahir Ludhianvi's Biopic © Reuters

Reportedly, Abhishek is stepping in Sahir Ludhianvi’s shoes, who is known for penning some beautiful songs like ‘Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par’ and ‘Maang Ke Sath Tumhara’, and has already started preparing for his role as well. In fact, it is being said that this movie will mark the directorial debut of Jasmeet Reen. The film is expected to go on the floors early next year and our expectations are really high from Bhansali, who has earlier given us movies like ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Devdas’ and ‘Black’ to name a few.

Aishwarya Rai & Abhishek Bachchan In Sahir Ludhianvi's Biopic © BCCL

This movie will mark Abhishek’s first collaboration with Bhansali, while Aishwarya has already worked with him in some of the iconic movies of all time like ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Guzaarish’. Apparently, this is for the third time that Abhishek will work in a movie based on a real-life character. Earlier, he had worked in ‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey’ along with actress Deepika Padukone and ‘Guru’ that was loosely based on the life of businessman Dhirubhai Ambani.

Source: Firstpost

Good Samaritan Aamir Khan Donates Rs. 25 Lakh To Bihar Flood Victims In Their Time Of Crisis

Celebrities

Aug 312017

‘Dangal’ actor Aamir Khan is known to be a perfectionist who believes to thrive only for the best, but what many people don’t know is that he also a philanthropist who has made innumerable contributions to provide aid to those in need and for the betterment of the society. Earlier this month, he donated a sum of Rs. 25 Lakh to help the flood victims in Assam and Gujarat. In fact, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal even thanked Aamir Khan for his contribution on Twitter.

Thank you @aamir_khan for contributing Rs 25 Lakh towards Assam Chief Minister’s Relief Fund through Aamir Khan Productions Pvt. Ltd.

— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) 31 July 2017

In fact, during the Gujarat and Assam floods, the actor took to Twitter and urged his fans to help the flood victims by donating money to the Chief Minister relief funds of both the states.

Once again, the actor has proved that he is not someone who will hold himself back from fulfilling his responsibility towards the society and his generosity is winning hearts across the country. Aamir Khan has donated Rs. 25 Lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for Bihar flood victims for smoother relief operations. Reportedly, a cheque of Rs. 25 Lakh was sent by Aamir Khan Production Private Limited through a courier and was received at the office of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Apart from the actor, BJP MP Dr. C.P. Thakur too reportedly donated Rs. 20 lakh from his MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development) fund for rebuilding infrastructure in the flood-affected regions of Muzaffarpur. Having said that, reports state that so far over one crore seventy lakh people have been affected by the floods in Bihar and the death toll has already crossed 500.

Music Maestro A.R. Rahman Will Soon Compose Music For Shekhar Kapur's Biopic On Bruce Lee

Celebrities

Aug 132017

Shekhar Kapur, the man who has given us classics like ‘Bandit Queen’, ‘Mr. India’ and ‘Masoom’, is all set to floor us with his upcoming project on Bruce Lee. The celebrated Director and Producer, Kapur is making an “authorized biopic” on the life Bruce Lee, the legendary martial artist and actor.

If the names Kapur and Bruce Lee do not excite you, wait till you hear about the crew’s new member. Oscar-winning composer aka the music maestro aka who is also known as the Mozart of Madras, A.R. Rahman is going to compose the music for this film. “A.R. Rahman is also doing the music for Bruce Lee,” Kapur said in an interview. The film titled ‘Little Dragon’ is set in the backdrop of 1950s Hong Kong. It is a contemporary adaptation that will take us through the social and political forces, which turned Bruce Lee into the most famous martial artist and star.

When two talent houses come under one roof, only sky is the limit and as we have our bar of expectations set really high, we can’t really wait for other interesting developments to be thrown at us. While Kapur will soon start working with Rahman, his daughter Kaveri has already struck a chord and is all set to do a single with Rahman. Kapur said, “Kaveri and I are going to go to Chennai. She is doing a song with A.R. Rahman.”

We wonder if some people will still question his music, especially those who left the London concert midway because Rahman played too many Tamil songs.

Source: The Times Of India

'Aashiqui 3' Is Happening & We Will See Alia Bhatt & Sidharth Malhotra Romancing Each Other

Celebrities

Aug 052017

Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt are always in limelight. Be it for their acting together or about their alleged love affair. The two are media’s favourite. After ‘Kapoor and Sons’, their fans wanted to see them together again and looks like their wish has been granted.

This year, Sid’s fans are already excited, after all, he has had multiple releases this year. You will see him in ‘A Gentleman’ along with Jacqueline Fernandez and his much-awaited release is Neeraj Pandey’s thriller ‘Aiyaary’, where he will be sharing screen space with critically acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee. This truly is a film that will give him the platform to prove himself as an actor.

Sid & Alia (c) BCCL

But what has grabbed everyone’s attention is the film ‘Aashiqui 3′ where we will be seeing our favourite Alia and Sidharth together. There were many speculations about this film and finally, the actor has cleared the air.

In a recent interview with the Mumbai Mirror, he said that the film is in the pipeline and it will be the third installment of the franchise.

“I was approached a while ago. It’s a great franchise, I loved Aashiqui 2 and I’ve worked with both its director Mohit Suri and Alia. We are waiting to get it all on paper. We want to present a better version of the franchise. Once we finish our prior commitments we will start on Aashiqui 3,” he said.

The second one starred Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur, which made good money at the box office and its music is something that we still talk about. The next installment from the makers will see Sid and Alia romancing each other and setting our screens on fire.

Well, we are sure this news has got many of you excited about the film. Let’s hope things work out and we get to see them on the silver screen together again.

This SRK Doppelganger Will Make You Rub Your Eyes In Disbelief

Celebrities

Jul 282017

After Shahrukh Khan's movie – ‘Fan' which was entirely based on a character who was his lookalike, a lot of pictures surfaced on the internet of men paying tribute to SRK by trying to dress up like him. But, none of the lookalikes seemed even close to the one that we have got here, who himself is a big fan of King Khan.

Haider Maqbool is from Jammu and Kashmir and is a spitting image of Shah Rukh Khan.

His pictures will blow your mind. How can anyone look so similar?

Reports suggest that he too wants to become an actor and is learning acting.

Just last week, we found Ryan Gosling's doppleganger, and everyone lost their minds when they saw the pictures.

Wait, there's more. Have you seen the lookalikes of other B-town celebs? Yes, that's right. Some of them are so similar to the original stars that they have been used as body doubles on set. Check them out :-

That's definitely John Abraham's twin