Latest news with #Harrdy
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Harrdy Sandhu on busting his fake verified Telegram: Fans were promised personal meetings with me in exchange for money
From impersonation, scams to fake verified accounts, a growing number of celebrities have fallen prey to digital fraud — with fan trust and safety at stake. The latest to join the list is singer-actor Harrdy Sandhu, who found himself and his team being misrepresented online, sparking serious concern over digital accountability. 'They were promised personal meetings with me in exchange for money,' Hardy Sandhu tells us. The singer recently found out that some has been impersonating not only him but his manager Pouja Gandhi online. Singer Harrdy Sandhu 'It began when someone message my manager on Instagram about a fake account claiming to be from my team and inviting fans to a Telegram group for personal access to me,' Harrdy shares. What followed was a flood of DMs from fans who had been approached by these impersonators, some even asked for money in exchange for backstage passes. 'My immediate reaction was shock and concern. These accounts were convincing enough to mislead genuine fans — and that's extremely worrying.' Harrdy says the situation turned serious when fans and collaborators began interacting with these fake accounts, believing them to be legitimate. 'It was shocking when we came to know about they have been misguiding people and promising them personal meetings with me in exchange for money. That kind of emotional and financial exploitation is completely unacceptable,' says the 38-year-old singer. The impersonation wasn't limited to just his name. Harrdy reveals that accounts pretending to be his official management were also set up, targeting fans and industry insiders. 'It's disturbing. This isn't just impersonation, it's fraud. People are misusing our identity to manipulate others. It damages the trust we've built with our audience.' Adding to the singer chain of thoughts, his manager, Pouja Gandhi, echoes his concerns. 'It's unfortunate that fake accounts were able to mislead fans by pretending to be part of Harrdy's team — including one on Telegram that was wrongly verified. As part of his management, my priority is to ensure clear communication and safety for everyone engaging with us,' says Pouja, adding, 'We've taken all necessary steps to report the matter with the cyber security cell and just request fans to stay alert and always verify information through Harrdy's official Instagram.' Despite reporting the matter to Instagram, Telegram, and filing a cyber complaint with detailed evidence, Harrdy says barely any action has been taken. 'The Telegram account is still up — and verified. Instagram fakes keep popping up. The system just doesn't respond fast enough.' What's even more alarming is the loophole in digital security that allowed a Telegram account to be verified under Harrdy's name without his involvement. 'It clearly shows platforms need stronger identity verification systems. We creators are left to clean up the mess.' Adding to his chain of thoughts, Harrdy tells us, his team have now adopted a more vigilant approach — constantly monitoring platforms and regularly updating fans with official handles. 'We can't leave room for doubt anymore. We tell fans: Don't trust a blue tick blindly. Always check my official Instagram for any updates,' shares the singer, adding, 'I'm truly sorry if anyone felt misled. I've made it clear that my only official manager is Pouja Gandhi, and we've posted that online to avoid confusion.' 'If someone can use a verified artist's name and get verified themselves, that's a massive loophole. Cross-checking and faster takedowns must become the norm,' says Harrdy. The singer signs off with a word of caution and clarity: 'Educate yourself. Always double-check. And know that if something sounds too good to be true — it probably is.'
News18
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Played Cricket World Cup, Acted With Ranveer Singh. This Singer With ‘Bijli'-Like Aura Is...
Last Updated: Harrdy Sandhu played for the Punjab team as a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium paced bowler. His 'bijli' didn't just light up the music world, but it also shined on the cricket field. Yes, we are talking about Harrdy Sandhu. Most of us know him as the singing star behind popular tracks like Bijli, Naah Goriye, Soch, Backbone and many more. He has also appeared in films. But before all the fame in music and movies, Harrdy had a completely different dream – cricket. His early years were all about runs, wickets and the hope of wearing the Indian jersey one day. Cricket Journey Harrdy Sandhu's real name is Hardavinder Singh Sandhu. He began his career as a cricketer. He played for Punjab as a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler. He was also selected for the India Under-19 team in 2004–05 and came close to joining the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup squad in 2006. In a podcast called Figuring Out With Raj Shamani, Harrdy shared his cricket journey. He said the Under-19 team held a training camp in Pune while preparing for the World Cup in Sri Lanka. This camp included 30 top young players from across the country. Each player had to play three matches based on which the final team would be selected. Harrdy performed well in his first match. He took the wickets of players like Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Pinal Shah and Yo Mahesh. He believed this performance would help him get selected. But things didn't go as expected. 'We were batting on the third day, and it was my turn to bat. I asked Rahul Sharma, a former India and Punjab spinner, for a bat. Rahul was often called 'Venky.' Coincidentally, Venkatesh Prasad, who was our coach, was sitting in front of me. I called out 'Venky' to Rahul but to my surprise, Venkatesh Prasad thought I was addressing him. Perhaps he took offense to this and it might have influenced his decision to stick with the same squad that had played in the last two U-19 tournaments," Sandhu said. At the time, the selectors were Pravin Amre, Dilip Vengsarkar and one more person. Harrdy wasn't picked for the final team. In 2007, he suffered an unrecoverable injury and had to give up playing cricket. Transition From Cricket To Music After cricket, Harrdy turned to music. He trained in folk and classical singing under Sh. Nirmal Singh. His first album was This Is Harrdy Sandhu which featured modern and upbeat songs. This was followed by Horn Blow. In 2014, his song Soch which brought him a lot of fame. The Hindi version of this track was sung by Arijit Singh for the film Airlift starring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur. After that, Harrdy gave several hits including Kya Baat Ay, Naah, Joker and more. Acting Career Harrdy didn't just stick to music, he made his mark in films as well. He made his acting debut in 2014 with the Punjabi film Yaaran Da Katchup where he starred with Rana Ranbir, Anita Hassanandani, Jaswinder Bhalla and others. In Bollywood, Harrdy made his debut with 83 that brought his first love, cricket, back into his life in a whole new way. Released in 2021, the movie told the story of India's iconic 1983 Cricket World Cup win. Harrdy played the role of Madan Lal, one of the key fast bowlers in the team. Ranveer Singh played Kapil Dev, the legendary captain who led India to victory. The film featured a big ensemble cast including Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Adinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa and R. Badree. Harrdy also starred in Code Name: Tiranga, a spy action film co-starring Parineeti Chopra. It was directed by Ribhu Dasgupta. About the Author Buzz Staff A team of writers at bring you stories on what's creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture. News18's viral page features trending stories, videos, and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Harrdy Sandhu viral news Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: June 21, 2025, 13:41 IST
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Exclusive: Harrdy Sandhu recalls his experience of being in Chandigarh with his family in the wake of Operation Sindoor
Harrdy Sandhu As tensions escalated between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor , Chandigarh – like many cities – was placed on high alert. Singer-actor Harrdy Sandhu , who was at his Chandigarh home at the time, experienced the sirens and blackout firsthand. 'It was scary,' he recalls. 'The sirens went off two days in a row, and one day, there was a six to seven-hour blackout.' 'We were told to switch off all lights during the blackout' Harrdy shares that during the tensions, he reached out to a friend in the Armed Forces to check where he was posted. 'He disconnected the call and sent a text saying, 'I can't talk right now, this is very serious. If it's a blackout, don't even turn on your phone's light. Just switch everything off and stay put,'' Harrdy says. The singer-actor was also concerned about his close friend, cricketer Rahul Sharma, who was in Jalandhar at the time. 'He sent me a voice note and sounded really scared. He said he was on his terrace when he saw drones in the sky,' Harrdy recalls. 'I was constantly in touch with my parents' While Harrdy was at his Chandigarh home with his wife and son, his parents were in Patiala. 'I stayed in constant touch with them over the phone. Eventually, I felt we should be together in such a situation. While we were on our way to Patiala, the ceasefire was announced. We breathed a sigh of relief, but after reaching Patiala, we stayed with my parents for a couple of days,' he shares. 'We are proud of our Armed Forces for what they have done to protect us' Despite the initial fear, Harrdy found comfort in the Armed Forces' response to the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. He says, 'While in Chandigarh, I had thought we would move elsewhere if the situation escalated. But seeing how our Armed Forces responded, we decided to stay put. After the ceasefire was announced, when we were on the highway, we saluted the soldiers that we passed by. We are proud of our Armed Forces for all that they have done to protect us. We always heard stories ki hamari Armed Forces strong hai, par ab dekhne mila ki how powerful we are.' 'This experience made me realise how precious life is' The experience reminded Harrdy of the war stories his grandfather used to share. 'I was born and raised in Patiala. My grandfather served in the police and often spoke about the 1971 war. Now, witnessing this India-Pakistan conflict first-hand made me realise how precious life truly is.'
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Harrdy Sandhu on song 'Noor': Shehnaaz Gill embodies very quintessence of the song
Musician-actor and Bollywood actress have synergised their talents to unveil 'Noor', a song that celebrates resplendent beauty inherent in Indian women. During the initial stages of conception, Harrdy's intent was to craft a composition that would genuinely encapsulate the indomitable essence and effulgent vitality of women across India, paying homage to their unwavering strength and intrinsic beauty. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Harrdy said: "I endeavoured to craft a song that genuinely venerates the spirit of Indian women. 'Noor' stands as a sincere homage to the very essence of womanhood - their inherent strength, their unwavering resilience and their illuminating inner light." He added: "Collaborating with Shehnaaz Gill on the music video was an unalloyed pleasure; she embodies the very quintessence of the song and its underlying message, imbuing the screen with her singular charisma and authentic presence." For Shehnaaz, being a part of 'Noor' has been a truly uplifting experience. "It's a celebration of the spirit of womanhood, and I believe it will resonate deeply with women across India, reminding them of their inherent power." The accompanying music video, featuring Harrdy and Shehnaaz, showcases the beauty of Indian women, accentuating their strength, resilience and unwavering spirit. Talking about Harrdy, his first song was Tequilla Shot, and he gained popularity with Soch and Joker. He made his acting debut in Yaaran Da Katchup. His song "Soch" was remade for the 2016 film Airlift. His song "Naah" was remade for the film Bala as "Naah Goriye". It was in 2021, when he made his Hindi debut with Ranveer Singh-starrer "83" based on the 1983 Cricket World Cup. Shehnaaz began her modelling career with the 2015 music video, Shiv Di Kitaab. In 2017, she debuted as an actress in Punjabi film Sat Shri Akaal England. She gained major recognition with "Bigg Boss 13", where she was in third place. However, it was her chemistry with late star .
