Three-time National Award-winning actor Naseeruddin Shah is utilising a substantial part of his lockdown hours catching up on the plays of William Shakespeare. "I am one of those people who can stay at home and enjoy a lot of indoor. I am watching movies, reading books. I have started helping in the kitchen that I kind of stopped after marriage. I did not cook for a long time. I am reading a couple of plays of Shakespeare to my son. We are spending quality time," the veteran actor told IANS.

Shah has two sons, Vivaan and Imaad, both actors. His 2017 film, "The Hungry" directed by Bornali Chatterjee, was a modern day adaptation of Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus".

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Farhan Akhtar is a multifaceted package of entertainment and his skills know no bounds. The actor has given the audience of the Indian film industry several memorable characters on-screen that. The audience saw one of the actor's most meaningful and poetic characters in Bollywood in the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. He donned the role of an advertising copywriter. His character in the film was given to all things art and delivered to us mesmerizing poetry which captured the essence of the film in it and gave a meaningful message out to the viewers.

In the sports biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Farhan Akhtar played the eminent role of the world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh. His character was inspirational to watch on screens and certainly gave the motivation they required to chase their goals. 'The Sky Is Pink' saw Farhan playing the intense role of a husband and a father in the biographical dram film, proving his versatility and his ability to play characters from one end of the spectrum to another.

The actor has won several accolades with his remarkable roles in his films and those films are known to gain commercial popularity as well. However, this time around Farhan is all set to step into the boxing ring with Toofaan where he won't be pulling any punches or leaving any stones unturned with his acting skills.

Farhan's previous noteworthy roles promise the audience an even more pre-eminent character on-screen.

The film is scheduled to release on the 18th of September 2020, presented by Excel Entertainment and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

Toofaan is an Excel Entertainment Production in association with ROMP Pictures. So be ready to be blown away by a storm in Toofaan!

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Sherlyn Chopra is one of the fittest and hottest actresses in the entertainment industry. The actress loves sharing her workout videos and is always seen lifting weights. Sherlyn is homebound like everyone else during the lockdown. Her HOT bod is something that many girls dream of. In fact, Sherlyn's muscular and lean figure is the millennial's fitness goal. So, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Sherlyn is an idol for anyone who is looking out for the ideal body and fitness level to achieve.

During her quarantine time, Sherlyn has been practising a wide range of yoga asanas by doing her household work. Soaking under the sun in her gym outfits, her irresistible yoga postures have been giving sleepless nights to many. By sharing her sexy workout video Sherlyn wrote, "The secret to my fitness!. #stayhome #getstronger."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

#stayhome #getstronger

A post shared by Sherlyn Chopra (@sherlynchopra) onApr 16, 2020 at 4:28am PDT

Sherlyn Chopra was last seen in the rap video, Katar. Composed by Teenu and performed by Sherlyn herself, the foot-tapping rap is produced by Sherlyn Chopra Production. Besides web series, short films and glamour videos, the Chopra girl is very much engaged in her business of high content creation as a producer and content-creator.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

In 3 idiots, Boman Irani claimed that nobody remembered the man who came second. Birthday boy Arijit Singh could counter that. He participated in the singing reality show, Fame Gurukul, but was eliminated rather early. Today, over 15 years later, his voice has transcended boundaries and borders and the man has been charming one and all with his sensational and soothing singing skills.

His birthday would be the aptest occasion to revisit some of his best and most memorable songs that not only got permanently etched in people's minds but also showcased his unfairly overlooked versatility. Contrary to the memes and opinions, there's a lot more to his voice than pain and anguish. He has nearly nailed all possible kinds of songs in all genres that need to be highlighted and quick.

Here we go:

Love

1. Phir Mohabbat- Murder 2 (2011)

Emraan Hashmi and chartbuster music seem to be a match made in heaven. Music directors and singers always reserve their best, or at least one of their best works, for this star. Murder 2 was the first time the nation heard of Arijit Singh, and the way the song was crooned and captured, there was something haunting about his voice and the titillating chemistry between the actors. Always trust the Bhatts to pull off both!

2. Tum Hi Ho (2013)

What Aashiqui was to Kumar Sanu, the sequel was to Singh. Both Sanu and Singh became overnight stars and sensations post the historic success of these two films. Mahesh Bhatt and Mohit Suri's Aashiquis weren't as much about the plot and performances as much as they were about their iconic soundtrack. So if 1990 gave us Saanson Ki Zaroorat, 2013 gave us the love anthem of that year- Tum Hi Ho. Again, a deep melody that can hardly fade away. Couples that love to revel in their PDA would unabashedly embrace the track and romanticise about its melody, making it one of the most celebrated songs of the decade. A star was born!

Longing

Kabira- Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)

Kabir aka Bunny from Ayan Mukerji's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani wasn't exactly a likeable character. His ambitions and aspirations may have been relatable and contagious, his callousness wasn't. Kabir wasn't exactly a loner, but preferred to stay in his own world that comprises of everything and anything that gives him an adrenaline rush, or as Salman Khan said- Kick! In a film where everyone around him wants him to come back and be with people who love him, there couldn't have been a better song than Kabira to perfectly describe this protagonist. The lyrics were- "Ae Kabira Yun Na Jaa", and rightly so since all the characters in the film, right from his parents to friends to Naina, wanted him to stay. The song sums up how the feeling of longing looks and feels like.

Loneliness

1. Tum Saath Ho- Tamasha (2015)

Imtiaz Ali knows how to create a moment between his hero and heroine, especially with a good script and on a good day. Tamasha must have happened in his life during the best phase of his life. Just like Bunny, it was difficult to understand Ved, and his unpredictable outbursts were both shocking and scary. Tara begins to feel she has lost him forever and wants him back, but his stubbornness won't just allow him to hold her hand. In the filmmaker's own words, the emotions were real, and so were Arijit Singh and Alka Yagnik's enchanting vocals that powered what is one of the best songs to describe and depict loneliness.

2. Channa Mereya- Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)

Is there any other actor who can show sadness as seamlessly as Ranbir Kapoor? Even he has begun to joke about it now. And Singh's voice, often described as solemn and sombre, perfectly fits Kapoor's on-screen demeanour. Channa Mereya is what you call a song that's been made for people who have been through the feeling of one-sided love. It still is the unlikeliest wedding song ever to exist in a Dharma Production film. And very similar to Tum Hi Ho, this made musical history too!

Lounges

1. Palat- Main Tera Hero (2014)

There are certain songs that can arouse the dancer inside you once you play them, especially in lounges. Palat from Main Tera Hero gave us a very different side of the singer. For someone who was always called to make people cry, was making us dance to his voice. This title track was infectiously choreographed and energetically crooned by the singer that it is a personal favourite even today!

2. Sooraj Dooba Hai- Roy (2015)

Not many people have seen Roy, and those who have, may not remember what exactly they saw. But they do remember what they heard. They heard the song Sooraj Dooba Hai, which became a rage when it came out. Singh's voice can hook and hypnotise you, both. And it's very rare to find a voice as versatile as his. So why don't we just end those jokes and memes that suggest Arijit Singh does not smile and nor do his songs?

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

The actress asserts that she tries to do interesting activities with husband, actor Kunal Kemmu, and daughter Inaaya. Here's how Soha Ali Khan is spending her time during the lockdown:

Reading:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Booked for the week! #lockdown #stoppedcountingthedays #storytime

A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) onApr 21, 2020 at 12:26am PDT

Reading has always been something I love doing and our busy lives make it difficult to sit down and make time for it every day. The lockdown has enabled us to stay indoors and focus on the activities that our busy schedules would not allow us to do. Reading is one of the things that I have included in my daily tasks; I dedicate at least one hour to reading as it helps me with my writing better. Therefore, if you were once an avid reader and have lost the touch of it, this is the perfect time to reconnect to your stack of untouched lying favourites.

Fun with family:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

It’s just a ‘matar’ of time #lockdown #stayhome #staysafe #twopeasinapod @khemster2

A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) onApr 15, 2020 at 1:46am PDT

Family to me always comes first! In the times of lockdown, your family is what is going to keep you together by supporting you and making you laugh or be your partners in fun. The lockdown has brought us closer than ever. Kunal and I make sure that we engage ourselves with some or the other interesting activity. We try to indulge Inaaya in various activities such as drawing, puzzles, colouring, learning the alphabet or numbers, and sometimes we gaze out of windows and play the "I spot" game from the balcony.

Experiment with healthy snacks:

I love snacks that are filling and healthy and so does my family, hence I cook our meals that are rich in nutrients. Since almonds are one of my favourite snacks to munch on, I make sure that my recipes include a handful of almonds. They not only keep you full but also prevents you from binging on unhealthy options as they help suppress hunger in between meals. Some of my favourite dishes are Sheera with nuts, Almond Soy milk, Roasted Almonds with a spicy touch, definitely worth trying.

Exercising with FAM Jam indoors:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

I got the best trainer in the business 💪🏼

A post shared by Kunal Kemmu (@khemster2) onApr 16, 2020 at 2:23am PDT

The lockdown has put a hold on the gyms but not on us, hence I make sure to take out time to exercise for an hour. Kunal and I motivate each other to perform the basic exercises at home. Occasionally we take Zumba and Yoga sessions for Inaaya and love to watch her groove with the music. The funniest thing is she exercises with us and it is cute to watch her try and learn the basics with us.

Skincare routine:

Maintaining the glow inside out is important. I use facemasks once in a week to exfoliate the impurities and dust from my skin. It is also important to take care from within; therefore, I hydrate myself and intake lots of water. Make sure to include Vitamin E in your diet as it may help in imparting anti-ageing properties and benefits skin health. I make sure to include almonds in my diet and make it a part of my beauty routine as it fills my body up with the right nutrients. I also make sure to use a Vitamin C facial oil for my skin.

The lockdown isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is not! One needs to detoxify from the hustle-bustle of the city and take measures to stay home, fit and healthy. Make sure to indulge yourself in activities that are fun and productive.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Naseeruddin Shah is spending time by doing what he likes the most — catching up on the plays of William Shakespeare. The veteran actor says he can stay indoors for days on end. He has been devouring classics and writing.

Naseer is also helping in the household chores much to wife Ratna Pathak Shah's surprise. He had stopped stepping into the kitchen after marriage decades ago. Now, he is brushing up on his rusty cooking skills.

"I am one of those people who can stay at home and enjoy a lot of indoor. I am watching movies, reading books. I have started helping in the kitchen that I kind of stopped after marriage. I did not cook for a long time. I am reading a couple of plays of Shakespeare to my son. We are spending quality time," the veteran actor told IANS.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Actress Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra showed off some Punjabi dance moves in their new video. The couple are killing time during lockdown with some happy dancing, going by their latest TikTok video that has them dancing to a catchy tune. "If you're happy and you know it.. just Balle Balle," read the caption.

Dancing isn't their only fitness secret. Shilpa recently opened up about the workout schedule she and her family follow.

"I had shared a little exercise-fun with Viaan (Shilpa's son) a few days ago, and I was asked for the entire workout video. Well, I don't have the entire workout captured, but sharing what I found from my archives. I truly believe that the family that eats, prays and works out together... stays together!" Shilpa wrote, sharing a glimpse of her workout session with Raj, and their son Viaan.

"Oftentimes when @rajkundra9 and I workout in the mornings, we get Viaan to join us too. We do understand that if it's not fun for him, he's not going to enjoy the process. So, while we roped in some abs workout for ourselves, we got him to hop, slide, and jump around," she added in the social media post.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

I had shared a little exercise-fun with Viaan a few days ago, and I was asked for the entire workout video. Well, I don’t have the entire workout captured, but sharing what I found from my archives. I truly believe that the family that eats, prays and works out together... stays together! Oftentimes when @rajkundra9 and I workout in the mornings, we get Viaan to join us too. We do understand that if it's not fun for him, he's not going to enjoy the process. So, while we roped in some abs workout for ourselves, we got him to hop, slide, and jump around. Our workout helps us build & strengthen the abdominal muscles, while it also helps improve the mind-body coordination and enhances speed & endurance capacity. Viaan, on the other hand, was just happy to be jumping around and using up some of that pent up energy. A morning well-spent, this was! I hope you all are staying home and staying fit too! . @thevinodchanna . . . . #SwasthRahoMastRaho #GetFit2020 #MondayMotivation #FitIndia #FitIndiaMovement #homefitness #homeworkouts #fitness #COVID19

A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) onApr 19, 2020 at 10:30pm PDT

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Veteran actor Anil Kapoor has shared a few fitness tips, revealing how has maintained a fit physique over the years -- that too without consumption of supplements. "I made this post not to show off or talk myself up, but to pass on some simple advice on. When it comes to body building, nothing is beyond us. At different ages we can work differently to achieve great results. If you're asking if you need to spend a lot of money on supplements to achieve this, the answer is no. I have not taken any kind of supplements in this process," he wrote on Instagram.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by anilskapoor (@anilskapoor) onApr 25, 2020 at 1:52am PDT

The 63-year-old-star also shared that he has been working on his body for six years to achieve the best results. And now when the world is going through major health crisis, the actor urges people to pay proper attention to physical health.

"My trainer Marc and I have been talking about doing this kind of rebuild of my body for as many years as we have been together, which is 6 years! Time was always a stumbling block, or filming requirements, endorsements, social obligations or family time. Every year we would say we - this year for sure.

"Now in these very difficult circumstances, time is something we all seem to have a great deal of, so why not use this time to do the things you always promised yourself you would do. Strengthen your body, build muscle, build immunity, build flexibility. Respect your body. We might never have this much time available to us ever again," Kapoor added.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Is there anything Kareena Kapoor Khan can't do? She's a talented actor, a style icon, an amazing mum to little Taimur, and just about everything else that makes her uniquely Bebo. She may have joined the Instagram party late, but by now we know that Bebo is the life of any party she joins, even if she does so fashionably late!

Here are five instances on Instagram when Kareena Kapoor showcased her tremendous wit and humour!

When Bebo as a baby shared a gem about social distancing

First of all, how utterly adorable is this photo of a tiny little Kareena Kapoor? She used this throwback photo to talk about social distancing and show us how important it is in the deadly times of corona. Bebo captioned this image, "Me... when someone tries to shake my hand these days!
#StayHome #StaySafe #SocialDistancing"

When she modelled a pasta necklace made by Tim

Even a necklace made from pasta looks good on Bebo, proving that the Good Newwz actor can wear anything and look like a million bucks. This necklace was made by her dear little boy Taimur, and Kareena wrote alongside this picture, "Pasta la vista. Handmade Jewellery by Taimur Ali Khan #QuaranTimDiaries" #QuaranTimDiaries... now isn't that creative?

When Kareena stared in shock at the zit on her face

Yes, Bebo also falls victim to unwarranted and unwanted zits sometimes. But does she fret? No, the queen never frets! Instead, she makes fun of it by writing, "Meanwhile... I just sat there staring in wonder of what was being created. PS: The zit on my face didn't get the memo of no personal visits and social distancing... #HugeMess"

When she wished Aamir Khan in the funniest way

Kareena Kapoor Khan also found the best way to wish her Laal Singh Chaddha co-star, Aamir Khan, a happy birthday. Sharing a photo of a snoozing and pillow-cuddling Aamir, she wrote, "My fav co-star has to be @_aamirkhan's... pillow!" 

When she wanted to fall in love... or was it fall asleep?

Like us, Kareena, too, is bored sitting at home. And while husband Saif Ali Khan can be seen spending his time reading and lazing around in the grass, Kareena seems to be quite unoccupied in this photo! "Fall i̶n̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ asleep... #Mess" she captioned this cute picture of her passing time with Saif.

Which of Kareena Kapoor's Instagram photos did you like the most?

On the work front, Kareena was recently seen in Irrfan Khan and Radhika Madan's Angrezi Medium. She will be next Laal Singh Chadha opposite Aamir Khan. The film is a remake of Tom Hanks' Forrest Gump (1994) and is helmed by director Advait Chandan. The movie is slated to hit theatres on Christmas 2020.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Hrithik Roshan is one doting dad and equally, doting is mother Sussanne Khan to their children Hrehaan and Hridhaan. Roshan and Khan have now come together to make sure their kids are safe, sound, and absolutely fine during this time of the Coronavirus crisis.

Hrithik and Sussanne regularly give us insights into their quarantine life through their pictures and videos that they share on their respective Instagram profiles. Continuing to do so, Sussanne took to her Instagram account to share a beautiful live picture of Hrithik and sons, Hrehaan and Hridhaan enjoying the scenic beauty standing in the balcony. The boys looked adorable in their casual wears. Khan also shared lines from a poem by Welsh poet William Henry Davies while sharing the pictures.

Sharing the picture, she wrote, "What is this life, so full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs, And ask with love, about the ‘why’s’ and ‘ how’s’, So stop awhile and do enjoy that stare, Take it in.. absorb as we all are moving.. even though we don’t know where. There is, this amazing thing called ‘Life’.... as the ultimate dare. Stay Home, Stay strong and full of care. Inserts taken from the poem.Leisure by William Henry Davies. #SHHH #stopandstare #the-philosophers #RyeRayRidz #designyourthoughts #summeroflockdown2020 #quarantivities #notestoself p.s the app used for the moving clouds is called Pixaloop (sic)."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sussanne Khan (@suzkr) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:34pm PDT

Recently, the couple celebrated Hrehaan's birthday. It was an adorable birthday celebration and Roshan thanked flexibility and technology for the same. He shared a video where the young kid could be seen celebrating the special occasion with his dad, mom Sussanne, grandfather Rakesh Roshan, grandmother Pinkie Roshan, and aunt Sunaina Roshan. Taking to his Instagram account, he shared a video where the young kid could be seen celebrating the special occasion with his dad, mom Sussanne

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hrithik Roshan (@hrithikroshan) onMar 29, 2020 at 3:02am PDT

Before this, the actor had shared a special video showcasing his piano skills by playing a tune on the musical instrument. The video featured a special appearance by his ex-wife. 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hrithik Roshan (@hrithikroshan) onMar 31, 2020 at 7:05am PDT

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Bollywood's chirpy beauty Sara Ali Khan and brother Ibrahim, are keeping up with their fitness regime during the coronavirus lockdown period by working out at home. However, on Saturday, they were joined by a new friend -- Fuffy Singh, their pet dog.

The 'Love Aaj Kal' actor took to Instagram to share a picture during their workout session. In the shared picture, the 24-year-old actor can be seen posing for the camera with her 'Pilates Girl' tee. On the other hand, Ibrahim is lying on the floor shirtless in his shorts and shoes.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Knock knock 👊🏻👊🏻 Who’s there? Not us- we’re working out 💪🏻 🙌🏻 Yes, us includes Fuffy Singh 🐕 🐶 @fuffy07 #happyweekend #stayhome #staysafe #staypositive

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onApr 25, 2020 at 11:10am PDT

Meanwhile, their adorable pet dog, Fluffy, can be seen watching the brother-sister duo. Taking it to the captions with another 'Knock Knock' reference, she wrote: "Knock knock Who's there?Not us- we're working out Yes, us includes Fuffy Singh @fuffy07#happyweekend #stayhome #staysafe #staypositive"

On Friday, the brother-sister pair tried to beat the lockdown blues and shared an adorably sweet video shot while playing 'Knock Knock joke.' Meanwhile, the 'Simmba' star keeps on sharing glimpses of her quarantine time to keep her fans updated on her social media.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

For now, we all live under a rock 🏡 All of us- the nerd 🤓the jock ⚽️ In the meantime Ibrahim and sister you can mock 👫🙊🙈 While we do our favourite Knock Knock🐣🤷‍♀️🚪👊🏻👊🏻 #knockout

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onApr 24, 2020 at 6:01am PDT

Ahead of the Earth Day, Khan shared her love for mother Earth through a collage of beautiful throwback pictures with exotic natural beauty forming the backdrop.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Superstar Salman Khan on Saturday extended wishes to the people as the holy month of Ramzan commenced today. The 'Bharat' star took to Twitter and while he wished people on the auspicious occasion, he also advised them to stay at home and wrote: "Ramadan Mubarak to all... Stay home stay safe!" The 54-year-old actor also condemned the stone-pelting incidents that occurred with the health officials amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Earlier, Salman shared a video in which he put out a sharp message to the "jokers" who were flouting government-imposed guidelines and venturing out during the ongoing lockdown, putting at risk countless lives to the deadly coronavirus.

In a 10-minute hard-hitting video shared on Instagram he pointed out that doctors, nurses and policemen are putting in long hours to curb the spread of coronavirus and urged people to respect their work and stay inside.

He questioned in his video: "Doctors and nurses are working to save your lives and what do you do? You started pelting stones at them? Those who have been diagnosed with coronavirus, are running away from the hospitals. Where are you running? Towards life or death?"

The 'Dabangg 2' star appreciated the efforts by the frontline warriors and said: "The virus that started in China is over in China now, but because of a few jokers, the whole of India will sit at home for a long time."

The 'Tiger Zinda Hai' star said that he was aware of many people who wouldn't come out of their homes earlier but have started doing so since they've been asked to not go out. "You are putting everyone's lives at risk," the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor said.

Salman concluded by urging the people to respect the work of the doctors, nurses, police personnel and those who work in banks, take care to ensure that the disease does not spread further and pray that it does not come to a situation where the military has to be called in to stop people from doing the wrong thing.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Actor Randeep Hooda on Saturday shared a glimpse from his Hollywood debut in the upcoming Netflix film 'Extraction' with a safety slogan 'Don't step out' amid lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The 43-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a glimpse from the film where Hooda is seen in commando mode to save a boy while holding a gun in his hand. The 'Highway' actor is seen dressed in black commando dress while he runs for safeguarding a boy.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Only if this boy hadn’t stepped out! Don’t step out or.... . #Extraction #Lockdown @Netflix_in @netflix @netflixfilm @thesamhargrave @therussobrothers @agbofilms @chrishemsworth @rudhrakshjaiswal1

A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) onApr 25, 2020 at 2:27am PDT

The 'Sarabjit' star captioned the post as, "Only if this boy hadn't stepped out! Don't step out or... #Extraction #Lockdown."

Earlier this week, Hooda shared a video from the movie's shooting in India and announced its streaming date as April 24.'Extraction also stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth and some of the parts have also been filmed in India. In the video, the production staff of 'Extraction,' along with Randeep and Hemsworth are seen talking about India and how different the feeling was to shoot in the country.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

India isn't just about heat, but a lot of warmth too.. here's a glimpse into shooting #Extraction in India Streaming on Netflix from 24th April @Netflix_in @netflix @thesamhargrave @therussobrothers @agbofilms @chrishemsworth @tsigel @ptnewall @leecleary1 @outthayr @danielstevens1 @artoflegitsu @rostacosta @rudhrakshjaiswal1 @dkharbour @golfarahani @priyanshupainyuli @battlecat_stunts_inc @dargan_fire @danlawsonjohnston @matteo__silvi @luca_vannella @tessjosephcasting @indochinaproductions @luca_vannella @tessjoseph19 #joewhelan #tomharrison

A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) onApr 20, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

The Netflix film also marks the 'Kick' actor's Hollywood debut.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Actor Taapsee Pannu who is on a photo-sharing spree these days on Saturday shared an exquisite throwback picture from her trip to Rome. Just like many others who are dreaming of vacations during the lockdown, the 'Pink' actor is also seen reminiscing about her vacation in her latest throwback post on social media.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time. I love seeing places which should either have beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants. Basically good restaurants is the basic common key here. I loved using all the local apps to find me local transport n restaurants to dine in. Quaint cafes which make u pause. I think it will be some till I experience the thrill of travelling again. But until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it’s quite possible that things won’t be the same tomorrow 🤷🏻‍♀ï¸Â #Throwback #Archives #QuarantinePost

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:57pm PDT

Alongside a picturesque picture shared on Instagram, the actor wrote: "One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time... "

Taking it to the captions, the 'Mulk' actor also pinpointed the key factors she seeks while travelling. "I love seeing places which should either have a beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants," the caption read.

"Basically good restaurants are the basic common key here," the 32-year-old wrote. She also mentioned her interest in using the "local apps" to find her "local transports and restaurants to dine in." "Quaint cafes which make u pause," she added.

Referring to the current lockdown and unpredictable situation the life has been thrown into in the wake of coronavirus crisis, Taapsee also added that one can "experience the thrill of traveling again.. until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it's quite possible that things won't be the same tomorrow."

Lately, the 'Manmarziyaan' actor has been sharing many throwback pictures as she earlier announced on Instagram that she will be posting a series to refresh some memories amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Taapsee is currently at home like many other celebrities as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Actress Bhumi Pednekar has been honing her green thumb during the COVID-19 lockdown. The actress has taken to social media to share the yield she has grown at home. The list includes feugreek (methi), mustard (sarson), amaranth (cholai), green chillies, brinjals and strawberries.

Sharing the photos of her homegrown crops on Instagram, the actress wrote: "After months of tender love & care, we present to you #PednekarKePed #homegrown #GharKiKheti #sustainableliving."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

After months of tender love & care,we present to you #PednekarKePed 🌱 #homegrown #GharKiKheti #sustainableliving

A post shared by Bhumi✨ (@bhumipednekar) onApr 25, 2020 at 2:56am PDT

Earlier this month, the actress had announced that she would utilise the lockdown time learning the science of hydroponics (soil-less) farming from her mother Sumitra Pednekar.

"My mom and I always wanted to have a hydroponics garden of our own where we grow our own vegetables and can have a fully sustainable lifestyle. We wanted to have a garden to table lifestyle at home and we are both happy with the progress," she had shared.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

It has been seven years since Mohit Suri's Aashiqui 2, starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor came out. It made the actress an overnight star and sensation, and her character, Aarohi, still continues to be remembered for her piquancy and innocence, and of course, singing.

Every year, the actress does something special on this day to mark this musical blockbuster's anniversary and this year was no exception. She not only changed her Instagram name to her screen name from the film and upload a new photo from one its stills, but also uploaded a collage of some of the film's scenes to create one beautiful picture.

This is truly an innovative and imaginative way to celebrate your film, don't miss this post:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

7 years of Aashiqui 2 today!🥰💝 Thank you forever @mohitsuri for this gift of a lifetime @visheshfilms for believing, #ShaguftaRafique for your exquisitely beautiful writing, @adityaroykapur for being an unbelievably amazing costar and the entire team who gave their everything to this precious film. Thank you everyone who gave this film so so sooo much love. Its priceless✨ Thank you to all those who have made such beautiful edits and to the fan clubs for uniting and sharing a common dp today; this collage 🙃🥰 I’m the luckiest girl in the universe ✨💜

A post shared by Aarohi (@shraddhakapoor) onApr 25, 2020 at 11:43pm PDT

Shraddha Kapoor is well known for always delivering hits along with a new character and fresh content with every project. Shraddha being a lover of always wanting to try something new has been unstoppable ever since Aashiqui 2.

After Aashiqui 2, taking no breaks, Shraddha was seen in Ek Villain, where the character of being full of life was super fresh. Not forgetting ABCD 2 where Shraddha's dance totally stole hearts. Shraddha showed her versatility factor and the audiences were stunned on how the actress can mould herself in every way possible.

Moulding herself into another new character, Shraddha was seen doing some kicks and punches in Baaghi. The actress has given a carousel of hits and is a roll as the actress chooses quality projects over quantity and this totally sets her apart. Shraddha knows how to treat her fans with the best of characters, where fresh content always hunts Shraddha.

On the work front, Shraddha will be seen in a Luv Ranjan directorial alongside Ranbir Kapoor. The actress is basking in the success of Baaghi 3. Truly we can't wait to see what this fresh pair has brewed for us!

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Dubbing her as 'wanderlust', actor Kangana Ranaut's team on Sunday posted throwback pictures of her from her trip to Europe in 2008. The picture featured a younger Kangana in her early 20s travelling to various parts of Europe including famous Italy based amphitheatre - the Colosseum.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Major #Throwback check: Wanderlust Kangana travelling all around Europe (in 2008!!) learning about art-history and wines. Sundays are for reminiscing about those carefree days, till we can travel again ...

A post shared by Kangana Ranaut (@team_kangana_ranaut) onApr 26, 2020 at 4:08am PDT

The 'Queen' actor is seen dressed in simple yet elegant outfits in the pictures from her two-month-long trip to Europe. "#Throwback to the good old travel days! Major throwback to 2008 when the 21-year-old art, history, and travel enthusiast #KanganaRanaut travelled to Italy for a 2 months long trip!" the team tweeted along with the pictures.

They also shared trivia on the 'Tanu Weds Manu' actor's travel diaries and said that Kangana used to take her camera to each of her trips. "Interesting Trivia: before the iPhone days, she used to take her camera along everywhere," the team tweeted.

Kangana began her acting career at a very young age with her debut film 'Gangster' for which she garnered a lot of appreciation.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Kiara Advani is bored of sitting in her south Mumbai home. It appears that she is missing the studios and the shoots. More importantly, she can't catch up with her pals. We assume this includes a certain Bandra-based Mr Malhotra as well. In an attempt to describe her mental state, the Kabir Singh (2019) actor shared a childhood video.

She also posted a video in which she is seen riding on her bicycle. She tells mother Genevieve that she is fed up of waiting and playing indoors as she wants to go out to play. Advani captioned the video, "The wonder years... but my mental state right now... nobody's going out. Home sweet home (sic)." Take a look!

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

“Mummy, I’m fed up of waiting because I feel like going” My mental state right now🙃 but...nobody’s goin out! Home sweet home! 😇 #thewonderyears 🌈

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onApr 23, 2020 at 2:51am PDT

It's not just this one, but before she rode the bicycle, Kiara Advani confessed how her mom thought she would take up ballet as her career, but chose to be an actress instead.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

When mom thought I would join the Bolshoi ballet but I chose Bollywood instead💁🏻‍♀ï¸Â #thewonderyears 🌈👯‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ‘§ðŸ¼ðŸ¥°

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onApr 21, 2020 at 11:25pm PDT

In another video, Kiara Advani was seen sipping milk from her favourite Cinderella cup. Not kidding! Well, who hates princesses? And Cinderella? So nostalgic! Check this one out.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

#thewonderyears 🍼🌈🍭🧸 doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani.. and my obsession with Cinderella 👧🏼

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onApr 20, 2020 at 11:42pm PDT

Speaking about Kiara Advani's childhood days, the actress also shared a sweet picture with brother Mishaal, where she is seen planting a peck on his cheek. So adorable! So, this is what siblings look like.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Happy Sibling Day @mishaaladvani squishy for mishy forever❤ï¸ÂðŸ˜˜

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onApr 11, 2020 at 6:50am PDT

Well, many aren't aware that Kiara Advani is really good friends with Isha Ambani. The actress and her childhood friend share a warm bond, and these images are proof enough!

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

There are some special people who are a part of your life and you grow up with. My oldest friend, still as caring, as humble and as amazing as you were when we first met! My to be bridey, Ishu never ever let the child in you grow up❤ï¸Â forever your Aliu 👯‍♂ï¸Â Congratulations @_iiishmagish @anandpiramal 💍🎉Comofomo🙃

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onSep 22, 2018 at 9:49pm PDT

Kiara, there there! We completely understand what you are going through right now.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

A day after Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor explained the controversies regarding her having tested corona positive last month; the Lucknow Police pasted a notice at her house, asking her to record her statement.

Kanika Kapoor has been charged under IPC Section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and Section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC.

Deepak Kumar Singh, ACP, Krishna Nagar said that the singer will have to come to the police station and give her a written statement. Further action will be taken after this.

On Sunday, Kanika took to Instagram to express her gratitude to the health workers who treated her. She also wrote that several stories were doing the rounds and she was fully aware and knew that some information has been misrepresented.

According to Kanika, she arrived in Mumbai on March 10 from the UK. During this time, she was scanned at the international airport. Until that time no advisory had been issued that required her to quarantine herself.

She had come to Lucknow to meet her family on March 11, when there was no scanning system for domestic flights. On March 14 and 15, Kanika went to lunch and dinner with her friends.

She pointed out that all the people she had interacted with in the UK, Mumbai, and Lucknow are healthy and their reports have also come up negative.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

If your workplace is supporting its employees by reducing their job strain, it may boost in preventing new cases of common mental illness from occurring up to 14 per cent, a new study suggests.

The findings, published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, confirm that high job strain is associated with an increased risk of developing common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety amongst middle-aged workers.

Job strain is a term used to describe the combination of high work pace, intensity, and conflicting demands, coupled with low control or decision-making capacity.

"The results indicate that if we were able to eliminate job strain situations in the workplace, up to 14 per cent of cases of common mental illness could be avoided," said lead author Samuel Harvey, Associate Professor at the Black Dog Institute in Australia.

"These findings serve as a wake-up call for the role workplace initiatives should play in our efforts to curb the rising costs of mental disorders," Harvey added.

To determine levels of job strain, 6,870 participants completed questionnaires at age 45 testing for factors including decision authority, skill discretion and questions about job pace, intensity and conflicting demands.

The researchers also accounted for non-workplace factors including divorce, financial problems, housing instability, and other stressful life events like death or illness.

The models developed in this study controlled for individual workers' temperament and personality, their IQ, level of education, prior mental health problems and a range of other factors from across their early lives.

The final modelling suggested that those experiencing higher job demands, lower job control and higher job strain were at greater odds of developing mental illness by age 50, regardless of sex or occupational class.

"Workplaces can adopt a range of measures to reduce job strain, and finding ways to increase workers' perceived control of their work is often a good practical first step. This can be achieved through initiatives that involve workers in as many decisions as possible," Harvey, who is also affiliated with the University of New South Wales in Australia, noted.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Representational picture

Washington D.C.: While it is no secret that there are good calories as well as bad calories, turns out, in the bad category, there are variations too. According to the University of California, Davis, sugar-sweetened beverages play a unique role in chronic health problems. Calories from any food have the potential to increase the risk of obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases. The disease risk increases even when the beverages are consumed within diets that do not result in weight gain.

Twenty-two researchers explored whether all calories are equal with regards to effects on cardiometabolic disease and obesity. The study provided an extensive review of the current science on diets that can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type II diabetes.

"What's new is that this is an impressive group of scientists with vast experience in nutrition and metabolism agreeing with the conclusion that sugar-sweetened beverages increase cardiometabolic risk factors compared to equal amounts of starch," said lead author Kimber Stanhope.

Another interesting point of consensus among researchers was the role of the sugar substitute aspartame.

The authors agreed that aspartame does not promote weight gain in adults. Stanhope said this might come as a surprise to most people.

"If you go on the internet and look up aspartame, the layperson would be convinced that aspartame is going to make them fat, but it's not," said Stanhope. "The long and short of it is that no human studies on noncaloric sweeteners show weight gain."

The authors also agreed that consumption of polyunsaturated (n-6) fats, such as those found in some vegetable oils, seeds and nuts, lowers disease risk when compared with equal amounts of saturated fats.

However, that conclusion comes with a caveat. Dairy foods such as cheese and yogurts, which can be high in saturated fats, have been associated with reduced cardiometabolic risk.

The paper reviewed the significant challenges involved in conducting and interpreting nutrition research.

"We have a long way to go to get precise answers on a lot of different nutrition issues," said Stanhope. "Nevertheless, we all agree that a healthy diet pattern consisting of minimally processed whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats promotes health compared with the refined and palatable typical Western diet pattern."

The study appears in the journal Obesity Reviews.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Melatonin is a hormone known to promote sleep. But, have you ever wondered how melatonin helps to promote sleep? Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have discovered how melatonin suppresses the neurons in the brain that keeps you awake and alert. The findings of the study, which is published in the Journal of Pineal Research, could lead to new therapies for those who suffer from insomnia.

"We as a society are losing sleep because we are working too hard, and it's causing a variety of health concerns," said Mahesh Thakkar, lead author of the study. "We often don't even think about sleep or consider it important. However, there is nothing more important than sleep. We need to focus on therapies that can help you have quality sleep, not just sleep."

Using a mouse model, Thakkar's research found that melatonin infused in the brain at dark -- when the mice are awake and active -- increased sleep and reduced wakefulness by suppressing specific neurons that stimulate the brain to wake up.

Thakkar also discovered that blocking melatonin receptors in the brain at bedtime significantly increased wakefulness. The experiments singled out one receptor, MT1, as the mechanism via which melatonin acts to inhibit the specific orexin neurons that wake you up. This discovery could help lead to medications that target only the MT1 receptor instead of multiple receptors, which could lead to fewer side effects for those who take sleep-promoting drugs.

"Melatonin has been used as a sleep drug for many years, but people didn't know how it worked," Thakkar said. "Our research suggests that if you target the melatonin MT1 receptor, you will get the most sleep with minimal side effects."

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI)

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Representational Image

According to WHO, about 9.8 million people die every year due to hypertension-related complications. Hypertension is considered a silent killer producing heart disease, kidney failure and strokes. About 35 percent of world population above the age of 25 suffers from hypertension. One of the important strategies to lower hypertension in the population and its complications is reducing salt intake. Developed countries like Finland, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada have been actively campaigning for the reduction of salt intake in the population. In these countries, there has been a close association between government and NGO’s for this purpose. Finland was the first country to show an enormous health benefit by reducing salt in the diet. Not only the population’s health improves, there is also a great benefit in saving health expenditure related to heart revascularization and dialysis.

How does eating salt lead to or cause hypertension?

Eating salt increases the amount of salt in your blood, which ruins the balance of electrolytes and other vitamins and minerals in your body. This imbalance reduces your kidney's ability to filter out toxins from your body. It also reduces your kidney's ability to get rid of excess fluid from your body. This results in high blood pressure due to excess fluid in your body that exerts pressure on the blood vessels leading to the kidneys. 

How much is too much?

Dr Umesh Khanna, Senior Nephrologist and Secretary of Amar Gandhi Foundation said, “The WHO’s recommendation of salt intake from all sources is less than 5 grams per day. Salt or sodium is present in natural food, it is added while cooking and also used as a preservative for processed food. Considering the rapid economic growth that is happening in our country with urbanization and increased demand for processed food, it is imperative that we act at the earliest to control the salt intake of the Indian population.”

What happens when you reduce your salt intake?
“Salt or Sodium in various forms has been used as a preservative for several thousand years. It enhances the taste, prevents the growth of harmful microorganisms and can improve the texture of food, Taste is often a habit and high salt intake can saturate the taste buds. If you lower salt intake for 2 weeks you can start appreciating low salt intake and other tastes,” says Dr Umesh Khanna

What are the most common hidden sources of salt one should keep an eye out for?

Dr Umesh Khanna said, “Sodium in various forms is used as a flavouring, buffering, anticaking, leavening, thickening and stabilizing agent. The biggest culprit is in baked goods especially bread and instant noodles.”

How can a person start to reduce their salt intake?

Here are a few tips by Dr Umesh Khanna

Get used to low salt to allow the taste buds to recover: Not only does reducing your salt intake affect your blood pressure and other health parameters, it also helps you taste foods better.

Eat fresh food when possible: Since processed foods are packed with high levels of salt, switching to fresh and natural foods is the best way to reduce your daily salt intake.

Add less salt in cooking: With high amounts of salt added to food, your taste buds become immune to the level of salt and you will eventually need more salt in your food to bring out the taste you are looking for. Gradually reducing this amount will help you give up the high salt habit one step at a time. And since your taste buds will eventually become more sensitive to salt content in food, dishes made with low salt will start to taste as delicious as one with high salt content.

Do not add extra salt while at the table: A common practice in India is to provide a little bit of salt on the side of one’s plate while eating and to provide a salt shaker for one to spice up their soups. By stopping this practice, you can reduce your salt intake.

Use herbs and spices as flavouring agents: Ditch the salt and use herbs and other natural flavouring agents to your dishes that will help enhance the flavour while reducing your salt intake.

Dr Umesh Khanna, MD, DNB Nephrology, Lancelot Kidney & GI Center, Karuna Hospital & Asian Heart Institute. He is the Chairman, Mumbai Kidney Foundation, Trustee, Sapiens Health Foundation, Secretary, Mumbai Nephrology Group and the Secretary, Amar Gandhi Foundation

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Among couples being treated for infertility, depression in the male partner was linked to lower pregnancy chances, according to a study.

The study showed that couples in which the male partner had major depression were 60 per cent less likely to conceive and give birth than those in which the male partner did not have major depression.

On the other hand, depression in the female partner was not found to influence the rate of birth.

In addition, intake of a class of antidepressants known as non-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (non-SSRIs) was also linked to a higher risk of early pregnancy loss among females being treated for infertility, the study appearing in the journal Fertility and Sterility, noted.

However, SSRIs, another class of antidepressants, were not linked to pregnancy loss. Neither depression in the female partner nor the use of any other class of antidepressant were linked to lower pregnancy rates.

"Our study provides infertility patients and their physicians with new information to consider when making treatment decisions," said Esther Eisenberg, at National Institutes of Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in Maryland, US.

Citing previous studies, the authors noted that 41 per cent of women seeking fertility treatments have symptoms of depression.

Another study of men seeking in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments reported that nearly 50 per cent experienced depression.

For the study, the team analysed data for 1,650 women and 1,608 men to evaluate the potential influence of depression in couples seeking non-IVF treatments.

Among the women, 5.96 per cent were rated as having active major depression, compared to 2.28 per cent of the men.

Women using non-SSRIs were roughly 3.5 times as likely to have a first-trimester pregnancy loss, compared to those not using antidepressants.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Researchers have found that long term chronic isolation cause the build-up of a chemical in the brain, that increases stress, aggression and fear.

The mice isolated for two weeks showed behavioural changes like, increased aggressiveness towards unfamiliar mice, persistent fear, and hypersensitivity to threatening stimuli.

When encountering a threatening stimulus, mice that have been socially isolated remain frozen in place long after the threat has passed, whereas normal mice stop freezing soon after the threat is removed, the research said.

Although the study was done in mice, it has potential implications for understanding how chronic stress affects humans and has potential applications for treating mental health disorders, said lead author Moriel Zelikowsky, postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology in the US.

Previous studies have determined that social isolation for two weeks in mice resulted in the upregulation of the signalling molecule neuropeptide, tachykinin 2 (Tac2)/neurokinin B (NkB) -- a short protein molecule.

In the new study, published in the journal Cell, the team found that chronic isolation leads to an increase in Tac2 gene expression and the production of a neuropeptide called neurokinin B (NkB) throughout the brain.

But, administration of a drug that chemically blocks NkB-specific receptors enabled the stressed mice to behave normally, eliminating the negative effects of social isolation.

On the other hand, artificially increasing Tac2 levels and activating the corresponding neurons in normal, animals led them to behave like isolated and stressed, the research showed.

Suppressing the Tac2 gene in certain different brain parts, increased fear behaviours, or aggression accordingly, implying that it must increase in different brain regions to produce the various effects of social isolation, the researchers said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

A slow and steady weight loss plan is always a good idea, but losing weight too fast means putting your health at a risk which can lead to severe issues. So, be wise about undertaking excessive exercising or going for a crash diet. Pooja Chaudhary, wellness consultant, Healthians, an online diagnostic center that offers at-home services, lists down the common factors to take care of during a weight loss regime:

Losing weight around 0.45 kg-0.9 kg per week is a safe bet. But losing more than that can be considered as rapid weight loss which can have an impact on the health. At the start of exercise plan or diet plan, people witness a sudden weight loss of 2-3 kg. This is actually the water weight.

Angeli Misra, Co-founder of Lifeline Laboratory, lists down a few side effects of losing weight too fast:

1. It could damage your liver: Alcohol is not the only factor that puts you at a risk of developing a fatty liver. Sometimes following a surgery to reduce weight can also affect your liver.

2. Loose skin: Rapid weight loss leads to loose skin as skin loses elasticity.

3. It may slow down your metabolism: Excess of everything is bad. Excessive exercises and crash dieting can slow down your metabolism as you easily and soon get tired. Due to that your body works slow and you feel a sense of fatigue.

4. Other side effects: Losing weight fast by doing excessive exercise, swimming and crash diet may be linked to several other side effects like hunger, fatigue, irritability, muscle cramps, dizziness, constipation or diarrhea.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Want to stay young for long? If so, start exercising four to five times a day as it may help keep your heart stay healthy and slow down ageing, according to researchers. Research showed that different sizes of arteries are affected differently by varying amounts of exercise.

While exercising for about two to three days a week for about 30 minutes may be sufficient to minimise stiffening of middle-sized arteries, exercising for about four to five days a week is required to keep the larger central arteries youthful.

The study would help "develop exercise programmes to keep the heart youthful and even turn back time on older hearts and blood vessels", said one of the study authors, Benjamin Levine from the University of Texas.

With age, arteries -- which transport blood in and out of the heart -- become prone to stiffening, increasing the risk of heart diseases.

For the study, published in The Journal of Physiology, the team examined 102 people over 60 years old, with a consistent lifelong exercise history.

The participants were divided into four groups depending on their exercise history -- Sedentary: less than 2 exercise sessions per week; Casual Exercisers: 2-3 exercise sessions per week; Committed Exercisers: 4-5 exercise sessions per week and Masters Athletes: 6-7 exercise sessions per week.

A lifelong history of casual exercise (two-three times a week) resulted in more youthful middle-sized arteries, which supply oxygenated blood to the head and neck.

However, committed exercisers (4-5 times per week) also had more youthful large central arteries, which provide blood to the chest and abdomen, in addition to healthier middle-sized ones.

Larger arteries need more frequent exercise to slow down ageing, the researchers said.

The findings will help see "if we can reverse the ageing of a heart and blood vessels by using the right amount of exercise at the right time", Levine explained.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Glass containers in which Arora has collected soil from different parts of Aarey. PICS/ABIGAIL D’Souza 

A conversation with artist Vikram Arora throws up a vital piece of insight into the issue of deforestation at Aarey Colony. Arora, along with four artists from Hong Kong and a Serbian national based in Mumbai, is spending a few days living with locals in the city’s jeopardised green cover, and he tells us, “The tribals here have a family that doesn’t include only the people they live with. It includes the trees they planted, the animals and birds that depend on those trees, the leopards around them and so on. So everything is inter-dependent, and the fallout [of deforestation] is ecological in nature, because the birds don’t have those trees any more. And the leopards will confront humans because their habitat has been taken away.”

This is the issue that forms the backbone of a project called Forest Tales: Mysteries Hidden in Concrete. It involves the six people creating individual works of art based on their experience of living in the heart of Aarey Colony, immersing themselves in the local culture by tilling the soil that nurtures the food that their hosts cook for them.

Chim Chi Ho tilling soil

Arora tells us that one of his projects, for instance, requires him to collect 33 types of soil from different parts of Aarey, symbolic of the 33 hectares of land in the area that is lost to the demands of construction work for the disputed Metro project. “I will put these bits of soil into 33 different containers on which I will draw Warli art, a traditional tribal style. The idea is to archive the memory of the soil in case that land is also taken away in the future. I will present the different glass containers as an installation to show how, if we proceed without long-term planning, we will end up building a fragile future for ourselves,” he says.

The other project he has embarked on is called Cut Me a Slice of That. For it, he will bake a pie inspired by savelya, a local sweet dish made with coconut and jaggery, which his host taught him to make. He will then serve that pie cut into different pieces when the various works of art are showcased to the public at an event later this week. “It’s meant to reflect the sentiment of how the land grab is taking place, piece by piece. For example, every time there is an emergency in the city, the NSG commandos are given a space in Aarey. A veterinary college is also given space here if they want it. Now the Metro wants its chunk too for the car shed. So, they keep taking this land away piece by piece, through rampant deforestation,” he explains.

(From left) Michael Leung, Vikram Arora, Gum Cheng, Yip Kai Chun and Chim Chi Ho, the artists living in Aarey. Katarina Rasic is not in the photo

Arora adds, however, that not everyone in the local community is against displacement. A few padas (settlement clusters), he says, are happy because they think they will get a house in a tower, though they eventually might never get to reach this carrot being dangled before them. “They are driven by economic sensibilities, thinking they will be moving into high society when, and if, they get those houses. But the whole idea is not only about them shifting base. Instead, it’s about the trees that are being cut to facilitate that process,” he says, pointing out how unless this urbanisation challenge is managed in a sensitive manner, ecological concerns are bound to be sacrificed at the altar of rampant concretisation.

Vikram Arora

ON May 20 AT Keltipada, Adivasi Pada, Unit no 18, Aarey Milk Colony, Goregaon East.
LOG ON TO artoxygen.org

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Chef Cham Hun Chakap plates a portion of chilli chicken. Chilli chicken is one of the spicier dishes that can be traced back to Tangra. But the food of the Kolkata locality is often a lot sweeter than other Indo-Chinese dishes because that’s how the Bengalis prefered it. This can be evidenced in something like honey chilli potato.

Chef Cham Hun Chakap moves around the kitchen with the assurance of a well-set batsman completing a comfortable single down to deep midwicket. He is running the show behind the scenes at a restaurant in an upscale Powai hotel, which is hosting an event called Tangra Festival. The dish that the chef is whipping up for us is chilli chicken, possibly the most ubiquitous item in the culinary spectrum of Indo-Chinese dishes. And he tells us that it was invented in Tangra, the new Chinatown in Kolkata, considered by many to be the Mecca of this particular cuisine.

Tangra does indeed occupy a unique spot in the country’s food-scape. It all goes back to about 100 years ago, when the British — along with Kolkata’s older Chinese community in Tirreti Bazaar — established the area, setting up leather factories there to manufacture boots and other goods for soldiers at the battlefront during World War I. Business picked up further during World War II. But then, the British packed their bags in 1947. So, the Chinese community took over the tanning operations. Their life ambled comfortably along, only to be turned upside down by the Indo-China war of 1962, when many indigenous Chinese people immigrated to safer havens like Canada, Australia and Taiwan. And suddenly, the community in Kolkata found its numbers to have considerably dwindled.

Food to the rescue
What’s worse is that the ones who were left behind, and who had picked up the mantle of the leather business from their predecessors, found themselves on the wrong side of the law after the state government deemed the tanning industry to be an environmental hazard in the mid-’90s. A large number of factories thus faced closure, with some being shifted to the nearby neighbourhood of Bantala. Many of the owners faced overnight financial ruin. So, to get out of the soup they found themselves in, they turned their attention to another business that had been gaining momentum in the area over the ’70s and ’80s — restaurants serving “Chinese” dishes.

“Initially, these restaurants were serving the authentic cuisine of the Chinese mainland. But that did not suit the palate of Kolkata’s Bengalis, who found it to be too bland. So the restaurants were running in losses in the beginning, till their owners decided to alter the recipes, adding Indian herbs and flavours,” chef Cham says, adding that this formed the genesis of what we call Chindian cuisine.

Illustration/Ravi Jadhav

These dishes, of course, bore as much resemblance to true-blue Chinese food as idli-sambar does to tandoori chicken. Instead of being stir-fried, for instance, most of the preparations were gravy-based. The spice quotient was also so much higher than a Shanghai local would put his chopsticks down to fan his mouth after one bite. Plus, while something like a Peking duck is roasted over a length of time, Tangra food was geared to suit the purposes of the quick-service restaurants there. This automatically also meant that the meat — including the fish items — was almost invariably diced into pieces, instead of being served whole, like some of the dishes in mainland China.

Pan-Indian acceptance
Be that as it may, the cuisine gradually started spreading to other parts of the country. Nelson Wang, a Tangra local who opened SoBo’s China Garden in 1984, is widely credited with having invented chicken Manchurian, a dish which if you say is Chinese, you might also say that the giant panda is India’s national animal. Punjabis also caught on to the trend, developing a brand of Sino-Ludhianvi dishes. And with time, Indo-Chinese food became a mainstay of restaurants in various cities, including Mumbai, where lunch home menus reserve equal space for “Chinese” dishes as they do for stuff like chana masala and aloo matar.

The credit for this goes to the original restaurateurs of Tangra who Indianised their indigenous dishes. But things are no longer hunky-dory in the Kolkata neighbourhood, says Dominic Lee, a fourth-generation Tangra local. “Many of the smaller restaurants are finding it difficult to sustain themselves, with only the bigger eateries, which have space for parking, constantly managing to upgrade themselves because they have the requisite capital,” he tells us, adding that the recent controversy around dubious meat being supposedly sold in the city’s restaurants has led to a further dip in fortunes.

Nonetheless, he continues, the legacy of the cuisine has left a permanent imprint on the history of India’s food. Take chilli chicken, something so popular that it’s travelled all the way from the humble Kolkata locality to the swish Powai hotel where chef Cham is making us his version of it. But when he is done in a matter of mere minutes, he recognises the look of doubt on our face after we have had a taste. “I have to make a blander variety because most of our customers are from the West, and they wouldn’t be able to handle something too spicy,” he explains, revealing how Indo-Chinese cuisine of the Tangra variety is a preserve of only our own countrymen.

Looking for it anywhere else in the world would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, for all practical purposes.

Awesome sauce
A huge contribution that Tangra has had is popularising the concept of chilli sauce. “You will find it in all the kathi roll shops dotted around Kolkata. But before we added it to our food to suit Indian taste buds, people had no clue about it,” says Lee.
Till May 27, 7 pm
To 11.30 pm
AT Emperor's Court, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, near Chinmayanand Ashram, Powai.
Call 8291165421

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

It's been a grim one week for residents of Vasai-Virar. Situated in Palghar district, 30 km north of Mumbai, the city — Maharashtra's fifth largest — has been fighting a tough battle against torrential downpour, which left several areas under water for nearly five days.

The situation was so deplorable that, for the first time in its history, the Western Railway was forced to collectively summon the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Navy, Army, the Coast Guard along with the Railway Protection Force to rescue over 2,000 passengers stranded in trains mid-way due to waterlogging on July 10 — the day the region received 240 mm rainfall.

On Thursday, two days after rain stopped, several areas continued to be severely waterlogged and had no electricity supply. Meanwhile, three people lost their lives after drowning, and hundreds of residents were forced to remain home bound.

Residents wade through knee-high water near H Colony, Vasai West, on Friday. Pics/Hanif Patel

Far from the hubbub of Mumbai, this fast-developing region, which comes under the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVMC), was drowning and any attempt to save it, appeared foolhardy. For old-time residents, who've witnessed the transformation of this green land into concrete, the flooding situation is new and alarming.

Local experts and environmentalists, however, blame unchecked dumping of sand in wetlands, and haphazard construction activities for residential and commercial spaces in Vasai-Virar — the new address for the up and coming middle-class — as the reason behind the slow crumble the city witnessed this monsoon.

Satish Lokhande, commissioner, VVMC vs Sameer Vartak, activist

How residents suffered
Before Vasai-Virar got its own municipal corporation in July 2009, it was already a chosen destination for real estate sharks due to its proximity to the Maximum City. Located along the banks of Vasai creek, which separates the region from Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar, the agrarian belt, comprising Vasai, Nalasopara, Naigaon and Virar, soon transformed into a residential hub. This change is evident in the four-fold increase of the population in the short span of 20 years — from three lakh in 1991 to over 12 lakh as per the 2011 Census.

On July 9, Vasai-Virar witnessed the first heavy downpour of the season. Several parts of Vasai and Nalasopara unexpectedly began flooding with low-lying areas along the creek facing the biggest risk. In Vasai, Suncity, Gass, 100 Feet Road, Samta Nagar, Evershine City were waterlogged, while Achole Road, Chheda Nagar and Samta Nagar in Nalasopara were also inundated with flood water. For Sameer Dudhwani, who resides on the second floor of DG Nagar Housing Society in Vasai West, where water levels had reached four feet, the heavy showers brought with it unexpected tragedy.

Sameer Dudhwani (right) shows a photograph of his ailing 65-year-old mother, Dilshad, who died on her way to the hospital on July 10, as he was unable to get her out of their waterlogged residential colony, DG Nagar Housing Society in Vasai West, in time for her dialysis appointment. Pics/Hanif Patel

Dudhwani, who resides with his wife and parents, lost his ailing 65-year-old mother, Dilshad, because he could not take her to the hospital on time. "My mother was on dialysis, and would get it done thrice a week.

She had an appointment for July 10, and we were supposed to take her to the hospital, but couldn't step out. As her condition became worse, my neighbours and I decided to lift her on our shoulders and wade out of the colony," Dudhwani recalled. Outside, they struggled to find transport. "Finally, a tempo driver helped us take her to the hospital. But, she died before reaching the hospital," he said.

Sameer Dudhwani

What made it worse was the fact that they could not bury her immediately due to lack of transport on the waterlogged roads. "We managed to bury the body only the following day," recounted a grief-stricken Dudhwani. Rosario D'Souza, a resident of 100 Feet Road, said the fire brigade officials from VVMC were a godsend, as they helped him drop his nine month-pregnant wife, who was in labour, to the hospital in an inflatable boat.

Rosario D'Souza, a resident of 100 Feet Road, said fire brigade officials from VVMC helped him drop his wife, who was in labour, to the hospital in an inflatable boat

The Vasai-Nalasopara-Virar rail stretch on WR was also severely affected with 400 mm water on the tracks by Tuesday morning. Passenger trains had to be stopped as water levels increased. Several outstation trains, including the Vadodara, Bhuj Bandra, Lokshakti and Jamnagar express trains, were halted. Passengers remained stuck for hours together without food, water or any help.

As the situation continued to get worse, AK Gupta, general manager, WR, rallied for help from all possible quarters. By late afternoon, teams from the NDRF started rescuing stranded local train passengers in inflatable boats. "Meanwhile, RPF teams reached out to passengers on the express trains. They had formed a human chain and taken out many passengers, but we also sought the help of the Navy for transport vehicles that could run in water," said Ravinder Bhakar, WR's chief public relations officer.

WR on Tuesday called the NDRF to help rescue passengers stranded in local trains, after the tracks were submerged in 400 mm water 

Poor town planning
According to bird enthusiast and Vasai resident Amol Lopes, the Vasai-Virar belt has always received heavy rainfall. "It rains a lot in this region every year, but it's the first time that we have witnessed flooding to such an extent," said Lopes, who has been living in Vasai for the last 37 years.

"The main reason is that a lot of construction bodies have recently started dumping sand and debris in the wetland areas. We have a lot of lakes and small ponds in Vasai and Virar, which serve as important channels to carry rain water to the nullahs and the sea. Due to the unchecked dumping, there is no natural reservoir for the rain water, causing townships to choke. In fact, several residents have reclaimed these wetlands and built houses over them," Lopes said, citing areas such as Gogte and Umela salt pans, and Vasai Suncity Road that are at risk due to this activity.

Fasle Hoque Qureshi, 33, (fourth from right) is a resident of Ambali Nagar. On July 10, he arranged biscuit packets for the stranded passengers of the Rajkot Trivandrum Express. The next day, Hoque, who also owns a restaurant, had food cooked and delivered to residents of Sant Jalaram Bapu Nagar. Among those who helped him were Farukh Pathan, a retired government official, advocate Ashok Mishra and local residents Usman Khan, Sandip Shukla and Jaiprakash

Environmentalist Stalin D from NGO Vanashakti raised similar concerns. "Check the maps of Vasai and Virar and you will realise why it is going underwater. Vasai and Virar are natural floodplains and not at all fit for townships, built on raised, reclaimed land. Yet, authorities continue to plan newer projects; due to this, illegal reclamation of land, and destruction of ecologically important wetlands and mangrove forests are rampant. No wetland has been spared and those un-built are also earmarked. Citizens don't have a choice as they cannot afford housing elsewhere," he said.

According to local activist Dominica Dabrey, at present, there are two major colonies under construction in Vasai West, which are blocking the path of the rain water that flows through a nullah. "The local corporation built a boundary wall near the nullah, narrowing its width, and causing excess rain water to overflow," said Dabrey.

Another local activist Sameer Vertak also showed mid-day several spots in Nalasopara where construction next to nullahs was rampant. He also pointed out a spot where debris had been dumped in a narrow gutter. Part of the Ulhas river, locally known as Sopara river, which starts from the hills in the eastern part of Vasai and ends in the Vasai creek, has also been encroached, and diverted, Vertak said.

"Also, while the population in these areas has increased manifold, the drainage system is as it was 15 years ago. The corporation has to increase the width of the drainage culvert, and clean them regularly," he said.

'Blame the rain gods'
Father Francis D'Britto, who first rang the alarm bells in 1989, when he approached the local tehsildar office of Vasai, demanding that they chart out a plan for the township, said, "At the time, I had warned them that if they did not tackle the situation soon, this place would drown. Look what's happening now."

 
Stalin D

Local MLA Hitendra Thakur said that Vasai recorded the highest rainfall till July 10, this season. "Last year, we recorded a total of 1,000 mm rainfall from the beginning of the monsoon season till July 10. But, this year we received around 1,700 mm rainfall," he said.

When contacted, Satish Lokhande, commissioner of VVMC also claimed that Vasai-Virar had received "abnormal rainfall" this year. "Also, due to the high tide, the water levels increased in Vasai creek, causing flooding in low-lying areas like Tulinj, Central Park and Deen Dayal Nagar," he said. Lokhande admitted that the drainage capacity in these areas was poor.

He, however, denied that unauthorised construction and encroachment in the Vasai area was responsible for the flood-like situation. "The drainage culvert carrying water from the city is very narrow. It needs to be enlarged and two new culverts need to be built. But, the culvert is on railway land. Our corporation is working on getting requisite permissions."

Chulna villagers rescue orphans

Over the last one week, residents of Chulna village in Vasai West, have come to the rescue of girls from a nearby hostel, Fatima Mata Convent. The hostel is home to 75 girls, most of whom are orphans. During the heavy showers that crippled Vasai, the area around the ashram was severely waterlogged, and the girls were forced to stay indoors. The residents, however, decided to make room for them in their own houses. Each villager adopted three to four girls. "We have kept them at our homes, where we are taking care of them. We have even arranged bus services for them so that they can go to school as usual. They will be with us till the situation gets better," said Asmita D'Costa.

With inputs by Rajendra B Aklekar

Also Read: Mumbai Rains: Vasai-Virar limp back to normalcy after deluge

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Palghar: A shocking incident of two Rajasthani women having been allegedly "sold off to recover dowry" has come to light on Monday in Virar town in Thane, officials said. Following sustained efforts by social activists, Virar Police on October 9 booked a dozen persons including a chartered accountant and a businessman, besides their family members and other associates, in the case, Investigating Officer Lakshmi Borkar told IANS.

According to the complaint, the two women -- both sisters in their 20s, hailing from Rajasthan -- were married on March 10, 2015 with two brothers, businessman Sanjay Raval and Varun Rawal, a CA -- both based in Virar, around 60 km from Mumbai.Six months after their wedding, the Ravals and their family members started harassing the sisters for dowry as the Sanjay and Varun wanted to buy a shop to launch a new business.

Somehow the victims' family managed to raise Rs 5,00,000 and handed it over to the Ravals, but later they demanded another Rs 4,00,000.The two daughters-in-law said it was not possible for their middle-class parents to raise such a huge amount again, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

The sisters were subjected to physical torture and mental trauma by their husbands and members of the Raval family. On August 30, the Raval family took the two women to a village in Rajasthan's Pindwara town of Sirohi distict and kept them in captivity. For 10 days, several men including some relatives came and physically abused the two sisters and then ordered them to go back to the Raval family in Virar.

They sent an unknown person to accompany the two sisters to Virar, but when the train stopped at Vasai, their escort seized their bags and barred them from getting off. This led to an altercation in full view of the co-passengers inside the train and the escort said they could not get off at Vasai but at Mira Road, in adjoining Thane district.

The escort was also heard shouting that he had "paid Rs 1,50,000 for the two women and now he would recover that amount fully before freeing them". Fortunately for the distraught sisters, some co-passengers intervened and allowed them to deboard at Vasai before the train departed. The sisters went back to their home in Suman Complex and narrated their sad plight to the neighbours.

A few neighbours accompanied the sisters to the police to lodge a complaint against the Raval family, but for nearly a month, the police reportedly dodged the issue. It was only after the neighbours and some local social activists approached the higher police authorities that the complaint was finally registered on October 9 naming 12 accused in the case. They include: the victims' husbands, Sanjay and Varun Raval, their father-in-law Mohanlal Raval, mother-in-law Leeladevi Raval, some uncles, aunts, a few relatives and other outsiders.

Borkar said an investigation was underway and no arrests have been made. Independent sources revealed that the two prime accused Raval brothers -- Sanjay and Varun -- have reportedly gone underground.The police have slapped serious charges against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to dowry demand, mental and physical torture, kidnapping, Borkar added.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Even after spending Rs 3.50 lakh and working for more than 30 days to set up the Dhobi Ghat police chowkie, the locals have not been able to get the structure inaugurated. Reason: The Dharavi police reportedly refused to attend the inaugural ceremony scheduled on Wednesday, just because the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has termed the structure illegal. More than 100 residents of the area are now trying to convince the police officers to help inaugurate the chowkie.

The civic body had demolished the beat chowkie last year after the walls of the structure developed cracks and it became dangerous. Even though at that time BMC had promised to rebuild it, no development happened thereafter. However, last month Dharavi Nagrik Seva Samiti took up the responsibility of rebuilding the structure and raised money for the purpose. After construction work started on January 15, the samiti decided to inaugurate it on Republic Day, but then they had to postpone it to February 6.

Meanwhile, BMC said that the structure would be razed, as there was no place for a chowkie in the area as per the development plan.

"The chowkie was first built in 1991. Since then it has been razed twice and rebuilt again. At that time BMC had no objections to the structure, but now they have issues," said a Dharavi resident.

"Due to BMC's negative approach, even the cops did not attend the inaugural ceremony. This is really disheartening for all of us," another resident said.

Speaking to mid-day, Siddharth Medhe, president of Dharavi Nagrik Seva Samiti, said, "We had planned the inauguration on February 6, but now it has been rescheduled. None of the cops confirmed their presence for the event. Hence, we had to cancel it. Members from our team will visit the officers to know their concerns and then decide on another date for the inauguration."

Even after several attempts to contact the senior police inspector of Dharavi police station, he refused to comment on the matter.

Popcorn

• Jan 15: Day construction work of the chowkie had started
• 70: No. of residents who have funded the project
• 1991: Year the chowkie was first set up

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Girgaum Chowpatty in South Mumbai is set to undergo a major transformation. The beach will be declared Mumbai's first Clean Street Hub by the Food Safety Standards of India(FSSI) and the Food and Drugs Administration(FDA) on February 28.

The shop vendors will wear uniforms which have logos of their individual brands and swachhata ambassadors will pick up litter and educate citizens about public hygiene. The beach will also have live performances by street artists.

Mumbai Mirror quoted Vishwas Mote, assistant commissioner D ward as saying, We received FDA and FSSI guidelines from Delhi under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on maintaining hygiene at Bhel Plaza. We had audited the stalls in December and completed their training in January."

He also added that the trees around the stalls will have tree guards and seating arrangements will be made for people to sit and enjoy live performances on the beach.

"This is being revamped to international standards. There will more lights for the stalls. And to inculcate a sense of responsibility in keeping the stalls clean, the stall owners will hire two swachhta ambassadors. They will pick up any thrown litter, and will educate people on civic sense, to make them responsible for their own garbage."

Mote also mentioned that the Swachhata ambassadors will be given white uniforms and white caps. He said, "It is a multi-directional approach, where even helpers and chefs will sport branded uniforms for each stall, and the boards and nameplates will have a uniform design. The common hand-washing area for patrons will also be spruced up."

A vendor, Atul Gupta said that they had received training for four hours from the BMC.

He added, "We were told that if we had any vices like chewing tobacco or smoking, we should do it outside the beach, and not while serving customers. We were given minute details about washing hands and serving customers. We were instructed not just to clean the work stations, but also the inside of refrigerators. If we keep our surroundings clean, it will also keep rats and roaches at bay."

Indrani Malkani who is the member of the high-powered committee appointed by Bombay High Court said, "Hygiene is an all-encompassing aspect. Not just cooking part, but even when they are washing up. Street food is a great attraction in South East Asian countries, and Girgaum Chowpatty is synonymous with bhelpuri. The idea of inculcating hygiene habits among those who make and serve food is the prime focus."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

The article has been sourced from third-party source and Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. All information provided on this article is for informational purposes only.

Yes, you would have possibly spotted him somewhere. Probably in a movie. Most thi­nk that actor Ash Chand­l­er, who is performing wi­th his outfit Redux this weekend, has taken up mu­sic recently. The tr­uth is he fi­rst came to India (fr­om the US, where he grew up) in 1999 to release a Hindi pop album, and actually started out as stand-up comedian. 

While he paid attention to his acting career, it was when he had an accident four years ago that he felt revived — as did the musician in him. And he formed Ash Chandler Redux with Angelo Colaco (drums), Keith Donald (bass), Rahul Wadhwani (keys), Ulric Sequeira (guitar), Anand Vaity (saxophone, clarinet) and Heather Andrews (vocals).

The gig will include their re­ndition of jazz standards and tango cl­a­ssics in Spanish. "I want to write songs about lo­ve, and the nature of hum­a­ns. My original work hasn't be­en political. But I do be­lieve in spreading the me­ssage that everyone has to start accepting th­e­mselves and not seek va­lidation. It's crucial for pe­ace. Every drop of bl­o­od will result in 10 mo­re drops," he concludes.

ON March 3, 7 pm
AT NCPA,Tata Theatre, Nariman Point 
LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com
Cost Rs 300 onwards

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Explore the hidden village of Chuim, a small settlement in Bandra. The former farming hamlet is mostly populated by the East Indian community, the city’s original inhabitants. Lesser known than the popular settlements of Pali and Ranwar, Chuim village offers a new and relatively unseen face of the city. Walk 221: ChuimChronicles, the 90-minute tour, involves a deep dive into Chuim and covers interactive sessions about East Indian culture, stories, traditions and the heritage of the settlement.

ON March 16, 5 pm
MEETING POINT St Vincent De Paul Church, Chuim Village, Khar West
CALL 8828100111
COST Rs 499

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

We're instantly intrigued by the images of coloured burgers topped with motifs from superhero fiction, posted by a new café in Kemps Corner whose opening we spotted while on an errand. We share the image with a friend, an avid comics fan, who aptly responds, "What the hell is that?" And that's the sort of bait it takes to convince someone from Central Mumbai to come to town.

The badges around the menu

We make a trip to the newly opened Pop Culture Cafe (PCC) on a Saturday afternoon. On entering the space we feel it is a true reflection of the city's real estate crunch. With keychains and baubles put up for sale, there are four high stools — good luck if you're vertically challenged like us — and a ledge that can accommodate about three people. If you plan on bringing a big group of friends and if you love them all, invite only one and let them breathe.

The menu includes pasta, pizza, burgers, shakes and waffles — all vegetarian and named after popular movies and TV shows.

Keychains available for sale

So, we pick the Hulk smaash pasta (Rs 250), the Hogwartz pizza (Rs 350), and a watermelon cooler (Rs 170). While we try to make conversation, the soundtrack of The Dark Knight by Hans Zimmer plays in the background. And even though we are fans, the vibe is a bit too weird. While we grumble about how there is no room for a quiet bite, let alone privacy, the food is literally handed over to us from the counter a few inches behind our backs.

Hulk smaash pasta

The cooler tastes more like a party punch with no trace of watermelon. One glance at the four-cheese pizza is enough to tell you it's unappetising; one bite, and you are convinced it is. You can only taste the mozarella and cheddar, and you'll be able to find a similar and tasteful variant at local food chains for a two-digit amount. Our last hope is the pasta. While we click a picture of the dish blended in pesto sauce with mozzarella sprinkles, the staff places a piggy bank shaped like the clenched fist of the Hulk next to it (resembling our fists at the moment). Our friend has the first go, and we nervously watch him drop his spoon in disappointment. It's bland, as is the presentation. He's kind to sum up the experience as average, but we sure as hell want our money back.

Watermelon cooler

Even though the place might appeal to the die-hard fan, it doesn't do justice to its price point. And it is also situated in a building that houses a popular coffee chain, a brewery and a Neapolitan restaurant. If you happen to get lost in the narrow alleyways in search of PCC and land up at any one of these, you can thank your stars.

Coloured burgers 

AT Pop Culture Cafe, Kwality House, Kemps Corner.
TIME 12 pm to 11 pm
CALL 8452928428

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Pop Culture Cafe didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals

It was in March 2018 that we had first written in these pages about Awestrung, a monthly gig series held at a Lower Parel mall. But after that, all information about subsequent editions had dried up. The reason is that the organisers had temporarily shelved the property because they felt that they needed to refresh the format, and come back with something bigger and better. And that's exactly what's happening this weekend when Awestrung returns on an unprecedented scale, with 50 artistes from diverse genres sharing the stage.

This comeback was orchestrated after Artists Aloud — the indie wing of a major music company — approached the folks at High Street Phoenix, the mall where the concert is held, with a proposition. Soumini Sridhara Paul, VP of Artists Aloud, tells us, "When we started speaking [to the mall authorities], we told them that we have a format where, in 2012, we had brought in 50 artistes to perform together on stage. We said, 'Why not replicate that model for Awestrung?' They replied, 'Let's do this.' And that's how we came to be partners."

Soumini Sridhara Paul

She adds that the line-up is curated in such a way that the emphasis is on independent artistes making original music. So, you have a Hindi rock band like the Delhi-based Faridkot. There's local electro-rock act Laxmi Bomb. Manganiyar mainstay Mame Khan is on the bill, too, as is rapper ACE of the crew Mumbai's Finest. Then there are electronic producers, singer-songwriters and Sufi acts, among others who complete the list of performers. In short, name it and chances are that you will have an act playing a genre you like.

Each outfit will get a maximum of 10 minutes on stage so that things keep moving, with a compère, Mihir Joshi, keeping the audience entertained in the interim. Mame Khan is the penultimate performer, before Smokey, a Mumbai-based DJ, brings the show to an end. She tells us, "Imagine, I am closing the festival. So, all the focus will be on me and there's thus a bit of both, nervousness and excitement. But I'll keep my set chilled, so that it's a nice goodbye for everyone." Which is just as well, because after the gamut of music that will be on offer, a mellow note is possibly the best way to end this massive, eight-hour concert.

ON March 22, 2 pm
AT High Street Phoenix, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
Log on to insider.in

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Homeless people sleeping under flyovers with BMWs on top. Urchins laying their palms out before corporate workers. Fancy high-rises looking down on slums with families of six living in shanties. And defunct mills transformed into glitzy malls. That, in a nutshell, is what the Lower Parel area resembles today. It's a place that epitomises the disparate economic standing of Mumbai's citizens. But that wasn't always the case. Back in the late '80s, when the area's mill culture still hadn't bitten the dust, there were hardly any skyscrapers. Kingston Towers, for instance, is one of the many swanky residential properties that came up later. And it's partly the setting for a play that seeks to highlight the class conflict prevalent in the area ever since real estate companies turned the place into their private playground, displacing poorer families from chawls to zopadpattis (Marathi: slums), or to places like Dombivali and Panvel instead.

The play is called Todi Mill Fantasy, written by Sujay Jadhav. The plot revolves around three friends — Ghyanta, Shirish and Ameya — with stars in their eyes. There is also a girl, Isha. And an assortment of other characters, such as a money-hungry broker named Gawde Bai, help the audience gauge how the changing milieu of the mill district has entrapped succeeding generations in a vicious cycle of corruption.

Director Vinayak Kolwankar gives us a brief sketch of the storyline, which is part reality and part fantasy. It goes like this: Ghyanta encounters Isha one night while cleaning the toilet at Todi Mill Social, where he works. She's a rich girl on the run from cops who want to book her for drunken-driving. So, the boy helps her hide in the loo. They strike up a conversation and Ghyanta tells Isha about his plans to get rich. He says that he wants to set up a Dharavi-like slum tourism start-up with Ameya and Shirish. For that, they had planned to build a ropeway from the roof of Kingston Towers to Kalachowkie, the area where their slum is located. So, they had approached Gawde Bai for logistical help. But she told them, "Why do you want to set up a slum tourism business when Kalachowkie itself will be razed in two years? I have a better idea. Why don't you join me in evicting people from the slum instead and get paid a bomb for it?"

(From left) Jaydeep Marathe, playing Shirish; Kapil Redekar, or Ameya; and Shubhankar Ekbote, or Ghyanta

Kolwankar tells us, "Meanwhile, while Ghyanta is telling Isha this story, Ameya and Shirish are waiting for him with alcohol on the roof of a public toilet within Kingston Towers, to discuss whether they will go ahead with their start-up or join Gawde Bai. But they end up drinking too much. And Shirish, in his stupor, throws a rock that breaks a glass in the complex, for which he's caught and sent to jail. That's the point where the interval begins."

The play then enters the realm of fantasy once the curtains reopen. Now, Ghyanta and Isha are standing on the roof of Kingston Towers, on their wedding day. In this dreamland, Ghyanta is a well-off person after having helped Gawde Bai empty 200 shanties in Kalachowkie. But then, from the rooftop, he sees an identical BMW being parked next to the one he's bought with his new-found wealth. "Who dares buy the same car as you?"

Isha asks him. And that's when they turn around to see Shirish. It's his car. He, too, is wealthy now, having acquired the 300 remaining dwellings in their sum. But Isha is the ultimate prize he is eyeing. And the play ends on a note of how the present-day class conflict in the Lower Parel area affects not just romantic relationships, but friendship as well.

ON March 2, 8.30 pm AT Yashwant Natyamandir, Matunga West.
Call 24333225
Cost Rs 200

The play ends on a note of how the class conflict in the Lower Parel area affects not just romantic relationships, but friendship, too.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Following an outcry from the residents of Dosti Blossom and Dosti Daffodil, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to appoint IIT-Bombay or VJTI engineers for a structural audit of the buildings, to ascertain damage to them due to excavation on the adjoining Krishna Steel plot.

On Monday, a huge landslide at the neighbouring Lloyds Estate raised serious questions about the construction going on Krishna Steel plot, which is being developed by the builder Dosti Realty Ltd. After the accident, residents of Lloyds Estate, Dosti Blossom and Dosti Daffodil alleged that the builder was doing excess excavation at Krishna Steel plot and weak shore piling has been damaging their buildings for the past year. They also claimed no action was taken by BMC and the developer to avert a mishap.

Commissioner's approval needed
Speaking to mid-day, deputy chief engineer of the Building Proposal (BP) Department (city), R S Potdar said, "We have prepared a proposal to appoint experts like IIT-Bombay or VJTI for a structural audit of these buildings. Since we don't do structural audits of private buildings, we will have to take approval from the municipal commissioner. After that we will decide the further course of action." However, residents of Dosti Blossom said that they don't know anything about BMC's plan of appointing IIT-Bombay or VJTI experts. "We met officials from the building proposal department on Wednesday but there was no word about any such plan," said a resident.

'BMC harassed us'
Residents of Dosti Blossom and Dosti Daffodil buildings have alleged that last year when they raised an alarm over the sinking portions of their compound and cracks in their buildings due to excess excavation done at Krishna Steel plot, the BMC harassed them instead of taking action against builder. On Thursday, committee members of Dosti Blossom and Dosti Daffodil showed their letters to different civic departments regarding the dangerous condition of their buildings.

Manoj Gurav of Dosti Blossom said, "Last year after April we observed cracks on the building columns and sinking in the parking area which is adjoining the plot where excavation is going on. A huge portion of our parking area had sunk about a foot. Following this we had sent letters to the builder and the BMC to take action and make the premises safe." He added, "Instead of taking action against the builder, the F-North ward of the BMC sent us a letter, and held us liable for the damage done to the building. BMC officials told us to carry out a structural audit otherwise action would be initiated against us."

Also Read: Lloyd estate wall collapse: BMC bars Dosti Realty from construction at Wadala site

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

The Lodhs of Ghatkopar loathe Tata Power, because they received a Rs 27,000 power bill from the company in May. This was shocking for the family because the only people who reside in the 1BHK flat in Amrut Nagar are Kalidas Lodh, 76, and his wife Gopa, both of whom make use of only basic electrical appliances.

Kalidas, the owner of the flat, is a Navy veteran and has been following up the issue with the service provider since May with the help of his son Kaushik, who is visiting him from the USA. The family alleges their complaint of electricity theft has been ignored. They've switched to another service provider after the incident and were stunned to see their electricity bill for the month of June, which was only Rs 2,000.

Meter is fine
The Lodhs had been receiving odd electricity bills since June 2016. However, the May bill this year shocked the family, after which they finally complained to the service provider. "Their technical team visited our house to check the problem. But they kept saying that the meter is working fine and if there is any tampering done beyond the main meter, it is out of their control to check and verify it. They kept insisting that we should check it ourselves with help from another electrician.

Isn't it the responsibility of the electricity service providers to verify the theft?" asked Kaushik, who said their former electricity service provider completely shrugged off their responsibility.

Kaushik added, "In one of the visits, even their technician saw how the meter showed units being consumed even when the main electricity supply switch of the house was off. It only made our doubts of theft stronger. But shockingly, in their written report, there was no mention of this observation as they kept insisting the service provider has no control over tampering beyond the main supply point of the building." Kaushik also approached the police to complain about the theft, "But officers at the Parksite police station told me that the right platform for me to complain is the consumer forum and not the police." Vilas Jadhav, senior police inspector of Parksite police station remained unavailable for comment.

Tata Power says
Ranjit Ganguly, group head of customer relationship management, Tata Power said, "For the excess billing, we'd checked the functionality of the meter, which was intact. He'd installed a separate meter in his house; we checked that one as well and found it to be in sync with the main meter. The complainant suspected tampering through the wires going from the main meter to his house. Regulatory guidelines for service providers clearly state that any wiring beyond the point of supply, which is the main meter box, is in the purview of the consumer... So...Tata Power as a utility service provider is unable to help."

Also read: Mumbai: Inflated power bills continue to haunt 61-year-old widow

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil on Friday said the controversy surrounding his party colleague Ram Kadam's remarks against women should end as the latter has apologised. Patil also advised public representatives saying they need to exercise caution while speaking. "Ram Kadam has apologised and the issue should now end. Kadam does not have a history of speaking ill about women. On the contrary, he is known for helping women immensely. Thousands of women in his constituency tie him rakhi every year," Patil told a Marathi news channel.

"Public representatives should be extremely cautious while speaking and they should properly frame every sentence in their heads before uttering them," the minister added. He said new channels should also try to show the true meaning of what has been spoken. "But if what the channels are saying about the remarks is right, the public representative should apologise.
In this case, Ram Kadam was not arrogant and he apologised...So the matter should come to an end," Patil said. Kadam, while speaking at an event during dahi handi celebrations in the city, had said hewould "kidnap" a girl a boy likeseven if she says no to the proposal. "You (youngsters) can meet me for any work," he is seen in the video clip, telling the crowd, mainly comprising youth.

Kadam was heard saying that he got requests from youngsters to help them after girls rejected their proposals. "I will help, 100 per cent. Come (to me) with your parents. What will I do if parents approve (the girl a boy has liked)? I will kidnap the girl concerned and hand her over to you (for marriage)," he was heard telling the crowd.

Kadam was also heard sharing his mobile number with the crowd. His remarks created a huge controversy as it drew sharp reactions from the opposition parties, Shiv Sena and women's organisations. The Maharashtra State Commission for Women issued a notice to Kadam over his remark.

In a video message issued Wednesday, Kadam expressed regret over his remarks saying, "I have very high regard for women. Without giving any explanation about the video clip (of his controversial remarks), I express my regret." He also tweeted saying, "By doctoring my statements, my political rivals created an atmosphere which has hurt the sentiments of our mothers and sisters. I have already expressed regret over my comments and (I am) once again tendering an apology to all my mothers and sisters."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

A constable attached to MIDC police station was arrested on Saturday for raping a 20-year-old who was caught stealing chocolates from D-Mart in Powai. The accused, Madhukar Avhad, has been arrested by the Powai police for rape.

The Powai police said, on February 6, they received a call from the D-Mart staff informing them about a woman caught stealing 10 chocolates from the store. Avhad, who was on duty at the time, visited the mall and took a detailed note in writing from the woman that she would not repeat the act. Avhad then took her Aadhaar card details and phone number.

The next day, Avhad called to the woman telling her he would return her Aadhaar card and statement. He then took her to a hotel near Aarey Road saying he would return it to her there.

On reaching the hotel room, Avhad forced himself on her and even took a selfie on her phone. Avhad then refused to return her statement and Aadhaar card telling her to meet him again. On Saturday, the woman's husband saw the selfie on her phone and registered a case of rape against the constable at Powai police station.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Thane: Political leaders cutting across party lines have opposed handing over of power distribution duties in three electricity subdivisions of Thane to a private player.

These leaders on Monday met at the circuit house here and among those who attended were Mumbra-Kalwa MLA (NCP) Jitendra Awhad, Shiv Sena MLA Subhash Bhoir, BJP MLA Kisan Kathore and Kalyan Shiv Sena district unit chief Gopal Landge.

These leaders claimed that the experiment to privatise electricity supply in the powerloom town of Bhiwandi here had failed and, hence, it should not be expanded to newer regions of the district. They also claimed that people were opposed to the entry of private players in place of the state-run Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) in this region.

On January 3 this year, private firm Torrent Power announced it had been appointed as electricity distribution franchisee for three sub-divisions under Thane urban circle of Maharashtra. "The company has emerged as the winner of competitive bidding process conducted by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) for the appointment of input based distribution franchisee for distribution of electricity in Shil, Mumbra and Kalwa sub-divisions under Thane urban circle, for 20 years," Torrent Power had said in a BSE filing. Shil, Mumbra and Kalwa sub-divisions have a customer base of 2.15 lakh, the filing said. The firm is also the electricity distribution franchisee in Bhiwandi since 2007 for a period of 20 years.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

A 25-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide following harassment by her husband and in-laws for dowry and giving birth to two daughters, police said on Thursday. Surekha Desale got married to Sharad Desale, a resident of Khinavali village in Sahapur taluka, in May 2016.

She gave birth to a daughter in 2017 and another girl in January this year, a police official said. Since the marriage, her in-laws allegedly harassed her for dowry and later for giving birth to two daughters, while they desired a male child, he said.

The woman had apparently informed her parents about the alleged harassment, the official said. Last Saturday, her in-laws called up her parents saying she was missing. Later that night, her body was found floating in a village well, he said.

Based on a complaint by her brother, the police on Wednesday booked her husband, father-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law under IPC Sections 304-B, (dowry death) 306 (abetment of suicide), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 498-A (cruelty) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said. No arrest was made so far, he said, adding that a probe was underway in the case.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Enjoy a vegan gourmet experience this Wednesday where you can tuck into dishes like cauliflower pistachio quinoa with cauliflower cream and roasted garlic panisse; beetroot kibbeh with a beetroot walnut pomegranate cream and salted vegan feta; and cacao olive oil cake with cacao oil and lemon coconut ice cream.

The event is curated by chef Raveena Taurani, who says, "Normally, when we step into a restaurant, the main course always focuses on an animal protein or a carbohydrate-heavy dish, but I was keen to showcase the vegetable as a true hero and show people how even veggies can be wholesome and flavourful in a meal."

ON February 27, 8 pm to 10 pm
AT Yogisattva, Pinnacle House, 15th Road, PD Hinduja Junction, Khar West 
CALL 9867455009
LOG ON TO yogisattva.com
COST Rs 2,700

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Breaking a leg to commercial tunes blaring out of speakers at a crowded club might be fun for some. But a cosy setting with a close group of friends huddled around a table, sipping on cold beer, sounds more like the kind of night the time-strapped and hard-working Mumbaikar might opt for when looking to unwind.

A glimpse from a Beer Tales session

It is this milieu that Effingut, which debuted in the city last year, is trying to emulate. "Our outlet in Bandra is more of a sit-down place where there's no loud music, so you can have real conversations. We thought, 'What do people do when they meet up at a friend's place?' They sit and talk, and typically it's about things like Game of Thrones, or the latest Marvel movie. And that's when we decided to launch this programme," says Sanika Kelkar, who helms marketing for the brewery, speaking about Beer Tales, a weekly interactive session.

Sanika Kelkar

At these events, Kelkar explains, what transpires is a casual chat with attendees discussing everything ranging from contorted Game of Thrones theories to the best songs by Coldplay. "We have got a great response. In fact, the idea to host a meet-up themed around Friends came from our patrons," Kelkar shares, adding, "To keep the enthusiasm going we have giveaways, like beer, DVDs and cool merchandise. We are hoping to organise larger events and meet and greet sessions, too, but we want to keep the essence of these get-togethers casual."

At: Effingut, Linking Road, Bandra West.
On: Every Tuesday, 8 pm to 11 pm
Call: 8657449223

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates

An engineering graduate, Navin Noronha is also an openly gay stand-up comedian, who uses his humour to acquaint people with the struggles of the LGBTQ community. Watch him at his comedy special, The Good Child, which covers humorous takes on what it's like to grow up queer in India. From stories about coming out and online dating, to tackling family and gay relationships, Noronha will cover it all.

ON March 22, 8.30 pm
AT The Habitat, Khar West 
LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com
ENTRY Rs 250

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

She's a Kapoor. And she's not a part of Bollywood. But since her return from a music school in LA last year, Tulsi Kapoor is making all the right noises with her bluesy-rock compositions, unfiltered lyrics and raw, intimate vocals.

She picked up the keys at the age of four, and moved on to formal piano classes at 15, before picking up the guitar, African percussion instruments and the harmonica. She's now learning the flute from her mother. And contrary to popular belief, she didn't grow up listening to just Bollywood, a genre she appreciates. "My grandfather, Shammi Kapoor, was trained in Hindustani classical and used to sing as hobby. So, I was exposed to a lot of jazz and blues as a kid thanks to him, and my father [Aditya Raj Kapoor] who loves The Beatles and mom [Priti Kapoor]who played a lot of ABBA," says Kapoor. Her travels to the Middle East and the US also introduced her to Portuguese music and Bossa Nova, which find their way in her compositions.

"My music has been influenced by blues and rock, and instrumental music. It's an extension of my personality, emotions and straightforwardness. My lyrics are simple and relatable, and I always appreciate a good hook," she explains.

Shammi Kapoor and Tulsi Kapoor

The centrepiece of her gig will be the track Bloom, which she will perform tonight for the first time. The lyrics talk about rape and abuse, and chart the story of a young girl who falls into wrong hands, only to further fall into the trap of the temporary comforter, who further abuses the trust she places. "We need to understand that rape is about power not sex. It's about dominance of something people can't handle. Some are vindictive cases by those who were abused when they were young, and carry their injuries. It's a pattern that society needs to recognise," she shares.

Adding that she believes that it's an artiste's responsibility to cause social change for the better, she will be using the influence that her last name provides her with, to talk about things that are taboo. "It's crucial that we power through that discomfort about such topics if we want things to change," she concludes.

This gig will be a tribute to her grandfather, who encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a musician and was her pillar of strength. She is currently teaching music in the city and working on releasing her debut album Bloom at the end of the year.

ON March 29, 7.30 pm onwards
AT The Integral Space, 14, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
LOG ON TO insider.in
Cost Rs 400

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Representational picture

San Francisco: Facebook has announced a new tool for website owners and developers that will alert them about phishing attacks on their platforms. "We are extending the capabilities of our 'Certificate Transparency Monitoring' tool to make it easier for developers to learn about new domains that are maliciously created to implement phishing attacks," security engineer David Huang and software engineers Bartosz Niemczura and Amy Xu said in a blog post late on Wednesday.

Phishing websites try to trick people into revealing their passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information.

The tool, announced during the F8 annual developer conference in San Jose, alerts website owners of these scams so that they can take action to protect their domain and the people who use their websites.

"Certificate Transparency Logs" are designed to keep a record of all valid security certificates issued by publicly-trusted Certificate Authorities.

"We have been using these logs to monitor certificates issued for domains owned by Facebook and have created tools to help developers take advantage of the same approach," the post said.

Using these tools, developers can learn about certificates that are mis-issued for the domains they control.

"We are extending the capabilities of our tool to send alerts when certificates are issued for potential phishing domains," the post added.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Popular image and video-sharing platform, Instagram, on Thursday, announced new ways to share content on 'Stories', connect with friends over videos, and discover new interests on 'Explore'. The platform also announced measures to protect Instagrammers from bullies.

Here are the changes:

Sharing to Stories

From a sticker of one's new favourite song on Spotify to action shots from GoPro, it's now easy to share what one is up to or how they are feeling by posting directly to Instagram Stories from other apps. More apps will be adding the sharing to Stories feature soon.

Just tap the share button in the Spotify or GoPro app and the content is pulled directly into the Instagram camera. From there one can edit and add to their story or send it via Direct. One does not need to connect their Instagram account to other apps in order to share to Stories.

Camera effects platform for Instagram

Face filters, text styles and stickers help turn casual moments into experiences one can't wait to share. Instagram is now unlocking the ability for third parties to design unique, interactive camera experiences for their followers.

That means that one can turn any video into an NBA dunkcam or add a cloud of hearts and Pomeranians to fluff up their photo.

Further, more fun creative effects from one's favourite accounts are coming soon, including Ariana Grande, Baby Ariel, Liza Koshy, Vogue, and Buzzfeed.

Video Chat

More than 100 million Instagrammers watch or share on Live every day. But the community sometimes also wants to experience real-time video in a smaller group.

In the coming weeks, Instagram will bring video chat to its platform and give friends a new way to spend time together - even when they aren't actually together.

To start a video chat, simply tap the new camera icon at the top of a Direct thread.

One can chat one-on-one or with a small group ¿ and they can keep the conversation going for as long as they like. Further, one can also minimise the video and continue the chat while doing other things on Instagram.

Video chat is testing now and will roll out globally soon.

The New Explore

People come to Explore every day to discover new ideas, people, and experiences. And now the redesigned Explore makes discovery even easier.

It will still be personalised, but the content will now be organised into topic channels so that one can browse across their interests and go deeper into any area they like.

The new Explore will be rolling out over the coming weeks.

Further, Instagram will filter bullying comments intended to harass or upset people on the platform.

In 2017, Instagram had announced an offensive comment filter, which would automatically hide toxic and divisive comments, particularly those aimed at at-risk groups.

This new filter hides comments containing attacks on a person's appearance or character, as well as threats to a person's well-being or health.

The bullying filter is on for the global community and can be disabled in the Comment Controls center in the app.

The new filter will also alert Instagram to repeated problems so that the company can take action.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever