Having done actioners like "Force", the "Commando" franchise and "Junglee", actor Vidyut Jammwal, who is known for his high-octane stunts on screen, says his next "Khuda Hafiz" is a hardcore romantic film.

"'Khuda Hafiz' is a romantic movie. It's a true story of a man who is madly in love with his wife, and gets married in 2009 during the recession. They go abroad and get a job. (The story is about) how this girl gets picked up and how the guy gets her back. It's a hardcore, true romantic movie with a little action," Vidyut told IANS.

The shooting of the film has taken place in Uzbekistan, Mumbai and Lucknow.

Directed by Faruk Kabir, the romantic-action-thriller co-stars Shivaleeka Oberoi, who recently made her debut in "Yeh Saali Aashiqui", opposite late Amrish Puri's grandson Vardhan Puri.

The film is produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak and co-produced by Sanjeev Joshi, Aditya Chowksey and Murlidhar Chhatwani. It will be distributed pan-India by Anand Pandit Motion Pictures and Panorama Films.

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Gully Boy-fame Vijay Verma says there are two Indian actors -- Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff -- influenced him to become the actor that he is today. Asked to recall a profound moment that made him think of taking acting seriously, Vijay told IANS: "For me, it was Sanjay Dutt in 'Vaastav'. That was one of those films, and his character was one of such that made me say, 'actor banna hai'. That performance impacted me so much! His character Raghu in the film was a man with a story of zero-to-hero. A man who became a gangster who roams around with pachaas-tola around his neck! Oh man! That was a performance! I think 'Vastaav' was the 'Agneepath' of my growing-up days!"

Did he share the story with Dutt when they met? "No, I haven't because I met him socially, a couple of times. I met him at Mr Bachchan's place but at those moments I was comfortable just being around him and getting a big hug! For sharing my story, we need to sit down and chat. That is yet to happen," replied the actor, who recently appeared in the ZEE5 original film Bamfaad.

This year, Vijay has had three more releases -- Ghost Stories", "She" along with "Baaghi 3". Vijay said that he is also a huge fan of "Baaghi 3" star Tiger Shroff's father, veteran actor Jackie Shroff.

"I am a fanboy of Jaggu dada. He epitomised that galli culture of Mumbai. In my growing days I admired him so much that when 'Gully Boy' was offered to me, I felt like Moeen (his character in the film) is a tribute to Jaggu dada! I love him," Vijay smiled.

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Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi, a biopic on the fierce madam of the Kamathipura brothels, is among the many Bollywood projects that had to call time on their shoots due to the lockdown. In keeping with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's style of filmmaking, an elaborate set — depicting Kamathipura of the 1960s — had been constructed at Film City. With the set standing unused over the past five weeks, word is that Bhansali has instructed the production team to arrange for its demolition.

The set at Film City

A source says, "In March, Bhansali had cleared the payment for the set maintenance. Even when the shutdown was announced, the team had assumed it would delay the schedule only by a month or so. However, with the situation in Mumbai looking grim, it is unlikely that the shoots will resume soon. After a round of number-crunching, it was seen that recreating the set would probably be a cheaper alternative than keeping it standing in these uncertain circumstances, as the latter entails the daily rent that has to be paid to Film City. So, the team has decided to have the set razed to the ground." When quizzed if shooting in real locations is a possibility, the source added, "The final call will be taken post the lockdown."

mid-day reached out to Bhansali Productions, which did not respond till press time.

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Ananya Panday has an exciting array of upcoming films namely Khaali Peeli alongside Ishaan Khatter, Shakun Batra's film alongside Siddhant Chaturvedi and Deepika Padukone and her recently announced film Fighter, which also marks her first film alongside Vijay Deverakonda.

The actress has an extensive following on social media with her consistent uploads and the endearing vibes she gives out to her followers.

The actress keeps on getting into a witty and friendly banter with co-star Ishaan Khatter on social media and here are some of the quips from the comment section of Ananya's and Ishaan's post:

"Ananya Panday: Changu Mangu
Ishaan Khatter: Ay chal na... hawa aande.. bhaalu "

"Ishaan Khatter: You copied the caption from me puppycat,
Ananya Panday: I have no idea what you are talking about."

When fans inquired about her experience on working with co-star Ishaan on her live feed Ananya said, "He is a lot of fun. I have enjoyed my time working with him, he is very talented and very cool. I have had a very good experience working with him, I think we are very similar people and we have a lot to talk about. I think the film that we are doing is very special to both of us so we bond over that alot."

Evidently, Ananya Panday shares a great chemistry Ishaan and we will get to witness it in their upcoming flick.

When Ananya was sharing her live feed on a social media site for the first time Ishaan Khatter was constantly commenting on the live feed for everything that she was saying. Their bond is really tight and it is entertaining and hilarious to see the actor and the actress cross-talk constantly on social media.

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The giant tub of popcorn has been replaced by a humble bag of chips, and the big screen by our 14-inch laptop screens — there's no denying that the lockdown has changed the way we watch movies. It appears there may be a further shift in cinema viewing pattern. Even as many filmmakers have decided to wait out the period and release their offerings on the big screen, the key players of digital entertainment have initiated dialogues with studios about releasing their films directly on the Internet. Amongst the first superstars to consider taking the leap is Akshay Kumar. Sources said Disney+Hotstar is in talks with the actor to procure the release rights of Laxmmi Bomb, which was slated to hit theatres on May 22.

A source reveals, "Akshay, director Raghava Lawrence and the producers are discussing the offer. There's a lot of post-production work left on the movie, including editing, background music, mixing and VFX. Since the team is working from home, the process is taking longer than usual. However, the makers are hoping to have the film ready by June. Although currently, the lockdown is on till May 3, theatres may continue to remain closed to ensure social distancing. In such a scenario, the team may consider having a direct-to-web release."

Akshay Kumar. Picture courtesy/ PTI

As a producer with sharp business acumen, Kumar had understood the potential of digital entertainment early on, and hence, decided to foray into it with the in-the-works series, The End. He is contemplating if releasing the horror comedy — a remake of the Tamil hit, Muni 2: Kanchana (2011) — online will be a wise move. "Akshay wants to make sure none of the invested parties make losses, and that the movie reaches a wide audience. While Disney+Hotstar ensures a worldwide reach, making the film available across small towns in India will be a concern for them."

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Actress Raveena Tandon has come up with a social media campaign #JeetegaIndiaJeetengeHum to stop the spread of rumours amid the COVID-19 crisis, and also urge people not to attack the frontline workers.

Several healthcare workers in India have been attacked as they battle to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. So, Raveena has made a special video in which she is seen appealing people to understand the severe health crisis and also appreciate the crucial role of doctors amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

"I feel it's extremely important for all of us to do our bit by encouraging the real heroes, our doctors and nurses who are stepping out everyday and fighting this deadly coronavirus. They haven't met their families to keep us and our families safe and that's why through my campaign -- #JeetegaIndiaJeetengeHum -- I request everyone to give these medical forces their due respect and at the same time not spread false rumours. I'm hopeful we will all see the light sooner together," she said.

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Unconfirmed reports suggesting the upcoming Ranveer Singh-starrer "83" will be sold for release on an OTT platform before it opens in the theatres, have been denied by Reliance Entertainment, co-producers of the much-awaited film. The rumours started after the film's release was pushed from its scheduled date of April 10 owing to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

Lately, the trade circuit was abuzz with speculations that a global OTT giant with substantial reach in India has offered a whopping Rs 143 crore to the producers of "83" for the purchase of the film's release rights. However, Reliance Entertainment has denied all such reports, claiming they will "evaluate" if the situation did not become normal even after six months, reports bollywoodhungama.com.

"There is no truth to these reports. '83' has been made for the big-screen experience. Right now, there's no intention or interest on the part of the directors or us as producers, to take these films to the small screen. If the situation deteriorates rapidly or there is no visibility of normalcy even after six months, we will evaluate then. But right now, we are all quite positive and I foresee that between the next four to six months, cinema halls will start operating. So that's the hope and mindset which we currently have," Shibashish Sarkar, Reliance Entertainment Group CEO, told bollywoodhungama.com.

Directed by Kabir Khan, "83" narrates the story of India's first-ever cricket World Cup victory in 1983. In the movie, Ranveer Singh stars as the then skipper Kapil Dev while Deepika Padukone plays Kapil's wife Romi Dev. The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Jiiva, Sahil Khattar, Chirag Patil and Adinath Kothare in key roles.

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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!

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The lockdown may have played havoc with the schedule of their next, but Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Sanon are seeking comfort in the small progress they have made. For months, the team had been on the hunt for a suitable title for the comedy that also features Paresh Rawal and Dimple Kapadia. Now, the makers have finally christened it Second Innings. "The title fits our story seamlessly," says director Abhishek Jain about his maiden Hindi venture.

The production house has previously tackled diverse social issues with their offerings Bala (2019), Luka Chuppi (2019) and the recent Angrezi Medium. Second Innings explores the idea of adopting parents through Rao and Sanon's characters, who feel a vacuum in their lives and decide to bring an older couple home to complete the family.

Dimple Kapadia and Paresh Rawal

"We were supposed to begin shooting in Delhi in March, but now everything has been pushed due to the pandemic," says Jain, indicating that the schedules will have to reworked when normalcy returns.

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Representational picture

The by-elections to Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra began this morning for which all major parties have gone all out as the outcome is likely to have a bearing on their future course. There was no untoward incident at any polling booth so far, police said.

In Palghar, the bypoll was necessitated following the death of BJP's Chintaman Wanaga. The BJP's bickering ally Shiv Sena has fielded the late MP's son Srinivas in a bid to garner the sympathy vote. The BJP has put up former Congress minister Rajendra Gavit. The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) led by Vasai-Virar strongman Hitendra Thakur is also in the fray with the nomination of its ex-MP Baliram Jadhav.

Kiran Raja Gahla of the CPI-M, which has a base in Talasari and Dahanu, and former MP Damu Shingada (Congress) are also contesting in a multi-cornered fight from the seat reserved for scheduled tribes (ST).
The Sena has accused the BJP of distributing cash to voters. During a rally, Uddhav played an audio clip wherein Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis purportedly exhorted party cadre to win the elections "by all means possible." Fadnavis said the audio recording was doctored.

An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana today said its nominee will win the Palghar seat, despite the BJP roping in UP CM Yogi Adityanath in the poll campaign. "Lord Ram will emerge from the ballot box, wielding bow and arrow (Sena's symbol) and win this seat," it said.

The constituency includes extended suburbs of Mumbai such as Vasai, Virar, Nalasopara, and Palghar in the newly-created Palghar district. As many as 18 candidates are in fray in Bhandara- Gondia and seven in Palghar. There are total 3,49,1218 voters.

In Palghar, out of the 2,097 polling booths, 14 are listed as critical, while in Bhandara-Gondia, out of 2,149 polling booths, 71 are situated in Naxal-hit areas and 113 are listed as critical.

In Bhandara-Gondia, the BJP and the NCP have locked horns in the bypoll, being held after the resignation of BJP MP Nana Patole. Patole, a leader of the powerful OBC Kunbi community, had switched side from the Congress to the BJP and was elected as an MP from the constituency in Vidarbha in 2014 by defeating former union minister and NCP heavyweight Praful Patel.

The NCP, which has allied with the Congress, has fielded former BJP MLA Madhukar Kukde, against BJP's Hemant Patle, who belongs to the Powar community and is also a former legislator.

Counting of votes will be undertaken on May 31.

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Members of koli society in Naigaon are fed up with the influx of drug addicts in their area. Triggered after the alleged suicide of a young junkie from their society a few days ago, they have decided to catch the menace in their nets, so to speak.

They have started rounding up druggies in the area and, one by one, taking them to be admonished in front of their parents, in a bid to make the elders aware what their kids are up to and work towards putting a stop to it.

Around 400 men and women from Amol Nagar, Parera Nagar, Vijaya Park, Mariyam Nagar, Koliwada and Kuchuda have started patrolling the area at night and have, so far, caught 15-odd drug addicts red-handed. The youths, after being taken to their families, were warned that they would be taken to the police if they were caught again.

Fighting the good fight
A social worker from the area, Ashish Vertak, said, "The population of Naigaon has increased in the past few years and is set to rise further with hundreds of complexes and colonies under construction. While this has brought a lot of people from other parts of the city to stay here, their bad habits have followed too.

"We have seen people sitting by the seashore drinking and getting high at night; many of them are youths from our society. We are simple fisherfolk and don't want such nuisance in our area. Hence, we decided to fight the root of the disease and started communicating with others from the society."

Hundreds of residents have started patrolling the area at night. Pics/Hanif Patel

The residents have created a WhatsApp group and also formed a sangathan, named Naigaon Koli Vyasanmukti Thalaval. The latter's founder members are Yogesh Bhayandarkar, Mahindra Bhayandarkar, Nivrutti Ghusekar, Satish Koli, Pravin Vartak, Sai Bokale, Nandakumar Vaity, Hemant Holekar, Hemant Masnekar, Sada Godavarikar, and Vijay Vaity.

Saving the children
Mayur Bhayandarkar,
sangathan member
'Over the past several years, we have seen more and more youths getting addicted to drugs. Through this campaign, we are trying to save our children and make
them aware how narcotics will destroy their lives. If we don't do this, who will? All we want is for them to come out of this rut'

Satish Koli,
founder member of sangathan
'After seeing teenagers fall prey to the habit, we decided to fight to remove this disease from the root. We held discussions with other locals and started this campaign. We are now planning to meet police officers and request them to take strict action against those involved in selling drugs and destroying the future of our children'

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The Feline Foundation, an NGO founded by Cat Cafe Studio, has some good news for Star Wars fans. It is hosting a Star Wars Quiz Night that gives you and your buddies a chance to win prizes.

You can flaunt your cosplaying skills and meet like-minded people. "It's an evening full of mystery in a galaxy far, far away. Better yet, it's also a fundraiser to support our efforts to provide medical treatment for stray cats in need," said an organiser. Additionally, all participants leave with assured gift coupons. Register now, and may the force be with you.

ON February 23, 6 pm to 8 pm
AT Cat Café Studio, Versova, Andheri West 
LOG ON TO catcafestudio.com
COST Rs 199

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It is the first weekend in Matheran and we hope to see a number of visitors sporting helmets while horse riding. The paper had reported about how a Mumbai resident had donated a sizeable number of helmets to the hill station, after a little girl suffered head injuries after falling from a horse in Matheran.

Horse owners have also bought helmets and will be providing it to the tourists while horse riding. We appreciate that a start has been made towards ensuring safety for riders. Yet, one hopes that the helmet rule does not run parallel with the helmet rule for bikers in the city. Here, we see that constant vigilance is needed to ensure that bikers wear a helmet. Police nakabandis are set up to catch those riding without a helmet and fines are imposed for the same. One should not need a supervisory body to ensure that riders actually wear a helmet. Horse owners need to be held accountable if their horses are being ridden by visitors without a helmet.

Tourists must understand that the rule is made in the interests of their safety. Good counsel needs to prevail and common sense must rule. Having said that, visitors must go slowly on horses. They should refuse to ride if there is no dedicated helper who will walk along with the animal. Wear closed footwear when you are riding as sandals and slippers are hazardous, especially when mounting a horse, and in case your feet slip out of the stirrup. Parents need to see that their child is with a helper who is in control of the animal.

Matheran horse owners want better roads, which is out of the control of visitors. Tourists and hordes of Mumbaikars who believe if-it-is-May-it-must-be-Matheran should take onus for their safety as far as possible. Wearing a helmet is a good beginning.

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The world wishes to investigate the role of a seemingly compliant WHO and allegations that insufficient or inaccurate data originating from China failed to alert the world on the intensity of the dangers from COVID-19.... [Read More]

How do you improve on a 1998 game that is so good it is still played today? Not many games can make that claim but Starcraft can with legions of fans and stadium level competitions not bad for a 20-year-old game.

The original Starcraft is free and so anyone with a battle.net account can potentially download and play it, no fancy hardware required. The remastered version, however, costs $15 and it is worth every penny. The game's graphics and sound have had a major update, you can also play multiplayer online complete with leaderboards.

While the new game is friendly to first-time players the online multiplayer is brutal. Prepare to die in minutes. Unfortunately, there is no system in place to train players in the complexity of multiplayer battles in a game that people have been potentially been playing for 20 years.

For fans of Starcraft there is everything that you would ever want in the game. The original game mechanisms are untouched which means everything plays as it should.

Starcraft Remastered
Rating: 4/5
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC, Mac
Price: $14.99 (Rs 960 approx)

Five Feet Apart
U/A: Drama romance
Director: Justin Baldoni
Cast: Cole Sprouse, Haley Lu Richardson
Ratings: 

Justin Baldoni's film latches on to cystic fibrosis (CF) for its cause, and makes two teens go through the motions of suffering from the disease to develop its romance and effect. CF is a disease that makes its victim struggle for every breath. Those suffering from it rarely survive beyond the age of 10. So, of course, go ahead and blame advances in modern medicine for allowing the two protagonists to live on as teenagers.

They obviously can't risk any infection, and more so from the disease's fellow-sufferers, who are considered high-risk. At all times, they are meant to be separated by latex gloves; no touching, and six feet between them, at all times. The villain here is the disease; not parents or society.

The first rule to be violated is that of the distance. It conveniently becomes five feet, at the heroine's suggestion. Though the film's main premise is about keeping the protagonists interested and engaged in each other, despite their restrictions, it takes plenty of liberties while trying to establish their connect. They even break away from the hospital's restrictions and risking death when heading on a freakish date in snowy conditions. While they cavort in the snow with no care, viewers hold their breath watching their tragedy unfold amidst compulsive melodrama.

Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) treats the hospital as her second home. She is aware of her disease, stays strictly within her regimen, and looks forward to extending her life (through a lung transplant that offers her five years) while carrying the hope that a new cure may be developed. Her best friend Poe (Moises Arias) is back in the hospital and has his own relationship problems to grapple with. Will (Cole Sprouse), another teenage CF patient, receives an experimental drug to take care of his B-cepacia infection. While Stella is hyper-cooperative with those treating her, Poe and Will cope differently. Will, a cynic and rebel, is persuaded by Stella to keep up with his regimen. Of course, you know where this is going to end, but Baldoni lays on a few surprises along the way.

The director may have gotten his inspiration for this film from his documentary titled My Last Days, about the terminally ill. Reportedly, screenwriters Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis developed it further while Rachel Lippincott churned it into a best-selling novel later. Baldoni kick-starts the narrative with no-nonsense flair, zooming in on Stella and her friends as they party before she must return to her dreaded hospital routine.

Baldoni and cinematographer Frank G DeMarco keep the narrative bright and cosy, straying away from medical restrictions to chart a course that has the young hopefuls straining at every bit. The production design makes the setting look luxurious; unlike regular hospital set-ups. The actors are amiable; able enough to gather empathy without going heavy-duty about their woes. This is a genre flick meant to ply on your sympathies and does the job efficiently.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday claimed that around 75 per cent of the nursing homes in the city have restarted services, after its warning of cancelling their licences if they did not do so, on Saturday. The municipal commissioner has ordered the cancellation of licences of the remaining 25 per cent nursing homes. Action will also be taken against private clinics who continue to remain shut, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

Warning issues
The associations of doctors, nursing homes have expressed fear to work during the COVID-19 pandemic without proper safety kits and strict guidelines. The BMC has several times offered to provide safety kits but most private clinics and nursing homes remain closed due to fear of transmission of COVID-19. On Saturday, the BMC warned nursing homes and clinics to restart immediately and refer patients who have symptoms of COVID-19 to its centres. On Monday, the BMC claimed that out of 1,416 nursing homes, 1,068 have restarted their service. "Out of 99 dialysis centres, 89 are working," said an officer with the health department of the BMC.

According to the press note issued by the civic corporation, the municipal commissioner has ordered the health department to start the process of cancelling licences of the 348 nursing homes which haven't started services yet.

Mayor in nurse's uniform

Mayor Kishori Pednekar visited Nair hospital to meet the nurses

Kishori Pednekar, mayor of Mumbai and a former nurse, donned on a nurse's uniform and visited the COVID-19-only Nair hospital on Monday morning. She was there to encourage nurses. The mayor will visit Sion hospital on Tuesday to communicate with nurses. Pednekar followed social distancing norms during her visit. "I was a nurse by profession and am aware of their challenges. I am getting many calls from nurses and their parents who expressed fear. This is a challenging time and we all should fight the pandemic," said Pednekar.

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After 15 cases of Coronavirus among its workforce, including one death, the BEST Undertaking, that is currently the city's lifeline, has begun daily temperature checks of employees at entry points of all bus depots.

BEST officials said that of the 15 cases, two have been categorised under 'occupational exposure' — that is, the virus was probably caught by the patients at work. In the rest of the cases, employees came to work after already being exposed to the virus elsewhere. For example, one of the infected employees was residing in a Containment Zone and the one who died had visited his native place and had been hospitalised.

"Eventually, a picture goes out that the 15 BEST employees got Coronavirus while at work. The fact that they came to work after already having been exposed to the virus elsewhere is ignored and this aspect of occupational exposure goes unnoticed. Of the 15, seven are bus conductors, four are drivers, two are electricity department employees and two are from the transport engineering department," a BEST spokesperson said.

"Temperature guns have been provided at bus depot entry points and the body temperature of all employees is being checked when they enter the premises for work. Only after due recordings, employees are allowed to proceed to work," another senior official said.

The BEST also redrew its plans and omitted conductors from several buses after cases of employees contracting the virus at work surfaced and trade unions alleged poor standards of protection for the staff.

"We had been warning since day one. The BEST has woken up after 35 days, now that employees are testing positive. Still, better late than never," said BEST Kamgar Sanghatna general secretary Jagnayaran Kahar. The union had organised a 'Demand Day' on April 21 seeking safety for BEST workers.

Conductor beats COVID-19
A BEST conductor of Goregaon depot, who has a history of asthma, and a resident of Mira Road, was admitted at Tambe hospital as a COVID-19 positive case since April 13. On Tuesday, he was discharged from the hospital.

Made to sign undertaking: BEST Power staff

BEST Power employees said that they have been forced to sign an undertaking that says they have not come in contact with Coronavirus patients and that no one in their family is positive. A BEST spokesperson said that the undertaking was necessitated because, in 13 of the 15 positive cases, the virus was probably caught by the workers elsewhere. The spokesperson added that the understanding is required to maintain a database.

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With the tourism industry at a complete standstill across the country, a number of domestic animals associated with it have been severely impacted. In the Raigad district of Maharashtra, too, a number of these animals are a common sight, especially at the tourist spots like Matheran, Raigad fort and the beaches. Horses, donkeys, monkeys and stray dogs at all these places have been left without any food to eat. These places, usually frequented by hundreds of tourists every day, have seen barely any visitors over the last month and a half. The tourists would offer food to the animals who are now left to fend for themselves. Even the locals who have pets are finding it tough to manage without much income.

Given the grim situation, the district animal husbandry department along with a few do-gooders have now taken upon themselves to feed the animals and provide them ample drinking water.

Donkeys given dry grass at Raigad Fort

Dr Shubash Mhaske, district deputy commissioner, Animal Husbandry department, informed mid-day that the district, known for its farmhouses, hill stations, forts and beaches, has around 1,200 horses and ponies, of which nearly 460 are reared at Matheran hill station and the rest at the beaches around the districts. With the forest cover in Raigad district, monkeys too are found in large numbers here. "These are often fed by commuters en route to their destinations but that has stopped for over a month now," Mhaske said.

Dr Mandar Patel, Livestock Development Officer, Roha, therefore, visited the ghat areas on Roha-Nagothane road a couple of days ago with his team to feed some monkeys. Similarly, a team even visited Matheran to arrange food and water for the monkeys there.

Animal lovers step up in Pen
Hundreds of stray dogs and 40 cows are also being fed daily by a few animal lovers in and around Pen in Raigad.

"Cimaa Punmiya has come up with an innovative concept of Animal Food bank, where any animal lover can donate food. Kumar Deshpande provides a liquid diet for the strays. The Animal Husbandry department has arranged for medicines," Dr Mhaske said.

Donkeys of Raigadwadi starving
Another animal hit by the lockdown is the donkey. Around 90 donkeys reside around RaigadWadi, foothills of Raigad Fort. Dr Dattatray Sonawale, veterinary assistant commissioner of Animal Husbandry, Mahad Taluka, informed mid-day that the restoration work of Raigad Fort is on for the past couple of years and nearly 250 donkeys were being used to take up repairing material.

"Most of the donkeys had come from nearby areas and only 90 are still at the spot. They are owned by six-seven families who are still staying at the foothills of the fort," said Sonawale. These people along with their donkeys have been having a tough time sustaining due to the lockdown as "the donkeys are not allowed to roam around in the fields making it difficult for them to manage fodder or dry grass," the doctor added.

Prabhakar Sawant, a Raigadwadi resident, said that most of the donkeys are hired by contractors of restoration work.

After the district collector's directives, Sonawale and his team approached a few NGOs requesting them to provide dry grass, rice bran, wheat bran and medicines required for treating some injured donkeys. "Accordingly, potable water of 1,000 liters has been provided at the spot," he said, adding that the effort will continue to provide feed and dry grass to the donkeys till they are "in our jurisdiction and ration kits will be given to their owners."

'Everyone will be taken care of'
Nidhi Choudhari, district collector, told mid-day that the collector's office was doing everything to reach out to migrant workers and underprivileged people by providing ration kits and organising community kitchens with help from NGOs and corporates. "Directions have also been given to the Animal husbandry department to ensure that animals and strays are taken care of. Many animal lovers too have volunteered to help," Choudhari said.

1,200
Approx no. of horses/ponies in Raigad district

460
No. of horses/ponies at Matheran

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started mobile dispensaries to curb the spread of COVID-19. Currently they will move about in the areas most affected by the disease such as Worli, BDD chawls, Lower Parel, Currey Road etc.

It was decided to start mobile dispensaries to prevent the spread by reaching out to people and detecting patients. While the service began on Wednesday in the severely affected G South ward, the doctors will move to other areas later. More than 600 COVID-19 positive patients have been found in G South Ward.

A doctor, a nurse and an assistant will be available in the mobile dispensary. It will be stocked with medicines for cold, cough and fever, and in case of a suspicious patient of COVID-19, a thermal scanner has also been placed in the vans. The vans will provide the service from 10 am to 7 pm.

After their check-ups, people will be treated with pills for minor fever etc. But if a suspected patient of COVID-19 is found, she or he will be hospitalised. The mobile dispensaries aim to find such patients in red zones to help curb the spread of the disease.

The mobile dispensaries were launched at the NSCI club in the presence of Mayor Kishori Pednekar. In all five mobile dispensaries have been started.

Mayor Pednekar told mid-day, "Medicines for cold, cough and fever are available in these dispensaries. If a suspect patient is found during the check-up, he will be taken to the OPD of a COVID-19 deisgnated hospital and examined immediately."

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Why do movie stars matter so much to us? May be, because cinema amplifies and engages with not the timidities of rational logics, but the boldness of the senses. Its hyperkinetic tangle of conventions and innovations, speaks to our urges, desires, emotions and intellect, allows us to be all this and also several people at one time, fluid, unlike the rigid identities of law, society, political correctness. Movie stars communicate these libidinal energies of cinema through a bodily presence. Star and audience, mirror and remember each other, in an intimate, mysterious embrace.

The three stars who died recently, each represented a specific era in this ongoing relationship.

Nimmi died in March, at 88. A major star of the studio era, she acted in India's first technicolour film (Aan, 1952). Often the feisty village belle, the unbound girl in the garden, she made heavy-lidded eye-contact with audiences in songs that yearn for love. Born Nawab Banoo, she was one of the last star-heroines from the tawaif communities. Practitioners of the sensual courtesanal arts—dance, music, poetry—tawaifs were erased from performing arts via colonial laws and rising nationalism, both squeamish about eroticism and pleasure. They transitioned to films, as producers, directors, actors, contributing to Bombay cinema's defining aesthetic—stylised eroticism through song, heightened emotive ada-kari, androgynous appeal, glimpsed in figures like Nighar Sultana and a focus on pleasuring the audience. With each filmic embrace we surrender to, each dance move we mimic, each song we sing, these aesthetics become part of us: a queer form of memory, bodily, but ephemeral.

Rishi Kapoor, who died at 67 last week, carried forward the sensuality through his dance and romance persona. His bodily vivacity fluidly merged masculine and feminine, past pleasures like qawwali and more contemporary pop enjoyments, even as parallel cinema's realism and masculine-centered Bachchan films began dominating. His beauty was delicate—androgynous pleasures—and he often paired with women whose attractiveness was more robust. Love was freedom, frolic, khullam khulla, yet luxuriously intimate, hum tum ek kamre mein.

Maintaining traditional cinema pleasures, he also replaced their stylised nature with a modern, casually stylish manner, pre-figuring later realist commercial film, into which he flowed with energetic ease, bridging two cinematic worlds.

Irrfan, who just passed away at 53, was an iconic figure in the post-globalisation emotional realist cinema with its cross-over films, less interested in symbolic storytelling, making room for more everyday characters. Some of this cinema believes in what I call aspirational realism, which considers older conventions of emotional and ornamental excess—like songs—as lesser. But, in fact, quite apart from his acting skills, what made Irrfan a star was the sexual intensity
of his presence—carrying forward that desi quality of emotional and sensual excess, something larger than life, yet intimate, to connect directly with the audience.

This is why I believe he was most compelling in films where he had a romantic track—Maqbool, Life In A Metro, Piku—and underserved by anaemic works like Lunchbox.

Critical culture sometimes favours a real estate mentality: location, yaniki cinema category, determines value and meaning. So it is, that too little has been said of Irrfan's cinematic, libidinal intensity, not enough about Rishi Kapoor's virtuosity. And barely anything about Nimmi. The artistes themselves defied categorisations.

Through cinema they straddled the cusp of worlds always changing, for better and worse simultaneously, just like us, helping us to flow with the flux.

Paromita Vohra is an award-winning Mumbai-based filmmaker, writer and curator working with fiction and non-fiction. Reach her at aromita.vohra@mid-day.com

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The city recorded a whopping 510 new COVID-19 positive cases on Monday and another 19 deaths over the past 24 hours. According to civic officials, 10 of the patients who died had co-morbidities and of them, nine were senior citizens.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started enhancing the capacity of major hospitals set up for treatment of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms including Nair, SevenHills and St George Hospitals. Civic officials said that they would be increased in capacity from the current 3,000 beds to 4,750 beds over the next couple of days. As part of the initiative of identifying senior citizens who are at risk of contracting the virus, the civic body has identified 691 senior citizens between April 27 and May 3. All of them have low oxygen saturation problems. They were referred to civic-run and private hospitals in their respective wards for comprehensive treatment.

The number of cases in Dharavi crossed 600 on Monday after 42 new cases were reported in the area. Seven of those cases were from the Matunga labour camp. Four other cases were reported in Dadar and three new cases were reported in Mahim.

Meanwhile, G North ward, which includes areas like Worli and Lower Parel, crossed 800 cases with 60 new cases reported on Monday. Sharad Ughade, assistant municipal commissioner of G North ward, said that the cases were mainly from the BDD chawl and VP Nagar. He added that 30 patients were discharged after full recovery and apart from having the highest number of cases in the city, G North also had the highest number of discharged patients. Meanwhile, a Sena corporator, who holds a position in BMC also tested positive. Civic sources said that she has been admitted to Global Hospital in Parel. State health department officials said that a total of 771 patients tested positive today and 35 deaths were reported in Maharashtra on Monday. The 19 deaths from Mumbai include a resident of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, seven deaths were reported in Pune, five in Akola, one each in Solapur, Aurangabad, Thane and Nanded.

Civic body to give jobs to kin of deceased

In view of four BMC workers succumbing to the COVID-19 infection the civic body announced that jobs would be given to their kin. However, they will be assigned based on vacancies of posts like worker, porter, peon and clerk, and also the candidates' educational qualifications.

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With monsoon around the corner, the Central Railway this week said its preparations to tackle the Mumbai rains were on full swing during this lockdown.

More than 15 excavators have been deployed along with more than 250 desilting labour for cleaning drain and culverts around the railway tracks. The desilting work is in full swing as never before in the past in Mumbai suburban because of the lockdown, which otherwise could never have been possible without implementing a block.

A senior official said three muck special trains are running on daily basis removing huge quantity of muck/ debris. Till now, in Mumbai suburban, around 70km drain cleaning and 42 culvert cleaning has been completed.

The first round of drain and culvert cleaning will be completed by May 15 and second round will be completed by June 15, said CR officials. As part of preparedness, loads of muck have been removed from the railway tracks, to ensure flooding does not take place on tracks during heavy rain days. The total muck disposed off so far via muck special and by road is 59,000 m3.

Coordination meetings are being conducted along with BMC authorities. Several new initiatives have been put in place by the Central Railway as part of the preparedness for monsoon this year. Culvert augmentation works is in progress at Kurla carshed and Wadala for the free flow of the stormwater to avoid flooding in flood prone areas.

In addition, an aerial survey over tracks is also conducted to ascertain the constraints for the free flow of the stormwater. Plan is to increase the number of pump to 110 heavy-duty diesel and electric pumps for fast drainage as compared to last year to ensure free flow of the stormwater so that the water is drained out quickly from the tracks and train operations are not disrupted.

During the monsoon period from June 1 to September 30, monsoon booklet for railway staff is also under preparation. The book will have the dates of the high tides to help the staff be on full alert mode on these particular days.

Rainfall will also be monitored in real-time through Automatic Rain Gauge System of civic authorities. So, all necessary precautions have already been taken and planned to avoid interruptions in the operations of the train during the monsoon season.

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A 3D printing startup in Mumbai has been accused of not fulfilling its part of the deal in a crowdfunded project initiated by a Delhi-based content creator to provide equipment to frontline health workers.

In March, Kusha Kapila contacted Boson Machines (BM) to provide 3D printed face shields for medical personnel at an initially agreed price of R150, by raising Rs 900,000 on Ketto.

With an industry standard yet to emerge, there were a lot of debates between Kapila and BM over the price and the number of masks to be made for raised amount."We then settled on R19 lakh for 18,000 masks," said Kapila. "Even this meant that a shield would cost Rs 105, which was still higher than the price of other 3D printers. The price was again reduced to Rs 75, before they finally agreed to R60. At the same time, the fundraising goal was also increased to Rs 21 lakh. They already had orders and capacity for 14,500 masks and we wanted to help as much as we could."

Kapila’s tweet tagging Aaditya Thackeray where she called out Boson

Boson was paid around Rs 13 lakh for the 14,500 face shields, and the remaining money was with Ketto, to be paid after the second batch of shields were dispatched.

The story gets muddled at this point, with Kapila taking to Twitter on May 1, accusing the company of not honouring its commitment and claiming even Rs 60 per mask was steep.

"After many enquiries, and [BM co-founders and brothers] Arjun and Parth Panchal's consistent unavailability, they finally sent a cost breakdown that I forwarded to various industry experts for verification."

In another tweet, Kapila alleged BM charged more than market price. Both Kapila and Ketto also claim that BM had been evading their questions.

"As of today, suppliers charge anywhere between Rs 35 and Rs 50 for a shield of the same quality," Kapila told mid-day. "This suggests that BM is trying to profit off this fundraiser. Profiting off a pandemic is shameful and anti-national. For instance, the cost of the plastic frame is quoted as R80 and they could only justify Rs 27. That's a difference of Rs 53. Further, the visor cost is quoted as Rs 30, but we found out that a sheet costs Rs 8. The tally says BM has delivered 10,700 pieces but we don't know if this has actually happened. As of today, Boson owes [me and Ketto] Rs 6,76,000," Kapila said.

By this, Kapila means BM has to return her and Ketto R6,76,000 from the initial Rs 13 lakh paid, as per her calculations. "The last time I spoke to them, which is when we reached a price of Rs 60, they agreed to return the money but later said their CA would get in touch and have ghosted me since," said Kapila.

Parth Panchal. Pic/Facebook, Arjun Panchal. Pic/Twitter

BM claims it has already delivered 10,700 face shields to 19 hospitals and other institutions across the country, including Mumbai's Sion Hospital, Kasturba Hospital, KEM Hospital, Wadia Hospitals—and even the BMC.

In an email to mid-day, BM refers to Ketto Online Ventures Private Limited as the buyer, and not Kapila. "We are unaware of the role of Ms Kusha Kapila with the buyer, M/s Ketto Online Ventures Private Limited, and whether she is authorised to represent the company in commercial matters," it said.

BM also alleged Ketto owes them an outstanding R1,31,063 from the orders that they had already fulfilled.

"We have seen the statement put out by Boson and our legal team is taking necessary steps," said Varun Sheth, of ketto.org.

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Locked down in a training college near Palampur, Olympic silver medallist shooter Vijay Kumar has started learning law online as part of his training for the DSP post he holds in Himachal Pradesh Police. Kumar, who won silver in the 25m rapid fire pistol event in 2012 Olympics, also needed to undergo physical training but that has been postponed in the wake of the nationwide lockdown enforced to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have stopped my physical training but still taking online law classes. Physical training is not possible at the moment as we have to maintain social distancing. I an confined to the training college in Daroh. There is no connection with the outside world," the 34-year-old told PTI Bhasha. Kumar, however, said getting the daily essentials in the times of crisis is not an issue for him.

"There are people who are ensuring that essentials reach us in time," said the Hamirpur-resident, who was in the Indian Army for 15 years. Kumar urged people to follow government guidelines on lockdown. "I am amazed that some of the people are still not practising social distancing. The police is working round the clock to ensure lockdown guidelines are followed but some people are still not paying attention. It is the only way you can defeat this virus," he added. The global death toll from the pandemic has crossed one lakh.

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Tour de France organisers are working to find a new start date for cycling's biggest race after large public gatherings were banned until mid-July in the latest extension of the French coronavirus lockdown. Originally slated to start from Nice on June 27 and finish in Paris on July 19, there is no chance the event can go ahead as planned and organisers face a mammoth logistical task of rescheduling. So far, organisers ASO have remained silent, but several mayors of the French towns along the planned route say they have been consulted regarding the new dates.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address Monday that a strict lockdown in France would continue until at least May 11, as public gatherings were banned until mid-July. Tour general director Christian Prudhomme has said riders will need two months after the lockdown ends to prepare for the race. France's Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner said on Tuesday that ASO had to reschedule or cancel the Tour. "It is up to the organiser to analyse their ability to organise it and reschedule it," Castaner told French radio.

A start in late July or mid-August has been mooted, with some reports suggesting the race could even be delayed until September. The race's route is over 3,000km long, with roughly 500,000 fans lining the roads each day. "Social distancing on the roadside wouldn't be a problem, but in the start towns, at the finish line and in the VIP tents it certainly would," Belgian virologist Marc Van Ranst told Flemish TV channel Sporza on Saturday. Suggestions the Tour could be held without supporters have been ruled out. "The Tour de France is 3000km of smiles," Prudhomme said regarding roadside gatherings.

"We won't run a Tour de France without the fans."

Between a rock and a hard place

Macron's announcement may have caught the organisers short. A late July start for the Tour could be considered too close to the ban on large public gatherings, while the riders would also need to be in peak condition. ASO also organises the Criterium du Dauphine eight-day race, and had been hoping to run that ride through the Alps in late June or early July, but the traditional Tour warm-up has been postponed.

A mid-August start would see the race finish in September, meaning a clash with the Vuelta a Espana. There are only 176 riders on a Tour, but the whole event involves around 4,500 people, with team staff, police and media all moving every day. Cancellation is the worst-case scenario. The "Grande Boucle", as the Tour is known in France, is the central economic pillar which supports the sports' 22 professional teams.

"It's as simple as this. If the Tour does not take place, teams could disappear, riders and staff alike would find themselves unemployed," said Marc Madiot, the chief of French team Groupama-FDJ. The riders are also keen to race, with 2018 winner Geraint Thomas saying he was desperate for the Tour to go ahead. "There are bigger and more important things to sort out first, but as soon as it's safe and ready to go, we (Ineos) would love it to happen," said the Welsh rider.

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The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) made a shocking decision on April 15 by releasing a huge list of some WWE superstars from past and present.

In a statement by WWE, they announced that they had released a total of 19 superstar wrestlers and a referee. WWE has come to terms on the release of Kurt Angle, Rusev (Miroslav Barnyashev), Zack Ryder (Matthew Cardona), Drake Maverick (James Curtin), Sarah Logan (Sarah Rowe), Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers), Karl Anderson (Chad Allegra) and Luke Gallows (Drew Hankinson) - collectively known as The O.C., Heath Slater (Heath Miller), Mike Kanellis (Mike Bennett), Maria Kanellis, Eric Young (Jeremy Fritz), Aiden English (Matthew Rehwoldt), Rowan (Joseph Ruud), No Way Jose (Levis Valenzuela), Mike Chioda, EC3 (Michael Hutter), Lio Rush (Lionel Green), Primo (Edwin Colon) and Epico (Orlando Colon Nieves). WWE also went on to wish them all the best.

Following their release from WWE, superstars took to Instagram to voice their emotions.

Take a look at some of their posts on social media. Kurt Angle -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Until next time. #yippeekiyay #itstrue

A post shared by Kurt Angle (@therealkurtangle) onApr 15, 2020 at 12:35pm PDT

Rusev -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Life is life. God is great. I’ll be alright

A post shared by Miroslav Barnyashev (@rusevig) onApr 15, 2020 at 1:59pm PDT

Sarah Logan -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

With my whole heart. Thank you.

A post shared by Sarah Rowe (@sarahloganwwe) onApr 15, 2020 at 12:49pm PDT

Heath Slater -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Thank you all.

A post shared by Heath Miller “Slater” (@heathslater_xxii) onApr 15, 2020 at 2:19pm PDT

Luke Gallows -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

The devil ain’t in the distance.....

A post shared by Luke Gallows (@luke_gallowswwe) onApr 15, 2020 at 8:49pm PDT

This has come as shocking news to all the WWE universe with more details awaited.