The VIVO IPL has been home to some of the greatest tactical brains in the game and on the 13th birthday of the glamorous tournament, Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming was declared the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) among coaches by an esteemed Star Sports jury on the latest episode of their flagship show Cricket Connected. Another CSK veteran, Shane Watson, one of the most decorated all-rounders in the storied history of the tournament, was nominated as the G.O.A.T all-rounder on the show.

The 47-year-old former New Zealand captain Fleming, who has been with the Yellow Army since its inception, got the nod ahead of Mahela Jayawardene and Trevor Bayliss, who had won two titles each with Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. Fleming’s chemistry with captain MS Dhoni, who has also been part of CSK since 2008, was key to the team’s success. The Blackcap southpaw, who played in the inaugural edition in 2008, took over coaching duties and has since shepherded CSK to three title wins (in 2010, 2011 & 2018), despite the team being suspended from the league for two years. Under his tutelage, Rising Pune Supergiants also reached the VIVO IPL final in 2017.

Speaking about the greatness of Fleming, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, “You are only as good as your players. I have played under Fleming at the Melbourne Stars. I love him for what he has achieved. To have that longevity to be in a cut-throat environment for such a long time is just a standout achievement.”

Besides, Jayawardene and Bayliss, Fleming also surpassed Tom Moody, Rahul Dravid and Shane Warne, who was the coach and captain when Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural crown in 2008, in the pecking order. Fleming managed to get 81% of the votes in his favour. Right from Peterson to Ian Bishop and his country-mate Scott Styris, Fleming garnered 18 out off the 22 votes.

Meanwhile, Shane Watson topped an elite nominee list that included Andre Russel, Dwayne Bravo, Jacques Kallis, Kieron Pollard, Yusuf Pathan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Irfan Pathan. The last two years have been nothing short of phenomenal for Watson, the first player to win Man of the Tournament in the VIVO IPL, twice. Having featured in 134 VIVO IPL games so far, the 38-year-old sublime batting all-rounder has amassed 3575 runs at an excellent strike-rate of 139.53. Despite having to overcome a string of fitness issues, Watson has punched above his weight to take the Yellow Army to many a famous win. In the 2019 final, he nearly carried CSK to another title, despite a bloodied knee.

Speaking about Watson’s greatness, former England captain Kevin Pietersen said on the latest episode of Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, “He has been such a player that if his bowling has gone off, his batting has become a lot better. I have played with him for a couple of years. He would have bowled so much faster had he not had so many back issues as a youngster. When he was younger, he used to bowl really fast.”

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir too showered praise on Shane Watson’s all-round abilities on Star Sports 1 Hindi show Cricket Connected, “If we talk about the past 12 years, for me Shane Watson is the best player because he has done magic with Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings. No doubt, his bowling was on a decline in the latter half of his career, but he had an overall impact on the game. He was an excellent player when he used to play for Rajasthan Royals. He not only used to bowl with the new ball but also batted in the middle order. If you ask me the same question two to three years down the line, Andre Russell will win, hands down. But right now, I will go with Shane Watson.”

Ex-New Zealand pacer and renowned commentator Danny Morrison lavished praise on Watson on the show. He said, “I live in the land of Shane Watson. It’s Kevin Pietersen’s all-time favourite city. Brisbane is where’s Watto’s from, he’s loved to bits and pieces. He is a guy you will want to have in your line-up.”

In addition, Star Sports experts Scott Styris, Dean Jones, Brad Hogg and Simon Doull all ensured Watson topped their list of GOAT batsmen.

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Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc all found a place in Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner's all-time Indian Premier League (IPL) XI. However, Warner left out the likes of Yuvraj Singh, his former Australia teammate Shane Watson and Mumbai Indians duo Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga from the squad.

In an interview with commentator Harsha Bhogle for Cricbuzz, Warner chose himself and Rohit as openers of the line-up. Kohli comes in at no.3 while CSK stalwart Suresh Raina slots into the no.4 position.

At no.5 and no.6 come big hitting all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Glenn Maxwell. CSK skipper M.S. Dhoni comes in at no.7 and is also the wicketkeeper of the side.

Warner's Australia teammate Mitchell Starc comes in at no.8 while MI fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah comes next. Warner then selected Ashish Nehra at no.10 and couldn't choose between wrist spin duo Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal for the no.11 spot.

Warner also spoke about the similarities he seems to share with Kohli on the show. "I can't speak for Virat, obviously, but it's almost like we got this thing in us when we go (out to the middle) we need to prove people wrong, prove someone wrong," Warner said.

"If you're in that contest, and if I'm going at him for example, you're thinking, 'Alright, I'm going to score more runs than him, I'm going to take a quick single on him'.

"You are trying to better that person in that game. That's where the passion comes from," he added.

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A group of citizens under Environment Life, which works towards cleaning up waterfalls and the space around them, in Mumbai and surrounding areas has cleaned up the waterfalls at Kharghar Driving Range.

The clean-up drive, dedicated to martyred Major Kaustubh Rane, and as a mark of respect for all security forces, was titled 'Waterfall Cleanup Drive VII: Kachare se Azadi' and organised on August 15 from 9 am to 12 pm. To support this cause, the group was joined by retired Air Force sergeant Subhashish Sarkar.

During the drive, the group of 45, aged between six and 70, managed to clear about 230 kg waste from the hill and waterfall area. Till now, Environment Life has carried out such drives at 12 locations, clearing seven tons of garbage left behind by tourists and visitors. Out of the total amount of garbage dumped by picnickers at waterfalls in that area, 150 kg is plastic — plates, spoons, water bottles, wafer packets, carry bags, etc.

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On Sunday afternoon, a foot overbridge near the Vashi Police Naka collapsed while a part of it was being removed with a crane. Apart from the driver of the crane, who suffered minor injuries, no one has been affected by the incident. However, the incident led to traffic congestion on the road towards Mumbai coming from Navi Mumbai. 

Following the collapse, the Mumbai Traffic Police immediately took to Twitter to inform commuters to take alternative routes. Though cops claimed that the traffic situation normalised on Sunday night, most vehicles on Monday morning took the alternate route via Airoli to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

Watch the video here...

Locals and traffic officials have alleged the Public Works Department (PWD) didn't inform anyone from the Navi Mumbai traffic police or the Vashi police about the dismantling work on Sunday, and that the crane used for it was of a low capacity.

The incident occurred when PWD engineers were dismantling the bridge. When the team was removing a part with the help of a crane, the device couldn't handle the pressure of the bridge, and thus ended up collapsing on the road. Traffic and disaster officials said the crane being used was of a poor capacity.

PWD should have instead brought in two cranes having a good capacity. mid-day reached out to local PWD officer Kishor Patil, but he remained unavailable for comment. PWD built this bridge two years ago. However, locals said that just six months later, it got damaged after a trailer crashed into it. Nobody was using it after that, but PWD decided to demolish it only this month after one-and-a-half years had passed.

Traffic officials said that prior to the collapse, traffic had already been diverted to the other side of the road, so no one was injured in the incident. PWD officials allegedly failed to inform all officials concerned with the area as well as citizens about the demolition, which is why it took longer to manage the situation.

Many users on social networking site Twitter shared videos of the same on their accounts expressing their frustration and anger over the situation. Here's a look at a few.

As of 6.15am in the morning, the entry into #Mumbai still blocked at Mankhurd. Potential traffic mayhem like yesterday. Took 4 hours to cross Vashi flyover yesterday. @MumbaiPolice not answering phones/WhatsApp. Go via Airoli to enter Mumbai.

— Nikhil Karkare (@n_karkare) October 8, 2018

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Crane clearing work still in progress at mankhurd octroi post.#Trafficupdate @MumbaiPolice huge traffic pile on. Took 1 hr to cross #vashibridge pic.twitter.com/OslI3YdcHV

— Sagar Gholap (@gholapsagar) October 8, 2018

@MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice I tried calling/sending WhatsApp messages to 8454999999 to know the status of the Mankhurd incident yesterday (got stuck for 4 hours after that). No one picked up/replied. Is the number correct?

— Nikhil Karkare (@n_karkare) October 8, 2018

#TrafficUpdate #mumbai heavy vehicles stopped right before #vashitoll. Collapsed crane clearing still underway, near mankhurd octroi post. Huge traffic pile on pic.twitter.com/ZKS4jmDuj2

— Sagar Gholap (@gholapsagar) October 8, 2018

Also Read: 4 dead in Pune after hoarding falls on vehicles at Mangalwar Peth

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Technology avoids obstacles by sensing air flow disruptions

From theatre to television, cinema to digital platforms, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is constantly proving his relevance as a performing artist. Although there is nothing to prove as far as his skill as an actor goes, he says that he wakes up every day to the new sun with the belief that he has "something to give" to the audience.

"I think it is the suspicion that I still have function left to fulfil, I am not done yet as an actor. I still have something to give (to the audience) and I am lucky that people still want to watch me. I am lucky, and also the fact that I love my work, I love acting. There is something about performing. I can't explain the excitement, and I haven't got over it. I think I am obsessed with acting. I think when I wake up tomorrow morning if I am unable to perform, I probably will commit suicide. What is there in life without it?" the 70-year-old actor told IANS.

Shah is one of the most revered faces of parallel cinema and has also tasted commercial success. Over the years, he has worked with the biggest of filmmakers across genres, and he says he has always been supportive of debutant filmmakers.

"When I interact with newcomer I have the example of people like Habib Tanvir, Girish Karnad, Om Puri, Shyam Benegal, Satyadev Dubey. When I was a youngster, they were ideals for me. When one struggles, encouragement is needed, and these people always guided us. Perhaps it is because of them, even in our darkest days, we stayed hopeful and continued our struggle to become the actor we are. So when I work with new actors and film directors, I try and encourage the story that is worth telling," he said.

Asked if the politics of an on-screen characters matters to him when he agrees to do a film, Shah said: " It is not always the character but what the intention behind telling the story is that matters the most."

Citing an example, the actor elaborates: " If the film ‘Khuda Kay Liye' were about glorifying the Taliban I would have not come on board to be part of the story. Coming from a very orthodox Muslim family, as a child I was told that Islam is the greatest religion and all non-Muslims are 'kaafirs'. But those thoughts used to disturb me as a growing adult. I was like, ‘but my friend KC Singh is such a nice fellow, it was not his decision to born a Hindu, so why would he go to hell?' We do not choose our parents and the religion we are born into'. Why should music be banned? All those questions were addressed in ‘Khuda Kay Liye'. So, as an actor, I had to agree with the ideology that the story was showing, not necessarily the character that I was portraying."

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Now that Khushi Kapoor is back from the US to be with her family amid the coronavirus lockdown, it seems like elder sister Janhvi can't handle the joy of reuniting with her baby sister. Janhvi Kapoor frequently shares photos of herself with Khushi, and those pictures too were full of love and affection for her sibling.

Janhvi recently shared an Instagram story in which she is seen offering a carrot cake made by her for baby sister Khushi. The star kid was seen a little reluctant to eat the cake but after taking a bite, she says, "it is good". However, she gives up when the Dhadak 2 actress asks her to eat more.

Eager to watch the fun banter the Kapoor sister had? Watch this video:

 

 

 

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#JanhviKapoor bakes a carrot cake and #KhushiKapoor expression is 🙄🙄 #StayHomeStaySafe #india #manavmanglani

A post shared by Manav Manglani (@manav.manglani) onApr 21, 2020 at 10:21am PDT

Janhvi Kapoor frequently shared photos of herself with Khushi, and those pictures too were full of love and affection for her sibling. Janhvi recently shared an Instagram story that shows her cuddling up with Khushi on the sofa, who looks quite amused with the former's shenanigans.

Before this, she uploaded a video where she can be seen getting her hair done by Khushi. "Getting me all dressed up to go nowhere," she captioned the video.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Janhvi Kapoor will be next seen in Gunjan Saxena, where the actress is portraying a real-life person for the first time in her career. Based on Gunjan Saxena, who is one of the first female pilots to fly in combat, Janhvi plays an important role in rescuing injured soldiers during the Kargil War in 1999 and was awarded the gallantry Shaurya Vir Award for displaying courage during the war.

Directed by Sharan Sharma, the film also stars Vineet Kumar Singh, Angad Bedi and Manav Vij in pivotal roles. She will also be seen in Karan Johar's multi-starrer Takht alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Bednekar and Anil Kapoor, and Roohi Afza opposite Rajkummar Rao.

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Alaya F made an everlasting mark in the heart of the audiences with her debut in Jawaani Jaaneman. The audiences and critics alike loved how she aced her character. Being stuck at home in lockdown, Alaya being a learner and lover of consuming things that make her grow as an actor is making the most of her time watching films to grasp more knowledge.

Alaya is a lover of old school classics and is watching films that have where she can learn a lot in terms of acting, feel, speech delivery, body language and much more. This will certainly help the actress in refining her skills. Some of the classics that Alaya is watching include:

The film 'Platform' has radical and thought-provoking content. It's a socially relevant and extremely well-made film. Next, is the 1955 classic 'Devdas' by Bimal Roy, followed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas. Adding to it is Anurag Kashyap's Dev D. What's interesting here is how one subject has been treated in such unique and different ways, in terms of direction and performance.

The next one being Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Black' which received a lot of critical acclaim for its intriguing storyline and the phenomenal performances by the actors. Another one being Super Deluxe, which is the perfect blend of nuanced performances and impeccable writing. Vijay Sethupathi is a treat to watch and Raasukutty's character shines throughout the movie.

The list ends with Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Howrah Bridge and other Madhubala classics. Clearly, the girl of the moment is enriching herself with all these films and learning as much as possible. Apart from seeing films, Alaya is making the most of her time staying indoors and indulging in a variety of activities.

Alaya F made her silver screen debut this what which hit the screens on 31st January 2020 where she shared the screen worn Saif Ali Khan and Tabu, yet moved all the audience and the Indian film industry with her performance.

If you find yourself feeling bored and at a loss for what to do next while you're quarantined at home, you only have to head on to Karan Johar's Instagram page and check out videos of his twin babies. His kids, Roohi and Yash Johar are super adorable, and they keep entertaining themselves and everyone else with their shenanigans. From calling papa KJo's clothes 'girl clothes' to annoying mama Hiroo Johar, Yash and Roohi will surely bring a smile to your face.

Recently, Karan Johar shared another sweet video of his babies trying to play a game and it ended up on a hilarious note. In the video, he is seen asking his daughter, "Roohi, if you were an animal, what would you be?" "Peppa Pig," answers Roohi. When he asked the same question to Yash, he said, "Peppa Pa". When he came back to Roohi and asked which animal would he be? she answered "Elephant", with a broad smile.

Sharing the video, the director-producer wrote, "Well guess which animal I remind them of #lockdownwiththejohars #toodles #season 2 @officialpeppa (sic)". Watch the playful banter of Karan Johar and his kids Yash and Roohi:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onApr 24, 2020 at 5:53am PDT

Earlier the filmmaker had shared a video in which his kids were seen sitting on a sofa with a guitar in their hand and trying really hard to sing in their adorable voices.

 

 

 

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Clearly singing is not in our genes! Apologies in advance ! #lockdownwiththejohars #toodles

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onApr 22, 2020 at 12:19am PDT

Before this, Yash and Roohi had hilariously mocked their filmmaker dad's designer kurta in a video shot in KJO's walk-in closet.

 

 

 

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Now they think I am wearing my mothers clothes!!!! #lockdownwiththejohars #season2 #toodles #weareback

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onApr 20, 2020 at 3:57am PDT

If this video doesn't pull at your heartstrings, we don't know what will! Several of Karan Johar's fraternity friends and social media followers couldn't help but laugh out loud at his predicament.

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Every time there's a crisis in the country or in the world, it is bound to attract mixed responses and debatable opinions on social media. The Coronavirus pandemic or pandemonium, if we say so, is nothing different. The world began to get plagued to an extent that a worldwide lockdown had to be declared that's now likely to continue longer.

And during this lockdown, a majority of the Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities began sharing their videos and pictures on Instagram. Some shared their workout videos, some shared their new haircuts, and many of them showed us their culinary skills and candid shots of their gorgeousness. This was bound to be met with scathing criticism and subtle and sly digs. And now, a video has surfaced on social media where some people are taking that very dig on these influential people's privileges.

Seeing this video, filmmaker Karan Johar has realised how insensitive his videos may have been and how he feels the need to apologise profusely. Taking to his Twitter account, he wrote- "This hit me hard and I have realised many of my posts may have been insensitive to many...I apologise profusely and wish to add none of it was intentional and came from a place of sharing but clearly may have lacked emotional foresight ....am sorry!" (sic)

Have a look right here:

This hit me hard and I have realised many of my posts may have been insensitive to many...I apologise profusely and wish to add none of it was intentional and came from a place of sharing but clearly may have lacked emotional foresight ....am sorry!🙏❤ï¸Â https://t.co/MO3kHkDQdo

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) April 25, 2020

Johar, for the last few weeks, has been sharing some funny videos of his children, Roohi and Yash, and their shenanigans. It seems he has sensed the fact that sharing these videos amid this crisis may not be the right thing right now since a lot of other people, the underprivileged, continue to suffer for livelihood amid this catastrophic crisis. Can we expect someone else to come forward and say sorry? Let's see!

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Amid lockdown due to the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, Bollywood celebrities are seen doing their own chores at home. Dancer-actress Nora Fatehi seems to be now done as she says she wants the "dishes to leave me alone" in a hilarious post. 

Nora, who is lauded for her flawless dancing skills, took to her Instagram Stories, where she shared a video of herself talking to the pile of dishes kept in the sink. In the TikTok video, Nora seems to have a funny conversation with the dishes in the sink, she is heard saying: "What? You are always looking at me dude! Shut the .... up because I always catch you staring... I swear, ask anybody you are always staring at me."

She captioned the clip: The dishes are always waiting for me... These dishes need to leave me alone #quarantinelife."

 

 

 

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@norafatehi this is hilarious! The Dishes! 😂😂😂 Check out Nora’s TikTok for more videos - ItsNoriana 👍🏼❤️ . . #WeLoveNoraFatehi @norafatehifan.england #norafatehi #norafatehifans #garmi #nachinachi #BhujThePrideofIndia #noriana #norafatehifans #pepeta #EkTohKumZindagani #dilbar #arabicdilbar #kamariya #Naah #OSakiSaki #conochallenge #StreetDancer3D #beautiful #love #gorgeous #bae #stunning #dance #fashion #india #mumbai #morocco #actress #bollywood #norafatehifan_england

A post shared by Nora Fatehi Fan | Nora Follows (@norafatehifan.england) onApr 25, 2020 at 9:47am PDT

Recently, a video of Nora's enviable moves went viral, in which she pulled off a fusion of Afro, Urban and Dancehall styles of dancing.

Nora's most popular on-screen performances include "Manohari" ("Baahubali: The Beginning"), "Dilbar" ("Satyamev Jayate"), "O saki saki" ("Batla House") and "Ek toh kam zindagani" ("Marjaavaan"), besides her recent hit "Garmi" in "Street Dancer 3D". On the acting front, Nora will next be seen in the Ajay Devgn-starrer "Bhuj: The Pride Of India".

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The Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan starrer Ta Ra Rum Pum stood out as a sports-drama that was set against the backdrop of car racing in the USA with Saif playing a racing prodigy. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film had a lavish shooting schedule in the United States and Rani has some very fond memories of shooting this project. Today, as the film completes 13 years, the actress speaks about almost everything that you'll love to read!

"Ta Ra Rum Pum was a very, very lovely shooting experience for me because we shot in America, in New York, for nearly 3 months. I was there for 3 months at a stretch and it was lovely living in New York around that time shooting the film. We had two little angels - Ali and Angelina (who played the roles of Priya and Ranveer – Saif and Rani's on-screen kids) and I was single at that point of time but to actually play a mother of these 2 children really got my motherly instincts out," says Rani.

The talented actress adds, "Today when I look back and watch the film when I have Adira with me, it just feels so amazing. When Ta Ra Rum Pum released, I had a lot of children and parents really watching the film with a lot of love. I still get a lot of people telling me that they watched Ta Ra Rum Pum and it's one of their favourite films because it has car racing and it has the story about the children."

Rani feels the film's universal theme of family coming together to overcome all odds is what connected with the audiences. "It's a very nice warm lovely story and I think I connected with the film and the story a lot at that time. It was a very sweet story about this couple who has children and how they fight the odds. I think crisis like these brings families closer and I think that's a very special part of the story," she says.

Rani thoroughly enjoyed the animation in the film which was hailed as a cut above as far Bollywood standard back then was. "Of course, it had the animation song (Ta Ra Rum Pum) with the teddy bears which is one of my favourite songs. I think they had done a lovely job and the animation was one of my first animation songs which I did!" the actress adds.

Rani had a blast acting with Saif, with whom she also delivered the blockbuster Hum Tum, and her co-stars in the film. "Of course, having Saif with me as a co actor was wonderful! Also, Victor Banerjee played my father in the film and it was wonderful having him on set and to be working with him. It was overall a great experience and I remember being really, really happy on the sets of Ta Ra Rum Pum!" she says.

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Bollywood actress and Congress candidate from Mumbai North Urmila Matondkar on Sunday played cricket with the youngsters of Sahyadri Nagar, Charkop in Kandivli. She tweeted a video of her playing cricket and wrote, "Since there is no time to watch the IPL anymore...in a league of my own with the youngsters of Sahyadri Nagar, Charkop Kandivali (W) #AapliMumbaichiMulagi." (sic)

Also Read: Elections 2019: Urmila Matondkar races for Lok Sabha polls with rally in Kandivli. See photos

Clad in simple salwar kameez, Matondkar tried her hand at cricket among cheering crowd. Watch video here...

Since there is no time to watch the IPL anymore...in a league of my own with the youngsters of Sahyadri Nagar, Charkop Kandivali (W) #AapliMumbaichiMulagi 😇 pic.twitter.com/JrRZmTNRNx

— Urmila Matondkar (@OfficialUrmila) April 14, 2019

Urmila Matondkar has declared assets worth around Rs 68.28 crore and a clean legal record. As per her affidavit filed with the Election Commission, Matondkar's income was Rs 1.27 crore in 2013-14, which more than doubled to Rs 2.85 crore in 2017-18. Her movable and immovable assets are totally worth Rs 40,93,46,474 and Rs 27,34,81,000, respectively.

Her husband M.A. Mir owns movable and immovable assets worth Rs 32,35,752.53 and Rs 30,00,000, respectively, totally around RS 62.35 lakh. Besides, Matondkar has declared an outstanding loan of Rs 32 lakh. Her assets include bank deposits, cash in hand, vehicles, and investments in land and properties.

Also Read: Watch video: Urmila Matondkar enjoys vada pav during election campaign in Mumbai

Urmila Matondkar was born in a small rural hospital in her (maternal) native region of Sindhudurg, to Shrikant and Sunita. Her father Shrikant is a retired officer of the erstwhile Grindlays Bank and her mother Sunita is a retired state government employee.

She was educated at the prestigious century-old King George High Shool, Dadar, which is now renamed as Raje Shivaji Vidyalaya, and then joined the Ruparel College, but couldn't complete her graduation as she got a big break in Bollywood.

With a successful film career behind her, Urmila married a Kashmiri businessman, M.A. Mir and regularly visits her inlaws in the Valley. While her sister is a former actresss-turned-lawyer Mamata A. Bhalekar who lives in Mumbai, her eldest brother, the Pune-based Kedar Matondkar is a retired Indian Air Force officer who saw action during the Kargil War of 1999.

"She loves social issues, reading, and has read all major literary works, especially the pennings of Sane Guruji who has influenced her deeply. Urmila is always dediated and committed in any venture she undertakes, whether acting or social work or politics," her proud father Shrikant said

Mumbai's six Lok Sabha constituencies go to polls in the fourth phase on April 29.

Also Read: Elections 2019: Urmila Matondkar, Priya Dutt, Sanjay Nirupam woo youth

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A fire broke out at a building in South Mumbai in the wee hours of Wednesday and firefighters managed to douse the flames. No injuries or casualties have been reported in the fire. A blaze broke out at the Dharam Villa building situated on Bhulabhai Desai Marg at around midnight.

The first call to the fire station was received at 12:36 am and eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot. According to fire officials, the level III fire was confined to doors, lift, and staircases on the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth floor of the nine-floor building, which includes a basement.

Fire breaks out at Dharam Villa building, a high-rise on Bhulabhai Desai Marg, #Mahalaxmi past mid-night. Eight fire engines have been rushed to the spot. #Fire fighting work is in progress. Cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. #Mumbai @mid_day pic.twitter.com/VOQm5lPvv0

— Diwakar Sharma (@DiwakarSharmaa) February 19, 2019

Mumbai: A level III fire has broken out in Dharam Villa building at Bhulabhai Desai Marg. 8 fire tenders are present at the spot. Fire fighting operation is underway. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/fUA1OOtWd0

— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2019

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In a tragic incident, a 14-year-old student from Navjivan school Nalasopara East allegedly died falling from water sliding ride tower in Suraj Water Park on Friday afternoon. According to the police of the deceased has been identified as Deepak Gupta, a resident was residing with his parents at Pragati Nagar area, Nalasopara East. He was studying in Class X at Navjivan school situated in Oswal Nagri area and had gone for schools picnic.

The incident happened when Gupta climbed on the water slide tower and suddenly fell down on the tower platform. He was unconscious. Gupta was taken to the hospital where the doctor declared him dead. No one from Suraj Water Park said anything but the incident was confirmed by night duty security guard who mid-day that the incident took place between 1 pm to 2 pm. He said that the boy used to suffer from epilepsy and he fainted while climbing on the sliding ride tower.

The boy's parents alleged that he did not want to go to the picnic but the school authority had made it mandatory for students to attend and also alleged that the school authorities had threatened to not issue examination hall tickets for students appearing for SSC students.

A social worker Prashant Bhosle says the school management is responsible for the death of the child. If the student did not want to go to the picnic, how could the school management force? The school authority is totally responsible for the death of Gupta and they should be punished.

Hundreds of peoples including the parents gathered outside the school but no official from the from came out. And accidental death case has been registered at Kasarvadavali police station and further investigation is on.

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A leopard entered a society in Marol, Andheri. He was caught after almost two hours.

There was a big crowd at Vijay Nagar near Marol Marushi. People were waiting with sticks in their hands.

CCTV footage of the leopard

In the CCTV footage, the wild animal was seen running around the premises of Woodland Apartment near Police camp.

The SGNP leopard rescue team and Thane team reached the spot immediately while Dr Shailesh Pethe, Deputy Conservator of Forest Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, Range Forest Officer Santosh Kank were preparing the strategy.

Also read: Decomposed body of leopard found at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

The forest officers were able to nab the leopard after two hours. He was taken away in a van. The Powai team, MIDC police and fire brigade were also involved in the rescue operation.

In February this year, a leopard was spotted in the basement of Korum Mall in Thane.

Also read: Mumbai: Leopard numbers increase in Sanjay Gandhi National Park

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Popular instant messaging platform, WhatsApp, has rolled out a new feature that allows users to view content from Facebook and Instagram within the app. The update is expected to increase user engagement in the messaging platform.

The latest update has been rolled out for select iOs users. WhatsApp support will allow users to play Instagram and Facebook videos within the app, without exiting the chat. Presently, a user who receives videos or images from Facebook, Instagram or any such app would be redirected to these apps to view the content. However, this is set to change with the new update, reports The Verge.

The latest update also introduced the ability to add and revoke admin privileges from users in a group chat. It empowers admins to edit the subject, description, and icon of a chat that is already underway. In November 2017, WhatsApp rolled out an update through which one can view YouTube videos directly inside the messaging app, in picture-in-picture mode.

If a YouTube link has been sent on a conversation, then users can directly view the video through the link on WhatsApp itself, as it will no longer be re-directed to YouTube. Instead, the YouTube clip will appear within a small floating window on your screen, thus implying that you can watch YouTube videos and message at the same time.

On a related note, the update is also expected to be rolled out to Android users in the coming weeks.

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

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While digital technology often receives brickbats from the health-conscious, a 76-year-old man in Hong Kong now wants anyone with a heart problem to wear an Apple Watch after it helped him get a new lease of life by sending an alert about his elevated heart rate.

Gaston D'Aquino, a semi-retired diamond trader, was sitting in a church in April when he spotted an alarm on his timepiece telling him that his heart rate was too high, tech website Phone Arena reported on Sunday.

Although D'Aquino was feeling fine, he skipped Easter lunch with his family to go to the hospital.

That decision proved to be life-saving as a battery of tests performed on him later revealed that two of his three main coronary arteries were completely blocked, and the other was 90 per cent blocked, according to the report originally published by the South China Morning Post on Friday.

The doctors at the hospital lauded the Apple Watch for its accurate readings.

On the advice of the doctors, D'Aquino later had an angioplasty, in which tiny balloons are temporarily inserted into clogged arteries and inflated to open them.

He was sent home the following day. "It went well and I'm feeling much, much better," he told South China Morning Post.

D'Aquino, who is a self-professed Apple fan, then wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook informing him how the Apple Watch helped save his life.

In his email to Cook, D'Aquino recounted his story, noting that "this was the first time that my watch alert had ever gone off, but I was not feeling anything, no dizziness or pain" and "in short, I was a walking time bomb".

He told Cook how he got "a new lease on life" after the operation and also requested him to keep "promoting the use of the Apple Watch for anyone with cardiac problems".

Cook wrote back to D'Aquino saying how happy he was to learn about his story.

"Gaston, I'm so glad you sought medical attention and you're fine now. I appreciate you taking the time to share your story. It inspires us to keep pushing. Best, Tim," Cook was quoted as saying.

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Do you also start watching a video on YouTube and lose track of time following the recommended/autoplay list? Google wants to tell you that it is concerned over this habit of yours and has inserted a nifty new feature to its video service.

As part of its focus on digital well-being, Google has added a feature to YouTube called 'take a break' which notifies you when you have exceeded a specific amount of consecutive viewing time, The Verge reports.

The feature is optional, and just like how you might scold a little one for exceeding their television viewing time, the feature will show you a prompt when you lose track of time.

You can enable it through the Settings menu and selecting 'Remind me to take a break'. You can choose from options ranging from 15 minutes to 180 minutes.

Whether or not it really contributes to a healthy digital well-being is something we are yet to see, but it surely gives an easy way of timing the consumption of the addictive video service.

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A vacation brought nightmare news to a 26-year-old Shillong man's family. The man drowned in the Bhatsa River near Shahapur. He was in the city to spend his summer vacation with his cousins at his aunt's place. He had accompanied his cousins who went to the river to beat the heat. Though he was a good swimmer, he was sucked in by the current and drowned. In fact, the drowned man helped his cousins escape, but could not do so himself.

This report comes just days after the a 24-year-old techie allegedly drowned in a swimming pool in Pune. The deceased hailed from Andhra Pradesh and was a resident of Pune's Hinjewadi. He was taking swimming classes since the past one month.

Reports say the lifeguard realised that the techie had not resurfaced for a while when he jumped in and found the man unconscious. Though he was rushed to hospital, he was declared dead. His post mortem report also mentioned death due to drowning.

Both reports show us that swimmers tend to underestimate the power of water. They tend to overestimate their prowess in the water and end up paying a heavy price for that.

In the former instance, where a Shillong-based man died, people need to desist from jumping into rivers, lakes, ponds to cool off. The waters can be deceptively calm. If you are on a picnic, be content with simply submerging your feet in the water, instead of jumping into it. These lessons must be learnt well. The monsoon will bring with it revellers, who cavort in gushing waterfalls and water bodies at green getaways. Some of these picnics end in tragedies. Take extra caution when you swim, and do not enter a deep pool if you are a beginner or still learning. It must be action caution when it comes to water.

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At the heart of No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) is the belief that everyone can dance. This free-form workout in the dark was thought up by Australian dance students Alice Glenn and Heidi Barrett in 2009 in Melbourne as a means to truly let go and express oneself.Creative freelancer and the woman behind the Mumbai chapter, Yooti Bhansali, says, "You can dance like nobody's watching, because nobody can see you and also, they're busy enjoying their new-found freedom. From a small room full of nutty dancers in Melbourne, this community has spread to major cities in Australia, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, and is now Mumbai."

Bhansali heard about NLNL from an Australian friend. Is Mumbai ready for such a thing, we ask. "We've seen music gigs in art galleries, movies in bars and quizzes in microbreweries. So, getting people in a dark room to dance doesn't seem much of a stretch," she says Bhansali has got several queries from people across age groups, who are excited about the prospect of a physical activity that's fun. "It's not a party. It's a place where you dance freely. Of course, you could just dance in the dark in the privacy of your home, but let's be honest — would that be as much fun?"

When: 8am, May 23
Where: The Bandra Base, Baitush Saraf Bldg, TPS III, 29th Off Waterfield Rd, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 399, cash only. Get a friend for free

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"
The cast and crew of Malgudi Revisited

Malgudi - the famous fictitious place that RK Narayan created - has a certain sense of innocence that seems incongruous with the fast pace of life in a city like Mumbai. It offered the characters a chance to enjoy the simpler pleasures of life, be it a young boy following the journey of a paper boat down a nullah or chucking pebbles into a lake. But now, people here can also get a chance to spend a day in the laidback town, as Tantra Theatre Group brings it to life in a series of short plays called Malgudi Revisited.

In it, a narrator will take the audience around different locations, making them meet the locals who populated Narayan's much-loved book. The day begins early, at 8 am, with a visit to the school where Swami - one of Narayan's most iconic characters - studied with his friends. Their exploits were of an everyday nature. And yet, there were lessons embedded in the story that are relevant even today, such as how a wall of conflict can be broken down with just a bit of empathy and understanding.

The short play featuring the astrologer

Then, around noon, the audience will be taken to a chowk where they will meet "the talkative man", who narrates a story called Old Man of the Temple. It deals with how the talkative man had once encountered a ghost while driving by a roadside temple, who possessed the spirit of the young man at the wheel. Krishna Battar, the ghost, was the one who had built the temple. But his spirit refused to leave the area even after his death, since there was no one else to take care of the holy place. Eventually, the talkative man convinces Battar that it is important to let go of the past, no matter how tough that is. And in the end, it seems that Battar has understood this point, because the next time the man comes around to that temple, the ghost is nowhere to be seen.

Later in the afternoon, the scene shifts to a bank, where a watchman is sitting outside the gate. This watchman tells the audience about how, after retiring from his job, he had discovered a talent for making paper dolls. He had received a lot of love for the same, but one day, he got a registered letter from a bank whose manager had been one of the recipients of his dolls. Now, back at that time, receiving a registered letter invariably spelt financial doom for a person. So, the watchman cursed himself for giving the manager his gift, and the insane fear he felt about opening the letter finally made him lose his mind. The irony, though, is that the envelope had contained a sum of `100, which the manager had sent the watchman, elated with his gift.

Soumitra Acharya

After that, in the evening, the audience is taken around to a marketplace, where they meet an astrologer whose quick thinking saves him from being pummelled by a man he had once tried to kill in his village. And finally, the narrator notices that a light is still switched on in the bank, so he goes to find out if someone is still working there. In the process, the audience comes across the character who was the protagonist of a story called Forty Rupees a Month. This man had decided to quit his soul-crushing job to spend more time with his family. The sum of Rs 40 was not completely peanuts back then. But it still didn't allow him to take his wife and children out for movies, for instance, and so he decided to hang up his boots. But at the last moment before submitting his resignation letter, he found out that he had got a pay hike of `5, and that made him change his mind about packing up his working life and calling it a day.

Soumitra Acharya, who directed and wrote the short plays, and also essays the role of the narrator, reveals this plot structure to us. He also points out how relevant Narayan's stories continue to be. "For instance, the main character in Forty Rupees a Month might well be me, where instead of taking my family out for a movie, my ambition could be to take my parents on a foreign trip. So, like him, even I am stuck in my comfort zone, and refuse to get out of that rut come what may," he says, pointing out how some issues remain constant through the years, and some places like Malgudi - fictitious as it may be - have a sense of timelessness that persists through the ages.

ON: May 13, 7.30 pm
AT: Whistling Woods - Andheri Base, Link Road, Andheri West.
LOG ON TO: bookmyshow.com
ENTRY: Rs 350

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Representational picture

New Delhi: Jewellery is timeless but when it comes to trends, every season, occasion and era brings with it a wave of intriguing new designs so make sure you are opting for the right pieces this season. Ishu Datwani, Founder of Anmol Jewellers, lists some tips.

• The big jewellery trend to look forward to in 2018 will be very classic European with designs and finish in an international tone.
• Classic diamond jewellery with statement diamonds and precious coloured gemstones like emeralds, rubies and tanzanite is expected to trend in 2018.
• Jewellery set in rose gold is another very popular trend as rose gold gives a very classy, elegant and luxurious look and works well for Indian skin tones.
• When it comes to bridal jewellery, diamonds will continue to shine as the eternal charm of Polki is here to lead the show.
• Samir Sagar, Director, Manubhai Jewellers, agrees that rose gold is expected to continue shining in 2018, especially in the lightweight segment.
• The metal has become popular as the warm pink hue brings with it a dash of luxury and can be clubbed with yellow gold and white gold jewellery too.
• Daily wear lightweight jewellery studded with diamonds in pink gold is trending amongst the young, urban, working women. The USP of these diamond collections is that they give the wearer the pleasure of adorning the luxury metal with diamonds on an everyday basis as the range starts from Rs 35,000 only.
• In bridal jewellery segment, Jadau continues to be in trend.
• Gold chokers with long kanthas studded in kundan karigari with colourful gemstones in hues of green, pink, red, blues and pearls have become a new trend, especially with Bollywood divas donning the same for reel and real life weddings.

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Baby Olive ridley turtles all set to embrace the sea in Velas.

Turtles - female Olive ridley turtles in particular - have a phenomenal memory. In their lifespan of about 50 years, where they swim for thousands of miles in the underwater world, they never forget one route. The females return to the same beach where they hatched to give birth to new life. The creatures are also communal in nature - they arrive at their native beach in thousands to lay eggs. The phenomenon, which makes for a stunning sight, is called Arribada.

Inhabitants of warm waters, the species has two haunts on the Indian coastline: Rushikulaya in Odisha and Velas in Ratnagiri. Over the years, Olive ridley turtles have borne the brunt of human activities and are now recognised as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Conservation measures have been underway to ensure the eggs hatch in a conducive environment and the hatchlings safely take their first steps to the sea. If Arribada has piqued your interest, a two-day eco-tour organised by Mumbai Travellers will take you to the Velas beach where you can watch the phenomenon unfold before your eyes.

"The baby turtles trek to the sea in early mornings and evenings, so we take travellers straight to the beach as soon as we arrive in Velas," shares Karishma Joshi, eco-tours division head of the travel group. The trip includes a visit to the Bankot Fort and Harihareshwar. "In the evening, travellers will be taken to conservationist Mohan Upadhye's home, where they will watch a documentary on the turtles. This will be followed by a skit presented by local children on turtle conservation," shares Joshi.

Kalank
U/A: Action, Drama, History
Director: Abhishek Varman
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur
Rating: 

Not one to get wooed by the scale and production value of a film, I can't help but be smitten by the sheer beauty of Abhishek Varman's Kalank. In 2019, when Netflix rules our lives, this film is a rare cinematic experience that blends in opulence, glamour with a solid story about a family torn by its own skeletons in the closet. Star crossed pairs, their infidelities and how it destroys the world around them.

Drawn to forbidden pleasures and immoderate love is Roop, played with heft by Alia Bhatt. Varman's vast screenplay primarily plays off the luminous chemistry between Bhatt and co-star Varun Dhawan. There's a tantalising quality about their pairing and Varman uses this element to full effect. But a lot of the emotions drown in its self imposed ornate design of the film, which gives it a synthetic quality.

Watch the trailer of Kalank here:

So when a feisty Rajputana girl (Alia's Roop) is compelled by circumstances to marry a man (Aditya Roy Kapur's Dev) she can't even recognise in broad daylight, you want to discover more about their faulty dynamics. Or even how a well-educated woman like her, who has opinions strong enough to be voiced in front of an all-male team of writers running a flourishing newspaper, would fall for a visibly dubious man (Varun Dhawan's Zafar) with a promiscuous life. All of this and much more about the period's socio-political submerges beneath Binod Pradhan's gorgeous cinematography. It's almost as if there is a barrier between the audience and the characters - a gulf presumably created because of the director's reluctance to delve deeper into the plot.

Kalank movie poster

It's at the casting department, Varman scores big. Raging with simmering pain, Varun's aching performance beautifully transcends from showing him as a bitter man thirsty for revenge to a kind soul softened by love. Aditya's character has little graph but he adds soul to his act, supported adequately by Sonakshi Sinha who keeps her brief role serene all through. The seniors - Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt bring their effortless experience in a climactic sequence which packs a punch. Kunal Kemmu's grey part is portrayed with flair.

Also Read: Kalank: Here's everything you should know about the multi-starrer film

By no means is Kalank an unbearable film, despite being nearly 2 hours 48 minutes long. But there is a constant tryst to divert our attention from its storyline; Varman distracts us with his suggestive background scores, special numbers and sometimes even the perfectly created Manish Malhotra costumes. It's also equally problematic that a film set in pre-Partition doesn't stir up much political conversations throughout the narrative. There are stray mentions of their noble intentions but it remains largely detached from the divisive politics of the time it is set in. It also pays a tribute to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's school of filmmaking by borrowing a lot of his trademark sequences (especially Alia's entry which reminds one of Aishwarya's first scene in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). Varman's prism is fresh - his women aren't caricatures, his characters aren't perfect. Roop is innately flawed, her decisions are damaging but she fights back for love with all her might. His men aren't all heroic and larger than life; they stumble, are unforgiving and equally faulty.

Watch the video of the Kalank movie review here:

I was reminded of Deepa Mehta's masterpiece - 1947, Earth, rightly melodramatic, potently emotional which walked the tightrope of a love triangle in stormy times in a balanced way. Kalank doesn't aim for that depth. It's content in being pretty even when it has the potential of so much more.

Kalank screening: Janhvi Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur attend:

Also Read: Kalank Celeb Review: B-town can't stop praising this period drama

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Thje city is facing many challenges amid the Coronavirus lockdown, but the one thing in its favour is the water stock. The lakes that provide water to the city have enough water to fulfil the city's needs through the summer.

As of Monday, the lakes have 29 per cent of the water stock, which will last for almost another 80 days, that is, until July.

This means, there will be no water cut this summer. Last year, when the city was facing a water cut, the total water stock was 19 per cent on the same date.

The BMC had imposed a 10 per cent water cut from November 2018 till July 2019. During the last monsoon, the lakes received rain till early December and as such, the water stock is still

The seven lakes — Bhatsa, Tansa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tulsi and Vihar — supply water to the city.

Their total water storage capacity is 14.47 lakhs MLD (million litres per day). As of Monday, there is 4.31 lakh MLD water in the lakes.

Last year, on the same date, the water stock was 2.88 lakh MLD.

The BMC supplies 3,800 MLD water to the city every day. Around 700 MLD water is being used by industries while the floating population — people coming from other cities — use around 50 MLD water.

"After the lockdown, the industrial water supply is obviously reduced but the city gets normal water supply. It means there is more water for residential areas," said Ashok Rathore, chief of the Hydraulic Engineering Department.

Due to the manpower crunch, the meter reading has not been taken and the exact use by industries and residences has not been measured.

As per the IMD forecast, the monsoon will be normal this year.

29
Percentage of water stock currently available

Available water stock (in mn litres)

Upper Vaitarna: 2,802
Modak Sagar: 61,632
Tansa: 38,539
Middle Vaitarna: 89,953
Bhatsa: 224,881
Vihar: 10,133
Tulsi: 3,478
Total: 4,31,418

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In another incident that underlines the abject plight of migrant labourers, the Mulund police found 19 of them attempting to walk home to UP on foot in a bid to escape hunger and unemployment. The group was spotted sitting on a water pipeline during drone surveillance on Wednesday evening. What surprised the police was that usually, people run away as soon as they notice drones. However, these labourers, trying to escape hunger in the city, did not flinch and stared back at the drone. The group appeared to be headed in the direction of Thane.

The police across the state are using drones to keep an eye on their jurisdiction amid the COVID-19 lockdown. The police spotted this group around 7pm on Wednesday during routine surveillance and went for a closer look.

Vijay Prajapati, a migrant

The police noticed a few people sitting on a pipeline that supplies water. The drone was lowered to get a better look at the people and police counted 19 people sitting, observing the drone.

"People run away after they realise a drone is tracking them. But these people did not. We thought they are resting. All of them had bags hoisted on their backs or lying by their side," said an officer from Mulund police station. "We informed a patrolling van and some local politicians who rushed to the Veena Nagar," the officer added. The 19 people were taken to Mulund police station where cops and MLA Mihir Kotecha spoke to them.

Brahmadatta Tiwari

"Of the 19, 16 reside in Sonapur, Bhandup West and six are from Goregaon East. All are daily wage labourers," said Kotecha.

"They all belong to a village near Balrampur near Lukhnow, Uttar Pradesh. They planned to go to their hometown walking. All of them have been taken to Bhandup Shelter Home, where they will be given food."

A screenshot of the video of the labourers taken during drone surveillance by Mulund police. Pics/Suresh Karkera

Sonapur resident Vijay Kumar Prajapati, 38, said, "We all live in one single room. We don't have a single rupee in our pocket now. We have no option but to walk back to our home where our family is. We haven't had proper food for the past three days. So, instead of starving, we chose this path."

Brahmadatta Tiwari, 40, a Goregaon East resident, said, "We all belong to the same village. We discussed among each other about what to do as money and provisions are ending. With no other option left, we decided to walk back home."

Mulund police informed the labourers that the government has allowed for states to take back their migrants and if they want, they will be taken home.

7g
Time on Wednesday evening that the drone spotted the migrants on the pipeline

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After an engineer in the G north ward tested positive for COVID-19, water supply to residents of Dadar-Mahim is likely to be disrupted for a while. The entire team in charge of repairing the water pipeline has been quarantined.

The engineers and workers of G north ward offices were on essential duty of ensuring water supply, but one of them tested positive for COVID-19 late Tuesday night.

"He was on duty of repairing the water pipeline in Dharavi. In all likelihood, that is how he contracted the virus," one of the employees said.

Soon after the engineer tested positive, the BMC health department quarantined the entire team on April 29, Wednesday, to avoid further transmission. The repair work will restart only after the team gets the all-clear, which will take a while.

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A swimming pool maintenance employee working at the Bombay Presidency Radio Club (BPRC) in Colaba amid the Coronavirus lockdown died of electrocution on Thursday. Ramchandra Bhuneshwar's body was seen floating in the swimming pool by another staffer.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sangramsinh Nishandar said an Accidental Death Report has been filed. "Prima facie, a 42-year-old man in charge of maintaining the swimming pool at Colaba's Radio Club died of electrocution. We have registered a case under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code against Radio Club officials and the contractor for breaking lockdown norms," he said.

Senior police inspector of Colaba police Shivaji Phadtare said Bhuneshwar was taking water out of the pool with the help of an electric pump when he got electrocuted.
Sources said that Bhuneshwar, a contractual employee, was asked by his contractor Babu Khomrekar to clean the water of the swimming pool a week ago. "At the time of conducting the panchnama, Khomrekar was called by Colaba police. He told the police that Adi Mistry, a Managing Committee Member working as the Chairman of Swimming Pool and Gym at the Radio Club, told him to get Bhuneshwar to change the pool water," a source working at the Radio Club said.

Bhuneshwar is survived by wife, Vimal, two daughters and a six-year-old son. His relative, Siddhant Gaikwad, said, "Bhuneshwar was asked to continue maintenance work at Radio Club's swimming pool even during the lockdown. He lives in Murud Janjira. When no permanent staff is working at the club, why was he forced to continue his work?"

President of Radio Club, Harish Kumar Garg, said, "I am not aware how Bhuneshwar died and what was he doing at the Radio Club amid a lockdown as I am a 72-year-old man and I have been staying home."

Ramchandra Bhuneshwar

Sources said nearly a dozen Radio Club employees living at the premises spoke to the Colaba police during the panchanama. "Committee members forced these workers to leave the club amid the lockdown because they spoke to the police," source added.

Club members speak

Advocate Ravi Goenka, a member of the club, said, "We all are following the lockdown rules and sitting at home. And the rich and powerful people who are on the committee of tony clubs (i.e Radio Club) call staff to work in spite of the lockdown."

The Radio Club committee refused to answer calls. A club member said angrily, "Calling in staff to work is exploitation and violation of the lockdown."

Several members expressed surprise that the pool was filled with water and not drained as no one swims there amid the lockdown. Another member said, "We do not want this brushed away as an Accidental Death Report. A poor employee has lost his life, let us get to the bottom of this through a thorough investigation."

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The financial independence of professional sportspersons has never been more important than during this Coronavirus-caused lockdown period. And given their limited sources of income due to no sporting activity, it's unfair if these athletes are refused their due.

Maharashtra's long distance-running trio of Jyoti Gawate, Srinu Bugatha and Kalidas Hirave emerged champions at the Dailyworld Marathon in Chandigarh on March 31 last year but are yet to receive their monetary rewards.

Women's full marathon winner Gawate (who clocked 2:50:02) and men's full marathon champion Bugatha (2:25:55) were both entitled to cash awards of R2 lakh each, while half marathon winner Hirave's (1:06:02) prize money was R1,25,000. Among the three, only Bugatha has received a part payment so far.

"I have been calling the organisers several times since last year for my prize money. I have spoken to different people each time. Initially, a person called HS Gujral gave me assurances. Then, one Ravi Sharma spoke to me, followed by some PC Kushwaha and now the last person I spoke to a few days ago is one Manish Tiwary. But my money has still not come. An amount of Rs 2 lakh is huge for an athlete like me who is jobless. I have won over 15 marathons till date and each time, I have received my prize money within 45 days," Gawate, 33, who lives in Parbhani, told mid-day on Tuesday.

Army Sports Institute (Pune) athlete Bugatha, who is currently at home in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh due to the lockdown, said the organisers are not even answering his calls. "Of the R2 lakh, I received only R50,000 and that too just a month back after a lot of follow ups. Now, they're not even responding to my phone calls. I requested them many times, pleading that it's my hard-earned prize money but to no avail," said Bugatha, 27, claiming that the Ethiopian and Kenyan runners received their prize cheques immediately.

The trio are now contemplating legal action. "We have only been getting false assurances from the organisers that they will deposit our money soon. We have made dozens of calls to them. Now, Srinu, Jyoti and myself are thinking of sending them a legal notice," said Hirave, 27, from his home in Wai, Satara. Dailyworld's Editor-in-chief Tiwary told mid-day that the cash awards will be handed over soon. "This event was done in association with the Punjab government. We have received a part payment from them and are awaiting the balance which has caused this delay. Still, out of 90 winners in all categories, we have paid 87 athletes. We will check our records and pay the others immediately. These athletes are our stars and it's our responsibility to take care of them," said Tiwary.

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Mojo's Bistro in Kamala Mills, Lower Parel

Gone are the days when a pub's interiors only made for a cool Insta frame. Today, design based on business sensibilities is having a bigger say in the blueprint. An idea that seems to have caught the attention of owners of new watering holes is to set up an island bar right in the middle of the venue.

Bring in the business
Owners agree that an island bar is accessible from all sides, and thus, results in better business. "In a space as big our Andheri outlet (6,500 sq ft), an island bar suits us perfectly. We didn't want it to be in a corner from where the bar wasn't visible. An island bar in the centre is more accessible, and the service is faster," says Dibyendu Bindal, partner at Agent Jack's.

Bindal feels that sourcing water supply and drainage facilities might be a challenge, but with advanced technology, these issues
can be overcome. Such a placement also offers more space for guests to hang out with their drinks for longer.

The island bar at Andheri's Agent Jack's

Add to the theme
For others, an island bar works as an extension to the décor. A case in point: Juhu's seaside bar, Estella. "We wanted its look and feel to be like a deck. Since we are situated by the sea, we decided to have an island bar and make it a conversation point. It instantly draws guests, like an island would draw visitors," reasons Hitesh Keswani, director, Silver Beach Entertainment and Hospitality. Keswani echoes Bindal's logic when he says that such a design manages to woo more guests as it ensures easier interaction with the bar team.

Pritina Shrestha, managing director, Mojo's Bistro was clear that their spacious open-air venue in Lower Parel would host a bar in the centre. "Four-sided access is not just a quicker way for people to get their drinks, but also gives a 360-degree view to guests at the bar, and those helming it. Thanks to this, we have bartenders performing. We have added LED lights that play up on big-ticket events like cricket matches. This helps us change the ambience regularly," she says.

Juhu's sea-facing Estella restaurant 

Architect take
Island bars in large spaces are a mainstay not just in the city, but internationally too. Suresh Mistry, co-founder of city-based architecture firm SM Studio, which has worked on the Andheri outlet of Agent Jack's, has spotted some of the finest island bars across Hong Kong and Guangzhou. "It is ideal for service as it enables the waiters to attend to every table in lesser time. Island bars also break the monotony of a large space."

The team at architect Sameep Padora's sP+a that designed Lower Parel's Theory and Juhu's Estella, was clear about Keswani's brief. They say, "Since the island bar is the cynosure of the space, the design had to be technically spot on.
Done right, it is the best way to communicate the positioning of the property."

Going by the footfall at the Juhu hotspot, it might just be the new cool island to check into.

REJCTX is a teen-drama thriller and a coming of age story that revolves around the lives of seven Indian students studying in The Jefferson World School. These privileged kids are thrust into the exclusive world of the rich, right where they belong. But eventually, they find themselves at the disposal of their own insecurities. REJCTX is an expression of that restlessness by a bunch of misfits and rebels.

Goldie Behl, Producer and Director, REJCTX 1 & 2 said, "It was certainly a challenge as it was exciting to cast all new faces, but the kids performed extremely well in the first season and then they have outdone themselves in the second season of the show as well. Everyone has built a great bond while working on the sets and it almost feels like family to be working with them. The second season of REJCTX is really good and we are hoping everyone loves it as much and more than the first season."

Have a look at the recap of Season 1 right here:

MISFIT NO.1: Aarav Sharma

The lead, Masi Wali who played the character of Aarav Sharma, a rich brat, was seen obsessing over one of his teachers and things take a turn for the worst when he goes missing.

MISFIT NO.2: Kiara Tiwary

Anisha Victor plays the role of 'Kiara Tiwary' whose biggest fight is with her inner saboteur telling her she is either not pretty enough or lacks the confidence to be on the top. But in season 2, we will see a new avatar of Kiara pushing that inner voice and taking the new year at school by storm.

MISFIT NO.3: Maddy

Ayush Khurana essays the role of 'Maddy', who is hiding his identity and living with a humiliating secret. The question is, will he be able to accept himself?

MISFIT NO.4: Sehmat Ali

Saadhika Syal plays the character of 'Sehmat Ali', who wants to be known as more than just a girl in a hijab. She is the most rebellious amongst the lot and was also seen exploring her sexuality with Misha. But will she unfold that scarf to reveal her true identity?

MISFIT NO.5: Parnomitra Rai

Ridhi Khakhar who plays 'Parnomitra Rai' comes across as a typical teenager who has built a wall around her and if anyone tries to cross that, Ridhi can be their biggest nightmare. But in Season 2, we could get to see her softer side. She also falls in love with one of her classmates. Can you guess who?

MISFIT NO.6: Misha Patel

She is bubbly, chirpy and extremely innocent. But her innocence is her biggest weakness when she faces the kids of Jefferson World School. Pooja Shetty playing 'Misha Patel' could just be the highlight of Season 2. Wait for it!

MISFIT NO.7: Harry Sandhu

Prabhneet Singh plays a flamboyant character of 'Harry Sandhu' who is witty and humorous but is always called a 'failure' because of his low confidence and is often mocked by his classmates. Will that change in Season 2? There's only one way to find out!

Season 2 will see a whole new side to these characters with the addition of Tanvi Shinde ('Yesha') who will be the new entry to this group of talented kids.

While the first had Sumeet Vyas and Kubbra Sait, season two will have Esha Gupta who is making her digital debut, where she plays the character of Police Officer Rene.

Sumeet Vyas (Farhan Hussain) will play the role of the Vice President of the school just like season one. The makers of the show released the teaser of season 2 recently, which gives us a glimpse of the 'privileged rich kids of the Jefferson World School' from Esha's viewpoint.

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Be it the Yin or the Yang, the good or the bad, there are always two sides to the same coin. The same goes for our existence today. Showcasing the contrasting realities of modern society, Amazon Prime Video's upcoming original Paatal Lok will surely raise your hair with its captivating portrayal of the many shades of humanity.

Here are five reasons that will make you want to watch the upcoming gripping show –

1. An invigorating crime-thriller

Paatal Lok is swiftly establishing a fanbase even before the release of the show. From audiences going gaga about the intriguing posters, the excitement ahead of the show's release is infectious. The show, with its gripping narrative, is all set to throw new light on the four pillars of democracy. Making for a compelling watch, viewers are set to be left in awe as they see shades of morality in the country that seems more dark than bright.

2. See the dark side of humanity get darker

Talk about a show that will shake your very core and make you question everything that you believed was right or wrong. Realising that there's always more to what meets the eye, Paatal Lok will show us how every individual has two sides to their personality. And yes, rest assured of watching a story that at no point shies away from the relentless violence displayed by ruthless mortals. Certainly, a show not for the faint-hearted, the many shades to Paatal Lok will keep one hooked to the mysteries that unravel in this inescapable hell on earth.

3. Commentary on modern-day society

Apart from being a mysterious series on the lawless and merciless, Paatal Lok's nuanced plot seems to be a scathing commentary on modern-day society. Drawing parallels with the ancient concepts of the Tri-Lok - Swarg Lok (heaven), Dharti Lok (earth), Paatal Lok (netherworld), it paints a realistic picture of the ruthless class divide that prevails today in Indian society.

4. Yet another masterpiece from the makers of NH10, Udta Punjab

If the concept didn't intrigue you yet, watch the series for the creator and co-writer Sudip Sharma. In its first-ever association with Clean Slate Films, Amazon Prime Video's Paatal Lok is a much-anticipated series from the masterminds behind the startling films NH10 and Udta Punjab. With audiences raving about the show, Paatal Lok has already won a fan in Varun Dhawan. Having been blown away by the show's poster and teaser, the actor recently took to social media to acknowledge Anushka Sharma and said that he's immensely proud of this 'Producer Saab'.

5. A critically acclaimed cast that will blow your mind

Paatal Lok will be a fabulous collaboration of brilliant critically acclaimed actors such as Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, Gul Panag, Swastika Mukherjee, Abhishek Banerjee among others. With the series riding on the back of a powerful and intriguing plot, the show's ensemble cast with their impeccable acting prowess is set to deliver one hell of a memorable performance.

Paatal Lok will stream on Amazon Prime Video on May 15, 2020.

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The buzz around Amazon Prime Videos’ upcoming series- Paatal Lok has been on a high ever since the announcement was made. Amazon Prime Video today released a gripping first look motion poster of critically acclaimed actor their upcoming Amazon Original Series - Paatal Lok’s character, Hathiram to be played by.

A knight with many shades of grey manoeuvring through a seemingly corrupt system of justice. Catch the critically acclaimed actor Jaideep Ahlawat as Hathiram Chaudhary on his journey to seek truth, in Amazon Original Series Paatal Lok, releasing on May 15, 2020.

Sharing the interesting poster of Jaideep Ahlawat's character Hathiram Chaudhary from Paatal Lok, Amazon Prime Video shared the poster with an interesting caption which says, "jurm aur sachai ki khoj mein kya hathiram ko #PaatalLok ke andhere se guzarna hoga?".

 

 

 

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jurm aur sachai ki khoj mein kya hathiram ko #PaatalLok ke andhere se guzarna hoga? trailer: may 5, 11:34 am

A post shared by amazon prime video IN (@primevideoin) onApr 30, 2020 at 11:26pm PDT

The makers earlier released the teaser and it received immense appreciation from all across. The teaser provided a glimpse into a terrifying world - packed with blood curling scenes and takes us into the dark and sinister bylanes of human immorality. Produced by Clean Slate Films, the trailer of the Amazon Original series is set to release on May 5th, 2020.

Divided along class lines, literally and figuratively, the teaser showcases a gritty, society intertwined in a heinous web of lies, crime and violence.

The highly anticipated Amazon Original Series, by Creator Sudip Sharma (writer for Udta Punjab, NH10), Paatal Lok is all set to walk viewers through the virtual gates of purgatory. The official trailer for the highly anticipated series drops this week, on May 5th, 2020 at 11:34 am.

Paatal Lok will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue, including Indian produced Amazon Original series.

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Sunny Leone pulled a prank on her husband Daniel Weber by making him believe that she had accidentally chopped off her finger. Sunny took to Instagram to share the video of the same. In the video, she cries out for help, shouting out to her husband that she has chopped off her. Daniel comes in running and panics and runs around as he tries to figure out how he can help.

However, when Sunny draws his attention towards the phone, he understands that he was being recorded all the while, and this was just a prank.

 

 

 

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Yes this is really happening!!! Lol epic #prank on @dirrty99 😂😂😜 . . 🚨Statutory Warning: No finger was hurt in making of this video. It’s a rotten banana

A post shared by Sunny Leone (@sunnyleone) onMay 3, 2020 at 5:17am PDT

Just before the prank, Sunny had shared another video talking about the funny scene:

 

 

 

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This ain’t no cooking video!!!! Haha @dirrty99 got pranked and served!!

A post shared by Sunny Leone (@sunnyleone) onMay 3, 2020 at 2:23am PDT

When Sunny asks Daniel how much he enjoyed the prank, he said: "Generally, I am a pretty serious person in life. That is just my personality. I actually don't even like pranks that much. I don't even like pranks on other people and I definitely don't like pranks on me. So, if you want me to rate your prank, I think it's a zero because I hated that it was done on me."

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In a historic move, India's biggest fundraiser concert to raise funds for GiveIndia Covid-19 relief fund was met with an unprecedented response by millions of people across the globe. Held live on May 3, 2020, IST on Facebook Live, India's biggest virtual concert witnessed 85 plus Indian and global stars on one platform to raise funds for those affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

Shah Rukh Khan, who was more than happy to be a part of this noble initiative, urged everyone to contribute in whatever capacity they could. The superstar pulled off an interesting and engaging conversation with his ardent fans by singing the song 'Sab Sahi Ho Jayega' (created by Badshah) – a song about chances… good chances… about hope, compassion and love.

Shah Rukh Khan's adorable act with his son AbRam was loved and appreciated by one and all, bringing a magical end to the marvellous evening.

 

 

 

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‪Extremely grateful to #IforIndia, @badboyshah and @cacklerraj for music, lyrics & for working overnight. thank u Sunil for the edit. All so that I could sing. ‬ ‪Ab bhai, lockdown mein mujhe gaate hue bhi jhelna padhega. AbRam is saying 'papa enough now!’‬ ‪Par sab sahi ho jaayega!‬

A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) onMay 3, 2020 at 2:08pm PDT

After announcing a range of initiatives, Shah Rukh Khan provided 25,000 PPE kits to the frontline medical staff in Maharashtra fighting to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic in the state.

The actor's group of companies, Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation and Red Chillies VFX recently announced several initiatives to support the efforts of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji and the Government in its COVID-19 fight.

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Call it nothing but the sheer herd mentality of the makers that every now and then we see something banal on the OTT platform disguising itself as bold after the cult of Sacred Games. This is why some of the shows over the past few months have stuck like a sore thumb! There's a glimmer of hope in the form of Amazon Prime Video and Clean Slate Filmz's Paatal Lok, which is much more than what you see in the trailer.

The promo shows promise and so does the ensemble. It's all set to be out on May 15 but going solely by what we have seen so far, here are the reasons why this series promises to be a must-watch:

1. Jaideep Ahlawat

Jaideep Ahlawat has been exploding on the celluloid ever since we saw him in the 2012 gangster drama, Gangs of Wasseypur. Eight years later, he proceeds towards the other side of the law and is hell-bent on tracking down the gangsters that have attempted to assassinate a renowned journalist. Expletives flow like poetry from his mouth, and so does the language of rural India. Here's an actor that can arrest you merely by his presence and make you root for him, even if you don't exactly know what his intentions are!

2. Abhishek Banerjee

Talking of herd mentality of Bollywood, Banerjee, who rose to instant fame with the staggering success of Stree, was cast again in comical roles in films like Bala and Dream Girl and has already signed Dostana 2, again a comedy. In Paatal Lok, the trailer begins with a glimpse of his character, and we directly meet him in jail. He's one of the assassins and a rather remorseless one. Sudip Sharma, the creator of the show, makes a fine casting decision that should live up to the expectations.

3. The Theme

Ram Gopal Varma has mastered the theme of gangsters with classics like Satya, Company, and Sarkar. Anurag Kashyap carried it forward and it now stops at the office of Clean Slate Filmz. This genre gives the actors involved a major room to improvise and nail it with their gritty performances. But this is one genre that can go terribly wrong too. Good thing the trailer suggests the show tilts slightly towards the former. This could be the surprise package of the year!

Watch the trailer right here:

4. Clean Slate Filmz

Anushka Sharma is as fearless as a producer as she's as an actor. She's driven by her instincts and the star purposely opts for esoteric subjects others would look at with disdain. From the makers of Pari, NH10, and Phillauri, comes Paatal Lok, and the production house continues to solely fascinate by their choices of subjects, and that's half the battle already won. The remaining will unfold on May 15!

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On a regular day, Rakul Preet Singh's Instagram posts could well double-up as tutorials for the average Joe to make the most of the ongoing period of isolation. But when she isn't using her furniture as workout props, busting diet myths, and indulging in play with her family members, Singh recedes to her couch to become more like us — indolent consumers of web shows.

"I have been binge-watching shows that have been recommended by friends. I saw one called Watchmen, which was [beautifully] written and unpredictable. It was Arjun [Kapoor] who had suggested it," says the actor, also adding that the Apple TV series, Loudest Voice, is another noteworthy addition here.

"It is not an over-the-top drama. It has been created interestingly and is based on the manner in which the #MeToo campaign kick-started. I also loved The Morning Show, and another gripping Netflix drama called Caliphate."

American superhero drama series Watchmen (left) continues the 1987 DC Comics series by the same name; Loudest Voice (right) attempts to trace the origins of the #MeToo campaign 

A career as a South Indian film actor implies Singh is also spoilt for choice when it comes to shows in regional languages. "There's a Malayalam film called Charlie starring Dulquer [Salmaan] that I'd recommend. Finally, Super Deluxe is another brilliant offering," she concludes.

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For most of us, movies are one of the best ways to unwind ourselves from all the stress that we deal with on a daily basis. The emergence of OTT content has made it even easier for moviegoers to watch their favourite content at the click of their fingers.

It is a welcome change to see the short film titled Mishti Doi, a touching family drama that leaves you with a warm feeling in your heart and a new lesson, every time you watch it!

Produced by the dynamic production house KBJ Entertainment, the movie was distributed by Pocket Films, the largest channel for short films in India and was also released on Disney + Hotstar on 16 April this year.

Mishti Doi is the story of Chandrakant, a widower, who is eagerly waiting for his son Rohan and daughter-in-law Kavita to visit him on his late wife's birth anniversary. However, the visit will test the strength of their relationship in ways they had never imagined...

The short film takes us on an emotional ride leaving behind an everlasting impact with its touching and relatable storyline. A perfect film to watch during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Directed by Shibu Sable and produced by Harshada Patankar and Swar Patankar, the short film has been written by Jaidev Hemmady & Shibu Sable, shot by DOP Bhavesh Rawal and edited by Kedar Gogate, while the music has been given by Anurag Godbole & the sound design is by Abhijit Shreeram Deo.

Starring Milind Uke, Deepal Doshi and Bhawna Munjal, the short film ‘Mishit Doi’, just like the famous Bengali delicacy mishti doi, leaves behind a sweet after-taste.

Excited with the response that the short film has been getting, Producer Harshada Patankar said, “I had tears in my eyes the first time I read the script and I decided then and there to produce this short film, which had such an emotional core. I am happy to know that Mishti Doi has been praised by everyone who has seen it and the positive comments from viewers have really been a source of encouragement and motivation to us. At KBJ Entertainment, we believe in making meaningful and yet entertaining content and we shall be coming up with more such content in the near future.”

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In his prolific decade-long career, Jaideep Ahlawat has portrayed several interesting and memorable roles in successful movies and digital shows and is certainly one of the most versatile and admired actors in Hindi cinema and also the digital world.

There are actors who entertain the audience, and there are actors who also leave a lasting impression with their effective portrayal of their on-screen characters in an entertaining way, and Jaideep Ahlawat is one such seasoned actor who certainly falls in the second category.

Jaideep's stint with Hindi cinema started almost a decade ago, with films like the multi-starrer Aakrosh and the Akshay Kumar-starrer Khatta Meetha. But it was Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur (in which he played the role of Shahid Khan) that proved to be a game-changer for this brilliant actor. The epic gangster drama helped Jaideep cement his popularity as an actor among his fans and the industry who couldn't stop praising his decision of taking the road less travelled by opting for challenging roles.

Even though in Gangs of Wasseypur, where his talent was highly appreciated and loved by critics and the audience, he had played a very important role in the gangster drama – that of a third lead after Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, but he never got his due and never actually benefitted much after the release of the film as the other actors.

Jaideep later graduated to playing more interesting characters in big-budget commercial movies like Raees, Commando, and even Tamil films like Vishwaroopam, before he played the role of a RAW agent in the Alia Bhatt-Vicky Kaushal starrer Raazi.

Needless to say, the versatile actor has always been interested in theatre during his college days, and also enrolled in the popular FTII, Pune to pursue a career in acting. With no godfather and no filmy background, it was only Jaideep's persistent efforts and determination that fulfilled his dream to make his mark as an actor.

The actor has even made an appearance in the anthology film Lust Stories on the OTT platform as Sudhir in Dibakar Banerjee's segment. However, his most recent appearance was in the film Baaghi 3 that was again a testimonial from the audience wanting to see more of the actor.

Among his forthcoming lineup of interesting projects is Paatal Lok – an upcoming investigative drama on Amazon Prime Video, a nine-part series that follows the journey of Jaideep Ahlawat as Inspector Hathiram investigating an assassination attempt on a prime time journalist and following four suspects.

Going by the intriguing trailer of the digital show, Jaideep's performance is bound to shine through in the digital show and looks like he will eventually get his due as an actor. He will certainly achieve prominence on the OTT platforms similar to that which Pankaj Tripathi has achieved after his web series, Mirzapur.

The police-based crime thriller, written by Sudip Sharma, is all set to release on May 15 and is being produced under Clean Slate Films which is Anushka Sharma's banner.

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Shilpa Shetty Kundra is finding ways to keep herself occupied, along with her businessman husband Raj Kundra and child Viaan Kundra. If not uploading TikTok videos, Shilpa Shetty is either seen working out at home or baking with Viaan. Now, the actress made some yummy choco-chip cookies and shared a video on her Instagram. She also posted the recipe for her fans.

Here's what the post read, "The best way to spend time with your kids is to figure out what they like doing the most. Then go ahead & do it with them... build pillow forts, draw, paint, sing or dance! As for me, the one thing Viaan loves doing the most is baking, so here we go... presenting the chewy "Peanut Butter Choco-Oat Cookies" [sic]"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) onMay 7, 2020 at 3:30am PDT

The Kundra-Shetty family welcomed a baby girl earlier this year and named her Samisha. Recently, she shared a beautiful video with her daughter on her Instagram handle. In the video, the mother-daughter duo can be seen enjoying some light moments. Samisha was born via surrogacy on February 15.

On the professional front, Shilpa Shetty Kundra will be next seen in Nikamma, which will also see Abhimanyu Dassani and Shirley Setia in pivotal roles among others. The film was supposed to release on June 5, 2020, but after the coronavirus outbreak, many releases have been delayed.

Speaking about her personal like, Shilpa tied the knot with Raj Kundra, with whom she was co-owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Rajasthan Royals on 22 November 2009. Shilpa gave birth to a son, Viaan Raj Kundra, on 21 May 2012. The duo is extremely active and loved on TikTok.

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Sanjay Gupta has been making sure that his work doesn't stop due to the ongoing lockdown and has been constantly working on the post-production of the film along with his editor remotely. "I've been continuously working. My editor Bunty Negi sends me the material every evening. Early morning I make my notes, I send them back to him.This is something I've been doing in the past because if I'm shooting, the edits go on. He sends it to me on laptop and I just send him my notes."

Sanjay also sends in some important sequences to John Abraham and Emraan Hashmi to have a look at and give their approval and involves them in the editing process, he stated in a recent interview with him and Emraan.

Talking about it, Emraan added, "Sanjay has shown me a bit, but I get too scared, I don't watch till the last bit till it's completed. I'm the kind of actor who doesn't really go and watch the monitor," he ends.

Mumbai Saga is produced by T-Series and White Feather Films. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Sangiita Ahir, and Anuradha Gupta.

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Veteran Gujarati actor Arvind Trivedi, who became a household name all over India playing Raavan in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, got emotional while watching the re-run of the popular mythological serial.

In a video circulating on social media, Trivedi, who is in his eighties now, is seen watching the 'Sita Apaharan' (Kidnapping of Sita) episode with great attention. The video has gone viral on the internet.

In the video, Trivedi folds his hands in the end. The scene got him very emotional, as per a report by timesofindia.indiatimes.com.

Have a look:

 

 

 

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So touching. 84 year old veteran #ArvindTrivedi ji watched his #Ravana role after 30 years & seeks forgiveness from others 🙏🙏

A post shared by @ koro_na_hunter onApr 12, 2020 at 7:54am PDT

Amid the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown, the popular mythological series is being re-telecast on Doordarshan.

Ramayan aired in 1987-1988 and is created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. The show was a television adaptation of the Indian Hindu epic of the same name.

The show was a game-changer for Indian television, hooking the nation to the show. Sunday mornings were never the same for families in India after the first episode of "Ramayan" aired on television. The impact was such that the actors associated with the show, continue to live under the shadow of their characters, with people remembering them for the roles they played in the show, which narrated the life story of Lord Ram and Sita.

The role of Ram was played by Arun Govil, Sita played by Deepika Chikhalia, Lakshman was played by Sunil Lahiri, and Hanuman by late Dara Singh. It also featured Sanjay Jog, late Vijay Arora, Sameer Rajda, late Mulraj Rajda and late Lalita Pawar.

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Who says love in the time of quarantine is tough enough for two? Bigg Boss and Roadies winner Ashutosh Kaushik tied the knot with his fiance Arpita on April 26 in Noida during the lockdown. While reports suggest that the couple had already decided marriage way before the lockdown, they didn't want to delay it, clearly. The marriage took place on the terrace, in the presence of the couple's family members.

Interestingly, while the bride and the groom did not really follow the basic lockdown rule - wear a mask - their pandit seemed to be wiser as he was seen wearing a mask while chanting the mantras.

Check out the video of Ashutosh Kaushik's wedding ceremony here:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ashutosh Kaushik (@ashutoshkaushik_bigg_boss_2) onApr 27, 2020 at 9:49pm PDT

According to reports, Ashutosh donated the money collected during his wedding to the PM-CARES coronavirus fund.

 

 

 

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Heartiest Congratulations to my Dear Bro #ashutoshkaushik Kaushik For Embarking on a new Journey of life .Wishing u all the best for a Happy married life .. God Bless u #bigboss #roadiesextreme #roadiesextreme #covidwedding #socialdistancing

A post shared by Sangeet Maker's Team (@master_meck_sangeet_makers) onApr 27, 2020 at 8:54am PDT

Ashutosh was the winner of the fifth season of Roadies in 2007 and the second season of Bigg Boss in 2008. He was also seen in films such as Zila Ghaziabad and Kismat Love Paisa Dilli.

A few weeks ago, TV actress Puja Banerjee got married to Kunal Verma. In a post on Instagram, Puja announced, "Today was supposed to be our wedding but the situation is such that we have cancelled all our ceremonies although we had registered our marriage before a month so we are officially married and together forever now. With the blessing of our parents and grandparents, we starting our new life need all of ur best wishes. Our family is happy and so are we."

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Ramanand Sagars popular TV serial 'Ramayan' which is re-airing on Doordarshan became the world's most-watched show on April 16 with 7.7 crore viewers, DD India posted on its official Twitter handle on late Thursday night. 'Ramayan' is being telecast again since March 28 on public demand. In fact, when it was telecast for the first time, the serial had broken all records of popularity, and the show has repeated its history again. Ramanand Sagar had made a total of 78 episodes of this serial based on Valmiki's Ramayana and Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.

For the first time in the country, the serial was originally broadcast from January 25, 1987 to July 31, 1988. Then, every Sunday, at 9.30 a.m. the show was aired on TV. From 1987 to 1988, 'Ramayan' became the most watched serial in the world. Till June 2003, it remained recorded in the Limca Book of Records as "the most watched mythological serial in the world".

Interestingly, when the serial started airing in the country for the first time, people used to remain glued to the TV sets. Since there were less TVs at homes then, most of the people used to gather at some neighbour's place to watch 'Ramayan'.

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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

Bigg Boss 13 has to be the most popular, memorable, and explosive season of all time. Love stories were born and so were stars. Two of them were Paras Chhabra and Mahira Sharma, and fans have combined their names to Pahira. And for all the Pahira fans, here's something fun. The duo shared a rather unique video where they both could be seen grooving to the Bole Chudiyan song and the actress reminded us of Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Taking to her Instagram account, this is what she wrote, "This is for you all #pahira fans." (sic) Well, this is truly a fantastic gift for all their fans, a fun-filled video that they can watch on loop. And Kareena would be happy after seeing this too.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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This is for you all #pahira fans❤ï¸Â @parasvchhabrra #pahiraourpride

A post shared by Mahira Sharma (mau) 💎 (@officialmahirasharma) onMay 3, 2020 at 3:45pm PDT

Dancing is a part of her soul and makes her happy. This was confirmed by this caption on her next Instagram post. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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dancing part of my Soul, makes me Happy ♥ï¸Â

A post shared by Mahira Sharma (mau) 💎 (@officialmahirasharma) onMay 5, 2020 at 5:32am PDT

The lockdown is going to take a while to end, so all we have is their videos to enjoy and cherish! When is the next one coming?

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New Delhi: If you think your spouse is not watching Netflix shows in your absence, you are wrong. Forty-six per cent Indian couples -- second only to Hong Kong -- cheat on their significant other by binging ahead to watch Netflix shows, a new survey has revealed.

Surprisingly, 39 per cent streaming couples in India even said watching 2-3 episodes ahead would be a reason for a breakup.

Conducted by the online survey firm SurveyMonkey and involving 30,267 responses for on-demand streaming website Netflix, the report defines cheating as watching a TV show ahead of your significant other.

"In India where 79 per cent couples believe that streaming is a way to spend time together, almost 60 per cent of couples consider binging ahead as cheating and nearly half have even admitted to this 'offence,'" the findings showed.

The Indian culture has a reserved place for humour. So unsurprisingly, 61 per cent of the couples cheat on comedy shows -- higher than the global average of 44 per cent.

"A third or more of Indian respondents have watched ahead on every other genre polled, including documentaries, sci-fi, fantasy, drama and horror," the study noted.

Netflix cheating in India is not intentional as 78 per cent of cheating is unplanned. It is the temptation that makes Indian couples fallible.

Forty-three per cent of Indians 'cheat' out of 'fear of missing out' (FoMO) so that they could keep up with conversations with friends and co-workers.

Cheating on your partner even when you share a room requires special skills. Forty-two per cent Indians said that when one partner falls asleep, they secretly watch Netflix shows.

But some relationship rules are bizarre. A quarter of Indians said that a partner who falls asleep deserves to be cheated on.

Hong Kong has 59 per cent of cheaters in Asia followed by 46 per cent in India. Globally, the Netherlands has the most loyal viewers at 73 per cent.

Representational image

New York: Far from giving your sex life a leg-up, watching porn may lead to reduced happiness in relationships -- both sexually and generally, suggests new research.

For the study, Paul Wright from Indiana University in Bloomington and colleagues analysed the findings of 50 studies collectively including more than 50,000 participants from 10 countries.

"Pornography consumption was associated with lower interpersonal satisfaction outcomes," the researchers found.

The study, published in the journal Human Communication Research, however, found that porn viewing hardly affects relationship satisfaction in women.

"Associations between pornography consumption and reduced interpersonal satisfaction outcomes were not moderated by their year of release or their publication status. But analyses by sex indicted significant results for men only," the study said.

Male participants' porn-watching was associated with lesser happiness in their relationships -- both sexually and generally, Vocativ.com reported.

The researchers also reviewed studies looking at porn viewing and sexual self-esteem and body confidence, but they found no link.

The finding could come as a surprise for those who argue that pornography leads to unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards.

Salman Khan has been spending the lockdown at his farmhouse in Panvel. Despite being away from the city, the actor through his foundation Being Human has been doing everything possible to help people in distress. From giving financial aid to thousands of daily wage workers to sponsoring ration for their families, he has been at the forefront in helping people in need. The actor has now launched a food truck with the words ‘Being Haangryy’ written on it. This is to provide food to the less privileged. 

In a tweet, Shiv Sena leader Rahul Kanal thanked Salman for doing his bit for the underprivileged. Sharing a video of the food truck, he wrote, “Thank you @Beingsalmankhan bhai for being there and silently doing something which is needed,service to mankind is service to the almighty!!!Jai Ho!!! I shall surely try and do my bit following the lockdown norms and request our Fanclub family to practice the same #BeingHaangryy.” 

Thank you @Beingsalmankhan bhai for being there and silently doing something which is needed,service to mankind is service to the almighty!!!Jai Ho!!! I shall surely try and do my bit following the lockdown norms and request our Fanclub family to practice the same #BeingHaangryy pic.twitter.com/nOeQncO9Er

— Rahul.N.Kanal (@Iamrahulkanal) May 6, 2020

Meanwhile, a few days ago Salman Khan recently took to his Instagram to share a video where he along with Jacqueline Fernandez, Iulia Vantur and others at the farmhouse are seen stacking bags of ration in vehicles to be sent out to those in need. He posted it with the caption, “Thanks for the contribution... thank you all”.

ALSO READ: Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai asking for Rs. 250 crores for direct OTT release? Salman Khan’s manager clarifies

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa requested his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray to release six TMC water from his state's reservoirs to rivers in Karnataka to meet acute drinking water shortage in North Karnataka. Yediyurappa pointed out that the North Karnataka districts, namely Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Yadagiri and Raichur are facing acute shortage of drinking water due to onset of summer during early days of March this year.

"I request you to kindly direct the concerned authorities to release 3 TMC of water from Warna/Koyna reservoirs to Krishna river and 3 TMC of water from Ujjaini reservoir to Bhima river on humanitarian grounds for drinking purpose," Yediyurappa said in his letter.

He reminded Thackeray that even in the past the Maharashtra government had released water from its reservoirs to meet the drinking water needs of both human beings and livestock in drought-affected areas of Karnataka.

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