Treetopia has teamed up with twelve spooktacular bloggers, and asked each one to decorate a room in their home with a haunted house theme featuring their trees and foliage. Whenever I think about haunted houses, I picture ghosts so I decided to decorate using all sorts of ghosts. You too … Continue reading →

We’ve passed our goal and greenlit one more episode of Multiplex 10: The Web Series, so we’ll get back into production as soon as the Indiegogo campaign ends. But we’re not done yet! We have exactly one stretch goal: for every $2,500 over the base goal, we will produce at least two more minutes of … Continue reading Multiplex 10: The Web Series is FUNDED on Indiegogo!

Trailer previews sci-fi action game from Tales of Vesperia team

7th game in Yakuza series debuted in Japan for PS4 on January 16

The Xbox team shows off new footage of the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.

Aiming to disrupt India's mid-segment smartphone market, Samsung is set to launch four new smartphones -- two each in Galaxy "A" and Galaxy "J" series -- this month.

The upcoming Galaxy A6 and Galaxy A6+ smartphones could be priced between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 while the devices in Galaxy "J" series could cost customers Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, industry sources told IANS on Friday.

Two of the four smartphones in the upcoming line-up would come with dual camera set-up, the sources added.

All of them will be made at the company's Noida facility. The smartphones will feature Samsung's super AMOLED "Infinity Display" -- bezel-less screen that creates an immersive viewing experience.

Notably, Samsung's flagship smartphones such as Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9 series feature the "Infinity Display". Now, with the upcoming devices, the display feature would be introduced at lower price points in the Indian market.

The South Korean giant first introduced the "Infinity Display" in Galaxy S8 series in 2017.

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Pics/Gautam Benegal

The setting of Gautam Benegal's A1 Chiken Sope cartoons is largely familiar to those who get their meat from the local market. The air is thick with down feathers, and dismembered bits of chicken scattered about, with butchers being none too fussy about our sensitive nerves. In Benegal's hands, however, this scene is turned into a humorous commentary of our contemporary socio-political scenario.

A1 Chiken Sope series, where we meet a butcher named Salim Bhai and his rather chatty coop of chicken, has been one of Benegal's longest series. The National Award-winning animation filmmaker and cartoon first invented A1 Chiken Sope in 2006 for the supplement of a newspaper, after a bird flu scare, when people had stopped consuming chicken. The poultry business was evidently suffering. A minister smuggled in a tandoori chicken leg into the Lok Sabha, and started eating it to prove that it was perfectly safe. "I drew a cartoon of a chicken shop where one bird boasts to another, showing the headlines, 'Hey guys check this out, my second cousin, twice removed, made it to the Lok Sabha'," says Benegal, 52. In 2009 A1 Chiken Sope found more takers, the year when Benegal joined Facebook.

Having made nearly a thousand cartoons in this series, he says, "On social media, you can post a rough sketch and it becomes a mass pool of conversation with several people contributing to it, which is not the case with mainstream media," he says. The chicken, or chiken as Salim Bhai's shop terms them, play the role of both the naive public and the court jester. In one cartoon, the chicken bid adieu to their former coop-mate, bundled in a black bag, as Salim Bhai hands it over to a customer. "There goes Sonu... recruited into the militia," says one hen. "The chicken's work is to get slaughtered. They are a captive population, but a large percentage is happy at being kept. There is a person who is their benefactor, and is selling them out. We are all chicken," he says, adding, "There is an existential angle to this. The only way to escape is to stop being chicken," he says.

About 35 of these cartoons will be shown at Chemould Prescott Road, Fort, starting May 25, for 10 days. You may want to pay close attention to Benegal's caricatures, where the strength of these cartoons lies. Rather than state the obvious visually, Benegal thrives on allusions and references. Everything is an open secret. "I draw a lot from the earlier part of the century, when cartoons were couched in symbolism and stylised references. The latter is true in my case — it's like guerrilla warfare. You won't be able to put your finger on it, but everybody knows and everybody smiles about what they are seeing," says the cartoonist, whose first brush with the art was as a 15-year-old with Satyajit Ray's children's magazine, Sandesh.

There is a certain rawness to them, with a lack of standardisation that we may see with daily cartoons in mainstream media. And Benegal is not interested in polishing them up either. His taste in cartoons, for that matter, is very James Thurber, the American cartoonist who was featured regularly in The New Yorker, and the late Abu Abraham, whose worked for several publications, including Punch and The Observer. "We are used to a very gentle form of cartooning in India, be it themes or visuals. I wanted A1 Chiken Sope to be very ad hoc, much like how politics in India is," he says.

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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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Karan Wahi turned to his rapper buddies for help to play a DJ in the web series, Hundred. His quirky character, Mad-E, arrives from Haryana to make it big in Mumbai's music industry. He also doubles up as a police informer. Wahi did a lot of prep to figure out his character's body language on the Hotstar show. Rapper Raftaar also helped him. "I sat down with Raftaar paaji and took several inputs as I was working with him on a reality show at that time," says Wahi. "But the stuff he wrote was way too good for a DJ rapper like Mad-E," he points out."

It seems actors today are finding different and unique ways to get into the skin of their characters and will not leave any stone unturned to do justice to their roles. The web-series has been getting a good response from the viewers so far and that has surely elated Karan.

Taking to his Instagram account, he shared a video from the same and in case you haven't seen it yet, it will help you know the character and its crux. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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Thankyou I’ll remember u for LIFE...🤗🤗🤗🤗 Talking the talk to walking the walk. Meet me, @karanwahi ➡️ Manohar Dahiya a.k.a. Rapper Mad-E, in Hotstar specials presents #Hundred! All episodes streaming now only @DisneyplusHSVIP . . . #HotstarSpecialsHundred #DoKhilaadiProblemBhaari #ManoharDahiya #Mad-E @ruchinarain @itstahershabbir @ashutoshunlimited

A post shared by Karan Wahi 💜 (@karanwahi) onMay 3, 2020 at 8:31am PDT

Watch Hundred if you haven't so far, the actor may impress you with his performance!

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Sonam Kapoor is quite active on social media when it comes to sharing throwback pictures. Lately, the 'Delhi-6' actor shared a throwback picture where she is seen in a red velvet lehenga, draped with a sheer yellow dupatta, channelling her inner 'Anaarkali' moment.

For Halloween last year, the actor had dressed up as Anarkali in chains while her husband Anand Ahuja was seen as Salim. When it comes to fashion, Sonam Kapoor plays the game well. The actor who shared a series of her stunning pictures on Monday is the new attraction on Instagram.

 

 

 

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This is me being casual and nonchalant. Obviously these are throwback.. please tag the credits guys I don’t remember..

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onMay 4, 2020 at 6:57am PDT

Talking it to the photo-sharing platform, the 34-year-old actor shared six images from an indoor photoshoot she had earlier shot for.

 

 

 

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How at home shoots used to look like.. I also really like this outfit.. remind me who this is by?

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onMay 4, 2020 at 6:56am PDT

Not only are the pictures glamourous, but the actor also managed to bring the captions relevant to the current time when everybody is staying indoors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

 

 

 

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Pjs in bed? Not me... 😂

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onMay 4, 2020 at 6:52am PDT

The first picture among the series, has Kapoor effortlessly lying on a pink coloured furry couch.

 

 

 

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Always on the 📞

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onMay 4, 2020 at 6:50am PDT

For the captions, the 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' actor wrote: "Lounging at home like.."

 

 

 

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Quarantine look 2 😂.

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onMay 4, 2020 at 6:48am PDT

Meanwhile, dubbing the second picture as the "Quarantine look 2," the actor looks stunning in golden shimmery attire.

 

 

 

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Lounging at home like.. 🌟

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onMay 4, 2020 at 6:47am PDT

With a middle partied, voluminous hair left open, she is seen sitting on regal throne-like furniture as she strikes the pose.

For another Aerial shot picture in the series, where 'Neerja' actor is seen laying on the bed in a beautiful black outfit, she wrote in captions: "Pjs in bed? Not me... "

Earlier, the 'Neerja' actor took a trip down the memory lane and shared photos from her wedding function. Giving all her fans the perfect 'Veere Di Wedding' frame, the actor also posted a picture of her girl gang from her wedding functions.

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If you're wondering what to watch next while being bored during Lockdown 3.0, fret not, we've got just the thing for you. Shah Rukh Khan is all geared up to present his next web series as a producer on Netflix India. The show is titled Betaal, and its teaser on Instagram is giving us the creeps!

The OTT platform shared a clip on its Instagram account and wrote, "They look psyched! Almost as psyched as we are. #Betaal coming soon!"

 

 

 

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They look psyched! Almost as psyched as we are. #Betaal coming soon!

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in) onMay 4, 2020 at 11:03pm PDT

Betaal is an international collaboration between Netflix, Red Chillies entertainment, Blum House (makers of Paranormal Activity, Insidious) and SK Global (behind Crazy Rich Asians and Delhi Crime).

Betaal is a horror-thriller written and co-directed by Patrick Graham, who has previously directed Ghoul starring Radhika Apte, and also co-written Leila starring Huma Qureshi. Both shows were widely accepted by the audience.

Betaal has been shot extensively in India, especially in Mumbai, Lonavala and Khandala. The series, which revolves around traditional Indian folklore, will definitely be outstanding in terms of the horror content with some incredible VFX and prosthetics work.

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There have been reports that have suggested that the She-Hulk series at Disney + is in works! Now, the confirmation has come from the makers that the scripting is completed for Disney+ series is complete.

She-Hulk writer Dana Schwartz took to Twitter on May 6 and wrote, "The She-Hulk room ended so if you happen to be a showrunner looking for a writer who makes jokes and writes books and knows a lot of historical fun facts, hit me up!!!!"

The She-Hulk room ended so if you happen to be a showrunner looking for a writer who makes jokes and writes books and knows a lot of historical fun facts, hit me up!!!!

— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) May 5, 2020

Recently, Mark Ruffalo confirmed that he was in early talks with She-Hulk makers to return as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. “There’s nothing completely at a place where it’s a done deal,” the actor told Variety recently. “There’s some talk of having Banner/Hulk show up in [the Disney Plus series] ‘She–Hulk.’ If we come up with something good, that would be really interesting. Right now that’s about it. That’s all there is on the table.”

According to the comics, lawyer Jennifer Susan Walters developed Hulk-like abilities when she received a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner. Now, it seems like this might be a great segway for the actor to return to the Marvel universe. The character first appeared in the comics in the 1980s as a member of the Fantastic Four.

ALSO READ: Mark Ruffalo reveals he had turned down the role of Hulk in The Avengers, has an idea for standalone movie and speaks about She-Hulk series

With the lockdown in place, the theatre business has been shut completely. This has led to a substantial increase in content consumption through digital streaming platforms. Several web series makers are speeding up post-production work to release their shows during the lockdown. 

While releasing shows during lockdown sounds good, director Ali Abbas Zafar is in no hurry to finish the post-production of his show. Ali Abbas Zafar is currently working on a political drama tentatively titled Dilli. Talking to a tabloid he said that he would rather revel in the satisfaction of a series well made than join the rat race. He said that people have been asking them on social media to release the show, but they do not wish to rush the process.  The series was supposed to release in the last quarter of 2020 and they intend on sticking to it. 

The Saif Ali Khan starrer is currently in the post-production stage. Zafar said that if the show was ready they might have released it now. He said that when it comes to developing an offering for the global audience the post-production is a long drawn process. He said that once the project is delivered, it has to be dubbed in nine languages and the post-production takes three to four months. 

The show will be aired on Amazon Prime videos and the makers have already started working on season 2. Amazon Prime green signalled the second season after watching the rushes of season 1. 

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Ali Abbas Zafar confirms teaming up with Katrina Kaif for superhero flick

Five persons have been injured in a series of attacks by a tiger in the Jari village near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh. The tiger also attempted to attack a forest department team that was called in to push it back into the wild. Two persons were injured in this attack. According to the victims, the incident first took place on Friday when the tiger attacked two brothers -- Gurpreet Singh and Hardeep Singh of village Jari -- when they were on way to their agricultural field on their motorcycle. They had a close shave but managed to flee by speeding away on their motorbike.

A few minutes later, the tiger pounced at Ram Bahadur, a cyclist, and injured him. The big cat left him as it was distracted by the noise of the bike's engine and horn blown by the two brothers. Within 10 minutes, the tiger again pounced on two commuters, Ujagar Singh and his aide Lalta Prasad of Lalpur village. They sustained serious claw injuries on their heads and shoulders. As they started to scream and brandished the rod they were carrying, the tiger abandoned them and disappeared into the nearby shrubs.

The PTR Deputy Director Naveen Khandelwal said the tiger also charged at the forest staff when they tried to push it back towards the jungle. "The operation was suspended on Friday afternoon and will be resumed depending upon the suitability of the ground conditions as we do not want to tranquilize the tiger. For the safety and security of villagers, the forest teams will keep monitoring the big cat's movement till the time it retreats into the forest," Khandelwal said.

On Saturday, the forest team lay in wait for the tiger but it did not make an appearance. The local residents have been advised to remain indoors and to move in groups, only if necessary.

The victims would be given financial compensation, the official added.

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Teenage days are never coming back! If you are out of your teens, you'll be surely reminiscing the old gold days. If you've grown up watching Beverly Hills, 90210, Dawson's Creek, Everything Sucks, That 70s Show, Gossip Girl, you'll surely relate to what you are about to read. Netflix has a wide range of teen shows, and as the lockdown continues, we still have time to watch some more and complete the list. Check them out.

Never Have I Ever:

 

 

 

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"No one label or character can fully represent all the stories waiting to be told," says @maitreyiramakrishnan who hopes that her future roles are just as complex and badass as Devi, saying her dream is to play "something dark like an assassin. Super chaotic and messy but still so strong and powerful."⁣ ⁣ art by @geoffjkim

A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix) onMay 8, 2020 at 10:16am PDT

A coming of age comedy-drama television series by Netflix, Never have I Ever, starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is created by none other than The Mindy Project actress, Mindy Kaling, along with Lang Fisher. Partially based on Kaling's growing up years in the Boston area, the show shares the story of an Indian American high school student dealing with the death of her father and other teen issues.

Sex Education:

 

 

 

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"statistically, two thirds of girls experience unwanted sexual attention or contact in public spaces before the age of 21." - Viv, S2E7 ðŸ¤Âš - @aimeelouwood, @trishallison, creator @laurienunn, and founder of #everydaysexism @laura_bates__ sat down for a powerful conversation about aimee's season 2 storyline and non-consensual penises - hit the link in our bio to watch the short film now. 🚍💛💪

A post shared by Sex Education (@sexeducation) onJan 26, 2020 at 3:01am PST

Oh, man! Where do we start with this one? It's a goldmine for all the teen drama. In this British comedy-drama, Sex Education talks about growing up and difficulties faced by high-school kids. Be it physical, emotional or psychological, Sex Education gives a panoramic view of the no-more-kids, not-yet-adults stage of the students. It stars Asa Butterfield as a socially awkward teenager who finds it difficult to adjust in the everyday changing lifestyle of the high-school kid.

Elite:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Élite (@elitenetflix) onMar 25, 2020 at 9:59am PDT

If you follow Money Heist, you won't get bored watching Rio and Denver in this one too! Elite is a Spanish thriller teen drama web television series, set in Las Encinas, a fictional elite secondary school. Elite revolves around the relationships between three working-class teenage students enrolled at the school through a scholarship and their wealthy classmates. Things turn dirty with every episode and reveal how wealth is used to manipulate the future of teenagers.

Riverdale:

 

 

 

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There's no place like Pop's. Stream the season finale free, link in bio. #Riverdale

A post shared by Riverdale (@thecwriverdale) onMay 8, 2020 at 5:30pm PDT

If you think Gossip Girls is dramatic, wait until you binge-watch this one! Based on the characters of the popular Archies comics, Riverdale screams high-school drama. There's a cool guy, who has the most popular girl in town as his girlfriend, and then comes along a string of events that turn the lives of the teens living in Riverdale upside down.

The End Of The F***ing World:

 

 

 

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A post shared by The End of the F***ing World (@teotfw) onNov 5, 2019 at 4:07am PST

The End of the F***ing World is so dark it will make you weep to look at the miserable lives of the characters before you go to sleep. If you aren't an ardent fan of dark humour, abort mission! Well, many aren't aware that this one is based on a graphic novel of the same name created by Charles Forsman. The programme follows James (Alex Lawther), a 17-year-old who believes himself to be a psychopath after a series of incidents occur in his life after his mom's death. Alyssa (Jessica Barden), is shown as an angry classmate who has profound parenting issues ever since her childhood. James and Alyssa are connected in the weirdest way possible, and the entire show speaks about their escape from their tumultuous home life. 

Entertaining much?

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Arjun Kapoor has always appreciated eclectic content. The actor, who runs his own digital property Arjun Recommends through which suggests great content for people to binge on, is currently gorging on yesteryears acclaimed TV show Byomkesh Bakshi played by actor Rajit Kapur.

For Arjun, this show is like a whiff of nostalgia from his childhood. He says, “Whenever I could catch Byomkesh Bakshi as a kid, I remember I enjoyed it thoroughly. For me, Byomkesh was what a hero should be. Slick, super-intelligent, and charismatic, he is one of the best sleuths that I have seen on screen! I have been watching Byomkesh on TV again and it is pure nostalgia for me!”

Arjun lists his reasons why he loves this indigenous super-detective. “The best thing about Byomkesh was that he solved intelligent crimes and that really hooked me on. The writing, the cleverness of the cases really got me interested. The show still hooks you thoroughly and that’s what great writing, great acting can do. Great content has the ability to become timeless and universal,” he adds.

Arjun secretly wishes to play a detective on screen. “Since then, I had always wanted to play a detective who saves the day and saves lives. I got to live my childhood dream by playing an undercover agent and saving the country in India’s Most Wanted! I still hope I get to play a detective on-screen one day!” says Arjun.

Also Read: An overwhelmed Arjun Kapoor wishes a frontline doctor on her birthday as she pens an emotional note

Former India skipper Kapil Dev was pulled up by former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi after he turned down Shoaib Akhtar's proposal for a India-Pakistan series to raise funds to fight the Coronavirus outbreak. But Kapil has made it clear that he is standing his ground.

"You could be emotional and say that yes, India and Pakistan should play matches. Playing matches is not a priority at the moment. If you need the money then you should stop the activities at the border. The money which will be spent can be used to build hospitals and schools. If we really need money than we have so many religious organisations, they should come forward. It is their responsibility. We offer so much money when we visit the religious shrines, so they should help the government," Kapil told Sports Tak.

In fact, he wants everyone to look at the larger picture and not even think about cricket at present. "I am looking at the larger picture. Do you think cricket is the only issue we can talk about? I am rather worried about the children who are not being able to go to schools and colleges because that is our young generation. So, I want schools to reopen first. Cricket, football will happen eventually," he added.

Afridi had earlier said: "Kapil's reaction has surprised me. I expected better from him and feel one should not talk like this in these crisis times. Sport is supposed to bring people together and build bridges. It is pretty disappointing," he said.

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When Vikrant Keni, who led the Indian team to its maiden Physical Disability T20 World Series in England last year, and teammate Gurudas Raut were invited by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly & Co to the Cricket Centre on March 4 to receive the token cheque of R65 lakh as prize money for their flawless performance, their achhe din may have begun to look like coming true.

A few weeks later, India went into lockdown to fight against the dreadful Coronavirus and the 18-player team have not received their share of R3 lakh each. The Indian cricket board has yet to release the payment but say the players will receive their dues soon.

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had approved the prize money for the Indian physically challenged team before their term ended last October. With most of the players from the T20 World Series-winning squad living a hand-to-mouth existence, they feel the BCCI prize money would make a huge difference to them especially in these COVID-19 pandemic-caused testing times.

All-rounder Ramesh Naidu, 24, whose father M Ramu earns R15,000 from driving cars at Vijaya Medical Centre in Visakhapatnam, is finding it difficult to cope with the lockdown. "My family is completely dependent on my father's income. It's difficult to manage during this period," said Naidu, who is in his last year of M Tech (Master of Technology) in Electrical Engineering at IIT Chennai. Naidu had taken an education loan of Rs 4.5 lakh.

Wasim Khan, who hails from the turbulent Kashmir region, was banking on the prize money to cope with the lockdown.

"With no job, it's quite tough to exist. My elder brother is a lawyer but he is without any work at the moment. We have some groceries at home but I don't know how long they will last. We have got no help from anyone. It will be a big relief if BCCI releases our prize money soon," said Wasim, who had scored a match-winning 40-ball 79 in the semi-final against Pakistan.

Hard-hitting batsman Sudanese Mahendaran, 29, who changed the complexion of the game in the final against England with his 11-ball 33, said the lockdown has rendered his family income-less. "There has been no income for the last month as my father has not been able to ride his auto rickshaw due to the lockdown. My close friends are helping us out," said the Tamil Nadu lad.

Bengal-based wicketkeeper batsman Debabrata Roy, 31, is confident BCCI president Ganguly will rescue the players. "I was earning R8,000 till last month as a salesman at a cloth store. I am sure Dada [Ganguly] will look into our problems," said Roy.

Left-arm spinner Anish Rajan, who was India's highest wicket-taker (11) in the tournament, has had his share of suffering in the lockdown.

Skipper Vikrant Keni (right) and teammate Gurudas Raut with the R65 lakh cheque they received from the BCCI in March. Pic/ Suresh Karkera

A mechanical engineer by profession, Rajan quit his job in 2015 to pursue a career in cricket.

"My dream was to play for India. I play as a professional for Tripunithura Cricket Club in Kochi and I also officiate in matches as umpire or scorer. However, due to the lockdown, there has been no source of income," he said.

Skipper Keni, who is lucky to have a steady source of income, sympathised with the financial condition of some of his teammates. "Most of the players from my team are struggling as they have no jobs. I think the BCCI prize money is taking time due to the lockdown," said Palghar-based Keni.

BCCI's General Manager Cricket Operations, Syed Saba Karim told mid-day on Friday that the prize money will be remitted in a couple of days. "It has been approved and in a day or two, it will be processed. The amount will be deposited in their [players'] bank account. It has been cleared from our side," Karim said.

I will talk to BCCI: AICAPC prez Ghavri

AICAPC prez Karsan Ghavri

The president of the All India Cricket Association for Physically Challenged (AICAPC), Karsan Ghavri said he would talk to the BCCI officials to release the prize money of the Physical Disability T20 World Series-winning team once the lockdown ends. "It [the prize money] was supposed to go into the players' account, but it has not happened. This is not the right time to talk. Let everything settle down. We will definitely speak to the authorities," the former India all-rounder told mid-day.
Ghavri is also hopeful of sorting out the employment problems of the physically challenged cricketers. "We are definitely trying to help them out. In fact, Nitin Gadkari, a senior minister in the central government, is helping us a lot in this regard," he added.

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Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has recalled how he and Zaheer Abbas went after the Indian spin attack -- comprising of Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Erapalli Prasanna -- and scored bulk of runs in the three-match Test series in 1978-79.

Both Miandad and Abbas took the famous Indian spin troika to cleaners in the series which Pakistan won 2-0.

"Chandrasekhar, Bedi, Prasanna... India's strength was this, their spinners. And they did well around the world but when they came here (Pakistan), they were taken to the cleaners. Our players robbed them for so many runs," said Miandad in his Youtube channel.

Miandad recounted the first Test of the series played in Faisalabad and said how he and Abbas went after the Indian spinners.

"I remember that Chandrasekhar was giving some troubles to Zaheer bhai. Then he told me 'Javed please tackle him for me'. I obviously said yes. Meanwhile from the other end, Zaheer bhai was taking a lot of runs off Bedi sahib and Prasanna," said Miandad.

"Then I said, 'Zaheer bhai please allow me to take some runs too, I will also use my feet against them. I'm stuck here. I won't take a single off the last ball'," he added.

Both Miandad (154) and Abbas (176) scored big hundreds in that match which ended in a draw.

In the second Test in Lahore, there was still no respite for the Indian spinners as Abbas scored a brilliant double hundred as Pakistan won the match by eight wickets.

In the final Test in Karachi, it was the turn of Miandad to score a century as India lost the Test and ultimately lost the series 0-2.

Chandrasekhar took eight wickets in that series at an average of 48.12 while Bedi scalped six wickets at an average of 74.83. Prasanna managed to pick just two wickets in the two matches he played in the series at an average of 125.50.

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India's limited-over vice-captain Rohit Sharma in an Instagram Live with Australian opener David Warner said India's tour of Australia, which is scheduled after the T20 World Cup, will be a "great way" to restart international calendar.

'Love playing Australia'

"I love playing against Australia. When we won last time [in 2019], it was great for us. You guys [Warner and Steve Smith] were missing [due to ball-tampering bans]. "What our bowlers and batters did there was amazing. I am looking forward to the upcoming tour already. Hope both boards manage to get the series underway. Will be a great way to kick off cricket in the world," Rohit said.

India won their first Test series in Australia, and Warner said he was feeling helpless watching his team lose. "Watching that series was hard as you can't do anything from the outside. But I want to say that India has the best pace attack against left-handers. They zero in one spot and keep bowling there. "Mentally, it was great for Indian cricket but it was hard to watch. I felt helpless," said Warner.

The southpaw said it is unlikely that the T20 World Cup will be staged in his country in October-November because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The ICC World Cup will not go ahead here by the looks of it. It will be difficult to get everyone (16 teams) together," he said. Warner is also not enthused by the idea of playing in front of empty stands, like Australia did against New Zealand in Sydney in March before the ODI series was called off.

Bizarre experience

"It was a bizarre experience. You could only hear echo of the cricket ball. It was bizarre. We are used to calling 'yes and no' while running between wickets but we did not need to do that. It was literally like playing a warm-up game."

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