Last month, during the promotions of his flick MISSION MANGAL, Akshay Kumar made a startling revelation. He said that he believes that success depends on 70% luck and 30% hard work. His statement surprised many but the fact is that many around the world of different nationalists, communities and even class believe a lot in luck and the concept of lucky charm. No wonder, the business of numerologists and astrologists is thriving. Anuja Chauhan’s novel ‘The Zoya Factor’ tackles this idea and it was written so well that it became a bestseller. The rights were soon picked by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment but the production house failed to make the film within the stipulated period. Aarrti Shetty and Pooja Shetty Deora then bagged the rights and turned the novel into celluloid, while keeping the title of the film the same as the book. So does THE ZOYA FACTOR turn out to be as entertaining as the novel? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1020460 size-full" title="Movie Review The Zoya Factor" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Movie-Review-The-Zoya-Factor.jpg" alt="Movie Review The Zoya Factor" width="750" height="450" /> THE ZOYA FACTOR is the story of a girl who considers herself unlucky but is the lucky charm for the country. Zoya Solanki (Sonam K Ahuja) is born on June 25, 1983, the day India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup final. Her father Vijayandra Singh Solanki (Sanjay Kapoor) declares that she’ll prove beneficial for the cricket team, having born on such an auspicious occasion. While growing up, Zoya indeed turns out to be a lucky charm for Vijayandra and her brother Zorawar (Sikandar Kher) when they used to play Gully Cricket. As an adult, Zoya however considers herself unlucky. The madness that her family members have for cricket makes her dislike the sport. She works as junior copywriter at an ad agency called AWB and is constantly making mistakes, much to the annoyance of her boss Monita (Koel Purie). Monita sends Zoya on ad campaign comprising of the Indian cricket team in Sri Lanka and warns not to make an error in what she calls a small, simple shoot. Zoya reaches Sri Lanka and becomes friends with Nikhil Khoda (Dulquer Salmaan), the captain of the Indian team. This is a time when the players have lost back to back matches. The World Cup is just a month away and the pressure is killing them. On the day of their match in Sri Lanka, Nikhil invites Zoya to have breakfast with the players. Here, Zoya casually mentions about her date of birth and lucky charm bit. On that day, India miraculously wins the match. The players realise that she is indeed a lucky charm. They make flimsy pretext to stop her from going back to India and try to get her to have breakfast with them for the next match. As expected, they win again. Nikhil however doesn’t believe in luck and The Zoya Factor and feels that it’s hard work that works. Yet he can’t help but fall for Zoya who too is in love with him. Meanwhile, the Indian Cricket Board's Jogpal Lohia (Manu Rishi Chadha) comes to know about Zoya. He approaches her with an offer – dine with the boys in blue before every World Cup match and get paid Rs 1 crore! Zoya however refuses the offer. Jogpal realises that they need Zoya anyhow and hence, they hand over the World Cup campaign to AWB with instructions that Zoya should be leading it. Jogpal is also aided in this plan by his nephew Robin (Angad Bedi) who is also in the team and is Nikhil's rival. He wants to see Nikhil being removed from captaincy and he uses Zoya for his ulterior motive. What happens next forms the rest of the film. THE ZOYA FACTOR is based on the novel by the same name by Anuja Chauhan. The story has a lot of promise and is also relatable. A lot of people believe in luck as well as are cricket fans and hence in a country like ours, such a story can connect with the viewers. Pradhuman Singh Mall and Neha Sharma's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Anuja Chauhan) is effective for most parts. They don’t make the film too emotional even at a single point. The idea is to keep the film light and entertaining from start to finish. In a way, it’s great but at the same time, the film misses the emotional touch. Pradhuman Singh Mall and Anuja Chauhan's dialogues are very witty and contribute a lot to the laughter. The dialogues mouthed by the commentator are sure to be loved by audiences. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The Zoya Factor Public Review | Sonam Kapoor Ahuja | Dulquer Salmaan | Abhishek Sharma | FDFS</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/the-zoya-factor-public-review-sonam-k-ahuja-dulquer-salmaan-abhishek-sharma-fdfs/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Abhishek Sharma's direction is decent. He has handled some scenes with élan but there were also scenes where he really rushed through the proceedings. But the creativity of his execution comes through in several sequences. The scene where it rains is one such sequence – the focus is on Nikhil returning to the pavilion while Zoya could be seen on the giant screen in the foreground. Also, he has used subtle hints to show that the film is set 9 or 10 years back. This is evident through the use of old mobile phones. The idea to not base THE ZOYA FACTOR in 2018 or 2019 makes sense as Zoya’s age is supposed to be not more than 26 or 27. Moreover, the product placements can be an eyesore in most films but here, it’s like an integral part of the film. The Cadbury Silk TVC, for example, is well woven into the narrative. THE ZOYA FACTOR has a very impressive commencement that gives an idea about the cricket and luck elements of the film. Shah Rukh Khan’s witty narration and the animated sequence adds to the fun. The initial scenes of Zoya are okay but the film gets better once she reaches Sri Lanka and interacts with the Indian team. The romantic track also has its moments. Two scenes stand out here – Zoya’s interaction with Nikhil in the elevator and Nikhil meeting Zoya’s family and family friends. Post-interval, the film slips a bit. Also, the film seems too quick at places. The World Cup sequence in the pre-climax and climax however revives the interest. The performances are great by all actors. Sonam K Ahuja suits the part to the T. One can’t imagine anyone else for this role and she does total justice, whether in the scenes of her being love struck or acting pricey or even acting mature and giving out some important lessons to Nikhil in times of need. Dulquer Salmaan is super-dashing but he also gets his act right. He’s totally into his character and convincingly seems the captain of the team. Angad Bedi gets a great part and also screen space and is fine as the baddie. Sikander Kher is the surprise of the film. His role might remind one of Prateik’s character in JAANE TU YA JAANE NA [2008] but his part stands out and Sikandar ensures that happens. One of his best scenes is when he offers tea to the very protestors who have come to vandalize his house! Sanjay Kapoor is a natural. Manu Rishi Chadha is fine and it’s good that he doesn’t overdo the lisping bit. Koel Purie is strictly okay. Pooja Bhamrrah (Sonali) looks quite glamorous and plays the supporting part well. From the other crickets, the ones who leave the mark are Abhilash Chaudhary (Shivi), Gandharv Dewan (Harry) and Sachin Deshpande (Lakhi). Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is in sync with the film’s mood. <em>'Lucky Charm'</em> is the best of the lot followed by <em>'Kaash'</em> and <em>'Maheroo'</em>. <em>'Pepsi Ki Kasam'</em> is played in the end credits. Indrajit Sharma and Parikshit Sharma's background score (with additional background score by Kingshuk Charavarty) is dramatic and adds to the fun. Manoj Lobo's cinematography is suitable and the lensman does a good job in the cricket scenes especially. Theia Tekchandaney, Abhilasha Devnani and Gayatri Thadani's costumes are very appealing. The ones worn by Sonam especially are too good which was expected. Rajat Poddar's production design is rich. After Studios' VFX is quite good, although it’s a bit poor in some scenes. But overall, it’s a good job considering that quite a many scenes are shot against the green screen. Utsav Bhagat's editing gives the film a pacy feel but some scenes could have had a bit of slow, slow-motion effect especially in the finale. On the whole, THE ZOYA FACTOR is a feel-good popcorn entertainer that works chiefly due to concept, treatment, humour and performances. At the box office, it has the potential to grow dramatically due to a good word of mouth.

The death toll from the Coronavirus pandemic has slowed in some of the worst-hit countries, with Spain readying Monday to reopen parts of its economy as governments grapple with a once-in-a-century recession.

Italy, France and the US have all seen a drop in COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, with Italy — the European nation most afflicted — reporting its lowest toll in more than three weeks.

Spain's death toll has fallen in recent days, but as a small bump in deaths was reported on Sunday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that the locked-down country was "far from victory".

"We are all keen to go back out on the streets... but our desire is even greater to win the war and prevent a relapse," he said, as some companies were set to resume operations at the end of a two-weeks halt of all non-essential activity.

In the US — now the world's worst-hit nation with a fifth of all deaths and more than half a million confirmed cases — the government's top infectious disease expert added to cautious optimism that the pandemic may have reached its peak.

Anthony Fauci said, "We are hoping by the end of the month we can look around and say, OK, is there any element here that we can safely and cautiously start pulling back on?"

1,16,045
Total no. of deaths worldwide

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Individuals in the LGBT community face stressors that have dire consequences on their health. Researchers from Michigan State University are the first

Vitiligo, an autoimmune disease, has both genetic and environmental contributary factors to its onset. It could occur among individuals with no family

Organizations need to tackle the different work factors that are important to the three key age groups of nurses if they want to retain qualified staff.

A new research published in the journal Heart suggested that the age at which a woman's periods stop, and the menopause starts, doesn't seemed to be associated

New study has illuminated clinical factors that are associated with the occurrence of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in newborns. It revealed

Current smokers and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have increased level of angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE-2) that is

Environmental factors may play a role in the incidence of type 1 diabetes as it has increased too rapidly over years, reports a new study. The findings

New study devised a way to encapsulate therapeutic cells that can be implanted in patients, which could secrete drugs as-needed in the patient. This novel

New study discovers 30 significant risk factors and five protective factors during and after pregnancy that are more likely to cause psychotic disorders in offspring.

Stroke survivors and those who at risk are urged to focus on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) such as yoga and tai chi, revealed paper published

Checking children affected from blunt trauma for CSI (cervical spine injury) risk factors could cut unnecessary computed tomography (CT) scans and radiation exposure by half.

Switzerland has made a broadly balanced recovery from the economic crisis, but slower activity in Europe and pressures on the Swiss franc weigh on the near-term outlook, according to the latest Economic Survey of Switzerland.

Three back-to-back industrial accidents were reported from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu on Thursday as factories resumed operations post lifting of lockdown curbs.

This paper presents the findings of an international stocktaking of the regulatory frameworks that apply to institutional investment in different jurisdictions and how these frameworks are interpreted by institutional investors in terms of their ability or responsibility to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their governance processes.

This paper presents the findings of an international stocktaking of the regulatory frameworks that apply to institutional investment in different jurisdictions and how these frameworks are interpreted by institutional investors in terms of their ability or responsibility to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their governance processes.

Switzerland has made a broadly balanced recovery from the economic crisis, but slower activity in Europe and pressures on the Swiss franc weigh on the near-term outlook, according to the latest Economic Survey of Switzerland.

Recent OECD research has utilised harmonised cross-country firm level data to explore the contribution of public policies to cross-country differences in productivity, innovation and resource allocation.

Unfavourable demographic trends in many OECD countries threaten the sustainability of potential labour resources, GDP growth and fiscal positions. One factor that is expected to mitigate these trends is continued inflows of migrant workers from low income economies.

This paper describes developments in real long-term interest rates in the main OECD economies and surveys their various determinants. Real long-term government bond yields declined from the 1980s to very low levels in the recent period, though they have not reached the historical lows of the 1970s.

This paper analyses for 34 OECD countries the extent to which the calculation of aggregate multi-factor productivity (MFP) is sensitive to alternative parameterisations.

Factory Orders in the United States decreased 10.30 percent in March of 2020 over the previous month. Factory Orders in the United States averaged 0.24 percent from 1991 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 10.40 percent in July of 2014 and a record low of -10.30 percent in March of 2020. Factory orders report is compiled from results of "Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3) survey" and shows the value of new factory orders for both durable (50% of total orders) and non-durable goods. The survey is usually released a week after durable goods orders report. . This page provides the latest reported value for - United States Factory Orders - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Factory Orders in Slovakia decreased 7.20 percent in February of 2020 over the previous month. Factory Orders in Slovakia averaged 5.45 percent from 2009 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 41.60 percent in May of 2010 and a record low of -35.90 percent in January of 2009. In Slovakia, Factory Orders measures year over year changes of new orders in industry. This page provides - Slovakia Factory Orders- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Factory Orders in Germany decreased 15.60 percent in March of 2020 over the previous month. Factory Orders in Germany averaged 0.33 percent from 1952 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 27.10 percent in June of 1975 and a record low of -15.70 percent in July of 1975. Factory Orders in Germany are reported using monthly changes in the volume of new orders received by manufacturers. Factory Order figures in Germany can be very volatile and misleading because they are heavily affected by geopolitical events, temporary shocks in demand and business deals which may only happen once. This page provides the latest reported value for - Germany Factory Orders - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The government needs to address concerns over the return to normal life

Bids complicate Chinese investor’s efforts to buy out whole of troubled company

A startup that’s hoping to be a contender in the very large and fragmented market of human resources software has captured the eye of a big investor out of the US and become its first investment in Spain. Barcelona-based Factorial, which is building an all-in-one HR automation platform aimed at small and medium businesses that manages […]

China’s example suggests that life will not snap back to normal, strategists say

German conglomerate hopes to offload lossmaking division to focus on steel

Tesla is aiming to ramp up “limited operations” at its factory in Fremont, Calif., a decision that puts the company and its CEO Elon Musk in direct conflict with a stay-at-home order in Alameda County. Update: On Friday, Alameda County health officials said the automaker was told not to reopen. Employees received two emails — […]

Tesla has not been given the “green light” to open its factory in Fremont, Calif., Alameda County Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan said in a videostreamed town hall meeting Friday. Tesla made plans to open as early as Friday in defiance of the county’s extended stay-at-home order. Tesla said in an internal email sent to […]

Security researchers are sounding the alarm over a newly discovered Android malware that targets banking apps and cryptocurrency wallets. The malware, which researchers at security firm Cybereason recently discovered and called EventBot, masquerades as a legitimate Android app — like Adobe Flash or Microsoft Word for Android — which abuses Android’s in-built accessibility features to […]

Star Wars fan Stuart Camp, 46, made £29.5million according to filings at Companies House under his company Grumpy Old Management while Ed Sheeran made £32.6million.

With medical supplies in high demand during the coronavirus pandemic, Australian fashion designers are now creating purposeful medical clothing for practitioners and hospitals.

Singers Kelli Marie Willis, Jess Folley, Luena Martinez, Seorsia Leagh Jack, Virginia Hampson and Halle Williams landed a final spot in the group following Wednesday's arena auditions.

The singer, 41, broke down after watching Kelli Marie's rendition of an original song about feeling alone, and tearfully vowed that the teen 'wasn't alone anymore.'

Viewers took to Twitter to praise the singer, 34, for her 'fearless' judging style as they demanded she should join the panel permanently.

Danny Tetley (pictured), from Bradford, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to getting his victims, many as young as 14, to send him explicit images of themselves.

Viewers weren't impressed as the singer decided to turn Robbie's performance of The Pussycat Dolls' hit Don't Cha into a duet, especially when she sent the Irish singer home later in the show.

The final six contestants were officially revealed following the arena auditions in Birmingham. The boys will now go head-to-head with the girls in Sunday's live finale.

X Factor: The Band's grand final saw girl group Real Like You crowned the winners as they beat boy band Unwritten Rule in a nail-biting final on Sunday night.

The Pussycat Dolls star, 41, ensured she had all eyes on her during the X Factor: The Band's live grand final on Sunday as she put on a very busty display in a plunging black gown.

Viewers tuning in on Sunday night were left baffled as X Factor: The Band singer wore a hoodie emblazoned with a swear word before 9pm watershed.

She's one of X Factor's success stories.  So it came as no surprise to see Leona Lewis had been invited back to judge the grand finale of the series' spin-off, The Band, on Sunday.

The former TOWIE star, still basking in her triumph on the inaugural series of X Factor: Celebrity, was on hand to gift the winner with a gift card, Boux Avenue bra fitting and obligatory Mimosa.

The former TOWIE star, 27, showed off her hourglass curves in the barely-there bikini, which boasted a multi-coloured pattern.

Unlucky-in-love Stefan-Pierre Tomlin, 29, from south London, shot to fame in 2017 after the dating app revealed 14,600 woman had swiped right for him in two years - more than any other Brit.

Ray Quinn, who shot to fame on reality shows The X Factor and Dancing On Ice, proposed to his girlfriend Emily Fletcher over New Year's.

The musician, 22, is believed to have dated the fellow singer - who is also friends with her famous ex Lewis Capaldi - on-and-off for a few years, before the pair began drifting apart in April 2019.