Appreciating the 'beauty of nature,' actor Alia Bhatt recited a poem on Wednesday to mark the golden jubilee of Earth Day. The 27-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a video singing a poem dedicated to mother Earth.

 

 

 

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My attempt at writing a little something to celebrate earth day☀ï¸Â #EarthDayEveryDay

A post shared by Alia Bhatt ☀ï¸Â (@aliaabhatt) onApr 22, 2020 at 4:26am PDT

She said: "Hi guys, today is Earth Day and I was doing some writing and I dedicated writing a little poem, expressing the way I feel today and kind of every day." The 'Raazi' actor started reciting, "Today and every day, I'm grateful. For the sunrise and sunset. For the forests full of trees. The animals, the birds. The lakes, rivers and seas. I'm grateful for all we've built, Our bridges and our streets. I'm grateful for the love that binds us and the wind that sometimes knocks us off our feet.

"In these uncertain times, I'm grateful for those who put themselves in danger for us. Our saviours, the world's warriors! Today and everyday, promise to care for our planet and all it has to offer. I promise to value our home by doing better I choose to celebrate earth day Today and every single day!" The 'Highway' star captioned the post as, "Today and Everyday. My attempt at writing a little something to celebrate earth day[?] #EarthDayEveryDay."

Celebrity followers including Zoya Akhtar, Dia Mirza left their lovable comments on the post. Meanwhile, scores of leading ladies of the Bollywood industry took to social media to mark the golden jubilee of Earth Day.

Veteran actor Hema Malini tweeted: "Today is Earth Day. With the Coronavirus raging everywhere, time for us to reflect on how we have ravaged Mother Earth, stripping her of trees & vegetation & destroying the ozone layer."

Kajol tweeted: "The earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth. If that has not been proved categorically to us at this time I don't think it ever will be. Happy #EarthDay2020 to all the remaining species."

Others including Dia Mirza, Shilpa Shetty, Madhuri Dixit, and Bhumi Pednekar also took a moment to appreciate nature and thank mother Earth in different ways.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The whole world is currently locked down and maintaining social distance from their friends and even families. However, Alia Bhatt seems to be feeling very homesick and that's perhaps the reason why she recently visited her parents Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan. And this news was confirmed by the filmmaker himself to Mumbai Mirror.

Talking about it, he said, "We met a few days ago-she lives a few buildings away and it's a protected space. So, she just walked across with mask and gloves on and sat at a distance so she wouldn't endanger her parents. It warms the heart to see her fulfill the social role of a responsible young child and to see your children teach you what you taught them in their childhood."

Alia even shared a throwback picture with her father a few weeks ago and it was indeed a heartwarming one. In case you missed it, have a look right here again:

 

 

 

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Stay home &... go through old pictures when you're missing your daddy💗 #throwbackthursday #stayhomestaysafe

A post shared by Alia Bhatt ☀️ (@aliaabhatt) onMar 26, 2020 at 2:32am PDT

On the work front, Mahesh Bhatt returns to direction after 22 years with Sadak 2 that stars Alia, Pooja Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Gulshan Grover. The film is slated to release on July 10!

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Yesterday, to mark World Book Day, several stars took to social media to share with fans, which book they are reading. Alia Bhatt is devouring JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sharing a picture of the book on Instagram, she wrote, "I've made a new friend (sic)."

 

 

 

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I’ve made a new friend 🤍 #worldbookday #currentlyreading

A post shared by Alia Bhatt ☀️ (@aliaabhatt) onApr 23, 2020 at 3:38am PDT

Shraddha Kapoor also shared a list of books she has read during the lockdown. It included The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy, Conscious Collective by Joseph Kauffman, Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. Kapoor is now reading IC Robledo's The Secret Principles Of Genius, which has been gifted by Chhichhore (2019) co-star Sushant Singh Rajput. Kapoor also said that she would like to read the Mahabharat and Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.

 

 

 

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📖📚🙃💜 Thank you for this @sushantsinghrajput #BookDay #CurrentRead

A post shared by Shraddha (@shraddhakapoor) onApr 23, 2020 at 4:06am PDT

Madhuri Dixit Nene shared a photo of her bookshelf. She posted, "Books not only teach us a lot but at times they become a source of inspiration and a place to find solace in. Sometimes they can even help you rediscover yourself (sic)." Lots of bookworms in B-Town.

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Amid the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, Bollywood celebrities have taken up the responsibility to appeal to everyone to stay safe, take precautions, stop panicking and refrain from spreading rumours. The quarantine time has also given celebrities a chance to spend maximum time with their families. Some of them are busy pursuing their hobbies. Speaking about Kareena Kapoor Khan, the actress is spending her time with her husband Saif Ali Khan and son Taimur Ali Khan and keeping us updated about their quarantine time through her Instagram pictures.

Continuing the trend, Kareena posted a picture with her family on her Instagram. In the first picture, the husband-wife duo is seen resting next to each other with their eyes closed while the second one features Kareena sitting next to Saif.

The actress gave a very witty caption to the picture. Sharing the photos, Kareena wrote, "Fall in love asleep... #Mess (sic)."

 

 

 

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Fall i̶n̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ asleep... #Mess 😝

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 24, 2020 at 1:37am PDT

Kareena has been on a photo-sharing spree on Instagram. Recently, she shared a picture of the father-son duo painting their balconies with lovely flowers while in lockdown. Saif had painted some yellow flowers while Tim did his own art.

 

 

 

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If there is a wall that's blocking your creativity... Try painting on it 🎨 #QuaranTimDiaries #InhousePicasso

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 18, 2020 at 6:27am PDT

A few days ago, she shared a photo of herself showing a pimple on her face. She wrote, "Meanwhile... I just sat there staring in wonder of what was being created. PS: The zit on my face didn't get the memo of no personal visits and social distancing... #HugeMess (sic)."

 

 

 

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Meanwhile... I just sat there staring in wonder of what was being created. PS: The zit on my face didn’t get the memo of no personal visits and social distancing... 🤣 #HugeMess

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 18, 2020 at 7:05am PDT

On Easter, she shared an adorable picture were the toddler could be seen with his nose and cheeks painted and hubby Saif Ali Khan right behind. The actress wrote- "My Easter bunnies for life. Happy Easter everyone." (sic)

 

 

 

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My Easter bunnies for life ❤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Â Happy Easter everyone... #StayHome #StaySafe

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 11, 2020 at 11:31pm PDT

On the professional front, Kareena Kapoor Khan was recently seen in Irrfan Khan and Radhika Madan's Angrezi Medium. The film will be re-released amid the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting shutting down of cinema halls.

She will be next Laal Singh Chadha opposite Aamir Khan. The chemistry between the stars was loved by the audience in their film 3 Idiots, and now years later they are set to take over the screen with their crackling chemistry once again. The film is a remake of Tom Hanks-starrer Forrest Gump (1994) and is helmed by Secret Superstar (2017) director Advait Chandan. The movie is slated to hit the theatres on Christmas 2020.

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

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

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

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We have pretty much seen all major Bollywood celebrities sharing their unseen and throwback pictures and videos on their social media accounts. And sometimes, their fan-clubs do the honours. Talking of fans, Shah Rukh Khan has one of the highest fan-followings in the world, let alone India. So how could his throwback and unseen pictures stay away? His fan-club has also taken care of it!

Taking to its Instagram account, it posted a major throwback picture that will not only put a smile on your face but also drive away your Monday blues. It was all the way from Kajol's Mehendi ceremony and we could spot SRK, Gauri Khan, and a very young Aryan Khan. SRK, Gauri, and the bride-to-be Kajol could be seen smiling for the camera whereas the toddler was busy in his own world.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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#ThrowbackThursday Have you seen this vintage picture of #SRK, Aryan and #gaurikhan at #Kajol's mahendi? #shahrukhkhan #shahrukh #srk #shah_rukh_khan #shahrukh_khan #iamsrk #kingkhan #gaurikhan #kajol

A post shared by Monika Lang (@kiransrkfan) onApr 23, 2020 at 8:35am PDT

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol have redefined history on the celluloid with one massive blockbuster after another in the form of Baazigar, Karan Arjun, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Coming to the actress and her hubby Ajay Devgn, they tied the knot on February 24, 1999, and did films like Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Raju Chacha, U Me Aur Hum, and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior together.

This picture is truly a delight for all their fans and captures the time when there was no social media phenomenon, only a camera and some, as they used to say, Kodak Moments!

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 According to a recent study, the number of suicide attempts in youth has doubled since 2008.

The research looked at trends in emergency room and inpatient encounters for suicide ideation and attempts in children ages 5-17 years at U.S. children's hospitals from 2008 to 2015.

During the study period, researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center identified 115,856 encounters for suicide ideation and attempts in emergency departments at 31 children's hospitals. Nearly two-thirds of those encounters were girls. While increases were seen across all age groups, they were highest among teens ages 15-17, followed by ages 12-14.

Just over half of the encounters were children ages 15-17; another 37 percent were children ages 12-14; and 12.8 percent were children ages 5-11. Seasonal variation was also seen consistently across the period, with October accounting for nearly twice as many encounters as reported in July.

Using data from the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS), the researchers used billing codes to identify emergency department encounters, observation stays and inpatient hospitalizations tied to suicide ideation and attempts. In addition to looking at overall suicide ideation and attempt rates in school-age children and adolescents, the researchers analyzed the data month-by-month and found seasonal trends in the encounters. Peaks for encounters among the groups were highest in the fall and spring, and lowest in the summer.

"To our knowledge, this is one of only a few studies to report higher rates of hospitalization for suicide during the academic school year," said study lead author Greg Plemmons.

Rates were lowest in summer, a season which has historically seen the highest numbers in adults, suggesting that youth may face increased stress and mental health challenges when school is in session.

"The growing impact of mental health issues in pediatrics on hospitals and clinics can longer be ignored," said Plemmons.

The study has been published in the journal Pediatrics

Consuming fish which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids twice a week can help reduce the risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease, cardiac arrest and ischemic stroke, says a new scientific advisory from the American Heart Association.

The Association recommends eating two 3.5-ounce servings of non-fried fish, or about three-fourth cup of flaked fish every week.

Emphasis should be placed on eating oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines or albacore tuna, which are all high in omega-3 fatty acids.

"Scientific studies have established the beneficial effects of eating seafood rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, especially when it replaces less healthy foods such as meats that are high in artery-clogging saturated fat," said Eric B. Rimm, Professor at the Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, US.

Further, the advisory, published in the journal Circulation, laid emphasis on eating fish such as shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, bigeye tuna, marlin and orange roughy that are high in mercury.

Even though mercury contamination has been linked with serious neurological problems in newborns, it does not have adverse effects on heart disease risk in adults, the advisory noted.

Moreover, the benefits of eating fish substantially outweighed any risks associated with mercury contamination, especially if a variety of seafood is consumed, it said.

According to a study, published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, adding fatty fish to our diet increases the size and lipid composition of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, also known as good cholesterol, in people with impaired glucose metabolism.

Another study, published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, showed that Omega-3 fatty acids are more beneficial than flaxseed and other oils for preventing cancer.

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The Nalasopara police are looking for a 20-year-old who allegedly attacked his parents with a hammer, screwdriver and knife and then left them die. Neighbours heard the struggle between the accused Janmesh Pawar and his parents and rushed the victims to hospital. The elderly couple, Narendra, 55, and Narmada, 50, are in critical condition.

While they were sleeping
According to police sources, Janmesh attacked his parents around 4 am on Monday. He struck his father first, stabbing him with a knife. The elderly man woke up screaming. Hearing his cries, Narmada went running and tried to pull Janmesh off, but the youth then turned on her too. He hit her with a hammer and stabbed her with a screw driver. Janmesh then grabbed his clothes and belongings and fled, leaving the couple in a pool of blood.

CCTV footage shows Janmesh leaving the building. Pics/Hanif Patel

Parents were restrictive
Neighbours promptly informed the Nalasopara police and, with the help of the cops, they rushed the victims to a nearby hospital. However, as their condition was serious, they were transferred to KEM hospital for further treatment. While the crime took place at Imperial Tower, Nalasopara, the family had only moved there a fortnight ago. Cops visited their earlier residence, where neighbours remember Janmesh as an extremely shy boy who never spoke to anyone.

The accused is a final year BCom student and was also working part-time in the share market, alongside his father. Sources familiar with the family said Janmesh's parents never allowed him outside the house, except to go to college or work. The police suspect such restrictions may have caused Janmesh to snap and attack his parents. The youth's phone is currently switched off and cops have no clue on his whereabouts. API Rajiv Naravade from Nalasopara police station said, "We have registered a case of attempt to murder under Section 307 against the accused and our investigation is on."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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It was the dead of night, but when Suraj Gavai, 28, heard his dog growling and whining outside the house, he couldn't resist checking on his pet. But when he opened the door, he found an entirely different animal staring at him — a leopard. The big cat sprang at Suraj and gouged his eye.

Suraj was rushed to hospital, where his condition is stable. Experts are calling the incident an 'accidental attack', as the leopard likely pounced out of fright. A camera trap was put up in the area and patrolling was boosted following the incident.

Suraj was found in a pool of blood by his mother, Baby. Pics/Datta Kumbhar

The incident took place at 2 am on Sunday, when the Gavai family was fast asleep in their room at Mulund's Rahul Nagar slum pocket. The area falls under the Tulsi Range of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), which is home to several leopards.

The spot outside the house where the dog was chained

Blood everywhere
Suraj woke up when he heard his Rottweiler yapping desperately outside the house, where it had been chained. Second after he opened the door to check on the dog, the leopard swiped at his face at him. His parents woke up to see him in pain and blood. They instantly raised the alarm and called Suraj's elder brother Jayesh, who lives nearby. "My wife and I quickly rushed there to see the doorsteps covered with blood. Suraj was in pain. We rushed him to the local hospital. While we are praying for his quick recovery, we are also frightened since the incident," said Jayesh.

Suraj was moved to KEM hospital due to the serious nature of his injuries. Having undergone a surgery on his right eye at the Parel hospital late on Sunday morning, he is currently under observation. The dog suffered a minor injury too, and was taken to a local vet hospital, where his condition is said to be stable.

Hospital report
"The patient was evaluated by ophthalmology, general surgery and plastic surgery departments. He has contused lacerated wounds (CLW) over the right lower eyelid and scalp. The plastic surgeon sutured the CLW in the plastic operation theatre; the wound was sutured too. In the wake of the patient feeling giddy after taking scalp sutures, we have admitted him. His condition is currently stable," said Dr Avinash Supe, dean, KEM hospital.

High leopard activity
Wildlife and human-leopard conflict experts told mid-day that a combination of factors contributed to Sunday's incident. Krishna Tiwari, founder of the Forest and Wildlife Conservation Society (FWCS), said that the area, with its proximity to SGNP, is prone to leopard activity.

"The area is often unkempt and leopards in search for food are frequent visitors. Upon hearing the dog bark, the man should not have opened the door to begin with," Tiwari added.

Nikit Surve, a leopard researcher from Mumbai said, "The leopard and the man caught each other by surprise. In distress and panic, the leopard attacked the man."

Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden with the Forest Department, said, "Just last week, locals had reported a leopard sighting in the area. Citizens need to be vigilant and abide by the dos and don'ts listed by the authorities.

He added that following Sunday's incident, camera traps were installed in the area to track leopard movements. Patrolling is also going to be increased. Despite repeated attempts to contact Jitendra Ramgaonkar, deputy conservator of forest, he remained unavailable for comment.

Also Read: Mumbai: Forest department trains people from Thane society to deal with leopards

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A 54-year-old man on Monday attempted to commit suicide at Mumbai's Kurla railway station. The incident took place at around 1:30 pm when the man suddenly jumped off and lied on the railway track. 

The man was saved by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and other co-passengers.

The man said that he was fed up with family issues and which is why he tried to commit suicide. Later on, the man was handed over to his family after police verification.

Watch Video here

#WATCH: A man was saved by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel & other passengers after he attempted to commit suicide at #Mumbai's Kurla railway station. (30.07.2018) (Source: CCTV) pic.twitter.com/6Yz5WB2Tsw

— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from ANI

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It's been 35 years since over 2,000 Muslims were killed in the town of Nellie and its surrounding villages in Assam, and 34 years ago, the country was burning in the flames of anti-Sikh violence. In the semblance of the peaceful times we live in, these tragedies have been relegated to the dusty pages of history. But only when lessons are learnt from the past can there be the hope of history not repeating itself. Remembering/Forgetting, a screening of documentaries on the two tragic events, organised by the Godrej India Culture Lab, aims to do that by starting a dialogue between the audience and filmmakers, who will be present at the screening.

"When I visited the Sikh Widows Colony in West Delhi to speak to its residents, I chose to not meet them during October-November, when politicians visit them. It's only when they were sure that I had no political motive, did they start opening up about how they struggled and coped with the loss," recalls Teenaa Kaur Pasricha, whose documentary, 1984, When the Sun Didn't Rise, won the National Award for Best Investigative Film this year.
She adds that the number of cases that stand in court against the perpetrators of the 1984 violence have drastically come down over the years because people have given up hope for any justice to come their way.

Teenaa Kaur Pasricha

For Subasri Krishnan, making her documentary, What the Fields Remember, was an exercise in piecing together her own faint recollection of the word Nellie, which she had heard as an eight-year-old when she lived briefly in Assam. "In 2006, I came across an article on the Nellie massacre.

A still from What the Fields Remember

Later, when I started my research and came across very little material on it, I wanted to know why there is public amnesia about it," says the filmmaker, for whom the idea of citizenship has been an intellectual pursuit. The concern becomes even more relevant with the ramifications of being excluded from the National Register of Citizens, which forms the subject of her next documentary, Shadow Line.

Subasri Krishnan

"The history of minorities, written by the powerful, is always suppressed in the public eye," laments Pasricha — something that is as relevant in the case of the Nellie massacre, where the reality of Bengali-speaking victims in the already-neglected region of the North East only grows more complex.

ON Today, 5 pm
AT Auditorium, Godrej ONE, Vikhroli East 
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A group of protesters in Nalasopara blocked the railway tracks on Saturday morning to protest and rage out against the Pulwama terrorist attack in Kashmir that took lives of many CRPF soldiers.

Pic courtesy/mid-day Photo team


Pic courtesy/mid-day Photo team

The protesters went on to block the tracks at Nalasopara which obstructed the movement of plying trains in the area. Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) are in the process of evacuating the protesters from the tracks to ensure smooth commuting again. The protest has affected the train services on the Western line.

Pic courtesy/Vinod Kumar Menon

Pic courtesy/Vinod Kumar Menon

Pic courtesy/mid-day Photo team

Pic courtesy/mid-day Photo team

The protesters along with some office-goers gathered in large numbers and raised slogans against the terrorists. Pulwama terror attack on February 14, 2019 was one of the deadliest terror attacks on security forces in the valley in over a decade. Over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred in Awantipora area of Kashmir on Thursday. The incident took place when a convoy of 2,547 CRPF personnel were travelling in 78 vehicles from the transit camp in Jammu and headed to Srinagar. 

Also Read: Maharashtra ticket collector suspended for raising pro-Pakistan slogan

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Representational picture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik

It is common amongst Western scholars and their Westernised students to differentiate between the Vedic yagna and the Puranic puja, rituals that define the two major phases of Hinduism, one that flourished over 3,000 years ago and one that emerged 2,000 years ago. Of course, at the other extreme, we have the bhakta-Indologists who insist that Hinduism has no history, or phases, or evolution — that everything was homogenous and static, until Muslims came into the land 1,000 years ago. The truth is somewhere in between, as usual.

Vedic yagna is conventionally translated as 'sacrifice' and Puranic puja is translated as 'worship'. This translation is the basic problem. Both are based on Christian templates of religion where God of Abraham demands sacrifice (giving up something dear for the pleasure of God) and worship (adoration, veneration of God). Anyone who has actually performed the two rituals, or at least studied the two rituals carefully, will notice that the sacrifice and worship constitutes only part of the ritual, the first half — the second half is about asking for something in return, the fruit of the sacrifice or ritual known as phala-stuti, which is common to both yagna and puja. This makes yagna and puja essentially exchanges with the divine. There is the giving part (sacrifice, and worship, if one wants to call it that); this is followed by the receiving part, or at least the desire for something in exchange. Anyone who performs a yagna or puja knows that the ritual always ends with asking for something, material or spiritual, from the divine. This exchange makes it different from a prayer.

Yagna was designed by Brahmins 3,000 years ago as an elaborate ceremony to invite (avahan) celestial beings (deva) who rode celestial chariots (rathas). Communication was established using fire (agni) as medium, chants (mantra) and special offerings (soma). The yagna acknowledged through symbolic enactment and ritual role-playing the role the devas play in creating and sustaining and even destroying the universe. Having acknowledged the gods, and given them offerings to their satisfaction, a petition is made to them — for children, gold, grain, cattle, horses, power, fame, health — before they are allowed to go (visarjan).

But in yagna, the gods have no form. And they have no permanent residence. They come from the realm of the stars and so the yagna is performed in open air. Yagna could not be performed during rainy seasons, the four monsoon months (chatrumaas) which became linked to inauspiciousness. But, about 2,000 years ago, increasingly gods were seen as images and icons housed in caves and in temples. These sacred icons (archa) were venerated (archana). The ritual involved the same principles as the Vedic yagna – inviting the god to inhabit the image built, then bathing and decorating and feeding and praising and feeding and entertaining that image, before the petition is made. The devotee gives in order to get.  While humans were bound by debt (rinn), and had obligations, the gods were free of debt and so had no obligations. They were untouched by karma. And so what they gave was dependent on their grace! The devotee (bhakta) hence worshipped (bhaja) the divine being (bhagavan) and sought his grace (prasad). This is an exchange, a giving for receiving, unlike a covenant or a contract, which is about giving and taking and obligations that is cornerstone of Abrahmic religions. Exchange (yagna) connects (yoga) the world by establishing relationships (bandhu). Thus, through yagna and puja, we can theoretically connect with the infinite.

The author writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. Reach him at devdutt@devdutt.com

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Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik

In the beginning, people said homosexuality is unnatural. Then scientists showed them that hundreds of species of animals do indulge in homosexuality. So people started saying homosexuality may be natural, but it is best restricted to animals. Amongst humans, it is a social disease. This unscientific understanding is popularised by many religious leaders, who are clueless about science, though they insist that the Vedas/Quran/Agama/Tripitaka/Talmud are essentially scientific.

These religious leaders fall into two categories. The first category is the 'liberal' guru who says sex is great for spirituality, provided it is heterosexual. The second category is the 'conservative' guru who says sex is not great for spirituality, and if you must indulge in it, do it for babies.

A gay man heard how a broad-minded Indian guru presented sexuality as an integral part of spirituality, and so decided to read a bit more of the guru's writings. He was suitably impressed, there was a lot of talk of how exploring sexual desires authentically enhances spiritual growth. But then came the horror! When the guru spoke of sexuality, he was referring only to heterosexuality and was essentially promoting orgies as a tool to liberate yourself. He saw homosexuality as a social disease resulting from heterosexuality being suppressed when men are locked with men in monasteries and prisons and women are locked with women in nunneries. This was his fantasy, which he marketed as mystical knowledge of the East!

A lesbian woman came upon a guru who gave her a sympathetic ear, and who confidently asserted that ancient mystical sages (all male, of course) had revealed to him that natural sexual activity is for making babies only, and that pleasure is just nature's way of incentivising you to make more babies. It is the human perversion to bypass the baby-making and focus on pleasure. Such value placed on pleasure comes from stress, hormones, and a lack of spiritual grounding. He insisted that homosexuality is a social pathology, not a natural physiology. She could stay a single woman if she did not wish to be a man's wife, but she had to engineer her life towards spirituality rather than sexuality if she sought fulfilment and happiness. Her libido, he insisted, was in dire need of fixing!

Most of these gurus do oppose the criminalising of homosexuality, and so appear to be modern. However, they do see homosexuality as a deviance (or its Sanskrit equivalent), or a 'fluidity' that needs explanation, management and re-alignment. They mirror the homophobia directed at queer people (pandakas, napunsakas) that we find in ancient monastic orders such as Buddhism and Jainism. Their discomfort with queerness is similar to their well-disguised discomfort with gender equality: 'Women are as good as men, provided they put the man's needs first.' Essentially, these gurus preach qualified equality, where their personal comfort zone (heterosexuality, celibacy, masculinity) remains privileged.

It is important to recognise gurus as political figures. They are today clearly political vote banks, with a vast number of followers who do whatever the guru tells them to do. Hence the power of their spiritual discourses to influence social and political direction needs to be acknowledged.

We must also recognise the power of followers over gurus. Gurus are expected to be superhuman, and 'pure and pious'. We don't mind them dancing to Bollywood songs or playing golf. But if they were to talk too much in favour of sex and pleasure, we will see them as less than spiritual. In our hearts, many of us are convinced spirituality is an adversary of sexuality. We see Shiva who burnt Kama to ash. We refuse to see Shiva who was enchanted by Kamakshi and Mohini.

The author writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. Reach him at devdutt@devdutt.com

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Illustration/ Devdutt Pattanaik

One of the unique features of Islam in South Asia is the veneration of five holy men, or saints (auliya), known collectively as pancha-pir. They are often represented by the palm of the hand, mounted on a mound. We find shrines of pancha-pir in Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal. They are sometimes identified as the five pure ones of Shia Islam: the Prophet Muhammad, his daughter, his son-in-law, and his two grandsons. Other identify them as five Sufi saints, often the teacher with his five students. Still others say they refer to the Prophet Muhammad and the first four Caliphs. This veneration of five holy men in dargahs is however frowned upon by Islamic purists, who believe that veneration should be reserved for God, and none other.

In folklore, the pancha-pir often appear to bless heroes on quest, or to establish the greatness of a local king. In many Hindu temples, especially in Rajasthan, where folk-heroes are deified, as in the case of Ramdev baba, one finds pancha-pir endorsing their greatness, thus indicating syncretism of Hindu and Muslim ideas at the grass-root level. In Bengal, they are popular amongst sailors, who seek their protection before setting out into the sea, and thank them on their return.

Stories of pancha-pir often reveal much similarity with village gods and goddesses of India, who are known to help when appeased and harm when angry. So we learn how they gave their horse to a queen so that she could use the horse's blood to cure a husband. The queen later refuses to return the horse and so the pancha-pir destroy her kingdom. Sometimes the pancha-pir are paired with their five wives who disobey them and so are reduced to five piles of ash.

How did this idea emerge? It is possible that these five pirs were earlier the five tathagathas of Buddhism, found in Tantrik Buddhism, that flourished in eastern India during the Pala kingdom. There is the central Buddha, Vairochana, with four other Buddhas in the four directions, represented in four different colours, embodying four different principles, thus indicating universality. Such images are found in Buddhist shrines and Buddhist mandalas.

The idea of the five collective is found in Hinduism too: the Pandavas, for example. In Puri, Odisha, the five Pandavas take the form of five Shivas. There are images of Pancha-mukhi linga, where five faces, each in different mood, arise from a single pillar. There is also the concept of five chaste women: the pancha-kanya, which includes Sita, Draupadi, Ahalya, Mandodari and Kunti.

The most recurring concept in Indian mythology is that of a teacher with four students who take his knowledge in the four directions. One learns of Veda Vyasa and his four disciples, the Shaiva sage Lakulesha with his four disciples; the Jain saint Vajraswami who founded four orders (gaccha); the Sikh saint Sri Chand, the eldest son of Guru Nanak, who passed on the sacred fire (dhunni) of his order (akhara) of ascetics (udasin) to four disciples; the Vaishnava, Ramanuja also passed on his mantle to four disciples. This idea of the collective of five, best represented by the palm of the hand, clearly gave meaning and power to local faiths and also kept together various divisions that emerged in religious orders. Hence its enduring appeal.

Devdutt Pattanaik writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. Reach him at devdutt@devdutt.com

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Sanjukta Basu

Delhi-based photographer Sanjukta Basu had an epiphany right before her 39th birthday. "I was introspecting on the years gone by, and realised that although I had achieved much, I didn't think I had reached a 'destination'. It was as if I was lost at sea, and needed direction. But then I decided to embrace the fact that I go where the wind takes me. I was going to be 40, and this was me. I wasn't going to change. That's how my first tattoo took shape in my mind," says Basu, who once practiced law.

And so, her first tattoo was a sailboat, with a wave and birds in flight, with the line "wherever the wind takes me". This was also the time the idea of a project on women with tattoos took shape. Typically, some of them got one to signify something profound, like a break up with a lover or a violent relationship. Others didn't think it needed a reason. "The project is about challenging the stereotype around women with tattoos. They don't get them because they are slutty or hippie, or because they are reckless," she argues.

The photographer, who is on the lookout for new subjects to shoot in Mumbai and Delhi, says, ideally, all women should get in touch with her and tell her their stories. Sunday mid-day got Basu to shares some of her favourites.

Vimala is an aviation professional, and loves wings. Years after she got married to the man she loved, she realised he was addicted to gambling, and draining her of finances. At 48, when she found herself free from the toxic relationship, she got a tattoo — a heart with wings. It was time to fly again.

Parama, Sanjukta's first subject for the Women And Body Art project, is not one person. Within her sits the essence of Kolkata, the city she comes from and loves. The tattoo on her forearm and is an image of Kolkata landmark Victoria Memorial, an angel atop it. It signifies her belief that something good lies in everything she sees.

Archana, a women's rights activist, grew up in a protective, privileged Tamil Brahmin family. While she has grappled with body image issues, she also didn't know that you could be anything else other than a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer. When she went to college, she met women from a variety of backgrounds and, before she knew it, the seeds of female solidarity had been sown. Her first tattoo is a symbol of feminism, and she got it on the day she learnt that feminism in fact, had a symbol.

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Cricket can seem like a tedious game. You don't just play it for days. You play it for seasons. Winter in India. Summer in England. "But it's also a multi-dimensional profession, like all other sports," sports and performance psychologist Shree Advani tells us, explaining that it takes a lot out of a person at a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level. Many of the lessons that players pick up on the way, however, can also apply to individuals in other careers. Those insights are now in the public domain in the form of The Barefoot Coach (Westland), a book that Paddy Upton — mental conditioning coach of India's World Cup winning national team of 2011, and head coach of Rajasthan Royals — has written. We pick five of his key revelations from the title so that you, too, can gain from his experience, no matter what field of work you belong to.

1. Keep your ego in check
Upton comes clean about the biggest professional mistake in his life to illustrate how a person's ego sits like a monkey on his shoulder. He had let the comparatively greater media attention that head coach and fellow South African Gary Kirsten had been receiving, get to him, after the Indian team started performing better and better around 2009. So, "to set the record straight" as he says, he leaked a certain document that he had prepared for the Indian team to a journalist he trusted, hoping to get some positive press for himself. What happened instead is that this scribe misconstrued Upton's advice to the team about the importance of having a healthy sex life, and attributed it all to Kirsten, bringing him disrepute since the article was painted in a negative light. Upton writes, "I had acted out of self-interest, out of ego, in order to get recognition for myself. What I had succeeded in doing was to hurt one of the persons in this world whom I least wanted to hurt."

Paddy Upton and Gary Kirsten. Pics courtesy/Paddy Upton

2. Start from scratch
It can be easy to get caught up in the warm glow of success after a high in your career. Instead, it's a better idea to start from scratch straight away and focus on the next goal. Upton talks about tennis champion Rafael Nadal's concept of "getting back to zero". The idea is to treat winning a tournament as plus-five, and losing in the first round as minus-three. Either way, you have to get back to zero and reset the mind and body for whatever the next challenge might be. The Indian national cricket team, for instance, failed to do that after the incredible rush of winning the World Cup in 2011. They spent too long on the top of the mountain, metaphorically speaking, and thus tumbled soon after to suffer a string of defeats.

The Indian team after winning the 2011 World Cup, a success in which they basked for too long

3. Be the right alpha leader
Most leaders by nature are alpha persons. They have a sense of dynamism that puts them at the head of the herd. But this strong personality can assert itself in a negative manner sometimes. In the corporate world, that would be the definition of a bad boss. This person would treat his employees merely as resources who help him achieve his own selfish ends. As a result, his subordinates would go into survival mode and fail to work as a unit, which — in cricket — would translate into a batsman looking to stay at the crease at the cost of sacrificing his wicket for the greater good of the team. Healthy alpha leaders, on the other hand, would place high demands on juniors, but the latter would experience that as being fair. That's because this leader also embodies the crucial quality of empathy, since he is willing to listen to others and is sensitive to what they might be going through. Upton cites Graeme Smith as an example, under whose exemplary captaincy the South African side was a happy cricket team.

(From left) A happy frame of Indian cricket greats Virender Sehwag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman

4. Let the feeling of failure go
It might seem like a clichéd phrase, but "this too shall pass" is an effective way of dealing with failure. Upton writes about a certain chat that he'd had with Kyle Mills, after the New Zealand cricket team had suffered a string of seven consecutive defeats, four of which were against cricketing minnows Bangladesh. The fast bowler's energy had been so morbid when he had been shaking hands with Upton at the end of their latest defeat, against India, that the Indian mental conditioning coach felt compelled to have a quick chat with him later on, even though he came from the opposing team. Upton told Mills that cricket is just a game, and for that matter, so is life. He told him, "Take yourself one year ahead of today, and tell me what you would say about this experience." Mills initially looked confused as "he tried to extract himself from the moment and project into the future". But after a few moments, he realised that the losses wouldn't feel as bad later on, and that he might even gain some valuable lessons from the experience. "This too shall pass," Mills understood.

Quick singles with the barefoot coach
How best can a person in a high-profile job put blinkers on to ward off the constant attention they have to deal with?
It's difficult for high-profile celebrities to separate their three lives — personal, public and professional. Some get too caught up in the public lives, basking in the glory of the limelight. These individuals run the risk of compromising their professional life, and if they fall into the easy trap of merging their personal and public lives, it could leave them vulnerable to post-career difficulties and even depression. Those who do best place their personal and professional lives as the priority, and avoid all the traps and attractions of living the public life as a celebrity. In this way, they maintain their professional processes of training, preparation and sleep. Players like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are excellent examples of this.

How would you say that the impact of playing a sport like cricket professionally affects the way a teenager evolves into a person in his mid-thirties?
An athlete who goes into professional sports at a young age, and remains there for say two decades, will have varying degrees of ease or difficulty when exiting the career and returning to 'normal' life. This will be dependent on the degree to which they remain with their feet on the ground versus adopting the values and expectations that fans and the society places on them. The ideal way is for them to work on advancing their professional life as much as they work on being a good human being, of sound personal values. They should ideally not attach their personal identity to the talent they have, and the results that flow from it.

What are some ways for players to deal with the separation anxiety of being away from their families on lengthy tours?
Being on tour looks amazing from the outside, but from personal experience, living for long periods in a hotel room can be very lonely, even for the most celebrated public figures. What's important is that players have a strong connection to something important in their personal lives, and away from the game. It's probably best to have good friends and family relationships [or hobbies], where cricket is not the main focus of conversation or attention. Many players spend their hours on PlayStation or on social media. This temporarily hides the experience of loneliness, but does very little to overcome it when they walk away from that temporary distraction.

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Check out a festival that celebrates women's writing across genres, and the long and short forms of writing. Organised by SheThePeople.TV, there will also be workshops on how to get one's work published.

ON: Today, 1 pm; March 18, 11 am onwards.
AT: Goethe-Institut, Kala Ghoda.
REGISTER: shethepeople.tv

RD Burman composed for more than 300 films in a career spanning 30 years

This weekend, a group of music enthusiasts is going to deconstruct the thin line between imitation and inspiration at a talk on Hindi film music. The works of RD Burman, Shankar-Jaikishan and OP Nayyar will be discussed at the event.

Shankar-Jaikishan ruled from 1949 to 1986

“Many tried to imitate a sound that worked well with listeners in that period. In fact, film producers would encourage music directors to do so. The music of Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Kalyanji-Anandji was close to the sound created by Shankar-Jaikishan and Burman,” says Ramesh KV, one of the speakers. “If you listen to the orchestration of a song, you will think it belongs to Burman, but it actually is by someone else,” he adds.

The full panel includes R Balaji, Shankar Iyer, Archisman Mozumder and Subramanian Iyer.

On: April 15, 7.30 pm
At: Pitaara – The Art Box, Yashwant Nagar, Goregaon (W).
Call: 9820393001
Entry: Rs 250

Alita: Battle Angel
U/A: Action, Adventure
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali
Rating: 

This film, which has Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron working together with Peter Jackson's visual effects, has wonders never experienced before in cinema. The film may have taken a long while (twenty years) coming to screen, but the end result is fantastic enough to keep you asking for more. A manga-based action thriller, James Cameron's $200 million-worth, long cherished dream is aimed at young adults seeking fresher pastures from that of The Hunger Games variety and hopes to make it to bigger box-office returns than that sub-genre hit-starter.

Cameron started on the cinematic adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's original manga comics way back in the late 1990s, (much before Avatar), but the phenomenal success of Avatar had him relinquishing directorial control to Rodriguez while holding firm as screenwriter (with Jon Landau and Laeta Kalogridis) and producer.

The resultant kick-ass cyberpunk adventure may not be as original as he imagined it, but it has certainly got all the chops to make it to a long-term fan-following on its own.

The filmed adventure is set 500 years from now, in Iron city - a junkyard that is a wasteland for the flying citadel of Zalem. The city is peopled with AI controlled cyborgs mingling with real humans in a community so tech-spangled that it's hard to decipher one from the other. Kindly Doctor Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) reconfigures a former robot superweapon and rechristens her Alita (Rosa Salazar), after his own daughter. I do, who moonlights as a hunter-warrior, tries to protect the young Alita, but her mind has memories of a past that keeps haunting her present. She even develops a crush on handsome robo-junk dealer Hugo (Keean Johnson) and eventually ends up becoming the super weapon she once was.

The plotting here is a little too jumbled up, ensnared as it is in creating set-piece thrills and out-of-this-world experiences. Stereotype characters and genre tropes make the engagement less than wondrous. The tech-specs are certainly the best we've seen in a long time, the IMAX imagery is splendid and beguiling and the vivid expressions of the actors make it feel all the more real and intimately experiential.

Watch the trailer of Alita: Battle Angel

Even though Salazar is the most riveting and fascinating of characters, she does feel a little artificial at times. The CGI blends in effortlessly with digitally morphed motion-capture performance, but the artifice can be felt - too strongly at times. The array of side characters also feels like old hat killing the originality of the experience and allowing déjà-vu to creep in. Even so, there's no belittling this explosive cutting-edge adventure that takes cinema thrills to never-seen-before heights!

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After a stricter lockdown in place from April 19, Mira Road is seeing the number of COVID-19 patients on the lower side. The municipal commissioner of Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) says 'the curve is flattening'.

"Earlier the cases doubled within a week. But in the past nine days, the number of positive patients has increased by 40 per cent. The rate of doubling is slower than before and the curve is flattening. We need citizens' continuous support to flatten it further, " said Chandrakant Dange, municipal commissioner of MBMC. 

The doubling rate for Mumbai is around seven days. In Mira Road the number of patients started increasing in the first week of April.

On April 12 the positive numbers doubled to 51 in just four days and the next double numbers were reported on April 17. After the number of patients crossed the mark of 100, the MBMC imposed a complete lockdown from the midnight of April 19. Since then the MBMC has sent around 349 more samples for tests of which 43 have turned out positive. The rate of patients turning positive seems to be around 40 per cent from the findings of April 19 - 102 to around 10 days later on April 27 - 145.

Political parties and the civic administration recently held a meeting over relaxing lockdown norms. However, the administration hasn’t changed the lockdown pattern as yet. "The number of positive patients is on the lower side and many patients are recovering. We are strengthening the home delivery system," said a senior officer of the MBMC.

Locals face food issues
While the MBMC has allowed milk booths to operate from 7 am to 10 am, chemist shops up to 5 pm and grocery and vegetable home delivered, residents are facing difficulties getting these goods. "Only select vegetables are available and the rates are high. We are not getting diapers for my baby," said Jasbir Sanyal, a resident of Shanti Park.

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The city unit of the Young Mens’ Christian Association (YMCA) has offered its well-furnished International Guest House of 75 Rooms to house their Doctors, Health Care Professionals and Asymptomatic patients. In addition, we have provided masks, gloves and medical equipment to the Nair and Kasturba Hospitals’ for the medical professionals working on the frontlines.

In the first phase of the relief operations, we have been able to cater to 20,000 persons (4000 packets) by providing them with dry rations and groceries. Cooked food to the slum dwellers, daily wage earners, migrant workers, street beggars, rag pickers and construction workers has crossed 1,00,000 (One Lakh) threshold.

A special mention here is of our volunteer team ably led by our regular ‘Dhobiwala’ (Laundry Man) who have earned the sobriquet, ‘Scooter Saviors’ has enabled us to reach the unreached pockets from CST to Colaba Market right up to the slums at Cuffe Parade.

The victims have now become saviors. Thanks to the ladies who are housed at YMCA Sharan, a shelter for destitute women run with the help of BMC have reached out to the unreached in the slums at Sakinaka.

Our counselors trained at the Counseling Institute at Navi Mumbai are available on call daily for those who are in distress, stress and undergoing anxiety symptoms during this lock-down period. 

“We acknowledge the contributions of our partners who have joined us in this mission during this time of the ‘virus crisis’ - Muthoot Finance, ATE Chandra Foundation, Rotary Club of Bombay, Rotary Club of Mumbai Central, Rotary Club of Queen’s Necklace, Rotary Club of Versova and Rotary Club of Mumbai Elegant. A special thanks to the BMC, Mumbai Police and Navi Mumbai Police who helped us with the permissions and the necessary assistance. As we begin our next phase, we would like to enlist the support of Mumbaikars in this hour of need,” Paul George, general secretay/CEO told Mid-Day.

The Bombay YMCA blessed with its vast infrastructure, network and committed team of staff and volunteers at strategic locations ranging from Colaba to Navi Mumbai was able to promptly and efficiently respond to the pandemic that gripped our city.

Historically Helpful
The Bombay YMCA since its inception in 1875 has always risen to the occasion whenever calamities have struck the city.

Beginning with Relief operations during World War I & II, the Army barracks were maintained by the YMCA and the Army Officers used the YMCA at Colaba for its operations. Over the past 145 years our experience gained in the 3 R’s - Rescue, Relief and Rehabilitation has grown exponentially.

During the earthquake at the Latur and Osmanabad districts in 1993, Bombay YMCA led in the relief and later rehabilitation of two villages of over 200 families including the construction of the primary school and the community centre. We were recently recognized for our efforts by the then Chief Minister, Shri. Sharad Pawar.

When the communal riots broke out in the early 90s the YMCA was called in as Peacemakers between the communities in Agripada and Mumbai Central. The Army used the premises of the Procter YMCA at Agripada as their base for their operation. In addition, Bombay YMCA constructed close to 50 tenements at Ramabai Nagar, Ghatkopar in collaboration with a major newspaper group.

Each time the city was submerged due to the deluge and came to a standstill, the YMCA opened its centres/Branches providing shelter and food for the stranded.

During the terrorist attack of 26/11, the YMCA was home to many Mumbaikars and foreign nationals at various YMCA centres spread across the city.

How to contact:

For further details and more information follow us on Instagram:@ymcabombay, Twitter: @ymcabombay, Facebook: @ymcabombay, Email: generalsecretary@ymcabombay.com.

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Western Railway staff on Tuesday found the batteries of a local train parked near Borivli missing. Local trains have been stationary for over a month now following the lockdown.

WR officials said it was discovered early Tuesday morning by the Western Railway staff on duty who were inspecting and carrying out basic checks as per schedule.

Sources said that a few WR staff, as per routine schedule, went to check the functioning of vital components of trains stabled on the tracks between Borivli and Kandivli stations.

They found that five batteries were removed from the battery box, which was locked. However, WR authorities are unsure whether these batteries have been stolen, or have been removed by their staff for some technical inspection.

RPF officials said they are investigating the matter.

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The police remand of the 101 accused arrested in the barbaric killing of two priests and their cab driver in Palghar district last month, was extended for another 14 days on Thursday in connection with the attack on police officers on April 16.

They were produced before the Dahanu Magistrate court in the afternoon as their police remand expired on Thursday. Magistrate O B Kulkarni sent all the accused to additional police remand of 14 days. They have been charged with attempt to murder for attacking the cops while they were headed to the lynching site.

Lawyers headed by advocate Parmanand Ojha appeared before the court on behalf of deceased Chikne Maharaj, 70, Sushil Giri, 35, and driver Nilesh Tilghate, 30.

The police had on April 17 apprehended 110 people and arrested 101 of them, and sent them in police remand in connection with the murder of the three men. The nine other accused are juvenile and currently at Bhiwandi juvenile home. "Since the 14-day police remand ended on Thursday, I requested the court not to grant them bail instead send them into judicial custody," said Ojha.

Police search for others involved in the lynching at Gadchinchale village. File pic

The CID officials requested that the accused be sent to police remand for the murder attempt on cops and obstructing the work of police officials. None of the advocates appeared on behalf of the accused.

Advocate Ojha alleged that the trio became victims of a huge conspiracy against them. "There was no rumour before the incident and the priests and the driver were well aware of the internal routes to Gujarat from Mumbai. But their vehicle was turned back at a check post bordering with Dadra and Nagar Haveli," he said.

But crucial eye-witness Sonudaji Borsa told mid-day that a rumour of a child lifting gang was doing the rounds of the village. "Two nights before the incident, people gathered at our forest check post and forced me to step out saying a child lifting gang was active in the area. People often used to shout 'chor ayaa, chor ayaa' unnecessarily to trigger panic among villagers who would gather in large numbers," Borsa said.

Not the first mob attack

Sources said incidents of villagers creating unrest to raise their voice against government officials are very common here. "In December 1998, a mob in Gadchinchale village attacked forest officials and a State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) team acting against timber smugglers. Two men were caught but they screamed for help and a large number of villagers surrounded the forest officials and SRPF personnel," said an officer from Palghar police. The mob assaulted the officials and snatched the rifle of SRPF constable Vikram Valvi.

One of the priests killed in the April 16 incident. File pic

"Regional forest officer Digambar Manohar Dahibhavkar had registered an FIR against the mob at Kasa police station on December 22, 1998. Four people including Lohu Kanoja, Sonu Pilena, Tulja Pilena and Madu Kanoja were named in the FIR," said the officer. After the case was registered, all the villagers abandoned their homes just like they have done now. "The police later managed to arrest five absconders," said the officer. They also recovered the snatched rifle. "The four accused named in the FIR were arrested on August 9, 2012. Several accused are still at large," said the officer, adding that there have many such incidents that reveal the aggressive nature of Gadchinchale residents who have no fear of the law.

"The villagers clearly say 'yaha mehnat karke khana milta hai aur jail me bina mehnat ka' (here, we have to work for food, but in jail it's for free)," said the officer.

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Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has mandated 100 percent attendance for all its employees in offices and on-field, with some relaxation to people over 55 years of age and people with medical conditions. This comes as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has been found to be more fatal to elderly people and those with existing health complications. "All staff over the age of 55 years are advised to either work from home or work in the office and not go on the field. People in the medical department, including doctors, nursing staff and paramedics over the age of 55 years with co-morbidities are advised to stay home for two weeks," the order issued on Friday said.

The BMC also advised all staff, who live outside its limits like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira Bhaynder, or Palghar, etc, to contact the nearest Ward office so they can render their services to the nearest ward office from their residence, instead of their original current posting. Earlier this week, Mumbai Police had asked its personnel who are above 55 years of age to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown.

According to the Medical Education and Drugs Department of Maharashtra, 7061 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation area while 290 have lost their lives and another 1,180 have recovered after receiving treatment.

Maharashtra, however, remains the worst affected state in the country with at least 10,498 coronavirus cases as on Friday.

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Revising its attendance circular, the BMC has asked all its employees and medical staff at civic hospitals to report to work. However, it has made an exception for a section of employees – aged 55 years and above with existing ailments, like diabetes, hypertension, kidney problems, etc, and do not hold senior positions. They have been exempted from coming to work for a month.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued the new circular on Thursday, April 30. According to the circular, the civic employees, doctors and medical staffers, who hold senior positions and are aged above 55 with existing ailments, will have to join work. However, they will either be given work from home or office, and will be assigned tasks that do not involve interaction with COVID-19 patients, stated the BMC.

Around 60 per cent of the civic staff in the age group of 55 and above hold senior positions in their respective fields.

The civic body had earlier issued an order for a 50 per cent attendance, which has now been revised in view of the increasing novel Coronavirus cases, said the civic officials. They added that the BMC needs full manpower to prevent the further spread of the virus. Full attendance is needed to increase strength in Ward offices for contact tracing, management of quarantine centre, Containment Zones and COVID Care Centres, and upgrading of municipal hospitals with extra beds and oxygen. Besides, employees are also needed for desilting and pre-monsoon work.

The BMC has also sought monthly report on the employees' assignment from concerned departments. If any employee misses work, the BMC will take appropriate action, it added. Additionally, workers with disability will be allowed to work from home, stated the circular. A daily remuneration of Rs 300 will be given to those working on ground.

"The new circular is superseding the earlier ones, and has now made it mandatory for the employees to be present for work, as now, a larger manpower is needed with the increasing number of cases in the city," a civic official said.

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While the authorities may struggle to get the rest of the city to follow social distancing and lockdown norms, one area in the city which is on board with their plan—and in fact, implementing stricter measures without being forced to—is Cuffe Parade's Machhimar Colony. The residents of this fishing colony have sealed their society, not allowing anyone to step out unless it's absolutely necessary. The residents have also decided not to fish until May 3.

The colony decided upon these strict measures after a resident was sent into quarantine on April 20, after coming into contact with a positive patient. The resident eventually tested negative.

There are a total of six fishing colonies in the Cuffe Parade-Colaba area—Machhimar Colony, Machhimar Nagar, Bhai Bandarkar Machhimar Nagar, Sagar Sanidhya Machhimar Nagar, Shivshrishti Machhimar Nagar and Shiv Shastri Machhimar Nagar. The residents of all these areas have decided to seal the colony, without any prompt from
the government.

Bhuneshwar Dhanu, advisor of Machhimar Sarvodaya Sanstha Private Limited, Cuffe Parade-Colaba, says, "Only those involved in essential services are being allowed to step out. Besides this, a team comprising youths from the colony has been formed. They stand at the gate and go buy any items that are required, without charging anyone."

Jayesh Bhoir, a resident of Machimar Colony, says, "We go to the dock after fishing, but crowds gather and so following rules of social distancing are tough. Therefore, we decided to lock ourselves in."

Chanda Jadhav, A Ward officer, says, "It is good that the people of Machhimar Colony are following the lockdown in their colony. Similarly, if all Mumbaikars adhered to the rules, we will be able to beat the Coronavirus."

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Eminent industrialist Ratan Tata, on Sunday took to Instagram to call out a fake news article and a quote which was attributed to him. Taking to the gram, the 82-year-old business veteran shared a picture of a news clipping that read, "Ratan Tata's message: 2020 is the year of survival, don’t worry about profit and loss."

A screengrab of Ratan Tata's Instagram story

While sharing a story on Instagram, Ratan Tata wrote, "The following article has not been written or said by me. He also shared a picture of the article with 'Fake News' written on the newspaper cutting. Urging people to always verify news sources, Ratan Tata said, "I will endeavour to call out fake news whenever I can."

Talking about the fake article which has a quote attributed to him, Ratan Tata stated, "My picture alongside a quote does not guarantee me having said it, a problem that many people face." The business magnate also called out the fake news and shared it with his 8.5 million followers on Twitter.

I’m afraid this too, has not been said by me. I will endeavour to call out fake news whenever I can, but would encourage you to always verify news sources. My picture alongside a quote does not guarantee me having said it, a problem that many people face. pic.twitter.com/pk0S75FxPA

— Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) May 3, 2020

Since being shared online, Ratan Tata's tweet has garnered over one lakh likes and about 25,000 re-tweets and counting. This isn't the first time that the senior statesman has taken on fake news circulating under his name. Earlier, Mr. Tata had shared another fake article attributed to him and which spoke about the impact of coronavirus on the economy.

In the spirit of solidarity pic.twitter.com/1Svx5JZ0Vb

— Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) April 5, 2020

While sharing that the article was fake, the industrialist stated that if he has to say something, he would say it on his official social media channels. Debunking the false article, Mr. Tata urged people to stay safe and take care of themselves amid the coronavirus crisis.

Nearly a month ago, Ratan Tata shared a beautiful picture of India's COVID-19 warriors. While sharing the picture with his followers, Mr. Tata urged people across the country to unite in the battle against the global pandemic.

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Maharashtra government's offices located in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), in areas of municipal corporations of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Malegaon in Nashik district will function with five per cent attendance during the lockdown period till May 17 to contain spread of coronavirus. The MMR and areas under PMC, PCMC and Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) have emerged as the coronavirus hotspots. In a statement on Tuesday, the government also said that in the rest of Maharashtra, the attendance of officials of the rank of deputy secretary and above will be 100 per cent, while that of the other officials and staffers will be 33 per cent as per the requirement.

The government, however, said that offices of departments such as health and family welfare, police, jail, fire brigade and emergency services, disaster management, Food Corporation of India, Nehru Yuva Kendra, municipal services and others will remain functional with complete attendance. The statement also said that the government officials and staffers should download the 'Aarogya Setu' application on their smartphones and work according to the guidelines issued by the Centre.

The statement reiterated that those attending offices should take precautionary measures and maintain proper hygiene during the period to keep the novel coronavirus at bay.

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India didn't exactly deal with COVID-19 the way most of the world did. Sure, there were the right noises made at regular intervals, the inane PR-exercises that are now a given from a government that picks up tips from reality television rather than qualified professionals, and some genuine, good work in states like Kerala. For millions of us, unfortunately, this was another excuse to do what we do best: pick on those who cannot fight back.

Thousands of words were expended at every stage of the outbreak on blame games that had no reason to exist. We could have used that airtime and column space to ask those elected to govern us why they had done very little. Instead, many of us chose to vilify Indians for doing what we would all have done, had we been compelled to live under the circumstances they had no choice but to accept.

Millions of us had the luxury of staying home without worrying about where our next meals would come from. The lockdown didn't prevent us from hoarding vegetables and fruit, medicine, or even alcohol, because we could worry about mundane things like running out of vodka. Yes, there were many of us who had to deal with unemployment and the inability to pay rent, but I kept thinking of those without a safety net — the men, women, and children forced to walk hundreds of kilometres without food or water, whose lives made our crises pale in comparison.

When hundreds of migrant workers gathered at Bandra in a desperate attempt to get home, anchors on television railed against their insensitivity and complained about the government of Maharashtra. None stopped to evaluate why those workers were on the street in the first place, putting their lives and those of their families at risk simply because they were in a place none of them could call home. As someone born and raised in Bombay, I struggled to get a sense of what that must feel like, to be in another city when the rug is pulled from under one's feet. None of us has lived through a pandemic before, but I was forced to think about young people who come here right after college in an attempt to make a living, and how they must cope with the closure of an office even when there isn't a global catastrophe to contend with.

There were videos of residents walking dogs and shouting at watchmen, policemen assaulted for simply trying to implement a life-saving lockdown, and arguments made by talking heads about why India's poor should stay where they are for the country's benefit. The hypocrisy of it ought to have shamed us all, but probably didn't penetrate our thick third-world skin.

It's impossible to predict what our lives will look like a year from now, when this has hopefully been put behind us and a vaccine is within reach. What I hope it will change is how we look at the faceless millions who toil for a pittance to do what the rest of us refuse to. The people who cook for us, stand guard outside our buildings and offices, ferry files between departments, wash our vehicles, and sell us fruit and vegetables when our venture capitalist-funded mobile apps fail to do the job.

Those who have left will return, because we live in a country that has failed to provide for them, forcing them to leave parents and relatives behind again. I hope we start to look at them a little more and try and implement measures to change the way they are compensated for jobs that have proven to be a lot more important than we have traditionally acknowledged them to be.

I think of celebrities, cricketers, bankers, and lawyers who routinely walk away with the largest percentage of what we collectively work to create for our country. None of them managed to do anything of any significance to alleviate our situation. Everything we thought was important was revealed to be hollow within weeks, while all the people we look down upon were revealed to have been performing life-changing roles all along.

It is naïve to assume that nurses, teachers, healthcare and sanitation workers, cooks, and vegetable vendors will suddenly start earning more than we have been trained to pay them. I like to think this pandemic will change us in subtle ways though, forcing us to recognise our inadequacies, our pompous designations and titles that we use to accomplish almost nothing.

When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira
Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper

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Two police officers and a constable were injured after a 27-year-old man attacked them with a chopper in south Mumbai early today, police said. Karan Pradip Nayar, president of Silver Oaks estate near Breach Candy, attacked the policemen who were on routine 'nakabandi' duty at 1.30 am, senior police inspector of Marine Drive police station Mrityunjay Hiremath told PTI.

The policemen, all deployed at the Marine Drive police station, received injuries on their shoulders and hands and were taken to the state government-run JJ hospital, he said. "When our policemen saw the man walking with a large chopper near the Pransukhlal Mafatlal Hindu Swimming Bath and Boat Club, they tried to stop him. He ran away and they chased him. When they tried to catch him, he attacked them with the chopper," Hiremath said.

Nayar, an architecture graduate, has been arrested, the police officer said, adding a case has been filed against him under various sections of the IPC, including 307 (attempted murder) and also the Arms Act. DCP Zone 1 Sangramsinh Nishandar reached the spot immediately after the incident and made arrangements for the medical treatment and accommodation of the injured policemen, he said.

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Dear Diana,
I have fallen in love with my best friend's wife. They got married recently. I was attracted to her the day I saw her, just before their wedding. I am single. When I am around with her, I try my best to contain my feelings for her, but I cannot. I keep dropping in at their home on some pretext or the other. I have never had such feelings for any other girl. My buddy is planning to go on a holiday to Goa. A lot of our common pals are also going, so he has also told me to come along. I am scared that I do not do something stupid and make things embarrassing for her. I find my feelings for her getting stronger day-by-day. I keep fantasising about her. She calls me bhaiyya which I detest. At the same time, I would never do anything that would destroy my friendship with my buddy. What do I do? Should I just break my friendship with him?
– Amar

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Dear Amar,
You are well aware that you are playing with fire. She is your buddy's wife, so if you are thinking of a future with her, be ready to get scorched. Remember you are ruining your life, her life, as well as your buddy's life. You may be attracted to her, but you will have to contain your feelings for her. Have you ever wondered how your pal will react? How will you face your buddy when he realises what is on in your mind? A relationship with your pal's wife will only ruin your life. You seem to have let yourself go. It is easy to say that you are attracted to her, but you need to draw the line. She calls you bhaiyya, so she has no clue what is going on. It will come as a shock to her when she realises that you are lusting for her. Banish any such thoughts if you do not want to lose your friend. If you are finding it difficult, limit your interactions with his wife for a while. Also, get going with your life and find someone else.

One of the images in Masaba Gupta’s Insta-only campaign features model TJ Banu in a chiffon saree, the pallu draped around her head like a hijab

In a world divided by political agendas and religious regulation, women's clothing is defined through moral dress codes. "Do we have the freedom to wear whatever we want, when there are no dress codes for men?" asks young Mumbai designer Masaba Gupta, through her "Can't" series of T-shirts and caps launched as part of Tiger Lily, Spring/Summer 2018 line. One of the images in her Insta-only campaign is of model TJ Banu in a chiffon saree, the pallu draped around her head like a hijab (left in pic).

Kallol Datta introduced a range of hijabs, as part of his runway collection in 2015, with pattern cutting experiments of 3D inserts, embellished in tassels and foil print

In January 2016, Dolce & Gabbana released a "modest-wear" range, joining the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Tommy Hilfiger. H&M released a first advert featuring a Muslim woman in a hijab in 2015, and House of Fraser now stocks athleisure hijabs, designed for Muslim women to wear while exercising and swimming. But the rebellious interpretation of a conservative style has seen both criticism and cheer. Veteran designer James Ferreira welcomes the newfound reverence. "We've endured the West's interpretation of fashion for far too long... open any magazine, and there are tits all over," he says. Ferreira first designed and retailed a range of hijabs with badla work (intricate Indian embroidery in metal thread) as long as 30 years ago.

Kolkata-based Kallol Datta's emancipated designs occupy a middle ground between the genders. That he is inspired by the Islamic style of cloaking is a result of having spent his early years in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Kuwait. He began designing abayas and kaftans in 2008, and called his version "sleeping bags". It's only as recently as 2015 (right in pic), when he introduced a range of hijabs with pattern cutting experiments of 3D inserts, embellished in tassels and foil print, and sold them at stores in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Masaba Gupta

"It's a cool move," Ferreira says of Gupta and Datta's new designs. "Masaba and Kallol are mending broken ties between communities; it's like what the beard did post 9/11. At a time when the world began associating the beard with a political event, men from across cultures and countries embraced the beard. Solidarity is always heartening," feels Ferreira.

Kallol Datta

How do you explain using femininity as a tool of empowerment or rebellion?
Masaba Gupta: We create clothes on steroids, what we call churning out "maal". While Tiger Lily, our S/S 2018 collection, has a lot of new prints, the colour palette of knockout pinks and bottle greens stays true to my brand's aesthetic. It's an elevated, easy-to-wear collection inspired by the modern-day woman. So it's online campaigns that allow me a creative release, a platform to have an opinion. I was empowered rather than fearful when shooting the campaign. There's always the fear of being trolled on social media, but then that happens anyway.

Kallol Datta: It's not so much about being rebellious as it is about asking, how do you shroud yourself in fabric? As a designer, I pay attention to the fabric's form rather than the human form, hence layering and shaping remain at the core of my designs. It's also a familiar space [hijab] since I spent most of my early life in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Bahrain.

Why pick a symbol of conservatism?
Masaba Gupta: The starting point of the idea was to talk about our best-seller sarees. And the saree has been constantly debated... in relation to how it should be worn by a specific type of woman to why the youth are apprehensive about embracing it. That's why the decision to showcase the saree worn by real women, as opposed to models, in the campaign shoot. Middle Eastern women think that a saree is intrinsically Indian, hence the idea of styling this drape like a hijab.

Kallol Datta: I enjoy working with native wear clothing in a template form to realise silhouettes, which keep changing as layers are added or subtracted. The chador, manteau, abaya, kaftan or hijab become great building blocks for me to work with. At the same time, clothes-making for me is rooted in anthropology.

When a politically engaging idea occurs to you, how long before you wonder if controversy will follow?
Masaba Gupta: I don't want to unnecessarily stir up a controversy, and have people protesting outside my home. My brand's business head doesn't always agree with my social media posts (laughs). But I also believe that there's a difference between being brave, creative and downright foolish. That's why I put a caption to the image: 'This is celebratory and not a gimmick. I want women to wear a saree the way they feel best, in keeping with their traditions and their comfort. Most importantly, for them to not justify, why they chose to wear it the way they do'.

Kallol Datta: It never crosses my mind. I've been mindful about not using symbols, or portraying national icons in my designs.

How does fashion become political?
Masaba Gupta: I find fashion a departure from controversy or politics. After India, my biggest business comes from Dubai and Kuwait. My job as a designer is done when my clothes inspire freedom in Muslim women to adopt fashion the way they desire.

Kallol Datta: When Eastern concepts move to the West, they often get lost in translation. A woman wearing a hijab, a man in a kaftan - they become visible markers of their communities. The lack of representation [of these markers] in editorials and fashion journalism means that you're telling them, 'we choose not to see you'. Although Indian designers cater to Islamic countries, it's rare to see indigenous cultural markers in their clothes. Indian designers haven't moved beyond lehengas and sarees; it's their bread and butter. They are ignoring a thriving demographic. It's heartening to see 'modest fashion' come into its own.

Also Read: Jacqueline Fernandez Had Fun Designing For MMA Fighters

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Some athletes are donating money, some others are helping in providing essentials to the needy, but Asian Games gold-winning rower Dattu Baban Bhokanal took a more hands on approach while helping people amid the COVID-19 pandemic by sanitising his village in Nashik. The 29-year-old used a fertiliser sprayer to carry out the sanitisation drive in his village Talegaon Ruhi, which is part of Chandvad tehsil on Sunday last. He said it took around four hours to complete the task. "Me, my family and some friends decided to sanitise the village, which has a population of about 12,000," Bhokanal told PTI from over phone.

Nashik is not as aggressively affected by the fast-spreading COVID-19 pandemic, which has ravaged Maharashtra. The region has just over 30 cases and a death toll of 2 in all with the Chandvad tehsil reportng just one case. Bhokanal's village is, however, completely unaffected by the deadly outbreak so far. Overall, the pandemic has claimed 339 lives in India where the number of positive cases has surged past the 10,000 mark. In Maharashtra, the total number of cases have gone past 2,000.

Bhokanal was on leave to visit the village when the nationwide lockdown, now extended till May 3, forced him to stay longer than he was supposed to. Making use of the time at hand, he carried out the sanitisation drive with his brother, uncle and a friend to help him out. "Sanitisation of any area is important to keep the virus at bay. For example, when a person visits a doctor's clinic, he might touch the pole or the walls inside that clinic. Therefore we thought sanitisation of the clinic was essential alogn with several other places," he explained.

Rower Dattu Bhokanal (right) at a sanitisation drive in his village in Nashik on Sunday. Pic/PTI

The acclaimed rower, who is a silver-medallist from the Asian Championships, said a spraying machine lying at his home for agricultural usage, came in handy. "We sanitised the places people frequent like the government clinic, veterinary clinic, gram panchayat office, its gates," informed the rower. Bhokanal said he and his family also sanitised medical shops, temples and the local vegetable market.

He said he would continue to carry out this drive twice a week. With the entire sporting calendar shredded due to the pandemic, rowing has also been affected. Bhokanal said working out at home has helped him in shape and be ready for when the action resumes.

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Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh's daughter and ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh's elder sister has been running a "marathon" in New York -- not on a track but at a hospital, battling the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the world. Mona Milkha Singh is a doctor at the Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York, attending to emergency patients of coronavirus, which has so far claimed more than 40,000 lives in the US alone while causing over 1.5 lakh deaths worldwide.

"She is basically an ER (Emergency Room) doctor in the Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York city. So, when someone comes with the coronavirus symptoms, she has to treat them," Jeev, a four-time European Tour champion, told PTI. "She checks the patients, stabilises them, performs intubation (insertion of artificial ventilation tube into a patient) before they are sent to special wards to quarantine the COVID-19 patients," he added. The 54-year-old Mona passed out of Patiala Medical College before moving to the USA in the '90s. She has been working there for more than 20 years.

"I am so proud of her. She says it is like running a marathon every day. She has been working five days a week, sometimes day shifts, sometimes night shifts, 12-hour shifts and it is tough but she has to do the job as best as she can." The 48-year-old from Chandigarh said the job is a stressful one and sometimes he feels scared for her. "I feel worried. When you are treating people, anything can happen, so we talk to her everyday. My mom and dad also keep checking on her. "We keep asking how she is feeling and if there are any symptoms. I tell her to stay positive and boost her immune system," said Jeev, also a five-time Asian Tour winner. New York has reported nearly 250,000 confirmed cases and over 18,000 fatalities, forcing the government to extend its lockdown till May 15 to contain the fast-spreading disease. However, the lockdown is also giving rise to a lot of mental health issues among people, who also need equal attention. "With New York in partial lockdown, she gets a lot of patients who are suffering from depression as they are not used to staying at home," Jeev elaborated.

"There are people who come with bullet wounds, people who are having anxiety attacks, youngsters with drug overdose or old people getting heart attacks, basically any kind of emergency, she has to treat them all," he said. The Chandigarh-based golfer also called for greater respect for the frontline workers, who have been attacked in India while performing their duties. "It is my humble request to every citizen of the world to respect the frontline workers because they are there to help us, whether it is the doctors, police, people who pick up garbage ... we must be respectful, kind and grateful to them and make sure they are taken care of," he said. The dreaded virus has infected over 20 lakh people across the globe.

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Filmmaker Anurag Basu, who directed Irrfan Khan in his 2007 movie Life In A... Metro, said he was hopeful the actor will come out of the cancer battle. Irrfan died on Wednesday, losing a two-year battle with neuroendocrine tumour, a rare form of cancer that targets various organs of the body.

He was 53. Basu, who has himself battled cancer, said he hoped that Irrfan would also win his fight with the disease as he did. In 2004, the director was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer. "I was hoping he would pull it off. I was hopeful because I had pulled through it. He was responding well to the treatment so we thought... This is very unfortunate. I couldn't meet him. I am feeling very very bad for it as I will never get to see him.

#Throwback to our Television days
It was always a challenge to capture your brilliance.
You left us too soon.
But then you were always gypsy at heart and never liked to stay in one place too long.
You lived a hundred in your 53 years . pic.twitter.com/rGipwSOZAD

— anurag basu (@basuanurag) April 29, 2020

"But I did meet Sutapa (Irrfan's wife) while the treatment was going on. It was a long, long fight. He fought this battle alone away from everyone," the filmmaker told PTI. Basu said when Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, his wife Sutapa was shaken and had made several queries to ascertain how he got cured.

"After he was diagnosed, Sutapa had called me as she wanted to know the details because I had gone through the same. I didn't meet him in person after that. But I was in touch with him over phone when he was in London. When he came here sadly I couldn't meet him in person,' he said. The filmmaker, who has worked with Irrfan on 2007 movie 'Life in a... Metro', believes there will never be an actor like him.

"I have done some of my best work in television with Irrfan. People just know that we have worked in `Life In a Metro' but we have worked together a lot on television. Irrfan is a unique actor. "He has created a space for himself on his own here and in Hollywood. Nobody can take that space from him. There is no the other actor like Irrfan Khan and there will be no one like him. He was unique."

Basu also revealed that he had discussed the story idea about 'Life in a 'Metro' sequel with Irrfan, which the actor had liked. "I was supposed to start a film with him. We were talking about 'Metro' sequel. We were waiting for Irrfan and didn't start that film. We had discussed the idea back then and he loved the character and he wanted to do that again. This was one month before he was diagnosed.'

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Rishi Kapoor, the romantic star of many a Bollywood film who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2018, died in a Mumbai hospital on Thursday, his brother Randhir Kapoor said. He was 67. Rishi, a third-generation actor of the famous Kapoor dynasty, is survived by his wife Neetu Kapoor, actor son Ranbir and daughter Ridhima. "He is no more. He has passed away," Randhir told PTI. Rishi was taken to the H N Reliance hospital by his family on Wednesday. His death comes a day after his "D-Day" co-star Irrfan Khan passed away, also of cancer. Three months ago, the disease claimed his sister Ritu Nanda.

"Our dear Rishi Kapoor passed away peacefully at 8:45am IST in hospital today after a two-year battle with leukaemia. The doctors and medical staff at the hospital said he kept them entertained to the last. 'He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents. Family, friends, food and films remained his focus and everyone who met him during this time was amazed at how he did not let his illness get the better of him,' the family said in a statement. Rishi returned to India last September after undergoing treatment for his cancer in the US for almost a year.

In February, he was hospitalised twice. He was first admitted to a hospital in Delhi where he was attending a family function. At the time, he had said he was suffering from an "infection". After his return to Mumbai, he was again admitted to a hospital with viral fever. He was discharged soon after. Rishi made his first screen appearance as a child artiste in his father Raj Kapoor's film 'Shri 420', where he appeared in the song 'Pyaar hua ekraar hua'.

This was followed by "Mera Naam Joker". But it was in 1973, with the blockbuster 'Bobby', again directed by his father, that he made his debut as a romantic hero. He continued to be a favourite romantic hero for almost three decades. His notable films as a romantic hero are "Laila Majnu", "Rafoo Chakkar", "Karz", "Chandni", "Heena" and "Saagar". He was, however, more proud of his second innings as an actor, which he found more satisfying. His notable films as a character artiste are "Do Dooni Chaar" with wife Neetu, "Agnipath" and "Kapoor & Sons".

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"The first day of Sadak 2 shoot brought back memories of the '90s," says Sanjay Dutt, who has reunited with Mahesh Bhatt for the sequel to the 1991 hit, Sadak. The drama holds an all-important place in the actor's career — not only does Sadak 2 have the potential to be that elusive hit he has been seeking over the past three years, but it also marks Bhatt's return to direction after 20 years.

Dutt notes that the past two decades have not dampened Bhatt's enthusiasm or inquisitiveness — two qualities that make him a fine storyteller. "Bhatt saab's vision remains unchanged. He still seeks perfection in every shot, and his passion for filmmaking has remained intact all these years. I am glad to be a part of Sadak 2 and work with the maestro," says the actor, who shares screen space with Pooja and Alia Bhatt, and Aditya Roy Kapur in the latest instalment.

Currently waiting to resume work on the last stint of the sequel, Dutt is using the time to sift through scripts coming his way. With an increasing number of actors being web-bound, Dutt reveals he too is keen to dabble in digital entertainment. "OTT platforms are flourishing, and have brought about so much variety in terms of content. They also enable artistes to experiment with material and characters. If I get a script that excites me, I would love to [foray into digital entertainment]."

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Everyone in the world needs only and only positivity, faith, hope, and happiness to stay and survive this global pandemic called Coronavirus. People who have access to their phones are watching videos and pictures of Bollywood celebrities and their daily chores. Time to see something different and very adorable. Ishaan Khatter's father and actor Rajesh Khattar has introduced to all of us his baby boy and the newest member of the family, Vanraj.

Taking to his Instagram account, he wrote- "Hello Everyone (my first hello to all you wonderful people)Dad says world is going through trying times but this too shall pass & for us children,you all are going to make this world more beautiful than it ever was. We kids believe & thank all of you for this promise #stayhome #staysafe & keep us safe." (sic)

Have a look at the post right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Hello Everyone (my first hello to all you wonderful people😊)Dad says world is going through trying times but this too shall pass & for us children,you all are going to make this world more beautiful than it ever was. We kids believe & thank all of you for this promise #stayhome #staysafe & keep us safe 🙏 #vanrajkhattar ( #happyanniversary #momdad ,though ur 12th but its a special one as your first with me 😊)

A post shared by Rajesh Khattar (@rajesh_khattar) onMay 2, 2020 at 9:01pm PDT

Khattar and wife Vandana Sajnani welcomed Vanraj last year in August and he even announced this on his Instagram account, have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Overwhelmed .. thank you for blessing the little one 🙏 Keep the love flowing

A post shared by Rajesh Khattar (@rajesh_khattar) onAug 31, 2019 at 9:01am PDT

Well, these cute and charming pictures are surely likely to put a smile on your face amid this crisis. So are we all set to witness another social media sensation?

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The I For India concert was possibly the best initiative by the Hindi film industry ever since the Coronavirus pandemic began. The intent was to raise money to financially help all those warriors or the unsung heroes that are battling day and night to ensure the crisis ends soon. All the major Bollywood celebrities went live on Facebook and paid a tribute to them in their own style.

Let's talk about two of the best tributes, that of Hrithik Roshan and Alia Bhatt. Talking of Roshan first, he took to his Instagram account to share a video where he could be seen singing and playing the piano at the same time, and confessed he knows neither. He sang the Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahaan song and it's a must-watch.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

So the equation goes as: Non pianist + non singer x 7 hours = 😐 (On phone speaker) and. 😬 (on headphones). . . I FOR INDIA. . Thank you Zoya and Karan and the rest of the team for initiating, conceiving, constructing , designing and assembling all of us together for something so needed and important. Proud. 👏. @zoieakhtar @karanjohar

A post shared by Hrithik Roshan (@hrithikroshan) onMay 3, 2020 at 11:19pm PDT

Coming to Bhatt, she crooned her own song from Udta Punjab, Ik Kuddi, and had the company of her elder sister Shaheen Bhatt. One of her fan-clubs posted the video. Don't miss this either:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Ikk Kudiiii 😍😘Uffff her voice 😭🔥💘 __________________________________ @aliaabhatt and @shaheenb join the #IForIndia initiative ❤✨ __________________________________ Follow for more 👉 @aliabhatt_heart 🌸 - - #aliabhatt #alia #aliabhatt_heart #followforfollowback #follow4followback #followtrain #follow #followｍe #followfollow #followmeto #followfollowfollow #followmeto #followyou #follower #followers #followbackinstantly #followmeplease #follow4like #followbacknow #followparty #followalways #likeforlikes #likelike #like4follow

A post shared by ❥ Alia Bhatt Fanclub☀ (@aliabhatt_heart) onMay 4, 2020 at 12:05am PDT

As mentioned above, this is indeed a heartfelt initiative and we hope the crisis ends soon. Way to go!

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In the making for over two years, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's Brahmastra is slated to hit the theatres on December 4. Even though the movie's final 20-day schedule in Mumbai was disrupted due to the lockdown, director Ayan Mukerji is ensuring that work progresses at a steady pace despite the unprecedented events. Sources suggest the director has roped in a London-based studio to handle the special effects of the fantasy drama.

Amitabh Bachchan; Ayan Mukerji

A source reveals, "A large portion of the footage has been sent to the London team so that it can begin working on the visual effects in this period. Aware that outsourcing the job and sharing the content can increase the risk of the film being leaked, Ayan wanted only a core team of experts working on it. The director handpicked a five-member team who are the only people in possession of the footage."

Considering it is a superhero drama with Kapoor's character Shiva having the power to emit fire from his palms, the Karan Johar production is touted to be high on visual effects.

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Sivaji Raja, a renowned Telugu actor, was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad on May 5 after he suffered a heart attack. Times of India reports that the actor complained of severe chest pain and was rushed to the emergency department. He's being treated in the ICU, but his health is currently stable, as reported by the portal.

Talking about the same, PRO Suresh Kondeti said, "I just talked to him now. His BP drastically went down and that resulted in a heart attack. He is expected to get a heart stent."

The actor is known to have acted in as many as 400 Telugu films and his recent ones include some immensely successful titles like MLA and Nela Ticket.

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Hell is about to be unleashed. A tunnel, which no one has dared to open for decades, hides a curse that could change an entire country's fate forever. What is the cost for those who would dare to step inside? How far would you go to battle the demons within?

The show is dark, gritty, and to top it all, it blends history with fantasy! The entire struggle to fight back the bloodthirsty zombies, who are under the curse of a demigod Betaal is shown beautifully in this 3-minute video.

Watch the trailer of Betaal here:

Earlier today, Netflix dropped the trailer of its upcoming series Betaal that hits the service on May 24, 2020. The story is set in a remote village, which quickly becomes the arena of a breathless battle when a two-century-old East India Company Colonel, infected with the Betaal's curse, and his battalion of zombie redcoats are released from their tomb - attacking anything with a pulse. With the CIPD (Counter Insurgency Police Department) forces pitted against the undead army, hapless civilians are trapped in a gripping, edge-of-your-seat conflict.

Betaal is created, directed and written by Patrick Graham, co-directed by Nikhil Mahajan and co-written by Suhani Kanwar and produced by Blumhouse Television and SK Global Entertainment. Starring Viineet Kumar, Aahana Kumra, Suchitra Pillai, Jitendra Joshi, Jatin Goswami, Manjiri Pupala, and Syna Anand, the series guarantees a nail-biting, gripping battle that will keep you hooked, while it explores age-old secrets and ideologies that live to this day.

Betaal releases on Netflix this May 24, 2020.

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Mika Singh and Chahatt Khanna shocked and surprised a lot of people when they took to their respective social media accounts to announce to the world they are quarantined together. You all must have seen that post where the actress even used the hashtag #Quarantine Love to express her feelings for the singer. But is this the entire story? Is there's something more than what meets the eye? Yes, there is!

In a video chat with Bollywood Spy, she spilled the beans on what the truth actually is. This is actually for their single that's going to come out soon that's been titled, Quarantine Love. She's promoting the same with the singer. She said, "People are eating my head, literally. People are like, 'Do not date him! You broke our heart.' Today only, I was having a laugh with my friends about this."

They are quarantining together only to shoot for the song. " We shot it at home only, we are next-door neighbours. I just hopped into his house. The two of us shot it on the phone," she said. And then came the reveal, " People don't know I am promoting the song. They think we are dating. That's what the whole promotion plan was, to do something that creates a question in everyone's minds."

She also said Mika is a very nice person and doesn't know why people have problems with him. Now let's see what the song has in store for us. Bring it on!

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Between cooking and watching TV, Sayantani Ghosh is making time to train herself in singing. "I could always sing, but I want to take it more seriously since I have the time. I have been checking online classes too," she says. Just like a lot of Bollywood and Television celebrities who are trying out new stuff, she is honing her singing skills.

Spreading love

Amid the grim situation, Aalisha Panwar hopes to spread some positivity among her fans. She says, "I want to bring a smile on their faces, so I have started an interactive session, Friday Fan Love to spend some time with my fans."

Slambook

Kunal Thakur

One superpower you wish to possess?
The power of teleportation.

Your last fantasy?
Penélope Cruz.

The last nightmare you had?
That I fell out of a window while trying to take a picture of the sunset.

One thing on your wishlist.
To buy a high-end motorbike and go on a road trip.

Your worst project?
A film that I backed out of because it didn't go as expected.

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