The BCCI on Tuesday told IPL franchises that the event stands "postponed indefinitely" after the lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic was extended till May 3, leaving no scope for the league to take place during its designated window. While the development hasn't been officially announced as yet but it is learnt that the BCCI has reached out to all the stakeholders, including the eight franchises and the broadcasters, to convey that the event stands "postponed and not cancelled".

"Yes, the BCCI has intimated us that IPL has been postponed for the time being but they are hopeful of finding a window later this year as and when things normalise," a veteran franchise official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. It is understood that BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah were waiting for the government directive and once the lockdown was extended till May 3 on Tuesday, they saw no possibility of holding the IPL during its traditional April-May window. Ganguly had repeatedly made it clear that the game cannot be a priority given the crisis that the country is facing. India currently has over 10,000 positive cases with over 350 recorded deaths, making it virtually impossible for the government to lift any of the restrictions put in place last month.

The IPL was supposed to be held from March 29 to May 24. However, on March 13, the BCCI announced that the league would be postponed till April 15 due to the restrictions placed on the entry of foreigners, which ruled out any international participation. The only window for an IPL in the current year would be between September and November, provided Cricket Australia and the ICC agree to reschedule the T20 World Cup. The six-month travel restrictions in Australia end on September 30 if the situation becomes normal and the World Cup is scheduled in October-November. The other option is having a curtailed IPL in six weeks between September and early October as it's highly unlikely that the Asia Cup will happen. England are also unlikely to travel for their white-ball series in India.

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One of the most successful teams in the history of the Indian Premier League, people have often questioned what sets Chennai Super Kings apart and opener Murali Vijay feels the legends in the unit over the years have made it one of the best dressing rooms in the world.

"CSK is a very very special team. The kind of players, who came aboard right from the first auction, you name it, they are legends of world cricket," Vijay was quoted as saying by the CSK website.

"It was a great honour for us youngsters to step into the dressing room and rub shoulders with some of the legends. You get to learn a lot of things by watching them and being around them," he said.

While Vijay became a Test specialist later in his career, he started off as an explosive batsman and feels that the format suited him when the IPL started back in 2008.

"Twenty20 was a new format in 2008/09, and I guess my game was suited for white ball cricket when I started. I kind of enjoyed it when the opportunity came to me. I was ready up and going," he said.

Vijay said that the bonhomie in the team made it a joy to perform and get applauded by the legends in the unit.

"The team atmosphere was such that you want to contribute because everyone plays with such energy and intensity. The competition was very high," he pointed.

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India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has said that he was caught off-guard when he was asked to bat at No. 5 in the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. During the chase, after India lost early wickets, Karthik revealed he was asked to go out ahead of MS Dhoni and that came as a surprise for him. “It came as a bit of a surprise [walking in to bat at five] because they had made it very clear that I would be batting at No. 7,” Karthik told Cricbuzz. “We had to send a rearguard action just to stem the flow of wickets. I was told to pad up and it all happened in a daze, in a hurry.”

“I was just sitting in my shorts and I had to go up, get ready. Literally, I was late to get in, I wasn’t expecting a wicket to fall. KL Rahul got out and I had to put on my pads. “Throughout the tournament it was pretty clear that I was going to bat below Dhoni at No. 7. I had done that really well in the past. In Australia we’d finished games, in New Zealand we’d finished games. I had not batted at number five for a couple of years or more.

“Here I got the opportunity, I went and did the job that was asked of me for the team, which was to arrest wickets. “I went in in the third over and I don’t know when I got out, and it doesn’t matter, but I just stopped the wickets falling till [Trent] Boult’s spell was over. He was the main wrecker-in-chief and unluckily when it was time for me to move on, I got out to a brilliant catch by James Neesham,” he added.

After an unusual top-order collapse, India made a match of the semi-final courtesy of Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni. Just when it seemed India had pulled off a miracle, Jadeja was dismissed by Boult for 77 and Dhoni was run out for 50. India fell short by 18 runs.

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The love and loyalty of the fans will never let him leave Royal Challengers Bangalore till the time he is playing IPL, skipper Virat Kohli said on Friday. RCB have reached the IPL final thrice but have not gone on to win the trophy. During a live session on Instagram with former South African captain and RCB teammate AB de Villiers, Kohli said winning the tournament remains the goal but he would not leave the team irrespective of the results. "It has been such an amazing journey. It is always going to be our dream, winning the IPL together. There is no scenario where I could think of leaving the team ever.

"You can feel emotional about the season not going well but till the time I am playing IPL, I am never leaving this team. The fans, their loyalty has been amazing," said the India skipper. Responding to Kohli's feelings towards RCB, De Villiers too acknowledged the support of fans over the past nine years. Kohli, on the other hand, has been with RCB since 2008.

"Same for me. I never want to leave RCB but to do that I got to keep scoring runs. I am not the captain you see," said the South African in jest. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the "indefinite" suspension of the 13th IPL, which was supposed to start last month but Kohli said he is still hopeful of the cash-rich event happening at some stage. "We have no clarity at this moment but I am optimistic that at some stage we will have something," he said.

Both Kohli and de Villiers also recalled their early days in international cricket and their growth as cricketers and friends. Kohli said at times, the youngsters coming in have too much regard for the "system" and he wants to see them break the norm. "I want to see youngsters coming in scoring 500-600 runs. I want people to break the norm. Sometimes I feel people have too much regard for the system in sport. When you break the shackles, you do something special."

Kohli also acknowledged contribution of Mark Boucher, Gary Kirsten and Duncan Fletcher early on in his international career. "Gary always gave me positive feedback. Boucher told me in 2008 to improve my game against the short ball. He had the vision. Then Fletcher, he had a keen eye for the game. So many people who have contributed (to my growth)," said Kohli.

De Villiers picked the 119 at Wankhede in the 2015 series decider as his best knock against India. Kohli picked the 119 he scored in Johannesburg Test in 2013. "I was always really motivated to win the series after 2-2 . I was incredibly motivated to do something special," de Villiers said. They also picked their combined South Africa and India ODI team. It included Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, M S Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Dale Steyn, Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore teammates AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli have put up equipment -- that were used during their historic partnership against Gujarat Lions in 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) -- on auction in order to raise funds for the fight against coronavirus pandemic.

de Villiers on Monday took to social media to upload images of the signed equipment and announced all the proceeds will go to both the countries in their respective fights against the ongoing crisis.

The duo struck the highest-ever partnership in the history of the tournament when they put together 229 runs against Gujarat in 2016 IPL. Both the players slammed respective centuries during the course of the historic partnership.

"Cricket has given me many incredible memories -- and among the most precious stands the partnership with Virat Kohli, playing for RCB against Gujarat Lions in 2016," de Villiers wrote on his Instagram account.

"Everything clicked on what was an unforgettable night in the IPL. The capacity crowd at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium were going crazy and we both scored centuries in a partnership of 229 off 96 balls. More importantly, RCB won the match by 144 runs.

"Now we find ourselves in a global crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic and Virat and I would like to help the people in need, people struggling to put food on the table.

"So we are putting some items from that special day in 2016 and creating one unique auction item. All money raised will be donated to charities supporting people most affected by the crisis, split 50/50 between charities working in South Africa and India," he added.

Kohli also used the repost option to share de Villiers' post onto his Instagram account for his followers to see and take part in the auction as well.

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Last week, mid-day reported that Manoj Desai, owner of Gaiety-Galaxy, had to take a bank loan to provide salaries to his employees amid the lockdown (How will the show go on?, April 16). Four days since, Akshay Kumar has come forward to ensure that Mumbai's much loved cinema does not suffer a harsh fate as the theatre shutdown runs into its second month. "Three days ago, I got a call from Akshayji. He offered to provide financial assistance if the scenario continues. It was kind of him to offer help, but we should find a way to sustain ourselves. We have managed to collect enough funds to pay the salaries for this month, but the theatre shutdown will have long-term ramifications. Our focus is to ensure we don't trim staff or resort to pay cuts," says Desai.

Two weeks into the shutdown, Desai and business partner Arun Nair had decided to increase the ticket prices once the cinemas re-opened. However, with the lockdown being extended to May 3, Desai is aware that making up for the losses of 45 days is a pipe dream. "I will head to Gaiety and Maratha Mandir today to finalise our plan of action for May. We are reworking our plans to ensure that we don't have to seek support from the industry folk."

Manoj Desai

No aid from YRF?

Desai is also the owner of Maratha Mandir that screened Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) for 25 years, thus making the Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema. He laments that Yash Raj Films, the studio behind the love story, has not offered a helping hand. "We have been running the film for so long. I can't go begging to them; they should have spared a thought," he said in an interview to mid-day last week.

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Ayushmann Khurrana and his filmmaker wife Tahira Kashyap Khurrana have prepped for their daughter Varushka's sixth birthday in the loveliest way possible. 

Since it's a quarantine birthday for little Varushka, the star parents created the birthday decor from scratch, as nothing was available in the market. In fact, this creative time turned out to be quite a bonding moment for the family of four. 

Right from creating streamers from newspapers, painting paper fans, to making a cute birthday banner for Varushka, the family did everything together. Ayushmann Khurrana also decided to entertain them by playing the guitar and piano to bring in the birthday cheer.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

This is a unique lockdown birthday for our 6 year old! We @ayushmannk tried our best to make it special! Sharing the joy with you ❤️ #daughter #daughtersarespecial #lockdownbirthday #recycle

A post shared by tahirakashyapkhurrana (@tahirakashyap) onApr 20, 2020 at 11:07pm PDT

Isn't that adorable?

Tahira Kashyap revealed, "We have been doing birthday preparations for the past 10 days. Since there weren't any balloons or streamers available in the market we started making some homemade decorations. There was so much joy in recycling newspapers and painting paper sheets. While I'm making six small cakes, Ayushmann is helping me organise a treasure hunt for the kids, and he is also keeping us entertained with his music. It's going to be the four of us enjoying and playing games. I've also curated a special video which has birthday wishes from her classmates and our relatives. It's going to be a special one."

Varushka turns six today and we are sure she's having an amazing birthday!

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Fatima Sana Shaikh is an actress who brings life to characters with her passionate acting skills. With a busy 2020, she has multiple releases between Ludo where she will be seen alongside actor Rajkumar Rao and Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari alongside Manoj Bajpayee.

The actress has really made a huge impact on the industry, from being a child actress to her spectacular performance in Dangal and Thugs of Hindostan. Suraj pe Mangal Bhari will see Fatima in the avatar of a Marathi girl for which she learnt how to deliver dialogues in Marathi with fluency.

Recently, in an interview with a daily, Fatima's Suraj pe Mangal Bhari co-star Manoj Bajpayee was all praises for the actress, he said, "Fatima comes from a middle class family and despite her recent successes has held on to the values she grew up with, and that's what makes her special. We stay in touch through video chat these days."

No matter how far you go and how much success you achieve it is important to remember your roots and your core values and actress Fatima Sana Shaikh does just that. The actress grasps and absorbs skills working alongside remarkable actors while also holding on to her values and adding color of her own authenticity which is what makes for Fatima's exceptional acting skills. Hang on tight for her next release!

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If you liked Ajay Devgn's 2018 mystery thriller Raid, then you will love this bit of news! It's being reported that Devgn's film will soon get a sequel, as the actor and producer Bhushan Kumar are already said to be working on it. Plus, according to a report, Raid will be turned into a multi-film franchise. Excited yet?

A source close to the development informed Mumbai Mirror, "The franchise seeks to bring into the public eye heroes who work closely with intelligence agencies to track white-collar crimes. To this day, nobody knows the identity of the officer on whom Ajay's Amay was modelled. Raid 2 will also be a tribute to men who don’t wear the uniform."

Bhushan Kumar, who produced the first film, told the publication, "It will be a huge multi-film franchise and Ajay Ji and I, along with Kumar Mangat ji, are looking to take Raid forward. The script of Part 2 is being developed. Since the original was a much-loved film, the sequel is a huge responsibility. After the super success of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, there's a lot of pressure on this collaboration to live up to the expectation. We have always aimed at creating high concept films."

Raid, directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, starred Ajay Devgn an IRS officer, Amay Patnaik. While Devgn and Bhushan Kumar are already collaborating on Bhuj: The Pride Of India, news of them reuniting for the Raid series is much welcome for fans of the film!

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Superstar Salman Khan on Saturday extended wishes to the people as the holy month of Ramzan commenced today. The 'Bharat' star took to Twitter and while he wished people on the auspicious occasion, he also advised them to stay at home and wrote: "Ramadan Mubarak to all... Stay home stay safe!" The 54-year-old actor also condemned the stone-pelting incidents that occurred with the health officials amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Earlier, Salman shared a video in which he put out a sharp message to the "jokers" who were flouting government-imposed guidelines and venturing out during the ongoing lockdown, putting at risk countless lives to the deadly coronavirus.

In a 10-minute hard-hitting video shared on Instagram he pointed out that doctors, nurses and policemen are putting in long hours to curb the spread of coronavirus and urged people to respect their work and stay inside.

He questioned in his video: "Doctors and nurses are working to save your lives and what do you do? You started pelting stones at them? Those who have been diagnosed with coronavirus, are running away from the hospitals. Where are you running? Towards life or death?"

The 'Dabangg 2' star appreciated the efforts by the frontline warriors and said: "The virus that started in China is over in China now, but because of a few jokers, the whole of India will sit at home for a long time."

The 'Tiger Zinda Hai' star said that he was aware of many people who wouldn't come out of their homes earlier but have started doing so since they've been asked to not go out. "You are putting everyone's lives at risk," the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor said.

Salman concluded by urging the people to respect the work of the doctors, nurses, police personnel and those who work in banks, take care to ensure that the disease does not spread further and pray that it does not come to a situation where the military has to be called in to stop people from doing the wrong thing.

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

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

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

Have a look right here:

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

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) April 25, 2020

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

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Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is elated as she's raised over 2,500 PPE kits for doctors and Rs 16 lakhs for those who are battling at the frontline to keep everyone safe from COVID-19 pandemic.

Vidya had also collaborated with celebrity shout-out platform Tring, along with Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films and photographer cum film producer Atul Kasbekar. She took to Instagram on Sunday afternoon where she shared the good news.

"I've woken up to good news this morning. We've reached 2500+ PPE kits and raised over 16 lakh in just a few hours. A big thank you to each of you who has donated and made this possible. A load of gratitude and bless you. This is truly the unity and spirit of India..." she said in the video.

Here it is:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Thank you very much for your generous donations from all over the world. I’m elated to share that we have raised 2500+ kits accounting over Rs.16 lakhs within few hours. A load of gratitude for helping in donating over double our initial target. The campaign will run for some more time, so if you haven’t been able to donate yet but want to help out, go to www.tring.co.in and donate whatever you can. Every single kit is helping protect a life. The #WarAgainstCovid19 continues, let’s #UniteForHumanity #StayHome #StaySafe

A post shared by Vidya Balan (@balanvidya) onApr 25, 2020 at 9:21pm PDT

Alongside the video, Vidya wrote: "Thank you very much for your generous donations from all over the world. I'm elated to share that we have raised 2500+ kits accounting over Rs 16 lakh within a few hours. A load of gratitude for helping in donating over double our initial target.” (sic)

"The campaign will run for some more time, so if you haven't been able to donate yet but want to help out, go to www.tring.co.in and donate whatever you can. Every single kit is helping protect a life. The #WarAgainstCovid19 continues, let's #UniteForHumanity #StayHome#StaySafe".

In an earlier post, the Mission Mangal star had informed that each PPE kit worth Rs 650 consists of one coverall laminated and waterproof nitrile gloves, goggles, face shields, 3-ply surgical mask, and shoe covers.

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Too busy or lazy to exercise? Men and women take note. Living without physical activity for six years during their middle age could be at an increased risk of suffering heart failure, researchers have warned.

The findings, described in the journal Circulation, suggest that consistently participating in the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week, such as brisk walking or biking, in middle age can reduce the heart failure risk by 31 per cent.

While it is known that people who are more physically active have lower risks of heart failure than those who are less active, but little is known about the impact of changes in exercise levels over time on heart failure risk.

"Going from no exercise to recommended activity levels over six years in middle age may reduce heart failure risk by 23 per cent," said Chiadi Ndumele, Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, US.

For the study, the team included 11,351 participants, with an average age 60, monitored annually for an average of 19 years.

According to the American Heart Association, the "recommended" amount is at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity or at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise.

Heart failure risk decreased by about 12 per cent in the participants who increased their physical activity category from poor to intermediate or recommended, or from intermediate to recommended, compared with those with consistently poor or intermediate activity ratings.

Conversely, heart failure risk increased by 18 per cent in the participants who reported decreased physical activity from visit one to visit three, compared with those with consistently recommended or intermediate activity levels.

Unlike heart attack, in which heart muscle dies, heart failure is marked by a long-term, chronic inability of the heart to pump enough blood, or pump it hard enough, to bring needed oxygen to the body.

The leading cause of hospitalisations in those over 65, the disorder's risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and a family history.

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Researchers have found that a common antibacterial substance found in toothpaste may combat life-threatening diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF) when combined with a drug.

The study, published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, found that when triclosan -- a substance that reduces or prevents bacteria from growing -- is combined with an antibiotic called tobramycin, it kills the cells that protect the CF bacteria, known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, by up to 99.9 per cent.

CF is a common genetic disease with one in every 2,500 to 3,500 people diagnosed with it at an early age. It results in a thick mucus in the lungs, which becomes a magnet for bacteria.

These bacteria are notoriously difficult to kill because they are protected by a slimy barrier known as a biofilm, which allows the disease to thrive even when treated with antibiotics, the researcher said.

"The problem that we're really tackling is finding ways to kill these biofilms," said lead author Chris Waters, Professor at the Michigan State University.

According to the researcher, there are many common biofilm-related infections that people get such as ear infections and swollen, painful gums caused by gingivitis.

But more serious, potentially fatal diseases join the ranks of CF including endocarditis, or inflammation of the heart, as well as infections from artificial hip and pacemaker implants, the researcher added.

For the study, the researchers grew 6,000 biofilms in petri dishes, added in tobramycin along with many different compounds, to see what worked better at killing the bacteria.

Twenty-five potential compounds were effective, but one stood out, the researcher said.

"It's well known that triclosan, when used by itself, isn't effective at killing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. But when I saw it listed as a possible compound to use with tobramycin, I was intrigued. We found triclosan was the one that worked every time," said Alessandra Hunt from the Michigan State University.

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Representational Image

Owing to a higher level of outdoor air pollution during summers, dogs born during this time are more likely to be at higher risk of heart disease, according to a study.

For both dogs and humans, outside air pollution during pregnancy and at the time of birth appears to play a role in later development of heart disease.

Overall, dogs have a 0.3 to 2 per cent risk of developing heart disease depending on breed, but among those that are genetically predisposed to the heart disease, the birth month difference in risk was found to be marginal.

However, breeds not genetically predisposed to the disease, such as Norfolk terrier, Berger Picard, American Staffordshire terrier, English toy spaniel, Bouvier des flandres, Border terrier and Havanese were also found to be at highest risk.

This suggests that the effect supports an environmental mechanism, the researchers said, in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, also supports earlier findings in humans pointing to the role of early gestational exposure to fine air particulates and increased risk of heart disease later in life.

"It's important to study dogs because the canine heart is a remarkably similar model to the human cardiovascular system," said Mary Regina Boland, Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.

"Also, humans and dogs share their lives together and are exposed to similar environmental effects, so seeing this birth season-cardiovascular disease relationship in both species illuminates mechanisms behind this birth-season disease relationship," Boland added.

Because dogs' pregnancies are shorter than humans (lasting only 2 months), pollution as a possible mechanism is still thought to be through the mother's inhalation of air pollution effecting the uterine environment, which in turn affects the developing cardiovascular system of the baby or puppy, the study showed.

For the new study, the team examined 129,778 canines encompassing 253 different breeds.

The research team found that risk climbs to the greatest level in dogs born in July, who have a 74 per cent greater risk of heart disease than would typically be expected.

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Representational picture

Washington D.C.: Want to stay young? According to a study, exercising four to five days a week can slow down your heart's ageing. The optimal amount of exercise required to slow down ageing of the heart and blood vessels has long been a matter of vigorous debate. As people age, arteries - which transport blood in and out of the heart - become prone to stiffening, which increases the risk of heart disease.

Whilst any form of exercise reduces the overall risk of death from heart problems, this new research shows different sizes of arteries are affected differently by varying amounts of exercise.

Two-to-three days a week of 30 minutes exercise may be sufficient to minimise stiffening of middle sized arteries, while exercising four-to-five days a week is required to keep the larger central arteries youthful.

The authors performed a cross-sectional examination of 102 people over 60 years old, with a consistently logged lifelong exercise history. Detailed measures of arterial stiffness were collected from all participants, who were then categorised in one of four groups depending on their lifelong exercise history: Sedentary: less than two exercise sessions/week; Casual Exercisers: Two-to-three exercise sessions per week; Committed Exercisers: four-to-five exercise sessions/week and Masters Athletes: six-to-seven exercise sessions per week. (NB: an exercise session was at least 30 minutes).

Upon analysing the results, the research team found that a lifelong history of casual exercise (two-to-three times a week) resulted in more youthful middle sized arteries, which supply oxygenated blood to the head and neck. However, people who exercised four to five times per week also had more youthful large central arteries, which provide blood to the chest and abdomen, in addition to healthier middle sized ones.

The fact the larger arteries appear to require more frequent exercise to remain youthful will aid the development of long-term exercise programmes. They also enable the research team to now focus on whether or not ageing of the heart can be reversed by exercise training over a long period of time.

"This work is really exciting because it enables us to develop exercise programmes to keep the heart youthful and even turn back time on older hearts and blood vessels. Previous work by our group has shown that waiting until 70 is too late to reverse a heart's ageing, as it is difficult to change cardiovascular structure even with a year of training. Our current work is focussing on two years of training in middle aged men and women, with and without risk factors for heart diseases, to see if we can reverse the ageing of a heart and blood vessels by using the right amount of exercise at the right time,¿ said Benjamin Levine, one of the authors of the study.

The study has been published in The Journal of Physiology.

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Want to stay young for long? If so, start exercising four to five times a day as it may help keep your heart stay healthy and slow down ageing, according to researchers. Research showed that different sizes of arteries are affected differently by varying amounts of exercise.

While exercising for about two to three days a week for about 30 minutes may be sufficient to minimise stiffening of middle-sized arteries, exercising for about four to five days a week is required to keep the larger central arteries youthful.

The study would help "develop exercise programmes to keep the heart youthful and even turn back time on older hearts and blood vessels", said one of the study authors, Benjamin Levine from the University of Texas.

With age, arteries -- which transport blood in and out of the heart -- become prone to stiffening, increasing the risk of heart diseases.

For the study, published in The Journal of Physiology, the team examined 102 people over 60 years old, with a consistent lifelong exercise history.

The participants were divided into four groups depending on their exercise history -- Sedentary: less than 2 exercise sessions per week; Casual Exercisers: 2-3 exercise sessions per week; Committed Exercisers: 4-5 exercise sessions per week and Masters Athletes: 6-7 exercise sessions per week.

A lifelong history of casual exercise (two-three times a week) resulted in more youthful middle-sized arteries, which supply oxygenated blood to the head and neck.

However, committed exercisers (4-5 times per week) also had more youthful large central arteries, which provide blood to the chest and abdomen, in addition to healthier middle-sized ones.

Larger arteries need more frequent exercise to slow down ageing, the researchers said.

The findings will help see "if we can reverse the ageing of a heart and blood vessels by using the right amount of exercise at the right time", Levine explained.

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A lot of men don't pay attention to their skin and let it suffer. Just take out a few minutes from your busy schedule and rinse, tone, exfoliate, moisturise daily without fail for a lasting youthful skin, suggest experts. Shubhika Jain, Founder of RAS Luxury Oils, and Megha Asher, Founder of Juicy Chemistry have listed a regime important for men:

1. Use natural homemade scrub: If you use soap to clean your skin, it is one of the biggest mistakes. Soap strips your skin off of nutrients that are necessary. Men need skin exfoliation to remove the dead skin. Using a natural, herbal/home-made scrub can help you remove impurities and other debris that are clogged in the pores along with keeping the skin healthy. Men who shave will find that their cleanser helps ensure the razor has a clean shaving surface to avoid ingrown hairs and razor burn.

2. Always moisturise: Since your skin is tougher and is thicker, it tends to get rough very easily. Hence, it needs its moisture. In addition to that, not all moisturisers are the same. One of the best ways to ensure proper hydration is to use a face oil or a face serum. It is a myth that using oil on an oily face makes it oilier. Actually it is the reverse of that. Super absorbent face oils are like elixirs and help in balancing the sebum production and controlling oil production.

You can also try active plant ingredients like a light aloe vera gel based moisturiser, that works best naturally by hydrating skin and protecting against the damaging, age-accelerating effects of UVA and UVB rays and seal moisture into the skin.

3. Use toner before and after cleansing: Toners keep you refreshed on the go while making your skin look dewy and naturally glowy. They also balance the oil levels in the skin. The toner can be used before and after cleansing the face.

4. Keep a facial scrub handy: Face scrubs help in exfoliating and removing dead skin cells that makes the skin look dull. It helps to prepare the skin for shaving. Scrub 1-3 times a week depending on the skin type for a better looking skin.

5. Applying sunscreen: Men are not as conscious about their sunscreen use as women, but they should be. UV rays lead to accelerated skin aging and can cause skin cancer. It is important to wear a sunscreen if you are going to be outdoors for more than 30 minutes.

One of the most common causes of wrinkles and premature ageing is sun exposure and damage. Using a daily SPF cream will significantly help your skin in the fight against ageing and also decrease the risk of UV-induced skin damage.

6. Use mild and soothing shaving products: Many men shave either daily or every few days. Shaving products should protect and moisturise the skin. They should also be mild and soothing; harsh products can remove the skin's natural lipids which are already under pressure from shaving.

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In a positive step towards the conservation of wildlife, 295 Indian star tortoise seized from Vasai by Maharashtra Forest Department along with NGO PAWS-Mumbai were successfully released at Banarghatta National Park in Karnataka.

Speaking to mid-day Sunish Subramanian Kunju from NGO PAWS-Mumbai said, "Plant & Animals Welfare Society(PAWS-Mumbai) along with the Range Forest Officer(RFO) Yuvraj Gite and team successfully released 295 Indian Star Tortoise at Banarghatta National Park, Bangalore. Of the 295 tortoises, 293 Star Tortoise were seized from Vasai and two-star tortoise were saved by Amma Care Foundation."

Indian star tortoise is a threatened species and protected under schedule 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 197. It is thus illegal to keep them as pets.

This is not the first instance where Indian star tortoises have been released at Banarghatta National Park. In September 2017, mid-day did a story (Rescued Star Tortoises To Fly Back To Karnataka Today) in which it was 285 star tortoises rescued over the past year by various NGOs and government bodies from Mumbai were released in their natural habitat.

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Former media baron Peter Mukerjea, an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was admitted to the state-run J J Hospital in Mumbai after he complained of chest pain, officials said on Sunday. Mukerjea, who was lodged at the Arthur Road Jail in Central Mumbai, had been complaining of chest pain for the last few days, a police official said.

On Saturday evening, he again suffered from severe pain in the chest following which the prison medical staff checked him and rushed him to the J J Hospital, he said. "Mukerjea was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening for chest pain. The patient's condition is stable and he is undergoing treatment," J J Hospital's medical superintendent Dr. Sanjay Surase said.

The CBI told a special court here earlier this month that Mukerjea is the "silent killer" of Sheena Bora, the daughter of his wife and former media executive Indrani Mukerjea from a previous relationship.

The April 2012 murder of Sheena Bora (24) came to light in August 2015 when Indrani Mukerjea's driver Shyamvar Rai spilled the beans after being arrested in another case. Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, Rai and Peter Mukerjea were subsequently arrested in the case. Rai later became an approver and was pardoned. The CBI has claimed a financial dispute led to the killing of Sheena Bora.

Dr Sanjay Surase, Medical Superintendent of JJ Hospital: Peter Mukerjea has been admitted to JJ Hospital after he complained of chest pain.
An accused in Sheena Bora murder case, Mukerjea is currently lodged in Arthur Road jail. (file pic) #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/qpSdygSOLb

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2019

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A blood donation camp organised at the government-run Bombay Veterinary College on Thursday, saw seven dog parents lining up to get their pets to donate blood. As the hospital does not have a blood bank yet, the plasma and blood cells were extracted from the donated blood to be preserved for treatment of sick dogs in emergency situations, doctors said.

When 23-year-old Anita Mehra had rushed an injured dog to the Bombay Veterinary College around a month ago, the canine was bleeding profusely owing to a road accident. Doctors said that he had suffered from internal bleeding and needed a blood transfusion. Now named Tony, the stray has recovered completely and is awaiting adoption.

Tony is just one of many such dogs falling prey to road accidents every year, losing litres of blood. This how the idea for a blood donation camp for dogs came to the hospital authorities.

More than 100 stray dogs have individually donated blood here in the past four years. This blood has not only been used for dogs who are victims of accidents but also for the ones suffering from blood-related disorders. On a daily basis, the animal hospital receives five to ten cases where blood transfusion is required for injured or sick dogs.

A donation camp was, however, organised for the very first time by the hospital. While around 20 dogs were registered for the donation, around 15 of them turned up. Seven of these were found suitable for donation.

Fit for donation
The donor pet needs to be on an empty stomach at the time of donation, weigh not less than 20 kg and be in the age group 1-9 years. Dogs can donate a bag of blood (350 ml) once in three months. "Seven such units were collected on Thursday. As we cannot store whole blood, we have extracted the plasma and blood cells which can be separately stored for a year. Whole blood, on the other hand, lasts only six months," said Dr J C Khanna, director of the hospital.

Universal donors ideal
After donation, the blood is separated into further components that help in the treatment of dogs suffering from liver diseases, anaemia, internal bleeding, etc. As per the Canine Health Foundation, dogs, much like humans, have types of blood classified into groups. Dogs have over a dozen different blood groups, six of which are fairly common.

Both humans and dogs can be classified as universal donors based on their type or group. Roughly 40 per cent of dogs belong to the universal donor group. Blood from dogs belonging to the universal donor group is compatible with any recipient's blood. Dogs, too, can suffer adverse reactions to transfused blood that is of a different type than theirs, the hospital stated.

Criteria for a donor dog
* Weigh more than 20 kg
* Be in the 1-9 years age group
* Must be on an empty stomach
* Must not have donated blood in the past three months

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Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil on Friday said the controversy surrounding his party colleague Ram Kadam's remarks against women should end as the latter has apologised. Patil also advised public representatives saying they need to exercise caution while speaking. "Ram Kadam has apologised and the issue should now end. Kadam does not have a history of speaking ill about women. On the contrary, he is known for helping women immensely. Thousands of women in his constituency tie him rakhi every year," Patil told a Marathi news channel.

"Public representatives should be extremely cautious while speaking and they should properly frame every sentence in their heads before uttering them," the minister added. He said new channels should also try to show the true meaning of what has been spoken. "But if what the channels are saying about the remarks is right, the public representative should apologise.
In this case, Ram Kadam was not arrogant and he apologised...So the matter should come to an end," Patil said. Kadam, while speaking at an event during dahi handi celebrations in the city, had said hewould "kidnap" a girl a boy likeseven if she says no to the proposal. "You (youngsters) can meet me for any work," he is seen in the video clip, telling the crowd, mainly comprising youth.

Kadam was heard saying that he got requests from youngsters to help them after girls rejected their proposals. "I will help, 100 per cent. Come (to me) with your parents. What will I do if parents approve (the girl a boy has liked)? I will kidnap the girl concerned and hand her over to you (for marriage)," he was heard telling the crowd.

Kadam was also heard sharing his mobile number with the crowd. His remarks created a huge controversy as it drew sharp reactions from the opposition parties, Shiv Sena and women's organisations. The Maharashtra State Commission for Women issued a notice to Kadam over his remark.

In a video message issued Wednesday, Kadam expressed regret over his remarks saying, "I have very high regard for women. Without giving any explanation about the video clip (of his controversial remarks), I express my regret." He also tweeted saying, "By doctoring my statements, my political rivals created an atmosphere which has hurt the sentiments of our mothers and sisters. I have already expressed regret over my comments and (I am) once again tendering an apology to all my mothers and sisters."

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Thane: An adult leopard was spotted by security personnel at the basement of Korum Mall in Thane early on Wednesday morning at around 5.30 am. The leopard's movement was caught on the CCTV camera installed towards the exit gate of the parking area. Forest department officials finally managed to tranquilise the big cat and rescued it from the densely populated human area.

The guards alerted the forest department and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) officials. A veterinary doctor has also reached the spot. However, the leopard could not be traced even after a thorough search in the morning, as per reports. Finally, the forest officials succeeded in tranquilising the leopard around 12 pm

The leopard which was later spotted at the basement of a hotel near Cadbury junction in Thane was tranquilised by forest officials.

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As part of its commitment to support the local community and its responsibility as a conscientiousness citizen, Growel’s 101 Mall in Kandivali hosted a blood donation campaign at the mall premises. The blood donation drive was organised in association with Rotary Club of Mumbai, Borivali East and was hosted to help children suffering from Thalassemia. People who suffer from Thalassemia need regular blood transfusions to treat Anaemia and other symptoms.

The team from Rotary Club brought their blood donation van which was parked at the mall waiting for volunteers to contribute to the noble cause. A team of around 95 members including doctors and other supporting crew was present at the venue. The activity was held from 10 am till 5 pm. The team approached visitors who were present in the mall to volunteer for the blood donation activity and received a good response with over 100 people donating blood. A total of 26,000 ml blood was donated.

A team of doctors and volunteers together collected 26,000 ml blood as part of the blood donation drive at a mall in Kandivli

Speaking about the activity, Vikas Shetty, Mall Head, Growel’s101 Mall said, "We are pleased to have made our little contribution by organising this blood donation activity in our premises for thalassemia children. Sometimes, regular blood transfusion is the only option for some patients to survive, but the cost of blood is unaffordable for many. Replacing blood donors for obtaining blood is an option. But often parents have difficulty to find a blood donor for their child. So, we wanted to urge people to donate blood for children with thalassemia."

He praised Rotary Club for having done a great job by organising the drive in the mall. “As a responsible organisation, it is our duty to support the community and those in need. We are proud to host such an event at our premises, which highlights a noble cause towards an important contribution to reduce one of the major causes of death due to non-availability of blood,” he added.

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Telecommunications service provider Ericsson on Thursday introduced a new category of radio products called Street Macro in India to enable a smooth evolution from 4G to 5G.

Street Macro is a new site type that addresses the need for operators to grow in cities with limited available radio locations.

The company also launched new radio products that support "Massive MIMO" technology to simplify use for wider 5G adoption.

"Operators today are looking at ways and means to increase network capacity, especially in urban areas. Ericsson's Street Macro adds a new layer in the network layer to boost capacity enabling service providers to cater to the growing demands of data users," Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, told reporters here.

According to Ericsson's new economic study of enhanced mobile broadband, evolution to 5G will enable 10 times lower cost per gigabyte than current 4G networks.

To help operators capture growth opportunities presented by new 5G use cases, Ericsson has expanded its 5G Core System offering with new capabilities to support 5G New Radio (NR) standard and also enhanced its Distributed Cloud solution.

The announcement came on the sidelines of Ericsson's annual technology roadshow in India, where the company recreated a "Do Zone" to showcase the highlights from Mobile World Congress 2018.

To date Ericsson has signed 39 memorandums of understanding with service providers for trials, the company said.

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

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

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

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

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

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Dress up in light and bright outfits for a summer wedding. At the same time, do not forget to play with appropriate fabrics. To look bright and beautiful, experts suggest minimalistic embellishments and soft Maheshwari and Chanderi fabric for your attires. Designer Sweety Arora, and Renu Rana, Founder at Sihali Jageer, have listed what to wear under the sun, literally.

1. During summer, go with cool fabrics suited to a sizzling day. Think feather-light hand woven silks, fluid modal and cottons. A flowy dress from the traditional Maheshwari cottons and matching Coimbatore cotton silks with Chinese collar will add the extra glam to your look. You can also try Tangail fabrics beautiful cape tops with ikkat pants that look extremely trendy.

2. Colours like pink, blue, and yellow exude charm and tenderness. So, go for delicate pastels, soft maheshwari and Chanderi with a hint of metal, with gold and silver jamdani hand embroidery and booties. It is a perfect synthesis of traditional fabrics for contemporary needs and style.

3. To create an ethnic look, pair chanderi kurta and silver pajama with heavy Dhakai jamdani dupatta. You can also add an angrakha jamdani wraparound kurta over it for a dramatic twist.

4. For a beautiful fusion of traditional and contemporary look, the clothes must blend different styles from various parts of the country, from Rajput to Afghani traditions to our own Indian heritage, thus creating looks which are classy, glamorous and reflect one's signature style and love of colour. This mixture of different influences only helps in creating unique designs, clean cuts and modern style.

5. Rely on breezy prints with minimalistic embellishment.

6. Go for silhouettes that don't bog you down. Go for sheer skirts and wrap tops, cowl dresses, draped saris, light lehengas and anarkalis.

7. Keep your footwear as quirky and off-beat as the rest of your ensemble. Go for customised jutis, or blingy canvas shoes.

8. Invest in nice statement neckpieces and layered neckpieces as they look elegant, comfortable and unique. Try double rings with pearly strings, palm rings and pearl kadah.

9. Try to explore new designs and shapes in bags like bucket bag-inspired potlis, give an indo twist to messenger bags. You can also opt for customised miniature bag packs as those will make you stand out from the crowd.

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

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Replicas
U/A: Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Director: Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Thomas Middleditch, Alice Eve, John Ortiz, Emjay Anthony
Rating: 

The bland, expressionless Keanu Reeves as a scientist is a hard sell for even the most gifted filmmaker so one can't understand why he was chosen to lead the cast as an obsessive scientist wanting to clone his family back to life after a drowning accident. And that's not the only bad choice here. The story itself never develops beyond the perfunctory -allowing for quick jump forwards into sci-fi territory that doesn't appear conclusive in the least. The script appears to be written by novices who have little idea about the subject matter. Neither the Director, the tech team nor the cast seem to believe in this story. So they all appear to be playing a game of make-believe that only they enjoy. For the viewer the experience is sheer tedium.

Playing God in a high tech world is not a new concept but the treatment, tone and momentum must be good enough to gain attachment and believability. There's no such thing here. At no point are we ensnared by Will Foster's (Keanu Reeves) need to bring back his family from the dead. Neither his guilt nor his love for them are established here. And his corralling of his lab partner Ed (Thomas Middleditch) for support, is also not believable in the least. The talk of neural maps, synthetic brain, algorithms and consciousness sounds like mumbo-jumbo in such an unbelievable set-up – even when it's done in a futuristic facility called Bionyne.

Check out the trailer here:

When Will persuades his friend Ed to dispose the bodies of his dead family members it sounds insane and when he pretends to be his kids and responds to text messages from their friends it becomes all the more ridiculous. We never see his grief or experience his pain. And that's also because Keanu Reeves doesn't go beyond harried and lost in terms of expression. Both writer Chad St. John and director Jeffrey Nachmanoff don't appear to have figured out what exactly they wanted to convey here. They just run with the tide and make a mess of it. There's no style or mood to hold this sort of idea through. Nachmanoff hits the bland and straightforward route – on e that leaves the audience totally distended and discontent. This is the kind of hare-brained unbelievable stuff you wouldn't waste your hard-earned money on!

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To increase efficiency, effectiveness of patrolling and to give the city's foot soldiers some much-needed rest, the Mumbai police department has decided to adopt a new duty pattern.

Under the new pattern, the constabulary and officers will have to work 12 hours post which they will get a 24-hour break. Apart from doctors and health workers, cops too have been busy fighting the COVID-19 pandemic on the frontline. However, after constables (three already) started losing their lives to COVID-19, the top brass decided to set up a new duty pattern.

Accordingly, a new 12-hour shift has been introduced in the force. In this, personnel at police stations will be divided into three units, each working a 12-hour shift. "Duty will start at 8 am and end at 8 pm, when the next batch will come for night duty," a senior police officer said. "Whichever cop finishes his/her 12-hour duty at night, they will go home and come back to work the next day at 8 pm," added the officer.

This duty pattern will give each officer rest of a good 24 hours. "Even if this duty looks like 12 hours, a lot of multitasking is expected on this job as it includes patrolling, nakabandi and other activities. This makes cops new duty timings doable in such tough situations. As there are hardly any crimes happening in the area, the duty load has reduced," another a senior police officer said.

"Also, when an officer or constable gets more than 12 hours off, they can look after the families and their own health which will improve their immunity," the officer added.

Out of 94 police stations, 74 have adopted the new duty pattern and the rest will follow. "This duty pattern does leave me with a smaller force, but it reduces their exposure to the virus. As a frontline worker, we can't think about avoiding crowded places, but we can be well prepared for it," a senior Inspector from Eastern Region said.

"We have given instructions to all Zonal DCPs to chalk out a plan which will give a 12-hour duty and 24-hour rest to cops. We have to take care of our men, too. Currently, feedback from cops is good," Mumbai Police Commissioner, Param Bir Singh said.

Third cop succumbs to COVID-19

A third cop has died from COVID-19, taking the casualty toll among city cops to three. Head Constable Shivaji Sonawane, 56, attached to Kurla Traffic division, died on Monday. He was turned down by four hospitals on April 21, when his 25-year-old son tried tp get him admitted. Sonawane, a resident of Kurla's Kamani area, had a fever since April 20. The GP gave him medication and advised him to visit a hospital if he did not get relief. His fever did not subside and he started to feel breathless.

Sharad, Sonawane's son, took him to Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar, on April 21, to get him admitted, but was told to take him to Kasturba. He was turned out at Kasturba, over no beds and at Nair and KEM too. Finally, it was after Kurla traffic division in-charge spoke to the Bhoiwada senior inspector that Sonawane was admitted at KEM Hospital.

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Every day for over 10 days, a 39-year-old mechanic has been driving down to Mumbai from his house in Virar, to sanitise the vehicles of the police and the BMC. Vijay Kumar Babanna Rajappa runs a small garage opposite the Siddhivinayak temple at Prabhadevi. It has been closed since the lockdown, but Rajappa, who wanted to do something for our frontline warriors in the battle against COVID-19, has been helping them free of cost. So far he has sanitised over 150 vehicles.

Rajappa has sanitised all the vehicles of police stations at Shivaji Park, Mahim, Dadar, Virar and Arnala. He was given a letter of appreciation from many police stations for this. "We gave a letter of appreciation to Rajappa for helping the police department by sanitising our vehicles including mobile vans, cars, beat Marshal's bikes etc. It protects us from this virus while traveling from one place to another place," said Sunayana Nate, inspector of Dadar police station.

Virar corporator Maya Chaudhary said, "We took Rajappa's help to sanitise municipal emergency service vehicles, buses, police vehicles and auto rickshaws in Vasai-Virar. Rajappa is doing great work without charging for it. We have also asked him to sanitise vehicles used by doctors, nurses and ward officers."

'Keeping our police safe'
"Every day the police deal with many people including accused and have to take them to police stations or courts. Currently these may include COVID-19 positive people. The accused touch many areas inside the vehicle. So I decided to clean their vehicles and keep all our police personnel safe from the danger. I also clean the bikes of beat Marshals. If their vehicles are safe, they are safe," said Rajappa.

Rajappa even explained the process of cleaning the vehicles. At first he washes a vehicle with water from both inside and out. "Then I wash it with diesel and dry the entire vehicle. Then I use a litre of water mixed with sanitiser and apply it to the vehicle. It takes me an hour to completely clean a car. I use a sanitiser which is WHO and FDA-approved. It is only used on the metallic body of cars and bikes."

'Sanitisation helps'
He added, "If a person who is infected by COVID-19 travels in the car, there are chances it can spread to others who use the vehicle. The air-conditioning can also increase chances of spreading this virus, but if we sanitise the vehicle, there are no chances of the virus spreading." He claimed after a vehicle is sanitised, it is safe for about 15 days. He now wants to approach hospitals to sanitise ambulances.

Rajappa has been working as a mechanic since 1999. The usual charges for deep washing of vehicles are around R300-R500 each, but he has not been charging for the same.

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As many as 160 personnel of the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) have been keeping your city clean in an effort to prevent the spread of the deadly novel Coronavirus. Thirty-two teams of the MFB have sanitised more than 3,000 places, including hospitals and containment zones, over the past month.

The MFB teams, following the instructions of the BMC's health department, have disinfected 3,063 spots using 2.47 lakh litres of sodium hypochlorite. They have been disinfecting hospitals and the areas, which have been sealed following a spurt in cases of COVID-19 infections, on alternate days. The fire department said they are using 17 quick response vehicles, nine mist blowing machines and six boom mist machines to sanitise the affected places.

The real challenge is to disinfect the gullies around the houses and narrow pathways in the slum where hardly one person can walk at a time, said an officer from the MFB. "The number of containment zones in the slum has increased, but the fire brigade team is working hard to sanitise all the areas in time, and effectively," the officer added.

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Mumbai Police shared a heartbreaking and inspiring video of one of the officers who was tested positive for coronavirus,  going away for his treatment, with a promise of winning the battle against the pandemic and joining back on duty soon.

The 15-seconds video was enough to make Twitter users emotional and they heaped praises for the cop for being courageous despite testing positive for the virus. The police department said in the caption while sharing the video, "Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what we’ve been meaning to tell you all along."

The video shows the officer bidding adieu to his colleagues and getting into an ambulance that was waiting to take him to the hospital.

Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what we’ve been meaning to tell you all along - à¤Â•à¤¾à¤¹à¥Â€ à¤ÂŸà¥Â‡à¤Â‚शन à¤Â˜à¥Â‡à¤ÂŠ नà¤Â•à¥Â‹ रà¥Â‡, मितà¥Âà¤°à¤¾! #AamhiDutyVarAahot #MumbaiPoliceOnDuty #MumbaiFirst#TakingOnCorona pic.twitter.com/tNJWg7Ljsv

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2020

The post shared on Twitter garnered more than 346,400 views and over 18,200 likes and was retweeted more than 3,600 times. The users commenting on the video said that they are praying for the officer’s speedy recovery.

That's the spirit ..salute to such a brave officer ...best wishes for his recovery

— Harish Raja (@hraja2016) April 29, 2020

I Salute and pray for the speedy recovery of all the Warriors who have been detected positive.
Tujhi kalji ghe Mitra.

— Akshay Raut (@akkir) April 29, 2020

His attitude says a lot about the young cop there... god bless â­Â
Yes tension gheu naka ... He will be back soonðŸ‘ÂÂŒ#PositiveVibes

— Neha (@IamNRGe) April 29, 2020

Get well soon sir love you all because of you we are safe and happy in mumbai..

— Aasif shaikh (@Asifshaikhseo) April 29, 2020

Salute ! Salute ! Salute

— Bharati Chaudhari (@bumekar) April 29, 2020

What do you think about the post?

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You gasped on hearing that Reliance Industries Limited has slashed the salary of its employees. You feel this will have all companies, including yours, to follow suit, for they will think India's numero uno business house must know the strategy of surviving the Coronavirus-induced lockdown and its aftermath. Soon, EMI, the abbreviation of equated monthly instalment, would swim before your eyes, just the way your head would when your solar plexus was socked in high school.

You binged on loans to own at the same time the house you live in, the four-wheeler you drive around, and the latest model of mobile phones and laptops your family members use. These are yours as long as you pay the EMIs, which you committed to because you assumed your income will rise every year. On hearing about Reliance's decision, you totted up your EMIs to figure out at what percentage cut in your salary you would not fail to pay them. You decided to reduce certain types of expenditure, such as not dining out as frequently as you did.

You are anxious, even scared of the future, you accept.

In reality, though, you have been subliminally anxious ever since India turned into an EMI nation post-liberalisation. You have handled the stress of paying your EMIs by exchanging the pleasures of consumption for submissiveness at office. You have endured your nasty boss because you have an EMI to pay, precisely also why you have not opposed unethical practices at office. You were tempted to quit at times, but you did not because your EMI overload implied you could not do without a salary for even a month, the minimum time required to get another job. A submissive middle class has turned the EMI nation into a reactionary one, evident from our politics.

You are not an exception. I spoke to a loan manager of a leading private bank, who services 1,000 clients. On average, these borrowers have an EMI commitment of R60,000 to R70,000 on home loans. Of his clients, 60 per cent live in hypothecated houses, the remaining in rented accommodation even as they pay EMIs on houses still under construction. Surely, their monthly income must be three times their EMI? "No," the loan manager said. "At least 30 per cent of them will default on payment."

Economic boom is a function of consumption on credit. With salary-cuts and paucity of jobs, credit and consumption shrink and, therefore, also the economy. Yes, you have been caught on the wrong side of history. A 2015 survey of the Pew Charitable Trusts in America showed that the Silent Generation (born between 1928 and 1945) and Baby Boomers (1946-1964) were more likely than the Generation X (1965-1980) and Millennials (1981-1997) to say that debts enhanced their life. Why?

The Pew report explained, "They experienced the Great Recession [beginning 2007-08] acutely. Millennials came of age during the period and saw that high levels of debt took a toll on households' immediate financial security and prevented them from saving enough for later, and Gen Xers endured the loss of housing wealth and other consequences of the recession at higher rates than many other Americans."

In different cultures, epochal events, as the recession was to Americans, influence consumers differently. Leo Burnett's managing director, Dheeraj Sinha, wrote a remarkable paper in 2014 – Three Generations, One Big Market: A New Segmentation of India – in which he said the Indian market comprises the Partition generation, the Transition Generation, and the No-Strings Generation. These, roughly, are the Indian equivalents of Baby Boomers, the Gen X and Millennials.

The Partition Generation experienced the epochal event of India's division and Independence, but their hopes of an upswing in life were dashed. This had them pine for stability and security, of living within their means. They eschewed debts. For the Transition Generation, liberalisation was the epochal event. Negotiating between tradition and modernity, they did not think enjoyment was a sin. Yet they also taught themselves to fly "high with feet on the ground." Their high EMIs, in today's gloom, will likely have them think that their parents were wise to have lived within their means.

The No-Strings Generation, born in affluence, finds stability a yawn, divides life and work between what is boring and not boring, and prefers to manipulate the system than rebel against it. Sinha said to me that he expects the No-Strings dudes to continue borrowing for a phone or laptop, even to buy a motorcycle, than take an Uber post-lockdown, post-COVID-19 to evade the contagion.

There is always a possibility that COVID-19 could turn out to be an epochal event and alter the mindset of No-Strings and Transition Generations, both saddled with high EMIs. They will have no choice but to believe, like Ernest Hemingway's protagonist in the Old Man and the Sea, that "man can be destroyed but never defeated." They will undoubtedly struggle and discover, perhaps, a new way of living – and borrowing and spending."

The writer is a senior journalist

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

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

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

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

Civic body to give jobs to kin of deceased

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

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Even as the world is frantically seeking a cure for or a vaccine to curtail the spread of COVID-19, senior health experts in India feel that in a thickly populated country like ours, needs an individualised approach. This means ending the lockdown so that herd immunity can be developed. This immunity is an indirect protection from infectious diseases, which has worked well during pandemics like measles, H1N1, etc, where some people were affected while others became immune to it. Sweden has successfully adopted this method for COVID.

Dr Wiqar Shaikh, senior allergy and asthma specialist, said, "This will be the only solution to tackle COVID-19. Interestingly, even in India, many who have tested positive for the virus were asymptomatic, which might be an indication of herd immunity developing. However, we have to be wary of these asymptomatic carriers as they can spread the virus to others with co-morbidities who are at a much higher risk of developing symptoms."

"A stringent lockdown in the country will not allow herd immunity to develop in India, and the fear is being touted by other COVID-affected countries like China, Europe, USA and even WHO has warned about a second wave of COVID-19 outbreak soon. If herd immunity is not developed in India, the second wave will spell disaster," Dr Shaikh said.

In Sweden, till date, there have been more than 22,000 COVID-19 affected patients out of a 10 million population and more than 2,600 deaths. However, the country has no stringent lockdown and their COVID-19 graph is showing a downturn.

Experts say
Shaikh added, "This virus is here to stay and our only solution is to develop herd immunity. Moreover herd immunity is more likely to work in our country because 90 per cent of our population is under 60 and herd immunity works best in a younger population."

Dr Ketan Vagholkar, professor and head of the department Surgery, DY Patil Medical College, said, "Traditional herd immunity refers to the proportion of people with immunity in a given population. The term herd effect is reduction of infection in the unimmunised segment as a result of immunising a proportion of the population. In the context of COVID-19, we are expecting a herd effect. The only option now is to achieve herd effect, which has shown good results in the past."

He added, "There are three ways this can take be achieved: a) Allowing a large part of the population to get infected. However, this will lead to extremely high mortality. b) Vaccination, which is not available at present. c) Take advantage of the lockdown to prevent rapid community spread. However, a gradual easing of the lockdown for the young working population will increase the infectivity of the virus in this group thereby leading to protective immunity."

He said, "It is the young who are responsible for the spread and need to be protected by herd immunity. Only then can herd effect be achieved," he said.

Dr Vagholkar added, "Testing of the swabs is important to achieve herd immunity. Individuals who are positive but asymptomatic must be clustered together, and those with symptoms must report to a designated hospital immediately. This will reduce community spread as well as COVID mortality."

About the assessment of herd immunity, Dr Vaghalokar explained that one needs to evaluate antibodies. Unfortunately, in COVID patients there is no consistent level of antibodies that can confer protection against future re-infection. This makes the concept of herd immunity and herd effect a little complicated and risky. However, the time has come to weigh the importance of life v/s livelihood, and with no treatments available, the concept of herd immunity should be seriously taken up, especially during lockdown.

Dr Vagholkar said the priority in easing the lockdown should be guided by medical experts to prevent a COVID surge. The government has achieved excellent control over community spread and kept the situation under control. Therefore, the advantage gained should be utilised for effective control of the spread during the lifting of lockdown.

Dr Om Shrivastava, a senior infectious disease expert, said, "It is too early to say anything. We will need to test more people. For every 10 people we test, at least six should have antibodies of a certain level to confirm herd immunity. We may have to eventually opt for herd immunity as a recourse."

How herd immunity works

Dr Wiqar Shaikh said in the absence of a vaccine, there had been in the past certain percentages of the population, who were exposed to a given infection, which resulted in 'herd immunity' for the entire population. For instance such an exercise was adopted in the influenza outbreak in 1918. Researchers at the time found that if nearly 33-44per cent of the actual population was exposed to the influenza virus, the remaining 67 to 56 per cent developed 'herd immunity'. This means the influenza virus could affect only a certain percentage of the population and not everyone. Similar percentages were during the outbreak of measles in the US in 1930, where nearly 90 per cent of the population was affected. The entire population developed herd immunity after that, Dr Shaikh said.

What the government needs to do

Dr Wiqar Shaikh said that in order to achieve herd immunity the Centre and states should end the lockdown in a staggered manner immediately. The lockdown should be stringent only in containment zones like Dharavi, Govandi, Mankhurd, etc, as people here are carriers. The rest of the population should be allowed to continue with their daily routine. But, theatres, malls banquets halls, religious places, swimming pools, gyms, restaurants and bars should be shut, and elderly people and small children stopped from venturing out until we have solid signs of herd immunity developing. And, because Maharashtra and Mumbai conduct the highest number of tests in the country, and also have the highest number of COVID positive patients they will have the best chance of developing herd immunity.

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Pooja Sudhir's search for a signature scent ended after graduation. She moved from deodorants to body mists and was finally looking to mature into a perfume user, when she found a scent with musky notes that she instantly liked. "The counter manager rushed to me, saying, 'But, ma'am, this is for men.' I think that's where it all started," she says about her fascination for unisex perfumes. Sudhir, an educator with DSB International School, now oscillates between the male fragrances put out by Body Shop, M&S and Titan Skinn.

Pic/Getty Images

A scent is considered unisex when it uses traditionally masculine notes like leather, smoke and wood, but is meant to be worn by both men and women. Historically, women's fragrances have carried floral or fruity notes. "I have often wondered why female perfumes are gentle and mellow, and almost always with a floral base," Sudhir, 32, says.
The gender stereotyping of scents she is alluding to could in fact, be a product of marketing and not so much about preference.

Educator Pooja Sudhir wonders why female scents are distinguished by floral notes only

The head of communications for Forest Essentials', an indigenous beauty brand with foundations in Ayurveda, says it has little to do with nature telling us what we should or shouldn't wear. "Fragrances are best chosen depending on mood, occasion, seasonality, and your personality rather than gender." Their best-selling body mists are proof. They tend to include oud, Kerala lime or vetiver. "For us, choosing the oud and green tea combination was less about gender and more about picking ingredients that are inherently Indian. That these fragrances have male and female appeal is an added advantage."

Gaurav and Jahnvi

Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan heads The Perfume Library, a four-year-old boutique label that operates from New Delhi and Paris. She speaks of the 30 gender-fluid scents that both, men and women have been seen to pick up. "For instance, the Aphtoori perfume combines notes of jasmine and cigar, and it is our fastest selling among women," she says. Nandan's friendship with designer Gaurav Gupta has propelled a collaboration that's now sealed in a bottle. Gupta launched AGAIN, his debut unisex scent last week, one with zero floral tones. "It [decision to launch a unisex scent] was a no brainer. I am gender-fluid by personality, and I don't see the world in slots. Gender divides are more to do with social conditioning."

The just-launched fragrance, AGAIN

Manan Gandhi, the head of Bombay Perfumery, a-young-but-talked-about fragrance house from the city, would agree. Musk is not only for men, he asserts. Chai Musk, one of his best performing perfumes, blends sandalwood, ginger, lemongrass and musk. Of the eight fragrances he currently offers, two are unisex. "Women are not particularly concerned about female-specific infusions. They look for natural ingredients, intensity and retention. They prefer a scent that lasts," Gandhi explains. Internationally, the unisex beauty concept raged in the 1990s when Calvin Klein launched CK One and Comme des Garçons introduced its eponymous fragrance. It was the big, disruptive idea from 27-years ago.

1020 is one of two unisex scents by Bombay Perfumery

In 2017, fashion continues to champion the genderless idea, whether in clothes or fragrance, and the user is more keen to find an intimate perfume story to participate in than be slotted in grooves. Tom Ford, Chanel, Kiehl's, L'Occitane and the homebred Kama are all part of the gender-neutral narrative in India.

Ahsan Hami doesn't quite get the debate over male and female in the world of scents. "It may be a talking point internationally, but in India, we have always patronised unisex scents. All attars are unisex, and India is one of its earliest manufacturers," he says of a tradition that dates back to the Mughal times. His store, A Hami Bros, on the chaotic Mohammad Ali Road, was established in 1939.

The shelves don't hold "for men" and "for women" labelled bottles. Vetiver, an earthy scent, is usually associated with masculine fragrances, but Hami says his experience has proven that its deep notes and instant cooling effects make it a favourite with his women customers, along with smoky oud. He says, "We don't need international trends telling us unisex perfumes are cool. We've known it for 500 years."

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

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

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

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

Between a rock and a hard place

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

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

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

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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 shooter Abhinav Bindra believes once the coronavirus pandemic subsides, it could be a blessing in disguise for Indian sports due to absence of much foreign exposure. "The post-COVID-19 world could be a blessing in disguise for India. There may not be so much foreign exposure and this may allow India to build proper sporting infrastructure. We need to build our own coaches and our own support staff," Bindra said on Monday. The entire sporting calendar has come to a grinding halt across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic. Major sporting events, including Tokyo Olympics and Wimbledon, have either been postponed or cancelled.

Bindra, India's only individual Olympic gold medallist, alongwith Nandan Kamath, lawyer and managing trustee GoSports Foundation, on Monday addressed the newly-appointed assistant directors and other senior officials of Sports Authority of India (SAI) during a special session. Bindra said that as sports administrators they need to work towards creating an alternate skill development programme for athletes to ensure their well-being in the long run.

"We need to look after athletes because the very nature of sport is that more will fail than succeed. It is important that athletes have backup plans in case their sports career doesn't work out," he pointed out. Bindra further said that sports administrators need to understand the psychology of an athlete to be able to build them up because athletes pass through different phases because of the nature of sport and the probability of failure.

"An expert can give a larger overview of the various elements that go into sporting performance and that's where you will understand where performance is built and what are the various elements that go into performance and then you will start to have a better and deeper understanding of where performance is built. Results at a competition cannot be the only denominator when planning for an Olympic Games or an Asian Games," he added.

Bindra spoke at length on his experience as an athlete and also on the future of sports in India. "The one per cent (of athletes) makes all the difference in sport, and as our sports ecosystem starts maturing, we need to start focussing on that one percent for all athletes," he said.

Stressing on the need to build a strong talent identification and nurturing programme, he added, "Getting foundations right is important, a lot of work on that has already been started with the Khelo India programme and also emphasis placed on junior programme of different sports.

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The Indian women's hockey team has raised funds to the tune of Rs 20 lakh to help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indian team raised the money through an 18-day fitness challenge, which concluded on May 3 and resulted in raising Rs 20, 01,130. The funds have been donated to Delhi-based NGO Uday Foundation. The funds will be used to provide basic necessities for patients at various locations, migrant workers and slum dwellers.

"The response we have received was really overwhelming. People, especially Indian hockey lovers from across the globe took part in the challenge and contributed to the cause. "On behalf of the Indian Women Team, I would like to thank everyone who took part in this initiative to help the poor," India skipper Rani Rampal said.

The challenge involved the team members who came up with different fitness tasks that ranged from burpees, lunges, squats to spider-man pushups, pogo hops and more. Each day a player gave a new challenge and tagged 10 people on their social media handles to take up the challenge and donate Rs 100 to the fundraiser.

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Spaghetti

Andheri is a melting pot of refreshing flavours. The wide collection of local, regional and international cuisines make this bustling locality nothing less than a food paradise in Mumbai. Young crowd, cool vibe and an overall pleasant setting, Andheri is a perfect place to indulge in a food trail in the city. From seafood and nachos to waffles and unconventional ice creams, restaurants in Andheri offer a huge assortment of delectable and unique dishes from around the world. These 8 restaurants in Andheri prove what the locality is a haven and ultimate destination of solace for foodaholics. Take your pick:

1. Bombay to Barcelona Library Cafe: This cosy little cafe in Marol is an ideal destination to drop in for Spanish food. The menu comprises of Spanish specialities, fast food and local delicacies. One should definitely try their Bombon, Chicken sandwich, Spaghetti al Pesto and, Gooey Chocolate Brownie and Chicken Vada Pav. Health drinks like Cucumber and Spinach Juice and Beetroot and Carrot juice are also listed in the menu. Food is reasonably priced so you won’t get a hol the in pocket. Friendly staff, live music, outdoor seating and colourful decor make your dining experience a truly unforgettable one.
Where: 3 & 4, Golden Nest Cooperation Housing Society, Mapkhan Nagar, Marol Naka, Mumbai, Marol, Mumbai

Penne Makhani with Chicken Tikka

2. Ambrosia Cafe and Deli: Another quaint cafe tucked in one of the narrow lanes of the busy Andheri-Kurla road is Ambrosia Cafe and Delhi. The menu offers several options to choose from. The light bites are actually not light and are capable enough to fulfil your hunger pranks. Cheesy Chicken poppers, Crumb Fried wings, Penne Makhani with Chicken Tikka and Classic Waffle are the all time favourites here. Place your order and can even indulge in board games till the food comes to your table.
Where: Shop 2, Wellington Business Park 2, Opposite Skyline Icon, Andheri- Kurla Road, Marol, Mumbai

3. Hit and Run: With three outlets in Andheri, this small eatery emerged as a popular and an all-time favourite take away joint for Lebanese and Indian food lovers. This place probably delivers the best shawarma in Andheri (E) area. Apart from the shawarma variants, Hit and Run also offers lip-smacking Hummus with Pita Bread, Chicken Pahadi kebab, Chicken Hyderabadi kebab, Tandoori Chicken and Hummus Chicken salad. The Chinese food here is equally tantalizing. Chicken triple rice, Crispy chicken, and Schezwan rice are some specialities of Hit and Run that cannot be missed. The take away joint is easy and locate and fits the budget.
Where: Mahakali, Marol and Chakala

Shawarma

4. Icekraft: None can deny the fact that Oshiwara is a haven for our foodie folks. Amidst several Chinese, Indian and Continental restaurants, stands Icekraft, a tiny funky looking dessert parlour. Known for their live ice cream counters and unconventional flavours for the cool bites, Icekraft is worth a visit for dessert lovers. It is also the one-stop destination for waffles, pancakes and freak shakes. You can end your meal on a sweet note with Icekraft’s Charcoal Ice cream, Dark chocolate ice cream, Chocochip Waffles and Nutella Waffle. Also, customize your ice cream if you wish too. Also, the food joint comes out with festival special menus, so you need to keep an eye out.
Where: 5, Meera CHS, Opposite Windsor Grande Residences, Oshiwara, Andheri West

Charcoal ice cream

5. Bhojohori Manna: No food trail is complete without sampling regional speciality. Bhojohori Manna in Oshiwalivesive up to your expectation. Be it Luchi and Kosha Mangsho or Daab Chingri, Bhojohori Manna ensures that every dish carries with it the authentic flavour of Bengal. The restaurant made its way to Mumbai from Kolkata and has lived up to the expectations of Mumbaikars, especially fish lovers. You can fill up your stomach with Bengali dishes like Mishti pulao, Chicken Kabiraji Cutlet, Ilish paturi, Jhinge Aalo posto, Vetki macher paturi, and Parshe Shorshe.  
Where: 3 & 4, Reliable Business Centre, Near Om Heera Panna Mall, Oshiwara, Andheri West Oshiwara

Ilish Bhaja

6. Sammy Sosa: If you are in Oshiwara for pub hopping and need to chill over cool drinks and international food, then Sammy Sosa may come to your rescue. The all the day dining joint specializes in Mexican, Italian and Continental food. It has included salads and other healthy food variants in its menu to meet the hunger pranks of our health conscious folks. Pair your nachos, tacos and Chilli Cheese Fries with Vodka Sangria, Bira Lite or Brody Bourbon Beer New Sernyaa at this cool vibrant eatery. It is a perfect destination to drop in with friends and unwind over good food and classic drinks.

Where: Shop 18, Meera CHS, Near Mega Mall, Oshiwara Link Road, Oshiwara, Andheri West

Nachos

7. Vedge: We do like your veggie meals a lot! Veggie food too comes with a twist and Vedge justifies the fact to the core. The highlight of the eatery is the vegetarian version of Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and Asian cuisine. To be on the safe side, you can also pick a dish from their fully loaded Indian menu. Share a plateful of Wok Tossed Potatoes, Fully Loaded Nachos, Chilli Paneer bao and Dimsums with friends and family the next time you drop in to Vedge.
Where: Ground Floor, Fun Republic Mall, New Link Road, Veera Desai Area, Mumbai

Crab masala

8. Malwani Kalwan: No food trail in Mumbai is complete without tasting the coastal flavours. Think of some unusual seafood delicacies and Malwani Kalwan will have it ready on the palate. Drop in to this Andheri restaurant for a date with Crab soup, Bombil fry, Squid fry, Stuffed pomfret, Brain tawa fry and Gawth Chicken. The ambience is nothing outstanding, so only drop in for a seafood fix. The aroma and flavour of coastal meal will leave you finger licking.
Where: Om Cottage, Opposite Nana Nani Park, JP Road, 7 Bungalows, Andheri West

The next time you are in Andheri, you simply cannot miss out on these food outlets. Also, those residing in this ever bustling locality of Mumbai may put on extra kilos after savouring lip smacking global food from the joints. Never mind, many of these do offer healthy variants to strike a balance.

Happy munching!

While working on a cruise liner, Dipak Adhikary of BKC's The Good Wife, had the opportunity to travel to Spain and enjoy its cuisine. "I found that saffron, which has been synonymous with all things Indian, was extensively used in Spanish food," he says.

Years later, when he joined the BKC restaurant, Adhikary decided to experiment with saffron in European dishes. "It offers an intense flavour, colour and taste, and has qualities that blend beautifully with European cuisine," he says, moving on to list ways in which the ingredient can be used.

To prepare the saffron hollandaise sauce, a fragrant mix with a hint of sweetness, you need 125 gm clarified butter, two eggs, 2 ml white wine, 2 gm thyme and 2 gm fennel seeds. "First, add 1 gm saffron to 50ml lukewarm water to get the saffron water ready," he says, instructing us to extract the egg yolk, add the reduction and vigorously whisk the yolk with clarified butter. Once done, we are asked to place the bowl in a saucepan containing simmering water. "Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens. Then, slowly, drizzle the saffron water till you are content with the consistency." This simple recipe, he adds, is the perfect accompaniment to veggies.

Chef Dipak Adhikary makes grilled asparagus with saffron hollandaise sauce. Pic/Tanvi Phondekar

If savoury is more your style, he has a tangy alternative in the form of steamed rawas with saffron fennel sauce. The ingredients include 50 gm fish bones, 20 gm carrot, 10 gm celery and 180 gm rawas. Take a pan with water, place the fish in, add lemon juice, salt and pepper and let it cook. He says, "Strain the stock, add the butter saffron [same technique as the hollandaise], wait for it to thicken and the sauce is ready."

Under a canopy of yellow fairy lights that throw a reflection on the white pebbles as a musician doles out soft jazz tunes, the mood is set for brunch. Bartender Manish Solanki has created a line of beer cocktails, marrying clove and coriander notes with the orangy finish of Hoegaarden. We try the first one, a crispy wheat beer with lychee. One sip and we are sold. We stop only when we try another variation with chamomile tea. The final frontier is a beer sangria with a mix of passion fruit, elderflower and chopped fruits.

"The Mexicans love their chilled beer in the warm weather, but they also popularised the Michelada [made with beer, lime juice, and assorted sauces and peppers], inspired by the Bloody Mary. Indians, of course, have long consumed the German-inspired Shandy, mixing lemonade with beer," says Solanki.

A beer cocktail is a concoction that carries mixed notes of mixers, other alcohol and ingredients, with beer dominating the taste. Last month, Bandra's Olive Bar & Kitchen hosted a brunch in collaboration with Hoegaarden. To match steps with the beer cocktails, executive chef Rishim Sachdeva created a menu executing his favourite techniques of fermenting, curing, cooking at low temperatures, flash cooking, smoking, pickling, etc. "For the brunch, we incorporated orange, coriander and wheat in the menu.

For a fried chicken, we soaked the meat in a 2 per cent salt and orange brine; the dressing had fermented coriander stalks for acidity and bitterness to cut through the sweetness from beetroot crumbs. The orange-cured snapper dish was served with kombu and bunito dashi to bring out the umami. To this, we added coriander oil to enhance its flavour profile. And finally, we glazed the fish with sweet-sour orange butter," says Sachdeva, adding that his focus was on ensuring the food did not fall flat in front of the fizzy drink. According to Binny Dhadwal, founder of Drinq Barmen & Academy, beer cocktails haven't quite found a fan following yet.

"Consumption of any cocktail is a trend that's barely a few years old in India. It's most likely beer lovers who will be the first to head to a bar and order a beer cocktail,"
he says. To help you get ahead of the trend, we went drinking across bars to bring you the best beer cocktails to add to your bucket list.

Bourbon Beer Sour

The deep, pungent notes of bourbon meet the exotic kaffir lime leaf, topped with wheat beer. A road less
travelled, and distinctly different from any sour we have tried, this one should be savoured at leisure.
Cost: Rs 550
At: Dishkiyaoon, The Capital, Block BKC, Bandra Kurla Complex Road

Herbed Beer

This cocktail has the strong flavour of lager, with a light taste of apple. The ginger gives it a stronger effect and the cinnamon twist brings in some balance.
Cost: Rs 275
At: Lighthouse Cafe, Sunville Building, Love Grove Flyover, Siddharth Nagar, Worli

Thanda Garam

A bartender prepares Thanda Garam at Tamasha. Pic/Shadab Khan

Not for the weak-hearted, this one has vodka, tequila, mint leaves, triple sec and green apple. If you are looking for a night to forget, this one will see you through. While the alcohol packs in a punch, the mint and green apple make it a fruity experience we are likely to repeat.
Cost: Rs 695
At: Tamasha, ground floor, Victoria House, Lower Parel

Whiskey Sour

A bartender making Jacks Whiskey Sour at Agent Jack, Andheri. Pic/Satej Shinde

We take a stiff classic Whiskey Sour lover to try this one. Local Kingfisher beer joins the purist glass, and the first sip is orange, whiskey and the crispy, bubbly familiar comfort of beer. The drink is downed, and all we get is a nod. Don't go looking for a classic experience here. Enjoy this version when you are looking for variety.
Cost: Rs 420
At: Agent Jacks Bar, DE Mall, Veera Desai Road, Andheri (West)

Lager Passion

Ketan SS Gohel prepares the Lager Passion at Brewbot Eatery and Pub Brewery. Pic/Tanvi Phondekar

Golden yellow and cloudy haze, this cocktail has it all — vodka, passion fruit puree, peach schnapps, lime, salt and paprika in a Hefeweizen craft beer (Floating Head). What you get is a base taste of a wheat malt profile with banana, peach and accents of clove. The vodka cuts the bitterness from the beer, making it an aromatic drink that is easily palatable.
Cost: Rs 395
At: Brewbot Eatery and Pub Brewery, off New Link Road, Andheri (West)

Kaapi Stout and Gin Zen

When Navin Mittal, founder of Gateway Taproom. was in Prague, Czech Republic, three years ago — known for the highest per capita consumption of beer in the world, and as home to Pilsner — he tried a cocktail featuring a light and dark beer. "The malty sweet taste of dark combined with the crispy bitter of the light, offered the perfect balance. At Gateway, he offers a mean, frothy Kaapi Stout, spiked with the oatiness of Jim Beam bourbon. For those who want a lighter sip, the Gin Zen, which carries the natural taste of clove and banana, has a 30-ml shot of hard liquor.
Cost: Gin Zen Rs 480; Kaapi Stout Rs 540
At: Gateway Taproom, Godrej One, BKC

British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and German Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel praised late Argentine great Juan Manuel Fangio as both racers eye matching Fangio's five Formula One titles.

Hamilton secured his fourth title weeks before the end of the 2017 championship while Vettel won the last of his four consecutive crowns in 2013.

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton

"Certainly, we will never match him in how successful he had been in such a short time and so little races. Obviously, back then it was different. Racing was different," Vettel told Efe on Thursday ahead of the season-ending race this weekend in Abu Dhabi.

Fangio, who died in 1995, won his maiden world title in 1951 and took four straight crowns between 1954 and 1957.

"To have achieved what he did achieve in that time, where a lot of things needed to come together, the cars were not as reliable and all of that, still he managed to be that successful, I think he's probably the best we've ever had in terms of putting it together, in terms of skill, in terms of how brave they were at the time," Vettel said.

Hamilton echoed Vettel's opinion of Fangio.

"I agree with Sebastian. Naturally, he's just a leading icon in motorsport. To have achieved what he achieved in the time, when danger was really at its worst. I think he's the driver that I think everyone admires most, perhaps being that it was in the most dangerous period of time in motorsport," Hamilton said.

"I think he should be celebrated more for his success. It's not really mentioned a huge amount. Often you hear about Ayrton and Prost, but I feel he's the godfather of the sport in terms of the drivers," he added.

Hamilton said he expected fierce competition from Vettel during the 2018 Formula One season.

"No one is perfect. Even I have things to work on. I expect Sebastian to raise the bar again next year. Ferrari had a great season," the British racer said.

Bollywood's Dhak Dhak girl Madhuri Dixit Nene on Tuesday announced a two-day-long online live dance festival starting from April 29 to mark the World Dance Day.

The dancing diva took to Instagram to announce the virtual dance festival by her dance academy - 'Dance With Madhuri' - and also urged her fans and dance fanatics to register to take part in the festival.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

2 days of fun & learning with LIVE interactions, dance classes & more only at the first edition of #DWMDanceFestival. Get ready to #GrooveInYourRoom with @dancewithmadhuri! (Link in bio)

A post shared by Madhuri Dixit (@madhuridixitnene) onApr 28, 2020 at 7:56am PDT

"With the World Dance Day right around the corner, I am coming to groove in your room on the 29th and 30th of April with the first edition of the DWM dance festival," the 52-year-old actor said.

"We will be offering two days fun and learning with some of the best dancers, choreographers, and industry experts on our website and Instagram page. All this from the comfort of your home," she added.

The virtual dance festival will have some of the greatest dance maestros of India including senior choreographer Saroj Khan, film director Farah Khan and legendary Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj. The dance festival will stream live on all social media handles of the actor and her website 'Dance With Madhuri.'

World Dance Day is celebrated every year on April 29. As coronavirus induced lockdown remains in place, Dixit has organised the virtual dance festival to help people de-stress and develop dancing skills during the lockdown.

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Breaking millions of hearts across the world, Irrfan Khan breathed his last at age 53. Irrfan Khan, who had been undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine cancer passed away on Wednesday (April 29). The actor is survived by his wife, writer Sutapa Sikdar and two sons Babil and Ayan.

Irrfan had revealed on Twitter in 2018 that he was suffering from "a rare disease" and would share details when there was a conclusive diagnosis. He then took to his social media account to reveal that he had been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour.

On Tuesday, the Angrezi Medium actor had been admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection and was in the intensive care unit (ICU), as reported by IANS. A statement by his spokesperson said, "Yes it is true that Irrfan Khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of all his well-wishers, he will recover soon."

Director Shoojit Sircar took to Twitter to share the sad new. He wrote:

My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om shanti. Irfaan Khan salute.

— Shoojit Sircar (@ShoojitSircar) April 29, 2020

An official statement regarding Irrfan's demise read, "'I trust, I have surrendered', these were the words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It's saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away..."

The statement further read, "Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heavenly abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, 'As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it (sic).'"

Irrfan Khan's last film Angrezi Medium released in March this year. The actor's most memorable works include Salaam Bombay!, Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, Haider, Gunday, Piku, Talvar, and Hindi Medium, amongst others.

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