A non-invasive system being developed by EU-funded researchers could make radiotherapy a safer and more-effective treatment for cancer patients by creating a visual dosage map of the tumour and the surrounding healthy tissue.

Time is an illusion, breakfast time doubly so. In future, human workers might not be alone in experiencing frenetic mornings thanks to EU-funded researchers who have equipped robots with human-like time perception capabilities – and tested them in the kitchen.

An EU-funded knowledge-sharing project has made cutting-edge non-invasive prenatal testing techniques available to couples undergoing IVF in Estonia, boosting chances of pregnancy for those struggling with infertility there.

Treatment guidance for prostate cancer patients is not optimal because current clinical tests do not clearly differentiate between slow-growing and aggressive forms. An EU-funded project is addressing this by studying the underlying molecular mechanisms of the disease to enable personalised and effective treatment.

An EU-funded project is enabling efficient intra-chip and chip-to-chip communication via a new type of silicon capable of emitting light. It is demonstrating a technological breakthrough that could revolutionise the electronics industry and make devices faster and much more energy efficient.

The fashion industry has been linked to pollution, waste, and modern slavery. In light of this, an EU-funded project led a series of successful experiments designed to spark radical, sustainable change while, at the same time, uniting Europe's textile and clothing businesses.

Most international football might not be played until 2021 due to Coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions and the need to give club competitions the chance to resume, a FIFA vice president has said. Victor Montagliani, a Canadian, who is president of the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean, has been heading a FIFA working group formulating plans to deal with the implications of the world's biggest sport being largely shut down since last month.

FIFA already has called off matches between countries that were due to be played in March and June. Montagliani, CONCACAF's president, believes the September, October and November windows for national team matches could be scrapped. "I personally think that might be a bit of a challenge, not so much because of just the health issues around the world and the various degrees of preparedness, but also committing to international travel as soon as we come back," Montagliani told The Associated Press.

Montagliani

"I think that domestic football is a priority. September is still in the books, but I would garner to say that I'm not sure it's there on solid ground the way things are trending right now." The return of fans into packed stadiums could be dependent on a vaccine for the COVID-19 disease being ready—and that might not be until 2021. "If we get the green light to play a football match. I highly doubt that first football match will be with fans. I just can't see that. I think that would be taken a massive risk," he said in a video interview from Vancouver, British Columbia.

"I'm pretty sure it'll be a phased in approach, just like the rest of society is going to be is then in terms of us trying to get back to normal here."

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England footballer Dele Alli turned 24 recently and celebrated despite being in isolation due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Tottenham star posted pictures of his April 11 birthday celebration on social media where he played games like Twister and Pin the tail of the donkey. "Turning 24 in isolation wasn't so bad," Dele captioned his Instagrammed pictures. Dele loves his Playstation and so it was no surprise to see his cake in the shape of a PS controller.

Dele was even seeing enjoying a barbecue lunch in his garden, wearing a cute, silver conical cap and shades. His 7.1 million Instagram followers enjoyed his posts, giving him over five lakh 'likes'.

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Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo visited his boyhood club Nacional in Madeira recently and shared pictures of the experience on social media. Unlike other parts of the world, Portugal is not in complete lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic, so Cristiano, who is currently at home in Madeira anyway, did not breach any regulations for this local trip.

Cristiano played for second-tier side Nacional as a junior (1995-1997) before moving to Sporting Lisbon. In one of the pictures (above) Cristiano, 34, posted to his 213 million Instagram followers, he is seen standing next to a trophy cabinet which includes photographs of himself during his younger days. "It's always good to come back home @CDNacional," he captioned his post. Nacional were quick to reply, saying: "You're always welcome in your home."

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Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham rates Barcelona's Lionel Messi higher than Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo succeeded Beckham as Manchester United's No. 7 before arriving at Real Madrid two years after the England captain left the Spanish giants.

Beckham has also experience of playing against a young Lionel Messi in the latter's initial years with Barcelona and faced him once while he was playing for Paris St Germain. "He [Messi] is alone in his class as a player, it is impossible that there is another like him," Beckham told Telam.

David Beckham

"He, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is not at his level, are both above the rest." Beckham recalled his last match against Barcelona in the quarter-final of the 2013 Champions League. PSG were ahead at one stage at Camp Nou when Messi came on as a substitute. Eventually, Pedro scored and Barca went through on the away goals rule.

"We were leading before Messi came in, and once he came in, Barcelona scored," Beckham said. He was 37 years old by then and ended his illustrious playing career at the end of the season but Beckham said that he did not enjoy losing that tie.

"Although I enjoyed playing at that level at my age, I do not like to lose. Our team played well. In both matches, we did things we should be proud of. We didn't lose against Barcelona, and that is something that should motivate us," he said.

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Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been using some of his spare time in lockdown to teach British kids how to speak Spanish.

The Argentina international has been signed up by the BBC as part of its home-schooling initiative while educational establishments are closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Aguero is teaching kids how to count in Spanish. His lessons became available on a day kids in Britain would have usually returned to school after the Easter holidays.

Aguero says it's a tough time for children at the moment, and also for parents trying to keep them focused on their education from home. Aguero hasn't played a competitive match since March 8 because soccer is shut down in England and across most of the world during the outbreak.

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Former England and Liverpool goalkeeper David James is convinced that the Reds should be crowned English Premier League (EPL) champions if the 2019-20 season is called off due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It will be Liverpool's first title in 30 years, after narrowly missing out to
Manchester City by one point last season.

The Premier League was suspended in March after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for COVID-19.

Liverpool (82 points from 29 games) lead second-placed Manchester City (57 points from 28 games) by 25 points at the top of the points table and are almost certain to clinch the title. Some experts feel that the season should be declared null and void but James, 49, felt that would be unfair on Liverpool. "If they [Premier League] can get games played behind closed doors and finish the remaining fixtures (92 games), the league cannot be cancelled or declared null and void. If, unfortunately, the season does not finish, then Liverpool deserve to be crowned EPL champions as they have earned enough points to claim the crown," James, a football expert panellist on Sony Pictures Sports Network, told mid-day on Tuesday.

Statistical solution

James, who made 53 appearances for England (1997 to 2010), called for the use of algorithms to decide the EPL winner, but said not all clubs may agree here. "The league's organisers should be on the lines of what they do in a cricket match to check the probability of who will be the winner. I believe OPTA (British sports analytics company), who collect statistics in England, have made a statistical prediction of the final EPL table, declaring Liverpool the winner," explained James, who played for the Kerala Blasters (2014) in the franchise-based Indian Super League before graduating to their manager-cum-player in 2018. "Teams which can't secure their Champions League position or fear relegation, would rather see this season declared null and void," he added.

David James

With football across UK suspended indefinitely, the handsomely-paid EPL players have come under pressure to take pay cuts. "The idea of pay cuts is to help the EPL clubs survive. From a business point of view, they need to generate revenue for survival," James explained.

Survival of clubs

"Despite the huge amount of money earned by the clubs from TV rights, right now the money is not being paid due to the lack of televised games. The huge amount wage bill and lack of revenue can break the backs of some clubs. So, pay cuts are vital from the business operations level and to sustain the clubs," said James, who also played for Manchester City from 2004 to 2006. European football too has come to a standstill with the Euro 2020 postponed to next year while the Champions League fixtures are suspended too. European football's governing body UEFA are planning to hold matches in August, but James felt they could do so in the pre-season period next year to avoid a pile-up of fixtures.

"Euro 2020 won't have much effect on the footballing calendar as it is held in summer. But for the Champions League, UEFA should consider a possibility of creating a mini tournament during the domestic pre-season next year to ascertain a winner, rather than hastily conducting the tournament now, leading to a pile-up of matches," said James, who held the EPL record for most clean sheets (169) until Petr Cech (202) surpassed it in 2015.

Fans can visit the official Facebook page of Sony Pictures Sports Network, @SonySportsIndia and watch ‘Sony Ten Pit Stop’ to catch David James from 5.00 PM on April 22, 2020

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Former England footballer Rio Ferdinand's wife Kate has said that while she was initially 'anxious and stressed' with the Coronavirus-caused lockdown, she is now spending most of her time homeschooling her three children Lorenz, 13, Tate, 11, and Tia, nine. Kate, 28, in association with an online education company, has launched a free toolkit of edutainment activities for primary school children to help those homeschooling during the current lockdown.

"At the beginning of lockdown, I felt a bit anxious and stressed. I didn't have any routine but this is something to do every day. You feel like you're in a little community doing it together," Kate, 28, told Britain's MailOnline.

Speaking of the homeschooling experience, Kate said that she and hubby Rio, 41, are trying their best to make things fun: "For the first three weeks of homeschooling, I was overwhelmed. It's quite hard for us having three children and all having sessions at different times. It's about trying to get the balance of making it fun as well as doing school work and trying to manage a good family life."

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Spanish League LaLiga President Javier Tebas has made it clear that cancelling the 2019/20 season is not an option and they are exploring various options and scenarios as the situation develops amid the ongoing outbreak of novel coronavirus. Spain's football industry is one of many-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and like any other sector, next steps will depend on the advice of health authorities. "Nulling and voiding the season is not an option on the table. But we are reviewing multiple scenarios, such as what happens if we play behind closed doors and what happens if we play with crowds and what happens if games aren't played," Tebas told reporters on videocall.

"We have to look at all possibilities, but we're not working towards a situation where we don't complete the season. "We're looking to ensure the best health conditions for players for when they resume training and we're looking to reduce the economic risk. "This is a health pandemic, but also an economic pandemic," he added.

The league President provided figures for each of these situations, outlining that the estimated total economic impact for not resuming the season would be 1bn euros. Completing the season behind closed doors would lead to losses of 300m euros and it would be 150m euros for resuming it with fans after this delay. On the likelihood of matches being resumed behind closed doors, Tebas said: "We will not have fans until the health authorities allow it. The decision does not depend on LaLiga or the clubs. We know it can affect future seasons so we are calculating the potential impact."

Tebas explained that LaLiga is considering all of the finer details that various scenarios could entail, such as whether or not matches can be held at the usual stadiums due to planned renovation works, the need to extend player contracts, pending fees due to clubs from past transfers, maintaining Financial Fair Play rules, payments from broadcasters and the knock-on effects for the 2020/21 season.

Tebas also mentioned that the last weekend of May is the first possible date for LaLiga to resume, with European competitions playing in July. A later option would be for LaLiga and European competitions to start on June 6 and play an alternating schedule. Finally, LaLiga and other domestic leagues could start on June 28 with European competitions starting again in August after the domestic leagues finish.

"We can't put an exact date on when we'll return as the Spanish government's health authorities have to set that," he said. "There are two options for organising the schedules, one with domestic leagues at the weekends and European matches midweek or another option is to work towards finishing the domestic leagues first." The league President also underlined that the football industry plays a major role in Spain's economy. It accounts for 1.37 percent of Spain's GDP and an estimated 185,000 jobs, meaning that any losses suffered could have a domino effect elsewhere.

"The most important aspect of this is that we protect our future," Tebas noted. "What we're working towards here is to save the future of football."

"By acting now, we can ensure that we have a sustainable model," he added."We will not forget the responsibilities we have to everyone."

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The Argentine forward is a true superstar of the game and one of the most famous players on the planet, but here are some things you might not already know about him.

1. He has scored at least seven goals against every other La Liga Santander team
All LaLiga teams naturally fear Messi when he comes up against them, with the No.10 having netted at least seven times against all 19 of the other sides currently in the top division. His favourite victim is Sevilla, against whom he has a whopping 37 goals in 38 appearances. Over his career, he has faced 40 different clubs in the Spanish top flight, with only three yet to concede against him: Cadiz, Murcia and Xerez.

2. He first played with fellow Barcelona captain Gerard Pique in 2000
Messi and his current Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique have spent most of their footballing lives together. They were both in the same team in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, along with Cesc Fàbregas – part of the so-called “generation of ‘87” and conquered almost every challenge in their path. It was clear from that early age that these players would go on to achieve great things and, although Pique spent time at Manchester United and Real Zaragoza before returning to Barcelona, they have both been in the Blaugrana first-team squad together since 2008, playing 471 matches together. Messi has only played more often alongside Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta.

3. He pays tributes to his grandmother after every goal
The sight of Messi pointing towards the sky with both hands after scoring a goal has become an almost weekly occurrence in LaLiga but not many people know its meaning. It is in fact a tribute to Grandmother Celia, who Messi credits with sparking his interest in football and supporting him as he took his first steps in the game. Sadly, she passed away in 1998 and never saw him play at the top level, but his iconic celebration ensures that her spirit lives on.  

4. He could have played for Spain at international level
Messi has represented Argentina throughout his international career, but he could have been wearing the red of Spain had he accepted an offer to join the national team of the country where he has spent his entire professional career. After spending his childhood in Barcelona, he was eligible to play for the 2010 world champions, but Messi says the idea never crossed his mind. The rest, as they say, is history as he has gone on to become Argentina’s all-time top scorer with 70 goals.   

5. His footballing idol was Pablo Aimar
Many up-and-coming players consider Messi as a role model, but it’s easy to forget that he had an idol growing up too, just like any other aspiring footballer. His was fellow Argentina and former Valencia and Real Zaragoza playmaker Pablo Aimar. They faced each other in LaLiga on several occasions, including on one special night in 2004 when Aimar came up to the 17-year-old Messi, an unused sub on the night, after the game to offer him his shirt. He still treasures that jersey to this day. 

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Former England footballer Peter Crouch has plans to enter the Crufts, an international dog show held in UK, and walk away with the trophy. Peter and his model wife Abbey Clancy, who have a new Labrador named Sonny, were denied entry this March. And the football star is determined to win the coveted title with his pet dog in 2021.

In the latest episode of That Peter Crouch Podcast, Peter said: "We couldn't get into Crufts last time so we're trying to train this bad boy up."

Meanwhile, Abbey revealed: "He likes getting in the cage with the dog. The dog cage is the biggest one we could get on Amazon. And it does fit Peter and all four children and the dog. He's trying to train him for little biccies. He's a good trainer. He doesn't like to fail at anything. So after the whole Crufts episode, he said, 'I'm gonna train a dog then I'm gonna enter it into Crufts'."

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Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho pleaded his innocence while speaking for the first time after spending 32 days in a Paraguayan prison. The former Barcelona forward is currently under house arrest in a hotel in Asuncion after he was arrested along with his cavalry for entering the country with forged documents.

Ronaldinho has insisted he didn't know his documents were illegal and also stated he showed full cooperation with the authorities in the aftermath of the airport fiasco.

"We were totally surprised to learn that the documents were not legal," Ronaldinho told ABC Color. "Since then our intention has been to collaborate with the justice system to clarify the facts.

"From that moment until today, we have explained everything and facilitated everything that has been requested of us.

"It was a tough blow, I never imagined that I would go through such a situation. All my life I have sought to reach the highest professional level and bring joy to people with my football," he added.

Ronaldinho also revealed what his plans are after he is allowed to go back to his home nation once investigation ends.

"The first thing will be to give a big kiss to my mother, who has lived through this difficult phase since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, at her home."

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Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi has often spoken about the liking he has had for former teammate Neymar and the Brazilian has now revealed how one of the greatest footballers to have played the beautiful game always had his back at the La Liga club.

"Honestly, it's difficult, very difficult for me to talk about Messi, because it was very special for me at Barcelona, I say this to everybody," he told Rede Globo's Esporte Espetacular.

"At the moment when I needed the most support, the best player in the world arrived and gave me a hand. He said: 'Come here, I'm here to help you.'" Messi had earlier spoken about how he is still in touch with Neymar and it will be slightly difficult for him to make a return to the club from Paris Saint-Germain.

"We talk to Neymar often. We still have a WhatsApp group with Luis (Suarez)", Messi told Argentina's Radio Metro, as quoted by ESPNFC.

"It's difficult for him to come back, as he left here, many club members and people do not want him to come back. From a sporting point of view he would be wonderful, but the other view is also understandable. It is a bit difficult," Messi had said.

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Football legend Diego Maradona, the manager of struggling Argentinian club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, has praised the decision to suspend relegation from the country's top division until 2022.

The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) confirmed the move on Tuesday as it cancelled the rest of the top flight season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The move spares Gimnasia from an almost certain drop to the second division, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It's not the end that we would have wanted, but it's a good decision," the 1986 World Cup winner told Argentinian newspaper Clarin.

"We were convinced that we were going to avoid relegation anyway. But this is reward for a group that has given everything for this club."

Gimnasia needed a strong showing in the Superliga Cup to have any chance or remaining in the top tier under Argentina's complex promotion-relegation system that considers results over a three-year cycle. The Cup competition was aborted last month after just one round.

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Putting on weight is a common fear during this Coronavirus-caused lockdown. However, England football star Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah prefers to deal with the issue in a lighter vein. While most celebs are posting pictures and videos of their workouts and chiselled frames, Rebekah uploaded this picture (right) on social media, showing off her flabs, a term she coined for her flabby abs.

Former model Rebakah, a mother of five, admitted that her weight-gain is because of excessive eating which included eating cookies and drinking wine.

"I've seen a lot of pics of people's amazing abs in lockdown so thought I'd share my cute little [FL]abs with you as well," Rebekah, 38, wrote on Instagram, going on to explain her daily diet. "For anyone interested in following my lockdown eating plan, it involves three quite healthy meals per day with my family, then I top up with a consistent intake of three cookies in between meals and after meals. Then, I make sure I'm keeping myself well hydrated with wine in the evenings," added Rebekah, concluding with a cheeky line: "I also do yoga."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

I’ve seen a lot of pics of people’s amazing abs in lockdown so thought I’d share my cute little (FL)abs with you as well. For anyone interested in following my lockdown eating plan it involves 3 quite healthy meals per day with my family, then I top up with a consistent intake of 🍪🍪🍪 in between meals and after meals & then I make sure I’m keeping myself well hydrated with 🍷🍷🍷 in the evenings. I also do yoga 🧘‍♀️ #keepitreal #nofilter #freetheflabs #loveyourbody ❤️

A post shared by Becky Vardy (@beckyvardy) onApr 29, 2020 at 10:30am PDT

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India's star footballer Sunil Chhetri has gone out of his way in order to help a fan who approached him online in order to get a free Netflix account.

Not only did Sunil Chhetri give the fan a Netflix subscription but also handed him a personally signed jersey.. This was after this fan had asked Sunil Chhetri to share his Netflix ID and password during coronavirus pandemic. The fan also stated that the football captain could change the password after the lockdown is done.

Taking to Twitter, Sunil Chhetri posted a screenshot of a message he received on Facebook and wrote: "Jersey X Autograph on a picture X Reply to the post X Video wishing the neighbour's son's pet dog X. Here's someone who has priorities straight and it's really making me want to consider the demand."

Netflix India's Twitter handle took note of this message from Chhetri and went on to reply: "While we on that topic, could we also get your autograph on a picture?"

In the true spirit of a barter, how about you guys hand the kid a two-month subscription and I'll send a signed shirt and a picture your way? Do we have a deal? https://t.co/Ub0WaMcutg

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) May 3, 2020

Sunil Chhetri then proposed a 'barter' deal and asked for a two-month free subscription for the fan in return for an autographed jersey from him.

He wrote: "In the true spirit of a barter, how about you guys hand the kid a two-month subscription and I will send a signed shirt and a picture your way? Do we have a deal?"

In reply, Netflix India's Twitter handle posted: "How about we send him both the jersey and a subscription card? Let's make his day."

To this, Chhetri replied: "Sounds great guys, now that we've got this figured out. Subscription for the kid, Shirt for the kid, Shirt for you guys."

The boy had earlier sent a Twitter post to Sunil Chhetri. Take a look at the shared post by the footballer.

Jersey ❌
Autograph on a picture ❌
Reply to the post ❌
Video wishing the neighbour's son's pet dog ❌

Here's someone who has priorities straight and it's really making me want to consider the demand. 😂 pic.twitter.com/OdBGrS7g5v

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) May 2, 2020

Earlier, in a series of tweets, Chhetri had announced that the members of the Indian team had come together and 'put on table a sum that has been sent to the PM-Cares Fund' to help in the fight against coronavirus.

Inputs from IANS

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Manchester City's Argentine footballer Sergio Aguero has revealed that the secret to his goal-scoring prowess is a switch in diet from barbecued beef to chicken.

Sergio, who joined City from Atletico Madrid for £38million (R357 crore) in 2011, is their all-time high scorer with 254 goals from 368 games.

However, he struggled with weight issues until a few years back as his love for barbecued beef steaks lowered his blood pressure, leaving him feeling dizzy on the pitch.

"From 2013 to 2016, I could not adapt to food well. Then, I met an Italian doctor online and told him what I usually ate, which was a lot of meat. He said I should try chicken at least once a week. Initially, I was like 'uhhh' but then I adapted. He told me that if I'm very hungry, I should put rice and chicken together. Today, I'm a big fan of rice. Earlier, my weight was 81 or 81.3 kg. Now I am 79.5. In football, even if it's only half a kilo, you feel the difference. It's incredible," Sergio, 31, told Argentine TV channel, TyC Sports.

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Former Barcelona player Xavi Hernandez is certain of ex-teammate Lionel Messi featuring in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as he said that the Argentine has still got "five or seven very good years left in him".

"He's still got five or seven very good years left in him," Goal.com quoted Xavi as saying during an Instagram chat with another ex-Barca forward, Samuel Eto'o.

"He takes good care of himself and he can keep playing until he's 37, 38 or 39. He'll play at the Qatar World Cup, I'm sure," he added.

The 32-year-old Messi scored 24 goals this season in all competitions before coronavirus pandemic brought the football season to a standstill.

Xavi also expressed his desire to manage Barcelona saying that it is his dream to coach the club.

"In January, it wasn't the right moment. I had conversations with Eric Abidal [Barcelona's sporting director] and Oscar Grau [Barcelona chief executive] and a big offer, but it wasn't the right moment. I need a bit more experience. Coaching Barcelona is my dream. I'd like to do it one day. I've said that many times," he said.

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There’s many former LaLiga stars currently using the experience and skills picked during their time in Spanish football in managerial and coaching careers all around the world. The list is almost unrivalled: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Diego Simeone (Atletico de Madrid), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Rafa Benítez (Dalian Pro), Xavi Hernández (Al Sadd), Míchel (Pumas UNAM), ‘Guti’ (UD Almeria), Raúl González (Real Madrid Castilla), Van Nistelrooy (PSV U19), Unai Emery, Mauricio Pochettino, Quique Sánchez Flores, Laurent Blanc, Ernesto Valverde, Mark van Bommel, Aitor Karanka, Clarence Seedorf… but here are five more with very special stories.

1. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst – FC Barcelona to Feyenoord

All the lessons learned winning two LaLiga titles with FC Barcelona in the early 2000s as an attack-minded left back have definitely proved useful for Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s coaching career. The former Netherlands international became first team coach in summer 2015 at Feyenoord, the Rotterdam club where he started and finished his playing career. His first season brought the KNVB Cup trophy, while the following year he led the club to its first Eredivisie title in 18 years, a historic achievement. Last January he was announced as manager of Chinese club Guangzhou R&F.

2. Jonathan Woodgate - Real Madrid to Middlesbrough

Jonathan Woodgate’s spell at Real Madrid famously did not get off to a great start, with an own goal and red card on his LaLiga debut. However, when fit and available the classy defender made a valuable contribution to Los Blancos 2005/06 campaign, with the team keeping seven clean sheets in his eight other games. The following summer he joined hometown club Middlesbrough, where he also returned after hanging up his boots to begin his coaching career in 2017. Last summer, Woodgate was named first team manager at Boro, and he took December’s Championship Manager of the Month award.

3. Jordi Cruyff - Camp Nou to Ecuador

Son of Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff, Jordi made his LaLiga debut in September 1994 against R. Sporting. The winger or attacking midfielder scored 22 LaLiga goals across spells at FC Barcelona, RC Celta, RCD Espanyol and most successfully D. Alaves, where he helped the Basque club reach the 2001 UEFA Cup final only to lose 5-4 in agonizing fashion to Liverpool. Cruyff also represented Manchester United, Metallurg Donetsk and the Netherlands national team [nine senior caps] during his playing career. He has since worked in Malta, Cyprus, China and Israel, where he oversaw three consecutive league titles as sporting director at Maccabi Tel Aviv. In January 2020 he was appointed Ecuador senior international manager.

4. Diego Forlan - Pichichi to Peñarol
One of the very few players in history to have won LaLiga’s Pichichi top scorer prize with two different clubs, Diego Forlan clinched it at Villarreal CF in 2004/05 and Atletico de Madrid in 2008/09. A strike rate of 128 goals in 240 LaLiga games counts among the very best. A long playing career also brought goals scored in England, Italy, Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong, and appearing at three World Cups and a 2011 Copa America triumph during 112 caps for Uruguay’s senior team. In December 2019, Forlan returned to his former Uruguayan club Peñarol to start his managerial career.

5. Fabio Cannavaro – Santiago Bernabeu to China

2006 was quite a year for Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro, who won the World Cup in Germany, signed for Real Madrid and was then awarded the Ballon D’Or. Cannavaro won two LaLiga titles during his three years in the Spanish capital, where he continued a strong relationship with mentor Fabio Capello. His first managerial job was at Dubai club Al-Ahli, where he won UAE Pro League and UAE League Cup titles. He also won the China League One title with Tianjin Quanjian, guided Guangzhou Evergrande to the Chinese Superleague title last year, and even took charge of the China national team for a time in 2019.

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From a childhood nickname to his world champion horse, these are some of the lesser-known facts about the Real Madrid captain and legend

1. His nickname as a child was Schuster
As a child, Sergio played up front and was nicknamed ‘Bernd Schuster’ after the great German goalscorer by the friends he played with on the grass outside his apartment block. He’d go on to play in defence throughout his career, at right-back and centre-back, but has maintained his brilliant goalscoring ability. Coincidentally, he was even coached by Schuster at Real Madrid between 2007 and 2008.

2. He’s only ever worn the number 4 shirt at Real Madrid, but never for Spain…
When Ramos arrived at Real Madrid, he was touted to fill the void left by the departing legend Fernando Hierro. Ramos wasn’t shy about taking on the challenge and adopted Hierro’s famous No.4 jersey from day one. That has been the number on his back during his entire decade-and-a-half career at the Santiago Bernabéu. Funnily enough though, Ramos picked a different number for when he plays with the Spanish national team: 15.

3. He has never scored for Spain at a major tournament
Sergio is Spain’s all-time record appearance holder (170) and has scored 21 goals for his country, a mightily impressive tally for a defender. Bizarrely enough, though, he’s never scored for Spain at a major tournament. Each of his 21 strikes has come in qualification rounds, in friendlies, or in the UEFA Nations League. Beyond penalty shootouts, he’s never scored at a World Cup, European Championship or even the Confederations Cup.

4. He didn’t win a Champions League knockout tie until the age of 25
Ramos has four Champions League titles to his name, winning the tournament in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. He may undoubtedly be one of the all-time greats of the competition, but it’s easy to forget that he didn’t reach the competition’s quarter-final until the age of 25. He never played in the Champions League with Sevilla, then his first few years at Real Madrid coincided with a barren spell for the capital city club in which they were consistently knocked out in the first knock-out phase. Finally, in 2010/11 after the arrival of Jose Mourinho, Ramos made it to his first quarter-final, against Tottenham Hotspur. He’s certainly overcome that initial disappointment as the years have gone on.

5. His horse Yucatán de Ramos is a world champion
Like any true Andalusian, Sergio loves horses and has done since childhood. He owns stables near his hometown of Seville, and Yucatan de Ramos, his star horse, won a world championship at the 2018 Interntional PRE Horse Fair recognising it as the finest pure-bred Spanish horse in the world.

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The Fast And Furious franchise started way back in 2001. Since then we have seen the franchise evolve from racing to something that includes, heists, spying and of course fast cars. Now two years after the last release in the series THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS hit screens in 2017, we see a spin off feature film in the form of FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW. But will this new action flick woo the Fast and Furious audience or will it like so many other actioners be all glitz and no content is what we analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1004788 size-full" title="Movie Review Fast &amp; Furious Presents Hobbs &amp; Shaw" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Movie-Review-Fast-Furious-Presents-Hobbs-Shaw.jpg" alt="Movie Review Fast &amp; Furious Presents Hobbs &amp; Shaw" width="720" height="450" /> Starting off, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW is centred around the titular Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), characters introduced in the main series. The film begins with a crew of MI6 agents attempting to retrieve a virus, Snowflake, which can be programmed to decimate millions of people, from terrorist organization Eteon. Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), an Eteon operative with advanced cybernetic implants, arrives and kills all agents except for their leader, Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), who injects Snowflake into herself as a dormant carrier and escapes. Brixton frames Hattie as a traitor who killed her team and stole Snowflake, forcing her to go on the run. Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw are both informed of the missing virus and are assigned to work together reluctantly to track it down. From here on begins a cat and mouse game to save Hattie and the world while keeping the deadly ‘Snowflake’ out of the wrong hands. Much like the previous FAST &amp; FURIOUS films, this spin off too is an action entertainer that promises edge of the seat stunts, fast cars, and big explosions. While there were initial questions raised whether a spin off on a series like F&amp;F would work and hold the audience’s interest, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW proves that such films if made well, not only keep the audience in their seats but also provides for a fun filled thrilling watch. Director David Leitch, who has in the past proved his mettle with JOHN WICK (2014), ATOMIC BLONDE (2017) and the more recent release DEADPOOL 2 (2018), has done it again. Thanks to a background as a stuntman with professional martial arts training, Leitch is able to execute and shoot some rather difficult action sequences with precision. Keeping in mind the background of the franchise, Leitch has capitalized on characteristic traits of Hobbs and Shaw to develop seamless fight sequences that are well co-ordinated. As for the story of the film, like most action flicks, this one too features a wafer thin plot. However, it isn’t the plot that is the film’s mainstay; instead it is the eye popping relentless action that is interjected with well-placed humour to break the monotony. Coming to the performances, Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs does what he does best, which is smashing things. Assisting him on this endeavour is Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw who takes the more refined approach as compared to Hobbs’ brute force technique to eliminate targets with finesse. Vanessa Kirby as Hattie Shaw does a commendable job and manages to hold her own despite the fact that the film is centred on the characters of Hobbs and Shaw. However it is Idris Elba as Brixton Lore who steals the limelight. A cybernetic enhanced superhuman hybrid, Brixton is capable of feats that push the boundary. Despite having such power, Elba’s restrain is clearly evident, thus preventing the film from becoming too over the top. The dialogues, though not much are good in places with well time punch lines that deliver. As for the action, well it is a spin off from the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, so expect tons of it. Though unlike the previous films in the series, this one features fewer high end cars, skimpily clad women and debauchery, but rest assured David Leitch has done well with the action. Adrenaline pumping, edge of the cliff (quite literally) gasoline fuelled explosions that are sure to satiate your hunger for destruction. On the whole, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW lives up to the FAST &amp; FURIOUS tag, with insane stunts, high octane action, well timed humour and an entertaining rollercoaster ride that keeps you in your seat. At the box office, the film that releases in four languages, English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu is expected to open well and will see an increase in footfalls over evening and night shows. With little competition at the box office, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW looks set to dominate the weekend.

Just like how Eid is synonymous with a Salman Khan release, the Independence Day holiday isn’t complete without an Akshay Kumar starrer. From 2013 to 2018, he has had a release during this beneficial weekend, barring 2014. 2019 is no exception and this time, he is out with MISSION MANGAL, based on an important chapter of India’s history. The mood of the film is also apt, considering that just last month, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan-2 towards the moon. MISSION MANGAL has all the trappings of a blockbuster. So does it turn out to be as exciting and entertaining as expected? Or does the content fails to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1008325" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Mission-Mangal-Review-IMG.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> MISSION MANGAL is the incredible true story behind India’s mission to Mars. The film begins in 2010. At the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a space mission under Rakesh Dhawan (Akshay Kumar) fails after Tara Shinde (Vidya Balan) in his team makes an error in judgement. As a punishment posting, he’s asked to handle India’s Mars program, which is not expected to take off anytime soon. A few days later, Tara while cooking puris in her home has a Eureka moment. She realises that through innovative methods, they can try to get our satellite reach Mars in just two years. She tells Rakesh about the plan and he realises it’s a golden opportunity. Rakesh approaches his senior (Vikram Gokhale) for approval who finds the idea unfeasible. Also Rupert Desai (Dalip Tahil) who has come from NASA to join ISRO feels that Rakesh's idea is ridiculous. Rakesh however manages to persuade and begins work. He asks for the best of the men from ISRO for this project. However he’s given inexperienced colleagues like Kritika Aggarwal (Taapsee Pannu), Eka Gandhi (Sonakshi Sinha), Varsha Gowda (Nithya Menen), Neha Siddiqui (Kirti Kulhari) and Parmeshwar Naidu (Sharman Joshi) and a very senior employee Ananth Iyer (H G Dattatreya). What happens next forms the rest of the film. Jagan Shakti's story is superb and also very challenging. It’s not easy to pen down a mainstream film with such a plot. Also many are not aware of what transpired behind the making of India’s Mars mission. Hence it’ll be exciting for them to witness the whole journey. Also there are so many twists and turns in the plot that one might not believe that some of the plot points are actually true incidents. R Balki, Jagan Shakti, Nidhi Singh Dharma and Saketh Kondipathi's screenplay not only simplifies the proceedings but also make it massy. The screenplay blends science and entertainment seamlessly. The film’s goings on are extremely easy to comprehend. R Balki, Jagan Shakti, Nidhi Singh Dharma and Saketh Kondipathi's dialogues are effective and funny. Jagan Shakti's direction is terrific for a first timer. He had a winning screenplay in his hand and he takes it to another level with his execution. The film has also has subplots of each of the main characters and even these are very well woven in the narrative. And through these tracks too, the makers have made some important comments about religion, parenting, marriage, religious bias etc. and all these contribute to the film hugely. MISSION MANGAL starts off beautifully showing Tara running a house efficiently on the day ISRO has an important launch. Rakesh's entry and the confrontation scene when he’s offered Mars program is intriguing as well as entertaining. It also makes it clear that the film won’t get serious and that the entertainment quotient will be maintained. The rest of the team is introduced in a quick but interesting montage like sequences and it adds a lot to the film. The first half moves swiftly with no complaints. The second half is longer and the commencing portions are where the film drops. Also to see the team renovating their work station at a time when they are running against time is a bit too much. Thankfully the film soon picks up. The best is obviously reserved for the finale. There are a lot of obstacles faced by the team here and it makes the film even more gripping. The finale is applause worthy. <p class="entry-title name"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mission Mangal | Public Review | FDFS | Akshay Kumar | Vidya Balan | Taapsee Pannu | Sharman Joshi</span></strong></p> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/mission-mangal-public-review-akshay-kumar-vidya-balan-taapsee-nithya-movie-review-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MISSION MANGAL is embellished with some fine performances. Akshay Kumar is in top form. He gets to play such a splendid role and gets into the skin of his character. And he’s very much there throughout the film! The way his character rarely gets serious and makes even serious discussions light and funny is seen to be believed. One of the greatest sequences of the film is when he makes an imaginary call to none other than APJ Abdul Kalam. Vidya Balan dominates most of the first half and suits her character to the T. It’s also admirable that she has no qualms playing mother to teenagers. Sonakshi Sinha is lovely and gets to shine. It’s great to see how she makes an impact in a supporting role. Taapsee Pannu is also quite efficient and gives her best in the climax. Nithya Menen has a smaller role but it serves as a great debut. Kirti Kulhari manages to score and many would be able to relate to her character's struggles. Sharman Joshi is funny and would surely make viewers smile. H G Dattatreya is adorable and the scene where he teaches Kirti's ex hubby a lesson is too good! Dalip Tahil is appropriate as the pessimist. Sanjay Kapoor (Sunil Shinde) is the surprise of the film. He delivers a fine performance and post interval he goes in another mode that would be greeted with whistles in cinemas! Purab Kohli (Vivek) and Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub (Rishi) lend able support. Rohan Joshi (Dilip Shinde) is hilarious and even heartening as Vidya Balan's son. Kashmira Pardeshi (Anya Shinde) gets no scope. Vikram Gokhale is decent. Others are also good in their respective parts. Amit Trivedi's music is well interspersed with the proceedings. <em>'Dil Mein Mars Hai' </em>is entertaining and catchy. <em>'Shaabaashiyaan'</em> is played at a crucial juncture. Amit Trivedi's background score is engaging. S Ravi Varman's cinematography is quite simple and has the big screen effect. Sandeep Ravade's production design is praiseworthy as it’s straight out of life. Debashish Mishra's sound design is also as real as it gets. Sham Kaushal's action is good in the lone action scene inside the metro. Famulus Media and Entertainment's VFX is top class without which the long climax would not have worked so well. Theia Tekchandaney's costumes are appealing yet not too glamorous. Kirti Kolwankar and Maria Tharakan's costumes for Vidya Balan are authentic. Chandan Arora's editing is just perfect as the film neither moves too fast nor drags. On the whole, MISSION MANGAL is engaging and entertaining while being patriotic in its feel. At the box office, it will be accepted whole heartedly by the audiences and has the potential to emerge as Akshay Kumar's highest grosser ever!

The #MeToo movement took off in a big way in 2017 in Hollywood after well-known producer Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment episodes became public. It reached India a year later and became a huge social movement. Although the movement made people aware of some genuine cases, it also came to light that some of the allegations were false or were made with ulterior motives. The latest film SECTION 375 is inspired from cases of this nature and expects to make a hard-hitting point. So does SECTION 375 manage to succeed in its endeavour? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1016957" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Movie-Review-Section-375-IMG.jpg" alt="Movie Review Section 375 IMG" width="720" height="405" /> SECTION 375 is the story of a filmmaker accused of rape. Anjali Dangle (Meera Chopra) is a junior costume designer on a film set. She’s told to go to director Rohan Khurana’s (Rahul Bhat) residence to show him the costumes. When she reaches the house, Rohan and the house maid are present. Rohan sends the maid out of the house on some pretext and then forces himself on Anjali. Anjali reaches her house and tells her family that Rohan raped her. The same evening, Rohan is arrested from his film set. The Sessions Court finds Rohan guilty and sentences him to ten years of rigorous imprisonment. Rohan’s wife Kainaaz (Shriswara) approaches famous criminal lawyer Tarun Saluja (Akshaye Khanna) to file the case in the Bombay High Court. Tarun goes through Rohan’s file and realizes that the Sessions Court verdict was unfair. The case gets accepted in the High Court and the trial begins. Tarun’s ex-protégé Hiral Gandhi (Richa Chadha) is the public prosecutor and Anjali’s lawyer. As the case begins, a lot of unknown and intentionally hidden details tumble out. What seemed like an open and shut case of rape turns out to be murkier than expected. What happens next forms the rest of the story. Manish Gupta's story has tremendous potential and is the need of the hour. It is also quite relevant in today’s times. Manish Gupta's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Ajay Bahl) is quite effective for most parts. The film gets a bit technical but will be easy to comprehend for its target multiplex audience. Manish Gupta's dialogues (with additional dialogues by Ajay Bahl) are quite acidic and sharp. However, at places, there are far too many English dialogues. Ajay Bahl's direction is quite apt. He captivates the viewers with his storytelling and doesn’t lose their attention even once in the 120 minute duration. Also, he presents both sides quite nicely and convincingly. This is a courtroom drama but like conventional Bollywood films in this genre, the film is not made in a dramatic fashion. Yes, a lot is happening in the film but it is all done a bit more realistically. On the flipside, the second half is where the film drops a bit. One expects a film with so many unpredictable moments to end with a bang. Sadly, that doesn’t happen. Also, it’s bewildering why Hiral, who used to shout ‘Objection’ each time Tarun would present anything or make an attention grabbing statement, doesn’t react at all when Tarun explains to the court how Anjali got the injury marks on her inner thighs. Except for Tarun, the private lives of Hiral and Anjali are never shown and it takes away the impact to an extent. SECTION 375 begins on a fine note. Tarun Saluja explaining the concept of justice and law by giving the instance of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case makes for a strong point and it also indicates what is to follow. The scene where Anjali meets Rohan in his house and the alleged rape happens is quite smartly executed and only a part of it is shown to keep the unpredictably going. This is followed by probably the most gut wrenching scene of the film – the medical officer asking the gory details of rape to Anjali quite nonchalantly, in front of her mother. And also, the said medical officer is a male! The film obviously goes on a high once the trial begins. The manner in which it comes to light that the investigating police officer Milind Kasle (Shrikant Yadav) did an extremely shoddy job is bound to shock viewers. Post-interval, the interest is maintained as many more details pour out in the courtroom. The finale however lacks punch. Also, the verdict announced in the end might leave viewers divided. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>“Aamir Khan Will Make a Good Politician”: Akshaye Khanna | Rapid Fire | Section 375</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/aamir-khan-will-make-a-good-politician-akshaye-khanna-rapid-fire-section-375/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Akshaye Khanna takes the cake when it comes to performances. Other actors also do well but Akshaye leaves a very strong impact. Whether it’s his dialogue delivery or his interrogating style in the court or his shrewd smile when confronted by the judges or Hiral, Akshaye’s performance is spot-on. Richa Chadha is very good as the no-nonsense lawyer whose idea of justice differs from that of Akshaye’s character. One of her heartening scenes is when Hiral is discussing about her partner and sharing her meal with her ‘rival’ Tarun. Rahul Bhat gets into the skin of his character. He’s too good in the beginning scene when he comes on the set and blasts everyone. Meera Chopra has very few dialogues initially but in the second half, she has a crucial part and does well. Krutika Desai (Justice Bhaskar) is good while Kishore Kadam (Justice Madgaonkar) is very impressive in his part. The latter also contributes to the laughter quotient. Shriswara speaks a lot through her silences and makes her presence felt. Shrikant Yadav is too good. His less-than-a-minute-conversation with Richa after he messes up in the court is memorable. Same goes Dibyendu Bhattacharya – his performance takes one of the most important scenes to another level. Sandhya Mridul (Shilpa) is lovely in the special appearance. SECTION 375 is a songless film. Clinton Cerejo's background score however is subtle and dramatic. Sudhir K Chaudhary's cinematography is quite appropriate. The alleged rape sequence is shot well in different angles and the perspective changes with each angle. And he also makes use of some hand-held, zoomed-in shots that also helps with the impact. Nilesh Wagh's production design is decent. Ameira Punvani's costumes are realistic. Praveen Angre's editing is crisp. On the whole, SECTION 375 is a hard-hitting courtroom drama that raises some important points. At the box office, it has the potential to grow significantly in multiplexes once the word of mouth spreads among its target audience.

Off late, Bollywood has been making period dramas, focusing on the brave warriors of the medieval and early modern history of India. While films like MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI and PANIPAT focused on the somewhat known chapters of history, the Akshay Kumar starrer KESARI was based on an incident that wasn’t known to many. Now another film joins this latter category – TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR. It depicts the bravery of Tanhaji Malusare, a legend in Maharashtra, but largely unknown elsewhere. The film is mounted on a huge scale and moreover, has a terrific star cast, both of which have contributed to its hype. So does TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR manage to give a great time to the viewers? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1060929" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Tanhaji-–-The-Unsung-Warrior-Review-IMG.jpg" alt="Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior Review IMG" width="720" height="450" /> TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR is the story of one of the greatest warriors of India. The year is 1664. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Sharad Kelkar) has given a tough fight to the Mughals, headed by Emperor Aurangzeb (Luke Kenny), in the Deccan region. However, when things get tough for the Marathas, Shivaji Maharaj decides to sign a treaty. As part of this agreement, he hands over some 23 forts to the Mughals, including the strategic Kondhana Fort. A few years later, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj expresses his desire to recapture Kondhana. This is especially when he finds out that Aurangzeb has sent Udaybhan Rathod (Saif Ali Khan), an evil military officer, to control the fort. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj realizes that his brave Subedar Tanhaji Malusare (Ajay Devgn) is the best man to get the fort back. But Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj refuses to even let Tanhaji know about this operation. This is because Tanhaji is busy with the marriage of his son. However, Tanhaji finds out about the plan. He persuades Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to let him go for it. The Maharaj agrees and hence, Tanhaji keeps his son’s marriage on hold. He then begins to plan how to recapture the fort and thereby create history. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Prakash Kapadia and Om Raut's story is excellent and well-researched. It talks about a landmark moment in India’s history and at the same time, it has enough entertainment and drama. Prakash Kapadia and Om Raut's screenplay does justice to the plot in hand. The script is peppered with dramatic and massy moments that keep the interest going. However, the film drops a bit in the middle of the second half. Also, the first half could have had more hard-hitting moments. Prakash Kapadia's dialogues are simple but also sharp-worded as per the requirement. Om Raut's direction is quite praiseworthy and he handles the film like a pro. He does full justice to the scale and grandeur of the film. He also keeps the narrative uncomplicated and very simple to understand. And his biggest achievement is that he doesn’t make TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR look like the recent period films, especially the ones of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Bhansali's films have become a genre in itself, hence when it comes to period flicks many recent ones looked like clones of his movies. TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR, however, stands out. And moreover, he adds enough <em>masala</em>, especially in the climax, which takes the film to a high. See it to believe it! TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR begins with the childhood sequence of Tanhaji and the background of the Maratha Empire. The film moves too quickly here but no complaints as the impact is made. The entry of adult Tanhaji is too good and viewers would welcome it with claps and whistles. Even Udaybhan’s introduction makes for a great watch. From here on till the intermission, the film keeps one engaged but the film here lacks action and a punch, which one might expect after the action scene in the start. But the intermission point is fine and it indicates that the second half will be better. And thankfully, the post-interval portion has a lot more entertainment. The sequence where Tanhaji and Udaybhan come face to face is electrifying. Also Tanhaji urging the Maratha soldiers to fight for him is a scene to watch out for. The film then drops again but the makers reserve the best for the finale. The climax battle is incredible and single screen audiences especially will go in frenzy! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior | Public Review | Ajay Devgn | Kajol | Saif Ali Khan | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/tanhaji-the-unsung-warrior-public-review-ajay-devgn-kajol-saif-ali-khan-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR belongs to Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan. Ajay is perfect for the part and adds a lot through his body language and expressions. Also his dialogue delivery in confrontational scenes is spot-on. But he goes into another mode in the climax fight and viewers would surely lap it up. Also, he deserves kudos for putting together this mammoth project and ensuring that it looks like a great cinematic product, at par with international standards. Saif Ali Khan is superb in the villainous role. He is menacing but also has a goofy side and the balance is very nicely done. In one scene dipped with black humour in the second half, he gets his act totally right! Kajol (Savitri) doesn’t have much to do but her presence adds a lot to the film. Her scenes with Ajay are endearing. Sharad Kelkar stands out as Shivaji Maharaj. His personality, build and baritone voice was just right for such an important historical character. Padmavathi Rao (Rajmata Jija aau) has a fine screen presence. Luke Kenny fits the role and one wishes he had more screen time. Neha Sharma (Kamla) is decent in a supporting role. Kailash Waghmare (Chultiya) and Hardik Bharat Sangani (Gidya) are over the top but that works for their respective characters. The other actors who do well are Shashank Mahadeo Shende (Shelar Mama), Ajinkya Ramesh Deo (Pisal), Vipul Kumar Gupta (Jagat Singh), Deodatta Gajanan Nage (Suryaji), Yuri Suri (Mirza Raje Jai Singh), Nissar Khan (Beshak Khan), Arush Nand (Raiba; Tanaji's son), Prasanna Vidyadhar Ketkar (Ghesarnaik) and Niranjan Jadhao (Trimbak Rao; spy). The music is situational and not of chartbuster variety. <em>'Ghamand Kar'</em> is the theme song of the film and is quite exhilarating. <em>'Shankara Re Shankara'</em> comes at a great juncture. <em>'Maay Bhavani'</em> is average while <em>'Tinak Tinak'</em> is moving. Sandeep Shirodkar's background score adds to the drama heavily. Keiko Nakahara's cinematography is of superior quality. Despite so much of action and fights happening, the camerawork ensures that all is captured well.. Sujeet Subhash Sawant and Sriram Kannan Iyengar's production design is straight out of the bygone era. The sets are authentic and not needlessly grand, considering that the film focuses on the life of the Maratha soldiers and their houses can’t resemble palaces. But while depicting Aurangzeb’s residence, the designers have gone all out, rightfully so. Ramzan Bulut and R P Yadav's action is a bit gory but is controlled and visually looks great. Vikram Gaikwad's make-up is neat. Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla's costumes are realistic. NY VFXWaala's VFX is splendid and there’s not a single moment where the effects look tacky. Also, the 3D is not done for the heck of it and it actually complements the narrative. Dharmendra Sharma's editing is slick. On the whole, TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR is an entertaining and a paisa-vasool film that would be loved by the masses as well as classes. At the box office, it can run riot in Maharashtra and other mass centres and could turn out to be the first Rs. 100 crore grosser of 2020. Highly Recommended!

COVID-19 has started showing its impact on the mutual fund industry. Few days ago I mentioned in my article, Debt mutual funds witnessed massive outflows of Rs 1.95 trillion in the month of March.

Though we could attribute most of that outflow to corporates redeeming funds to meet their quarter end obligations, high volatility and uncertainty as consequences of the pandemic could have also played a major hand in the redemption pressure for debt schemes.

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FII have been redeeming investments heavily in equity and debt segment ever since WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. In March, FIIs pulled out Rs 60,375 crore from the debt market.

High redemption and lack of buying interest has made debt mutual fund schemes vulnerable, especially those with higher exposure to low rated instruments.

This instability has claimed its first casualty in debt mutual funds...

Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund (FTMF) has decided to wind down six of its debt schemes with effect from April 23, 2020 due to COVID-19 related market dislocation. This is something that is unheard of in the mutual fund industry and has perplexed many investors and advisors.

The schemes that are wound up are:

• Franklin India Low Duration Fund
• Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund
• Franklin India Credit Risk Fund
• Franklin India Short Term Income Plan
• Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund
• Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund

Together these schemes have an AUM of 30,854 crore as on March 31, 2020. Notably, these are the very schemes which in the past had to create segregated portfolio for its exposure to downgraded papers of Vodafone Idea and Yes Bank.

What led to the move?

According to a statement to investors from FTMF, "Despite several measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the liquidity in certain segments of the corporate bond markets has fallen-off dramatically and has remained low for an extended period. In this scenario, mutual funds are facing unprecedented liquidity challenges due to a variety of factors-rising redemption pressures due to heightened risk aversion, mark to market losses following a spike in yields and lower trading volumes in the bond markets. These factors have together caused a significant and worsening liquidity crunch for open-end mutual fund schemes investing in corporate credits across the credit rating spectrum."

The schemes had to resort to continuous borrowing to fund redemptions during this time, and were unable to repay the borrowings through sale of portfolio securities due to the prevailing market environment. The Investment manager did not believe it was prudent to continue funding redemptions through potentially increasing levels of borrowings.

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FTMF follows a high-risk high-return strategy for the above mentioned funds - Meaning a major part of its portfolio is exposed to lower rated securities (rating below AAA). The market disruption due to the virus outbreak has impacted these securities the most.

Under conditions of high redemption pressure, mutual funds sell their liquid assets to meet the demand, leaving the portfolio highly exposed to illiquid assets.

Thus, investors who choose to stay invested are at a disadvantage here.

Anticipating continued liquidity stress to the funds, the fund house thought winding up the scheme is the only viable option for the unitholders to minimize erosion of value.

Table: Details of schemes being wound up

What does it mean for investors of these schemes?

Investors of these schemes will not be able to purchase/redeem investment, switch to other schemes or do systematic transactions. In short their funds will be locked. The fund will not charge any management fees for the funds that are being wound up.

The fund house will rely on coupon payments, maturity value of underlying securities, and selling of securities at realisable value. While the fund house expects to realise most of the proceeds as per maturities, there may be some low rated securities that may even default on the due date. The fund house may create segregated portfolios for such securities and pay back as and when the money is realised.

It will be prudent to check the average maturity of portfolios of each fund and expect major repayment within that period.

What should investors in debt funds do?

Debt mutual fund Investors are not as confident, due to incidents of exposure to toxic papers in the past. This event could make them even more wary about their investment in debt schemes. As a consequence, there may be some panic selling in other debt schemes by investors worried about their funds getting locked.

However, instead of taking any hasty decisions, it would be a great idea to check your funds for the quality of assets it holds.

Choose a fund house that follows prudent investment process and stringent risk-management system. In these uncertain times, it would be wise sticking to liquid funds and overnight funds for the fixed-income part of your portfolio. Alternatively, if you prefer safety of capital, invest in Bank fixed deposits.

Our friends at Quantum Mutual Fund have highlighted the secret behind their debt management strategy which has helped them provide safety and liquidity to investors when it comes to investing in quantum funds. Don't Worry, Quantum Liquid Fund always aims for Safety and Liquidity

The way ahead...

While the fund house has done this to protect investors' interest, it has made the funds illiquid from the investors' point of view. Many investors may lose faith in debt funds for their short-term goals.

Going further, investors may have to consider liquidity risk due to AMC action, while investing in any high credit risk oriented debt funds.

It is time for the regulator to step up and clarify the illiquidity part for other debt schemes out there to investors. Moreover, it needs to provide a framework of strict guidelines to restrict fund managers from putting investors' hard-earned money at risk by exposing them to low rated securities for higher yield.

Meanwhile, AMFI has assured investors that a majority of the fixed income fund assets is invested in superior credit quality securities, and the schemes have appropriate liquidity to ensure normal operations. It further stated that the industry remains fully committed to the investors' interests and there is no need for them to panic and redeem investments.

Author: Divya Grover

This article first appeared on PersonalFN here.

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PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

Disclaimer:
The views mentioned above are of the author only. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Equitymaster do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Please read the detailed Terms of Use of the web site.

Last month, SEBI had asked credit rating agencies not to consider any delay in payment of interest or principal loan amount arisen solely due to the nationwide lockdown conditions as a default.

The stress in the Indian mutual fund industry due to the pandemic impact deepened after Franklin Templeton MF decided to wind down six of its debt schemes. The lack of liquidity and redemption pressure compelled FTMF to take the extreme step.

In this economic environment, Mutual Fund houses are concerned about companies that are likely to delay and default in payments. Many companies have sought deferment/rescheduling of payment due to COVID-19 related disruptions. In order to minimize the resultant damage, market regulator SEBI recently provided temporary relaxation in valuation norms for instruments mutual funds hold.

SEBI has asked valuation agencies to avoid treating delays in payment of interest/principal or extension of maturity of a security as default for the purpose of valuation of money market or debt securities held by Mutual Funds, if it has been caused solely due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and/or in light of the moratorium permitted by RBI.

[Read: Will Mutual Fund Houses Act Against Companies Approaching Courts To Prevent Rating Downgrade Amidst COVID-19?]

"In view of the nationwide lockdown and the three-month moratorium/ deferment on payment permitted by RBI, a differentiation in treatment of default, on a case to case basis, needs to be made as to whether such default occurred solely due to the lockdown or loan moratorium", SEBI circular said.

SEBI has stated that in the above mentioned scenario, if there is any difference in the valuation of securities provided by two valuation agencies, the conservative valuation shall be accepted. This revised norm will be in effect until the RBI's period of moratorium.

However, AMCs shall continue to be responsible for true and fairness of valuation of securities.

Mutual fund houses have to mark the value of their assets based on valuations provided by valuation agencies appointed by AMFI.

At present, a debt or money market security is classified as 'Default' if the interest and/or principal amount has not been received on the day such amount was due; or when such security has been downgraded to 'Default' grade by a credit rating agency. Default denoted that the security is below investment grade.

This leads to mark down of the respective security and thereby impacts NAV of the scheme.

SEBI's move provides some relief in this regard. It will ensure that all fund houses follow a uniform approach while dealing with defaults/delay due to COVID-19.

Will it make investment in debt fund safe?

SEBI has not yet provided any moratorium on commercial paper and corporate bond repayment. According to a report published in Livemint, Rs 1.5 trillion worth of commercial paper and corporate bonds will be maturing in the first quarter.

As mentioned earlier, AMCs shall continue to be responsible for true and fairness of valuation of securities. But in the absence of rating downgrade from valuation agencies, fund houses cannot side-pocket their exposure to a defaulting company. Therefore, we may still see some write-offs if the AMC finds recovery to be difficult even after the relaxation period.

COVID-19 has impacted businesses across sectors. Some sectors such as NBFCs were under stress even before the pandemic. The default risk has thus amplified.

The relaxation of valuation would delay the issue, but downgrades would arise subsequently. Spike in number of side pockets (by fund houses) may thus become imminent.

My colleague, Rounaq, rightly mentioned yesterday, losses the investors suffer will be directly proportionate to the stress, pressure mutual fund houses and their investors will face. Eventually retail and High Net-worth Individuals, particularly, will lose confidence and may not be keen to invest in debt funds.

What should investors do?

In these uncertain times, it would be wise sticking to liquid funds and overnight funds for the fixed-income part of your portfolio and avoid funds that take higher credit risk. Alternatively, if you prefer safety of capital, invest in Bank fixed deposits.

Choose a fund house that follows prudent investment process and stringent risk-management system.

Our friends at Quantum Mutual Fund have highlighted the secret behind their debt management strategy, which has helped them provide safety and liquidity to investors when it comes to investing in quantum funds. Don't Worry, Quantum Liquid Fund always aims for Safety and Liquidity.

SEBI has time and again taken steps to tighten norms for debt funds. As an investor, if you take portfolio risks, align it with your own risk appetite and financial objective.

PS: If you wish to select worthy mutual fund schemes, I recommend you to subscribe to PersonalFN's unbiased premium research service, FundSelect.

Additionally, as a bonus, you get access to PersonalFN's popular debt mutual fund service, DebtSelect.

If you are serious about investing in a rewarding mutual fund scheme, Subscribe now!

Author: Divya Grover

This article first appeared on PersonalFN here.

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PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

Disclaimer:
The views mentioned above are of the author only. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Equitymaster do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Please read the detailed Terms of Use of the web site.

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has apparently followed through on a promise to help people going hungry in the coronavirus shutdown, with social media images showing boxes of essential items prepped for delivery.

The controversial Kyrgios, infamously outspoken and known for his fiery on-court antics, said on Monday he would personally drop food on doorsteps after COVID-19 restrictions closed down entire industries, forcing huge numbers of people out of work across Australia. People queueing for welfare payments across the country have been likened to scenes from the Great Depression. "Please don't go to sleep with an empty stomach," Kyrgios, the world number 40, posted on Instagram Monday. "Don't be afraid or embarrassed to send me a private message. I will be more than happy to share whatever I have.

"Even just for a box of noodles, a loaf of bread or milk. I will drop it off at your doorstep, no questions asked!" he said in a post that attracted almost 100,000 likes. His mother, Norlaila Kyrgios, posted on Instagram over the weekend a photo of a table laden with food -- including bread, fruit and canned goods -- with the caption "dining room or food distribution centre".

Images of Canberra-based tennis star's Instagram stories shared on News Corp websites showed boxes of essentials captioned "deliveries in progress". It comes just months after the 24-year-old led a bushfire relief campaign that raised millions of dollars. Kyrgios gave Aus$200 (US$125) for every ace he hit across his home tennis summer, which ran until the end of the Australian Open. Other players and Australian Open organisers jumped on board the fundraising drive, also contributing large sums to people affected by the deadly fires.

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Novak Djokovic has said he would be against a compulsory Coronavirus vaccination if it became a requirement for tennis players to travel to tournaments. "Personally, I'm against vaccination. I wouldn't like that someone forces me to get a vaccine in order to be able to travel," the World No. 1 said late on Sunday.

The Serbian star was speaking from Spain, where he is in lockdown with his family, in a video conference held on his Facebook for Orthodox Easter. "We [players] will have to travel. I think it will be the number one challenge," he said.

"If it [vaccination] will become compulsory what will happen? I will have to take a decision," on whether to get a vaccine or not, he said. "This is my opinion at the moment. Whether it will change I don't know."

No vaccine currently
There is currently no vaccine for the virus that has claimed some 1,65,000 lives around the globe, though labs around the world are racing to develop a treatment. Like the rest of the sporting world, tennis has been on pause since early March, with the ATP and WTA Tours suspended until mid-July at the earliest and Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II.

'No play before Sept, Oct'
Djokovic estimated tournaments would not restart "before September or October". "The season will officially restart when everyone will be 100 per cent certain that people can return, that there is no risk, that people are resistant to the virus and this takes time." Tournaments with travel limited to one country or a region could be possible, he said.

17
No. of Grand Slam singles titles won by Novak Djokovic

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The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has issued a set of guidelines for local and national-level competitions when tennis returns to action once the restrictions put in place due to coronavirus pandemic are lifted. The guidelines include arriving at a venue already dressed and leaving immediately after the conclusion of a match, no handshake, no sharing of equipments (rackets, towels, water bottles, etc), no doubles matches. Besides the guidelines also say that competitions should be held without spectators.

The ITF has also said that players use separate sets of balls (and mark them clearly prior to play) and should go around opposite sides of the net at changeovers. "The guidelines -- at this stage for local and national-level competitions only -- seek to provide a framework in which tennis can be played again in a manner that protects against the risk from transmission or infection by the COVID-19 virus, and provide a number of practical suggestions as to how this might be achieved," said ITF in a statement on Friday.

"While following measures such as these will ensure that the risk from COVID-19 is minimised, the guidelines are clear that the risk cannot be eliminated altogether," it added.

Currently, all tennis activities remain suspended until July 13 due to coronavirus pandemic which has so far claimed more than 2.3 lakh lives across the world.

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A fund for tennis players hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic has been created, the sport's governing bodies announce, adding that they had contributed more than $6 million (5.3 million euros). In a joint statement, the ATP and WTA tours, the International Tennis Federation and the four Grand Slam tournaments -- the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open -- said the Player Relief Programme will support those "who are facing unprecedented challenges due to the global impact of COVID-19".

With the tennis season suspended until at least July 13, some "800 ATP/WTA singles and doubles players" are in need of financial support, the statement continued, with eligibility for the fund determined by a player's ranking and previous prize money earnings. The fund can also be donated to via initiatives including auctions, player donations and virtual tennis games, added the governing bodies, who last month announced talks about creating the programme.

The virus has caused havoc to the calendar, with Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II and the French Open postponed until the end of September. The United States Tennis Association will decide in mid-June whether or not the US Open will take place in New York. However despite the financial difficulties facing hundreds of players, the idea of a relief fund was dismissed by world number three Dominic Thiem, who said last month he would not give lower-ranked players his money.
"Quite honestly I have to say that no tennis player will be fighting to survive, even those who are much lower-ranked," Thiem said, speaking of a separate fund idea revealed by Novak Djokovic.

"None of them are going to starve ... I would rather give money to people or organisations that really need it."

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This year, (fortunately or unfortunately) has shaped out to be a traveller's paradise, with over 16 long weekends coming up. There are a number of destinations, both domestic and international, that have gained popularity in the recent past as popular travel spots among tourists. Here are top 7 places you could visit in India and abroad, as per ixigo, a travel marketplace:

1. McLeod Ganj (Himachal Pradesh)
McLeod Ganj is a paramount center of Tibetan Buddhism and culture. Precisely known as Little Lhasa, the town is home to a number of monasteries, essential temples, and other ancient structures. This beautiful hill station has it all, from treks to strolls, delicious cuisines to amazing beverages, adventures to spiritual places and much more. If you are an adventure junkie, experience trekking and camping on the Triund trail.

Coorg. Pic courtesy/YouTube

2. Coorg (Karnataka)
One of the best times to experience the raw natural beauty of Coorg is during March. This month sees the blooming of tea and spice plantations which fills the valleys with fragrances, refreshing your senses to the core. Must visit places in Coorg include Abbey Falls, Nagarhole National Park, Namdroling Monastery, Burude Falls, Honnamana Kere Lake, among others.

3. Sundarbans (West Bengal)
In the pre-winter month of November, the gates of Sundarbans National Park open. This month makes traveling to the dense mangrove forests easier to navigate through the meandering rivers to spot the Royal Bengal Tigers, as they are out sunbathing by the river. With enjoyable temperatures, dense foliage, and a wondrous wildlife, Sundarbans is easily one of the best places to visit in November. Beware of crocodiles and wild boar.

4. Mount Abu (Rajasthan)
The only hill station of Rajasthan, Mount Abu is the perfect escape from the scorching heat of June. Sitting amidst green forests, it lies in the Aravalli mountain range, around 1,220 meters above sea level. Get most of your vacation here and visit places like Nakki Lake, the famous Sunset Point, Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple, Trevor¿s Tank and Toad Rock.

5. Istanbul (Turkey)
November in Istanbul is a few degrees warmer than the neighbouring countries of Europe and also provides a vigorous push of the exotic to ward off the winter blues. Quite literally the meeting ground of the East and the West, Istanbul is lined with frescoed palaces, churches, museums and art galleries. Indulge in a reviving Turkish bath, see the city from high above on a hot balloon or fill up on Baklava with Turkish tea.

6. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is stunningly picturesque, affordable and full of simple, smiling people. One of the most beautiful island nations of the world, its geography boasts of blissful beaches, rolling rainforests, and magnificent mountains while its culture and creative cuisine guarantee a trip most memorable.

7. Egypt
After the fierce heat of the summer months, September is pleasantly perfect to explore the ancient wonders and the endlessly spellbinding landscapes of Egypt. With peering pyramids, deserts, soaring minarets and temple ruins, this `Gift of the Nile¿ deserves a place in everyone¿s travel bucket list.

Living in a city like Mumbai where views from a person's home consist mainly of bricks and mortar, and where people go about their daily business with such a frenetic pace that it mirrors a fast local train travelling at top speed, can leave its citizens feeling as jaded as someone who's been tied to a computer screen indefinitely for months on end. But a travel company is now offering people feeling the same the chance to join an expedition to Rishikesh, so that they can recharge their batteries before getting back to the daily grind.

"It will be a three-night stay," says Rohit Dube, co-founder of Moonstone Hammock, which is organising the tour. "The first day starts with a trek to a hidden gem, a waterfall about 5 km from the main city where people can actually sit in the water and have their food. And over the course of the rest of the trip, we will take the participants for two different evening aartis, rafting, to the Beatles ashram, cafés with live music, and local bazaars so that they can soak in the vibe of the place. We will also take them around the mountains on bikes, for instance to the beautiful road that heads towards Badrinath," he adds, meaning that it's time for you to pack your bags if you want to escape this concrete jungle, even if it's for a brief period.

On: March 29 to April 1
Call: 9769274340 to book
Cost: Rs.7,980

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Taiwan

Those caught up in the hustle bustle of a city life -- and craving for someplace pristine, calm and relaxed -- will fall in love with Taiwan. But along with its tranquillity and peace, there is also the effervescence of a place celebrating its culture and language with aplomb.

This small island nation in the South China Sea is truly the heart of Asia - and it is fast catching the attention of Indian travellers, offering as it does a perfect combo of fabulous food, superb night life, bustling markets, hot springs, culture, history, architecture and stunning natural beauty - from gentle mountains to lovely coastal landscapes.

It was around the Taiwan Lantern Festival 2018 that we landed at Taichung International Airport here to be greeted by our tour guide, the friendly and ever-smiling Charles Tung. And he wanted all of us - a group of travelling journalists - smiling as well. "Say cheese," he said as he got us to pose for a group photo before we embarked on our journey of exploration. And there is much to explore.

"Taiwan has a truly unique natural beauty. There are beautiful places like Sun Moon lake, Yangmingshan National Park, Black Dwarf Cave... to name just a few. These places provide an escape from the chaos of urban living," Noel Saxena, Country Head, Taiwan Tourism Bureau India Office, told IANS. Saxena said Taiwan is also very rich when it comes to art.

"Be it dance, music or even folk art, the Taiwanese have earned critical acclaim with an exceptional display of talent. Taiwanese hand puppetry and Taiwanese opera are two foremost examples of art forms that are authentically Taiwanese, in that they use the Taiwanese language, not Mandarin," he informed.

The Taiwanese love for music and art was evident at Ten Drum Ciatou Creative Park, located in Kaohsiung. Once a sugar processing plant, it is now the hub of a percussion group -- the Ten Drum Percussion Group that has won accolades globally, including a Grammy in the Best World Album category.

While taking a walk around the former factory, we had to take a path made up of the branches of trees... Quite literally, we were walking on trees without fear of falling down -- a unique experience.

Other stops included the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, a comprehensive recreational area featuring Taiwanese indigenous people's cultural relics as well as amusement park facilities; and the Sun Moon Lake, situated near Yuchi township, was truly mesmerising. One of the most beautiful alpine lakes in Taiwan, it is shaped like a crescent moon; hence the name.

The Buddha Memorial Centre at Fo Guang Shan is a landmark in the country. Touching 108 metres in height, the Buddha is made up of 1,872 metric tonnes of copper and iron and is currently the world's tallest bronze seated Buddha.

"Taiwan is blessed with natural beauty, scenic areas, great food, astonishing history and culture -- and Taipei 101. This makes it a great destination. It is a destination for all age groups," said Saxena.

The country is home to only about 20 million people and is a technology powerhouse. This was quite evident even at the traditional Lantern Festival - held earlier this month -- where all the work displayed was high-tech.

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To loosen up and de-stress, millennials have understood that travelling is the best therapy. Utilising long weekends, Indians are exploring more offbeat locations rather than going to another city with the same hustle bustle, say experts. Dhruv Raj Gupta, Founder and CEO, TripShelf and Dhruv Sharma, CEO and Founder of GuestHouser, have listed few travel trends this year:

1. Staycation is in: Staycation or staying in the same city has undergone a very interesting paradigm shift due to over-tourism. Travellers are increasingly seeking out relaxed, luxury stays at holiday homes around them in the same city.

2. Choosing home stays over hotels: A growing population of well-travelled urban millennials has grown tired of conventional tourism; which focuses on the simple historical sightseeing and standardized hotel rooms. This population is looking for something more personal and unique wherein they can take a dip in an unfamiliar culture, and experience it by living with a native family. They also look forward to eating authentic food of the place they're visiting and home stays thus prove to be a good option.

3. Exotic or offbeat destinations: Stress busting and exploring unexplored places are the two top reasons for travel on long weekends amongst millennials instead of catching up with friends, research or writing. From quaint solo getaways to off-season mountain escapes and immersive adventures, urban millennials are not nervous about trying unexplored places. They prefer short backpacking trips with just 2-3 nights to stay, and don't mind taking overnight buses or road trips to destinations within a distance of 400 km from Delhi.

4. Last minute travel: With the upswing of various online portals and last-minute attractive deals, spontaneous trips are trending among millennials and they don't hesitate in making plans on the go. Bookings are made less than 24 hours before the trip to various off beat locations.

5. Solo travel on an all-time high: With an all-time high number of people travelling solo, the travel industry has completely transformed to enrich the experience of young solo explorers. These young travellers engage in enriching experiences, learning new skills, immerse themselves in culture while they are out there exploring. The solo excursion helps in a personalized experience that is curated based on individual likes and preferences.

6. Wellness retreat: As people are taking care of their mental health and are paying it equal attention to as their physical health, wellness trips are taking a huge hike. The goal is to be more mentally sound and relaxed before returning to the routine life. Activities like yoga, meditation, hiking, surfing, long treks or even running are the focus of such trips to reduce stress. Various places like Rishikesh, Gokarna, Coimbatore and Mysore have amazing wellness retreats.

In the age of instant social media uploads and the so-called mandatory airport selfies, one cannot do without planning a vacay wardrobe. If you have difficulty in staying within the luggage weight limit, this checklist is your best travel guide.

Cool casual
Deepika Padukone is the queen of effortless cool; her favoured combo being leggings and an oversized shirt or a pullover. Do your knees a favour and pick baggy pants for long flights.

The '90s kid
From Valentino to Masaba, the fanny pack is the new favourite of designers. Take a cue from actor Jacqueline Fernandez and clip one on to keep your essentials in place.

Athleisure
We don't see the athleisure trend settling down anytime soon. And it's the perfect trend to follow for travel, just like actor Ranveer Singh in this tracksuit.

Boho-chic
If comfort is a requisite, loose silhouettes should be your pick. Actor Esha Gupta does it well in this maxi. Natural beachy waves after a day by the seaside will complete your look.

Staples first
>> Linens are best for summer.
>> Wardrobe staples include shirts, your best denim, shorts and linen pants. Ankle-length linen pants can be worn with breezy cotton tops, T-shirts, shirts or kurtis, making four looks with one staple.

>> Footwear is bulky to carry. One pair of white shoes and flip flops or sandals will work with every outfit.
>> Denim shorts go with everything, be it T-shirts or a monokini. Dark or faded shorts work best, while ripped ones need a sporty approach.
>> For cooler places, a classic, big trench coat (each brand has a signature), socks, boots or shoes and a stole should be your essentials.

>> Always carry moisturiser, for the beach or the hills. A perfume is another essential.
>> Carry two styles of sunglasses to change your looks in your photos. Leave the rest to good natural lighting which is a guarantee when outdoors.

- Rupa Chourasia, stylist

From day to night
>> Pack garments in an assortment of light or warm fabrics, which will work not just for the outdoors but also in the AC.
>> For a packed itinerary that involves day outings, partying and outdoors, neutral heels, chic flats and one pair of sneakers will make your shoe-game on point.

>> For a day to night transition in the same outfit, carry small accessories and statement jewellery — slinky chains with a beach cover-up or a kaftan for the beach; interchange this look with a chunky neckpiece or earrings for the night. Make-up can help you achieve this shift too.

>> A small metallic sling bag, a medium tote or a leather backpack are versatile pieces.
- Reann Moradian, stylist

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Agartala: The first meeting of the 'Niti Forum for North-East' (NFNE) on Tuesday chosn five sectors including tourism and food processing to exploit them on mission mode basis to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic growth of the region, said NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar.

Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh, in a significant announcement, also said that henceforth 100 per cent funding would be made by the Central government for central sector projects in the eight northeastern states, which were earlier being undertaken on the basis of centre-state sharing in the ratio of 90 :10.

"In the first meeting, NFNE has identified five sectors to exploit them on mission mode basis to speed up inclusive and sustainable economic growth of the northeastern region," Rajiv Kumar told the media after the meeting.

The other sectors are bamboo, horticulture and 'Made in Northeast'.

Rajiv Kumar said that the focus of development and infrastructural projects in the northeastern region would be based on the concept of "HIRA" -- Highways, Inland Waterways, Railways and Airways as conceptualised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The NITI Aayog Vice Chairman and DoNER Minister are Co-Chairmen of the NFNE constituted last month following Modi's direction to supplement the functioning of the DoNER ministry and North Eastern Council (NEC).

On the new funding pattern for central sector projects, Jitendra Singh said that this will only be applicable to the eight northeastern states, unlike the earlier 90:10 funding pattern which was in force for 11 special category states - which also included Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

He said the infrastructure of the northeastern region, which had been neglected for 65 years, had got a boost under the NDA government, with utilisation of funds increasing to Rs 30,000 crore in the last financial year from Rs 24,000 crore in 2014-15 fiscal.

Singh said that for the development of highways and roadways and tourism sectors, two separate corporations were formed and to boost the industrialisation of the region, the "North East Industrial Development Scheme" was finalised last month by the union cabinet with the financial outlay of Rs 3000 crores up to March, 2020.

He said that under the UDAN phase two and phase three, all the northeastern states would be connected by airways and the region's connectivities with the neighbouring countries would be further developed.

Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, Planning and Coordination, PWD Ministers of Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Assam and top officials of all the eight northeastern states and various Central ministries attended the day-long NFNE meeting.

Rajiv Kumar said that 14 districts of eight northeastern states among the 115 most backward districts across the country and dubbed as "aspirational" districts, identified to accelerate the all-round development.

Of the 14 districts, seven are in Assam and one each in remaining seven states - Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Sikkim.

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Despite the scorching heat, Goa remains the most popular Indian holiday destination, followed by Jaipur, according to a study conducted by a leading travel portal.

Thanks to budget-friendly stay options and heavy discounts on flights, Indians also prefer short-haul international destinations such as Dubai and Singapore, according to a study by ixigo, based on bookings on its website.

The difference in domestic airfares for peak and off-season is about 45 per cent and for international airfares is about 18 per cent, said a statement.

As for stay options, while Indians prefer to keep a low hotel stay budget, they wouldn't mind paying extra for a great view at a beach or hill station.

Around 47 per cent tourists prefer to stay at 4/5 star hotels during summer holiday in Goa vs 62 per cent who prefer more pocket friendly accommodation options in Jaipur.

ixigo CEO and Co-founder Aloke Bajpai said: "It was interesting to find that travellers no longer worry about seasonality while picking a summer holiday destination. Places such as Goa and Dubai have become round the year tourist hubs! Off-season travel can be quite beneficial.

"Not only do you avoid all the rush, but you also save considerably on hotels and flights. If we compare flight fares from last year, average domestic fares for the summer season have dropped by around 9 per cent and average international fares have dropped by around 19 per cent. This, plus additional discounts offered by travel portals such as ixigo, enable travellers to plan trips, even on smaller budgets."

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New Delhi: With travel bug catching up in India, European countries are a preferred destination for Indians this summer, according to a survey.

Searches were conducted by travel search engine KAYAK.co.in between October 1, 2017 to March 23, 2018 for travel dates between May 5, 2017 and August 31, 2018.

As per the search, Moscow and Istanbul are taking the lead with year-on-year increase in flight searches by 269 and 252 per cent respectively.

Other trendy destinations this summer show that Indians are interested in travelling not only to the well-known European destinations like Spain, Germany and Greece but also to some less conventional ones like Norway, Hungary and even Iceland.

Europeans on the other hand are travelling to Palma Mallorca in Spain the most, followed by London and Lisbon.

Considering the budget, several European locales are emerging as good options for travel from India without burning a big hole in the pocket.

Istanbul, which is also the second top-trending destination, is seeing a price drop as high as 95 per cent compared to the average trip cost.

This is followed by Milan, Italy, with a 37 per cent drop in the average trip cost. With warm weather in Europe, this represents a good opportunity to travel to these European destinations for a summer adventure at a reduced price.

Abhijit Mishra, Director of India and Middle East, KAYAK, said in a statement: "With the summer holiday period quickly approaching, travel planning is on the rise and it was interesting to see how European countries have emerged as the preferred destination for Indians this year."

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A Writers Retreat session in progress

While most of us aren't as lucky as Ruskin Bond to call the hills of Uttarakhand home, a brief escape to nature can help get the creative juices flowing. If you love writing and feel you could do with some inspiration as well as insights into honing your prose, the upcoming edition of Writers Retreat might be your ideal getaway.

The sprawling open-air venue

Designed by the live storytelling event series, Tall Tales, and Grassroutes, an organisation that seeks to connect the urban dweller with the rural community, the two-day retreat will take place in Dehna. The village, located at a two-hour drive from Mumbai, is nestled in the Sahyadris. And thanks the many streams and rivulets that spring up during monsoon, it is also called the land of a thousand waterfalls.

Michael Burns

The retreat features seven workshops rolled into one along with some free time to explore and soak in the rural life. "The first day is all about the universal story structure - how to start stories, what to do in the middle, and how to end them. Irrespective of the language or genre, there is a basic structure that many writers with great ideas find difficult to adhere to," says Michael Burns, director of Tall Tales. The day will end with a film screening, where participants will watch a structured story unfold on screen.

The next day will get into the nuances of good writing, like designing unforgettable characters. "Some writing exercises will encourage participants to explore their relationship with nature; something that's difficult to achieve amidst the distractions of a busy city like Mumbai," signs off Burns.

On: October 1, 9 am onwards
Meeting point: To be decided three days prior to the trip
Log on to: instamojo.com
Email: akshay@talltales.in (seats limited)
Cost: '8,000 ('7,000 for students)

New York: Maintaining strong social networks with positive, warm and trusting friendships in old age might be key to slowing down age-related decline in memory and brain functioning, researchers say.

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The findings showed that superagers -- who are 80 years and older -- who have the cognitive ability at least as good as people in their 50s or 60s can have more satisfying, high-quality relationships compared to their cognitively average, same-age peers.

"This study supports the theory that maintaining strong social networks seems to be linked to slower cognitive decline," said Emily Rogalski, Associate Professor at the Northwestern University in the US.

"The study is particularly exciting as a step toward understanding what factors underlie the preservation of cognitive ability in advanced age, particularly those that may be modifiable," added Amanda Cook, doctoral student at the varsity.

Previous studies have shown psychological well-being in older age to be associated with reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia.

"It's not as simple as saying if you have a strong social network, you'll never get Alzheimer's disease," Rogalski said.

"But if there is a list of healthy choices one can make, such as eating a certain diet and not smoking, maintaining strong social networks may be an important one on that list," Rogalski noted.

For the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the participants answered a 42-item questionnaire called the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale, which is a widely used to measure of psychological well-being.

The scale examines six aspects of psychological well-being: autonomy, positive relations with others, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life and self-acceptance.

Superagers scored a median overall score of 40 in positive relations with others while the control group scored 36 -- a significant difference, Rogalski said.

When we meet them on a windy November afternoon, the quartet that calls itself Sanam (named after lead singer/composer Sanam Puri) is comfortable taking questions on, and dealing with fame. They could be the biggest band in India, say insiders. Their YouTube channel has 208 million subscribers and enjoys 14 million views per month. And they have fans across South Africa, Trinidad, Netherlands, Bangladesh, England, Nigeria, and even Suriname. "We just realised the other day that there isn't a country in the world that hasn't visited our channel," says Keshav Dhanraj, drummer. Thank God Indians are everywhere, we say, and he laughs, "Yes! Bangladesh is the biggest consumer of our music!" And they admit that they are drawing in more women than men. "It's quite a tough fight," says bass guitarist Venkat Subramaniyam, who is scrolling through figures as we talk over watermelon juice at the clubhouse of their plush residential complex in Madh-Marve. "It's 50:50," he adds, "women are more active on social media, I mean they comment more, but otherwise the gender ratio is roughly equal."

Pic/Nimesh Dave

It has taken them a while to get here. Brothers Sanam and guitarist Samar Puri, from Delhi, Subramaniyam, from Bengaluru and Dhanraj, from Chennai won a contest called SUPASTARS hosted by a recording label in 2010. Free gigs, great for exposure, but not of particular value, followed, until they met their manager Ben Thomas. "Under Ben's guidance, we started making videos and music of all types [originals and Hindi, English covers], says Dhanraj. Their first song, Hawa Hawa, saw a decent traction. But then, a cover of Lata Mangeshkar's Lag Jaa Gale got them almost 36 million views (and counting).

But their success is also a product of consistency. The first-time visitors on their channel often discover other songs, which they may not have done as well when they released, but gradually gained popularity. "So, our song, Dua [23 million views] which is an original, got popular after people had already discovered us through perhaps a cover version of some song, and wanted to listen to other stuff," says Sanam. They do remember the time that they tried first to get their songs heard. "I have been banned by Facebook so many times because I have spammed so many people [in an attempt to get them to hear our music]!" laughs Dhanraj. "I remember tagging people in the comments section of our videos. Facebook only allows 10 mentions per comment. So, you can imagine how many comments I posted!" smiles Sanam.

Today, they have the numbers, but they won't take their success for granted. They try and put up at least one new video every month (original or cover), update their social media accounts every few hours, and tour the country and outside. They now have a team that handles the logistics, including mixing and editing of videos, so they can "concentrate on the music". "We used to do it all ourselves. Now, it's about making music we are proud of so that you, the listener, likes it."

Ask them if they will ever ditch covers for originals only, and they have a smart, sorted reply. "In India, originals are respected more. We get that, and we aim to make more and more of them. But in many countries we visit, our fans are into the classics, like Mohammed Rafi's songs, and we want to give them what they want. They are our unique versions, they carry our stamp, in any case," says Subramaniyam.

As we leave them, they tell us about their musical influences, and there are some surprising answers. Sanam doesn't listen to much else because he doesn't wish to influenced, but if he must, he will pick, "strings and background music". Subramaniyam loves funk and blues, and Dhanraj and Samar like Arabic tunes. As Samar says, "We sing in all languages, and with our success and fan base, we now get that music really does have no language."

On the stage at the majestic Royal Opera House, artistes take their seat in a semicircle for what is an unusual gathering. At the centre is British radio and television presenter Nikki Bedi, who, along with familiarising her guests with the flow of the show is also breaking the ice between participants. They are here to record The Arts Hour, a BBC radio production that goes on a tour once a month to capture the best in arts across the world. The Mumbai edition airs today.

Actor Bhumi Pednekar (with Nikki Bedi to her right) calls out the boors behind Padmavati protests. Pics/Pic/Bipin Kokate

In the city on the evening of November 22, the researchers have picked six artistes who they feel best represent the dynamic cultural scene of the city. Flanking Bedi are film critic and director of the Mumbai Film Festival Anupama Chopra, and actor Bhumi Pednekar. Seated next to them are stand-up comedian, screenwriter and novelist Anuvab Pal, and Shamir Reuben, head of content and social media at the spoken word collective, Kommune. On either side of the stage, fine-tuning their arrangements are the popular Hindi rock ensemble Anand Bhaskar Collective and pop duo from Kolkata — with a big fan following in Mumbai — Parekh & Singh in signature fruity suits. "The show is a way of seeing a people and their culture, and understanding their politics and issues through the prism of art. Stand-up comedy and spoken word are burgeoning fields in Mumbai. There is also a sea change in the kind of subjects that Indian cinema is choosing. Issues like sanitation, erectile dysfunction and fat shaming are not just making it to film, they are also managing to attract audiences into theatres," says Bedi about why it was a good time to come to Mumbai.

Nischay Parekh readies to perform the band's hit song

For this edition's research, Bedi, who was born a Moolgaokar and has roots in Mumbai, played the fact checker for producer Nicki Paxman along with providing other insider inputs. A regular feature of the show, The Culture Cab, involves the presenter hailing a cab with an artiste who then takes her around the city to explore it like a local. Though her Mumbai guide was Pal, with whom she explored the splash of global colours at the ongoing Sassoon Docks art project and the murals of Bandra, Bedi shared her favourite part of the city with him, too — Walkeshwar's Banganga.

Throughout the recording that lasted two and a half hours, the team's homework kept the conversation alive and relevant. Bedi, a natural at hosting, puts her guests at ease. It comes across in Pednekar's candour, who minces no words when asked about the ongoing controversy around Padmavati. "You know, these are people who don't give a s**t about history," she says, a word Paxman gets politely replaced at the end of the show with the milder "damn". Bedi then moves on to ask Pal and Reuben if comedy and spoken word have become popular for similar reasons and how social media has played a part. With artistes as guests, each segment packs in a performance. While Pal's jibes about SoBo residents have the audience in splits, Reuben's poetry moves many to tears. Vocalist Nischay Parekh of Parekh & Singh shares the inspiration behind their music video with a million hits, I Love You Baby, I Love You Doll, before performing it, and Anand Bhaskar shares why all his compositions are in Hindi before segueing the show to its end with a rendition of Fanaa.

An audience member comments about the need to see more everyday people in films

Rahul Baswani, who came to know of the show through Pal's tweet, is happy to have made it in the audience. "I listen to a lot of podcasts. So, the most fascinating bit for me was towards the end when they did the retakes," he says. In the green room, mutual understanding and fandom fill the air. "At the end of the day, we are all artistes, and we could feel the synergy and a shared language throughout," says Parekh, who has just promised Pal that he'll be there for his Kolkata gig the next day, even as Pal admits that the music duo is everything he would have wanted to be as a 27-year-old.

The sound engineers at work

Chopra, on the other hand, is happy that the show recognises the power of Indian cinema and how it is evolving. "Outside India, there is a fixed notion of what Bollywood is. But there is a different language [spoken] now, which most people don't know of. I am hoping that the show will communicate that." For Reuben, it has been a platform for artistic exchange. "The beauty of tonight was people might have come to watch comedy and they learnt a bit about spoken word. Or that they wanted to hear a poem and they left with music," he says. "For the BBC to say that there is something stirring in Mumbai is a statement."

When we reach a swish Bandra restaurant at the exact hour scheduled for lunch with Natalie Di Luccio and Mikey McCleary, we find Natalie already seated there. Mikey, though, hasn't arrived yet, and this leads to inevitable jokes about 'Indian Standard Time'. But to be fair to the New Zealander, he reaches only a few minutes later and immediately hits it off with Natalie, whom he knows from before. But the two haven't met in a while, their individual projects having kept them too busy to find the time. Mikey, 48, is a composer who dabbles in Bollywood projects such as Shaitan (2011) and most recently Ribbon, which released last month. Natalie, a 28-year-old Italian-Canadian, has made a mark in Bollywood too, as a playback singer in films like English Vinglish and Chennai Express. A Hindi video in collaboration with Raghu Ram is also just around the corner. She's recovered from an appendicitis operation only a few days ago, she tells us, and explores the menu with Mikey before they settle down for an engaging conversation.

Mikey McCleary and Natalie Di Luccio at a restaurant in Bandra West. Pics/Shadab Khan

Shunashir to Natalie: How did your relationship with India begin?
Natalie: Well, I remember I was in the library in McGill (a Canadian university where she studied) around 2009 and I had all my songs on Myspace at the time. I don't know if you remember Myspace?
Shunashir: I do remember it.
Mikey: Yeah, I do too.
Natalie: So this is then, okay? And I got a message on Myspace from someone from India, who said, "Hi, we'd like you to come to India and record on this fusion album on the chakras." But the whole thing didn't make sense to me at the time. So, I said, "Thanks; yeah, maybe one day." But I didn't know who that album was by. Long story short, they messaged me again and said, "Can you do some recording for us from Canada?" and I said, "Okay." Two months later, I get back home from school in Quebec and there's a CD in the mail; it's Sonu Nigam's Maha Ganesha album, which is what I sung for!
Mikey: Wow.

Shunashir: Yeah, wow. And how was it for you, Mikey?
Mikey: My relationship with India actually began because I was born here, in Chennai. My parents were missionaries in the country, in Andhra Pradesh. But anyway, let's fast forward. I moved to New Zealand when I was five years old, did my schooling there, got into music, moved to London and got a studio there. And one day, somebody knocks on the door of the studio, some Indian fellow, and says, "Hi, I'm your new brother-in-law." And this guy is Lucky Ali.
Natalie: Oh my gosh!
Mikey: Yeah, but he hadn't released anything then, so he wasn't known as a singer. He had come to do some sort of recording in Watford and said, "Can I come in and maybe, we can do some music together?" So, I said, "Okay, come back over the weekend," and that's how we recorded a couple of songs, Oh Sanam and Sunoh.
Shunashir: ...Which kind of changed the Indi-pop game at that point of time, at least in terms of videos.
Mikey: Right. And the Oh Sanam video was shot in Cairo, at the pyramids. And the woman who was dressed in the purdah, with everyone in India wondering who this person with blue eyes in Lucky Ali's big hit song is — that's my sister!
Natalie: That's so funny, and really cool.

(The food — poached pear and blue cheese salad, grand chicken Caesar salad, meatballs in creamy sauce and pizza American — arrives)
Mikey: Have you noticed how so many Mumbai menus suddenly have watermelon and feta salad?
Natalie: I think it's a Greek combination and you're right, it's everywhere now. But the pizza in Italy (which is where part of her family is from) is totally different from the one we get in Mumbai. They have less ingredients and the main thing is always the tomato sauce. You can tell the restaurant by its tomato sauce.

Shunashir: Have you not taken to Indian food?
Natalie: No, no. It's not that. But I am fonder of North Indian food because I find that it's a little sweeter in general, all your butter chickens and navratan kormas. And I think North Indian food is pretty much what you mean by Indian food elsewhere in the world, right?
Mikey: Well, do you know what the national dish in the UK is?

Shunashir: It used to be chicken tikka masala, but I'm not so sure about now.
Mikey: I think it still is. By "national dish" they mean the most commonly ordered dish in restaurants.
Natalie: I don't know why it is, but when I'm at home here, I don't like having cooked food as much. Maybe it's the weather?
Mikey: Yeah, it could be. You'll also see that countries that are hotter actually have more chilli in their food. That's because it's counter-intuitive. Chilli kind of cools you down, and brings the heat out.
Natalie: It's so funny how that works.

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So far, 70 Indian words have made their entry into the Oxford dictionary, including jugaad, natak and chup along with desi delicacies such as gulab jamun and keema. Last month, the Oxford Dictionaries decided to go ahead and announce its decision to include another Hindi word, this time something that resonates with 2017. It can be a word or a phrase that reflects the mood and preoccupations of the year. It called on Hindi speakers across the country to help in the task. Following suggestions from the people, the word will be chosen by the Hindi Dictionaries team at Oxford University Press (OUP) along with an advisory panel of language experts, next month. We, at Sunday mid-day, decided to do our bit, by reaching out to people connected to the language to share their top nominations.

AADHAAR
Picked by: Varun Grover,
comedian and writer of Masaan
A word that was supposed to instill faith in the citizens, has become an irritant at best, given the constant threats by banks and phone companies [to link bankc accounts,etc. to Aadhaar]. It gets worse because of the impending invasion of privacy it so arrogantly wants. What's left is us waiting for it to be linked to the atmosphere so that oxygen supply to non-complying citizens can also be cut off.

MAST
Picked by: Ishita Moitra,
dialogue writer for Noor, Half Girlfriend
I looked up the meaning of 'mast' in the Oxford dictionary and it said, a tall upright post, spar, or other structure on a ship or boat, in sailing vessels generally carrying a sail or sails. Certainly not, what Akshay Kumar had in mind when he sang to Raveena Tandon in Mohra. So I decided that mast would be my submission. It's an pan-India word. It simultaneously means cool, awesome, sexy, entertaining, and indicates a state of happiness and ecstasy. It can also be used to describe everything from Virat Kohli's shot, to the new Varun Dhawan film or a spirited aunty at a sangeet function. Originally a Persian word that means intoxicated, mast was usually used to denote a state of spiritual euphoria. Now, it is often used to signify someone who is high on life. The slowdown of the economy, censorship, the rise of extremism - 2017 has been dark, and we are in dire need of some mast-ness.

DHAAKAD
Picked by: Ian Ibex,
Hindi rapper
Dhaakad is used for someone who is powerful and strong, someone people are afraid of even. This year we have seen hordes of women take on sexual offenders. Whether it was through a Facebook or Twitter post or the #metoo campaign, there was a certain fearlessness associated with responding to sexual harassment. This bravado was the highlight of 2017.

SAAL GAYA EK, SHABD GAYE ANEK
Picked by: Dr Madan Meena,
folklorist and editor of The People's Linguistic Survey of India
I pick this phrase because I believe language dies gradually with the death of its vocabulary. Due to the imposition of dominant languages of commercial or political importance, minor languages die a lonely death. This year has witnessed growing support for Hindi to be scheduled as a national language. In contrast, I remember people like Shamshuddin Neelgar of Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan), the dyer who passed away this year at the age of 95. With him, the names of more than two dozen colour shades and the technical words associated with his profession, in the Talheti language, are gone forever. Neither Hindi, nor any other dominant language can substitute them.

GST
Picked by: Kumud Chaware,
former political editor
Nobody, not even Hindi publications and regional newspapers, refer to it as 'vastu evam seva kar' which is the Hindi word for GST. If I look back, GST set the mood for 2017, and people began talking about it like it was a hurricane set to rip us apart. For instance, it was common to hear people say, “GST aane wala hai, yeh khareed lo; GST aane wala hai, wahan chale jao”, irrespective of whether you were aware of what it entailed. Funnily, most of us still haven't been able to wrap our head around whether this tax is beneficial or not.

TANASHAHI, ZULM AUR MANMANI
Picked by: Nadira Babbar,
theatre actor and producer of Hindi theatre This year, we saw so many arbitrary decisions taken by the government. While demonestisation was announced at the end of 2016, its effects were experienced right until now. If that wasn't enough, they rolled out GST which has disrupted the common man's life. Milk, which you earlier got for Rs 17, now costs Rs 28. We are suffering, because somebody in power has taken decisions without thinking through their consequences. This amounts to tanashahi, manmani.

JHUNJNA
Picked by: Qais Jaunpuri,
Writer and man behind popular storytelling show Aao Kahein Dil Ki Baat
The people of this country were already facing trouble because of the effects of demonetisation, but like a cherry on the cake, the government launched GST. It disrupted our lives. Moroever, cow politics took its worst form. We continue to see innocent people live in fear of violence. You never know what is coming your way, so you have be prepared for the worse and we must all be prepared to 'tackle'.

JUNOON
Picked by: Prateek Kuhad,
singer-songwriter known for bilingual lyrics
People around the world are uniting to fight racial segregation, gender inequality and support refugee rehabilitation. We still have a long way to go to entirely uproot these problems, and we find enough people on the other side of the fence disagreeing with what we say. Yet, it's inspiring to see a sizeable section of the people, of various genders, cultures, nationalities and race, come together to voice their opinion, and strive for a more evolved value system. These people are not driven by individual leaders, but by mass empathy for a cause. So, I pick the word junoon.

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Ginni Mahi must have been in Std VIII or IX when she first became aware of the divisive nature of the caste system. A girl in her class had asked her which caste she belonged to and Mahi did not know what to say. The Mahis constitute nearly 40 per cent of the scheduled caste population of Jalandhar, her hometown. The 19-year-old grew up on stories about Dr BR Ambedkar, the founder of the Indian Constitution and the teachings of Guru Ravidas, who led the Bhakti movement in Punjab in the 15th century. Theirs is, as her father Rakesh Chandra Mahi calls it, an "Ambedkarite family". It's no surprise, therefore, that both Ambedkar and Guru Ravidas have become a mainstay in Mahi's songs, which, over the past year has catapulted her into a bestselling Punjabi rapper, even earning her the tag of a "Punjabi Dalit rapper".

Ginni Mahi

The tag, however, doesn't agree with Mahi. Even though in her videos the singer wears a definite rapper swag, be it in a leather jacket or a patiala suit, she says her genre cannot be called that. "It is definitely a fusion between Western beats and Punjabi style, but I am not sure if you can call it rap," says the singer who performed in Mumbai for the first time yesterday at a congregation of women speakers. Mahi, who did her first live show when she was 12, knew from a very early age that she wanted to do "something to fight inequality in society". "Since I could sing, I had all these dreams, of doing live and reality shows. I was very little but I was already shooting for the stars," she smiles. While she has brought in a unique style to talk of the life and times of Dr Ambedkar, she was sure that it would work, even though no one had tried it before. "We have a team of lyricists who work hard to figure what should go, and more importantly, what should be dropped from a song. Addressing sensitive subjects like inequality and untouchability is always tricky territory. There has been an overwhelming amount of support, and some negative feedback too. But if there is no criticism, there can be no improvement," says the singer who performed in Mumbai for the first time yesterday at 'We The Women', a congregation of women speakers.

Ginni with her father Rakesh Chandra Mahi

Even though this is her first visit to Mumbai, Mahi could barely make time to look around. "My second year finals are on, I have an exam on Monday," says the singer who is pursuing graduation in music, from HMV College in Jalandhar. "Studies are my priority, I want to do my masters, and then my dream is to do my PhD in music. A doctor heals people with his knowledge in medicine. I want to know music so well, that one day I am able to heal people with music," she says. In terms of her singing career, Bollywood, of course is the dream. "I want to be a playback singer here, much like my idols Lata Mangeshkar, Shreya Ghoshal and Sunidhi Chauhan."

A still from her hit song, Fan Baba Sahib Di

While Mahi's music wants to break the shackles of inequality, that she herself has earned the tag of a Dalit rapper is an irony she just might have to live with. "My message is humanity, to erase caste politics. No one, especially artists, should be bound by class or caste. Such a tag, even though it has earned me fame, beats the purpose. But then, that is how the world works, in labels. We have entwined ourselves in all kinds of borders that separate us from each other."

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