The Marathi film industry is speedily moving towards making movies with good budgets. But to provide exceptional content with this high budget is really challenging. Very few directors from the industry can fulfill this challenge. And amongst these names, an emerging name is Digpal Lanjekar. Digpal has come in the spotlight after delivering two consecutive hit movies on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj over a period of two years. since the great director Bhalji Pendharkar’s movies based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, no one had embarked on such a mission. After 40 years Digpal has accepted the challenge of creating movies on this topic has succeeded. His passion was strengthened by his meetings with great historians like Ninad-ji Bedekar. 

His first movie was Farzand which was released in June 2018. The movie was based on one of the Sardar’s of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Farzand was an unsung hero. After the movie was released, the audience loved the movie. Digpal’s passion and efforts had succeeded. It was not only the box office numbers that made the news but the fact that it ran for more than 50 days in theatres, too.
His second movie was Fatteshikast launched in November 2019. The movie was based on the legendary campaign by Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Pune when he performed the country’s first surgical strike against the Mughal commander Shaistakhan. This movie was also a big hit. After the first movie, there was only a time period of one year in which Digpal completed the writing of the second film, shooting, direction, VFX, and post-production. In this time period, Digpal was also able to meet with the descendants of the sardars of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj and able to convince them to be a part of his movies. This enabled him to get a bunch of original documentation of historical events. Digpal Said, "I have decided to shoot in real location to get the feel and look right. It has been a cumbersome task, but my team has been wonderful". In his movies, Digpal reprises multiple roles of writer, director, dialogue writer, lyricist and also makes a cameo appearance as a character.

Digpal said, Maratha Light Infantry’s Belgaum training centre has decided to archive his film "Fatteshikast". The Movie will be a part of the their library and soldiers joining the Maratha Light Infantry Belgaum centre will be shown the film which is a great honour. "Fatteshikast" has also been awarded with many reputable awards and recognitions. 

Digpal’s style of movie making is not only appreciated by the audience but also his producers as well. In one of the interviews, Mr. Ajay Arekar the producer of the movie "Fatteshikast" said that ‘Digpal not only has a deep sense of movie direction and storytelling but also a detailed understanding of the producers' concerns and risks. At all times, Digpal has a plan ready for the next steps, the budgets and fail-safe scenarios.’ Owing to this attitude, the producers are very happy and agreed to support Digpal in his journey forward and are producing his next couple of movies as well.

Songs are a very important part of any movie in India. The songs in Digpal’s movies are very popular. Digpal also gets credit for the beautiful songs because he has penned most of the songs from his movies. The interesting part is that he has studied folk literature and music styles to write songs in folk dialects. This makes the songs very lifelike and perfect fit for the scenario in which the theme or the scene in the movie demands.

Digpal also plans his movie promotions wisely so that an inquisitive thought is triggered in the mindsets of the audience well before the movie is launched. The title poster of his upcoming movie "Jungjauhar", which displayed in a very attractive font has already created a buzz in Social media. Promotion of the movies is a key strong point of Digpal which the producers appreciate and because of this more and more producers are approaching Digpal for future projects.

Digpal’s upcoming movie is the ‘JungJauhar’. The shooting of the entire movie was completed in just 26 days. This movie is all set to be released in June 2020 and is based on the event in Pavan Khind when Baji Prabhu Deshpande and three hundred members of the Bandal clan sacrificed their lives so that Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj could safely reach the destination.

After JungJauhar, Digpal plans to create a few movies based on the lives of legendary characters and unsung heroes not just from the time period of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj but also from the Indian independence movement. The idea and script for this film is also finalised and scriptwriting is also in progress for this movie. Digpal plans to make this movie accessible to a wider range of audience by having it made and released it in the Hindi film industry with the central character being played by a renowned Hindi actor.  When asked about details, Digpal said ‘The movie is going to be about a brave freedom fighter who teaches the Britishers a lesson in their own home i.e. London in the year 1910’.

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Sonakshi Sinha has urged people to help frontline Coronavirus warriors by donating Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to them. On Saturday, Sinha took to social media to post a video in which she is seen highlighting the shortage of PPE supplies in hospitals. She wrote, "Let's help the people who help us. Let's make sure they get the PPE kits that they need in the war against COVID-19. Come on guys, we can do this together (sic)."

The actor has tied up with a celebrity shoutout platform to raise funds. Have a look at the video right here:

 

 

 

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Lets help the people who help us! Our #CoronaWarriors need our help... lets make sure they get the PPE(personal protective equipment) kits that they need in the #WarAgainstCovid19! Log onto www.tring.co.in/sonakshi-sinha (LINK IN BIO) to make your donations. We need to make sure they get as many PPE kits as possible...Come on guys we can do this together!

A post shared by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona) onMay 1, 2020 at 6:45am PDT

A majority of Bollywood celebrities have repeatedly thanked the medical practitioners and doctors who are leaving no stones unturned to eradicate the Coronavirus pandemic and Sinha has also joined the bandwagon. If you haven't seen her video yet, watch it now!

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The nation witnessed 85 Indian and global stars come on one platform to raise funds for GiveIndia COVID-19 relief fund for a fundraiser concert that was held live on May 3, 2020. Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao kickstarted the philanthropic extravaganza by singing classic melodies of hope for the virtual audience.

Sharing heartfelt messages of hope with the audience, Aamir and Kiran made sure to urge everyone to contribute to the fundraiser. The classics they chose were- Aa Chal Ke Tujhe by Kishore Kumar and Raj Kapoor's Kisi Ki Muskurahaton Se from Anari and they both sang them beautifully.

Aamir Khan also said that we are passing through a difficult stage and it is important to help the needy and expressed that people should not lose hope. Kiran also said that everyone should come together in tough times.

I for India was a home-to-home fundraiser concert that went live on Facebook on Sunday, May 3, 2020, at 7:30 pm. The concert was a no-sponsors, only-donors approach where 100% proceeds from the fundraiser concert went to the India COVID Response Fund, to support on-ground relief efforts.

The vision for the concert by leaders from the entertainment industry, including Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao was three-pronged: to entertain those locked down in their homes, to pay tribute to those who are working on the frontlines and to raise funds for those who have no work and no home and do not know where their next meal is coming from. The concert features performances and personal messages from the entertainers from across the world.

With the nation facing a lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, these efforts by personalities like Aamir Khan inspire many others. Though this is not the first time he has extended his support to help the people affected by the lockdown, the personal touch that Aamir and Kiran gave in order to raise funds is commendable.

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After urging people to take up the 'Anna Daan' challenge, megastar Salman Khan is doing his bit by contributing largely to the people in need with ration supply, and helping the people who are suffering due to coronavirus induced lockdown.

The 'Bharat' star took to Instagram and shared a video that features him and Iulia Vantur, Jacqueline Fernandez among others loading the bags filled with ration on the truck. The 'Sultan' actor captioned the video as, "Thanks for the contribution... thank you all@jacquelinef143 @vanturiulia @rahulnarainkanal @imkamaalkhan @niketan_m @waluschaa @abhiraj88."

 

 

 

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@jacquelinef143 @vanturiulia @rahulnarainkanal @imkamaalkhan @niketan_m @waluschaa @abhiraj88

A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) onMay 3, 2020 at 8:50am PDT

The 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor is staying at his Panvel farmhouse with his nephew Nirvaan Khan and other family members ever since the lockdown was announced.

Khan, who has been active on social media has been educating his fans through his social media handles.

On Tuesday, the 'Sultan' star urged people to take up the 'Anna Daan' challenge and donate to the underprivileged ones who are worst affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. Khan took to Twitter and posted a picture of his two close friends preparing to distribute ration packets to the needy ones.

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In a historic move, India's biggest fundraiser concert to raise funds for GiveIndia Covid-19 relief fund was met with an unprecedented response by millions of people across the globe. Held live on 3rd May, 2020 IST on Facebook Live, India's biggest virtual concert witnessed 85 plus Indian and global stars on one platform to raise funds for those affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

Shah Rukh Khan, who was more than happy to be a part of this noble initiative, urged everyone to contribute in whatever capacity they could. The superstar pulled off an interesting and engaging conversation with his ardent fans by singing the song 'Sab Sahi Ho Jayega' (created by Badshah) – a song about chances… good chances… about hope, compassion and love.

Shah Rukh Khan's adorable act with his son AbRam was loved and appreciated by one and all, bringing a magical end to the marvelous evening. After announcing a range of initiatives, Shah Rukh Khan provided 25,000 PPE kits to the frontline medical staff in Maharashtra fighting to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic in the state.

 

 

 

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‪Extremely grateful to #IforIndia, @badboyshah and @cacklerraj for music, lyrics & for working overnight. thank u Sunil for the edit. All so that I could sing. ‬ ‪Ab bhai, lockdown mein mujhe gaate hue bhi jhelna padhega. AbRam is saying 'papa enough now!’‬ ‪Par sab sahi ho jaayega!‬

A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) onMay 3, 2020 at 2:08pm PDT

The actor's group of companies, Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation and Red Chillies VFX recently announced several initiatives to support the efforts of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji and the Government in its COVID-19 fight.

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Star couple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan's daughter Aaradhya Bachchan paid an artistic tribute to all the frontline workers who are combating COVID-19. Both Aishwarya and Abhishek took to Instagram to share a picture of the doodle by their little in-house artist.

The doodle featured two hands joined with 'Thank You' and 'Dhanyawaad' written on them while sketches of frontline workers like healthcare workers, teachers, media professionals, police officials, army personnel, and sanitisation workers are seen surrounding the thanking hands. The lower portion of the sketch featured Aaradhya standing and holding the hands of her parents who are both seen standing on her either side.

The 8-year-old also sketched the necessary precautionary measures against COVID-19 like the use of hand sanitiser, mask, and soap in her tribute to frontline workers. The sketch ended with the message of 'stay home, stay safe.'

And it's lovely! Check it out:

 

 

 

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✨❤ï¸ÂðŸŒŸðŸ‡®ðŸ‡³ðŸŒðŸŒ¸ðŸ¥°my darling Aaradhya’s Gratitude and Love ❤ï¸Ââœ¨ðŸ™

A post shared by AishwaryaRaiBachchan (@aishwaryaraibachchan_arb) onMay 3, 2020 at 11:39am PDT

The entire Bachchan family along with megastar Amitabh Bachchan and his actor wife Jaya Bachchan are currently staying at home like many other Bollywood celebrities.

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The reticent Bobby Deol is hogging the limelight due to the poem, Chand roz ki baat hai yaaron, which he has recited in a music video. Written by Sanjay Masoomm, it appreciates the efforts of the Corona warriors.

The actor shares, "I was taken in by its simplicity. It resonated with me. It makes me happy to be associated with this positivity, and I appreciate the way this situation has made us all join hands and come together."

 

 

 

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we will win this war ... let’s be kind and appreciative of all the efforts put in by our #COVIDWarriors ... thank you @sanjaymasoomm for writing such beautiful words and making me a part of it ... #StayAtHomeIsStillSafe in this #Lockdown3.0 let’s be careful and not go out unless necessary, ये सब हमारी भलाई के लिए ही किया जा रहा है! 🙏🏻 #SaveLives #IndiaFightsCorona #StayHome #Lockdown #Covid19 #Coronavirus @my_bmc @cmomaharashtra_ @mumbaipolice

A post shared by Bobby Deol (@iambobbydeol) onMay 4, 2020 at 3:04am PDT

According to a report in IANS, Bobby Deol shared, "It makes me very happy to be associated with this positivity, and I appreciate the way this situation has made us all join hands and come together. Who knew that social distancing could bring people together, with all of us checking up on one another and being there for people emotionally, if not in person."

Sanjay Masoomm said, "When I wrote the lines, I wanted someone whose voice will add weight to them. I have worked with Bobby Deol in several films and I know he's not only got a powerful voice but also a heart of gold. He's a very emotional man and his voice will help this ode reach out to more people. Bobby has read it out wonderfully with all the feeling and emotions."

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With the health crisis in the country, while PM Narendra Modi has extended the lockdown till May 3 and Indians are currently locked up inside their homes, there are several warriors who are fighting the battle for us. Whether it's the police force, doctors, nurses, soldiers or the NGOs feeding the needy ones, these Covid-19 warriors, as they are called, have been relentlessly working for us. Bobby Deol who appreciates their efforts has now paid a humble tribute to them in a music video where he's recited a poem - Chand Roz Ki Baat Hai Yaron - for the first time.

 

 

 

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we will win this war ... let’s be kind and appreciative of all the efforts put in by our #COVIDWarriors ... thank you @sanjaymasoomm for writing such beautiful words and making me a part of it ... #StayAtHomeIsStillSafe in this #Lockdown3.0 let’s be careful and not go out unless necessary, ये सब हमारी भलाई के लिए ही किया जा रहा है! 🙏🏻 #SaveLives #IndiaFightsCorona #StayHome #Lockdown #Covid19 #Coronavirus @my_bmc @cmomaharashtra_ @mumbaipolice

A post shared by Bobby Deol (@iambobbydeol) onMay 4, 2020 at 3:04am PDT

Interestingly, Bobby has never recited a poem on camera ever before but when Sanjay Masoomm came up with idea and approached him for it, he immediately agreed. The 2-minuter has been titled Chand Roz Ki Baat Hai and it not only salutes the bravado of every Indian Covid-19 warrior who are out there, protecting us from the deadly virus but is also a soul-stirring testament of the indomitable human spirit and the unity which binds Indians together. What's more interesting is while the video has been completely shot at home, it's Bobby's younger son Dharam Deol who has filmed him.

Bobby shares, "When Sanjay told me about this poem, I was taken in by the simplicity of his expression of gratitude towards the COVID warriors, i resonated with it. It makes me very happy to be associated with this positivity, and I appreciate the way this situation has made us all join hands and come together. Who knew that social distancing could bring people together, with all of us checking up on one another and being their for people emotionally, if not in person. Although these are tough times faced by everyone around the world, it is heart warming to see how this has brought us together to fight against a common enemy. We can all be a part of this noble fight by just staying at home and being supportive of our frontline warriors."

Sanjay Masoomm who has conceptualised the entire thing shares, "Chand Roz Ki Baat Hai Yaron is just our way of showing respect and lending hope and encouragement to all these Covid warriors who are working day and night to keep us safe, while we stay locked inside our houses. This time of crisis also highlights our biggest strength - unity in diversity - and it was important to underline it. When I wrote the lines, I wanted someone whose voice will add weight to them. I have worked with Bobby Deol in several films and I know he's not only got a powerful voice but also a heart of gold. He's a very emotional man and his voice will help this ode reach out to more people. Bobby has read it out wonderfully with all the feeling and emotions."

Chand Roz Ki Baat Hai Yaron, featuring Bobby Deol and conceptualised by Sanjay Masoomm.

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Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Suniel Shetty have collaborated with Dharavi rappers for a music video to spread the stay-at-home message to help control community spread of the virus.

Rappers MC Altaf, Tony Psyko and Bonz N Ribz have created the song, titled Stay Home Stay Safe, produced by rapper Divine's Gully Gang Entertainment, in Hindi, Marathi and Tamil. Directed and conceptualised by Joel D'Souza, the video also features Atul Kulkarni and Dia Mirza.

Check out the video of the song below:

Divine refers to it as a small effort from the hip-hop community to support the COVID-19 warriors. The song is supported by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the ATE Chandra Foundation, who have been working with the government to ensure food and medical aid in the densely populated regions.

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Noted actor Sonali Kulkarni known for lending support to social causes has raised her voice against the discrimination against COVID-19 positive patients across Maharashtra, through a video. 

There have been rising cases of COVID-19 positive or even suspected patients facing discrimination. Recently in Mumbai's Lalbaug area a 24-year-old photojournalist working with a Marathi newspaper was ostracised and verbally abused by his neighbours after he returned home from institutional isolation. 

The photojournalist had not even tested positive, however, since he was in close contact with two other photojournalists, who had tested positive, the BMC identified him as their high-risk contact and asked him to go to an isolation center on April 20. COVID-19 positive patients are also facing issues like their videos being circulated or their names being shared on Whatsapp groups.

Health professionals including mental health experts are increasingly expressing concerns over the long-term psychological impact of this on patients and their families. Even Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Thackeray has been urging people to show support towards the COVID-19 patients as well as their families instead of stigmatising them.

The 70-second video has been released by Mumbai based Waatavaran Foundation, and Jhatkaa.org who are working together in Maharashtra to create public awareness on COVID-19. The film has been conceptualised and executed by Goregaon based Geeta Singh and Avinash Kumar Singh of Turtle on a Hammock Films. Through this video, popular actor Sonali Kulkarni is seen encouraging and urging people to treat those suffering from COVID-19 with dignity and respecting their privacy. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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It's a small effort but let's take it.. it's going to be our lifestyle to wear a mask.. just like that - let it be as normal to accept a covid recovered person in the society 💕 Wonderful initiative by @waatavaran 👍🙏 #विà¤Âšार_बदला_à¤Â•à¥Â‹रà¥Â‹नाला_हरवा

A post shared by Sonali Kulkarni (@sonalikul) onMay 4, 2020 at 6:59am PDT

"The unfortunate fact is that being COVID-19 positive seems nothing less than a crime as people think that if a person is tested positive for COVID-19 the person is a criminal. This is wrong and this mentality needs to change," says Sonali Kulkarni in the video. "Our fight is against the pandemic, not the people suffering from it," appeals Kulkarni.

Kulkarni concludes by appealing to the public that, let's not shake hands, instead let's shake off all the myths and stigma that is associated with being COVID 19 positive.

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"I have been defeated by housework," says Konkona Sensharma, who seems exhausted with the never-ending chores. "Household work is taking up more time than I thought. It's an endless repetition and gets boring," adds Sensharma.

While most are using this time to discover world cinema on OTT platforms, Sensharma has been exposed to it since childhood. "I was introduced to world cinema very early in life. My grandfather had started the culture of film society with Satyajit Ray. So, they had a lot of screenings on the projector. My mum [Aparna Sen] would get a lot of cassettes home to watch it with her friends." Taking a break from noir films, it seems the actor is indulging in mainstream and regional entertainment these days. She says, "I love regional cinema and I will have to recommend Angamaly Diaries." She expresses her love for Jon Hamm's Mad Men. "The series takes you back in time and gives you an understanding of their attitude towards homosexuality and women," she adds, before recommending The Wire for its "tight script".

Stills from Angamaly Diaries and Mad Men

She adds Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag to her list purely for its "wicked and witty narrative". "Usually, female characters are [showcased as] earnest and moralistic. They don't write about them being witty and wicked. I loved the irreverent and irresponsible character," says Sensharma.

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Actor Amyra Dastur believes cinema is going to be transformed in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic with the digital space opening up in a big way. Amyra said the lockdown, which has led to the closing of cinemas and a postponement of shoots, also resulted in some of her projects getting pushed.

"I'm excited to see how cinema is going to transform and how the OTT platform is going to blow up bigger than ever. Luckily I'm not a newcomer so getting work isn't a concern. It is about quality and I believe only quality and not a last name will prevail. "Theatres will need a good six-eight months to have full houses again and in that time viewership on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, Alt Balaji, Voot among others will grow... Finally, content is going to overshadow the box office, so it's an exciting time at the moment," the actor told PTI.

Before the lockdown was announced in March, the actor had T-Series' murder mystery "Koi Jaane Na" co-starring Kunal Kapoor up for release in June, but that stands pushed. "We wrapped up shoot in the second week of February but that's been postponed due to the lockdown and our inability to get out and promote, as well as the fact that the industry doesn't know when the theatres are going to be able to open up to the public," Amyra said. She was also shooting for Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's production, "Dongri To Dubai", a web series adapted from author Hussain Zaidi's book of the same name and Tamil film "Bagheera" with Prabhudeva, all of which came to a halt. Her other project, filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar's Amazon Prime Original "Tandav" is currently on the editing stage.

The actor said she was supposed to fly to Chennai for a shoot on March 23, but it got postponed as the makers wanted to see what Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement would be a day later. "I'm glad it was postponed because I would have been in lockdown alone in Chennai. But it's ok because these are the two projects I'll go back to shooting for as soon as the lockdown is lifted."

The actor, who has featured in films like "Judgemental Hai Kya" and "Rajma Chawal", said once the lockdown is lifted, all her projects will resume on a priority basis. "It'll be hectic because everyone wants the same dates but we've managed to prioritise each project according to the new deadlines. I was all set to shoot for a new film and was going to announce it in April so that's been postponed as well but not halted," she added.

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AB Aani cd
On: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Milind Lele
Cast: Vikram Gokhale, Subodh Bhave, Amitabh Bachchan
Rating: 

Now this is such a 'meta' movie. Just look at it this way. There's an old man here. His family treats him like dirt. Regulars around are equally indifferent towards him. It's only when a rumour starts flying that this supposedly common-man is friends with the cinema superstar Amitabh Bachchan, that his stocks rise. His daughters-in-law take his existence more seriously.

Which is what happened to me (and might happen to you as an audience) with this film. I wouldn't have taken this Marathi movie (that has dropped directly on Amazon Prime instead of waiting for a theatrical release) seriously had it not been for the presence of Bachchan (or AB). Bachchan takes half the space in the picture's poster. The film's title refers to AB, And (Aani) CD, as in the lead character, Chandrakant Deshpande.

Except, Bachchan is really not there in this film. In the same way that he is actually not the lead character Chandrakant's friend in the film either — for all the attention that the old gent accidentally garners from that possibility! Does that make sense, from a meta point of view? To me it does.

What else to do besides amuse oneself thus, given that there's little to appreciate by way of filmmaking standards in general here — laden with predictive-text screenwriting, plus television-like camerawork. That said, essential that we don't confuse issues that we have with a movie, with the issues that it intends to highlight. One can totally feel for the latter, while holding on to the former.

In that sense, this is a film about neglect of the aged, since this is no society for old men. And it talks about fakeness of a celebrity culture that attributes value to an individual, merely for their proximity/association with a public figure. God knows we see both these things around us all the time. So as a story it's closer to being the Marathi 'Baghban' (2003), if you may; at the same time its point doesn't fall too far from, say, the Shah Rukh Khan, Irrfan starrer Billu (2009).

Neither of which were masterpieces, of course. But there was a certain visceral connect that Baghban had that would've flown past me if it wasn't for an old man, who was sobbing all through, sitting next to me at the theatre when I first watched that film. From a mainstream point of view Baghban was possibly the most impactful Bachchan movie in the early 2000s phase of his career. Quite similar to perhaps Rajesh Khanna in the same mould, in Avtar (1983) — no relation to James Cameron's Avatar, that Govinda believes was offered to him by the way!

Watch the trailer of Amitabh Bachchan starrer AB Aani CD Here:

Don't know if a Baghban like subject explains Bachchan agreeing to a minute-long cameo in this pic. Or is it the matured, Marathi actor playing the lead character here. It's been a minimum couple of decades at a stretch, surely. If I were to close my eyes and imagine the visual archetype for a dignified, Indian, educated, old family-man, with lines on his face that tell a common story, and a demeanour that captures the general ethos of the great desi middle class, I think the person who will show up is Vikram Gokhale — the man at the centre of this film.

There is something so real about him, and yet unique that he doesn't continuously merge with all the movies where he's played similar roles in (unlike, perhaps, Rajiv Verma, if you recall the rich daddy from Maine Pyar Kiya!).

Gokhale is a bona fide lead actor in Marathi cinema, which has been of fairly low quality over the past decade or so, compared to its rich cousin, Bollywood, next-door. It'd be triply 'meta' if the 79-year-old Gokhale doesn't get his due because of films like these.

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A lot of Bollywood and Television celebrities came forward to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund and did their best to help people financially. Bigg Boss fame Devoleena Bhattacharjee has done something beyond. She not only contributed to the fund but has now adopted two families and will be looking after their needs and necessities amid the Coronavirus outbreak.

Taking to Twitter, one of the fan-clubs of the actor even thanked her for this wonderful gesture and move that should inspire everyone. And in case you also happen to be a fan of the actress, this tweet is for you:

Have a look right here:

Thank youuuu so much @Devoleena_23 for Adopting 2 families for 1 month Nd Donating Money for Thier food & groceries ...
This will be the best bihu gift for your Assam fans
God bless you ❤ï¸ÂðŸ™Œ @Devoleena_23 pic.twitter.com/CdhQ8Ffl9v

— Veera kunapareddyðŸ¦Â‹ (@veerakunaparedy) April 14, 2020

To shed some more light, these two families are the families of the wage workers since these are the people that are affected the most during this lockdown. Their earnings have gone for a toss and so has their livelihood. And in case you forgot, she and her fans also helped a pregnant lady reach the hospital on time during this lockdown period. Way to go!

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Actor Ronit Bose Roy has come up with an interesting way to make masks at home amid the Coronavirus lockdown.

Taking to social media, Ronit posted a video that shows him making a mask out of an old T-shirt, without the need for stitching.

"No mask, tension nahi lene ka! simple hai," he captioned the video. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ronit Bose Roy (@ronitboseroy) onApr 19, 2020 at 10:01pm PDT

The Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi fame artiste even tested the effectiveness of the mask by blowing the fire from a lighter through the mask.

Before this, actress Vidya Balan was seen making a mask at home out of her blouse using two hair bands.

"Masks play an important part in preventing corona. However, the problem is that there is a shortage of masks not only in our country but across the world. But there is an easy solution to this. Just as our Prime Minister has said that we can make masks at home. Take any piece of cloth, it can be a dupatta, scarf, old saree anything. And you will need two bands. Rubber bands will also do," Vidya had said.

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When you can't go to the salon, the salon comes to you. Karanvir Bohra's daughters, Vienna and Bella, turned their home balcony into a spa to pamper him. A head massage was followed by a face pack.

The twins also insisted on applying nail paint. "Never have I been so indulgent... looks like the roles of the Bollywood actresses will have some competition. I have the masters at work (sic)," the actor captioned the image he posted. Talk of glowing skin and sparkling nails.

 

 

 

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Never have I been so indulgent.. looks like the roles of the Bollywood actresses will have some competition.. I have the masters at work.. 😊 @twinbabydiaries @kareenakapoorkhan @deepikapadukone @priyankachopra @aliaabhatt @dishapatani BEWARE

A post shared by Karanvir Bohra (@karanvirbohra) onApr 19, 2020 at 2:48am PDT

How adorable do Karanvir's babies look while trying to make their dad look prettier? Several of Karanvir's industry friends found the photo cute. Teejay Sidhu wrote, "24/7 entertainment!" while Sameera Reddy commented, "Love love love" and Mandana Karimi said, "that nail polish @karanvirbohra I want my video. they made my day Thank you."

Truth be told, they've made our day too!

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Actor Rajeev Khandelwal will make his theatre debut in the play "Court Martial". He says essaying a character on stage is supremely challenging and it provides the ultimate validation for any actor.

"I think essaying a character on stage for theatre is supremely challenging and provides the ultimate validation for any actor. I have always envied actors who can entertain audience on stage. It was as good as one of the things in my 'to do list'," Rajeev said.

Zee Theatre's teleplay "Court Martial" follows the unusual trial of a junior ranked army man convicted of murdering his senior officer. Rajeev plays the role of Bikash Roy, an extremely sharp defence lawyer who goes deep into the shocking truth behind the assault.

Talking about the play, the actor said: "'Court Martial' demanded an intensity that required me to work on myself and prep for the role. It is an intense and gripping play with a fabulously taut storytelling technique. This play is regarded as a classic in the world of theatre."

Written by Swadesh Deepak, the play also stars Govind Pandey, Bhagwan Tiwari, Saksham Dayma and Swapnil Kotiwar.

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Well aware that they enjoy an unparalleled reach across India, Ekta Kapoor has brought together top television stars for a special video to highlight the importance of staying indoors amid the pandemic. Bigg Boss 13 winner Sidharth Shukla, Mouni Roy, Anita Hassanandani, Karishma Tanna and Maniesh Paul are among the many actors who have shot their portions at their respective homes.

"The video is a collective effort by the television producers' association of our country. The current scenario calls for us to be united more than ever, and entertainment is the common language across the country," says Kapoor, the brain behind the initiative. By offering a peek into the daily lives of the actors, the video shows how one can utilise the stay-at-home period productively. "We [roped in] top television stars so that it resonates with people across the country. This is our endeavour to encourage everyone to stay home," adds Kapoor.

Roy, who features in the video that drops online today, believes one must use the time to pause and reflect. "I remember reading that it would be sad if we came out of this experience unchanged. The need of the hour is to stay in, take care of yourself and your families, and maintain social distancing."

Positivity is key to tackling the crisis, says Sonali Jaffar, who conceptualised the feature. "We may not be able to control the events, but we have the power to not get reduced by them. The television fraternity has come together to abide by what is considered the new normal," she says.

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Compared to the pre-COVID period, television viewership in India increased by 40 per cent as more and more people stay at home due to the restrictions, said a report on Thursday. In the week starting April 11, individuals watching TV for all seven days increased to 48 per cent, according to the latest report by TV viewership monitoring agency BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) and data measurement firm Nielsen.

For the study, the pre-COVID-19 period referred to January 13-February 2. The highest growth in TV viewership was recorded in some of the biggest metros like Delhi and Mumbai, according to the report.

The results showed that viewership growth in the 15-21 age group is driven largely by the urban market. he 15-21 age group contribute to 16 per cent of the total TV viewership in India, said the report.

Compared to the pre-COVID period, average time spent on TV in Mumbai grew by one hour and 42 minutes. In Delhi, the time spent rose by around an hour and 26 minutes. In Mumbai and Delhi, where COVID-19 cases are among the highest in the country, news consumption on TV grew by 251 per cent and 177 per cent respectively.

Growth in movie viewership is coming largely from pay platforms across urban and rural markets - 82 per cent and 69 per cent respectively. News stays strong in the Hindi speaking market with over 200 per cent growth in week 15 over the pre-COVID period, said the report.

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Auditions of MTV Roadies Revolution will be held live on social media for the first time ever, in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown. This is the 17th season of the popular adventure reality show. "Since its inception, 'Roadies' has had a lot of firsts to its credit. Going virtual is another innovative dimension to its iconic journey and speaks volumes of its repute as a reality show. At a time when social distancing has become the norm of life and we have found respite in our phones, 'Roadies LIVE' auditions is a great effort and a well-timed step to reach the youth. This is also a first for me in 17 seasons and I am looking forward to a power-packed experience. To all the young, high-spirited souls, here's your last chance to make the cut and be a part of this exhilarating journey," show host Rannvijay Singha said.

Starting from Monday (April 27) on the MTV Roadies Facebook page, the first-ever virtual audition will go on up to Friday, and will give one contestant a chance to join the official journey this year.

Neha Dhupia, one of the judges on the show, is excited. "Social media and the euphoria around it is undeniable, more so during this lockdown when we are glued to our phones more than ever. We're excited to bring 'Roadies' to digital platforms that connect the masses. Digital auditions are the best way to tap into the young psyche amidst lockdown and get them prepped up for something challenging. Keeping up with our theme of 'Revolution', I am excited to meet some spirited people during the LIVE auditions who have it in them to take positive action and join us on the journey ahead," she said.

 

 

 

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Dare to watch @princenarula & @nikhilchinapa test the wild skills of the entries? Watch it LIVE today at 5 PM on @mtvroadies Facebook page! Also, keep sending in your entries on @voot telling us why you deserve to be on the #RoadiesRevolution journey. Click the link in bio. @oppomobileindia @castrolbiking @axiom_ayurveda @manforceindia #RoadiesLiveAudition

A post shared by MTV Roadies (@mtvroadies) onApr 27, 2020 at 1:28am PDT

Added her co-judge Nikhil Chinappa: "Every year, Roadies ups the ante with innovative formats that resonate with the sentiments of the youth. Virtual auditions are a leap ahead in that direction to leverage a platform that is extremely relevant in the present scenario and reach out to a wider demography. 'Roadies' auditions have always called for mass attention and It would be interesting to witness the traction online."

Rapper Raftaar, also a judge on the show, feels "digital has emerged as the new normal" amid the ongoing crisis and lockdown.

"For a show which defines youth, their goals, and preferences, this digital effort can engage the youth and amplify 'Roadies Revolution' in a way never seen before. I am glad to be a part of this one-of-a-kind experience," he said.

Prince Narula, who also judges the reality show, feels "The live auditions are yet another feat in creating a revolution and reaching out to our young audience".

"I'm really excited to meet some brilliant people and look forward to their perspective. This is going to be a great precursor to our adventurous journey later in the year," Prince added.

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No househelp and no option to step out have made many feel like being locked up in the "Bigg Boss" house. But former "Bigg Boss" contestant Hina Khan says that participating in the reality show and experiencing the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown have nothing in common.

The reality show, an Indian version of international series "Celebrity Big Brother", features celebrities locked inside a house for months under constant camera surveillance, without any gadgets or luxury. "The 'Bigg Boss' house and this quarantine phase are poles apart in regards to any kind of a comparison. There is no tactic I am using right now," Hina told IANS.

Unlike the show where the contestants have to be away from their loved ones, Hina is living with her family in Mumbai right now and is feeling fortunate. "I am so happy to have them by my side during these tough times," said the "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" actress.

Like others, she is also doing household chores and keeping herself entertained with engaging content online. "From cooking to cleaning to working out to watching stuff online, I have been diverting my mind with things that are positive and productive. Right now it's best doing what you like doing more than anything else, to deal with the home quarantine phase in a better way," she said.

The lockdown, which has been imposed since March, has been a learning experience for her. "The art of patience is the biggest thing I have learnt from the lockdown. Keeping calm, composed and patiently passing through each day is what I am now getting much better at," she shared.

She doesn't have big plans after the lockdown gets over. "I feel that even when the lockdown is over, getting back to the normal way of life like it was before this whole scenario began, is honestly going to take a lot of time. So even if there are things I want to do, it's all going to be done with keeping necessary precautions in mind first," she said.

While there is still time for the lockdown to be lifted, viewers can enjoy her recently released short film titled "Smartphone". "The short film has a great message. One is about never underestimating anybody else's abilities and there is a strong sense of women empowerment as well, so content-wise it is quite good. And right now I feel that good, meaningful and interesting content is what people need to be given to watch, to help divert their minds from the stressful situation that we are all facing at the moment," said Hina.

She plays a rural woman in the short film.

"It was a challenging role with lots of nuances to keep in mind. From the desi accent to the language, dressing style and even personality traits of the character, I had to ensure that every small detail was perfect! And challenges like these in my work space are what I actually look forward to and enjoy working on, so this definitely is one of those amazingly challenging projects," she said.

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Telly actor Saumya Tandon is part of a campaign to distribute reusable masks and face shields to frontline workers on the streets. The Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai actor was spotted in Andheri distributing the kits to vegetable vendors and police personnel.

Main bhi artist

Aishwarya Sakhuja, who has taken up sketching during the lockdown, is enjoying the process. "I never thought I would be good at it, but I've surprised myself. I still have a long way to go but my friends have been loving my sketches," she adds.

Mamma mia

Jag Jaanani Maa Vaishno Devi actor Madirakshi Mundle is bonding with her mother during the lockdown. She has special plans for Mother's Day. "I plan to cook her favourite meal and refurbish an old saree to a suit with embroidery work on it."

The web game

Mere Sai actor Tushar Dalvi is set to make his digital debut on Netflix with Anurag Kashyap's Choked. He says, "Working with Anurag Kashyap is a dream come true. His films don't underplay issues."

Slambook: Parull Chaudhry

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

One thing you won't share?
My mom's laddoos.

Your guilty pleasure movie?
Dumb and Dumber (1994).

One thing you are guilty of?
Of unknowingly hurting my parents.

Your worst project?
Being part of an episode of supernatural show in which I played a 300-year-old witch. Wearing prosthetics was painful.

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Sambhavna Seth was rushed to an Andheri hospital on Monday night, her celebs friends had expressed shock over her sudden hospital visit. The former Bigg Boss contestant is now back home and on the road to recovery. Her blood pressure dipped and she had a panic attack after experiencing temporary loss of hearing due to a blocked ear.

Sambhavna and husband Avinash Dwivedi shared a video talking about their ordeal to get hold of a doctor during COVID-19 times.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sambhavna Seth (@sambhavnasethofficial) onMay 6, 2020 at 12:44am PDT

Landmark celebration

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa completes 25 years this month and Zee is planning a celebration, Ek Desh Ek Raag, to mark the singing reality show's landmark year. It includes a 25-hour fundraising liveathon on the channel's Facebook page on May 23. It will be followed by a concert on May 24 on the channel in which iconic faces on the show, including Himesh Reshammiya, Richa Sharma and Javed Ali, will perform from their respective homes.

Be my guest tonight

Ramman Handa is launching an online chat show, Quarantine Diary, in which actors will reveal unknown facts about themselves. The first guest is Ghajini (2008) actor Pradeep Rawat. It will give an insight into how the character actor bagged the film and lesser-known facts about the making of the Aamir Khan-starrer. As Handa resides in a Goregaon complex with several stars from the big and small screen as neighbours, he hopes they will feature on his YouTube show.

Hello, Anayka

Smriti Khanna and Gautam Gupta have named their newborn, Anayka. The Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi actor shared the news on social media. She shared the first family photo and revealed the name of her daughter. The telly couple welcomed their first child on April 15.

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TV actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee, who was also seen in the thirteenth season of Bigg Boss, is currently in self-isolation after her cook has been quarantined. The cook, who is Devoleena's main domestic help, was quarantined after someone in a family he worked for tested positive for COVID-19.

In an interview with Spotboye, Devoleena has emphasised that she is well and her cook is not positive for coronavirus. She shared, "I don't know why it spread like wildfire that he has contracted Coronavirus. The government has put him up in a hotel. He's been looked after very well. Too much has been made out of this. It has made me only more tired."

Talking about how reports of her cook being positive have affected her, the actress said, "I have had to consequently quarantine myself. It's not going to be easy. Damn! This is the 4th time in the last 5 months that I cannot go out of the 4 walls - first Bigg Boss 13, then my back played up and confined me to bed rest, then the lockdown happened - and now just when I was managing to step out a bit for essentials, I have been asked to lock myself up."

Devoleena, however, has no problem cooking for herself, and she reminds us that she did it all the time in the Bigg Boss house.

Recently, the Saath Nibhaana Saathiya actress received death threats on social media after she took a stand against close friend Rashami Desai's ex, Arhaan Khan. Devoleena had taken to her Twitter account to extend her support to Rashami and asked her fans to ignore Arhaan.

Well, we sure hope things get back on track for Devoleena!

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A week ago, actor Irrfan Khan breathed his last after his prolonged battle with neuroendocrine tumour. Tributes have been pouring in for the late actor. Many had the opportunity to work with him while several filmmakers wished they had a chance! Reminiscing about becoming friends with Irrfan, filmmaker Anand Gandhi recently spoke about the possibility of working with him for a film based on pandemic.

The filmmaker recently revealed that he met Irrfan Khan around the release of Maqbool. They drove to Pune once and became friends over the years. They had explored the possibility of him starring in Tumbbad and it was before the final script and schedule changes were made. He said that Irrfan Khan could also have starred in the pandemic film Emergence that he had been working on for years.

Revealing more about Emergence, Anand said that he had been developing the script for five years. It tells the story of five women scientists fighting the contagion and are superheroes in their own way. With Emergence, he was taking the parasite-host relationship further. The script eerily represents the current scenario of the world. Tentatively titled 2020 at the time, he said that it had all the elements of storage crisis for scientific data, rightwing politics, among other things.

His idea is to make the film the most researched one on the pandemic. The filmmaker plans to take the film on the floor by next year. He said that they are collaborating with an American studio and it will be a big-budget project.

ALSO READ: Irrfan Khan’s son Babil shares an unseen video of his father enjoying a dip in ice-cold water

The quality of sleep you get is always important, but even more so in times like these. And to help you deal with your sleep troubles, Audible has launched a brand new slate of content that is perfect to listen to when hitting the sack. Headlined by world-renowned artists like Diddy and Nick Jonas, this slate has been created in part through a collaboration with Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global and will be offered to listeners, absolutely free of cost.

Mindful titles such as Honor Yourself (narrated by Diddy on Sleep) and You are Here (narrated by Gabby Bernstein) will be sure to put your mind at ease. The Perfect Swing, an inspiring bedtime story narrated by Nick Jonas, is the best way to drift off after a long day. 6 Sleep Myths Debunked, narrated by Arianna Huffington, gives you a quick lowdown on how to improve your sleep cycle.

These stories, many of which are penned and voiced by wellness experts, are a treat for your daily sleep rituals. Relaxing bedtime stories, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) and sound baths (a technique where participants bathe in sound waves produced by the human voice and instruments such as chimes, gongs and drums) promise a soothing experience for adults and children, alike.

Shailesh Sawlani, Country Head, Audible India said “The world is going through a difficult time, and it is essential to have a sound mind and body, now more than ever. At Audible, we understand that sleep plays a crucial role in managing stress and we believe in the power of audio content to soothe the mind. We are proud to collaborate with some of the world’s leading personalities and Ariana Huffington’s Thrive Global to release this new slate of audio content, specifically designed to help you rest better at night. We hope the sleep-inducing, wellness content across our audiobooks and Suno collection will help you find peace in these trying times and nurture your mental well-being”.

ALSO READ: Nick Jonas turns Priyanka Chopra’s in-house piano instructor

Singer Madonna and world leaders have raised over $8 billion for Covid-19 relief to help those impacted during this pandemic. Recently, she also revealed that she had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

Taking to her Instagram on May 6 to clarify certain things, she wrote, "“I’m Grateful that I can be a part of supporting Research to Find the cure for Covid -19!! And just to clear things up for people who would rather believe sensationalist headlines than do their own research about the nature of this virus—I am not currently sick."

“When you test positive for anti-bodies it means you HAD the virus which I. clearly did as I was sick at the end of my tour in Paris over 7 weeks ago along with many other artists in my show but at the time We all thought we had a very bad flu. Thank God we are all healthy and well now. Hope that clears things up for the band wagon jumpers!! Knowledge is Power," Madonna added.

 

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Im Grateful that I can be a part of supporting Research to Find the cure for Covid -19!! ???????? And just to clear things up for people who would rather believe sensationalist headlines than do their own research about the nature of this virus— I am not currently sick. When you test positive for anti-bodies it means you HAD the virus which I. clearly did as I was sick at the end of my tour in Paris over 7 weeks ago along with many other artists in my show but at the time We all thought we had a very bad flu. Thank God we are all healthy and well now. Hope that clears things up for the band wagon jumpers!! Knowledge is Power! #covid19

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on May 6, 2020 at 10:18am PDT

Madonna has donated $1.1 million for the relief fund. She has also joined hands with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to find a drug that will prevent or treat COVID-19.

After Jungle Cruise, actors Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are set to reunite for the movie adaptation of the 1990s comic, Ball and Chain. It will be written by Emily V Gordon.

"The project is being described as a superhero story meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith, where a couple struggling in their marriage are equipped with superpowers. However, their powers only work when they’re together," revealed The Hollywood Reporter.

Dwayne Johnson, Dany, and Hiram Garcia will produce under Seven Bucks banner along with Kevin Misher and Emily Blunt.

Meanwhile, their film Jungle Cruise has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The film has been moved to July 2021 release.

ALSO READ: Ryan Reynolds has a hilarious birthday message for Red Notice co-star Dwayne Johnson

Devoleena Bhattacharjee has been asked to home quarantine for 14 days as a cook from her building has tested positive for Coronavirus. The person tested positive also cooked at Devoleena’s place and now her building has been sealed. Residing in Goregaon East with her mother and brother, the building also housed a few other celebrities of the television industry.

Currently, Devoleena is all by herself during the lockdown as her family was in Assam when it was imposed and had no choice but to stay back. She has been asked to take the necessary precautionary measures as the entire building has been put under containment. The Bigg Boss 13 fame Devoleena Bhattacharjee gave her statement to a news portal where she revealed the details.

On the professional front, she has not announced her next project.

Also Read: Devoleena Bhattacharjee says Rashami Desai trusted a fraudster and is paying for it

Actress and former Bigg Boss contestant Devoleena Bhattacharjee is currently in quarantine after reports of her cook testing positive for coronavirus emerged. However, it turns out the cook has not been tested positive but has been quarantined after someone in a family he worked for tested positive for COVID-19.

In an interview with a web portal, Devoleena emphasised that she is well and her cook is not positive for coronavirus. She said that the government has put him up in a hotel and is being looked after very well. She further said that too much has been made out of this and it has made her more tired.

Devoleena, however, has no problem cooking for herself, and she reminds us that she did it all the time in the Bigg Boss house.

ALSO READ: Devoleena Bhattacharjee says this is the fourth time in the last five months that she is quarantined

Like always, Google doodle has our hearts. Google Doodle did its bit to laud the selfless service of the frontline medical professionals and wrote a thank you message as well.

When one hovers over the doodle, it shows the message, "To all doctors, nurses and medical workers; thank you".

The logo also features a little heart emoji to everyone who is fighting on the frontlines of the COVID-19 battle.

Medical professions have sidelined the threat of catching the infection and are choosing duty over everything else. Despite that, many healthcare workers have been facing abuse and are accused of carrying the virus.

Google wrote, "As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We're launching a Doodle series to recognize and honour many of those on the front lines."

More than 18 lakh people have been tested positive for COVID-19. The first case was reported from Wuhan which became the epicentre of the infectious virus.

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Eighty-two more cases of COVID19 have been reported in Maharashtra on Monday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 2064. According to Maharashtra Health Department, out of the 82 new cases of COVID19, three are from Pune, 59 from Mumbai, 12 from Malegaon, five from Thane, one from Vasai Virar, and two from Palghar.

82 new COVID19 cases including 59 cases in Mumbai reported in the state today; the total number of positive cases in the state is now 2064: Maharashtra Health Department pic.twitter.com/vQFBOh4rqr

— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2020

India's tally of positive COVID-19 cases rose to 9,152 following an increase of 796 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday.

Out of the total number of cases, 7,987 patients are active cases while 857 cases have been cured/discharged and migrated. With 35 deaths in the last 24 hours, the death toll has mounted to 308.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, a heartwarming story of an IAS officer joining back work after delivering her baby is winning hearts online. Responding to the call of duty, IAS officer and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner (GVMC) G Srijana returned to work with her one month old baby thereby cutting short her maternity break in order to help the country fight the novel coronavirus crisis.

An extraordinary feather of @IASassociation. 2013 batch IAS Mrs @GummallaSrijana Commissioner @GVMC_OFFICIAL refused to take 06 months maternal leave and joined back her office with one month old baby in lap. Truly inspiring to all #CoronaWarriors #COVID__19 pic.twitter.com/mzbPsUyTco

— Chiguru Prashanth Kumar (@prashantchiguru) April 11, 2020

The 2013 batch IAS officer was working as the municipal commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam until she was blessed with a baby boy nearly a month ago. But soon after the 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Srijana joined back work and cut short her maternity leave.

Stood in solidarity to the fight against #Covid_19 On the call of @PMOIndia @narendramodi #9PM9minute pic.twitter.com/kCT9PxQT7F

— Srijana Gummalla (@GummallaSrijana) April 5, 2020

When asked as to how she was looking after her baby while handling work, Srijana said that her lawyer-husband and her mother were her pillars of strength as they are providing her with ample support amid the nationwide lockdown.

à¤Â•à¥Â‹रà¥Â‹ना सà¤Â‚à¤Â•à¤ÂŸ मà¥Â‡à¤Â‚ à¤ÂÂÂ…पनà¥Â‡ à¤Â•रà¥Âतवà¥Âय à¤Â•à¥Â€ पà¥Âà¤Â•ार पर à¤ÂÂÂ…पनà¥Â‡ 1 माह à¤Â•à¥Â‡ बà¤Âšà¥Âà¤Âšà¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‡ साथ à¤Â—à¥Âरà¥Â‡à¤ÂŸर विशाà¤Â–ापà¤ÂŸà¥Âà¤ÂŸनम à¤Â•à¥Â€ नà¤Â—र à¤Â†यà¥Âà¤Â•à¥Âत शà¥Âरà¥Â€मतà¥Â€ सà¥Âƒà¤ÂÂÂœना à¤Â—à¥Âमà¥Âमाला वापस डà¥Âयà¥Â‚à¤ÂŸà¥Â€ पर लà¥ÂÂÂŒà¤ÂŸ à¤Â†à¤Âˆà¤Â‚।
भाà¤Â—à¥Âयशालà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆ यह राषà¥Âà¤ÂŸà¥Âर à¤ÂÂÂœहाà¤Â‚ à¤Âसà¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‹रà¥Â‹ना यà¥Â‹दà¥Âधा हà¥Âˆ। à¤Â•रà¥Âतवà¥Âय निषà¥Âठा à¤Â•à¥Â‡ à¤Â‡स à¤ÂÂÂœà¥Â€वà¤Â‚त à¤Â‰दाहरण à¤Â•à¥Â‡ लिà¤Â à¤Â†पà¤Â•ा हà¥Âƒदय सà¥Â‡ à¤Â†भार।#NoCoronaPolitics pic.twitter.com/7md7CxKRp2

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) April 12, 2020

Srijana also said that she was aware of her responsibilities and that her service was of utmost importance during the coronavirus crisis. The 2013 batch IAS officer also states that the district administration is working in tandem in order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Young #IAS Officers leading #fightagainstcorona.
GVMC Visakhapatnam Commissioner, Ms Gummalla Srijana @GummallaSrijana
joined back on duty with one month old baby without maternity leave to serve the City.#CoronaWarriorshttps://t.co/DyP3s0uU2z pic.twitter.com/2HlpvZU9pC

— IAS Association (@IASassociation) April 11, 2020

Srijana's inspiring story was shared by hundreds of netizens who lauded her efforts and her commitments towards the country amid the coronavirus crisis. Twitter user Chiguru Prashanth Kumar shared Sirjana's story and said that it was truly inspiring story for all coronavirus warriors.

She is the real SHERNI !!
India is proud of her🇮🇳
History is witness that whenever our Nation has faced crisis, the Sanatan Women have always come forward to fulfill their responsibilities.@NAN_DINI_ @Aabhas24 @prettypadmaja #CoronaWarriors https://t.co/k7y5OFd8Zf

— Sanatan Women (@SanatanWomen) April 12, 2020

While the IAS association through their Twitter handle said that Sirjana joined the duty with her one month old baby without maternity leave in order to serve the city. Twitter user Sanatan Women hailed Srijana as the real SHERNI while another user said that the country was lucky to have such corona warriors.

I salute Mrs.Srijana Gummala who is the Municipal Commissioner of Greater Vishakapatnam & is the
mother of a 1 month old baby.
She has returned to work, with her baby in her arms, because of COVID19 crisis. Yes, she has given up her maternity leave to serve the Nation.
🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/usYi95hVGb

— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) April 12, 2020

Filmmake, producer and social activist Ashoke Pandit also showered heaps of praises on IAF officer Sriana. Pandit said that he salutes Srijana Gummala, who returned to work, with her baby in her arms and also gave up her maternity leave to serve the nation.

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The penultimate day of 21-day lockdown saw the number of coronavirus cases in the country reach 9352 with 905 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The government's action plan to contain the spread of COVID-19 has stared yielding results in 25 districts across 15 states which have not reported any case in the last 14 days

Fifty one people died in the last 24 hours taking total toll 324. As many as 25 staff members of Mumbai's Bhatia hospital tested positive for coronavirus and number of cases in the city has reached 1549. The number of those who have died has reached 100 in the city. Maharashtra with 2,064 cases continues to be the worst affected followed by Delhi with 1,154 cases and Tamil Nadu with 1075 cases. The number of containment zones in Delhi has been increased to 47.

New cases have been reported from several states including Kerala, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Nagaland reported its first COVID-19 case following which several localities and a hospital in Dimapur hve been sealed. Uttarakhand Health Department said that no new positive COVID-19 case emerged in the state for the fifth day in a row.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 10 am on Tuesday and is likely to talk about the further course of action to deal with the crisis posed by virus. Union ministers and senior officials returned to work in their offices on Monday and work was done by following social distancing norms.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said 2,06,212 COVID-19 tests were conducted till yesterday. "The pace at which we are conducting tests today, we have a stock with which we can conduct tests for the next six weeks easily," ICMR's head scientist Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar said at the daily media briefing on COVID-19 situation.

He said consignment of COVID-19 kits is expected to arrive from China on April 15 In Delhi, traders at Delhi's Azadpur Mandi have been told to follow the odd-even rule according to their shed numbers to maintain social distancing. There will be staggered time for sale of vegetables and fruits in the mandis.

In Mangaluru, a case has been registered against two minors at East Police station after they violated the lockdown norms. They will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. A 17-year old was caught trying to sneak his friend out of his apartment complex using a suitcase.

"A17-year-old resident of Orchid Apartment Balmatta invited his friend, a resident of Motisham Apartment, Pandeshwar to stay with him on April 11, " said PS Harsha, the Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru. The friend wanted to return back to his apartment in Pandeshwar the next day but due to strict security put in place, he got inside a large trolley suitcase.

Based on the suspicion, security personnel alerted the residents of the building and opened the suitcase from which they were shocked to find a boy stepping out.

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While checking our bank accounts and our stocked fridges this week, have felt a moment of gratitude for the economic security nets that we have, that will help us tide over the next 21 days untill 30th of April 2020, as announced by the Indian government for breaking down the chain of COVID-19 i.e Coronavirus.

But there are also many who don’t have this net, and now do not have the option of stepping out to earn their daily wage and henceforth they are needy.

Some organisations & Individuals are helping the fortunate former reach out to help the latter. Meet Palan if one of the individual helping the poor society during the lockdown.

To help you aid these initiatives, Volunteers for Meet's team has put together a list of verified Non-Government Organizations, charities and institutions, which are working towards this cause in Rajkot, Gujarat.

For instance, Meet's & his team has successfully called for contributions and have donated more than 270 kilograms of rice with more than 235 kilograms of dal which is the basic staple food in india. Congratulations to Mr Meet Palan and all the best to him for his good deeds.

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New Delhi: With 1,211 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country has reached 10,363 including 339 deaths, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Tuesday.

As many as 1,036 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "In one day, 179 people were diagnosed and found cured," he added.

"A total of 10,363 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 339 deaths and 1,036 people, who were COVID-19 positive have recovered. Out of the total deaths, 31 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal.

Aggarwal said that an evaluation of each district and city will be done till April 20.

"An evaluation of each district and city will be done till April 20 in which it will be evaluated what measures did that authorities take in these cities and districts to combat COVID-19," he said.

"Based on the results of this litmus test approach, permission will be granted for some selective activities to those districts and cities which controlled the situation effectively. Detailed guidelines will be issued soon," he added.

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With 1,076 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases has risen to 11,439, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. Out of the total tally, 9,756 cases are active while 1,306 patients have been cured/discharged and migrated. With 38 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll rises to 377.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra is the worst-affected state with 2,687 cases of which 259 patients have recovered/discharged while 178 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. Delhi comes in at the second position with 1,561 cases of which 30 patients have recovered while 30 patients have succumbed to the virus.

Tamil Nadu is the third state with over 1,000 cases at 1,204 cases of which 81 have recovered and 12 have died due to the deadly virus. Rajasthan is nearing the 1,000 mark with 969 cases of which 147 people have recovered while 3 patients are dead. Madhya Pradesh reported 730 cases including 51 patients recovered and 50 patients dead.

On Tuesday, in an address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the 21-day national lockdown has been extended till May 3.

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As coronavirus pandemic deepens, over 117 million children in 37 countries are expected to miss out on receiving live-saving measles vaccine, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Measles immunisation campaigns in 24 countries have already been delayed and more will be postponed, the World Health Organization and the UN children's fund UNICEF said. "Together, more than 117 million children in 37 countries, many of whom live in regions with ongoing measles outbreaks, could be impacted by the suspension of scheduled immunisation activities," Measles and Rubella Initiative (M&RI) said in a statement.

New WHO guidelines endorsed by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation aim to help countries to sustain immunisation activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The @MeaslesRubella Initiative supports recommendations to: temporarily pause preventive immunisation campaigns where there's no active outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease continue routine immunisation services, while ensuring the safety of communities and health workers," the statement added.

Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. Before the introduction of measles vaccine in 1963 and widespread vaccination, major epidemics occurred approximately every 2-3 years and measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year globally. More than 140,000 people died from measles in 2018 - mostly children under the age of 5, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.

The coronavirus has affected 210 countries and territories around the world. There have been 1,391,468 positive cases of COVID-19 globally and 591,751 people have died due to the deadly infection so far.

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Alappuzha District Collector M Anjana said that houseboats in the districts may be turned into COVID-19 isolation wards if the need arises.

Kerala: Alappuzha District Administration has decided to convert houseboats into isolation facilities amid #COVID19 outbreak. "This would increase our bed strength by 1500 to 2000",says M Anjana, Alappuzha District Collector. pic.twitter.com/YpPViQZ6aF

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2020

"The Alappuzha model of handling COVID-19 has been one of preparedness and prevention. In the first phase we did this successfully, but in the second phase we propose to have a different strategy. Though our numbers are comparatively less, we need to augment our isolation facilities," M Anjana told ANI here.

"We have sufficient number of facilities but in the process of augmenting the facilities we have had extensive discussions with the houseboat owners' association. All the houseboat owners agree with the proposal and are willing to support the district administration in this respect," she added. She said that houseboats have different bed strengths.

"By bringing them together at a single spot or at two spots we would be able to convert them as a single isolation facility. This would increase the isolation facility strength by around 1,500 to 2,000," she further said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 387 COVID-19 cases in Kerala, including 211 cured/discharged/migrated and three deaths.

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The Railways has decided to produce over 30,000 Personal Protective Equipment coveralls in April and also plans to manufacture 1,00,000 of the same in May 2020 for medical and health-care personnel who get directly exposed to the COVID-19 disease when working amongst infected patients.

To provide protection to healthcare professionals in the fight against #COVID19, Indian Railways plans to produce over 30,000 coveralls (Personal Protective Equipment) in April 2020. Railways plans to manufacture 1,00,000 of the same in May: Ministry of Railways pic.twitter.com/PrBfG5AsQ1

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2020

"The Railways has been able to procure and distribute to its workshops and other units sufficient raw material for manufacturing more than 30,000 PPE coveralls in April. The Railways has set the target of manufacturing another 1,00,000 PPE coveralls in May and sourcing of appropriate raw material has been started," said the Ministry of Railways in a statement.

The Railways has recently started manufacturing of PPE coveralls. The prototype coveralls have already cleared the prescribed tests with the highest grades at the authorised Defence Research Development Establishment Laboratory of DRDO at Gwalior. The Railways has also converted over 5,000 of its passenger coaches into mobile quarantine or isolation facilities to deal with COVID-19 patients.

According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 11,439 people have detected positive for coronavirus, including 1306 cured and discharged and 377 deaths. Currently, the country has 9,756 active corona cases.

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The Maharashtra government has taken serious note of complaints, alleging illegal collection of relief funds in the name of Covid-19 pandemic by certain organisations, according to officials here on Wednesday.

Following a specific complaint to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta asked the Home Department to take necessary action, said lawyer Vinod Tiwari, the complainant.

In his representation, the lawyer presented several social media posts and calls seeking funds for providing coronavirus relief.

"Most of these are solicited by registered or unregistered organisations, certain political parties, some media, individuals or entities without any credential checks by the authorities, like the Collector. This is in violation of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Section 53/54 and also the Income-Tax Act rules," Tiwari told IANS.

He said such collections were nothing but 'unjust enrichment' by some elements out to exploit the Covid-19 pandemic, as there were no accounts available of how much was collected or spent, and for what purposes.

"Besides, this is directly hampering the official fund-raising drive by the Chief Minister Relief Fund-Covid-19 or the PM-CARES Funds, which should be the only such means as accountable and permissible," Tiwari said.

He said similar shady fund collection drives were on all over the country, which must be immediately stopped and be acted against in the public interest.

Seeking the government intervention, he demanded seizure of all the illicit amounts collected by such entities, sealing their bank accounts and transferring the funds to the official PM-CARES Fund or the CMRF-Covid-19, besides initiation of criminal action against all them.

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With 941 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally crossed the 12,000 mark with the tally reading at 12,380 cases, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. Out of the total tally, 10,477 patients are active cases while 1,489 patients have been cured, discharged and migrated. With 37 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 414.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of positive COVID-19 cases with 2,916 cases including 295 recovered/ discharged and 187 dead. Delhi comes second on the list with 1,578 positive COVID-19 cases. The tally also includes 40 patients recovered/ discharged while 32 patients have died due to the infection. Tamil Nadu is third on the list and recorded 1,242 cases including 118 recovered and 14 patients have died due to the virus.

Rajasthan has crossed the 1,000 cases mark with 1,023 cases including 147 recovered and three patients dead. Madhya Pradesh is hovering around the 1,000 cases mark with 987 positive COVID-19 cases including 64 recovered and discharged and 53 fatalities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the nationwide lockdown--scheduled to end on April 14--will be extended to May 3.

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To ensure that the labourers and migrant workers can earn a livelihood once the lockdown is over, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has started an initiative to introduce skill-based training among beggars and the homeless in the city. Tukaram Mundhe, Nagpur Municipal Cooperation Commissioner said, "After the lockdown was announced, we shifted the homeless and beggars to shelter homes and providing them with food, accommodation and other facilities."

With about 19 shelter homes around the cities accommodating close to 1,500-2,000 people, the commissioner said they are being provided with some skill development activities apart from having basic amenities. "We have also introduced skill development programmes for them. In the long run, we intend to take up the eradication of beggary program in Nagpur by providing them skills so that they can get employed," Mundhe said.

Glimpses of homeless beggars in Nagpur after a makeover by NMC:

NMC's shelter home took many #Homeless people under its care during the #lockdown

Some with special abilities were also given a complete makeover for health and sanitation purposes. #Covid_19india #homelessness pic.twitter.com/w11dVpnNBa

— Tukaram Mundhe (@Tukaram_IndIAS) April 12, 2020

"We are also giving them a makeover as we are providing them skill-based training so that they can earn their livelihood once the lockdown ends," said Manish Soni, Public Relations Officer, NMC.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2,916 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state, out of which 295 patients have recovered and 187 patients have succumbed to the virus.

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An Indian Air Force Cheetah helicopter headed to Chandigarh with medical samples made an emergency landing on Outer Ring Road here following technical snag, official statement said on Thursday. The chopper was proceeding from Hindon to Chandigarh on a COVID-19 task of carrying test samples of Leh.

Approximately 3 NM out of Hindon, the aircraft developed technical snag and carried out a safe precautionary landing on Outer Ring Road highway.

"The actions taken by the pilots were prompt and correct. No damage to any property has been reported. Recovery aircraft was launched immediately from Hindon. The aircraft was rectified and recovered back promptly and safely at Hindon," the statement added.

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Six Indian companies are working on a vaccine for COVID-19, joining global efforts to find a quick preventive for the deadly infection spreading rapidly across the world, says a top Indian scientist. Nearly 70 'vaccine candidates' are being tested and at least three have moved to the human clinical trial stage, but a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is unlikely to be ready for mass use before 2021. As COVID-19 infects more than 1.9 million in the world and claims 1,26,000 lives, Indian scientists are also part of the global fight against the disease.

"While Zydus Cadila is working on two vaccines, Serum Institute, Biological E, Bharat Biotech, Indian Immunologicals, and Mynvax are developing one vaccine each," Gagandeep Kang, executive director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, told PTI. Kang is also vice chair of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which noted in a recent study that the "global vaccine R&D effort in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in terms of scale and speed".

But it is a complicated process with many stages of testing and many challenges, explained experts. A vaccine for the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, may not take 10 years that other vaccines do but it could be at least a year before it is proven safe, effective, and made widely available, they said. "Vaccine development is a lengthy process which often takes years, with many challenges," said E. Sreekumar, chief scientific officer at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Kerala.

"Generally, vaccines take several months to pass the different stages of testing, and then approvals also take time. For COVID-19, we don't expect a vaccine to come in this year," agreed Rakesh Mishra, director of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad. Vaccine testing typically begins with animal and lab testing before going on to different stages of human testing.

"The human testing phase is composed of many phases," Sreekumar told PTI. "Phase one trials are small-scale, usually involving few participants, to assess whether the vaccine is safe for humans. Phase two trials often involve several hundred subjects, and mainly evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine against the disease," he said.
The final phase involves thousands of people to further assess the efficacy of the vaccine over a defined period of time, and can last several months, Sreekumar said.
"That is why we don't see a vaccine coming in at least a year from now."

Even after the vaccine is ready, he explained, there are a lot of challenges, including whether the vaccine is effective in all populations, and if it can be used for different strains of the novel coronavirus, which might start mutating as time passes. "There are lots of vaccines which are being tested for COVID-19, some of which are in the stage 1 clinical trial," Mishra added.

"But we still don't know how fast they will proceed towards a vaccine and they can take several months to reach any point," he said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three vaccine candidates are in the clinical testing phase, meaning they are able to be tested on humans, while nearly 70 are in the preclinical phase -- either in lab testing, or animal studies. Though Kang named six companies, the WHO has listed only Zydus Cadila and Serum Institute from India as among the global firms working on a COVID-19 vaccine.

As of April 8, 2020, said CEPI, the global COVID-19 vaccine R&D landscape includes 115 vaccine candidates, of which 78 are confirmed as active and 37 are unconfirmed.
Of the 78 confirmed active projects, 73 are currently at exploratory or preclinical stages, noted the CEPI team in an analysis published in the journal Nature reviews drug Discovery last week.

The most advanced candidates have recently moved into clinical development, including mRNA-1273 from US-based biotechnology company Moderna, Ad5-nCoV from Chinese biopharma company CanSino Biologicals, and INO-4800 from American pharmaceuticals company Inovio. Others in this list include LV-SMENP-DC and pathogen-specific aAPC from Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute in China.

Numerous other vaccine developers have indicated plans to initiate human testing in 2020, the CEPI scientists said. Experts believe the genome sequencing of the new coronavirus provided by scientists in China shows it shares 79 per cent of the same genetic material as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and 50 per cent of the same material as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a species of coronavirus which infects humans, bats, and camels.

This allows developers to use groundwork already created in research for vaccines for those viruses. Australia's national science agency CSIRO announced earlier this month that it has begun preclinical tests of a vaccine developed by Oxford University in the UK. A striking feature of the vaccine development landscape for COVID-19 is the range of technology platforms being evaluated, including nucleic acid (DNA and RNA), virus-like particle, live weakened virus, and inactivated virus approaches.

The CEPI noted that many of these platforms are not currently the basis for licensed vaccines, but experience in fields such as oncology is encouraging developers to exploit the opportunities that next-generation approaches offer for increased speed of development and manufacture.

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People living in around 72 houses have been asked to stay in quarantine after a pizza delivery boy, who had delivered food in Malviya Nagar area, tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, according to District Magistrate, South Delhi. Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said that 17 other delivery boys linked with the infected man have also been placed under institutional quarantine. "A pizza delivery boy has been detected with COVID-19 here. 17 other delivery boys linked with him have been placed under institutional quarantine and 72 people have been placed under home quarantine," Jain told ANI.

Food delivery app Zomato said that the staff of infected person's restaurant has delivered some orders which were placed on its platform.

"We've been made aware today that a restaurant's employee, who has been recently tested positive for COVID-19, had delivered food in the past to a few customers in the Malviya Nagar area in Delhi. All these customers have already been contacted by the govt authorities... We are not sure whether the rider was infected at the time of delivery," the company said in a statement.

Zomato also claimed that colleagues of the delivery boy have tested negative for COVID-19.

"This restaurant had instructed their riders to wear masks and follow strict hygiene to keep customers safe from any unintended mishap. All co-workers of the said rider have been tested negative. And as a precaution, the restaurant where this rider worked has suspended operations," read the statement.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said a lockdown is not a solution to the virus and suggested the Centre should aggressively go for testing and use it strategically.

"We are in a very serious situation, that is clear and I think all political parties have to work together and the people of India have to work together if we want to solve this problem and defeat this virus... Over the last couple of months, I have been speaking to large number of experts in India and abroad, who have a very good understanding of what is going on. So, a lot of what I am going to be saying is going to be based on these conversations," Rahul said while addressing media via video conference.

Lockdown is in no way a solution to the #COVID19. Lockdown is like a pause button. When we come out of the lockdown, the virus is going to start its work again: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/PLQlHtZCCL

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

"The first thing to understand is that a lockdown is like a pause button. A lockdown is in no way a solution to COVID-19...When we come out of the lockdown, the virus is going to start its work again. So, it is very important that we have a strategy to come out of the lockdown," he added.

Rahul stated that lockdown "allows you the time and space to put in medical resources, to ramp up your testing ability, to prepare your hospitals, to get ventilators, to create the type of architecture that is required to fight the virus when it picks up again." "So, there is one misconception that I would like to clear up. In no way does a lockdown defeat the virus. It stops the virus for some time. Now what is the real weapon against the virus, the biggest weapon? The Biggest weapon is testing. Testing at scale so you know where the virus is moving and you isolate the virus and target the virus," he said.

Now we've reached a level, where we are in an emergency situation. India must unite&fight against it. My main suggestion is that blunt instruments must not be used. We must work strategically. Lockdown has not resolved the problem, it has only postponed the problem: Rahul Gandhi https://t.co/1Pt8uD2OQ0

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

The former Congress president also stated that India's testing rate is 199 out of a million. "If you look at all the tests that we have done over the last 72 days, it works out to approximately an average of 350 tests per district. This is in no way enough to tell you how the virus moving," Rahul said

"If you want to fight the virus, you have to increase testing dramatically and your testing has to go from chasing the virus to moving ahead of the virus... Lot of our testing is currently chasing the virus because we are identifying cases and then following the virus. With that type of testing, you will never be able to actually get a good image of what the virus is doing and where the virus is," he added.

If you want to fight the virus, you've to increase the testing dramatically & your testing has to go from chasing the virus to moving ahead of it. You've to move to random testing and pre-empt where the virus is moving: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi #Coronavirus https://t.co/YWG4PJEoSK pic.twitter.com/9t2hOA1wgm

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

Rahul has advised the central government to push testing aggressively, maximise testing and use testing strategically. The testing levels are currently too low and the Government of India is not using testing strategically, he noted. Prime Minister Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID19. Earlier this week, he announced the extension of lockdown till May 3.

With 941 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally crossed the 12,000 mark with the tally reading at 12,380 cases, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. Out of the total tally, 10,477 patients are active cases while 1,489 patients have been cured, discharged and migrated. With 37 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 414.

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The number of COVID-19 cases in India has reached 12,759, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. According to the official data, India has 10,824 active cases and 1514 discharged and cured cases. Meanwhile, 420 people have died from the disease which originated in China. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases in the country which stands at 2919, including 295 cured and discharged and 187 deaths.

COVID19: Decrease in the rise in cases & death rate, 826 positive cases & 28 deaths in 24 hours; the total number of positive cases 12,759 https://t.co/gPAgYFAOMP

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

With 1578 coronavirus cases, Delhi is in the second position of India's tally of corona infected people; followed by Tamil Nadu (1242) and Rajasthan (1023). Kerala, which reported India's first coronavirus case, has 388 confirmed cases, including 295 cured and discharged and 187 deaths.

On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, that border the national capital, have 773 and 205 cases, respectively. Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh and Pudducherry have reported 33, 21 and 7 cases respectively. While West Bengal has 231 coronavirus infected people, Odisha has confirmed 60 cases.

The newly carved union territories -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir--- have 17 and 300 cases, respectively. In the Northeast, 33 people were detected positive for COVID-19 in Assam, which is the worst-affected states in the region.

Six corona cases were confirmed from Meghalaya, two each from Manipur and Tripura and one from Arunachal Pradesh. Nagaland remains free from coronavirus till date, said the Ministry.

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A woman in Telangana delivered a child by the roadside as she could not be shifted to a hospital in Suryapet town on time by her husband on his motorbike due to barricades put up on the way due to the ongoing lockdown. D. Venkanna, a daily-wage worker, and his wife Reshma live in Annadurainagar, near Suryapet town.

When his pregnant wife complained of pain late in the night, he called 108 Ambulance service but was told that the vehicle had gone to some other place to pick up a patient. With no option available, he made her sit on his scooty and left for Suryapet Government General Hospital. Venkanna said when they reached the old bus stand, the road was closed with barricades.

As there were no policemen posted there, he asked his wife to sit on the footpath and rushed to a nearby police station and pleaded with a constable to remove the barricade. The cop allegedly told him that he can't move from the assigned place of duty and advised Venkanna to himself remove the barricade. An anxious Venkanna rushed back to the place to find his wife crying with pain.

Even as the man ran around to get some help to remove them, the woman delivered the baby girl by the roadside. The incident occurred barely a km away from a government hospital in the early hours of Thursday. Hearing the cries of the woman and her husband's call for help, some area women rushed out of their houses to assist her.

After repeated attempts by the locals, an ambulance reached the spot. The medical assistants cut the umbilical cord and shifted the mother and the newborn to the hospital. Doctors said both were doing well.

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New Delhi: With novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases growing rapidly in India, overburdened doctors, nurses and healthcare personnel at the frontline are facing immense pressure from the society at large. While fighting against the deadly virus, they are continuously facing threats and abuses from the society, affecting their mental health as they battle it out in the ICUs as well as inside the corona patients wards.

According to Sujith, Chief of Nursing Services, Columbia Asia Hospital in Pune, it is disheartening to see that people, for whom the fraternity has been taking so much risk to ensure their health and safety, have failed them.

"This is sad when we watch on television that healthcare workers have been facing threats, attacks and abuses as we work on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. It has been observed that many of these attacks are allegedly sparked by the fear that healthcare workers are exposing others to the virus. We are really going through a stressful time," Sujith told IANS.

The frontline health workers want a little sympathy and respect as they are working non-stop, without thinking about their own families and lives.

Dr Sachin Nayak working at JP Hospital in Bhopal has been living in his car to prevent passing on the virus to anyone else, including his wife and child. He has stocked up daily use items and books in the car.

"We completely understand public health emergencies are stressful times for people and communities but that doesn't mean we should be at the receiving end," said Sujith.

On Wednesday, a mob tried to stop a medical team from taking a coronavirus-infected man into isolation. They hurled stones at an ambulance that left four injured.

The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh's Nawabpura area. The injured included one doctor and three paramedics. A police vehicle was also damaged.

After the attacks on doctors, the Union Home Ministry said that it is ascertaining cases of violence against healthcare workers engaged in surveillance and quarantine measures.

Health workers on the streets of Mumbai. Pic: Ashish Raje

Savitha Kuttan, CEO of Omnicuris, an online medical education platform, said that operating under severe resource constraints, healthcare workers are bearing the brunt of a hostile external environment.

Healthcare professionals have taken to social media to describe in painful detail the growing stigma they are facing with each passing day.

"From working long, gruelling shifts without adequate protective gear and facing attacks from patients to getting booted out of their homes and feeling afraid for their families, the mental strain our medical professionals are going through is immense. All of them are going through severe anxiety and many are having difficulties sleeping," Kuttan said.

She added that doctors are professionally obligated to take care of their mental health so that they can provide good quality care to their patients.

"Considering the enormity of what they are going through, we cannot expect them to go looking for mental health support. In fact, they should get unlimited access to mental health services during this time of crisis," Kuttan, told IANS.

A recent study, published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, revealed that front-line medical staff must be prioritised for rapid mental health support.

According to Ekta Soni, Chief Clinical Psychologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi, healthcare workers don't have the luxury of living inside their homes to shield themselves from the coronavirus.

They have to expose themselves to the risk, and some are separating themselves from their families for weeks to avoid transmitting the virus to them.

"Healthcare workers working with COVID-19 patients reported symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and reported distress. The risk of infection, especially if it is asymptomatic, instils fear of spreading the virus to their patients and families," said Soni.

"They're deeply sad for their dying patients, many of whom are slipping away without their loved ones at their side. Many admitted to harbouring darker feelings," she added.

However, some corona warriors are receiving utmost support from their neighbours.

Sharing his own experience, Manoj Goel, Director, Pulmonology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, said: "People are very cooperative in my society and keep asking about my wellbeing through calls and messages".

"My neighbours are putting cards outside my house as a thank you note and consider me a corona warrior. While I am working in the hospital they enquire about my families health and wellbeing and if they need any help in my absence. I am greeted with a smile by our society security guard whenever I leave or enter my society".

According to experts, having an open channel of communication to assess what they are going through is a need of the hour.

Not only will it help them readjust to everything once the situation starts to improve, but also keep them from developing post-traumatic stress.