With the nationwide lockdown extended to May 3, the Indian Premier League (IPL) remains in suspension. The T20 extravaganza was first postponed to April 15 by the BCCI.

Except one franchisee, all other seven are sweating over the losses they are going to suffer if the IPL does not take place this year. Chennai Super Kings are unperturbed as they are the only franchisee to have taken insurance cover first up. "We bought the insurance in the first week of March," a team official told mid-day on Tuesday.

It is learnt that CSK's insurance cover is worth approximately Rs 65 to Rs 70 crore. The three-time IPL champions will be able to make a claim to the insurance company only if the IPL is called off this year.

When asked whether the Coronavirus pandemic is covered in the insurance, the official said: "Our legal department is looking into it. We are in touch with the insurance company as well. We will be able to conclude things only when the BCCI takes a decision on the IPL. Pandemic is a new thing for everyone." CSK were lucky to finalise the insurance deal before the pandemic struck. The other franchises who mid-day spoke to, said they were still in talks with the insurance companies when the IPL was postponed.

Meanwhile, the BCCI is still exploring options of holding the cash-rich league this year.

'International' Premier League?

Though the Coronavirus pandemic has put the world's cricketing schedule in limbo and with concerns raised over the scheduled T20 World Cup in Australia this October, the BCCI is preparing all sorts of possible scenarios to hold the IPL. "Shelving the tournament will be a worst-case scenario," a BCCI source told mid-day on Tuesday.

A few possibilities have emerged. The first is the July-August window, where Team India are not scheduled to play any cricket. The BCCI is well-aware that rain could play spoilsport if the IPL is to be held in India during this period. To negate the weather threat, the BCCI is ready to move the IPL abroad if needed. "The IPL has happened on foreign land in the past (2009 and the first half of the 2014 edition), so why can't it be done this time too? Everyone wants the IPL to happen, there is no doubt about it," said the source.

"All that we require is just four venues to conduct matches. Whether to have a curtailed or a full-fledged IPL is a decision that will be taken when we cross that bridge," the source added.

However, taking the IPL overseas will not be an easy decision considering the travel restrictions that the Indian government may put in place. A franchise official, though, wasn't pleased with the proposed plan of playing abroad to beat the rains. "Monsoons will not affect the entire country. South India can definitely be explored. It would be crazy to play abroad especially when saving costs would be a major challenge for all teams," the franchisee official said. Thankfully for franchises, no sponsor has backed out so far.

Sept-Oct window

The window between September and October is also being explored by the BCCI if the Asia Cup is postponed. And if the T20 World Cup is postponed, then another window for the IPL opens up. "There is absolutely no harm in having the IPL if the T20 World Cup does not take place," the source said.

Franchises too are pinning their hopes on the T20 World Cup getting postponed. "That's the perfect window to conduct it. With Australia locked down for six months [till September] for foreign travellers, the T20 World Cup is surely in doubt," a franchisee official said.

The BCCI is also open to conducting the IPL after the T20 World Cup.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A part of the ceiling in Vashi's Raguleela Mall which is one of the prime centres of attraction collapsed on Tuesday afternoon. There was no report of any casualty or injury. The mall is flocked by thousands of people every day for shopping during the weekends and festivities.

Horrible pictures from #Raghuleela Mall #Vashi. Hope Noone is hurt@mid_day pic.twitter.com/1dEQkOdrO3

— Anuraag Kamble (@AnuragANK) July 24, 2018

"Panic gripped when a part of the ceiling fell down at around 12:25 pm. Security officials have asked people who were inside Raghuleela Mall to stay inside their shops," an eyewitness told as reported in Latestly.

Entire POP of Raghuleela Mall, Vashi fell down few minutes back pic.twitter.com/DQxJqJuNhK

— mumbaikars (@Anish67929937) July 24, 2018

It is not clear whether the collapse has anything to do with heavy rains in the city. Further details were awaited.

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On Sunday afternoon, a foot overbridge near the Vashi Police Naka collapsed while a part of it was being removed with a crane. Apart from the driver of the crane, who suffered minor injuries, no one has been affected by the incident. However, the incident led to traffic congestion on the road towards Mumbai coming from Navi Mumbai. 

Following the collapse, the Mumbai Traffic Police immediately took to Twitter to inform commuters to take alternative routes. Though cops claimed that the traffic situation normalised on Sunday night, most vehicles on Monday morning took the alternate route via Airoli to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

Watch the video here...

Locals and traffic officials have alleged the Public Works Department (PWD) didn't inform anyone from the Navi Mumbai traffic police or the Vashi police about the dismantling work on Sunday, and that the crane used for it was of a low capacity.

The incident occurred when PWD engineers were dismantling the bridge. When the team was removing a part with the help of a crane, the device couldn't handle the pressure of the bridge, and thus ended up collapsing on the road. Traffic and disaster officials said the crane being used was of a poor capacity.

PWD should have instead brought in two cranes having a good capacity. mid-day reached out to local PWD officer Kishor Patil, but he remained unavailable for comment. PWD built this bridge two years ago. However, locals said that just six months later, it got damaged after a trailer crashed into it. Nobody was using it after that, but PWD decided to demolish it only this month after one-and-a-half years had passed.

Traffic officials said that prior to the collapse, traffic had already been diverted to the other side of the road, so no one was injured in the incident. PWD officials allegedly failed to inform all officials concerned with the area as well as citizens about the demolition, which is why it took longer to manage the situation.

Many users on social networking site Twitter shared videos of the same on their accounts expressing their frustration and anger over the situation. Here's a look at a few.

As of 6.15am in the morning, the entry into #Mumbai still blocked at Mankhurd. Potential traffic mayhem like yesterday. Took 4 hours to cross Vashi flyover yesterday. @MumbaiPolice not answering phones/WhatsApp. Go via Airoli to enter Mumbai.

— Nikhil Karkare (@n_karkare) October 8, 2018

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Crane clearing work still in progress at mankhurd octroi post.#Trafficupdate @MumbaiPolice huge traffic pile on. Took 1 hr to cross #vashibridge pic.twitter.com/OslI3YdcHV

— Sagar Gholap (@gholapsagar) October 8, 2018

@MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice I tried calling/sending WhatsApp messages to 8454999999 to know the status of the Mankhurd incident yesterday (got stuck for 4 hours after that). No one picked up/replied. Is the number correct?

— Nikhil Karkare (@n_karkare) October 8, 2018

#TrafficUpdate #mumbai heavy vehicles stopped right before #vashitoll. Collapsed crane clearing still underway, near mankhurd octroi post. Huge traffic pile on pic.twitter.com/ZKS4jmDuj2

— Sagar Gholap (@gholapsagar) October 8, 2018

Also Read: 4 dead in Pune after hoarding falls on vehicles at Mangalwar Peth

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Government continues to greenlight projects despite reduced oversight

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

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

Manoj Desai

No aid from YRF?

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

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Gurinder Chadha's aunt passed away on Sunday due to Coronavirus complications. The UK-based filmmaker shared the news on social media. "She was my buaji, dad's sister. She survived the Partition and, sadly for us, no one could be with her in person in her final moments. But two nurses in the Surrey hospital held her hand, FaceTimed her children who chanted Sikh prayers. God bless the #NHS heroes who made my dear aunt's passing humane (sic)," wrote the Beecham House (2019) director.

"Today we said goodbye to my dearest bhuaji /aunt from #covid19 complications. She was my dad's little sister," Gurinder wrote alongside a family picture.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Today we said goodbye to my dearest bhuaji /aunt from #covi̇d19 complications. She was my dads little sister She is the aunt sitting down in these final pictures from #viceroyshouse and doted on me. She survived the Partiton of India and sadly for us, her family no one could be with her in person in her final moments 😢 BUT two nurses in the Surrey hospital held her hand, FaceTimed her children who all chanted Sikh prayers during which her soul departed. God bless the #nhsheroes who made my dear aunts passing humane. 🙏🙏🙏

A post shared by Gurinder Chadha, OBE (@gurinder.chadha) onApr 19, 2020 at 5:10am PDT

"God bless the #nhsheroes who made my dear aunts passing humane," she added.

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Amitabh Bachchan is missing the Sunday evening darshan with fans at Jalsa. For over three decades, Big B has kept his weekly date with fans, who wait for hours for a glimpse of him, outside his Juhu bungalow. 

The superstar took to his blog and expressed how much he missed interacting with his fans. "The Sunday does not mean the same as before. Waiting for the time to arrive, the security in place, that familiar sound of the step board being dragged into position, that familiar scream of the well wishers at the gate as each domestic entrant enters and leaves premises... of the knowing that 'he' comes," the actor wrote in his blog on Sunday.

Bachchan remembered the "ecstatic wild faces and mobiles recording the moment" of his arrival. "The ones on the buildings ahead, precariously positioned at vantage points. The cheer and laments, the letters of recommendations, the out of the country guests... Return wave at the opposite balcony as you walk in the front door and its done."

"A while more and the pages for the autograph, pictures writings etc, all done with the care with which they have remained so sincere and long, arrives. Their personal equation with the maestro intact they leave after this minuscule formality. The heart of the Ef (extended family) be of subtle grace and that done, they leave, as do I, inside the secure home and the gifts that arrive kept away to be stored and valued. But none of that for the day today. Just the thoughts and the reminders by the Ef on other platforms," he added.

The actor has been trying to spread some hope amid the ongoing health crisis triggered off by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, he recited a poem by his late father Harivansh Rai Bachchan to inspire people. "I reminisce my Father and his poem, which expresses hope and strength. The singing is exactly how Babu ji recited it at Kavi Sammelans, which I attended with him," Big B wrote.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

In these times of isolation I reminisce my Father and his poem , which expresses hope and strength. The singing is exactly how Babu ji recited and sang it at Kavi Sammelans, which I attended with him .. à¤Â‡न à¤ÂÂ…à¤Â•à¥Â‡लà¥Â€ à¤Â˜ड़ियà¥Â‹à¤Â‚ मà¥Â‡à¤Â‚, मà¥Âˆà¤Â‚ बाबà¥Â‚à¤ÂÂœà¥Â€ à¤Â”र à¤Â‰नà¤Â•à¥Â€ à¤Â•विता à¤Â•à¥Â‹ याद à¤Â•रता हà¥Â‚à¤Â, à¤ÂÂœà¥Â‹ à¤Â†शा भरà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆà¤Â‚, शà¤Â•à¥Âति समà¥Âपà¥Â‚रà¥Âण । à¤Â—ानà¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â€ धà¥Âन बिलà¤Â•à¥Âल वà¥Âˆसà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆ à¤ÂÂœà¥Âˆसà¥Â‡ बाबà¥Â‚à¤ÂÂœà¥Â€ à¤Â•वि समà¥Âमà¥Â‡लनà¥Â‹à¤Â‚ मà¥Â‡à¤Â‚ à¤Â—ा à¤Â•à¥Â‡ सà¥Âनाया à¤Â•रतà¥Â‡ थà¥Â‡ । मà¥Âˆà¤Â‚ à¤Â‰नà¤Â•à¥Â‡ साथ हà¥Â‹ता था ।

A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) onApr 7, 2020 at 11:56pm PDT

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Not many can convert life's lemons to lemonades as seamlessly as Arjun Rampal can. Caught in Karjat where he was shooting when the lockdown was announced last month, the actor decided to extend his stay at his lavish home, instead of scurry back to Mumbai.

"I thought it would be better to operate from here instead of travel at this point. I have a house here, so it worked out well," says Rampal, who is accompanied by partner Gabriella Demetriades and their son, Arik.

That Karjat has, so far, remained largely unscathed by COVID-19 was another bonus. "We decided to stay back for my son's safety. While he is too young now, this will be a story to tell him when he grows older. Besides, Mumbai is just a few hours away, and hence, easily accessible in case of an emergency."

Spending two months in the lap of nature has converted him into "a farmer", of sorts, he jokes, adding that his family is making the most of the hiatus. "Since there are no cases here, we are secure. We have an open space and [are enjoying] being amid nature instead of confined to an apartment," says the actor, adding that he is also keeping tabs on his daughters Mahikaa and Myra, who are with ex-wife Mehr in Mumbai. "They are doing their work online, and I am constantly chatting with them."

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In a sad piece of news, veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty's father Basantkumar Chakraborty has passed away at the age of 95 in Mumbai. What's more unfortunate is that the actor is currently stuck in Bengaluru due to the lockdown.

And since the lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic has been extended till May 3, it will be very difficult for the actor to come back to the city to perform his father's last rites. The actor's father was ill for a long time and passed away due to renal failure. May his soul Rest In Peace!

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

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

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

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

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Actress Kajol is badly missing her mother, veteran actress Tanuja, amid the coronavirus lockdown. Taking to her Instagram, Kajol posted a picture in which she is seen sharing smiles with her mother. "Friday...miss my mom. It's all our 45 day quarantine anniversary," Kajol captioned the image. Many fans left heart emojis on the mother-daughter's picture.

On the work front, Kajol will be seen making her digital debut with Netflix's film "Tribhanga", which is directed by Renuka Shahane. It is drama set in Mumbai, weaving a complex tale that goes back and forth through three generations of the same family, from the late 1980s to modern-day. Actors Mithila Palkar, Tanvi Azmi and Kunaal Roy Kapoor will also be seen in pivotal roles.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Flashback Friday ...... miss my mom :( . It's all our 45 day quarantine anniversary ..... 😅

A post shared by Kajol Devgan (@kajol) onApr 23, 2020 at 11:05pm PDT

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Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan's mother Saeda Begum passed away on Saturday morning. She was 95. Saeda Begum, who belongs to the Nawab family of Tonk, was unwell for a long time. She died due to natural causes. Begum resided in the Beniwal Kanta Krishna Colony in Jaipur.

Further details are awaited.

On the work front, the actor was last seen in Angrezi Medium. The film, which released on March 13, will be re-released after the country announced a shut down of movie theatres due to the coronavirus outbreak. Directed by Homi Adajania, Angrezi Medium revolves around a father-daughter relationship, played by Irrfan Khan and Radhika Madan. It also features Deepak Dobriyal, Ranvir Shorey, Dimple Kapadia and Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Angrezi Medium is a sequel to the 2017 hit film Hindi Medium, which starred Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar in the lead roles. The movie also features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Radhika Madaan and Deepak Dobriyal in pivotal roles. The film has been produced by Dinesh Vijan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a look right here:

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

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) April 25, 2020

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

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

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

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

Here it is:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

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

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

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

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

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

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If your workplace is supporting its employees by reducing their job strain, it may boost in preventing new cases of common mental illness from occurring up to 14 per cent, a new study suggests.

The findings, published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, confirm that high job strain is associated with an increased risk of developing common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety amongst middle-aged workers.

Job strain is a term used to describe the combination of high work pace, intensity, and conflicting demands, coupled with low control or decision-making capacity.

"The results indicate that if we were able to eliminate job strain situations in the workplace, up to 14 per cent of cases of common mental illness could be avoided," said lead author Samuel Harvey, Associate Professor at the Black Dog Institute in Australia.

"These findings serve as a wake-up call for the role workplace initiatives should play in our efforts to curb the rising costs of mental disorders," Harvey added.

To determine levels of job strain, 6,870 participants completed questionnaires at age 45 testing for factors including decision authority, skill discretion and questions about job pace, intensity and conflicting demands.

The researchers also accounted for non-workplace factors including divorce, financial problems, housing instability, and other stressful life events like death or illness.

The models developed in this study controlled for individual workers' temperament and personality, their IQ, level of education, prior mental health problems and a range of other factors from across their early lives.

The final modelling suggested that those experiencing higher job demands, lower job control and higher job strain were at greater odds of developing mental illness by age 50, regardless of sex or occupational class.

"Workplaces can adopt a range of measures to reduce job strain, and finding ways to increase workers' perceived control of their work is often a good practical first step. This can be achieved through initiatives that involve workers in as many decisions as possible," Harvey, who is also affiliated with the University of New South Wales in Australia, noted.

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One among every 10 parents blame "contaminated" meals from restaurants as the leading cause behind food-borne illnesses in their children, a survey has revealed.

While just one third of parents said their children got sick from spoiled or contaminated food eaten at home, a whopping 68 per cent named restaurants as the most common source, according to the "National Poll on Children's Health" led by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

The poll also reported that only 25 per cent of people check health inspection ratings before dining out.

"Contaminated food can make both kids and adults sick. For young children, whose immune systems are not fully developed, this kind of illness can present a greater risk of serious complications," said Gary L. Freed from University of Michigan.

He explained that virus Hepatitis A is being increasingly passed on through unwashed hands, causing food contamination and, thus, recommends vaccination for one-year-old children.

Other places where eating made children sick included school (21 per cent), friend's house (14 per cent) or at a potluck (11 per cent), the report stated.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), about one in every 10 people around the world falls ill due to food-borne disease each year. Of those 600 million people, almost 420,000 die as a result.

Food-borne illnesses are most often caused by toxins, parasites, viruses and bacteria -- such as salmonella and E. coli. It can occur when germs, either certain bacteria or viruses, contaminate food or drinks, according to the report.

Once contaminated food enters the body, some germs release toxins that can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and sometimes fever or muscle aches.

"Simple precautions, like checking restaurant inspections and following food safety rules when cooking and storing food, can help keep your family safe," Freed said.

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A nagging defect in his superbike allegedly led to the death of biker Zoheb Merchant, 28, on Sunday morning. The Virar resident was on his way home after a joyride with his biker gang, when the front brake of his MV Agusta F3 800 jammed at Manor, throwing him off in another direction. This was the third time his superbike had malfunctioned since he bought it.

Merchant is survived by his parents, three brothers, wife and a six-year-old son. He was the eldest in the family and had a business selling firecrackers. The incident occurred on Sunday morning when Merchant and his group of 15-18 bikers had gone on their usual Sunday ride from Virar to Dahanu. When they were on their way back, the front brake of Merchant's bike allegedly jammed, leading him to lose control of the bike and ram into a divider.

Front brake of Merchant's bike allegedly jammed, leading him to lose control of bike and ram into divider.

One of his friends said, "We have a bikers' group and every Sunday morning, we ride the bike while following proper safety and traffic norms. Whatever happened came as a huge shock to us. Suddenly, some defect occurred in his bike, jamming the brake of the front tyre disc, which then led to him losing control of the bike and falling on the road." Third time Since they were riding at full speed, the impact of the malfunction became such that he was thrown off the bike in another direction. His vehicle, meanwhile, fell near the direction of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway.

Merchant's bike is manufactured by the Italian motorcycle maker MV Agusta, and retails for around R 20 lakh. According to his friends, since he bought it, he'd faced the same defect twice, which is an electric malfunction that jams the front tyre disc. He'd got it fixed and extended the vehicle's warranty till March 2019. He'd also written a Facebook post about the earlier issues he faced. However, the same defect occurred a third time, leading to his death.

Cause of death not known Another friend said, " We managed to bring an ambulance to the spot and took him to a government hospital on the highway, where he was declared dead on arrival. Looking at his body, doctors were shocked at not finding any external injuries." He had minor injuries on his head due to the impact of the fall. The cause of death has not been revealed as the post-mortem report is yet to be released. His friends suspect he died of internal bleeding.

This is the third time the MV Agusta 800 had allegedly malfunctioned.

While the case had initially been registered at the Virar police station, the matter has been transferred to the Manor police station as the incident occurred in their jurisdiction.

An officer from Virar police station said, "We have registered a case under section 304( a) ( death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act against unidentified accused." Motoroyale, the dealer from whom Merchant bought the bike, couldn't be reached for comment.

18 No. of bikers in Zoheb's group

3 No. of times his bike glitched

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

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

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

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

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Going to a new restaurant is no longer about discovering what it has to offer on arrival. An online recce of the place is now part of the eating-out ritual. So, when we spot bhutte ki kees on the menu of The Culture House in Girgaum, we know we are ordering the much-loved dish from Indore's Sarafa Bazaar to satiate our Madhya Pradeshi palate — and to employ it as a litmus test to gauge the attention the recently opened restaurant pays to the vegetarian flavours of northern and western India it promises to bring to Mumbaikars.

We head to the eatery with a friend on a crisp Wednesday night, where we are welcomed by a hospitable staff. The spacious dining area has a haveli-like feel with chandeliers and wooden engravings. Located on a slightly raised level, it even has a vintage elevator for guests; a thoughtful addition, the friend points out.

Bhutte ki kees

As planned, we call for the bhutte ki kees (Rs 279) from the starters right away. "It will be made of sweet corn, though," the server tells us. Important information, considering the original recipe features desi corn, a monsoon crop, which isn't as sweet. But we are used to this jugaad at home, too, and are keen on seeing how the chef finds his way around it. The dish arrives in quick time, but is of a runnier consistency than it should be, and the mild use of spices does little to combat the extra sweetness. Disappointed, we move on to the one-plate meals, from which we pick the khichu khau suey (Rs 379) and Delhi stuff chilla (Rs 279).

Khichyu khausuey

The chilla, or besan pancake, is a staple on winter shaadi menus up north, served sizzling hot. We like the twist of stuffing it with paneer bhurji, but in the process, the chilla seems to have stayed on the tava a tad too long. The khau suey, a Gujarati twist on the Burmese dish, is what has got us all excited. And digging into the cotton-soft rice flour balls swimming in a coconut milk and curd broth leaves us reaching for more. The fried onions, peanuts and soya sticks make for the perfect accompaniments. But we do agree with our fellow diner when she remarks that the broth could have been thicker.

From the plethora of mains, we go for green Gujarat with bhakri (Rs 449). The undhiyo-like sabzi made with fewer winter veggies tastes just fine, as does the accompanying kadhi, but there is little on the platter that justifies the steep price.

Strawberry phirni

It's time for dessert, and from the seasonal options, we pick their strawberry phirni (Rs 349), which is a regular phirni topped with slices of the fruit. The moongdal sheera (Rs 299), when had later at home, reminds us of another winter shaadi indulgence, but we have tasted better versions. We'll return another day. But only because there is still much left to be tried from the vast menu.

AT The Culture House, Soni Building, opposite Bharati Vidya Bhavan, Girgaum
Time 11 am to 11.30 pm
CALL 30151598

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A 64-year-old woman sustained serious injuries on Monday morning when a part of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) roof collapsed in BDD chawl number 18-A in Dadar's Naigaon area. The victim identified as Chanchala Londe and her family were asleep when a huge part of the roof fell on her at around 4.30 am in the night.

Pic courtesy/ Suraj Ojha

Londe's son Vijay Londe told mid-day," This is not the first incident when something collapsed from the building. Several incidents have occurred before in other buildings this, however, this has happened for the first time in our home. My son was in the same room and immediately alerted other family members residing in other flats. We then rushed my mother to KEM hospital."

When asked the victim about the incident, she stated that a huge block of cement fell on her head and she was shocked to hear the loud noise followed by blood trickling down from her scalp. The doctors from KEM suggested for an X-ray and after a few medical check-ups, Londe was allowed to go home with 12 stitches. After the incident, PWD sent a few men at around 9:30 am to repair the RCC roof.

"I do not know when the redevelopment will start. We did not oppose to government plans but we do have certain demands and expectations from the government. Since they have been ignoring these demands, our redevelopment has been delayed and this is how such incidents take place at BDD colonies," Londe added.

Also Read: CST foot overbridge collapse: Victims yet to receive any official letter of compensation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The compound wall collapsed at Kurla railway station near platform no 1 at 9.45 am on Friday. The Central Railway is not affected and trains are running as per schedule. According to Dr. Poonam, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bhabha hospital, 4 people suffered minor injuries.

The injured identified as Siraj (30), Lakhan Khatal (29), Laxman Patil (40) and Amir Kasin (58) are all stable.

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Rajesh Hudiyar, a resident of Mahul, was forced to stay at home because of the BEST strike in the city today. The youngster's board exams are hardly two months away but as he could not afford to take an autorickshaw or a taxi, he had to skip going to school.

Not just him, but many other residents of Mahul, most of whom are Tansa pipeline project affected people, are skipping work and school because since buses are not operational.

Meanwhile, the BEST strike in Mumbai has entered its ninth day today.

While Hudiyar says that he is missing important classes, he simply can't afford to spend Rs 100 on an autorickshaw ride.

Vikas Logade, who is a student of a Wadala college, says that he missed a project submission already which he fears will cost him marks in the final assessment but he can't spend Rs 150 on a taxi every day.

Firdaus Sheikh is a Std. 10 student whose preliminary examinations are underway and two of her siblings are skipping school as well.

Mangal Thakur is sending only her elder son, a Std 10 student, to school while her younger son has to sit at home.

She told Mumbai Mirror, “Unscrupulous autorickshaw drivers have jacked up fares. We can’t afford to send both our children to school in such a scenario."

Vivek Gambre who works in a factory in Andheri east says that he has missed seven days of work which has cost him Rs 9000, which is about 25% of his income.

Amita Pawar, a tester in a factory in Sakinaka, says that her daily wage comes to Rs 250 but an autorickshaw will cost her Rs 200 alone. “Then there’s the additional hassle of getting a vehicle in the first place.”

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Officials of a school in Palghar in Maharashtra have been booked for allegedly threatening a student to give positive feedback about the institution, police said on Sunday. A student had complained that teachers at the school while distributing feedback forms, had told him that he would not be allowed to sit for the annual exams if he gave a poor review, a Virar police official said.

The 13-year-old student was also threatened with a beating by the teachers, the official said quoting the complainant. Palghar police spokesperson Hemant Kumar Katkar said Virar police on Saturday registered a case under sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against the Yahswant Nagar-based school. The official said a probe was on and no arrests had been made so far. 

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Enjoy a vegan gourmet experience this Wednesday where you can tuck into dishes like cauliflower pistachio quinoa with cauliflower cream and roasted garlic panisse; beetroot kibbeh with a beetroot walnut pomegranate cream and salted vegan feta; and cacao olive oil cake with cacao oil and lemon coconut ice cream.

The event is curated by chef Raveena Taurani, who says, "Normally, when we step into a restaurant, the main course always focuses on an animal protein or a carbohydrate-heavy dish, but I was keen to showcase the vegetable as a true hero and show people how even veggies can be wholesome and flavourful in a meal."

ON February 27, 8 pm to 10 pm
AT Yogisattva, Pinnacle House, 15th Road, PD Hinduja Junction, Khar West 
CALL 9867455009
LOG ON TO yogisattva.com
COST Rs 2,700

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

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

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

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

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

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Summers is here and its to get your summer body to flaunt it! Janhvi Kapoor was clicked at the gym in Bandra, Mumbai. Janhvi Kapoor opted for an all-grey gym outfit, and her latest gym look is doing rounds on the internet. 

Janhvi Kapoor/picture courtesy: Yogen Shah

Black and grey sports bra: Buy Enamor Padded Wirefree Medium Impact Sports Bra at the discounted price of Rs 389 only. Shop here.

Grey top: Zesteez Women Grey and Black Sports Tshirts Activewear at the discounted price of Rs 499 only. Shop here.

Grey yoga shorts: Get Avaatar Women's Cotton Yoga Shorts at the discounted price of Rs 250 only. Show here.

Filmmaker Boney Kapoor and late actress Sridevi's daughter Janhvi's debut film, Dhadak with Ishaan Khatter was appreciated by critics and audience alike. The film was a remake of a blockbuster Marathi film titled, Sairat. Janhvi Kapoor is currently shooting on the biopic of Indian Air Force combat pilot Gunjan Saxena. The film has been titled Kargil 83.

Apart from this, she will be seen in a double role in Dinesh Vijan's Rooh-Afza with Rajkummar Rao and Karan Johar's directorial, Takht. This film comprises an ensemble cast of Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bhumi Pednekar, Anil Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.

Also Read: This gym look of Janhvi Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra is pocket-friendly

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Representational picture

San Francisco: To help small and large businesses reach out to 1.3 billion people who use Messenger every month, Facebook has launched an Augmented Reality (AR) tool for them. With this tool, the businesses can leverage the "Camera Effects Platform" to easily integrate AR into their Messenger experience, bringing the virtual and physical worlds one step closer together.

"When a person interacts with your business in Messenger, you can prompt them to open the camera, which will be pre-populated with filters and AR effects that are specific to your brand," David Marcus, Vice President of Messaging Products, said in a blog post on Tuesday.

From there, people can share the image or video to their story or in a group or one-to conversation or they can simply save it to their camera roll.

"To date, there are over 300,000 active bots on Messenger, and over 8 billion messages are exchanged between people and businesses each month -- that's 4 times the amount of messages exchanged since just last year," Marcus informed as Facebook began its annual two-day F8 Developers' Conference in San Jose on Tuesday.

"Today, there are 200,000 developers actively building experiences, forging connections between people and the brands they love and bringing real value to their everyday lives," the post added.

To begin with, ASUS, Kia, Nike and Sephora will launch AR effects for their Messenger experiences.

Facebook also announced that buyers and sellers in its Marketplace will be able to communicate across languages with "M Translations".

"Now when people connected through Marketplace receive a message in a language that is different from their default language in Messenger, M will ask them if they want to translate the message.

"This will help drive commerce between buyers and sellers despite language barriers. At launch, translations from English to Spanish (and vice-versa) will be available in Marketplace conversations taking place in the US," the post further said.

Facebook will gradually roll out "M suggestions for translations" in additional languages and countries.

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One97 Communications Limited, the firm that owns digital payment major, Paytm, announced the unification of bank transfers for its customers with the new 'My Payments' feature on its app.

This will enable Paytm users to make recurring, high-value payment and other monthly expenses in an instant. Using the Paytm app, bank transfers can be done from and to any bank account, making it easier for customers to make payments at zero charge, a facility which even non-KYC Paytm users can avail.

With this new addition to its multilingual app, Paytm is aiming to process Rs 60,000 crore in monthly bank transfers alone by the end of this year. The company is also planning to invest Rs. 5000 crore in its core business, expecting to increase the number of transactions from one billion to two billion this year.

"We have now simplified these payments with 'My Payments' and are expecting six-fold growth owing to this rapid shift in consumer behavior in favor of going cashless. Our users understand that Paytm is more than just a digital wallet company and we will continue adding more such customer-centric features while educating users about the convenience they can experience by using Paytm every day," said Paytm Senior Vice President, Deepak Abbot.

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Two years ago, Jaidwaj Malhotra was running a Google search for a motor for his model airplane when he instead started reading about drones and how to build them. He was immediately taken in by the little object that could fly at 120 km per hour. Today, the 18-year-old is working for an organisation, helping them design surveillance drones for the Indian Army.

Malhotra is part of a tight-knit community of young drone racers in the city that came into being around the time the Indian Drone Racing League (IDRL) was founded by Karan Kamdar in 2016. Over the past two years, the field has gained a sizeable traction with IDRL having 875 pilots registered with them from all over India. The pursuit is expensive.

Building a drone can cost as much as '40,000, and the not-so-cheap batteries must be replaced every three months. The police continues to remain suspicious of fliers. However, for these pumped up youngsters, no obstacle is too big. Even with the odds stacked against them, they are finding ways to let their dreams fly.

'Burnt the circuit board while building my first drone'
Jaidwaj Malhotra, 18

His father being into aero-modelling, Juhu resident Jaidwaj Malhotra has always had a fascination for flying objects. Two years ago he participated in an aeromodelling competition held by Boeing, at the IIT TechFest. Around the same time, he came across the drone, or the "quadcopter". "If you want to fly a drone, it is important that you build it as well. You need to understand the mechanics, to ensure best control. And, in case of trouble, you must know how to fix it in a second," Malhotra says. Like Nayak, he too is a self-taught drone-maker, who got all his knowledge from the Internet.

Jaidwaj Malhotra. Pic/Satej Shinde

"My first attempt was not successful. I burnt the circuit board. But, you live and learn," says the first-year mechanical engineering student. He spread the word on his drone-making abilities on social media and soon people began to approach him. "That's how I got roped in by a startup to design UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) for the Army." When he doesn't have exams, he practises six hours a day on a track that he builds himself, on the Jamnabai School Grounds. "A racing track comprises elements like gates, flags and cones that act as obstacles. I practise on one track, then change it completely and practise again."

One Race I want to participate in: World Drone Prix

'I am the first pilot to register from the country'
Siddharth Nayak, 26

Employed in the construction sector, Nayak is currently neck-deep into the Mumbai Metro project. It's only in the weekends that he manages to fly. "Sometimes, it's not even that, as there are working Sundays too," he tells us. Nayak, who grew up in Nala Sopara and got a degree in instrumentation engineering from a Vasai's Vartak college, has always been keen on robotics. "But, that was mostly stuff on land; I had a craze for flying."

Siddharth Nayak. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

Randomly stumbling upon a drone-racing video on YouTube in 2016 was a deciding moment for him. Nayak, of course, had no experience in drones up until that point. He went through several tutorials online and managed to build his first drone. "I tried it out in the dried salt pans in Vasai, where there were no people. It went up till about 30 feet," he says, speaking of his test run.

The height is not the point of importance in drone racing, where they race not more than seven feet above the ground. "It's precision and control that counts, because you're flying at 120 kmph. It's a lot tougher to control drones at a lower height." Nayak had his first race in IIT Gandhinagar in 2016 and his latest victory was last month at Smaaash, besides three races in Kochi and Pilani. "I had once quit my job to do this professionally, but that didn't work," he says with a smile. Nayak's next aim is to represent an organisation as a drone racer. "My dream is to represent India as a drone racer in an international league, someday."

One Race I want to participate in: Drone Champion League

'I sold my first drone to build my second one'
Himadri Roy, 21

When he was in Std X, Himadri Roy asked his father for money to build his first drone. "I had done my research. I showed him the outline of my plan, which I had developed after going through hundreds of tutorials and blogs. When he saw that I was not talking out of thin air, he agreed," says Roy. The first drone that he built had a larger frame and was heavy. It took him over a month to finish, with help from his father. "Now, I can build it in a week." In the years that followed, he upgraded his machine. "I learnt about more sophisticated methods online and then I sold my first drone to a friend who is an engineer, and used that money to build my second one. This one is a racing drone. It's smaller, faster and more agile." Roy, who was a member of an online forum called Remote Controlled India, came across IDRL on it. He got invited to his first race in Gandhinagar in 2016. "I did a few laps and crashed. It's crucial to keep your mind steady in this race. If you worry you'll crash, you will. I have become calmer now."

Himadri Roy. Pic/Sneha Kharabe

He uses the same calm to deal with authorities when they come in the way. "The laws regarding droning are not clear in India. So, the police continues to stop us. Last week, a police vehicle followed me while I was flying. When something like that happens, I try to explain that it is a sport. I also let them watch the video feed that has recorded what the drone has seen, so they know that we are anything but troublemakers." Currently, he is employing his drone knowledge in his fourth year project. "We are trying to develop drones that can be used for industry surveillance, to identify defects in mobile towers, in particular," he says.

One Race I want to participate in: Smaaash Drone Race at Gateway of India

When the first State of Decay came out, it was unique in the way that it focused on the survival aspect of a zombie apocalypse rather than the all-out destruction and gore of killing countless zombies. With the new game, the developers have focused their attention on the community aspect of survival.

Right from the start, you get to choose two characters instead of one and each group and character has their own strengths, skills and background. Like the previous game, you can make your posse and build a base of operations complete with a farm and fortification. There are three open world maps — each the size of the map in the original game.

This huge world is littered with empty cabins, new places to build outposts and gather resources. Risky as it may be, the game forces you to explore resources simply because weapons break and you can run out of fuel, food and medical supplies. Venturing out also helps you meet new people to add to the community. State of Decay 2 really hits you home with all the death — losing a built-up human resource can be painful. You can die by getting killed in combat or by way of infection.

Dying in combat is also rare as the AI-controlled characters do a good job of handling themselves, while you take care of business. The only real time you are in danger is when you encounter morbidly obese super zombies that can tear you apart. These guys are tough, but they are the most fun combat you will face in the game, second only to running over zombies with a car, which could have been better if the cars handled better.

Plus, it pays to remember that fuel is a limited resource that you might want to save. Scavenging for resources is fairly simple — if you need fuel, you can raid a gas station; if you need food, find a convenience store or abandoned encampment. Gathered resources can be used to build up, upgrade and fortify your own camp. While there is a ton of stuff to do in the camp and in the surrounding areas, State of Decay 2 does have a main story.

The story mode is a great way to learn about the game and experience various situations as you search for plague hearts to destroy. Plague hearts are throbbing masses of flesh, and it is what produces the infectious plague zombies, identifiable with their glowing eyes. To reduce their numbers, you need to find and destroy the hearts. While the story mode is fulfilling, the camp building and exploring is where the game's strength lies.

We played an advanced copy of the game and the final game will be released on Tuesday. State of Decay 2 still has a lot of bugs, which hopefully will be ironed out soon. Some bugs we encountered on the PC version of the game were floating zombies, breaks in rendering and freezing. This is not a big issue and the developers are sure to patch this over time. And, while the game is very competitively priced, we would recommend waiting for a future bug-free version before jumping in.

State of Decay 2
Rating: 3.5/5
Developer: Undead Labs
Publisher: Microsoft
Platform: PC, XBOX
Price: Rs 1,924

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Over a phone call from Kolkata, Vikram Rajan*, an audio engineer and guitarist formerly based out of Mumbai, wants us to listen to a track that he has composed. It's available on Soundcloud and, as we stream it, we more or less agree that its flavour of electronica-jazz could accompany a languorous Sunday evening. "For a long time, I had been unable to come up with something good. And, then, I composed this around March while I was microdosing and sometimes, megadosing on acid," says Rajan.

The 33-year-old is referring to a way-of-life that's effectively snapping the ties between drug abuse and the creative arts. This is a lifestyle experiment that some of the brightest techies in Silicon Valley are engaging in, and has got psychiatrists and anti-drug crusaders distraught. "From a 100 mics paper, I take about 20 mics, twice a week, giving the doses a 2-3 days gap. The effects of acid last for about six hours for me," says Rajan, who started experimenting with drugs as a teenager.

After a litany of prescriptions failed to control her mood swings and depression, Ayelet Waldman found relief in LSD. The former federal public defender authored A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life, in 2016. She wrote: "(It) made room in my mind not necessarily for joy, but for insight. It allowed me a little space to consider how to act in accordance with my values, not just react to external stimuli. This, not the razzle-dazzle of pleasure, was its gift." Pic/Getty Images

In need of a quick glossary before we proceed? Acid is officially called Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), a psychedelic drug banned in India, the possession of which can lead to imprisonment from one to 20 years under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. LSD is often illegally sold in the form of stamps, with the hallucinogen embedded on blotter paper. Mics is micrograms, that's one-millionth of a gram. A microdose is when you have about one-tenth of a recreational 'party' dose, which starts at about 200 mics.

"With microdosing, you are not tripping — this is not a trip. The euphoria isn't there. It's not about feeling good, it's about calmness," continues Rajan. Microdosing first hit headlines after Steve Jobs' passed away in 2011, when a number of inspiring tales on how LSD became the new go-to substance for enhanced performance by tech employees hit the net. Espresso became passé. 'Flow states' were the new yoga. While Jobs did more than just microdose (he was known to have gone all the way), Silicon Valley techies are reportedly doing acid in quantities such that their effects are 'sub-perceptual', where you won't "see stuff" but you harness its "positive" effects.

A dropper with CBD cannabis oil, used for medicinal purposes. Initial research in the area has shown that patients can reap the benefits without its full-blown 'high' effects

Paul Austin, founder of The Third Wave, where you will find a manifesto on microdosing, defines it as, "the act of integrating sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics, such as LSD or Psilocybin Mushrooms, into your weekly routine for higher levels of creativity, more energy, increased focus, and improved relational skills." The Third Wave, according to Austin, follows the first two waves, in which psychedelics were used indigenously for thousands of years, and then, in the 60s and 70s, when they were a part of American counterculture. Austin writes that The Third Wave is upon us, "brought about by recent developments in cannabis legalisation and psychedelic research — and it will change the way mainstream culture perceives psychedelic use."

Classically acid, now weed
For Rajan, however, it wasn't sub-perceptual Silicon Valley that got him to ration his 100 mics stamps, each of which costs about R2,000. It was simply a matter of demand and supply. Mumbai had better stuff than Kolkata, and more availability. Microdosing has classically been associated with LSD, but now has been extended to cannabis as well. Austin's website has guided instructions for microdosing on nine drugs, including cannabis and ayahuasca. Mumbai-based communications officer Varna Kumar*, 25, smokes a mandatory post-work joint every night in order to cope with anxiety and panic attacks. "I feel I have worked enough through the day, without much time to understand what I am going through. At night, when I am by myself, I smoke a small joint to achieve REM sleep," she says. The joint, a mix of two strains, sativa and indica, help her body relax. It makes her anxiety seem defeatable, is how she describes it. Her counsellor, who also smokes up, has not advocated this as a coping mechanism. "It's different from when I am smoking up recreationally during the weekend or when I am away on a vacation. I will do three to four joints when I have nothing to take care of," she says.

Rajan doesn't buy it. He offers an example that may be best contemplated upon or contested by those who have done both LSD and cannabis. "With weed, you are either stoned, or you are not. You will need to smoke up as soon as the high wears off. When you get stoned, your mind becomes passive. But, microdosing on LSD allows you to be calm enough to multitask, allowing a lot of information to be funnelled into your brain easily. You are alert, you are awake," he says, adding, "What is LSD all about? When you start tripping, you see a shift in perspective." You need not agree with Rajan, as he himself says, "We are all chemical reactions", with each of us reacting differently to drugs.

Covert, not convenient
Microdosing will often be compared to that hard-earned and well-deserved one drink after work hours. It's nothing like that, microdosers will tell you, and so will psychiatrists and rehab therapists. For one, microdosing has none of the ease of getting a drink at your favourite pub. You will be persecuted in your search for your creative spell or a calmer mind. Next, it's not even like getting a drug prescription that your GP advises you to have for the course of a fortnight. Kumar and Rajan know it all too well. Microdosing means self-experimentation, knowing when you are crossing the threshold into recreational high dosages. Cannabis, for instance, is best microdosed through edibles, like space brownies, which are available legally in some parts of the world. It's probably the reason why microdosing is yet to take on Silicon Valley proportions in India. "Here, we don't often get to know what strain of cannabis we are using, or where it is sourced from," says Kumar. Saying "this stuff is craazzyy" is, therefore, not enough if you want to microdose. "If you are living with family, it's hard to make edibles. All this means that the convenience factor associated with a drink is not the same with this covert process," she adds.

The idea of the junkie, with matted hair and piercings, is a stereotype that microdosing is replacing. It's no longer cool to be a junkie, especially in the vegan-conscious, gluten-free, aerial yoga health lifestyle that we are seeing around us. Microdosing may be the most metrosexual among the various kinds of drug use, and it carries the allure of high-performance and alleviation of mental health issues, with published studies to back these up. But doctors and psychiatrists are warning us about the glamourisation of microdosing, even as research to mainstream it for mental health is going on. Psychiatrist Dr Samir Parikh says, "Microdosing encourages the thought process that you need a drug for enhanced performance or better creativity or to calm your nerves. This will mean that students microdose before exams, athletes before a run, couples before a wedding, and the next thing you know, because someone has to attend a birthday bash. There is no end to important situations in life. We are making people believe that a student could have scored an additional five marks in an exam had she just microdosed. Can you imagine the perils of this philosophy?" he says. He backs this up with the number of risks associated with prolonged drug abuse, such as a permanent change in brain circuitry, cerebrovascular diseases, and panic attacks.

Then there are those who will argue that moderation as 'one-drink-a-day' is more addictive than the weekend drunken revelry. Is addiction, even in microdoses, still addiction, where the brain searches for rewards compulsively? Kumar disagrees. "Microdosing is the difference between dependence and addiction. For example, I am dependent on a cab to take me to the station. Can I get through my day without it? Can I walk to the station? Yes, I can. That's what microdosing is. I can get through my day without a joint, but a joint just makes it a little easier," she says.Psychiatrist Dr Yusuf Merchant, who runs a rehabilitation centre at Kalyan, says microdoses pose the risk of turning into overdoses. "With any drug, the body learns to metabolise it faster. Which means, that the quantity for a microdose will keep increasing and your hold on reality will keep getting more tangential."

Rajan himself admits to a 'bad trip'. LSD users will tell you that recreational doses are best done in settings that you feel comfortable in, to enjoy, or cope, with the hallucinations. With microdosing, you are headed into your office or your studio to function better. Rajan had once taken more than a microdose, leading him to have a panic attack, the kind where he couldn't even see his hands. The golden rule, he says, is that if you don't go on a full trip, you will never know what a microdose is.

That ailing pain
The push for microdosing is coming from a quarter where its future seems to be most secured — pain management. Mumbai-based homemaker Susheela Kamath*, 48, was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer a couple of years ago, and having undergone nearly a year's worth of chemotherapy and radiation, the accompanying pain and nausea, were all too real. Her daughter provided her with high-grade hash oil. The dealer provided her with a tiny spoon, the kind that you are handed inflight to stir your coffee with. "I had to initially understand, through a lot of trial and error, by gauging my mother's mood, on what a microdose for her would be. Hash oil is very potent," says the daughter.

A little drop of it on her toast every day, helped Kamath cope with pain. "From the third day to the tenth day after chemotherapy, my mother would have about three to four spoons a day, and, on other days, just half a spoon," says the daughter. Coping with the pain meant she could do more during her day, and also have an appetite. Now, months after she has wound up chemotherapy and radiation, she has bid adieu to the prescription drugs that came along with it, and the hash oil as well, without yearning for that high. Unfortunately, unlike medical grade marijuana that is available in some countries, and still not permitted in India, the daughter did not know if the oil had cannabidiol (CBD), which gives marijuana its medical properties, or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which gives you the "high".

Dr Kailash Kothari, interventional spine and pain management specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, says that there is not enough evidence to either prove or disprove that microdosing on cannabis can help with pain management, the way opioids, such as morphine, act on the nervous system. "Do cannabinoids work like tranquilisers or do they have long-term effect? There is not enough research as of now," he says, adding, "Getting dependent on these takes a lot of time and not something that can happen in about 15 days of use." In the meanwhile, you can enjoy a night of quiet or a better track on Soundcloud by rationing your stash. But, is it short-term solace or long-term abuse?

*All names have been changed on request to protect identity