There's no doubt that the fifth victim of the Ghatkopar plane crash, architect Govind Dubey, 32, was in the place at the wrong time. But his family is not willing to accept mere bad luck as explanation for his death — they want to know whom to blame. After the family embarked on a sit-in at Rajawadi hospital, refusing to take Govind's body, MLA Jitendra Awhad assured them of compensation and investigation in the matter. With these assurances, the Dubeys finally claimed the body last evening.

Govind was merely passing by when the plane came hurtling down on him. He died on the spot with 100 per cent burns. Due to the extent of his injuries, he was identified only yesterday with the help of his half-burnt wallet. The last location update on his phone also confirms that he was at the spot. The architect hailed from Uttar Pradesh, from where his family has come to collect his body. To his brother's surprise, though, not a single government official has contacted them to assure compensation or action against the culprits.

Arvind Dubey, Govind's brother

“It has been over 24 hours since I lost my brother in the incident. It was my brother's bad luck that he at the spot when it happened. But isn't it the responsibility of the government to come forward to give us justice?” said Arvind Dubey, Govind's brother. He added, “We have decided to file a police complaint against the aircraft company for the accident. The government must conduct an inquiry and imprison the person at fault.”

MLAspeak
“The victim comes from an economically weaker section. Hence, I have requested Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to consider his case for compensation,” MLA Awhad told mid-day.

Also Read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Aircraft was 10 miles away when it went off radar

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The balcony portion of a ground-plus-three storey residential building came crashing down amid the heavy downpour in Kurla West on Sunday afternoon.

Although the building had been declared dilapidated by the BMC, a few residents continued to stay in it. While it was evacuated immediately, and no one was hurt, the incident sparked panic in the vicinity.

Around 2 pm, the balcony portion of Bhushan Bhavan on New Hall Road collapsed. "We received a call at 2:45pm and rushed two engines there. The debris was cleared and the building evacuated by our officials," said an official from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.

"The building was constructed in 1958. Till today, 14 to 15 tenants were residing in the building. The city civil court had issued a stay till the Technical Advisory Committee's (TAC) decision. An undertaking had been taken by court from the occupiers that they will stay at their risk and that the BMC and police will not be held responsible for any untoward incident," said Ajit Kumar Ambi, L ward officer.

There was also a scare of an abandoned under construction building collapsing in Thane. The ground-plus-four structure is at Panama Quarters near Bhagwati School in Thane West. According to the Thane Fire Brigade, they received a call from locals about the building coming down. "The construction had stopped some years back. For now, we have put up a caution notice in the compound. The security guard there has told us that he has informed the owners and some action will be taken tomorrow," said an official from the Thane Fire Brigade.

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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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The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has arrested a man in connection with an alleged ISIS-inspired group that wanted to carry out mass attacks at big events using poisonous chemicals, police said on Sunday. The arrest was made on Saturday from Mumbra in neighbouring Thane district and a laptop, tablet computer, hard disk, pen drives, router, mobile phones and diaries were seized from his residence, an ATS official said.

The ATS had earlier arrested eight people, and detained a minor, from Aurangabad and Thane after several teams carried out searches through January 21-22, an official said. They were charged under Indian Penal Code section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bombay Police Act. This group, during interrogation, had named the accused who was arrested Saturday, he added. He will be produced in a court on Sunday, the official
informed.

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Question papers of two subjects of the SSC (Class X) exam conducted by the Maharashtra State Board were found leaked at Bhiwandi in Thane district of Maharashtra on Wednesday, police said. A case was registered at Narpoli police station against an unidentified person in this connection. "As per the complaint filed by a state board official, examination of history and political science subjects was scheduled to take place on Wednesday," senior inspector M B Shinde of Narpoli police station said on Thursday.

"For the exam that was to start at 11 am, students were expected to be in the exam hall by 10.15 am. However, outside an exam centre at Kalher in Bhiwandi, the board official found some girl students checking their mobile phones inside an autorickshaw," he added. When the official checked their phones, he found the question papers of history and political science subjects. "The girls had received these question papers through a messaging application. When the actual question papers were tallied with those on the mobiles, they were found to be the same," Shinde added.

A case was registered under IPC section 406 (criminal breach of trust) and section 72 of the Information Technology Act, police said, adding that nobody has been arrested in this connection so far. According to police, question papers of algebra, geometry and science subjects were also allegedly leaked in Bhiwandi earlier. The state board's secondary school certificate (SSC) exam began on March 1. 

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As part of its redesigning spree, Google has provided a surprise makeover to its Drive.

The Google Drive now appears to take major inspiration from the recently redesigned Gmail app. There are no new features, but the appearance has been tweaked to match with other Google products.

To begin with, the Drive interface background has been changed from gray to white for a neater look. The boxes and icons have also been given rounded corners and a taller appearance than before, Engadget reports.

In addition to that, the Drive logo is now placed prominently on the top left corner of the interface. The icons have also been shuffled a bit.

The latest changes to Google Drive will start reflecting in some time as the company is gradually rolling out the redesign.

After drawing criticism from users worldwide about its controversial redesign, audio-video sharing platform Snapchat has rolled out another app redesign for iOS users.

In the new design, snaps and chats are aligned chronologically and "Stories" from friends have been moved back to the right-hand side of the camera screen.

Snapchat has added a separate "Subscriptions" feature to keep "Stories" from popular creators and publishers in the loop while letting the other "Stories" be separated, The Verge reported late on Thursday.

"We are currently rolling out an update to address this by sorting communication by recency and moving 'Stories' from friends to the right side of the application, while maintaining the structural changes we have made around separating friends from creators and sorting friends' 'Stories' by relationships," Evan Spiegel, CEO, Snapchat had said earlier this month, in the company's first quarter earnings call.

Snapchat was testing a new design in April that would move the user's "friends' stories" alongside the "celebrity content" in the "Discover" section again to ensure that the user's feed would not be dominated by the "celebrity content".

There is no word yet on when the update would be available on Android.

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Keeping up with the promise made at its I/O Developer Conference last week, Google has now officially rolled out its "Google News" for iOS, the media reported.

The new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered app is designed with machine-learning technology to make news finding, analysing and fact-checking, crisp and to-the-point, Engadget reported on Wednesday.

"Google News" comes with three options, "For You, "Full Coverage" and "Newsstand," to help users find news of relevance based on their reading habits, let them have an in-depth read of a topic and give access to users to subscribe to a publication and view its content.

Additionally, the app comes with a "favorites section" for users to star topics across entertainment, news and academia and save stories for pocket-style reading later.

The newly launched "Google News" has replaced the previous "Google Play Newsstand" launched on iOS in 2014 as a news and magazine subscription hub.

The saddest thing is how the people responsible for moral policing are allowed to get away with it. Representational Image

I didn't watch the viral video featuring that young couple being abused and attacked by commuters on the Kolkata metro. I knew it would only upset me, like so many videos populating a million WhatsApp groups now do with depressing regularity. I also expected the faux outrage, followed by young men and women hugging each other publicly in acts of defiance to be documented for their Facebook pages.

That this didn't raise eyebrows a few hours after the furore died down is proof of how insensitive we have all become towards any attack on perceived acts of love. We live in a city that once routinely saw couples being attacked on Valentine's Day until the regressive folk responsible for the attacks realised it didn't get them brownie points. We also live in a city where couples holding hands have to deal with thousands of people eyeing them warily, as if the act of holding another human being's hand is alien to our culture. That this is the same culture that gave birth to the sculptures of Khajuraho is lost on millions of our countrymen who scan the streets for acts of intimacy that make them uncomfortable.

In 2015, a young man was stripped and brutally assaulted in public by right-wing activists in Mangalore who had a problem with him being in the company of a girl with different religious beliefs. They couldn't stand the idea of two young people choosing to ignore something as inane as religion in order to find a human connection. That same year, another young man in Kerala was beaten to death by a mob after being found in the house of a woman. To put this into perspective, there were a lot of people offended by what two adults were doing in the privacy of their own homes.

There's a streak of misogyny that runs through these attacks, too, of course, as anyone who remembers the 2009 attack on a pub in Mangalore will attest to. Young men and women were drinking alcohol, which, according to the clowns who routinely become spokespersons for our culture, was an insult to traditional Indian values. It's interesting how all these values involve men making decisions on behalf of women, worrying about their morality, taking it upon themselves to decide how women ought to behave in public for their own good.

What happened to the 13 couples and 35 other young men and women who were rounded up by the Mumbai police a couple of years ago following raids at hotels? They were all consenting adults who had simply checked into several hotels in Madh Island and Aksa. How can a supposedly civilised country justify the idea of policemen knocking on doors and taking couples into custody for choosing to spend time in a room together?

How do we reconcile something as barbaric and regressive as an 'anti-Romeo' squad? How do we make sense of people claiming to be offended by men and women kissing? How do people doing what evolution compels them to do offend other people? How do we explain to visitors that we live in a country where it's perfectly okay for policemen to ignore criminals and spend time patrolling public spaces in order to prevent men from being anywhere near women? And if this is how authorities believe they are protecting women from sexual harassment, what does that say about how millions of Indian men are taught to behave around women?

The saddest thing about these incidents is how the people responsible for them are allowed to get away with it. There aren't even slaps on the wrists, let alone repercussions that lead to any genuine change. People believe it's perfectly okay to harass a couple for hugging in public because they know that a mob can get away with murder. It's also why mobs do get away with murder so often in the world's largest democracy.

People who have problems with couples indulging in public displays of affection probably behave the way they do because they have never received much affection themselves. If you want to leave this country a better place than the way you found it, please do the right thing and hug your children, partners and loved ones more often. Also, please do it in public.

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

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Eat with your hands, please," Lloyd Braganza who runs one of Goa's most popular restaurants, tells us, rolling up the sleeves of his floral shirt, revealing a koi fish tattoo. We are at Copper Leaf, one of the best fish thali destinations at Porvorim, and for company we have chef and restauranteur Braganza, his wife Nerissa and their seven-year-old son Naethan. Llyod stops talking when the thali arrives. A mound of rice and a crispy fillet of matzo are skirted by coconut curry, clams masala, kismuri (dried fish and coconut salad), bhindi fry, gulab jamun, sol kadi and banana.

"This is Goa's most authentic thali, and locals as well as tourists come here for their fill," Marissa tells us. The fish has a sweet freshness, and the curry is hearty. The meal switches on our sussegad mood. But, there's more to this stop than indulging in gluttony. Six years after enticing Goans with delicious meals at his eatery, House of Lloyd, the family is set to open shop in Mumbai and ahead of its launch, the Braganzas are happy to give us a tour of their Goa-inspired menu.

The pork chops

Fish Market: The next stop is the Malim jetty where most of the fresh catch of the day coming in from along the coast is sold. Scenes of women haggling over prices, to fishermen unloading their catch and slicing the guts, greet us. We see ribbon fish, ponies and sole fish drying in the sun, apart from mud crabs piled in open crates.

Yeast Ecpected, Poie: We are at a nameless bakery. We enter a small room that opens into a dungeon-like opening with a woodfire oven burning a crimson orange. In a corner, a mixer is folding dough. One of the bakers, Gajanand Naik, shows off a basket full of poie. "At midnight, we start making poie. The dough is mixed for 30
minutes and left to rest for three hours," says Naik. Made from husk and wheat, the art of poie has lost a prominent ingredient — the toddy. When the Portuguese introduced the bread in Goa, they replaced yeast with locally available toddy.

Plum and white chocolate with vodka

Rassa Omelette: Our next stop is, again, an unnamed snack stall. "You are known by your product. There's no need for a name," Braganza laughs. A server puts a fat chunk of omelette on a plate and drowns it in rassa. We tear a piece of poie, that soaks up the gravy. The fluffy omelette and poie do little to douse the spice notes from the Kashmiri chillies and garam masala giving the curry its kick.

Fruit Cocktails Pork chops and Serradura: Our final stop is at House of Llyod, situated on the veranda of his 150-year-old ancestral home. Braganza has thrown over a chef's coat over his shorts and is busy behind the bar. Christmas seems to have come early as we alternate between a green jalepeno-passion fruit cocktail and a vodka-spiked plum and white chocolate. No sugar, juice or additives, the cocktails are blitzed on order. Braganza's food sings a melodious tune, one whose lyrics have been written over years oscillating between struggle and success. In 1996, his first venture was Chopsticks, a Chinese restaurant at Baga, which put him on the Goa culinary map. "I had no culinary degree and brought on board a chef from Royal China in Mumbai, to help. By 25, I had money and luxury cars. Then, I had to shut shop because of losses, " says Braganza. He began at the lowest rung, again, as waiter. In 2003, he opened Lloyds, a five-table Goan and barbeque restaurant in Calangute. Partners drove his business to closure in 2011. "Nerissa coaxed me to give it one more try. It would be my last one, I told her," Braganza recalls. The same year, together they rebuilt the restaurant on the current premise — a tile-roof open-air tent that gives the feel of a garden setting overlooking the heritage property. She took charge of the front of the house, and he revisited his childhood to master family recipes with his mother.

The Juhu outpost. Pic/Ashish Raje

Soul Food: Goan food, says Branganza, is meant to be consumed two days after it has been cooked. The gravies thicken from concentration of flavours. We understand this when we dip a garlic poie into a bowl of bloody red sorpotel. The spares have merged with the spices and transformed the curry with meaty flavour. This dish is one of the most tedious to make, Braganza says. "First, you boil the meat, dice it, and fry the parts separately. After frying the onions, you add the meat that will hold the masala," says Braganza. While it is best served three days later, chef has a serving reserved for himself that is two years old. For the Mumbai outlet, all the house curries and sauces, along with poie, will come from Goa. The most awaited dish — the barbeque grilled pork chops — makes an entry. "This takes me back to my heydays. At Lloyd's, when I fired the grill, people would follow the aromas to order the dish that was smelling so delicious," says Braganza, falling silent when the dish arrives. The meal ends with Marissa's serradura, a classic cream and biscuit pudding. The dry powder is soothed by the creamy condensed milk mush and we lick our spoons clean. We can't wait to have the next serving back home. Mr and Mrs Braganza, welcome to Mumbai.

Chef Lloyd Braganza with wife Nerissa and son Naethan

Also read - Mumbai Food: Chef Raji Gupta's pop up offers flavours from Kerala to Goa

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With the city going to the polls today, a total of 422 polling stations has been declared 'critical', which includes 65 from Mumbai suburban and 357 from the Island City. As part of the special arrangements made at polling stations, live web-casting and video-recording will be done. The procedures will be monitored closely and immediate action would be taken in case of any suspicious activities.

As per the instructions given by the Election Commission (EC), the booths that polled more than 75 per cent votes in the last elections or where the same candidate got 75 per cent votes have been marked as 'critical'. Even the law and order situation of the last election has been taken into consideration before deciding on this.

According to sources, live web-casting will be done at more than 10 per cent (763) of the total 7,472 polling stations in suburban Mumbai. The procedure will be carried out based on the terms of the 65 'critical' polling stations out of the 763. Whereas, in proper Mumbai, of the 357 polling stations declared critical, web-casting will be conducted at 260. As part of the security arrangements, additional force, including teams of the Central Industrial Security Force, will be deployed within a 100-metre radius of polling centres.

Live Blog: Elections 2019 Phase 4 Live Updates: Anil Ambani, Rekha cast their vote

Speaking to mid-day, a senior official said, "No polling station has been found to be sensitive even after a detailed study, but even the critical ones will be monitored closely by us. The live web-casting will be continuously monitored by the EC-appointed observers."

Also read: Elections 2019 in Mumbai: Everything you need to know before you vote

763
No. of polling stations in suburban Mumbai where web-casting will be done

260
No. of polling stations in Mumbai where web-casting will be done

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A missing platform stands between Mumbaikars and the restored tram the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had promised to set up for display at Bhatia Baug, by the first week of April. While the tram coach is nearly ready, the tender for construction of the platform, which will serve as its base, didn't receive an adequate response, and a second tender cannot be floated until after the Lok Sabha elections in the city.

The BMC floated a tender last month to appoint a contractor who will construct a 3 feet tall platform. The tram, as well as part of tracks, will be installed on top of it. The overall of cost of restoration of the tram and construction of the platform is estimated to be R28 lakh. "We received a response from a single bidder so we have to float another tender. However, since the model code of conduct is in place, we will have to wait for the elections to get over," said Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner of A ward. He added that they will float the tender next week and it will remain open for a period of eight days.

Also read: Elections 2019: 422 polling stations in Mumbai declared 'critical'

Based on the plan, the BMC is considering letting people enter the tram under certain conditions. Before the final setup, however, the BMC will need the approval of the heritage committee. Unlike most projects that are approved based on documents, for this project, the committee members will have to inspect the tram. On April 24, A ward officials wrote to the heritage committee asking them to inspect the tram and give their approval for the project. Dighavkar added that the tram will be brought to a godown in Cuffe Parade from Rabale sometime this week.

Over the past couple of months, the tram was restored in a workshop in Rabale using the parts of another tram that was functional in Kolkata between 1874 and 1907. Once the tram has been assembled at Bhatia Baug, the BMC is planning to set up lighting in the area to attract visitors. Civic officials are also planning to install LED screens inside the tram which will display information about the history of trams in Mumbai from the horse drawn ones till the electrical ones which were taken off the road around 50 years ago.

Also read: Elections 2019: Netas appeal to citizens to vote

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The Mule
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Dianne Wiest, Andy Garcia, Alison Eastwood, Taissa Farmiga, Ignacio Serricchio, Loren Dean, Eugene Cordero, Robert LaSardo
Rating:

Eighty-eight-year-old Clint Eastwood’s 37th feature has him directing and acting in a drama about an elderly man whose late-life drug running — egged on by desperate circumstances — becomes a tool for heavy rumination regarding conscience, morality, and reclamation. Nick Schenk (of Gran Torino fame) fashions this screenplay inspired by the New York Times Magazine article The Sinaloa Cartel’s 90-Year-Old Drug Mule, about a true event, written by Sam Dolnick.

The original mule was Leo Sharp, a World War II veteran and great-grandfather. But, for this film, Eastwood and Schenk take some creative liberties to present a sensibility that is more Eastwood than the real-life event would oblige. The experience delineates the nearly destitute senior Earl Stone’s (Eastwood) tryst with criminality conspired by an alienated family construct, and a flagging business. Earl was never there when he was needed by his family, ex-wife Mary (Dianne Wiest) and, especially, daughter Iris (Alison Eastwood). Their rejection of him when he runs out of money may be painful to watch, but it is fairly justified in the schema of broken relationships damaged by ego trips.

Eastwood, of course, lives the part. He fits the role, but as far as the fan-image goes, he seems frailer and less imposing than he did in his last cinema outing. But that physical deterioration doesn’t take anything away from the manner in which he has constructed this slow-burning, contemplative, engaging, humorous tale, which appears to be somewhat autobiographical in the manner in which it deals with relationships that are central to the story here.

We can see that Federal agents, led by a DEA Special Agent in charge (Laurence Fishburne), and newbie Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper), trying to nail some cartel drug runners out West, are eventually going to come across this unsuspicious drug-runner. But the film is not about that cat-and-mouse chase as much as it is about a conscience finally coming awake, and Earl making robust efforts to atone for his past mistakes.

Eastwood’s mule seems to bask in the freedom that easy money brings him, and appears to be unaware of the hellish depths that the murderous cartels would reach — and that’s precisely how the film plays out. With every film, like in this one too, Eastwood’s politics also comes out, loud-and-clear. He may be intriguing as a person, but not always politically correct as an actor-director voicing his personal world-view.

Earl’s eventual redemption also comes a little too easy, given the havoc he may have engineered by his flirting with the cartel. The tone shifts are jerky, the narrative veers to the ponderous and the experience doesn’t come across as entirely fulfilling — even though the cinematography and minimalistic appurtenances lend shadowy depth to the experience.

The supporting characters don’t get much screen-time, even though they are integral to the plotting. Eastwood hogs the show here. His apparent disconnect with the consequences relating to his actions is a hurdle that’s difficult to overcome. And that’s also because Eastwood’s image still manages to over-power his latter-life performances. As an audience, we are more likely to be distraught over his real-life physical deterioration than we are about the reel life character’s disempowerment.

Watch The Mule Trailer

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Nearly three dozen cops, including Assistant Sub Inspectors to constable-rank policemen, attached to Kasa police station in Palghar have been transferred as a result of the Palghar mob-lynching incident.

Sources at the police station told mid-day that 35 policemen have been moved to different police stations in Palghar district, as they failed to gauge the public mood despite repeated offences by local villagers, who had been rearing their heads against the government.

"Just two days before the barbaric killing of three men — saints Chikne Maharaj and Shushil Giri and their driver Nilesh Tilghate, the mob, in a similar manner, had attacked a doctor. The doctor was spared as he too is a tribal," said an officer from Palghar police.

"Kasa police should have taken stern action against the mob as they had injured policemen in the April 14 incident. Had action been taken against the mob then, local villagers would not have mustered the courage to gather at one place and dared to lynch the trio," the officer said.

Two police officers, PSI Sudhir Katare and API Anandrao Kale, have been suspended over 'dereliction of duty'. However, action taken by both on April 16 — the day of the lynching — has been defended by eye-witnesses.

Meanwhile, the sarpanch of Gadchinchale village Chitra Choudhary has been given police protection after she wrote to Kasa police about threats from relatives of the accused. One of the two watchmen of the forest department, Sonudaji Borsa, has registered an NC against the mother of an accused for threatening him but no protection has been given to him so far.

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The HRD Ministry is prepared to conduct the pending board examinations for classes 10 and 12 for 29 crucial subjects at the first possibility, officials said. The ministry has also directed states to start the evaluation process for the exams already conducted and facilitate the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in evaluation of answer sheets. "We are prepared to conduct board exams for class 10 and 12 pending due to lockdown in wake of the COVID-19 situation in the country. The exams will be conducted for 29 subjects crucial for promotion and admissions to undergraduate courses, at the first possibility. The students will be given at least 10-days notice before exams are conducted," a senior ministry official said.

"States have been asked to start the evaluation process for the exams already conducted and have been advised to facilitate evaluation of answer sheets. CBSE will also issue instructions for marking or assessment of non-important subjects not included in the list of 29 subjects," the official said. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' had on Tuesday interacted with education ministers of states. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had suggested that students be marked on basis of internal assessment as it is not feasible to conduct the pending exams now.

Sisodia, who is also the education minister, said students of Delhi will be more effected due to delay in conduct of exams as different states have their own boards, while the national capital only follows CBSE. Education ministers from different states also put forward deliberations being made about their respective state boards.
The Bihar board has already announced results for three streams of class 12 and is in the process of evaluation of class 12 exams. The Uttar Pradesh board is yet to begin the evaluation and will take a call in this regard soon.

¿Recently there has been lot of speculation regarding CBSE board exams. It is reiterated that board's decision to take board exams for 29 subjects of class 10, 12 stands the same as announced earlier,¿ the CBSE clarified in a tweet on Wednesday. According to the HRD ministry officials, as of now there are plans to conduct competitive exams including JEE and NEET in June for admission to engineering and medical colleges.

For other undergraduate admissions, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is working on an alternative calendar for the new academic session which will notify the timeline within a week. A seven-member panel set up to study the issue has recommended that the undergraduate admission process be started in July-August and the new session for freshers be started from September. However, no final decision has been taken in this regard yet.

The CBSE has already announced that it will not be conducting any exams for students in foreign countries. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

Later, a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which has now been extended till May 3.

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Trains ferrying migrant workers have been on the move with about 14 of them having left from the Central Railway section and 62 from the Western Railway section across different divisions. However, there continues to be limitations in the number of trains leaving from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as it is a red zone.

So far, eight trains have left from the MMR region with a couple of more planned in the coming days. A Bhivandi Road-Gorakhpur one was the first train to leave the MMR region on May 2 with 1,104 migrants.

The same day another train left from Vasai Road for Gorakhpur with 1,200 migrants. After this, two trains left for Jaipur — one from Bhivandi and another from Dahanu — on May 4, two from Kalyan to Darbhanga and Kalyan to Guntkul on May 5 and another two — Panvel to Rewa and Bhivandi to Patna in the wee hours of May 6.

The first train to arrive in the state was from Rayanapadu in Vijaywada

First train to arrive in Maha
Meanwhile, the first train to arrive in Maharashtra was from Rayanapadu in Vijaywada. It reached Chandrapur with 1,212 migrants around 9.10 am on May 6. The passengers were provided with food and water by the state government and later taken for health check-ups by the district collector before being sent to their homes.

One of the group leaders, who was onboard the train, said the migrants from Maharashtra had gone to Rayanapadu for red chilli plucking and transport was organised by the Krishna district administration. "They were taken to the station in 48 buses with 25 passengers each. The passengers included senior citizens, women and children too," he told mid-day over phone. Western Railway chief PRO, Ravinder Bhakar said the railways would run these trains as long as there was demand from other state governments.

14
No. of trains that have left from the CR section

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Six new cases of Corona were found in the Panvel Municipal Corporation jurisdiction on Wednesday taking the count to 113 under the PMC. Among the new cases are two APMC staffers, a police officer, a kidney patient, a homemaker and a BEST employee.

The PMC, which falls under the Raigad district, was initially declared an orange zone, as was the entire Raigad district but within 24 hours, the collector put PMC areas in the red zone.

Ramesh Lengarekar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, PMC, informed mid-day that PMC was a part of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan and Dombivli, etc, and considering the entire MMR is in the red zone, PMC, too, falls under the said category. "While the government has the power to decide the zones (red, orange, green), the collector has been empowered to list a zone from orange to red or green to orange."

12L population in PMC
So far, two deaths have been reported from the PMC region, which has a population of 12 lakh. The number of positive cases in Raigad district, excluding PMC, is lesser and is, therefore, in the orange zone.

Areas under the PMC — Panvel, Kamothe, Kalamboli, Kharghar, Ulve and Taloja — will follow the national lockdown period till May 17 with prohibitory orders under Section 144 (no assembly of more than five people) in force.

"As per the central government directives, we are making an attempt to keep some additional shops (five) other than medical and general stores open. A decision on this will be taken soon," a senior PMC official said.

Infection from Mumbai
The BEST staffer who tested positive is attached to the Govandi bus depot, and the police sub-inspector is attached to a police station in the Central Mumbai region.

The kidney patient was undergoing his dialysis treatment in a private hospital in Sanpada while the two APMC staffers are residents of Kamothe and Kharghar.

Mangal Kamble, founder president of Swachh Kharghar Foundation, said, "People working in Mumbai have been travelling daily between Mumbai and the PMC area, and have caught the infection in the city."

Cases spike in APMC market
"Also, our concern is that most of the vegetables, fruits, and grains are being transported all over the MMR region from the APMC market, which is already seeing an increase in the number of positive cases. A thorough screening of every vehicle entering and exiting APMC should be done and at every entry point within the PMC area. This needs to be done to curtail any community outbreak of the virus," Kamble added.

Over 100 COVID-19 cases in APMC
Dr Satish Choudhari, nodal officer for COVID at Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar said, "At present, we have around 24 positive cases in the quarantine centre here. All those people who have a cold, cough, fever for more than three to five days are sent to the Gram Vikas Bhavan for quarantine and are referred to sub-district hospital Panvel or to MGM hospital in Kamothe if they need further treatment."

Twelve new cases have been detected in the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) market taking the tally there to over 100.

The market, however, continues to function as per the guidelines of the committee appointed for monitoring the situation.

113
Total no. of COVID cases in PMC area

2
No. of novel Coronavirus deaths in PMC area

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At a time alcohol sales have been barred in Mumbai, its sales in 18 districts of Maharashtra on Wednesday yielded Rs 43.75 crore. A few buyers claimed the token system introduced to reduce crowds helped them get their tipple faster.

After seeing the crowds in Mumbai that gathered to buy their favourite drink without caring about social distancing, the State Excise Department had released a new set of guidelines for all liquor shops, which included a form that customers would have to fill in with their personal details and take a token. The excise department said not more than 50 tokens can be issued per hour. Assuming there will be 50 customers per hour, a wine shop can supply a maximum of 400 customers per day. If more customers come, they will be issued tokens for the next day.

All alcohol vendors have been asked to sell liquor only through this token system. mid-day spoke to a few buyers outside the BMC limits about their experience.Some of them said the system helped as they did not have to stand in queues for a long time.

Was asked to wait till 11 am
Suresh Jadhav from Thane, who bought liquor from J K Wine Shop on Bhiwandi-Kalyan Road, said he was asked to take a token. It was number 72 and he was asked to come at 11 am. Jadhav said, "When I reached the store at the given time, there was not much crowd. Due to the token, I did not have to stand in line for long."

Munna Pandey, another Thane resident, who went to the same shop, said he took a token and was asked to come at 1 pm. "When I reached the shop at 1 pm, there were 15 to 17 people standing in front of me. I wrote my name, the name of the brand and my mobile number in the form. I took a total of 4 bottles. It took me about half an hour to get my liquor," Pandey said.

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Amid allegations of hospital mismanagement and with the rise in COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government completely overhauled the top administrative set-up of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) , by transferring commissioner Praveen Pardeshi and two additional commissioners on Friday.

Iqbal Singh Chahal will replace Praveen Pardeshi as the new chief of BMC. Pardeshi will take charge of urban development department in Mantralaya which was headed by Chahal. Ashwini Bhide, who was waiting for a posting after the Metro 3 controversy and subsequent transfer, was appointed as the additional municipal commissioner along with ex-Thane civic Sanjeev Jaiswal, who also joined Bhide in the same capacity. The will replace incumbent Babasaheb Jarad and Jayshree Bhoj, who were transferred.

Talks of possible clash of opinion between Pravin Pardeshi and his political and administrative bosses in Mantralaya seems to have proven correct even as the opposition parties said on Friday that the Shiv Sena-led government was trying to underplay its failure by shifting the blame to the bureaucrats by transferring them.

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To tackle the spread of Infection, Panvel Municipal Corporation has taken a big decision. Contributing more than 40% cases in the tally of Covid-19 cases, Corporation has decided to declare entire Kamothe node as containment zone from Friday night. No travelling outside Kamothe will be allowed for common citizens, also residents will be allowed to step out only for buying essential things. Only employees working in essential services will be allowed to enter or exit the area.

Panvel Corporation area till now has reported 138 Corona cases till now. Out of these cases, 54 are from Kamothe node. To tackle the spread, Corporation was thinking of taking some strict action, finally it has decided to declare entire Kamothe node as containment zone.

The node is spread over 2.76 Square kilometer, having population of 1.13 lakh rupees. "Kamothe is contributing more cases than rest of the area, so we needed to take some strict action. As per standard practice, we were sealing a building as containment zone where positive case gets detected, but now we have decided to declared entire node as containment zone" told Ganesh Deshmukh, Municipal Commissioner of Panvel Corporation.

No travelling of persons will be allowed inside Kamothe from Friday night, only essential services employee including Medical practitioners, Government and Corporation employees, security personnel will be allowed after providing ID cards.

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AMID allegations of mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, the state has completely overhauled the top rung of the BMC by transferring civic chief Praveen Pardeshi and two others on Friday. Iqbal Singh Chahal replaces Pardeshi.

In addition to urban development, Pardeshi would also look after the water resources department. Pardeshi, a celebrated disaster management expert, who shot into limelight after managing the aftermath of the Latur earthquake very effectively as the collector, has been the most sought-after bureaucrat in planning relief and rehabilitation.

Ashwini Bhide too was waiting for a posting after her Metro III issue with Shiv Sena and a subsequent 'punishment' transfer. Along with many other IAS colleagues, she was deputed to the BMC for a special task after the Coronavirus break-out. She would now be a full-fledged empowered officer. Ex-Thane civic chief Sanjeev Jaiswal has also joined Bhide as an additional commissioner. He was waiting for a posting after leaving Thane where he served a record time.

Abasaheb Jarhad and Jayshree Bhoj, who were recently appointed in the BMC, have been shifted to make space for Bhide and Jaiswal. Two additional commissioners — P Velrasu and Suresh Kankani — have been spared.

Clashes in Mantralaya

Murmurs of clashes between Pardeshi and his political and administrative bosses in Mantralaya seemed to have proven right even as the opposition parties said on Friday that the Shiv Sena-led government was trying to find a scapegoat for covering the failure of the political set-up in Mumbai.

Sion hospital incident

Iqbal Singh Chahal

Since Mumbai's woes have been unending with the spread of the virus and the expose of BMC-run Sion hospital where bodies and patients were placed together in one ward and a COVID-19 patient's escape, made the government red-faced. Pardeshi and his team of additional commissioners, who were new to the city, invited criticism time and again. Sources said Pardeshi had several arguments with chief secretary Ajoy Mehta who preceded him as BMC chief. Pardeshi served as Devendra Fadnavis's principal secretary in the CMO before getting BMC chief's post in the previous political regime. Considering his seniority, he has also been in the reckoning for the CS office.

'Transfers no solution'

Jarhad replaced relief and rehabilitation secretary Kishorraje Nimbalkar who has been transferred as Public Works Department (PWD) secretary. Manoj Saunik will be an additional CS of the all-important finance department. He has been holding dual charge of PWD and finance. Bhoj has been sent to Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation as its managing director. Opposition leader in the legislative council Praveen Darekar said the government was masking its failure by finding scapegoats. "Transferring bureaucrats isn't the right approach to mend things. The government should be able to make good policies and make bureaucrats implement them," he said.

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As some parties filed nominations for the May 21 Legislative Council polls on Friday, a citizen from Nagpur who wants to contest has alleged that the state government and the Governor gave false information about Coronavirus to the Election Commission of India (ECI) that scheduled biennial elections to prevent a constitutional crisis in the state.

Sunil Gayaprasad Mishra has demanded that the elections be postponed as the Coronavirus pandemic has grown exponentially in the state.

Mishra wrote to the ECI, Raj Bhavan, the state chief secretary (CS) and political parties that demanded polls to facilitate Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's election to the upper house. Unless elected to either house of the Assembly by May 27, Thackeray will cease to be the head of the state government. Thackeray petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 30 and polls were swiftly announced the next day. The ECI justified the decision citing the need to save Thackeray's chief ministership. Mishra has questioned the 'overnight' developments.

'The episode was fixed'

Mishra, an RTI activist and ex-chairman of Nagpur University's Board of Studies of Mass Communication, questioned how will people living in red zones travel to Mumbai to file nomination and reach out to the 288 MLAs who have to vote for the councillors. "I sent the email on May 6 but haven't got a reply yet. How could the CS voluntarily provide information to the ECI? And the information is factually incorrect. See how exponentially the pandemic has grown in Maharashtra. Mumbai alone has over 10,000 cases. And yet the CS told ECI on April 30 that the state would be able to conduct the polls. Why did the governor write to the ECI? Did his predecessor recommend such a thing? Where was the Chief Election Officer who reports to the ECI? It seemed the entire episode was fixed to benefit all parties," Mishra said.

'Will move court'

BJP's Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil submits his nomination at the Legislature on Friday 

"Participating in polls is my constitutional right. But the lockdown does not allow me to be part of the process as the nomination ends on May 11. I couldn't even prepare documents like the election affidavit. So, your notification on May 1 breaches my rights and hence I request you to stall the elections," Mishra wrote to ECI. In another letter, Mishra urged CS Ajoy Mehta to inform ECI of the facts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra where almost every district has positive cases. Mid-day has copies of the letters.

Mishra said his actions are not influenced by any political party.

"I'm not a political worker, but a concerned citizen who wants to expose political fixing. Some influential people have already reached Mumbai, travelling all the way from far-flung places like Nagpur, Nanded, Solapur and Sangli. It seems that the ECI, the governor and ruling and opposition parties want nothing to do with the ordinary citizens," he said, adding that he is also exploring the option of moving the Bombay High Court.

BJP fields four, MVA jittery

The Bharatiya Janata Party fielded four candidates for the May 21 legislative council polls. Denying nomination to veteran aspirants like Eknath Khadse, it chose former Nagpur Mayor Praveen Datke, Nanded's Dr Ajit Gopchhade, and two turncoats — former MP Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil and Gopichand Padalkar. A former NCP leader, Mohite Patil joined BJP before Lok Sabha polls and Padalkar was BJP's Assembly candidate in Baramati against Ajit Pawar. The BJP has made it clear that it would not settle for anything less than four seats if the polls were to be unopposed as wanted by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The 288 MLAs are the electoral college for the elections and BJP claims to have the support of 115 MLAs which could help it win 4 seats. The Shiv Sena has two candidates — Thackeray and deputy chairman of the upper house Neelam Gorhe.

The NCP wants to field two candidates but the third Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partner Congress is also adamant on contesting two seats despite having fewer MLAs at its disposal. If the Congress remains steadfast, authorities would have to conduct voting on May 21. The MVA, which has 170 MLAs (votes), was expected to decide on the nominations on Friday evening.

The nominations created a furore in the BJP.

Khadse said the state party had recommended him, Pankaja Munde and Chandrashekhar Bawankule but they were ignored. "Instead, a man like Padalkar who had boycotted PM Modi's rallies is given the ticket. Mohite Patil spent many years in the NCP and now he is our candidate," Khadse said.

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Maharashtra Cyber has registered 363 offences of rumour mongering, spreading misinformation, hatred and fake news on social media during the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Saturday. The state police's cyber wing has been monitoring online activities to prevent the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 196 persons were arrested for sharing or uploading objectionable posts, videos and photographs on social media, the official said.

In Sangli district, a case was registered against some people for uploading a Tik-Tok video about a particular community being responsible for the pandemic and also using abusive language against prominent social reformers, he said. At least 14 offences were registered by the cyber wing in the district since the lockdown was enforced, he added.

Similarly, in Parli town of Beed district, some persons were booked for a social media post linking the spread of COVID-19 to a particular community, he said, adding that the district had recorded highest number of cyber offences during the lockdown. Of the 363 offences registered so far, at least 155 cases were related to WhatsApp forwards, while 140 were for objectionable Facebook posts, the official said.

The cyber wing had deleted at least 101 objectionable posts from social media platforms during the lockdown, he added.

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

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

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

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When Elon Musk revealed his newborn son’s name, X Æ A-12, he took the internet by storm. Even as the Tesla and Space X explained the meaning of the name, the buzz around it refuses to die down. Mumbai Police, taking a cue from Musk, posted a hilarious cryptic lockdown mandate.

The police department took to Twitter and asked their followers to solve this cyptic lockdown mandate that was written with characters Æ, b, 8 and a home emoji.

*Æ b 8 🏠

Crack this #lockdown mandate.#AMaskDecode

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) May 8, 2020

The post that was shared on Friday was quick to catch people’s attention and many tried to decipher the tweet. From answers ranging from ‘Aye, ghar baith’ to ‘All be at home’, the Twitterati realized that the Mumbai Police was asking people to stay at home. Some people also lauded the creativity of the police as they cashed on a trending topic and posting as a public service message.

Aye, Be At Home?

— Easha (@Esssaaa12) May 8, 2020

Ae baith ghar

— Arfat Qureshi (@arfatqureshi327) May 8, 2020

All be at home

— Richie Rich (@picachuppp) May 8, 2020

We should be at home...

— Rachit James (@james_rachit) May 9, 2020

😂..very creative,( Elon Musk )..👍🏻

— Sylvestre Almeida (@Sylvestre_n_twt) May 8, 2020

Wow! Thanks for letting me know the pronounciation of first word 😂

— Sushmush♉ (@sushmasarraf) May 8, 2020

What do you think of the post?

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Dear Diana,
My SSC exams just got over and I know for a fact that I am going to fail. The feeling scares me to a point where I can’t sleep or eat. I don’t want to interact with friends or my family. I am scared of letting them down, especially my mother. My parents are pretty strict and I don’t know how they will react if I fail. I tried very hard to learn everything, but when I was about to write my exam, I realised that I couldn’t remember anything. I was completely blank. No one has failed in my family. Please help. I am scared.
— Rohan

Illustraion/ Uday Mohite

Dear Rohan
It’s natural that you are feeling scared of telling your parents that you might flunk in your exams, but instead of being anxious all day, it’s best that you sit them down and tell them exactly what your problems are. Even if they shout at you at that moment, eventually they will understand what you are going through. In fact, who knows, they might be able to help the situation. You mentioned that you tried studying but couldn’t memorise, so may be your parents could help you improvise on the way you learn. Remember, that life is a long journey and these numbers in your exams do not dictate how successful you are going to become in the future. They are mere marks. It also seems that you are scared that your relatives might not think highly of you when they get to know that you have failed but at the end of the day, you have to live your life and are the best judge of your capabilities. Believe in yourself.

Winter is all about wearability and comfort, but don't make it an excuse to let go of the style quotient. Break away from conventional silhouettes and experiment with versatile trends like embroidered capes or structured peplums to beat the chill, say fashion gurus.Ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra, who has dressed up beauties likes Kajol, Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Rani Mukerji, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Preity Zinta, feels one should stick to layering, but incorporate vintage hues. "Winter is all about comfort in style as we break away from conventional silhouettes and experiment with versatile trends that cater to a young global audience. As we mark the beginning of festivities in India, my latest collection spotlights layering as the key highlight of the season; I love layering as a trend and I always incorporate it even in my personal style," Malhotra told IANS.

"Crafted in vintage hues of chrome, ivory, oyster grey and rose, organza capes, trench jackets, and silken kimonos draped over tea-length dresses and layered skirts add an innovative twist to the young, glamourous women. For the modern gentleman, cowl-necked kurta-shirts with embroidered dinner jackets and velvet drapes help accentuate European accent to the classic ensemble," he added. Designer duo Ankur and Priyanka Modi, who established their brand AM:PM 15 years ago, believe in modern simplicity. "Winter is all about wearability, comfort and style and this season we break the monotony of traditional influences to introduce bold, power silhouettes as the versatile trend to adapt. Crafted in luxurious fabrics of velvet and silk, jackets, long or short, add an understated glamour to a classic silhouette," they shared a joint view with IANS.

Pointing out the trends to go for, they said: "Be it the embroidered capes or structured peplums, each garment can be effortlessly paired across any occasion and are thus, our staple must-have choice for the season." A lot of people associate winter with black and grey. But try hues like pomegranate red and aubergine, says Deepshikha Khanna, Head of Product Development (Apparel) for Sustain, Good Earth, India. "At Good Earth, our design philosophy revolves around translating simple everyday luxury for fashion lovers across the globe. With the festivities ushering in, our Sustain range highlights fusion wear as the emerging trend for the winter season," Deepshikha said. "Breezy kurtas worn with palazzos and printed scarves make an ideal choice for a casual day brunch while embroidered shararas and angrakhas crafted in deep, winter hues of pomegranate red, aubergine and charcoal is perfect for an evening outing. Indigenous fabrics of chanderi, silk, velvet and brocade flaunt versatility and comfort and can be styled effortlessly from day to night across various occasions."

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India wrestler Pooja Dhanda, 26, has battled quite a few injuries in her career so far and knows how tough it is, especially for young wrestlers, to cope with the financial strain. That's the reason she wants the government to take care of budding grapplers during their injury phase.

"If a top-level athlete gets injured, he or she has sponsors to help in the comeback. However, it is very difficult for junior wrestlers to manage injuries without the support of sponsors. I feel the government should step in to help such youngsters needing treatment and rehab facilities. After all, these are your potential medal-winners in the future," says Dhanda, who won a bronze medal [57kg freestyle] at the prestigious World Championships in Budapest in 2018.

Tough times

Dhanda recalled suffering a knee ligament injury during training in Lucknow in 2015 and struggling with treatment for the next two years. "Currently I'm sponsored by JSW, but back then I had no financial support whatsoever. Those two years were tough. I got the knee surgery [by Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala] and subsequent rehabilitation [under physiotherapist Dr Ashish [Kaushik] done in Mumbai and it was difficult for my family to manage the frequent to and fro travel costs," revealed Dhanda, a silver medallist (60kg freestyle) at the Youth Olympics Games in Singapore in 2010.

"Generally, it's the middle-class or lower middle-class kids, who take to sports like wrestling, kabaddi and boxing. They are not financially well off, so any injury needing expensive treatment can end promising careers. I feel, at least cadet or junior level medal-winners should get government support in these situations," added Dhanda, who was again laid low by injury in 2019 and had given up on the 2020 Tokyo Games before it got postponed to 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Online learning

In lockdown at home in Hisar, Haryana she is currently taking online lessons from women's national coach Andrew Cook of USA. "He [Cook] shares videos of the top wrestlers and we discuss technique and strategy accordingly. My aim is to not just qualify for Tokyo 2021 but to also win a medal there," said Dhanda, who bagged silver at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.

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The postponement to 2021 of the Olympic Games in Tokyo because of the coronavirus pandemic will cost the International Olympic Committee (IOC) "several hundred million dollars", its president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday. "We already know that we have to shoulder several hundred million US dollars of postponement costs," the German wrote in a letter to the Olympic movement, warning that, while the IOC would honour its financial obligations to Tokyo, it would probably have to make cuts. "We also need to look into and review all the services that we provide for these postponed Games," he said.

"The IOC will continue to be responsible for its share of the operational burden and its share of the costs for these postponed Games." The IOC, which has approximately $1 billion (926 million euros) in reserves, took the historic decision to postpone the Games, scheduled to open on July 24, until July 23 to August 8, 2021. If the coronavirus pandemic is not brought under control within a year, the Games cannot be postponed again and will be cancelled, the head of the organising committee (COJO) Yoshiro Mori warned on Tuesday.

A task force, which brings together the IOC and various partners, including COJO, "has established the priorities and management strategies to make these postponed Olympic Games feasible and successful", Bach said. These include creating "a safe environment with regard to health for all participants". "At this moment, nobody knows what the realities of the post-coronavirus world will look like," he said. "What is clear, however, is that probably none of us will be able to sustain every single initiative or event that we were planning before this crisis hit." He added that the IOC should also view the crisis as an opportunity.

"We can fairly assume that, in the post-coronavirus society, public health will play a much more important role. Sport and physical activity make a great contribution to health," he wrote. Bach also said the Olympic movement should consider its relationship with esports in light of social distancing.

"Whilst maintaining our principles by respecting the red line, with regard to the Olympic values, we encourage all our stakeholders even more urgently to 'consider how to govern electronic and virtual forms of their sport and explore opportunities with game publishers'," he said.

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Fabien Mason (centre) with Jane (left). Pics/Mason & Co, Danda Food Project

Did you know that for most its 4,000-year history, chocolate was consumed as a bitter beverage rather than as dessert? To see the various other ways in which cacao can be consumed, sign up for a pop-up dinner organised by Danda Food Project, in collaboration with organic chocolate brand Mason & Co.

Aditya Raghavan, cheese consultant and co-founder of Danda Food Project says, "The idea for this came about when Anandita [Kamani, co-founder] and I were discussing how astounding it is that we get beautiful dark chocolate from this plain-looking pod. We started doing some research, and that led us to Jane and Fabien Mason's Auroville set-up."

The result is a 10-course meal that takes you on a journey of tasting everything from the cacao fruit to the decadent chocolate that comes out of it. Most of the menu is shrouded in secrecy, and will only be revealed to diners on the day. "We want people to be excited by it when they see it," explains Raghavan, adding that there will be options for vegetarians and vegans, too. Without revealing too much, he gives us a sneak peek into what we can expect.

"The first course is a sorbet made with the pulp of the cacao fruit. We sourced close to 30kg of it from a farm in Kerala," says Raghavan, adding, "Very few people have actually tried the fruit. It tastes like a cross between a lychee and mangosteen." Another dish will make use of cocoa nibs, while a third will feature rich cacao butter. "For the sixth course, we have used 10-day aged molé [a savoury, chocolate-based sauce from Mexico] to create a dish," he shares.

Six of the 10 courses are savoury items, after which the desserts will start coming in. There will be nine drink pairings through the meal. Six of these will feature wine, while Abhishek Chinchalkar of Bombay Duck Brewing (and third co-founder of Danda Food Project) will be serving a Chocolate Stout.

"The tenth course is a digestif, featuring two items, Coffee as Chocolate, and Chocolate as Coffee. For this, we've played around with coffee beans and cold-brewed coffee to give you what looks like chocolate but tastes like coffee," says Raghavan.

Those who miss this pop-up need not worry, as Raghavan and Kamani will host a repeat meal at their Khar home on September 12.

On: September 7 and 9, 8 pm onwards
At: Magazine Street Kitchen, Devidayal Compound, Gupta Mills Estate, Byculla East.
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500

Mom's Butter Chicken Tikka Masala. Pics/Atul Kamble

When Cafe Delhi Heights sold its 2,00,000th Jucy Lucy Burger (Rs 445), the chain organised a competition at its outlets in Gurgaon, Delhi and Noida. Ashish Singh, the corporate chef of 13 of the outlets — with another one coming up on Janpath and Mumbai's first branch launching at Kamala Mills today — tells us that the winner ate two-and-a-half of the burgers, while the runners-up gave up at two and at 1.75. Consisting of a 250gm mutton patty, 70gm cheddar cheese topping and 15 to 20gm of jalapenos, respectively, all stuffed in a six-inch bun, this burger is definitely not for the weak-hearted. But if you love gastronomic challenges, it's a must-try. We make a mess when we try one, but relish the paprika-herbed patty with crunchy veggies and a cheesy aftertaste.

Panzanella Salad

A board displays 2,08,133 when we walk in, the number increasing with each Jucy Lucy sold. A look around the vibrant 80-seater space, opposite Farzi Cafe and cushioned between The Beer Cafe and Love and Cheesecake, reveals it to be family-friendly. The booths come with LCDs; there is a low-seating area for noisy groups and a bar section to slip into nightclub mode.

Owners Sharad and Vikrant Batra have also got Michael Swamy — who opened Nueva, a South American fine-dine, with the duo in Delhi — to create a recipe book based on the 80 dishes from the menu, which will be launched in Mumbai next month.

Anti-oxidant Smoothie

We start with ISBT Makhani Maggi (Rs 285), loaded with chunks of butter that melt into the creamy gravy. Our cholesterol level shoots up even before we take the first bite of the spicy, Indianised recipe that may receive scorn from Maggi purists. But we are surprised at ourselves for actually polishing off this bowl.

The Sushi Chirasa (Rs 825) — traditionally served as a bowl of sticky rice, with crabsticks, avocado, tuna, salmon and peppers tossed in — is completely avoidable as the sticky morsels fail to impress us.

ISBT Makhani Maggi

We cleanse our palate with a Nimboo Anardana Shikanji (Rs 205), which is garnished with coriander and embodies the best of a chatpata flavour.

By the time we reach the Eggs Benedict (Rs 375), we are wishing that the dishes went easy on the butter, since they are comfortingly palatable without it. The Benedict comes on a bed of moist croissant and bacon, and the yolk oozing out of it tempts us to dig in.

Jucy Lucy Burger

The croutons in the Panzanella Salad (Rs 375) are crunchy, and so are the French beans, broccoli and babycorn, flavoured with Parmesan and herbs. We also sip on an Anti-oxidant Smoothie (Rs 325), which has chia and flax seeds, strawberry and yoghurt.

Finally, slow claps and drum rolls for Mom's Butter Chicken Tikka Masala (Rs 625), please. This one's a family recipe, with the chicken smoked in the tandoor and tender to bite into. To our delightful surprise, the creamy tomato gravy is sans cashew nuts. The dish is served with hot naans and saffron-scented rice. Slightly tangy and spicy, this is one butter chicken that Mumbai's been craving for.

Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo topped the timesheets by a dominant margin ahead of teammate Max Verstappen, as Red Bull marked themselves out as contenders for victory on the opening day of Singapore Grand Prix practice.

Ricciardo put in a dazzling one minute 40.852 second lap under the floodlights, setting a new record around the Marina Bay street circuit after having already lowered the earlier benchmark with the fastest time in the opening session.

His effort was a massive 0.556 seconds quicker than Verstappen's best. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton meanwhile, chasing a hat-trick of wins this weekend, was third fastest after having been fourth in the opening session.

His title rival Sebastian Vettel, second in the evening, was inconspicuous at night with only the 11th fastest time.

Singapore's tight twists are expected to play to Ferrari and Red Bull's strengths and Vettel briefly lit up the timing screens. Valtteri Bottas, who agreed a one-year contract extension with Mercedes, ended the day fourth-fastest.

Rishi Kapoor became a heartthrob and a sensation after the blockbuster success of Bobby, his launchpad in Hindi Cinema that was made by his father and the legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor. It was the year 1973 and the songs of this film are as fresh in 2020! One of the romantic saga's most memorable melodies was Main Shayar Toh Nahin, which he paid homage to in 2004 in the film HumTum.

But just imagine for once that the song features Karan Johar instead of Kapoor and he is the one who's coyly singing. The filmmaker, judiciously, and hilariously using the face-swapping feature, uploaded a video on Instagram where we could see his face plastered on Rishi Kapoor's body.

See what happened then:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

... Raj Kapoor was one of my all time favourite film makers!!!! and Rishi Kapoor is my all time favourite actor!! This is a present to me by Sandeep @2ouringsandy I’d like to thank him for this gift, one that I will always treasure!!!! I also want to tell all of you to please go ahead and laugh!!! You are totally allowed to!!!! artist @sanjaytrimbakkar

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onApr 27, 2020 at 3:01am PDT

Not being able to control and contain their laughter and excitement, a lot of his friends from Bollywood came out with their comments on his post. First in line was Abhishek Bachchan, who commented with a face-palm emoji, Aditi Rao Hydari had her heart for him, Maheep Kapoor called the video fab and also had some laughing emojis, Tahira Kashyap wrote- "See your father always knew about your talent and looks! You should have listened to him." (sic)

That's not all, there were some more comments! Karan Wahi wrote- "What a debut KJO." (sic) Pooja Hegde had this to say- "Woahhhh...that's amaze." (sic) Ranbir Kapoor's sister Riddhima Kapoor shared the laughing and the clapping emoji. Good friend Kajol left as many as seven laughing emojis and three clapping emojis in the comments section. Shilpa Shetty wrote- "Faaaaaaabbbbbb!" (sic) Manish Malhotra commented- "This is so good and Raj Kapoor was my favourite film maker to." (sic) Also commenting with laughing emojis was Preity Zinta but she couldn't help but amalgamate it with the clapping emojis too.

This has to be his best and the most commented video to date and let's see which Bollywood classic and Hindi film hero he puts his face on next! And given Rishi Kapoor himself has a great and sometimes a wicked sense of humour, how would he respond and react to this?

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As Irrfan Khan leaves us with memories and also a lot of pain, Bollywood celebrities are taking to their Twitter accounts to express their thoughts on this irreparable loss. Priyanka Chopra, who worked with the actor in 7 Khoon Maaf and Gunday, has also tweeted about him.

She wrote - "The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues... You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family." (sic)

Have a look right here:

The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues.. You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family. pic.twitter.com/vjhd5aoFhc

— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 29, 2020

Both 7 Khoon Maaf and Gunday were poles apart in their storytelling and performances, and displayed Irrfan Khan's talent and tenacity. If 7 Khoon Maaf was a thriller about a woman and her seven husbands, where Khan played the trickiest part, Gunday was an action potboiler that was bathed in the kind of masala people enjoyed watching in the 70s, with Irrfan playing one of his most delicious and heroic roles.

The actor will truly be missed by one and all!

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After Race 3 (2018), Jacqueline Fernandez had been missing from the scene, barring sporadic appearances in music videos with Badshah and Bigg Boss contestant Asim Riaz. So where has she been all this while? "For now, I am at a farm far away," she laughs, alluding to spending the lockdown at Salman Khan's Panvel farmhouse. "On a serious note, I went through a period where I needed to reinvent myself."

A still from Mrs Serial Killer

The actor considers Mrs Serial Killer, the crime thriller that dropped on Netflix yesterday, her first step in "rebooting myself." "I have always done mainstream films, and was tired of playing chirpy and superficial characters. I was keen to attempt something dark and complex. So when Shirish [Kunder, director] said that Manoj [Bajpayee] would be my co-star in Mrs Serial Killer, I jumped at the idea." Fernandez admits she was a bundle of nerves on the first day of shoot. "I was excited as well as petrified about working with Manoj. Going by his films, I felt he would be a strict actor. But we had a great time on the set. I had to unlearn several things while working with him."

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Last seen in Welcome to New York (2018), Lara Dutta Bhupathi is back on the scene with the web series, Hundred, which marks her digital debut. "It just fell into place. I wasn't actively looking for anything. I thought it would be interesting to be part of the web culture."

The offer landed in her lap rather suddenly. "Though I have known Ruchi [director Narain] for years, we never spoke about working together. I always wanted to be directed by a woman. I like her work, so, I thought I'd give it a shot when she made the offer." At odds with the roles she has played in Bollywood till date, her character in Hundred was age-appropriate. Dutta's Soumya Shukla is a cop, a part she has never played before. "The experience was educational. I needed to get the body language and nuances on point. I even met a couple of women DCPs to get a better insight."

Digging deep into her character, Dutta says she hasn't explored a role that is as layered as this one. "[She is] ambitious, unapologetic and frustrated, and also faces issues in her marital life. There were so many aspects to her persona that intrigued me." What also drew her to the show was co-star Rinku Rajguru, best remembered for Sairaat (2016). "We are generations apart. I thought we would make for an interesting combo. We come from different worlds."

Shooting for the Hotstar web series in different locations of Mumbai was an eye-opener.

"Despite living in Mumbai for 25 years, I didn't realise how much more there is to the city. I got to see the gritty underbelly as we shot in real locations." Despite hubby, tennis champ Mahesh Bhupathi, being her sounding board, she refers to daughter Saira as her biggest critic. "She is excited to see me on screen, but also keeps critiquing."

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Karan Wahi turned to his rapper buddies for help to play a DJ in the web series, Hundred. His quirky character, Mad-E, arrives from Haryana to make it big in Mumbai's music industry. He also doubles up as a police informer. Wahi did a lot of prep to figure out his character's body language on the Hotstar show. Rapper Raftaar also helped him. "I sat down with Raftaar paaji and took several inputs as I was working with him on a reality show at that time," says Wahi. "But the stuff he wrote was way too good for a DJ rapper like Mad-E," he points out."

It seems actors today are finding different and unique ways to get into the skin of their characters and will not leave any stone unturned to do justice to their roles. The web-series has been getting a good response from the viewers so far and that has surely elated Karan.

Taking to his Instagram account, he shared a video from the same and in case you haven't seen it yet, it will help you know the character and its crux. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Thankyou I’ll remember u for LIFE...🤗🤗🤗🤗 Talking the talk to walking the walk. Meet me, @karanwahi ➡️ Manohar Dahiya a.k.a. Rapper Mad-E, in Hotstar specials presents #Hundred! All episodes streaming now only @DisneyplusHSVIP . . . #HotstarSpecialsHundred #DoKhilaadiProblemBhaari #ManoharDahiya #Mad-E @ruchinarain @itstahershabbir @ashutoshunlimited

A post shared by Karan Wahi 💜 (@karanwahi) onMay 3, 2020 at 8:31am PDT

Watch Hundred if you haven't so far, the actor may impress you with his performance!

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Bollywood actress and former beauty queen Urvashi Rautela seems too inspired by Kareena Kapoor Khan's Poo act in "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...", going by her new post.

Urvashi took to Instagram and shared a video where she sways with music. She is dressed in a white blazer and blue shirt, and she completes her look with bold red lips and hair tied in a neat ponytail.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

How dare you ? “Tumhara koi haq nai banta ki tum itni khoobsurat lago” Not fair : Poo Kkkg 🤪😜🍭 #channellingmyinnerpoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #love #UrvashiRautela #Savage #fun

A post shared by URVASHI RAUTELA 🇮🇳Actor🇮🇳 (@urvashirautela) onMay 4, 2020 at 12:06am PDT

Alongside the picture, she wrote the famous dialogue mouthed by Kareena as Poo in the film: "How dare you ? 'Tumhara koi haq nai banta ki tum itni khoobsurat lago' (you have no rights to look so beautiful) Not fair : Poo Kkkg... #channellingmyinnerpoo."

Urvashi, recently shared that she misses her mathematics classes.

On the work front, "Beat pe thumka", a peppy wedding number featuring Urvashi has just been released. The song is from her upcoming comedy flick "Virgin Bhanupriya".

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On a regular day, Rakul Preet Singh's Instagram posts could well double-up as tutorials for the average Joe to make the most of the ongoing period of isolation. But when she isn't using her furniture as workout props, busting diet myths, and indulging in play with her family members, Singh recedes to her couch to become more like us — indolent consumers of web shows.

"I have been binge-watching shows that have been recommended by friends. I saw one called Watchmen, which was [beautifully] written and unpredictable. It was Arjun [Kapoor] who had suggested it," says the actor, also adding that the Apple TV series, Loudest Voice, is another noteworthy addition here.

"It is not an over-the-top drama. It has been created interestingly and is based on the manner in which the #MeToo campaign kick-started. I also loved The Morning Show, and another gripping Netflix drama called Caliphate."

American superhero drama series Watchmen (left) continues the 1987 DC Comics series by the same name; Loudest Voice (right) attempts to trace the origins of the #MeToo campaign 

A career as a South Indian film actor implies Singh is also spoilt for choice when it comes to shows in regional languages. "There's a Malayalam film called Charlie starring Dulquer [Salmaan] that I'd recommend. Finally, Super Deluxe is another brilliant offering," she concludes.

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Actor Akshay Oberoi has been on the stage, done short and feature films, as well as web series. Now, the actor is gearing up for his upcoming web series, Illegal opposite Neha Sharma and Piyush Mishra.

Akshay Oberoi has been inspired by the Suits character Harvey Specter, played by Gabriel Macht, for his role in the upcoming web series, Illegal. The actor says he rarely gets cast to play real people. "Illegal is the closest thing to the way I actually look and sound. There are no masks to hide behind," he adds.

Trailer of the web series was released on Tuesday. The trailer suggests that this time, the tension shall be outside the courtroom too, and inside the mind and heart of a lawyer. Illegal seems to be an attempt to gaze at a lawyer's personal life and how he/she battles injustice and the lacunae of the judicial system.

Have a look right here:

Speaking about Oberoi, after making his Bollywood debut with "Isi Life Mein" in 2010, he has managed to be on different platforms. In the past, he did Ekta's web series "The Test Case" and "Hum Tum And Them". In a recent intervew, when he was asked if he had planned his career that way, the "Gurgaon" actor said: "I had planned my career to be an actor. I wanted to be an actor irrespective of the medium. I started acting when I was 16 or 17 in theatre. Then I got my first film."

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Bollywood actor Rahul Bose has been foraying the digital entertainment space with a couple of projects lately, and he says his parameter as an actor to give his nod to a story has not changed. For him, it is important that the story should have the essence of humanism and not the glorification of hatred. "Honestly speaking, my rules of saying yes to a project do not change. For me, the story matters and not the length of my character. I think by now people know that. I am not the person running after fame or concern about how many people are watching my work. For me, the story has to be important enough to engage, as an actor and as an audience," Rahul told IANS.

The actor has worked in the Netflix original "Bulbul", besides the web series "Bombay Begums" directed by Alankrita Srivastava. He is also a part of the much-awaited web series, "Baahubali: Before The Beginning". Rahul's film choices have been as varied as "Mr And Mrs Iyer", "Jhankaar Beats", "Chameli", "Shaurya", "The Japanese Wife", "I Am", and "Dil Dhadakne Do". There is an important element he looks for in a film, before committing to it.

"In past, there were films and projects that have been offered to me and I said no to them. You see, the story has to have some amount of humanism. You can show a character as the biggest evil (person) of the world and still can come up with the right message -- not one that is destructive or negative. A message cannot glorify hatred, and if it does, I do not want to be part of that. Of course, my character can be the villain but not the overall message of the film," Rahul said.

He explained: "In the recent past I am offered a film that shows a very, very narrow view of nationalism and it was quite a jingoistic story. I can never be part of that. I am the same actor who was part of a film like "Shaurya" that sent out an absolutely right message -- that is, no matter which religion, caste or region you are from, when you are a man in a uniform, all you are upholding is the security of your country."

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Several showrunners are speeding up the post-production work to release their digital offerings during the lockdown. Though the idea of having all eyes glued to his show sounds tempting, director Ali Abbas Zafar is in no hurry to reach the finish line. The director — whose political drama, tentatively titled Dilli, is currently in post-production — says he would rather revel in the satisfaction of a series made well than join the rat race.

"On Twitter and Instagram, people have been asking us to release the show now. So, there has been pressure, but we don't want to rush the process. Our series was supposed to drop in the last quarter of 2020, and we will stick to that deadline. If the show was ready, we would have released it now because it is an ideal time to grab eyeballs," says Zafar, happy that the Saif Ali Khan-starrer has piqued the audience's interest.

When it comes to developing an offering for the global audience, the post-production is a long-drawn process. "Once you deliver your project, it has to be dubbed in nine languages. So, the post-production takes three to four months, longer than the shoot itself."

Ali Abbas Zafar

As his team gives the finishing touches to the project, Zafar, nestled in his hometown Dehradun, has begun writing the sophomore season. "[The top brass of] Amazon Prime have seen the rushes, and basis that, they have decided to sanction the second edition," he says, beaming with pride.

Point out to him that the drama has found its way into the second instalment, but has yet to find an apt title, and he laughs at the irony of the situation. While the working title was Tandav, the makers rechristened it Dilli, only to have a change of heart later. "We are struggling with the name. That's why Amazon has not been able to make an official announcement."

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Abhishek Bachchan has recalled his childhood experience of being on stage with father Amitabh Bachchan, in a throwback video he shared on Instagram on Friday, with a long caption post. In the video, Big B can be seen introducing his kids Shweta and Abhishek to the audience, both of whom say "hello" into the mic.

Abhishek wrote: "#flashbackfriday In 1981, my father started the trend of film actors from India doing shows on stage and performing to their songs. Before that, only playback singers did so. I have so many memories of being on the road with him, his co-stars and the immense Kalyanji and Anandji and their 40 piece orchestra helmed by a young and upcoming Viju Shah ( Kalyan ji's son and future Music Director of huge fame)."

 

 

 

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#flashbackfriday In 1981, my father started the trend of film actors from India doing shows on stage and performing to their songs. Before that, only playback singers did so. I have so many memories of being on the road with him, his co-stars and the immense Kalyanji and Anandji and their 40 piece orchestra helmed by a young and upcoming Viju Shah ( Kalyan ji's son and future Music Director of huge fame). The rehearsals, sound checks, post show dinners in my parents suite in the middle of the night where tiffin's of Gujju food ( lovingly prepared by relatives and friends of the organisers or crew members locally in whichever city they were performing in) would be served to the entire cast and musicians and everyone would discuss the show and how it went whilst a very young, relatively unknown (then) and upcoming stand-up comic would enthrall everyone for hours on end with his mimicry and comedy till it was morning and time to leave for the airport to take the flight to the next city. His name was Johnny Lever! On the flight everybody would take over the economy class, fold forward all the seats to make a huge गद्दा like setting and the musicians, singers and dad would sing and jam and maybe create a new song to be performed later that night at the next venue. This routine went on 3 days straight. I doubt they must have slept for a collective 2 hours over those weekends. Functioning purely on adrenaline! Rest during the week and the routine would resume from Friday, again. What times! As a child standing in the wings looking at the show in awe and wonderment. Not realising at that time the legends that I was blessed to witness perform live. Secretly imagining myself on that stage once I grew up. As you can see from this video, my sister couldn't wait to get off the stage and all I wanted to do was stick around. Thank you @mosessapir for sourcing out this video. It brought back such wonderful memories. @amitabhbachchan @shwetabachchan

A post shared by Abhishek Bachchan (@bachchan) onMay 7, 2020 at 11:09pm PDT

"The rehearsals, sound checks, post show dinners in my parents suite in the middle of the night where tiffin's of Gujju food ( lovingly prepared by relatives and friends of the organisers or crew members locally in whichever city they were performing in) would be served to the entire cast and musicians and everyone would discuss the show and how it went..."

Johnny Lever was an indispensable part of the stage shows. Talking about the noted comedian, Abhishek further wrote: "...A very young, relatively unknown (then) and upcoming stand-up comic would enthrall everyone for hours on end with his mimicry and comedy till it was morning and time to leave for the airport to take the flight to the next city. His name was Johnny Lever!"

While celebrities are known for traveling by business class in airlines, this group was slightly different, reveals Abhishek. He wrote: "On the flight everybody would take over the economy class, fold forward all the seats to make a huge ‘gadda' like setting and the musicians, singers and dad would sing and jam and maybe create a new song to be performed later that night at the next venue. This routine went on 3 days straight. I doubt they must have slept for a collective 2 hours over those weekends. Functioning purely on adrenaline! Rest during the week and the routine would resume from Friday, again. What times!"

Abhishek added: "As a child standing in the wings looking at the show in awe and wonderment. Not realising at that time the legends that I was blessed to witness perform live. Secretly imagining myself on that stage once I grew up. As you can see from this video, my sister couldn't wait to get off the stage and all I wanted to do was stick around."

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You all must have seen those tons of memes that came on Ramayan and will continue to flood social media as long as the serial is airing on Doordarshan. These memes have only been made because Ramayan is a classic show that cannot and will never be forgotten! And that's precisely what Sunil Lahri feels, the actor who played the role of Lakshman.

In an interview with Koimoi, he spilled the beans on what he thinks of these memes and his reaction on seeing them. "I have seen many memes that a lot of people have sent. Even my brother's children in the house send me the memes. I am liking it. I am enjoying it. It's said that you are popular and that's why they make these memes. I am honoured. I feel honoured to be a part of the memes."

Talking about his character and why he cannot imagine himself don the role of another one, he said, "Lakshman had a lot of shades to perform, as an actor. If you go to see any other character, it didn't have that kind of performance. Maybe, Raavan but it's a negative character. I am slightly uncomfortable at the moment because my face doesn't permit me to play anything negative. I can play that character but I prefer not to."

He added, "That's why I prefer playing the same character and now I feel I can perform 10 times better because, at that time, I think I didn't have experience. I didn't have an idea of what reaction and action one should do. Now, with experience in the industry for such a long time, I feel, I can perform much better."

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There's some terrible news for all the fans of Beyhadh 2 actor Shivin Narang. The actor has undergone surgery recently after he accidentally fell on a glass table that resulted in major loss of blood.

His spokesperson spoke to IANS about the incident and said, "He slipped on a glass table and it broke. He fell on it. The left hand was injured and he got bruises on other body parts too. He got injured on Sunday evening at his home in Malad and major surgery on his hand happened on Monday evening. The wounds are deep." Meanwhile, his show Beyhadh 2 got suddenly terminated owing to the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.

"To be honest, as a team even we don't have the clarity yet. But considering the situation we are in, anything is possible. Beyhadh 2 is a big brand, a show with its own huge following," he had said last month.

"Personally, I feel it's a finite show already reaching its end if we can complete the end that will do justice to the show and the viewers. But yes, it's not only us, the whole world, but the whole industry is also suffering, so we are okay with whatever the channel decides," he had added.

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Actress Karishma Tanna, who got operated for an ingrown nail amid the nationwide lockdown, did the inverted yoga pose with her injured foot. Karishma took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of herself doing the complicated yoga pose, but this time taking the help of a wall.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Can’t stop Won’t stop ✋ #nopainnogain #strength #yogapractice #quarantine

A post shared by Karishma Tanna (@karishmaktanna) onMay 3, 2020 at 4:52am PDT

"Can't stop Won't stop #nopainnogain #strength#yogapractice #quarantine," she wrote alongside the image, which currently has over 176K likes on the photo-sharing website.

She later took to Instagram Stories, where she shared a photograph that shows her baking muffins.

She wrote on the image: "Trying to bake banana muffin... Though I am one short. Hehe."

Earlier, Karishma, who is known for her roles in TV shows like "Naagin", "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi", "Naagarjuna: Ek Yodha" and "Qayamat Ki Raat", took to Instagram Stories and shared a video of herself and the doctor bandaging her toe.

On the work front, she is currently part of the action reality show "Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 10" (KKK 10), which has been shot in Bulgaria.

The show also features actors Ada Khan, Amruta Khanvilkar Karan Patel, Shivin Narang, Tejashwi Prakash, Amruta Khanvilkar and Rani Chatterjee, along with comedian Balraj Syal, RJ Malishka and choreographer Dharmesh Yelande.

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Attention women! It's time for you to make friends in your office as a study has found that strong friendships among women co-workers, especially in male dominated organisations, are less likely to experience conflicts.

Researchers from the Institute For Operations Research And The Management Sciences suggested that when employers foster an office environment that supports positive, social relationships between women coworkers, especially in primarily male dominated organisations, then they are less likely to experience conflict among women employees.

Study author Jenifer Merluzzi from George Washington University conducted the study. The team surveyed 145 management-level employees regarding workplace dynamics at two large U.S. firms that were primarily male-dominated environments, with women representing less than one-third of the workforce.

They found that while men and women are equally likely to cite having a difficult co-worker, compared to men, women are more likely to cite another woman as a difficult co-worker than they are to cite a man, or not cite anyone. However, this tendency is reduced among women who cite having more women coworkers for social support and friendship at work.

Knowing that unique gendered network characteristics such as the gender compositions of an employee's social support at work were associated with negative ties can help organisational leaders anticipate potential trouble spots within their firms where gendered conflict may erupt.

"Understanding the relational side of conflict also bears practical importance as companies increasingly organise using diverse teams, heightening the reliance on informal ties between and within gender to get work accomplished,' Merluzzi noted. The research appears in the journal of Organization Science.

In 2014 Irrfan Khan opted out of the Ridley Scott sci-fi spectacle The Martian which later released to raves. Ridley Scott is the director of such futuristic classic blockbusters as Alien and Blade Runner. Irrfan had told me, “Yes, I was offered The Martian. The director Ridley Scott and I met. I had a memorable conversation with him. What an inspiring man and talent. He is so many things at the same time and yet he told me he had seen my Lunchbox. I asked him how he could find the time to see films after being a producer, director and so many other things. He said films like Lunchbox were his bedtime stories. Can you believe it?”

Speaking of the role that was offered to him Irrfan had said, “It was that of a NASA scientist. While Matt Damon was in outer space my character was very much on earth. But meri baatein hawa mein ho rahi tthi (but I was talking in the air).” This was not the first time Irrfan was offered a role by Ridey Scott. “He had earlier offered me part in film with Russell Crowe which too I couldn’t do due to time constraints. Maybe I’ll be third time lucky.”

Alas, that was not to be. So why did Irrfan say no to Ridley Scott? “For Piku,” came the prompt reply. “I had committed my dates to Shoojit Sircar’s film, and no regrets about that. Piku is an important film in my career. For the first time I was seen in an overt romantic role. Not that I haven’t played romantic roles. I have, in Maqbool and The Lunchbox. But in these films I didn’t get a chance to romance my heroine with poetry and banter. Shoojit is a good filmmaker, and I’d love to work with him again. But more importantly, he is a wonderful human being.”

Irrfan has no regrets about losing out on The Martian. Weirdly the part that was offered to him, of an Indian character named Vincent Kapoor was played by an African American actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Also Read: American Indian actor Kal Penn on sharing screen space with Irrfan Khan in The Namesake

As many as 918 COVID-19 cases and 34 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases to 8,447 in the country, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, while asserting that the government is "extra prepared" if there is an exponential rise in the number of coronavirus patients.

Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry's Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said the government is expanding the COVID-19 testing capacity in state-run as well as private medical colleges. "The total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 8,447. A total of 918 new cases and 34 deaths have been reported since Saturday. The good news is that 716 people have recovered and have been discharged so far. Seventy-four people have been cured since Saturday. The government is extra prepared if the number of cases rises exponentially," he said.

"We are working on an urgent basis to expand the capacity for COVID-19 testing in government and private medical colleges across the country. Fourteen mentor institutes, including the AIIMS and NIMHANS, have been identified to mentor the medical colleges and expand the coronavirus testing capacity," Agarwal added.

According to ICMR officials, a total of 1,86,906 samples have so far been tested across the country, of which 7,953 have been found positive for COVID-19. "In the last five days, on an average, 15,747 samples were tested per day and 584 of those were found to be positive per day," an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) official said at the press briefing. Responding to a question about development of vaccines, he said, "There are 40 plus candidate vaccines that are under development but none of them has reached the next stage."

Relief distribution pictures banned

District magistrate, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary has banned circulation of photos and videos showing distribution of relief on social media sites.

'Bengal not fighting a communal virus'

The Centre and the West Bengal government on Saturday pressed a confrontationist button over the Union Home Ministry writing to the state chief secretary and the director general of police seeking action against the 'dilution' of lockdown measures in the state, and over permission for religious gatherings given by the state cops. Hitting back, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hinted that the Centre had a communal stand and said her government was now busy fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and not any "communal virus".

AP govt introduces apps for food delivery

The Arunachal Pradesh government has introduced various Apps including 'U Tell Us' and 'Dukan Dada' to ensure essentials reach at the doorsteps of the people, officials said on Sunday. Besides the AP government, other state governments of the northeastern region have taken some fresh measures to maintain supply of essentials for effective enforcement of the lockdown.

No food, woman throws kids in river

In a shocking incident on Sunday, a woman threw her five children into the Ganga river in Jeghangirabad in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi district. As soon as the police were informed, senior officers reached the spot and divers were pressed into service to locate the kids. The woman has been arrested. Sources, meanwhile, said that the woman had earlier said that she and her children were not getting food in the lockdown.

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With over 12,000 active cases of COVID-19 in the country that resulted in the nationwide lockdown getting extended till May 3, the government had on Wednesday issued a set of fresh guidelines till May 3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised speech on Tuesday announced measures that the government would undertake to tackle the pandemic.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry have also earmarked the districts in the country into three categories –red, green and orange zones as per the frequency of the cases reported from the areas. 

#COVID19 containment starts with the identification of hotspots and their categorization into Red, Orange & Green Zones: Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs pic.twitter.com/FbWUlfcyCd

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

The BMC will also come up with red and orange zones in Mumbai to mark containment zones for stricter implementation of the lockdown. While the plans are still being drafted, areas with a high number of positive cases of COVID-19 will be put in the red zone and will have no external essential service providers. Let's know more about these zones.

Red zone

According to the Union Health Ministry, the districts identified as hotspots are marked as red zones. These districts have reported a large number of Coronavirus cases and need focused attention. As much as  170 districts in the country have been marked as hotspots, which is further divided into two groups: (a) 123 districts where a large number of cases have been reported and  (b) 47 districts where cases were reported in clusters.

According to the Health Ministry, the districts contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases reported in the country, the districts contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases in a state or districts with doubling rates reported to be less than four days, can be classified as a 'hotspot' or a 'red zone'. The ministry also said that the government will provide door-to-door facilities and undertake containment activities in these districts for the next 14 days. Mumbai,  recording the highest number cases in the country with 3,081, has been declared a hotspot by the government.

Orange Zone

The districts that had reported less number of Coronavirus cases or not seen a surge of positive cases in the area have been marked as 'orange zone'. In these zones, limited services of public transport, farm harvesting activities and functioning of small scale industries manufacturing essential items such as flour, pulses, and edible oils have been permitted. A hotspot district can be declared an orange zone if cases reported in 14 days is less or none.

According to the health ministry, 16 districts in Maharashtra have been declared as an orange zone. The districts are Gondia, Washim, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Hingoli, Akola, Beed, Amravati, Jalna, Latur, Osmanabad, Satara, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and  Sindhudurg

Green Zone

According to the Union Health Ministry, the districts that have not reported positive cases of Coronavirus are classified as green zones. In these zones, essential items that generate state revenue would be given an extension. Small scale industries manufacturing essential items will be allowed to function freely, but with strict maintenance of social distancing.

Hotspots have to undertake effective containment activities to flatten the curve and bring the number of Coronavirus cases down in order to qualify as an orange zone and subsequently as a green zone in 24 days.

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