Badla
U/A: Thriller
Dir: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh
Ratings: 

Sujoy Ghosh takes us back to the basics with his latest offering. Badla, as the title suggests, is a revenge-drama loosely based on the Spanish thriller, The Invisible Guest. Like with the original, it's not too difficult to decipher the end a good while before we get there.

Yet, Badla isn't predictable. What it certainly does lack, though, is the smarts that could be expected. Ghosh designs this film as more than just a whodunit. He lays out his cards neatly, unfolding one incident after another. So, it's all about cracking codes in the wobbly story, narrated by Naina (Taapsee Pannu), a top-notch businesswoman embroiled in a murder case.

She was found injured in a hotel room, with her lover lying dead on the floor. There is no sign of anyone else entering or leaving the room. Naina maintains, she didn't kill her lover. The film revolves around a single meeting with her potential lawyer, Badal Gupta.

Badla soars because of its unpredictability before we arrive at the end. The key lies in the names of its lead characters - Naina (eyes), a play on how truth depends on whose point of view is being considered. There is an inherent Rashomon philosophy in the narrative. Badal's name is a play on the film's title itself. Ghosh uses these props to confuse his viewers, create mirages that they are frequently misguided by in their tryst to keep the guessing game going.

At one point in the midst of this rigmarole, we look towards the screen and wonder why Bollywood doesn't exploit the terrific Amrita Singh enough. As Bachchan and Pannu battle it out in a verbal duel, it's Singh who does the emotional heavy lifting. Of course, both Bachchan and Pannu are terrific actors, but Pannu's Naina is played in a rather single note. Naina wins awards, is intoxicated by power, and is guilty about her affair. But the required nuances demanded by the narrative are missing from Pannu's act. There are a few genuine shockers, but it is largely a simplistic tale put together in a complicated fashion.

As admirers of thrillers, we are not failed by Ghosh. The tapestry of tension that he weaves is unparalleled. The camerawork by Avik Mukherjee deserves a mention. Set in Glasgow, the setting plays a part that's as essential as the characters. I was sold to the ride that Badla took me on; but, does it live it up to the thrill of Ghosh's Kahaani? Nah, that will need cleverer writing. Yet, this is worth a watch.

Also Read: Exclusive - Taapsee Pannu on Badla: I am a very vindictive person by nature

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Mere Pyare Prime Minister
U/A: Social drama
Dir: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Cast: Anjali Patil, Om Kanojiya
Ratings: 

What's the first thing you wonder about this film, given its title, and the fact that no head honcho of a democratic state in world history has ever had as many biopics - shorts, docs, features, web-series - simultaneously being made on him/her, even while they're still in office?

So, well, no, this isn't really a film on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Or it is, only by suggestion, since a boy writes a letter to the PM, which would be Modi (who else), but we don't see his lookalike on screen (unlike Uri, and many others in the pipeline).

Be that as it may, a film that focuses on the problem of urban, open defecation, the eradication of which should be on the agenda of every corporator/legislator, and of course the PM (current, or ones to follow), belongs to proper public service advertising/announcement (PSA) space, rather than propaganda of any kind.

Why are your suspicions slightly legit still? For it's hard to explain why the filmmakers would go ahead with this PSA script (unless they're genuinely struggling, or been forced into coming up with one), when every element here has been dished out plenty of times before, and there is no attempt to top any of it either.

Check out the trailer here:

And you could go right from trying to meet, or connect, with a head of state (I Am Kalam, My Name Is Khan), to detailing life among kids in a Mumbai slum (Salaam Bombay, Slumdog Millionaire), or in general, the Mumbai slum itself (Dharavi, Gully Boy), to addressing head-on how the poor in India (men, but women, in particular) have to bear the burden of shitting in the open, because there are no frickin' loos, which is what the rather entertainingly done, recent Akshay Kumar picture, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, was all about.

Even as a peek into the lives of Mumbai slum-dwellers, who constitute about half the metropolis, the Iranian Majid Majidi's Beyond The Clouds (2017) seemed a far more perceptive, original and thought-provoking take, than this local, thoroughly distant, predictably upper-class view of the lives of the downtrodden others, with every conceivable cliche that must dictate it - rape, domestic violence, drunken males, and Sheela Ki Jawani, Baby Doll type of Bollywood songs/entertainment as the only route towards momentary escape.

This is the sort of film that ideally aims to ride on its supposedly noble intentions alone, rather than engaging characters or story, the gist of which is that there's a little boy (a wonderfully cast Om Kanojiya), who does odd jobs selling newspapers, condoms, etc.

He shares a lovely bond with his single mother (Anjali Patil). He writes a letter to the PM hoping for a public toilet in his slum. That the right to shit in peace must involve a petition to the PM, no less, is tragic enough. That you don't feel for anyone in this film (let alone, the issue), with the camera hovering around a bunch of parallel songs/story-lines, aimed to extend a simple short film into a full-length feature, is perhaps worse.

Also Read: Watch video: The fun-filled making of Mere Pyare Prime Minister's title track

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Pet Sematary

U/A: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Director: Dennis Widmyer, Kevin Kolsch
Cast: Jete Laurence, Hugo Lavoie, Jason Clarke, Lucas Lavoie, Amy Seimetz
Rating: 

The 1989 version of Pet Sematary based on the 1983 Stephen King novel, was certainly no classic but it was a cheesy horror tale powered by a solid performance from Fred Gwynne and the title song from the Ramones was quite rage. Given the cult popularity of horror films today, it's no surprise that even such an unremarkable representative of the genre gets recast for the GenNext voyeurs of horror thrills. Co-directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer don't have much of a challenge on their hands, given the fact that there's no attempt being made here to tell the story from a different vantage point.

Dr Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz), eight-year-old daughter Ellie (Jete Laurence), two-year-old son Gage (Hugo and Lucas Lavoie) and pet cat Church—relocate to a rustic home in the quaint rural town of Ludlow, Maine. Though there's plenty of land, with a mysterious pet cemetery and a strange bog behind the home there's not much of it in front - with a state highway running through right at the curb just off their driveway. So one would think that responsible parents would take the trouble of checking out their abode and taking the necessary precautions before moving in.

Check out the trailer here:

Such deliberate contrivance is of course a given for a horror film attempting to spook you by suggestions rather than facts. Soon enough the pet cat gets crushed under a speeding mammoth and the grieving Dr Clarke, helped on by friendly neighbour Jud Crandall(John Lithgow) takes the cat to be buried near the mysterious bog which apparently has mystical powers of resurrecting the dead. A rather convenient ploy to give wandering souls a rejuvenated body to do evil. The rest of it is rather brutal.

The film, as the book, is riddled with plenty of plot holes but King's book at least had a descriptive set-up that kept the interest going. The film doesn't have much exposition. The wife's torment from a traumatic experience during childhood is represented through hallucinatory flashbacks and the tragedies that befall the Creed family just keep piling up soon after they move in. The directors and writer Jeff Buhler, make a few deviations but they play out as altogether facile and non-requiting. The actors do their job well but the narrative doesn't create enough empathy for us to be worried about their fate. Closing it out with a Starcrawler cover of the Ramones's original theme may stir up some nostalgia but that's not going to spook you. Even King's original denouement gets replaced and that makes this particular effort altogether superficial.

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Avengers: Endgame
U/A:  Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson
Rating: 

Avengers: Endgame, undoubtedly the most anticipated film of recent year's, lives up to most expectations. This film is a befitting finale for the decades-old, 21 films, Marvel Cinematic Universe that heralded the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye. Together they formed the original Avengers team while the newer allies and villains added more power to subsequent outings. This may not be a non-stop action spectacle. Instead, what we get is a well- proportioned, engagingly structured narrative that spreads out its content and thrills in momentous expansiveness, End game basically posits a finale worthy of the superhero characters it promotes. Marvel's time-travelling sci-fi adventure saga throws up a few surprises too along the way.

The story is rather basic - After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which ended with Thanos getting all of the six Infinity Stones and then using them to wipe out half of existence, including beloved heroes like Black Panther, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man. The surviving heroes go through a period of self-recrimination, hopelessness, heartache and self-doubt before they take the necessary steps to reverse Thanos' actions, they're fatalism keeps us grounded.  

Also Read: Box Office report: Avengers: Endgame sells 1 million advance tickets in India

The script by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely among others, is surprisingly inventive, fraught with emotion and funny. The performances live up to the iconoclastic expectations of the fans while the CGI and effects lend whole new meaning and dimension to quantum physics and chaos theory. The film is a sort of nirvana for the thousands of people who sweated night and day to make such a unique and unprecedented experience come good. Endgame has a much slower, deliberate pace allowing for deeper character development and strong motivations while developing intensity and attachment all the way through. A major portion of the action happens only towards the last half hour of a nearly 3-hour runtime – yet, doesn't feel bloated or unnecessarily expanded.

Also read: Avengers: Endgame Box Office Prediction: Will the film open at Rs 50 crore in India?

This film incorporates beloved elements from earlier outings and recalls character beats, origins, and sub-plots while adding texture and complexity to the inter-galactic drama envisioned as homage to the never-say-die superhero spirit. Alan Silvestri's amazing background score elevates the intensity and involvement. The helming by the Russo brothers is also quite remarkable – creating a well-sprung of entreaty that is truly an event!

Also Read: Avengers Endgame release: A look at how Avengers films fared at the Indian box office

Check out the Avengers: Endgame trailer here:

Also Read: Critics review Avengers: Endgame, say it's 'everything you want it to be and more'

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Avengers: Endgame
U/A: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson
Rating: 

How does one put together words about a film that, for all practical purposes, anything and everything you write, is likely to be misconstrued/diagnosed as a spoiler?

Suffice it to know that this expectedly dramatic conclusion of Marvel's three-part Infinity Saga is a relatively internalised, deep and sober film, concerned more with the motivations of super-heroes, the choices before them, and what they should pick, in order to take on super-villain Thanos—of course.

For one, the earth is a much quieter place, since as you're aware, its species have been annihilated, decimated by Devil Thanos, ever since he got his hands on the infinity stones, and went on to execute the bizarre plan of supposedly ethical ethnic cleansing—randomly ridding planets of half its populations, to make them more sustainable, by restoring balance of sorts, as it were.

Of course, there will be survivors. And Iron Man or Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), to start with, is thankfully rescued or reunited with the human family back home. So is Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Both of them, like all the others, seem to be somberly dealing with the aftermath of a universal tragedy.

Surely, you have your own favourites from this cinematic universe (and how can Iron Man not top that list?). But there's something about the inherent cuteness of Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) that saves this franchise's final installment from turning into a complete depresso—left to be downed over rounds of espresso, what with the screen-time running three hours plus.

Also Read: Box Office report: Avengers: Endgame sells 1 million advance tickets in India

Indians might thank their theatres for the usually hated interval. I caught it without one, but didn't miss it either. There's enough material here to keep you engaged, even if to wonder, on occasion, if some of it makes any sense. You may or may not be impressed with the long drawn explanations, but you're only too happy to go with it.

Frankly, I'm no Marvel fanboy/fanatic—if the movie-world is indeed divided into two types, then more the DC demographic. That said, there is an infectious verve and energy that multiple super-heroes bring to this cinematic universe that is hard to not be swayed by, even if an individual or sub-set, Guardians Of Galaxy in particular, may be difficult to appreciate on their own.

Check out the Avengers: Endgame trailer here:

Avengers: Endgame does a fine job of navigating a reasonably cogent script without over-populating the screen. Avengers: Infinity War seemed more overwrought in comparison. I re-watched portions of the 2018 prequel on my phone (for quick revision), which of course means I didn't watch it at all.

For, at the end of the day, battle sequences and pyrotechnics is the point of it all, isn't it? Endgame, despite all the philosophy, is not an exception. It shines gloriously as 3D spectacle on the IMAX screen, ideally viewed from the third-row, from the back—and if you're not on IMAX, then the third row from the front—for a stunningly immersive experience, with such depth of field that the points where the camera focuses on a river, the ripples flowing towards you, you almost feel like you can wade through the frickin' water!

I know, don't need to put in a word (spoilers be damned). Suffice it to know that seldom has the excitement of audiences entering a theatre, matched by those exiting, after a hugely hyped pic. Endgame equals its astounding anticipation. And that's saying a whole lot!

Also read: Avengers: Endgame Box Office Prediction: Will the film open at Rs 50 crore in India?

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Central Railway and Western Railway joined hands to ensure a two-year-old child in Telangana received camel milk — a mandatory medical requirement needed urgently. In a 28-hour-long operation, the two zones of the Indian Railways coordinated to deliver the item in Secunderabad from Falna in Rajasthan.

On April 25, the nodal officer of Falna on WR contacted us and told us that they needed to send a parcel of camel milk to Secunderabad urgently for a medicinal requirement and sought details of the trains on the route, said Jitendra Mishra, chief commercial inspector, Mumbai Division, CR.

"I checked the schedule of parcel trains and immediately informed him that if they will send the item to Mumbai via 00902 Ludhiana-Bandra Terminus parcel train, then we could be promptly load it on 00111 CSMT-Secunderabad train leaving Mumbai CSMT on April 26 at 3.30pm," he said.

Mishra then coordinated with him and booked a consignment to Bandra Terminus first and then via CSMT to Secunderabad. "We live-tracked the consignment with the help of Mumbai Central (WR) control staff and officers. As soon as the consignment reached Bandra Terminus, a transport was arranged to take it to the CSMT parcel office from where it was loaded onboard the Secunderabad-bound parcel train," he added.

Mishra's role was not over here. He then called up the Chief Parcel Supervisor and Commercial Inspector at Secunderabad and explained the importance of the parcel that would be arriving there by 5.30 am on April 27.

Shivaji Sutar, CR's chief public relations officer, said, "The transportation of essential camel milk was based on coordination among parcel staff and the officers. The consignment reached from Falna to Secunderabad within approximately 28 hours."

WR's chief PRO Ravinder Bhakar said that special teams in every division of the IR are taking care of the medical emergencies as well as the essential transportation during this global health crisis.

Sowmya also thanked the Railways for delivering the parcel meant for her child in such a short time.

CR extends another help
Jitendra Mishra intervened again on Monday to help get a crucial medicine for a heart patient delivered to Chiplun from Vikhroli. "We collected the parcel from his son's residence at Vikhroli and booked it onboard Okha-Ernakulam Parcel Express. As the train doesn't halt at Chiplun, I contacted the staff at Konkan Railway and requested a halt to drop the parcel, which was then handed over to Chiplun Station Master," he said.

28
No. of hours it took the railways to get the milk to the child

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The writer is a senior journalist

Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper

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When the Delhi Police learn of a heist at a State Bank of India ATM, they did not realise that they would find their lead from an unusual culprit. The police was taken by surprise to know that a monkey broke into the ATM while checking the CCTV footage of the kiosk that has gone viral on social media. Some netizens have described the incident as ‘monkey heist’.

In the footage, shared on Twitter by ANI, the monkey is seen entering the ATM and fiddling with the machines. The monkey then tries to pull the panel in the front of the machine after which he tumbles down the floor. The video ends abruptly when the monkey rushes towards the door.

#WATCH A monkey damages an ATM of State Bank of India in South Avenue area of Delhi. (Video source: Delhi Police) pic.twitter.com/pZunh3h7Sy

— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2020

The date on the CCTV footage shows that it was captured on May 6. It was shared on Twitter by ANI on the same day  in which it was known that the ATM kiosk was located at the South Avenue area in Delhi. The video has amused the netizens as it garnered more than 45,000 views with over 1,100 likes and was retweeted 269 times along with many amusing comments.

Good concept for money heist season 5

— rajdeep singh (@FirstAD_) May 6, 2020

First he tries to kidnap a girl, then hit a boy with bike and now looting ATMs... This monkey is going to places 🐒🐒ðŸ¦ÂðŸ¦Â

— Broken XBox (@_Spacker) May 6, 2020

Trying to get cash without card!

— Harshit✮Gupta (@YourHarshit) May 6, 2020

Monkey-heist🤣🤣

— K A S H I (@terikahkelunga) May 6, 2020

pic.twitter.com/OqCnQJuAAw

— Subrato Das - 🇮🇳 (@suberato) May 6, 2020

What do you think about the video?

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Dear Diana,
I find myself in an unusual predicament. My best friend and I have fallen for the same girl. We met her at a birthday party of a common friend. He introduced us to her. We both got along well with her and kept in touch. But somewhere down the line, I got serious about her. My pal then started behaving odd with me. He said he was in love with her and had already expressed his feelings for her. All this has led to a dent in our friendship of over 10 years. Now we are both wooing her and we are waiting to know who she will finally choose. Each one of us has asked the girl who she likes. But she says she needs time to make up her mind. What do I do? I can't see myself away from her. I am hoping that she chooses me. At the same time, I am puzzled that even though she knows we both have the hots for her, she is playing along with both of us. Is she serious about us?
— Vishesh

Dear Vishesh
You can live on hope and love, but chances are this girl is going to dump you both. She is well aware that you two are interested in her, so she is playing along. She is enjoying the attention she is getting from you two guys. At the end, the girl will go with someone else. Her answer that she needs time to think is a clear giveaway. This woman is not interested in either of you. Get the hint and get going with your life. It is strange that even though she is well aware of the affections of both you guys, she is playing along. You cannot trust this woman. You need to tell your pal also not to be blinded in love and see the real picture.

Dear Diana,
I was friendly with this guy almost a decade ago. We got along well — I could talk to him for hours. There was never any shortage of subjects and I always felt time just flew when I was with him. He was not the outgoing type, but in my presence he opened up. He told me that he was at peace whenever he was with me. We never spoke about the future or where we were heading to. We just talked and talked about everything and anything. From the most routine of stuff to national headlines to religious debates. It was as if we were destined to meet and to talk. I used to always feel I would meet this one guy who would be special. It was him. Our friendship, however, lasted barely a year. I wanted him to be my best buddy, perhaps my only buddy, but he wanted more. He wanted a physical relationship. That's when the problem arose. I had to tell him whether I 'liked' him or 'loved' him. In a fit of anger, he stopped talking to me. I let him be and after that we never spoke again. But I still pine for him after all these years.
— Neesha

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Dear Neesha,
You were genuine in your friendship with him, but this guy wanted more. He was only interested in a physical relation which you were not ready for — or perhaps needed more time to commit yourself to him. If he really cared for you and loved you, he would not have dumped you. It is clear that he did not respect your feelings. You had clearly told him what was on your mind, still he was hellbent on doing what he wanted to. You are better off without this guy — you need someone who respects you. As you got so involved with him, you are still pining for him. He did not give you a chance to seek closure as he just walked off. You are better off without this foolish guy. Over time, you will forget him, so stop thinking about him.

Veteran Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has been left disappointed with the postponement of Tokyo Olympic Games due to the Coronavirus pandemic which has wreaked havoc across the world. India last won a gold in Hockey in 1980 in Moscow Olympics. Since then, they have participated in eight Olympic editions but have failed to make a podium finish. And after qualifying for the Tokyo Games, the team was in high spirits and were looking forward to end the medal drought.

However, their dream remains unfulfilled for now as the International Olympic Committee has postponed the Games to summer 2021. "It's disappointing that the Olympics has been postponed. We have been focussing only on the Olympics in the last one year. We qualified for the Olympics and started very well at the FIH Hockey Pro League, but then the COVID-19 crisis began and everything changed," Sreejesh said.

"But though it is disappointing that the Games are delayed, when you take the health and safety of the players into consideration, the best thing to do is to postpone the Games instead of cancelling it," he added.

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His wife and one-year-old daughter are not living too far from the training centre where Indian hockey team forward SV Sunil is currently based but he is resisting the urge to make a dash for home given the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sunil's wife Nisha and their one-year old daughter Shanvita are staying just 20km away from the SAI Centre in Bengaluru, where the Indian hockey team is training amid the nationwide lockdown to combat the virus. "Most of the players here in camp would have loved to be with their families, and even though my family doesn't stay very far from here. My wife and I decided that it was in the best interest of our family that we stay put where we are, and follow the guidelines strictly," said Sunil.

"I do miss my wife and daughter, but these are trying circumstances and we just have to take the positives out of it, and continue adjusting to it." Sunil also feels that the extended lockdown period is actually helping the side forge a stronger bond. "We were all expecting the lock-down period to be extended, and it is justified given the extent of the damage that the pandemic has been causing not just in India, but around the world," he said.

"We have been staying here at the SAI Centre Bengaluru for the past month and a half, and I think spending more time with our teammates and coaching staff has really brought the group together. "We have also been working on analyzing our performances from the past couple of seasons, and we have been doing a lot of self-analysis as well, which I'm sure will help us in improving a lot before we set foot on the pitch again," he added.

Reflecting on the current pandemic and the health hazards that it is posing to people around the world, Sunil said these are the times which test resolves. "I remember when I've had the two injuries before, one in 2010 and another in 2018, it was always really tough for me because I had missed the World Cups on both the occasions and that long journey back from injury was really depressing at times. "But when you compare that to the circumstances that so many people around the world are facing now, you realise how lucky you are to only have injured your left fibula or had a LCL Grade 3 tear, and not had a life-threatening experience.

Sunil, who turns 31 early next month, also spoke about his thoughts on the Olympic Games being postponed to 2021 "We have spent these four years building up to the Olympics, and working hard to peak at that time, but obviously now we all have to make adjustments, for which we are ready. "It has been a few days since I've made that run on the flanks and put a ball into the striking circle, so I really hope that things can go back to normal very quickly for everyone to do what they love doing, which includes me stepping foot on the pitch again soon," he said.

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A staff member of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has tested positive for COVID-19. Tokyo organizers issued a statement Wednesday saying it was a male employee in his 30s who worked at the headquarters building in a part of Tokyo known as Harumi. Organizers said he was in quarantine at home and gave no further details. The Tokyo Olympics were postponed last month until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee employs about 3,500 people, and organizers say about 90% have been working from home for the last several weeks. Organizers said the area in which he worked would be disinfected, and people who worked nearby have been told to stay home.

The Olympics are scheduled to open on July 23, 2021, but questions persist if that will be possible in light of the pandemic.

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The Tokyo 2020 Olympics cannot be delayed beyond the year-long postponement already forced by the coronavirus outbreak, the organising committee's president has warned in comments published Thursday. Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said there is "absolutely no" chance of postponing the Games beyond their rescheduled July 23, 2021 opening, according to Kyodo News agency. "Also thinking about athletes and issues over Games management, it is technically difficult to delay it by two years," Mori was quoted as saying.

Mori said he had earlier asked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe whether Japan should consider a two-year postponement but "the prime minister decided that one year is the way to go". Under heavy pressure from athletes and sports associations, Japanese organisers and the International Olympic Committee in March agreed to a year-long postponement of the Games. Organisers and Japanese officials have said the delayed Olympics will be a chance to showcase the world's triumph over the coronavirus, but questions have arisen about whether even a year's postponement is sufficient.

Earlier this week, a Japanese expert who has criticised the country's response to the coronavirus warned he is "very pessimistic" that the postponed Olympics can be held in 2021. "To be honest with you, I don't think the Olympics is likely to be held next year," said Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University. He said holding the Games would require not only Japan but also the rest of the world to have the virus under control.

The organising committee itself has been hit the virus, saying Wednesday that a staff member in his 30s working at its Tokyo headquarters had tested positive for the disease. Postponing the Games is a massive logistical undertaking, and expected to incur significant additional costs. Kyodo News quoted Mori as saying the opening and closing ceremonies would need to undergo "drastic reviews" in order to cut costs, adding that organisers would ask the ceremonies' directors to consider including a message about the coronavirus crisis.

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The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to be cancelled if the Coronavirus pandemic isn't brought under control by next year, the organising committee's president warned, ruling out further delays. The comments, in an interview with a Japanese sports daily published on Tuesday, come as medical experts doubted whether the pandemic can be sufficiently contained by next year to hold an event drawing participants and spectators from around the world. The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games, which are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021.

No more delays

But Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori was categorical when asked by the Nikkan Sports daily whether the Games could be delayed until 2022 if the pandemic remains a threat next year, replying: "No." "In that case, it's cancelled," Mori said. Mori noted the Games had been cancelled previously only during wartime, and compared the battle against Coronavirus to fighting an invisible enemy. If the virus is successfully contained, "we'll hold the Olympics in peace next summer", he added. "Mankind is betting on it."

Masa Takaya, a Tokyo 2020 spokesman, declined to comment on a possible cancellation of the Games and told reporters that Mori's remarks were based on the chairman's own thoughts. But the comments will add to growing questions about the postponement, decided last month.

Vaccine is a must

On Tuesday, the head of Japan Medical Association warned it would be difficult to hold the Games next year if a vaccine has not been found. "I would not say that they should not be held, but it would be exceedingly difficult," Yoshitake Yokokura told reporters.

And last week a Japanese medical expert warned that he was pessimistic that the Olympics can be held in 2021. Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University, said: "Japan might be able to control this disease by next summer, I wish we could, but I don't think that would happen everywhere on Earth, so in this regard I'm very pessimistic about holding the Games next summer."

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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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Former national-level kho-kho player and coach Ramesh Waralikar, 83, who served the game in different capacities over five decades, passed away at a city hospital on Thursday.

Prolonged illness

Waralikar, who had been unwell for the last couple of years, went on to become one of the finest kho-kho statisticians, given his vast knowledge of all the players and records associated with it.

Shrirang Inamdar, 65, the youngest kho-kho player to be honoured with the Arjuna Award at the age of 18, recalled his association with Waralikar during Maharashtra's victorious campaign in the national championship at Patiala in 1974. "I was leading Maharashtra for the first time and Waralikar sir was our team manager. His expertise and guidance helped us win that title. He was a genuine all-rounder. He served the game as a player, coach, selector, umpire, administrator, commentator and statistician. He was like Google. You could ask him anything and he would give you accurate details. Back then, without the internet, he manually kept every record of the game," Inamdar told mid-day from Pune.

A game of kho-kho being played at Dantewada village in Chhattisgarh. Pic for representational purpose only

India's women's kho-kho team captain Sarika Kale, who led the country to a gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati, said Waralikar would readily share his kho-kho knowledge with everyone.

'Most helpful person'

"Though Waralikar sir was not associated with our team as a coach or manager or in any official capacity, whenever we would meet him, he would readily share tips with us. He had a unique style of explaining the nuances of the game. He analysed opposition teams well and always advised us on strategies," said Kale.

Fellow statistician Arun Deshpande doffed his hat to Waralikar. "He is the originator of kho-kho statistics in India. It's a challenge to maintain statistics of a sport that is not well documented but seeing his passion, we were inspired to continue collecting and preserving data associated with the game," said Deshpande, who has been working on kho-kho statistics with Waralikar since 1970.

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Rishab Shah

Rishab Shah of Cathedral and John Connon School (Fort) bagged gold in the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA)-organised inter-school under-16 boys chess tournament at Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex, Sion yesterday.

Rishab, who won two bronze in the under-14 rapid and blitz formats in the Western Asia Youth Championships which concluded in Sri Lanka last week, finished with 8.5 points from 9 rounds. Sarvesh Kumar of Podar International School (Powai) and Vedant Panesar of Lady of Ratanbai and Sir Mathuradas Vissanji Academy (Andheri) won silver and bronze respectively.

Rishab, 14, wants to become a Grandmaster (the highest title a chess player can attain) and idolises India chess great Viswanathan Anand.

Hindi and world cinema lost a shining star when Irrfan Khan passed away yesterday, April 29, 2020. The actor, who was battling Neuroendocrine cancer for two years, left his fans and the industry in shock and sorrow after he passed away.

Irrfan Khan was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri, Mumbai, for a colon infection, where he breathed his last. Irrfan was laid to rest at 3 pm yesterday.

In a recent interview with ETimes, actress Mrinal Kulkarni opened up about Irrfan Khan, who was her TV show Shrikant co-star. Kulkarni shared, "The thing is, I am working with cancer organisations for the last few years and then I got to know about Irrfan. We were connected to each other when he was a cancer survivor but his cancer was of a rare type and even after being a strong-willed person he couldn't win the battle. Sometimes, there is nothing in our hands and that is true."

Mrinal Kulkarni, who worked with Irrfan Khan in another TV show, Sparsh, added, "Actually, I knew he was not well and it was a tough fight. After losing his mother, he became more weak and emotional. I somewhere felt that there were tough times ahead for him." Irrfan Khan's mother, Saeda Begum, passed away on April 25, 2020, at age 95.

Talking about Irrfan Khan as an actor and individual, Kulkarni shared, "He used to speak very less. I didn't know that we would ever become friends. After that, we worked together a lot and we became best friends."

Irrfan Khan's last film, Angrezi Medium, released in March this year. He was known for his performances in films like Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, and Hindi Medium, among others.

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Our friendship lasted 45 years because we were similar in nature — we loved food and drinks, and were brimming with optimism. We grew close during the making of Khel Khel Mein (1975).

Eventually, Jeetendra joined us, and we three became inseparable. We would meet every day after our respective shoots.

Chintu and I did several movies together — Jhoota Kahin Ka (1979), Khel Khel Mein and Aap Ke Deewane (1980), among others. He would never prepare for his shots, and yet, when the camera rolled, he came alive! He was so spontaneous and natural. When we were shooting for Aap Ke Deewane, I asked him how he shone in each take without having prepped for it. With a smile, he said, 'Aise hi yaar, main camera ke saamne bas masti karta hoon…' He was such an integral part of my life that I couldn't imagine my first directorial venture without him. So, I requested Chintu to do a cameo in Khudgarz (1987).

[In 2018], our cancer diagnosis came months apart — his in August, and mine in December. But we both fought with a smile on our face. He was always brave and full of life. When I met him in March before the lockdown, Chintu, Neetu and I reminisced about our good old days.

I spoke to Neetu earlier this week when I learnt he was hospitalised and prayed for his speedy recovery. I woke up this morning to a message from a friend, asking if Rishi Kapoor was all right. When I called Dabboo [Randhir Kapoor], his number was busy. That's when my heart sank and I instinctively knew something was wrong. Then I rang up Ranbir who shared the news. It was so shocking that I started crying on the phone. Instead of me consoling him, Ranbir comforted me. He has been a pillar of strength to his father.

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My first directorial venture Andaz [1971] was with Shammi Kapoor. A decade later, I made Shaan [1981] with Shashi Kapoor. Babita was introduced by my father [GP Sippy] opposite Rajesh Khanna in Raaz [1967]. I made Saagar [1985] with Rishi Kapoor, so my association with the Kapoors goes back a long way.

My daughter, Sheena, was married to Shashi Kapoor's son, Kunal. We are related as well. How much closer can we get?

I was in touch with Rishi but not as much as I should have been. I remember catching a play at the Royal Opera House with his brother Randhir Kapoor. After the show, we sat down to chat and Randhir called Rishi who was at that time seeking treatment in the US. Rishi was sounding fine and kept a positive front. We were happy to know that all was going well until this sudden turn of events. I was shocked to hear of his demise. We had heard that he had been hospitalised. The awful part is that because of COVID-19 and social distancing, we could not go to pay our last respects. I feel miserable about it.

Ramesh Sippy

I thought of making Saagar after Dimple Kapadia expressed her desire to make a comeback after marriage and motherhood. I sat with Javed Akhtar saab and discussed the script and spoke to Rishi.

We decided to make it a love triangle and got Kamal Haasan on board. It was a lovely experience working with the three talented actors. Unfortunately, it wasn't a success when it released, but over time it lingered on and developed a cult following. Its songs are still a big draw.

One didn't need to direct Rishi. He was such a consummate actor. Once the scenes were narrated to him, he understood it perfectly. He just needed to be ready and come on the set and perform the scene. I didn't have to say much to him about what to do and what not to do. We will miss presence but he will always be with us through his movies.

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Many B-townies have been keeping themselves busy by doing household chores, self-pampering, and of course, decluttering and rearranging wardrobe. Deepika Padukone, Debina Bonnerjee, Kriti Sanon, Ameesha Patel have shared some cleaning photos on their social media. In fact, some cleaning pictures might actually give you an OCD attack. The reason, the cluttered arrangements.

As we all know, Deepika Padukone has OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which means excess need and requirement of cleaning and rearranging things rapidly. The actress has confessed how she never sits at one place and is always doing something or the other when at home. If not cleaning, she rearranges her wardrobe compulsively. 

 

 

 

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Season 1:Episode 1 Productivity in the time of COVID-19!😷 #cleaning #wardrobe

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMar 15, 2020 at 6:01am PDT

Kriti Sanon, who is known for her panache and grace, was also seen decluttering her wardrobe. The actress too got distracted amid the cleaning, courtesy, the little one! Check this out.

 

 

 

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And while i was trying to declutter my wardrobe, Phoebe found some playtime! 🤪 🐶 ðŸÂÂ’ðŸ»‍♀ï¸ÂðŸÂÂ’–

A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon) onApr 1, 2020 at 5:32am PDT

Ameesha Patel shared a video on Instagram where she is seen cleaning her most priced possession, shoes! And come on, most of us are completely obsessed with the entire thought of hoarding all kinds of footwear. Relatable much?

 

 

 

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Even CiNDERELLA needed the perfect glass slipper fit for her prince to find her 😀😀😀cleaning one of my shoe 🥿👠👠👡👡👡👟🥾🥾👢👢cupboards .. stay home activities to keep myself occupied ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’– #LetsStayHome #CeraKuchPalGharKeNaam

A post shared by Ameesha Patel (@ameeshapatel9) onApr 6, 2020 at 4:27am PDT

Debina Bonnerjee too shared a cleaning post, just like other celebrities. While hers included library rearrangements and decluttering the shoe rack, we can't stop gawking at her photos. Take a look.

 

 

 

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Self quarantined. And I have so much to do. I organised , cleansed my shoes Mission 1 accomplished. 👍🏼 . What are you doing??

A post shared by Debina Bonnerjee (@debinabon) onMar 19, 2020 at 8:38pm PDT

So, what are you cleaning next?

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After delivering the hit song "Tera ban jaunga" in "Kabir Singh", singer Akhil Sachdeva has come up with a new Punjabi song "O jaanwaale", which features "Bigg Boss 13" contestant Himanshi Khurana.

"As a musician, it gives me great joy to give people music to hear, feel and heal during the lockdown. It's one of those melodies where there is a lot of pain and sadness involved. As soon as T-Series sent me a version of the song, I knew at once this song is for me," Akhil said.

 

 

 

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When your ♥ï¸Â beats for love! #OJaanwaale, out now. @tseries.official @BhushanKumar @sachdevaakhilnasha @kunaalvermaa @adityadevmusic Makeup by @prabhleenkaur_artistry Outfits by @aliwarofficial Shot by @kunwararorax Artist managed by @nidhe_k

A post shared by Himanshi Khurana 👑 (@iamhimanshikhurana) onMay 3, 2020 at 11:57pm PDT

"O Jaanwaale" is a heartbreak song composed by Kunaal Vermaa, with music production and arrangement by Aditya Dev.

Sharing the making of the track amid lockdown, Akhil said: " 'O jaanwaale' is a heart-wrenching song that listeners will relate to. It has great repeat value. Interestingly, everyone involved in the making of this song is in different cities, at this point of time.

"It was definitely challenging to put this together but in the end I think every song has its own destiny and journey. I guess this was meant to be my lockdown release. Both Himanshi and I shot chunks of the footage from our respective smart phones in our respective homes," he added.

The song is presented by T-Series."

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Ananya Panday and The Vamps' guitarist James McVey are coming together to raise awareness about social media bullying. The live session will be hosted on May 8 on Instagram.

The actor says, "Social media bullying is an evil that people face every day on the numerous platforms that they use in their daily lives. I'm glad that James McVey and I will be fighting this evil together in our own small way."

Ananya further said, "The world is going through a tough time and it is even more important to be kind to everyone and spread positivity." The session is being put together by the actor's initiative, So Positive, which aims to negate the spread of social media bullying.

McVey added, "During this difficult time, we find ourselves using social media more than ever. Regardless of where you live or your background, it's important to remember that you are never alone. Millions of others are going through the same traumatic experience and I believe together we further the conversation and join the fight to end bullying. I'm looking forward to speaking with Ananya on 'So Positive' to learn more about her experiences."

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There cannot be a greater feeling for any actor when he's known by the name of the characters he has essayed on the big screen or even the small screen. If Amjad Khan was Gabbar Singh, Amrish Puri was Mogambo, Shah Rukh Khan was Raj and Rahul, Feroz Khan was Arjun. Yes, the Arjun from Mahabharat.

Such was the popularity of the role and such was the impact on people that he was rechristened as Arjun Feroz Khan. You may know him as the villain from a lot of Bollywood films of the 90s but it was this iconic television show that shaped his career and made him a household name. Speaking to Hindustan Times about being selected for the show and how it made history, he spilled the beans on everything.

He said, "It's a proud moment to watch Mahabharat with the present generation. It's a good opportunity for them to know more about their culture. It was a game-changer for Indian television. It impacted people's lives. Due to the lockdown, everyone is at home and they're glued to their television sets to watch epics like Mahabharat and Ramayan. Even my grandchildren are watching it and they're amused to see me shooting arrows."

History isn't made easily so expectedly, getting such a fascinating role wasn't easy for the actor either. He recalls the day when he went for the audition. "I went in and saw actors like Deepak Parashar, Raj Babbar and Govinda, among others there. The auditions for Mahabharat were going on and Govinda told me to give it a shot. I was given two pages of dialogues in Hindi. I told him to read out the lines in Hindi so that I could rewrite them in English."

He added, "A week after when I didn't get a call back, I went to his office. I was asked to wear my costumes and a moustache. I went up to Chopra Saab's cabin in the first floor and he was sitting their along with our writers, Dr Rahi Masoom Raza and Pandit Narendra Sharma and they told me that I've been locked to play Arjun." And as they say, the rest is history! He was addressed as Arjun by everyone, even his mother. What greater validation can an actor ask for?

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Who says love in the time of quarantine is tough enough for two? Bigg Boss and Roadies winner Ashutosh Kaushik tied the knot with his fiance Arpita on April 26 in Noida during the lockdown. While reports suggest that the couple had already decided marriage way before the lockdown, they didn't want to delay it, clearly. The marriage took place on the terrace, in the presence of the couple's family members.

Interestingly, while the bride and the groom did not really follow the basic lockdown rule - wear a mask - their pandit seemed to be wiser as he was seen wearing a mask while chanting the mantras.

Check out the video of Ashutosh Kaushik's wedding ceremony here:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ashutosh Kaushik (@ashutoshkaushik_bigg_boss_2) onApr 27, 2020 at 9:49pm PDT

According to reports, Ashutosh donated the money collected during his wedding to the PM-CARES coronavirus fund.

 

 

 

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Heartiest Congratulations to my Dear Bro #ashutoshkaushik Kaushik For Embarking on a new Journey of life .Wishing u all the best for a Happy married life .. God Bless u #bigboss #roadiesextreme #roadiesextreme #covidwedding #socialdistancing

A post shared by Sangeet Maker's Team (@master_meck_sangeet_makers) onApr 27, 2020 at 8:54am PDT

Ashutosh was the winner of the fifth season of Roadies in 2007 and the second season of Bigg Boss in 2008. He was also seen in films such as Zila Ghaziabad and Kismat Love Paisa Dilli.

A few weeks ago, TV actress Puja Banerjee got married to Kunal Verma. In a post on Instagram, Puja announced, "Today was supposed to be our wedding but the situation is such that we have cancelled all our ceremonies although we had registered our marriage before a month so we are officially married and together forever now. With the blessing of our parents and grandparents, we starting our new life need all of ur best wishes. Our family is happy and so are we."

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TV stars Smriti Khanna and Gautam Gupta have named their newborn daughter Anayka. On Tuesday, Smriti took to Instagram and shared the "first family picture", also revealing her baby's name. "Anayka...#family#FirstFamilyPic#DaddysGirl," she wrote on Instagram. Smriti and her husband Gautam welcomed their first child on April 15. The couple met on the sets of the TV show "Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi".

 

 

 

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Anayka ❤ï¸ÂðŸ§¿ #family #FirstFamilyPic #DaddysGirl

A post shared by Smriti Khanna (@smriti_khanna) onMay 5, 2020 at 5:26am PDT

A few days ago, Smriti posted her before and after childbirth pictures on social media, leaving everyone stunned with the loss of her pregnancy weight so quickly. "Amazed at what the human body can do!! 1st pic was taken one week before I gave birth. Second pic, a week after I gave birth. My inbox is flooded with questions from new moms and moms-to-be. I'll try and make a video soon answering all of them. Thank you for so much love and blessings for our little one #postpartum#postpartumtransformation#newmom #mombod," she had shared.

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Television actress Sambhavna Seth, who became a household name after Bigg Boss 2, was rushed to the hospital on May 4 for being unwell. The news was announced by her husband Avinash Dwivedi from the actress' Instagram account.

He wrote- "Hi Guys, Yesterday night we had to rush to the hospital as Sambhavna is unwell. We came back at 5 am in the morning..And now taking her to the hospital again..So there will be no vlog today. Regards Avinash Dwivedi." (sic)

Have a look at the post right here:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sambhavna Seth (@sambhavnasethofficial) onMay 4, 2020 at 11:16pm PDT

Moments after the post, comments from friends and colleagues from the television industry started pouring in that expressed concern and worry for the actress and her health. One of the first ones to comment was actor and singer Lizaa Malik, who wrote- "What happened" (sic) Next in line was Bollywood actress Meghna Naidu, who also wrote- "What happened?" (sic) Sonali Raut had this to say- "Ohhho...get well soon darling...godbless" (sic)

There were a lot more comments that followed! Kamya Panjabi also expressed her worry and commented- "Get well soon darling! Avinash hope nothing serious!" (sic) Anara Gupta wrote- "What happened to her ... vo thik hain ...???? Pls update about her" (sic). And Pakkhi Hegde commented- "???????? M worried" (sic)

More details about her health are awaited! Given the support of the industry people and the wishes that have been pouring in, we are assured she's going to be fit and fine, hale and hearty!

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Actress Nisha Rawal has slammed people who belly-shamed her by asking if she is pregnant.

Nisha, who is married to Karan Mehra of "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai", took to Instagram and wrote: "This picture was clicked yesterday & ‘No! I ain't pregnant' & ‘Yes! I have a belly'. Belly shame is one of the many kinds of shaming we have in our stigmatised society! I have always had a tummy. It would become smaller or bigger depending on my fitness regime but would never go away! I was always ashamed of it and that made me do things that would either injure me by beating myself up in the gym doing crunches until my muscles went into a cramp or would do the opposite with my hog-sprees!"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Nisha Rawal (@missnisharawal) onMay 7, 2020 at 5:53am PDT

She added: "After we got married, all eyes were even more on my tummy! And now they had the audacity of transforming into questions, at the red carpet, in the lift, in interviews, coffee shops: ‘Are u pregnant?' While I was like, ‘Am I supposed to be or am I even supposed to answer that question or should I work more on my belly, and towards the end of it, that shame would make me indulge more, making it a vicious cycle!"

Nisha believes in being fit over fat.

"See that's what shaming does, it just makes the victim do more of what he is shamed about.We all have shamed someone, knowingly or unknowingly because our culture conditions us to believe it's normal to ask anyone,
‘Hey why all the weight?'
‘Don't u eat anything?'
‘You must be dieting too much',
and on goes the list!

And after we have babies, except for a rare, few women, our bellies are never the same! They sag and have stretch marks! We won't wear a bikini, won't have sex with lights on and would suddenly become so conscious of the bodies we have lived in all our lives!It's not easy to accept this new found body post birth.But let's atleast hold each other's hands and try! Let's uplift each other," she urged.

Karan and Nisha have a boy named Kavish who was born in 2017.

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In a first of its kind international venture, youth icons Ananya Panday and international songwriter and guitarist from The Vamps band - James McVey - are all set to come together on the former’s ‘So Positive’ platform to raise awareness about social media bullying. The live session will be hosted on 8th May 2020 at 7 pm.

James McVey, the lead guitarist, and songwriter of the internationally renowned British band The Vamps, is known globally for spreading social media positivity. The coming together of the two, Panday and McVey, marks a collaboration that goes beyond the confines of language and geography to attain more awareness on the issue. The statistics are proof of how teenagers and children are the most affected in this digital era. The number of platforms accessible to the population across the world are increasing with every passing day. This collaboration would be extremely insightful in terms of shedding light on this issue and help individuals dealing with social media bullying.

Sharing his experience James McVey said, “During this difficult time we find ourselves using social media more than ever. When I was at the receiving end of bullying I felt isolated and alone. Regardless of where you live or your background, it’s important to remember that you are never alone. Millions of others are going through the same traumatic experience and I believe together we further the conversation and join the fight to end bullying. I’m looking forward to speaking with Ananya on ‘So Positive’ to learn more about her experiences.”

Ananya Panday shares, "Social media bullying is an evil that people face every day on the numerous platforms that they use in their daily lives. I’m glad that James McVey and I will be fighting this evil together in our own small way. The world is going through a difficult time, currently and it is even more important than ever to be kind to everyone around and spread positivity. So Positive has been creating awareness through different ways and our aim continues to be to negate the spread of social media bullying by spreading positivity all across. I’m really looking forward to this insightful exchange with James”.

So Positive is a cause taken up by Ananya which is backed with substantial data, research, and behavioural statistics. The initiative aims at creating and spreading awareness about social media bullying. Its prime focus is to make people aware of the fact that this issue exists and stays very prevalent in society. Also, the steps that can be taken by the recipients of this destructive criticism in order to deal with this.

ALSO READ: Ananya Panday says Vijay Deverakonda is humble and grounded despite being a huge star

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

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

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

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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

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

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

Dipika Chikhlia rose to fame with her performance as Sita in Ramanand Sagar's show Ramayan. Owing to the lockdown the show is being aired on television for the viewing of the younger generation. Now, Dipika is once again going to be seen on screen as she will be playing Sarojini in her new film.

Dipika took to her social media handle to unveil the first look poster of the movie which is based on freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu. Dipika is seen posing in a thoughtful mode in the poster.

#sarojininaidu...1st look....poster pic.twitter.com/zN5hhdSJmX

— Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala (@ChikhliaDipika) May 7, 2020

Sarojini is directed by Akash Nayak and Dhiraj Mishra. The story has been written by Dhiraj Mishra and Yashomati Devi. The venture is produced by Kanu Bhai Patel under the Royal Film Media banner. Sarojini Naidu is a strong personality in India's freedom struggle and is known as the Nightingale of India.

This is the first full-length feature film on Sarojini Naidu that will show her political career.

ALSO READ: Dipika Chikhlia reveals that people in small town think of her as Sita and touch her feet even today

14/02/2020

With the coronavirus lockdown forcing people to stay at home, they are turning to the internet to keep their spirits up such a turbulent time. The social media is flooded with hilarious memes, videos and other posts that not only kept the netizens entertained but also spread awareness about the importance of maintaining  social distance.

Not just new content, even old content is making rounds of social media which is being seen in pretext of the lockdown. Union Minister Smriti Irani has shared a video to explain the importance of staying at home during the lockdown.

The video originally posted by popular Youtuber Ashish Chanchlani  in his page, Ashish Chanchlani Vines shows what would happen if American films were made in India. Portraying as a thriller, the video shows a man being chased by a masked man dressing like a ghost. As the man reaches at the doorstep of his house, he stops to remove his shoes and socks before stepping in, which customary in Indian households. After being prompted by the man, the killer removes his shoes too.

The union minister for Women and Child Development and Textiles posted the video on Instagram and captioned it as, "Lockdown Humour. Stay Home, Stay Safe!

 

 

 

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A post shared by Smriti Irani (@smritiiraniofficial) onApr 12, 2020 at 9:54pm PDT

The post garnered 193,272 views and 23,209 likes on the photo-sharing app where many of her followers thanked her sharing the video along with posting hilarious reactions. One user said, "Culture with ever care vision (sic)." Another user said, "Kahani ghar ghar ki." A user said, "Nowadays, after entering the house both of them should wash their hands thoroughly too before continuing their run, otherwise donon ko corona mar degi!"

What do you think about this video?

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Amid fears over the spread of coronavirus, a 25-year-old man was allegedly shot at by another person, following an argument that was triggered by his "coughing" during a game of ludo at Greater Noida, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place around 9 pm on Tuesday at a temple in Dayanagar village under the Jarcha police station limits, where four people, including the man who received gunshot injuries, were playing the board game, they added.

The injured man, Prashant Singh alias Pravesh, was hospitalised, while the accused, Jai Veer Singh alias Gullu (30), is yet to be arrested, the police said. Both are residents of Dayanagar village and engaged in agriculture, according to the police.

"Prashant and three others were playing ludo at the village temple on Tuesday night when Gullu arrived there. An argument broke out between Prashant and Gullu when the former coughed. Gullu got angry thinking he was doing it deliberately," a police official told PTI.

"As the argument intensified, Gullu pulled out a pistol and shot at Prashant," he said. An injured Prashant was rushed to a private hospital, where his condition is stable now, the police said, adding that an FIR was registered against the accused and efforts were on to arrest him.

Coughing, fever and difficulty in breathing are some of the symptoms of the novel coronavirus, a highly contagious disease, according to government advisories.

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A migrant couple from Rajasthan's Alwar, who got stranded in Tripura, have named their newborn boy 'Lockdown'. The couple Sanjay Bauri and his wife Manju Bauri sell plastic wares and keep travelling to various states to earn money. They visit Tripura for six months every year to sell cheap plastic wares. The government officials suggested to name him 'lockdown' as he was born on April 13 during the lockdown.

"The baby is fine. We are getting food from the administration. He is fine. As he was born during the lockdown, we have decided to name him lockdown," the father of the newborn told ANI. "The government is helping us a lot and taking care of our child. They also ensured the safe delivery of my son. But we would be happier if we return to back to Rajasthan as soon as possible," Manju said.

Besides them, 13 other migrant families are living there in Badharghat.

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In a significant move, the Union cabinet on Wednesday amended the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 through an ordinance in order to ensure safety of health workers at a time when there has been a spate of attacks on them. Any violence against health workers may now bring steep fines and even imprisonments of up to seven years.

#Cabinet approves promulgation of Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 making such acts of violence as cognizable and non-bailable offences and to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property

— K.S. Dhatwalia (@DG_PIB) April 22, 2020

This move comes hours after Home Minister Amit Shah addressed Nina Medical Association through a video conference, assuring them of safety and urging them to withdraw the symbolic protest scheduled for later this month against incidents of violence on health workers pressed into CVID-19 duty.

From now on, not just such violence is cognizable but also non-bailable offence. Additionally, it has provisions to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property, the government said on Wednesday.

K.S. Dhatwalia, Principal Spokesperson for the government, tweeted: "Ordinance would help protect healthcare service personnel and their living/working premises against violence".

"This actually helps protect the entire health fraternity including doctors, nurses, paramedics up to ASHA workers, " said Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar. The Minister said the amendment was necessitated after incidents of violence were witnessed against them while discharging their crucial duty for the country.

The amendment has ensured that the investigation takes place in a time-bound manner. A special provision is also made in the ordinance in case vehicles or clinics are damaged. In such cases, two times the cost will be recovered from assailants.

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Playing game of cards and hosting parties to kill time during the nationwide lockdown, two truck driver in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada city spread coronavirus to as many as 38 persons, officials said on Sunday.

One of them infected 24 people while organising a game of cards at his house and inviting his neighbours and friends to join in. According to officials, he had gone to Kolkata in West Bengal to ferry some goods and returned to the city on April 4 via Odisha.

Feeling bored, the driver invited neighbours and friends for a game of cards while his wife invited womenfolk from nearby houses.

When the truck driver tested positive, officials questioned him and came to know about his activities since his return hoe. Those who came in contact with him were screened and most found infected.

Another driver spread the virus to 14 people. Investigations revealed that he had gone to Dubai and returned via Sri Lanka and Chennai last month. Without observing home quarantine, he attended parties and thus spread of virus.

Vijayawada is a hotspot in the state and it accounts for more than 100 of the 177 positive cases reported so far in Krishna district.

District collector Imtiyaz Ahmed said unless people cooperate in checking the spread of coronavirus, government efforts alone can't yield the desired results.

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After a series of creative doodles to thank the ones who are fighting Coronavirus from the forefront, like the healthcare workers, police, Google doodle is now urging people to stay at home to contain the spread of novel Coronavirus and spend the extra time by playing games.

Today's animation features a young kid dressed as one of the O's from the word Google. The kid is sitting on the computer and playing a game. The text on the doodle reads, "Stay and play at home with popular past Google Doodles: Coding (2017)."

Once you click on it, it takes you to a game that was originally shared by Google in 2017 to celebrate 50 years of kids coding. The game features a rabbit and various carrots which are placed around him need to be collected.

Covid- 19 has affected a total of 29,70,705 people and taken 2,06,514 lives globally till now. In India, the novel coronavirus positive cases have crossed the 27,000 mark and over 800 fatalities have been reported.

After a series of doodle honouring coronavirus warriors, Google launched a new series since April 27 where they have been urging people to stay home and play games amid the COVID-19 crisis. Today, google shared an interactive doodle featuring the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

It’s day 2 of our throwback #GoogleDoodle series...

Today, crickHIT for 6 in our 2017 Doodle game celebrating cricket! 🏏🦗#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/hokoBrGUtO pic.twitter.com/NSFpjSmbjg

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 28, 2020

The doodel features the letter G where a person can be seen donning a Chef's hat as he uses a rolling pin in place of a bat while the letter E shows another person ready to bowl to the batsman like a bowler. When one hovers over the final doodle, it shows the message, "Stay and play at home with popular past Google Doodles: Cricket (2017).

The game provides you a virtual experience of playing cricket at a stadium

Once clicked on the animation, google takes the user to a game where one can play cricket on a pitch. The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy doodle was originally shared to celebrate the launch of the ICC Champions Trophy. the interactive feature gives you the surreal feeling of being in a stadium while playing the sport.

Explaining the motive behind launching the 10 game series to be played at hime, Google said, "As Covid-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we're launching a throwback doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games!"

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After sharing an interactive doodle featuring the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, on Monday, Google shared throwback game from 2016 in order to urge people to stay at home and keep themselves entertained by playing these games. Scoville is part of the latest series that Google launched last week urging people to stay home and play games amid the COVID-19 crisis.

It’s day 6 of our throwback #GoogleDoodle series...

Today, spice it up with our 2016 Doodle game celebrating pharmacist & inventor of the Scoville scale, Wilbur Scoville! 🌶️🥵#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/FhX0mtZxBU pic.twitter.com/RNW8UhGfAN

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) May 4, 2020

The latest doodle is in honour of celebrated pharmacist Wilbur Scoville. The doodel was first published on January 22, 2016 to celebrate the Scoville's 151st birthday. Wilbur Scoville is well known for his Organoleptic test which he invented back in 1912 while working at the Parke-Davis pharmaceutical company. The test measures the heat of several chilli peppers.

The interactive Scoville game

In the Scoville game, one has to throw ice-cream balls at the animated peppers in order to win the game. When one hovers over the final doodle, it shows the message, "Stay and play at home with popular past Google Doodles: Scoville (2016). Once clicked on the doodle animation, google takes the user to a game where one can play the interactive ice-cream and peppers game.

While launching its 10 game series to be played at home amid the coronavirus outbreak, Google Doodle said, "As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we’re launching a throwback Doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games!"

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After sharing an interactive doodle featuring the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and honouring celebrated pharmacist and researcher Wilbur Scoville, Google on Thursday shared a throwback game from 2017 thereby urging people to play musical games at home amid lockdown.

It’s day 9 of our throwback #GoogleDoodle series...

Today, boogie down with legendary beats & take our 2017 Doodle game celebrating the birth of Hip Hop for a spin! 🎚ï¸ÂðŸŽ¶#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/sM4kky8Opq pic.twitter.com/Dct0hGa1ON

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) May 7, 2020

The latest doodle animation is part of Google's series that the giant search engine launched last week urging people to stay home and play games amid the COVID-19 crisis. A treat for music and especially hip hop fans, the 2017 game lets users mix music samples from legendary tracks on their interactive turntables.

While sharing the animated doodle with their followers on Twitter, Googel Doodle tweeted, "Today, boogie down with legendary beats & take our 2017 Doodle game celebrating the birth of Hip Hop for a spin!"

In order to play the game, one has to mix the beats with the help of the crossfader which can be operated with the help of the mouse. Once clicked on the animation, google plays a short animated film showcasing the history of Hip Hop music featuring the voiceover of Hip Hop icon Fab 5 Freddy.

A screengrab of the Hip Hop musicla game

Google also narrates the story of Jamaican-American DJ Kool Herc, who played an instrumental role in the birth of Hip Hop music. Since the last one week, Google has been sharing throwback pictures including Halloween, Loteria, Scoville and Fischinger among others. When one hovers over the final doodle, it shows the message, "Stay and play at home with popular past Google Doodles: Hip Hop (2017).

While launching the interactive series last week, Google said, "As Covid-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we're launching a throwback doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games!"

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Filmmaker James Gunn recently revealed that neither of his upcoming movie -- 'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3 nor 'The Suicide Squad' will be affected by delays due to the coronavirus crisis.

One of the director's fans in a question-answer session on the Twitter asked about the possibilities of pushing ahead 'Guardians of the Galaxy' vol 3, to which Gunn on Sunday replied: "Right now the plans with Vol 3 are also exactly the same as they were before coronavirus."

In another reply, the 53-year-old said: "Right now there's no reason for #TheSuicideSquad release date to move. We are on or ahead of schedule. We were extremely fortunate to wrap shooting & set up editing from our homes (due to a post-production team & studio with foresight) before quarantine."

The upcoming movie is a sequel to the original 2016 released 'Suicide Squad.'

Actors Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis will reprise their roles in the film alongside new cast members Taika Waititi, Peter Capaldi, Idris Elba, John Cena, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, David Dastmalchian and Daniela Melchior.

The original 'Suicide Squad' was a box office success, grossing USD 746.8 million worldwide. The upcoming fantasy-action is expected to hit theatres on August 6, 2021.

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Actor Kristofer Hivju who tested positive for coronavirus in March, revealed on Tuesday that he has now 'fully recovered' and is in 'good health.

Sharing a picture along with his wife on Instagram, the 41-year-old wrote that: "After several weeks in quarantine, and also a couple more indoors after being free of all symptoms, we are finally safe and sound." The star, popularly known for his role of Tormund in 'Game of Thrones', also added that they were ''lucky'' to have only "mild symptoms of COVID-19.'' "We send our love and thoughts to all of the people where the virus has hit much harder, and to everyone who has lost their loved ones due to the Coronavirus," he added.

 

 

 

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Hi! We are fully recovered and in good health after I was infected by the Cororonavirus, and most likely my wife @grymolvaerhivju After several weeks inn quarantine, and also a couple more indoors after beeing free of all symptoms, we are finally safe and sound. We were lucky to only have mild symptoms of the Covid 19. We send our love and thoughts to all of the people where the virus has hit much harder, and to everyone who has lost their loved ones due to the Cornonavirus. Thank you for all of your support, and please remember to stay vigilant and keep your distance, wash your hands, and most of all ; take care of each other in this strange time. Lots of love from us❤ï¸ÂðŸ™ŒðŸ» #takecare @panoramaagency

A post shared by Kristofer Hivju (@khivju) onApr 13, 2020 at 1:26pm PDT

The actor wrapped up the post by thanking everyone for their support and also urged them to "stay vigilant and keep your distance, wash your hands, and most of all; take care of each other in this strange time. Lots of love from us #takecare @panoramaagency" Earlier on March 17, the actor through an Instagram post revealed that he has tested positive for coronavirus and is self -quarantining with his family in Norway.

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Actress Cameron Diaz feels parenthood is the best thing that has ever happened to her. In an interaction with Who What Wear CEO Katherine Power, Cameron, who welcomed daughter Raddix with husband Benji Madden, spoke about how her life has changed after becoming a mother, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I love being a mother. It's the best, best, best part of my life. "I'm so grateful and so happy and it's the best thing ever and I'm so lucky to do it with Benj and we're having the best time. I'm thrilled. I can't believe it," the actress said. Cameron also shared how she is dealing with life under quarantine.

"I've kinda been living a quarantine life anyhow because I have a three-month-old, three-and-a-half-month. So my life has been completely quiet and still for the last few months. But I was able to have my friends over all the time. And now I just don't see anybody. But it's nice, and I love a bubble and being in the womb of my home with my husband and cooking.But at the same time it's crazy that you can't go out to the world right now," she said.

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Veteran singer-actor Rita Wilson has said that it was easier for her to cope with the coronavirus as she was accompanied by her husband, Hollywood star Tom Hanks. The couple were among the first Hollywood celebrities to be tested positive for COVID-19, which has claimed over 150,000 lives globally. Hanks and Wilson were in Australia when they were diagnosed with the coronavirus. They have now recovered from it.

Talking with The Guardian, Wilson, 63, said the ordeal was a lot easier since they both had symptoms at the same time. "I think that having the virus at the same time made it that little bit easier. We were taking care of each other instead of having the pressure of taking care of one person and no one taking care of you or understanding that the person at home needs a break. "We were fortunate we were in a place where we understood what the other was going through," she said. However, Wilson, who previously battled breast cancer, said suffering from the COVID-19 was extremely difficult. "We both had a high fever and were extremely achey. I lost my sense of taste and smell, had stomach issues and shivering like you wouldn't believe. Yeah, I was scared.

"Extreme nausea, vertigo, my muscles felt like wet noodles, so I couldn't really stand. We were just trying to get through it," she added. Wilson said that Hanks, 63, presented'milder symptoms¿ than she had. "He did not have as high a fever. He did not lose his sense of taste or smell. But it still took us the same amount of time to get through it," she added. In a separate interview with The National Defense Radio Show, Hanks agreed that Wilson had a much tougher time than he did. "Rita had a much tougher time than I did. She had a much higher fever. She had lost her sense of taste and sense of smell. I had some bad body aches and fatigue," he said. Hanks recalled when he was locked down in a hospital with Wilson, he baffled a doctor by trying to do an exercise that left him "wiped" after just ten minutes. "She looked at me through her glasses like she was talking to the dumbest human being, and she said, (sternly) 'You have COVID-19'," the actor said.

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The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle made her first TV appearance on Monday since stepping down as a senior member of the British Royal family alongside her husband Prince Harry. According to Us Weekly, Markle's appearance on 'Good Morning America' was pre-recorded. The clip was to promote 'Elephant' the Disneynature documentary the 38-year-old narrated for the Disney+ streaming service.

The 'Suits' actor said in the interview which was recorded in the summer of 2019, "I'm really grateful to have the opportunity of bringing the story of elephants to life."

"I've been very lucky to be able to have hands-on experience with elephants in their natural habitat. When you spend time connecting with them and the other wildlife, you really understand we have a role to play in their preservation and safety," she continued.

"I hope that when people see this film they realise how connected we all are, and if we had more of an awareness about the obstacles we're facing, I think we'd take care of each other, this planet and animals in a very different way," shared the Duchess of Sussex.

The 35-year-old couple Markle and Harry initially moved to Vancouver Island in Canada with their 11-month-old son Archie before relocating to her native Los Angeles.

The couple, back in January, announced they will take 'a step back' as senior members of the royal family and instead work independently, splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.

The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex said their decision came "after many months of reflection and internal discussions."

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Sharing a throwback picture from the purple carpet premiere of 'Avengers Endgame,' actor Mark Ruffalo on Sunday said that he is feeling nostalgic as the film completed its first anniversary.

The actor took to Instagram to reminisce about the film and posted a picture of himself and a group picture of the cast of the film from the premiere.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Feeling nostalgic that it’s been a year since #AvengersEndgame was in theaters.⁣ ⁣ Thank you all for being a part of this wild journey with us 💚 #LoveYou3000

A post shared by Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo) onApr 26, 2020 at 7:34am PDT

Decked up in a black suit, Ruffalo is seen posing at the purple carpet event in the picture.

"Feeling nostalgic that it's been a year since #AvengersEndgame was in theaters. Thank you all for being a part of this wild journey with us #LoveYou3000," he captioned the picture.

The film 'Avengers Endgame' by Marvel comics was released on April 26 last year and became a blockbuster hit within few days of hitting the screens.

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After the decision to postpone the event due to the coronavirus crisis, the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday, rather, held a virtual telecast which was no short of slime and the awards.

On Saturday a virtual show was hosted by the 'Victorious' star Victoria Justice of the event, whic was originally scheduled to take place on March 22 in Los Angeles.

The star-studded awards show had specials appearances of 'The Avengers' cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner.

The team's big hit superhero film 'Avengers: Endgame' won favourite movie, and 'Spider-Man' actor Tom Holland was voted favourite superhero.

Netflix's 'Stranger Things' grabbed the favourite TV show awards, meanwhile, the young star Millie Bobby Brown took home the favourite female TV actor award for her role as Eleven.

In the music category, artists including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, and BTS took home the glory.

Reported by Variety, the show also made USD 1 million donations to No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to help end childhood hunger and support people affected by coronavirus crisis.

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A 26-year-old IT professional from a reputed firm here allegedly hanged himself after naming two colleagues in his suicide note, police said on Friday. Chetan Jayale, who was working in Hinjawadi IT Park, hanged himself at his rented accommodation on Wednesday, an official said.

"We have recovered a suicide note in which he has named two of his senior managers and alleged that he was subjected to mental harassment by them and that is why he was taking this step," a Chaturshringi police station official said.

"On Wednesday, while his room mates went to work, Jayale, who had taken an off from office, remained at home. He then hanged himself," he said. A case has been registered against the two persons named in Jayale's suicide note, he added. "While one official is in UK, the other is working here," he added.

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