1. Keh Gayi Sorry teaser: Shehnaaz Gill pairs up with Jassie Gill in new music video, watch  Hindustan Times
2. Keh Gayi Sorry Teaser: Fans can't wait for the full music video featuring Shehnaaz Gill and Jassie Gill  PINKVILLA
3. Bigg Boss 13's Shehnaaz Gill curses Coronavirus for ruining her dreams in this new hilarious TikTok video  Bollywood Life
4. Shehnaz Gill curses corona for ruining her dream of signing autographs after Bigg Boss 13; watch hilariou  Times of India
5. PHOTOS: Shehnaaz Gill proves she can pull off any look with panache; Check out  PINKVILLA
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1. 'Not anticipating worst situation but…': Health Minister on Covid-19 in India  Hindustan Times
2. Testing capacity for Covid-19 scaled up to 95,000 per day: Harsh Vardhan  Times of India
3. 'Have prepared country for worst situation': Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on coronavirus pandemic  Times Now
4. ‘We’re prepared for the worst’: Health minister on Covid-19 crisis  Top Live News
5. Do not anticipate worst case situation like developed countries in India: Harsh Vardhan  Times of India
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1. ‘I seriously can’t believe it,’ Rohit Sharma recalls IPL hat-trick against Mumbai Indians  Hindustan Times
2. Ricky Ponting's pep talk changed Mumbai Indians' fortunes?  NEWS9 live
3. I will finish before that..; Rohit Sharma reveals his ‘retirement age’ to David Warner - Republic World  Republic World
4. ‘He’s an idiot’: Rohit recalls hilarious incident from 2013 Champions Trophy when he started opening...  Hindustan Times
5. Not Chennai Super Kings! Rohit Sharma names franchise for whom Mumbai Indians plan for hours  Times Now
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1. China admits coronavirus exposed ‘shortcomings’ in healthcare system  Hindustan Times
2. "Outbreak Big Test That Revealed China's Shortcomings": Top Officer  NDTV
3. China's Socialist Political System Has Shown It Can Overcome Any Challenge: President Xi Jinping On Covid...  News18
4. China to reform disease prevention & control system amid Covid-19 pandemic  Hindustan Times
5. China says it will update disease control measures in wake of coronavirus  The Guardian
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Mahatma Gandhi famously claimed that ‘India lives in her villages’. The focus of his political and social work, and his philosophical writings, was that India was essentially an agrarian civilization, and that it must remain that way. In fact, India had always lived in her towns too. Our epics spoke of the fabled cities of [...]

On 26th January 2006, the New York Times ran a story headlined ‘India Everywhere in the Alps’. The story began: ‘Delhi swept into Davos on Wednesday, with an extravagant public relations campaign by India intended to promote the country as the world's next economic superstar, and as a democratic alternative to China for the affections [...]

As I have written before, if India had been a start-up in August 1947 not even the most venturesome of venture capitalists would have invested in it. No new nation was born in more inhospitable circumstances. The Partition of the country had been awful enough, in the scale of its violence and the mass displacement [...]

On 30th January I was in Ahmedabad, a city that was central to Mahatma Gandhi’s life and work. It was here that he established the most celebrated of his ashrams, on the banks of the Sabarmati River; here that he revised and refined his moral and political philosophy; here that he conceived and planned the [...]

Years ago, working in the archives in New Delhi, I came across a brief, handwritten, letter from Jawaharlal Nehru to C. Rajagopalachari. It was dated 30th July 1947, and it read: ‘My dear Rajaji, This is to remind you that you have to approach Shanmukham Chetty—this must be done soon. I have seen Ambedkar and [...]

Ojas Adhiya, Nandini Shankar and Abhishek Borkar are poised to strike a chord with young urban listeners in Mumbai

For most youngsters, unfamiliar with Hindustani classical music, 'serious', 'formal' and 'boring' are popular adjectives used to define the genre. For as long as we can remember, Hindustani classical, that has given the world several legends, has been performed in sprawling auditoriums — there's not just discipline in the music, but in the attire and in environment as a whole. How would it be then, to see classical being performed in casuals? Turns out, that's not an outrageous thought anymore. First Edition Arts, a Mumbai-based performing arts company is poised to topple status quo with the sole aim of gathering more young, urban listeners. Under a musical series called Come Together, three young Hindustani classical musicians, will slip into casuals and perform for an audience gathered at Cafe Zoe. Starting June 10, this will be a regular series, one in every quarter. While the setting is all-new, the music won't take the fusion route. The first series will feature Abhishek Borkar on the sarod, Nandini Shankar on the violin and Ojas Adhiya on the tabla. The trio will present an instrumental concert in both solo and duet sets.

Catch them young
"When younger musicians try to strike a rapport with young listeners they take the fusion route. We are saying, you don't have to. This music is so exciting on its own, that the young can be hooked," says Devina Dutt, director, First Edition Arts. Six months ago, they had organised something similar at antiSOCIAL at Khar as an experiment, and they were sold out. "We weren't sure of what to expect. But it was a success." That gave them the impetus to take the idea on a larger scale. "The first two sets will be the sarod and tabla. In the third set, Abhishek will invite Nandini to jam with them on stage. The concert will span a little over an hour — not the standard two-and-a-half-hour performance. Young people haven't even heard classical music and they have discarded it. All we are trying to do, is give them a sense of how exciting and rigorous it is. But, in a short dose," Dutt says.

Abhishek Borkar

The protocols will be relaxed too. The bar will be open before and after the concert, and for 20 minutes during the interval. Food and drink services will be terminated during the performance, but, once served, guests can continue with their meal at their tables. "There was no sense in locating it in a space like this and sticking to the rigidity. But, at the same time the character of the music does require attention, it's not the kind that you can hear in the background," she adds.

Break the rules
Ever since the posters of the concert went out, a lot of Shankar's friends and followers on social media have shown interest. The posters, with their vibrant colours and friendly fonts, could well be mistaken for one for a standup gig. "Any new genre is an acquired taste. Over the last couple of years, I have noticed an increase in my young audience. Young listeners are always looking for something new and because most of them have not heard classical music, it is novel to them. If they are exposed to it, they will enjoy it," says the eighth generation violinist. The set-up, she believes, needs to change because "it is important that it appeals to you at first go. That's why the colourful posters. We need to speak the language they understand," adds the 25-year-old. After the concert, the audience can interact with the artists as well. "The milieu becomes more relatable, it's like hanging out with friends. That becomes easier when the age groups are similar. We want to connect on a personal level. In fact, that's the bit I am really looking forward to," adds Shankar.

Nandini Shankar

Tabla ace Adhiya would love to do a Q & A with the audience as well. "That way we can reach out to them and explain what classical music is all about. If they know a few things, they can enjoy it more. And it will all be done in an informal manner," says the 30-year-old who made it to the Limca Book of World Records as the youngest tabla player at the age of 4. Borkar points out that traditionally, Hindustani classical has always been somewhat "intimidating".

"It can appear too proper, rigid and posh, with its sherwanis and bandhgalas. Sometimes I feel even the artists themselves enjoy this air of exclusivity that further distances them from the audience," says the 25-year-old sarod player, adding that he was thrilled about the prospect of performing in casuals. "That's what I wear when I practice or record in a studio. So, why not at a concert? We are even thinking of getting some people to sit on stage if possible," he adds.

Distraction not a concern
The trio believes that the music will be enough to keep people from getting distracted. "It's a new thing for them too, to experience this kind of music in the given setup. And if someone is quietly eating and drinking at their table, that should not bother me. In the olden days, there would be baithaks in people's homes, where classical concerts would be performed. It's the same concept," Adhiya says. Spontaneity will be the key on D-day; the artists will reach the venue, gauge the crowd and accordingly choose the raagas. Borkar says, "I love getting people interested in an instrument they have not seen or heard before. The idea is that if they don't come to our concerts, why don't we go where they hang out? And just because it's unusual that doesn't mean it's wrong."

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Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company (the Board......

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2. A Glimpse Of Kareena Kapoor's "Saturday Mood" With Saif Ali Khan  The Newsopedia
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1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max first sale in India to take place on May 12  Hindustan Times
2. Xiaomi spinoff Poco has an event next week to announce the long-rumored F2 Pro  Android Police
3. Redmi Note 9 Pro Max first sale on May 12th: price in India, specifications  91mobiles
4. Redmi Note 9 Pro Max First Sale Set for May 12: Price in India, Specifications  Gadgets 360
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1. Bank defaulters flee country, CBI files case following SBI complaint after 4 yrs  Hindustan Times
2. Another Bank Defaulter Flees Country, SBI Complains To CBI After 4 Years  NDTV
3. CBI books directors of Ram Dev International for loan default  The New Indian Express
4. SBI complains to CBI after ₹411 crore loan defaulters flee country  The Hindu
5. Rs 411 crore loan defaulters flee country, SBI complains to CBI after four years  Daijiworld.com
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3. Not Allowing Migrants' Trains "Injustice": Amit Shah To Mamata Banerjee  NDTV
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3. DSP among six injured in Budgam as cops, residents clash over lockdown violation  Times of India
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5. Coronavirus update: COVID-19 cases in India nears 60,000; over 3,000 fresh cases for third day. State-wise tally  Livemint
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In this edition we look at a powerful documentary on the Muzaffarnagar communal riots that shook the nation in September 2013, the plight of Pakistani Hindus refugees in Delhi, the intent behind settling the forest rights claims of tribals, the crime, atrocities and discrimination against Dalits which is on  rise, the sad state of our nation's health care system, the message of Pope Francis’s latest Encyclical, and much more.

Hundreds of Pakistani Hindus have taken refuge in India, seeking a better life, especially after the present ruling party had promised in its election manifesto to make India the ‘natural home’ for  all persecuted Hindus. But has India kept its word? Devanik Saha meets the refugees to seek an answer.

Indian stocks slid on Thursday, with declines led by banks and Hindustan Unilever, as coronavirus cases in the country crossed 50,000 despite a strict weeks-long lockdown.

GSK has agreed to sell its entire stake in Unilever's Indian business for about 254.8 billion rupees ($3.35 billion) on the open market, cashing in late from the sale of the Horlicks brand.

Hindustan Oil Exploration Company

Hindustan Construction Company

Hindustan Copper

7-member team to visit Bangladesh High Commission today

A seven-member delegation met Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner Abida Islam and submitted a memorandum expressing concern over the alleged violation of human rights of Hindus.

According to the term sheet, an over 133 million shares - 5.7 per cent of the total equity shares - are being offered in the range of Rs 1,850-1,950 to investors through a special block window.

GlaxoSmithKline is selling $3.45 billion worth of shares in Unilever's Indian business on the open market, one of the bookrunners organising the transaction said. The 5.7% stake in Hindustan Unilever, now put on the market, was accepted by GSK as payment for the sale of malted drink brand Horlicks and other nutrition brands to Unilever, agreed in late 2018.

A Punjabi couplet attributed to Sufi spiritual leader Baba Farid has found its way through many translated versions into qawwali and thumri-dadra renditions.

Mulk tells Indian Muslims they have to ensure that their children don't get involved in jihad, and at the same time tells Hindus not to doubt the patriotism of Indian Muslims, notes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.