Eight residents of Panchsheel chawl in Govandi — who were classified as high-risk patients after they came in contact with a deceased 55-year-old woman, whose death was posthumously ruled as due to COVID-19 tested positive on Sunday evening.

These high-risk patients had been kept at a quarantine facility in Mahul over the weekend and after their results came, they were shifted to an isloation centre in Shivaji Nagar. "The reports came in yesterday (Sunday) at 6 pm while we were still in Mahul," one of the eight people who have tested positive said.

"All of us were classified as high-risk patients. We will have to stay here for the next 14 days. This place is much better than the quarantine facility in Mahul. There we would only get vada pav to eat and the place had water issues. The doctors here asked us what our symptoms, but not many of us have a fever. We have been allotted rooms here and two people can stay in one room," the patient added.

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After Kota, now hundreds from Maharashtra are stuck in Delhi and want to return home. They include students and candidates preparing for civil services examination. So far, around 1,500 of them have sought help.

Several of them took to Twitter to share their woes, prompting the student leaders in Maharashtra to extend assistance. Recently, the state government brought back around 2,000 students from Kota after they raised concerns about food availability, as many were staying in PG accommodation. Just like Kota students, those in Delhi are also dependent on instant food items, like Maggi, to survive.

Most of the 1,500 residents wanting to leave Delhi are candidates aspiring to be civil servants. One of them is Rajesh Bonawate, who is spearheading the students and his fellow candidates' efforts to return home. "Political leaders have made arrangement at Karol Bagh for people to collect food daily, but it is not convenient to go there during the lockdown. So, many of us are now dependent on instant food items that we buy from nearby shops. But how long can we sustain like this?" asked Bonawate. A professor from Pune, he is preparing for Union Public Service Commission in Delhi.

Bonawate believes the number of people wanting to return home would increase in a couple of days as the news about Maharashtra making efforts to bring back its residents has just started to spread.

"Many of us can pay for tickets to go home, but there are others who cannot as their parents have lost jobs. Some of their parents are farmers who have suffered major losses," he added.

Ashish Thakre, another student from Amravati, said, "We hope Maharashtra government takes swift action to help us."

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Zyada se zyada kya hoga? Mar hi jaunga na chalte chalte? (What's the worse that could happen? I'll die, right?) These disturbing words of a physically challenged migrant walking home to UP from Thane sum up the mood of hundreds like him trudging home. With no clarity from the government, the migrants continue to risk their lives on highways.

Hundreds of the migrant workers continue to walk to Uttar Pradesh and even Nagpur. As it is difficult to walk in the scorching heat, most rest during the day and walk at nights on highways. They poured their hearts out to mid-day.

A majority of the migrants work as labourers on at under-construction sites in MMR. They said they were leaving Mumbai as they had no access to food and essential items at their workplaces. At least 1,000 men, women and children were seen walking along the Mumbai-Agra highway between the Thane-Kalyan junctions.

Most of the migrants will walk over 1,600 km to UP. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav

'Procedure not explained'
Some people expressed anger against the state and Central governments, alleging they were not taking the plight of migrants seriously, and this was happening because the authorities on the local level weren't cooperative. They alleged that local authorities were not explaining relevant procedures. Many have filled forms, taken medical certificates and got these and other papers stamped by the police to board the transport provided but say they are not being clearly told what is next.

Kisan Pawar who is heading back to his village near Nagpur with his wife, daughter and son, said they barely have any money left. "Staying in Thane with no job or money will be more burdening. So we started on the 800-km-long journey on foot," said Pawar. At night they rested at Kalyan phata for few hours. Most migrants have been resting or sleeping on the side of the highway.

Rajesh Pawar, 28, a resident of Gondia district in Maharashtra worked as a labourer at a construction site in Thane. Since work stopped and he has no money left, he and his wife have started walking with their two-year-old daughter. An emotional Rajesh said, "I pray that such difficult times don't befall anyone. No one really cares about the poor and that's why we have no other option but to walk. We don't even have money to buy tickets and food. We hope to reach our village because the safety of my daughter is very important."

'I would have died anyway'
A man with a deformed foot who did not wish to be named, will be walking over 1,600 km to reach his village in UP. "Aise bhi mar jaate kyon ki khaane ke liye kuch nahi hai. Us se behtar hai jahan tak chal saku wahan tak jaun, is umeed se ke ghar pohochunga. Jyada se jyada kya hoga? Mar hi jaunga na chalte chalte? (I would have died anyway because I wasn't getting any food. It's better that I walk as far as I can in the hope that I will reach home. What's the worst that could happen? I'll die, right?)," he said.

Suhel Ahmed and Irshad Khan who worked at a construction site in Thane, had approached local authorities to know about the procedure to go back home. But they claimed they weren't given clarity about when they would be allowed to go back, so they left for Uttar Pradesh on foot.

'No co-ordination'
Irshad Khan told mid-day, "We waited in Thane all this time because the government had told us it would make arrangements at the right time for migrants to go home. But there seems to be lack of coordination between the Centre and state. For the past two days, we ran from pillar to post getting medical certificates and filling forms but there was no clarity on what next. We have a few hundred rupees and before that too gets over, we want to reach home. God knows when we will reach."

The chairperson of an NGO says the government must instill confidence in migrants. Jalpesh Mehta, chairperson, Empower Foundation, said, "Walking on the highway for kilometres is a risky affair and may also see migrants die due to hunger or exertion and not because of COVID-19. We have worked with government authorities and police in Maharashtra and Gujarat to provide food to the migrants and the support on the ground from authorities has been excellent. The living conditions of the migrants and support from their employers is indeed very poor, but the need of the hour is instillation of confidence in the migrants by the government on the ground that they will be taken care of and there are planned exits — trains and buses to help them reach back home safely."

1,000
No. of people seen walking along Mumbai-Agra highway

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A fire broke out in an apartment on the sixth floor of the Atlas building on Napean Sea Road on Tuesday morning. While the occupants managed to rush down to safety, two women on the upper floors got stuck and were rescued by the fire brigade personnel.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade said the fire was reported at 4.41 am and they reached the site at 4.55 am with three fire engines, four jumbo tankers and one turntable ladder. However, they faced hurdles as the road leading to the building was packed because of parking.

"The team reached on time, but there several vehicles were parked on the road, blocking fire fighting vehicles' way to the building," said local corporator Jyotsna Mehta.

The firemen then went to the opposite building and were able to douse the flames after almost four hours. Deputy Fire Officer A J Mishra also pointed out that the parking was one of the major hurdle in the operation. "There was a strong wind too," he said. "We got a water connection and started operation from the opposite building to stop the vertical spread of the fire. So the major casualty averted," he said, adding that the fire was brought under control around 8.40 am.

A fireman said, "The residents left all the doors of the flat open. So it was difficult to search the origin of the fire. Besides, there wasn't a fire fighting system inside the building that is more than 30 years old."

The cause of the fire is not known.

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While the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) provided respite to students by announcing the dates for JEE-Main and NEET on Tuesday, the Maharashtra government has not yet declared any date for Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET) or the pending college exams, thereby making the students anxious.

Higher education minister Uday Samant did conduct a meeting on Tuesday with officials and Vice-Chancellors of all state universities to take decision based on University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines declared earlier. However, after the meeting, it was declared that final decision would be announced soon with an assurance that no student will face any academic loss.

Moreover, the state government's higher education department has decided to start counselling centres for students, parents at all districts to answer their queries regarding pending examinations, project submissions, viva and other aspects related to evaluation and assessment process.

"Every small district will have one, while bigger ones will have two such counselling centres to help the students and parents who are currently worried about their examination. These centres will have people who will resolve all their exam-related queries," announced Samant.

Special provisions for timely board results

To speed up the process of evaluating class X and XII exams, the state government will now allow teachers to travel for transporting answer sheets. Education department wrote a letter to all civic bodies, saying that teachers will have to carry the state board letter certifying their duty and I-Card to travel amid lockdown. The aim is to ensure that both results are declared before June 10 adhering to Supreme Court guidelines.

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The Maharashtra government collected more than Rs 62 crore revenue in two days of liquor sale after relaxations in COVID-19 lockdown were announced, said a senior official on Tuesday. The amount was collected by the excise department by Tuesday night with just one third of the total number of liquor shops in the state remaining open, he said. An estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL, beer, wines and country liquor were sold, he said.

The state has over 10,000 licensed shops that sell country liquor, IMFL, wine and beer of which merely 3,500 operated on Monday and Tuesday, he said. The long queues of tipplers outside liquor outlets led to the excise department recording an estimated revenue of Rs 62.55 crore by Tuesday night, he said. Of this, Rs 11 crore was collected on Monday, the day one of liquor sale, the official said. Following relaxations in lockdown norms, long queues of tipplers were seen outside standalone liquor shops on Monday in various parts of Maharashtra though authorities in some districts decided not to permit alcohol sale.

All liquor shops were closed ever since a national lockdown was imposed across the country on March 25 to halt the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown was extended till May 17, but standalone liquor shops were permitted to operate as part of relaxations by the state government. There are 10,822 license holders in the state of which 3,543 opened for business. The long queues outside every shop have now reflected in states coffers with the sale of an estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL, beer, wines and country liquor.

"The estimated earnings from the sale stood at Rs 62.55 crore, said Kantilal Umap, state excise commissioner. There are 17 districts (out of total 36) in Maharashtra where liquor shops remained open. Collectors in nine districts have decided not to permit opening of liquor shops to avoid the spread of the coronavirus infection. Two districts - Osmanabad and Latur - had opened shops but due to crowding, the authorities immediately ordered their closure.

There are five other districts where liquor shops were not opened but the authorities are working out a plan to allow them to operate in the coming days. Maharashtra has three dry districts - Wardha, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur.

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

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to ply about 10,000 buses to ferry stranded people from one district to another within the state amidst the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown. "After the announcement of lockdown was made (on March 24), several people got stuck at distant locations from their homes. The government has now decided to ply 10,000 buses of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for free to drop them to their native places," State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said.

He said various procedural details and standard operating procedure will be put out in the next couple of days. The government had announced some relaxations during the third phase of the lockdown, which will remain in force till May 17.

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

A slice of the verdant Nehru Science Centre in Worli has been taken over by the civic authorities for what Centre director Dr S Khened thinks must be for "an isolation centre, or for quarantine."

Khened said, "I do not know exactly for which. We got official communication a couple of days earlier that a portion of the centre's space will be acquired. The front portion of the Centre, just as you enter the main gate, has been taken. We usually use that space to hold Science exhibitions. We have also held a vintage car exhibition two years ago in that venue, so it is a massive space."

Centre officials said preparations are in full swing, with beds and mattresses and even mobile toilets being brought in. The Science Centre officials have tried to talk to those in charge at the site for details but without too much success.

They reasoned, "it is evident that the officials are extremely stressed and we are in fact, prepared for the worst. Authorities are working extremely hard to get this ready," they stated.

Khened said that the environs of the Centre are very green and will need to be maintained. "We need to have some skeletal staff inside to maintain the green patches, the trees, the many plants that we have. They need water and regular upkeep," he said adding that it was important that the Coronavirus facility is completely sealed off from the other parts of the sprawling complex.

The Centre also has skeletal staff quarters on the premises where currently eight senior officers are living with their families, "so it is vital that those who are going to be shifted into the facilities for Coronavirus, be confined to that space. I am sure this has been thought out and will be done," said Khened.

Physical space
The Science centre has moved its activities online, like most other institutions, with two virtual lectures scheduled on their YouTube channel on May 9 and May 11 respectively. The former will be a talk by Dr Vasant Shinde on Rakhigarhi Excavation and the latter is Dr Anil Kakodkar, on 'dealing with energy needs in the context of climate crisis'. Yet, said Dr Khened, "We will open again as a physical space when the government gives the green light. Children, the main visitors at the Centre, may have some apprehension about visiting since this will be used as a Coronavirus facility.

There is a great deal of wariness as the Centre is just next to the Jijamata Nagar slum area, which is a COVID hotspot. "However, with all the trepidation, we too understand that this is for the greater good, and everybody has to do their part in this fight," the director said.

Line up
The Worli area, with an unenviable record number of Coronavirus cases in Mumbai, is also being taken over as quarantine/isolation areas rapidly. Just around the corner from the Science Centre, the Nehru Centre, which is next to the Nehru Planetarium has also been acquired for Corona purposes.

S P Verma, Jt Director of Nehru Centre, said, "The two exhibition halls on the ground floor have been acquired, not the Nehru Planetarium. I think beds and other amenities will be moved in shortly, I do not know when exactly. We had been told to hand over possession of the spaces and have done so," he finished.

The Nehru Centre joins neighbour, NSCI club's The Dome and Mahalaxmi racecourse as an entire line of Haji Ali institutions, whose space has been acquired for Corona combat.

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A  Utah highway police officer who spotted a car swerving down the freeway thought the driver needed medical attention. But when he asked the driver to pull over, he was in for a surprise to find a five-year-old boy behind the wheels.

The boy was found by the officer sitting at the edge of the seat to reach the brake and accelerator pedals so that he could drive. The officer learnt that the boy had taken the car keys without his parents’ knowledge following an argument with his mother because she refused to buy him Lamborghini. So in the fit of rage, the boy set out with his family car to California to buy a Lamborghini with just USD 3 in his pocket.

Trooper Rick Morgan was quoted by the CBS News as saying that the boy initially did not respond to the lights but pulled over after hearing the siren. "I approached the vehicle and I was expecting to find somebody who needed an ambulance or paramedics," he said.

The Utah Highway Patrol posted the incident on their Twitter page with a photo of the boy seated in the driver’s seat. The tweet reads, “His story is that he left home after an argument with Mom, in which she told him she would not buy him a Lamborghini. He decided he'd take the car and go to California to buy one himself. He might have been short on the purchase amount, as he only had $3 dollars in his wallet.”

His story is that he left home after an argument with Mom, in which she told him she would not buy him a Lamborghini. He decided he'd take the car and go to California to buy one himself. He might have been short on the purchase amount, as he only had $3 dollars in his wallet.

— Utah Highway Patrol (@UTHighwayPatrol) May 4, 2020

The post shared by the patrol department on micro-blogging site garnered more than 3,800 likes and was retweeted over 1,500 times. Users commenting on the post were amused by boy’s wish for a Lamborghini at such an age!

MOM, just buy the boy a Lambo!

— Ben Bushman (@DrBenB) May 4, 2020

How did he know to pull over???

— Jenn Nelson (@JennNel33) May 4, 2020

Right?? How did he know how to drive? Or how to get on the interstate? This is pretty impressive!

— Caysey Douglas (@CayDoug) May 5, 2020

I’m rooting for this little guy. You get that lambo!!

— Heathraawr! (@heathraawr) May 4, 2020

Officer. Have this kids parents contact me. He deserves a Lamborghini ride. pic.twitter.com/yqFDW0VEZi

— George Garib (@GaribGeorge) May 5, 2020

His poor parents! They must have had a nightmare worthy heart attack!

— Scripture Ponder (@TaylorL68881150) May 5, 2020

What do you think about the post?

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The process of sending daily-wage labourers to their hometowns has started, with three trains leaving from Panvel carrying 3,600 people on board so far. But, the long-awaited exercise seems to have mocked all rules of social distancing. While most migrants themselves are unaware of why physical space is critical to maintain, the authorities took them to the railway station in packed buses or police vehicles.

Since last week two trains have left for Madhya Pradesh and one for Bihar. One of the special trains left for Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday night and around 1,200 workers were accommodated in it. The expenses were paid for by the MP government and the food was given to the migrants by local authorities. However, the buses and police vehicles in which they were brought to the station were fully packed. Some people even stood at the door as the seats were occupied. "Bhaiyya ab social distancing ka pata nahi. Bus humko ghar pahucha do. (We don't know what is social distancing. We only want to go home). We are in such trouble. We can't stay here for another day with kids as we don't have enough money to feed our family," said Devendra Saket, a daily wage worker who was brought in a bus with his child and wife from Uran.

'Paid for medical check-ups'

"These are very difficult days and we have been praying to God that no one should suffer like this. We don't have a single rupee in hand and are totally dependent on people and the government for food till we reach home. We were also charged R100 for a medical check-up," he added. Many of the migrants claimed they had to pay Rs 100 per person for medical check-ups which were done at the police stations before they left.

 One of the many buses going to Panvel station that was packed to capacity

Priti Saket, another migrant brought to Panvel from Uran in the same bus along with her husband and six-month-old daughter said, "We don't want to say anything to anyone. We just want our kids to be safe. At least we won't sleep hungry. We were stuck for a month we just want to go home," she said. Priti also said she was charged R100 for a medical check-up.

'Glad to go home'

"I was staying in Kamothe and was quarantined for 14 days and now brought to the station. My medical check-up was done free of cost. The only problem I faced here is food. But at least the government has realises our pain and is sending us back home," said Ankit Goyal, who belongs to Satna district of MP.

"I was trying to register myself since the day it was announced that trains will go from Panvel to MP. I got my medical check-up done, the police helped us in filling the forms and doing other formalities. The buses were fully packed with around 60-70 people, but we are happy that at least now we are going back home," said Prakash Saket, who was traveling to MP.

"Third train left from Panvel today early morning to Habibganj (MP) with 24 coaches and 1,200 passengers. MP Govt bore the ticket charges of passengers, food and water provided by the local authorities. A great team effort of police , railways and revenue Dept." The Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar, said in his official twitter handle on Thursday.

Asked about the migrants' claims of being charged for medical check-ups, he said they seem to have visited private clinics. "If it was done by private medical practitioners, we can't help," Kumar told mid-day.

Migrants wait to board a train at Panvel station on Wednesday

The authorities are facing several challenges on ground to send the migrants home. "The biggest challenge was issuing medical certificates. Hundreds of migrants have rushed to the police stations, hospital's and private clinics to get medical certificates, exposing themselves to the pandemic. The medical certificate wasn't required, people should have been screened at railway stations and allowed to go. The respective states should arrange isolation facilities for them there," said a senior government officer.

Collector shocked

The Collector of Raigad expressed shock that the migrants were taken to the station without regard for social distancing.

"It is extremely shocking if migrants were taken to railway station in fully packed buses and police vehicles without maintaining social distancing. There are clear guidelines to the administration about the transportation of migrants. I will look into it and ensure that this isn't repeated. We will give fresh instructions to the concerned department," said Nidhi Chaudhary, Collector, Raigad.

Chaudhary also said that a special train to Odisha has been cancelled on Thursday after the Orissa High court's order asked that all citizens re-entering the state had to have certificates specifically saying they were COVID-19 negative. At least 1,200 migrants were ready to leave on Thursday after completing all formalities including general medical check ups.

Around 1.5 lakh migrants stay in Raigad district, of these 66,000 have applied to leave the state. At least 14,000 passes have been issued to stranded tourists and others who are going by their private vehicles with only three persons in one vehicle as per the rules.

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WITH 43 new deaths due to COVID-19, Maharashtra on Thursday recorded the highest daily toll. More than half of the deceased were from Mumbai, where the total number of confirmed novel Coronavirus cases has crossed 11,000, with 680 new infections as of Thursday.

The 26 victims of COVID 19 from the city included a resident of Manipur and Bihar each. According to state health department officials, seven deaths were reported in Pune, five in Vasai Virar, two in Solapur and one each in Akola, Palghar and Aurangabad.

Of the 43 deceased, 25 were senior citizens while 14 were in the age group of 40-59 years. And 29 of them were suffering from other ailments. The death toll in the state now stands at 694.

Focus on pregnant women too

Across Maharashtra, 1,216 new cases were confirmed on Thursday, taking the total count to 17,974. Officials said that 207 COVID-19 patients were discharged after a full recovery. Apart from senior citizens, civic officials are also focussing on pregnant women, especially those who are nearing their delivery date. Additional facilities have been made for them at Wadia Hospital, Surya Hospital and others, the officials added.

50 new cases in Dharavi

Meanwhile, cases in G North ward continued to rise, with 50 new cases reported in Dharavi and majority of the patients were below the age of 60 years. Five new cases were reported from Mahim and two from Dadar, including an 80-year-old man who lives near the Plaza Theatre. Currently, G North ward has around 945 COVID-19 cases and has the second highest number of infections in the city.

Owing to the high concentration of cases, a team from the Centre visited Dharavi on Thursday along with civic chief Praveen Pardeshi and IAS officer Ashwini Bhide who is handling the COVID-19 war room under the civic body. Civic officials, however, remained tight-lipped about the recommendations and observations made by the central government team.

1,900 Indians to land in city

The Centre on Thursday began the process of bringing back thousands of Indians stranded in other countries. As many as 14,800 Indians from 12 countries will return home via airplanes or ships. Around 1,900 of them will land in Mumbai from the USA, Bangladesh, the Philippines, the UK, Malaysia and Singapore.

The BMC has reserved 3,343 rooms in 88 two/three/four/five stars and budget hotels for the nationals returning home. All of them will be quarantined and tested for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure.

17,974
Active coronavirus cases in maha  as of today

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A day after most Maharashtra ministers rued the flip-flop on COVID-19 policies, indecisiveness and lack of coordination between empowered bureaucrats, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray received suggestions, objections and full cooperation at an all-party meet on Thursday.

The common sentiment was that everything wasn't right and needed timely correction at medical, social, economic and agricultural fronts, among others.

Thackeray told the leaders that the lockdown has been effective so far. "If all cooperate, we should be able to control the pandemic," the CM said during the video-conference attended by ex-CM and Assembly opposition leader, Devendra Fadnavis, Council opposition leader Praveen Darekar, MNS president Raj Thackeray, Prakash Ambedkar (BVA), Jogendra Kavade (RPI), Rajendra Gavai (RPI), Vinay Kore (Jansurajya Party), Mahadev Jankar (Samaj Paksh), Ashok Dhawale (CPM), Imtiaz Jalil (AIMIM), Kapil Patil (JD), Jayant Patil (PWP), DCM Ajit Pawar, senior ministers Ashok Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat.

Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal and other ministers had raised voices against the bureaucracy which enjoys unlimited powers under Disaster Management and Epidemic Diseases Acts. Bhujbal said that bureaucrats at the top and district-level were unwilling to accept sane advice from political leaders and ministers. The minister's strong views were endorsed by his cabinet colleagues and junior ministers during the online meeting on Wednesday. Similar concerns were expressed in the all-party meeting too.

'Healthcare gone for a toss'

Former chief minister Fadnavis demanded Thackeray's urgent attention towards the healthcare system. He said the situation in Mumbai is serious and needed special, focused efforts. He added that hospital management isn't good and cited the incident of bodies kept around patients in a Sion hospital ward. He demanded timely and quality treatment for non-COVID-19 patients and better food and facilities at quarantine centres.

"Patients should know of beds available and other information on a dashboard. More and more healthcare staff are getting infected," he said, adding that contact-tracing was stopped for no reason and asymptomatic people were not tested. "Hiding the number of patients and dead is serious. The political leadership should enforce much-needed coordination between various arms of the government," he said.

Fadnavis protested against the growing attacks on police, which he said is demoralising the force already under duress. "The police force is increasingly getting infected but isn't getting adequate treatment," he said.

Council opposition leader Darekar said that in many cases test reports came after patients died of COVID-19. "It is wrong if people die without getting treated. The quarantine centres don't have proper facilities," he said.

Give jobs to locals: Raj

Asking for a lockdown exit plan, MNS chief Raj Thackeray said it was the right time to give local skilled and unskilled workers jobs as migrants are leaving the state. He also asked to register migrants to ease their return, if any. "Also ensure that migrant workers are screened when they return home. I had told earlier that these people would leave us in difficult times. We should have strong control over the entry and exit of migrant workers. A human approach doesn't work every time," he said.

Raj added that he had never seen Mumbai in such a state. "Please ensure that additional forces like SRPF relieve police personnel who have been on duty for two months. The containment zones need more police presence," he said.

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The state government on Thursday added evaluation of board papers in the list of essential duties for teachers to ensure that results of Std X and XII board exams are declared before June 10 as directed by the Supreme Court. But considering the ground reality, this seems highly improbable as there has been no planning in this regard and teachers are left confused about their travel and other arrangements.

The government circular allows travel for teachers but no details about the travel arrangements have been mentioned. Teachers have also complained that no precautionary measures have been listed for them. The confusion will hamper the deadline, teachers believe.

Rajesh Pandya, President of Teachers Democratic Front (TDF) said that along with local travel, another issue was that of some teachers having left cities to go to their native places. "They cannot be back in time to participate in the evaluation process. Moreover, if any teacher is infected with COVID-19 while on duty, who will take responsibility for it?" he questioned.

Teachers, he said, have been demanding for a long time to be allowed to take the board answer-sheets home for correction. "The COVID numbers weren't so high then. But the government took too long to make the decision," he added.

No evaluation guidelines

Also, areas in the red zones will definitely not be able to get any paper correction work done. The evaluation will happen only in the green zones and the results can't be declared till all the papers are assessed. "The repeaters' examination which is generally held in the month of July will also not be possible this year. There are no guidelines regarding the evaluation of Social Science for Std X, considering that one of the two papers — Geography — was cancelled," said Uday Nare, a teacher at the Hansraj Morarji school in Andheri.

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The Maharashtra government on Friday announced a compensation of Rs 500,000 to the next of kin of all the migrants who were run over by a goods train near Aurangabad. Expressing deep anguish over the incident which killed 16 migrants, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that all the expenses for the treatment of all those injured in the mishap will be borne by the state government. "We are in constant touch with the Centre to make arrangements for running as many trains as possible for the migrants to return to their homes. I appeal to them not to give up hopes," Thackeray urged.

The Chief Minister said that the victims were working for a steel company in Jalna and were proceeding along the railway lines, apparently to their homes in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. At night they slept on the railway tracks but early Friday a goods train ran over them, killing 16 and injuring many others.

Thackeray said in the past 4-5 days around 100,000 migrants have reached home safely and more trains are being organized, including from Mumbai, to send the other stranded workers to their respective states.

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In an attempt to prevent smuggling of liquor from neighbouring states during the lockdown, Maharashtra has sealed its borders with them and deployed adequate manpower at a dozen checkposts, an official said on Friday. The move by the excise department has come in the wake of lifting of certain coronavirus-induced curbs, which included allowing reopening of liquor shops. As the demand for alcohol has increased in Maharashtra, there is a possibility of liquor smuggling by inter-state organised syndicates, the official said.

Considering the threat from such syndicates, the excise department has deployed its flying squads and vigilance teams in districts located along the borders with neighbouring states, he said. To avoid any smuggling activity during this period, we have increased our vigil on 12 checkposts and sealed borders with adjoining states," he said. This will help in curbing illegal transportation of liquor or spirit, the official said. With the help of local police, the excise department has initiated action against persons involved in smuggling and transportation of liquor, he said.

Since the lockdown came into force in late March, at least 4,829 offences have been registered for illegal liquor transportation and 438 vehicles seized, he said. Besides, at least 2,104 persons have been arrested so far in such cases, the official said, adding liquor and other material worth Rs 12.63 crore have been seized since the shutdown.

The excise department has started a control room, where people can provide information related to illegal manufacturing or sale of liquor, he said.

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Former don Arun Gawli's daughter Yogita married Marathi actor Akshay Waghmare in a simple traditional ceremony at their Dagadi Chawl residence in central Mumbai on Friday amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

The bride and the groom, along with their families were seen wearing masks during the wedding ceremony. Due to the lockdown in place, they restricted their guest list to only three-four people from both families.

Arun Gawli

The family had informed the Agripada police about the ceremony and only three to four guests each from both families who were attending the wedding, an official told PTI. The families had also assured the police that they will follow the lockdown rules while conducting the wedding rituals, he said.

The wedding was reportedly scheduled to take place on March 29, but was postponed due to the lockdown, a source from the family told PTI.

Gawli, who is serving a life sentence in the 2007 Kamlakar Jamsandekar murder case, has been out on parole.

(With inputs from PTI)

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The state government on Friday directed schools across the state against introducing any fee hike this academic year in view of the crisis. It also asked schools to provide parents with options of instalments to pay the tuition fees and offer online payment services.

The Maharashtra state government's school education department on Friday issued the Government Resolution (GR) in this regard.

"For the academic year 2020-21, schools should not hike fees. If certain services at the school which are currently not offered and are, therefore, reducing the school's expenses, the management must try to reduce the fees. Considering parents' convenience, schools should offer different instalment options to pay the fees instead of asking for a complete annual fee at once. They must also offer online payment services for parents," states the GR which also mentions that this step was taken after receiving several complaints regarding schools forcing parents to pay complete fees at once.

Parents hail move

While the government had earlier suggested instalments for school fees, some schools had offered such options or even reduced fees in some cases. But the decision lacked uniformity and hence the GR was issued.

Anubha Sahai, president of Indiawide Parents' Association, said, "It is an excellent decision by the state government. It clearly states that no school shall force any parent to pay full fees during the lockdown."

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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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714 police officials have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maharashtra, including 648 active cases, as per information provided by the State Police. "So far, 61 officers have recovered after treatment; while five police officers succumbed to the lethal virus," it added. There have been 194 incidents of assault on police personnel during the lockdown period, and 689 accused have been arrested for that.

The total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country is 59,662, including 39,834 active cases of the virus.

Till now, 17,846 patients have either been cured or discharged while 1,981 deaths have been recorded in the country, as per data provided by the Ministry of Health.

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Dear Diana,
I got married a year ago. It was an arranged marriage. Before the wedding, my wife-to-be had confessed that she had been in a relationship with a guy four years ago. They drifted apart when he took up a job in the Gulf. She told she thought it was important to tell me as she wanted to come clean before beginning a new life with me. I appreciated her honesty. After our marriage, things were fine till three months ago. She would suddenly disappear for hours and not respond my calls. Thrice a week, she teaches at a private coaching institute, but even on days she was not needed at the institute, she would disappear from home on some pretext or the other. Last week, around 8 pm when I had just got back from work, she received a call. She told me she had to leave to meet a school pal, who was in Mumbai, only for a day. She said she was meeting her at a mall near our home. I knew things were amiss so followed her. To my shock, I found her sitting in a cafe at the mall with this guy. The two looked comfortable and kept laughing and giggling all the while. I went back home and accosted her when she returned. She then told me that her ex had given up his job and was back in Mumbai. All her disappearing acts was to meet this guy. She cried and said that she would not meet him again. But I do not trust her. What do I do?
— Kailash

Dear Kailash,
The trust is broken and things will never be the same again in your marriage. She may tell you she will not meet him, but you will continue to doubt her. Her ex will demand that she spend time with him. She has to cut off ties with her ex and remain faithful to you. You need to tell her exactly how you feel. Either you forgive her or take a decision, especially if you think she will continue to be with her ex. It's a difficult decision — but you will have to make a choice of being with her or not.

Dear Diana,
My 21-year-old daughter had been behaving odd for the last few months. I was observing her as she would always be glued to the phone. Needless to say, I was worried for her. I am a widower and she is my only child. Whenever she would talk on the phone, she would walk away from me. She then started coming home late at night every other day. When I would ask her, she would be evasive. To my shock, last week I spotted her with a guy in a park near our house. I hated him at first sight. He looked like a nerd and someone just not suitable for my daughter. I wanted to accost her, but on second thoughts stopped myself. When she came home, I did not tell her anything. Should I tell her? I do not know how she will react? She is the apple of my eye and I do not want to hurt her.
— Vrajesh

Dear Vrajesh
You are wondering how your daughter will react when you tell her that you saw her with a guy in the park. You think it will affect her. But you are assuming too much and chances are that you are reading too much into it. If she is friendly with this guy, you need to talk to her. You need to sit down and calmly tell her that you saw her. Do not be hostile as it will then make your daughter withdraw more in her shell. The fact that she was in a park nearby to your home could be that she has nothing to hide. Sit down and have a chat. I am sure it will put you at ease as well as your concerns for her.

Wedding always brings a smile on your face and why not? After all, it also gives you a chance to shop till you drop. But have you ever realised that long hours of makeup, excessive consumption of oily food and sweets and lack of sleep can result in dull, parched skin that is easily acne prone and pigmented? So, this wedding season, be a little smart, say experts. Sangeeta Velaskar, Vice President and Head, Medical Services and R&D, Kaya Limited gives you some easy tips to put your beauty anxieties to rest:

1. Besides opting for a skin detox or a facial, it is crucial to take care of your skin as we embark on the winter season. Therefore, limit the use of makeup products as much as possible and opt for a clean, minimalistic look

2. Incorporate the basic regime of cleansing, toning and moisturizing

3. Once or twice a week, use a gentle exfoliator and massage your face in a slow, circular motion to ensure good blood circulation and remove dead skin cells

4. Moisturize your skin at all times and even when you go out, do not forget to apply sunscreen

5. If possible, incorporate a night time regimen that includes Vitamin C to renew face cells and restore skin elasticity

7. Use products that have ingredients such as marine extracts, tea tree oil and mulberry extracts. They are a rich source of proteins and a powerhouse of nutrients that reverse the effects of ageing

8. A good facial is of course, the perfect way to detox, restore and rejuvenate your skin whether you're tired, run-down, stressed or in need of a quick fix

9. It is rightly said, that you are what you eat so consume lots of fruits, nuts and sprouts in your diet. Drink enough water to keep the body hydrated and include fruits and vegetables that have high water content such as watermelons, cucumbers, strawberries and peaches. If possible, drink at least one glass of vegetable juice to increase the fiber intake

Also, Blatrix Marion, Eau Thermale Avène Sensitive Skin Expert, lists some easy detox tips to give a fresh start to your skin:

1. While cleansing should be a daily habit, you should prefer certain products when undertaking a skin detox: choose a soap-less and gentle formula.

2. Your skin needs a deep, exfoliating clean, but be very careful to be gentle! Choose a 3-in-1 mask-scrub is a clarifying clay that turns into a scrub to deeply cleanse and exfoliate the skin leaving the complexion fresh and matte.

3. Once a week indulge in a home spa ritual. Choose a quiet evening and get into the mood with nice soothing music and a cup of nettle tea. Do easy home masks with thermal spring water. It guarantees continuous and prolonged contact of water with skin, thus enabling skin to enjoy the water's soothing and anti-irritating properties more rapidly and recover instant comfort and well being.

4. Use cotton wool pads soaked with thermal spring water placed gently over the eyes to prevent dryness from allergies or use of contact lenses

5. Use SPF based products to protect your skin from external aggressions

6. Always remember that ‘Less is More'. Your skin needing a detox means you should be using as less products as possible for some time. Also prefer products with gentle and minimum number of ingredients

Style

<< Mantra: Always meet a trend half way.

Sonam Kapoor Pic/instagram

<< Pairing one holographic piece with another classic separate strikes the perfect balance without going overboard into categorical tacky.

<< For workwear, it's best to use this trend in accessories. A classic structured iridescent bag or clutch keeps things work-friendly yet on trend.

Wenda Nylon Rhea Kapoor, Pic/AFP

<< For a lunch date, pair a girly pleated metallic skirt with a classic white shirt and tie the shirt at the waist to give it more character.

<< For a night out, use this trend on boots. Pair a slip dress with statement metallic or crystal-studded boots.

Gucci Pic/Getty images

<< For those wary of too much metallic or just wanting to dress down, layer a metallic tank or tee with a chambray shirt and your fave pair of blue denims. Add a neaker of your choice.

- Tips from celebrity stylist
Devki Bhatt

If you are someone who is struggling to get your plus size clothing right and be fashionable than try wearing statement jewellery and opt for empire line dresses, suggest experts.

Ritika Taneja, Senior Director-Categories at ShopClues lists some tips to style up your plus size clothing.

1. Wear statement jewellery: Highlight your strengths and hide your flaws, by taking the attention away. Wear statement jewellery like a choker neckpiece with your outfits. It will make you look effortlessly stylish.

2. Make black your best friend: Fall in love with darker shades and ditch the pastel shades, as best is the black shade. Black-hued clothes will add a glam, style and of course make you slimmer.

3. Wear shapewear: Invest in a good quality tummy tucker. It will flatten your body and elegantly accentuate the curves.

4. Empire Line dress will look flattering: Be it western or ethnic wear, choose tops, kurta designed in an empire line way. It will put your flaws out of sight and highlight your strengths.

Natascha Tate, in-house stylist at LimeRoad too has some inputs to share.

5. Brace yourself for the sheer and summery bodysuits: Pick plunging neck numbers to make sure you give your figure the accentuation it deserves. Pair them up with a rugged blue denim and classic white sneakers to take on the streets in style.

6. Look out for metallic shift dresses: Look out for dresses that are all set to spruce up your sundown scenes this season. They're high on shine and high on style, plus, the shift silhouette falls perfectly along your vivacious waistline. Make sure you have a stock of those good ol' party pumps to go with these.

Tanvi Malik, Co-founder of FabAlley doles out tips to look glamorous in plus size clothing

7. Asymmetrical stripes: Stripes have received a bad name in the past, but these days brands and designers have figured out how to use stripes' optical illusion power for good. Asymmetrical stripes make curvy women look more svelte and taller. Just look for stripes that angle inward towards your waistline, for a flattering silhouette.

8. Monochrome dressing: A monochromatic outfit can create wonders with a linear, long, continued line which is universally flattering. Just ensure that you pick a color that complements your skin-tone and add a colorful accessory to your outfit to keep the look from being boring.

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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Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh's daughter and ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh's elder sister has been running a "marathon" in New York -- not on a track but at a hospital, battling the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the world. Mona Milkha Singh is a doctor at the Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York, attending to emergency patients of coronavirus, which has so far claimed more than 40,000 lives in the US alone while causing over 1.5 lakh deaths worldwide.

"She is basically an ER (Emergency Room) doctor in the Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York city. So, when someone comes with the coronavirus symptoms, she has to treat them," Jeev, a four-time European Tour champion, told PTI. "She checks the patients, stabilises them, performs intubation (insertion of artificial ventilation tube into a patient) before they are sent to special wards to quarantine the COVID-19 patients," he added. The 54-year-old Mona passed out of Patiala Medical College before moving to the USA in the '90s. She has been working there for more than 20 years.

"I am so proud of her. She says it is like running a marathon every day. She has been working five days a week, sometimes day shifts, sometimes night shifts, 12-hour shifts and it is tough but she has to do the job as best as she can." The 48-year-old from Chandigarh said the job is a stressful one and sometimes he feels scared for her. "I feel worried. When you are treating people, anything can happen, so we talk to her everyday. My mom and dad also keep checking on her. "We keep asking how she is feeling and if there are any symptoms. I tell her to stay positive and boost her immune system," said Jeev, also a five-time Asian Tour winner. New York has reported nearly 250,000 confirmed cases and over 18,000 fatalities, forcing the government to extend its lockdown till May 15 to contain the fast-spreading disease. However, the lockdown is also giving rise to a lot of mental health issues among people, who also need equal attention. "With New York in partial lockdown, she gets a lot of patients who are suffering from depression as they are not used to staying at home," Jeev elaborated.

"There are people who come with bullet wounds, people who are having anxiety attacks, youngsters with drug overdose or old people getting heart attacks, basically any kind of emergency, she has to treat them all," he said. The Chandigarh-based golfer also called for greater respect for the frontline workers, who have been attacked in India while performing their duties. "It is my humble request to every citizen of the world to respect the frontline workers because they are there to help us, whether it is the doctors, police, people who pick up garbage ... we must be respectful, kind and grateful to them and make sure they are taken care of," he said. The dreaded virus has infected over 20 lakh people across the globe.

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The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) asserted that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) acted in haste after the hosting rights of the 2021 men's world championship were taken away from the country for non-payment of host city fee. In a statement, AIBA handed over the championship, originally allotted to India in 2017, to Serbian capital Belgrade. The BFI acknowledged the delay in payment but blamed it on procedural complications arising out of the AIBA's failure to resolve issues with regards to the account in which the money was to be transferred.

Delay in payment

The payment of what is estimated to be USD 4 million was due to be made on December 2 last year. "After New Delhi didn't fulfill its obligations to pay host fee as mentioned in the Host City Agreement terms, AIBA has terminated the contract. Therefore, India would have to pay a cancellation penalty of USD 500," the AIBA said in a statement. The elite competition would have happened for the first time in the country.

The BFI, headed by Spicejet Airlines owner Ajay Singh, said the AIBA could not clearly tell where to transfer the money. "We have reason to believe that the decision to change the venue of WCH-2021 was taken in haste without due consultation with BFI...the penalty that is imposed is shocking and surprising. Both parties are working for an amicable solution. BFI is confident that the penalty will be waived off and we will host World Championships in future," the BFI statement read.

AIBA's account frozen

AIBA has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administrative and financial mismanagement. "The AIBA account in Lausanne was frozen. The account of AIBA in Switzerland as mentioned in Host City Agreement is still inoperative. AIBA intended to have some previous payments through an account in Serbia. "As Serbia is in the Grey List of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) countries, Indian Banks do not normally send money to Serbia. AIBA could not resolve these issues," said the BFI.

"The account of AIBA in Switzerland, as mentioned in Host City Agreement, is still inoperative," it added.

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American TV star and model Olivia Culpo celebrated a unique prom night during self-isolation with her National Football League (NFL) star boyfriend Christian McCaffrey, 23.

The couple partied with Olivia's sister Sophia and Christian's mother Lisa besides other family members. "Tonight is prom night with our quarantine crew," the Sports Illustrated model Olivia wrote on social media alongside pictures and a video of their celebration. "Lisa made all the boys do a "promposal" and now's she torturing all of us with chores," added Olivia, 27.

The outdoor party in a cocktail lounge area could also be a celebration of Christian's four-year $64 million (R484 crore) contract extension signed with NFL side Carolina Panthers in April.

The group ate, drank and also played with a unique bubble machine, blowing bubbles for everyone around.

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WWE former superstar and Diva Nikki Bella recently made a shocking revelation that she was raped twice during her teenage years in her new memoir - Incomparable - co-written with her twin sister Brie Bella.

Nikki Bella went on to share the gruesome details of her rape and how she felt ashamed of it at the time. Nikki Bella has since learned to let go of the horrifying incident as well as empower other women.

Nikki Bella stated that she was raped at age 15 by a fellow high school student who she then 'thought was a friend.' A year later at age 16, Nikki Bella was raped again after she was drugged by a college-going student.

In the book, Nikki Bella wrote, "There is the horrible offence in the moment, and then the shame and blame that follow and feel almost worse than the original pain. When something like this happens to you, you understand the blame-the-victim mentality, how easy it is to feel shame rather than anger, how easy it is to feel like you could have stopped it yourself."

Nikki Bella spoke with People magazine in an interview and said, "When that happened to me, I immediately just felt so ashamed and blamed myself, and that's what made me want to keep it such a secret. And keeping that a secret and blaming myself, I started to lose my confidence. I started to disrespect myself. And then the relationships I got into at a young age, I let other people disrespect me and felt like, that's okay, this is what I deserved."

Nikki Bella went on to admit, "I was like that for a really long time. I would go to therapy on and off. Looking at it now I'm like, 'Oh Nicole, I wish you just would've let go at a young age. So much would have changed for you.' And I think that's what made me really want to tell these stories finally."

Now, Nikki Bella aims to help other women who have faced similar situations by sharing the truth with all. She plans to help other younger women who look up to her, by suggesting that they do not hold on to it long.

Nikki Bella took to Instagram to announce the arrival of her memoir Incomparable and shared a video.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Happy Pub Day Bella Army! Our memoir, Incomparable is officially out!! So happy, scared, nervous and excited! Putting info in our IG stories and twitter about our virtual book signing later today, early this morning we were already #51 on @amazon (Amazon is working on some of your delays! The team has been up early talking with them!) This has been a dream for Brie and I, and we hope you enjoy this book as much as we do. It’s not just a memoir, it’s an inspirational, motivational, and empowerment book. We want to help you all become the heroes of your own stories like we have become in our own. We all can be survivors! We hope this book helps you with what you are going through. ❤️ Love you all!! And thank you all SO MUCH for the constant love and support! We couldn’t do this without all of you!!!

A post shared by Nikki Bella (@thenikkibella) onMay 5, 2020 at 10:02am PDT

Nikki Bella and her twin sister Brie Bella both wrestled for WWE and retired in March 2019. The Bella twins are famous for the television show Total Divas and the spin-off which starred them - Total Bellas.

Nikki Bella was involved in a relationship with 16-time WWE champion John Cena since 2012. Nikki Bella and John Cena were engaged in 2017 but called off their wedding a year later. Nikki Bella is now engaged to her Dancing with the Stars partner Artem Chigvintsev. In January 2020, Nikki Bella and her sister Brie Bella announced that they were both expecting a child respectively.

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Watch two hours of fresh material by new stand-up artists including Aakash Gupta, Govind Menon, Mandar Bhide and Andy Reghu (in pic).

On: September 12
At: Canvas Laugh Club, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel.
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
When: 8.30 pm 
Entry: Rs 500

Verbena Brewpub & Skygarden

This Tuesday, head to Verbena Brewpub & Skygarden for the La Femme Nights!

In Mumbai, there is something about a night out with your girls, an LBD, stilettos, some great food and drinks, especially if it is a good venue! Mumbai's popular Verbena Brewpub and Skygarden presents the La Femme Nights every Tuesdays.

Calling all the ladies to forget about their work woes to indulge in a few sangrias, martinis and a few more laughs.

Verbena Brewpub and Skaygarden promises to pamper the ladies with unlimited free sangria and fruit martinis between 7:00-10:00 pm.

So ladies, a great night awaits you!

What: La Femme Nights
When: 12th September, Tuesday
Where: Verbena BrewPub & SkyGarden, 4th Floor, Trade View Building, Gate no 4, Kamala mill compound, Lower Parel
Time: 7:00 pm onwards

Garima Arora at Masque. Pic/Sneha Kharabe

"I haven't slept in two days," says Garima Arora, armed with a takeaway coffee cup, when we meet her at Mahalaxmi fine-dine, Masque. She has arrived just an hour ago from Bangkok, where she runs her six-month-old restaurant, Gaa. But her caramel-hued eyes light up as soon as we start chatting about her first pop-up in the city, in collaboration with chef Prateek Sadhu.

"We'll do a version of the bhutta, use ingredients like seabuckthorn from Ladakh and chocolates from Pondicherry. Prateek and I share the philosophy of celebrating local produce," says the 30-year-old. Arora seems to have imbibed the philosophy during her three-year stint at René Redzepi's Noma in Copenhagen, voted the best in the world. Born in Hyderabad and raised in Mumbai, Arora studied journalism at Jai Hind College before heading to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Her illustrious CV includes stints with Gordon Ramsay's Verre in Dubai and at Gaggan Anand's eponymous restaurant in Bangkok before she ventured out. Edited excerpts from the interview:

Keema Pao with homemade butter

How did the shift from journalism to food happen?
My father is an avid cook. He would make dishes like risotto and hummus, which were unheard of in the early '90s. So, I had a keen interest in food but I wanted to plan something in it after winning a Pulitzer [laughs]. Then, on a trip to Singapore, I tried hotpot and decided to start cooking.

What were the learning lessons, working at the world's best kitchens?
At Gordon's, I learnt humility. Noma changed me as a person. I saw the chefs create magic out of limited produce and realised that the food is always bigger than the chef. I also learnt that fermentation can be used as a means of cooking, something I practise till date.

Fish Khanom La

Did these stints prepare you to work with Gaggan Anand?
Oh, Gaggan's was way more chilled out. He is also a confident chef; his Indian food is spot on. I think a lot, and believe that every step in the cooking process needs to have a reason. Gaggan is more carefree. From him, I learnt that cooking with a free hand isn't a bad thing.

Then, was it a challenge to carve your own niche with Gaa?
Yes, it still is. Many guests compare us with Noma but what I serve is my personal interpretation. Our idea is to introduce diners to flavours they've never tried before. For instance, at the border of Laos and Thailand, I came across eggfruit for the first time, and I was filled with childlike happiness. It tastes like avocado, with the texture resembling an egg yolk. At our restaurant, we use it on flatbread and as a soft serve. We also do a savoury version of Khanom La, a southern Thai dessert. The way it's made is a dying technique.

Crayfish, Eggfruit and Pomelo

Have you introduced any recipes from back home at your restaurant?
Homemade white butter that my grandmother would make. She would let the cream ferment naturally and then churn it. Guests wonder if it's cheese.

What's your take on Mumbai's culinary scene?
Chefs need to add a lot more thought to the food they are serving. For instance, many restaurants try to modernise Indian food; I wouldn't dare do that. Given the historical references, we should look at Indian food more intelligently.

Dia Mehta's lone goal helped Bombay International School (Babulnath) beat Bombay Scottish (Mahim) in the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA)-organised inter-school girls U-14 Division I football tournament at Azad Maidan yesterday. Both teams started off in an aggressive fashion, but the first half ended goalless.

Switching sides, Dia broke the deadlock in a nonchalant fashion. The goal came in the 27th minute when she intercepted a cross from teammate Simran Jasubhai and hammered into the net from long range to seal the win for her team.

Meanwhile, in a boys U-14 Div II encounter, Holy Family High School (Andheri) beat Infant Jesus High School (Malad) 4-0. Sanford Dias scored a brace while Rommaan Khan and Gavin D'Souza netted one apiece.

Telugu actress Samantha Akkineni turned a year older on April 28, 2020, and she was seen celebrating her special day with near and dear ones. Samantha's husband Naga Chaitanya hosted a sweet little party for the birthday girl at their home.

Chaitanya also baked a cake for his wife, and the actress shared a time-lapse video on social media. She wrote, "baking my birthday cake." Take a look at the series of photos and video shared by the birthday girl on Instagram.

 

 

 

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Family ❤ï¸Â .... (no points for guessing what I am praying for )

A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) onApr 27, 2020 at 12:29pm PDT

For the uninitiated, the 33-year-old actress has a solid fan-following not only in India but globally too and has given us two very memorable films- 24 and Eega, both brimming with imaginative ideas and smashing entertainment. Samantha has come a long way and carved her own niche in Indian Cinema. Her work in the Telugu and Tamil industry continues to resonate with audiences and critics alike.

Speaking of her professional journey, some of her most remembered works as an artist are 24, Oh Baby, U-Turn, Super Deluxe, and Rangasthalam.

On the other hand, talking about her personal life, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya tied the knot in both grand South Indian and Christian ceremony in October 2017.

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Singer Sona Mohapatra, who is known to speak her mind, has come up with a new song, her own badass version of Raees' Zaalima. The singer's soulful voice is a perfect fit for love ballads, case in point Ambarsariya, Naina, Bolo Na and many of her hits. While, it wouldn't be wrong to say that, very few female solo songs are released nowadays in film soundtracks, it came as a pleasant surprise to see this reprise and refreshing version of the the Shah Rukh Khan's film, Raees' popular love song.

Sona has an unique ability to infuse newness in songs and her version of Zaalima is quite different from the original version, sung by Arijit Singh. As per her post, she had created this in-house video with some interesting 'gender-political' messaging about the state of the music industry some time ago and is all set to release it to spread cheer and even some laughs to drive away the lockdown blues, now!

Sona says, "Musicians have been hit the hardest in recent times. There are no residuals or royalties for creators here unlike the west and unless we step out to play concerts on stage we don't make money. It's only sweat labour in India. The lockdown and post COVID era will hit the musicians even harder with no stages to play in and the economy focusing on essentials. In these grim times, most artists in my community have been setting aside their own emotional state and performing online to spread joy and love and I am so proud of all of them! In these times you realise that it's mostly musicians who have the craft and talent to deliver without too many resources or people helping them. My DIY video should be taken with a pinch of salt although any good comedy does come from a truthful place; our film-music has completely sidelined the strong solo female voice in the last decade and it's time for all of us to notice."

"Few know that I had been called to sing the last few lines of the film version but couldn’t fathom why only the last few lines were reserved for the female voice considering it was a romantic duet!" - she wrote on her YouTube channel, while sharing the song. 

A user commented - "I didn't know who's voice was this? Also, I was a huge fan of Sona Ma'am. But now I'm flat. And now after this rendition, I'm completely dead."

Another user commented: Thank goodness she didn't end up singing the actual song.

Tell us your views about the new version of Zaalima!

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We don't expect the usual Kangana Ranaut candour in an interview largely about how many squats she packs into her regimen. But the actor isn't one to offer the ordinary. Unbowed by the heft of her battle against the bulge, Ranaut is playfully self-deprecating when chronicling her 20-kilo weight-loss attempt. "I didn't expect to gain 20 kilos," she says of her endeavour to emulate J Jayalalithaa in the actor-politician's upcoming biopic, Thalaivi. "When Kareena [Kapoor Khan] was pregnant, she gained 16 kilos. I told myself, I am like [a] post-pregnant Kareena Kapoor!" she exclaims at one point, before breaking into a laugh. "I never remember feeling so unfit. At one point, I needed to support myself with my palms to stand up off the floor," she says at another, before the ever-so-slight quiver in her voice reveals the moments that triggered her badly. "I was unable to carry my weight in heels, and that almost left me in tears. One thinks they'll eventually adjust, but, I couldn't walk in my own shoes! Usually, I can run in them, but now my feet would swell. I didn't know how to handle it."

Train, but gain

The diligence with which she had kept tabs on the weighing scale as it climbed by 10, 12 and 15 kilos was rendered redundant after a few weeks of lull. "[The makers] told me to start losing weight so that we could shoot [Jayalalitha's] younger portions, and that's when I noticed that I had gained 20 kilos. I wondered if I had gone too far, and questioned if the decision to take the hormone injections was appropriate." It was towards the close of 2019 that Ranaut had first admitted to leaning on hormone supplements to add bulk to her hips and thighs, to emulate her muse. Unlike the misshapen built acquired by Bollywood's top brass of actors gaining weight for cinema, Ranaut's avatar, though voluptuous, had to resemble the shapely and nimble-footed bharatnatyam dancer that Jayalalitha was. "I had to do bharatnatyam for two hours, yoga for one, and still gain weight in a desirable manner. The mild hormone dosage helped [me] gain weight around the hips. Bharatnatyam involves a lot of leg work, so the dancers tend to [gain weight in this region]. Also, I needed to put on so much weight because I am tall. At 5'8, I had to ensure that the [bulk] was visible on my frame."

Winning the race, slowly, steadily

Currently nestled in picturesque Manali, Ranaut decided to make the most of the lockdown by taking along her trainer of several years. Under the guidance of Siddhartha Singh, founder of iSweat, she has shaved off seven kilos, and continues to crawl, jump and jog off the rest. "We are focusing on workouts that encourage movement for a long duration of time, instead of those involving shorter intervals. The idea is to keep movements sustainable by not rendering her breathless, so that more calories can be burnt. The evening functional training sessions last 45 to 75 minutes, and are coupled with a 20-minute morning walk in her 100-metre driveway," says Singh, attributing her body's positive response to the regimen to her consistent yoga practice.

Her high metabolic rate may afford her many luxuries, but Ranaut won't abuse what she has been blessed with. For as long as Singh can recall, she isn't swayed by food that has little nutritional value, and prefers "home-cooked meals". "Kangana is attuned to her body's [nutritional] needs. If she craves something, she'll have it in limited portion, or cook a [healthier] version of it at home." That her body had become complacent with the additional weight also began to work against her, making the weight-loss process more demanding than both she and Singh had anticipated. "It was difficult. I had to undergo detox. I was affected by the sugar withdrawal, and felt like I was in rehab. For over six months, I was perpetually hungry, and had mood [swings]. The weight wouldn't budge. Also, at 33, things are not as easy [as they were when I was younger]."

Asked if she will do it all over again if a film demands it, her response is prompt, but not very assertive: "No, yaar!" she says. "It's not worth it. My cholesterol level was quite high this time. In my 30s, I don't enjoy doing this."

Singh on principles he uses to train Ranaut

• We're targeting the anterior and posterior muscles at once. We use the driveway to do short jogging sets, shuttle lunges, back crawls, and jumping jacks.
• Usually, I avoided exhausting her because actors have to work for the rest of the day, and can't be dealing with aches and pains. I had to be mindful of not targeting the muscles that she would be using for her action films, like Manikarnika. For instance, horse-riding employs a lot of leg work, and hence, when she was learning it, I'd only do weight-less leg workouts with her. Similarly, when she was training in sword-fighting, and using her upper-body muscles, I'd have to shift focus away from her shoulders and arms [in the gym]. 
• With physical activity currently limited, she is consuming only two to three meals a day. The morning jogs that she takes help in activating her metabolism.

1,800
Ranaut's approximate calorie intake, usually

v/s 

1,000
Calories being consumed by the actor currently

Female actors who've gained weight for cinema

Bhumi Pednekar, Dum Laga Ke Haisha

The actor made a note-worthy entry into Bollywood by adding 30 kilos for the film. She reportedly took to conditioning exercises before jumping into a high-intensity routine, when she began shedding the weight.

Vidya Balan, The Dirty Picture

To play the role of an adult film actor, Balan gained 12 kilos, and was uninhibited as she flaunted her figure to do justice to the part of Silk Smitha.

Anushka Shetty, Size Zero

Unwilling to wear a fat-suit for the part, the actor reportedly put on 20 kilos for the film. Under the guidance of Luke Coutinho, she took a generous amount of time to gradually shed it off.

Kriti Sanon, Mimi

Sanon had been on a weight-gaining spree for several months to gain 15 kilos for her forthcoming movie, Mimi, which sees her as a surrogate mother.

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Veteran actress Shabana Azmi recently met with an unfortunate accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and was rushed to MGM Hospital, Panvel. She was later shifted to the Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai for further treatment.  Her husband, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar, was also there in the vehicle but escaped unhurt.

In an interview with Film Companion Akhtar revealed what were his first thoughts when he saw his wife at the car crash scene. He said, "Who could think we would have such a calamity. The accident that Shabana went through was really deadly. We were in the other car, she was sleeping in the car behind us and when this accident occurred and we went back, the first thought was "Is she alive?' Because the whole car was crushed, had become a heap of junk. Somehow we took her out, she was unconscious with blood all over her face and it was only from the nose. There were no wounds but the whole body has taken such a whiplash, that it will take a little time to be totally normal."

The 69-year-old actor suffered head injuries when her car met with an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on January 18. She was later shifted to the Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai for further treatment. Shabana Azmi was heading towards Pune from Mumbai. The accident took place near Kharagpur on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The car in which Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar were present was hit by a truck on the expressway. While she was in the hospital, Bollywood celebrities like Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Shibani Dandekar, Anil Kapoor, Tabu, Satish Kaushik paid a visit to the actress at the hospital.

She was discharged from the hospital after a few days. "Thank you all for your prayers and wishes for my recovery. I'm back home now," Azmi wrote on Twitter alongside a post-recovery photo of herself.

Thank you all for your prayers and wishes for my https://t.co/A21IxD7Usd back home now Thank you #Tina Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani hospital for the sterling care provided by the doctors team and the nursing staff. Im indebted and grateful🙏 pic.twitter.com/6a1PWsGKnn

— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) February 1, 2020

"Thank you #Tina Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani hospital for the sterling care provided by the doctors team and the nursing staff. Im indebted and grateful," she added.

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It's another dark day for Indian cinema. Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor passed away this morning, April 30, 2020, after a long battle with leukaemia. He was 67.

Akshay Kumar, who worked with Kapoor in Namastey London and Patiala House, took to Twitter to express shock and sorrow at Kapoor's passing. He wrote, "It seems like we're in the midst of a nightmare... just heard the depressing news of #RishiKapoor ji passing away, it's heartbreaking. He was a legend, a great co-star and a good friend of the family. My thoughts and prayers with his family."

It seems like we’re in the midst of a nightmare...just heard the depressing news of #RishiKapoor ji passing away, it’s heartbreaking. He was a legend, a great co-star and a good friend of the family. My thoughts and prayers with his family 🙏🏻

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) April 30, 2020

It truly feels like a nightmare of the worst kind, one we can't seem to wake up from. Indian and global cinema has lost a true doyen of the art, and the loss has hit us hard.

Yesterday, the brilliant Irrfan Khan, too, left us after battling neuroendocrine cancer for two years. He was 53.

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April has turned out to be the most devastating month of the year. On April 29, the world lost an actor par excellence, Irrfan Khan. And today, the world has lost another gem of an actor who could do any role with ease, Rishi Kapoor. He passed away at 8:45 IST in hospital after a two-year battle with leukemia.

Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani, who directed both of them in D-Day, took to his Twitter account to recount the experience he had working with this legendary star. Sharing an anecdote on Twitter, Advani wrote- "No one treated me with the respect an actor gives a director more than you did, that too being who you were. You were my friend sir. I'm sitting, remembering and just chuckling, laughing. Waiting for your booming voice to say "boy... make me one more drink!" (sic)

Have a look right here:

No one treated me with the respect an actor gives a director more than you did, that too being who you were. You were my friend sir. I’m sitting, remembering and just chuckling, laughing. Waiting for your booming voice to say “boy... make me one more drink!” #RishiKapoor #RIP

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) April 30, 2020

And then came a picture that could surely leave you teary-eyed. It was a scene from the film that had both Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan in the same frame. Sharing this priceless moment that the world will never see again, he wrote- "At least one thing is for sure. There will be jashan in the heavens tonight." Have a look right here:

At least one thing is for sure. There will be jashan in the heavens tonight. #RIPLegend #RishiKapoor #IrfanKhan pic.twitter.com/V4qXyWjeqp

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) April 30, 2020

The entire Bollywood industry is currently in shock as it has lost two legends who went too soon. We shall never forget their contribution to Hindi Cinema!

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Rishi Kapoor, known for his chocolate boy persona in the old days, and for his witty tweets and character roles more recently, passed away this morning. The film industry has lost another gem after the tragic demise of Irrfan Khan on April 29, 2020. 

Rishi Kapoor's daughter, ace jewellery designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, took to Instagram to share a sweet picture of herself with her dad. She wrote, "Papa I love you I will always love you - RIP my strongest warrior I will miss you every day I will miss your FaceTime calls every day! Until we meet again papa I love you - your Mushk forever."

 

 

 

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A post shared by Riddhima Kapoor Sahni (RKS) (@riddhimakapoorsahniofficial) onApr 30, 2020 at 1:13am PDT

Riddhima also shared a couple of photos on her Instagram story, which will bring tears to your eyes.

Rishi Kapoor's niece, Karisma Kapoor, shared a black and white throwback photo and wrote, "Always looking over family... chintu uncle will miss discussing food and restaurants with you... #uncle #legend"

 

 

 

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A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) onApr 30, 2020 at 1:06am PDT

Karisma and Kareena Kapoor are Rishi Kapoor's brother Randhir Kapoor's daughters. Kareena, too, remembered her uncle through a sweet photo. 

 

 

 

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The best boys I know... Papa and Chintu uncle ❤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Â

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 30, 2020 at 2:02am PDT

Alia Bhatt, who is dating Rishi Kapoor's son Ranbir, shared a family statement on Instagram. Check out her story below:

Later, she took to her Instagram handle and shared a heartfelt note.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

❤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Â

A post shared by Alia Bhatt ☀ï¸Â (@aliaabhatt) onApr 30, 2020 at 7:15am PDT

She also shared throwback picture of Neetu and Ranbir with Rishi Kapoor.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

love you ❤️

A post shared by Alia Bhatt ☀️ (@aliaabhatt) onApr 30, 2020 at 7:14am PDT

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

beautiful boys 🤍

A post shared by Alia Bhatt ☀️ (@aliaabhatt) onApr 30, 2020 at 7:19am PDT

Rishi Kapoor had been battling cancer since 2018 and had spent a year in New York seeking treatment for the same. He breathed his last at age 67.

He made his breakthrough in Bollywood with the 1973 film Bobby opposite Dimple Kapadia. Rishi Kapoor was the leading man in a number of hit films like Khel Khel Mein, Rafoo Chakkar, Do Premee and many more.

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The Delhi Police has granted permission to Riddhima Sahni, daughter of actor Rishi Kapoor who passed away on Thursday morning, to travel to Mumbai for his last rites amid the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, officials said.

"Along with Ridhima, five other people -- Bharat Sahni, Samara Sahni, Akshay Sahni and Drigalakshmi Rai -- got permission to travel to Mumbai," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) R P Meena said.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Papa I love you I will always love you - RIP my strongest warrior I will miss you everyday I will miss your FaceTime calls everyday! I wish I could be there to say goodbye to you ! Until we meet again papa I love you - your Mushk forever ❤ï¸ÂðŸ˜¢

A post shared by Riddhima Kapoor Sahni (RKS) (@riddhimakapoorsahniofficial) onApr 30, 2020 at 1:13am PDT

The 67-year-old actor, who was suffering from cancer, died in a Mumbai hospital. His death comes a day after his 'D-Day' co-star Irrfan Khan passed away due to cancer. Rishi Kapoor, a third generation actor of the famous Kapoor dynasty, was taken to the H N Reliance Hospital by his family on Wednesday

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May 1 has a huge significance for the people of Maharashtra as this is the day when the existing state of Maharashtra was formed. It is also celebrated as Labour Day, and celebrities, especially those from the Marathi film and television industry, sent out Maharashtra Day wishes to their fans.

Amruta Khanvilkar took to Instagram to share a couple of photos of herself decked in Maharashtrian finery and also shared Labour Day wishes.

 

 

 

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#मराठीमुलगी #महाराष्ट्रदिन

A post shared by Amruta Khanvilkar (@amrutakhanvilkar) onMay 1, 2020 at 12:09am PDT

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amruta Khanvilkar (@amrutakhanvilkar) onApr 30, 2020 at 9:07pm PDT

Riteish Deshmukh, too, shared Maharashtra Day wishes with a picture of himself seeking blessings from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

लाभले आम्हास भाग्य बोलतो मराठी
जाहलो खरेच धन्य ऐकतो मराठी
धर्म , पंथ , जात एक जाणतो मराठी
एवढ्या जगात माय मानतो मराठी#maharashtraday #महाराष्ट्रदिन pic.twitter.com/fCrClVOvRB

— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) May 1, 2020

Sai Tamhankar, known for her Marathi as well as Hindi roles, took to Twitter to share Maharashtra Day wishes with her fans.

महाराष्ट्र दिन आणि कामगार दिनाच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा!!!
जय महाराष्ट्र!!!

— Sai (@SaieTamhankar) May 1, 2020

Siddharth Jadhav, know for his performance in Ranveer Singh's Simmba, sent out wishes through an Instagram video:

 

 

 

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जय महाराष्ट्र 🙏..... #maharashtradivas #Maharashtra #Labourday #MiMarathi @truptiakkalwar

A post shared by Siddharth jadhav (@siddharth23oct) onApr 30, 2020 at 10:18pm PDT

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Late actor Rishi Kapoor's daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, who lives in Delhi, couldn't fly to Mumbai to attend her fathers funeral due to the countrywide COVID-19 lockdown and had to travel by road in a car after securing a movement pass.

Riddhima shared a small video clip capturing her journey by road. "Driving home ma... enroute Mumbai," she captioned the video.

Riddhima had to attend her father's final rites via video call. She took to social media to pen a tribute to her father, who died on Thursday morning after a two-year-long battle with leukaemia.

"Papa I love you I will always love you - RIP my strongest warrior I will miss you everyday I will miss your FaceTime calls everyday," Riddhima wrote on Instagram while sharing a selfie with her father.

 

 

 

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Papa I love you I will always love you - RIP my strongest warrior I will miss you everyday I will miss your FaceTime calls everyday! I wish I could be there to say goodbye to you ! Until we meet again papa I love you - your Mushk forever ❤ï¸ÂðŸ˜¢

A post shared by Riddhima Kapoor Sahni (RKS) (@riddhimakapoorsahniofficial) onApr 30, 2020 at 1:13am PDT

"I wish I could be there to say goodbye to you! Until we meet again papa I love you -- your Mushk forever," she concluded with a heart and distraught emoji.

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It's still hard to swallow the fact that two of Hindi Cinema's giants, Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, are no longer amongst us. Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29 at 11:11 am at the Kokilaben hospital due to complications arising out of Colon infection. And on April 30, we lost Rishi Kapoor. Battling leukaemia for the last two years, he passed away at 8:45 am IST in hospital. Tributes began pouring soon on social media.

Director Nikkhil Advani who brought both the acting giants on-screen in D-day recalled fond memories of the duo. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, the D-day director said, "We were shooting in the desert and while Irrfan and a lot of teams bunked out in tents, Chintuji would drive two hours back to the hotel. He was averse to early morning shoots but there was this sunrise shot we had to shoot with him and he was refusing to comply, saying, 'I'm an actor, not a doodhwala'. It took Irrfan bribing Rishi with 'chicken jungli and alcohol' for him to stay in the desert. It was a near-impossible feat in Kutch, but he delivered on his promise and I got my shot".

Advani also shared a funny moment while shooting with Rishi and Irrfan. "Today, a scene from my 2013 film, D-Day, flashes through my mind. Irrfan (Khan) looking at Chintuji, and laughing, amazed that they had finally managed to capture this much-wanted terrorist, despite their plans have failed. "I remember Irrfan urging me to let the camera continue to roll and what emerged was this moment of delicious irony."

D-day, released in 2013, remains the only film in which Rishi and Irrfan had shared screen space. Rishi Kapoor played the role of D-company leader, while Irrfan portrayed the character of a RAW agent.

Earlier, the Kal Ho Na Ho director had mourned the loss of his co-star by sharing a small still from the film along with a heartfelt message. 

No one treated me with the respect an actor gives a director more than you did, that too being who you were. You were my friend sir. I’m sitting, remembering and just chuckling, laughing. Waiting for your booming voice to say “boy... make me one more drink!” #RishiKapoor #RIP

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) April 30, 2020

At least one thing is for sure. There will be jashan in the heavens tonight. #RIPLegend #RishiKapoor #IrfanKhan pic.twitter.com/V4qXyWjeqp

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) April 30, 2020

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Siddhant Chaturvedi is an actor, who apart from his acting, is also known to be an adept writer. He uses simple words to convey meaningful messages and impactful messages which is what makes his poetry so relatable. He usually shares his poetry on his social media in the captions of his pictorial posts.

The actor shared an intriguing teaser video titled 'Dhup' on his social media. The teaser had an engrossing animation and calming music which provides a beautiful perception about sunlight in it. The full verse of Dhup will be out now!

 

 

 

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Dhoop - In search of hope.â Â€â Â€â Â€â Â€â Â€| 𝐒 | #MyNotes brought to life. Visuals by @patranimacchi

A post shared by Siddhant Chaturvedi (@siddhantchaturvedi) onMay 2, 2020 at 12:09am PDT

The actor shared the teaser on his social media for his fans. Siddhant Chaturvedi's talents really know no bonds and his word really shine brightly in this teaser! Siddhant made his debut in 2019 as Mc Sher in Gully Boy and has been on a roll ever since.

On the work front, Siddhant will next be seen in Bunty Aur Babli 2 followed by Shakun Batra’s next.

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Zoya Akhtar is a pioneer when it comes to thinking outside the box and delivering the best of content. The director has done it once again with the "I for India initative" to help reduce the impacts of Covid-19.

The initiative has been making headlines ever since it was announced with everyone waiting for the event to go live. Spanning over four hours, the Facebook live event saw 85+ celebrities from Bollywood take part in it including international celebrities like Will Smith and Mick Jagger joining in as well along others.

The event saw artists do various performances in the safety of their homes to raise money for GiveIndia.org to support frontline workers fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and also to help people like daily wage workers who have been affect due to the ongoing crisis.

The vision for the concert was three-pronged: to entertain those locked down in their homes. To pay tribute to those who are working on the frontlines. And to raise funds for those who have no work and no home and do not know where their next meal is coming from.

Needless to say, the concert was a huge success and managed to raise substantial amounts of funds that will indeed benefit those in need. The 'I for India' initiative was organised by Zoya Akhtar and Karan Johar.

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His female fans have missed seeing him on television ever since he announced his sabbatical last year. Now, Nakuul Mehta is back for a date with his admirers, albeit on the web. The actor's latest offering, BAE Control, explores the idea of having the perfect relationship by controlling a partner's emotions through an app. As he wins praise for his act in the sci-fi comedy, Mehta discusses transitioning from TV to digital entertainment.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

A blend of sci-fi and rom-com, the show is a far cry from what you've headlined in the past.
I have spent over seven years in television. So, over the past one year of my sabbatical, I have been trying to explore different mediums. I have been a fan of the work Dice Media has been doing, be it Little Things or What the Folks. Their audience is starkly different from the one I cater to on television. When they narrated the idea about controling another person's emotions through an app, it sounded crazy. But who knows, in the future, this may be the order of the day!

The series seems similar to an episode of Black Mirror. Agree?
The series shows how technology will change the way humans interact in the future. In fact, if one compares [the behavioural patterns] of our parents, our generation and Gen-Z, it is evident how human interaction has changed and not necessarily for the better. People interact not only face-to-face, but also over the dark web. So, [controlling one's partner] could be the future. To me, it all seemed like a Black Mirror episode, but this one has elements of comedy.

Given a choice, would you consider controlling your partner's emotions with an app?
No, relationships are based on trust and have no place for [manipulation]. However, I am old-school in matters of the heart and have never even used a dating app. So, I may not be the right audience for this. On a bad day, when you don't know how to deal with your spouse, you might be tempted.

If this were to happen in the near future, what would be the flipside?
That we would lose touch with each other as human beings. It's ironic that this show has released at a time when we are all under lockdown and craving human interaction. It is making us yearn for our families and friends. If not for this lesson, we would have headed down a road where we were looking for the perfect relationship and finding the perfect app to control the imperfections.

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Actress Neha Dhupia and her daughter Mehr turned to art on Monday. Taking to Instagram, Neha shared a photograph that shows her and her little girl playing with paint. "Piece of (he)-art," she captioned the image. Netizens were amused to see paint splattered all over Mehr and Neha.

 

 

 

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Piece of (he)-art ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Neha Dhupia (@nehadhupia) onMay 4, 2020 at 1:49am PDT

Reacting to the picture, filmmaker Tahir Kashyap wrote: "hahah so cute. What fun." Actress Dia Mirza commented with a heart emoji on the mother-daughter's adorable snap.

Mehr was born to Neha and Angad Bedi in November 2018.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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Amitabh Bachchan's granddaughter Navya graduated from college in New York on Wednesday, and the former took to social media to pen a congratulatory message. Big B shared how they celebrated Navya's big day at his Jalsa home since the graduation ceremony has been stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

 

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Grand daughter Navya .. the most important day in the life of a young student - Graduation Day .. ! She graduated from College in New York, but ceremony and presence got cancelled because of Corona and lockdown .. she could not go .. we too had all planned to be with her on this important occasion .. BUT .. she though wanted to wear that Graduation gown and Cap .. so staff stitched her an impromptu gown and cap .. and she wore it and celebrated at home in Jalsa .. So proud of you NAVYA .. god bless .. such a positive and happy attitude .. LOVE YOU💕💕💕💕

A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) onMay 6, 2020 at 7:22am PDT

"Grand daughter Navya .. the most important day in the life of a young student - Graduation Day .. ! She graduated from College in New York, but ceremony and presence got cancelled because of corona and lockdown.

"She could not go .. we too had all planned to be with her on this important occasion .. but she though wanted to wear that Graduation gown and cap .. so staff stitched her an impromptu gown and cap .. and she wore it and celebrated at home in Jalsa .. So proud of you Navya.. God bless .. such a positive and happy attitude. Love you," Big B wrote.

Along with the post, he shared a video in which Navya is seen wearing a home-made graduation gown and cap.

Earlier in the day, Navya's mother Shweta Bachchan too took to social media to wish her.

"Class of 2020 - Navya finished college today and since she and everyone else graduating this year won't get a ceremony we decided to DIY one. With a chart paper cap and a gown hand stitched from scraps of black tenting. I threw on a Fordham ( her college ) sweatshirt over my PJ's!! Congratulations baby I love you and am proud of you! Go forth and conquer x ( I'm not crying you're crying)," Shweta posted.

 

 

 

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Class of 2020 - Navya finished college today and since she and everyone else graduating this year won’t get a ceremony we decided to DIY one. With a chart paper cap and a gown hand stitched from scraps of black tenting. I threw on a Fordham ( her college ) sweatshirt over my PJ’s!! Congratulations baby I love you and am proud of you! Go forth and conquer x ( I’m not crying you’re crying)

A post shared by S (@shwetabachchan) onMay 6, 2020 at 6:26am PDT

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