One virus; 18 ways of seeing the world. Covid Latam is a collective project documenting the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolds across Latin America. Photographers – 9 men and 9 women – are working in 13 countries: Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Cuba and Mexico to document the unfolding story of the pandemic through the Covid Latam instagram account

The hit docuseries on Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls scores big as entertainment, but journalistic compromises make it little more than longform branded content

Not long after ESPN scored its first ever Academy Award for Ezra Edelman’s nonpareil OJ: Made in America, a masterclass in longform investigative journalism that drew comparisons to Mailer and Caro, the network announced another multi-part documentary series centering on an American sports icon. The Last Dance, a 10-part film jointly produced with Netflix, promised an unvarnished deep dive into one of the most transformative stars and feted dynasties in the history of sports: Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls.

The anticipation only mounted with the release of a glossy extended trailer at Christmas that teased never-before-seen footage and a star-studded roster of interviewees – Barack Obama! Justin Timberlake! – along with the participation of Jordan himself, who has spoken only sparingly about the Bulls’ imperious reign and dumbfounding break-up in the two decades since his playing days. Initially slated for a June release alongside this year’s NBA finals, ESPN swiftly moved up the premiere date to April after the coronavirus pandemic went scorched earth on its spring programming schedule.

Also debuts for PSVR, Oculus Rift, SteamVR in early 2021

National badminton coach Pullela Gopichand feels this lockdown can help everyone understand that it should not be always goal-driven and it is important to focus on the process as well.

"It is a very similar kind of scenario for athletes as well. I have maintained this stand for a very long time, I think we are all very goal-oriented and we are driven by something that comes up in the next week, next month or next year -- especially when it comes to our careers," Gopichand was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror.

"It has to be the reverse. You have to focus on your process, get up in the morning and do the best work that you can do today - everything else will fall into place," said Gopichand.

Almost all sporting events in the world have come to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic with the Olympics also being postponed by a year. Gopichand also advised people not to get too involved with COVID-19 news all the time.

"You have to create a distance. You cannot be involved so much in the situation so much that you're mentally affected by it. A certain guru said that you should treat the problem like it's your neighbour's problem. Don't get too involved. You need to report the news, that's your duty and job but don't get so agitated by it that you lose sleep over it. We need to distinguish between both and find a way to insulate yourself," he advised.

"I have been spending the last 21 days in quarantine with my family -- it's tough but at least we have something to fall back on. It is a lot harder for daily wage earners and people who live in small houses, five to six people in a room. For them, it's really tough. This is a rare event in global history so we just need to shut up and sit at home quietly to flatten the curve," he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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When the trailer of Shank’s hit the Internet two years ago, it garnered over 2,00,000 views in under a fortnight. And, why not? Until then we had not really seen stylised montages of modaks and varan bhaat being served in a fine-dining ambience. The trailer had us curious about Ashay Dileep Javadekar’s film, which looked like a documentary. Where is this Shank’s, the Marathi fine-dining place, we wondered. Two years on, with the release of the film online, we have the answers.

The 1 hour, 11 minute-long film, shot on a Canon Powershot and iPhone 6, traces the journey of Shashank Joshi, a man who nurtured and nourished his dream of being a chef, right from his boyhood days in a small town in Maharashtra. We know him, little by little, through his family, especially one cousin he is close to. We know him through his college friend, through food critics and historians, and most importantly, his mentor’s daughter Pauline with whom he has the most extraordinary journey. We see how he had to fight the odds, and nearly give up before he makes his dream a reality.

Bhave in a still from the film

A generous part of the film is made of lush close-up shots of Maharashtrian food that is sure to get Indians, especially those from the state, excited. And for Westerners, well, it’s Indian food like they have never seen before — a far cry from tandoori chicken, paneer masala and dal makhni. The screenplay uses a documentary narrative to tell a fictional story. Javadekar seems to be an ardent believer of the phrase: God is in the details. The care with which each character has been crafted, from dialogues to props and their stories, you forget that none of it is real. That’s also because of the convincing performances the actors bring to the table. Makarand Bhave becomes Shashank, in the controlled passion with which he narrates his story. Playing Pauline Bonnet-Joshi, his partner in crime, is Melissa Ehrlich Blevins. She brings so many moods into her account, from compassion, to vulnerability, excitement, and determination. The supporting cast is also impressive.

Besides telling an absorbing story, Shank’s makes us ponder on questions like how the West perceives Indian cuisine, the importance of educating customers on the food, and also, the gender bias in the industry, a reality that is larger than we wish to acknowledge. Food for thought, quite literally. The film can be streamed seamlessly, at a reasonable price on a pay-per-view platform. Shank’s heroes Maharashtrian food like never before, but, more than that it urges dreamers, aspiring restaurateurs in this case, to make their real voices heard. Minus a few rough edges in production, the film might remind you of Chef’s Table. That’s interesting because when this film was made, Chef’s Table was yet to hit the screen. A word of caution though: Do not watch it on an empty stomach, unless you are looking to work up an appetite.

Log on to: www.njemovies.com
Price: Rs 99

A still from Some Stories Around Witches

In the tribal villages of Odisha, a teenage girl kills an elderly relative believing that she is a witch and the cause of her father’s death. Overnight, a village turns into a mob to kill three people — a man and two women — who were identified as witches by a witch doctor. Meanwhile, a family is threatened and ostracised, for it is believed they bring ill fate, after they cook meat.

Lipika Singh Darai

The audience is engaged with three real life incidents in the 53-minute documentary, Some Stories Around Witches. Directed by Bhubaneswar-based FTII alumnus Lipika Singh Darai and produced by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), the film explores the politics of witch hunting and the humanitarian crisis surrounding it. It will be screened tomorrow as part of the 22nd edition of Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum’s monthly screening programme, Movies At The Museum.

“There is a mystery surrounding tradition and myths about witchcraft but we should also see it in the light of socio economics and politics to understand the complexity of the events. The cases are very sensitive and my priority was to make the camera’s presence insignificant,” says Darai, who will be present for a Q&A session post the screening, which marks its premiere in Mumbai.

At the event, also catch the screening of another PSBT production, There Is Something In The Air. Directed by Delhi-based filmmaker Iram Ghufran, the Hindi-Urdu documentary is a series of dream narratives, and accounts of spiritual possession as experienced by women ‘petitioners’ at the shrine of a Sufi saint in north India.

A swimming pool maintenance employee working at the Bombay Presidency Radio Club (BPRC) in Colaba amid the Coronavirus lockdown died of electrocution on Thursday. Ramchandra Bhuneshwar's body was seen floating in the swimming pool by another staffer.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sangramsinh Nishandar said an Accidental Death Report has been filed. "Prima facie, a 42-year-old man in charge of maintaining the swimming pool at Colaba's Radio Club died of electrocution. We have registered a case under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code against Radio Club officials and the contractor for breaking lockdown norms," he said.

Senior police inspector of Colaba police Shivaji Phadtare said Bhuneshwar was taking water out of the pool with the help of an electric pump when he got electrocuted.
Sources said that Bhuneshwar, a contractual employee, was asked by his contractor Babu Khomrekar to clean the water of the swimming pool a week ago. "At the time of conducting the panchnama, Khomrekar was called by Colaba police. He told the police that Adi Mistry, a Managing Committee Member working as the Chairman of Swimming Pool and Gym at the Radio Club, told him to get Bhuneshwar to change the pool water," a source working at the Radio Club said.

Bhuneshwar is survived by wife, Vimal, two daughters and a six-year-old son. His relative, Siddhant Gaikwad, said, "Bhuneshwar was asked to continue maintenance work at Radio Club's swimming pool even during the lockdown. He lives in Murud Janjira. When no permanent staff is working at the club, why was he forced to continue his work?"

President of Radio Club, Harish Kumar Garg, said, "I am not aware how Bhuneshwar died and what was he doing at the Radio Club amid a lockdown as I am a 72-year-old man and I have been staying home."

Ramchandra Bhuneshwar

Sources said nearly a dozen Radio Club employees living at the premises spoke to the Colaba police during the panchanama. "Committee members forced these workers to leave the club amid the lockdown because they spoke to the police," source added.

Club members speak

Advocate Ravi Goenka, a member of the club, said, "We all are following the lockdown rules and sitting at home. And the rich and powerful people who are on the committee of tony clubs (i.e Radio Club) call staff to work in spite of the lockdown."

The Radio Club committee refused to answer calls. A club member said angrily, "Calling in staff to work is exploitation and violation of the lockdown."

Several members expressed surprise that the pool was filled with water and not drained as no one swims there amid the lockdown. Another member said, "We do not want this brushed away as an Accidental Death Report. A poor employee has lost his life, let us get to the bottom of this through a thorough investigation."

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A new Michael Jordan television documentary has become a smash hit for NBA fans whose hope of watching the playoffs these days was scuttled by the coronavirus pandemic. "The Last Dance" details the career of the NBA legend who led the Chicago Bulls to six titles in the 1990s, with editions three and four of the 10-part saga telecast on Sunday. It was the top ESPN telecast in the advertiser-prized 18-to-34 demographic since the shut down of sport due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In all, 6.1 million people watched the opening episodes in the United States, making the documentary Twitter's top trending topic and ESPN's most watched original program since the network began producing such shows 16 years ago. An average of 5.9 million viewers watched the latest episodes aired in the US on Sunday. "The Last Dance" mixes previously unaired behind-the-scenes footage taken by a special camera crew with the Bulls during their 1997-98 NBA championship run with the retelling of Jordan's amazing story from his youthful days to Chicago's amazing dynasty run of six 1990s NBA titles.

The project was set to be broadcast in June when the NBA Finals were scheduled, but when sports programs were wiped out due to the global virus pandemic, ESPN advanced the release date. The Jordan documentary's blockbuster success looks likely to spark similar projects. Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar who died in a January helicopter crash, had a personal camera crew follow him around during his final NBA season, ESPN reported last week, hinting that behind-the-scenes footage could become part of a Bryant documentary.

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, scored 60 points in his final NBA game in 2016, which capped the worst season in Lakers history at 17-65. Dwyane Wade, a member of the 2008 US Olympic "Redeem Team" that won Beijing gold after a 2004 bronze at Athens, says he is already executive producing a documentary about that collection of NBA talent.

A lingering hatred

ESPN has aired discussion shows about the documentary after telecasts, with Sunday's episodes about Jordan's lingering hatred of the Detroit Pistons leading to Monday interviews with former Detroit star Isiah Thomas, notably about the Pistons snubbing the Bulls for post-game handshakes when Chicago swept the defending champions out of the 1991 playoffs.

"I hated them," Jordan said in the fourth chapter of the documentary. "And that hate carries even to this day." Thomas was not selected as a member of the 1992 Barcelona US Olympic gold medal "Dream Team" -- an NBA all-star lineup that featured Jordan -- and Thomas said Monday on ESPN that he hoped the handshake snub wasn't the reason why he didn't make the historic lineup.

"If I'm not part of the Dream Team for that lapse of emotion, for not shaking somebody's hand, then I'm more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn't selected," Thomas said. "I paid a heavy price. If that moment meant I'm not selected to be on the Dream Team because of that moment, that's hurtful. That cuts deep."

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In the light of the COVID 19 Pandemic, the 2020 Hot Docs Festival in Toronto, which is the world's largest documentary film festival was in jeopardy but the Film Festival, has decided to uphold & celebrate the spirit of movie making & film-makers, by showcasing a multi-platform 'festival-at-home' experience to its audience that kick-starts on May 28.

The only Indian film premiering at this prestigious international festival is Sona Mohapatra's documentary, Shut Up Sona. Directed by Deepti Gupta, the feature length film resonates with every woman's search for equal space in a culture ridden with millennia of misogyny. This is a film about music, art, social change, and a clashing of the ancient and the modern & this political story is told via the journey of Sona Mohapatra & her relentless fight for a voice. Her unapologetic personality has been rendered beautifully in the 85-minute film that takes the audience through the alleys of Vrindavan to the doorstep of a Dargah, rooting it in the diverse culture of the country, & questioning the patriarchy even prevalent in the Uber cool alleyways of Bollywood.

The film that premiered at MAMI in 2019 & won a critics guild award there, has gone on to make a big impact at the Rotterdam Festival, Goteborg Festival, even winning a special mention at Impact Docs Award. Speaking about it, Sona says, "With the world locked down & in anxious times, music, storytelling, cinema & art play an even more important role in helping us get back on our feet as a society."

She adds, "I am grateful that SHUT UP SONA will find an entirely new audience in another part of the world through the Hot Docs Festival. I couldn't have imagined that our film would be selected in these top festivals of the world when we were making it. That it is a universal story that is finding resonance across the globe validates my journey as an artist who has never felt restricted to being just a singer. I carry my country, it's art, it's present & its history within me. In telling my story, I hope to connect the disparate dots within my culture to build a narrative that portrays a more nuanced view of the hopes & aspirations of India."

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As India enters the final week of the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the Novel Coronavirus.

In a video-conference with the chief ministers, fourth such interaction since March 22 when he first spoke to them on the pandemic, Modi also highlighted the importance for states to enforce prescribed guidelines strictly in the Coronavirus hotspots, the government said in a statement.

The PM underlined that the nationwide lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one-and-a-half months", it said. "The PM said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of Coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," the statement added.

Modi also said that masks and face covers will become part of lives of people in the days ahead, adding everyone's aim must be to ensure rapid response under the current circumstances. He emphasised on the importance of the use of technology as much as possible. "The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people," the statement said quoting the Prime Minister.

CRPF reaches out to cops over jawan's arrest

The CRPF has taken up with the Karnataka Police the "unpleasant" case of alleged manhandling and handcuffing of its CoBRA commando by cops and has sent a team to follow-up on the matter, officials said on Monday. The CoBRA unit of the CRPF specialises in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. The force has written a letter to Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP), Praveen Sood stating that the "unpleasant situation could have been avoided had the state police taken the CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest" of the jawan on April 23 in Belagavi district.

As govts decide on next plan of action...

. SC rejects petition: The SC on Monday declined to entertain a petition seeking direction to the Centre to conduct en masse door-to-door testing for COVID-19 and challenging the validity of PM CARES fund, and termed it having "political colour."

. Kanpur a Corona hotspot: With 33 more Corona positive cases emerging in the past 24 hours, Kanpur is now a major COVID-19 hotspot in UP after Agra. The tally of Corona positive cases in Kanpur is now 185 and the city has 25 hotspots.

.Lockdown extension: Odisha Health Minister, Naba Kishore Das on Monday said that the COVID-19 lockdown should be extended for another month. "There is a need for the extension of lockdown and it should further be extended by one month," said Das after attending the video-conference of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and chief ministers of all states.

. COVID cess on ultra-rich: Former Karnataka chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy on Monday suggested imposing "COVID cess" on the ultra rich to offset the loss of revenue, as he called for citizen-centric measures and lower the cost of living, to help those affected by the lockdown.

. Relaxations in Meghalaya: The Meghalaya government on Monday relaxed a number of activities including sale of essential goods, courier services for essential goods, e-commerce operations in essential goods and Common Service Centres during the lockdown period.

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Despite being armed with years of equestrian training, Randeep Hooda recalls being "daunted" to commence physical prep work with Chris Hemsworth for Extraction. The actor's fears were not unwarranted when one considers how Hemsworth punched his way through 22 Marvel films as the superhero Thor, only to go on and launch one of the most successful fitness platforms in Hollywood.

"We'd train together almost each day. Chris said he didn't benefit from traditional gym training for his action [films] and hence took to [functional and agility work]. When I'd ask him why he'd do shoulder presses with one hand, he'd tell me how it worked in improving his core strength. [I too changed the way] I used the muscles of the core and shoulders," says Hooda, adding that despite being as famous as he is, the Australian star's demands during his India sojourn were rather trifling.

"The only thing he wanted was organic food, which his [nutritionist] would cook for him. All the stuff that his team did, inspired me to change the traditional way I [trained]. I took to compound movements, and learnt the importance of [practising] bodyweight [exercises]. Developing presence of mind and command over the body to enable it to do everything you want it to do, was [my biggest takeaway] during our three-week rehearsals before we rolled," says Hooda, who battles Hemsworth in a series of high-octane action sequences in the upcoming Netflix offering.

For debutant director Sam Hargrave, working on Extraction was both a familiar and alien experience at once. While on one hand, the former stuntman for Avengers' Captain America was reuniting with Hemsworth and producers Russo Brothers, on the other, he was exploring the unfamiliar terrain of India, where his film is based, and even employing languages that he couldn't himself comprehend.

"It is due to Sam's vision that we could create this world. We went through a lot of rehearsals [for the combat sequences]. Sam, along with the action team, ensured that the physicality was on point, and the scenes were realistic. I'd also watch the stuntmen, who had peculiar ways of training. They'd practice low-ground work, and take to exercises to strengthen the joints and ligaments. I'd watch them in awe as they performed martial arts and flips."

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Despite the rally we recently witnessed, the market mood continues to be sombre due to the pandemic crisis. FPI outflows from the Indian market persisted in the current month as well, while the recent fiasco at a popular fund house also dented investor sentiments.

It is difficult to predict how this situation will unravel eventually. Though the pandemic has impacted both large and smaller sized companies, small and mid sized companies could be the most affected.

However, quality names even in these segments could perform well over the long run. Therefore, you should stick to only quality names across different market capitalisation and invest via a well managed mutual fund that focuses on growth through diversification.

HDFC Mid-cap Opportunities Fund (HMOF) is one such mid cap fund that looks to invest in mid cap stocks with sound financial strength and reasonable growth prospects.

Graph 1: Growth of Rs 10,000 if invested in HDFC Mid-cap Opportunities Fund 5 years ago

One of the most popular funds in the midcap category, HMOF's asset size is the largest as compared to its peers. However, HMOF has shown no constrain when it comes to delivering superior performance. The fund has a track record of generating above-average returns across market conditions. Over the last 5 years, HMOF has generated returns at 4.5% CAGR as compared to 1.9% CAGR generated by its benchmark Nifty Midcap 100 - TRI, thus generating an alpha of around 2.5 percentage points CAGR. The fund has made well use of diversification to mitigate downside risk and generate decent lead over the benchmark index.

Table: HDFC Mid-cap Opportunities Fund's performance vis-a-vis category peers

*Please note, this table only represents the best performing funds based solely on past returns and is NOT a recommendation. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks. Read all scheme related documents carefully. Past performance is not an indicator for future returns. The percentage returns shown are only for indicative purposes.

Though HMOF has trailed some of the other popular peers in the mid cap category, it stands strong in the list of mid cap funds. The fund has constantly outperformed the benchmark by a noticeable margin across time periods.

Some of the other top performers in the category are Axis Midcap Fund, Invesco India Midcap Fund, and DSP Midcap Fund.

The fund has not only demonstrated its ability to generate superior returns for its long term investors, but has been reasonable when it comes to managing volatility and curtailing down-side risks. In terms of risk-adjusted returns, HMOF has outperformed its benchmark by a significant margin and also stays ahead of most of its peers.

Investment strategy of HDFC Mid-cap Opportunities Fund

Categorized as midcap fund, HMOF is mandated to invest minimum 65% of its assets in equity and equity related instruments of mid cap companies. Accordingly, HMOF invests in stocks of predominantly mid-sized companies, which have reasonable growth prospects at acceptable valuations. The fund also holds significant exposure in smallcaps along with moderate exposure in large caps as well as cash and debt.

It follows the bottom-up approach to identify high quality businesses for the long term. The stocks are bought primarily for the strengths of company fundamentals rather than the strength of the macro-economic indicators.

The fund manager resists from following market momentum and holds each of his high conviction stock for the long term.

Graph 2: Top portfolio holdings in HDFC Mid-cap Opportunities Fund

As on March 31, 2020,HMOF held 75 stocks in its portfolio, with no individual stock having exposure of more than 5%.Popular mid cap names like Aarti Industries, Balkrishna Industries, Trent, Ipca Laboratories, and Voltas, etc. appeared in its top portfolio holdings. The top 10 stocks constitute close to 32% of its assets.

The fund's portfolio is primarily skewed towards Banking and Finance sectors which together constitute around 17% of the portfolio. Auto ancillaries, Pharma, Chemicals, and Industrial Products are the other prominent sectors with allocation of around 9-11% each.

Suitability

HMOF's performance over longer time periods has been commendable, where it has generated decent long-term returns for its investors as compared to the benchmark, though it has lagged behind some of its peers. Its focus on timely realization of growth potential of stocks at fair valuation can help it generate strong returns while also minimize the downside risk. However, its aggressive mandate makes it prone to high volatility. This makes HMOF suitable for investors with high risk appetite and a long term investment horizon.

Editor's note: The last few years have not been among the best for equity mutual funds. While most funds have underperformed or are struggling to match the returns of the benchmark, there are few funds that have the potential to constantly generate alpha for its investors. And we have identified five such high alpha generating funds, in our latest report 'The Alpha Funds Report 2020'. Do not miss our latest research finding. Get your access to this exclusive report, right here!

Note: This write up is for information purpose and does not constitute any kind of investment advice or a recommendation to Buy / Hold / Sell a fund. Returns mentioned herein are in no way a guarantee or promise of future returns. As an investor, you need to pick the right fund to meet your financial goals. If you are not sure about your risk appetite, do consult your investment consultant/advisor. Mutual Fund Investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

Author: Divya Grover

This article first appeared on PersonalFN here.

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PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

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Moshe Holtzberg praying with the Rabbi at Chabad House on Wednesday. Oren Rosenfeld, Israeli documentary maker, who flew with the family to Mumbai from Tel Aviv on Tuesday says the 11-year-old is aware of his past and what it represents. Pic Courtesy/Oren Rosenfeld

It's nearing 4.30 pm, and there's much activity at the Magen David Synagogue in Byculla. Carpets are being laid out and guests who will probably have to wait long are being offered tea and coffee. There's a lawn outside where - with the sun not at its shiniest best thanks to Mumbai's faux winter - a few tables and chairs have been laid out with white satin sheets that the brain registers as celebratory. In the midst of the activity, avoiding the scaffolds that still line the freshly painted blue walls of the 154-year-old synagogue, stands Devina Sankar, a Los Angeles resident who is in Mumbai on a three-week vacation. Looking into a Sony PXW-X70 handycam, she reminisces her school days spent next-door, where as a naughty student she'd often have her ears twisted. It elicits a sound of surprise from the man behind the camera, Oren Rosenfeld. An Israeli filmmaker, in India to document Mumbai's Jewish community, Rosenfeld is collecting several such accounts of the Jewish community's India experience.

In between interviews with his subjects, primarily Eddna Samuel (a Parel resident who Rosenfeld poetically calls the needle through which he will thread the narrative of his feature-length documentary), he points out that the synagogue, which is currently being prepped for the launch of a monthly magazine celebrating India-Israel ties and the Jewish community here titled, Namaste Shalom, is a Baghdadi-Jew synagogue. It's a community that most recall for its best-known Mumbai member, David Sassoon. "What's interesting here is that the Baghdadi Jews and Bene-Israelis [Jewish settlers in India who trace their history to the Lost Tribes] have come together. There are certain prayers in Judaism that cannot be conducted if there are less than 10 men. So, to fulfill that requirement, the Bene-Israelis come over to Baghdadi synagogues to up numbers," he adds.

Rosenfeld meets Baby Moshe's uncle Moshe Holtzberg at the Nariman Point home of common friend Suril Desai, also executive producer of the Mumbai Jews documentary. Moshe Senior, a Rabbi, lives in New York, and has flown in for the three-day visit of the family to Chabad House which he worked to ensure was not shut down. Rosenfeld says that while members of the Chabad House usually don’t mingle with other Jewish communities, the 26/11 attacks changed that in Mumbai, achieving the opposite. Pics/Atul Kamble

The timing of the magazine's launch, admits Rosenfeld, couldn't have been better. While the media seems to have almost given this a miss, just a few kilometres away Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu are setting the stage for better economic and strategic ties between the two countries at Colaba's Hotel Taj Mahal Palace. "But, I don't think they planned it that way."

Almost as if answering a question unasked, Rosenfeld, who runs the Jerusalem-based Holy Land Productions and has worked on projects for the BBC and National Geographic, says "I don't need to be there [i.e. Colaba]. I already have great shots from yesterday." What Rosenfeld refers to is the almost exclusive access he enjoyed as a journalist to Baby Moshe, 11, whose parents Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg were killed during the terror attacks at Chabad House on November 26, 2008. Baby Moshe (referred to as such because he shares his first name with his uncle) made his first visit to Mumbai post 26/11 on Tuesday amidst much media frenzy. Rosenfeld was invited by the Holtzberg family (Gavriel and Rivka's parents) to travel with them on the flight from Tel Aviv to Mumbai last week, and later Baby Moshe's first steps into Nariman House after the time his parents were killed along with four others.

Devina Sankar, a Los Angeles resident in Mumbai on a three-week vacation, speaks to Rosenfeld outside the Magen David Synagogue in Byculla where the Namaste Shalom magazine was launched on Thursday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

On putting the boy through this, Rosenfeld says, "Baby Moshe always has his four grandparents around him. Plus, there's a psychologist who travels with him. He is showing signs of awareness of his past." Rosenfeld, who has a young son the same age as Moshe, says, "In Judaisim, a boy is said to become an adult at the age of 13, which is when the Bar Mitzvah is held. Moshe is almost that age now."

Initially, shy, Baby Moshe soon became comfortable with Rosenfeld's presence. A photograph the filmmaker picks from his iOS gallery is of the child standing before a luggage conveyor belt at Mumbai T2 alone. "He stepped away from his grandparents and waited at the carousel to pick up his heavy bag," he says, about a symbolic scene.

Chabad House, says the 41-year-old filmmaker, across the world has represented a community that has stood away from local communities. "They are more traditional and have stricter kosher rules." What the Mumbai attacks did, however, was to bring all of the city's Jews together. "On Tuesday, at a local Jewish community event, Moshe's grandparents were invited to speak. This [members of a Chabad House mingling] doesn't happen anywhere. If the idea of the terror attack was to shake the community, it did the opposite. It only made them stronger."

Yet, this might only inform a small part of the documentary. Had it not been for the connection between the communities forged after the attacks, the two would have been separate entities. What he is looking for is a Mumbai Jew's life in the city. "In Israel you have a lot of Jews who have come from different countries. However, the ones from India still share a deep connect with the country. They are in touch with their families and return here for vacations."

The travel back and forth is important. Samuel, when the camera is turned away from her, expresses how a multi-entry visa would help everyone. But that's for the PMs' ears. For Rosenfeld's camera, she talks about the excitement of seeing an article, on her life and her community, appearing in Namaste Shalom. And, when that's done, Rosenfeld disappears into the sidelines and records the rest of the evening. A coffee he was drinking is hastily put to rest on the floor as a BJP dignitary he probably doesn't recognise makes a late entry.

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How one can buy cryptocurrency? What is its legal status in India ?..

[Source: Research & Innovation] EU-funded researchers have employed quantum physics to develop an optical microscope that opens up the potential to view the tiniest of objects - including many viruses - directly for the first time.

Indian share markets ended their trading session lower yesterday.

Benchmark indices edged lower tracking weak global cues as investors fretted over weak economic data and rising COVID-19 cases.

Barring energy stocks, all sectoral indices ended on a negative note with stocks in the power sector, telecom sector and consumer durables sector witnessing most of the selling pressure.

At the closing bell yesterday, the�BSE Sensex stood lower by 242 points and the�NSE Nifty�closed down by 72 points.

The SGX Nifty�was trading at 9,200, down by 53 points, at the time of writing.

The�BSE Mid Cap�index and the�BSE Small Cap�index ended their day down by 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively.

Speaking of the current stock market scenario, after a sharp rally in the past few weeks, the markets have turned volatile again.

You would be interested in knowing when the market will likely bottom out.

Vijay Bhambwani, editor of Weekly Cash Alerts, has the answer and he has recorded a video about it.

You can check the same here -�This is When the Stock Market Will Bottom Out

Also, our special report, How to Trade the Coronavirus Crash, is the most comprehensive report on how to trade the coronavirus, both from a short-term and long-term perspective. You can�claim your FREE copy here...

Top Stocks in Focus Today

From the pharma sector, Dr Reddy's Laboratories share price will be in focus as the company announced that the its NDA (new drug application) Elyxyb ((celecoxib oral solution 25 mg/mL) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The drug is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults.

From the IT sector, HCL Technologies share price will also be in focus as the company reported a 22.8% year-on-year (YoY) rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 31.5 billion compared with Rs 25.7 billion in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter rose 16.3% YoY to Rs 185.9 billion from Rs 159.9 billion reported in the year-ago quarter. In dollar terms, revenue rose 11.7% YoY to US$ 2,543.40 million from US$ 2,277.80 million. On a sequential basis, dollar sales were flat. Sales growth in constant currency terms rose 13.5% YoY to US$ 2,584.60 million.

To know more about the company, you can read HCL Technologies' Q4FY20 result analysis on our website.

Market participants will also be tracking RBL Bank share price, Cyient share price and Gillette share price as these companies announced their March quarter results yesterday.

You can read our recently released Q4FY20 results of other companies here: Ambuja Cement,�IndusInd Bank,�Axis Bank,�Tech Mahindra,�HUL,�Reliance Industries,�Marico, Kansai Nerolac, NIIT Technologies, Persistent Systems.

GSK Sells Stake in HUL via Block Deal

From the FMCG sector, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) share price will be in focus as the UK-based Glaxo-SmithKline (GSK) offloaded its stake in HUL via block deals yesterday.

According to the term sheet, over 133 million shares are being offered in the range of Rs 1,850-1,950 to investors through a special block window. The deal will be valued roughly between Rs 246 billion to Rs 259 billion.

GSK and�Horlicks�are selling up to US$ 3.4 billion worth of HUL shares through what could be India's biggest secondary market block trades.

The British drug maker is looking to monetise about 5.7% of�HUL stock it had got after last year's merger of GSK Consumer Healthcare and HUL.

As per the scheme of amalgamation amongst GSK Consumer Healthcare and HUL, GlaxoSmithKline Pte had received 54.08 million shares of HUL, meanwhile Horlicks received 79.69 million shares.

Accordingly, parent company Unilever Plc and group companies' stake in HUL reduced to 61.9%, from 67.2% earlier after the issue of new shares.

Yes Bank Q4FY20 Results

Yes Bank reported better-than-expected March quarter (Q4FY20) results.

Yes Bank�posted a net profit of Rs 26.3 billion on the back of one-time gain attributed to an exceptional item of Rs 63 billion.

The bank has written-down additional tier-1 bonds as part of its planned reconstruction scheme, leading to a one-time gain of Rs 63 billion.

In the absence of the exceptional gain, the bank would have reported a net loss of Rs 36.7 billion.

The bank had reported a net loss of Rs 15.1 billion a year ago, while the same was Rs 185.6 billion in Q3FY20.

The bank's net interest income (NII) for the March quarter came in at Rs 12.7 billion, up 19.6% sequentially.

Net interest margin (NIM) for Q4FY20 came in at 1.9%, compared to 3.1% a year ago.

On the asset quality front, gross non-performing assets (NPA) fell 19% QoQ to Rs 328.8 billion, mostly on account of write-offs.

The bank's deposits plunged to Rs 1.05 lakh crore, down 54% YoY compared with Rs 2.27 lakh crore.

Meanwhile, Advances declined 29% YoY to Rs 1.7 lakh crore from Rs 2.4 lakh crore in the year-ago quarter.

For the financial year 2019-20 (FY20), the private lender posted a loss of Rs 164.2 billion, on a standalone basis, compared to net profit of Rs 17.2 billion in the previous year.

To know more, you can read Yes Bank's latest result analysis on our website.

Speaking of the banking sector, the low access to credit for micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) tells us there is a huge opportunity for lenders.

This is evident from the chart below:

India's Huge Lending Opportunity

Of the 60 million MSMEs in India, only 11% had access to credit from organised lenders. Most of them are self-financed or get credit from unorganised sources.

Here's what Tanushree Banerjee wrote about this in one of the editions of�The 5 Minute WrapUp...

• Self-financing limits the growth of these MSMEs. On the other hand, high interest rates from unorganised sources makes it difficult for them to earn profits.
  
  The Modi government is looking at various ways�to correct this problem. Mudra loans, online loans facilities are being made available to MSMEs.
  
  Slowly but surely, lenders are sensing the huge opportunity that lies ahead for this sector.
  
  Banks and other financial firms with prudent lending practices and strong distribution networks will benefit from this�megatrend.

Tanushree is counting on 7 top stocks from the Indian stock market that will benefit from this megatrend.

As per her, now is the right time to buy these stocks to profit from the�Rebirth of India.�You can read about them here.

And to know what's moving the Indian stock markets today, check out the most recent�share market updates here.

The crisis served as a wake-up call for banks whose digital operations were growing at a snail's pace. They have started embracing the change

Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau has made tax non-compliance in the real-estate market a major focus of his 2019 Budget.

Caribbean territory Trinidad and Tobago announced changes to corporate tax breaks in its 2020 Budget, in which it committed to clear the almost TTD4.5bn (USD664m) in unpaid VAT refunds.

The UK tax agency has confirmed that it is investigating around 170 professional soccer players' tax affairs and around 20 football clubs, focusing on the taxation of image rights.

The Australian Government is to implement a new government procurement process that will require the tenderer's tax record to be taken into account.

Caribbean territory Aruba has released instructions on the completion of transfer pricing documentation and released model templates for completion.

On April 17, 2020, the President of Poland signed legislation into law to extend transfer pricing documentation deadlines, as part of a package of additional COVID-19 economic support measures.

On April 25, 2020, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany would attempt to seek agreement on a financial transaction tax and a minimum corporate tax when it assumes the presidency of the European Union in July 2020.

Aamir khan's much - hyped show " Satyameva Jayate," which show cases society- related issues, was televised on Sunday.

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Company: Kalpaka Chemicals And Specialities LLP
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Labour market integration of immigrants in Switzerland is generally successful: three quarters of immigrants in Switzerland are in employment – more than in any other OECD country