Ferrari's Charles Leclerc claimed a second victory in the Formula One Esports Virtual Grand Prix championship on Sunday, marking his Shanghai win by cooking pasta. Leclerc started on pole and finished ahead of Red Bull's Alex Albon and Guanyu Zhou, who races in Formula 2.

"I'm actually enjoying very much playing, and streaming. And I enjoy it even more when I win," tweeted 22-year-old Leclerc who also has two wins in the real F1 world championship. "But the post-race celebrations are somehow feeling a bit different. "Switching off the computer and go cook white pasta is a bit less glamour than spraying champagne on the podium."

The Formula One world championship has yet to get underway this season due to the spread of the coronavirus. Nine of the scheduled 22 races have either been cancelled or postponed.

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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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When author turned filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee decided to make the big switch he knew that it wouldn't be a cakewalk.Now with his second Hindi film Season's Greetings he emerges as a confident story teller, who can intrigue audience with simple and thought provoking narrative. In an exclusive chat with Midday he talks about his films and beyond...

Probably you are amongst few film journalist from Bollywood who have successfully switched from print to movie making. Was is a pre planned transition?

It might sound like a 'cakewalk' but unfortunately it was not. I had to go through the grind. After my tenure as Editor in chief of a film magazine. I co-produced a finite series Bin Kuch Kahe for Zee TV with director Rajshree Ojha. It was a learning experience for me. During that time, I realized that I would like to make films. But never in my dream I had imagined that I will become a director. In fact it was Esha Deol who literally forced me to become a director with Cakewalk. She said, "It's your vision, and you are doing everything that a director does. I think you will be a good filmmaker!" Esha stood by me and my production house like the Rock of Gibraltar.

You have been a senior journalist, with almost 20 years experience. Did any of your industry friends help you? Or did you approach them?

No. I didn't approach anyone. I wanted to make a film on my own terms and condition. I knew that once I achieve in making a decent movie, industry will support and stand by me. Cakewalk broke all possible records. It became India's first short film to be premiered in a satellite television Cineplex with Colors, the first look was launched in London by Hema Malini, the music rights was acquired by Zee Music, the film was acquired by Viacom18, I was invited at the BBC studios in London for live chat show, it got selected at 21 film festivals and won at 17 film festivals. It also become India's first short film to be premiered at Inox Insignia one of the biggest theatre chains in India. The film was promoted in 6 major metro cities in India and Dubai. We treated it like a feature film, and I give credit to my team and my friends from media and film industry.

Your second film Season's Greetings seems to have created a much bigger news. With United Nation Free and Equal and legends like Amitabh Bachchan endorsing the film it seems to be one of the much awaited movie of this year on OTT?

I am thankful to Mr Bachchan for being so gracious, he spoke so beautifully about the film in his video message. My film is a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Riruparno Ghosh, and I am grateful that Lillette Dubey maam and Celina Jaitly Haag who agreed to be a part of this venture. It was Celina who connected me with the United Nations Free and Equal, and I had to organize special screening for them in Geneva. It took almost two months to bring them on board as our social cause partner. This wouldn't have been possible without our friend and well wisher Charles Radcliffe. Zee5 had initially decided to release it on March but now due to Corona pandemic we had to reschedule everything. But I am glad that we released on April 15, and the film has become the most watched short film on Zee5. The film got selected at seven prestigious international festivals including Cardiff International Film Festival. It won Best Director Jury award at Rajasthan International Film Festival this year. I am eagerly waiting to show the film to all. This film also marks the debut of young and talented actor Azhar Khan. The film deals with LGBTQIA issue in a very subtle manner. The film has been selected at the prestigious Kashish Film Festival 2020 in Mumbai, Asia's largest LGBTQIA Film Festival. I am glad the film is getting appreciated by all, my film celebrates love beyond gender.

Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee with lead cast Celina Jaitley and Lillette Dubey in Season's Greetings

How does it feel when your film gets thunderous applause from media and film fraternity?

I feel blessed. When veterans like Khalid Mohamad, Shoma Chatterji, Nandita Puri, Ananth Mahadevan, Taran Adarsh, Rajeev Masand and Suman Ghosh writes about your film, its a reassurance. But I would like to thank my team for making this possible. My producers Aritra Das and Shailendra Kumar, my associate producers Mohammad Jameel and my wife Sarbani Mukherjee. You might dream big, but you need a producer who will stand by your vision. And of course Celina Jaitly who worked like a team member all the way from Austria in the middle of lockdown crisis. She would manage her household responsibilities and maintain all her work commitment. She interacted with all leading media over Instagram and Skype, she gave telephonic and email interviews. She actively pushed the film on social media. Lillette Dubey maam though she is not on any social media platform, she would record her bytes for channels and send. Her daughter Ira Dubey would record her interview on phone and we would give those bytes to electronic and web media. Azhar Khan supported us from Pune, while Shree Ghatak in Kolkata went all out to spread the word. My singers Sayani Palit and Jaan Kumar Sanu did radio chats and facebook live performance of the song. It was very tough to promote a 47 minute film in the middle of lockdown. But we all need to keep reinventing ourselves.

In a span of two years you have managed to direct almost five films. That's a decent number...

After Season's Greetings, I wanted to make a short length Bengali film. That's when the idea of Rickshwala came to my mind. I am launching Avinash Dwivedi in as the protagonist in the film. It was a tough project for me. We had to do workshops and shoot in the bylanes of North Kolkata in summers. Avinash gave his blood and sweat for this film. Rickshawla already won Best Actor and Best Director at 13th Ayodhya International Film Festival this year. Then we made Broken Frame, which is based on my fiction Long Island Iced Tea. Yet again I was fortunate enough to work with extremely professional and talented actors like Rohit Bose Roy and Ritabhari Chakraborty. The film deals with martial issue and infidelity. After that, I made Shubho Bijoya with Gurmeet Choudhury and Debina Bonnerjee, which is a romantic film loosely based on O Henry's classic A Gift of Magi. Now I am working on my first full length feature film Binodini Dasi, a biopic on Bengal's famous theatre actress. My first attempt to make a period drama.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee and Esha Deol receiving Society Iconic Award for Cakewalk from Ramesh Sippy, Kiran Sippy and Krishika Lulla

Do you feel that any of your skills as a journalist comes handy when you are donning the hat of a director?

Yes it does! My writing skill helps me in fine tuning my screenplay and dialogues, my editing experience helps me in keeping the scenes precise and save the cost of extra shifts and shoots. My photoshoot experiences helps me in visualizing a character, their costume, hair and makeup. And my nose for news, helps me in creating content that people would like to see on screen. I guess we all use our past experience to enhance our future endeavors.

You have penned five books and directed five movies in a span of three years. You are extremely active on social media, you also conduct special classes for film students and talk shows with celebrities. How do you balance every act?

Huh! Now that you have spelled it, I am feeling breathless. But frankly speaking, I have learnt multitasking from Hemaji (Malini) She inspires me a lot. I think if we can focus on our work then we can distribute our time evenly. Now that we are locked down for almost 40 days, I will be finishing the draft of my Bengali film, work on the story board and first look. I am also working on two non fiction with leading publishers, so my research and drafting is on. I am also working on my Hindi feature film, which will hit the floor by 2021. I don't like to waste time. Even when I am not doing something, I am watching a film or a series. The hunger should never die. And now with lockdown and quarantine, we all have learnt how to multitask, because when you are pushed to the edge then you either learn to fly or you die.

Why do you call Season's Greetings a homage to director Rituparno Ghosh? And how is it different from any other tribute?

Well, this is a different kind of homage to any director. Mostly when we pay tribute, we tend to either make a biopic or remake classics. But I thought of giving him a tribute through multiple ways. Suchitra Bhattacharya was Ritu da's favorite author, veteran Tagore vocalist Suchitra Mitra acted in his film Dahan, so I decided to name Lillette ji's character Suchitra. Celina's character Romita was Rituparna Sengupta's name in Dahan, which was a popular novel written by Suchitra Bhattacharya. The house where they stay is called Utsab, which was yet another film by Ritu. The househelp is Chapala inspired from his film Aarekti Premer Galpo (he acted), where he played a transgender filmmaker and enacted life of theatre actor Chapal Bhadhuri. Transgender actor Shree Ghatak plays the role of Chapala in my film.

There is a sequence between Lillette and Celina where they talk about fragrance of a particular perfume, which is inspired from Aparna Sen and Debasree Roy's kitchen scene from Unishe April. Lavish display of food and characters talking over dinner table has been Rituparno's favourite narrative style, which is a part of preclimax sequence.

Tagore music and Maithili language is yet another aspect which Rituparno had often used in his films. Infact there is a portrait of Tagore used in the film from Balmiki Pratibha, which was prominently used as a metaphor in his film Ashukh. Then references like Banalata pishi is from Bariwali, Abhirupa is again Rituparno's character name from Chitrangada.

Rabindranath Tagore's song Gahana Kusum Kunj Majhe, was used in his film Abhohoman, which has been recreated in the film by singers Jaan Kumar Sanu and Sarbani Mukherjee.

In a scene we see Suchitra is reading Devdutt Patnaik's novel Shikhandi. That's again referring to Rituparno's film Chitrangada, a character from Mahabharata. In fact we have also shown the exterior of Rituparno's house Tasher Ghar in Kolkata which only very few people will relate. There are shots of Ardhanarishwar, that depicts the presence of bisexuality since vedic age.

The entire character graph of boy child Chapal undergoing sex change and becoming Chapala also talks about his films like Memories of March and Chitrangada. But none of it is underlined, everything is subtle. You need to be a Rituparno fan to appreciate or understand. The scene where Romita talks about unexpected rains and letters from her mother is a fleeting reference to his film Tithli.

And of course the climax that would jolt you as an audience, and will remind you of Rituparno in a much prominent way.

In fact the first day and first shot of the movie between Celina and Azhar was shot in Grand Hyatt Presidential suite. After the shot the manager came to meet me. He said, "It's irony that Rituparno had shot Sob Charitro Kalpanik scene with Bipasha Basu and Prosenjit in the same room!" We knew that Rituda is blessing us from the word 'action'!

This film marks return of Celina Jaitly after motherhood, why did you opt for her since she was away and settled in Dubai?

I wouldn't have taken effort if she would habe settled in Mars or Moon, but to not consider an artist for geographical reason in an archaic thought. I knew that she would be my perfect Romita, for three reasons, she never got an opportunity to play a role like this. She shared a very close bonding with her parents whom she lost recently, and she has been associated with LGBTQIA movement for last two decades. I remember Celina broke down before shoot. She went to severe depression and I guess this film was her fulcrum to spring out of the situation. Ritu da once mentioned, every artist comes with their own qualities, as a director you need to utilize that aspect and mould them into your narrative.

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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.

Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on Thursday with friends and family — virtually. Bips took to Instagram stories, where she shared a string of photographs and videos, talking to family and friends over video call.

She wrote, "Virtual celebration. First of its kind. Sometimes it's important to lift your spirits (sic)."

Bipasha Basu's Insta stories showed her and husband Karan Singh Grover chatting with close friend actor Ayaz Khan, and virtually feeding him what looks like cake! 

Looks like Ayaz Khan, too, played along!

Bips also shared a lovely video on her wedding anniversary and wrote, "Today is our 4th Wedding Anniversary. Time really flies... so make the best of each and every second... make beautiful memories and only hold onto the good things and feelings and let the rest go."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

There is no emotion that is bigger than love . No other emotion has the tremendous power of Love ❤️ I am blessed to be with someone everyday of my life ,who I love so deeply... each day together we look for small joys which fills us with so much gratitude for our life 🙏 Focussing on love , positivity, faith, belief ,magic and gratitude - that’s our motto❤️ Celebrate love each day ... count your blessings each day... thank life and live it fully each day❤️ Today is our 4th Wedding Anniversary🙏 Time really flies... so make the best of each and every second... make beautiful memories and only hold onto the good things and feelings and let the rest go. Thank you all ,for your wishes and love. Sending virtual hugs and big love to all❤️ Spread love 🙏 #Monkeyversary #monkeylove #stayhome

A post shared by bipashabasusinghgrover (@bipashabasu) onApr 29, 2020 at 6:20pm PDT

Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basu met on the sets of the erotic-thriller Alone in 2015 where they played the lead roles. The couple tied the knot on April 30, 2016, in Mumbai. 

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On Sunday, Pooja Chopra turned a year older. As the lockdown meant not making merry with pals, the Aiyaary (2018) actor decided to celebrate her big day in a unique way. She cut a cake with the security folk of her residential complex in Andheri. "They have been on duty 24/7 during these tough times. I also distributed goodies among them," she says.

Given the whole world is currently locked down due to the Coronavirus pandemic, nobody is being able to step out and socialise with their friends. All the celebrities and even commoners are chatting with their friends and families via face-time. Amid this, for someone to celebrate her birthday with a security guard is truly commendable and deserves an applause. 

And taking to her Instagram account, she shared a heartfelt video of how her celebration with her family was. In case any of you are staying away from your family, the video will surely leave you emotional. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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you are the reason I wake up with a smile every single day.. you all add sunshine to my days, make my life a lil better and today you have made my birthday so so so darn special that I can't stop smiling ear to ear.. how can I ever be alone when I have your love with me 24*7 and I'm so super thankful to God to have you all as my back bone and my support system.. 💞 i♥️u cchoooooo much...... @juzneera @ayesha_mendonca @agnelomendonca @trishul_marathe @thegeet @istayakansari @natasha_lorraine @aamirmeer_official Kanchu and Shalini 💋 #overwhelmed #supergreatful #happypuppy #quarantinebirthday 🎁

A post shared by Pooja Chopra (@poojachopraofficial) onMay 3, 2020 at 2:55am PDT

Shouldn't we give it up for the actress for her fantastic and unique gesture?

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Among the most promising shows on Amazon Prime's slate this year is Nikkhil Advani's Mumbai Diaries 26/11. The eight-part series, starring Konkona Sensharma and Mohit Raina, offers a fictionalised account of the terror attack that took place at the Cama Hospital, among other venues, on November 26, 2008. Though the show was earlier titled Bombay Hospital, Advani says it was a unanimous decision to rechristen it. "There is a hospital in south Bombay called Bombay Hospital. Our show is not only about what happened at the [Cama] hospital that night; it also deals with the overarching theme of humanity. We had to come up with a title that sums up the theme," reasons the director.

With the release of Dev Patel-starrer Hotel Mumbai last year, the recreation of stories as sensitive as the 26/11 terror attacks has been widely debated. Is it judicious to tap into those memories? "We Mumbaikars still discuss where we were on that [fateful] night. I hope we have treated the story with sensitivity. The show plays out in a hospital, and little has been said about the hospital staff in our stories of 26/11. I wanted to celebrate the brave doctors who had saved the day."

The drama, which went on floors last August, was wrapped up only days before the lockdown was announced across the country. Counting himself among the fortunate few whose projects remain unaffected, the director is working with his post-production team remotely to meet the deadline.

"Luckily, the show was shot in sync sound, so we don't have the problem of dubbing. Given the subject, it is likely to release around November 26. People talk about how editing from home is a challenge, but it isn't. My editor puts the edited content on Vimeo for the post-production supervisor and me to see. We are constantly on Zoom calls, telling each other what works, and what doesn't," he shares, adding that his 2013 offering, D-Day, too was edited remotely.

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Ramayana actress Mahika Sharma is stuck in the United Kingdom owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has prompted nationwide lockdowns all over the world. Far away from family and friends, the F.I.R actress has been in self-quarantine all alone in the foreign city and celebrating the Indian New Year distributing self-made sweets.

"Being Indian girl, and coming from a very religious Brahmin family I was always taught a girl should learn to adjust and survive in any circumstances away from family and should care to bring joy all around to let people feel her presence. Here in London I'm in a friend's apartment. Its a new year time in India. Be it Bihu in my home state Assam. Pôhela Boishakh at Kolkata or Vaisakhi.. Its a new year for India. So for celebrating it I'm making sweets here and greeting to people here. Its my luck," she said.

Later talking about coming back to nation. Former Miss teen northeast said, "I want to return India as soon as possible. But I don't want to take any risk. I'm safe and healthy here.. so won't return till things genuinely change and provide me a healthy and safe travel."

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Actress Debina Bonnerjee has turned a year older today, and inspite of the lockdown she has managed to celebrate her birthday in a very unique and special way, also keeping in mind all the current necassary rules and regulations!

Practicing the social distancing norm, Debina with the help of husband Gurmeet, her parents and a bunch of close friends 'virtually' brought in her birthday last night. A gang of her close friends logged in together at the same time via a digital medium from their respective homes to sing, cut the cake and be digitally present to make her special day a memorable one!

Speaking about how she enjoyed her virtual birthday celebration this year, Debina shares,"This birthday has been unlike any other celebration in the past, hence it will always be a very memorable one for me! Since nobody can get out of their homes due to the lockdown, Gurmeet and my close gang of friends planned a very special birthday celebration for me which was so amazing! I had around 15 of my friends come online together at the same time, who sang happy birthday for me at 12am last night and made my cake cutting a very cherish worthy moment with their digital presence! It did a feel a little weird to not be going out as I do every year, but being a responsible citizen is in the need of the hour right now. Hence I am very happy to have responsibly celebrated my birthday this year, in a unique and creative way."

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Amritsar: In a mark of gratitude towards corona warriors, Dr Satyajeet and other police officials celebrated the birthday of Civil Lines SHO Shiv Darshan Singh on Friday while he was on duty.

Dr Satyajeet said that since police officers are doing their duties despite challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic, he wanted to give them a small present by cutting a cake on his birthday.

"Cops are working continuously amid the coronavirus pandemic, despite several challenges. So I thought of giving them a small gift by cutting the cake on the birthday of the SHO," said Dr Satyajeet.

The SHO expressed his gratitude towards the doctor for making his birthday memorable. "I am very happy. I will remember this moment in my life because of the way I've been honoured here," said Shiv Darshan Singh.

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

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

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

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) May 7, 2020

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

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

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

A screengrab of the Hip Hop musicla game

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

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

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Singer-songwriter Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey Baldwin celebrated Easter together as they continued with social distancing in Canada amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 26-year-old pop star and Baldwin posted sweet photos on their respective Instagram Stories to document their Easter celebrations, complete with a feast of food on Sunday.

The 23-year-old model shared adorable candid moments from their holiday celebrations with a collage of selfies featuring plenty of smiles, kisses and silly facial expressions. "Love u, babe," Bieber captioned his own Instagram post.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hailey Baldwin Bieber (@haileybieber) onApr 12, 2020 at 3:42pm PDT

The duo also cuddled by the lake near their home as they listened to music and enjoyed the view together. The pair knows how to celebrate a holiday. In honour of Valentine's Day, the newlyweds enjoyed an intimate candlelit dinner inside their California home which they had covered in roses and other romantic decorations.

The 'Baby' singer captioned a photo of his wife on February 14, "My forever valentine." He also shared a video on his Instagram story showing that he laid rose petals along the path leading to their dining room table -- which the singer also decorated with a bouquet and chocolates.

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Socialist and labour unions celebrate this day by organising programs to improve wages and working conditions of the workforce. With a Lockdown imposed by the governments of the various nations, this year, we celebrate those on the frontlines of this major epidemic and appreciate the work done by them. So aid to our battle against the virus by staying at home and doing your bit and while you do that, here are moments from these amazing shows that make us appreciate these workers even more:

Amy catching a criminal in a wedding dress (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

There is one thing certain about the Nine-Nine squad and that is their passion to solve the crime and catch the criminals no matter what. Whether they are sleep deprived, facing a personal crisis or in this case, shopping for their wedding dress during their break, nothing will stop them from doing their duty. In season 5, when Amy is out shopping for her wedding dress with Rosa, a criminal is fleeing a crime right around the shop. Amy makes a dive and caught the culprit while still in the Wedding dress. Pretty Badass if you ask us! Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 7 exclusively on Comedy Central on Saturdays at 7 pm.

When the Cloud 9 employees are stuck in the store during a Blizzard (Superstore)

Matching the circumstances of the recent pandemic when people began hoarding home supplies, St. Louis has a massive blizzard barreling towards it. The residents wish to stock up on their supplies to avoid getting trapped in their homes without any food and rush to Cloud 9 which is forced to stay open by the corporate. Trapping the employees and a few customers in, they have to spend the night in the superstore are the blizzard rages on outside. Watch the essential workers on Comedy Central, 11 am onwards, on 1st May to celebrate Labor Day!

Special Episode on New Amsterdam for Covid-19

The crew of New Amsterdam came up with a special episode showcasing a pandemic and introducing a new character who is also a trauma expert. Keeping in mind that the episode might hit too close for those on the front lines, the crew decided to edit the episode and only hint at the pandemic. However, there is no denying the appreciative work done by the health experts and the hospital staff amidst the chaos. Watch all the episodes of this medical drama only on Colors Infinity to celebrate Labour Day Weekend (1st – 3rd May) from 9 am onwards.

When the doctors come together to treat the patients during a Blizzard (Grey's Anatomy)

In a remarkable episode, Meredith and Carina question DeLuca's uncharacteristic behaviour when he volunteers to perform a life-threatening task during a blizzard. While the others focus on the Blizzard, Bailey tries to help Joey with his future and Richard tries training a new intern at the hospital. We must appreciate everything the doctors do for us and go through during such tough times. Catch all the episode of Grey's Anatomy on Disney+ Hotstar.

When an old Women's life is at Risk (Chicago Fire)

We often do not give enough credit to the Fire Department but the teams always put extra effort into saving everyone's life. In this particular episode, Cruz and Severide suspect foul play when a fire started by an elderly woman turns deadly. Kidd, Foster and Brett create a women's-only lounge. The Fire Department is truly one of the bravest of the lot and ensures they save lives even if it puts them in danger. Watch the thrilling show only on Colors Infinity.

So, don't forget to tune in to these shows this Labor Day Weekend and stay safe inside your homes as we appreciate everyone on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Laughter is the best medicine and what more do you need to get through these tough times than some amazing sitcoms? Even though the world is in turmoil, nothing should stop you from spreading some much-needed light and laughter. So, this World Laughter Day, huddle in front of your TV sets with your loved ones and binge on these shows that will make you burst into laughter!

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The Detectives in NYPD's 99th Precinct are the most entertaining lot you'll come across. With quirky tactics and brilliant detective skills, they are all so different and yet work so seamlessly together. You must watch the show for some hilarious moments that will surely make you roll on the floor laughing. Catch all the drama on this surprisingly functional precinct on Comedy Central on Saturdays at 7 pm.

Two and a Half Men

There is nothing more entertaining than two brothers who are stark opposites with one's son who has a different personality of his own. Charlie Harper is the epitome of cool while his brother Alan is somewhat socially awkward. Add to this Alan's son, Jake, who takes inspiration on life from both his dad and his uncle and you've got yourself 12 seasons of uninterrupted laughter. Tune in to Colors Infinity every day at 7 pm and witness the madness unfold.

Modern Family

When Modern Family first premiered on our screens, we could never have guessed it would turn into the juggernaut it is today. Centring around the lives of one extended family with three branches of immediate families, the show is one of the funniest and most relatable. Overcoming multiple challenges and addressing social diversity, the show has managed to change the way we look at families. Catch this unique family in its element only on Disney+ Hotstar.

FRIENDS

Let's not forget the classics. There is a strong possibility that you have watched this show countless times, yet whenever you watch it again, you realise how much you missed it. You must watch Chandler cracking sarcastic jokes when he is uncomfortable and Phobe being her quirky self while the rest of the gang continue to make you laugh. Watch the six Friends on COMEDY CENTRAL and amp up your Sunday.

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

A clutter-breaking show, Midge Maisel is a brilliant comedienne trying to rise to stardom while she deals with her marriage and it's falling out. If you appreciate stand-up comedy yet like the twist of an extended back story, this is the show for you. Set in the late 1950s, the show portrays the life of a young American couple and their struggle to do comedy. Watch this brilliant show on Amazon Prime Video.

What are you waiting for? Celebrate World Laughter Day with these amazing shows and laugh your way into the new week.

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May the Fourth Be with You! Every year, the 4th of May is celebrated as Star Wars Day as a take on the pun around the catchphrase "May the force be with you". If you've ever watched The Big Bang Theory, you'd know that Sheldon, Lenard, Raj and Howard are some of the biggest Star Wars Fans and everything related to Star Wars gets them super excited.

Throughout the series, the four of them have constantly paid homage to Star Wars through catchphrase dialogues and special episodes. It's always more fun to celebrate something when you celebrate it with other fans especially loyal ones like our four physicists.

Here are 5 times 'The Big Bang Theory' paid homage to Star Wars that you must watch this Star Wars Day:

The Star Wars Gaming Marathon:

"Movies or Video Games? Or Board Games? Or trade-card games? Or Legos? Or dress-up? Or comic books? Or dramatic readings of novelizations? Yes, to All!" That's how excited Sheldon is in the episode "The Weekend Vortex" when he hears his friends want to have a 'Star Wars Marathon'. Showing their passion for Star Wars and the excitement for anything remotely related to it, the show intrigued all the fans of the series.

What to watch out for: Raj's diet plan when in a 48-hour lockdown

Force Awakens Audition

The episode features a special case scenario when Penny couldn't get her BIG Break and Lenard goes an extra mile to get her an ultimate Star Wars movie, which has him excited but makes Penny a little hesitant. Creating a joke around how Howard too applied for the role online, Lenard tries to make Penny feel better.

What to watch out for Howard's audition tape or more like embarrassment tape

James Earl Jones guest stars:

The episode features a special appearance by Mr. James Earl Jones who played the voice of the Darth Vader in Star Wars movies. Sheldon meets Mr. Earl Jones in a restaurant where he takes a liking to Sheldon and the two ends up embarking on a jam-packed night filled with ice cream, karaoke, and even a strip club. Don't we wish the same!

What to watch out for: Sheldon's wild ride on the giant wheel with James Earl Jones aka Mufasa

The opening night of the Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens:

With a special episode for the release of the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, the show takes an important twist in the romantic life of Amy and Sheldon. Simultaneously, Lenard, Raj and Howard have an extra ticket to the opening night of one of the biggest sequels in pop culture history. The excitement and the loyalty for the movie is something that will want you to join in the fun too!

What to watch out for: Sheldon's birthday present for Amy

Leonard and Sheldon drop by Skywalker Ranch to meet George Lucas:

Lenard and Sheldon are on their way to give a lecture at UC Berkeley and decide to make a pit spot in Star Wars director George Lucas' headquarters. Upon arrival, the security guard won't let them in – but, because only Star Wars can throw Sheldon into an illogical frenzy, that doesn't stop him from attempting to run in. The sheer determination with which they want to meet George Lucas will win your hearts.

What to watch out for: Penny vs Amy vs Raj in Ping-Pong competition for Howard's collector's 'Doctor Who Tardis'

That's not all Folks! Watch "The Proton Transmogrification" where Sheldon has an in-dream counselling session with Arthur Jeffries (Bob Newhart) aka Prof. Proton. Also, do not miss out on "The Bow Tie Asymmetry" where Amy's dream wedding becomes Sheldon's dream wedding when Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker officiates their wedding.

Tune in to Comedy Central on the 4th of May from 4 pm to 7 pm to watch 7 back to back episodes of The Big Bang Theory and Celebrate Star Wars Day with your favourite Geniuses.

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Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe on Tuesday took a look back at the movie 'Gladiator' which was released twenty years ago today. The widely lauded movie was released in the US on May 5, 2000, whereas in India the flick hit the theatres on September 1, 2000.

Today we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the US release of Gladiator. Congrats to Russell Crowe and the entire cast and crew. We can't wait to bring Russell back to the big screen later this year in @UnhingedMovie #WeLoveMovies #SolsticeStudios #UnhingedMovie pic.twitter.com/n5THGq4e9u

— Solstice Studios (@SolsticeStudios) May 5, 2020

The 56-year-old actor took to Twitter and wrote: "20 years ago today Gladiator was released in cinemas in the United States ... Strength and Honour ..."

Helmed by director Ridley Scott, the action drama won the Best Picture and Best Actor award at the Oscars and went on to make USD 460 million at the box office worldwide. 'Gladiator', which released in 2000, featured Russell Crowe as Maximus, a General in the Roman army, who is betrayed by the Emperor and left for dead while his family is brutally murdered.

He is eventually forced to become a gladiator after being captured by slave traders, who lead him back to Rome to fight as a gladiator while he plots his revenge against the Emperor who betrayed him. Crowe has proved his calibre as an actor in movies like 'The Insider, and 'A Beautiful Mind', but the portrayal of Maximus remains one of his finest performances.

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England footballer Dele Alli turned 24 recently and celebrated despite being in isolation due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Tottenham star posted pictures of his April 11 birthday celebration on social media where he played games like Twister and Pin the tail of the donkey. "Turning 24 in isolation wasn't so bad," Dele captioned his Instagrammed pictures. Dele loves his Playstation and so it was no surprise to see his cake in the shape of a PS controller.

Dele was even seeing enjoying a barbecue lunch in his garden, wearing a cute, silver conical cap and shades. His 7.1 million Instagram followers enjoyed his posts, giving him over five lakh 'likes'.

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India tennis ace Sania Mirza celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary along with husband and veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik on April 12, 2020. It was an auspicious day as it was also Easter

Sania Mirza took to social media site Instagram to share a few pictures with her husband Shoaib Malik from their big day back in 2010. She also wished him a "Happy Anniversary".

Sania Mirza also showed her fans a glimpse of her humorous side as she made a tongue-in-cheek statement in her post comparing the two contrasting photos by saying "Expectations vs reality". Sania Mirza wrote: Happy Anniversary @realshoaibmalik. A decade of being married looks like this!! Expectation vs reality. Swipe right for reality." Take a look at the post below. 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Happy Anniversary @realshoaibmalik 😌ðŸ¤Â— A decade of being married looks like this!! Expectation vs reality 😅😂 Swipe right for reality âž¡ï¸Â

A post shared by Sania Mirza (@mirzasaniar) onApr 12, 2020 at 3:55am PDT

Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik tied the knot in April 2010 in Hyderabad in a grand manner. Sania Mirza gave birth to a baby boy named Izhaan in October 2018. After giving birth to her child in October 2018, Sania Mirza returned to the court in January 2020.

She clinched the women's doubles title at Hobart International, pairing up with Nadiia Kichenok, in her comeback competition.

Sania recently shared a photo of her son with a tennis racquet in hand, looking confused. "I am pretty sure he's thinking what the fuss is all about? #IzhaanMirzaMalik," Sania said in her Twitter post.

Sania last played at the Qatar Open in February. She has helped raise Rs 1.25 crore in one week which will help close to 1 lakh people in need during the 21-day lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Inputs from IANS

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Amitabh Bachchan campaigns for the 1984 elections in Allahabad

Fans across the world celebrated acting legend Amitabh Bachchan's 75th birthday last October. And if you wish to extend the festivities, visit Frames 75, an exhibition of rare photographs and framed memorabilia that celebrate Bachchan's oeuvre.

The exhibition has been curated by film historian and archivist SMM Ausaja and photo journalist Pradeep Chandra. "There were no big commemorative events for his 75th birthday. But we realised that his 75th year is not yet over, so we should celebrate it with a visual journey in his platinum year," says Ausaja.

A photo by Pradeep Chandra of the legend at RK Studios

The duo worked over three months to curate the list of exhibits and even commissioned artwork for the exhibition. "We wanted something rare that's not on the Internet. You will see a photo from his first photo session, a pamphlet from his Allahabad election campaign, and artist Sonu Gupta's recreation of a painting by MF Husain that depicts the three phases of Bachchan's life," Ausaja says.

An original poster of Yaarana

"I did a similar show on his 61st birthday. So, for this exhibition we wanted to do something different. You will see some never-seen-before images by me, including a photo of Bachchan and Rajiv Gandhi at Indira Gandhi's funeral; a frame of him sitting with Bal Thackeray's shadow in the background; a photo with his daughter, with Dilip Kumar, and one with Rajkumar and Sanjay Dutt in the same frame," adds Chandra.

SMM Ausaja and Pradeep Chandra at Bachchan's residence

Also on display will be original posters, vinyl covers and fake notes used for shoots, many of which have Bachchan's image on them. "We wanted a wide variety of media to break monotony and sustain interest across all frames," Ausaja signs off.

FROM: May 11 to 25, 10 am to 6 pm
AT: Whistling Woods, Goregaon East.
CALL: 30916070

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Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who will turn 47 on Friday, will not celebrate his birthday due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the country.

A source close to Tendulkar revealed cricketer's decision to ANI.

The whole country is currently dealing with the COVID-19 crisis which has claimed more than 600 deaths so far in India. In an attempt to contain coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 extended the nationwide lockdown until May 3.

Several sports personalities have come forward to contribute to PM-CARES Fund to help the country combat coronavirus.

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Firstly, and most importantly, this year marks Japan’s golden jubilee: 50 years as a member of the OECD. Japan was our first Asia-Pacific member country, and has paved the way to strengthen the OECD’s ties within the region. This year, for the second time, Japan is chairing our Ministerial Council Meeting – the most important annual decision-making event of the Organization, said Angel Gurría.

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Adobe’s Photoshop celebrates its 30th birthday today. Over that time, the app has pretty much become synonymous with photo editing and there will surely be plenty of retrospectives. But to look ahead, Adobe also today announced a number of updates to both the desktop and mobile Photoshop experiences. The marquee feature here is probably the […]

Allen Leech from Downton Abbey stopped by the kickoff even over the weekend at the Barnsdall Theatre in Hollywood. The actor left his standard dapper suits from his hit TV series at home.

Strictly Come Dancing walked away victorious at the National Television Awards on Tuesday night as the programme won the Talent Show gong. 

The Little Mix star, 28, shared snaps on Instagram from the fun-filled evening as she brushed off the drama from her beau Chris Hughes' spat at the awards ceremony.

The Geordie presenting duo, both aged 44, who started their careers in Byker Grove in the early 90s, starred in the popular ITV children's show with Cat Deeley from 1998 until 2003.

Neymar posted an Instagram video of his celebrations after his sister's boyfriend, Gabigol, fired Flamengo to their first Copa Libertadores since 1981 with a 2-1 win over River Plate.

Neymar has explained the reasoning behind his new celebration, admitting he put his fingers to his lips after scoring against Galatasaray in midweek because wants to 'talk less and play more'.

The 27-year-old, who is regularly named as one of the wealthiest and most marketable athletes in the world, was in Sao Paulo to celebrate the birthday of pal Gabriel Medina at a psychedelic-themed party.

Neymar has paid tribute to Kobe Bryant after one of basketball's greatest ever players died in a helicopter crash. The news broke shortly before PSG's Ligue 1 victory over Lille.

Bryant lost his life in a helicopter crash last Sunday, which also claimed the lives of eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. Sancho dedicated his goal to Bryant.

Neymar will now miss the midweek encounter and his manager Thomas Tuchel admitted the preparation for the fixture was not ideal with several PSG players out with the Brazilian on Sunday night.

Paris Saint-Germain stars continuously mocked Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Erling Haaland during and after their Champions League win over the Bundesliga side. 

Neymar mocked Erling Haaland by imitating the Norwegian's zen celebration during PSG's 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last-16 second leg.

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland said he is 'thankful' that Neymar and PSG mocked his celebration after their Champions League match-up.

Rachel Riley has posted a new Instagram snap of her baby girl Maven Aria, who she welcomed a week ago with her husband Pasha Kovalev.

Gordon Ramsay was every inch the proud dad on Tuesday as he led the 20th birthday tributes for his twins Holly and Jack.

Ellie Goulding looked ready to party on Tuesday, as she prepared for a triple-celebration - New Year's Eve, her 33rd birthday and gaining the final number one single of the decade.

The Victoria's Secret model, 31, struggled with alcoholism in her teenage years, and took to the social media site on Thursday to detail her decision to give up alcohol.

The singer, 27, who recently settled the details of her divorce from husband Liam Hemsowrth, 29, posted three photos of her family to Instagram on Christmas Eve.

She chose a low-key way to welcome in 2020, blowing number-shaped candles from two different cakes in a video she posted to Instagram on Tuesday.

Miley Cyrus paid tribute to godmother Dolly Parton on her 74th birthday by sharing a video of her Dolly impression with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show back in 2017.

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