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Indonesia Mah Lewat, Kebiasaan Ini Cuma Ada Di Rusia!!

Setiap orang pasti akan mengikuti suatu kebiasaan yang memang dari dulu sudah tercipta di negaranya tersebut. Misalnya saja kebiasaan orang Indonesia, yang dimana sering kali mengejar layangan yang sudah putus (kaum anak kecil, secara turun temurun masih menggunakan kebiasaan ini ), lalu kebiasaan melakukan tindakan seperti ” Salim..” setiap hari ke Orang yang lebih tua […]

The post Indonesia Mah Lewat, Kebiasaan Ini Cuma Ada Di Rusia!! appeared first on anni-sanni.com.




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Kebiasaan umum di Rusia yang unik!

Di mana dunia dipijak, di sana langit dijunjung— begitulah tutur peribahasa. Terdapat banyak perihal yang bisa jadi dikira lazim di Indonesia, tetapi tidak begitu di Rusia. Sebab itu, saat sebelum melambung mengarah Rusia, Kamu butuh mengenali kebiasaan- kebiasaan apa saja yang legal di negeri ini biar tidak terperangkap dalam suasana yang aneh. Rusia memanglah diketahui […]

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She's Baaaaaack

HELLO




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Coronavirus: 'Virus not beaten' but UK can think about next phase, says Raab

The Foreign Secretary says the prime minister will outline what steps the UK "can responsibly take over the following weeks."




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Aaron Mooy Post-Match Interview, Australia v Germany

Hear from Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy after his side's 3-2 defeat against Germany at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017.




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Bandar Al-Ahbabi of Al Ain is challenged by Ghaylen Chaaleli of ES Tunis 

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: Bandar Al-Ahbabi of Al Ain is challenged by Ghaylen Chaaleli of ES Tunis during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 Second round match between ES Tunis v Al Ain at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)




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Bandar Al-Ahbabi of Al Ain is challenged by Ghaylen Chaaleli of ES Tunis

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: Bandar Al-Ahbabi of Al Ain is challenged by Ghaylen Chaaleli of ES Tunis during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 Second round match between ES Tunis v Al Ain at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)




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 Bandar Al-Ahbabi of Al Ain is challenged by Ghaylen Chaaleli of ES Tunis 

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: Bandar Al-Ahbabi of Al Ain is challenged by Ghaylen Chaaleli of ES Tunis during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 Second round match between ES Tunis v Al Ain at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)




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Kashima Antlers v CD Guaalajara - FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: CD Guadalajara leaves the pitch after the first half during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 second round match between Kashima Antlers and CD Guadalajara at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




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Kashima Antlers v CD Guaalajara - FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: Fans of Kashima Antlers support their team ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 second round match between Kashima Antlers and CD Guadalajara at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




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Kashima Antlers v CD Guaalajara - FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: Fans of Kashima Antlers support their team ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 second round match between Kashima Antlers and CD Guadalajara at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




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Kashima Antlers v CD Guaalajara - FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: Fans of Kashima Antlers support their team ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 second round match between Kashima Antlers and CD Guadalajara at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




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Kashima Antlers v CD Guaalajara - FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: Fans of Kashima Antlers support their team ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 second round match between Kashima Antlers and CD Guadalajara at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




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Kashima Antlers v CD Guaalajara - FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been converted to black and white) Fans of Kashima Antlers support their team ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 second round match between Kashima Antlers and CD Guadalajara at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




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Mouine Chaabani, manager of ES Tunis gives his team instructions

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 18: Mouine Chaabani, Manager of ES Tunis gives his team instructions the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 5th Place Match between ES Tunis and CD Guadalajara at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on December 18, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




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Isaac Brizuela of CD Guadalajara is challenged by Mohammed Belaili of ES Tunis 

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 18: Isaac Brizuela of CD Guadalajara is challenged by Mohammed Belaili of ES Tunis during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 5th Place Match between ES Tunis and CD Guadalajara at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on December 18, 2018 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




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Rajasthan Royals' Robin Uthappa, Varun Aaron, Jos Buttler helping wives in the kitchen

They would have been striving together to make Rajasthan Royals win at this time of the year in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Instead, the coronavirus pandemic has forced the likes of Jos Buttler, Robin Uthappa, Varun Aaron and Riyan Parag to be at home and help the women in their lives.

"We have been home for three weeks now and we are loving it. He is also been doing lots of cooking. He has even done some cleaning for me," Louise Buttler said during a Rajasthan Royals social media interaction.

"It's been amazing to have Robin home for this long at a stretch. Robin's been cooking. He is trying his hand at cooking," said Shheethal, Uthappa's better half.

For 18-year old Riyan Parag, who impressed one and all last season, his mother Mithoo Barooah complained the Guwahati-born batsman has been into gaming all the time but it is good to be around him.

"I am actually loving it, having my kid around with me for so long. I also don't want him to be away from cricket as that's his passion. Not just that, he is gaming all the time which annoys me," Mithoo said.

Ragini, Aaron's wife, said she is getting used to the pacer's mess lying all around the house but also spending quality time with the husband.

"Spending time with my husband has been really great. It's the usual Varun Aaron mess all throughout the house."

The IPL has been postponed due to the lockdown getting extended till May 3.

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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




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From Mardaani to Chhichhore, how Tahir Raj Bhasin nailed his characters!

Debuting in today's times is the best thing to happen for any aspiring actor. The opportunities at the disposal are far greater and richer than they were back in the days. Heroes could not be villains, villains could not be comedians, and comedians could only dream of becoming heroes. Today, an actor can pull off everything and display his versatility. Tahir Raj Bhasin is one of them!

In 2014, he made his debut with Pradeep Sarkar's Mardaani, a riveting crime thriller about human trafficking. There was an urgent breathlessness about the way the narrative unfolded and something compelling about the performances. Rani Mukerji can always be relied upon to deliver a rocking act, what caught the audiences was the character of Bhasin. He was a college student and completely unapologetic about his heinous crimes. He was cool, calm, and yet very chilling. Also, if we may add, very charming!

Bhasin's wasn't the kind of villain that we have grown up watching. He could be anyone from the crowd, carefully shielding his hideous reality from everyone. And in one scene, he even weeps at the loss of a loved one. His approach towards his character was commendable and so was his effortlessness in creating what is one of the most impressive antagonists in recent times.

A few years later, in 2019 to be precise, we were rooting for the same guy we despised in Mardaani. He was Derek this time, in Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore, a loser who chances upon a golden opportunity to win! His entry shot is possibly the most heroic moment in the film, juxtaposed by his entry as an aging, balding man who visits a close friend. Derek is driven by hope and despair, and Bhasin never made this character unreal or unlikable. He was one of us, and we wanted to be like him!

Bhasin has a solid screen persona that it's impossible not to root for him or at least enjoy what he's doing on the screen. His next is Kabir Khan's 83, where he plays the role of the legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. It's an ensemble but we are sure even this time, he'll deliver a knock-out performance!

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Kartik Aaryan's sister makes a Roti for him, his reaction after eating it cannot be missed!

Kartik Aaryan has a knack to take social media by storm with his remarkable videos and post and even his hit series. After seeking help from the netizens to help him to decide whether he must remove his facial fuzz or grow a quarantine beard, the actor now leaves us in splits with a fun video with his sister Dr. Kritika.

Kartik Aaryan has posted an adorable video where he's showing his displeasure as he comps into a roti made by her sister. The perfectionist that the actor is believes in not taking this lightly and decides to teach his sister a lesson, obviously all in a joke. Kritika who's seen with a rolling-pin in her hand is animatedly flung around by Aaryan and almost thrown out of the balcony. Aaryan ends the video looking nonchalant with the harsh (and obviously funny) treatment and the rolling pin in his hand.

The actor has captioned the video wittily saying, 'no compromises on quality!' Now that's one funny video that made our not-so-happening-Sunday, brighter and better. These siblings are always seen pulling each other's leg and always indulging in tomfoolery like any normal siblings do. We love this actor and his amazing sense of humour.

Have a look right here:

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

No Compromise on Quality😇 #KokiToki

A post shared by KARTIK AARYAN (@kartikaaryan) onApr 19, 2020 at 4:34am PDT

Kartik Aaryan has been doing every bit to fight the pandemic and educate the masses. His internet-breaking show Koki Poochega has been trending on all platforms ever since its inception. Moreover the actor's heroic act to pledge Rs 1 crore to the PM Cares Relief Funds, is truly commendable. Kartik Aaryan's wit and his nobles' causes are truly making him a true-blue hero in every sense in these tough times. Hats off to the youth icon!

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Bhai kamaal ka single aur singer hai, says Shah Rukh Khan on Salman Khan's song Pyaar karona

Shah Rukh Khan's trademark wit was at work when he commented on Salman Khan's new song, Pyaar karona. SRK's quip came during an interactive Twitter session with fans titled "#asksrk", when a user asked him what he thought of the new song that Salman has released on the coronavirus outbreak, titled "Pyaar karona".

"Bhai kamaal ka Single aur Singer hai..." was Shah Rukh's reply.

Many fans feel SRK was playing a pun using the word "Single" -- which could refer to the song, as well as Salman's bachelor status. "Bhai" could be a reference to Salman, of course, but Shah Rukh could also be addressing the fan.

Among several other interesting questions, SRK was asked who he would love to work with -- Martin Scorsese or Christopher Nolan. His reply, again, was a cryptic one, and many users felt he is hinting at a possible collaboration with Rajkumar Hirani in the future.

Replying to the question about Scorsese or Nolan, Shah Rukh tweeted: "Wow both are awesome and I have met them... but Raju apna sa lagta hai... nahi?"

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Aparshakti Khurana's first-ever audio short film - Hisaab Barabar is here to leave you smiling

Fact that Aparshakti Khurana has emerged as one of the ultimate social media buzz makers amidst the lockdown. After initiating digital antakshari, he started interactive Instagram Lives, brand collaborations, musical series called #InstaMusic and even featured in a special Lockdown Anthem video alongside various YouTubers.

With so much on, it won't be wrong to call Khurana the most entertaining and engaging celeb on social media currently. Taking his creativity to another level this time around, Aparshakti has shared his first-ever audio short film - Hisaab Barabar on Instagram which he wanted to present back from his Radio days.

The plot revolves around a girl called Suhani and her schoolmate Rinku, revealing how after disliking each other all these years during school, they end up falling in love with each other. Hisaab Barabar is already winning hearts, thanks to its beautiful storyline and Aparshakti's brilliance at storytelling. He does not just leave you smiling but makes you believe and see these two characters when you're just hearing about them. Well, that truly is the real art of narrating stories on audio.

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aparshakti Khurana (@aparshakti_khurana) onApr 18, 2020 at 3:30am PDT

 

The multi-talented star shared Hisaab Barabar on his handle saying, "For those who don’t know, I was working at a radio station 5 years ago and was working on a pilot of my new audio show but destiny had other plans and Dangal happened (which I am grateful of till date), because of which I had to leave the pilot midway. The idea of this audio show was so close to my heart that it continued to linger in my mind for the last 5 years. One of the segments was to be called YEH DILLI HAI MERE YAAR, where in I would have released one audio short film every Friday. Coming up is a story called Hisaab Barabar which is written and voiced by me. Just FYI, I might not have patience and energy to write and voice more stories but I shall try only if you like this one [sic]."

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Mera Bharat Mahaan: John Abraham on double duty

Known for his larger-than-life image on screen, John Abraham lauded the real-life heroes — the police and healthcare workers — as he released the motivational poem, Mera bharat mahaan, over the weekend. Penning the verses came easy to director Milap Zaveri, but the filmmaker admits that shooting the video amid the lockdown was an uphill task. He credits Abraham's unbridled enthusiasm for seeing their passion project through.

"I sent the poem to John and asked if he would like to recite it. He called immediately and said he was on board," recounts Zaveri. A two-day shoot followed, as Abraham doubled up as an actor and director, filming the video at his Bandra residence. "I told him we should run with a simple close-up shot [as he recites the poem]. John shot his portions on his phone, and it was a one-take video," exclaims the filmmaker, evidently impressed with his leading man's directorial skills.

As the actor mouths the lines, 'Mandir aur masjid hai bandh, khuli ration ki dukaan hai. Hausla hai phir bhi dilon mein, kyunki mera bharat mahaan hai', the two-minute-plus video focuses on iconic venues across the country that wear a deserted look in the current scenario. "John elevated the video with his inputs. It was he who suggested that the footage of the city should be intercut with shots of me writing the poem. He also came up with the idea of shooting his portions in black-and-white," adds the director.


Milap Zaveri

It took them 10 days to develop the video as the team, including the editor, music director and sound mixer, worked out of their respective homes. "I sent the footage to my editors, Maahir Zaveri and Manik Sagar, who worked online and gave it shape."

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Kartik Aaryan's show Koki Poochega new video is out

Kartik Aaryan has truly proved to be a crusader in these difficult times. It first all began with his hit monologue #CoronaStopKaroNa which took the social media by storm where he explained the importance of social-distancing. And he didn't stop his self-made awareness-programme for the masses there. Aaryan went ahead and turned his hit monologue into a rap and later even turned into a virtual chat show host to spread the right information about the pandemic.

Kartik Aaryan launched his hit show Koki Poochega a couple of days back on his YouTube channel and broke the internet. His smart initiative to use his star power, to enlighten his innumerable followers about Coronavirus is commendable. Our Koki not just met COVID-19 warriors and got insights about the fatal infection and the plight, but he also made the chat show lighter in these dark times with his effortless charm. His first interview with Sumiti Singh, India's first COVID-19 survivor, was filled with humour and laughter. Kartik followed the pattern in his other two episodes - Dr Meemansu Buch and MP, Police officer Madhurveena. All three episodes were packed with knowledge, laughter and fun moments which left a lasting effect on social media, but it also has to be noted that Kartik has chosen all of three of his interviewees to be women.

Kartik Aaryan has done extensive research for his chat show. He made sure that his first chat show is not just an amateur one, where he just interviews them and experts only details out of them. Amidst all this, Kartik wanted all his initial episodes to have female interviewees. A source close to the actor tells us, that the heartthrob wanted the women to speak out loud through his show. "While the first COVID 19 survivor happened to be a girl, he made sure that the doctor and a cop that he interviews are women. He wanted to know how a young female doctor is curing patients and selflessly working for the nation. Even with his police-episode, he wanted to know how a lady cop's life in this lockdown when she's on duty. And it wasn't done with as an act of sympathy, but he just wanted to show the world, that how women can achieve anything they want to. Women are also a driving force in serving the nation, which is usually not brought out in the media and Kartik made sure he puts across this strong point out there too without even making a hullabaloo about it. He also made sure he just doesn't centre his show around Mumbai and get the warriors from the city. But he picked these real-life heroes across the nation."

Kartik Aaryan recently pledged Rs 1 crore to the PM Cares Relief Funds and this act hailed him as a true hero in the public eye, for donating such a generous amount at such a young age.

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After Ajay Devgn, now Aamir Khan and Shahid Kapoor urge coronavirus survivors to donate blood

Aamir Khan has urged those who have recovered from the virus to donate blood. He shared a BMC poster, which read, "The patients have antibodies that protect against COVID-19. They can donate blood and their plasma can be used to save patients who are severely affected (sic)."

“Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies that protect against the virus. They can donate blood and their plasma can be used to save patients with severe COVID-19. Patients may be eligible to donate plasma 4 weeks after Complete recovery, but it they have had negative swab tests then they maybe able to donate even sooner,” the poster read.

Shahid Kapoor too argued the coronavirus recovered patients to donate blood by sharing the poster.

Before this, Ajay Devgn too had appealed recovered Covid-19 patients to donate their plasma. Taking to Twitter, Ajay had written, “If you’ve recovered from COVID19, you are a Corona warrior. We need an army of such warriors to overcome this invisible enemy. Your blood contains the bullets that can kill the virus. Please donate your blood, so others, especially the serious ones can recover. Sign up now.”

On the work front, Aamir will be next seen in Laal Singh Chaddha which is a remake of Forrest Gump (1994). He is paired opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan in the film. Laal Singh Chaddha marks the return of the pair after a decade. Before this, they were last seen together in 3 Idiots. The film is set to release in December 2020.

On the other hand, Shahid Kapoor will be next seen in Jersey, a remake of a Telugu film of the same name and tells the tale of a failed cricketer, who tries to make a comeback to the Indian cricket team to win a team jersey to fulfil his son's desire.

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It's story time for Inaaya Naumi Kemmu and Soha Ali Khan amid quarantine

Different Bollywood celebrities are indulging in different activities at home to spend time amid the quarantine and lockdown issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some are cleaning their homes and many are sharing their workout videos. Soha Ali Khan's daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu have something else in mind.

Taking to her Instagram account, actress and mother Soha shared an immensely adorable picture of Inaaya arranging book in her playroom. The toddler looked cute in her black t-shirt and pink checkered trousers. The post was captioned as, ''Booked for the week! #lockdown #stoppedcountingthedays #storytime(sic).''

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

Booked for the week! #lockdown #stoppedcountingthedays #storytime

A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) onApr 21, 2020 at 12:26am PDT

If you go to her Instagram account, she has been sharing pictures and videos of her family on Instagram account. She regularly updates us about her quarantine time. Recently, she shared a picture of her husband Kunal Kemmu and Inaaya. The father-daughter duo is seen peeling pees in the image! "It's just a 'matar' of time...#lockdown...#stayhome..#twopeasinapod (sic)," Soha captioned the picture.

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) onApr 15, 2020 at 1:46am PDT

Before this, Soha had shared an immensely adorable picture of Inaaya who could be seen sitting with her bunch of teddy bears and captioned it- House party Day 6. She also used the hashtag- Lockdown.

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

House party Day 6 #lockdown

A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) onMar 29, 2020 at 10:42pm PDT

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Taapsee Pannu's missing the madness; shares a throwback picture!

Taapsee Pannu is missing the usual bustle of a film set. Yesterday, she shared a throwback picture from a shoot and wrote, "This throwback is clearly out of missing the madness we thrive in as actors. The calm we find in the most crazy situations. Need to get back to the chaos soon. By the way, that's a rig being attached to my scooter to test my balancing skills. Both with the weight and emotions in the take (sic)."

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee) onApr 20, 2020 at 11:14pm PDT

On the professional front, Taapsee Pannu was last seen in Anubhav Sinha's Thappad, along with Dia Mirza and Pavail Gulati. The actress is all set to rule the multiplexes with her multiple releases later this year and 2021 with her projects - Rashmi Rocket, Loop Lapeta, the Mithali Raj biopic, and Haseen Dillruba.

Speaking about her last release, Taapsee shared, "Deepika (Padukone) and Kangana (Ranaut)—whose women-centric films, Chhapaak and Panga, released this year—are big names. We never thought that Thappad would match or surpass their collections, more so since films on acid attack survivors and a mother reviving her career don't divide the audience. It is a huge validation for everyone involved."

Taapsee Pannu concluded, "It's scary when critics declare you are in top form after every film. Where do you go from there? The graph should always keep climbing because once you reach the top, you have nowhere to go except down. Praise can go to your head, though mine is firmly placed on my shoulders."

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Kartik Aaryan gets slammed for his 'bad roti' video; Sona Mohapatra, Onir call it 'misogynistic'

Kartik Aaryan's social media post never misses chuckling the internet away, especially during the times of quarantine, as he shares funny videos on social media, many a time featuring his sister Kritika Tiwari. However, his last video attracted much criticism, so much so that the actor had to delete the post.

Shot at the comfort of their homes, Kartik Aaryan enacts the character of a guy who is seen punishing his sister Kritika Tiwari for making bad roti (a type of Indian bread). Unhappy with the rotis given to him, Aaryan in the "funny" video catches her by her pleated hair, spins her around and flings her from the terrace. He captioned the video: "No compromise on quality."

The video did not go out well with the netizens. The skit enacted by Kartik and Kritika was described as domestic violence by many. Filmmaker Onir took to Twitter to write, "Idiotic .. someone should tell him since he is too dumb to understand that a lot of responsible Film industry members have put out a message against domestic violence and this is NOT FUNNY. But then who are we taking to ... [sic]"

He further added, "He is very popular. like his long speech from the film. But unfortunately, misogyny is very often camouflaged as "entertainment" or " real love" [sic]"

Sona Mohapatra, "I have begun to believe that thus is a new PR strategy for many. Put out misogynistic content or even hire a multiple #MeToo accused & then wait for the feminists to speak up & protest & thus amplify? Free ka publicity. Case in point Kabir Singh, Indian Idol & maybe this too? [sic]"

Check out the video that Kartik posted:

Earlier, Kartik Aaryan, throughout the lockdown period, made distinctive efforts through social media, be it through his monologue or rapping, to raise awareness among the people about coronavirus and the importance to stay at home.

The effort made by the actor in his 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' inspired monologue, grabbed the attention of many, including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After getting praise and a retweet for his first monologue video by PM Modi, the actor has promised to "keep reminding everyone" about the importance of self-isolation during the coronavirus outbreak.

But, Kartik, this one definitely wasn't entertaining!

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Offline house party busted by cops at Anita Raaj's Bandra residence?

Neighbours of yesteryear actor Anita Raaj and her husband Sunil Hingorani have alleged that the couple had been entertaining guests at their Pali Hill home on Monday despite the lockdown. High drama ensued at the posh Bandra address when cops landed at the actor's doorstep following the neighbours' complaint.

A source says, "Ever since the lockdown was announced, the society has barred entry for outsiders. So, the neighbours were surprised at the steady stream of visitors at her flat and expressed concern about the threat it posed to their health. On Monday, when it was noticed that they were entertaining guests, the local cops were informed."

The situation apparently took a turn for the worse after the cops left the premises. In a video that is in possession of mid-day, it can be seen that Raaj and her husband had a heated argument with the security guard in the lobby. "They wanted to know who had complained about them to the cops. At one point, they asked the guard if he had informed the neighbours about the visitors," adds the source.

When mid-day reached out to Raaj, she offered a different version of events. "Since my husband is a doctor, one of his friends had come home for a medical emergency. His wife came with him for assistance. My husband couldn't refuse him on humanitarian grounds. After checking the situation, the cops apologised for the false complaint that was lodged with them and left immediately."

The actor, best remembered for films like Prem Geet (1981) and Naukar Biwi Ka (1983), and currently seen on television in Chhoti Sardaarni, asserted that she would not compromise the safety of others. "I won't behave irrationally by hosting a party in the current scenario."

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Kartik Aaryan shares coronavirus survivor's post on blood plasma donation

Actor Kartik Aaryan has urged all COVID-19 survivors in the country to donate their blood plasma for the recovery of those who are battling the pandemic. Kartik reposted a video of COVID-19 survivor. She is seen donating her blood plasma.

"I donated my blood plasma today A person who has recovered from COVID is able to make antibodies against it. Also if you don't have any pre-existing ailments you are considered a healthy body and CAN donate your blood plasma, if willing, for the benefit of patients in a critical condition. With great joy and pride I am able to share that I fit all the necessary criteria to donate plasma and did so today at the Red Cross Ahmedabad," she wrote in the caption of the video. She then focussed on the procedure to donate the plasma, which she said is similar to donating blood.

 
 
 
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So proud of @sumitisingh 👏🏻👏🏻 I urge all survivors to check with their doctors and donate their blood plasma if eligible to help critical patients who are on the road to recovery.🙏🏻 Also a big Thank You Sumiti for spreading awareness #KokiPoochega . . . #Repost @sumitisingh ・・・ I donated my blood plasma today— A person who has recovered from COVID is able to make antibodies against it . Also if you don’t have any pre existing ailments you are considered a healthy body and CAN donate your blood plasma, if willing, for the benefit of patients in a critical condition. With great joy and pride I am able to share that I fit all the necessary criteria to donate plasma and did so today at the Red Cross Ahmedabad. The procedure:- The procedure to donate plasma is the same as when you donate blood. There is one needle that is used to draw blood from your body, and the blood runs through tubes that carry it into a machine. That machine separates the plasma from the blood . The same needle sends back blood to your body while the (yellowish coloured) plasma is collected in a bag. It's all toO cool. This happens through multiple cycles. I was also informed that the body will replenish the plasma in 24 - 48 hours. Dear Positives/Now Negatives... This was my first blood plasma donation experience. My feelings were oscillating between nervousness and excitement . On one part I was unsure about the procedure and how I’d feel thereafter . On the other hand there was a desire to contribute in any way I could in the war against COVID. If it helped anyone , anywhere I was doing it . Expect 2 needle pricks. The first one to check if you have antibodies .The second one to draw blood out and transfer it back in. The procedure lasted 30-40 minutes. Most of this time I was fine, however for 3- 4 minutes I felt nauseous and light headed. My doctors at the Red Cross, immediately helped me with what I was feeling and put me at ease. I have been completely fine, thereafter. SVP hospital is the first in India to get approvals for trials for Plasma Therapy and I wish them all the luck in the world & thank them for taking me through this. If I can do it.... maybe you can too

A post shared by KARTIK AARYAN (@kartikaaryan) onApr 22, 2020 at 4:43am PDT

"There is one needle that is used to draw blood from your body, and the blood runs through tubes that carry it into a machine. That machine separates the plasma from the blood. The same needle sends back blood to your body while the (yellowish coloured) plasma is collected in a bag. It''s all too cool. This happens through multiple cycles. I was also informed that the body will replenish the plasma in 24 - 48 hours, [sic]" she explained.

"Dear Positives/Now Negatives... This was my first blood plasma donation experience. My feelings were oscillating between nervousness and excitement . On one part I was unsure about the procedure and how I''d feel thereafter . On the other hand there was a desire to contribute in any way I could in the war against COVID. If it helped anyone , anywhere I was doing it. Expect 2 needle pricks. The first one to check if you have antibodies .The second one to draw blood out and transfer it back in. The procedure lasted 30-40 minutes. Most of this time I was fine, however for 3- 4 minutes I felt nauseous and light headed. My doctors at the Red Cross, immediately helped me with what I was feeling and put me at ease. I have been completely fine, thereafter. SVP hospital is the first in India to get approvals for trials for Plasma Therapy and I wish them all the luck in the world; thank them for taking me through this. If I can do it.... maybe you can too, [sic]" she wrote.

Kartik had interviewed her on the first episode of his online chat-show Koki Poochega, and lauding her effort he urged all survivors to follow her example.

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Video Woes: Kartik Aaryan takes down his 'Roti' video after social media backlash!

Sometimes, things that are done out of humour and harmlessness turn out to be unexpected for Bollywood celebrities. The recent example is Kartik Aaryan, who took to his Instagram account to share a video where he could be seen eating a Roti cooked by his sister. What followed was Aaryan grabbing her ponytail and swinging her around. This didn't go down very well with the netizens.

He was slammed for the video by a lot of people and was also called out for being misogynistic. Even singer Sona Mohapatra slammed him and called it a publicity stunt. And now, seeing the scathing reactions, the actor has taken the video down. Few other videos of him and his sister are still on his Instagram account where they both can be seen having fun. And Sona took to her Twitter account again to appreciate the actor for pulling down the video.

Have a look at her tweet right here:

Also, he has been very active with his initiative called Koki Poochega, where he interacts with the survivors of the Coronavirus pandemic. On the work front, Aaryan will be seen in films like Dostana 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and an action-drama with Om Raut in 3D!

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COVID-19 lockdown: Giorgia Andriani shaves off beau Arbaaz Khan's stubble!

Lovebirds Arbaaz Khan and Giorgia Andriani are quite active on social media and often share updates from their daily lives for their fans. Now, amid the coronavirus lockdown, Giorgia and Arbaaz are making the most of their free time and spending quality time with each other.

Recently, Giorgia, who seemed quite bored, shared a fun video in which she can be seen giving Arbaaz a clean shave! "Being a barber or being barbaric!? What say?" wrote Giorgia along with the video. The video began with a glimpse of Arbaaz resting on a couch in the balcony, which was accompanied by this description: "Dinbhar sona, complete coma."

 
 
 
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Being a barber or being barbaric!? What say? 🤷🏻‍♀ï¸Â #Quarantine #Mood #Fun #BoredInTheHouse

A post shared by Giorgia Andriani (@giorgia.andriani22) onApr 21, 2020 at 6:33am PDT

Giorgia then makes a short trip to the washroom to pick up a shaving kit. As she applies shaving cream onto Arbaaz' face, Giorgia says, "I'm just frosting... I feel like an artist." The video ends with Arbaaz's reaction to Giorgia's skills and he rates it with a thumbs up!

On the work front, Georgia will soon make her Bollywood debut with Welcome to Bajrangpur co-starring Shreyas Talpade, Sanjay Mishra, and Tigmanshu Dhulia.

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Ajay Devgn appeals to download AarogyaSetu app to fight COVID-19

Actor Ajay Devgn on Wednesday shared a PSA for 'Aarogya Setu' app. The video featured the actor in dual roles, first as a bodyguard that acts as Setu and the second role shows the actor as himself.

The 'Tanhaji' star took to Twitter and shared the video in which he is shown exercising while Ajay who also played the role of a bodyguard and introduces himself to the actor saying, "Sir, I am your new bodyguard, Setu."

Ajay then says, "But I already have bodyguards." "Sir, I'm a different type of bodyguard. Only Setu can guard you against coronavirus."

"How can this save us from coronavirus," asks Devgn. Setu replies: "I can alarm you in advance about the coronavirus threat, and I also alarm you in advance if coronavirus positive person is around you."

"Sir, I also will let you know if your family has any threat from your family," he added. To which Ajay replies, "Why would my family be threatened of me?"

"Sir, if you unconsciously get in contact with a corona positive patient, I am going to alarm immediately so that you don't pass the disease to your family."

He then announced that the Government of India has recruited me as a personal bodyguard to 130 crore Indians.

At the end of the video, the 'Golmaal' star appeals to download the AarogyaSetup app, and says "Setu is my bodyguard from coronavirus, and yours too! "

Along with the video Devgn wrote, Dhanyawad @PMOIndia@narendramodi for creating a personal bodyguard for every Indian to fight COVID-19. #SetuMeraBodyguard hai aur aapka bhi. Download @SetuAarogya now! #IndiaFightsCorona https://bit.ly/AarogyaSetuAppDownload... "

AarogyaSetu app, that was launched earlier this month in a public-private partnership, enables people to themselves assess the risk for their catching the coronavirus infection. The app makes its calculations based on a person's interaction with others, using Bluetooth technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence.

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Ananya Panday and Ishaan Khatter share a cohesive bond as co-stars, here's proof!

Ananya Panday has an exciting array of upcoming films namely Khaali Peeli alongside Ishaan Khatter, Shakun Batra's film alongside Siddhant Chaturvedi and Deepika Padukone and her recently announced film Fighter, which also marks her first film alongside Vijay Deverakonda.

The actress has an extensive following on social media with her consistent uploads and the endearing vibes she gives out to her followers.

The actress keeps on getting into a witty and friendly banter with co-star Ishaan Khatter on social media and here are some of the quips from the comment section of Ananya's and Ishaan's post:

"Ananya Panday: Changu Mangu
Ishaan Khatter: Ay chal na... hawa aande.. bhaalu "

"Ishaan Khatter: You copied the caption from me puppycat,
Ananya Panday: I have no idea what you are talking about."

When fans inquired about her experience on working with co-star Ishaan on her live feed Ananya said, "He is a lot of fun. I have enjoyed my time working with him, he is very talented and very cool. I have had a very good experience working with him, I think we are very similar people and we have a lot to talk about. I think the film that we are doing is very special to both of us so we bond over that alot."

Evidently, Ananya Panday shares a great chemistry Ishaan and we will get to witness it in their upcoming flick.

When Ananya was sharing her live feed on a social media site for the first time Ishaan Khatter was constantly commenting on the live feed for everything that she was saying. Their bond is really tight and it is entertaining and hilarious to see the actor and the actress cross-talk constantly on social media.

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Trishala Dutt shares a throwback picture with Richa Sharma, Maanayata Dutt posts a lovely comment

It seems there's nothing better than sharing old and unseen pictures on social media these days. A lot of the Bollywood celebrities have already done that and have been doing that even now. So the next celebrity to join the list is Sanjay Dutt's daughter Trishala Dutt, who shared a fantastic throwback picture with her mother Richa Sharma.

The picture is all the way back from 1988, where Sharma could be seen holding her in her arms and it was indeed a heartfelt moment. And one of the people to comment on the post was Maanayata, who wrote- Beautiful, followed by hearts and a smiling emoji.

Have a look right here:

Trishala and Maanayata share a great bond and rapport and can often be seen commenting on each other's Instagram pictures and posts. Even Priya Dutt had a wonderful comment on the post and wrote- "So beautiful, she is an angel in heaven now trish, always looking over you. She loved you more than anything in this world. God bless her soul." (sic)

We wish to see more such pictures in the future!

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Taapsee Pannu shares how 'coach' Sandeep Singh punished her during Soorma prep

Taapsee Pannu has been regaling fans with interesting anecdotes from her shoots lately, to beat the lockdown blues. She has now recalled of the time she was shooting for the 2018 sports biopic "Soorma", which narrates the remarkable real-life story of Indian hockey star Sandeep Singh.

While Diljit Dosanjh essayed Sandeep in the film, the hockey star himself used to be on the set too, to guide the actors of the finer aspects of the sport since both Taapsee and Diljit were cast as hockey players. Taapsee took to Instagram, to share a behind-the-scenes video where she can be seen doing somersaults. Sharing an anecdote with the video, she revealed it was punishment meted out to her by 'coach' Sandeep Singh is she missed her preparatory classes!

"This one is from #Soorma . the hockey world they call it ‘baajiyaan' but when I was a kid we used to call this gulaatiyaan back home in Delhi. This is usually a punishment in the hockey world but back home it used to be a fun activity. N me being the hyper active kid , had a lot of this ‘fun' while growing up," she wrote.

She shared that her childhood activity helped her on the film's set.

"It surely helped me to do this easily on set. Also my coach @sandeep_rebirth was always ready with this punishment for me if I missed the class ! Talk about method prep ! #Throwback #Archive #QuarantinePost."

Directed by Shaad Ali, the film also stars Angad Bedi. Earlier, Taapsee shared some anecdotes from the sets of the film "Manmarziyaan".

Taapsee's latest role in Anubhav Sinha's "Thappad" has been widely acclaimed. The actress will be seen in "Haseen Dillruba", "Rashmi Rocket" and "Shabaash Mithu" in the coming months.

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Flashback Friday: Gulshan Grover shares an unseen picture with Aamir Khan from an unreleased film

Back in 1992, Aamir Khan, Raveena Tandon, Gulshan Grover, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rekha were all set to collaborate for India's most expensive film- Time Machine and to be directed by Masoom and Mr. India director Shekhar Kapur. Yes, it was supposed to be mounted on a lavish scale and made on an unheard budget. However, destiny had other plans and the film never saw the lights of the day.

Just like Mr. India, it was based on the genre of Sci-Fi and on the lines of the Hollywood classic Back to the Future. But given the scarcity of technology and budget constraints at that time, the producers decided to shelve the film. It was the story of a man who travels back in time with the help of a machine to meet his parents he has never seen. A similar concept was used by Vipul Shah in his 2010 film, Action Replayy.

And now, taking to his Instagram account, Gulshan Grover shared a still from that film and it's your perfect Flashback Friday picture that could cheer you up. Because during this lockdown, these nostalgic pictures are our best stress-busters.

Have a look right here:

After the success of Bandit Queen, Shekhar Kapur migrated to Hollywood, and Time Machine could never be revived. The cast may have moved on, but it would have been great to at least see a glimpse of what the makers wanted to achieve at a time when no filmmaker had the audacity to even imagine such a theme.

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Mohnish Bahl has the sweetest wish for his 'ardhangini' Aarti on their wedding anniversary

Hum Aapke Hain Koun actor Mohnish Bahl celebrates his 28th wedding anniversary with wifey dearest Aarti Bahl. The actor posted the sweetest anniversary wish for Aarti, wherein he shared a photo of them from their wedding day.

Mohnish Bahl captioned the photo, "No words to express my gratitude for 'always being by my side' You made me understand the meaning of Ardhangini. Love you Janmon Janmon infinite."

How lovely do Mohnish and Aarti look on their wedding day? All decked up in traditional finery, Aarti Bahl looks exquisite, while Mohnish Bahl looks quite dapper, don't you think?

Aarti Bahl, Ekta Sohini before marriage, also shared a memory from their wedding day. She wrote, "You are my superhero. You are my everything. I LOVE YOU. Thank you for being YOU. Happy anniversary."

 
 
 
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A post shared by Aarti Bahl (@aarti.bahl) onApr 23, 2020 at 12:38pm PDT

Mohnish and Aarti Bahl's daughter, Pranutan, too, took to social media to wish her parents happy anniversary. She shared a picture of them with their arms around each other.

 
 
 
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sticking by each other’s side. always. happy anniversary 💕

A post shared by Pranutan Bahl (@pranutan) onApr 23, 2020 at 9:41pm PDT

Here's wishing Mohnish and Aarti Bahl the very best on their wedding anniversary!

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Here's how Farhan Akhtar's upcoming Toofaan will be different from his earlier films

Farhan Akhtar is a multifaceted package of entertainment and his skills know no bounds. The actor has given the audience of the Indian film industry several memorable characters on-screen that. The audience saw one of the actor's most meaningful and poetic characters in Bollywood in the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. He donned the role of an advertising copywriter. His character in the film was given to all things art and delivered to us mesmerizing poetry which captured the essence of the film in it and gave a meaningful message out to the viewers.

In the sports biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Farhan Akhtar played the eminent role of the world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh. His character was inspirational to watch on screens and certainly gave the motivation they required to chase their goals. 'The Sky Is Pink' saw Farhan playing the intense role of a husband and a father in the biographical dram film, proving his versatility and his ability to play characters from one end of the spectrum to another.

The actor has won several accolades with his remarkable roles in his films and those films are known to gain commercial popularity as well. However, this time around Farhan is all set to step into the boxing ring with Toofaan where he won't be pulling any punches or leaving any stones unturned with his acting skills.

Farhan's previous noteworthy roles promise the audience an even more pre-eminent character on-screen.

The film is scheduled to release on the 18th of September 2020, presented by Excel Entertainment and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

Toofaan is an Excel Entertainment Production in association with ROMP Pictures. So be ready to be blown away by a storm in Toofaan!

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See photo: When Sunny Deol's 'dhai kilo ka haath' was only 50 gm!

The reticent Sunny Deol could not resist sharing a picture from the family album like most of his colleagues, who are keeping fans entertained by uploading throwback photographs. He posted a snapshot from his younger days with father Dharmendra.

The actor wrote, "Flashback... dad, my sister and me (sic)." He is seen indulging in a pillow fight and trying to beat the two 'into pulp'.

 
 
 
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Flashback Dad my sister and me #life

A post shared by Sunny Deol (@iamsunnydeol) onApr 22, 2020 at 11:53pm PDT

Netizens found the picture amusing. They wondered if his trademark 'dhai kilo ka haath' was in action even during his childhood days. But looking at his scrawny frame, one user quipped, "Uss time haath 50 gm ka tha aur aab dhai kilo ka (sic)." Sunny paaji could only laugh out loud.

On the work front, Sunny Deol has given his nod to a thriller, which will be helmed by South director Hanu Raghavapudi. "It's not a remake of any South film. It's an interesting subject, loaded with action and suspense. The character is different from what I have done till date. Though it's too early to say anything about my role, it requires me to put in some extra efforts," Deol told mid-day.

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Taapsee Pannu on Looop Lapeta: Planned to shoot outdoor portions before monsoon

Six weeks ago, Taapsee Pannu's date diary was so chock-a-block that she "couldn't even make time for my dental surgery". Cut to present—the actor is confined to her home, feeling helpless as the schedules for her four back-to-back projects have been "disrupted" due to the lockdown. While she was to shoot a portion of Rashmi Rocket in early April, Pannu says she had dedicated the summer to film Looop Lapeta, the official adaptation of the German thriller, Run Lola Run (1998).

"Looop Lapeta was to be shot across Goa and Mumbai. We had planned to film the outdoor portions before the monsoon, and complete the indoor portions during the rains. Now, we will have to re-work the outdoor schedule because monsoons last for four months here. When the situation returns to normal, we'll have to start the planning on every project from scratch," says Pannu, who is utilising the time for scripts narrations over video calls. "I liked one of the scripts I recently heard, so I'll assign dates to that as well."


A still from German thriller Run Lola Run

So, what is she doing when not cherry-picking projects? "I am working out regularly; otherwise, it will be difficult to attain the fitness level [that is required for Rashmi Rocket and Shabaash Mithu]. My trainer and I are in touch, but I am mostly resorting to floor and mat exercises. Currently, my cardio workout includes climbing stairs." The stay-at-home period has also made her explore her culinary skills. "I have lived alone for 10 years, and until now, I didn't even know how to make tea! But, now, I am an expert. I made biryani and butter garlic prawns for my sister's birthday. And on today's menu is matar paneer," she laughs before hanging up.

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Summer of Lockdown: Sussanne Khan shares glimpse of Hrithik Roshan, sons Hrehaan, Hridhaan's quarantine life

Hrithik Roshan is one doting dad and equally, doting is mother Sussanne Khan to their children Hrehaan and Hridhaan. Roshan and Khan have now come together to make sure their kids are safe, sound, and absolutely fine during this time of the Coronavirus crisis.

Hrithik and Sussanne regularly give us insights into their quarantine life through their pictures and videos that they share on their respective Instagram profiles. Continuing to do so, Sussanne took to her Instagram account to share a beautiful live picture of Hrithik and sons, Hrehaan and Hridhaan enjoying the scenic beauty standing in the balcony. The boys looked adorable in their casual wears. Khan also shared lines from a poem by Welsh poet William Henry Davies while sharing the pictures.

Sharing the picture, she wrote, "What is this life, so full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs, And ask with love, about the ‘why’s’ and ‘ how’s’, So stop awhile and do enjoy that stare, Take it in.. absorb as we all are moving.. even though we don’t know where. There is, this amazing thing called ‘Life’.... as the ultimate dare. Stay Home, Stay strong and full of care. Inserts taken from the poem.Leisure by William Henry Davies. #SHHH #stopandstare #the-philosophers #RyeRayRidz #designyourthoughts #summeroflockdown2020 #quarantivities #notestoself p.s the app used for the moving clouds is called Pixaloop (sic)."

 
 
 
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A post shared by Sussanne Khan (@suzkr) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:34pm PDT

Recently, the couple celebrated Hrehaan's birthday. It was an adorable birthday celebration and Roshan thanked flexibility and technology for the same. He shared a video where the young kid could be seen celebrating the special occasion with his dad, mom Sussanne, grandfather Rakesh Roshan, grandmother Pinkie Roshan, and aunt Sunaina Roshan. Taking to his Instagram account, he shared a video where the young kid could be seen celebrating the special occasion with his dad, mom Sussanne

 
 
 
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A post shared by Hrithik Roshan (@hrithikroshan) onMar 29, 2020 at 3:02am PDT

Before this, the actor had shared a special video showcasing his piano skills by playing a tune on the musical instrument. The video featured a special appearance by his ex-wife. 

 
 
 
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A post shared by Hrithik Roshan (@hrithikroshan) onMar 31, 2020 at 7:05am PDT

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Taapsee Pannu reminisces about Rome vacation, says 'quite possible that things won't be the same tomorrow'

Actor Taapsee Pannu who is on a photo-sharing spree these days on Saturday shared an exquisite throwback picture from her trip to Rome. Just like many others who are dreaming of vacations during the lockdown, the 'Pink' actor is also seen reminiscing about her vacation in her latest throwback post on social media.

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time. I love seeing places which should either have beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants. Basically good restaurants is the basic common key here. I loved using all the local apps to find me local transport n restaurants to dine in. Quaint cafes which make u pause. I think it will be some till I experience the thrill of travelling again. But until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it’s quite possible that things won’t be the same tomorrow 🤷🏻‍♀ï¸Â #Throwback #Archives #QuarantinePost

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:57pm PDT

Alongside a picturesque picture shared on Instagram, the actor wrote: "One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time... "

Taking it to the captions, the 'Mulk' actor also pinpointed the key factors she seeks while travelling. "I love seeing places which should either have a beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants," the caption read.

"Basically good restaurants are the basic common key here," the 32-year-old wrote. She also mentioned her interest in using the "local apps" to find her "local transports and restaurants to dine in." "Quaint cafes which make u pause," she added.

Referring to the current lockdown and unpredictable situation the life has been thrown into in the wake of coronavirus crisis, Taapsee also added that one can "experience the thrill of traveling again.. until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it's quite possible that things won't be the same tomorrow."

Lately, the 'Manmarziyaan' actor has been sharing many throwback pictures as she earlier announced on Instagram that she will be posting a series to refresh some memories amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Taapsee is currently at home like many other celebrities as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

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7 years of Aashiqui 2: How Shraddha Kapoor became an overnight star and has been unstoppable ever since!

It has been seven years since Mohit Suri's Aashiqui 2, starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor came out. It made the actress an overnight star and sensation, and her character, Aarohi, still continues to be remembered for her piquancy and innocence, and of course, singing.

Every year, the actress does something special on this day to mark this musical blockbuster's anniversary and this year was no exception. She not only changed her Instagram name to her screen name from the film and upload a new photo from one its stills, but also uploaded a collage of some of the film's scenes to create one beautiful picture.

This is truly an innovative and imaginative way to celebrate your film, don't miss this post:

Shraddha Kapoor is well known for always delivering hits along with a new character and fresh content with every project. Shraddha being a lover of always wanting to try something new has been unstoppable ever since Aashiqui 2.

After Aashiqui 2, taking no breaks, Shraddha was seen in Ek Villain, where the character of being full of life was super fresh. Not forgetting ABCD 2 where Shraddha's dance totally stole hearts. Shraddha showed her versatility factor and the audiences were stunned on how the actress can mould herself in every way possible.

Moulding herself into another new character, Shraddha was seen doing some kicks and punches in Baaghi. The actress has given a carousel of hits and is a roll as the actress chooses quality projects over quantity and this totally sets her apart. Shraddha knows how to treat her fans with the best of characters, where fresh content always hunts Shraddha.

On the work front, Shraddha will be seen in a Luv Ranjan directorial alongside Ranbir Kapoor. The actress is basking in the success of Baaghi 3. Truly we can't wait to see what this fresh pair has brewed for us!

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Artists from Hong Kong, Serbia shows insight into deforestation at Aarey Colony


Glass containers in which Arora has collected soil from different parts of Aarey. PICS/ABIGAIL D’Souza 

A conversation with artist Vikram Arora throws up a vital piece of insight into the issue of deforestation at Aarey Colony. Arora, along with four artists from Hong Kong and a Serbian national based in Mumbai, is spending a few days living with locals in the city’s jeopardised green cover, and he tells us, “The tribals here have a family that doesn’t include only the people they live with. It includes the trees they planted, the animals and birds that depend on those trees, the leopards around them and so on. So everything is inter-dependent, and the fallout [of deforestation] is ecological in nature, because the birds don’t have those trees any more. And the leopards will confront humans because their habitat has been taken away.”

This is the issue that forms the backbone of a project called Forest Tales: Mysteries Hidden in Concrete. It involves the six people creating individual works of art based on their experience of living in the heart of Aarey Colony, immersing themselves in the local culture by tilling the soil that nurtures the food that their hosts cook for them.


Chim Chi Ho tilling soil

Arora tells us that one of his projects, for instance, requires him to collect 33 types of soil from different parts of Aarey, symbolic of the 33 hectares of land in the area that is lost to the demands of construction work for the disputed Metro project. “I will put these bits of soil into 33 different containers on which I will draw Warli art, a traditional tribal style. The idea is to archive the memory of the soil in case that land is also taken away in the future. I will present the different glass containers as an installation to show how, if we proceed without long-term planning, we will end up building a fragile future for ourselves,” he says.

The other project he has embarked on is called Cut Me a Slice of That. For it, he will bake a pie inspired by savelya, a local sweet dish made with coconut and jaggery, which his host taught him to make. He will then serve that pie cut into different pieces when the various works of art are showcased to the public at an event later this week. “It’s meant to reflect the sentiment of how the land grab is taking place, piece by piece. For example, every time there is an emergency in the city, the NSG commandos are given a space in Aarey. A veterinary college is also given space here if they want it. Now the Metro wants its chunk too for the car shed. So, they keep taking this land away piece by piece, through rampant deforestation,” he explains.


(From left) Michael Leung, Vikram Arora, Gum Cheng, Yip Kai Chun and Chim Chi Ho, the artists living in Aarey. Katarina Rasic is not in the photo

Arora adds, however, that not everyone in the local community is against displacement. A few padas (settlement clusters), he says, are happy because they think they will get a house in a tower, though they eventually might never get to reach this carrot being dangled before them. “They are driven by economic sensibilities, thinking they will be moving into high society when, and if, they get those houses. But the whole idea is not only about them shifting base. Instead, it’s about the trees that are being cut to facilitate that process,” he says, pointing out how unless this urbanisation challenge is managed in a sensitive manner, ecological concerns are bound to be sacrificed at the altar of rampant concretisation.


Vikram Arora

ON May 20 AT Keltipada, Adivasi Pada, Unit no 18, Aarey Milk Colony, Goregaon East.
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Kapoors perform emotional Ganesh aarti for final time at R.K Studios

The 'late' patriarch 'showman' Raj Kapoor's guru-mantra, 'the show must go on' continues to inspire his three illustrious actor-director sons Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv Kapoor.

On Thursday, at the legendary R K Studios at Chembur, on Ganeshotsav following an elaborate Pujan, the sacred Ganesh aarti was performed by Randhir, Rajiv and 'nonagenarian' actor Vishwa Mehra (popularly called 'Mamaji' who was very close to Raj-saab and his family) late afternoon at 3.30 pm.

The Ganeshotsav at R K Studios assumed extra-sentimental significance this year, because the iconic studio-property has been put up for sale. If the realty deal goes through, this could possibly be their last obeisance within their hallowed studio premises, witness to glorious cinematic history. It was an emotionally overwhelming moment for the Kapoors and the large number of guest-devotees when 'Mamaji', 92, broke down while performing the aarti. Rajiv spontaneously assisted 'Mamaji'.


Rajiv and Randhir Kapoor with guests and staffers at the aarti

The loyalist said, "It was 63 years ago that the first Ganeshotsav was held at RK and I have been with Raj Kapoor-saab even prior to that. The golden era I spent with creative genius Raj-saab, all his buddies and his technical crew flashed in my mind, from the time we shot 'Awara' (1951) in RK studios. Suddenly, I realised that none of those senior talented masters are alive and I was perhaps the odd surviving man out."

Where's Rishi?
Conspicuous by his absence was charismatic Rishi Kapoor, a staunch Ganesh-bhakt. He has his own Ganapati idol at his Pali Hill home. Rishi said, "Unfortunately, owing to some prior commitment, I just could not make it. But the very next day [Friday morning] I went for Ganesh darshan at RK."

Tradition to continue
A sentimental Randhir said, "As long as the studios are there, the ceremony will exist, Whenever we shift to another location and office premises, the annual Ganeshotsav tradition will continue. We share a divine bonding with Lord Ganesha. We were compelled to sell the studios, as we were incurring huge losses. Especially after the devastating fire that broke out at RK, it was just not economically viable to reconstruct it. Film folk were also reluctant to travel all the way to Chembur," he finished.

Also Read: R.K. Studios Sale: Rishi Kapoor Reveals Why They Took The Decision

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Ayaan, Amaan Ali Bangash collaborate with guitarist Sharon Isbin

A four-way conference call between us, Sharon Isbin, and Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash makes one thing crystal clear. The two sarod-playing brothers have unfettered respect for the Grammy-winning American guitarist, since they consider it an "honour" to be collaborating with her for an unusual concert slated for later this week. It's a word they use multiple times during the phone call. And Isbin, on her part, tells us from Kolkata that she's as enthused about the performance as anyone else.

The gig is unusual because it isn't everyday in our country that the worlds of Indian and western classical music collide on stage. Isbin is one of the world's leading lights in the latter genre. But her introduction to western classical music was wholly by accident. "We were living in Italy for a year when I was nine years old, and my older brother asked for guitar lessons. But he didn't want to study classical. He wanted to be Elvis Presley. So, I volunteered to take his place and raised my hand out of family duty," she reveals, adding that while her father was a nuclear scientist, it was her mother who ensured that she received a solid musical education.

It's a different story for the Bangash brothers, of course. It's almost as if it was preordained that they would take to the sarod, considering that their father, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, is one of the world's most prolific practitioners of the instrument. But even though they have collaborated with many different musicians — including with Derek Trucks of the rock band Allman Brothers — this is the first time that they will be playing in India with Isbin, who they have known for years.


Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash

Ayaan says, "Sharon and we have had mutual admiration for each other's cultures, and I think it's really important to connect with the individual with whom you'll be performing. Also, since we have known each other for a long time, it was easier to develop the music. It's taken us around six years to compose this piece, and I'm glad that everything has fallen into place for us to perform it in India for the first time."

And Isbin adds that her affinity for Indian string instruments began when she was in college. "I loved listening to the sitar, sarod and the tabla back then, and would go to raga concerts because I found them to be meditative. I have also studied transcendental meditation, which of course originated in India, and have been practising it since my teens. That's every single day for many years. So, I have a certain spiritual attraction to the culture and the music here," she says.

Amaan, meanwhile, points out how the sarod and classical guitar have a shared commonality, in that they belong to the larger family of string instruments. Think about it. The guitar, in India, has had a profile that's associated more with jazz, rock 'n' roll and electronic music. Rarely, if ever, has the western classical guitar been heard here in this kind of a collaboration, which also features tabla player Vijay Ghate and mridangam exponent Sridhar Parthasarthy. "We have never played these pieces with a guitar before. But both are string instruments. One is played with the fingertip and the other is played with the finger nails. So, the technical approach isn't wholly different," he tells us, while Ayaan adds that playing this composition will be different for the brothers because they are sticking to a written score.

He further says, "I think everyone's music is a reflection of who they are as individuals. Their soul comes out through their music. And all of us have come out of our comfort zones here to reach a meeting point. Eventually, though, things just happen on stage, you know? You might rehearse all you want, but at the end of the day, what the piece shapes us as is something that has some kind of energy and universal blessing, and we hope to reach that final destination with dignity and grace."

ON February 21, 8 pm
AT Royal Opera House, Girgaum.

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Aamir Khan celebrates birthday with media; makes special announcement

Aamir Khan had a customary cake-cutting ceremony with the media at his Bandra home, holding a press conference. On his birthday, the actor, who turned 54 today, made an announcement of his next film titled Laal Singh Chadda. Aamir's next release is a remake of Hollywood film Forest Gump (1994). The film starred Tom Hanks and Robin Wright and was based on a novel of the same name.

Following this, Aamir Khan will take off for North Ireland to attend the ongoing Belfast Film Festival. He will be in conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir on 16th to discuss his body of work.

Check out the pictures of Aamir Khan's 54th birthday celebrations here. (All pictures/Shadab Khan, Yogen Shah)


Aamir Khan's 54th birthday celebration

Aamir Khan was accompanied by his wife Kiran Rao.


Aamir Khan cuts his birthday cake

Fans across the nation have been pouring in wishes for Aamir by posting the actor's pictures, which also saw a strong social trend with the #HappyBirthdayAamirKhan.


Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao at his 54th birthday celebrations with media persons


Kiran Rao clicked while feeding the birthday cake to Aamir Khan

Known as Mr Perfectionist of the industry, Aamir Khan for Bollywood has over the years created an image that many look up to. From making films that address the pertinent issues of the society, to speaking his mind on raging issues even off camera, Aamir Khan has always been the one with a calculative brain and has used his position to impart a change in the society.

On the professional front, Aamir Khan likes to explore with the character he plays and the actor likes to surprise his fans with new characters. To experiment with roles, Aamir grows his hair and beard before every film. This also gives him the flexibility to play with multiple looks in one film. We wonder, what Aamir Khan's look would be in Laal Singh Chadda!

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Aamir Khan!

Also Read: Aamir Khan is a family man, these picture-perfect frames are proof!

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Mumbai: New species 'Jumping spider' found in Goregaon's Aarey colony

In what can be termed as an important discovery from Mumbai, a new jumping spider species has been discovered from Aarey Milk Colony once again highlighting the fact that the area has a rich biodiversity and the need of the hour is to protect the forested patch in the area. The species has been named after Senior IFS officer Sunil Limaye the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest APCCF; Wildlife who during his tenure as the Chief Conservator of Forest of SGNP had started the Mumbaikars for SGNP project.


Senior IFS Officer Sunil Limaye

The study was carried out by a team of arachnologists including Rajesh Sanap, Archaeologist Dr. John Caleb T.D and Biologist Anuradha Joagalekar. With the new discovery of jumping spider from Aarey, Wildlife Lovers and green activists have once again demanded that the Aarey Milk Colony forest needs to be protected from unplanned development and illegal encroachments that are eating into the green space of the one the most important green space of Mumbai.

According to Sanap who has discovered several species from Aarey, the jumping spider family (Salticidae) is the most diverse spider family, with their world fauna consisting of 6126 described species. These tiny creatures can be easily recognised by their lager anterior median eyes. They are diurnal hunters and possess brilliant vision and swift reflexes. In India, there are about 256 species of jumping spiders known till date. In fact, the total diversity of jumping spiders represented from India is greatly understated compared with that from other regions. For example, countries like Australia, Brazil, and China are represented by a diversity of more than 450 species each. There is, therefore, a great diversity in India still waiting to be uncovered, which needs to be discovered and conserved before it is lost forever.


Rajesh Sanap

"The new species belongs to the hisponine jumping spider genus Jerzego, which was established by Maddison in 2014. The genus currently comprises three described species in the world. Of these, only one species is known from the Indian subcontinent (India and Sri Lanka). Two other species are known from Southeast Asia from Sumatra and Borneo. All three species were described based either on immature females or both males and females, but no details of their natural history were reported. Jerzego sunillimaye is the first ever species of this genus whose taxonomic details, mating behavior and egg development have been documented. The observations are supported by excellent digital images of the spider in life," said Archaeologist Sanap.

Species: 'Jerzego sunillimaye'

The researcher, after carefully studying its feature form photographs and published papers and discussing with experts, arrived to a conclusion that this is the new species. :

"Initially, species identification was challenging since we had data on females only. So we planned another survey and found two males. After a comprehensive examination, we notice that the morphology of this species closely resembled that of a Southeast Asian species, J. corticicola, which was described from Borneo in 2014. Hence, we placed this species tentatively under the same genus. Jerzego sunillimaye can be easily distinguished from other known species by the larger body size (Females, 10.30 mm) and a different colour pattern on the abdomen. A transverse crescent-shaped golden–yellow stripe is present in the posterior half of the abdomen. The males (5.52 mm) can be readily distinguished by their unique genitalia (palps) with a flattened and twisted embolus. " added Sanap.


Archaeologist Dr. John Caleb T.D

"It should be noted that the new species Jerzego sunillimaye was found for the first time in 2016 during a survey in the unique, eco-sensitive, dry-deciduous habitat of Aarey Milk Colony in Mumbai. The research was carried out for almost 3 years to understand the natural history of this species. Within this period, we reported some interesting observations, which have never been documented before."

In this research, the researchers explored different habitats such as grasslands and rocky and forested patches to find out the habitat these tiny spiders preferred. These spiders were found in areas covered with a thick canopy, largely dominated by trees, such as Mangifera indica, Adenanthera sp., Acacia auriculiformis, and Anacardium occidentale. The forest floor was covered with dry leaf litter, and the habitat was shared by other jumping spiders such as Hasarius sp., Stenaelurillus sp., Langelurillus sp., and Langona sp. Several males and females of various life stages were observed throughout the years. Specifically, in monsoon, females were observed guarding their egg sacs, while males were observed wandering under the rocks. There were variations in vegetation cover in the landscape during summer and monsoon. In winter and summer, spiders were mostly found on the underside of rocks, in dry leaf litter, or sometimes under tree barks close to the ground; most sub-adults were ground dwelling. The sub-adults of the species appeared like ants. Interestingly, four to five sub-adults were observed in close proximity with small brown ants of the genus Crematogaster. Two to three adult females with egg sacs were observed under rock surfaces and were surrounded by small black ants of the genus Paratrechina. However, there is no evidence to suggest a mimetic relationship with these ants and further behavioral studies are warranted.


Anuradha Joglekar

Speaking to mid-day Biologist Anuradha Joglekar said, "Aarey Milk Colony has constantly been in the limelight for the discovery of several new species of spiders and scorpions. The vegetation structure is particularly undisturbed and is home to several interesting species. Aarey Milk Colony is also home to other enigmatic jumping spiders such as Langelurillus onyx and Langelurillus lacteus, both described in 2017. Piranthus decoruswas also recorded for the first time in 122 years from the same location. More studies pertaining to their complete biology, habits, and interactions with other species are yet to be carried out. Moreover, their conservation status has not been assessed yet because of lack of information on their population status, distribution, ecology, and biology."

Spiders are microhabitat specialists and are highly sensitive to minuscule changes in their immediate environment. Habitat loss due to anthropogenic activities (encroachment and degradation of forests) is the main concern. The recent discovery of several new species from this region adds to the pressing need for conservation of this particular region, which may harbor much more undiscovered life.


Jumping spider. Pic/Rajesh Sanap

About IFS Officer Sunil Limaye:

Senior IFS Officer Sunil Limaye was a former Director and Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) of Sanjay Gandhi National Park(SGNP) and has been involved in the conservation of urban biodiversity in Mumbai and the neighboring areas. He is also the same officer who started the Mumbaikars for SGNP project in SGNP along with Biologist and Leopard Expert Dr. Vidya Athreya. The MfSGNP project which has seen involvement and participation of various stakeholders like people staying on the periphery of the park, BMC officers/Police officers /Schools has been a successful model which is being replicated in other states including Uttarakhand /UP too. As a part of the project, awareness sessions among various stakeholders related to Human-Leopard interactions are being done on the periphery of the park and people are being taught the measures that they should take to prevent man-animal conflicts.

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Mayank Shekhar: Kitna traas dega, Thanos!


A still from Marvel Studio's Avengers: Infinity War

Maybe because they thought I was some angrez-type, dissing one after another loads of films being dished out in the early 2000s - inevitably, a film producer or the other would proudly remind me back then, about how India (in this case, Bollywood) was absolutely the only movie market in the world where Hollywood, or the appearance of a Spielberg or George Lucas film in theatres, made no difference to the lives of local filmmakers, Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra, if you may.

This was true for India, up until a decade ago; and yes, not true for anywhere else. Still, since the names mentioned to me were of filmmakers (no doubt, well-known/mainstream), I argued, this had a lot more to do with the reliably desi, nearly mythological star-system, that movies pivoted around and audiences lined up in cinemas for. You need a face to build a following (for anything). Any branding intern will tell you that. Hollywood had its own star-system. Few filmmaking cultures, apart from India and the US, did.

So sure, the handsomely paid Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts, or for that matter Superman/Batman, were huge in India as well. But, their films merely ran at exclusive cinemas for English films in bigger cities (say Chanakya, Sterling in South Delhi/Bombay).

Did the cash-rich Hollywood not wish to partake in the desi star, plus song, mainstream movies that enchanted millions? By late 2000s, American studios began setting up offices in Mumbai, cheekily over-paying Bollywood's lead cast, getting into lopsided deals favouring local producers, to make a direct entry into Indian markets, at last.

Bollywood films, more or less, remained the same, in terms of scale. For they weren't here to change the status quo. It suited them. The budgets (for them) were pocket-change, anyway. Major Indian filmmakers continued to feel safe in the face of a captive audience. In about a decade though, one region, small-town at a time, the American studios, having deepened a desi distribution network, began to spread out the release of their own global blockbusters that none in India could potentially compete with. The economics simply wouldn't match.

Spiderman first spoke to its audience in Bhojpuri in 2007. Ronald Emmerich's 2012 (2009), with the Taj Mahal in a shambles in the promo, with no such scene in the picture, had curious villagers walk over to nearest theatres to catch the end of the world. By 2012, even Ang Lee's deeply meditative, Life Of Pie, collecting R90 crore, had thumped the Akshay Kumar masala picture, Khiladi 786 (releasing around the same time), by a R20 crore margin!

Woah. Did desis stop loving their super-stars? Nope. They still do. Here's what happened. Hollywood altogether destroyed its own, entire 'star-system' instead - making films not about actors (or even directors, for that matter), but relentlessly concentrating their massive might/resources/energy on propping up super-heroes (several for the price of one), gigantic disasters, and dazzling 3D/IMAX special effect, to effectively conquer the earth while, sometimes, saving it on the big screen.

Perhaps 2015 was a turning point, when up until mid-year, three out of India's top five hits had emerged from Hollywood (rightly subtitled in English, even in their English versions). Fast & Furious 7 (basically racing cars) was the first film to hit R100 crore mark. Avengers: Age of the Ultron, and Jurassic World, had wholly crowded out domestic competition on the opening weekend.

These movies may have lacked a singular creative voice/vision, but they were fail-safe in the boardroom's understanding of markets, and shares. As is expectedly the case with the latest, stupendous success of Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War (having grossed over a record-breaking R200 crore, already) - where nothing exceeds like excess!

The global fan-boy pressure to get off on this pic (like many others), made critic-proof by critics themselves, is such that you simply don't want to be that guy pooping on everyone's parade. It's like being the first fellow to suggest the whisky being served from a Blue Label bottle at the boss's house-party tastes suspiciously like Aristocrat Premium: "Kya baat kar raha hai?" Naah, don't wanna be that guy!

Curiosity is irresistible. There's nothing to call out. Conditioning is complete. Indians can probably see in Thanos's quest for 'infinity stones' their own uncles, who wear similar rings for inter-planetary changes! Balance of the universe sounds a lot like 'srishti ka santulan' from Abhishek Bachchan's Drona.

The film itself being a Bollywood multi-multi-starrer, where in the end, Amrish Puri wins, and if you wonder how dead superheroes might stage a comeback-hey, Ekta Kapoor's been spinning this for decades. The premise of so many avengers, guardians, and devils, all in one, is lost on no one who devours Hindu mythology, with 330 million gods anyway. Yeah, this is desi entertainment. I say this listening to actor Ranveer Singh's voice in the Hindi trailer of Marvel's forthcoming Deadpool 2 go: "Kitna traas dega, Thanos." Sach mein, bro!

Mayank Shekhar attempts to make sense of mass culture. He tweets @mayankw14 Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

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