The Curse Of The Weeping Woman
U/A: Horror, mystery
Director: Michael Chaves
Cast: Linda Cardellini, Patricia Velasquez, Sean Thomas
Ratings: 

This film, derived from a Latin American folk tale, has been force-fitted into the Conjuring-Annabelle universe. Writers Mikki Daughty and Tobias Iaconis, and director Michael Chaves turn a demented criminal act into grist for an insidious tale involving a social worker working with abandoned wives. The film bears the brunt of this conspired opportunism.

The narrative opens with the origin of the folklore in 17th century Mexico, where it is showcases a beautiful woman (abandoned by her husband) in a fit of jealous rage, drowns their two male offsprings, kills herself and then roams around as a restless weeping ghost, seeking to replace her dead children by sacrificing other kids. The Curse Of The Weeping Woman leaps to 1973 Los Angeles, a convenient period that hopes to link-up a priest from the Annabelle world and transports him into the weeping woman miniverse.

A recent cop-widow Anna (Linda Cardellini), who works for Child Protective Services, has just been entrusted with the task of rescuing two young boys - Sam and Chris from their abusive mother, Patricia Alvarez (Patricia Velasquez). Anna puts the boys in a home for the evening, hoping they would feel secure and comforted in the care of professionals. But a late night call from the cops tells a different story. The boys are dead and Alvarez holds Anna accountable.

Watch the trailer of The Curse Of The Weeping Woman:

The malevolent ghost - a typically yellow-eyed blotchy-skinned bride weeping icky black tears starts haunting the boys. The jump-scares don't have the power to scare the audience, but it definitely makes the children sweat. The opening and shutting of doors and windows accompanied by sound effects don't scale up the scares either.

The set-up is intriguing enough but the visions are feeble and the horror quotient is laughable. Anna claims she is a non-believer, but when her children are affected and strange things begin to happen, she seeks help from a curandero - a former priest turned shaman, Rafael Olvera (Raymond Cruz), who uses his skills to keep fear at bay. Cardellini and Cruz do their best to make this trope happy formulaic poser an efficient one, but alas!

Also Read: Kalank Movie Review: A great cinematic experience, but is it worth a watch?

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Avengers: Endgame
U/A:  Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson
Rating: 

Avengers: Endgame, undoubtedly the most anticipated film of recent year's, lives up to most expectations. This film is a befitting finale for the decades-old, 21 films, Marvel Cinematic Universe that heralded the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye. Together they formed the original Avengers team while the newer allies and villains added more power to subsequent outings. This may not be a non-stop action spectacle. Instead, what we get is a well- proportioned, engagingly structured narrative that spreads out its content and thrills in momentous expansiveness, End game basically posits a finale worthy of the superhero characters it promotes. Marvel's time-travelling sci-fi adventure saga throws up a few surprises too along the way.

The story is rather basic - After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which ended with Thanos getting all of the six Infinity Stones and then using them to wipe out half of existence, including beloved heroes like Black Panther, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man. The surviving heroes go through a period of self-recrimination, hopelessness, heartache and self-doubt before they take the necessary steps to reverse Thanos' actions, they're fatalism keeps us grounded.  

Also Read: Box Office report: Avengers: Endgame sells 1 million advance tickets in India

The script by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely among others, is surprisingly inventive, fraught with emotion and funny. The performances live up to the iconoclastic expectations of the fans while the CGI and effects lend whole new meaning and dimension to quantum physics and chaos theory. The film is a sort of nirvana for the thousands of people who sweated night and day to make such a unique and unprecedented experience come good. Endgame has a much slower, deliberate pace allowing for deeper character development and strong motivations while developing intensity and attachment all the way through. A major portion of the action happens only towards the last half hour of a nearly 3-hour runtime – yet, doesn't feel bloated or unnecessarily expanded.

Also read: Avengers: Endgame Box Office Prediction: Will the film open at Rs 50 crore in India?

This film incorporates beloved elements from earlier outings and recalls character beats, origins, and sub-plots while adding texture and complexity to the inter-galactic drama envisioned as homage to the never-say-die superhero spirit. Alan Silvestri's amazing background score elevates the intensity and involvement. The helming by the Russo brothers is also quite remarkable – creating a well-sprung of entreaty that is truly an event!

Also Read: Avengers Endgame release: A look at how Avengers films fared at the Indian box office

Check out the Avengers: Endgame trailer here:

Also Read: Critics review Avengers: Endgame, say it's 'everything you want it to be and more'

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Avengers: Endgame
U/A: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson
Rating: 

How does one put together words about a film that, for all practical purposes, anything and everything you write, is likely to be misconstrued/diagnosed as a spoiler?

Suffice it to know that this expectedly dramatic conclusion of Marvel's three-part Infinity Saga is a relatively internalised, deep and sober film, concerned more with the motivations of super-heroes, the choices before them, and what they should pick, in order to take on super-villain Thanos—of course.

For one, the earth is a much quieter place, since as you're aware, its species have been annihilated, decimated by Devil Thanos, ever since he got his hands on the infinity stones, and went on to execute the bizarre plan of supposedly ethical ethnic cleansing—randomly ridding planets of half its populations, to make them more sustainable, by restoring balance of sorts, as it were.

Of course, there will be survivors. And Iron Man or Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), to start with, is thankfully rescued or reunited with the human family back home. So is Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Both of them, like all the others, seem to be somberly dealing with the aftermath of a universal tragedy.

Surely, you have your own favourites from this cinematic universe (and how can Iron Man not top that list?). But there's something about the inherent cuteness of Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) that saves this franchise's final installment from turning into a complete depresso—left to be downed over rounds of espresso, what with the screen-time running three hours plus.

Also Read: Box Office report: Avengers: Endgame sells 1 million advance tickets in India

Indians might thank their theatres for the usually hated interval. I caught it without one, but didn't miss it either. There's enough material here to keep you engaged, even if to wonder, on occasion, if some of it makes any sense. You may or may not be impressed with the long drawn explanations, but you're only too happy to go with it.

Frankly, I'm no Marvel fanboy/fanatic—if the movie-world is indeed divided into two types, then more the DC demographic. That said, there is an infectious verve and energy that multiple super-heroes bring to this cinematic universe that is hard to not be swayed by, even if an individual or sub-set, Guardians Of Galaxy in particular, may be difficult to appreciate on their own.

Check out the Avengers: Endgame trailer here:

Avengers: Endgame does a fine job of navigating a reasonably cogent script without over-populating the screen. Avengers: Infinity War seemed more overwrought in comparison. I re-watched portions of the 2018 prequel on my phone (for quick revision), which of course means I didn't watch it at all.

For, at the end of the day, battle sequences and pyrotechnics is the point of it all, isn't it? Endgame, despite all the philosophy, is not an exception. It shines gloriously as 3D spectacle on the IMAX screen, ideally viewed from the third-row, from the back—and if you're not on IMAX, then the third row from the front—for a stunningly immersive experience, with such depth of field that the points where the camera focuses on a river, the ripples flowing towards you, you almost feel like you can wade through the frickin' water!

I know, don't need to put in a word (spoilers be damned). Suffice it to know that seldom has the excitement of audiences entering a theatre, matched by those exiting, after a hugely hyped pic. Endgame equals its astounding anticipation. And that's saying a whole lot!

Also read: Avengers: Endgame Box Office Prediction: Will the film open at Rs 50 crore in India?

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To increase efficiency, effectiveness of patrolling and to give the city's foot soldiers some much-needed rest, the Mumbai police department has decided to adopt a new duty pattern.

Under the new pattern, the constabulary and officers will have to work 12 hours post which they will get a 24-hour break. Apart from doctors and health workers, cops too have been busy fighting the COVID-19 pandemic on the frontline. However, after constables (three already) started losing their lives to COVID-19, the top brass decided to set up a new duty pattern.

Accordingly, a new 12-hour shift has been introduced in the force. In this, personnel at police stations will be divided into three units, each working a 12-hour shift. "Duty will start at 8 am and end at 8 pm, when the next batch will come for night duty," a senior police officer said. "Whichever cop finishes his/her 12-hour duty at night, they will go home and come back to work the next day at 8 pm," added the officer.

This duty pattern will give each officer rest of a good 24 hours. "Even if this duty looks like 12 hours, a lot of multitasking is expected on this job as it includes patrolling, nakabandi and other activities. This makes cops new duty timings doable in such tough situations. As there are hardly any crimes happening in the area, the duty load has reduced," another a senior police officer said.

"Also, when an officer or constable gets more than 12 hours off, they can look after the families and their own health which will improve their immunity," the officer added.

Out of 94 police stations, 74 have adopted the new duty pattern and the rest will follow. "This duty pattern does leave me with a smaller force, but it reduces their exposure to the virus. As a frontline worker, we can't think about avoiding crowded places, but we can be well prepared for it," a senior Inspector from Eastern Region said.

"We have given instructions to all Zonal DCPs to chalk out a plan which will give a 12-hour duty and 24-hour rest to cops. We have to take care of our men, too. Currently, feedback from cops is good," Mumbai Police Commissioner, Param Bir Singh said.

Third cop succumbs to COVID-19

A third cop has died from COVID-19, taking the casualty toll among city cops to three. Head Constable Shivaji Sonawane, 56, attached to Kurla Traffic division, died on Monday. He was turned down by four hospitals on April 21, when his 25-year-old son tried tp get him admitted. Sonawane, a resident of Kurla's Kamani area, had a fever since April 20. The GP gave him medication and advised him to visit a hospital if he did not get relief. His fever did not subside and he started to feel breathless.

Sharad, Sonawane's son, took him to Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar, on April 21, to get him admitted, but was told to take him to Kasturba. He was turned out at Kasturba, over no beds and at Nair and KEM too. Finally, it was after Kurla traffic division in-charge spoke to the Bhoiwada senior inspector that Sonawane was admitted at KEM Hospital.

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In a first, the Central Railway (CR) seems to have come up with a permanent solution for the falling boulders in the ghat section known for disrupting services during monsoon. Accordingly, CR has recreated steel tunnels which will trap falling boulders and protect the passing trains below.

Last year, CR deployed 60 additional CCTV cameras, posted gangmen, rock-bolting at 750m stretch and drone cameras to alert approaching trains, but all were of limited help.In 2017, three passengers on the Hubli-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) Express suffered injuries after a boulder came crashing through the roof while it was passing through Khandala ghat.

After the problem was analysed last year, it was revealed that the increased incidents of boulders falling on tracks along with mud had been due to heavy monsoon.

So, officials started working on the steel tunnel portal extension last year in four tunnels. "The work has been progressing with the lockdown in place and will be completed before the monsoon sets in," CR chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said. "Work of removing loose boulders is still underway and at present, we are running boulder special trains, and patrolling the mountains to scan loose boulders and tunnels," he added.

In the history books
Historically, the Indian Railways has been dealing with the problem of boulders in this stretch since its inception. But they never cancelled these many trains to manage the situation as they have done in recent years. The archival records of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, which is now called Central Railway, on the initiation of passenger rail service on the ghat section in 1864, had issued a notice on the operation of the 'terrain section' by dividing the entire stretch into 13 parts with three watchmen deputed for each.

4
Total no. of tunnels in which steel tunnel work is underway

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In efforts to provide assistance to the medical fraternity in fighting the battle against the deadly Coronavirus pandemic, Western Railway has come up with various ingenious equipment, including high-quality PPEs, steel beds for patients, isolation coaches, reusable masks, sanitizers, etc.

Continuing with their efforts, Western Railway's Lower Parel Workshop has now manufactured a booth to collect the swab sample of COVID-19 infected patients. This booth enables doctors and medicos to take the sample/swab without exposing themselves to the affected patient.

According to Ravinder Bhakar - Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, a request to make a kiosk with the concept of distance sample collection had come from Western Railway's Jagjivan Ram Hospital, which is a nominated 172-bed Coronavirus hospital. The work was done on war footing mode right from arranging the material, fabrication, and furnishing and was completed within 6 hours. The design has been developed by two teams of workshop engineers (Carriage Repair and Basic Training Centre), who manufactured this booth with the available material in the workshop.

The booth is very sturdy and robust & completely sealed from the front three sides, to ensure that the frontline medical staff is totally isolated from the patient. The structure of the booth consists of a strong fabricated structure of MS square tubes, covered externally with plywood on all sides, and a rear door. The upper half portion of the front side has been covered with a 6 mm transparent acrylic sheet. All material used for repair of coaches has been used in this fabrication. The front side transparent acrylic sheet has been provided with two holes on which rubber hand gloves have been permanently fitted. The team worked against the clock to make the Sample Collection Booth as fast as they can and on April 28, 2020, the newly manufactured booth has been delivered to Jagjivan Ram Hospital at Mumbai Central.

Although it is a coach repair workshop, in this time of crisis, it has contributed in making many other materials helpful for our frontline warriors, working day in and out in hospitals beside our employees. The manufacturer team was led by Shri Arun Kumar Singh - Dy. Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Workshop, and consisted of his technical experts Shri Prashant Deshmukh, Shri Satish Samrut, Shri Arvind Javadia, Shri Sanjai Bhavsar, Shri Manoj Yadav, Shri Mahesh Bhatia, Shri Pradeep Tamboli, Shri Natrajan and along with 10 other members in the team contributed in this effort.

Western Railway salutes the commitment and dedication of its employees who are constantly working to fight this ongoing battle with the deadly Coronavirus Pandemic despite putting their lives at risk.

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The HRD Ministry is prepared to conduct the pending board examinations for classes 10 and 12 for 29 crucial subjects at the first possibility, officials said. The ministry has also directed states to start the evaluation process for the exams already conducted and facilitate the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in evaluation of answer sheets. "We are prepared to conduct board exams for class 10 and 12 pending due to lockdown in wake of the COVID-19 situation in the country. The exams will be conducted for 29 subjects crucial for promotion and admissions to undergraduate courses, at the first possibility. The students will be given at least 10-days notice before exams are conducted," a senior ministry official said.

"States have been asked to start the evaluation process for the exams already conducted and have been advised to facilitate evaluation of answer sheets. CBSE will also issue instructions for marking or assessment of non-important subjects not included in the list of 29 subjects," the official said. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' had on Tuesday interacted with education ministers of states. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had suggested that students be marked on basis of internal assessment as it is not feasible to conduct the pending exams now.

Sisodia, who is also the education minister, said students of Delhi will be more effected due to delay in conduct of exams as different states have their own boards, while the national capital only follows CBSE. Education ministers from different states also put forward deliberations being made about their respective state boards.
The Bihar board has already announced results for three streams of class 12 and is in the process of evaluation of class 12 exams. The Uttar Pradesh board is yet to begin the evaluation and will take a call in this regard soon.

¿Recently there has been lot of speculation regarding CBSE board exams. It is reiterated that board's decision to take board exams for 29 subjects of class 10, 12 stands the same as announced earlier,¿ the CBSE clarified in a tweet on Wednesday. According to the HRD ministry officials, as of now there are plans to conduct competitive exams including JEE and NEET in June for admission to engineering and medical colleges.

For other undergraduate admissions, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is working on an alternative calendar for the new academic session which will notify the timeline within a week. A seven-member panel set up to study the issue has recommended that the undergraduate admission process be started in July-August and the new session for freshers be started from September. However, no final decision has been taken in this regard yet.

The CBSE has already announced that it will not be conducting any exams for students in foreign countries. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

Later, a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which has now been 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

The city's battle against the COVID-19 has finally started to show some positive results with the doubling rate of positive cases increasing from 8.3 days to 10 days. According to findings of the Central Committee, the doubling rate of cases was recorded between April 7 and April 17, which indicates that cases might now increase at lesser speed. While the doubling rate period at the national level is 9.5 days, the same in Maharashtra was 8.9 days.

Noting this, the Central Committee has lauded the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC's) preventive measures, said a senior civic official.

Mortality rate decreases
In its findings, the Committee has analysed the number of infected patients and observed that the mortality rate among them in the BMC area was lower compared to that of the state. At the state level, an average of 4.3 patients are dying per 100 infected patients and in the BMC area, an average of 3.9 patients are dying every 100 infected patients. A civic official said that few days ago the average mortality rate of infected cases in the BMC area was 6.3 per cent, which too had reduced.

However, BMC now faces the challenge to cater to areas where earlier the rate of doubling of cases was low but has increased in the last couple of days. Wards like G South, G North and E, which have been reporting a high number of cases, are seeing an increase in the doubling rate period.

Earlier, on an average the cases used to double every 10.6 days in G south but now it has gone up to 17.6 days. But R central ward has seen a reverse trend. Its doubling rate period has gone down to 5.5 days from 16.9 days.

Contact tracing
The first COVID-19 positive case was detected on March 11, and since then the civic body has been tracing contacts of positive patients. Till April 26, as many as 1,29,477 were found through contact tracing, of which 21,053 were high-risk group contacts and 1,647 cases were positive.

The BMC, however, claimed that they were being able to control the number of cases due to the containment zones as people cannot move from one area to another and spread the infection. An analysis of the statistics of medical tests conducted across the country reveals that comparatively most number of the tests had taken place in the BMC jurisdiction. As many as 66,000 tests have been conducted in the city so far, an official said.

Containment efforts
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior civic official said, "The doubling rate period of 10 days is better than the national average of 9.5 and the mortality rate of 3.9 is better than the state as well as national figures. This has been done through containment efforts and aggressive contact tracing and quarantining."

He added, "Today, the battle against Coronavirus is being fought with the active cooperation of the municipal corporation, police, various government departments, private hospitals and many others. We once again appeal to the citizens of Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation to follow the guidelines."

21,053
No. of high-risk group contacts found till April 26

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Staying in paying guest accommodations with a fast-depleting stock of instant noodles, students from Maharashtra in Kota, Rajasthan had been living precariously since the lockdown began over a month ago. On Wednesday, the group had reason to cheer as their pleas were finally heard and state transport buses set out to bring them home.

A convoy of over 70 buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), with a break-down maintenance van and spare drivers, began the 630-km-long journey from Dhule on Wednesday around 10.30 am. mid-day had first reported that the MSRTC has been tasked to bring students back and the plan had been awaiting approval.

Student Aditi Thorat hails from Solapur

The buses will bring approximately 1,764 stranded students and drop them in their respective home districts in Maharashtra. Mumbai and Thane have 10 students each. The number of students may have reduced after parents and local officials arranged for private buses as the state delayed in deciding on the matter over the cost of transport. A few private buses reached Navi Mumbai on Tuesday morning.

mid-day spoke to two students who said they have to walk 1.5 km just to get a meal.

"We have been waiting to be taken home for over a week. We got to know of the state transport buses through news but there has been no official confirmation. Authorities in Kota asked us to check on Thursday as that is when the buses are expected to arrive," said Om Ghadling, who hails from Buldhana. Another student, Aditi Thorat who hails from Solapur, said, "We are mostly staying in PG accommodations. When used to rely on tiffin services but amid the lockdown everything is shut. The local government gives food but we have to walk 1.5 km for that. Many of us have been relying on instant noodle packs, which too are getting scarce."

Ghadling added that names of 44 students are missing from the list prepared by the government. "We hope they too get to return," he said. Many of the 2,000 students had arrived in Kota just before the lockdown began to enrol in coaching centres.

Social distancing on bus
A senior MSRTC official said the buses will reach Rajasthan by Wednesday night. Dhule was chosen as the start off point as it is nearest to Rajasthan.

"Only 20 students will be allowed in each bus and the vehicles will halt at two to three places for food breaks. The buses will leave from Kota on Thursday morning. Due to the long-distance journey of 11 to 12 hours, each bus has two drivers. A van will accompany the convoy to help during breakdowns. The buses will ferry students to their respective districts," the official added.

After returning, the students and their parents will undergo a medical check-up followed by the mandatory 14-day home quarantine.

Asked why these buses can't carry migrants stuck in the city, another officer said that they can't be brought to Dhule and that the buses have been sanitised especially for this journey. The buses have been given provisions such as sanitisers, disinfectants, masks and gloves.

After discussions with the government and due permissions, the Dhule Guardian Minister and Minister of State for Revenue Abdul Sattar, Dhule Collector Sanjay Yadav and MSRTC Dhule Division Controller Manisha Sapkal arranged the fleet in a short span of time.

20
Approx. no. of students to be allowed on each bus

Inter-state travel for migrants, students

The Union Home Ministry issued a six-point guideline on Wednesday to states and union territories to facilitate inter-state movement of stranded persons, including migrant labourers, students and tourists. The guidelines state that such movement shall be in mutual consultation and agreement between states in buses, following physical distancing, screening at source and destination followed by home/institutional quarantine arrival

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A day after the Ministry of Home Affairs issued orders to facilitate the transportation of people stranded due to the lockdown between states by road, the Maharashtra government has told district collectors to execute the evacuation plan. Three senior Mantralaya bureaucrats will supervise the mass exercise that is expected to kick-start from May 4.

Other than the state-arranged facility, people who want to travel to their home states have been allowed to hire transport or use their own vehicles.

BUT every person will have to register with the government, procure documents for the same and undergo mandatory medical assessment before moving out. People could travel in groups but not without adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. Persons with COVID-19-like symptoms will not be allowed to travel but sent to quarantine and treatment. People who don't produce fitness certificates will not be allowed to travel.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray instructed the administration to take utmost care in implementing the plan, because a couple of lakh people are expected to be moved between far-flung places. The CM has repeatedly asked the Centre to operate special trains to transport migrant workers and might reiterate the appeal once the extended lockdown is lifted in some places, and relaxed in some places barring red zones.

Thackeray deputed Additional Chief Secretary (revenue) Dr Nitin Karir, Principal Secretary (woman and child welfare) I S Kundan and Director of State Disaster Management Abhay Yavalkar, to supervise the travel plan in which stranded people from Maharashtra will also be brought back home from other states. Other than district collectors, Yavalkar has also been authorised to issue travel permits. Many district collectors have the data of migrant workers who were stopped at inter-district borders. The workers are staying in state-provided shelters where they get food and medical care. The unconfirmed number of stranded migrants in Maharashtra is over 6 lakh and at least half of these are willing to go home. However, the number of migrants going out of Maharashtra will be much higher than the people coming here from other states.

Buses ready for transportation

Sources said the Maharashtra government was in talks with other states to make the arrangements and share the enormous cost of travel. The cost issue will factor as Maharashtra will deploy some buses to transport people where Maharashtrians are not stranded.

Stranded students from Kota maintain social distance as they walk out of a bus depot upon their arrival in Ahmedabad on April 23. Pic/ PTI

The state transport company has readied over 10,000 buses to be sent to hundreds of destinations. These buses will take migrants from Maharashtra to other states and ferry Maharashtrians back. The process is expected to take some time, so people who make arrangements on their own, might get through earlier than the people who depend solely on the home state's support.

What the stranded should do

• Contact your district collector’s office to register passenger names/residential address/phone numbers, vehicle (if you have it or hired one), travel route and expected travel time so that you are given transit passes and your names are forwarded to your home states for cross-checking on arrival.
• You may also contact the State Disaster Management Cell @ 022-22027990, 022-22023039 and E-mail to controlroom@maharashtra.gov.in
• The vehicles must be sanitised and passengers seated in accordance with social distancing norms
• You will undergo a mandatory 14-day home quarantine. You will be sent to institutional quarantine if symptoms show.
• You will be compulsorily asked to download Arogya Setu mobile app in order to facilitate tracking of your health and movement in quarantine

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The lockdown seems to have brought out the good side of many. Staffers of the Indian postal department have gone out of their way to ensure that elderly get their pension, senior citizens can withdraw postal savings, the differently-abled get their stipend, and hospitals get their medicals kits. Some have even contributed to ensure food for the poor.

MID-DAY spoke to some of these heroes in Navi Mumbai Postal Region, which has 1,514 post offices in Thane, Palghar, Nashik, Malegaon, Navi Mumbai and Raigad districts.

"My dedicated team is working relentlessly to provide essential services to citizens. They are instructed to follow safety rules like using masks, sanitisers and physical distancing," said Shobha Madhale, postmaster general, Navi Mumbai Region.

Shobha Madhale, postmaster general, Navi Mumbai 

Madhale added, “When we learnt that no public transport was available from March 23, we quickly came up with a plan. Directives were issued to postal officials at district levels, to ensure that adequate cash was made available at post offices, and a postal assistant to visit senior citizens, the differently-abled or pensioners at their homes and hand over cash,” she said.

Also directives were issued to ensure that all postal ATMs had cash daily and that delivery of essential items, medicines, kits and medical instruments were given priority.

Surprised by kindness

Kedare Jayram, 76, pensioner from Nashik

“My father retired as a jamadhar (senior peon) at the Niphad post office, Nashik. Ours is a joint family and it is his monthly pension of R12,000 that is a major source of income for the family even today,” said his elder son Manoj, who works with a gas agency at a monthly salary of R7,500. During the lockdown we were worried about our father going to the post office for his pension. “I was surprised by the kindness of the postal department who sent a postal assistant home with my pension,” said Kedare Jayram.

Kedare Jayram receives his pension from postal assistant Pradip Bhandwalkar

Hero

Pradip Bhandwalkar, 32, postal assistant, Niphad Post Office

“The last day of the month, pensioners usually get their money in their postal savings account. I visited the pensioners’ homes with a withdrawal slip taking all directed precautions. I took their signature on the slip, returned to the post office a few kilometres away and came back with their money. Would he continue this after lockdown? “I would love to. It gives me pleasure and satisfaction,” Bhandwalkar said.

Sushilatai thrilled

Sushila Patil, 90, Rayande Chari, Alibaug

She is blind and is bed-bound most of the time. Her sons live outside Alibaug and her daughter takes care of her. She was happy to get R8,300, which was sent in two money orders from the treasury department.

Mehraj Ausekar with Sushila Patil at her home

Hero

Mehraj Ausekar, 51, a postman at Poynad post office in Alibaug

He said, “I visited Sushila two days ago and saw that she is too weak and old. She gave her thumb impression on the receipt of the money order payment,” said Ausekar. “I will continue to visit Sushila with her money orders. I get satisfaction in doing something for senior citizens,” he added.

Boss hits the ground

Vitthal Hatankar, 96, pensioner, Brahmin Ali, Alibaug

“My father was the postmaster at Alibaug post office and retired in 1984. Since the lockdown I, too, was unable to collect his pension,” said Abhay Hatankar, 55, the son. “We were surprised and happy to see postmaster general, Anuradha Penkar herself coming home to hand over the pension,” said Hatankar senior.

Vitthal Hatankar with the postmaster of Alibaug post office

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Anuradha Penkar, 60, is due to retire in October

“We have around 68 senior citizens staying in and around Alibaug. We went to all their houses and gave them their pensions,” said Anuradha. “I also visited two of them staying 10 km away in Awas. They were all surprised and pleased,” she said.

Grateful to donors

Kesav Satpute, 32, pharmacy officer, Tembha Hospital, Bhayandar West

“I was on duty on April 17, when the staff of Bhayander post office visited the hospital with five cartons from Dr Pratik Jain of Delhi, who has donated 100 PPE kits for our staff,” Kesav said, adding, “We have about 100 COVID patients and apart from regular supply of PPE kits and medicines from Mira-Bhayander municipality, we are grateful to donors like Dr Jain for these PPE kits. Due to the lockdown the postal team themselves had got the parcel in their tempo and we were touched by their wonderful gesture.”

Staff from Bhayandar post office with the PPE kits that they delivered to Tembha hospital

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Subhas Churi, 60, postal department staffer

“I usually do sorting and packing work at the Bhayander post office, but due to the lockdown I decided to deliver parcels received from Mumbai airport cargo at the earliest,” said Churi. When asked if he knew he was entering a COVID dedicated hospital, Churi said, “I am told that those who fear COVID are prone to get infected, and therefore I keep my fear at bay. I know I am serving those who are treating the most vulnerable patients.”

The numbers

Collection and delivery of payments by Navi Mumbai Region (1,514 posts offices) from March 23 to April 30

• No. articles booked – 4,572
• No. of articles delivered – 16,333
• Savings Bank Payments – 1,18,893, Withdrawals – Rs 228.75 crore
• Money Orders Paid: 2,064 Amount: Rs 42,67,913
• Aadhar enabled payment system (AePS) – No. of transactions: 22,116 Amount paid – Rs 5,13,29,520/-
• Personal contribution by postal staff in Navi Mumbai region: Rs 2,16,000

Info, courtesy: PMG, Navi Mumbai region

Postal staff cooks for needy

Nearly 1,180 packets were distributed by Palghar postal division to migrants and daily wagers and their children on April 4 and April 20, at Pelhar village, Vasai, Mahim Manor highway and other places in Palghar. The money came from contribution by staffers.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in the city, on Monday, Mumbai's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood in the poor category as the AQI dropped to 133, as per AQI India. The poor category of air quality in Mumbai is an indicator that such air quality can provide difficulty in breathing.

Air Quality Index (AQI) across different parts of Mumbai

According to AQI India, an AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is moderate, 101-200 poor, 201-300 unhealthy, 301-400 severe and 401-500 is marked as hazardous. While Mumbai's overall air quality was poor, several parts of the city including Bandra (31 AQI), Worli (42 AQI), Powai (24 AQI), Kurla (44 AQI) reported good air quality. Sion, on the other hand reported AQI of 1094 which as per the AQI parameter is hazardous.

A snapshot of Air Quality Index (AQI) across different cities in India

In other cities of the country such as Delhi (83 AQI), Ahmedabad (90 AQI), Bengaluru (101 AQI) reported moderate air quality which is acceptable for healty adults but may pose a threat to senstive individuals as per the parameter reading.

Data sourced from aqi.in

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A fire was reported on the sixth floor of Atlas building in Napean Sea Road, on Tuesday morning. While no casualties were reported, two women were rescued from the building, a fire official said.

The fire was reported in the 11-storey residential building at 4:41 am on Tuesday and the fire brigade arrived at the scene at 4:55 am. As the intensity of the fire increased it was reported as a Level 2 fire. It gutted its two bedrooms, electric wiring and installations, wooden beds, bedding, furniture, and clothing, the official said.

The fire was brought under control within four hours, at 8.40 am, with the help of eight fire engines. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official added.

(with PTI inputs)

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All celebrity deaths aren't the same. Some are more equal than others. A chosen few are fine career moves; many more, simply indelible stamps to seal fading public memories. Even while so much of journalism involves telling readers that dear Ramesh is dead, when nobody knew dear Ramesh was alive.

Who's a celebrity, anyway? A neighbour we never had, in the form of an acquaintance we all do. We know them through their work (in varied fields), and therefore their passing on offers us a moment to collectively acknowledge/grieve the idea of death itself: "Oho he died is it? Sad." In the same way that we casually respond to vague, distant relatives passing away.

Ideally, I'd continue to believe the person is alive. It's not like I would've met them often, if at all, in any case. And they live on through our knowledge of their contributions. But that's an entry-level celebrity.

The expert level consists of what's called stardom, that mainly emanates from popular culture, involving entertainers and artistes, whose works and general personae draw us closer and closer, almost akin to owning them in a way that we do immediate family. Or more so school/college friends, since stars that appear closest are ones saved as childhood memories first.

There's also that sexual rite of passage that we attribute, in particular, to hot movie/rock-stars of our teens — a phenomenon that acceptably continues well into old age. No wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend ever felt jealous about their significant other, openly, obsessively lusting/thirsting for a famous actor/musician in general chit-chat. It's passed off as 'celebrity pass' (try going like that about your neighbour!). Maybe it's a necessary valve for sexual expression in a society that can be deeply prudish on such matters otherwise.

Where do these stars come to us from? Mainly, the screen. The fame which has been the monopoly of films and television (including live sports) — at least since the '70s and '80s, and up until user-generated social-media, spawning self-styled and home-made influencers.

Can't speak for the latter, but a deeply-felt obituary, more so mass-hysteria surrounding deaths of these stars from another sky, would please the recipients no end. It's the ultimate validation that artistes seek from the same humans who, through their art, they often pretend to hate!

And it is this final prize that masses feel naturally compelled to collectively award to an individual they feel deserves it, after all — not for something they did yesterday, day-before or even recently. They could be 'has-beens'. Which is, equally, to suggest that they 'have been'. The community outpouring is to acknowledge just that, for others to aspire for it as well.

The tragedy with such warm tributes is that they are delivered posthumously, having altogether lost value for the actual/ideal addressee. Sportspeople probably get the worst end of this stick. They peak before most careers formally begin. And from that point onwards, it's professional-fame only going downhill towards complete ignominy, until their death resurrects them into public imagination, while they aren't around to experience any of this lovely, concluding chapter of their own life!

This mass appreciation, of course, takes on a whole new meaning in the context of mainstream stars of Indian cinema. They're not just actors, who by my definition are professionals paid to exhibit temporary conditions of 'controlled insanity' — behaving like strange people, in stranger circumstances — and repeatedly returning to who they are.

But in doing so as lead actors, they become the all-purpose face of everything that we have loved about a film — its script/story and songs, choreography and musical compositions, genre and direction, cinematography, production design and editing… Not just the whole point, but the entire space a picture occupies in our collective nostalgia.

Every other artiste — musician, writer, painter — pretty much gains credit only for their own work. That's not true for a desi mainstream actor, on whose rockstar face has traditionally rested the full weight of India's popular culture. It's a huge burden to carry. Which explains the release that follows.

The image sometimes even dictates their whole life, while some spend a fair portion protecting it. No wonder, say a Suchitra Sen never stepped out of home at old age. Raj Kapoor, having learnt of his massive appeal in China only much later, chose never to visit, assuming he might disappoint fans who remembered him as the young man from Awaara or Shri 420.

Likewise, actor Amrish Puri, 72, told no one (in the public domain) that he was suffering from a rare form of blood cancer. I know this because he told me he was fine, killing off rumours to the contrary. His sudden death messed with nobody's memory of Mogambo.

The unparalleled public grief surrounding deaths of the new-age Irrfan, 53, and the old-world Rishi Kapoor, 67, in quick succession, while they had been ailing for a couple of years, has little do with any of what I've mentioned above.

It's do with a kite cut off, mid-flight — a great film stopped short of its crucial climax. Rishi Kapoor 2.0, as both actor and media presence, seemed dramatically more relevant than Rishi Kapoor 1.0. Irrfan was at the cusp of Hollywood royalty! Hurts more — especially once you imagine either as virtual family.

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

The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper

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With more than 9,000 COVID-19 positive cases registered in the city, starting May 5 the Mumbai police imposed Section 144 from 8 pm to 7 am. By this order, people won't be allowed to venture out of their homes between the decided timeframe except for medical emergencies and other essential services. However, the lockdown guidelines will remain the same for the rest of the day, as residents will be able to come out for purchasing essentials.

Even though the lockdown has been extended till May 17, the number of containment zones in the city continues to be on the rise. Cops have been noticing violations in terms of people coming out for non-essential work and crowding at various places. In a bid to curb this, the city police have imposed the prohibitory order and those violating it will be punished under the Indian Penal Code.

Crowd seen outside a liquor shop in Mumbai. Pic: Syed Sameer Abedi 

The order states, "All movement of one or more persons for non-essential activities, except for medical reasons, is prohibited from 8 pm to 7 am. Speaking to mid-day, Pranaya Ashok, DCP (PRO and Operation), said, "The implementation of this new order is crucial in terms of Mumbai's well being. The motto is to reduce crowding on road for as much as 11 hours. Hope Mumbaikars follow this for their own benefit."

Who's exempted

• Emergency services
• Establishments: hospitals, pharma related companies, laboratories, telephone and internet services, electricity, petroleum, oil and energy related IT and IT-enabled services, data centre services, ports, home delivery of food, online delivery platforms, drinking water supply and maintenance, godowns and warehouses of above sectors, trucks/tempos carrying goods, vehicles carrying people working for supplying essential services, print and electronic media
• Government and semi-government agencies and their staff

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

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

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

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

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

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

The nationwide lockdown imposed by the government due to the coronavirus outbreak has improved the air quality of some cities in the country. Days after a picture of the Dhauladhar Range in Himachal Pradesh being visible from Jalandhar in Punjab created a buzz, another similar picture has been doing rounds on the internet recently.

Residents of Singhwahini village in Sitamarhi district woke up to a stunning view of the Himalayan Range from their houses. The picture that went viral was posted by Twitter user Ritu Jaiswal, the Mukhya of Singhwahini Gram Panchayat who claimed that the picture was of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world in Nepal, which was visible from the village.

In the caption, Jaiswal said that she saw Mount Everest from the rooftop of her home in the village for the first time, even though the other ranges in Nepal are usually visible in clear weather.

She tweeted in Hindi, saying that Mount Everest is visible from the roofs of the houses in Singhwahini village in Sitamarhi district, adding that nature was balancing itself, and she attributed the improvement in air quality due to the lockdown.

Ritu Jaiswal's post

हम सà¥Â€à¤¤à¤¾à¤®à¤¢à¤¼à¥Â€ à¤Âœà¤¿à¤²à¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‡ à¤Â…पनà¥Â‡ à¤Â—ाà¤Âà¤µ #सिà¤Â‚हवाहिनà¥Â€ मà¥Â‡à¤Â‚ à¤Â…पनà¥Â‡ à¤Â›à¤¤ सà¥Â‡ #MtEverest दà¥Â‡à¤Â– सà¤Â•à¤¤à¥Â‡ हà¥Âˆà¤Â‚ à¤Â†à¤Âœà¥¤ पà¥Âà¤°à¤Â•à¥Âƒà¤¤à¤¿ à¤Â–à¥Âà¤¦ à¤Â•à¥Â‹ सà¤Â‚तà¥Âà¤²à¤¿à¤¤ à¤Â•à¤° रहà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆà¥¤ नà¥Â‡à¤ªà¤¾à¤² à¤Â•à¥Â‡ नà¤Âœà¤¼à¤¦à¥Â€à¤Â• वालà¥Â‡ पहाड़ तà¥Â‹ बारिश à¤Â•à¥Â‡ बाद साफ मà¥ÂŒà¤¸à¤® मà¥Â‡à¤Â‚ à¤Â•à¤­à¥Â€ à¤Â•à¤­à¥Â€ दिà¤Â– à¤Âœà¤¾à¤¤à¥Â‡ थà¥Â‡à¥¤ à¤Â…सल हिमालय à¤Â•à¥Â‡ दरà¥Âà¤¶à¤¨ à¤Â…पनà¥Â‡ à¤Â—ाà¤Âà¤µ सà¥Â‡ à¤Â†à¤Âœ पहलà¥Â€ बार हà¥Âà¤Âà¥¤#NatureisBalancing@KashishBihar pic.twitter.com/Ss3UHAzxWN

— Ritu Jaiswal (@activistritu) May 4, 2020

When Jaiswal was questioned by a user about how she could be certain that the peak seen in the picture was of Mount Everest, she said that her husband could see the peak from the village when he was a child back in the 1980’s. She went on to explain that highest snowy peak of the Himalayas can only be seen and Everest is in the north east of our village and this pic is of the north east (sic)," she said in the comment.

Becasue definitely when we can see snowy peak of the Himalayas, the highest ones can only be scene and everest is in the north east of our village and this pic is of north east. And my husband in their childhood used to see everest in 80s. So we are sure that its the same.

— Ritu Jaiswal (@activistritu) May 5, 2020

The post, shared on May 4, garnered more than 4,500 likes and was retweeted 947 times. The picture was also shared by forest officer Parveen Kaswan who wrote that Mount Everest was seen from Bihar after decades.

When people of Singhwahini village, Bihar saw Everest from their own houses. They say this happened after decades. Courtesy @activistritu. pic.twitter.com/X0SQtZe22T

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) May 5, 2020

Here’s how the Twitterati reacted on the picture:

I am just waiting for the day when I will be able to see Himalayas from Mumbai😜

— Hemant Jain🇮🇳 (@hemant6479) May 5, 2020

If we really belonged to the planet and the way we lived was natural to this planet then our locking ourselves up shld have upset the balance not repaired it. However superficial or temporary the effect.

— Anku Pande Chibb (@ankupande) May 5, 2020

Guess they must have experienced change in temperature also .☺ï¸Â

— Thakur ji (@Thethakurji) May 5, 2020

Wow... !
What a view sir.. 😊🙌

— Sravani (@sravani950570) May 5, 2020

What do you think about the picture?

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Maharashtra BJP leader and former CM of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, on Wednesday paid a visit to Saint George, GT and Nair Hospitals where he met frontline workers including hospital deans, superintendents, doctors, nurses, and policemen who have been leading India's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis interacts with doctors and medical staff of Saint George Hospital, GT Hospital and Nair Hospital in Mumbai

Via. @dharmendrajore @Dev_Fadnavis @BJP4India @BJP4Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/rvdvNrLJNw

— Mid Day (@mid_day) May 6, 2020

The 49-year-old BJP leader not only interacted with the frontline workers but also complemented them for their exemplary service for the nation during coronavirus epidemic.

Devendra Fadnavis interacts with hospital staff while maintaining social distance

At Saint George Hospital, situated in Fort, Devendra Fadnavis met superintendent Dr. Khobragade, Dr. Gaiakwad, while at GT hospital he spoke to Dr. Shingare and Dr. Deshpande and at Nair hospital he interacted with Dean Dr Joshi.

The former chief minister visited the Mumbai hospitals to thank the medical workers for leading by example in the fight against COVID-19@Dev_Fadnavis @BJP4India @BJP4Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/ZzcIvElMCU

— Mid Day (@mid_day) May 6, 2020

While visiting these hospitals and interacting with the doctors, Fadnavis not only thanked the corona warriors but also reviewed the coronavirus situation in the state and especially in Mumbai.

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What started as an effort to get treatment for his diabetic father suspected to have contracted COVID-19 soon turned into a horror story for a 29-year-old who discovered bodies wrapped in plastic on beds in Sion hospital's emergency and COVID-19 ward, while his breathless father was made to share the bed with other patients. A video of the man's experience on April 20 went viral on social media and BJP leader Nitesh Rane tweeted it late on Wednesday.

The video shows bodies wrapped in black-coloured plastic kept on beds right next to patients and their relatives in what is supposed to be a ward in Sion hospital, which has set up a committee to probe the matter.

Screenshot of video taken by kin showing wrapped bodies

The Chembur resident had taken his 63-year-old father to Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (commonly known as Sion hospital) after he complained of fever and weakness. "My father was having difficulty breathing. I did not want to take him to a government hospital but I had no choice except to go to Sion hospital," he said.

At 1.30 pm at Sion hospital, the man was asked to take his father to the emergency ward. "After an X-ray, the doctor said my father has pneumonia and they were almost certain that he had COVID-19. They cleared a bed and asked him to lie on it. Soon, another woman was told to lie next to him and a senior citizen was told to sit near his feet," the man said. His father was given an oxygen mask to help him breathe.

The video went viral on social media on Wednesday and was tweeted by BJP leader Nitesh Rane

Just when the man was certain he did not want to keep his father at the hospital, he noticed a bed behind a curtain. A closer look revealed a body covered in plastic on the bed. "I was horrified and my father started to panic. The doctors kept saying that they will admit him and shift him to another ward but nothing was happening. Then, a friend of mine arranged a bed at Seven Hills Hospital," he said.

The man was asked to go to ward no. 5 — supposed to be a COVID-19 ward — to sign discharge papers. "Patients' relatives were inside with them in the ward, which is not allowed. I saw at least three beds with bodies piled on them and patients being treated right next to them. We had always heard about how bad government hospitals are. But I never imagined this," he said.

The man took his father to Seven Hills in an ambulance at 6.45 pm, where he is currently being treated and was taken off ventilator support on Wednesday.

Rane has also complained to Maharashtra's Governor and said the hospital has admitted the video is authentic. "The enquiry is pointless since the hospital is aware of what it is doing. This enquiry is a farce. Hospital authorities say that relatives are not collecting bodies and they have no idea about proper disposal of COVID-19 affected bodies. The state has failed to deal with the situation and the Centre should step in," said Rane. He added that the issue is arising from the lack of proper guidelines on the disposal of bodies of COVID-19 patients.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya complained to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday. "Currently, bodies are being wrapped in plastic due to the shortage of bags for disposal. Relatives and not ready to take the bodies due to which they are kept in the ward. I have asked ICMR to address this issue," he said.

'Enquiry to verify'

Dr Pramod Ingle, acting dean of Sion hospital said, "From the look of the tiles and hallway, it seems like Sion hospital. However, an inquiry will have to verify. A local committee of Sion hospital officials has been set up on Thursday and they have been given 24 hours to submit a report," said Dr Ingle.

Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that the bodies were accumulating since relatives of patients were delaying in collecting them.

"Relatives are not taking bodies. However, if they give permission, the corporation will dispose of the bodies. But now, the bodies will be stored outside the wards," she said.

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A day after former Navi Mumbai mayor Jayawant Sutar threatened to take the matter of increasing COVID-19 cases at Agricultural Produce Market Committee market in Vashi to the higher-ups, officials at a high-level meeting unanimously decided to shut it from May 11 to May 17.

All five markets — vegetable, fruit, grain, dry fruit and spice — will remain shut from Monday till the lockdown ends. The market will remain open this weekend. NMMC Commissioner Annasaheb Misal, Maharashtra principal secretary (marketing) Anoop Kumar, IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, Konkan Divisional Commissioner Shivaji Daund, APMC police officers and APMC traders were at the meet on Friday afternoon.

Daund told mid-day, "We will carry out extensive spraying of disinfectants during the shutdown and the APMC staff, including traders and APMC police, will be screened and tested. We will hold regular meetings through video conferencing to understand the momentum of work." He added that they will review the matter on May 15 to decide on a phased reopening or extension.

APMC Secretary and Administrator Anil Chavan, who also attended the meeting, said they decided to close the markets to contain the spread of COVID. "We will keep the market open this Saturday and Sunday so that essential supplies could be stocked for 10 days in Mumbai and neighbouring areas."

mid-day had, on Friday, reported about the Sutar, whose term as the Navi Mumbai mayor ended recently, demanding that market to be shut.

"I was going to write a letter to the central health team, too, but I am now informed that at a high-level meeting a decision was taken to shut the market for a week. It is evident that not only traders, but even their staff, and APMC mathadi workers were at high risk as they visit the market daily. Also, we have learnt that some APMC staffers would have had to take voluntary retirement had the market remained open. The traders are already terrified," he said.

Sutar added, "Had the government wanted they could have made an amendment to the existing APMC Act, and allowed him to continue as the mayor. But, they allowed the administrator and APMC to take the decisions."

Vijay Bhuta, director, APMC Spices Market, said there were only eight cases at the masala market so far. "Majority of the positive cases were reported from other markets in APMC." "Residents living around the market were concerned about the increasing number of cases," he added.

A resident of Turbhe village said, "On Friday, two more positive cases were reported in the village and both men worked at the APMC market. We have requested Turbhe and Kopri villagers to not allow APMC staffers in their locality to venture out." Sutar said he has raised the concern about people travelling to and from red zones.

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Every girl dreams of her very own moment in the spotlight, where all eyes stay on her. With the party season around the corner the pressure to look nothing but the best, is real but this season worry no more. Lakmé beauty expert Donald Simrock and TIGI Educator Audrey D'Souza share some of the simplest yet best kept party beauty secrets that will make sure, this December you are the life of the party.

1. Let your eyes do the talking:

Preparation: Start by moisturizing and nourishing your skin

Eye: Dab a subtle shade of eyeshadow from the Illuminate Royal Persia palette, and then use the Kohl to smudge the corner of the eye to give a smokey effect.

Pout that lip: Use a nice nude matte on the lip

Hair: Cleanse your hair with a volumizing shampoo and conditioner for that extra dose of moisture and protein to the hair. Add a dollop of smoothening serum for that silky-smooth finish on semi dry hair. Using a curler, take even horizontal sections of hair and wrap these sections around the tong. Once the hair is hot, remove the curler and leave it for a bit to cool. Continue this process over until you have completed the entire head then the curls lightly to get those perfect soft curls. Finish off by adding a hairspray to keep them in place.

2. The girl next door look:

Preparation: Moisturize your skin.

Eye: A winged eye is always in style.

Get Cheeky: A hint of colour from a blush never goes wrong.

Pout that lip: Use the same lip and cheek tint for this as well.

Hair: Shampoo and condition your hair with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and towel dry. Use a brush to smooth strands. Gather your hair right below the crown of your head, smoothing the front and sides as you brush your hair back. Apply smoothening serum to reduce frizz and add texture. Still holding your hair with your right hand, apply a quarter-size amount of hair gel onto your fingertips, and then spread it all over your hair, starting a half of an inch back from your hairline to give it that wanted sheen. Spritz on some hairspray, which will provide an extra hold. Secure your ponytail with a bungee. After your ponytail is secure, take a section of hair from underneath it and wrap it around the bungee with bobby pins, for a chic, pulled-together look.

5. Play it simple:

Preparation: Give your skin an effortless glow by finding yourself the perfect shade.

Eye: Try the shimmer bronze from the shine line collection and get the metallic effect on the lids, don't forget the flutter secrets mascara to up the glam quotient.

Pout that lip: Try a gorgeous bold shade.

Hair: Spray some volumizing hair mousse on damp hair from root to end. This will help pump up the volume. Blast dry using a wide paddle brush. Curl your hair with a curling iron, working one-inch section. Make sure you leave about one or two inches of the ends untouched for a more natural feel. Tie your hair into buns and let them stay so for about 30 mins. Open them up and spot spray with hair spray to keep those waves in place

Hula your way into the New Year or dance off daubed in glitter -- there are options galore for party goers here this New Year's Eve (NYE). With unlimited food and drinks, rousing electronic dance music (EDM) and DJs to celebrity singers, the eastern metropolis has upped its game in the party scene over the years.

Representational Pic

Revelry is not restricted to the British-era Park Street any more. Take for instance the Aloha Hawaii event at Hotel Hindustan International where a Hawaiian spread would accompany enthusiasts eager to have a go at the hula dance

The mood reflecting the technicolor coral reefs of Hawaii shifts to a more extravagant take on the festivities with a couple of places putting up gold-themed celebrations.

At JW Marriott, ride out into the New Year with a 'Golden Ticket to 2018' gala or get the glitter on at De Sovrani's glitter party, complete with golden hued props and glitter make up.

Marking 50 years, The Park, at its Rosewood banquet hall, will host the 'Black and Gold Affair' with a swinging live band and DJ to belt out the latest in international and Bollywood hits.

For a purely musical night out, rock out at the Hard Rock Cafe as DJs spin the wheel to make you groove over some mix of Bollywood to EDM and classics.

For a breath of fresh air and a 360 degree view of the city scape, hit one of the largest's rooftop New Year's party at Novotel Kolkata where you could dance your heart out with DJ Aziz under the stars.

At 330 feet at Ozora Highlife, one has the option of enjoying performances in a massive open air space.

At the historic Bow Barracks, hub of the Anglo-Indian community, one could experience the all-night dance amid a plethora of fruit cakes and home made wines.

A walk through the bedecked Park Street, engulfed in the wafting aroma of breads, buns and cakes, could round off the night for those yearning for the classic form of festivities.

Kylie Jenner. Pic/Santa Banta 

As far as versatility goes, there aren't many clothing items that can contest with a good denim jacket. From cowboys in the early 20th century to urban commuters and Hollywood stars, the denim jacket makes for a durable yet a timelessly fashionable companion for everyone.

And as far as denims go, Levi's has forged a cult like image among consumers. Being the pioneer of the modern age copper-riveted jeans, the German immigrant-Levi Strauss founded company has been in the business since 1853. One of the most timeless of all denim jackets is the Levi's Trucker Jacket, which has been an indispensible wardrobe essential for stars and fashion-heads alike for years.

Just look at Emily Ratajkowski's casual airport appearance, or Lily Aldridge's recent denim jacket-styled look, as recorded by People, the jacket has been like an eternal go-to for the glam girls, fit for any occasion. 'This is Us' star, Milo Ventimiglia rocked his trucker jacket with a chambray shirt and navy pants, totaling in a neat look, proving that the denim jacket isn't restricted to be rocked by just the women of Hollywood.

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"Go for vertical broad stripes instead of horizontal for a vacation wardrobe," suggests Lodha, like in this bowling shirt by AMI. A broad striped shirt, subdued with a solid-coloured jacket, can also work as a safe yet edgy work outfit.

Luxury labels and high street brands have embraced resort collars to help you keep your cool. We like this Louis Vuitton floral shirt paired with the un-skippable baggy pants folded at the hem.

It's been a while since pastels made their way into men's wardrobes, in dainty and rugged versions (with weathered fabrics). A pastel palette can be great for summer when choosing shades for colour blocking, and can also work in constraint with prints, like you see here in this Kenzo piece.

Illustrations/Uday Mohite

Baggy trousers have been a staple across brands, as has athleisure wear. Merge formal wear with a sporty element either through a simple stripe running on the side of your shirt or like this merger of a hoodie and a shirt by Hermes.

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) made a shocking decision on April 15 by releasing a huge list of some WWE superstars from past and present.

In a statement by WWE, they announced that they had released a total of 19 superstar wrestlers and a referee. WWE has come to terms on the release of Kurt Angle, Rusev (Miroslav Barnyashev), Zack Ryder (Matthew Cardona), Drake Maverick (James Curtin), Sarah Logan (Sarah Rowe), Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers), Karl Anderson (Chad Allegra) and Luke Gallows (Drew Hankinson) - collectively known as The O.C., Heath Slater (Heath Miller), Mike Kanellis (Mike Bennett), Maria Kanellis, Eric Young (Jeremy Fritz), Aiden English (Matthew Rehwoldt), Rowan (Joseph Ruud), No Way Jose (Levis Valenzuela), Mike Chioda, EC3 (Michael Hutter), Lio Rush (Lionel Green), Primo (Edwin Colon) and Epico (Orlando Colon Nieves). WWE also went on to wish them all the best.

Following their release from WWE, superstars took to Instagram to voice their emotions.

Take a look at some of their posts on social media. Kurt Angle -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Until next time. #yippeekiyay #itstrue

A post shared by Kurt Angle (@therealkurtangle) onApr 15, 2020 at 12:35pm PDT

Rusev -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Life is life. God is great. I’ll be alright

A post shared by Miroslav Barnyashev (@rusevig) onApr 15, 2020 at 1:59pm PDT

Sarah Logan -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

With my whole heart. Thank you.

A post shared by Sarah Rowe (@sarahloganwwe) onApr 15, 2020 at 12:49pm PDT

Heath Slater -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Thank you all.

A post shared by Heath Miller “Slater” (@heathslater_xxii) onApr 15, 2020 at 2:19pm PDT

Luke Gallows -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

The devil ain’t in the distance.....

A post shared by Luke Gallows (@luke_gallowswwe) onApr 15, 2020 at 8:49pm PDT

This has come as shocking news to all the WWE universe with more details awaited.

Indian boxing's High Performance Director Santiago Nieva expects the national camp to resume at least partially next month and foresees no hiccups in fans rushing back to live sport in the age of social distancing as he feels people always "look for risks". The seasoned coach, who has been with the Indian team since 2017, is quite optimistic of things improving by the beginning of next month despite the rising COVID-19 cases as well as the number of deaths in the country. "I think the camp will restart next month. If not full strength, then at least the core group," he told PTI. The core group comprises the ones who have already qualified for the Olympics and those who are seen to be strong contenders to make the cut in future qualifiers.

Asked what gives him the belief that camps would be good to go if the national lockdown ends on May 3, the Swede said, "That's my hunch. Of course I can be wrong but I think we will be able to restart early next month." "Humans have the ability to adapt to different situations. And I think here, people are facing up to the reality quite well even though it is an unprecedented crisis." Talking of the crisis and its impact on sports, Nieva said things would never be the same again but asserted that people will not give up on live sports either. "In amateur boxing, we are used to fighting in empty halls, so no fan concerns for us," he joked. "But seriously speaking, yes, there will be more restrictions on movement of people, the security is going to be tighter, it won't be that easy to travel. But fans, they are going to rush back at the first opportunity," he predicted. "People don't care. I think they should be more careful but mostly they are not. They will come back easily because they have been confined at homes for too long.

"They like to be risky. You can see it even now. Look at Europe and US, people are just refusing to follow the lockdowns, they are flocking bars, restaurants despite strict measures. You think they will stop once all these restrictions are lifted?" Nieva is currently in Patiala's National Institute of Sports, busy delivering lectures in online classes for coaches by the Sports Authority of India. "The technology has to be better for these classes to have more impact but overall, I think it is the future as far as complementing live training is concerned. Obviously, it cannot replace live training," he said of his experience so far. "It can be a bit disconcerting when you are not able to see the 250 odd people who are listening to you but you get used to it," he added. Asked if boxers have been reaching out to him while being at their respective homes during this period, Nieva said, "Sometimes, not often. They call up to tell if they are struggling with the equipment but overall they have adapted well." "It's not an optimum situation and as I said earlier, we have to face up to the reality," he signed off brushing aside any concerns of his own when quizzed about the considerable time he has spent away from his family in Sweden.

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The postponement to 2021 of the Olympic Games in Tokyo because of the coronavirus pandemic will cost the International Olympic Committee (IOC) "several hundred million dollars", its president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday. "We already know that we have to shoulder several hundred million US dollars of postponement costs," the German wrote in a letter to the Olympic movement, warning that, while the IOC would honour its financial obligations to Tokyo, it would probably have to make cuts. "We also need to look into and review all the services that we provide for these postponed Games," he said.

"The IOC will continue to be responsible for its share of the operational burden and its share of the costs for these postponed Games." The IOC, which has approximately $1 billion (926 million euros) in reserves, took the historic decision to postpone the Games, scheduled to open on July 24, until July 23 to August 8, 2021. If the coronavirus pandemic is not brought under control within a year, the Games cannot be postponed again and will be cancelled, the head of the organising committee (COJO) Yoshiro Mori warned on Tuesday.

A task force, which brings together the IOC and various partners, including COJO, "has established the priorities and management strategies to make these postponed Olympic Games feasible and successful", Bach said. These include creating "a safe environment with regard to health for all participants". "At this moment, nobody knows what the realities of the post-coronavirus world will look like," he said. "What is clear, however, is that probably none of us will be able to sustain every single initiative or event that we were planning before this crisis hit." He added that the IOC should also view the crisis as an opportunity.

"We can fairly assume that, in the post-coronavirus society, public health will play a much more important role. Sport and physical activity make a great contribution to health," he wrote. Bach also said the Olympic movement should consider its relationship with esports in light of social distancing.

"Whilst maintaining our principles by respecting the red line, with regard to the Olympic values, we encourage all our stakeholders even more urgently to 'consider how to govern electronic and virtual forms of their sport and explore opportunities with game publishers'," he said.

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The Indian women's hockey team has raised funds to the tune of Rs 20 lakh to help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indian team raised the money through an 18-day fitness challenge, which concluded on May 3 and resulted in raising Rs 20, 01,130. The funds have been donated to Delhi-based NGO Uday Foundation. The funds will be used to provide basic necessities for patients at various locations, migrant workers and slum dwellers.

"The response we have received was really overwhelming. People, especially Indian hockey lovers from across the globe took part in the challenge and contributed to the cause. "On behalf of the Indian Women Team, I would like to thank everyone who took part in this initiative to help the poor," India skipper Rani Rampal said.

The challenge involved the team members who came up with different fitness tasks that ranged from burpees, lunges, squats to spider-man pushups, pogo hops and more. Each day a player gave a new challenge and tagged 10 people on their social media handles to take up the challenge and donate Rs 100 to the fundraiser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

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

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

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

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

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Evander Holyfield has announced that he will return to the ring to fight exhibition matches. The 57-year-old said in a tweet that the proceeds from his fight will go to Unite 4 Our Fight which provides funds to young people whose education have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. "Are you ready? The moment you've all been waiting for...The Champ is back! ?? I'd like to announce that I will be making a comeback to the ring. I will be fighting in exhibition matches for a great cause: #Unite4OurFight. Learn more: http://unite4ourfight.org," he tweeted on Thursday.

"I'm training to promote a charity that's very close to me. Our #Unite4OurFight campaign aims to fill the void the pandemic has created on access to resources our youth needs for emotional development and education," said Holyfield in his website.

Holyfield last fought professionally in 2011 when he faced Brian Nielsen. He reigned as the undisputed champion in cruiserweight in the late 1980s and in heavyweight in the early 1990s and remains the only boxer to to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes.

He is also the only four-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBA, WBC and IBF titles from 1990 to 1992, the WBA and IBF titles again from 1993 to 1994, the WBA title a third time from 1996 to 1999; the IBF title a third time from 1997 to 1999 and the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001.

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When restaurateurs lunch together the conversation always, ultimately, comes down to food and the discussion of food wastage is never far off. At a shoot for mid-day recently, chefs Kelvin Cheung (Bastian), Karishma Dalal (Bombay Salad Co) and Pooja Dhingra (Le 15 Cafe) lamented the lack of composting facilities in the city. They say they have been trying hard to find an eco-friendly solution for their waste, much of which ends up being handed to the local civic body and ends up in a landfill. They have considered joining forces and starting their own composting facility, but it's early days.

Cheung, Dalal and Dhingra might find kindred spirits in other city restaurateurs who face a similar challenge. While some compost a small percentage of the garbage they generate daily, others try and reuse, some control output by cooking on a need-per-order basis, but the greater amount gets binned.

Bombay Salad Co, Bandra West
Waste generated every week: 700 kg
Waste disposed organically every week: Approx 50 kg Karishma Dalal (in pic), who runs Bandra's hip Bombay Salad Co, is waiting for someone to come up with a novel idea that could use all the organic waste her restaurant generates. "As we are a salad bar, most of our waste is made up of peels, stalks and leaves. Around 15 per cent is just cabbage!" As a restaurateur, it would be a huge economical undertaking for Dalal to send her garbage to a large composting facility, which Mumbai doesn't seem to have . "I have kept an eye out and nobody collects it on a large scale. The ones who do, in the suburbs, want me to arrange transportation."
What she is doing right: Distributing garbage to locals who compost at home
Solution: Dalal is trying to do her bit. Every week, she gives around five kg to Bandra residents who compost at home, and around 20 kg every three days to a friend from Pune who uses it in his nursery. "And, BMC comes twice a day for the rest."

Pod Supply, Andheri West (Meal prep service)
Waste generated every week: Approx 30 kg
Waste disposed organically every week: None
Chef Harsh Dixit says they follow waste management procedures including segregation as they only prep an order according to required quantities. He also says that they have never tried composting. "I have worked in three major cities - Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi - before Pod Supply, but I have never experienced restaurants composting their waste. I do believe with the changing food scene in the country; chefs and restaurant owners being more aware about practices like these, it will soon be adopted too."
What they are doing right: Achieve minimal waste by using ingredients to the maximum
Solution: "For example, we use the vegetable peels/fish bones to make stock which we use to cook rice, make soups and base for curries. Off cuts of meats and seafood are used for the kitchen staff meals. But we do land up with a lot of egg yolks as we use more of whites."

Ministry of Salad, Breach Candy
Waste generated every week: Approx 4 to 5 kg
Waste disposed organically every week: Approx 4 to 5 kg
Head Chef Akanksha Saigal says the main challenge she faces is that one day's waste is never the same as the next. It depends on the quantity of order versus what is consumed. "Luckily for us, our estimates are usually close to the benchmark," she says. She does say that in ideal conditions, they would like to compost this waste themselves or via an agency, however, as per regulations, they would need a license to do it. "At our end, we try to keep the waste down and only hope that the BMC makes good use of it."
What they are doing right: Reducing waste generated by ordering only what's necessary The restaurant works on an aggressive inventory system with the core team defining approximate sales per day. "This experience has made us almost intuitive, and we know how much to order for a particular day. Ordering right is the key here." Saigal also insists on using ingredients across dishes to ensure less wastage.

Lord of the Drinks, Andheri West
Waste generated every week: Approx 700 kg
Waste composted every week: None
At the Andheri hotspot, a majority of its waste comes from leafy greens and other vegetables since not all parts of every vegetable can be consumed. "Therefore, waste from meat is lesser," says JJ, Corporate Chef. The restaurant has tried composting, but it's not cost effective. "We use the segregation method. Due to lack of space for storing waste in Mumbai, a part of it usually gets disposed in garbage vans. I think the answer could be to install composting machines. However, these may not be cost effective for every establishment," he says.
What they are doing right: Segregating dry and wet garbage and using the former for manure, inhouse
Solution: The food waste is usually segregated between dry and wet. "Composting of dry garbage is easy at the restaurant level as most of it gets reused while gardening and makes for good manure," says JJ. But most of the wet garbage is binned. "There is hardly any government support in composting of such garbage."

There is always the lure of savouring dishes not available to others; something with a limited edition feel, a sense of secrecy. Most restaurants have off-the-menu dishes, and reasons for their classified nature can be anything from the chef wanting to surprise his patrons to the lack of constant supply of a particular ingredient. Here's a curated list of dishes from across city eateries that chefs won't readily tell you about. Regulars would know, of course, and now they are all yours to try.

Pita pocket
At: Henpecked, Kala Ghoda

Mini pita pockets are cooked in a traditional Neapolitan oven where the "torched wooden logs take up the heat of the dome-shaped oven up to 600 degrees", says head chef Ajay Thakur. The heat transforms the simple pita pocket into what's best described as a Mediterranean phulka. "We stuff it with farm fresh veggies or meat." Thakur learnt to prepare the dish during a trip to Dubai. "That's where the idea struck me. Anything between pita breads is worshipped there," he says. Since it's easy to make, there's hardly ever a chance of it not being available if you ask for it.

Why off the menu? "It is good to surprise your customers. Since the dish employs a unique technique, we like to keep it a secret special."

Beetroot Ice Cream
At: Su Casa, Bandra

When chef Dev Rawat concocted a recipe for the Beetroot Ice Cream, he knew it wouldn't be up everyone's alley. Rawat, who did not want to tamper with the original flavour of the vegetable has, therefore, kept the dish moderately sweet with little sugar.

While he does recommend it, the orders don't exceed five a month. "I have a penchant for the quirky, so it's fine if it's not popular," he says.

Why off the menu? "For any dish to have a place on the menu, it must do justice in terms of sales. Besides, it takes an unusual palate to enjoy roasted beetroot ice cream."

Grilled Kangaroo Fillet With Grilled Baby Spinach and Potato Salad 
At: Estella, Juhu

It was during a trip to Australia that Chef Rohan D'Souza tasted the grilled kangaroo for the first time. "I especially liked the way the Australian chefs play with meat preparations," says the head chef at Estella. His curiosity to learn new cuisines and experiment with dishes motivated him to replicate it at the restaurant. The dish is recommended to guests depending on the availability of meat. "Mostly Australians based in Mumbai choose this," he says. Served with grilled baby spinach, sauce café de paris and warm mustard potato salad, the grilled kangaroo fillet tastes similar to buffalo meat, he says. "It has a wonderful taste that adds a lot of flavour without being overpowering."

Why off the menu?
"Kangaroo meat doesn't come cheap. It's about R4,500 a kg, and is a rare meat available only in Australia."

Bhut Jolokia Chicken Sandwich
At: Dive, BKC

Chef Munawar Taher Peerzade, who heads BKC's Dive, often sees patrons reaching for the tissue box after taking a bite of the Bhut Jolokia Chicken Sandwich. He introduced the item on the appetisers menu when the restaurant launched early this year, but realised it might not be everybody's cup of tea. "I was forced to take it off, because not everybody has a threshold for spice," he says. The bhut jolokia chilli is a hybrid chili pepper cultivated in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, not easily available in Mumbai. At the restaurant, the chillies are ground into a paste along with other spices to whip up the base sauce for the sandwich.

Why off the menu? "We get the oddball customer who asks for something fiery, so I realised it makes for a good off-the-menu chef's recommend snack."

3 Bean Paella
At: Luca, Lower Parel

This Spanish dish, we are told, is prepared in limited quantities at this newly opened restaurant in Mathuradas Mills. "There are several other bean-based dishes on the menu. This one is only available under chef's specials on specific days. It is, however, available to anyone who asks for it," says head chef Shankar Kokkula. But it's not an eat that can be customized. "It is meant to be had the way it is made, because it is a chef's special." The dish packs in a punch of pulses, loaded with haricot beans, black-eyed beans, kidney beans, green peas and rice, served in a bowl. "It's a free-style dish; you can add vegetables as per your choice and availability of ingredients. The core preparation, however, remains as is. We add paprika for that added fire." This is Kokkula's own spin to the Spanish staple.

Why off the menu? "I have been a fan of the Spanish delicacy and wanted to experiment with it. I didn't include it on the menu since I wished that it be made available on select days."

Honey Darsaan
At: Four Points by Sheraton, Navi Mumbai

It was as a rookie chef that Ashvini Kumar, now executive chef At Four Points by Sheraton, in Navi Mumbai, picked up the recipe of Honey Darsaan, a Chinese Dessert made with fried wonton noodles. Here, the noodles are drizzled with honey and sesame seeds and accompanied with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Although the chef's favourite, it lost out to other desserts during a menu revamp, and was replaced with Granny Smith Apples and Toffee Ice Cream. But like Kumar, there are a few guests who
dig the dessert.

"We get around 10 orders for the dish," he says.

Why off the menu? "What happens with fast food desserts is that it's an extensive spread, and you can't have them all on the menu, because it creates clutter."

Crispy Eggplant Burger

If you're vegan, you can probably count on one hand the number of eateries in the city that cater to your needs while also serving delicious grub. Narrow down the search to just vegan burgers, and you arrive at another figure — nil. But, if you live around Bandra, you're in luck, thanks to a new delivery service called Vegan Burger Kitchen.

Asian-style Sweet Potato and Peanut Burger

The menu currently offers nine burgers, each different from the next, and all made using locally sourced, organic produce.

Being day one of operations, when we call, we're informed that the BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Burger and the Cauliflower and Red Lentil Burger aren't available. On sensing the disappointment in our voice, however, we are promised that it will be available soon enough.

Among the burgers we try, we find two favourites. The first is the Asian-style Sweet Potato and Peanut Burger (Rs 329), where the sweet potato patty pairs beautifully with the creamy soy milk-based Sriracha mayo and Asian slaw. The Crispy Eggplant Burger (Rs 299) is best eaten fresh. The fun lies in biting into the crunchy exterior of the patty — robed in a vegan Thousand Island dressing and pickles — to get to the mushy eggplant that sits inside.

Smoked Black Beans, Mushrooms and Beet Burger

We also enjoy the Smoked Black Beans, Mushrooms and Beet Burger (Rs 299). The patty gets its form and flavour predominantly from the black beans, so if you don't enjoy them, avoid this one. The Unmeat Burger (Rs 329), meanwhile, is an acquired taste. The texture of the wheat protein that makes up the patty is odd and unfamiliar, and the grainy flavour seeps through, despite a generous use of punchy condiments in the burger.

Bounty Pudding

In addition to the burgers, the menu also lists beverages like iced tea and cold brews, as well as two desserts. Pop the Vegan Chocolate Brownie (Rs 129) into the microwave oven for a few seconds before digging in, and you won't be disappointed. The Bounty Pudding (Rs 129) is a riff on the coconut-filled chocolate bar. Here, however, the desiccated coconut is replaced by coconut milk, giving you a chocolate dessert that feels like velvet on the tongue. We hear that the menu is going to be expanded to include more burgers, and meals. Until then, we're content to binge on another Crispy Eggplant Burger.

TIME: 12 pm to 11 am (closed Tuesdays) delivers to Bandra West, Khar West, Santacruz West
LOG ON TO: Vegan Burger Kitchen on Facebook
CALL: 879296027

Prachi Dhabal Deb will demonstrate eggless royal icing work on cakes and cookies

Baking a batch of chocolate brownies is simple enough, provided you follow the recipe to the T. But, what if you want to create a two-tiered wonder for your best friend's wedding? Starting today, Cakeology, brings together cake artists from around the world to equip you with all the skills you need to go from home baker to pro baker.

Sachiko Windbiel's 3D fondant cake toppers

"The country's cake decorating industry has been witnessing drastic changes in the past few years. Home baking is a serious business now," says Farzana Gandhi, project and brand building consultant, Cakeology.

The second edition features artists like Alyson Reynolds (Scotland), Sachiko Windbiel (New York), Tina Scott Parashar (Dubai) and Bijay Thapa (New Delhi), who will hold 35 demos and six workshops for aspiring bakers.

Learn to make realistic sugar flowers from Alyson Reynolds

In her six-hour hands-on workshop, which is open to beginners as well as professionals, Windbiel will show participants how to create cute 3D figurines and toppers using fondant. Along with new fondant techniques, special attention will be paid to achieving good body proportions as well as creating expressive facial features.

Three special cakes will be on display this year. UK-based cake sculpture expert Rose Macefield will be making a life-size bride and groom wedding cake. The second is a life-size elephant by Samie J Ramachandran, whose 500kg London Bridge cake got plenty of eyeballs at an exhibition in Bengaluru. For the last one, London-based bakers and best friends Valeri Valeriano and Christina Ong of the multi-award winning Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes will create an entire English garden using nothing but buttercream.

Till: September 10, 10.30 am to 6.30 pm
At: World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade
Log on to: cakeology.in
Call: 9820744629
Entry: 200 per day

Bavarian Bouquet and Tropical Froth 

A trend we have seen in menus across the city is the use of the term, progressive global cuisine. This covers everything under the sun and allows chefs to serve dosas or dimsums. Many falter in delivering the best of each cuisine, while others manage to gain footfall.

Andheri's newest brewery (in place of The Pump Room, which was a brewery too), Barrel & Co has a menu that falls in this category. The interiors are industrial with a surprise mix of S&M, in the form of a large cage and mannequins decked in chains.

Beer-infused Chicken Supreme with Dukkah Spice 

Butter Chicken and Jeera Rice (as part of lunch thalis) and Spaghetti Lamb Bolognese fight for attention. We hope for the best and order their craft beers first. We have a weakness for wheat beers and the Belgian Wit ('190 for 330 ml) has the perfect grainy flavour with a hint of citrus. The Hopfenwiezen and Irish Red Ale (both '190) need a little more finesse for a smooth transition of the many flavours they pack. The most unique offering is the Bavarian Bouquet ('210), a floral, sweet beer that we guess will polarise opinions. It's unlike anything other breweries serve and the aroma reminds us of an exotic spa — we don't mind it one bit and call for another mug. One thing that all the beers lack is a good head. To further experiment with the Belgian Wit, we pick Tropical Froth ('300), a cocktail that makes the most of the citrusy nature of the craft beer when mixed with orange, apple and pineapple.

Zucchini Stuffed with Cottage Cheese and Cream Melange; (bottom) The industrial interiors. Pics/ Dhara Vora Sabhnani

Happy with the beers, we try a Mini Dosa Taco with Chicken Sukka ('290), Beer-infused Chicken Supreme with Dukkah Spice ('275) and Zucchini Stuffed with Cottage Cheese and Cream Melange ('275). We are not disappointed. The chicken skewers are tender and the coating of dukkah adds a woody taste to the meat. The stuffed zucchini, comes on a bed of chutney-like paste and the rolls are stuffed with delicate paneer. The chicken stuffing of the dosa tacos starts with a sweet taste and then hits spicy notes, balancing the flavours. The dosa is a tad soggy.

Like us, other tables seem to be having a good time, too. Several tables are filled on the Monday evening when we visit. With good food, aptly priced craft beers (just two options for bottled beers is a downer) and a well-designed entrance to property that will soon become an Insta favourite, Barrel & Co calls for a revisit.

"At the Singapore Grand Prix, Rannvijay Singha met F1 legends Fernando Alonso and Mika Hakkinen and committed to Johnnie Walker's JOIN THE PACT initiative, which is a global campaign that encourages people to NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE."

2017 marks the 10th year of the campaign and the aim is to collect 5 million commitments from consumers to Join the Pact by end of 2018. For every commitment collected 1km of safe rides home is given back by Johnnie Walker.

Mika Hakkinen and the McLaren Honda and Sahara Force India drivers are Johnnie Walker's Global Responsible Drinking Ambassadors. Mika has visited over 40 countries to spread the #JoinThePact message.

Representational Image

India's leading player Saurav Ghosal stormed into the final of the USD 50,000 Macau Open, a major PSA world tour event, here today.

The national champion, seeded fourth, ousted the top seed Simon Rosner of Germany in five games 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-4 in a pulsating semi-final.

The Indian is ranked 28th in the world while the German is placed 11th.

But that did not unsettle Ghosal who showed his characteristic fighting ability and ensured victory in what proved a topsy turvy tussle.

In the title round, Ghosal will meet second seed Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar.

Ajay Devgn has produced and directed a music video, Thahar Ja, which speaks about weathering the storm. The star, who also features in the video, shot it himself at his Juhu home. It also marks the debut of son Yug as assistant director. The song has been rendered by Mehul Vyas.

It's a four-minute-long video and it not only captures the actor and his montages but also all the medical practitioners and unsung warriors that are fighting day and night to conquer the Coronavirus crisis. This is indeed a soothing way to spread hope and positivity.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

We will weather this storm together. Stay safe, Stay Happy. Apno ke liye #ThaharJa #IndiaFightsCorona @narendramodi @uddhavthackeray @cmomaharashtra @praveensinghpardeshi @my_bmc @meenaiyerofficial

A post shared by Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) onApr 25, 2020 at 12:31am PDT

During this lockdown, all the Bollywood celebrities have asked all of us to stay safe and inside our homes. They have also been saluting and applauding the efforts being put by the doctors and nurses to eradicate the virus. Some uploaded a video, many of them tweeted to thank them, and Devgn goes a step ahead and dedicates a song that's all about keeping patience and positivity.

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Fitness plays a significant role in the life of Bollywood actresses. To slay in Bollywood, the actresses are maintaining on to a well-toned body. Their toned curves make them look glamorous in the industry. It’s no surprise that for any given role our favorite Bollywood celebs have to set a strict fitness regime and follow a certain diet. Giorgia Andriani, who took the world by storm with her 'size zero' figure, recently through her social media posts, is today considered to be one of the fittest actress in the industry.

“I’m walking, practising yoga and following various workouts on YouTube, sometimes functional, sometimes weight lifting. And I am eating as early as possible at night.” Said Giorgia while talking about her fitness and diet routine. The actress has maintained a routine and stuck to her nutritious way of life all through the coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

 

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You are just one yoga session away from a good mood!🧘🏼‍♀️ #YogaLife #YogaEveryday #MeTime

A post shared by Giorgia Andriani (@giorgia.andriani22) onJan 28, 2020 at 1:32am PST

The Italian beauty Giorgia will soon debut in Bollywood with 'Welcome to Bajrangpur' starring Shreyas Talpade, Sanjay Mishra, and Tigmanshu Dhulia. Apart from that, she is set to raise the temperature with an Item Number in much-awaited 'Sridevi Bungalow' starring Arbaaz Khan and Priya Prakash Varrier.

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Actor Rahul Bose will reveal his secret lockdown wellness hacks on Being Yoga, India's first Virtual Wellness Festival.

At a time when the world is amidst a lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, personalities from different walks of life are coming together to conduct a virtual yoga wellness festival.

"I am really looking forward to sharing my secret lockdown wellness hacks with you. Do join Being Yoga on May 3 to raise funds for COVID-1919," said Rahul. The wellness festival will be held on May 2 and 3.

From doctors to spiritual gurus, yoga practitioners, the festival will see the participation of names who will talk about the importance of wellness, philosophy and relevance in our lives during these challenging times.

Actor Ashish Vidyarthi, tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi and more will be joining in and speaking about the importance of yoga.

"I'm used to a rigorous fitness and work routine and staying motivated during lockdown hasn't been easy. Find out how I've been keeping fit and how I've made the lockdown into a very productive time," said Mahesh.

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Not only Madhuri Dixit, but Anil Kapoor also created celluloid history with another legendary actress and that was none other than Sridevi. They did films that were not only made for commercial gains but posterity too. Their collaborations include Mr. India, Karma, Lamhe, Laadla, and Judaai. They also were a part of films like Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Mr. Bechara.

And now, taking to his Twitter Account, Kapoor shared a throwback photo with the legendary actress and it shall be a treat for all her fans. But the picture not only had the actress but veteran American photographer, Steve Mccurry too. He wrote- "Had no clue at the time that I was being shot by such a talented man! #SteveMccurry Thank you for capturing us and for bringing back memories with Sri ji...always a perfectionist." (sic)

Have a look right here:

Had no clue at the time that I was being shot by such a talented man! #SteveMccurry Thank you for capturing us and for bringing back memories with Sri ji...always a perfectionist pic.twitter.com/FepUkZ7RhB

— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) April 28, 2020

The late Sridevi was hailed as the first female Superstar of Indian Cinema and became a rage at a mere age of 18 with the blockbuster success of Himmatwala. There was no looking back then and she continued starring in one massive success after another. Her most memorable films, apart from the ones mentioned above, include Chaalbaaz, Chandni, Khuda Gawah, English Vinglish, and Mom, for which she won the National Award for the Best Actress.

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

Train, but gain

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

Winning the race, slowly, steadily

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

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

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

Singh on principles he uses to train Ranaut

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

1,800
Ranaut's approximate calorie intake, usually

v/s 

1,000
Calories being consumed by the actor currently

Female actors who've gained weight for cinema

Bhumi Pednekar, Dum Laga Ke Haisha

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

Vidya Balan, The Dirty Picture

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

Anushka Shetty, Size Zero

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

Kriti Sanon, Mimi

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) February 1, 2020

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

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Late actor Irrfan Khan's wife Sutapa Sikdar took to social media to pen a healtfelt message for the actor, who passed away on Wednesday. She updated her Facebook display picture with an adorable picture of herself hugging Irrfan and captioned: "I have not lost I have gained in every which way...."

Reacting to the post, several users paid condolences to her and her sons, Babil and Ayan. "You are strong. Love," a user commented. Another user wrote: "Super salute to you."

Sutapa and Irrfan met each other during their college days at National School of Drama, Delhi where they fell in love with each other and later tied the knot in 1995.

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During his career of close to five decades that has been predominantly defined by a loverboy image, Rishi Kapoor has romanced over 45 actresses on screen. He struck magic with each romantic shot and managed to weave a dream with each song, opposite each of his leading ladies. Yet, there are the ones who have seemed a little more special than the others, facing the camera with him.

Dimple Kapadia:

Rishi Kapoor's first role as a hero in Bollywood was in "Bobby" opposite Dimple Kapadia and he nailed it at the first chance. He proved he could be the lover boy every girl craves for! His rocking chemistry with 16-year-old Dimple Kapadia in the film remains etched in the songs and romantic scenes.

Neetu Singh:

They would carry their romance onto real life, but not before delivering films like "Kabhi Kabhie", "Khel Khel Mein", "Amar Akbar Anthony" and "Zehreela Insaan" among others. Their sizzling on-screen chemistry transpired into off-screen romance and Neetu Singh eventually quit acting to become Rishi Kapoor's wife Neetu Kapoor. Their song "Ek main aur ek tu" in "Khel Khel Mein" continues to be a favourite across generations.

Sridevi:

Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi will perhaps go down in Bollywood as one of the best-looking pairs! Although "Nagina", "Chandni" and "Banjaran" were heroine-centric films with Sridevi in title roles, their chemistry was worth applauding. Their song "Chandni o meri Chandni" - incidentally the only song Sridevi sang -- is a timeless hit.

Jaya Prada:

She was a frequent co-star. Jaya. like Dimple Kapadia, made her Bollywood debut opposite Rishi Kapoor. Their first film together was in 1979, titled "Sargam". Rishi and Jaya Prada have together appeared in several movies including "Sindoor", "Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani", "Gharana" and "Dhartiputra". The song "Dafaliwale defali baja" in "Sargam" was huge.

Tina Munim:

Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munim cycling - a rare picture in sepia mode

"Karz" cast Rishi Kapoor opposite Tina Munim. Each song of the film is a super hit. And the film itself emerged a blockbuster. Movies featuring this pair include "Yeh Vaada Raha", "Bade Dil Wala" and "Aap Ke Deewane" among others.

Moushumi Chatterjee:

Some of the popular movies featuring the Rishi Kapoor-Moushumi Chatterjee pair include "Zehreela Insaan", "Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan" and "Do Premee". "Zehreela Insaan" also starred Neetu Singh. The Kishore Kumar track "O hansini" featuring Rishi and Moushumi became an instant hit and is still counted among one of Bollywood's best romantic numbers. Moushumi Chatterjee later in her career has also worked in Rishi Kapoor's one and only directorial flick "Aa Ab Laut Chalen".

Poonam Dhillon:

Poonam Dhillon and Rishi Kapoor made another very popular pair of the eighties. They starred together in movies like "Sitamgar", "Yeh Vaada Raha", "Zamana", "Biwi O Biwi", "Ek Chadar Maili Si", and "Tawaif".

Meenakshi Sheshadri:

Apart from the multiple award-winning "Damini", Rishi Kapoor and Meenakshi Seshadri have together appeared in movies like "Ghayal", "Hero", "Shahenshah" and "Ghatak". The actress, who currently resides in the US, paid a surprise visit to Rishi Kapoor a few years ago. The actor took to Twitter to admit that he could not recognize his Damini co-star for a moment! The songs "Jab se tumko dekha hai sanam" and "Gawah hain chand taare" in "Damini" featuring this jodi remain evergreen.

Madhuri Dixit:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Madhuri Dixit (@madhuridixitnene) onApr 29, 2020 at 10:19pm PDT

Madhuri Dixit and Rishi Kapoor have appeared in movies like "Sahibaan", "Yaraana" and "Prem Granth". The song "Dil dene ki ruth ayee" from "Prem Granth" enjoys a huge number of views on YouTube even today. Last year when Madhuri Dixit tweeted wishing Rishi Kapoor on his birthday, the actor had replied: "Thank you Madhuri. I have to make a super hit film with you that's my mission. Love to the family."

Juhi Chawla:

Rishi Kapoor and Juhi Chawla have featured together in several movies like "Bol Radha Bol", "Rishta To Ho Aisa", "Ghar Ki Izzat" and "Saajan Ka Ghar" among others. This jodi deserves a special mention because Rishi Kapoor was shooting the last film of his life with Juhi, which he could not complete. The film titled "Sharmaji Namkeen" was being directed by Hitesh Bhatia. The actor fell sick while shooting for the movie in Delhi recently.

Rishi Kapoor has worked with many other popular actresses including Rakhee, Rekha, Hema Malini, Shabana Azmi, Raveena Tandon, Divya Bharti, Manisha Koirala and Tabu. The actor with his looks and divine smile won the hearts of ladies from eight to eighty.

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Anushka Sharma turns 32 today and the successful superstar and entrepreneur opened up about how she believed in herself right from when she started out as a model at a super young age of 15!

Her rise and rise in Bollywood is an inspiration to many given she made a huge mark in the industry despite being a total outsider with no industry connections! "Perseverance comes naturally to me. It's not something that you have to be hard on yourself for, it leads you. Honestly, life leads you! I can vouch for it! Life has lead me to where I am you know. Sometimes, you just put your head down and follow the road life takes you on," says Anushka.

The superstar, who is also the youngest woman producer of Bollywood having started Clean Slate Films when she was just 25, considers her father Colonel Ajay Kumar Sharma to be her greatest teacher. "I went to Army Public School in Bangalore and I have had some really good teachers there and I was very close to them and they have had a very lasting impression in my mind and my principal also. But my dad taught me some invaluable lessons," she says.

Anushka says, "He would drop me to school and he would have these conversations with me because the journey was little bit long. He would just tell me one thing and it has had such a lasting impression in my mind and in my personality and the way I deal with challenges in life. It's really been extremely special. The thing that he told me was no matter what situation you are in, no matter how bad the situation is, always do the right thing and pray to god that you know what is the right thing to do is at that moment."

The actress adds, "I think that's something that stuck with me cause I was so young and I really look up to my father. He is a very wise man and he has had a huge impression on my life. So, when he said that to me it really stuck with me."

Anushka says this advice helped her when she started out as a model at a very young age! "I started working when I was so young. It was important for me to know all this because at the age of 14-15, when you are taking decisions for yourself and your career, it's really hard. That's what's gave me clarity. That's what I did and I think that's something that has always stood out for me," she says.

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Bollywood legend Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30, 2020, after battling cancer for two years. The actor was admitted in a hospital in Mumbai where he breathed his last at the age of 67. But before this, Rishi Kapoor had been seeking treatment at a hospital in New York for almost a year in 2019. This is when several of Rishi Kapoor's friends from the industry visited him in NYC. But one celebrity who never visited him in the hospital was Amitabh Bachchan, and the superstar has revealed the reason in his latest blog post.

Amitabh Bachchan, in a post titled 'In Memorium', wrote, "Joie de vivre... the exuberant enjoyment of life, was a gene he inherited from his father... the Legend, the Ultimate Showman the Iconic Raj Kapoor... I never visited him in Hospital... I never wanted to see the distress on his smiling cherubic face... But I am certain... when he went, he must have gone with a gentle smile…"

Big B also shared the post on his Twitter account:

T 3517 - in Memoriam ..https://t.co/du9e3GHhof

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 30, 2020

Reminiscing about how he met Rishi Kapoor, Big B wrote, "I had seen him at his home Deonar Cottage, Chembur, a young energetic, bubbly, mischief in his eyes Chintu, on those rare moments when I was privileged to have been invited to an evening at Raj ji's house..."

Amitabh Bachchan worked with Kapoor in a number of films including Amar Akbar Anthony, Coolie, Naseeb, and more recently 102 Not Out. Their chemistry was infallible, and audiences loved watching the pair on-screen together.

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Mrs. Serial Killer
On: Netflix
Director: Shirish Kunder
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Jacqueline Fernandez, Mohit Raina
Rating:

Forget everything! Forget that filmmaker Shirish Kunder's last feature film was Joker, forget that the leading lady of his fresh film, Mrs. Serial Killer, is Jacqueline Fernandez. And just read this premise- A helpless and hapless wife takes the suicidal decision of going on a murderous rage and becoming a serial killer when her husband is arrested on the charges of brutally killing six unmarried and pregnant women. In short, a woman will go to any lengths to save her husband.

Any film with this plot can amalgamate its narrative with both thrill and tragedy. You first feel a sense of sympathy for the man who has been wrongly accused and unfairly imprisoned. You feel empathetic towards the woman who now has to fight what could be the most traumatic battle of her life. And then you feel the tension and thrill of wanting to know how she would execute all her murders! What unfolds is your perfect Bollywood potboiler, driven by drama and fueled by unpredictability. But what we see in Mrs. Serial Killer is a puerile and almost-preposterous telling of an unseen and unknown CID episode.

The performances are all ham-and-cheese, and not even worthy of being your enjoyable and entertaining guilty pleasure stuff. It's juvenile and joyless from start to finish. If Manoj Bajpayee played your perfect hero in The Family Man, Fernandez plays your loyal family woman in this film who readily agrees to become Mrs. Serial Killer to save her husband. Kunder does what no other filmmaker even imagined he would, he gives her more screen time than Bajpayee and let her have her moment of glory. To say she falters would be an understatement, she collapses ever before her mission has begun.

Watch the trailer of Mrs. Serial Killer

Her performance is both annoying and alarming and makes you smile more than scared and that too in all the incorrect ways and at the incorrect moments. Look how she reacts when a gatekeeper refuses to let her in, look how she reacts when a receptionist refuses to let her meet a gynecologist, look how she reacts when she successfully unlocks her husband's laptop, and look how she reacts when she's about to drug and almost kill her prey. And after a while, you stop looking at all. Kunder has certainly been unwise while casting someone deadpan for a deep role.

There's barely anything that works, not even Manoj Bajpayee. He's hardly there and dedicates all his screen time in hamming. A languid Mohit Raina nearly puts you off to sleep, and the climatic twist suggests nothing but the sheer limitations and lunacy of everyone involved in this Netflix nonsense. Kunder's debut, Jaan-E-Mann, although a commercial failure, was earnest in its craftsmanship and entertaining in its moments, but his repertoire has deteriorated ever since. Mrs. Serial Killer is his weakest film to date, worsened by its frustratingly limited leading lady. It does deliver unintentionally comical moments and there are plenty of them. Watch out for the implausible and innocuous climax where Bajpayee snarls, "Comedy Kahaan Hai?" It's right there, sir!

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Amazon's latest announcement of their upcoming show Paatal Lok has created quite a buzz and has gripped the attention of the audiences. After back to back releases of character posters, the latest addition to the list is Sanjeev Mehra.

Sanjeev Mehra is played by actor Neeraj Kabi in a new and unique avatar. Sanjeev is a renowned journalist and virtually takes you behind the scenes of the fourth estate of democracy. What better day than World Press Freedom Day to introduce the journalist.

The makers first released a teaser followed by motion posters of Hathiram Chaudhary played by Jaideep Ahlawat, followed by Vishal Tyagi aka Hathoda Tyagi. Produced by Clean Slate Films, the trailer of the Amazon Original series is set to release on May 5, 2020.

Have a look at his character right here:

 

 

 

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sanjeev mehra - journalism ki duniya ka ek aisa naam jiska har shabd logon ke liye sach bann jaata hai. #PaatalLok trailer: may 5, 11:34 am

A post shared by amazon prime video IN (@primevideoin) onMay 2, 2020 at 11:15pm PDT

The highly anticipated Amazon Original Series, by creator Sudip Sharma (writer for Udta Punjab, NH10), Paatal Lok is all set to walk viewers through the virtual gates of purgatory on May 15, 2020.

The official trailer for the highly anticipated series drops this Tuesday - May 5, 2020, at 11:34 am.

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"The first day of Sadak 2 shoot brought back memories of the '90s," says Sanjay Dutt, who has reunited with Mahesh Bhatt for the sequel to the 1991 hit, Sadak. The drama holds an all-important place in the actor's career — not only does Sadak 2 have the potential to be that elusive hit he has been seeking over the past three years, but it also marks Bhatt's return to direction after 20 years.

Dutt notes that the past two decades have not dampened Bhatt's enthusiasm or inquisitiveness — two qualities that make him a fine storyteller. "Bhatt saab's vision remains unchanged. He still seeks perfection in every shot, and his passion for filmmaking has remained intact all these years. I am glad to be a part of Sadak 2 and work with the maestro," says the actor, who shares screen space with Pooja and Alia Bhatt, and Aditya Roy Kapur in the latest instalment.

Currently waiting to resume work on the last stint of the sequel, Dutt is using the time to sift through scripts coming his way. With an increasing number of actors being web-bound, Dutt reveals he too is keen to dabble in digital entertainment. "OTT platforms are flourishing, and have brought about so much variety in terms of content. They also enable artistes to experiment with material and characters. If I get a script that excites me, I would love to [foray into digital entertainment]."

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