When the country is under total lockdown, a picture of two cops is doing the rounds on the internet for all the right reasons. The picture shared by Madhur Verma, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Arunachal Pradesh has gone viral and won the hearts of netizens.

The picture shows two cops sleeping on the road with their helmets and the lathis besides them. The policemen look exhausted after long duty hours and catching up on a well-deserved nap on the footpath when many of us have the luxury to sleep in a comfortable bed within the confines of our homes. 

Take a look at the post 

Isn’t comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury ?
Yes it is... if you are a cop !
Proud of these #CoronaWarriors pic.twitter.com/3H9ZrZupNp

— Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) April 24, 2020

DIG  Madhur Verma shared the picture with his 1.18 lakh followers and captioned it: Isn't comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury? Yes it is... if you are a cop! Proud of these #CoronaWarriors!

Many users appreciated the efforts of the cops and heaped praises on them.

Indian Police Force,contrary to it's bad reputation, is doing excellent duty in present time of grave fear&crisis.
I hope,they'll continue this good work.

— Mohan Garg (@mohangargg) April 24, 2020

a big salute to true warrior let's always respect nd support them🙏🙏

— Uma j (@sona7777) April 24, 2020

The hard-hitting picture struck a chord with netizens and garnered over 54 thousand likes and over 8 thousand re-tweets. Twitterati took to the comments section of the post to shower praises on the police officers for their selfless service to the nation.

We salute to all police force🙏ðŸÂÂÂÂÂŒ¹ðŸ™

— vijay sinha (@vijayv2) April 24, 2020

One user said, "God bless our corona warriors. Grateful for their selfless and much needed services," while another user said, "A big salute to true warriors. Let's always respect and support them." We can never pay back to these #CoronaWarriors No Words! 

We can never pay back to these #CoronaWarriors
No Words!https://t.co/wPvHvUMM3J

— पशà¥Âयनà¥Âतà¥Â€ शà¥Âà¤Â•à¥Âला 🇮🇳Pushyanti S (@pashyantii) April 24, 2020

India has been under lockdown since March 25 and the frontline workers, including the health workers and the police have risked their lives to serve the nation

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As the world struggles to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday appealed to the people to shun the habit of spitting in public places. Pointing out that it was a case of "better late than never", the Prime Minister said society has understood the negative impact of the spitting habit, which affects health and cleanliness of surroundings.

"We in India always knew that spitting in public places is wrong. Yet, it continued in places. Now is the best time to ensure we do not spit," Modi said in the 64th edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. "This will increase basic hygiene and strengthen the fight against COVID-19."

The Prime Minister's address came at a time when the entire country is under complete lockdown -- a measure to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus which has so far claimed 824 lives and over 19,800 confirmed cases across the country.

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The Indian Newspaper Society, which petitioned PM Modi to grant a two-year tax holiday on media businesses, bump up DAVP advertisement rates and increase government's advertising outlay, has also urged the government to settle outstanding bills that central ministries owe to the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), which in turn pays media organisations for running advertising campaigns for ministries.

Dues totalling more than Rs 350 crore have not been paid to DAVP by various central ministries despite repeated requests by the INS and the Association of Radio Operators of India, which have demanded release of outstanding money for the bleeding print and broadcast sectors.

Industry sources said some pending payments are related to ad campaigns nearly 4-5 years ago. The health ministry, sources said, owes over Rs 61crore to DAVP. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) echoed INS's demand for a bailout package, requesting the government to allow advertisers to treat advertising money as investments and allow it to spread expenditure incurred in advertising over three years.

AAAI's demands for government intervention comes on the heels of persistent requests by media organisations to the Centre to clear outstanding DAVP dues and announce a bailout package for the industry. AAAI has sought the government's intervention to permit a loaded deduction of 200% on advertising expenditure, a move that is likely to encourage advertisers, both publicly listed and private, to advertise sooner and essay a faster economic recovery. In a letter to the Union government, the AAAI also demanded that the government clear its outstanding bills by way of income tax and GST refunds. To help the industry, AAAI said payments should not be taxed, and directions should be given to banks and advertising sector's debtors to provide cash flow to meet essential expenses.

Demands for relief packages have also been raised by Indian Broadcasting Foundation and News Broadcasters Association. While INS sought removal of 5% customs duty on newsprint, twoyear tax holiday for newspaper establishments, 50% increase in DAVP advertisement rates and 100% increase in budget spend for print media, NBA sought waiver of 18% GST on advertisements, or for it to be lowered to 5% to bring it on par with print media.

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New Delhi: The Health Ministry on Tuesday said currently plasma therapy is at the experimental stage and there is no evidence yet to support that it can be used as a treatment for COVID-19.
Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said currently there are no approved therapies for COVID-19 and there is not enough evidence to claim that plasma therapy can be used for the treatment of the disease.

"ICMR has launched a national-level study to study the efficacy of plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID 19," he said.

"Till ICMR concludes its study and a robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. If plasma therapy is not used in a proper manner under proper guidelines, then it can also cause life-threatening complications," said Agarwal.

The official said that the doubling rate of coronavirus cases now stands at 10.2 days.
He further said that in the last 24 hours, 1,543 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported, taking the total cases to 29,435.

"6,868 COVID-19 patients, which is 23.3 per cent of total cases, have recovered so far," he added.

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The Coronavirus outbreak has infected scores of people across the globe and claimed many lives. As people stare into uncertainty, many doctors, nurses and other healthcare staffs have been battling the pandemic on the frontline to ensure things go back to normal as soon as possible. Amid such a time, a video of doctors across the country dancing to Pharrell Williams’ hit song, Happy, has been made the internet smile with hope.

Posted by the Ministries of Memories on Instagram, the makers of the video said in the caption that they were trying to bring ‘some sunshine and raising awareness for mental health.’ The video has 60 doctors from cities such as Pune, Surat, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Prayagraj, Indore, Agra, Gurugram, Delhi, Kochi, Lucknow and Kolkata busting some gracious moves.

The wide-shared video has been conceptualised by Dr Pooja Nadkarni Singh, Dr Sheetal Sawankar and Dr Unnati Mamtora and they are calling the video, a ‘Song of Hope’.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Puja & Rahul Kedia (@theministryofmemories) onApr 24, 2020 at 10:35pm PDT

Posted on Saturday, the video has garnered more than 36,102 views on Instagram and has received 2,646 likes. The users commenting on the video lauded the makers of the video for sending the message through such a peppy song.

A user said, "Take a bow, respected Medicos! You and your dedicated, lovely staff are performing divine Seva! May God help you always grow from strength to strength! Love you all! Thank you for stretching that bit more to make this amazing video and regaling our hearts!." Another user said, "Absolutely loved this....Thank you for bringing a smile in such anxious times." One user said, "Great job on spreading some smiles, kudos to the whole team."

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Legendary Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor passed away due to complications arised from cancer on Thursday morning, leaving behind a legacy of almost 50 years in the film industry. Ever since the news of his passing broke, tributes have been pouring in for the actor from the film industry and the political world, where he was remembered as a jovial person.

Prominent politicians have taken to Twitter to express their grief and offer their condolences to the Kapoor family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Jawadekar, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were among the politicians who offered their condolences on Kapoor’s passing on the micro-blogging site.

Multifaceted, endearing and lively...this was Rishi Kapoor Ji. He was a powerhouse of talent. I will always recall our interactions, even on social media. He was passionate about films and India’s progress. Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family and fans. Om Shanti.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 30, 2020

This is a terrible week for Indian cinema, with the passing of another legend, actor Rishi Kapoor. A wonderful actor, with a huge fan following across generations, he will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends & fans all over the world, at this time of grief.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 30, 2020

Deeply saddened by the sudden demise of actor Rishi Kapoor. He entertained several generations of Indians throughout his career. What a terrible loss.. My condolences to the grieving family. May God bless his soul.

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 30, 2020

Saddened by the sudden demise of #RishiKapoor who left a profound imprint on Bollywood by his versatile acting. Have grown up watching many of his films since my student days.
A great loss to the world of creativity.
My sincere condolences!
à¥Â शानà¥Âति!!

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 30, 2020

Saddened to hear about the demise of veteran actor #RishiKapoor. He has been an inspiration for budding actors and will always be remembered for his iconic performances.

My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans. Om Shanti.

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 30, 2020

Saddened to hear about the demise of veteran actor #RishiKapoor. He has been an inspiration for budding actors and will always be remembered for his iconic performances.

My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans. Om Shanti.

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 30, 2020

Another film legend passes away... Saddened by Rishi Kapoor’s sudden demise. The film fraternity has lost a gem of an actor who always spoke his mind out. Heartfelt condolences to his family #RishiKapoor pic.twitter.com/0Dvpx8eu09

— N Chandrababu Naidu #StayHomeSaveLives (@ncbn) April 30, 2020

Rishi Kapoor was admitted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday. His notable films as a romantic hero are "Laila Majnu", "Rafoo Chakkar", "Karz", "Chandni", "Heena" and "Saagar". He was, however, more proud of his second innings as an actor, which he found more satisfying. His notable films as a character artiste are "Do Dooni Chaar" with wife Neetu, "Agnipath", "Kapoor & Sons" and "Mulk".

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The central government on May 1 started train services for students, migrant labourers, tourists and others stranded in different parts of the country to the home states. On Friday, a train carrying students who were stranded in Rajasthan’s Kota district left for Jharkhand amid applause from cops at the spot.

Many students were reportedly stranded in Kota, a town known for its educational institutions that coaches scores of pupils for competitive exams, ever since the national lockdown due to coronavirus was imposed.

In a video posted by the Prasar Bharati News Service on Twitter, policemen and other railway personnel were seen standing on the platform and clapping as the train with students was leaving from Kota railway station to Jharkhand, in what seems to be a gesture to wish them a safe journey. The caption for the post read, "1449 coaching students left for #Jharkhand in a special train last night from Kota, Rajasthan."

1449 coaching students left for #Jharkhand in a special train last night from Kota, Rajasthan #IndianRailways #IndiaFightsCOVID19 #SocialDistancing @RailMinIndia pic.twitter.com/egGqf2Kqjz

— Prasar Bharati News Services (@PBNS_India) May 2, 2020

These special trains would ply without any stops, following health and safety protocols as per an order by the central government.

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Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa requested his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray to release six TMC water from his state's reservoirs to rivers in Karnataka to meet acute drinking water shortage in North Karnataka. Yediyurappa pointed out that the North Karnataka districts, namely Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Yadagiri and Raichur are facing acute shortage of drinking water due to onset of summer during early days of March this year.

"I request you to kindly direct the concerned authorities to release 3 TMC of water from Warna/Koyna reservoirs to Krishna river and 3 TMC of water from Ujjaini reservoir to Bhima river on humanitarian grounds for drinking purpose," Yediyurappa said in his letter.

He reminded Thackeray that even in the past the Maharashtra government had released water from its reservoirs to meet the drinking water needs of both human beings and livestock in drought-affected areas of Karnataka.

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Two African lion cubs, born a month ago at Nehru Zoological Park here, came out for the first time in a 'day crawl'. According to Nehru Zoological Park Curator, N.Kshitija, this is the first time that the cubs came out since their birth last month.

#WATCH Telangana: One-month-old two African lion cubs were seen playing with her mother, Adhisana, in the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad today. pic.twitter.com/UCHQJcdw2e

— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2020

Lovely moments of the cute cubs spending time with their mother Adhisana were captured on camera by the zoo officials. One of the photographs released by the zoo authorities shows the mother licking her cub. The cubs are also seen playing with each other.

Shutdown for more than 40 days due to coronavirus-fuelled nation-wide lockdown, the zoo brought some cheers to animal lovers with the increase in the big cat population.

The Nehru Zoological Park (NZP), most popular and one of the largest zoos in the country, saw the birth of three Royal Bengal tiger cubs and two African lion cubs in the first week of April. Six jackal puppies and two Blue Gold Macaw chicks were also born.

Meanwhile, NZP officials said they were taking all precautions for the safety of the animals in the wake of the outbreak of Covid-19. It sounded an alert last month after a tiger at a New York Zoo tested positive for the dreaded virus.

The animal keepers and veterinary staff were alerted to monitor the animals, particularly tiger and primates for checking any symptoms of cold, nasal discharge or any symptoms of flu. The officials said the precautionary measures were taken up as per the instructions of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Central Zoo Authority (CZA).

The veterinary wing is continuously monitoring the health of animals and checking for any symptoms. Thermal scanning is being done of about 150 Zoo employees engaged in taking care of the animals. The Zoo authorities took several preventive prophylactic measures since the first week of March.

The NZP, which is shut since March 22, is using the services of staff animal keepers, gardeners, security and workshop staff to attend duties for providing feed to the animals, cleaning the enclosures, maintaining hygiene and sanitation, maintaining health of animals and attending emergency maintenance works and services.

Set up in 1963, the NZP is the most popular and one of the largest Zoos with an average of 27-30 lakh visitors annually. It has over 155 species and 1550 specimens in spacious enclosures.

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At a time when the country is reeling under the Lockdown 3.0 phase, a viral video of a doctor returning home after treating COVID-19 patients is winning hearts for all the right reasons. The video, which has gone viral now was shared by BJP Karnataka's official Twitter handle with their 3 lakh 50 thousand followers.

This is how the residents of an Apartment in Namma Bengaluru honoured Dr Vijayashree who returned home after treating #COVID patients.

Let us respect and appreciate the great services rendered by Our Doctors.#ThankYouCoronaWarriors#IndiaFightsCoronavirus pic.twitter.com/7yEWlckO6v

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) May 2, 2020

In the 39-seconds video clip, a woman doctor identified as Vijayashree can be seen given a standing ovation and welcomed home by her neighbours amid thunderous applause and cheers as she returns after her COVID-19 duty. While sharing the video, BJP Karnataka wrote, "This is how the residents of an Apartment in Namma Bengaluru honoured Dr Vijayashree who returned home after treating #COVID patients. Let us respect and appreciate the great services rendered by Our Doctors."

What a feeling..Goosebumps!really awesome 👏

— Mahesh PA (@MaheshPA85) May 2, 2020

The viral video shows Dr. Viajyshree entering her society after a long time as she was equipped with COVID-19 duty and treating coronavirus patients at the hsopital. In the video, Dr. Vijayshree can be seen entering her residential apartment as her neighbours and society members throng to their balconies to welcome her amid thunderous appaluse and cheer.

ಕಣ್ಣಿಗೆ ಕಾಣುವ ದೇವರು!

Dr. Vijayashree of Bengaluru received a heroic welcome when she returned home after tending to #COVID19 patients in MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital.

A big thank you to all the #CoronaWarriors working selflessly on the frontline of this pandemic. We SALUTE you! pic.twitter.com/COHT4KYYE1

— M Goutham Kumar (@BBMP_MAYOR) May 2, 2020

M Goutham Kumar, Mayor of Bengaluru also shared the video and informed that Dr. Vijayshree is treating COVID-19 patients at MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, situated in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Since being shared online, the video has garnered over 15,000 views with hundreds of netizens lauding the doctor for her selfless commitment towards the country amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Salute to Dr. Vijayashree and all the medical teams taking care of our brothers and sisters in the country and abroad...#CoronaWarriorsIndia working 24x7 selflessly and relentlessly 👏👏👏👏

— Anwar Karakulangara (@karakulangara) May 3, 2020

One user wrote, "May be this is the awesome moment of her life. Great work," while another user commented, "Dr. Vijayashree is the real hero for the front line of COVID-19," A third user said, "They are the real warriors...BIG SALUTE...!" While thanking the Dr. Vijayshree, a fourth user stated, "What a feeling...Goosebumps! Really awesome!"

Here's how netizens reacted to the video:

May be this is the awesome moment of her life. Great work.

— Shivaraj B M (@Shiva2105) May 3, 2020

Superb 👌. Great gesture by public.

— Vishwanath Shetty (@VishKodlady) May 3, 2020

Well this is human culture for humanity. Thanks for share this video.

— Mohammed moosa (@Mohamme73738356) May 3, 2020

Dr. Vijayashree is the real hero for the front line of covid-19

— Siva Kumar .A (@SivaKum97095133) May 3, 2020

बहुत खूब ।। इसी तरह डॉक्टर्स को मोटिवेट रखने की जरूरत है।। They are the real warriors.. BIG SALUTE ..

— Naveen Suman (@NaveenBoB22) May 3, 2020

I salute to such society and the civilization and the doctor for their achievements in surrounding

— Arvind Narsingrao Marpak (@ArvindMarpak) May 3, 2020

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Many government-run liquor shops which opened after a gap of over 40 days in the national capital on Monday had to be shut as people who gathered outside the outlets did not follow social distancing norms, and the police had to use mild force in some cases to disperse the unruly crowd.

People queued up in large numbers in the morning at the liquor shops. According to an official, about 150 government-run liquor shops have been allowed to open from 9 am to 6.30 pm in accordance with the latest lockdown relaxations given by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Many people were not aware that only government shops were allowed to open. In most areas, including Burari, Mayur Vihar, Gandhi Vihar, Rohini and Janakpuri, a large number of people had lined up outside outlets.

An official said an alcohol vend had to be closed in Mayur Vihar in east Delhi as people failed to maintain social distancing norms. Similar cases were reported from north and central Delhi. With people gathering in large numbers, the police had to resort to mild force.

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The Maharashtra government has appealed to all central government departments to make available their hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the state. "Anticipating higher numbers of patients in the coming days, Maharashtra govt has appealed to all Central govt departments like Railways, Port Trust, Army, Navy etc to make available their hospitals for treatment of COVID patients in Maharashtra," said a statement from Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

As a part of planning, the State Government has requested hospitals, institutions & buildings under the management of the Railways, Mumbai Port Trust, Indian Army, Navy and other Central Gov. undertakings to make their facilities available across Maharashtra.

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) May 6, 2020

According to the Maharashtra CMO, "Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is himself in talks at the highest level in central govt." A CMO press note confirmed that the Maharashtra government has set up several quarantine and isolation centers at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Nehru Planetarium, Bombay Exhibition center, Richardson and Cruddas company and at various other places in the state.

But as the Center has warmed about a spike in cases during May, Maharashtra wants additional ICU beds and other medical facilities. So it has requested the central government departments which have hospitals in Maharashtra to make them available for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

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A gas leak at a chemical plant in RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam on Thursday left 11 people dead and several hundred hospitalised. Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited hospitals where the victims have been admitted and he announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the deceased in the Visakhapatnam gas leak.

The chief minister also announced Rs 10 lakh each to those undergoing treatment on ventilator support, Rs 1 lakh for those who have been hospitalised due to the incident and Rs 25,000 to those who took treatment as out-patients after developing health complications due to inhalation of the styrene vapour.

The chief minister also announced a committee to probe into the mishap and said the government would talk to the LG Polymers management seeking job for the kin of the deceased in any of its businesses.

At the review meeting, the Collector informed the Chief Minister that the gas spread was limited to a 1.5 to 2 km area from the epicentre of the leak and that the locals were evacuated to safety.

After the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting where he discussed at length the measures being taken for the safety of the affected people as well as for securing the site affected by the disaster at Vizag. After chairing the high-level meeting on the Vizag gas leak tragedy, PM Modi also spoke to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and assured all the required aid and assistance from the Centre to tackle the situation.

While addressing a press conference, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said that the chances of the long-term impact of styrene gas, which leaked from a gas plant in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam are less. Clearing the air about the impact of the gas leak, Dr Randeep said, The chances of long-term impact are less because this compound metabolises and leaves the body quickly. This is an acute exposure rather than a chronic exposure. But we will have to follow up and see. As of now, the data doesn't suggest a significant long-term effect," reports ANI.

Para-tertiary butyl catechol or PTBC, a chemical made in Gujarat's Vapi, is currently being used in Visakhapatnam to neutralise the effect of the gas leak, said an official from the Gujarat government. Ashwani Kumar, secretary in the Gujarat chief minister's office, said that the chemical will be sent to Visakhapatnam on an urgent basis.

A press release from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the official machinery swung into action immediately after the incident and evacuated people from the area after rushing those who fell ill to nearby hospitals where they are being treated for respiratory and other ailments.

Smokes rise from an LG Polymers plant following a gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam on May 7, 2020. At least eight people have been killed and several hundred hospitalised after a gas leak at a chemicals plant on the east coast of India, police said on May 7. Pic: AFP

Panic-stricken people rushed out of their homes, only to collapse. Several cattle and livestock also succumbed to the poisonous gas pervading the air. In scenes reminiscent of the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, the streets and hospitals of Visakhapatnam were filled with people in panic, scared to breathe and unable to fathom the silent tragedy that struck them.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to say that he spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA about the situation.

Spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam, which is being monitored closely.

I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 7, 2020

Home Minister Amit Shah took to the micro-blogging site to say the incident is disturbing. He wrote, "The incident in Vizag is disturbing. Have spoken to the NDMA officials and concerned authorities. We are continuously and closely monitoring the situation. I pray for the well-being of the people of Visakhapatnam."

The incident in Vizag is disturbing.

Have spoken to the NDMA officials and concerned authorities. We are continuously and closely monitoring the situation.

I pray for the well-being of the people of Visakhapatnam.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 7, 2020

Chandrababu Naidu also expressed his condolences to the ones affected in the tragedy.

Been in touch with TDP MLA Ganababu who is personally overseeing the rescue ops since early morning. My heartfelt condolences go to all those who have lost their loved ones and those affected by this terrible tragedy #VizagGasLeak #Visakhapatnam pic.twitter.com/3knevzeemM

— N Chandrababu Naidu #StayHomeSaveLives (@ncbn) May 7, 2020

"Chief Minister is closely monitoring the situation and has instructed the district machinery to take immediate steps and provide all help," said Andhra Pradesh CMO.

The Chief Minister enquired about the gas leak incident and directed the district officials to take every possible step to save lives and bring the situation under control.

The gas leakage took place at LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village here on Thursday, said Tirupathi Rao, District Medical & Health Officer (DMHO).

(with inputs from agencies)

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A 58-year-old assistant sub- inspector of police has died of coronavirus in Maharashtras Solapur district, an official said on Thursday. With this, five police personnel from the state have so far succumbed to the viral infection. The assistant sub-inspector, posted at Solapur MIDC police station, was admitted to the civil hospital there on Tuesday after he tested positive for coronavirus. He died while undergoing treatment at the hospital on Wednesday, the official said.

The victim, who was set to retire after four months, was on duty till last week, he said. Maharashtra Police expressed grief over the personnel's demise. "DGP and all ranks of Maharashtra Police offer their condolences to the bereaved family, the state police said in a tweet.

Constable Amit from @DelhiPolice succumbed to Coronavirus. Shri. Amit was serving the state of Delhi in these troubled times. May his soul rest in peace.

DGP and all ranks of Maharashtra Police offer their condolences to his family.

— Maharashtra Police (@DGPMaharashtra) May 7, 2020

Last month, three personnel of Mumbai Police and one of Pune Police died of COVID-19. So far, 456 police personnel, including 42 officers, have tested positive for coronavirus in the state.

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New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Thursday said it played a vital role in controlling the gas leakage and rescue operations during the styrene gas leakage in LG Polymers in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.

The central paramilitary force, in a statement, said the CISF Fire Service Wing of VSP Vishakapatnam along with one foam tender immediately rushed to the spot and joined the operation with local authorities and the state fire service.

"On Thursday, styrene gas leakage occurred in LG Polymers plant, Gopalapatnam, Visakhapatnam (AP). On receiving information from local police, personnel of CISF Fire Service Wing of VSP Vishakapatnam rushed to the spot and joined the operation," the CISF said in a statement.

It said gas affected 20 people were rescued and rushed to hospital.

"Additional Breathing Apparatus Sets, spare cylinders were sent to the spot for rescue operations by CISF Unit VSP Visakhapatnam. Later at about 9.45 a.m. as per the request of local authorities, the hydraulic platform with additional CISF Fire Service Wing personnel was sent to the spot to join the operation to stop the gas leakage."

It said the CISF Fire Service Wing personnel with foam tender actively participated in the joint operation with local authorities and state fire service to stop the gas leakage.

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The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle made her first TV appearance on Monday since stepping down as a senior member of the British Royal family alongside her husband Prince Harry. According to Us Weekly, Markle's appearance on 'Good Morning America' was pre-recorded. The clip was to promote 'Elephant' the Disneynature documentary the 38-year-old narrated for the Disney+ streaming service.

The 'Suits' actor said in the interview which was recorded in the summer of 2019, "I'm really grateful to have the opportunity of bringing the story of elephants to life."

"I've been very lucky to be able to have hands-on experience with elephants in their natural habitat. When you spend time connecting with them and the other wildlife, you really understand we have a role to play in their preservation and safety," she continued.

"I hope that when people see this film they realise how connected we all are, and if we had more of an awareness about the obstacles we're facing, I think we'd take care of each other, this planet and animals in a very different way," shared the Duchess of Sussex.

The 35-year-old couple Markle and Harry initially moved to Vancouver Island in Canada with their 11-month-old son Archie before relocating to her native Los Angeles.

The couple, back in January, announced they will take 'a step back' as senior members of the royal family and instead work independently, splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.

The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex said their decision came "after many months of reflection and internal discussions."

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Popular K-Pop band BLACKPINK member Lisa has been accused of plagiarising choreography of a black choreographer named Cierra Nichols.

Lisa posted a video of her performing a dance style to the number "Mushroom Chocolate" before Nichols accused her of stealing her choreography, reports aceshowbiz.com.

In the K-pop star's video, Lisa could be seen performing while lying on the floor, she later got back up and continued her routine, reports aceshowbiz.com.

In Cierra's video, which was uploaded a month before Lisa's, she mostly danced laying on the floor.

When Cierra got to know about Lisa's choreography, she took to Instagram to call her out saying: "In today's episode of 'Let's Steal from Black People' a Korean singer gets 7.8 million views in a day using most of your choreography. Love that for us."

Cierra then took to Twitter and wrote: "Convinced people can't read. I know to credit someone if I clearly pulled from it. I seen the inspiration the girl looks great."

"It's okay, though doesn't look s**t like when I did it anyway."

Cierra even responded to a social media user who watched her video after looking at Lisa's: "Because of Lisa and her choreographer using my moves."

In another post, she insisted: "It's not about the drama girl I could care less but it's clear where the beginning got its inspiration. It's clear there not doing anything like mine. That's why I'm fine."

Lisa has not replied to the accusations yet.

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Actor Tom Hardy, 42, had to havily work on his look in order to play gangster Al Capone in the upcoming biopic "Capone", as revealed in a new behind-the-scenes photo.

Photographer Greg Williams shared a new behind-the-scenes photo of Hardy that shows his transformation to play an aging Capone after an extensive make-up process, reports dailymail.co.uk.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Capone May 12 Chasing Fonzo ♠ï¸ÂðŸ”¥

A post shared by Tom Hardy (@tomhardy) onMay 2, 2020 at 12:12pm PDT

Hardy also took to Instagram to share the new poster for "Capone", which will release digitally on May 12.

Williams also praised the "amazing make-up" by Audrey Doyle, who served as the make-up and prosthetics designer to Hardy on the movie.

Capone was 48 years old when he died in Palm Island, Florida in January 1947, so the make-up aged the 42-year-old actor slightly for the role.

"Capone" follows the last year of the mobster's life, as he settles down in Florida after spending 10 years behind bars.

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J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World has come up with something interesting for all Potter heads out there. The official Twitter account of Wizarding World on Tuesday shared a video featuring seven of the celebrities, including, Daniel Radcliffe who have been line up to read chapter-by-chapter of 'Harry Potter', in a series of video recordings.

"Surprise! We've got a treat for you...From today, amazing friends of the Wizarding World are going to take turns reading Harry Potter book one. And to start us off with Chapter 1, we think you'll agree we have the perfect narrator...#HarryPotterAtHome" read the tweet.

The video began with Eddie Redmayne followed by Dakota Fanning, and Claudia Kim, saying that they are "at home."

The brief video then features Stephen Fry, Noma Dumezweni, and David Beckham explaining that they are at their respective homes sitting in the "living room, book room, cosy corner" and so on. The stars further said that they are really excited to read "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/ Sorcerer's Stone by J.K Rowling."

Towards the end of the 34-second long video, actor Daniel Radcliffe introduces himself and begins to say: "This is chapter one of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Each of the stars will read different sections of the book for all the fans of 'Harry Potter' across the globe.

Cited by Variety, all 17 chapters of the book will be released between now and the middle of the summer. Videos will be posted weekly on harrypotterathome.com, with an audio-only version available for free on Spotify.

The special series is part of the 'Harry Potter At Home' project, an initiative developed by Wizarding World Digital and Rowling's agency, to bring cheer among the people during these trying times.

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Hollywood actress Blake Lively will be soon seen in a post-apocalyptic thriller about a woman fighting for the survival of her family. For the film, Lively teams up with director Shawn Levy. Titled Dark Days At The Magna Carta, it will stream on Netflix, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

Netflix is working on the project with an aim to create a trilogy. Michael Paisley is on board to write the screenplay. Lively will also back the movie through her B For Effort banner along with Kate Vorhoff. Levy will produce via his 21 Laps banner with partner Dan Cohen.

While the details are being kept a secret, it is being described as "a character-driven thriller set against a catastrophic event and centres on a woman going to extreme lengths to survive and save her family".

Paisley was the one who came up with the story. She started conceptualising the story last year, but the ideas took form when the pandemic began around the world, including the US. The story is not related to a contagion, but "a world-altering event is a key foil and themes of isolation and strength of family emerge".

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The Indian Army motto, 'Service before Self,' seems to be ingrained not just into the minds of its personnel, but also into the minds of their families. The selfless young widow of an Indian Army jawan has fulfilled his dream of building a school in his village, demonstrating this. The Shaheed Jawan Satappa Mahadev Patil Vidyalaya, was inaugurated by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj at Belewadi Masa village in Kolhapur District, last Sunday.

Fulfilling husband's dream
Satappa Patil was married to Ashwini after her HSC in 2011. The 24-year-old Gunner Operator was posted with the 26 Air Defence in Keran sector in Jammu Kashmir, and was martyred in cross-firing by terrorists in 2013. Ashwini was widowed at 23, barely a year and half after their wedding. But like her warrior husband, the brave woman thought of others and not herself, amid the tragedy.

Gunner operator Satappa Patil was martyred in Keran sector in Jammu Kashmir in 2013

After the funeral many politicians offered her money and asked if she wanted a gas agency, a petrol pump or anything else for her livelihood. She only asked for help to fulfill her husband's wish of building a school in his village. She vowed to fulfill his dream.

A struggle for education
After their wedding, Patil and Ashwini had gone to his village, where he told her about his school days. He told her the village school did not have classrooms for Stds VIII, IX and X. These classes would be held in a Hanuman temple. Ashwini said, "Girls who had their periods wouldn't be allowed in for those few days. On Saturday or whenever there was a religious festival or a meeting in the temple, there would be a holiday for the school, or classes would be held after the event."

Ashwini added, "I could see the efforts and pain he and his friends took while struggling to get an education. He said he would build a school after retirement so children in his village could pursue their education without a break."

Donations helped build school
She said after Patil was martyred, many people offered her help. "I don't know what came over me. But I asked them if they could help me build a school in the village. I did the paperwork and it was kickstarted with the help of former chief minister Prithviraj Chavhan's wife, Satvasheela. She also donated Rs 20 lakh for the school. I also received Rs 1 lakh from the Mandlik Sugar Factory. Its owner also gave me the land for the school. The amount from other donors was R2 lakh. I also donated frequently from my pension of Rs 15,000 per month and we built the school."

Construction on the school building began in 2014 and was completed recently. Classrooms were built for Stds VIII, IX and X. There are seven classes including an additional study room and a computer lab with 12 computers, besides toilets.

'Pray for our soldiers'
Ashwini, who is doing an MA in English and preparing for the Maharashtra Public Services Commission (MPSC) exam while staying with her parents in Karnataka, said, "I am connected to my husband through the school. He lives for me in the form of the school. I too want to serve the country. I want to be a class I officer or collector so that I can serve people. My husband is an inspiration to me and will always be so."

She also had a message for others, in which she remembered her husband's colleagues. She said, "We pray every day for our well-being and that of our loved ones'. But I suggest that you also pray for our soldiers and their safety on the border."

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The six-year-old boy who fell into a 200-feet-deep borewell near Manchar tehsil in Pune was safely rescued on Thursday after a 16-hour operation.

The boy, identified as Ravi Pandit Bill, was stuck at a depth of 10 feet in the borewell, informed SHO Ambegaon Police station.

The boy fell into the borewell around 5 pm on Wednesday in Thandale village of Pune.

Ravi, son of a labourer working on road constructions, fell into the borewell while playing.

The work of road construction was underway in the area and Ravi's family was deployed at the site.

Soon after receiving the report of the incident, the National Disaster Response Force team (NDRF) and police were pressed into action to rescue the trapped boy.

The operation was very critical and required constant meticulous planning to avoid any injury to the child.

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Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived late Tuesday night and will stay overnight before leaving for Akluj in Solapur district, where he will address an election rally on Wednesday. Modi arrived at the Lohegaon airport were BJP leaders, including the party's Lok Sabha candidate from the city Girish Bapat, sitting MP Anil Shirole and Pune city BJP president Yogesh Gogawale received him.

According to BJP leaders, the PM will stay overnight at Raj Bhavan in Pune and leave for Akluj to address an election rally in the Madha Lok Sabha constituency of Solapur district Wednesday.

Raj Thackeray hits out at Narendra Modi, Amit Shah at poll rally
MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday appealed to people to ensure "disappearance" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah from the political scene of the country for spreading "lies" and "causing" communal disharmony.

Addressing a poll rally in Solapur district of Maharashtra, he called the prime minister "shameless" for seeking votes in the name of jawans without acknowledging their sacrifice. In controversial remarks, he asked the people gathered at the rally to accept money if offered to them by those who are "looting" the country.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is not contesting the Lok Sabha elections, but Thackeray has been addressing rallies in support of Congress-NCP-led alliance candidates, who are pitted against the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. "I am here to wake all of you up against the tactics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. "The kind of lies they have spread and caused communal disharmony, you should ensure they both get disappeared from the political horizons of this country," he said.

In a veiled attack on the Shiv Sena, he said, "Those who are helping Modi-Shah should also not be spared. You should not vote for those who help Modi-Shah stay in power." Thackeray, however, did not mention the Shiv Sena, his former party, or any of its leaders in his speech. After showing a video of Modi, where he purportedly claims a trader takes more risk than a jawan, Thackeray said, "The prime minister seeks votes from people in the name of jawans, but makes such remarks about their sacrifice. I have so far not seen a more "shameless" prime minister than him."

"They are trying to fool you by raising non-issues ahead of elections. If they distribute money, accept it. This is the right time to loot them. "You cannot imagine the way our country is being looted by these people, but accept their money and do not look back," Thackeray said.

He claimed Modi and Shah are pushing the country on path of authoritarianism like the current regime in Russia where power is concentrated in the hands of 7-8 people. Thackeray also exposed the Maharashtra government's claim of a village in Amravati district - Harisal - being the first digital village in the country.

However, a video procured by MNS workers shows no digital services such as Internet connection and card swapping for financial transaction, among others, are operational in the village, he said. "What Adolf Hitler did to Germany in 1930s is going to be replicated in India if Modi and Shah return to power," Thackeray warned. Solapur will vote on April 18

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In a bizarre incident, a 60-year-old labourer lost his life after he was trapped under the debris of a well which collapsed near Ganesh Nagar Kolar Vadi in Ambegaon on Thursday night. The police have identified the deceased as Kishan Dhami Gawade (60), a resident of Kolarbadi in Ambegoan, Pune. The local residents along with the police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the spot to rescue the man.

NDRF commandant Pandit Ithape said, "The under-construction work of the well is going on and around 50 feet has been dug. On Thursday, around 7 pm, as it was dark, the labourers inside the well we're moving out. A part of the debris fell on Kishan who was trying to move out."

"We were alerted about the incident and immediately rushed to the spot at around 9 pm. The debris was too huge to be dug out manually. Initially, we used a JCB, but to avoid any injuries to the victim, the jawans thus started digging and around 5 am, we found his body. He was rushed to hospital but was declared dead." he added.

In another incident, in an attempt to take a selfie proved fatal for two youths as they fell into a well in Rajasthan's Sikar district, police. The incident took place in Reenu village of Laxmangarh town when Rajesh Godara and Irfaan were taking a selfie near the well, DSP Brij Mohan Aswal said. The duo died as they slipped and fell into the well, he said. The bodies were handed over to the family members today after conducting postmortem, he added.

Also Read: Mumbai: Aid for kin of three victims who drowned in Vile Parle well

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A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her cousin in Uttar Pradesh's Chitrkoot district, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place under the Markundi police station area Tuesday afternoon when the girl was returning home after handing over lunch to her father who was working in agricultural field, a police officer said.

The victim's father filed a complaint with police, following which an FIR was lodged against the 22-year-old accused Tuesday evening, he said. The girl has been sent for medical examination, the officer said.

The accused is absconding and efforts are on to nab him, he said.

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Shamli (Uttar Pradesh): A 23-year-old married woman was allegedly raped by a ration dealer who promised her free ration as per government orders.

According to reports, the woman had approached the local shopkeeper for her quota of government ration when her savings dried up but he refused to give her ration. The woman's husband is stuck in Punjab, so she went to get free ration from the ration dealer. After waiting for several hours, she was asked to go away.

"On Tuesday evening, the accused, Vinod, came to my house and instead of giving me the ration, he raped me," the woman told the police.

Superintendent of police (SP) of Shamli, Vineet Jaiswal, said, "On the basis of complaint filed by the victim, police have booked Vinod under section 376 of IPC for the rape. He has been arrested and sent to jail."

The victim's landlord, meanwhile, said, "For the last three weeks, we were giving her the food as her husband was away and she had no money left. But, a few days ago, we expressed helplessness due our own condition," the landlord.

The woman's husband, a manual laborer, went to Punjab to collect his wages of the work he did a few months ago but he got stranded there after the announcement of countrywide lockdown.

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Three people have been arrested for allegedly raping a woman at a school in Batoda in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district.

"A complaint was registered by the woman herself on April 24. Her medical examination has been done and accused persons have been arrested," police said.

Further investigation is underway.

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THAPPAD is the story of a woman fighting a tough battle. Amrita (Taapsee Pannu) is a housewife and is happily married to Vikram (Pavail Gulati) in Delhi. Vikram works in a reputed company and is desperately looking forward to an opportunity which will take him to London for work purposes. Amrita knows how much this means to Vikram. She loves him with all her heart and her entire life revolves around him and in attending to his mother, Sulochana (Tanvi Azmi). Thankfully for Vikram, he’s selected for the London stint. The same night, he throws a party in his house. All is going well until he gets a call from his superior, Thapar. He informs Vikram that he won’t be getting the desired profile that he’s looking for in London and that he’ll have to report to an authority there. This is not something that Vikram was initially assured. He confronts Rajhans, another superior of Vikram and who is present in the party. Things heat up between them and Amrita tries to pacify him. In the process, Vikram slaps Amrita. Her whole world comes crashing down. She tries to move on but is just not able to. Vikram shows regret when he realizes that Amrita has been hurt by his actions. He tries to console her but it doesn’t work for her. Amrita hence shifts to the house of her parents (Kumud Mishra and Ratna Pathak Shah). Vikram stops her and later even comes to take her back. But she doesn’t budge. Vikram then sends a legal notice to her. Swati (Naila Grewal), the girlfriend of Amrita’s brother Karan (Ankur Rathee), suggests that Amrita should show this letter to Nethra (Maya Sarao), a reputed lawyer and Swati’s boss. Nethra suggests that Amrita should solve this issue amicably. Amrita however doesn’t want to and she insists on a divorce. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

For many of us, this lock-down is turning out to be the longest break we've ever taken, from going out, or going anywhere for that matter. And for actors, it is a break with no 'work from home' which they are spending with family and loved ones. Taapsee Pannu is also making the most of it in her Mumbai house, along with sister Shagun Pannu.

Speaking to a leading daily, Taapsee opened up on how actors work so hard to have a house of their own but would barely have any time to spend there as they were always traveling for work. She added that she was reveling in her uninterrupted free time and would just sit at her favourite corners of the house.

Several cities including Mumbai and Taapsee's hometown Delhi, where her parents live, come under the red zone. However, the actor says she is relieved that her parents do not live around the hotspot zones, since they both are above 60 years in age and needed to be careful. She went on to add that her parents, one retired and another a house wife, did not go out much and hence weren't very severely affected by the lock-down.

Taapsee will be next seen in Akshay Kumar starrer Rashmi Rocket and Aanand L Rai's Haseen Dillruba.

After a two-year-long battle with cancer, veteran actor Rishi Kapoor recently breathed his last. He, accompanied by wife Neetu Kapoor, spent nearly a year in New York, being treated. Kapoor enjoyed unmatched love and respect from the industry and the list of people who visited him during his stay at NYC is rather long. From Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar to Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Vicky Kaushal and many more, stars, as and when they were in the city, would catch up with the late actor and we would keep coming across happy pictures on Neetu Singh's Instagram.

While crawling the internet, we came across this photo of Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, posing with Rishi and Neetu, son Ranbir Kapoor, beau Alia Bhatt and Ranbir's sister Riddhima Kapoor Sahni. We remmeber Abhishek and family dining with the Kapoors at New York, and for those who recollect, Alia would also fly off whenever she could, and also celebrated her Christmas there, with Ranbir and family.

Rishi Kapoor, who reportedly had a relapse of cancer, was admitted to Mumbai's Sir HN Reliance Foundation hospital, and took his last breath on 30th April.

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor breathed his last on April 30 after his prolonged battle with leukemia. The Kapoor family, friends, and fans continue to remember him on social media.

On Thursday, his niece Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a throwback picture of him with her parents, Randhir and Babita Kapoor. The black and white photo features legendary musician Rahul Dev Burman (RD Burman). She captioned her picture, "Irreplaceable" with a heart emoji.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Irreplaceable ❤️

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) on May 6, 2020 at 10:44pm PDT

Neetu Kapoor left a heart emoji in the comments section.

Rishi Kapoor was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018. He went to New York for his treatment and returned to India in September 2019. He passed away at the age of 67 in Mumbai.

ALSO READ: Throwback: When Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor dined with Abhishek Bachchan and family in New York

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor breathed his last on April 30 after his prolonged battle with leukemia. He was diagnosed in 2018 and headed to New York for his treatment. He was back in Mumbai in September 2019. He passed away at the age of 67 in Mumbai. The Kapoor family, friends, and fans continue to remember him on social media.

On Thursday, Raveena Tandon shared a video of Rishi Kapoor which he had recorded for her father Ravi Tandon for his 80th birthday. “Dearest dearest Chintu uncle.. you are missed everyday. Just before his going to New York for treatment, he recorded this for papa, and then surprised him by being there with us on papas birthday. ♥️ you will always be there at home and in our hearts forever Chintuuncle. ♥️ we love you,” she wrote on Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Just before his going to New York for treatment, he recorded this for papa, and then surprised him by being there with us on papas birthday. ♥️ you will always be there at home and in our hearts forever Chintuuncle. ♥️ we love you .

A post shared by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon) on May 7, 2020 at 7:49am PDT

A week ago, she recalled the time when Rishi Kapoor praised her. “My heart had filled with pride when I read this praise coming from chintu uncle in the press.. saved this cutting from the year 2009. So many memories and broken hearts you leave behind .#farewell #foreverlove Will miss you too much chintu uncle,” she said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

My heart had filled with pride when I read this praise coming from chintu uncle in the press.. saved this cutting from the year 2009. So many memories and broken hearts you leave behind .... #farewell #foreverlove Will miss you too much chintu uncle .

A post shared by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon) on Apr 30, 2020 at 4:29am PDT

Raveena Tandon and Rishi Kapoor starred in Saajan Ki Baahon Mein in 1995.

 

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Just totally love you ! Seems like a part of my life , my childhood memories , my now .. all taken away so fast . Not fair chintu uncle. Not fair on all of us Couldn’t even say a goodbye . We will miss you terribly. ???????????????????? #memories His infectious laughter,his wit,incidents,even when he used to scold me on sets when working with him.Still seeing me,as the same 5 year old he knew,My first walkie talkie doll he bought from Paris,a make up gift for getting engaged to neetu aunty without telling me.

A post shared by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon) on Apr 30, 2020 at 1:57am PDT

ALSO READ: Flashback Friday: Kareena Kapoor Khan shares old photo of Rishi Kapoor with Randhir, Babita and RD Burman

Arjun Kapoor has always appreciated eclectic content. The actor, who runs his own digital property Arjun Recommends through which suggests great content for people to binge on, is currently gorging on yesteryears acclaimed TV show Byomkesh Bakshi played by actor Rajit Kapur.

For Arjun, this show is like a whiff of nostalgia from his childhood. He says, “Whenever I could catch Byomkesh Bakshi as a kid, I remember I enjoyed it thoroughly. For me, Byomkesh was what a hero should be. Slick, super-intelligent, and charismatic, he is one of the best sleuths that I have seen on screen! I have been watching Byomkesh on TV again and it is pure nostalgia for me!”

Arjun lists his reasons why he loves this indigenous super-detective. “The best thing about Byomkesh was that he solved intelligent crimes and that really hooked me on. The writing, the cleverness of the cases really got me interested. The show still hooks you thoroughly and that’s what great writing, great acting can do. Great content has the ability to become timeless and universal,” he adds.

Arjun secretly wishes to play a detective on screen. “Since then, I had always wanted to play a detective who saves the day and saves lives. I got to live my childhood dream by playing an undercover agent and saving the country in India’s Most Wanted! I still hope I get to play a detective on-screen one day!” says Arjun.

Also Read: An overwhelmed Arjun Kapoor wishes a frontline doctor on her birthday as she pens an emotional note

Amongst all the tears that are being shed over the deaths of Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, one presence has been sorely missed. Dimple Kapadia, Rishi’s first heroine in Bobby and his very very close friend has kept out of the tearful tamasha. According to a very close friend of the actress, Dimple has no words to describe her loss. “Chintu was not just her first co-star, they grew up together,” says a close friend of the actress, adding that she is still in a state of denial.

Says the friend, “Dimple has seen a lot of people close to her die. Her own sister Simple Kapadia died painfully of cancer. But this one has hit her really hard. Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) and she remained close over the years. She knew she could lean on him for any problem. He was just a phone call away.”

Interestingly, Dimple also has an ‘Irrfan’ connection. She played his love interest in one of Irrfan’s first films Drishti. Irrfan had told me once how nervous he was when he had to get intimate on screen with a big star like Dimple Kapadia. To this Dimple gave a classic reply, “Sab jhooth. I didn’t notice any nervousness.” Ironically, Dimple was also a part of his last film Angrezi Medium.

Also Read: When Rishi Kapoor, Kamal Haasan and Ramesh Sippy crushed on Dimple Kapadia

If there is one actor in our film industry who speaks his mind as frankly as Rishi Kapoor it is Naseeruddin Shah. The actor-extraordinaire is not likely to gush over an actor just because he is no more.

Says Naseer, “Rishi Kapoor's youthful films, I have to say, didn't grab me and I don't think I saw any apart from Bobby, and Dimple had a lot to do with people liking Bobby! So I can't really comment on the early part of his career.”

However Naseer admires the emotional truthfulness Rishi brought to his performances. “Apart from being very truthful emotionally he was always vibrant and energetic in films like Amar Akbar Anthony and Karz.”

And Naseer loved the way Rishi embraced his growing years. “It was great to see him maturing with age and beginning to take risks and getting the kind of parts where he could extend himself. I particularly liked him in Kapoor & Sons.”

As for Irrfan, Naseer is unconditionally appreciative of his fellow-actor’s talent. Says Naseer, “Irrfan I consider an unusual talent, a unique actor and a greatly caring human being. Apart from them both dying young the really tragic thing is both had a great deal to look forward to in their lives and their work but as the poet Robert Burns said, the best laid plans of mice and men often go askew.”

Also Read: Off The Record: Farhan Akhtar breaks down Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’s scene when he meets Naseeruddin Shah for the first time

‘Main Shayar To Nahin’ in Bobby gave birth to two stars. Rishi Kapoor who lip-synced this timeless song and Shailendra Sing who actually sang the tune to eternal fame. Singh, now 67, living alone in blissful isolation, blames his own poor networking abilities to his short-lived stardom. “I don’t speak about my past glory and when my friend Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) passed away I saw that wonderful phase in my life when we both dazzled the world come to a closure,” says the affable singer when I coax him into an interview.

“I met him after he returned from his treatment, three months ago. He was his usual self, so full of life, sparkling with humour and warmth…Why does such a man leave us so quickly? We were almost the same age. I still remember a very young fair-skinned boy standing quietly in the studio when I was recording ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’ for Raj Saab and Laxmikant-Pyarelalji. He didn’t say anything. Just kept observing, later he introduced himself as the hero of the film that I was singing for, says Shailendra fondly.

How did he, a newcomer, get such a prized singing assignment like Bobby? Shailendra sighs, “Even I wondered why, and how. I had nothing to do with the film fraternity. I lived in Pune and learnt classical Hindustani music from my Guru. Then suddenly one day I was told that Raj Kapoor Saab was looking for a fresh voice for his son, and why don’t I try for it?”

Shailendra “gave it a try” with no expectations. “How was I to know that Raj Saab would like my voice? At that time I had no idea what it was for, that Raj Saab was making a film called Bobby with his son Rishi Kapoor in the lead. Or that the composers were the great Laxmikant-Pyarelal and that my duets would be with the Singing Queen Lata Mangeshkarji. I knew none of this.”

Here came a seemingly insurmountable hurdle. “Laxmikant-Pyarelal wanted the voice of Mohd Rafi Saab for Chintu. But Raj Saab was adamant. It had to be a fresh new voice for Chintu. Aur bhala Raj Saab ki baat kaun taal sakta ttha? So there I was, being told by Laxmikantji to sing something, anything…And guess what I chose to sing for him? ‘Dekha Na Haye Re Socha Na Haye Re’ from Bombay To Goa. An R D Burman composition for Laxmikant-Pyarelal! I remember the very talented composer Rajesh Roshan played the congo as I sang for Laxmi-Pyareji. That was the song of my life ‘Dekha Na Haye Re Socha Na Haye Re’. I never cared about cultivating the right people in the film industry, or belonging to any camp.”

Thereafter a couple of significant incidents happened in the Kapoor parivar. “Daboo (Randhir Kapoor) got married. Raj Saab lost his father (Prithviraj Kapoor). Finally I recorded ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’. Everyone congratulated me. I was formally introduced to the film fraternity by Raj saab at a get-together. I remember Sharmila Tagore, Mumtaz, Rajesh Khanna, R D Burman they were all there. My dream run had just begun. The duets with Lataji were yet to come, though she was there for my recording of ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’. I remember she introduced herself (as though I didn’t know who she was!), watched me sing and then left quietly. Soon I was singing ‘Hum Tum Ek Kamre Band Ho’ with her. The first of our three super hit duets in Bobby. She saw my nervousness and put me at ease. I became a lifelong fan. My day still starts with her song. By the way ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’ was re-recorded. I had to do it a second time, though I thought I was better in the first version.”

Shailendra Singh reveals how his dream of becoming Rishi Kapoor’s permanent ghost voice were shattered. “I thought I’d be Chintu’s ghost-voice, just like Mukesh Saab for Raaj saab. Chintu of course believed in my voice. He would always recommend me. I sang two songs for him in his second film Zehreela Insaan. I was supposed to sing a third song ‘Oh Hanseeni’, which became the biggest hit of the film. Before I knew it, the song was taken away from me and given to Kishore Kumar Saab.”

An identical situation arose during Saagar. “I was told S P Balasubramaniamji would be Kamal Haasan’s voice. And I would be singing all the songs for Chintu. I recorded one song ‘Jaane Do Na’ with Ashaji for Saagar .It was used for the mahurat of the film. And then suddenly, all the other songs were sung by Kishore Kumar Saab. I don’t blame anyone for this sudden change. Kishoreda was a much bigger and better singer than me. I am happy to have got songs like ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’ (Bobby), ‘Humne Tumko Dekha’ (Khel Khel Mein), ‘Sham Suhanee Aaye’ (Zinda Dil), ‘Hoga Tumse Pyara Kaun’ (Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai), ‘Jaane Do Na’ (Saagar) and ‘Oh Meri Jaan’ (Manzil Manzil). The rest was all destiny.”

In 1994, Shailendra Singh was hospitalized for complication due to diabetes. “The talk in the industry was that I had a heart attack and that I had died. I didn’t die. But the rumours killed my career.”

Shailendra’s acting ambitions also came in the way of his singing career. “I played the lead in a couple of Hindi films Agreement opposite Rekhaji and Do Jasoos where I got to work with Raj Saab as an actor. Then I did guest appearances in two films with Bhaijaan (Mehmood) Ginny Aur Johnny and Naukar. I was very close to Bhaijaan. I also played the lead in a Bengali film Ajosro Dhanyobaad with Aparna Sen as my leading lady. I spoke all my dialogue in Bengali and sang all the songs…I soon realized acting wasn’t my forte. Singing was. And singing it shall remain. Even today no matter where I go at every concert the audiences go wild when I sing ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’. Incidentally Chintu returned to sing ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’ in Kunal Kohli’s Hum Tum in my voice. It was a grand reunion. Now I will sing ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’ for Chintu when we meet again. ”

Also Read: Dimple Kapadia’s big Rishi Kapoor connection & little Irrfan Khan connection

Rishi Kapoor passed away after battling leukemia for over two years, while the family is still coping with the loss, Neetu Kapoor has thanked the hospital authorities and Mukesh and Nita Ambani for their consistent support and love. Even though Riddhima couldn’t make it to her father’s funeral, she is currently in Mumbai to stay with her mother and brother in these trying times.

With an overload of throwback pictures and tributes, Rishi Kapoor will surely be missed by everyone in the industry along with his ardent fans. His charm and positive nature is still looked up to with Riddhima and Ranbir providing the much-needed support to Neetu Kapoor. A week after Rishi Kapoor’s demise, Riddhima Kapoor has shared a picture with Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor citing that they have got her back.

Take a look at it.

Also Read: Neetu Kapoor thanks Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani for their consistent love and support

2 years ago, on this day, Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja tied the knot, after dating each other for 2 years.  That Sonam was dating a 'London based businessman', surfaced on the internet for the longest time, but the duo remained tight-lipped about their relationship until it was time to make it official. Sonam and Anand had a traditional, Punjabi wedding in Mumbai, and of course, a star-studded one.

She took to Instagram to write the sweetest anniversary wish for the husband, and also shared with us the first photo they clicked together, 4 years back. Her caption tells us how she was impressed with Anand from their very first meet and found him 'unbelievably cool and sexy'. "Your compassion, kindness, generosity and smarts are incredibly attractive but so is your moodiness and your annoying perfectionism. Thank you for being my partner and standing besides me for these 4 years. They have been my most fulfilling. Happy happy anniversary husband. I’m soo thrilled I get to keep you for the rest of my life," Sonam wrote.

 

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Our first picture together.. 4 years ago today I met a vegan who could do complicated yoga positions and speak about retail and business with the same ease. I found him unbelievably cool and sexy., he still makes my heart race and grounds me at the same time. Nothing compares to you @anandahuja , your compassion, kindness, generosity and smarts are incredibly attractive but so is your moodiness and your annoying perfectionism. Thank you for being my partner and standing besides me for these 4 years. They have been my most fulfilling. Happy happy anniversary husband. I’m soo thrilled I get to keep you for the rest of my life. I love you the most and I know you love me the best and the most. That I promise you is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. ❤️ #everydayphenomenal

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) on May 7, 2020 at 7:58pm PDT

Sister Rhea Kapoor also wished the couple on their anniversary, on Instagram. She shared a video consisting of some of their adorable moments, and wrote, "Happy anniversary family, I hope every tomorrow is the best day of your lives".

 

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Happy anniversary family, I hope every tomorrow is the best day of your lives. @sonamkapoor @anandahuja love you!

A post shared by Rhea Kapoor (@rheakapoor) on May 7, 2020 at 8:41pm PDT

Sonam and Anand are presently at the latter's Delhi house since they returned from London and quarantined themselves. Quite sue they're celebrating the day in their own way in the company of each other!

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has worked with Rishi Kapoor in Agneepath and has experienced his charm first hand. She even visited him in New York when he was there for his treatment with his wife, Neetu Kapoor. Rishi Kapoor’s demise has been a great loss to the industry and Priyanka Chopra Jonas has written a beautiful piece remembering him and his great work for Time magazine.

In the piece, she said, “From his first leading role in 1973’s Bobby, he was the keeper of our hearts, ushering in a new era of romance in Hindi movies. His charisma was in his extraordinary smile, one that made his fans go weak in the knees. And when he danced, he made us all want to jump up and join him.”

“I had the privilege of working with him in Agneepath, in which he played a fierce, no-holds-barred character, someone to hate rather than love”.

Concluding her piece of work, she wrote, “To your beautiful family, Neetu Ma’am, Riddhima and Ranbir: the world grieves with you... I’m so grateful for having had the opportunity of knowing you personally as well—your candour, your laughter, your zest for life. That’s how I’ll always remember you.”

Also Read: After Rishi Kapoor’s demise, Ranbir Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor have got Neetu Kapoor’s back

Anil Kapoor and Sunita Kapoor seem to be enjoying the lockdown with indoor games and he makes sure to get as much exercise in as possible. Being a fitness enthusiast, he makes sure to get his daily dose of workout in even during leisure hours. With nothing much to do during the lockdown, he engaged in a fun round of carrom with his wife, Sunita Kapoor.

Anil Kapoor took to his Instagram to share a couple of pictures where Sunita and Rhea Kapoor candidly capture the moments. Anil, Sunita, Rhea, and Harshwardhan Kapoor are at their house in Mumbai while Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and Anand Ahuja are in Delhi. Take a look at the pictures that Anil Kapoor posted.

 

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And the winner is.... Me (Obviously)! ⁣ 1 ???? : @kapoor.sunita ⁣ 2 ???? : @rheakapoor ⁣ ⁣ #quarantinegames #chasingthequeen #candids #stayhomestaysafe

A post shared by anilskapoor (@anilskapoor) on May 7, 2020 at 7:47am PDT

On the work front, Anil Kapoor will next be seen in Karan Johar’s multi-starrer magnum opus, Takht.

Also Read: Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kunal Kemmu are all smiles during their virtual reunion!

Karisma Kapoor and Akshay Kumar have worked together in several films in the 90s. Among them are Sapoot, Suhaag, Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya and others. On Friday, Karisma Kapoor dug out an old picture with Akshay Kumar. However, the actress has no recollection of the moment in which it was clicked.

In the picture, Akshay and Karisma can be seen twinning in black and white outfits with their enthusiasm at peak. Sharing the picture, Karisma wrote, " have no recollection which film, when or where this picture was taken! But it has a great energy. Akshay Kumar, those were the days,"

 

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I have no recollection which film , when or where this pic was taken ! But it has a great energy ???? @akshaykumar those were the days ! #90s #flashbackfriday

A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on May 8, 2020 at 12:46am PDT

In the 90s', Karisma Kapoor made a special appearance in Akshay Kumar's Yeh Dillagi while Akshay had a cameo in Yash Chopra's Dil Toh Pagal Hai, starring Karisma.

Lately, Karisma Kapoor has taken a fascination to share throwback pictures from her personal life as well as from the sets of her films from the 90s which often feature her co-stars. She also often plays "guessing games" with her Instafam, asking them to name the movies she shares throwback stills from.

ALSO READ: After the demise of Rishi Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor remembers him via a family photo

A non-invasive system being developed by EU-funded researchers could make radiotherapy a safer and more-effective treatment for cancer patients by creating a visual dosage map of the tumour and the surrounding healthy tissue.

Metasurfaces can manipulate electromagnetic energy far beyond the limits of natural materials. An EU-funded project has developed a multifunctional and more accessible version that could enable easily programmable, smarter environments.

European football's governing body UEFA is mulling to continue the Champions League matches, suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on August 7-8.

According to a report on Sky Sports Italia, the first of the remaining matches in the Round of 16 will be played on August 7 and 8 after which there will be matches every three days until August 29 when the final is scheduled to be held.

The semi-final will be on August 18-18 and 21-22 before the final in Istanbul.

This would also result in the group stage of the 2020/21 season of the Champions League being postponed to October 20.

The Champions League final was initially scheduled to take place on May 30 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. However the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe led to the tournament having to be postponed with the second round of the last 16 matches left to be played. The teams that have gone through to the quarter finals thus far Paris St Germain, Atletico Madrid, Leipzig and Atalanta.

It was initially rumoured that a deadline of August 3 has been set for the final to be held but UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin denied that.

"It has been reported that UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin told ZDF in Germany that the UEFA Champions League must finish by 3 August. This is not true," said a statement from European soccer's governing body.

"The President was very clear not to set exact dates for the end of the season."

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Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters on Wednesday appointed Mohun Bagan's I-League winning coach Kibu Vicuna as their head coach for the upcoming season. This came hours after the franchise announced that it has parted ways with Eelco Schattorie after one season at the helm of affairs. "We are happy to announce that Kibu Vicuna will take over as head coach for the upcoming season!" Kerala Blasters said in a tweet. Spain's Vicuna oversaw Mohun Bagan win the title with four rounds to spare. The league was suspended midway due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later had to be called off with Mohun Bagan declared champions.

Mohun Bagan have merged with ATK to enter the ISL from next season with Antonio Lopez Habas, who coached ATK to their record third title, in charge of the combined outfit. Dutchman Schattorie was in charge of the Kochi-based outfit in the ISL 2019-20 and could only guide the club to a poor seventh-place finish. "Kerala Blasters FC have parted ways with the Head Coach, Eelco Schattorie. We'd like to thank Eelco for his efforts and services during his tenure and wish him the best for the future," Kerala Blasters had tweeted earlier in the day.

The 48-year-old first landed on Indian shores when he took over Kolkata-based Prayag United back in 2012. He went on to win the IFA Shield and guided the team to a fourth-placed finish in the I-League. After serving as the head coach for Kolkata giants East Bengal for the 2015 season, he joined Avram Grant's NorthEast United setup for parts of the 2016 ISL season, before taking over as head coach for the 2018-19 campaign.

In his very first season as a head coach in the ISL, Schattorie showcased immense tactical guile and took Guwahati-based NorthEast United to the semi-finals for the first time since the club's inception, before being knocked out by eventual champions Bengaluru FC. After leading the NorthEast United to their best-ever campaign in the club's history, Schattorie replaced Nelo Vingada as the Kerala Blasters head coach heading into ISL 2019-20.

The Dutchman, however, could not replicate the same success in Kerala which he had achieved with the NorthEast United as several factors came into play. A host of recurring injuries to key players, including a season-long one to stopper Sandesh Jhingan, severely handicapped Kerala's campaign as they finished seventh on the table with 19 points from 18 matches.

Despite not making the top four, Schattorie's Kerala side found a lot of admirers for their free-flowing attacking style of football.

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The virtual war between WAGs Rebekah Vardy, 38, and Coleen Rooney, 34, is far from over. It is learnt that Rebekah, wife of Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy, wants a public apology from Coleen, the wife of former England captain Wayne Rooney, for accusing her in October of leaking fake stories to the press via social media.

While both ladies are currently locked in a legal battle, it is learnt that they will have an arbitration meeting on Zoom this week in a bid to avoid a costly court case, reported British tabloid, The Sun.

"Becky [Rebekah] is adamant she's done nothing wrong and has told her team she wants a public apology," an insider told the newspaper. "She was hurt that Coleen went straight on social media to lay the blame at her door, rather than speaking to her privately. She has maintained her innocence throughout and doesn't want this to be brushed under the carpet without Coleen publicly apologising," added the source.

The two used to be good friends before Coleen claimed in October that Rebekah's Instagram account had been leaking false stories to the press. Subsequently, Rebekah endured a lot of abuse on social media.

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Since last year, Bollywood has seen a rise in period films based in the pre-Independence era. Not just films based on real-life characters like MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI, KESARI or SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY, but even fictional sagas like THUGS OF HINDOSTAN, TUMMBAD or the upcoming SHAMSHERA are also being made. Saif Ali Khan’s latest outing, LAAL KAPTAAN, belongs to the latter category and attempts to tell a revenge drama. So does LAAL KAPTAAN succeed in entertaining despite the niche appeal? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1031588 size-full" title="Movie Review: Laal Kaptaan" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Movie-Review-Laal-Kaptaan.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Laal Kaptaan" width="750" height="450" /> LAAL KAPTAAN is the story of revenge spanning a couple of decades. The year is 1789, 25 years after Battle of Buxar. Hunter (Saif Ali Khan) is a Naga Sadhu who’s looking for a man called Rehmat Khan (Manav Vij). Through Noor Bibi (Sonakshi Sinha), Hunter finds out that Rehmat is a governor of a kingdom somewhere in North India. At this time, the evil Rehmat takes away all the treasure of his kingdom and kills his servants. Along with his army, his confidant Aadham Khan (Aamir Bashir), his wife (Simone Singh), wet nurse (Eshika De) and his newborn son, he abandons the fort and is on a way to the banks of the river Yamuna. By the time Hunter reaches the fort, there’s no one except a widow (Zoya Hussain). Hunter gets injured while fighting some Pathans on the way and the widow takes care of him and treats his wounds. In return, she requests him to take her with him. Hunter refuses and yet, she follows him. After Hunter and the widow leave, a tracker (Deepak Dobriyal) who’s an expert in finding out whereabouts with the help of his smelling power and pet dogs, reaches the fort. In some time, the Marathas attack the fort and the tracker agrees to help them find Rehmat. Rehmat was to give a portion of the treasure to the Marathas but since he didn’t, they are trying to find him. Meanwhile, a few days later, the Hunter reaches the place where Rehmat and his army have camped for the night. Hunter quietly enters Rehmat’s tent but he doesn’t kill him, which has always been his sole aim since 25 years. Rehmat’s army nabs Hunter but Rehmat doesn’t want him eliminated. He wants to know who exactly is Hunter and why he wants to kill him. Rehmat is also reminded that six years ago, he had crossed paths with Hunter and the latter had told him that he’ll finish him. Even then, Hunter had spared him. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Deepak Venkatesha and Navdeep Singh's story is very poor and gives a déjà vu of certain period films of Bollywood and also Hollywood. Deepak Venkatesha and Navdeep Singh's screenplay is confusing and ineffective. The film has too many tracks and except Hunter’s track, none of them are interesting. Also, the transition between tracks is not smooth. There’s a twist in the tale revealed in the pre climax but it arrives at a time when viewers are tired with the goings on and just want the film to end. Sudip Sharma's dialogues are nothing special and quite pretentious. The philosophical one-liners fail to entice. Also, various dialects and even Marathi is used and it’ll be difficult to decipher some of the lines in the absence of subtitles. Navdeep Singh's direction is highly disappointing. He had very weak material in his hand and moreover, he further spoils the show with his execution. The film is extremely dry and slow and very few scenes arrest your attention. There’s also an attempt to add humour with the character of the tracker and by showing Pindaris, allied with the Maratha army, as buffoons. But it just doesn’t impress. Even the revenge bit looks silly as Hunter crosses paths with Rehmat Khan twice and yet doesn’t kill him. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Laal Kaptaan: Public Review | First Day First Show | Saif Ali Khan</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/laal-kaptaan-public-review-first-day-first-show-saif-ali-khan/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> LAAL KAPTAAN has an intriguing beginning showing the flashback portion. Hunter’s entry is heroic but soon the film falls flat and it remains that way till the end, save for a few minutes in between. The film is too long at 155 minutes and moves at a snail’s pace. The story moreover is very random and also quite confusing. Hence, it becomes difficult for audiences to keep their interest. Also, it is bewildering that Hunter is desperate to find Rehmat Khan since 25 years. And when he finally meets him, he never kills him. Audiences would never be able to understand this factor. In the end, the reason is revealed but it’s very unconvincing and silly. Talking of performances, Saif Ali Khan genuinely puts up a good show. His look is quite dashing and he excels in action scenes. Manav Vij too does very well, as the baddie. His intense eyes work very well for such roles. Deepak Dobriyal is mildly amusing but in most scenes, his act doesn’t raise laughs. Zoya Hussain puts up a confident show. Simone Singh is decent. Aamir Bashir and Eshika De are passable. Neeraj Kabi (Sadullah Khan) gives a nice performance in a cameo and same goes for Chetan Hansraj (Sangram Singh) and Ajay Paul (Thakur). Vibha Rani (Laal Pari) is quite scary as clairvoyant but the director misses the bus here as he could have done a lot with this character. Madan Deodhar (Maratha captain) is appropriate and he’s the only one who manages some laughs. Henry Douthwaite (British officer Theodore Munro) has nothing much to do. Sonakshi Sinha is wasted and is there for just one scene. Samira Koppikar's music is nothing great and songs are badly used. <em>'Taandav'</em> sounds exhilarating but comes at a very confusing point in the movie. <em>'Red Red Najariya'</em> could have made for a great item song but is played just for a few seconds and hence, wasted. <em>'Kaal Kaal'</em> and <em>'Lahu ka Rang Kara'</em> don’t make the desired impact. Benedict Taylor and Naren Chandavarkar's background score is in sync with the film’s mood. Shanker Raman's cinematography is spectacular and the film is shot in some virgin locales. Rakesh Yadav's production design is authentic. Darshan Yewalekar's hair design and Dhananjay Prajapati's makeup is spot on, especially in case of Saif.  Maxima Basu Golani's costumes too are straight out of the 18^th century India. Illusion Ethereal's VFX is fine but could have been better in some scenes. Jabeen Merchant's editing is haphazard in several scenes. On the whole, LAAL KAPTAAN is bizarre and a poor film that has nothing substantial to offer the audiences in general. At the box office, the negligible buzz along with its release in the dull pre-Diwali period will spell doom for the film.

The number of acid attacks that have occurred over the years is alarming. What’s even more shocking is the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities in preventing such attacks and prevention of sale of dangerous substances. After all, such an act can destroy lives as it damages the face permanently. Bollywood has been attempting some brave films on various topics but this was one issue that was largely ignored. Director Meghna Gulzar, who has found respect and admiration after the back-to-back success of TALVAR [2015] and RAAZI [2018] now comes up with CHHAPAAK, that attempts to address these aspects. The film has been in the news since the time the makers revealed the look of its lead actress Deepika Padukone, while it was being filmed. So does CHHAPAAK manage to entertain and shock viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1060759" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Chhapaak-IMG.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Chhapaak" width="750" height="450" /> CHHAPAAK is the story of an acid attack survivor. The year is 2005. Malti (Deepika Padukone) is a 19 year old girl who gets attacked by acid on a street in Delhi. A good Samaritan takes her to the hospital. Her face is irreparably burnt, with no chance of it getting back to its original form. Malti however is determined to get the perpetrator behind the bars. Despite difficulty in speaking at the time of the tragedy, she manages to tell the cops that the attacker is Basheer Shaikh aka Babbu (Vishal Dahiya) and her sister Parveen. The cops arrest both and Babbu confesses that he indeed got the acid thrown on Malti. Shockingly, Babbu was a family friend of Malti's and even made the rounds of the hospital to visit her, post the attack. In the court, Malti’s lawyer Archana Bajaj (Madhurjeet Sarghi) gives a tough fight but Babbu manages to seek bail on some grounds or the other. Archana stresses on maximum punishment though the law is not clear on acid attacks specifically. This prompts Malti to also file a PIL, asking for ban on the easy availability of acids. What happens next forms the rest of the film. CHAAPAAK’s story is mostly based on real-life incidents and is quite hard-hitting. It also turns out to be an eye-opener as many wouldn’t be aware of the seriousness of the situation and that acid is so easily available in India. Atika Chohan and Meghna Gulzar's screenplay however is inconsistent. There are scenes where the film really captivates you and moves you. But in places, the writing is not polished well while the emotional connect is missing and this affects the overall impact. Atika Chohan and Meghna Gulzar's dialogues are sharp. Meghna Gulzar's direction is strictly okay. Both TALVAR and RAAZI worked so well as they didn’t just have a good story, but also great execution. But in case of CHHAPAAK, Meghna doesn’t seem to be in top form. The idea to start the film from the middle of the narrative didn’t quite work. Malti’s struggle is moving but only till an extent. A lot could have been done here but Meghna simply rushes through some key scenes. This is especially evident in the courtroom sequence. Also, an important track is that of Malti’s brother (Delzad Hivale) but hardly any time is spent on this episode. Nothing is explained later as to what happened to the brother and also Malti’s father (Manohar Teli). If Meghna had indeed given her best here, then considering the potential of the story, CHHAPAAK could have gone beyond what's on screen. CHHAPAAK begins on a very dry note and in a non-linear fashion. For the first 10-15 minutes, the audiences might not get engrossed. It’s only when the flashback portions commence that the film picks up. Some of the most impactful scenes of the first half are Malti seeing her face in the mirror, after the attack, for the first time, and Archana urging Malti to wake up and fight the battle. The courtroom scene keeps one hooked but one wishes it had more drama. In the second half, the romantic track doesn’t work much. Also, there comes a point when one doesn’t really know where the film is going. Meghna reserves another round of flashback in the climax and here, the film picks up again. Also, one understands the dynamic between the characters and what led to the acid attack in the first place. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Chhapaak | Public Review | Deepika Padukone | Vikrant Massey | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/chhapaak-public-review-deepika-padukone-vikrant-massey-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Deepika Padukone carries the difficult part with rare subtlety. She underplays her part well and in scenes where acid is splashed on her face and she comes to terms with it, the actress does a good job. But in most scenes, she doesn’t emote much and is merely the observer. One wishes she had done something in these sequences, which could have added to her performance. Vikrant Massey looks great and gives a genuinely fine performance. Sadly, he is let down by the writing. Madhurjeet Sarghi has a crucial part and plays it with élan. She looks quite confident in the courtroom scenes. Vishal Dahiya delivers a splendid performance. Delzad Hivale is wasted. Payal Nair (Shiraz) and Vaibhavi Upadhyay (Minakshi) are okay. Manohar Teli is fine and is endearing in the scene where he’s secretly having alcohol. The actor playing Parveen is damn good in the courtroom scene. Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music isn’t memorable. The title track is well inserted in an important scene. <em>'Nok Jhok'</em> and <em>'Khul Ne Do'</em> are average. Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Tubby's background score is slightly better. Malay Prakash's cinematography is appropriate. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray's production design is neat. Abhilasha Sharma's costumes are realistic, especially the ones worn by Deepika. Shrikant Desai's hair and make-up is splendid and the prosthetic also is very well done. Nitin Baid's editing is incoherent. On the whole, CHHAPAAK is a brave attempt at highlighting an issue and the crime that exists in our society. At the box office, it will have a difficult journey since it is not a commercial entertainer. Its business will be restricted to a tiny section of the multiplex frequenting audience.

We are in the year 2020 but still, a lot of objectionable trends are sadly quite common. Violence against women, especially, continues despite progress of our country and growth in education and standard of living. Anubhav Sinha, whose 2.0 avatar has given us films on Hindu-Muslim unity [MULK; 2018] and caste discrimination [ARTICLE 15; 2019] now takes up this topic for his latest hard-hitting flick, THAPPAD. The trailer has already intrigued viewers because of its storyline and the association of Taapsee Pannu and Anubhav with this project. So does THAPPAD manage to be as impactful as Anubhav’s last two films? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1078610" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Thapped-5.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> THAPPAD is the story of a woman fighting a tough battle. Amrita (Taapsee Pannu) is a housewife and is happily married to Vikram (Pavail Gulati) in Delhi. Vikram works in a reputed company and is desperately looking forward to an opportunity which will take him to London for work purposes. Amrita knows how much this means to Vikram. She loves him with all her heart and her entire life revolves around him and in attending to his mother, Sulochana (Tanvi Azmi). Thankfully for Vikram, he’s selected for the London stint. The same night, he throws a party in his house. All is going well until he gets a call from his superior, Thapar. He informs Vikram that he won’t be getting the desired profile that he’s looking for in London and that he’ll have to report to an authority there. This is not something that Vikram was initially assured. He confronts Rajhans, another superior of Vikram and who is present in the party. Things heat up between them and Amrita tries to pacify him. In the process, Vikram slaps Amrita. Her whole world comes crashing down. She tries to move on but is just not able to. Vikram shows regret when he realizes that Amrita has been hurt by his actions. He tries to console her but it doesn’t work for her. Amrita hence shifts to the house of her parents (Kumud Mishra and Ratna Pathak Shah). Vikram stops her and later even comes to take her back. But she doesn’t budge. Vikram then sends a legal notice to her. Swati (Naila Grewal), the girlfriend of Amrita’s brother Karan (Ankur Rathee), suggests that Amrita should show this letter to Nethra (Maya Sarao), a reputed lawyer and Swati’s boss. Nethra suggests that Amrita should solve this issue amicably. Amrita however doesn’t want to and she insists on a divorce. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's story is superb and applause-worthy. In a society where repeated acts of violence committed by husbands on their wives is fairly common, it requires guts to pull off a film where the woman has been hit just once by the husband and yet make it seem convincing. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's screenplay (script consultant: Anjum Rajabali) helps a lot in ensuring that the audiences get persuaded to agree with the vision of the team. They very well put out the situation and how patriarchy is deeply ingrained in our psyche, not just in case of men but also women. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's dialogues are acidic and sharp and add to the impact. Some of them simplify the proceedings but that goes in favour of the film. There are lot of one-liners that will surely hit viewers and make them reflect on their own wrongdoings. Anubhav Sushila Sinha's direction is superlative. He has not just penned a great script but he has even executed it very well. The world and mood is drastically different when compared to MULK and ARTICLE 15 but he understands it and does justice. Amrita’s predicament is well established and one is bound to get moved by her struggle, especially when even her family members fail to support her. There are also several subplots and most of them are well helmed and add to the principle plot nicely. There are a few scenes where he does a fine job like Shivani (Dia Mirza) hugging Amrita, Sulochana ignoring the slap and insisting that Amrita should attend to the guests, Amrita’s father scolding his son for misbehaving with Swati, Amrita’s mother Sandhya chiding for not getting support to continue her singing career, the confrontation between the lawyers etc. On the flipside, the second half seems dragging. The makers could have done away with the track of Sulochana living separately as it just added to the subplots needlessly. Additionally, they could have fine-tuned the track of the lawyer cheating on her husband. A section of audience might find the entire bit of Vikram not apologizing to Amrita difficult to digest. It’s strange that no one from his circle suggested that he should say sorry. It’s only in the pre-climax that this issue is raised in front of him. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thappad | Public Review | Taapsee Pannu | Anubhav Sinha | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/thappad-public-review-taapsee-pannu-anubhav-sinha-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span></iframe> THAPPAD has an impressive beginning where all the supporting characters are introduced and the commonality is them having an ice-cream. Amrita’s introduction is superbly down. It does give one a déjà vu of Nishikant Kamat’s classic Marathi film DOMBIVALI FAST [2004] but it works very well here to depict what her day looks like. The highpoint is definitely the party sequence and the slap. After this scene, it might feel that the film is stagnating but those scenes are important to explain how Amrita’s life has changed drastically post the slap. The intermission point is great. Post-interval, the interest is maintained but this is where the film drags. One expects <em>dhamaka</em> when the parties come face-to-face but nothing of that sort happens. The confrontation is there and though it is sync with the film’s plot and mood, it might seem mild, especially those expecting some entertainment here. The film ends on a justified note. THAPPAD has several excellent actors but it belongs to Taapsee Pannu without a shred of doubt. She has delivered several memorable performances and this one will surely be one of her most accomplished acts! She gets completely into the skin of character, making viewers forget of her earlier performances. You forget its Taapsee when you see her dutifully performing her housewife duties. Pavail Gulati makes a fantastic debut. He looks dashing and completely suits the part. Kumud Mishra is terrific. Anubhav Sinha always extracts a fine performance from him and THAPPAD is no exception. Ratna Pathak Shah is quite subtle and makes an impact. Same with Tanvi Azmi – her dialogue in the finale sums up the film in a way. Maya Sarao is a powerhouse of talent and is an actor to watch out for. She gets her act totally right, especially her body language. Geetika Vidya (Sunita) gets to play a memorable part and she kills it. Dia Mirza has limited screen time but it works. Gracy Goswami (Sania; Shivani’s daughter) has a fine screen presence and she dances nicely. Naila Grewal, Manav Kaul (Rohit Jaisingh), Ram Kapoor (Advocate Gujral) and Ankur Rathee are fair. Harssh A Singh (Thapar), Santanu Ghatak (Vikram’s colleague Subodh), Rohan Khurana (Nethra's love interest), Sushil Dahiya (Vikram's father), Siddhant Karnick (Vikram's brother), Nidhi Uttam (Vikram's sister-in-law) and the actor playing Rajhans also do a good job. Anurag Dipali Saikia's music doesn’t have much scope. <em>'Ek Tukda Dhoop'</em> however has a nice, lingering effect. Mangesh Urmila Dhakde's background score is magnificent. The initial sequences have a jazz style music that gives a nice touch. Soumik Sarmila Mukherjee's cinematography is top-class. Vishakha Vidya Kullarwar's costumes are appealing, especially the saree worn by Taapsee in the party. Jyotika Mirpuri Aroura's make-up and hair is appropriate. Nikhil Kshipra Kovale's production design is rich. Yashpa Pushpa Ramchandani's editing could have been a tighter, but overall he has done a commendable job. On the whole, THAPPAD makes a strong statement on patriarchy and violence against women and is laced with a powerful performance by Taapsee Pannu. At the box office, it will be loved and adored by its target audience – the womenfolk.

Unnerving movements for debt mutual funds investors!

Just last week my colleague, Divya explained the fiasco at Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, which took a decision to abruptly wind down six debt mutual fund schemes, namely:

• Franklin India Low Duration Fund
• Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund
• Franklin India Credit Risk Fund
• Franklin India Short Term Income Plan
• Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund
• Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund

In all, the above debt mutual fund schemes had an AUM of Rs 30,854 crore as of March 31, 2020.

The fund house cited, "severe market dislocation and illiquidity in the fixed income space" caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the reason behind the decision.

Investors in these schemes are now left in the lurch: they cannot sell (nor buy) these funds and will have to rely on the fund house to get back their hard-earned money. Investors will have to hold their investments in these schemes until liquidity is available to the mutual fund house by either selling securities in the fund's portfolio or receiving maturity proceeds.

Currently, a fact is, not just Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, but debt mutual fund schemes of many other fund houses are have a remarkable exposure to stressed assets.

According to portfolios disclosed on March 31, 2020, mutual funds collectively held Rs 1.38 trillion of exposure to debt securities issued by Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). Approximately Rs 51,000 crore of the exposure in debt securities has a maturity profile of less than 3 months; and now, mutual funds fear that there will be defaults.

NBFCs and other corporate borrowers claim that they do not have enough liquidity to fulfil their obligations and have requested for additional time. Given that, rating downgrades from rating agencies look likely.

However, some companies are playing smart: they are approaching the Courts to prevent a rating downgrade, plus seeking a stay on sale of pledged shares. Of course, they are well within their right to approach the judicial authority or Courts and contest.

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But the capital market regulator, seems to be in no mood in offering them any leeway. On the contrary, the regulator is asking the mutual fund industry to act against the issuer of securities who are possibly carrying high credit risk; facing asset quality problems.

Delays in repayments would mean the creation of more side-pockets by mutual funds. And in my view, more the losses investors suffer, more frustrating it will be for mutual fund houses and their investors. Eventually retail and High Net-worth Individuals, particularly, will lose confidence and may not be keen to invest in debt funds.

If you are wondering what has gone wrong, here's everything you may like to know about liquidity, credit risk and the exposure of mutual funds to corporate debt in the present scenario.

If you remember, the capital market regulator had mandated large corporations to source at least 25% of their borrowings from the bond markets from the beginning of FY 2019. This move was expected to deepen Indian bond markets and reduces the stress on banks. Just a year later, the same move is proving fatal for companies that went to the bond markets to raise money.

Now that the COVID-19 lockdown has forced many business units to shut off temporarily or operate much below their optimal operational capacity with a skeletal staff, companies, including the large organisations that relied heavily on debt markets, are finding it difficult to honour maturity claims on Commercial Papers (CPs), Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs), and Bonds.

They were hoping for an 'at-par treatment' with Banks when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) offered a moratorium period to borrowers. But the RBI circular came to them as a shocker. The devil was in the details.

On March 27, 2020, the RBI issued a notification allowing a three-month moratorium on all outstanding term loans and working capital facilities on account of disruptions caused by the outbreak of coronavirus. This circular did not cover around 10 thousand NBFCs, who mainly depend on CPs, NCDs, and Bonds for their funding requirements.

As far as NBFCs are concerned, the RBI has already provided them with a liquidity facility through the banking channel. The RBI directed banks to utilise funds infused under Targeted Long Term Repo Operations (TLTRO) facility to invest in 'investment-grade' CPs, NCDs, and Bonds issued by NBFCs. Also, RBI mandated banks to allocate 50% of Rs 50,000 crore of liquidity introduced by way of TLTRO 2.0 to small and mid-size NBFCs and small finance banks.

But NBFCs seemed not too happy with just liquidity and many of them are now approaching courts to prevent rating downgrades. This is not a best practice for the industry, although fund houses may be well within their rights to contest.

Recently, Indiabulls Housing Finance was successful in receiving the interim order from Delhi High Court, throttling any coercive action against the housing finance company for its inability to repay its bondholders. The Delhi High Court will hear the case further on May 19, 2020.

This has added to the worries of mutual fund houses that now fear other NBFCs will follow the same path.

The capital market regulator, only recently (a few days ago) following the three moratorium by RBI (due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic) has relaxed the valuation norms for debt and money market instrument held by mutual funds vide a circular dated April 23, 2020, wherein it states as under:

• Based on assessment, if the valuation agencies appointed by AMFI are of the view that the delay in payment of interest/principal or extension of the maturity of a security by the issuer has arisen solely due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and/or in light of the moratorium permitted by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) (vide notification no. RBI/2019-20/186, dated March 27, 2020) creating temporary operational challenges in servicing debt, then valuation agencies may not consider the same as a default for the purpose of valuation of money market or debt securities held by Mutual Funds.
  
  However, in the scenario, as stated above, if there is any difference in the valuation of securities provided by two valuation agencies, the conservative valuation shall be accepted.

But then what is the point of coming up with these valuation norms as an afterthought, and not in close synchronisation when the RBI came with its notification a month ago?

The damage now is already done and companies are anyways approaching the Courts to prevent a rating downgrade.

Let's say shares of a company are pledged and to recover the proceeds -- if they cannot be sold due to a court order -- then such lending would be as good as unsecured lending.

Also, why should that not be construed as an instance of deviation from the stated fundamental attributes of a debt mutual fund scheme? After all, mutual fund investors invest in debt fund schemes taking into account a certain level of risk. Change in the risk profile of a scheme is a change in the fundamental attribute/s.

According to India Ratings, NBFCs having the asset base of Rs 500 crore to 5,000 crore, largely fall between "A" and "BBB" rating categories.

The mid-path could be a decision on payment or deferring the payment in consultation with all stakeholders, including debenture trustees. The industry will require a blanket resolution because a case-to-case resolution approach is cumbersome and may create more chaos.

Unless the RBI takes a clear stance on NBFCs and other financial institutions, mutual fund houses are likely to feel the heat of redemptions. Suppose, there's no further statement issued by the banking sector regulator; mutual funds will have to be prepared to handle large-scale defaults, which might look inevitable. After all, a majority of NBFCs' customers are retail borrowers and they enjoy a moratorium on the EMI payment for 3-months. This has been the trickiest part for NBFCs.

While COVID-19 outbreak has been the genuine reason for the potential defaults this time, asset-liability mismatches of NBFCs are well-known. Many NBFCs have gone overboard with cheap credit available during stable market conditions. Their credit underwriting has been questioned widely. The industry has also witnessed belly-up instances such as IL&FS and DHFL. Many mutual fund houses have burned their fingers badly in such defaults.

At the time of writing this piece, to ease the liquidity pressure on mutual funds, the RBI today decided to provide a special liquidity facility of Rs 50,000 crore for mutual funds. Under this facility, the RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate. This will be on-tap and open-ended, and banks can submit their bids to avail funding on any day from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). The scheme is available from today i.e., April 27, 2020, till May 11, 2020, or up to utilization of the allocated amount, whichever is earlier. The Reserve Bank will review the timeline and amount, depending upon market conditions.

The RBI has stated further that the liquidity support availed under the Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds shall be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of mutual funds by, 1) extending loans; and (2) undertaking outright purchase of and/or repos against the collateral of investment-grade corporate bonds, CPs, debentures and certificates of Deposit (CDs) held by mutual funds.

Having taken this measure, keep in mind that it does not make investing in debt mutual funds risk-free. Considering the prevailing investment environment, you should stay away from mutual fund schemes whose portfolio characteristic appears compromised. Also, avoid credit risk funds and corporate bond funds as they are likely to be more vulnerable amidst the financial crisis followed by COVID-19 pandemic.

As a thumb rule: Choose mutual fund schemes from fund houses that follow prudent judicious investment processes and stringent risk-management systems.

In these uncertain times, it would be wise sticking to liquid funds and overnight funds while considering debt funds.

Our friends at Quantum Mutual Fund have highlighted the secret behind their debt management strategy which has helped them provide safety and liquidity to investors when it comes to investing in quantum funds. Don't Worry, Quantum Liquid Fund always aims for Safety and Liquidity.

As with all financial matters, better be safe than sorry!

PS: If you wish to select worthy mutual fund schemes, I recommend you to subscribe to PersonalFN's unbiased premium research service, FundSelect.

Additionally, as a bonus, you get access to PersonalFN's popular debt mutual fund service, DebtSelect.

Each fund recommended under FundSelect goes through our stringent process, where they are tested on both quantitative as well as qualitative parameters.

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Author: Rounaq Neroy

This article first appeared on PersonalFN here.

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

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