Unconfirmed reports suggesting the upcoming Ranveer Singh-starrer "83" will be sold for release on an OTT platform before it opens in the theatres, have been denied by Reliance Entertainment, co-producers of the much-awaited film. The rumours started after the film's release was pushed from its scheduled date of April 10 owing to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

Lately, the trade circuit was abuzz with speculations that a global OTT giant with substantial reach in India has offered a whopping Rs 143 crore to the producers of "83" for the purchase of the film's release rights. However, Reliance Entertainment has denied all such reports, claiming they will "evaluate" if the situation did not become normal even after six months, reports bollywoodhungama.com.

"There is no truth to these reports. '83' has been made for the big-screen experience. Right now, there's no intention or interest on the part of the directors or us as producers, to take these films to the small screen. If the situation deteriorates rapidly or there is no visibility of normalcy even after six months, we will evaluate then. But right now, we are all quite positive and I foresee that between the next four to six months, cinema halls will start operating. So that's the hope and mindset which we currently have," Shibashish Sarkar, Reliance Entertainment Group CEO, told bollywoodhungama.com.

Directed by Kabir Khan, "83" narrates the story of India's first-ever cricket World Cup victory in 1983. In the movie, Ranveer Singh stars as the then skipper Kapil Dev while Deepika Padukone plays Kapil's wife Romi Dev. The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Jiiva, Sahil Khattar, Chirag Patil and Adinath Kothare in key roles.

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Superstar Salman Khan on Saturday extended wishes to the people as the holy month of Ramzan commenced today. The 'Bharat' star took to Twitter and while he wished people on the auspicious occasion, he also advised them to stay at home and wrote: "Ramadan Mubarak to all... Stay home stay safe!" The 54-year-old actor also condemned the stone-pelting incidents that occurred with the health officials amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Earlier, Salman shared a video in which he put out a sharp message to the "jokers" who were flouting government-imposed guidelines and venturing out during the ongoing lockdown, putting at risk countless lives to the deadly coronavirus.

In a 10-minute hard-hitting video shared on Instagram he pointed out that doctors, nurses and policemen are putting in long hours to curb the spread of coronavirus and urged people to respect their work and stay inside.

He questioned in his video: "Doctors and nurses are working to save your lives and what do you do? You started pelting stones at them? Those who have been diagnosed with coronavirus, are running away from the hospitals. Where are you running? Towards life or death?"

The 'Dabangg 2' star appreciated the efforts by the frontline warriors and said: "The virus that started in China is over in China now, but because of a few jokers, the whole of India will sit at home for a long time."

The 'Tiger Zinda Hai' star said that he was aware of many people who wouldn't come out of their homes earlier but have started doing so since they've been asked to not go out. "You are putting everyone's lives at risk," the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor said.

Salman concluded by urging the people to respect the work of the doctors, nurses, police personnel and those who work in banks, take care to ensure that the disease does not spread further and pray that it does not come to a situation where the military has to be called in to stop people from doing the wrong thing.

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Actor Randeep Hooda on Saturday shared a glimpse from his Hollywood debut in the upcoming Netflix film 'Extraction' with a safety slogan 'Don't step out' amid lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The 43-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a glimpse from the film where Hooda is seen in commando mode to save a boy while holding a gun in his hand. The 'Highway' actor is seen dressed in black commando dress while he runs for safeguarding a boy.

 

 

 

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Only if this boy hadn’t stepped out! Don’t step out or.... . #Extraction #Lockdown @Netflix_in @netflix @netflixfilm @thesamhargrave @therussobrothers @agbofilms @chrishemsworth @rudhrakshjaiswal1

A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) onApr 25, 2020 at 2:27am PDT

The 'Sarabjit' star captioned the post as, "Only if this boy hadn't stepped out! Don't step out or... #Extraction #Lockdown."

Earlier this week, Hooda shared a video from the movie's shooting in India and announced its streaming date as April 24.'Extraction also stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth and some of the parts have also been filmed in India. In the video, the production staff of 'Extraction,' along with Randeep and Hemsworth are seen talking about India and how different the feeling was to shoot in the country.

 

 

 

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India isn't just about heat, but a lot of warmth too.. here's a glimpse into shooting #Extraction in India Streaming on Netflix from 24th April @Netflix_in @netflix @thesamhargrave @therussobrothers @agbofilms @chrishemsworth @tsigel @ptnewall @leecleary1 @outthayr @danielstevens1 @artoflegitsu @rostacosta @rudhrakshjaiswal1 @dkharbour @golfarahani @priyanshupainyuli @battlecat_stunts_inc @dargan_fire @danlawsonjohnston @matteo__silvi @luca_vannella @tessjosephcasting @indochinaproductions @luca_vannella @tessjoseph19 #joewhelan #tomharrison

A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) onApr 20, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

The Netflix film also marks the 'Kick' actor's Hollywood debut.

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The makers of Kangana Ranaut's Thalaivi are resigned to the fact that the film, like many other Bollywood offerings, will be delayed. However, they have a more pressing problem on their hands — two elaborate sets that were built in Hyderabad and Chennai have been standing unused over the past six weeks, leading to losses. If the lockdown extends to June, the makers fear the sets may be destroyed in the rains.

"We need to wrap up the film before the rains hit. Since they are outdoor set-up, they will be ruined in the monsoon. Reconstructing the set will be an expensive affair," laments producer Shailesh R Singh.

J Jayalalithaa

The shoot of the biopic on J Jayalalithaa, the late chief minister of Tamil Nadu, was running like clockwork until March. With a 45-day shooting stint slated to kick off on March 10, the AL Vijay-led team had constructed a set of the Parliament House at the Ramakrishna Cine Studios in Hyderabad. After the shoot would be wrapped up by the third week of April, their next pit-stop was Chennai.

"We have recreated Mount Road at the AVM Studio in Chennai, and had planned a patchwork shoot there. Almost 40 per cent of the movie is left to be filmed," says producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri, adding that they pre-emptively cancelled the Hyderabad shoot in the wake of the pandemic.

Sources say that the makers, who are bearing the maintenance cost of the sets and the studio rent, have incurred losses of R5 crore so far due to the lockdown. While Singh is unwilling to put a number to the damages, he adds, "Our team's safety is our priority. We had paid [the studio] for March, but were unable to shoot for a single day in Hyderabad. It's uncertain when the lockdown will be lifted. Even if we get a 10-day window, we will finish shooting the outdoor portions."

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I have watched everything that was pending on my must-watch list over the years," laughs Tahir Raj Bhasin, echoing the sentiment of many who have turned to digital entertainment to escape the lockdown ennui. A movie aficionado, the actor has been making the most of the stay-at-home period by acquainting himself with the works of the masters — from Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky to Oscar-winner Bong Joon-ho."

"My first recommendation would be Shoplifters on Netflix. It's a 2018 Japanese drama by Hirokazu Koreeda that traces the story of a dysfunctional family. It has a slow pace, but the lockdown is the perfect time to widen your horizon when it comes to movie consumption," says Bhasin. For those fascinated by crime thrillers like he is, the actor has a suggestion. "The 2002 HBO series, The Wire, was the first show that I had binged on. It was the first time that film budgets [were commissioned] for long-format storytelling on television, making it a path-breaking series. Being a fan of House of Cards, I revisited Borgen, the Danish political thriller that is said to be the inspiration for the American drama. I also relished the animation series, Love Death + Robots."

A still from Stalker

The movie that left an indelible impact on his mind was Tarkovsky's sci-fi offering, Stalker (1979). "It's available on YouTube. In Stalker, Tarkovsky is talking about an apocalyptic world where there are few human beings around and they have to stay away from each other. I was able to relate to it as it almost mirrors our current situation."

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Sharing a video which he termed as 'a small step towards humanity', megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Sunday urged people to stay compassionate and inclusive in the testing times of coronavirus crisis.

Bachchan took to Twitter to share the initiative of spreading love and compassion across the country.

T 3513 - A small step towards #Humanity pic.twitter.com/dHu6ZE7aMd

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 26, 2020

The video message for which Bachchan has given his voice talks about different times when humans need a helping hand from several professionals and how during times of crisis people should not forget that humans are interdependent on each other. "A doctor held me in his arms when I came out of my mother's womb. A nurse bathed me with her gentle hands when I was a little baby. My teacher held my finger with her fingers when she taught me to write the first alphabet 'A.' My safety was in the hands of our driver when I went to school," Bachchan is heard saying in the video.

"When I ate, I always knew that it was prepared by the loving hands of our cook. We always needed those hands, we still need them, those safe hands, those protective arms, those guiding fingers," he further said.

He then correlated the message to the current scenario of the coronavirus crisis and said that social distancing should not distance people from humanity.

"Today, handwashing and social distancing have become paramount for our safety. So, hands folded I implore you, let us not wash our hands of humanity," the 'Sholay' actor said.

"Let us not suspicious of people around us, let us not shun people around us, let us not shame people around us. Let us be aware, let us be compassionate, let us be benevolent, let us be inclusive, let us be human," he added.

The 77-year-old actor has been associated with different campaigns and has also been raising awareness about coronavirus for a long time.

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Ayat Sharma, Arpita Khan Sharma and Aayush Sharma's baby girl, was born on Salman Khan's birthday, December 27, 2019. Ever since the tiny tot has arrived, the entire family can't keep calm but just be around her. She has been spreading joy and happiness in the 'khan-daan' and we can't help but just scroll through her pictures the entire day. Doesn't she look adorable? Let's take a look at some of her pictures shared by the family on social media.

Aayush Sharma, Arpita Khan Sharma and the entire Khan family is currently in Panvel. The family has been on their farmhouse ever since the lockdown was announced in the country. The family is having a jamming session and making loads of memories being together.

Aayush, in of the posts, wrote, "A child can teach an Adult 3 things - To he happy for no reason - To always be curious - To fight tirelessly for something Paulo Coelho [sic]"

Aayush Sharma has also been sharing messages with his social media fans. Posing with the little one and Ahil, the actor captioned, "Stay at home .. spend time with your family and create beautiful memories Make the most out of this quarantine & stay safe. #quarantine #familytime [sic]"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Aayush Sharma (@aaysharma) onMar 20, 2020 at 8:23am PDT

Arpita Khan Sharma, Ayat posed and extended festive wishes with their fans on Instagram. Take a look!

 

 

 

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Wishing you all a very Happy Holi

A post shared by Aayush Sharma (@aaysharma) onMar 10, 2020 at 10:35am PDT

But did you know what won a lot of heart? 'Mamu' Salman Khan playing with Ayat. "We love you Mamu @beingsalmankhan," shared Arpita.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Arpita Khan Sharma (@arpitakhansharma) onMar 7, 2020 at 3:06am PST

In an interview, Aayush Sharma shared why he wanted to name his daughter Ayat. "We wanted everyone to be named with A. When I was travelling to London, I met a guy named Ahil and I thought it's a very unique name and it turned out to mean the rightful prince in Persian and that was very fascinating. We believe in secular relationships so we wanted both our kids to have a Muslim first name and a Hindu surname."

 

 

 

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Welcome to our world Ayat.

A post shared by Arpita Khan Sharma (@arpitakhansharma) onDec 30, 2019 at 4:48am PST

Ayat Sharma really deserves warm hugs! Isn't she adorable?

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The Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan starrer Ta Ra Rum Pum stood out as a sports-drama that was set against the backdrop of car racing in the USA with Saif playing a racing prodigy. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film had a lavish shooting schedule in the United States and Rani has some very fond memories of shooting this project. Today, as the film completes 13 years, the actress speaks about almost everything that you'll love to read!

"Ta Ra Rum Pum was a very, very lovely shooting experience for me because we shot in America, in New York, for nearly 3 months. I was there for 3 months at a stretch and it was lovely living in New York around that time shooting the film. We had two little angels - Ali and Angelina (who played the roles of Priya and Ranveer – Saif and Rani's on-screen kids) and I was single at that point of time but to actually play a mother of these 2 children really got my motherly instincts out," says Rani.

The talented actress adds, "Today when I look back and watch the film when I have Adira with me, it just feels so amazing. When Ta Ra Rum Pum released, I had a lot of children and parents really watching the film with a lot of love. I still get a lot of people telling me that they watched Ta Ra Rum Pum and it's one of their favourite films because it has car racing and it has the story about the children."

Rani feels the film's universal theme of family coming together to overcome all odds is what connected with the audiences. "It's a very nice warm lovely story and I think I connected with the film and the story a lot at that time. It was a very sweet story about this couple who has children and how they fight the odds. I think crisis like these brings families closer and I think that's a very special part of the story," she says.

Rani thoroughly enjoyed the animation in the film which was hailed as a cut above as far Bollywood standard back then was. "Of course, it had the animation song (Ta Ra Rum Pum) with the teddy bears which is one of my favourite songs. I think they had done a lovely job and the animation was one of my first animation songs which I did!" the actress adds.

Rani had a blast acting with Saif, with whom she also delivered the blockbuster Hum Tum, and her co-stars in the film. "Of course, having Saif with me as a co actor was wonderful! Also, Victor Banerjee played my father in the film and it was wonderful having him on set and to be working with him. It was overall a great experience and I remember being really, really happy on the sets of Ta Ra Rum Pum!" she says.

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It has been a while since we saw Esha Gupta on the celluloid, but she continues to scorch and scintillate with her no-holds-barred Instagram posts that can set your screens ablaze. She has always been unapologetic about her pictures and videos and believed in living life on her own terms.

And now, there's some good news, the beautiful lady has found love and that too all the way from Spain. She has taken to her Instagram account and written a post in Spanish that translates into- "I love you so much my love." The duo looks dapper in black and is twinning together and it seems they are truly made for each other.

Have a look at the post right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

te amo mucho mi amor ♥️

A post shared by Esha Gupta🌎 (@egupta) onApr 27, 2020 at 1:02am PDT

And a few days back, speaking to Hindustan Times about him, she revealed how he has been coping up during this quarantine. She said, "My boyfriend, who is in Spain, has been in isolation and has been taking all kinds of precautions. He has been telling me about the virus and somehow I was mentally prepared for this lockdown to happen. I'm talking to him every day and video calling to keep a check on his health. Honestly, he's the one who is calming for the otherwise hyper person that I am. He has this relaxing effect on me."

Well, given she has now spilled the beans on her love, can we expect more such gorgeous pictures, please!

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Ever since 83 was announced, the movie has been everything anyone can talk about. Tracing India’s historic win at the 1983 cricket World Cup, the movie was one of the most awaited films of this year. Due to current situations with the global pandemic, the movie, which was supposed to hit the screens on 10th April 2020 had to be pushed for a later date.

Trade is abuzz with high expectations from the film and estimated that ‘83’ would have collected upwards of 300 crores during its theatrical run. Hence, OTT platforms are offering a calculated price to the makers basis the estimated box office earnings for a direct digital release of the film.

However, when we texted Kabir to check on the veracity of this news, he confirmed that yes they have been offered a whopping sum and added that, "83 is a film that has been envisioned and made to be experienced on the big screen and we are ready to wait for things to get normal and then release it in cinemas."

Ranveer Singh will see playing the character of former world cup winning captain Kapil Dev and Deepika Padukone portraying the character of Kapil Dev’s wife Romi Dev.

Reliance Entertainment and Phantom Films present 83, a Kabir Khan Films Production. The movie is produced by Deepika Padukone, Kabir Khan, Vishnu Induri, Sajid Nadiadwala, Phantom Films, Reliance Entertainment and 83 Film Ltd. 83 is directed by Kabir Khan. A Reliance Entertainment and PVR Pictures release is slated to release in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.

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A potentially fatal viral infection that affects pigs can readily find its way into human cells, say scientists, raising concerns about the potential for outbreaks that threaten our health. Researchers at Ohio State University in the US and Utrecht University in the Netherlands collaborated to better understand the new virus and its potential reach.

The study, published in the in the journal PNAS, is the first to point to possible transmission of this virus between species. Porcine deltacoronavirus was first identified in 2012 in pigs in China, but it was not associated with disease. It was first detected in the US in 2014 during a diarrhea outbreak in Ohio pigs and has since been detected in various countries. Young, infected pigs experience acute diarrhea and vomiting. The disease can be fatal.

As of yet, no human cases have been documented, but scientists are concerned about the possibility. "Before it was found in pigs ¿ including in the Ohio outbreak ¿ it had only been found in various birds," said Linda Saif, a professor in Ohio State University in the US. "We're very concerned about emerging coronaviruses and worry about the harm they can do to animals and their potential to jump to humans," said Saif.

Emergence of the new virus is especially worrisome to veterinary and public-health experts because of its similarity to the life-threating viruses responsible for SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) outbreaks. The potential for a virus to jump from one species to another is highly dependent on its ability to bind to receptors on the cells of the animal or human, said Scott Kenney, an assistant professor at Ohio State University.

"A receptor is like a lock in the door. If the virus can pick the lock, it can get into the cell and potentially infect the host," he said. The study looked at a particular cellular receptor called aminopeptidase N that the researchers suspected might be involved. "We know from other coronaviruses that these receptors on the cells are used and that they're found in the respiratory and digestive tracts of a number of different animals," Kenney said.

"Now we know that this new virus could go into cells of different species, including humans," he added. For now, the only known infection in humans and other species is in the laboratory, using cultured cells. The study confirmed that the virus could bind to human cells, and to cells from cats and chickens. "This doesn't prove that this virus can infect and cause disease in these other species, but that's something we obviously want to know," Saif said.

The next step in understanding this virus and its potential for human infection will be a study looking for antibodies in the blood that would serve as evidence that the pig virus has already infected people.

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Eating yogurt may help reduce chronic inflammation, a factor in bowel disease, arthritis and asthma, according to a study. The research, published in the Journal of Nutrition, explored the hypothesis that yogurt may help reduce inflammation by improving the integrity of the intestinal lining. This could help prevent endotoxins - pro-inflammatory molecules produced by gut microbes - from crossing into the blood stream.

"I wanted to look at the mechanism more closely and look specifically at yogurt," said Brad Bolling, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US. While anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin, naproxen, hydrocortisone and prednisone can help mitigate the effects of chronic inflammation, each comes with its own risks and side effects.

The study enrolled 120 premenopausal women, half obese and half non-obese. Half of the participants were assigned to eat 12 ounces of low-fat yogurt every day for nine weeks; a control group ate non-dairy pudding for nine weeks. Bolling and his team took fasting blood samples from participants and evaluated an assortment of biomarkers that scientists have used over the years to measure endotoxin exposure and inflammation.

The results showed that while some of the biomarkers remained steady over time, the yogurt-eaters experienced significant improvements in certain key markers, such as TNF, an important inflammation-activating protein. "The results indicate that ongoing consumption of yogurt may be having a general anti-inflammatory effect," said Bolling.

The research focuses on a different aspect of the study. Participants were also involved in a high-calorie meal challenge at the beginning and end of their nine-week dietary intervention. The challenge, meant to stress an individual's metabolism, started with either a serving of yogurt or non-dairy pudding followed by a large high-fat, high-carb breakfast meal. "It was two sausage muffins and two hash browns, for a total of 900 calories. But everybody managed it. They'd been fasting, and they were pretty hungry," Bolling said.

For both challenges, blood work showed that the yogurt "appetizer" helped improve some key biomarkers of endotoxin exposure and inflammation as participants digested the meal over the ensuing hours. It also helped improve glucose metabolism in obese participants, by speeding the reduction of post-meal blood glucose levels.

"Eating eight ounces of low-fat yogurt before a meal is a feasible strategy to improve post-meal metabolism and thus may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases," said Ruisong Pei, a postdoctoral researcher at UW-Madison.

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If your workplace is supporting its employees by reducing their job strain, it may boost in preventing new cases of common mental illness from occurring up to 14 per cent, a new study suggests.

The findings, published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, confirm that high job strain is associated with an increased risk of developing common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety amongst middle-aged workers.

Job strain is a term used to describe the combination of high work pace, intensity, and conflicting demands, coupled with low control or decision-making capacity.

"The results indicate that if we were able to eliminate job strain situations in the workplace, up to 14 per cent of cases of common mental illness could be avoided," said lead author Samuel Harvey, Associate Professor at the Black Dog Institute in Australia.

"These findings serve as a wake-up call for the role workplace initiatives should play in our efforts to curb the rising costs of mental disorders," Harvey added.

To determine levels of job strain, 6,870 participants completed questionnaires at age 45 testing for factors including decision authority, skill discretion and questions about job pace, intensity and conflicting demands.

The researchers also accounted for non-workplace factors including divorce, financial problems, housing instability, and other stressful life events like death or illness.

The models developed in this study controlled for individual workers' temperament and personality, their IQ, level of education, prior mental health problems and a range of other factors from across their early lives.

The final modelling suggested that those experiencing higher job demands, lower job control and higher job strain were at greater odds of developing mental illness by age 50, regardless of sex or occupational class.

"Workplaces can adopt a range of measures to reduce job strain, and finding ways to increase workers' perceived control of their work is often a good practical first step. This can be achieved through initiatives that involve workers in as many decisions as possible," Harvey, who is also affiliated with the University of New South Wales in Australia, noted.

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Consuming a ketogenic diet not only helps to lose weight but also helps maintain vision in patients with glaucoma, a study conducted over mice has found. Ketogenic diet is a diet which has high fat, low protein and low carbohydrates.

Glaucoma is a progressive disease in which damage to the cells that transmit visual information to the brain leads to vision loss and, in some cases, blindness. Higher rates of glaucoma in people with diabetes suggests a potential connection between this eye disease and metabolic stress.

The findings led by Denise Inman from the Northeast Ohio Medical University in the US showed that a low carb and high-fat diet protects retina cells and their connections to the brain from degeneration.

Switching mice destined to develop glaucoma to a low carbohydrate, high fat diet protects the cells of the retina and their connections to the brain from degeneration.

The results, published in the journal JNeurosci, found that feeding mice, genetically modified to develop glaucoma, a ketogenic diet composed of nearly 90 per cent fat for two months protected retinal cells from degeneration by increasing energy availability.

Although further research into this intervention is required, these findings suggest that a ketogenic diet may help to maintain vision in patients with glaucoma, the researchers said.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Acupuncture may not boost chances of IVF success

Undergoing acupuncture treatment during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) might not increase a woman's chances of conceiving, finds a study. The study, however, showed that acupuncture is no better than placebo for improving IVF success.

Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body, has become a widely used treatment prior to and during IVF.

It showed no significant benefit from IVF when compared with a short course of acupuncture using dummy needles placed away from "true" acupuncture points.

"Our findings do not support acupuncture as an efficacious treatment compared to sham," lead investigator Caroline Smith, Professor at the Western Sydney University in Australia.

For the study, published in the journal JAMA, the team included over 800 Australian and New Zealand women to examine the effects of acupuncture administered prior to and following an embryo transfer (ET).

The participants were given either acupuncture or a sham acupuncture control (a non-insertive needle placed away from the true acupuncture points).

The results showed the rate of live birth was 18.3 per cent among participants who received acupuncture versus 17.8 per cent who received the sham acupuncture control, a non-significant difference.

While a short course of acupuncture may statistically be no better than sham at improving live birth and pregnancy outcomes, a psycho-social benefit from acupuncture was reported by women undergoing IVF, the researchers said.

"Some studies suggest reproductive outcomes maybe improved when acupuncture is compared with no treatment," Smith said.

"Feeling relaxed and reporting relief from stress and women feeling good about themselves is to be welcomed for women as they undergo an IVF cycle," explained co-author Michael Chapman, Professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

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Are you experiencing depression, mood instability, and loneliness? Blame the disruption in your body's internal clock, researchers say.

Our 24-hour biological body clock governs the fundamental physiological and behavioural functions including from body temperature to eating habits in almost all organisms. Disruptions in that biological clock may arise from increased activity during rest periods and/or inactivity during the day. Disturbances to the body's internal clock or the circadian rhythms are also associated with lower happiness and health satisfaction, and worse cognitive function, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

"Our findings indicate an association between altered daily circadian rhythms and mood disorders and well-being," said study author Laura Lyall, from the University of Glasgow.

"The study reinforces the idea that mood disorders are associated with disturbed circadian rhythms, and we provide evidence that altered rest-activity rhythms are also linked to worse subjective well-being and cognitive ability," Lyall added.

The study included data from 91,105 participants aged between 37-73. The researchers objectively measured the rest and activity rhythm patterns which is known as relative amplitude.

The results showed that lower relative amplitude was linked with greater odds of reporting lifetime history of major depression or bipolar disorder.

It was also associated with greater mood instability, higher neuroticism scores, more subjective loneliness, lower happiness and health satisfaction, and slower reaction time.

However, the researcher said that the findings showed observational associations rather than cause and effect, and "cannot tell us whether mood disorders and reduced well-being cause disturbed rest-activity patterns, or whether disturbed circadian rhythmicity makes people vulnerable to mood disorders and poorer well-being," Lyall said.

She also noted that rest-activity rhythms differ between younger and older adults which may cause difference in the daily clock and mental health link based on their age.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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People with chronic conditions like arthritis or diabetes may suffer physical repercussions if they get into a fight with their spouse, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine, suggests that in two groups of older individuals -- one group with arthritis and one with diabetes -- the patients who felt more tension with their spouse also reported worse symptoms on those days.

"The findings gave us an insight into how marriage might affect health, which is important for people dealing with chronic conditions like arthritis or diabetes," said co-author Lynn Martire, Professor at Pennsylvania State University in the US.

People with osteoarthritis in their knees who experience greater pain become disabled quicker, and people with diabetes that is not controlled have a greater risk for developing complications, the researcher said.

For the study, the researchers recruited a group of 145 patients with osteoarthritis in the knee and their spouses. The other included 129 patients with Type 2 diabetes and their spouses.

The participants in both groups kept daily diaries about their mood, how severe their symptoms were, and whether their interactions with their spouse were positive or negative. The participants in the arthritis and diabetes groups kept their diaries for 22 and 24 days, respectively.

The researchers found that within both groups of participants, patients were in a worse mood on days when they felt more tension than usual with their spouse, which in turn led to greater pain or severity of symptoms.

The researchers also found that within the group with arthritis, the severity of the patient's pain also had an effect on tensions with their spouse the following day.

When they had greater pain, they were in a worse mood and had greater tension with their partner the next day, the researcher added.

Summer is one of the hardest seasons for skin care. Scorching heat, pollution and sweat make it impossible for one to keep their skin clean and glowing. So, activated bamboo charcoal comes as a rescue during the summer.

During the hot summer days, your skin also absorbs impurities from surroundings. This, in turn, results in blemishes and blackheads. In order to prevent your skin from these damages, Vanlalmuanpuii from green trends Unisex Hair & Style Salon and Bina NG, Salon Director from Page 3 Luxury Salon & Makeover Studio, shares ways in which activated charcoal can be infused into your everyday skin care routine:

1. Scrub: Developing a skin care routine is important because it helps the skin maintain the elasticity while strengthening and paving way to clear, beautiful and smooth skin. With a plethora of products available in the market, it is important to add a basic face wash and scrub with activate charcoal to cleanse and exfoliate one's face regularly. Activated charcoal scrub helps to remove impurities, gently exfoliates, balances oily skin and shrinks appearance of pores.

2. Facial: A bi-monthly facial infused with activated bamboo charcoal will keep your skin free from toxins, impurities, dirt and blemishes. The creams and peel off masks used as part of facials, help in keeping one's skin well hydrated and reduce the puffiness.

3 Mask: Activated charcoal draws bacteria, poisons, chemicals, impurities and other micro-particles to the surface of skin, helping you achieve flawless complexion. A DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Charcoal mask by blending activated bamboo charcoal, aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, tea tree oil and fuller's earth is the perfect anti-aging solution that your skin deserves.

4. Deep cleansing: With your skin exposed to harsh sun rays and pollution, pores in your skin get clogged with toxins leaving your skin dull and lifeless. This in turn affects the overall complexion of the skin during summer. A strong remedy for this is infusing activated bamboo charcoal in a deep cleansing technique, which opens the pores and clears toxins, dirt and protects the skin for acne breakouts as well.

5. Peel off mask: Activated bamboo charcoal peel off masks is one of the soothing ways to help beautify and better one's skin. The mask is one of the powerful ways to clear the skin of toxins, dirt, impurities and blemishes. Not to forget, charcoal peel off mask is also one of the quickest ways to see immediate results.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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According to WHO, about 9.8 million people die every year due to hypertension-related complications. Hypertension is considered a silent killer producing heart disease, kidney failure and strokes. About 35 percent of world population above the age of 25 suffers from hypertension. One of the important strategies to lower hypertension in the population and its complications is reducing salt intake. Developed countries like Finland, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada have been actively campaigning for the reduction of salt intake in the population. In these countries, there has been a close association between government and NGO’s for this purpose. Finland was the first country to show an enormous health benefit by reducing salt in the diet. Not only the population’s health improves, there is also a great benefit in saving health expenditure related to heart revascularization and dialysis.

How does eating salt lead to or cause hypertension?

Eating salt increases the amount of salt in your blood, which ruins the balance of electrolytes and other vitamins and minerals in your body. This imbalance reduces your kidney's ability to filter out toxins from your body. It also reduces your kidney's ability to get rid of excess fluid from your body. This results in high blood pressure due to excess fluid in your body that exerts pressure on the blood vessels leading to the kidneys. 

How much is too much?

Dr Umesh Khanna, Senior Nephrologist and Secretary of Amar Gandhi Foundation said, “The WHO’s recommendation of salt intake from all sources is less than 5 grams per day. Salt or sodium is present in natural food, it is added while cooking and also used as a preservative for processed food. Considering the rapid economic growth that is happening in our country with urbanization and increased demand for processed food, it is imperative that we act at the earliest to control the salt intake of the Indian population.”

What happens when you reduce your salt intake?
“Salt or Sodium in various forms has been used as a preservative for several thousand years. It enhances the taste, prevents the growth of harmful microorganisms and can improve the texture of food, Taste is often a habit and high salt intake can saturate the taste buds. If you lower salt intake for 2 weeks you can start appreciating low salt intake and other tastes,” says Dr Umesh Khanna

What are the most common hidden sources of salt one should keep an eye out for?

Dr Umesh Khanna said, “Sodium in various forms is used as a flavouring, buffering, anticaking, leavening, thickening and stabilizing agent. The biggest culprit is in baked goods especially bread and instant noodles.”

How can a person start to reduce their salt intake?

Here are a few tips by Dr Umesh Khanna

Get used to low salt to allow the taste buds to recover: Not only does reducing your salt intake affect your blood pressure and other health parameters, it also helps you taste foods better.

Eat fresh food when possible: Since processed foods are packed with high levels of salt, switching to fresh and natural foods is the best way to reduce your daily salt intake.

Add less salt in cooking: With high amounts of salt added to food, your taste buds become immune to the level of salt and you will eventually need more salt in your food to bring out the taste you are looking for. Gradually reducing this amount will help you give up the high salt habit one step at a time. And since your taste buds will eventually become more sensitive to salt content in food, dishes made with low salt will start to taste as delicious as one with high salt content.

Do not add extra salt while at the table: A common practice in India is to provide a little bit of salt on the side of one’s plate while eating and to provide a salt shaker for one to spice up their soups. By stopping this practice, you can reduce your salt intake.

Use herbs and spices as flavouring agents: Ditch the salt and use herbs and other natural flavouring agents to your dishes that will help enhance the flavour while reducing your salt intake.

Dr Umesh Khanna, MD, DNB Nephrology, Lancelot Kidney & GI Center, Karuna Hospital & Asian Heart Institute. He is the Chairman, Mumbai Kidney Foundation, Trustee, Sapiens Health Foundation, Secretary, Mumbai Nephrology Group and the Secretary, Amar Gandhi Foundation

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Regulating salt consumption is key to prevent hypertension, which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and heart failure, say experts. According to World Health Organization (WHO), adults should reduce consumption of sodium to less than 2 grams a day, or the equivalent of about one teaspoon of table salt to reduce the risk of heart disease. 

Hypertension is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. Hypertension is also referred to as high or raised blood pressure. Hypertension can also affect fertility in both males and females, says Rajalaxmi Walavalkar of Cocoon Fertility. Hypertension not only affects fertility but also is also known to cause trouble sleeping. Trouble sleeping leads to signs of premature ageing, like fine lines, uneven pigmentation and reduced elasticity.

"Hypertension can lead to cardiovascular diseases. The rise in blood pressure caused by eating too much salt may damage the arteries leading to the heart," Vijay D'Silva, Director at the Asian Heart Institute, said in statement.

According to a recent study, published in the journal Hypertension, about half of adults living in Asia are suffering from the high blood pressure.

While lifestyle factors, including diet and stress, are behind the high hypertension rates in Asia, one common problem is high salt intake, the study showed.

Asians not only tend to have diets high in sodium, but they are genetically more sensitive to sodium, the researchers said.

"Raised blood pressure due to high salt consumption is the biggest single contributing risk factor for non-communicable diseases and damage to your kidney," explained Bhupendra Gandhi of the NGO Amar Gandhi Foundation.

Previously, it was believed that eating high amounts of fruit and vegetables might help counteract the effect of high salt on blood pressure.

However, another study led by researchers from the Imperial College London and Northwestern University, showed that people eating higher amounts of salt had higher blood pressure -- no matter how healthy a person's overall diet.

"Anyone with hypertension is at an increased risk of infertility. A high salt diet leading to high blood pressure can result in delayed puberty and even impact reproductive health," Walavalkar noted.

Besides affecting the heart and fertility, hypertension can affect the skin too, the health experts said.

"High blood pressure can harden your arteries, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen. An impairment of the flow of oxygen, to an organ such as your face, can cause your skin to dry and wrinkles faster which can make one look less youthful," said Amit Karkhanis - Medical Cosmetologist and founder of Dr Tvacha clinic.

Reducing salt consumption in everyday life, cutting down on fried foods and processed foods, can not only curb the problem of hypertension but also save multiple organs from damage and pave way for a healthy life.

Also read: Mumbai Health: These 7 Lifestyle Changes May Help Lower Heart Disease Risk

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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50 percent of people between the age of 60 to 69 years suffer from hypertension. This statistic only worsens as a person grows older reaching about 75 percent in those over the age of 70. In fact, the lifetime risk of developing hypertension is approximately 90 percent for men and women who were non-hypertensive at 55 or 65 years respectively – making hypertension a condition that requires our immediate attention.

While the condition affects one’s whole body, your heart is one organ that takes the worst beating. Dr Santosh Kumar Dora, Senior Cardiologist, Asian Heart Institute tells you how hypertension affects your heart and what you can do to deal with the condition.

How does hypertension affect your heart?

• It can result in hardening and thickening of the heart arteries, leading to their narrowing and causing the heart to receive less blood supply.
• It can also cause a heart attack. In fact, persons who present with an acute heart attack often have preexisting hypertension that evaded detection and treatment.
• It can cause abnormal thickening of heart muscle, the presence of which is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular death.
• High blood pressure puts more load on the heart and increases the amount of work that the heart has to do.

Eating right

Eating a heart-healthy diet is important for managing your blood pressure and reducing your risk of heart attack, heart disease, stroke and other diseases. Aim to eat a diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grain and high fibre foods, fat-free and low fat or 1 % dairy products etc. Avoid saturated and trans fats, excess salt and added sugar in your diet. DASH (Dietary approach to stop hypertension) diet pattern which contains low sodium, high potassium and rich in fruits and vegetables reduces by an average of 5.5 mm Hg for systolic and 3 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. For hypertensive patients, the reduction is 11.4 mm Hg for systolic and 5.5 for diastolic blood pressure. Low salt (< 1500 mg/day) further potentiates the reduction of blood pressure.

Maintain a healthy weight:

As your body weight increases, your blood pressure can rise. In fact, being overweight can make you more likely to develop high blood pressure than if you are at your desirable weight. You can reduce your risk of high blood pressure by losing weight. Even small amounts of weight loss can make a big difference in helping to prevent and treat high blood pressure. Studies conducted in obese hypertensive patients show a decrease in body weight by 1 kg resulted in a reduction of systolic and diastolic pressure by 1.2 and 1.0 mmHg, respectively.

Be physically active:

Physical activity not only helps control your blood pressure, it also helps you manage your weight, strengthen your heart and manage your stress level.

Even moderately intense physical activity, such as brisk walking, is beneficial when done regularly for a total of 30 minutes or longer at least 5 days a week. Hiking or stair-climbing, jogging, running, bicycling, swimming, fitness classes, team sports, dance classes are some of the activities which can help you stay fit. Studies say that regular dynamic physical exercise for at least 30 minutes daily for most days of a week leads to 5 to 9 mm Hg reduction of systolic blood pressure.

Say no to tobacco:

While smoking has not been conclusively proven to cause high blood pressure, each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your blood pressure for many minutes after you finish. For your overall health and to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, avoid all forms of tobacco as well as secondhand smoke. A study has shown that smoking cessation leads to a reduction of systolic blood pressure by 3.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.9 mm Hg.

Avoid drinking:

Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily increases your blood pressure, but repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases. If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink alcohol only in moderation.

Also read: World Hypertension Day: Why And How You Should Reduce Your Salt Intake

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Among couples being treated for infertility, depression in the male partner was linked to lower pregnancy chances, according to a study.

The study showed that couples in which the male partner had major depression were 60 per cent less likely to conceive and give birth than those in which the male partner did not have major depression.

On the other hand, depression in the female partner was not found to influence the rate of birth.

In addition, intake of a class of antidepressants known as non-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (non-SSRIs) was also linked to a higher risk of early pregnancy loss among females being treated for infertility, the study appearing in the journal Fertility and Sterility, noted.

However, SSRIs, another class of antidepressants, were not linked to pregnancy loss. Neither depression in the female partner nor the use of any other class of antidepressant were linked to lower pregnancy rates.

"Our study provides infertility patients and their physicians with new information to consider when making treatment decisions," said Esther Eisenberg, at National Institutes of Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in Maryland, US.

Citing previous studies, the authors noted that 41 per cent of women seeking fertility treatments have symptoms of depression.

Another study of men seeking in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments reported that nearly 50 per cent experienced depression.

For the study, the team analysed data for 1,650 women and 1,608 men to evaluate the potential influence of depression in couples seeking non-IVF treatments.

Among the women, 5.96 per cent were rated as having active major depression, compared to 2.28 per cent of the men.

Women using non-SSRIs were roughly 3.5 times as likely to have a first-trimester pregnancy loss, compared to those not using antidepressants.

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Eating the right fruits, vegetables and spices can ensure you remain cool during the summer season, suggest experts. Chef Sudhir Nair, Executive Chef at Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru and Chef Kasiviswanathan, the Executive Chef for Radisson Blu Atria, Bengaluru share some easy and interesting tips that will help your body cope with the heat:

1. Opt for a light breakfast: Eat and enjoy a light breakfast every morning comprising of fresh fruits and lots of liquids. Avoid citrus juices and instead opt for tender coconut or melon juice. Cucumber juice or salad would also be a great option. Try and cut down on a heavy breakfast to keep yourself cool and healthy during the summer months.

2. Avoid high starch food: During summer, it is good to avoid high starch foods, especially rice or wheat. Lunch should be the heaviest meal of the day in summers. Keep low on yoghurt consumption. Instead, increase the intake of buttermilk. Keep your food low on spices and high on liquid.

3. Keep yourself away from aerated drinks: Do not drink chilled water or aerated beverages. This is because chilled water or aerated beverages will disrupt the digestive process in the body. Keep a close watch on your sugar consumption. Ice creams though tempting in this time is rich in sugar and cream but an iced fruit lolly would be a legitimate indulgence.

4. Avoid spicy food: Avoid using spices such as mustard, ginger, and chilli. Also, eat less of tomato, peppers and garlic during summer.

5. Use herbs for cooking: Cook with cooling herbs such as fennel, dill, mint, and coriander. Allow use of spices like cumin, cinnamon, green cardamom in your food. Use vegetables such as white pumpkin, broccoli, snake gourds, drumstick and madras cucumber.

6. Boil, steam, and stew: Milk, coconut, butter and ghee in small proportions is cooling for the body. Best methods of cooking these foods would by boiling, steaming and stewing. It is best to avoid fried foods during summer as they would give undue stress to the digestive tract.

7. Enjoy small meals: Enjoying small meals throughout the day during summer is the smartest way to keep yourself cool during the season. Include fruits like ice apples, varieties of melons, sugarcane, and varieties of ripe mango, cashew apples and jackfruit in your diet. All of these are found in abundance in this season.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Researchers have found that long term chronic isolation cause the build-up of a chemical in the brain, that increases stress, aggression and fear.

The mice isolated for two weeks showed behavioural changes like, increased aggressiveness towards unfamiliar mice, persistent fear, and hypersensitivity to threatening stimuli.

When encountering a threatening stimulus, mice that have been socially isolated remain frozen in place long after the threat has passed, whereas normal mice stop freezing soon after the threat is removed, the research said.

Although the study was done in mice, it has potential implications for understanding how chronic stress affects humans and has potential applications for treating mental health disorders, said lead author Moriel Zelikowsky, postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology in the US.

Previous studies have determined that social isolation for two weeks in mice resulted in the upregulation of the signalling molecule neuropeptide, tachykinin 2 (Tac2)/neurokinin B (NkB) -- a short protein molecule.

In the new study, published in the journal Cell, the team found that chronic isolation leads to an increase in Tac2 gene expression and the production of a neuropeptide called neurokinin B (NkB) throughout the brain.

But, administration of a drug that chemically blocks NkB-specific receptors enabled the stressed mice to behave normally, eliminating the negative effects of social isolation.

On the other hand, artificially increasing Tac2 levels and activating the corresponding neurons in normal, animals led them to behave like isolated and stressed, the research showed.

Suppressing the Tac2 gene in certain different brain parts, increased fear behaviours, or aggression accordingly, implying that it must increase in different brain regions to produce the various effects of social isolation, the researchers said.

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Researchers have found that a common antibacterial substance found in toothpaste may combat life-threatening diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF) when combined with a drug.

The study, published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, found that when triclosan -- a substance that reduces or prevents bacteria from growing -- is combined with an antibiotic called tobramycin, it kills the cells that protect the CF bacteria, known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, by up to 99.9 per cent.

CF is a common genetic disease with one in every 2,500 to 3,500 people diagnosed with it at an early age. It results in a thick mucus in the lungs, which becomes a magnet for bacteria.

These bacteria are notoriously difficult to kill because they are protected by a slimy barrier known as a biofilm, which allows the disease to thrive even when treated with antibiotics, the researcher said.

"The problem that we're really tackling is finding ways to kill these biofilms," said lead author Chris Waters, Professor at the Michigan State University.

According to the researcher, there are many common biofilm-related infections that people get such as ear infections and swollen, painful gums caused by gingivitis.

But more serious, potentially fatal diseases join the ranks of CF including endocarditis, or inflammation of the heart, as well as infections from artificial hip and pacemaker implants, the researcher added.

For the study, the researchers grew 6,000 biofilms in petri dishes, added in tobramycin along with many different compounds, to see what worked better at killing the bacteria.

Twenty-five potential compounds were effective, but one stood out, the researcher said.

"It's well known that triclosan, when used by itself, isn't effective at killing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. But when I saw it listed as a possible compound to use with tobramycin, I was intrigued. We found triclosan was the one that worked every time," said Alessandra Hunt from the Michigan State University.

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Washington D.C.: Intermittent fasting diets could increase diabetes risk, suggests a study. These findings suggest that fasting-based diets may be associated with long-term health risks and careful consideration should be made before starting such weight loss programmes.

In order to investigate whether an intermittent fasting diet could also generate damaging free radicals, Ana Bonassa and colleagues, from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, examined the effects of fasting every other day on the body weight, free radical levels and insulin function of normal, adult rats, over a 3-month period.

Although the rats' body weight and food intake decreased as expected over the study period, the amount of fat tissue in their abdomen actually increased. Furthermore, the cells of the pancreas that release insulin showed damage, with the presence of increased levels of free radicals and markers of insulin resistance were also detected.

Ana Bonassa commented, "This is the first study to show that, despite weight loss, intermittent fasting diets may actually damage the pancreas and affect insulin function in normal healthy individuals, which could lead to diabetes and serious health issues."

Ana cautioned, "We should consider that overweight or obese people who opt for intermittent fasting diets may already have insulin resistance, so although this diet may lead to early, rapid weight loss, in the long-term there could be potentially serious damaging effects to their health, such as the development of type-2 diabetes."

The findings were presented at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, ECE 2018.

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Many people are so busy that they barely have time to eat, let alone pause for a water break, and you may find you often go hours and hours without quenching your thirst. But staying hydrated has real advantages, including helping you maintain your energy and focus so you can operate more efficiently, so it's important to give your drinking habits the attention they deserve. Dr. Manoj Kutteri, Wellness Director at Atmantan Wellness Centre gives some simple ways to make fueling up with fluid throughout the day a little easier

Always carry a water bottle
If you have a bottle within arm’s reach, it's very likely that you'll mindlessly sip from it throughout the day, without having to make a conscious effort. It is important to drink fluids during your workouts, especially if you are exercising outdoors or in a hotter climate. You should carry water with you while exercising. And it is necessary that you drink water in the few hours, leading up to your workout, as well as you need to be drinking water during the workout as well. It is recommended to drink a glass of water every 15 minutes during your exercise session

Have Infused Water
Drink infused water also called fruit-flavored water or fruit-infused water. Fruit-flavored water is a combination of fruits, vegetables, and herbs immersed in cold water. The health benefits of fruit-infused water include flushing toxins from your system, filling you up, so you don't eat much junk food, keeping your organs healthy while you are sweating, etc.

Electrolyte Drinks
Electrolytes are electrically-charged substances found in your blood, urine and other bodily fluids. They are essential to keep a healthy balance within the body and come in different forms, including chlorine, potassium, phosphate, magnesium, calcium and sodium. Sweat releases electrolytes, so in order to replenish them, you must consume foods and drinks that contain electrolytes like coconut water, citrus fruits, salt water, cranberry drink, watermelon juice, cucumber drink, etc.

Fruits and Vegetables
Another tip for staying hydrated in summer is adding fruits and vegetables with high water content to your diet. Strawberries, cucumbers and watermelon contain about 92 percent of water per volume. Other fruits with high water content are cantaloupe with 90 percent, grapefruit with 91 percent, and peaches with 88 percent. Pineapple, cranberries, orange and raspberries contain 87 percent water by weight. Also, vegetables like tomatoes, beetroot, carrots and celery contain water.

Also Read: Top 7 Tips To Keep Your Skin Hydrated And Healthy During Summer

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Washington D.C: Do you find it difficult to resist food cravings? Researchers have found that stimulating the brain with magnetic energy can help reduce food cravings in obese people. The technique has yielded positive results after just a single treatment session, revealing its potential to become a safer alternative to treat obesity, avoiding invasive surgery and drug side effects.

It has been reported that, in some obesity cases, the reward system in the brain may be altered, causing a greater reward response to food than in normal weight individuals. This can make patients more vulnerable to craving, and can lead to weight gain. This dysfunction in the reward system can also be seen in cases of addiction to substances, e.g. drugs or alcohol, or behaviours, e.g. gambling.

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS) is a medical treatment that uses magnetic energy to stimulate neurons in specific areas of the brain. It is used to treat depression and addictive behaviours, and previous studies have suggested that dTMS could be a good option to reduce drug and food cravings. However, the potential mechanism driving these changes had not been investigated until now.

In this study, Professor Livio Luzi and colleagues, from the Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Policlinico San Donato, Italy, investigated the effects of dTMS on appetite and satiety in obese people.

They studied the effects of a single 30-minute session of dTMS, at a high or low frequency, on blood markers potentially associated with food reward in a group of 40 obese patients. They found that high-frequency dTMS significantly increased blood levels of beta-endorphins - neurotransmitters involved in producing heightened feelings of reward after food ingestion - compared to low-frequency dTMS or controls.

"For the first time, this study is able to suggest an explanation of how dTMS could alter food cravings in obese subjects" said Luzi. "We also found that some blood markers potentially associated with food reward, for example glucose, vary according to gender, suggesting male/female differences in how vulnerable patients are to food cravings, and their ability to lose weight."

"Given the distressing effects of obesity in patients, and the socioeconomic burden of the condition, it is increasingly urgent to identify new strategies to counteract the current obesity trends. dTMS could present a much safer and cheaper alternative to treat obesity compared to drugs or surgery", Professor Luzi adds.

The results of the study were presented in Barcelona at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, ECE 2018.

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Washington D.C.: Want to stay young? According to a study, exercising four to five days a week can slow down your heart's ageing. The optimal amount of exercise required to slow down ageing of the heart and blood vessels has long been a matter of vigorous debate. As people age, arteries - which transport blood in and out of the heart - become prone to stiffening, which increases the risk of heart disease.

Whilst any form of exercise reduces the overall risk of death from heart problems, this new research shows different sizes of arteries are affected differently by varying amounts of exercise.

Two-to-three days a week of 30 minutes exercise may be sufficient to minimise stiffening of middle sized arteries, while exercising four-to-five days a week is required to keep the larger central arteries youthful.

The authors performed a cross-sectional examination of 102 people over 60 years old, with a consistently logged lifelong exercise history. Detailed measures of arterial stiffness were collected from all participants, who were then categorised in one of four groups depending on their lifelong exercise history: Sedentary: less than two exercise sessions/week; Casual Exercisers: Two-to-three exercise sessions per week; Committed Exercisers: four-to-five exercise sessions/week and Masters Athletes: six-to-seven exercise sessions per week. (NB: an exercise session was at least 30 minutes).

Upon analysing the results, the research team found that a lifelong history of casual exercise (two-to-three times a week) resulted in more youthful middle sized arteries, which supply oxygenated blood to the head and neck. However, people who exercised four to five times per week also had more youthful large central arteries, which provide blood to the chest and abdomen, in addition to healthier middle sized ones.

The fact the larger arteries appear to require more frequent exercise to remain youthful will aid the development of long-term exercise programmes. They also enable the research team to now focus on whether or not ageing of the heart can be reversed by exercise training over a long period of time.

"This work is really exciting because it enables us to develop exercise programmes to keep the heart youthful and even turn back time on older hearts and blood vessels. Previous work by our group has shown that waiting until 70 is too late to reverse a heart's ageing, as it is difficult to change cardiovascular structure even with a year of training. Our current work is focussing on two years of training in middle aged men and women, with and without risk factors for heart diseases, to see if we can reverse the ageing of a heart and blood vessels by using the right amount of exercise at the right time,¿ said Benjamin Levine, one of the authors of the study.

The study has been published in The Journal of Physiology.

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Want to stay young for long? If so, start exercising four to five times a day as it may help keep your heart stay healthy and slow down ageing, according to researchers. Research showed that different sizes of arteries are affected differently by varying amounts of exercise.

While exercising for about two to three days a week for about 30 minutes may be sufficient to minimise stiffening of middle-sized arteries, exercising for about four to five days a week is required to keep the larger central arteries youthful.

The study would help "develop exercise programmes to keep the heart youthful and even turn back time on older hearts and blood vessels", said one of the study authors, Benjamin Levine from the University of Texas.

With age, arteries -- which transport blood in and out of the heart -- become prone to stiffening, increasing the risk of heart diseases.

For the study, published in The Journal of Physiology, the team examined 102 people over 60 years old, with a consistent lifelong exercise history.

The participants were divided into four groups depending on their exercise history -- Sedentary: less than 2 exercise sessions per week; Casual Exercisers: 2-3 exercise sessions per week; Committed Exercisers: 4-5 exercise sessions per week and Masters Athletes: 6-7 exercise sessions per week.

A lifelong history of casual exercise (two-three times a week) resulted in more youthful middle-sized arteries, which supply oxygenated blood to the head and neck.

However, committed exercisers (4-5 times per week) also had more youthful large central arteries, which provide blood to the chest and abdomen, in addition to healthier middle-sized ones.

Larger arteries need more frequent exercise to slow down ageing, the researchers said.

The findings will help see "if we can reverse the ageing of a heart and blood vessels by using the right amount of exercise at the right time", Levine explained.

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Exposure to ozone (O3) -- a common air pollutant -- at birth may increase the risk of developing asthma by age three, a new study suggests.

The study, presented at the 2018 American Thoracic Society International Conference, showed that 31 per cent of the participants developed asthma, 42 per cent had allergic rhinitis and 76 per cent had eczema.

"Our findings show that the hazard ratios for ozone measured at birth as a single pollutant showed statistically significant higher risks for development of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema," said lead author Teresa To from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Canada.

The study also found that 82 per cent higher risk of developing asthma was associated with each 10 parts per billion (ppb), or ppb increase in exposure to ozone at birth.

For the study, 1,881 children were recruited who were followed from birth to 17 years of age, on average.

According to the researchers, children are at a higher risk because their lungs and other respiratory organs are smaller, and they spend more time in outdoor physical activities that make them breathe faster and more deeply.

The research team took annual average concentrations of pollutants from fixed monitoring stations.

Development of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema were determined based on any records of health services used for these conditions.

The researchers adjusted for variables such as parental history of asthma and early home exposure to pollutants.

Earlier, some studies have shown that ozone depletes antioxidant activity and increases indications of inflammation in the respiratory tract fluid lining and affects lung growth.

"Air pollution isn't only one or a few countries' problems, but rather a global public health concern," said To, also a professor at the University of Toronto.

"While there are individual actions one can consider to reduce exposure to air pollutants, it also requires action by public authorities at the national, regional and international levels," she noted.

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The Borivali Police on Sunday arrested a 35-year-old accused who allegedly duped and cheated people on the pretext of providing them with confirmed railway reservation ticket by possessing himself as a railway officer. The arrested accused has been identified as Piyush Gyanendra Sharma. The police nabbed the accused with the help of RPF and GRP from Vasai.

Sources from the police revealed "Sharma is a habitual offender and has cheated many people’s including a 35-year-old lady victim identified as Geeta Jain (Name changed on request) who had came to Borivali Railway station to book reservation tickets for a group of people planning to visit Palitana Temple in Gujarat last month.

Speaking with Mid-day the lady who became a victim of Sharma's cheating said, "We are from Palitana district, 60 to 70 people from this district had planned to visit the Paltina temple in the month of December. I came here in order to book the reservation ticket for all of them. I was busy filling the reservation form when the accused arrived and asked whether I am going to use card or cash to pay the reservation amount.  He asked me to fill out the forms and give the money to him and he shall give me all the reservation tickets together."

She further added, "I believed and gave him the form and the money, he took the form and money and asked me to wait after which he went away. I was sitting and waiting for him, even when the reservation window started to shut down. I went and asked the sitting clerk that how you can close the window without giving my ticket. When the clerk asked me I revealed the story then he informed me that such officer does not work here someone might have made you fool, the duty clerk helped and took me to the RPF office, later we went to the Borivali police station and registered a complaint."

The Borivali Police station who nabbed the accused with the help of RPF and GRP said, "The accused is a habitual offender. He revealed and confessed that he has cheated more people in such manner in Vasai, Malad, Bhayandar, and Borivali. He has been booked and arrested under section 170 and 420 of IPC was produced before the court today and remanded in Police custody."

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October may not have arrived in the city, but the heat that marks the month preceding the faux winter most certainly has. Admittedly, the temperature at Peru Baug is at least a couple of degrees lesser than elsewhere in the city at 3 pm. Still, it's an arduous task to sit down 20 young children, most with little interest in being here, and teaching them the basics of arithmetic and Devnagri script (reading and writing) for two hours a day, six days a week.

Yet, for 43-year-old Jyoti Dode it's more of a mission. Even with the odds stacked against her. After all, for a teacher in a campus that produces some of the world's, best minds - with state-of -the-art teaching and research facilities - the only tools at her disposal are a few paper cutouts where a 'Ka' in Devnagri helps the student identify that it denotes a Kangaroo (an animal that s/he would be very unlikely to know or possibly identify). But, for Dode, who often has to drag the kids to the small space outside her home - the village is in shambles - an education may help them stand up against the institution bent on robbing them of their land.

"We have lived here since the British period and, because we are not educated enough, we had no idea when the government handed the land over to IIT Bombay," she says, adding, "We hope that our children can change that."

Maali Rano Urade with the day's catch of dandavat fish which she cooks with bamboo shoot picked from the forest Pics/Arita Sarkar

Against the might of IIT
The IIT campus in Powai is spread over an area of 550 acres. On the northern fringe, closer to Vihar lake and near the National Institute of Industrial Engineering lies Peru Baug, which 260 adivasi families - some of whom are from the Warli tribe and some of whom are Malhar Kolis - call home. The families claim that they have lived here for at least four generations, while IIT was established here only in 1958.

For decades the two have had a symbiotic relationship. The adivasi men would have odd jobs on the campus, their children have access to the on-campus Kendriya Vidyalaya (which they don't attend regularly enough) and the tribals continue to live as before.

Prakash Bhoir, Adivasi from Kelti Pada, Aarey Colony

A few years ago, however, trouble started brewing. In 2012, the adivasis staged a "morcha" after conversations with the institute regarding installation of two water connections didn't yield results, says Dode, the representative of the village committee. Having grown up in Saki Naka and married into Peru Baug, Dode having studied till Std IX, is one of the few residents here to have received even primary education. She adds, that the water connection came in 2015.

Earlier this month, there were reports that the IIT management has now asked the adivasis to move out of the campus entirely, and the MMRDA has been tasked with acquiring accommodation for them at Qureshi Nagar in Kurla.

Prabhu, a resident of Peru Baug shows off his catch for the day. Most of the tribe's men are employed on the IIT campus and earn around Rs 8,000 a day. In the evening, they catch fish, which sustains their livelihood. Pics/Arita Sarkar

Dode puts the IIT move down to the 2012 protests. It was only after that, she says, that IIT officials started talks about moving them out. "Initially, they asked us to leave our village and offered accommodation in Kanjur Marg. Some of us agreed since it would still be close to the campus. The men in our village could still keep their housekeeping jobs and the women could still come to fish in the lake. But then they changed their mind and said that we would have to go to Kurla instead, which is too far for us," she says.

And even while they live on campus, some residents say, having IIT for a neighbour isn't easy. Maali Rano Urade, 70, says, "Earlier we could grow a lot of vegetables, which was enough for us to eat and then sell in the market. But, over the years, IIT officials have forced us to reduce the amount of vegetables we grow. They have made our lives difficult." Not just that, she adds that they are not allowed to repair houses or cover their huts with plastic sheets during the monsoon months. She alleges that IIT officials and guards visit their village every day to ensure that they haven't made any extensions.

The world ends at IIT
Kanjur Marg would have been a compromise, but Kurla is almost like another country to the residents of Peru Baug, some of whom have barely stepped outside of the boundaries that define the IIT campus.

Laadki Barap, 70, is one of them. In the last 10 years, she says, her life has been confined to her home and the Vihar lake, where she fishes. "My life involves going to the lake to fish and tending to chores at home. I haven't gone out of the village in a very long time and I have no idea what the area outside looks like. If they send us to Kurla, many of us won't be able to figure our way around the city," she adds.

But, life inside Per Baug is both busy and self-sustained. Urade's day for instance begins at the crack of dawn. By 7 am when we met her, she was already seated on the shore of the lake throwing her fish line into the water. Her catch usually comprises small fish called 'dandavat'. On a lucky day, she will catch rohu, or even black pomfret. When she has enough for a meal for herself and her family, which is usually by afternoon, she returns home to cook it with tender bamboo shoots picked from the forest area around the lake.

The women from Peru Baug seen with amla that they collected from trees in the forest. The tribals grow some of the vegetables they eat in small patches of land near their homes. Wild vegetables are grown only during the monsoon months.

The homes here don't have gas cylinders. They cook their food on wood which is found neatly stacked in sheds outside their huts. "Since the wood gets wet during the rains, we collect enough wood to last the three months of monsoon. Once the rain stops, we go out to look for more wood," Urade adds.

The tribals grow some of the vegetables they eat in small patches of land near their homes. Wild vegetables which are not available in the market are grown only during the monsoon months. "For the rest of the year we collect the tender shoots of bamboo plant, flowers of the Kurdu plant or leaves of Takla plant and make a vegetable out of it. This way we can save money," says 28-year-old Depenti Urade, who we meet while she is tending to the vegetable patch near her house. She adds that during the monsoon months, they are able to sell the vegetables they grow when they have more than they can consume. The women sell bananas, amla and colocasia leaves used to make aaloo vadi, a popular Maharashtrian dish, in the market to make some extra money.

"For the rest of the year we collect the tender shoots of bamboo plant, flowers of the Kurdu plant or leaves of Takla plant and make a vegetable out of it. This way we can save money," says 28-year-old Depenti Urade

The village's men are not around. They spend the day at work as housekeeping staff at the student hostels on campus and then go fishing in the evening. Some of the women work there too, even though the pay isn't great. "We work in the canteen where we cook, serve and clean dishes. We work eight-hour shifts and the contractor pays us around Rs 8,000 every month. But since we don't have to purchase food, we can manage for now," says 45-year-old Sevanti Urade, Depenti's mother-in-law, who hails from another adivasi pada in Aarey colony.

Tribals, not slumdwellers
The community here feels it's the lack of education that's doing them in. They say they had allowed the Slum Rehabilitation Authority officials to conduct a survey in their village only because they were promised an alternate accommodation nearby. "We were here long before IIT even existed. But the government is kicking us out of our land just because we aren't educated enough to understand our rights. If we can't grow our vegetables and catch fish, how will we survive in a tiny flat in Kurla?" asks Dode, adding that they even suggested that they be moved to another part of the IIT campus, instead of being ousted out of premises altogether. But, that was not considered.

Firewood used by villagers to cook food

The residents accompanied by members of Shramik Mukti Sangathna, an NGO advocating rights of tribal communities had approached Rajendra Gavit, an MP of BJP from the Palghar Lok Sabha constituency last month. During a visit conducted two weeks ago, Gavit had reassured them that he would take up the issue with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and IIT administration last week. Despite several calls and messages, Gavit could not be reached for a comment.

Tribals from other parts of the city advise the Peru Baug residents not to budge from their current space, especially under SRA laws. Prakash Bhoir, a resident of Kelti Pada in Aarey Colony feels that that government's solution of shifting adivasis to SRA flats is short-sighted. "Why should the SRA rehabilitate us? We're not slum residents who have a village to go back to. We belong here and this is the only home we know. We have been paying taxes for the land we grow our crops on and we have papers to prove it. Then why should we just accept a small flat?" he asks. He argues that it's not the SRA, rather the tribal department that ought to conduct surveys on their land. "People don't want to move out because it's not just about the house. It's about land, our animals and the trees that we have taken care of for several generations," he adds.

Prakash Bhoir, a resident of Kelti Pada in Aarey Colony

Those who have been advocating tribal rights feel the government has long tried to silence the voice of the tribal community across the country and they are yet to come across a case where tribals were rehabilitated in an appropriate manner. Adivasis everywhere, they say, are deliberately being harassed by various government agencies by not allowing them to set up electricity connections or not granting permission to construct toilets.

Graphic/Uday Mohite

Cassandra Nazareth, a social worker, who has been working with adivasis living in 12 padas in Aarey Colony says the government was disconnecting them from the earth they worship by shifting them to SRA flats. "How will they grow their vegetables in a 225 sq ft tenement? What the government needs to do is engage with the adivasis and come up with a solution from within the community," she adds.
- with inputs from Pallavi Smart

The fight for land
IIT Bombay officials stated that the adivasis are being moved to make way for the Research Park that is currently under construction. Based on their website, the research centre aims to bring IIT Bombay and the industry together and promote research and development collaborations. When asked about the tribals being displaced from their land, KP Unnithan, the superintendent engineer of IIT Bombay administration had only one response for all questions. "The land belongs to IIT Bombay," he says repeatedly.

The adivasis however don't have tribal certificates and thus, are unable to prove that they have lived on the land for the past several decades. It was only a few years ago, with the help of Shramik Muki Sangathna and political involvement that they were able to get their Aadhaar cards and election IDs.

What the authorities say
'The accommodation will be in Kurla, but the SRA is yet to handover the tenements to us. We are currently unaware of the number of adivasis who will be resettled'
Dilip Kavatkar, joint project director of MMRDA.

Once tribal homes, now slums
Nitin Kubal, who has been a field officer with TISS in the M-East Ward Project for the past three years stated that the survey conducted by Pune-based Tribal Research Institute in 2003, which was published two years later is the only comprehensive data available on the number of tribal settlements in Mumbai. "Based on the survey, there were 222 adivasi padas in Mumbai of which 159 converted into slums and only 63 are still isolated padas, which are located largely in western suburbs. No other recent surveys have been conducted," he said.

Also Read - Section 377: IIT-Bombay Students Celebrate Supreme Court's Judgement

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The semi-decomposed body of BJP's women's cell district president Rupali Chavan, 38, allegedly murdered, was found inside her Nalasopara flat last morning. According to sources, she had been unreachable for the last two days to her friends and party workers. A close friend visited her flat on Tuesday and found the door locked from outside. The window, however, was ajar, so she asked a person from the building to enter and look inside. That's how the body, having several injury marks and wrapped in a woollen blanket, was discovered.

Rupali Chavan

Flatmate missing
A police officer said the house was in disarray, suggesting a scuffle between Chavan and the accused, who allegedly attacked her with sharp weapons, going by the state of her injuries, or the accused himself/herself turned everything upside down searching for cash and valuables. A divorcee, she lived with a 25-year-old man in the rented flat, which was close to her maternal home. Her 12-year-old son lives with her parents. While investigation indicates that the person she was living with was her boyfriend, some say he was her servant. The police suspect his involvement in the murder as he is missing.

While her family members grieve. Pics/Hanif Patel

Policespeak
Chavan was very active politically and had ventured into business too, with her shoe shop in Nalasopara East all set for inauguration. SDPO (Nalasopara division) Datta Totewar said, "We have registered a case of murder against an unknown accused. Going by the state of the body, we suspect the murder was committed a day or two back. Her mobile phone is missing, as is the person living with her. We are searching for him."

Also Read: Woman's decomposed body found in almirah

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Bollywood actress and Congress candidate from Mumbai North Urmila Matondkar on Sunday played cricket with the youngsters of Sahyadri Nagar, Charkop in Kandivli. She tweeted a video of her playing cricket and wrote, "Since there is no time to watch the IPL anymore...in a league of my own with the youngsters of Sahyadri Nagar, Charkop Kandivali (W) #AapliMumbaichiMulagi." (sic)

Also Read: Elections 2019: Urmila Matondkar races for Lok Sabha polls with rally in Kandivli. See photos

Clad in simple salwar kameez, Matondkar tried her hand at cricket among cheering crowd. Watch video here...

Since there is no time to watch the IPL anymore...in a league of my own with the youngsters of Sahyadri Nagar, Charkop Kandivali (W) #AapliMumbaichiMulagi 😇 pic.twitter.com/JrRZmTNRNx

— Urmila Matondkar (@OfficialUrmila) April 14, 2019

Urmila Matondkar has declared assets worth around Rs 68.28 crore and a clean legal record. As per her affidavit filed with the Election Commission, Matondkar's income was Rs 1.27 crore in 2013-14, which more than doubled to Rs 2.85 crore in 2017-18. Her movable and immovable assets are totally worth Rs 40,93,46,474 and Rs 27,34,81,000, respectively.

Her husband M.A. Mir owns movable and immovable assets worth Rs 32,35,752.53 and Rs 30,00,000, respectively, totally around RS 62.35 lakh. Besides, Matondkar has declared an outstanding loan of Rs 32 lakh. Her assets include bank deposits, cash in hand, vehicles, and investments in land and properties.

Also Read: Watch video: Urmila Matondkar enjoys vada pav during election campaign in Mumbai

Urmila Matondkar was born in a small rural hospital in her (maternal) native region of Sindhudurg, to Shrikant and Sunita. Her father Shrikant is a retired officer of the erstwhile Grindlays Bank and her mother Sunita is a retired state government employee.

She was educated at the prestigious century-old King George High Shool, Dadar, which is now renamed as Raje Shivaji Vidyalaya, and then joined the Ruparel College, but couldn't complete her graduation as she got a big break in Bollywood.

With a successful film career behind her, Urmila married a Kashmiri businessman, M.A. Mir and regularly visits her inlaws in the Valley. While her sister is a former actresss-turned-lawyer Mamata A. Bhalekar who lives in Mumbai, her eldest brother, the Pune-based Kedar Matondkar is a retired Indian Air Force officer who saw action during the Kargil War of 1999.

"She loves social issues, reading, and has read all major literary works, especially the pennings of Sane Guruji who has influenced her deeply. Urmila is always dediated and committed in any venture she undertakes, whether acting or social work or politics," her proud father Shrikant said

Mumbai's six Lok Sabha constituencies go to polls in the fourth phase on April 29.

Also Read: Elections 2019: Urmila Matondkar, Priya Dutt, Sanjay Nirupam woo youth

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Sandeep Shikhar isn't acting in his new play, Open Cast, and yet, he's playing a double role. As the playwright and the director, he's premiering the production in Mumbai today. The play looks at migration and displacement, a decision made sometimes by choice and sometimes by circumstances. Likewise, direction isn't his vocation by choice, but one shaped by circumstances. "I had given up direction," he says. "When I was in Lincoln Center's Directors Lab in 2012, I realised that direction is a completely different ball game. Either you act or you direct. But in our country, the structure of theatre is such that if a man has written a play, who will direct it? So the poor thing does it himself. There's no money in theatre. So where will he get actors? The poor thing starts acting himself. In other countries, they find it odd that, 'You're a writer, actor and director. How?' In India, to find an actor, all you need is a living person." For Open Cast, Shikhar has found an ensemble of 25 living persons.

Open Cast has two parallel stories, with four important characters, around whom life plays out. Shikhar, who is originally from Dhanbad, has set the first story in his hometown, a setting that electrifies it. "One section of the coal mine, about 100 km, is consumed by a self-sustaining fire for many years," he says. "People who live on top have to be evacuated because when the coal burns into ash, the ground will collapse. The government has decided to give them houses 15 km away. That's not suitable for the labourers, because from 2-4 pm, they steal coal in their tokris and sell it in the cities. If they move, this source of income will go away. So, many people continue to live in the same house. If you go there [in real life], you'll see they're eating food on the floor and smoke is rising from the ground." In such an area in nearby Jharia, a 45-year-old unmarried woman, who steals coal for a living, is dating a truck driver. Eventually, one decides to move to smog-filled Delhi, and one decides to live above fire.

In the other thread, a girl from Dhanbad has moved to Delhi, and doesn't want to return because of the freedoms the big city offers. On her last night in Delhi, she encounters a man whose job is to do live Bhojpuri subtitling of Hollywood films. What's that, you ask. "Suppose Jurassic Park is on the screen, he mutes it, and subtitles it live in Bhojpuri," says Shikhar. "So wherever there are Bhojpuri speakers in India, he puts up bamboo sticks and a curtain." But, his business is on the decline as "people are watching everything on their cell phones. So, he's planning to walk away from this profession, and today is his last show in Delhi." Both have to decide the cartography of their lives: either retrace a path that leads back to zero, or embark on a path that leads nowhere.

The cast during a rehearsal

With about 25 characters, the story unfolds like a sprawling tale, similar to the other body of work set in the coal mines of Dhanbad. Kumud Mishra, who is producing the play (read: "putting in the money") under his theatre company, D for Drama, says, "Because we live in a megapolis, we think we know a lot about the world. In reality, we are clueless. This has a big cast, and I wanted our actors to get the opportunity to work with a director from outside. To understand how to approach the text, and how a director deals with actors. My main aim was for them to get experience." Mishra wanted them to know the pleasure of working with a consummate artiste such as Shikhar, which he has known himself.

In 2014, the two had duelled onstage in Abhishek Majumdar's Kaumudi, as self-centred father and disappointed son. In 2017, when Shikhar and Majumdar had come to Mumbai with the period drama Muktidham, again Mishra had a bit role in it. "Whenever they plan a play in Bengaluru, I run to be a part of it," he says. "I leave all my work here and go. That speaks for itself." For this play, Mishra extended the invitation because, "I used to go to Bengaluru and work for a month-and-a-half. Then I thought, I should also call him here and make him suffer."

When we visit the rehearsal space in Andheri, it doesn't look like suffering; it looks like the living room of a noisy joint family. One set of actors is assembling props: yellow helmets and red gamchas; another set is rehearsing lines; a third is eve-teasing Shikhar and Mishra when they pose with fake smiles for our photo shoot. Eventually, the discussion turns towards a second-hand cycle that needs to be bought for a scene. "The actors can use it in their struggle afterwards: cycle from Andheri to Bandra," Mishra deadpans. Another actor improvises, "We can paint it with D for Drama. Advertising bhi ho jayegi."

Where: NCPA, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point When: February 17; 7 pm
Cost: Rs 450 & Rs 500
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A four-way conference call between us, Sharon Isbin, and Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash makes one thing crystal clear. The two sarod-playing brothers have unfettered respect for the Grammy-winning American guitarist, since they consider it an "honour" to be collaborating with her for an unusual concert slated for later this week. It's a word they use multiple times during the phone call. And Isbin, on her part, tells us from Kolkata that she's as enthused about the performance as anyone else.

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

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

Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash

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

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

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

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

ON February 21, 8 pm
AT Royal Opera House, Girgaum.
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Head to the ninth edition of NCPA Sama'a: The Mystic Ecstasy which is back this weekend and will acquaint attendees with Sufi ideology through music and dance performances by Indian and international artists.

The three-day festival will feature four events. On the first day, for which the theme is, One truth, many paths, musician duo Sourendro and Soumyojit and Saleem Hasan Chishti and Group will perform. On day two, enjoy musical and dance acts by Sanjukta Wagh, Radhika Sood Nayak, Hitesh Dhutia and Vinayak Netke as well as a performance by the Egyptian mawlawiyah group.

End the extravaganza on a happy note with Sufiana songs and in the company of artistes Salim and Sulaiman, as well as Rajasthani folk singers.

ON February 22 to 24, 6.30 pm
AT NCPA, Sir Dorabji Tata Road, Nariman Point
CALL 66223754
COST Rs 250 to 3,000

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Welcome to Gutterland. Nothing is normal down here. There is a bakery, but it sells potty cakes. There is a king, but he's mad (his minister, though, is sinister, as can happen in real life). The sewage workers are locked in battle with vicious demons disguised as poisonous gases and polythene bags. And in case you're in the mood for music, the resident French opera singer is happy to oblige.

That's the sort of cuckoo world that the audience for a new musical will be introduced to when it's staged this weekend. It's called Utterly Gutterly Atrocious after a delicious butter brand's tagline. And the two central characters in it are a hare and tortoise, who have set out to change the way we all run the rat race, asking us, "Why climb the ladder of success if we are anyway headed for disaster?"

The zany plot also has space for a love story between a mysterious old man, D'Lalit, and Lady Saga, the opera singer. But it's the main relationship between D'Lalit and a boy named Suvarna that director Purva Naresh uses to address injustices that arise out of caste and class divides. For, on the surface, Utterly Gutterly Atrocious might seem like a loony musical meant for laughs. But there are deep insights within the story that make us sit up and think about why, for instance, the job of manual scavenging is burdened only on one set of people.

The cast

The production stars children from Worli Koliwada, who have had little or no prior experience in theatre. Their involvement was a result of Project Swachh Worli Koliwada, which the play's venue has initiated in collaboration with various organisations. Speaking about the experience, child actor Shubham says, "When we were told about the reason behind the activities and the story of the performance, we realised how drama and theatre are a reflection of life. And if a big group is giving us the opportunity to be a part of theatre, why should we miss out?"

Why indeed, and you shouldn't miss out either on watching a play that highlights how we need to make the world a fairer place. For, it's high time we collectively ensure that Gutterland never becomes a true-to-life depiction of our own world.

ON March 3, 12 pm and 4 pm
AT G5A, Shakti Mills Lane, Mahalaxmi 
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Entry Rs 200

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Embarking on a promotional spree, Sanya Malhotra had a fun interaction with real-life photographers clicking pictures against Gateway of India as well as with the photographers. Sharing her picture from the visit Sanya Malhotra says,

"Saalon baad jab ye aap photo dekhengi, aapko aapke chehre pe yahi dhoop dikhayi degi, aapke baalon mein ye hawa aur apke kaano mein hazaro logo ki awaaz.. hamesha ke liye sab chalajayega."

 

 

 

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Saalon baad jab ye aap photo dekhengi, aapko aapke chehre pe yahi dhoop dikhayi degi, aapke baalon mein ye hawa aur apke kaano mein hazaro logo ki awaaz.. hamesha ke liye sab chalajayega. . . Smile please!📸 #photograph #gatewayofindia @photographamzn #9daystogo

A post shared by Sanya Malhotra💥 (@sanyamalhotra_) onMar 6, 2019 at 12:39am PST

The film brings to the screen the story of a photographer at Gateway of India who convinces a stranger to act as his love interest to help his ailing grandmother. Nawazuddin Siddiqui will essay the role of the photographer, while Sanya Malhotra plays his muse.

Earlier, Sanya Malhotra who had a working birthday took out time and celebrated the special occasion with the paparazzi. Recently, National Award-winning filmmaker Ritesh Batra hosted a special screening of Photograph for film students prior to its theatrical release. Post the screening, the director interacted with the students and engaged in a discussion about films and their making.

Sanya garnered immense love and appreciation for her performance in Photograph when the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival 2019. The trailer brings to screen a sweet, innocent, and refreshing chemistry with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sanya Malhotra's first association.

Written and directed by Ritesh Batra, Photograph is presented by Amazon Studious in association with The Match Factory and is slated to release in India on March 15, 2019.

Also read: Team Photograph shares a video on Nawazuddin Siddiqui's character

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The world needs The Maniac. That's the name of the central character in a play called The Accidental Death of an Anarchist, written by the Nobel Prize-winning Italian Dario Fo in 1970. The plot is highly political. It involves the protagonist infiltrating a brutally corrupt system, and exposing the powers that be as being the emperor with no clothes. And in the process, he has the bad guys scrambling for cover since their misdeeds are out in the open. These villains — specifically, the police force in this case — are forced to resort to 10 lies to hide just one.

The same play has been adapted in an Indian context by Amitabh Srivastava, and is called Operation Three Star. A staging of it will take place in the city this weekend, directed by Arvind Gaur of Asmita Theatre. Gaur tells us about how the story line is timeless, and can fit any part of the world where there is an unjust hierarchical structure at work. But before we examine why that is, let's draw an outline of the plot.

The Maniac being interrogated

The curtains open to reveal an inspector interrogating The Maniac for being a fraudster. But the dim-witted policeman's IQ is no match for the highly intelligent Maniac's. So, the latter constantly outsmarts him. He intercepts a phone call that the cop gets when he is away for a little while. The caller is a superior who wanted to let the inspector know that he is needed back in the police station for a case where an anarchist has been accidentally killed. A judge is about to arrive to find out about the more minute details of the case. And hearing this, The Maniac gives the inspector the slip and decides to go to the station himself, posing as the judge.
Once there, The Maniac inadvertently learns that the death of the so-called anarchist was not in fact an accident, but a murder at the hands of the police forces. The latter are thus now trying to concoct an elaborate web of deceit to wipe their hands clean. This leads The Maniac to assume the role of a crusader, and trick the police into admitting their own guilt. And the curtains fall with an open ending, where The Maniac asks a journalist covering the case to choose between two possible scenarios.

Arvind Gaur

So, how does the same plot reflect our own times, in India? "It's through the metaphor of encounter killings, for one," Gaur tells us. He says, "There was a time when encounter cases were rampant. But then people started talking about the issue. A hue and cry was made whenever there was such a killing. And the start of that conversation eventually led to the numbers reducing, because if you think about it, there are a lot less encounter cases now than before."

Gaur adds that since there is no one superhero called The Maniac who can single-handedly rid society of corruption — there are, for instance, ethical hackers, rights activists and investigative journalists collectively doing the same job — the onus lies on individuals to address any corruption they come across. "Each of us needs to identify an issue and then talk about it to reach a solution, because if we stay mum, the unjust will get away and things will carry on as they are," he explains. The power to make a difference then lies in our own hands, he says, meaning every member of society is The Maniac to some extent. And it's just that the world needs us to recognise ourselves as being one.

ON March 15, 7.30 pm.
AT Veda Factory, bungalow no - 120, opposite Gulshan Colony Co-Op Housing Society, Aram Nagar Part 2, Versova, Andheri West
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COST Rs 200

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had asked BMC chief Ajoy Mehta to fix "primary responsibility" for Thursday's foot overbridge collapse by Friday evening. The deck of a foot overbridge on DN Road connected to CSMT station collapsed Thursday evening, killing six persons and injuring 31.

Fadnavis was speaking to reporters after meeting the injured in St George's Hospital nearby. "It is shocking that such an accident can take place even after a structural audit. Primary responsibility will be fixed by this evening. I have asked civic chief (Ajoy Mehta) to find out names of those responsible," Fadnavis said.

"A high-level probe into this incident has already been ordered. Those responsible (for the collapse) will be punished," he said. Earlier in the day, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official had said the FOB was found to be structurally safe when it was audited in August 2016, soon after a British-era bridge over Savitri River got washed away in monsoon downpour in Mahad in Raigad district.

During that audit, 354 bridges were checked for their structural soundness. The FOB that collapsed on Thursday was marked C2B. This means it needed minor repairs only. Tenders were floated for the repair but it got held up," the official had said on Friday morning.

Fadnavis also said he had ordered a re-visit of all earlier structural audits carried out on such structures. The Maharashtra CM visited the mishap site post the visit to the hospital.

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Every city has spaces that have, over the years, become more than just restaurants. They're like little museums of unwritten history, archiving the city's journey through old chinaware, faded signboards and staff that has probably been around for as long as the establishment. Spaces that leave regulars despondent when they shutter, almost as if they have lost one of their own.

Mumbai has its distinct culinary heritage, represented in part by corner-side cafés run by the Irani Zoroastrians and Muslims who made this city their home in the early 1900s. At this year's The Guide Restaurant Awards 2019 presented by mid-day, we celebrate the culinary contribution of this community by honouring 10 surviving cafés. Unique to Mumbai, these Irani cafés have fought inflation, the fast food invasion and a future generation that would rather pick a professional degree over manning a family establishment at low profits. Back in Iran, the Zoroastrians and Muslims, celebrate the onset of spring with the festival of Navroze (new day) on March 21. In Mumbai, it's a day typified by feasting around family.

Six of the 10 winners of this coveted award, discuss what Navroze means to them and the signature dishes to try at their cafes.

Byculla Restaurant and Bakery

Don't forget to try: Mutton pattice
"Since Navroze is a holiday, we keep the shop closed and enjoy ourselves at home. After offering prayers, we relish a feast of kheema and falooda," says Darius Ferzandi, owner. "At night, we have a glass of beer or a peg of whisky and then, off to sleep," he jokes. The best dish here is the mutton pattice (Rs 18).

At: Alexandra Terrace, Byculla Station, Byculla East.
Time: 8 am to 11 pm
Call: 23727375

Cafe Dela Paix

Gustad Dinshaw

Don't forget to try: Egg akuri
Gustad Dinshaw, owner of the 80-year-old café in Girgaum, tells us, "Navroze is the augment of spring and we worship fire, so it's mostly about getting together and offering prayers. We lay out the sofrah table each year and look forward to the rituals." The top selling dish at this café is the humble egg akuri (Rs 30).

At: 7, Shanker Seth Road, Avantikabai Gokhale Street, Opera House, Girgaum.
Time: 10 am to 10 pm
Call: 23824384

Cafe Colony

Don't forget to try: Mutton biryani
For Mirza Mohammed Nazariyan, owner Aga Nazariyan's son, Navroze is all about celebrating togetherness. "The festival is synonymous with happiness and a time for our family to come together," Mirza tells us, adding that while the mutton biryani (Rs 280) is a crowd pleaser, it's his personal favourite, too.

At: Road 1, Shrikanth Lodge, near Tilak Bridge, Hindu Colony, Dadar East.
Time: 6 am to 10.30 pm
Call: 24142321

Cafe Excelsior

Mutton cutlet gravy

Don't forget to try: Mutton cutlet
"A different animal or bird is associated with every new year. This year, it's white pig," explains Ardeshir Maskoori, owner of one of the most popular Irani cafés in the city, which completed a century last month. "It's very difficult for me to pick one favourite dish, but if I had to, I would suggest the mutton cutlet [Rs 300 dry; Rs 320 with gravy]," he says.

Ardeshir Maskoori

At: 23, AK Nayak Marg, opposite New Excelsior Cinema, Fort.
Time: 8 am to 11 pm
Call: 22074543

Ideal Corner

Don't forget to try: Salli boti
At this Fort eatery, Navroze beckons a special menu featuring all-time favourites like pulao dal, salli boti (Rs 180), and mutton dhansak (Rs 230). When asked what the festival means to the family, partner Parvez Patel says, "To drink and make merry."

At: 12 F/G, Hornby View, Gunbow Street, Fort.
Time: 12 pm to 10 pm
Call: 22621930

Koolar & Co

The sofrah at Irani's home last year

Don't forget to try: Irani delight
At Koolar & Co's owner Amir Koolar Irani's home, sofrah, the laying of the table with a mirror, fruits, nuts, alcohol and other goodies on Navroze, is a big affair. "My favourite festival here is Diwali, but Navroze takes us back to our roots," Irani shares, adding, "You must come and try the Irani delight [Rs 120]. It's a unique dish made with egg and honey."

Amir Koolar Irani

At: 541, Noor Mahal, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Adenwada Road, Matunga East.
Time: 7 am to 11 pm
Call: 24125062

Caramel custard

Winning Irani cafes

*Kyani & Co: AT JSS Road, Marine Lines. Call: 61229437
*Cosmopolitan: AT 133, Raja Rammohan Roy Road. Call: 23826737
*Sassanian Boulangerie: AT Dhobi Talao, Marine Lines. Call: 22006198
*Cafe Military: AT Tamarind Lane, Fort. Call: 22654181

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A blood donation camp organised at the government-run Bombay Veterinary College on Thursday, saw seven dog parents lining up to get their pets to donate blood. As the hospital does not have a blood bank yet, the plasma and blood cells were extracted from the donated blood to be preserved for treatment of sick dogs in emergency situations, doctors said.

When 23-year-old Anita Mehra had rushed an injured dog to the Bombay Veterinary College around a month ago, the canine was bleeding profusely owing to a road accident. Doctors said that he had suffered from internal bleeding and needed a blood transfusion. Now named Tony, the stray has recovered completely and is awaiting adoption.

Tony is just one of many such dogs falling prey to road accidents every year, losing litres of blood. This how the idea for a blood donation camp for dogs came to the hospital authorities.

More than 100 stray dogs have individually donated blood here in the past four years. This blood has not only been used for dogs who are victims of accidents but also for the ones suffering from blood-related disorders. On a daily basis, the animal hospital receives five to ten cases where blood transfusion is required for injured or sick dogs.

A donation camp was, however, organised for the very first time by the hospital. While around 20 dogs were registered for the donation, around 15 of them turned up. Seven of these were found suitable for donation.

Fit for donation
The donor pet needs to be on an empty stomach at the time of donation, weigh not less than 20 kg and be in the age group 1-9 years. Dogs can donate a bag of blood (350 ml) once in three months. "Seven such units were collected on Thursday. As we cannot store whole blood, we have extracted the plasma and blood cells which can be separately stored for a year. Whole blood, on the other hand, lasts only six months," said Dr J C Khanna, director of the hospital.

Universal donors ideal
After donation, the blood is separated into further components that help in the treatment of dogs suffering from liver diseases, anaemia, internal bleeding, etc. As per the Canine Health Foundation, dogs, much like humans, have types of blood classified into groups. Dogs have over a dozen different blood groups, six of which are fairly common.

Both humans and dogs can be classified as universal donors based on their type or group. Roughly 40 per cent of dogs belong to the universal donor group. Blood from dogs belonging to the universal donor group is compatible with any recipient's blood. Dogs, too, can suffer adverse reactions to transfused blood that is of a different type than theirs, the hospital stated.

Criteria for a donor dog
* Weigh more than 20 kg
* Be in the 1-9 years age group
* Must be on an empty stomach
* Must not have donated blood in the past three months

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One of the most-loved actresses, Shraddha Kapoor, recently revisited Sophia College to shoot for a brand. The all-girls college in Mumbai is where she shot for the film Chhichhore. Shraddha Kapoor, who is playing a college girl in her upcoming film Chhichhore, reminisced about her Chhichhore days.

After wrapping up the shoot for Chhichhore alongside Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor visited Sophia College after a long time. Shraddha who shot most of the sequences in the college developed an attachment with the place.

The actress is also running a tight schedule hopping from one set to another and slipping into diverse characters to ace her roles. Shraddha Kapoor is playing several diverse characters this year and already has four films in her kitty.

Saaho will portray the actress in an action-packed avatar where Shraddha will be essaying a cop, while Chhichhore tests her versatility with dual roles of a college student as well as a middle-aged woman. The film also stars Prateik Babbar, Varun Sharma, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Tushar Pandey, Saharsh Shukla, and Naveen Polishetty. The film is helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, who is best known for his directorial venture Dangal, starring Aamir Khan. There's also Street Dancer 3D, which will showcase Shraddha in a completely new dance avatar. With multiple releases this year, Shraddha Kapoor also has an anticipated release with Baaghi 3.

Also read: Saaho: Shraddha Kapoor and Prabhas' still from a romantic track goes viral

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It was a buzzing Sunday on Day 2 of the plastic ban for shops across the state - not in terms of business, but with respect to the flurry of activity from the relentless raids by the respective civic bodies and the fines slapped on establishments found in possession of banned items.

On Day 2 of the ban on single-use plastic, BMC fined 72 shops of the 867 inspected establishments. Also, inspection report was issued to five shops for not paying fine. Most of this happened in Chembur and surrounding areas.

Vendors cover their carts with plastic sheets

On Sunday's action, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (special) Nidhi Choudhary tweeted, "Squads visited 867 establishments so far Banned Plastic found at 72 shops IR given to 5 (for not paying fine) Total plastic seized 591.67 kg Best thing is less than 10% were found with products under #PlasticBan. Most have complied to #PlasticBan Kudos to Mumbaikars (sic)".

Others use it for veggies, ban notwithstanding

In Pune, locals seemed to have made peace with the ban, as no protests were reported. While small-scale businesses did use plastic on the sly for rangoli and cut vegetables, most citizens were seen carrying cloth bags for shopping.

Fish sellers abandon their thermocol boxes in Dadar after the plastic ban comes into effect. Pics/Ashish Raje

Sunday saw no civic action in Pune, leading to a few, mainly meat shops, using plastic bags. Deputy chief of PMC Suresh Jagtap said, "Today [Sunday] being a holiday, we didn't conduct any raid; but tomorrow, we will go full throttle. We've appealed to citizens to hand over plastic in their homes to the respective ward office."
Inputs by Chaitraly Deshmukh

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, 38
Filmmaker

Hyphenated identity is Ashwini Iyer Tiwari's pet peeve. "Why is a woman always someone's someone?" she rightly asks. Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari and wife Ashwiny, as she's often referred to, for instance. Rather than Ashwiny, hit director of Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), and the critically acclaimed Nil Battey Sannata (2016), sitting on a two-film deal with Ekta Kapoor's studio, whose next is a comedy-drama with Alia Bhatt.

This could also be because she and her husband, both former advertising professionals, burst into the mainstream movie-scene almost simultaneously — Nitesh (Chillar Party; 2011 and Bhootnath; 2008) picked up a best director Filmfare for India's biggest blockbuster, Dangal (2016) the same year that Ashwiny bagged the black lady as best debutant director for Nil Battey Sannata.

They're also working partners — he's a "quintessential writer," she has an "arts background"; it's a "team." That said, they go about filmmaking like surgeons: "You can discuss surgery forever. But you have to perform it on your own."

They first met at Ghetto, the legendary resto-bar at Mahalaxmi. This warms our hearts already. He was with Lowe. She worked with Leo Burnett, the agency she had joined right after her commercial-arts degree from Sophia Polytechnic, and where she remained for a decade — until turning 30! By then, most of the world's work-force is deep into a monthly addiction stronger than heroin — the phone's beep announcing the salary-deposit.

Instead, Ashwiny picked up "her savings, gratuity, provident fund" to go freelance, and write her first film. She couldn't afford this luxury earlier, as an only child, growing up in Mulund, with middle-class parents, both of them teachers (mother, a school principal; father, a professor in plant-pathology). "I once told them I wanted to be a painter. They said that's for 'business people' [to pursue]! [Job] security was paramount."

What changed her life? A 45-second promo on the girl-child for Kaun Banega Crorepati that she worked on for her client, Sony Television: "The film's tag-line was, 'Badhai ho, ladki hui hai'. It was extremely powerful. I thought if a promo can do this; imagine the impact a feature on the subject could have."

She wrote Nil Battey Sannata, about the mother-daughter relationship, having only recently turned mom (of twins: a boy and girl) herself. To test her skills as director, she attempted a short film, What's For Breakfast Mom, that picked up a National Award, no less. At Delhi airport, returning from Nil Battey's tiring shoot, she chanced upon Nicolas Barreau's novel The Ingredients Of Love, and simply couldn't put it down. That led to Bareilly Ki Barfi.

The secret to her back-to-back success though, is possibly her grounding in advertising: "It teaches you to balance the left and right brain, creativity and commerce — the client in films being the producer, who puts in the money."

Also she keeps safe distance from Bollywood's hustle to remain creatively sane: "Much before a hundred people join the process, and you reach millions, eventually filmmaking, to start with, is a lonesome exercise."

This explains her lovely bungalow in a leafy, quiet, gated colony, close to RK Studio in the central suburb, where Raj Kapoor cemented his career in the '50s, while the rest of the film industry grew north-westwards — almost kissing Ahmedabad now. Which isn't to say Ashwini doesn't encounter that quizzical look from filmies over where she lives: "Chembur?" Yup.

The last recorded conversation between ATC Mumbai and the King C90 pilots that crashed in Ghatkopar on Thursday was 'We are breaking off, we will report to Juhu ATC'. The air space where the call was recorded was the spot for an official switchover from ATC Mumbai to ATC Juhu. ATC Juhu then tried to reach out to the pilots and when there was no reply, they waited for some time before alerting ATC Mumbai, who found the plane had gone off their radar. They quickly alerted all agencies concerned. Highly-placed officials attached to the ATC Juhu said, "The last conversation was recorded when the aircraft was in the air approximate 10 miles [16km] away from Juhu Aerodrome and almost preparing for landing. Therefore, as routine practice, from Mumbai ATC, the pilot was being switched over to Juhu ATC at the technical point [where the accident happened]."

Juhu Aerodrome Director Ashok Kumar Verma confirmed the same and said, "The charter plane took off as per the schedule and was in the air for nearly 47 minutes. It covered the air test route flying from Juhu airport and headed towards Surat airspace and after successfully completing the circuit was returning to Juhu aerodrome when it met with the accident."

The wreckage at the crash site. Pic/Sameer Markande

When asked if visibility was an issue at the time of take-off from Juhu Aerodrome, Verma replied in the negative, stating, "Visibility was over 2,000 feet. We have allowed charters and helicopters to take off and land even at a visibility of 1,000 feet."
When asked if the DGCA had issued any fresh guidelines post the accident on Thursday, the official replied in the negative.
Meanwhile, Captain MRSK Vinod, a former Indian Air force pilot, who is the Chief of Flight Safety at UY Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, arrived in Mumbai on Thursday night and visited the crash site at Ghatkopar along with two members from the Aviation Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). They inspected the site and collected some material for investigation purposes.

Technical snag to blame?
Captain Vinod said, "We have got the required evidence, and whatever was collected by the police and other rescue teams, including the black box, has already been handed over to the AAIB team. We have also taken photographs, videographs and have also recorded statements of witnesses." Aviation experts have hinted that the aircraft may have developed a sudden technical snag in its engine or as the plane was in Instrument Landing System (ILS) mode, which allows the aircraft to continue operations in low visibility, it might have developed an issue, due to which the pilot may have lost direction or both, which could have led to the accident. Charter planes fly at a height of 4,000 to 5,000 feet and there is no parachute on board for any emergency. Captain Vinod preferred not to comment on the reason for the accident, saying investigation was underway.

Were pilots reluctant to fly?
On the allegation by family members of the deceased pilots that they were reluctant to fly the plane because of poor visibility, Captain Vinod said, "We are professionals and must understand that a DGCA-Approved Maintenance Organisation has cleared the plane for testing, which is why the pilots agreed to fly. If they had refused, the testing would immediately have been aborted as per procedure." An officer at Ghatkopar police station said, "We have cordoned off the area. As far as investigations are concerned, we are only completing the paper work by recording statements and ensuring that the right claimant gets the body for the last rituals. We have no role in the investigation."

Also Read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Lunch turns into a lucky hunch for other labourers on site

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Like all responsible parents, Aastha Pashte, 28, took her two-day-old baby to a clinic for vaccinations, never imagining that the life-saving injections could turn life-threatening. It was only three weeks later, when the infant developed a mysterious fever, that Aastha discovered that the clinic had forgotten a 2-cm needle inside her child's bottom.

It took a two-hour surgery to remove the foreign body at the Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children. Once the child is discharged, the family is planning to sue the clinic that forgot the needle.

X-ray shows the needle dangerously close to the hip joint

Scans show needle
The baby boy, who is Aastha's first child, was born in perfect health on June 17. A couple of days later, the Chembur resident's family took the child to a local clinic for vaccination. Everything was normal until the 21st day after birth, when the infant became feverish. "When we took him to a private doctor, she thought it was the flu and prescribed some medicines. But when the baby didn't show any relief, we took him to Wadia hospital, where we were shocked to learn that there was a needle inside his buttock. Suddenly we realised why he cried every time we massaged oil on his buttocks," recalled Aastha, while talking to mid-day from the NICU.

Dr Minnie B

At first, the baby was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone. But X-rays and CT scan showed a persistent shadow, indicating a foreign body. The parents then realised that it was the vaccination needle still stuck in their child's bottom, almost deep enough to graze the hip joint. On July 10, a surgery was performed to remove the needle. The baby is now stable and recovering in the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) at Wadia hospital.

Rare case
This was a first-of-its-kind case for the hospital. Dr Pradnya Bendre, paediatric surgeon at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital, Parel, said, "The baby was taken for intra-operative surgery for removal of the foreign body. It was difficult to find the exact location; hence, multiple X-rays were taken. It took two hours to remove the needle under C-arm guidance localisations. The 2-cm needle was found embedded in the capsule of the left hip joint and the baby has recovered uneventfully without any complications."

"The needle had gone deep inside, and it was extremely challenging to perform the surgery on a newborn without making a big incision. Thankfully, the child was diagnosed without much delay. We want to highlight the issue so that such a blunder is not repeated in the future," said Dr Minnie Bodhanwala CEO Wadia Hospitals.

Also read: Mumbai: 1-month-old baby has narrow escape as maternity ward ceiling crumbles

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