Claire Foy keeps it chic and sophisticated while attending the 2018 CinemaCon Gala Opening Night Event: Sony Pictures Highlights its 2018 Summer and Beyond Films at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Monday (April 23) in Las Vegas. The 34-year-old actress debuted some never-before-seen footage from her upcoming film The Girl in the Spider’s Web [...] Reported by Just Jared 10 hours ago.

The girl had alleged that she was gangraped in a car by one of her relatives and a school friend on April 18. Reported by Zee News 3 hours ago.

Travelling film fest, Jagran Film Festival (JFF), will take place across 18 cities -- including Agra and Gorakhpur -- in its ninth edition. Scheduled to open in New Delhi from July 1, this year the festival has competitive sections with prize money for Indian feature films, foreign feature films and foreign short films.

The festival will tour Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Indore, Gorakhpur, Agra, Ludhiana, Hissar, Meerut and Raipur before concluding in Mumbai in September. The entries for the gala will close on May 31.

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Veteran choreographer Saroj Khan's brazen comment that the casting couch "provides livelihood at least" in showbiz received a divided response. For some, it's the bitter truth and some found her comment derogatory. She later retracted and apologised. Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary supported Khan's view and said the Parliament too is not immune to the casting couch.

At an event in Sangli, Khan said: "Can I tell you one thing? This has been happening since the beginning of time. It hasn't started now. Someone or the other tries to take advantage of every other girl. The government's people do it too. Then why are you after the film industry? "It provides livelihood at least. Does not rape and leave you. It depends on the girl, what she wants to do. If you don't want to fall in the wrong hands, you won't. If you have art, why would you sell yourself? Don't take the film industry's name."

A video of the comment was doing the rounds on social media on Tuesday. Her comment left Twitterati in shock as many took it as a clean chit to the prevalence of the casting couch in the Indian film industry, which has largely remained mum in naming and shaming offenders despite speaking up in favour of the global #MeToo movement. Khan, however, apologised for making the remark. "Whatever the question, you don't know... You just know my answer. So it is sounding wrong. But anyhow, I am sorry. I apologise," Khan told IANS. When probed as to what was the question, Khan disconnected the call. The comment comes in the wake of a debate which got intensified after southern actress Sri Reddy caused a stir by sitting semi-naked on a road in Hyderabad to protest against the casting couch menace in the film world.

Chowdhury supported Khan, saying: "Yes, it is the bitter truth. The whole film industry may get up in arms against me. It's just not in the film industry also, this happens everywhere in workspaces with women. It happens everywhere. So, don't imagine that the Parliament is immune or some other workspace is immune. It's not.

"This happens with women everywhere. If you look at the western world today, established top actresses have taken this long to come out and say 'Me too'. It's time India stood up and say 'Me too'." From the film fraternity, Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor said he has never faced the casting couch, but it is "worse" if it exists. And Richa Chadha felt the media was blowing Khan's statement out of proportion as what she meant was why was Bollywood being singled out when it happens everywhere.

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit slammed *Saroj Khan*. "I didn't expect such derogatory and uncalled for statements from a veteran like Saroj Khan and totally condemn it. Our entertainment industry, like all other industries, respects women. Exploitation of women is a crime and should be fought in all spheres of life," Pandit tweeted. Actress Shruti Seth wrote: "The right intent but very, very wrong words. Again, women are made incumbent to stop injustice against themselves and men have been absolved of their participation. Stop the practice of sexual exploitation. In whichever industry it exists, it's wrong.

Sophie Choudry commented: "So much respect for Sarojji as a choreographer but this is how she uses her position to protect girls? If I didn't come from a financially sound background, I would have returned to London within a month of being in Mumbai because of industry folk who think like that."

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A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) onApr 22, 2018 at 11:02am PDT



 

"The next fragrance I have coming out is so amazing. It is a sculpture, basically, of my body. It's really cool. The scent is so good. I'm so proud of it. It smells to me like what I would think golden smells like, even though that's a colour and something that's just luminous," she told Business of Fashion magazine.

Recently, *Kim Kardashian* and her rapper husband Kanye West were seen getting up, close and personal at Kourtney Kardashian's birthday party. Taking to her Snapchat account, Kim posted a video of herself walking over to her husband. "Babe, do you want to go to Dave Chappelle or do you want to go to the studio," the reality TV star, who sported a two-piece strapless top and a skirt, asked him before sitting on his lap and kissing him on the cheek. Instead of answering the question, Kanye kissed his wife on the lips.

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Veteran actor Jackie Shroff gets concerned at times about the risks that his action hero son Tiger Shroff takes for the big screen, but he says he is confident about him and his talent. Tiger has been receiving rave reviews about his action sequences in all his films like Heropanti, Baaghi, Munna Michael and Baaghi 2.

"As a father, I get worried because he does all the action by himself, risking his body. But I do not stop him, I do not discourage him to do that. I am concerned, but confident about Tiger," Jackie told IANS. Tiger joined the industry after consistent training in martial arts.

"He has been doing martial arts from his childhood, so there is a certain amount of body confidence he has. And he works with a great team of action choreographers. "Now technology is much advanced than our time... But of course, even though there is wire support, jumping from high rises is risky because the ground floor looks tiny from the top!

"Having said that, I know there's positive energy all around us that will protect my son," added the 61-year-old proud father. Having started his career in 1982, Jackie is known for some of his stellar performance in films like "Parinda", "Khalnayak", "Rangeela", "1942: A Love Story" and "Devdas". Remembering his earlier days in the industry, Jackie said: "Our generation has actually experienced the transformation of how the technological advancement changed the game of cinema.

"These days, people are more concerned about the safety of actors and other crew members. We were also concerned that time, but whenever we required something, we were provided it. "Now, you will see an ambulance at every film set. Earlier it was not that well-organised." He recounted that during the shoot of "1942: A Love Story", his ankle was hurt.

"In my career, so far, my eyes have got hurt twice, my legs were hurt... Maine bahut maar khayi hai apne career mein (I have got hurt a lot). "I think when I look at his (Tiger's) performance, he looks convincing and connects with the audience because he performs from his heart. That is why there is an emotional connection he has with the audience," said Jackie.

The actor is keeping busy these days with the shoot of Saaho and Paltan. In his career, *Jackie Shroff* has worked with a variety of directors like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Subhash Ghai, Ram Gopal Varma and the late Rituparno Ghosh. How has he managed to stay relevant for all these years?

He said: "I think there is a learner in me who is always learning something or the other every day. I never lost connection with people... I can deeply communicate with a little child as well as youngsters. "I value the life that I have got and I am thankful to the Almighty for that. "As long as I am curious about life and living every moment of it to the fullest, I think whether as an actor or a human being, we all can stay relevant."

*Also read: Baaghi 2 co-stars Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani's prankster stories*

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Thank you to @StarMoviesIndia and all who participated in the video and posted their thoughts on @WolverineMovie ..... 17 amazing years!!! #Logan #Wolverine #xmen pic.twitter.com/5E1m9Rixq8

— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) April 23, 2018

The Wolverine film saga started 17 years ago. Jackman appeared as Wolverine in nine of the X-Men sagas. He played the character for the last time in the 2017 film Logan, which was aired on the channel as part of the campaign.

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Anticipation around Quentin Tarantino's new film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, continues to grow as interesting revelations surrounding the Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio venture hit headlines. Set against the counterculture explosion in LA in 1969, the film will feature the acting legends together on screen for the first time, reportedly as a TV cowboy actor (DiCaprio) and his long-serving stunt double (Pitt).*Brad Pitt*

During a panel discussion at CinemaCon, Tarantino described them as "the most exciting star dynamic duo since Robert Redford and Paul Newman", and the bold claims didn't stop there. DiCaprio said that having read the script, he believes it is one of the director's best. Fans of old school Tarantino also have cause for celebration, with the filmmaker teasing that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is "probably the closest [film] to Pulp Fiction (1994) that I've ever done".*Leonardo DiCaprio*

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Getting ready! 📷: @cmellevold

A post shared by Sophia (@sophialillis) onApr 22, 2018 at 4:18pm PDT



 

The mystery book was originally released in 1930 and was written by Mildred Wirt Benson, under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. It was earlier used as the source material for a 1939 film directed by William Clemens and featured late actress Bonita Granville. The popular character was more recently played onscreen by Emma Roberts in 2007 film Nancy Drew.

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With the teaser of Sanju having released yesterday, Ranbir Kapoor's seamless transformation into Sanjay Dutt has been appreciated by his fans and naysayers alike. While director Rajkumar Hirani was convinced that only Kapoor could do justice to the multi-dimensional character, the actor revealed that he was initially hesitant about taking up the role.

"When Raju sir [Hirani] told me about this film, my first instinct was that I won't be able to do this. I felt I didn't have the courage and the acting chops to pull off this role. This is not just an acting gig for me. I took up this film as an opportunity to be part of a story of someone whom I consider my icon," said *Ranbir Kapoor* of the project that will arguably go on to become one of the landmark films of his career.*Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi*

Although he knew Dutt socially, Kapoor said the script brought to the fore the different facets of the star that he was otherwise unaware about. "As a family friend, I have always known a different *Sanjay Dutt*. As his fan, I knew him as a style icon, knew his mannerisms and his swag. But when I read the script, it shocked me. From his drug [abuse] to his terrorism controversy, from his equation with his father [Sunil Dutt] to how the passing away of his mother [Nargis Dutt] affected him, everything shocked me."

The biopic, which also stars Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Paresh Rawal and Manisha Koirala in prominent roles, sees Kapoor sport six different looks as he traces Dutt's journey from a 22-year-old debutant in Rocky (1981) to his release from jail in 2016. Talking about the physical transformation that he had to undergo for different portions of the movie, Kapoor said, "The shooting of the film was spaced out, so we had enough time to prepare. After every segment, I almost had a month to prepare for the next avatar. So, in that sense, it wasn't difficult at all."

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Gauri Khan must be missing Suhana Khan a lot, as her darling daughter is studying abroad. She posted a photo of Suhana on Instagram. Dressed in a distressed denim, white tee and glares, she looked every bit of a diva. 

*Gauri Khan* shared the picture of Suhana with the backdrop of a scenic location and described how living the life as a teenager is the most memorable part of our lives. She wrote, "Having the time of your life in your teens (sic)."


 

Having the time of your life in your teens ...❤

A post shared by Gauri Khan (@gaurikhan) onApr 24, 2018 at 12:06am PDT



The photo has received several compliments suggesting that *Suhana Khan* is Bollywood ready. These were the comments on her picture, "She is ready for Bollywood (sic),""She's so gorgeous. God bless (sic),""Mrs. Gauri Khan, you just have a wonderful daughter. Let God give her happiness and health (sic)" and so on.

Sometimes ago, a video of Suhana acting in a play had surfaced online and went insanely viral! In the video clip, she was seen performing the role of Cinderella with a hilarious twist!

Speaking of Suhana Khan foraying in Bollywood, *Shah Rukh Khan* had once said that his kids - both Aryan and Suhana - were free to choose their line of work, but only after completing their education. Suhana is currently in London completing her education.

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Since they can't turn up at your doorstep to personally invite you to the ceremony, the cast members of Veere Di Wedding are set to connect with you through social media to ensure you put your name on the guest list. As part of promotions for their upcoming comedy drama, Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania, among other cast members, are set to interact with fans as part of a Facebook live segment today.

Following the trailer launch that will take place at a city multiplex, the cast members will head to the Facebook headquarters in the city to be part of the live event, which will see participation from 25 different pages on the platform. The film's spokesperson tells mid-day, "This will be the first time that Kareena, Sonam, Swara and Shikha will go live on any social media platform together. This visit also marks their first time at the FB headquarters. A first-ever simultaneous live session involving 25 pages is being scheduled in order to reach as many as 50 million people."*Veere Di Wedding*

While a Facebook live session demands that the person shoot the video in real-time while being present at the location, special arrangements are underway to ensure that those handling the pages can access and air the event via a private link. Apart from the film's brand partners and producers, digital publishing houses and fan pages are also set to be part of the group of 25 that will live-stream the event. "The followers of these pages will get a notification inviting them to the live launch. Never before has an event been live-streamed across 25 pages simultaneously. The cast will interact with fans as part of the session. Few lucky fans will also be invited to the Facebook office for an interaction with the cast." The Facebook live-streaming event will be followed by one on micro-blogging site Twitter as well, the spokesperson says.

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After the Central Board of Film Certification demanded "a series of cuts" in Rajkummar Rao's Omerta - which is based on British terrorist of Pakistani descent Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh's life - director Hansal Mehta was forced to knock on the door of the Revising Committee.

"I had gone to the Board asking for an A certificate, but the Examining Committee demanded a series of cuts. I even lost track of the number. The Revising Committee was understanding. They only asked for two edits," says Mehta. He reveals that one of the demanded cuts involves a scene showcasing full frontal nudity. "It's a violent sex sequence which they found too rough for general viewing. The scene is not about sex, but aims at depicting the mental state of my protagonist."*Hansal Mehta*

The second sequence, he adds, is one that showcases the protagonist urinating in prison while the national anthem plays in the background. "That, apparently, is nconstitutional. So we had to let it go," says Mehta, adding that the cuts don't hamper the narrative.

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Radhika Apte has spoken out about sexual harassment in the Indian film industry in a new documentary, which also sees her chronicle why victims are too scared to come forward. In a BBC World News report, to be aired this weekend, Apte opens up on the culture of silence in Bollywood, mainly because its stars are so revered. "Some people are regarded as Gods.

They are so powerful that people just don't think that my voice is going to matter, or people think that if I speak, probably my career is going to get ruined," Apte tells BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan in Bollywood's Dark Secret. Asked what she thought about the #MeToo campaign against harassment in Hollywood, the Pad Man actor added, "The way the women, and the men, of course, came together and decided that as a team we are not going to let this happen, I wish that could happen here." Marathi award-winning actor Usha Jadhav, also a part of the documentary, reveals that it is common for powerful men in the industry to demand sexual favours. Describing one conversation, she says that she was told she would need to give something in return for the opportunity she had been given.*Usha Jadhav*

"I said something on the lines of, 'What? I don't have money'. He said, 'No, no, no, no. It's not about money, it's about you sleeping with, maybe it can be a producer, maybe it can be a director, it can be both too,"she said. Vaidyanathan has also spoken to actors who have faced unwanted advances, as well as stars, who believe a dark secret lies behind Bollywood's glamour. The documentary also interviews an aspiring actor, 25, who left her small village to chase her Bollywood dream, but says she was molested on a number of occasions, including the first time she met a casting agent.

"He started telling me that for an actress, you should be happy to have sex as and, when possible, and embrace your sexuality," she is quoted stating in the documentary. "He touched me wherever he wanted, he kissed me wherever he wanted and I was shocked. He put his hand inside my clothes so I asked him to stop and he said: Do you know what, if you really want to work in this industry I don't think you've got the right attitude," she added. The documentary will be aired around the world on Saturday and Sunday.

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Akshay Kumar has been shooting for Kesari, which is based on the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi, in Wai over the past four months. The unit of the period drama was in for a shock yesterday when a massive fire broke out on the location in the early evening.

A source says, "Anurag Singh [director] was filming a war sequence on location when one of the bombs, being used for the scene, exploded. Within a matter of seconds, the entire set was gutted. Most of the lighting equipment and cameras were lost in the fire. Fortunately, not a single person of the 100-member-strong unit was hurt."*Kesari set gutted in Wai*

Kumar, who usually shoots through the day in Wai and flies back to Mumbai on his chartered chopper in the evenings, had left for the day around 3.30 pm. "None of the primary actors were required for the shoot. Akshay filmed his portions by late afternoon and then the director proceeded to can the war sequence with the additional artistes," adds the source.

With the set now destroyed in the fire, the team has the challenge of recreating the Gulistan Fort — one of the key sites of the battle. "Since a 10-day shoot is yet to be covered, a new set will need to be recreated. Though it's too early to say, the makers are now considering building the set in Film City in Mumbai."

Confirming the news, the police officials of Satara said, "The fire department of Bhuinj and those of surrounding areas were alerted [about the incident]. By evening, the fire was brought under control."

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Last seen in the 2016 drama, Ki & Ka, Swaroop Sampat is set to return to the screen with Ekta Kapoor's web show, The Great Indian Dysfunctional Family. The digital outing revolves around two brothers - played by Kay Kay Menon and Barun Sobti - who fail to get along. Inevitably, their squabbles spell trouble for their relationship, and in turn affects the big-fat Indian family.

Sampat, who was celebrated for her act in the 1984 sitcom Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, will essay the role of Premlata Ranaut, mother to Menon and Sobti's characters. Premlata, it is heard, is fun-loving, easy-going and wise. The actor tells mid-day, "My character is interesting and I'm sure the story will stand out. I am very happy to be a part of this offering. I have only started shooting for the show recently and it is fun to be on set with this unit." The Great Indian Dysfunctional Family, set to go on air next month, will also feature Eisha Chopra, Shriswara, Sanaya Pithawalla, Perlene Bhesania and Rohan Joshi.

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Director Umesh Shukla's forthcoming film "102 Not Out" will also release in Russia on the same day as it will hit the screens in India on May 4. Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who will be seen sharing screen space with megastar Amitabh Bachchan after two decades, took to Twitter to announce about the film's international release.

"Our film releases in Russia on May 4, 2018 also. Enjoy!" Rishi tweeted. Being described as an unusual father-and-son love story, "102 Not Out" is based on a Gujarati stage production by playwright Saumya Joshi. Amitabh plays a 102-year-old father to a 75-year-old character of Rishi in the film.

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Actress Anushka Sharma says experimenting with roles has been a mainstay in her career from the start. Anushka spoke to the media here on Monday on the sidelines of an event organised by Standard Chartered Bank, where she was announced its brand ambassador. In a promotional campaign for her latest endorsement, Anushka plays the triple role of a daughter, mother and grandmother.

On the experience, Anushka said: "I have always tried to experiment with my roles right from the beginning.

"This year, I am doing films in which all my characters are very different from one another in terms of physical and emotional appearance. So, when you get to do that in an advertisement, you feel great.

"Playing a triple role was something which I had never done before, so I was very excited. It takes a lot of time while doing prosthetic make-up, but the end result was great. So, I was all up for it."

Anushka's upcoming Bollywood projects include Zero and the biopic on Sanjay Dutt.

"I am really happy that this year, I am doing different kind of films and both films are going to release very soon. As far as the Dutt biopic is concerned, that's one film that the audience will be very excited about and will be happy while watching it.

"I recently saw a teaser of it and I really liked it. I am doing a cameo in it. Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to watching the film."

The actress-producer also shared her thoughts on the ordinance to introduce death penalty for rapists of children, after the nationwide uproar on Kathua and Unnao rape cases.

"I was deeply hurt and affected by the incident. Even now, when I think or talk about it, I feel disgusted and extremely emotional. I feel the most severe punishment has to be meted out to the people involved.

"The most severe punishment should be served to those who spoil something as innocent as a child because it's the worst thing that a human being can do."

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Actor Arunoday Singh is happy with the growth of digital platforms for entertainment content. He says it keeps many people active and employed. Arunoday has featured in Netflix's Love Per Square Foot.

Asked how he feels about the boom of digital mediums, Arunoday told IANS over phone from Mumbai: "I think it is wonderful. I think it has legitimately given so many actors legitimate work... It is not work to look down upon. It is actually good work and it keeps so many people employed and active."

"The more options actors and writers have, I think it is spectacular," the 35-year-old actor added.

Does he feel that the digital medium can over take the silver screen?

"There's a certain thrill to see a movie in a theatre... But if the theatre people keep over charging us, including for water, then maybe people will stay home and stream (things online). It has to be feasible to go to a theatre. If they are not careful, then digital will overtake only because of the money and the convenience," he added.

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Television performer Kym Johnson and Croatian-Canadian businessman and TV personality Robert Herjavec have welcomed twins. The couple welcomed the twins on Monday, reported people.com.

Johnson announced in an Instagram photo that showed Herjavec carrying the twins in his arms.

"I never thought my heart could feel so full. We're so in love with our little angels. Born at 7.44am and 7.45am 4/23/18," the "Dancing with the Stars" pro, 41, wrote in the caption.

The couple did not reveal their "little angels'" names. The Shark Tank star, 55, is already a father of three children from a previous marriage.

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Stan Lee, the 95-year-old former head of Marvel Comics and creator of numerous comic book heroes like Spider-Man and the Hulk, has been accused of sexual misconduct by a massage therapist.

Maria Carballo claims she was sent to Lee's room at a hotel in Chicago to perform a two-hour massage on the morning of April 21, 2017, according to a complaint filed on Monday in Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, reported people.com.

The massage was scheduled by Lee's assistant, who is also named as a defendant in the complaint.

A representative for Lee did not return people.com's request for comment.

Carballo said in the complaint that she did not report the incident to police in fear that, "in light of Lee's wealth and status" making a police report "would hurt her job".

She claimed Lee's assistant knew of his "inappropriate behavior."

The massage therapist added the #MeToo movement inspired her "to fight for her dignity by standing up for herself".

Citing assault, battery and other counts, Carballo is seeking a judgment "in excess of $50,000, plus an award of punitive damages, and attorneys' fees and costs as permitted under the statute."

Meanwhile, controversy has recently swirled around Lee, who sued a former business manager alleging fraud and has spoken out defending his daughter after others around him claimed she was trying to gain control of his assets.

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Actors Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost smiled and held hands as they walked their first red carpet together for the premiere of Avengers: Infinity War here. While the two have kept their romance under wraps since they first sparked dating rumors in May 2017, they couldn't help but look happy in each others' presence as they smiled at each other and held hands, reported people.com.

Before the big event, the actress, 33, also made an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where the host Ellen DeGeneres jokingly set out to tear the couple apart by sharing shocking throwback photo of Jost with a full-grown beard.

"He's adorable, he's funny. I'm happy for you," DeGeneres said during the episode airing on Tuesday.

"I thought this was a disguise but that's really what he looked like. Had you seen that?" she added.

Johansson, 33, looked wide-eyed at the photo before saying: "I mean I can't unsee it now. Oh my God, it is. Wow.""Have I just broke y'all up? Did I do something wrong?" DeGeneres asked. Johansson continued to look shocked, saying, "I can't say that that's an image that I'll ever forget."

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the date for the 91st Oscars -- February 24, 2019. The Academy Awards, which were held on the first Sunday of March this year so as not to conflict with the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in February, will move back to the traditional late February spot on the calendar next year, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The Academy's awards season will officially kick off on November 18 when it holds its annual Governors Awards.

Nominations voting will begin on January 7, and close a week later on Monday, January 14.

Nominations will be announced on January 22, which is comparable to this season, when the nominations were announced on January 23.

But final voting will start a week earlier on the calendar than was the case this past season. For the 2019 Oscars, the final voting will start on February 12, and close on February 19.

The Academy's annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon will be held on February 4, and its Scientific and Technical Awards will take place February 9.

The award gala is aired in India on Star Movies and Star Movies HD.

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Actor Tom Hardy impressed everyone at CinemaCon convention here by showing an extended footage from upcoming superhero movie Venom. The film, which doesn't resemble a superhero tentpole, began with Hardy's Eddie Brock as a tough journalist dealing with Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed as he uncovers exploitation at a corporate entity -- resulting in a subsequent visit at his run-down apartment from henchmen who are there to dispatch him.

At that point, Hardy transforms into Venom -- a much-larger gooey alien symbiote with massive powers who quickly kills his attackers reported variety.com. Other footage showed a puzzled Eddie Brock wondering what has happening, then transforming back into the new character. "We are Venom" he proclaimed at the end of the footage.

The footage received by far the most positive response from exhibitors at Caesars Palace here on Monday. Hardy said he is particularly excited that his son will be able to see Venom. "Being part of this movie is a dream come true. He's one of my favourite characters as well."

Director Ruben Fleischer was also on hand for the presentation, as were Williams and Ahmed -- both noting that it was the first time that they've appeared in a superhero movie. Venom was created in 1988 by Marvel Comics. The character made his big screen debut more than a decade ago in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3, where he was portrayed by Topher Grace. The movie is intended to be the first film in Sony's Marvel Universe. Sony Pictures India will bring the film to India. It is slated to release on October 5.

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Just a few hours after tickets for the highly anticipated Marvel Studios' film Avengers: Infinity War went live on April 22, the 3D Prime tickets worth Rs 515 at some of the halls here got sold out. Not just this, the overall response to ticket bookings for the star-studded film has been "extremely encouraging" across formats.

Twenty-two superheroes, including Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man, Mark Ruffalo's The Hulk and Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, and one big villain after six infinity stones -- Avengers: Infinity War is bringing the deadliest showdown of all time to the big screen on April 27 in India.

The off-screen Avengers army has assembled to grab the tickets to watch the epic on-screen battle.

"The response to ticket bookings for 'Avengers: Infinity War' has been extremely encouraging across formats. And while, as expected, the craze for watching the film on an IMAX screen is huge, the sales have been remarkable even for the 3D format," Ashish Saksena, Chief Operating Officer - Cinemas, BookMyShow, said in a statement to IANS.

"Given the huge anticipation around the film from fans, Disney opened the advance bookings on Sunday instead of Wednesday as is the trend and this turned out to be a rewarding decision."

Echoing this, Rajender Singh Jyala, Chief Programming Officer, INOX Leisure Limited, said the advance booking response of "Avengers: Infinity War" is "outstanding across all their multiplexes".

"We opened advance bookings on Sunday (April 22) morning and we sold over 40,000 tickets by 7 p.m., which is the highest ever for any Hollywood movie and second highest advance of all time after 'Baahubali 2'."

Devang Sampat, Director - Strategic Initiatives, Cinépolis India, told IANS: "In one day of advance booking, we sold around 50,000 tickets which is history in the making.

"We have seen an amazing response for the 3D and 4DX formats. Occupancy of 4DX and IMAX is almost 75 per cent in one day, according to advance booking, which we have never seen before."

Talking about cities, Yogesh Raizada, Vice President, Wave Cinemas, told IANS: "Delhi/NCR has got an encouraging number of bookings. Being a metro city, it has more English-speaking gentry with lots of superhero fan following."

"'Avengers: Infinity War' is one of the most awaited and anticipated Avenger movie. Since it's a long weekend followed by Monday which is a Buddha Purnima and the next day is May Day, we are expecting to see an overwhelming opening. Kids are done with their exams and as they are the biggest target audience for this genre, we are expecting a huge crowd," he added.

An excited Delhi-based Sameeran Chetia, 27, shared: "We booked the tickets for a show at PVR Sangam for Saturday. We required six tickets for Friday, but most of the tickets were already sold out. So, we had to book for the first show on Saturday."

"I am a fan of Captain America as he is the first avenger. I have heard rumours about Captain America dying. I hope it's not true," he added.

Will Captain America, who has already given up his shield, die or is it Iron Man's turn to bid adieu to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Many questions and spoilers have been floating around online.

But the makers of the film, helmed by the Russo brothers -- Anthony and Joe -- are doing everything in their power to stop its story from getting leaked. The directors even prevented the cast from reading the entire script. In fact, fake pages were handed out to some of them.

Marvel Studios' 10th anniversary will begin with the release of "Avengers: Infinity War", and everyone is excited to celebrate it.

"Time and again we have seen movies create history at the box office, but we have never before witnessed a phenomenon as such when a Hollywood film created such a frenzy with its advance ticket sales. It's a testament of Marvel's ever-expanding fan base, and the extraordinary buzz around the release of 'Avengers: Infinity War'," Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Ltd, said.

Avengers: Infinity War is set to hit 2,000 Indian screens in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on April 27.

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Actor Rajkummar Rao, who has been given the Game-changer of the Year honour at the 11th GeoSpa asiaSpa India Awards, says the tag is a big responsibility. Rajkummar was at the event along with Bhumi Pednekar, Rekha, Nushrat Bharucha, Shilpa Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Diana Penty, Poonam Dhillon, and Richa Chadha here on Monday night.

"Awards are really important because it motivates me even more to work harder. When you have done hard work for the whole year and if people recognise your effort and honour you with an award, then obviously it feels special.

"I am really thankful and excited because game-changer is the big term. I think it's a big responsibility if people term me as game-changer. So I am actually really overwhelmed with this tag." The actor, who has won commercial success as well as critical acclaim, says all the awards he has received so far are equally special to him.

The GeoSpa asiaSpa India Awards celebrates the efforts of those who have played an instrumental role in putting India's wellness industry on the world map. Pankaj Arora, Managing Director, Geospa Fitness, said: "Our country has woken up to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and people are taking various measures to lead a healthy life."

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Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, who on Tuesday launched the much-awaited teaser of Sanju -- a film on the life of actor Sanjay Dutt -- says the experience of making a biopic is very different from a regular future film, especially at the scripting level. Since this is the first time that the filmmaker has made a biopic, that too on a colourful celebrity like Sanjay, who is not only successful and inspirational as a film star but has also had a controversial past, Hirani found it tough.

"I think biopic is a totally different monster altogether because you don't have a total control over it. When you write a fresh script, a regular story, you have control over it. It is your story... you can turn the flow of your characters in whichever way you want. That's not the case with a biopic," Hirani told the media.

"I think we would not have been able to write the story from our imagination, and the best thing is that Sanjay has given us the access to his story and all the anecdotes. So during the making of the film, the journey was more of how to string those stories into one," he added.

Hirani said the audience can expect to know some hidden facets of the life of Sanjay, whose tryst with drugs and time in jail has been widely spoken about.

"As a filmmaker, I took chapters that interested me, but I am always interested in human stories. So I wrote the story of father-son, friendship... These are the stories that people do not know because the rest is all out there," added the filmmaker.

Sanju, which releases on June 29, features Ranbir Kapoor portraying different avatars of Sanjay from his newcomer days. Ranbir and Hirani were present at the teaser launch with producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Fox Star Studios' Vijay Singh.

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Jane Fonda's "Book Club" will release in India on May 18. The film is being brought to India by PVR Pictures, read a statement to IANS. In the film, Diane Keaton (Diane), Fonda (Vivian), Candice Bergen (Sharon) and Mary Steenburgen (Carol) play successful older women getting back into the dating world, thanks to the erotic thriller trilogy -- "Fifty Shades of Grey".

The film is Bill Holderman's directorial debut, who has also written the screenplay along with Erin Simms. It also stars Richard Dreyfuss, Don Johnson, Craig T. Nelson, Ed Begley Jr. and Wallace Shawn. According to hollywoodreporter.com, the four women deal with the stigmas of dating later in life and enjoying sex, but along the way they have their friendship to hold onto.

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Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor says he has never faced the casting couch. The actor commented when he was asked for his opinion on veteran choreographer Saroj Khan's controversial statement that casting couch "provides livelihood at least" in the film industry.

"I have never faced it (casting couch). If it's there, it is the worst thing," Ranbir said at the teaser launch of his upcoming film Sanju here on Tuesday. Khan's comment drew ire on social media, following which she apologised.

Defending the practice of casting couch in the film industry, veteran choreographer Saroj Khan had said it's done with consent and at least provides livelihood. The 69-year-old, who has choreographed more than 2000 songs in her career, further said the 'tradition' has been going on since centuries and blaming just Bollywood is unfair.

"This is going on from 'baba Adam's times', it is not new. Someone or the other always tries to take an advantage of a girl. The government officials do it too, then why are we only behind the film industry? It provides livelihood at least," she said. Further putting her view forward, she said as to why would anyone want to sell herself if she is confident about her talent.

"Does not rape and leave you. It is up to the girl, what she wants to do. If you don't want to fall into wrong hands, you won't. If you are talented, why would you sell yourself? Don't blame the film industry's name, it is everything to us," Saroj Khan said.

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The long-awaited teaser of Rajkumar Hirani's Sanjay Dutt biopic, now finally titled Sanju, again prompted the question that had cropped up when the film was announced: Why do we need a biopic on the actor and which aspect of his life is inspirational? The answer is still the same. Nothing in the trailer convinces of the need for a film on a star who broke laws, did drugs until his lungs collapsed, had -- according to the trailer -- 308 girlfriends (who was counting?), and did absolutely nothing that can be considered even remotely motivational.

Weirdly, the trailer makes light of Dutt's lethal and legal transgressions that almost cost him his life, and, in one instance, probably contributed to the damage to hundreds of lives. So we see Ranbir Kapoor stepping out of prison, trying hard to hold on to that infamous slouching swagger that has made the real-life Sanjay Dutt such a popular poster-boy for all the images of the spoilt star kid that we've ever known, and he talks straight into the camera.

While this device may have been used to establish a director's rapport between Ranbir's Dutt and the audience, the impact is in fact just the opposite. What we are looking at is an actor of considerable skill trying to do a Sanjay Dutt impersonation.

In the trailer, we see Ranbir in five different avatars, all speaking to viewers directly in a tone of defiance about how Dutt bounced back when the odds were heavily stacked against him. From Ranbir's Dutt-driven expressions, it is hard to make out whether he is doing a tongue-in-cheek takeoff on Dutt or a reverent imitation.

Judging by the trailer, Ranbir's performance is partly spoofy and partly reverent. The picture that emerges is neither particularly compelling nor engrossing enough to make us wonder what lies beneath the famous Dutt bravado.

After seeing the trailer, I really couldn't care less. How much more desirable was a biopic on Sanjay Dutt's father, the great Sunil Dutt, who toiled endlessly in the service of his constituency and who was the epitome of righteousness.

Boring? Well, Sanjay Dutt represents the other end of the moral spectrum. And as put forward by Rajkumar Hirani, he doesn't seem particularly interesting. Just brash and defiant.

Here's hoping there is more to the reel-life Sanjay Dutt than the swagger. I saw no pain. Without pain, the portrait would be unfinished, a mockery of the man's miraculous fall and rise. In a sense, this biopic is the opposite of Ben Kingsley's Gandhi. Imitative rather than immersive. Off-putting rather than inclusive.

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Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif will endorse jewellery brand Kalyan Jewellers. "Katrina personifies brand Kalyan's attributes of style and elegance. She epitomises the quintessential woman of today - confident, progressive and with the courage of her convictions. Katrina has set her own path with sheer hard work, akin to Kalyan's own growth trajectory," Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director, Marketing and Operations of Kalyan Jewellers, said in a statement.

The actress will endorse the brand's collections and will also be part of its customer engagement programmes across the showrooms in India and West Asia. In India, she will predominantly feature in the company's communication campaigns, especially in the northern and western markets.

Katrina has joined other Kalyan brand ambassadors including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, politician Jaya Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Prabhu, Shivaraj Kumar and Manju Warrier. Kalyanaraman thanked Sonam for "augmenting the product propositions of brand Kalyan over the past two years and helping to strengthen its status as one of India's most trusted jewellery brand".

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Actress Shivani Gosain, known for shows like Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, is excited and nervous about making a comeback to showbiz after a break of two years. She is entering the Colors show Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki as Pammi Kohli.

"I am excited and nervous at the same time. I'm making a comeback after two years. It is an amazing opportunity to be a part of this lovely show ‘Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki'. I am looking forward to getting back as I'm playing an interesting negative role in the show that will definitely add to the upcoming twists," Shivani said in a statement. The show has taken a 25-year-leap. After the leap, Rishi and Tanu will be reborn as Ranbir and Kritika in different parts of the world.

While Ranbir becomes a football star in Canada, Kritika ends up doing law in a small village near Chandigrah. Actors Amit Behl, Jiten Lalwani and Rajesh Puri have also joined the show's cast.

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Punjabi pop singer Badal, who is enjoying positive response to his debut single "Trip", says he doesnt want to stick to one style, and explore various creative realms. "I want to create different genre song for different audience and 'Trip' is really out of my comfort zone as I create more of romantic and party numbers," Badal told IANS.

"'Trip' is out of the box and going forward, I want to make different kind of music. I don't want one genre to be with me forever. I like to explore and I would continue to surprise you every time I come out with a new song because as an artiste, you should always experiment with things and come out of your comfort zone." He rose to fame with Dr. Zeus's production Vamos. Trip was launched by record label BeingU Music.

"The concept of Trip actually decided by Meher Gulati, who is the director of the song. Basically, the concept of the video was to keep it very freestyle and spontaneous. The reason behind it was the things you get from anything being spontaneous is not what you will achieve in a fully choreographed video, so we tried to keep it as much as spontaneous as possible," he added.

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Actor Inaamulhaq, known for films like Filmistaan and Airlift, says he is excited as his first lead role in the forthcoming movie titled Nakkash has found space in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Its first look will be unveiled at the India pavilion at Marche du Film at the fest on May 14. "I am still trying to seize the fact that I'm going be a part of world's most renowned film festival where wonderful movies are screened every year. I am fortunate enough for being able to join such an amazing platform where great work is recognised. I am humbled and grateful to everybody's contribution for making all my dreams come true," Inaamulhaq said in a statement.

On playing the lead, Inaamulhaq said: "For common people in India, there is no concept of 'lead'. They simply say 'hero' of the film and that 'hero' is defined by certain qualities like body muscle, six-pack abs. I don't think that qualifies me.

"So, I always waited for the film where script is the 'hero' and I am the protagonist. It is every actor's dream to play the protagonist. My dream finally came true."

The film is directed by Zaigham Imam, who had earlier directed Dozakh - In search of Heaven and Alif which were showcased at many festivals worldwide.

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Veteran actor Govind Namdev says he is happy to work with actor Govinda after 26 years, this time for Raju Rangeela directed by Pahlaj Nihalani. "I am happy to get different roles and characters in films. In this film, I play a very crucial role. He is the CEO of Govinda's character's company. Govinda has triple role in this film," Govind said in a statement.

"We are reuniting after Shola Aur Shabnam. It's been 26 years. We revived our old memories on the set of 'Raju Rangeela'," added the actor, mostly known for playing negative roles on the big screen.

On the reason for choosing the film, he shared: "This is a thriller-comedy film. I accepted this role because Pahlaj Nihalani has given me a very significant character." Govinda has featured in films like Bandit Queen, Virasat, Satya, Sarfarosh and Wanted.

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As Varun Dhawan turned 31 on Tuesday, Bollywood celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor and Shoojit Sircar wished him success and expressed hope his innocence and humility alive.

Varun, who is the son of filmmaker David Dhawan, started his career as an assistant director to filmmaker Karan Johar in My Name Is Khan. He made his acting debut with 2012 romantic comedy Student of the Year and ever since he has featured in films like Main Tera Hero, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badlapur, Dilwale, Dishoom and Badrinath Ki Dulhania.

Varun is currently riding high on the success of his latest release October.

Here's what the celebrities tweeted:

Priyanka Chopra: Happy birthday Varun Dhawan. Much love and laughter always! Have a wonderful year!

Anupam Kher: Happy birthday my dearest Varun Dhawan. May God give you all the happiness in the world. You are the bestest.

Anil Kapoor: Happy Birthday Varun Dhawan! I am sure you are having a great birthday already with all the love that 'October' has received! May you have an even more successful year ahead! Lots of love!

Juhi Chawla: Happy Birthday Varun Dhawan! Love and good wishes for your upcoming movies and a successful future ahead.

Abhishek Bachchan: Happy Birthday Varun Dhawan keep shining like the bright star you are. Big love.

Shoojit Sircar: Happy Birthday Varun Dhawan. No matter what happens keep your innocence alive.

Anushka Sharma: Happy birthday to the amazing co-star Varun Dhawan. Always a joy to be around, always cracks me up and is an absolute pleasure to work with.

Hrithik Roshan: Happy birthday Varun Dhawan! Wish you the best. Always. All my love.

Badshah: Happy birthday Varun Dhawan love you too much broski.

Yami Gautam: Wishing you oodles of happiness and success! Stay this humble, lovable person that you always have been. Happy birthday Varun.

Bhumi Pednekar: Happy birthday Varun Dhawan. May this year be full of light, love and all things amazing.

Suniel Shetty: It's amazing to see how you are carving a niche for yourself Varun Dhawan May you achieve all you dream of! A very happy birthday! Stay blessed.

Kriti Sanon: Happiest birthday Varun Dhawan! Wish you a superb day and the best year ahead! Keep shining.

John Abraham: Happy Birthday! Varun Dhawan. I am one of the few who has seen you in your birthday suit.

Rajkummar Rao: Happy birthday dear Varun Dhawan. Keep flying high brother.

Sophie Choudry: Happy birthday to this cutie and my favourite Varun. You have already had such a special year as an actor here's hoping the rest of it is even more incredible! Wish you happiness, success, love, mad adventures and all the good things in life! Big hug and loads of love.

Armaan Malik: Happy Birthday Varun! Lots of love to you. This year and all the coming years will be yours.

Maniesh Paul: Happy birthday Varun Dhawan brother man! Stay happy and blessed.

Saqib Saleem: Happy birthday Varun Dhawan! Twinning with God by sharing the same birthday haha! Have a kick-ass one.

Rahul Dev: His journey from a "student" to a "man" has been studded with solid work. Happy Birthday to the one adorable and grounded Varun Dhawan! Stay blessed with more magic at the movies.

*Also read: Varun Dhawan talks about his birthday plans, teaming up with Alia Bhatt*

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Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, who has showcased his versatility in a variety of roles but whose recent films have not fared well at the box office, says he keeps reminding himself that it is just a bend and not the end.

Ranbir, along with producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and director Rajkumar Hirani, was present at the teaser launch of their upcoming mega project Sanju, a biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt, here on Tuesday.

In a past interview, Chopra had commented that "Ranbir is an incredible actor with stupid script choices".

So when asked if the biopic is going to change it, Ranbir told the media: "If every actor knew what he was doing and had a plan, everyone would be a superstar. So it is hard and I am trying to learn from my own mistakes."

"I keep reminding myself that it's just a bend, not the end. Life is very difficult and requires a lot of hard work and you have to keep working... Like Raju sir's film title, 'Lage raho...'," he added with a pinch of humour.

In "Sanju", Ranbir has portrayed Sanjay's different avatars.

Did he make any special observations about Sanjay to portray him better on-screen Ranbir said: "I have always been a Sanjay Dutt fan. For me, it was a fan trying to play his icon. So I think the hardest thing I did was to give myself the confidence that I can play this man.

"When Raju sir told me about this film, I didn't have the confidence because I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. I don't have the courage, don't have the understanding or the acting chops to do it. This is not an acting gig for me. I haven't tried to show good acting, bad acting or showcase my talent. I think it was just the opportunity to be part of a story of a person who I consider to be my icon."

Ranbir has entertained audience in many hits like "Bachna Ae Haseeno", "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani", "Rocket Singh - Salesman of The Year", "Wake Up Sid!" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani".

The actor in a prior interview had said that he truly learned from Hirani what it means to entertain people.

Asked to elucidate on the same, Ranbir said: "What I learned from Raju sir is the power of entertainment. Not what's entertaining to you but what's entertaining to people, and I think when a filmmaker makes a film for an audience and not for himself, that's such a learning in itself and a selfless act."

Ranbir was also urged to act out a dialogue for the audience. But he said: "I feel very shy to mimic him (Sanjay) otherwise. When I was working on the film, it was a character I had to play. Otherwise mimicking feels like disrespecting him. And it's not just me...it's the hair and make-up that adds to my acting on the big screen. So, I don't want to disrespect Sanjay sir."

Presented by Fox Star Studios, the film will release on June 29.

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Actor Ranbir Kapoor says he won't mind someone making a film on his life, but he feels it's not inspiring enough. Ranbir along with filmmakers Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani was present at the teaser launch of "Sanju", the Sanjay Dutt biopic, on Tuesday. Asked if Ranbir will be open to someone else making a film on him, he said: "I will be ready but I don't think my life is inspiring. I am a very boring person. I work, go back home and fall asleep. If a film is made, it will be a very existential kind of a film."

"If someone puts a camera like in the Bigg Boss house, you will see me work, come home and sleep. So yes, if someone wants to make a film then I won't mind but I don't think the film will work or it will have any message to give," he added. The Sanjay Dutt biopic is directed by Hirani. Asked to comment on showcasing six phases of Sanjay's life and how much it has been fictionalised, Hirani said: "It is not possible to show a 55-year-old journey in two- or two-and-a-half-hours. We had to let go of certain parts."

Adding to Hirani's comment, Chopra said: "We didn't want any controversial stuff in the film. What we have done is... presented it with a message. Once the message is clear, the whole film revolves around it." Ranbir was asked, out of the six chapters of Sanjay's life, which one was difficult to portray. "The difficult one which I did not expect was the young Sanju because there were a lot of facets that we had to show. First, the drugs then coming out of it, then his mother's death and the most fun was Munna Bhai phase. I enjoyed doing it," he said. Sanju also stars Anushka Sharma, Paresh Rawal, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza and Tabu.

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YouTube star who has now become Bollywood's youngest female playback singer Dhvani Bhanushali has come out with a version of Whitney Houston's all-time hitsong, I will always love you. After her carpool mashup of Gulabi Aankhein and Shape of You and several mesmerising performances of Ishtehaar (her debut Bollywood song) at different reality shows, Dhvani Bhanushali has launched her first solo music video with a reprise of Whitney Houston's global hit.

Dhvani released this song on her Youtube channel which has been shot beautifully across Mumbai. The song is reprised by Gaurav Chatterji and directed by Anjali Bhushan. A source close to the video production of the song said that it took 3 hours to actually light up the thousand diyas that are featured in the video.

Dhvani who considers legendary singer Whitney Houston as one of her inspirations says, "I have sung several Hindi songs and when I decided to make a music video, I chose 'I will always love you' as its one of my idol's beautiful song."

This music video is a prayer by a young girl for her family as she steps out of her comfort zone into the world as an independent young woman. Speaking on the video Dhvani says, "Anjali came up with a beautiful concept. As in life, we must release all past baggage to move on the path of self-growth."

Dhvani's rendition has her style but what is clearly unmissable is the sheer talent of this 20-year-old who sang her first Bollywood song with none other than Ustaad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab for the film Welcome to New York – a song that became an instant hit.

Dhvani is currently pursuing her graduation and uses all her spare time to practice singing. She has been singing all genres from rock to soft pop to classic to Hindi film music. Watch out for this talented youngster who is definitely the new kid on the music block.

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*Shweta Bachchan Nanda*
She was the style victor of the night. Her deep-tinted locks went well with the ivory bindi prodding s Reported by Mid-Day 2 hours ago.

"The thing I think makes this special and truly, truly compelling is that you can't describe her," Claire Foy said. Reported by Firstpost 4 minutes ago.

“They have no reason to have me back but to kill me,” Neringa Venckiene, a former judge and Parliament member of Lithuania, said, giving an interview to the Associated Press. Venckiene was a rising star in the Lithuanian judicial system, becoming a judge at the age of 28 and soon being promoted to the appeal court. But all of that changed once she learned that her 4-year-old niece was sexually molested. The girl’s father, Venckiene’s brother was murdered. The alleged abusers had a similar faith: Jonas Furmonavicius, a judge, was shot dead, while Andrius Usas, an advisor to the Speaker of the Parliament died under mysterious circumstances. Over ten people related to this case have died.... Reported by WorldNews 7 hours ago.

A 22-year-old man and two of his friends were arrested for allegedly beating a young man to death for having an affair with the sister of the main accused.  The victim was mercilessly beaten by the men in his home with wooden sticks, said the police.

The victim was an idli seller and had been warned by the girl’s brother to stay away from her. But he ignored the warning reported the Times of India.

Senior inspector Sunil Gaonkar of Trombay police station said, “On April 11, Ramchandra called Bindu home claiming he wanted to talk to him. When Bindu entered the house, Ramchandra and his friends Hemant Gouad (20) and Ashish Yadav (22) bolted the door and beat him mercilessly with sticks. Neighbours heard Bindu’s screams for help and broke open the door. They rushed him to Shatabdi Hospital. But as he had suffered severe head injuries, doctors advised to shift him to Sion hospital.”

After undergoing a surgery, the victim slipped into a coma and the police arrested the accused for attempt to murder. But it was when the victim died, 13 days after the vicious attack, the men were arrested and charged with murder.   

*Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. **Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates*

 
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*Go scuba-diving*
Why go to Thailand when you can have a memorable underwater experience in Malvan? Go scuba-diving, parasailing or take a banana ride at this trip, which also includes a visit to the Sindhudurg Fort.
*From: April 28, 9 pm to April 30*
*Meeting point: Swami Narayan Temple, Dadar East.*
*Log on to: Mischief Treks on Facebook*
*Cost: Rs 5,499*

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*Visit a fort*
Pack your bags and head to Lohagad, which dates back to the Satvahana Era and is still in good condition. The top of the fort, which has four massive doors, also has a huge lake built by Nana Phadnavis.
*On: April 28 and 29 stay*
*At: Viraj Farm, Pune.*
*Log on to: insider.in*
*Cost: Rs 1,418*

*Camp by the lake*
Camp by the blue waters of Bhandardara Lake this weekend as you enjoy unspoiled nature, lush greenery and cascading waterfalls. Spend your time stargazing with your loved ones or catch up on reading by yourself.
*From: April 28, 4 pm to April 29, 11 am*
*Meeting point: Bhandardara.*
*Log on to: eventshigh.com *
*Cost: Rs 900*

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Recent reports revealed that a massive fire has broken out at a chemical factory in Belapur, Navi Mumbai. While no casualties or loss of property has been reported, 12 fire tenders have been pressed into action. 



Fire broke out in a chemical factory in Belapur (Mumbai); 12 fire tenders at the spot. (earlier visuals) #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/xhYNvyjaBx

— ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2018

Earlier pictures show the entire factory being gutted by the massive fire. 

More updates awaited

*Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. **Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates*

 
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Dents on a car are not known to please its owner but Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar calls the ones on his "happy dents" as they are a reminder of his first and only World Cup triumph.

Celebrating his 45th birthday, the batting maestro recalled how his dented car added to the joy the day India won its second ODI World Cup, in 2011 -- a personal first for him in a record sixth appearance at the marquee tournament. "After we won the World Cup, Anjali (Tendulkar), being superstitious, didn't want to be at the ground. I called her and said 'what are you doing at home? You got to be here in the dressing room, we are all celebrating'," Tendulkar recalled at the launch of cricket writer Boria Majumdar's book 'Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians' here last night.

"Somehow she (Anjali) made it to the stadium and while she was getting there, just outside the stadium, people were dancing, celebrating, jumping on top of the cars." However, the delirious celebrations came to a halt the moment fans recognised Mrs Tendulkar.

"...they said 'we can't touch this car, we can't do anything on this car'. Somehow she gets inside the stadium and then we were all celebrating in the dressing room and when it was time to go back to the hotel I looked at the car and wondered how there were dents on the roof of the car," he said.

"The driver said that 'after I dropped madam, everyone started jumping and dancing on the top of the car', so I said 'these dents will always remind of that wonderful moment at the World Cup' so, I call them 'Happy Dents'," he added The eve of his birthday was also exactly 20 years since Tendulkar demolished Australia in Sharjah, in what is famous as 'Desert Storm'.

Those two innings in Sharjah -- a 143 and a 134 - when a young Tendulkar took on the likes of Shane Warne, Damien Fleming among others, are regarded as some of his best knocks.

*Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. **Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates*

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Mumbai would have fancied their second win of the T20 2018 after restricting Hyderabad to a paltry 118 in 18.4 overs on a juicy Wankhede Stadium pitch yesterday.

However, Hyderabad boasting of the best bowling attack in the T20 2018, lived up to its top billing. Riding on the brilliance of leggie Rashid Khan (4-1-11-2), Hyderabad bowled out Mumbai for 87 in 18.5 overs as the hosts crashed to a 31-run defeat. The fifth loss is a huge setback for the defending champions' hopes of qualifying for the play-offs.*Suryakumar Yadav top scored for Mumbai with 34 yesterday*

*Poor Powerplays*
If Hyderabad were 51-4 in their Powerplay overs, Mumbai were in a much worse situation at 22-3 from their first six overs — the lowest total in the Powerplay in this T20 2018.

The pitch did not lose its sheen throughout the game as it had plenty of assistance for the bowlers in both innings. Evin Lewis (5) was guilty of going into his shot early as the leading edge went straight to Manish Pandey at point. In the next over, Hyderabad had other Mumbai opener Ishan Kishan (0) back in the dugout after the southpaw holed out to substitute Deepak Hooda at long off off Mohammad Nabi.

Eight balls later, the visitors got the big wicket of Rohit Sharma (2) after the Mumbai skipper was beaten in the flight, only to edge it to Shikhar Dhawan at slips. However, the 40-run stand between Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya helped Mumbai claw back into the game. The Mumbai youngsters showed maturity and concentrated on rotating the strike.

*Triple blow for Mumbai*
Mumbai, however, lost the plot between overs 11 to 15 as they managed only 25 runs and lost three crucial wickets (Krunal, Kieron Pollard and Yadav). Krunal was dismissed leg-before for 24 via DRS off Rashid Khan. Pollard (9) was out in a similar fashion as Rohit off Rashid. Yadav (34) holed out to Rashid off Thampi at deep square leg. That Hardik took 19 balls for his three runs showed how the Mumbai batsmen struggled.

For the Mumbai bowlers, everything seemed to have fell well in place. Their dominance could be gauged from the fact that the first and only six of the match came in the 19th over. In the last four overs of the Hyderabad innings, the visitors could manage only 13 runs and lost three wickets.

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The state government finally cleared the Development Plan (DP) 2014-34 for the city last evening. CM Devendra Fadnavis announced approval of scrutiny committee's report on city's 20-year development blueprint.

@CMOMaharashtra tweeted, "CM @Dev_Fadnavis approved the Scrutiny Committee Report on Mumbai Development Plan 2034. This will pave way for implementing the new DP for accelerated growth of Mumbai city! #MumbaiDP".

Urban Development Department officials and BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta will announce details of the DP on Wednesday afternoon. Sources said major decisions - allowing development of FSI of 4, using salt pan land for affordable housing, building a Metro car shed in Aarey colony - are likely to be retained. "Several land reservations have been changed as per the suggestions and objections. Developers, too, had been waiting for the DP, as many projects had been on hold," a source added.

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With the teaser of Sanju having released yesterday, Ranbir Kapoor's seamless transformation into Sanjay Dutt has been appreciated by his fans and naysayers alike. While director Rajkumar Hirani was convinced that only Kapoor could do justice to the multi-dimensional character, the actor revealed that he was initially hesitant about taking up the role.

"When Raju sir [Hirani] told me about this film, my first instinct was that I won't be able to do this. I felt I didn't have the courage and the acting chops to pull off this role. This is not just an acting gig for me. I took up this film as an opportunity to be part of a story of someone whom I consider my icon," said *Ranbir Kapoor* of the project that will arguably go on to become one of the landmark films of his career.*Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi*

Although he knew Dutt socially, Kapoor said the script brought to the fore the different facets of the star that he was otherwise unaware about. "As a family friend, I have always known a different *Sanjay Dutt*. As his fan, I knew him as a style icon, knew his mannerisms and his swag. But when I read the script, it shocked me. From his drug [abuse] to his terrorism controversy, from his equation with his father [Sunil Dutt] to how the passing away of his mother [Nargis Dutt] affected him, everything shocked me."

The biopic, which also stars Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Paresh Rawal and Manisha Koirala in prominent roles, sees Kapoor sport six different looks as he traces Dutt's journey from a 22-year-old debutant in Rocky (1981) to his release from jail in 2016. Talking about the physical transformation that he had to undergo for different portions of the movie, Kapoor said, "The shooting of the film was spaced out, so we had enough time to prepare. After every segment, I almost had a month to prepare for the next avatar. So, in that sense, it wasn't difficult at all."

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Migrants from West Pakistan, who had made Sion-Koliwada, Kurla, Chembur, Mulund and 26 other locations across the state their home after Partition in 1947, will finally be able to redevelop their dilapidated buildings. The state Cabinet has decided to give them free-hold ownership right to the land or property on which their homes stand.

The matter related to refugee colonies, popularly known as Sindhi camps, has been pending before successive governments for many years in view of land ownership rights. Structures for displaced people were built on either state government land or Union government land, under the Compensation Pool, a joint-venture between the state and Centre.

The colony in Sion has 25 buildings and Chembur has 34. All these structures have been declared dangerous by the BMC, which had officially asked residents to vacate them. In 2016, a high-powered committee was constituted to resolve the issue.

As per the Cabinet decision, the government will conduct a survey to verify the status of occupants and, once confirmed, migrants (now in their third or fourth generation) will immediately be awarded free-hold right on their property card.

Sources said as refugee camp residents are accused of unauthorised construction, the existing regulations of the redevelopment control rules will be applied. When contacted, Sion-Koliwada legislator Captain Tamil Selvan said it was good news for the residents who needed good homes very badly. He said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had asked MHADA to redevelop refugee colonies in Mumbai. "The CM has sent a proposal to MHADA," he said.

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Acting on a tip-off from a Thane-based NGO that has been rescuing wildlife from illegal trade, Thane Forest Department (Territorial) officials and their Anti-Poaching team rescued almost 100 birds kept for sale at a pet shop in Mumbra yesterday.

Around a week back, Aditya Patil, the president of the NGO Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA), had got a tip-off from their informers, that a private pet shop located in Mumbra had kept birds belonging to protected species for sale. To verify the information, few volunteers from the NGO posing as customers visited the shop, and were shocked to see birds such as the migratory ruddy shelduck, purple swamphen, plum-headed parakeet, Eurasian collared dove, and scaly-breasted munia kept for sale.

*Tip-off leads NGO*
Speaking to mid-day, Patil said, "Last week we got a tip-off from our sources, which was later confirmed by our volunteers after they visited the Royal Pet shop in Mumbra. Majority of the birds that were kept for sale in the shop are protected in schedule 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972."

The NGO gave the information with proof to the Range Forest Officer of Thane Range, and on Tuesday afternoon, a team from the Thane Forest Department (Territorial) and their Anti-Poaching team, an SRPF team and local police from Mumbra raided the pet shop and rescued nearly 100 birds of different species which were illegally kept for sale.

*Owner in custody*
"The owner of the shop and an employee are in custody of the forest department and the process to book them is on. The birds were squeezed into small cages and were in really bad condition. The birds are now in our custody and we have kept them in bigger enclosures. A veterinary officer from TMC will soon conduct their check ups," said Patil.

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After five months of hard work, the underbelly of Fergusson flyover has been transformed into a beautiful public space, complete with a pedestrian walkway and benches for people to sit, as well as dustbins and pay-and-use toilets. The 250-metre stretch at the north end of the Lower Parel flyover is just a glimpse of what is to come in the larger Mumbai Mile project.

Parel has seen a significant change in character and is the signal bearer of the mills-to-malls change in Mumbai. Once corporate offices replaced mills' chimneys, and residential high-rises rubbed shoulders with their commercial cousins, flyovers sprung up for connectivity.*A cab veers into the taxi bay. Pics/Datta Kumbhar*

*Pedestrian-friendly*
The non-profit Mumbai Mile Regeneration Association (MMRA) inaugurated the 250-metre stretch, which is Phase I of the proposed transformation of the 2-km belt (roughly 1 mile) underneath the flyover. The launch took place on Tuesday evening, with several movers and shakers behind this project talking about forthcoming plans for the entire stretch. Said Sanjay Toshniwal, MMRA co-promoter, "The point was to decongest Senapati Bapat Marg and make it easier for people to walk. The infrastructure here is not keeping pace with the high-end facilities."

The underbelly of the flyover was a smooth, clean stretch for pedestrians. Benches lined the side of the stretch and dustbins marked wet and dry waste were testament to the Swachch Bharat message. Pay-and-use toilets were still being constructed on one end of the space. The most interesting feature was a taxi bay on both sides of the space, so that cabbies can turn in and drop off passengers, avoiding traffic snarls. This five-month initiative, which puts a smile in the mile, now needs to be maintained so that it does not go to seed.

*Chawls equal to malls*
MLA Sunil Govind Shinde of the Shiv Sena said, "The beginning of the project has exceeded expectations. Malls may be the attraction here, but this is a place where locals live in chawls and old buildings. The younger generation is now earning well and they can afford to buy bikes, cars. That is why we see a real parking crunch in this area." Shinde stressed the need for involving locals in dialogue when community projects are taken up. "We cannot leave out a certain demographic, saying 'Why should we speak to people who live in chawls?'"

The MLA's candour evoked a few uncomfortable laughs, as he went on, "I am proud to be a Shiv Sainik, there is no problem in saying that. I am here as a mediator helping to take this concept ahead. Some people may accuse us of dadagiri, but there is no dadagiri ever for personal reasons. If there is any such thing, it is for the good of the people. "People in old buildings in Parel are as much stakeholders in the area as those in swanky, new high-rises."

For speaker Arvind Subramanian, regional chief executive officer (CEO) of the Lodha Group, "This is about creating urban spaces that go with the world-class boulevard this area has become. We have to make this citizen-friendly, traffic-friendly, and this is just one small step in a longer journey." Shveta Shah of Studio Pomegranate, which designed the space, also emphasised how important it is that "locals support the project."

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It's been five years since the collapse of a commercial building in Bangladesh that killed more than a 1,000 people and injured several more. Most of the dead worked at units that manufactured garments for top international apparel brands.

It sparked a long-due international movement that urged consumers to be responsible and understand where their clothes come from. The movement, Fashion Revolution, forced various big brands to reveal their manufacturing policies. But India still lags behind when it comes to following ethical production practices. To help the movement gain momentum, one can learn more about it by being part of the Fashion Revolution Week.

"Farmers commit suicide in India every day and 70 per cent of them are cotton farmers. That shows that exploitation not just affects the people who make our clothes but also who grow them. Fashion is becoming the most polluting industry in the world," says Devina Singh of Fairtrade India. And to end these malpractices, the organisation has been running the Show Your Label campaign to make the consumer question #WhoMadeMyClothes and #WhoGrewMyClothes.*Farhan Akhtar's MARD concert sourced 1,000 T-shirts from Soul Space, a Fairtrade-certified brand*

This year, as part of the week, Fairtrade India has been working for over a year with Vidyashilp Academy Bangalore, where over 2,000 students will commit to source their uniforms from Fairtrade-certified supply chains. Model Milind Soman's women's active lifestyle brand, Deivee, will launch its first Fairtrade line and are working towards going 100 percent fair in a year's time.*Designer Bethany Williams with women artisans from Tripura*

Denim brand Aizome is also prepping to launch Asia Pacific's first range of Fairtrade denims. No Nasties, India's first 100 per cent fairtrade and organic brand, will launch a range of vegan T-shirts.*Doodlage X Creo*

"We have over 50 events happening around the country this year. In Mumbai, we have workshops, film screening, and we are spotlighting our Crafting Futures campaign with the British Council and IMG Reliance. For this, international designer Bethany Williams is working with Aratrik Dev Varman to understand the craft of the women of Tripura.*Milind Soman will launch a Fairtrade-certified line of active wear for women*

They will come back to Mumbai to talk to students at Istituto Marangoni. Fashion store Creo has partnered with the label Doodlage to create an up-cycled collection of 50 pieces, which will be sold at the store," says Suki Dusanj-Lenz, country head - India, Fashion Revolution. Wework, BKC, will host a tie-dye workshop and a sustainable fashion pop-up.

*LOG ON TO: www.fashion revolution.org/events*
*EMAIL: india @fashionrevolution.org*

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For some time before Woodfeather came into existence, Mumbai-based Akshay Sharma would go MIA on weekends. In 2014, he contacted an American company for a decorative propeller for his new house. "Despite paying a bomb, the propeller got lost in transit and that was very frustrating.

It pushed me to a point where I said, 'To hell with it, I'll make one myself,'" says Sharma, adding that he had no background in woodwork or carpentry but began experimenting with a piece of log every day before work, out of sheer passion. "I made a whole mishmash out of it and it looked something like a propeller," he quips. Even so, when Sharma finally put it up on the wall, people seemed to love it and that's when the disappearing began.*Display at Cafe Zoe*

"When I saw what I had made wasn't all that bad, I tried to make a few over the weekends. Nobody knew what I was up to. Then, last year, I did a small pop-up for my close ones at a furniture store, to tell them 'this is what I've been up to' and then, everything sold out! Interestingly, most of the customers weren't associated with aviation but regular people who wanted something cool and funky for their house," he shares.*Akshay Sharma*

Sharma, 39, who is a hobby pilot and could not pursue it as a profession because of his eyesight, quit his full-time corporate job last year for his venture, Woodfeather, which makes handcrafted aircraft propellers. "People are bored of glass elephants and marble horses and are looking for unique and bold interior decor. So, I drove Woodfeather towards a bespoke aviation decor space," he tells us.

Sharma's first collection will be on display and sale at Cafe Zoe, and will feature three lines — vintage, propellers made out of solid teak with brass fittings and reminiscent of airplanes from yesteryear; classic, which are basic propellers in blacks and whites; and signature, which are customised, funkier, artsy ones inspired by everything from superheroes to what Sharma called 'an absurd request from his nephew to make a Pokemon one'. Who would've thought of airplanes as an inspiration for decor, but art, as they say, is endless.

*Till: April 29*
*Time: 7.30 am to 1 am*
*At: Todi Mills, Lower Parel.*
*Call: 24902065*

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A change of name and curriculum has agitated parents of students of Shardashram school in Dadar. With the academic year ending, they've also been told that the iconic school will soon be named SVN international school and switch from the state board to the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) curriculum in the next year, from Std I to V.

Parents have severely opposed this and submitted a letter to the school with over 100 signatures, requesting it to retain the state board. According to them, it is unfair to expect a child who has studied the state board curriculum till now to handle this sudden shift. They find themselves in a difficult spot also because it isn't easy to get admission to another good school in such a limited time.

*'Didn't consider parents'*
"They haven't even declared result of the academic year that has just ended, and now suddenly there will be an entirely new curriculum next year. They did not take the parents into consideration before making the decision. This affects us significantly, too," said a parent whose child will be going to Std IV.

Another parent of a child from Std IV said, "If the school wants to shift their curriculum, they should do it from kindergarten or Std I, which is the ideal way. Now, with a sudden shift, our children may lag behind."

Upset parents approached the Yuva Sena, youth wing of the Shiv Sena, with their troubles, after which a complaint letter was submitted to the school and the office of the Deputy Director of Education. "The school management is pressurising parents to take admission for the subsequent year in ICSE board and has merely taken verbal communication from a few PTA members," said Sainath Durge, core committee member, Yuva Sena. The complaint letter also questions on what basis was the school was allowed to change its name.

*No sudden change*
Subhash Jadhav, management administration officer of the school, denied the 'sudden' changes. He also said the management is meeting today to decide on the further course of action after seeing the parents' opposition.

"Talks of the school shifting to ICSE have been going on for the past two years. Everybody knows this is the current market demand. We are training teachers. Even students are being spoken to. While most of the parents are on board with the plan, there are few against it. We are not even going to charge any extra fee for it."

When asked why all classes till Std V are being shifted in one go, considering other schools generally start from one batch, Jadhav said, "We are starting from Std I to Std V because at these levels it will be easier for students to adjust. It is only in the higher classes that curriculum starts getting tougher; the transition will happen slowly there."

Deputy director of education, Rajendra Ahire, said he wasn't aware of the issue and will review the case as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the proposal to change the school's name will be tabled before the Education Committee on Friday. As per the proposal, the deputy director of education had approved the name change on July 11, 2017.

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In a meeting held on Monday evening at the Mahalaxmi racecourse, the Board of Appeal (BoA) of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) granted partial relief to jockey P S Chouhan who was slapped a one-year suspension by the stewards of the race club three weeks ago for "not allowing a horse to run on merit". The suspension has now been split into two parts of six months each--the first six-month term will start from Saturday, April 22, while the remaining hallf would be treated as a suspended sentence, to be invoked only if the jockey is found guilty of a similar offence in the next three years.

*Questionable ride*
Early this month, jockey Chouhan, who is also the president of the Jockeys' Association of India (JAI), had attracted the one-year suspension for his ride last month astride Lord Commander in race number 230 of the on-going Mumbai racing season. The horse, starting as ante-post favourite, had seen wide upward drift in the odds and had finished fourth, while another horse, Fine Tune, carrying the same silks, had won the race after attracting smart money.

*BoA speak*
Adi S Narielwala, chairman, board of appeal, confirmed the development when speaking to mid-day. "We agreed with the stewards in that it was a case of not allowing the horse to run on merit, but decided to split it."

With western India racing already facing credibility issues, this relief offered to the erring jockey has already set the tongues wagging in racing circles, but strangely, the board of appeal members feel it is in fact a harsher punishment than the original one. "It is in fact a harsher punishment," Narielwala explained, "because there will be a Damocles' sword hanging over the jockey's head for three years after he returns."

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A gang of thieves struck at a credit co-operative society office in Kandivli East yesterday and made away with lockers weighing 450 kg and 100 kg having documents and Rs 11.5 lakh.

The four arrived at Swastik credit co-operative society office at 3 am in a car, and two of them broke the shutter lock. They entered and broke the CCTVs inside. The four then went to the first floor, broke open the wooden door and started dragging the 450-kg locker. Unable to lift it, they threw it down and loaded it in the car. After this, they loaded the 100-kg locker.

The crime was caught on CCTV of the medical shop next door. The store owner, who stays above the shop, woke up from the noise and called up a society clerk, Vijay Karvsari, who called up the chairman and the Samta Nagar police. By the time they reached, the four had fled. Officers have filed a case of house break-in under IPC section 380. They are studying the CCTV footage for clues.

Chairman Umashankar Gupta said a similar theft had taken place in 2016, also caught on CCTV but unsolved. "We hope it is solved this time. Apart from money, the lockers had important documents," he added.

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A biker died when he was crushed under an 18-ton metal pipe on National Highway 4 near Dhansar village, Panvel recently. Taloja police has filed an FIR against the driver of the trailer ferrying the pipes, who fled.

On April 20, 35-year-old Maruti Mhatre, a resident of Waklangav, left his home to attend a wedding. "Around 3.30 pm my brother Bhagwan called saying Maruti had met with an accident. I took my bike and went to Dhansar village," said his friend and former sarpanch Motiram Gondhali. Gondhali said he saw Mhatre was stuck from the waist under a metal pipe with the bike. The pipe weighed 18-ton, was 20 feet long with a diameter of 1 metre, and thickness of 3-4 inches. Gondhali said onlookers tried to lift the pipe but couldn't. Mhatre lost his life after one and half hours. An ambulance took 4 hours to reach and take Mhatre to the Rural Hospital, Panvel, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Mhatre is survived by his wife, three kids, mother and sister. He worked in a private company and also ran a Chinese food stall. He was the sole bread-winner of the family.

Taloja cops booked the driver of the trailer (vehicle number — HR-39-B-942) who fled. "Mhatre was riding his bike (MH-04-GB-866). At Mumbra-Panvel Highway (National Highway no. 4), he waited for a trailer carrying heavy pipes to pass. But due to a pothole the trailer got a jolt which broke the rope holding the pipes. A pipe rolled down and crushed Mhatre," said an officer from Taloja Police station.

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Are the tickets to the ongoing T20 2018 match you desperately want to watch sold out online? It looks like chanawalas, pizza guys and flag and jersey sellers outside Wankhede stadium are more than willing to oblige. mid-day caught all of these people illegally selling tickets to Tuesday's Mumbai vs Hyderabad match outside Wankhede stadium, right under the nose of the police, who didn't seem to give two hoots.

We caught six people on camera selling tickets priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 just a few hours before the match was due to start. The touts claimed they earned Rs 20,000 per match, and more during a weekend match. They claimed that they bought the tickets in bulk and then sold them during the last few hours before a match as there were plenty of desperate fans who come to the stadium, willing to shell out anything for a ticket. Most of them said they had a kingpin who provided the tickets, which had been purchased online two months in advance. When we spoke to DCP (zone 1) Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, about the police inaction outside the stadium, he said, "We have caught one tout with three tickets near *Wankhede stadium*. Strict action will be taken against him under the Bombay Police Act. We appeal to people to come forward and let us know whenever they come across such black marketing of tickets."

mid-day struck a deal for as many as 12 tickets, which we did not buy. Here's how it panned out:*Rohit (Tout)*

*Case 1*
While we were walking along MCA Lane, we were chatting with each other about the match and wondering aloud if we could manage tickets to the match. A person in his late 20s brushed past us asking if we needed tickets. He identified himself as Rohit.

*Rohit:* Ticket chahiye kya?
*Reporter:* Kitne me doge ticket?

*Rohit:* Teen mein ek ticket milega
*Reporter:* Hum logon ko paanch tickets chahiye

*Rohit:* Mil jayega. Bike par baitho aur chalo.

We refused to go with Rohit and tried to negotiate the rates. He went away after a while, but not before giving us his mobile number. "Jab asal me chahiye hoga, call kar lena," he said while leaving.*Ramesh (Pizza delivery boy)*

*Case 2*
We were next accosted at Marine Drive by a person who identified himself as Ramesh and told us that he used to sell pizza at Wankhede stadium. While he was talking to us, we spotted his ID card hanging out of the pocket of his jeans with the name Amar on it.

*Ramesh:* Kitna chahiye?
*Reporter:* We need six tickets

Ramesh: Ruko, main pooch leta hoon…

Ramesh called someone on the phone and asked if there were tickets. The person must have said yes, so Ramesh turned to us and said each ticket would cost us Rs 3,500.

*Reporter:* Bahut jyada bol rahe ho, yaar
*Ramesh:* Itna toh lete hi hain

While talking to us, Ramesh claimed that the last time (he did not clarify when) someone had asked him for 200 tickets, but cancelled at the last moment. He said he then sold the entire lot outside the stadium. When we asked about the origin of the tickets, he said, "Mil jata hai bhai, tumko kya karna hai?" Ramesh then left after giving us his mobile number.*Vijay IPL and his friend*

*Case 3*
At Marine Drive promenade, where we were discussing tickets, a man sitting under a tree, said, "Come sit down if you want a ticket." There were a group of people sitting with him and one of them identified himself as Vijay IPL.
Vijay rolled a cigarette while telling us he had four tickets.

*Reporter:* Hum logon ko che se saath tickets chahiye. Ho payega kya?
*Vijay IPL:* Haan, ho jayega

*Reporter:* Kitna loge
*Vijay IPL:* Rs 3,500 for Rs 800 tickets

Vijay IPL also showed us a ticket of Level 1 in the Sunil Gavaskar Pavilion. When we asked him whether it was authentic, he said, "Bhai, abhi ja ke check kara lo, nakli maal nahi bechta." We left him saying, "We will come back if we need the tickets."*Pravin (Tout)*

*Case 4*
Inside one of the gullies, off Marine Drive, we spotted a few people talking about tickets. On seeing us, they thought we were looking for tickets. One of them, who identified himself as Pravin, approached us and asked if we needed some.

*Pravin:* Kitna tickets chahiye?
*Reporter:* Aath (8) tickets chahiye

*Pravin:* Mere pass Sachin Tendulkar stand ka Level 1 ka tickets hai jiska actual keemat Rs 2,500 hai par main Rs 3,500 se 4,000 leta hu ek ticket pe. Aap Rs 3,500 de do.*Unidentifed (Chanawalla)*

*Case 5*
Back at the promenade, a vendor selling chana jor garam, who did not tell us his name, asked us if we wanted tickets. He said he could arrange them for R4,000 each.

*Reporter:* Bahut jyada hai
*Chanawala:* Bhai ye main nahi leta, tickets kisi aur ke pass hain. Mujhe bola agar kisiko chahiye toh batana.

*Reporter:* Aap ko kitna milta hai har ticket par?
*Chanawala:* Woh log mujhe Rs 100-Rs 200 per ticket dete hain. Kama lete hain bhai, koi koi bees hazaar rupaye [Rs 20,000] per match kama lete hain.

*Reporter:* Badhiya hai. Humari madat kar do, kuch kam karo paise mein.
*Chanawala:* Nahi bhai, jyada nahi bola hoon, thodi der baad yahi ticket aur keemat mein jayega.

*Case 6*
Pretending that the price was too high, we started walking away. A minor, who must have been watching the exchange, approached us 10 metres away.

*Boy:* Ticket mil jayenge, ye chanawale ke peeche mat pado
*Reporter:* Kitne mein mil jayega?

*Boy:* Affordable price mein doonga, hume bhi kamana hai. Abhi jo ticket Rs 3,000 mein bech raha hoon, woh thodi der baad Churchgate station ke paas R8,000 mein milega.
Reporter: Nahi bhai, itna mehenga nahi chahiye, Rs 3,000 thik hai

*Boy:* Aur batao, agle match ke liye chahiye kya?
*Reporter:* Haan, 25 ticket mil sakte hain kya?

*Boy:* Kyun nahi, aap call karo match ke do din pehle, arrange ho jayega
*Reporter:* Ye kahaan se nikaalte ho tickets itne number mein?

*Boy:* Mil jata hai, kuch andar se (stadium authorities) mil jata hai

He claimed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) quota tickets get sold in black. When we asked him who his source was, he refused to tell us.

Unidentifed (Chanawalla)

*Also Read: Shocker at Wankhede*

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After recent stone pelting incidents on trains near Thane's Parsik tunnel wherein many people were injured, the Thane GRP has decided to train ragpickers to spot the culprits and inform them immediately.

Stone-pelting remains a serious threat to train commuters. A railway official said, "If police train ragpickers they will be of help. They work most of the time on the tracks and no culprit will imagine that they will hand them over to the police. Currently whenever the children who throw missiles at trains realise that police are coming, they stop it."

*Police officer says*
A Thane GRP senior PI said, "We are planning on training ragpickers. They can help us stop such incidents, but they do not have the knowledge to identify the culprits and keep an eye on such activities. So we will train them to do this."

*3 kids caught red-handed*
Recently a woman was injured and after investigating the matter GRP caught three children red-handed while throwing bottles at trains. A police officer said, one of the three would sit near the railway track. The two others threw bottles towards the coming train. A passenger standing on the footboard with a mobile phone in his or her hand would get hurt, dropping it.

The GRP officer said, "We nabbed them red-handed and produced them in juvenile court. But still many others do this and it is difficult to keep a lookout for these people. We need manpower therefore we have decided to train ragpickers who are always on the tracks to clean them."

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On April 10, The Junction created a stir; serpentine queues skirted the pavement and vehicles crowded Veer Savarkar Marg. The Junction had used the ultimate way to reel-in customers — offering three select pancakes and three milkshakes at an unbelievable Rs 3 each.

But, it's clearly not just the whittled down prices that keep patrons returning for more. When we walk into the café at 7.45 pm on a weeknight, it fills up within an hour. The interiors appear nondescript, with a black-and-yellow colour scheme, plastic stools, and granite slabs that serve as tables.*Paneer schezwan dosa*

Two laminated menu-cards are placed before us: one that bears 46 different types of dosas and another for desserts and shakes. We start with the paneer schezwan dosa (Rs 150, all inclusive), and the Kerala masala dosa (Rs 120). The former bears the symbol of actor Rajnikhant's floating head, against the menu; 'D Rajnikhant Dosa', is a brand created by the owners of the cafe, and spelled numerologically.

The service is prompt. Both dosas come served on plastic-ware, with a side-dish that bears their respective fillings. There's also a side of coconut chutney and red chutney. The dosas are crisp and lined with masalas. The paneer schezwan filling comprises paneer, noodles and dollops of garlicky schezwan sauce coated with cheese shavings. The dish is chatpata, yet not too hot. The portion is large enough to make for a meal in itself.*Hazelnut and chocolate pancake*

The Kerala masala has a filling of paneer, onion and cauliflower. Though flavourful, it lacks the aromatic Malabar and coconut flavours that the state in known for. We stand and eat as the stools are too low to allow for easy access to the slab-table. Next, we get the Ferrero Rocher waffle (Rs 180, all inclusive). The waffle comes served in a paper cone. It is crisp and covered in Nutella chocolate, making this a delicious end to the meal. But, served in a cone, it's messy to eat. The milkshake is served chilled in a charming glass bottle and we bite into tiny pieces of Oreo in each sip.

As crowds pour in, we get four dosas and three desserts packed. Now, even though we're located just a 100 metres away and though its all wrapped in butter paper and silver foil, the dosas immediately lose their crispiness. But, they do stay flavourful even a day later: the lavish use of onion adds bite to the onion sada (Rs 90) that is spiced just right; the spring roll dosa (Rs 150) is essentially a spring-roll in a dosa shell. It is filled to the brim with diced vegetables, noodles and sauces. The gun-powder dosa (Rs 120) comes lined with masalas but doesn't leave our eyes-watering. The cheese-burst dosa (Rs 150) coats the palate with creamy cheese flavours, which go down surprisingly well with soothing coconut chutney and the pungent red chutney, leaving us bursting at the seams. But, wait, there's dessert.

These come packed in neat, all-black containers with a see-through plastic lid. The classic maple butter Pancake (Rs 120) has a number of miniature pancakes that are soft and juicy, having been soaked in sweet syrup. We will be re-ordering the hazelnut and chocolate pancake (Rs 180), which tasted like a chocolate eclair with a nutty after-taste.

For an array of tasty dishes, which could feed a family of six, we paid a total of Rs 1,530, making it a steal. We only wish the seating was comfortable, or that takeaways wouldn't go soggy.

*AT: The Junction, Jahangir Baug, Mahim West.*
*TIME: 10 am to 12 am*
*CALL: 7506360169*

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*Have you ever been influenced by Indian music, maybe fusion jazz of the sort that Mahavishnu Orchestra played?*
We doubt it. First of all, we don't have much knowledge about Indian music; we discovered classical Indian music only a few years ago. We feel like it's a whole world to explore - rich, complex and deep music. We would need decades to study it hard enough to blend it with my music. This is all about respect, and fascination for the musicians playing Indian music. But musicians as important as The Beatles or John Coltrane have been a lot into this music, and we have heard them a lot. So we are sure Indian music has influenced us in an indirect way.

*Floor Dance, your new album, begins with an intro that sounds like something that, say, a band like Death Cab for Cutie might make. How is fluidity of genres important to make jazz music?*
Ha! We just Googled that band, now we have to give them a listen! Well, from what we know, jazz music has always been evolving by fitting in elements of some other styles. We think it started a long time ago when immigrants arrived in the USA from Europe, and slaves came from Africa, with their own musical traditions. These influences have continued until recently, so yes, we guess fluidity is part of the DNA of jazz.

*In the 21st century, when jazz is evolving, with all sorts of modern sounds becoming a part of the genre's lexicon, how relevant are the standards set by the American Songbook?*
This is subjective, but we have felt the necessity to study the American standards for years and years, and we still sometimes play them. We have been studying bebop language, learning hundreds of songs from Broadway musicals, transcribing a lot of jazz solos, because we feel jazz has a history, and even if we always knew we would never be a great bebop outfit, we needed this to build our own personal language. It's about legitimacy. And this is what we have been focusing on for a couple of years now. This background and a relative understanding of this music history, has enabled us to craft our own personal way of expression. But a lot of great musicians we love never felt this need, and we respect this. It's everyone's choice.

*What are your plans for the first trip to India?*
Unfortunately, we have five gigs in five days, in different venues so we won't have much time to enjoy India. What a shame! We swear to do better next time! But we would love to attend classical Indian music concerts, and spend some time to gauge the atmosphere and see how people live here.

*What can the audience expect from your show in the city?*
We will mostly play some tunes from the upcoming album, and of course, from our previous ones too. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's the first time we are playing our music outside Europe. We wonder how the audience will welcome it.

*ON: April 26, 9 pm onwards*
*AT: The Quarter, Royal Opera House, Mathew Road, Opera House, Girgaum.*
*CALL: 8329110638*
*LOG ON TO: insider.in*
*ENTRY: Rs 749 onwards*

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Mumbai is already the go-to destination for patients who need bariatric surgery, such as Eman Ahmed, formerly the heaviest woman in the world. Soon, the city will also become a hub for medical professionals who want to specialise in the procedure, with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) launching a first-of-its kind government-run fellowship in bariatric surgery. The course has been formulated by none other than Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, who treated Eman during her stay in India last year.

What's more, the fellowship won't cut a big, fat chunk out of students' funds. Medical aspirants who would have had to shell out Rs 10 lakh for the specialisation abroad can now pursue the same degree in Maharashtra for a fee of Rs 25,000.*Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, who had treated Eman last year, has designed the MUHS fellowship*

*Growing need*
Every year, hundreds of people in Mumbai opt for the surgery to lose weight. The procedure is a boon for several patients, especially those who suffer from diabetes and hypertension. Foreigners from all over the globe visit the city for the surgery, due to the high quality of care and relatively low cost. In 2016, the city made international headlines when Eman flew down from Egypt to Mumbai for bariatric surgery under Dr Lakdawala. Under his care, she went from 500 kg to 300 kg, before shifting to UAE for further treatment.

"Currently, there is no government-run course in India that provides specialisation in bariatric surgery. So, considering the growing need for the surgery, we have decided to start a fellowship course from the next academic year," said Dr Kalidas Chavan, registrar, MUHS.

Dr Lakdawala designed the curriculum to international standards, to welcome more foreign students. He told mid-day, "Mumbai has turned into a hub for bariatric surgery, and we get patients from around the world. So, when I was asked to form the curriculum for the fellowship as per international standards, I took on the responsibility, as it would be beneficial for several aspirants who can't afford to go abroad for specialisation. We have experienced doctors with expertise in this super-specialty, so we can produce better surgeons to meet the growing needs."

Once, the curriculum is finalised with the nod of the higher authorities, it will be advertised and educational institutions with the required infrastructure can seek permission from MUHS to start the fellowship.

"Any educational institution that has the required infrastructure will be given permission. This will help to train more bariatric surgeons who can provide better healthcare to patients," said Dr Chavan.

*New and improved*
Around two years ago, MUHS had started a fellowship in the same medical stream, but put it on hold six months ago, in order to develop the curriculum. Renowned bariatric surgeons Dr Lakdawala and Dr Shashank Shah were to train students under the fellowship.

"As we get several patients every year who weigh more than 300 kg, with this fellowship, students would get the benefit of first-hand experience within an affordable financial bracket. I have already trained 8-9 students in the fellowship. But once it halted, we have been training students in laparoscopic procedures," said Dr Shah.

Commenting on the earlier course, Dr Chavan said that the fellowship had been placed on hold temporarily in order to flesh out the curriculum fully. The full-fledged course will be launched next year.

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A 13-year-old boy from Gorakhpur has left the UP police red-faced after getting them cracking on a complaint through a fake ID of State DGP Om Prakash Singh, no less. While the police were left seething over the con, the boy's mission — to get his aggrieved father his money back from a cheating travel agent — has been accomplished.

*Money dispute*
According to Rahul Srivastava, additional superintendent of police (PRO) UP police, it all started seven months ago, when the boy's father registered a complaint with the local police against a travel agent who had promised to send his elder son abroad. He had paid the agent Rs 45,000, but, the agent failed to keep his word and even refused to return the money. Ever since, the father had been desperately trying to recover the money. "Upset with the police inaction and his father's struggle, the boy decided to try and help. He created a fake Twitter ID of DGP Singh," the police said.

Through this fake Twitter handle, he issued directions to senior police officers, directing them to take action on the complaint as per law and keep him informed about the developments. The cops went into a tizzy after spotting the DGP's message and summoned the travel agent, ordering him to pay back the boy's father. The agent has paid back Rs 30,000 so far.

*Smelling a rat*
While the police had no idea they had been following the instructions of a fake ID, the DGP's office smelled a rat. They realised that the message had been flashed from a Twitter ID @OmPrakashdgp, while the official DGP twitter ID is @dgpup. The DGP's office then alerted the Asrarganj police station in Munger district, Lucknow, where an FIR was lodged and the Cyber Cell of the Lucknow police were asked to find out about the fake twitter account.

*Tracing the culprit*
Srivastava said, "The police got a lot of help from Twitter, which officially reverted to a request seeking information on the creator of the fake Twitter ID. As it is mandatory to register a mobile number, on which an OTP (one time password) is sent, in order to create a twitter account, the cops got their hands on the culprit's number."

A senior police officer from the Cyber Cell of the Lucknow police said, "The cops traced the number to a juvenile from Gorakhpur whose father is a shopkeeper dealing in spare parts."

*The clue*
The boy, however, denied all knowledge about the fake Twitter ID. He, however, told the police that his friend, who lives in the neighbourhood, used to constantly play with his mobile phone. The cops finally found their culprit last Saturday and were shocked to see it was a 13-year-old who had got them on their toes. The boy's father was understandably shocked to learn of his involvement.

*The confession*
When summoned, the boy was very casual about what he had done and had no idea about the gravity of the situation. A police officer said, "He had very cleverly gone about creating the fake Twitter account through his friend's mobile number, so that his own identity could be protected in case of a police inquiry."

He said, "The boy is no doubt quite intelligent for his age, as he had formatted the laptop he had used to send the tweets. He, however, forgot to delete the screenshots and the cyber police cracked the case through this evidence."

*Juvenile, hence let off*
"We had to let the boy go without taking any action. Had he been an adult, he would have been immediately taken into custody. The offence in which he could have been charged would have attracted punishment of no less than seven years for violation of IT Act and also the IPC offence of impersonation," said a police officer. Attempts made to contact DGP Singh were unsuccessful. His office said he was away in Delhi for a meeting.

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The Centre's request to declare Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a crime is a step in the right direction, but the battle ahead is to root out the practice from the Dawoodi Bohra community, says Masooma Ranalvi, founder of WeSpeakOut, which is working against FGM.

Last Friday was yet another win for Ranalvi and others who are seeking a complete ban on FGM in the country. Supporting petitions against FGM, the Centre requested the Supreme Court, which was hearing a PIL seeking to declare the practice of 'khafz' (FGM) prevalent in the Dawoodi Bohra community as illegal and unconstitutional, and intervene and issue directions to stop the practice.

*Unequivocal declaration*
Ranalvi said, "The government's affidavit is basically praying to SC asking it to specifically make FGM a crime that is non-cognizable and punishable. At the same time, it wants SC to issue directives declaring the practice as a crime under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act," said Ranalvi. "This shows that the government is unequivocally declaring that FGM/khafz be stopped in India. The issue now is to define FGM/khafz in the laws and secondly, create policies around this," she added.

*Root it out*
According to her, accepting the practice as a crime was merely the first step, "The second step is the tricky one: it is a long-drawn-out process where you have to actually create awareness in the Bohra community about the harmful effects of this practice, as well as reach out to those who practice FGM and make them aware that they are committing a crime. Going ahead, the onus will be on the government to ensure that the practice does not continue in India."

She added: "This was a big step in the right direction. Ensuring the practice is driven out from its roots is the real challenge. At least we have made a good start."

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The* Navi Mumbai *and *Thane* crime branch are on the lookout for a 25- to 30-year-old unidentified man who *sexually assaults* girls under the pretext of giving them a parcel for their parents.

The Navi Mumbai police have announced a reward worth Rs 25,000 for information on the suspect. Nerul SPI Ashok Rajput said, "This man uses the same modus operandi each time; he keeps an eye out for girls aged below 13, follows them and keeps track of their activity. Then, he poses as a courier boy and asks the girl to accompany him to his office to collect a parcel for her parents. He takes the girl to an isolated place and sexually assaults her."

The survivors are shaken by the abuse, and parents who filed complaints also said the man has molested girls while roaming on the streets as well, which they saw on the CCTV footage from their society.

The Navi Mumbai and Thane police have come across through several such cases in the last two months. There are cases registered at APMC, Nerul, Rabale, Tilak Nagar, Koparkhairane, Dombivli and Navghar police stations.

*Also read: Goa police arrest man for raping, impregnating minor*

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A 38-year-old woman has been nabbed by the Kurla GRP for pushing 56-year-old Deepak Patwa to his death on the tracks at Mulund station on Saturday. Identified as Manisha Khakdiya, she was arrested yesterday from her Mahul home. The April 21 incident happened after Patwa accidentally bumped into Khakdiya at the station. Though he apologised immediately, she pushed him angrily. He fell on the track and was run over.

In her statement to the police, Khakdiya has said that she did not intend to kill Patwa but was angry that he'd touched her, while admitting that he had apologised. She added that the other man who pushed Patwa was not known to her and was just another passenger who'd intervened after seeing her shouting at Patwa.

*Sequence of events*
As per the police, Khakdiya, her cousin and her cousin's mother had come to *Mulund* to buy ayurvedic medicines. She had forgotten her purse on the train and, hence, taken another local to Kalyan but, on reaching there, was told that the train in which her purse was had left for Titwala. She went to Titwala, got her purse and returned to Mulund.

Her cousin and her mother were standing on a bridge and Khakdiya was climbing up when Patwa bumped into her accidentally. He said sorry and went his way. Angry, she got back down on platform number 3 and slapped Patwa a few times while yelling at him. The other commuter intervened then and pushed Patwa, who then pushed the man in retaliation. However, Khakdiya came from behind Patwa and pushed him again. He fell on the track and was run over.

The police said Khakdiya forgetting her purse on the train is what helped them to track her down, as she had spoken to an RPF constable, who'd told her to call on the police helpline, which she had done.

The RPF constable told the GRP about this, and they got her number after going through the call detail records. Her sister, who was with her that day, has been made a witness in the case.

*Also read: Mumbai Track Rage: Woman Pushes Man In Front Of Train For Bumping Into Her In Mulund*

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In a world bursting with corporate jargon, the drive for result orientation doesn't end at the workplace. While schoolwork comes with its own pressures to score high marks, even summer camps and hobby classes tend to culminate in performances and tests as proof for parents that they were worth their time and money. Amidst this regimented "fun", however, the real joy of doing something for the first time evaporates before kids even know it.

It is with this aim of putting fun back in the summer vacation that actor, director and writer Rohit Tiwari and wife Sheetal R, who is a language, speech and drama instructor, have organised Ho Gayi Chhutti, a 10-day festival, the first edition of which starts this Friday.*Peggy Pane is inspired by Enid Blyton's Amelia Jane series*

"Till the time the child is burdened with the pressure of performance and the ensuing competitiveness, they will not learn. When fun and recreation is all there is to a creative pursuit, learning follows automatically," says Tiwari.

The line-up for the festival has been curated to spark children's imagination, expose them to the arts and reduce their dependence on technology. Tiwari, for instance, will conduct a radio play workshop, where eight- to 10-year-olds will create their own characters and use regular items for sound effects to record an audio story. "Children today are exposed to multiple visual media such that their imagination takes a backseat and the brain gets lazy. Because we can see things, we take them for granted. But how would you 'show' someone walking down the stairs using just sound? With a gentle nudge, kids can come up with the most fascinating solutions," he explains.*A session by Gillo Repertory*

Workshops to help kids build their vocabulary will encourage them to weave stories around new words, while a storytelling performance, Orochi & Kaalia, by noted artiste Anita Salim will expose them to the world of mythology. "Orochi is a Japanese mythological dragon, while Kaalia is the multi-headed snake from the tales of Lord Krishna. Though they are from different cultures, they could be woven together for certain commonalities," she says.*Sheetal R and Rohit Tiwari*

Summer Tunes by Gillo Theatre Repertory is a new initiative to expose children to a rich variety of music. Classical vocalist Sriparna Chatterjee and music composer and multi instrumentalist Janit Temkar will conduct it. "Most kids listen to electronic music these days. The idea is to spark their interest in different genres by making them accessible. Only then can we expect them to build deeper connections with music," says the repertory's artistic director, Shaili Sathyu.

Sign up for workshops to help children appreciate resources by showing them how to up-cycle broken toys or pencil stubs, while Project Mess will deal with how school projects can be made without being wasteful. Each day will end in plays for both children and adults.

*From: April 27 to May 1; May 2 to May 6, 9 am onwards *
*At: OverAct Alternative Theatre Space, Aram Nagar Part 2, Versova.*
*Call: 9820468797*
*Cost: Rs 250 (plays) Rs 1,500 (workshops; art material if required is additional)*

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A cooking gas cylinder exploded on Tuesday inside a room in a chawl in suburban Dahisar. A Civic official said that the mishap left four persons seriously injured.

The incident occurred around 9:30 am in Rawalpada area of the suburb, said the official from Disaster Management unit of the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation). It is not yet known whether the injured, who all were present in the room at the time of the mishap, are family members.

The official said fire brigade department was alerted immediately after the explosion by residents of the chawl. The four victims were rushed to Shatabdi hospital by fire personnel.

All of them have suffered 50 percent to 90 percent burns, he said. They are identified as Minakshi Ravan (40), Prachi Ravan (15), Chirag Ravan (13), and Subhash Patkar (48).

*Also Read: Blast Near Indian Embassy Camp Office In Kathmandu*

*Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI*

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Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, who on Tuesday launched the much-awaited teaser of Sanju -- a film on the life of actor Sanjay Dutt -- says the experience of making a biopic is very different from a regular future film, especially at the scripting level. Since this is the first time that the filmmaker has made a biopic, that too on a colourful celebrity like Sanjay, who is not only successful and inspirational as a film star but has also had a controversial past, Hirani found it tough.

"I think biopic is a totally different monster altogether because you don't have a total control over it. When you write a fresh script, a regular story, you have control over it. It is your story... you can turn the flow of your characters in whichever way you want. That's not the case with a biopic," Hirani told the media.

"I think we would not have been able to write the story from our imagination, and the best thing is that Sanjay has given us the access to his story and all the anecdotes. So during the making of the film, the journey was more of how to string those stories into one," he added.

Hirani said the audience can expect to know some hidden facets of the life of Sanjay, whose tryst with drugs and time in jail has been widely spoken about.

"As a filmmaker, I took chapters that interested me, but I am always interested in human stories. So I wrote the story of father-son, friendship... These are the stories that people do not know because the rest is all out there," added the filmmaker.

Sanju, which releases on June 29, features Ranbir Kapoor portraying different avatars of Sanjay from his newcomer days. Ranbir and Hirani were present at the teaser launch with producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Fox Star Studios' Vijay Singh.

*Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. **Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates*

https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/ranbir-casting-c Reported by Mid-Day 12 hours ago.

The survivor, who was a Class 12 student at Asaram Bapu's Chhindwara Ashram in Madhya Pradesh, was raped in August 2013. Following complaints about her sickness while in Chhindwara, the godman had summoned the girl and her family to his ashram in Manai village on the outskirts of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Reported by IndiaTimes 11 hours ago.

· *BuzzFeed found videos being promoted on YouTube which featured **thumbnails containing graphic bestiality.*
· *YouTube has removed many of the offensive videos, but a cursory search by Business Insider returned other disturbing thumbnails and sinister videos promoted by the 'Up Next' algorithm.*
· *YouTube said the thumbnails were "abhorrent" and stressed it is doing "more than ever to tackle abuse."*
· *The revelations come just hours after YouTube boasted it had removed 8.3 million offensive videos last year.*

--------------------Bestiality images were found on YouTube just hours after the company boasted about removing 8.3 million offensive videos.

BuzzFeed News uncovered countless explicit thumbnails of women engaging in sexual acts with horses and dogs, which are being used to spike views for videos that are actually fairly innocent in nature. The videos in question have amassed millions of views, BuzzFeed said.

Search terms including "girl and her horse" returned the offensive thumbs, some of which featured in the top 20 results. Clicking on the videos triggered YouTube's recommendation algorithm, pointing BuzzFeed to other similar thumbnails.

It appears that YouTube has removed the majority of the videos in question, but even a cursory search of the terms referenced by BuzzFeed does still produce some disturbing results. Business Insider took screenshots of the offending thumbnails but has chosen not to republish them.

One video we found, titled "Girl And Her Horse Do Something On Holiday - Horse Training By A Girl - How To Teach Your Horse Lay," was promoted with a blurry image of a horse mounting a woman.

The video was posted by Singapore-based user What's the FUN, which has posted at least three other videos containing explicit imagery. The "Girl And Her Horse Do Something On Holiday" video is actually innocent, featuring a woman petting a feeding a horse. It has just over 4,000 views in five days.

YouTube's 'Up Next' algorithm did, however, promote a more sinister video next to the What's the FUN post, in which a woman touches a male horse's genitals. This has had nearly 212,000 views in two weeks and was posted by a user called j JABANA.

A YouTube spokeswoman told Business Insider: "These images are abhorrent to us and have no place on YouTube. We have strict policies against misleading thumbnails, and violative content flagged to us by Buzzfeed has been removed.

"We're working quickly to do more than ever to tackle abuse on our platform, and that includes developing better tools for detecting inappropriate and misleading metadata and thumbnails so we can take fast action against them."

A YouTube source told BuzzFeed that the graphic thumbnail videos are similar to those made by a Cambodian content farm that was kicked off the website in 2017.

The report comes just hours after YouTube boasted that it had removed 8.3 million offensive videos in the final three months of last year, with the majority (6.7 million) being rooted out by a machine. These videos included pornography, spam, and extremist material.

YouTube is under huge pressure to stay on top of inappropriate content, with the company being criticised for carrying videos promoting terrorism and child abuse. Inappropriate videos have also surfaced on YouTube Kids, including weird conspiracy videos.

*SEE ALSO: YouTube pulled down 8.3 million offensive videos in 3 months — and porn is just the tip of the iceberg*

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NOW WATCH: The top 10 games coming in 2018 Reported by Business Insider 10 hours ago.

The alleged juvenile offender detained in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua was produced before a Kathua magisterial court in veil amid tight security to be given the copies of the Crime Branch chargesheet against him and other prosecution documents.

Chief Judicial Magistrate AS Langeh asked the juvenile if he got the copies of the charge sheet and other documents, to which he replied in affirmative, following which his case was slated for next hearing on May 7.

CJM Langeh had dismissed his bail plea yesterday.

The counsel for the underage accused had moved the court for his bail last week, soon after the Crime Branch had filed its separate charge sheet against him on April 10, a day after filing one against the seven other adult accused in the case.

The juvenile had sought the bail on the ground of being underage, but CJM had rejected his plea on various grounds.

According to the Crime Branch charge sheet, he had allegedly played a key role in the abduction, rape and gruesome murder of the girl. The other accused arrested in the case include local resident Sanji Ram, his son Vishal Sharma and two special police officers.

A police sub-inspector and a head constable too have been apprehended in the case on charges of destroying crucial evidence in the case to save the culprits after taking bribe from them.

The body of the girl was recovered from a forest on January 17, a week after she had gone missing while grazing horses in the forest area.

The Jammu and Kashmir government had handed over the case to the Crime Branch, which had formed a special investigation team to probe the rape-cum-murder.

The crime branch subsequently filed two separate chargesheets in the case one against the seven adult accused on April 9 and the second against the juvenile accused on April 10.

Though the Crime Branch has filed a separate charge-sheet against the juvenile accused, it had claimed in its earlier charge-sheet for the adult accused that a medical examination had found him to be an adult of around 19 years of age. The court, however, had earlier rejected the claim. 

According to the chargesheet against the underage accused, a school dropout, had lured the girl to a desolate place on the false pretext of helping her in finding her missing horses, held her captive at a 'devisthan' where she was drugged and allegedly raped by him, Vishal and SPO on different occasions before being brutally killed. 

Article Type: 
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ANI
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Kathua
Kathua rape
Kathua case
Kathua rape and murder
Wed, 25 Apr 2018-03:49pm
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Wednesday, 25 April 2018 - 3:49pm
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Highlights:  Reported by DNA 9 hours ago.

The girl is currently undergoing treatment. Reported by DNA 6 hours ago.

Finally! The makers of Veere Di Wedding have unveiled its much anticipated trailer and we're pretty excited to watch the film ASAP. The movie that boasts of a stunning women-led ensemble cast of Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania looks like the perfect answer to Bollywood's 'buddy films' that we've all become so used to watching. If the trailer is anything to go by, then though Veere Di Wedding appears to be another chick flick on the surface but it deals with much more than the bond of friendship that binds these four ladies as soulmates for a lifetime. 

From a fun filled bachelorette trip to elaborate shopping, cribbing and bitching sessions - what's not to love about the trailer of Veere Di Wedding? 

-*Here are 5 reasons why we're totally digging the Veere Di Wedding trailer:*-

-*1) The Veeres (girl gang): *-

Sonam, Kareena, Swara and Shikha totally define new friendship goals, especially for all the ladies out there. After watching the trailer, you'd definitely want to pick up your phone and give a call to that long-distance bestie of yours who's not just a friend, but like family to you. From gossip sessions to cribbing lessons, these four Veeres make the most of their time together. They know each other inside out and that pretty much reflects in their chemistry with each other.

-*2) The Wedding: *-

When the girl gang finds out that one of their Veere's (Kareena aka Kalindi) is to get married to her boyfriend (Sumeet Vyas aka Rishabh) their lives take a turn. Kalindi seems unsure of her wedding and the baggage of commitment that comes along with it, especially how she'll be expected to behave in a more 'socially acceptable' way typical to a newly wed bahu while her friends try to calm her down. Apparently differences crop up towards the end and later she calls off her wedding. Kareena steals the show in a number of frames, be it the proposal scene or the one where she's worried that she's now become 'Mrs Malhotra'. The way she asks Sumeet whether they're getting married for themselves or for the entire town (post which Sumeet falls off the prop-like moon swing) is pretty hilarious. 

-*3) The Costumes: *-

We knew that the costumes in Veere Di Wedding will be the ones to watch out for from the moment the first look posters of the film were out and our faith got reinstated in our assumption after watching the VDW trailer. Every single person occupying the frame looks abs-o-lutely stunning in almost every single shot. Even the scenes in which the ladies are not decked up, they look breathtakingly beautiful in their casual attires. We totally heart the way the different looks of Sonam, Kareena, Swara and Shikha have been put together and did we mention how gorgeous are the accessories that adorn the ladies? You might want to watch the trailer again to soak in the details there!

-*3) The Music: *-

The trailer gives us a fair idea of the kind of peppy and upbeat music that forms the core of the film. Be it a few lines from 'Munni', 'Teri puppy le loon' or the title track itself which plays towards the end of the trailer, we're definitely looking forward to the music album of Veere Di Wedding. Apart from giving us a few dance numbers, looks like it will also give us a female buddy anthem too. 

-*4) The Dialogues: *-

Going by the trailer, Shikha Talsania and Kareena seem to have some of the best dialogues in the film and this is established right at the beginning of the trailer when Shikha pulls Sonam's leg while she's discussing her guy troubles. Also, watch out for Shikha, revealing what an orgasm is called in Hindi at the end of the trailer. Largely, the makers have made it a point to use the language commonly spoken by the current generation which seems to be in sync with the vibe and setting of the film as well. The Veeres don't think twice before using cuss words or swearing while they're in the middle of a conversation. The scene where Shikha loudly proclaims "Aaj ham kutton ki tarah piyenge" at what-looks-like the sangeet ceremony/bachelorette party of Kalindi (Kareena) is not to be missed. 

-*5) The Backstory: *-

Though, so much is happening in the Veere Di Wedding trailer, it's hard to miss that each of these four ladies have a backstory of their own. This is brought out towards the end of the trailer when Neena Gupta, who apparently plays Sonam's mother tries to highlight how all her friends are weird. While Shikha eloped and got married, Swara's marriage is on the rocks and she's about to get divorced. Kareena, who's wedding forms the premise of the film, eventually ends up calling off her wedding. Despite their problems and an apparant fall-out, Sonam isn't ready to hear a word against her friends. While we look forward to all the fun-n-faff in the film, we're also intrigued about the backstory of each of the four leading ladies. 

A special mention to Sumeet Vyas, who once again seems to have nailed his act by holding his own along side Kareena. Be it his bewildered expression post the proposal scene, or his conversation with his father where he tells him that they'd discussed to have only 200 guests at the wedding, his expressions and mannerisms are bang on-point. They serve the much-needed comic relief at regular intervals too. 

-*In case you missed it, watch the Veere Di Wedding trailer right here:*-

Directed by Khoobsurat fame Shashanka Ghosh, Veere Di Wedding is all set to hit the theatres on June 1.  

 

(All images via YouTube Screengrab)

Article Type: 
Report
Sections: 
Bollywood
Entertainment
Authors: 
Prachita Pandey
Agencies: 
DNA webdesk
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Veere Di Wedding
Veere Di Wedding trailer
Sonam Kapoor
Kareena Kapoor Khan
Shikha Talsania
Swara Bhasker
Neena Gupta
Sumeet Vyas
Shashanka Ghosh
Wed, 25 Apr 2018-06:31pm
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Wednesday, 25 April 2018 - 6:31pm
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Highlights:  Reported by DNA 6 hours ago.

Ratlam police on Wednesday stopped a funeral procession of a six-year-old girl in Jaora town and were surprised when initial autopsy revealed that the girl was strangulated. Physical examination also showed bleeding and abrasions on her vital parts indicating at rape. Reported by IndiaTimes 2 hours ago.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP) — A Cedar City woman charged in her 14-month-old daughter’s death has pleaded not guilty. The Spectrum reports 24-year-old Cherokee Dea pleaded not guilty to murder, child abuse and child endangerment charges during an arraignment on Tuesday. Dea’s boyfriend is also facing charges in the girl’s April 17 death. An autopsy […] Reported by Seattle Times 2 hours ago.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A 17-year-old girl has been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after she was shot in the head at a recreation center in Alabama. Birmingham Police Sgt. William Herndon says the girl was a bystander who was shot when a spray of bullets hit the center Tuesday. AL.com reports that police have a […] Reported by Seattle Times 1 hour ago.

“They killed witnesses, disrupted my education, hounded my family but I knew what I had to do,” said the girl whose battle led to Asaram’s downfall. ​“Someone else committed the crime, but I was the one under virtual house arrest for five years,” the girl, who will turn turn 21 this July, told TOI on Wednesday, moments after she heard that Asaram had been found guilty of raping her in 2013. Reported by IndiaTimes 25 minutes ago.

“They killed witnesses, disrupted my education, hounded my family but I knew what I had to do,” said the girl whose battle led to Asaram’s downfall. ​“Someone else committed the crime, but I was the one under virtual house arrest for five years,” the girl, who will turn turn 21 this July, told TOI on Wednesday, moments after she heard that Asaram had been found guilty of raping her in 2013. Reported by IndiaTimes 12 minutes ago.

PINEVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A southwest Missouri prosecutor has dropped a murder charge filed against a woman years after her foster daughter died in 2001. McDonald County Prosecutor Bill Dobbs said Wednesday he no longer believes he has a viable case against Jessica Newhard in the death of 21-month-old Megan McCullar. The girl’s death was […] Reported by Seattle Times 1 week ago.

Shots fired from another vehicle struck the girl, whose vehicle then hit a school bus.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Reported by azcentral.com 1 week ago.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A 15-year-old South Carolina boy has been arrested after authorities say he yelled “snatch her up” at a young child getting off the school bus, causing the girl to run away. Greenville County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Flood said the teen yelled at someone he had just dropped off after seeing the […] Reported by Seattle Times 1 week ago.

BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) — A woman has been sentenced to six year in prison after authorities say her 6-year-old daughter was beaten to death. Court records show 27-year-old Dajaa Fields pleaded guilty Thursday to unlawful neglect of a child in the killing of her daughter, D’Naja in 2015 in Beaufort County. The girl’s father was […] Reported by Seattle Times 1 week ago.