RGV receives his civil engineering degree after 37 years

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RGV receives his civil engineering degree after 37 years

Engineering degree has been taken by the most famous filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma after 37 years he completed his B.Tech from Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur.

RGV, as the filmmaker is popularly known, took to Twitter to share a picture of his degree certificate and also his excitement.

“Super thrilled to receive my B tech degree today 37 years after I passed, which I never took in 1985 since I wasn’t interested in practicing civil engineering,” he tweeted. He thanked the university for the same.

The director had passed B Tech (civil engineering) with second class in the examination held in July 1985.

RGV also shared a picture with the professors of the university and wrote: “The uneducated me with the highly educated professors of Acharya Nagarjuna University.”

“I told the honorable vice chancellor Prof Raja Shekar garu I don’t deserve this honor but he insisted I do,” he added.

“Prof.Rajashekar garu..I usually feel horrible to be honored. But this time I truly felt honored to be with such honorable people on such an honor-filled occasion,” RGV wrote.

Sharing another picture taken while addressing the gathering, the director wrote: “Was trying to spoil Acharya Nagarjuna University students and scholars but they spoiled me.”

The 60-year-old made his debut in the Telugu film industry with the crime thriller Siva in 1989.

IND v AUS: KL Rahul gets a lot of balance into the team as a wicketkeeper, says T. Dilip

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IND v AUS: KL Rahul gets a lot of balance into the team as a wicketkeeper, says T. Dilip

With India all set to face Australia in ODIs from Friday at the Wankhede Stadium, it also means the restart of the preparations for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup.

As India gets back to the 50-over fold after winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series 2-1, it is likely that K.L Rahul will be back in the playing eleven as a wicketkeeper-batter, apart from being the number five batter, a role where he’s had plenty of success in last few years.

India’s fielding coach T Dilip also hinted at the same, citing the balance Rahul brings to the playing eleven in ODIs. “We all know that KL Rahul is a wonderful player. He has a proven record. Even in ODIs, in the middle-order, he has proven enough as a batter. As a wicketkeeper, he gets a lot of balance into the team.”

“Since he is not someone who has picked the gloves just now — he has been doing that since a younger age – he adds a lot of things. Not much difficult to work on his wicketkeeping skills, apart from refining a few aspects,” he said in the pre-series press conference.

Dilip, who has been India’s fielding coach after R Sridhar moved on post the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup, stated that improvements in fielding will continue to happen. “There are certain areas where we have certainly improved over a period of time. If you look at the number of direct-hit percentages in the (2022 T20) World Cup and that one direct hit from KL Rahul changed the course of the match.”

“That’s something we are looking at as a group and if you look at the overall ratio, even if there are no runouts, the number of times we have hit the stumps has improved a bit. That’s one area we will keep improving.”

Dilip has been part of the NCA setup and accompanied the Indian team for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021. He had worked with the Hyderabad Ranji team, India A, and junior teams for over 15 years.

“If you look at the last T20 World Cup, we had three wicketkeepers who played. That’s been a trend. If you see all the wicketkeeper-batters that are coming up in the lines, they have been fantastic batters too. That adds to the balance (of the team).”

“As a fielding coach, my responsibility is not only to work on their wicketkeeping skills, but also work on their fielding skills, so that whatever role the team requires according to the combination on that particular day, they are well equipped for that,” he added.

With all-rounder Hardik Pandya set to captain India in the first ODI as Rohit Sharma is unavailable due to personal reasons, Dilip thinks he can do the leadership job well in 50-over cricket after leading the team in various T20Is.

“When it comes to Hardik Pandya, he is the captain now officially. But he has been in our leadership group for all these matches and he’s already proven in T20s what he can bring to the table as a captain.”

“Irrespective of that, even if Rohit is the captain, he is part of our leadership group, and he adds a lot of value to the team. Not only you, but we all are also looking forward to him. He’s well-equipped to do it.”

Dilip signed off by saying the intensity that senior players like Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja bring while being excellent fielders is something that can have a good effect on the youngsters in the team.

“They (Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja) have proven over a period of time, they have been role models and examples in terms of what they can contribute in fielding. Players do look up to them. What special I see as a coach when they come to practice is the intensity. Even after proving themselves, they carry that intensity, which definitely rubs on to the youngsters.”

Speechless ‘Naatu Naatu’ singers have their fanboy moment with Rihanna

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Speechless ‘Naatu Naatu’ singers have their fanboy moment with Rihanna

Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj, singers of the Oscar-winning ‘Naatu Naatu’, were on cloud nine after meeting Rihanna on the sidelines of the 95th Academy Awards.

Kaala Bhairava shared a picture taken with the nine-time Grammy Award winner. Rahul Sipligunj and choreographer Prem Rakshith are also seen posing with the superstar singer.

“I was short of words when this happened. An artiste I always looked up to and admired deeply! My inspiration, the queen Rihanna,” he tweeted.

“Wanted to tell her how much I love ‘Stay’ and that I must’ve listened to it a million times. This memory is going to ‘stay’ in my heart forever,” he wrote.

Kaala Bhairava further wrote that the ‘Naatu Naatu’ team was literally spellbound when Rihanna performed last night.

The Barbadian singer performed her Oscar-nominated song ‘Lift Me Up’ from ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ at the awards gala.

Rihanna, who is expecting her second child, showed off her baby bump through a black sheer cut-out gown.

Meanwhile, Rahul Sipligunj also shared a picture taken separately with Rihanna.

“Wow! Met the most amazing lady with a very beautiful heart. Still in shock of seeing your humility, Rihanna, and how down to earth you are! Thank you so much for calling and appreciating our performance and Oscar win. It’s an emotional moment for me!” Rahul tweeted with the hashtag #mydreamcometrue.

After the award, it’s party time for ‘RRR’ team, courtesy Rajamouli

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After the award, it’s party time for ‘RRR’ team, courtesy Rajamouli

Post the awards ceremony, it is usually time to celebrate. And that is exactly what the RRR team did at director S.S. Rajamouli’s Los Angeles home on Monday.

Fresh from their win at the 95th Oscar Awards presentations, the ‘RRR’ team let the good times flow.

Pictures and videos from the after-event party show the cast and crew enjoying the hospitality of the director, who just can’t seem to stop grinning for a moment.

Actor Ram Charan’s wife Upasana took to her social media handles to share some of the magic moments at the after-event party. Needless to say, the pictures and videos are being lapped up by ‘RRR’ fans.

One of the videos has an ecstatic Keeravani playing the piano with the cast and crew listening in enthusiastically.

In another video clip, actor Ram Charan is seen striking a pose with the Oscar and all the other awards that ‘RRR’ has won so far.

All in all, the Oscars are the culmination of a great Indian cinematic journey that began almost a year ago on March 24 with a fantastic box office performance, went on to win a Golden Globe award, and ended on a high note with an Oscar on March 13.

Oscar-winning ‘Elephant Whisperers’ shot at Theppakadu camp, oldest in Asia

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Oscar-winning ‘Elephant Whisperers’ shot at Theppakadu camp, oldest in Asia

The Oscar-winning short documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ was shot in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu.

The Theppakadu Elephant Camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is the oldest elephant camp in Asia and was established 105 years back.

Situated on the banks of river Moyar, it presently has 28 elephants. A dedicated bunch of Mahouts is providing training and care to these elephants.

The director of the movie, Kartiki Gonsalves had stayed in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve for five long years to shoot the documentary and it paid off taking her to an Oscar victory.

The movie, which is 41 minutes duration, explores the tentative and precious bond between an orphaned elephant Raghu and his caretakers, a mahout couple, Bomman and Bellie.

The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, of which the Theppekadu Elephant camp is part, has a good population of the indigenous Kattunaykan tribes to which Bommie and Bellie belong.

The Theppakadu Elephant Camp rehabilitates rogue elephants that enter human habitations and enter into conflict with people. These elephants are given proper training at these camps and converted to Kumki elephants.

The elephants in the camp are also used to drive away problematic elephants that enter into human surroundings. Mahouts Kirumaran and Wasim have trained two rogue elephants Moorthy and Easwaran into good formidable animals that have become much gentler.

Moorthy had killed 22 people as a wild Tusker and has been captured and rehabilitated at the Theppakadu Camp. Kirumaran said that Moorthy is so gentle that he lets his grandchildren play with the elephant these days.

However, Wasim, the Mahout of Easwaran, sounded a word of caution and said that he had suffered injuries thrice while handling Easwaran.

Lost in translation: Section of Kerala media muddles up Keeravani’s reference to Carpenters

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Lost in translation: Section of Kerala media muddles up Keeravani’s reference to Carpenters

Haste can sometimes create problems as a section of the Malayalam media ended up making up a major goof-up when translating the Oscar-winning music director M.M. Keeravani’s reference to Carpenters.

Keeravani, in his remarks from the dais after his name was announced as the winner, said that he grew up hearing the Carpenters, referring to the popular US pop duo of two siblings.

But in order to be first with the news, a few vernacular media outlets reported that Keeravani grew up hearing the sounds of a carpenter working on wood.

Social media went to town with this erroneous translation by a section of media.

Hemlata is a complicated character to play: Ratna Pathak Shah on ‘Happy Family…’

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Hemlata is a complicated character to play: Ratna Pathak Shah on ‘Happy Family…’

Veteran actress and director Ratna Pathak Shah, who is remembered for playing snobbish socialite woman Maya Sarabhai in the popular sitcom ‘Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai’, is happy to collaborate with Jamnadas Majethia and Aatish Kapadia again for the web series ‘Happy Family: Conditions Apply’.

However, she said that this time her character Hemlata is going to be completely different from Maya Sarabhai.

She shared: “Hemlata is a complicated character to play, it’s not easy as Maya Sarabhai, it’s also not one dimensional so it definitely was a challenge, when Atish narrated and as the episode progressed the character too was having a good graph, both characters of Hemlata and Maya are outspoken in their own completely different ways, And I hope this character works out she is not smooth but yet she is charming.”

The 65-year-old actress has done theatre, films, and TV. She has been part of several well-known Hindi and English plays. She has also been part of the romantic comedy ‘Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Naa, the action comedy ‘Golmaal 3’, the family drama ‘Kapoor & Sons, the black-comedy ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’, romantic comedy, ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’, among others.

She added further about being part of this web series and working with Jamnadas Majethia (JD) and Aatish Kapadia.

“This series is a rather unusual concept where you’re swinging from something pretty serious and valuable socially to something absolutely ridiculous and this constant swinging keeps happening. Aatish is much more assured as a writer as well as a director and he’s much more willing to take risks and experiment more. JD has also grown greatly as a producer. His confidence and his ability to keep a team going and keep them happy together have also grown manifold,” she added.

‘Happy Family: Conditions Apply’ is a story of four generations and shows how in joint families there is a conflict between modern and traditional values and how dysfunctional they are at certain times.

The series stars an ensemble cast comprising Ratna Pathak Shah, Raj Babbar, Atul Kulkarni, Ayesha Julka, Raunaq Kamdar, Meenal Sahu, Sanah Kapur, and Ahaan Saboo in pivotal roles. It is created by Jamnadas Majethia and Aatish Kapadia, under the banner Hats Off Productions.

The first four episodes are streaming now on Prime Video, followed by two new episodes released until March 31.

Freebies worth Rs 1 cr: That’s inside the goodie bag each Oscar nominee gets

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Freebies worth Rs 1 cr: That’s inside the goodie bag each Oscar nominee gets

All the nominees in the 2023 Oscar get a swag bag whether they win the Academy honors or not. The bag has a diverse array of goodies varying from small businesses to world-renowned brands.

A Los Angels based marketing company Distinctive Assets has been distributing gift bags to Oscar nominees since 2002 but is unaffiliated with the Academy.

The ‘Everyone wins’ gift bags are estimated to be worth a whopping $1,26,000 this year.

This year the bag has over 60 items and is filled with several beauty and lifestyle gifts, it has tickets for luxury vacations that include a $40,000 getaway to a Canadian estate named ‘The Lifestyle’. It also includes a stay for eight people including friends and relatives in an Italian lighthouse.

The gift also has a symbolic souvenir for a piece of land in Queensland, Australia.

The gift bag also includes a $25,000 coupon for project management and a home restoration fee from Maison construction. There are coupons for lipo arm sculpting, facelift, and hair restoration services.

There will be a Havaianas suitcase this year to deliver the gifts and 50 percent of the products reportedly come from companies that are women and minority-owned.

The gift packs will have skin care products from Miage, a silk pillowcase from Blush Silks, a travel pillow from PETA, and products from Ariadne Athens Skin Wellness, Daily Energy Cards, Kind Reason Co, Rarete Studios, ReFa, Proflexa, Oxygenetix, and many others.

The gift pack that comprises of least expensive gifts includes a pack of Clif Thins priced at $13.56 and an $18 loaf of Japanese milk bread from Ginza Nishikawa.

Even as the products and services in the bag come for free, the recipient will have to pay taxes for it as it is considered as income.

Interestingly the company Distinctive Assets had a direct confrontation with the Academy awards committee in 2016 when the gift bag had marijuana vape pens, sex toys, and a vampire breast lift. The Academy does not want to link with it and hence Distinctive Assets can no longer use the trademark of the Academy.

Another controversy of 2016 was that it included a gift hamper for a $55,000 vacation to Israel that come from the Israel tourism ministry and the travel company ExploreIsrael.com. Several organizations came out against this which include Jewish Voice For Peace, and the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation.

It may be noted that the 2020 gift bag is rated as the most expensive and is estimated at $225,000. The gifts included a 24K gold Royal Charka bath bomb, a 24K gold vape pen from Hollowtips, and a $20,000 one-year membership to a matchmaking service.

Oscars 2023: Shantanu-Nikhil outfit for Ram Charan; Upasana’s silk made with recycled scrap

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Oscars 2023: Shantanu-Nikhil outfit for Ram Charan; Upasana’s silk made with recycled scrap

Tollywood star Ram Charan and his wife Upasana, who attended the Oscar presentations and witnessed the momentous occasion, caught the eye, dressed to the hilt in Indian sartorial elegance.

In a reflection of his character in ‘RRR’, Ram Charan came outfitted in an ensemble from Shantanu & Nikhil styled by Nikita Jaisinghani.

“Ram is playing the character of a fighter, who empowers the ones in need, and stands strong for his beliefs. The ensemble has military nuances, which have always been the signature of Shantanu & Nikhil’s ethos. The bandhgala has customized Chakra button, and medallion-inspired brooches, layered over the classic S&N feminine drape kurta with a gender fluid twist that celebrates the new India and goes beyond borders, the designers elaborated.

The event also had Upasana Kamineni Konidela in attendance with her husband Ram Charan to support and cheer Team RRR’s nomination at the Oscars. She was elegantly attired in a sustainable customized ivory silk saree made using hand-woven silk, of spun fabric, created from recycled scraps, designed by Hyderabad-based designer, Jayanti Reddy.

On RRR’s historic win at the Oscars, Upasana Kamineni Konidela said: “We are immensely proud to represent India in this glorious win at the Oscars. It has been a long time coming and is a testament to all the hard work that the RRR team has put in, as well as a tribute to Indian talent worldwide. Here’s for you India!”

‘An unforgettable day for Indians’: Tollywood celebrates Oscar for ‘RRR’

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‘An unforgettable day for Indians’: Tollywood celebrates Oscar for ‘RRR’

Tollywood is celebrating the historic achievement of Rajamouli’s epic movie ‘RRR’ at the 95th Academy Awards. Several Telugu film stars and celebrities conveyed their compliments to the ‘RRR’ team Monday after the award for Best Original Song category was announced.

“Congratulations to the entire team of ‘RRR’ movie on bringing Indian cinema glory,” tweeted veteran Tollywood director K. Raghavendra Rao under whose tutelage Rajamouli had begun his movie career.”

“And there you go… NAATU NAATU!! Crossing all boundaries!! Congratulations to @mmkeeravaani garu, @boselyricist, and the entire team of #RRR on their phenomenal win at the Oscars!! A jubilant moment for Indian cinema” stated Tollywood star, Mahesh Babu. He also praised ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ team.

“Congratulations to the entire team of #TheElephantWhisperers on winning the Best Documentary Short…a fantastic film and another phenomenal win,” Mahesh Babu noted.

“We’ve created history. An unforgettable day for Indians,” stated Tollywood’s Mass Maharaja, Ravi Teja.

Star and politician, Pawan Kalyan, who also happens to be Ram Charan’s uncle, also complimented the ‘RRR’ team on Monday. Similarly, NTR Jr’s uncle and star Balakrishna also expressed happiness over ‘Naatu Naatu’ earning global recognition.

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