Active Covid caseload in India crosses 1L-mark after 4 months

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Active Covid caseload in India crosses 1L-mark after 4 months

India reported 18,819 new Covid cases in a span of 24 hours, which is a considerable rise from the previous day’s count of 14,506, taking the caseload to over one lakh mark after a gap of four months, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs.

In the same period, the country reported 39 more Covid deaths, taking the nationwide death toll to 5,25,116.

The active caseload has also surged to 1,04,555 cases, accounting for 0.24 percent of the country’s total positive cases. The last time the active Covid caseload crossed the one lakh mark was on February 28 when it reached 1,02,601.

The recovery of 13,827 patients in the last 24 hours took the cumulative tally to 4,28,22,493. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.55 percent.

Meanwhile, India’s daily positivity rate has also surged to 4.16 percent, while the weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 3.72 percent.

Also in the same period, a total of 4,52,430 tests were conducted across the country, increasing the overall tally to over 86.23 crores.

As of Thursday morning, India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 197.61 crores, achieved via 2,57,19,005 sessions.

Over 3.66 crore adolescents have been administered a first dose of Covid-19 jab since the beginning of the vaccination drive for this age bracket.

 

K’taka man kills son, dumps body in the water tank over IPL betting addiction

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K’taka man kills son, dumps body in the water tank over IPL betting addiction

A 32-year-old man allegedly smothered his 12-year-old son and dumped the body in a water tank here, police said on Thursday. The boy had revealed his father’s IPL betting addiction to his mother.

The accused has been identified as Manikanta, a barber. According to police, Nikhil Kumar had told about his father’s addiction to IPL betting and huge financial losses incurred to his mother which infuriated the accused.

According to police, the accused had lost huge money during the IPL season on betting. The victim Nikhil noticed many money lenders coming to his father’s shop and asking for repayments.

He had shared this information with his mother who questioned the accused which led to a major fight between the couple.

Enraged over it, the accused took his son on a motorcycle on Tuesday on the pretext of dropping him to school and committing the crime. Police said that he had smothered the boy to death near the water tank of Setty Madamangala village in the Kolar district. Later, he dumped the body into the water tank.

The police initially presumed it to be a case of drowning and the accused feigned ignorance. However, on being grilled, he confessed to the crime.

Further investigation is on.

Man kills 2 daughters as wife elopes with paramour in K’taka

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Man kills 2 daughters as wife elopes with paramour in K’taka

A man was arrested for killing his daughters after his wife eloped with her paramour in the Kalaburagi district, police said on Thursday.

Lakshmikantha (34), a resident of Bhovi Galli in Bamboo Bazar of Kalaburagi, was an auto driver by profession.

According to police, the accused had married Anjali after falling in love with her. The couple had four children together. His wife had eloped with her paramour four months ago.

The accused suffered from severe mental trauma and got into an agitated mindset since then. He also took alcohol. After the woman eloped, the children lived at their grandmother’s place.

On Tuesday, Lakshmikantha went to meet his children and took two of them — Soni (10) and Mayuri (8) — to a park within the limits of M.B. Nagar police station and smothered them to death in his vehicle.

Investigations revealed that the accused had dumped the bodies of his children below the back seat and roamed all over the city. Police also say that many people had traveled in his auto not having any idea of two bodies beneath their seat.

He had roamed all over the city till Wednesday afternoon and later turned himself in to the police.

Further investigation is on.

 

5 women burnt alive as high tension power lines fall on three wheeler in AP

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5 women burnt alive as high tension power lines fall on three wheeler in AP

At least five women were reportedly burnt alive in Andhra Pradesh’s Satyasai when high tension power lines snapped and fell on a three-wheeler vehicle passing by.

All the victims were farm laborers who were traveling from Gundampalli to work in the sweet lime farms at Chillakondayyapalli in the district.

One survivor was rushed to a hospital in Dharmavaram town. His condition is stated to be serious.

Police have reached the spot and registered a case.

Further investigation into the mishap is underway.

 

UP: Elder sister gets sibling raped, murdered by friends

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UP: Elder sister gets sibling raped, murdered by friends

In a shocking revelation, it has been found that a 19-year-old sister was responsible for the gang rape and murder of her 12-year-old sibling in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district.

The elder sister was in a relationship with a youth and the victim came to know about the affair.

The elder sister asked her boyfriend and five of his friends to ‘teach a lesson’ to the victim.

A 12-year-old girl was gang-raped and brutally murdered by six men who gouged her eyes out, before strangling her with a dupatta.

The minor’s mutilated body was found in a cane field.

The police said that the elder sister herself took her sibling to the site where her six friends were waiting to commit the crime.

Four of them took turns raping her while two ensured that no one entered the field.

The woman allegedly held the victim’s hands to restrain her the entire time.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Sanjeev Suman, said, “The incident reveals the extent of hatred in the accused’s mind for her younger sister. After her sister was murdered, she returned home and behaved as if everything was normal. When her parents started searching for their missing daughter, she told her mother that she had gone to a particular cane field to relieve herself.”

“All the accused are adults and have been arrested and sent to jail,” the SP added.

 

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin congratulates Suriya on being invited by the Academy

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Tamil Nadu CM Stalin congratulates Suriya on being invited by the Academy

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin congratulated actor Suriya, who on Wednesday became the first actor from south India to receive an invite from the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the Oscar Awards each year, to join it in 2022.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, while congratulating Suriya, said, the latter had become the first south Indian actor to receive an invite from the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which determines the winners of the Oscar Awards each year, to be a part of it.

The invite, the Chief Minister said, was a recognition of Suriya’s evolved acting skills and his choice of stories that were focused on societal well-being.

Late on Tuesday, the Academy released the list of 397 distinguished artists and executives it had invited to join the organization in 2022.

Membership selection, the Academy said, was based on professional qualifications, “with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion, and equity.”

This year’s class of invitees includes 71 Oscar nominees, including 15 winners.

 

Kartik Aaryan was overwhelmed by the global response to ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ on OTT

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Kartik Aaryan was overwhelmed by the global response to ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ on OTT

Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan says he feels overwhelmed by the response he is receiving from the global audience after his latest film “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” was released on the OTT platform Netflix.

The film was released in the theatre on May 20 and received huge success at the box office. Now that the film is released on Netflix, and is topping the list of non-English films among the global audience, Kartik said: “It’s been absolutely surreal to see the support from my fans, and so exciting to witness the appreciation pouring in from audiences all around the world.

“Our film is trending as the number one Non-English film globally and in 19 countries since its release on Netflix. BB2 continues to get so much love in cinemas even today and it feels even more special when this love becomes universal and people around the world are connecting to it through the internet and breaking the language barrier.”

Adding to that, producer Bhushan Kumar said: “My heart is full of gratitude as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 becomes the #1 non-English film globally on Netflix. It’s wonderful to see audiences in 190 countries enjoying the film on Netflix, and we hope to continue entertaining more and more fans in different parts of the world!”

The horror-comedy, starring Kartik Aaryan, Tabu, Kiara Advani, Rajpal Yadav, and Sanjay Mishra among others.

 

SS Rajamouli launches trailer of Lavanya Tripathi-starrer ‘Happy Birthday’

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SS Rajamouli launches trailer of Lavanya Tripathi-starrer ‘Happy Birthday’

‘RRR’ director S.S. Rajamouli on Wednesday launched the theatrical trailer of Lavanya Tripathi-starrer ‘Happy Birthday’.

“Ritesh Rana ‘s surreal comedy and @kaalabhairava7’s intoxicating music. A potent combination for a box office success. Ritesh is creating a niche for himself. Fantastic trailer. My best wishes to @Itslavanya and others. #HappyBirthday,” Rajamouli wrote on social media, as he shared the trailer of ‘Happy Birthday’.

The trailer shows a tavern where no one is allowed unless they carry a gun, introducing the viewers to the crazy world of weapons.

The main protagonists of the movie make an attempt to snatch a lighter with diamond accents. Well, aside from introducing the major characters, the trailer pretty much sums up the humor in the story.

The ‘Happy Birthday’ theatrical teaser teases the non-stop excitement that moviegoers can expect in the theatres. Even though the plot appears to lack any semblance of logic, it is obvious that Ritesh Rana’s frictional fragmentation is intended to amuse the viewer.

Written and directed by Ritesh Rana, and starring Lavanya Tripathi and Vennela Kishore in lead roles, ‘Happy Birthday’ is scheduled to premiere on July 8.

Is ‘KGF’ star Yash doing a cameo in Prabhas-starrer ‘Salaar’? Rumours abound!

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Is ‘KGF’ star Yash doing a cameo in Prabhas-starrer ‘Salaar’? Rumours abound!

Of late, there have been talks that ‘KGF’ actor Yash will make a brief appearance in Prabhas’ most-anticipated action-thriller ‘Salaar’. Insiders claim that director Prashant Neel has a ploy for ‘Salaar’, in which he could accommodate ‘Rocky Bhai’ Yash in a cameo alongside Prabhas.

If the rumors are confirmed, it will be South India’s biggest collaboration, as both pan-India stars Prabhas and Yash will be seen in a single frame. As the talks about this possible cameo of Yash in ‘Salaar’ has sparked discussions online, folks think it would be a wonderful treat for the fans and audience to see the legends together on screen.

‘Salaar’ is being made under the banner of Hombale Films, with Vijay Kiragandur producing the movie on a large scale. The film will see Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sruthi Haasan, and Jagapathi Babu playing significant roles. Prabhas will be seen in an unusual role, while Prashanth Neel will direct the big-ticket movie.

Bavuma ruled out of SA’s entire tour of England; Miller, Maharaj named stand-in skippers

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Bavuma ruled out of SA’s entire tour of England; Miller, Maharaj named stand-in skippers

South Africa’s white-ball captain Temba Bavuma Thursday has been ruled out of the team’s entire tour to England after sustaining an elbow injury during the five-match T20I series in India. In Bavuma’s absence, Keshav Maharaj and David Miller will take over the reins and lead the ODI and T20I teams respectively.

Bavuma had sustained the elbow injury during the fourth T20I against India in Rajkot, forcing him to retire hurt for eight, and was ruled out of the series decider at Bengaluru, which was abandoned due to rain. In its official statement, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said Bavuma’s projected recovery time from the elbow injury is eight weeks, whereafter his return to play program will begin.

“The T20 format is a high priority for us at the moment because of ICC T20 World Cup coming up in a few short months in Australia. We are looking to give opportunities to players that we are interested in seeing and working out the best combinations, while also trying to balance our desire to maintain enough consistency within the setup that the players are used to playing together as a team by the time they reach Australia for the World Cup. This series will go a long way in helping us achieve all of those objectives,” said Victor Mpitsang, CSA Convenor of Selectors.

In other selection news, young pacer Gerald Coetzee has been handed his maiden call-up to the T20I squad with all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo making a return too. Hard-hitting batter Rilee Rossouw has also been recalled to the T20I squad for the first time since the 2016 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India.

Rossouw, 32, who had signed a Kolpak deal with Hampshire later in 2016, has scored 498 runs in 12 Vitality T20 Blast matches for Somerset this year, with six half-centuries, an average of 55.33, and a strike rate of 191.53. Pacer Kagiso Rabada will be rested for the ODI series as part of his workload management.

“This will be a very long tour for several members of the team who will participate in all three formats and the entire coaching and support staff. On behalf of the Selection panel, I would like to wish Mark (Boucher), our two stand-in, white ball captains, Keshav (Maharaj) and David (Miller) and Test captain, Dean (Elgar), all the very best for the tour. We anticipate exciting matches and nail-biting finishes against a strong opposing team that I know our Proteas enjoy facing off against,” added Mpitsang.

South Africa’s tour of England will run from July 19 to September 12, consisting of three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), as many T20Is and Tests respectively apart from two T20Is against Ireland to be played in Bristol.

“With ICC World Test Championship points at stake, the team has everything to play for. While the ODI series is not for Super League points, the 50-over format is of vital importance as we look ahead to the 2023 ICC World Cup in India. The combinations tried and the performances we yielded will go a long way in our build-up to that tournament,” concluded Mpitsang.

Proteas ODI Squad: Keshav Maharaj (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo and Kyle Verreynne.

Proteas T20I Squad: David Miller (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs and Rassie van der Dussen.

Proteas Test Squad: Dean Elgar (captain), Sarel Erwee, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne (wicketkeeper), Khaya Zondo and Glenton Stuurman.

 

Khushbu urges caution in reporting Vidyasagar’s death

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Khushbu urges caution in reporting Vidyasagar’s death

producer and politician Khushbu Sundar on Wednesday urged the media to report responsibly after a section of it wrongly reported that Vidyasagar, the husband of actress Meena, had passed away due to Covid.

Vidyasagar (48) had been admitted to a private hospital in Chennai for a lung ailment.

Taking to Twitter, the actress said, “I very humbly request the media to be (a) little responsible. Meena’s husband had Covid three months back. Covid worsened his lung condition. Please do not send out the wrong message and create any kind of fear or cause flutter by saying we lost Sagar to Covid. Yes, we need to be cautious, but please.”

The actress also expressed her condolences to the actress and her family.

She wrote, “Waking up to terrible news. Heartbroken to learn actor Meena’s husband, Sagar, is no more with us. He was battling a lung ailment for a long. My heart goes out to Meena and her young daughter. Life is cruel. At a loss of words to express grief. My deepest condolences to the family. #RIP”

The funeral of Vidyasagar is to take place on Wednesday at the Besant Nagar Crematorium in Chennai.

Actress Pavitra Lokesh lodges complaint with K’taka Cyber police

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Actress Pavitra Lokesh lodges complaint with K’taka Cyber police

Multilingual actress from Karnataka Pavitra Lokesh, who is in news for alleged links with Tollywood actor and Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu’s brother, has lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police in Mysuru, police said on Wednesday.

She has stated in her complaint that many fake accounts have been created in her name and defamatory posts have come up in those accounts. Lokesh has also stated that miscreants after creating fake accounts are spreading rumours and false news about her.

The cyber crime police have lodged a complaint in this regard and taken up the investigation. Pavitra Lokesh, daughter of senior Kannada actor Late Mysuru Lokesh, is an established small-screen as well as a big-screen actor in Kannada and Telugu languages.

She has made a mark in both industries as a character artist. Her husband Suchendra Prasad and brother Aadi Lokesh have also established actors in the Kannada film industry.

It was rumoured that Tollywood actor Naresh is in relation with Pavitra Lokesh. Naresh has already been married 3 times and divorced three times. Pavitra Lokesh has divorced her first husband and is presently living with her second husband.

The rumours and media reports claim that Pavitra Lokesh and Naresh have married secretly.

 

‘Shamshera’ director is chuffed with the response to film’s trailer

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‘Shamshera’ director is chuffed with the response to film’s trailer

Karan Malhotra, the director of the upcoming Ranbir Kapoor-Sanjay Dutt starrer period actioner ‘Shamshera’ is thrilled with the response to the film’s trailer and has assured us that the key video unit is just the tip of the iceberg as it doesn’t reveal much about the story.

Elaborating on the same, Karan, who made his directorial debut with the 2012 action-drama ‘Agnipath’, said in a statement, “I’m overwhelmed and humbled by the response that we have got for ‘Shamshera’. It validates that Hindi cinema, told in its most genuine and most authentic form, will always connect to the people who want to witness a big-screen spectacle. Adi’s unconditional belief in my vision and an outstanding creative collaboration with my cast and crew have brought this revenge-action entertainer to life.”

He adds, “What thrills me is that the trailer is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to Shamshera than what the audiences have seen in the trailer. So many more layers, so many more characters, and so many more mysteries will unfold when they watch this splendor on the big screen.”

Ranbir Kapoor, who returns to the silver screen four years after his last release ‘Sanju’, is playing a larger-than-life quintessential Hindi film hero in the film. Ranbir is mightily impressed with the trailer as without giving out important aspects of the film’s plot, the trailer has made such a huge impact.

The actor said, “As an artist when you and the entire team put in all the hard work trying to make a big-screen visual spectacle, it is always heartening and validating to see such unanimously positive responses. I have to congratulate the captain of the ship, Karan Malhotra, YRF, and the entire team of ‘Shamshera’ at this moment. It’s a really special feeling for all of us. But what’s most exciting is that the trailer doesn’t give us the entire story.”

“It has been intelligently handled because the trailer is not linear. It hardly tells you anything about Shamshera’s life. It doesn’t tell you anything about Balli’s emotional arc. It doesn’t show Sanjay Dutt’s insane villainy and the havoc he wreaks. For that, you have to wait for the film”, he added.

‘Shamshera’ is set in the fictitious city of Kaza, where a warrior tribe is imprisoned, enslaved, and tortured by a ruthless authoritarian general Shuddh Singh. It tells the story of the titular character, who became a slave, a slave who became a leader, and then a legend for his tribe. He relentlessly fights for his tribe’s freedom and dignity.

The film, produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of YRF, is set to release theatrically in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu on July 22, 2022.

 

Tollywood singer couple deny rumours of separation with humorous posts

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Tollywood singer couple deny rumours of separation with humorous posts

For the past few days, Telugu media has been buzzing with rumours that Tollywood singing duo Vedala Hemachandra and Sravana Bhargavi are about to call it quits on their nine-year marriage.

Now that the couple has dismissed the rumours, they have come up with quirky posts on their socials.

Hemachandra, a renowned playback singer and dubbing artist, has finally spoken out about reports that he and his wife Sravana Bhargavi, a well-known singer and TV anchor, are divorcing.

Hemachandra posted a humorous message on his Instagram account to deny all the rumours. “Unnecessary, irrelevant, stupid information spreads much faster than my independent songs”, Hemachandra’s topsy-turvy Instagram post reads.

Hemachandra’s wife, a singer too, Sravana Bhargavi, took to her Instagram to covey, “In the past few days, My Youtube views have gone up, My Instagram followers have increased, I’m getting more work than I usually do, I’m earning more than I usually do. Good call. Right or wrong, Media is a blessing Random Thought (sic)”

The couple tagged each other in their individual reactions to the split rumours, so they may now anticipate a calmer and more subdued response from the media.

Mahesh Babu, wife Namrata Shirodkar meet Bill Gates

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Mahesh Babu, wife Namrata Shirodkar meet Bill Gates

Telugu star Mahesh Babu has met Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the US. Bill Gates, Mahesh, and his wife Namrata Shirodkar posed for a picture together.

The ‘Maharshi’ actor, posted the picture of himself and his wife Namrata with Bill Gates, on his socials, and stated, “Had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bill Gates! One of the greatest visionaries this world has seen and yet the most humble! Truly an inspiration!!”

Mahesh Babu is now on vacation in the United States. His wife and kids have been showing off pictures from their trip over the last few days. Mahesh Babu’s recent pictures from the vacation, have been trending on social media platforms for a while now.

On the work front, Mahesh Babu just scored a super hit with the movie ‘Sarkaru Vaari Paata’, and will next be directed by ‘Ala Vaikunthapuramu Loo’ fame Trivikram Srinivas. Mahesh also has a movie with SS Rajamouli.

 

Kamal Haasan’s blockbuster ‘Vikram’ hits OTT on July 8

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Kamal Haasan’s blockbuster ‘Vikram’ hits OTT on July 8

Kamal Hassan-starrer ‘Vikram’, which is still going strong even after grossing Rs 400 crore in box office collections worldwide, will have its worldwide OTT premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on July 8.

‘Vikram’, which has been showered with praises from people, continues to hog the spotlight. The movie hasn’t just impressed Indian trade circles alone but has left even International markets awestruck as well.

Written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the Kamal Haasan-Vijay Sethupathi-Fahadh Faasil-Suriya starrer had its worldwide theatrical release on June 3, 2022.

The movie had a blockbuster opening and the theatres soon became a place of carnival, with the scenario of house-full shows continuing, even three-four weeks after the release.

‘Vikram’ has broken several box office records and has officially become the number one top grosser in Tamil Nadu. This is a fact that has been confirmed by the producers, distributors and exhibitors.

And now, the movie is to have its worldwide OTT premiere on Disney+ Hotstar, from July 8 onwards. The film will be available in Tamil, Telugu & Hindi from July 8.

 

Actors Jayam Ravi, Vishal, Khushbu condole Vidyasagar’s demise

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Actors Jayam Ravi, Vishal, Khushbu condole Vidyasagar’s demise

Actors Jayam Ravi, Vishal, and Khushbu Sundar were among scores of people who condoled the demise of actress Meena’s husband, Vidyasagar, which has left the film industry shocked and deeply saddened.

Taking to Twitter, Jayam Ravi said, “Rest in Peace my friend Sagar. You fought so bravely. My heart goes out to Meena and Nainika. Our prayers to overcome this loss.”

Actor Vishal too expressed his condolences. He tweeted, “Really disheartening to hear the news that actress Meena’s husband is no more! My heartfelt condolences to Meena.
May you stay strong and may his soul rest in peace.”

Actress Khushbu Sundar said she was heartbroken to learn of the news. Taking to Twitter, she wrote, “Waking up to terrible news. Heartbroken to learn actor Meena’s husband, Sagar, is no more with us. He was battling a lung ailment for a long. Heart goes out to Meena and her young daughter. Life is cruel. At a loss of words to express grief. Deepest condolences to the family.”

Scores of others too have been expressing their condolences to the family.

Vidyasagar, aged 48, passed away at a private hospital in the city on Tuesday night.

Sources close to the actress said that Vidyasagar was diagnosed with a lung ailment in March this year and had to be treated for it. Prior to that, he was down with Covid 19 but had managed to recover from it. Vidyasagar’s health who was hospitalised for treatment of his lung problem, deteriorated on Tuesday night and he passed away at around 7 pm.

His funeral is to take place on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Gautham Vasudev Menon’s ‘Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu’ to release on Sep 15

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Gautham Vasudev Menon’s ‘Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu’ to release on Sep 15

Director Gautham Vasudev Menon’s much-awaited action entertainer ‘Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu’, starring Silambarasan TR and Siddhi Idnani in the lead, will hit screens on September 15 this year.

Director Gautham Vasudev Menon took to Twitter to make the announcement. He posted the link to the release announcement teaser and said, “‘Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu’ – We have a date with all of you. VTK on September 15th in theatres! Produced by Vels Film International Ishari K Ganesh.

Shooting for the film was wrapped up in Mumbai in April, after which post-production work began.

The action-thriller movie traverses through the life of a young man from a village in Tamil Nadu, whose life takes a turn after moving to Mumbai. The film has been majorly shot in Tiruchendur, Chennai, and Mumbai.

Siddhi Idnani plays Silambarasan TR’s love interest in this film which will also feature Neeraj Madhav of ‘The Family Man’ fame and Radhika Sarathkumar, among others.

The film has cinematography by Siddhartha Nuni and editing by Anthony.

 

Emotional moment, says hockey stalwart Sushila Chanu as she gears up for maiden World Cup match

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Emotional moment, says hockey stalwart Sushila Chanu as she gears up for maiden World Cup match

Hockey stalwart Sushila Chanu is happy that she will finally make her maiden World Cup appearance on July 3 when India takes on England in their first Pool B match here.

Despite having played 208 matches for the country, and represented India in back-to-back Olympics Games besides having won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, South Korea, the Manipur-born midfielder missed the opportunity to play in the 2018 World Cup due to injury.

“In 2018, I missed playing the World Cup in London due to an injury. Subsequently, I struggled with a form which resulted in me missing out on the Asian Games in Jakarta that year. It was perhaps one of the biggest lows of my career. It was a difficult phase but I was determined to overcome it and earn my place in the squad again,” said Sushila on Wednesday.

After missing out on the 2018 Asian Games, where India won silver, and the World Cup the same year, where India made the quarterfinals, Sushila returned with a bang and has become a strong force in the team’s growth over the past four years.

She was part of India’s victory at the FIH Series Finals as well as the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in Bhubaneswar. She also played a key role at the Tokyo Olympics and was then featured in India’s line-up at the Women’s Asia Cup in 2021.

Sushila achieved her 200th international cap while representing India at the FIH Women’s Pro League 2021/22 where India finished third.

“I am very happy and excited to have this opportunity to represent India at the World Cup. For many of my teammates, it’s their second outing at the World Cup but for me, it’s a first. It is an emotional moment for me and I surely believe it will be a memorable one for us,” she said on the sidelines of the team’s practice match against Chile in Amstelveen.

Speaking about the mood in the camp ahead of the clash against England, Sushila said, “We arrived in Amstelveen soon after our Pro League matches ended in Rotterdam last week. We have had enough time to settle into the team hotel and also have been training at the World Cup venue.

“Definitely everyone is pumped up and looking forward to giving their 100 per cent. The Netherlands is a fantastic venue for hockey and the hosts have created a great atmosphere for the participating teams. We are all looking forward to our first match and a good start against England is what we need,” added Chanu.

 

Agarkar wants either Pujara or Vihari to open the batting with Gill at Edgbaston

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Agarkar wants either Pujara or Vihari to open the batting with Gill at Edgbaston

The equation for India’s opening pair ahead of the rescheduled fifth and final Test at Edgbaston is pretty straightforward: if captain Rohit Sharma makes a miraculous recovery from Covid-19, he will open the batting. If not, then India can look towards other options in the squad like Cheteshwar Pujara, KS Bharat, or Mayank Agarwal.

Pujara had opened the innings for India seven times previously in Test cricket, with the last instance coming during the second Test against New Zealand in Mumbai last year when Gill was injured. Vihari, meanwhile, opened the innings only once during the Boxing Day Test against Australia at Melbourne in 2018 but looked scratchy while making 3, 20 and 26 in the warm-up match against Leicestershire.

Agarwal has been a specialist opener since his Test debut in 2018 but he will be getting only practice sessions as preparation after flying in to England from India on Monday. Former India all-rounder Ajit Agarkar said he would like to see either Pujara or Hanuma Vihari open the batting alongside Gill if Sharma isn’t fit in time for the Edgbaston Test starting from Friday.

“I know KS Bharat got some runs in the warm-up game. The team management will probably have a look at how prepared Mayank Agarwal is after joining the team. I don’t know if he has enough time to prepare for this one-off Test. With Rohit in isolation, I believe experience will help in opening, whether it is Vihari or Pujara, who has been around for a long time.

“Vihari has already opened for India a couple of times. So, that would be my pick, one of those two if Mayank doesn’t look quite ready as he didn’t have enough time in the nets and is clearly not going to get any (practice) games now. In my opinion, it’s better to go with a little bit more experience because it is a one-off Test,” said Agarkar in a virtual interaction organised by Sony Sports.

Bharat, picked as the second wicketkeeper-batter in the squad, had an impressive outing in the warm-up match against Leicestershire. In the first innings, he impressed with his application and stroke-play in top-scoring with 70 not out while batting in the middle order, when rest of the Indian batters failed to make a substantial score. In the second innings, he made 43 while opening the batting against a bowling attack which included Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Navdeep Saini.

“With Pujara being back in top-order and Vihari having couple of good Tests against Sri Lanka at home while batting at number three, he’s got runs which is what he could do. He was given an opportunity in warm-up, so he put his name up there. Whether he gets the nod or not, I am sure there will be discussion around it within the team management. But the good thing is, at least he got some runs under his belt if he does get that opportunity,” observed Agarkar.

After being left out for the home series against Sri Lanka, Pujara got back into the Test side after scoring 720 runs in eight innings for Sussex in the early part of County Championship Division Two, including four centuries, at a whopping average of 120. He also made 203 against Durham at Hove in April, in a bowling attack which also had England pacer Matthew Potts, who picked 14 wickets in an impressive debut series against New Zealand.

“It was a good thing for the Indian team that he was there and playing in those conditions. We don’t quite know the conditions he had countered but I am sure that there has been enough seam and swing for a month or so that he’s been there. Also, he has got the experience, 90-odd Tests (95), which is a terrific career.

“It’s come at the right time also as it’s a one-off Test and not many Indian batters have been playing in these conditions. It is an advantage and facing England bowlers will be a tougher challenge. But he’s been there before, so it is certainly good for the Indian team,” said Agarkar ahead of the fifth Test against England, which will be broadcast on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 channels from July 1-5.

 

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