Prabhas on Spanish vacation, undergoes minor surgery for ‘Salaar’ injury

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Prabhas on Spanish vacation, undergoes minor surgery for ‘Salaar’ injury

‘Baahubali’ star Prabhas, after seeing the lukewarm response to his recent release, ‘Radhe Shyam’, has left for Spain. It is reported that the actor has a medical condition for which he is getting treated in Spain.

During the shooting some months ago of Prabhas’s upcoming movie ‘Salaar’, the actor got injured. As the treatment for the injury continues, he seems to have undergone surgery in Barcelona. Despite being a minor operation, Prabhas has been asked to take complete rest, until the next scrutiny by a doctor.

After the audience response to ‘Radhe Shyam’ became apparent, most of Prabhas’s fans thought that their hero wanted to stay away from the media glare. But, after learning about Prabhas’s surgery reached them, his fans wished him a speedy recovery.

Prabhas plays the titular role in ‘Radhe Shyam’, a palmist who can find out about both the past and future of a person. Pooja Hegde essays the part of his love interest in the Radha Krishna Kumar directorial.

Prabhas’s upcoming movie line-up, meanwhile, suggests that he will be busy in the coming months. He will be seen in the multi-lingual mythological film ‘Adipurush’, ‘Salaar’, ‘Project-K’, ‘Spirit’, and another movie with director Maruthi.

Madhuri Dixit: OTT platforms allow artistes to explore global stories

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Madhuri Dixit: OTT platforms allow artistes to explore global stories

Actress Madhuri Dixit Nene, who recently made her OTT debut with the series, ‘The Fame Game’, feels that the medium of OTT makes a film artiste one with the global platform as the distribution of content on OTT is worldwide.

It allows a storyteller to put their story in front of the world and add their narrative to the global repository of content. The actress said, “I think that we are adding our own story to so many stories around the world and I think that is the way OTT works.”

“In the medium of OTT you can be a first-time director but you can show a story in your own language or shoot it the way you want to. It gives you that flexibility to test and toy around with the subject of your story”, she added.

Madhuri’s ‘The Fame Game’ is a suspenseful family drama, which follows the story of actress Anamika Anand (played by Madhuri), who one fine day goes missing. The investigation that follows her sudden disappearance, uncovers the messy truth behind her perfect life and family.

Women’s World Cup: Inconsistent India eye crucial win against consistent Australia

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Women’s World Cup: Inconsistent India eye crucial win against consistent Australia

It’s fair to say that India’s campaign in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup hasn’t gone as per their plan. In four matches, they have won two and lost the same number of games.

In all four matches, their batting has oscillated between very high and low extremes. Amidst their inconsistent campaign, India now squares off against six-time World Cup winners, Australia, who are on a consistent, undefeated run in the tournament, at Eden Park on Saturday.

It will also be the first time the two teams will meet in a 50-over World Cup match since the semifinal of the 2017 edition at Derby, where Harmanpreet Kaur’s whirlwind 171 served as the knockout punch for Australia.

A win against Australia would set India’s campaign on track to reach the semifinals as they face Bangladesh and South Africa afterward. In the run-up to the World Cup, India’s batting looked stronger than their bowling in the bilateral series against New Zealand.

But in the mega event, the tables have turned with bowling looking strong while the batting has emerged with weak links.

For now, the Mithali Raj-led side has to ensure that the up-and-down batting performances and losing wickets in a heap have to be avoided against an Australian bowling attack that has bowled out New Zealand and West Indies for 128 and 131 respectively in its last two matches.

Collapses of 114/6, 95/5, 78/3, and 86/7 convey that in both victory and defeat, India has been hampered by this nagging issue, acknowledged by Smriti Mandhana in her pre-match briefing.

Left-handed Mandhana, India’s leading run-getter so far in the tournament with 216 runs, thinks stitching partnerships will be a key in solving the collapse problem.

“Definitely, we have been losing wickets back-to-back. It’s something that we, as a batting unit, want to address it. 50-overs is all about good partnerships. So, we definitely want to work on it.”

“Asset batters, it is more responsibility on that batter to take the game forward from that time when you are able to time the ball well. That’s something I will be really conscious about that we don’t have to lose wickets back-to-back and develop a partnership from there because one or two good partnerships will be able to post a good total which we can defend.”

If India is able to avoid the wobble in the top and middle order, then they will need runs collectively from the batting order. Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur have been among the runs but the same can’t be said of Mithali Raj and Deepti Sharma.

Mithali moved up to three from four while Deepti took her captain’s place but the duo haven’t got the runs in four matches. It remains to be seen if an out-of-form Shafali Verma will come in or India will stick with left-handed Yastika Bhatia.

On the other hand, Australia has got very little to worry about. Rachael Haynes is in brilliant form, leading the run-scoring charts with 277 runs. Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning will be looking to be more consistent while Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, and Beth Mooney have clicked well.

In terms of bowling, Gardner, McGrath, Perry along with Alana King, Amanda-Jade Wellington, and Megan Schutt have been spot-on with their lines and lengths.

Head coach Matthew Mott is aware of what India can bring to the table, having seen them almost win the ODI series at Mackay last year.

“It’s a good time to play India. I see them as an incredibly dangerous side. So, we are rolling some confidence at the moment. But as we always say, it’s this game in isolation and everything that we’re talking about the moments about how we can combat India. I think they’ve got one of the best new-ball bowling attacks in the world. And we found that out last summer.”

For both teams, there will be a sense of walking into the unknown as Eden Park will host its first match in the tournament. With small straight and long square boundaries apart from drop-in pitch and difficulty in catches taken under lights, Eden Park presents a nice challenge for Australia and India meeting for the 13th time in Women’s World Cups.

India will be hoping that they can make Jhulan Goswami’s 200th ODI outing memorable by clicking as a batting unit and halting the winning Australian juggernaut.

Squads

Australia:

Meg Lanning (captain), Rachael Haynes (vice-captain), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy (wicket-keeper), Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, and Amanda-Jade Wellington.

India:

Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Poonam Yadav.

Vijay Antony’s ‘Anti-Bikili Theme’ song garners 2.4 million views in a day

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Vijay Antony’s ‘Anti-Bikili Theme’ song garners 2.4 million views in a day

The ‘Anti-Bikili Theme’ song from music director-turned-actor-director Vijay Antony’s much-awaited Tamil action dramedy film ‘Pichaikkaran 2’ has garnered more than 2.4 million views in a day.

Starting with philosophical quotes rendered by Vijay Antony, the song casts light on his character in the film: a billionaire disguised as a beggar on the streets.

Audience expectations from the film are very high because Antony has consistently been delivering hits.

In particular, his blockbuster, ‘Pichaikkaran’, which recently celebrated its sixth anniversary, is not only a super hit in Tamil but also a blockbuster in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with the Telugu version having a 144-day run in theatres.

Sources say the shooting of ‘Pichaikkaran 2’ is progressing at a brisk pace. The film marks the directorial debut of Vijay Antony, who is handling editing and music as well.

Kavya Tapper plays the female lead opposite Vijay Antony in this film, which will also feature Dev Gill, Harish Peradi, John Vijay, Radha Ravi, Mansoor Ali Khan, Y.G. Mahendran, and Raja Krishnamoorthy. Vijay Milton and Om Prakash are handling cinematography for this movie.

Puducherry local body elections likely by April end

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Puducherry local body elections likely by April end

The local body elections in the Union Territory of Puducherry are likely to be held in the last week of April.

Elections have not been held during the past eleven years after the term of the elected bodies expired in 2011.

Puducherry State Election Commissioner Roy P. Thomas told IANS that there are no legal barriers to conducting elections and that almost all political parties in the Union Territory have expressed the desire to conduct elections at the earliest.

The State Election Commission, according to sources, is likely to hold the polls in the last week of April 2022 as the school annual public examinations for Class 10 and Class 12 students will be held in May. Polling stations will be set up in schools and teachers will be deputed as polling officers.

Notably, in Puducherry, there is no reservation of seats for Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes. However, a case filed by R. Siva, DMK leader, for a reservation to these categories is under consideration by the Supreme Court.

The DMK had requested the State Election Commission to conduct the polls by reserving seats for STs and BCs after the verdict of the Supreme Court comes. The hearings were already conducted and the verdict is expected any time soon.

A meeting of electoral officials and political party representatives was held by the State Election Commission on Thursday to prepare for the local body elections.

The four regions of the Union Territory of Puducherry including, Puducherry, Yanam, Karaikkal, and Mahe, will be going to the polls in a single phase, according to sources in the State Election Commission.

Congress demands unemployment emergency in Telangana

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Congress demands unemployment emergency in Telangana

Stating that 40 lakh people are facing hardships due to unemployment problem in Telangana, the opposition Congress party has demanded an unemployment emergency in the state.

AICC spokesperson Dasoju Sravan Kumar said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should consider concrete interventions to address and resolve the unemployment problem.

He also urged the Chief Minister to set up a high-level task force with various national-level industrialists, academicians, intellectuals, strategists, policymakers to formulate a strategy with specific task policies to deal with the unemployment which is plaguing the Telangana society. He recalled that such a task force was set up by the Kiran Kumar Reddy government in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

“Since this is a social issue, an emergency all-party meeting should be held with all political parties,” the Congress leader said and demanded that each unemployed youth should be provided with an unemployment allowance of Rs 3,016 a month as promised in the 2018 assembly elections by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

“Skill Development Centres should be set up in each Mandal center in collaboration with the Central Government and job fairs should be organized in collaboration with private sector companies to provide employment to the youth, employment opportunities, and training,”

Stating that there are lakhs of applications pending in SC, ST, BC, Minority, and MBC corporations, he demanded immediate disbursement of self-employment loans so that they can stand on their feet.

Congress also demanded to bring a statutory Act to ensure that 95 percent of jobs reserved for locals in the private sector too. He also made several other demands, including ex-gratia of Rs one crore to the 70 field assistants who died after being dictatorially terminated from the service causing serious distress, and also suggested releasing the full salary to them for two years.

Sravan Kumar said the Telangana government failed to create new jobs and instead the existing jobs were blown away. The government laid off a total of 52,515 employees, including 7651 field assistants. He said 21,200 employees in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, 1640 Nurses, 709 in Mission Bhagiratha, 315 in Horticulture, 16,400 Education Volunteers, 2000 Junior Panchayat Secretaries, Social Welfare and Education, and 2,640 employees of Road Transport Corporation (RTC) were sacked.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, he found fault with the chief minister for his announcement made in the Assembly that 90,000 jobs would be filled while the Bishwal Committee said that there were 1.91 lakh job vacancies in the government departments.

He also offered to help the government as a former professor of HRD and also having worked in large companies, in various capacities in human resource development departments, in solving the unemployment problem.

Two OTT platforms to stream ‘Bheemla Nayak’ from March 25

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Two OTT platforms to stream ‘Bheemla Nayak’ from March 25

With Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati in the lead roles, ‘Bheemla Nayak’ was released in theatres on February 25. Exactly a month later, the remake of the Malayalam movie, ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’, is to start streaming on Aha and Disney+ Hotstar from March 25.

“Next Friday ee time ki, power storm mee intake vachesthundhi. Dates mark cheskondi, calendar kaaliga unchukondi,” read the Aha announcement on social media, which, loosely translated, means, “Lock your dates for the powerful storm. ‘Bheemla Nayak’ is all set to lure you.”

Directed by Saagar K Chandra, ‘Bheemla Nayak’ is about its title character played by actor and political activist Pawan Kalyan, a gutsy sub-inspector who locks horns with Daniel Sekhar (Rana Daggubati), a rich brat forever on the wrong side of the law. The resultant clash of egos manages to draw the families of the two antagonists.

How Nayak and Daniel embark on their roller-coaster fight from this point is what the film is all about.

The film’s star cast also includes Murali Sharma, Nithya Menen, Samuktrakani, and Samyuktha Menon. Its music is by Thaman. Trivikram Srinivas has penned the dialogues and screenplay of the movie.

Meta sues fake customer engagement service provider

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Meta sues fake customer engagement service provider

Meta (formerly Facebook) has filed a lawsuit against Chad Taylor Cowan for providing a fake engagement service directed at Facebook.

Cowan operated a website that provided fake reviews and feedback to businesses in order to artificially increase their Customer Feedback Score.

Operating as “Customer Feedback Score Solutions,” and using the website CFS.solutions, Cowan provided fake reviews and feedback for businesses to artificially increase the Facebook Customer Feedback Score and evade Meta’s detection and enforcement against misleading ads.

“In this particular case, in exchange for payment, Cowan used a network of fraudulent and hired Facebook user accounts to provide fake customer reviews to artificially increase Customer Feedback Scores, drown out and minimize negative reviews, and avoid our enforcement,” Meta said in a statement.

These actions create poor experiences for people who see these ads, deceptively influencing and misleading our community, the company added.

Through this lawsuit, Meta is seeking damages and injunctive relief for Cowan’s violation of its Terms and Policies, and to stop fake reviews on its technologies.

“We take measures to mitigate against scams and the sale of unsafe products — including the enforcement of our terms and policies for both commerce and ads, said Meta.

Meta-analyses feedback on an ongoing basis to understand people’s experiences on its technologies.

As part of this work, some people receive surveys after clicking on ads to help understand whether the quality of the product they purchased met their expectations.

This survey data, along with other information, informs a business’ Customer Feedback Score.

Women’s World Cup: Bowlers save West Indies blushes against Bangladesh

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Women’s World Cup: Bowlers save West Indies blushes against Bangladesh

West Indies bowlers Hayley Matthews and Afy Fletcher produced superb spells as the team managed to defend a small total and earn full points in the ICC Women’s World Cup match against Bangladesh at the Bay Oval here on Friday.

Defending 140/9, the Stafanie Taylor-led West Indies bundled out the gritty World Cup debutants for 136 with just three balls to spare in a thriller.

West Indies have climbed to the third position on the table with six points from three wins out of five, while Bangladesh is seventh with two points from four games.

In the end, it came down to the final six balls in Tauranga, with experienced West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor (3/29) bowling to Nahida Akter (25 not out) and Bangladesh still requiring eight runs for victory with just one wicket in hand.

Taylor once again delivered for her country when required as Fariha Trisna fell for a duck on the third ball of the over to hand West Indies the narrow victory.

It was a polished performance with the ball from spinners Hayley Matthews (4/14) and Afy Fletcher (3/29) that did the majority of the damage for West Indies, while wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle (53 not out) also performed well to help pace batting innings that failed to reach any great heights.

Bangladesh spinners Salma Khatun (2/23) and Akter (2/23) can hold their heads high, with skipper Nigar Sultana (25) emerging as the equal top-scorer in what was a disappointing batting performance by the sub-continental side.

It was a case of what could have been for the gritty Bangladesh team, who failed to capitalise on an excellent effort with the ball and in the field as they put the clamps on a strong West Indies batting line-up.

Campbelle’s half-century was the sole highlight with the bat for the winners, with Deandra Dottin (17), Matthews (18), and Taylor (4) all falling cheaply.

West Indies needed to take early wickets in reply to have any chance and it was Matthews that stepped up when needed when she trapped Shamima Sultana LBW for a duck in the opening over of the chase.

Fargana Hoque (23) and Sultana looked assured at the crease as they took the score along to 60/2, but Fletcher’s three-wicket haul during the middle overs turned the game on its head as the score quickly went to 60/5.

Matthews returned to pick up two more wickets — including the key scalp of Sultana — before Taylor came through with the goods in the final over to seal the result.

Brief scores:

West Indies 140/9 in 50 overs (Shemaine Campbelle 53 not out; Salma Khatun 2/23, Nahida Akter 2/23) beat Bangladesh 136 in 49.3 overs (Nigar Sultana 25; Nahida Akter 25 not out; Hayley Matthews 4/15, Afy Fletcher 3/29, Stafanie Taylor 3/29) by four runs.

Apple CEO Tim Cook sends Holi wishes to people celebrating across world

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Apple CEO Tim Cook sends Holi wishes to people celebrating across world

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday took to Twitter to wish everyone on the occasion of Holi, the festival of colors.

“Wishing everyone celebrating Holi a vibrant beginning to spring. Here’s to spreading the joy of color with these beautiful images #ShotOniPhone13ProMax,” Cook said in a tweet.

He has also shared three photos clicked on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max.

According to market research firm Counterpoint, Apple dominated the list of top 10 best-selling smartphones in 2021 globally, as seven out of 10 smartphones in the list were iPhones, a new report said.

The top 10 best-selling smartphone models contributed 19 percent to the total global smartphone unit sales in 2021, compared to 16 percent in 2020.

“The share of the top 10 models is increasing YoY, indicating a trend of brands focusing on their leading models and making their portfolios leaner in some cases,” the research firm said in a statement.

“With entry-level models facing component shortages in 2021, we also saw faster diffusion of key features in the mid-tier segment,” it added.

The top five models in 2021 were from Apple. The iPhone 12 was the best-selling model, followed by iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 11. The top three models contributed 41 percent to Apple’s total sales.

Modesty a la Alia Bhatt: ‘I don’t think I have mastered everything’

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Modesty a la Alia Bhatt: ‘I don’t think I have mastered everything’

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt, who is currently riding high on the success of her latest release ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, has talked about how even though she has touched the high of highs the actress is still grounded.

In a conversation with an interview, Alia, who will next be seen in ‘Brahmastra’, said: “I have a very good support system of friends and family… You have to tell yourself and understand that what you are doing as an actor is not really who you are… I am still that young girl who started 10 years ago. I don’t think I have mastered everything.

“I don’t think I have every understanding. I don’t think I have all the information in the world and I will only continue to learn and grow only if I continue to doubt myself. Being grounded is all about not believing in one’s own success or failure. You don’t take success to your head and you don’t take failure to your heart…

“Done something successful, pat your back and move on, something bad has happened, pat your heart and move on. You just have to move on and I am more interested in creating relationships — my friends, family, my loved ones than thinking about ‘oh I am so great!’. That is a very lonely place to be. ”

‘Brahmastra’ is directed by Ayan Mukerji, produced by Fox Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Prime Focus, and Starlight Pictures, the magnum opus will release theatrically on September 9 in 5 Indian languages – Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

It has a stellar ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy, and Nagarjuna Akkineni.

7-yr-old raped in Ayodhya, condition serious

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7-yr-old raped in Ayodhya, condition serious

A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped in the Ayodhya district and has been admitted to a local hospital in critical condition.

The accused, identified as Ram Manjhi, has been arrested and sent to jail, the police said.

According to Shailesh Pandey, Superintendent of Police, Ayodhya, the girl was playing hide and seek with other children of her age group on Wednesday evening. However, when she did not turn up even after several hours, her parents started looking for her.

Later in the night, the victim was found lying in a pool of blood in the Bairag Pura locality under the local Kotwali police circle.

The police were immediately informed and the victim was admitted to the hospital.

Pandey said a massive manhunt was lodged and on the basis of CCTV footage, the accused was identified and arrested.

The accused, who was working nearby, had found the girl alone and took her to a secluded place where he raped her.

“When the victim screamed, the accused fled,” said the SP.

Doctors at the hospital said that the girl’s condition was serious and she had sustained injuries on her private parts and suffered severe blood loss.

RBI extends RBL Bank’s interim MD and CEO Ahuja’s tenure

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RBI extends RBL Bank’s interim MD and CEO Ahuja’s tenure

The Reserve Bank of India has extended the tenure of RBL Bank’s interim Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Ahuja by three months.

In a regulatory filing made to the BSE, the bank said: “We wish to further inform that on request of the Bank, RBI vide its letter… dated March 17, 2022, has approved the extension of the term of Rajeev Ahuja, interim Managing Director & CEO of the Bank for a further period of three months with effect from March 25, 2022, or till the appointment of a regular MD & CEO, whichever is earlier.”

Last year, Ahuja was appointed as interim MD & CEO of the bank for a period of three months with effect from December 25, 2021.

The Board had accepted the request of CEO Vishwavir Ahuja to proceed on medical leave and appointed Rajeev Ahuja, the existing Executive Director of the bank as the Interim Managing Director and CEO subject to regulatory and other approvals.

On December 25, 2021, the RBI had appointed Yogesh Dayal as an Additional Director on the Board of the RBL Bank.

At that time, the RBI in a statement had said: “The Reserve Bank would like to state that the bank is well capitalized and the financial position of the bank remains satisfactory.

“Further, it is clarified that appointment of Additional Director/s in private banks is undertaken under Section 36AB of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as and when it is felt that the board needs closer support in regulatory or supervisory matters.”

Tamannaah talks about working with Badshah in ‘Tabahi’

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Tamannaah talks about working with Badshah in ‘Tabahi’

Popular actress Tamannaah gets candid about her working experience with Badshah in the new song ‘Tabahi’.

She is coming to promote her latest track on ‘India’s Got Talent.

Sharing her experience of working with Badshah on the song ‘Tabahi’ she says: “I have been wanting to collaborate with Badshah for a really long time. Just like everyone else I’m his huge fan as well. I was happy that we finally did collaborate, and I like the song. I always wanted to do a song that is foot-tapping and super impactful which most of Badshah’s songs are. I feel happy that we finally collaborated.”

Talking about her experience on the show, Tamannaah candidly shares: “It’s very humbling to come to a show like ‘India’s Got Talent and watch diverse talents in different parts of our country. I feel that this platform generates great awareness and I feel like back in the day, there weren’t such opportunities as today.”

“So, for me, as an artist to come here and even watch these people perform, is extremely humbling. It reinstated for me that more than talent it’s always the temperament that shines through,” she concludes.

‘India’s Got Talent airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

India, Australia leaders to hold virtual summit on March 21

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India, Australia leaders to hold virtual summit on March 21

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison will participate in the second India-Australia virtual summit on March 21, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India and Australia virtual summit will be held on March 21 where Indian and Australian leaders will hold the summit.

“This summit follows the historic first virtual summit which was held on June 4, 2020, when our bilateral relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership,” Bagchi said.

He also said that during this forthcoming virtual summit the leaders will take stock of progress made on various initiates under the comprehensive strategic partnership.

The virtual summit will lay forward the new initiatives and enhanced cooperation in a diverse range of sectors.

“The leaders are expected to commit to closer cooperation in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility and education among others. “Views on regional and international issues will also be discussed,” said the officer.

India, Australia’s comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained the momentum of an upward trajectory.

Both countries continue to collaborate closely despite the Covid-19 pandemic in areas such as science and technology, cyber defense, critical and strategic minerals, public administration, and governance.

Modi met Morrison in Washington for their first in-person meeting after the Covid-19. This meeting was held last September on the margin of Quad leaders summit 2021.

In June 2020, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support.

The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) allows militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides facilitating scaling up of overall defense cooperation.

Andhra Pradesh to allow higher ticket prices for ‘RRR’ for 10 days

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Andhra Pradesh to allow higher ticket prices for ‘RRR’ for 10 days

With S. S. Rajamouli’s much-awaited movie “RRR” set for release on March 25, the Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday said it will soon fix special ticket prices for the film for the first 10 days after its release.

State Cinematography Minister Perni Venkatramaiah said the officials concerned were considering a request from Rajamouli to allow special prices for the cinema tickets for “RRR”.

He told reporters that while taking a decision, it will be ensured that cinema goers are not burdened.

Rajamouli, along with producer D.V.V. Danayya, had met Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday with a request to provide the special benefit of increased ticket prices under a recent Government Order (GO).

The Chief Minister had reportedly responded positively to the request of the director of “Baahubali” fame.

“RRR”, starring Ram Charan, Jr NTR, and Alia Bhatt, is set to hit the screens on March 25 after missing its theatrical release multiple times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The state government earlier this month issued a GO fixing new movie ticket rates to put an end to the controversy over the issue, which had angered some sections of the Telugu film industry.

Under the GO, the government will notify separate rates for a period of 10 days from the date of release of ‘super high budget films’. This category has been defined as films made with a lot of creative elements, visual effects involving uses of high-end technology, etc with production cost above Rs 100 crore, excluding remuneration of heroes, heroines, and directors.

The government, which will notify the special prices on a case-to-case basis, has also put a rider. These super high-budget films would need to shoot at least 20 percent of the film in Andhra Pradesh.

However, the minister made it clear on Thursday that this condition will not apply to “RRR” as the film completed the production much before the GO came into effect.

He said during the meeting with the Chief Minister, Rajamouli informed him that “RRR” has been made with a budget of Rs 336 crore excluding GST and remuneration of heroes, heroines, and directors.

Nani, as the minister is popularly known, said the state government would promote film shootings in the state.

He said permissions for film shootings will be given free through a single-window system. He pointed out that Telangana and other states were collecting fees for film shootings.

Kerala Travel Mart gets huge response from domestic and foreign buyers

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Kerala Travel Mart gets huge response from domestic and foreign buyers

Kerala Tourism’s flagship event — The Kerala Travel Mart which is all set to go offline after the 2021 event being held virtually following the pandemic, has got a huge response. It is now scheduled to be held here from May 5 to 8.

The inaugural session of the KTM on May 5 will be followed by business meets from May 6 to 8 at Kochi.

Baby Mathew, President of KTM Society the organizer of the event, said so far 374 foreign buyers and 1171 domestic buyers have registered for participation in the event, and the number is set to go up in the coming days vouching for the industry’s confidence in the post-pandemic resurgence of tourism.

“The industry’s response to the ensuing edition of KTM has been extremely encouraging, especially after the Government of India announced its decision to lift air travel restrictions this month. The inquiries so far have even surpassed the response received by the pre-pandemic KTM conclaves”, said Mathew.

The pro-active steps taken by the Kerala Tourism Department for the quick revival of tourism in the state have imparted an added thrust to KTM, he said.

Though the prime focus of this edition is on the domestic buyers, the travel and tourism entrepreneurs from abroad are also showing great interest in participation, he said.

“Arrangements are progressing well for the conduct of the business sessions in a hassle-free manner by adhering to Covid appropriate behavior. We expect a meaningful buyer-seller meet and interactions beneficial to all the participants,” added Mathew.

The meet will feature exclusive spaces to showcase “Keravan Kerala”, the state’s recently launched caravan tourism initiative, and the globally acclaimed Responsible Tourism.

Caravan Tourism and Adventure Tourism will be the key themes of this edition of KTM.

The government’s initiatives to promote tourism in the Malabar region will also receive major attention at KTM.

Muslim traders support bandh against hijab verdict, BJP demands action

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Muslim traders support bandh against hijab verdict, BJP demands action

Even as Muslim traders supported the bandh call given by community organizations in Karnataka and closed their shops in a few pockets, it did not have any impact on the day-to-day life in the state.

The ruling BJP and opposition Congress, meanwhile, locked horns in the assembly over the bandh. The BJP sought action against those who are going against the court verdict and the Congress maintained that they have the right to protest.

Responding to the bandh call, the shoppers, businessmen, and traders closed their shops in Shivajinagar, K.G. Halli, D.J. Halli, Padarayanapura, and a few other pockets in Bengaluru.

Police Commissioner Kamal Pant said that the bandh has been observed in many places but there is no impact. The police conducted flag marches in sensitive locations in the capital.

In Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Kalaburagi districts, Muslim businessmen closed their shops to support the bandh. However, the normal life was not affected at all.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Raghupathy Bhat in the assembly demanded that legal action has to be initiated against those who have given bandh calls questioning the court verdict.

He said the verdict can be challenged in the Supreme Court. Calling bandh will make no difference, action has to be initiated against them.

Jagadish Shettar, former Chief Minister supported Raghupathy Bhat and said that observing bandh is not a good development. “Is there no value of the court judgment?” Shettar questioned.

“Protest against the government is different. But, if they observe bandh against the court order, it will lead to anarchy in the society. No one should support it and strict action must be initiated,” he said.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, however, supported the bandh saying that there is a provision to appeal in the Supreme Court. Observing bandh peacefully and protesting is their constitutional right. How can it be stopped? They should be allowed to observe bandh, he said.

Deputy Opposition leader U.T. Khader maintained that the bandh call is given not to disrespect the court order but to express their dissatisfaction over judgment.

BJP National General Secretary and MLA C.T. Ravi intervened and said that voting bank politics over the issue is wrong. “Why should there be uniforms in schools? Court had given verdict after a detailed inquiry, how is it ok to protest and call for bandh against court order?” Ravi questioned.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra reacting to the bandh call said that this is a peculiar situation. The law of the land would not apply to them, they don’t follow the court order. This is a special case. If anyone violates a court order and carries out activities like this, stern action would be initiated.

There is a provision for an appeal in the Supreme Court. But, these activities will lead to a law and order situation in the state and this is wrong, he stated.

Glenn Maxwell reveals how he transitioned from bowling medium pace to off-spin

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Glenn Maxwell reveals how he transitioned from bowling medium pace to off-spin

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has opened up about how he made the move from being a budding medium pacer to now bowling off-spin. Although Maxwell is known for his big-hitting batting earning him the nickname ‘The Big Show’, he can also be entrusted with the ball, picking 140 wickets in 346 T20 matches, and has also picked 34 wickets in 84 T20Is.

“I was playing for the Victorian U-19 side. When I got picked, it was as a medium pace, not off-spin, middle-order batter position. I really liked my pace bowling. I worked with David Saker coming through the youth programs and in the academies growing up. He said, ‘I don’t think pace bowling is for you,” said Maxwell on RCB Podcast.

After hearing the advice from Saker, it was a no-brainer for Maxwell to move into bowling off-spin apart from the circumstances in his stateside Victoria. “I made the easy transition to bowl off-spin. The Victorian side was looking for a batsman who was also an off-spinner in their side. As a 19-year-old it was an easy decision to give up the seam ups and move on to off-spin.”

To his good fortune, Maxwell found coaches specializing in spin bowling who helped him make a smooth transition. “Luckily enough, I was able to work with a lot of really good spin coaches who changed a medium pacers action who bowled off-spin to a guy who could be relied upon with some off-spin bowling.”

Maxwell retained alongside Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the mega auction in February, will miss the first week of the IPL 2022 due to his upcoming wedding with his fiancé Vini Raman. Due to his wedding, Maxwell is also going to miss Australia’s white-ball tour to Pakistan as well.

He was last seen in action for Australia during the five-match T20I series at home against Sri Lanka, which the current men’s T20 World Cup Champions won 4-1. In that series, Maxwell clinched the Player of the Series award, scoring 138 runs in five matches apart from picking a solitary wicket.

All England Badminton: Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth, Lakshya advance to second round

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All England Badminton: Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth, Lakshya advance to second round

Top Indian shuttlers — PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Lakshya Sen, and Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the second round of the 2022 All-England Open Badminton Championships after winning their respective first-round matches, here on late Wednesday night.

Sindhu, the world No 7, defeated Chinese world No 17 Wang Zhi Yi 21-18, 21-13 in her first-round match of the BWF Super 1000 tournament.

Two-time Olympic medallists began the match strongly and raced to a handy lead after the early exchanges. Wang Zhi Yi tried to pull the game back but Sindhu’s early momentum proved to be the difference. In the second game, the India ace continued to dominate her Chinese opponent and went up 9-0 in quick time. She went on to seal the match in 42 minutes.

Sindhu, the sixth seed in the tournament, will now face the winner of the match between Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi and Supanida Katethong of Thailand in the second round.

Meanwhile, Saina Nehwal ranked world No 25, defeated world No 51 Beatriz Corrales of Spain 21-17, 21-19 in straight games.

Corrales had replaced Saina Nehwal’s initial opponent, Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand. The world No 10 Thai shuttler pulled out from the tournament at the last minute. Nehwal will be up against world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the second round.

In men’s singles, HS Prannoy lost to German Open champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-15 24-22 while former world championships bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth went down to Tokyo Olympics champion Viktor Axelsen 20-22, 11-21, an olympics.com report said.

Another top Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen, who won silver at the German Open last week, defeated compatriot Sourabh Verma 21-17, 21-7 in his opening match of the England Open. Kidambi Srikanth, ranked world No 12 beat Thai world No 21 Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-18, 21-14 while Parupalli Kashyap lost 11-21, 18-21 to world No 5 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting.

In women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand stunned India Open champions Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard 17-21, 22-20, 21-14. However, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy lost to Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 9-21, 13-21 and made an early exit.

Top Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, ranked world No 8, beat Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall 21-17, 21-19. The Indians saved four-game points against the world No. 36 pair in the second game to move into the next round.

In other results for Indian shutters on Day 1, Sameer Verma lost to Mark Caljouw 18-21, 11-21 while Krishna Prasad Garaga-Vishnuvardhan Goud also went down to Mark Lamsfuss-Marvin Seidel 16-21, 19-21.

Srivedya Gurazada-Ishika Jaiswal lost to Rachel Honderich-Kristen Tsai 21-9, 21-4 and Meghana Jakkampudi-S Ram Poorvisha lost against Puttita Supajirakul-Supissara Paewsampran 5-21, 3-21. On the other hand, MR Arjun-Dhruv Kapila lost to Muhammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan 21-15, 12-21, 18-21.

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