Superstar Mohanlal celebrates 61st B’Day

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Superstar Mohanlal celebrates 61st B’Day

Versatile actor, Superstar Mohanlal, on Friday turned 61 as wishes poured in from all corners for Kerala’s most popular song.

Winner of five national awards, for those in the industry he is Lal, but those who consider him dear refer to him as ‘Laletten’ and for actress Neena Gupta he is Mohan.

As the Covid pandemic is in full swing, there will be no celebrations.

The superstar is at the moment resting at his Chennai residence.

His glittering screen career began way back in 1978 when he did his first film ‘Thiranottam’, which was canned, but he has had no reason to look back as he has had a wonderful career donning the greasepaint for some 345 films.

The biggest blockbuster of his, directed by Priyadarshan — “Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham” is currently held up for release on account of the lockdown, and its producer, who is also his closest aide – Antony Perumbavoor said they are planning to release the film in August.

Their last film ‘Drishyam-2’, a sequel, released on the OTT platform turned out to be a blockbuster hit and Perumbavoor on the superstar’s birthday said they are working on a new film, directed by Jeethu Joseph who directed the sequels ‘Drishyam’.

Incidentally, on Thursday Mohanlal appeared on the video wall singing as part of a musical tribute that was shown just before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was sworn in for an unprecedented second term.

As birthday wishes poured in, one was from a first-year engineering college student from Malappuram-Vaishnav, who in a matter of 8 hours drew 100 pictures of the actor in various roles from his films on a canvas and is waiting to meet the actor to gift him.

The li’l champs of ZEE Keralam’s music reality show SaReGaMaPa Keralam Li’lChamps have come up with a birthday tribute to Mohanlal in the form of short videos compiling all-time hit songs of Lalettan’s films.

In 2009, he was inducted into the Territorial Army as a (Hon) Lt.Colonel.

And now all eyes are on his debut directorial venture — Barroz, that has already started rolling, but now wound up on account of Covid. It is a 3D film and is expected to go on the floors next year.

India’s tour of SL on schedule, Dravid may coach team

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India’s tour of SL on schedule, Dravid may coach team

India’s limited overs tour of Sri Lanka is on schedule as of now despite Covid-19 worries, and will likely give Rahul Dravid first taste of coaching the India senior team.

The details of the series in July are still being worked out and there has been no official intimation on it from the cricket boards of the two countries.

Following the announcement by Sri Lanka Cricket on Wednesday that Asia Cup T20 tournament won’t happen due to Covid-19 pandemic, there was speculation that India’s white ball series could also be shelved.

The visiting Indian team is expected to play a three-match ODI series and a five-match ODI series.

However, an official in the know of things confirmed that the series is on schedule as of now but the boards are keeping an eye on the situation.

“There has been no change in plan since the announcement of the series by the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. However, both boards may have to keep an eye on the situation,” said the official.

It has also been learnt that Rahul Dravid is likely to coach the team which will comprise of white ball specialists and could be led by Shikhar Dhawan.

The India coaching staff, including head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and batting coach Vikram Rathour, will be on tour in England for five Test matches and the World Test Championship final during the time India’s white ball specialists play in Sri Lanka.

Since the main coaching staff will be on tour in England, Dravid is expected to step in ahead of others because of his experience of coaching the A and under-19 sides, it has been learnt.

Dravid has earned rave reviews for unearthing and grooming talent during his stint as the India A and India under-19 sides.

Many of the India youngsters, including those who could be touring Sri Lanka, have played under Dravid as coach.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is yet to confirm Dravid’s appointment as coach.

BCCI offered me new contract, I refused: Greg Chappell

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BCCI offered me new contract, I refused: Greg Chappell

Former India head coach Greg Chappell said that he had been offered a new contract by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) but did not take it up because he did not “need that kind of stress”.

Chappell’s tenure as India’s head coach between 2005 and 2007 was marked by a fractious relationship with many of the team’s senior players, particularly Sourav Ganguly, who was removed from his role of captain and dropped from the team.

“The message from the players was loud and clear ‘We don’t want change’. Even though the board offered me a new contract, I decided that I did not need that kind of stress,” Chappell said on the Cricket Life Stories podcast.

“The two years in India were challenging on every front. The expectations were ridiculous. Some of the issues were around Sourav (Ganguly) being captain. He didn’t particularly want to work hard. He didn’t want to improve his cricket. He just wanted to be in the team as captain, so that he could control things,” Chappell further said.

Chappell said that Rahul Dravid, who succeeded Ganguly as captain of the team, was invested in India becoming the best in the world but many of his teammates weren’t. Ganguly’s return to the team destabilised the environment further, which culminated in India being dumped out of the 2007 World Cup in the group stage.

“Dravid was really invested in India becoming the best team in the world. Sadly not everyone in the team had the same feeling. They would rather concentrate on being in the team. There was some resistance from some of the senior players because some of them were coming to the end of their careers. When Sourav got dropped from the team, we had a lot of attention from the players, because they realized if he can go, anyone can go. We had a great 12 months, but then the resistance got too much, Ganguly came back into the team,” said Chappell.

Lockdowns may affect children’s fitness: Study

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Lockdowns may affect children’s fitness: Study

Strict lockdowns can reduce the spread of Covid-19, but might be responsible for delaying normal cardiorespiratory development in children, according to a research.

The study, led by a team of researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK and University of Zaragoza in Spain, showed that boys and girls aged 12-14 showed lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness than would be expected with normal VO2 max rate development.

VO2 max is a well-known cardiorespiratory fitness indicator and levels increase during adolescence, in line with physical growth and development.

Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) levels — a standard measure of health based on age and sex — also fell by 3.4 per cent over the 12-month period.

“In normal conditions, VO2 max levels tend to increase in adolescents up to a certain age. In our study, each age and sex subgroup showed lower levels in relation to normal VO2 max rate development and specific subgroups, such as boys aged 12 and girls aged 14, displayed reductions in their actual VO2 max levels, which could underscore a higher vulnerability in these groups,” said Lee Smith, Reader in Physical Activity and Public Health at ARU.

The research, published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, involved a group of 89 children from a school in north-eastern Spain. The country introduced a strict six-week lockdown in spring 2020, during which under-15s were unable to leave their homes except for medical reasons.

The children, aged 12-14, took part in fitness tests to measure their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) in November 2019, before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and repeated the fitness tests in November 2020.

The research VO2 max is a well-known cardiorespiratory fitness indicator and levels increase during adolescence, in line with physical growth and development.

PVR announces support to employees through Covid care package

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PVR announces support to employees through Covid care package

 Film exhibitor PVR Ltd has launched a holistic care package to help its employees tide over the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The company has announced free vaccination of all its employees and their dependents along with multiple employee-wellbeing initiatives, over the last one year to support its workforce.

The package entails Covid SOS medicines, vaccine registrations, 24/7 Covid helpline with on-ground response team, plasma database, oxygen concentrators, doctor on call assistance, hospitalisation and ambulance services, and food deliveries for infected employees.

PVR assures full support to its 10,000 employees including their dependents across locations in 70 cities in India, the company said in statement.

Film exhibitors are among the worst hit in pandemic. With lockdowns in various parts of the country, the theatres remain closed.

The pandemic has also curbed film production leaving little for ahi it its to show the audiences even in controlled settings.

PVR said that its Covid Care package has specific protocols to ensure timeliness in the service. The modus operandi comprises of a 24X7 Call Centre, an on-ground Covid Response Team at the local level with Cinema Managers/Duty Managers empowered with adequate resources.

Further, dividing the cities into clusters or zones the operations are overseen by Regional Directors and Regional Managers. Contributing towards covid relief, company has collaborated with ZIQITZA for ambulance services and LYBRATE for doctor on call.

Commenting on the initiative, Ajay Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director said: “As an employee-first organization, this pandemic’s impact on the lives of our employees and their families is a personal crisis more than anything. Health and safety of our employees is of utmost priority, and therefore, we introduced the comprehensive employee support care package with free vaccine for all employees and their dependents.

“With government’s focus on nationwide vaccination, conditions will improve certainly and being direct service providers, we need to ensure complete safety of the customers along with the employees. On immediate priority we are extending medical, logistical and financial support with an on-ground Covid response team at local levels.”

“PVR Juhu has become the first cinema with 100 per cent staff being vaccinated. The need of the hour is ‘Empathy’ and to stand with your employees, interact with them on a regular basis, make set-ups to bring the organization together and uplift team spirit.”

POCO M3 Pro 5G unveiled with Dimensity 700, 90Hz display

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POCO M3 Pro 5G unveiled with Dimensity 700, 90Hz display

Chinese smartphone brand POCO has unveiled a new smartphone — M3 Pro 5G — that comes with a faster 90Hz screen and a faster chipset.

The POCO M3 Pro 5G with 4GB RAM and 64GB model starts at 180 euros, the 6GB and 128GB version is 200 euros. However, the company is offering early bird deals, which drop the price to 160 euros and 180 euros, respectively.

The smartphone is available in poco yellow, power black and cool blue, the company said in a statement.

The smartphone features a 6.5-inch 1080p+ LCD with 400 nits typical brightness and Gorilla Glass 3.

It sports 48MP primary camera on the rear and two 2MP cameras — macro and depth. There’s an 8MP camera on the front.

The company picked the 7nm Dimensity 700 chip to power its new creation. It has peak download speeds of up to 2.77 Gbps and a pair of Cortex-A76 cores, plus a Mali G57 GPU, reports GSMArena.

The POCO M3 Pro 5G has a 5,000mAh battery, a 3.5mm jack, an infrared blaster and this one will even have NFC in some regions.

It comes with a newer Android version out of the box, Android 11, with MIUI 12 on top.

TECNO announces 60-day warranty extension policy for its smartphones

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TECNO announces 60-day warranty extension policy for its smartphones

Global premium smartphone brand TECNO on Thursday announced a 60-day warranty extension policy on its smartphones amid the second wave of Covid-19.

“The welfare and safety of our consumers are of utmost priority,” the company said in a statement.

TECNO India has implemented a two-month warranty extension policy, which is valid for all TECNO smartphones whose warranty expires during the period between April 15 to June 15, will be automatically extended for 2 months.

To avail this warranty period, users can download the Carlcare app from the Google Play store. Open the Carlcare app and click the Warranty button on the home page.

Users can then check the validity of their device by entering the IMEI of the current device in the Carlcare app.

If your device is eligible for the extension, you will see 60 days extended warranty option. Click on receive to extend the warranty, the company said.

The company said that users must register before June 30 to avail warranty extension.

As a socially responsible brand, we will continue to ensure the highest safety standards and assist our consumers and partners in every way possible, the company said.

Devise Covid strategy in rural, urban specific way: PM to DMs

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Devise Covid strategy in rural, urban specific way: PM to DMs

In order to ensure a Covid-free rural India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked a group of District Magistrates (DMs) to devise their strategies in rural and urban specific manner.

Noting that coronavirus has made their job more demanding and challenging, the Prime Minister urged everyone to ensure full commitment to fight the pandemic.

The Prime Minister expressed his views while interacting with the state and district officials on the Covid-19 situation through a video conference. In the virtual meeting, Modi interacted with the DMs of 54 districts across 10 states — the second such interaction involving the Prime Minister on the Covid situation.

The Prime Minister held a similar interaction with the DMs of 46 districts with high Covid burden on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi said: “In the midst of these new challenges, new strategies and solutions are needed.”

Mentioning that over the past few days, active cases have started to reduce in the country, the Prime Minister warned that the challenge remains as long as this infection is present, even on a minor scale.

Modi stressed on the need to use local experiences and work together as a country, saying that there is a need to spread messages on keeping villages corona-free and following all Covid-appropriate behaviour, even when cases are declining.

Stating that every epidemic has taught us the importance of continuous innovation, the Prime Minister emphasised that the methods and strategies to deal with the pandemic should be dynamic as the virus is expert in mutation and changing form.

Modi also said that the virus mutation is concerning the youth and children, as he stressed on the need to boost the vaccination drive.

The Prime Minister added that the vaccination strategy is also being pushed forward by incorporating suggestions from the states and various stakeholders at all levels.

On vaccine wastage, Modi said that wastage of a single vaccine means not being able to provide necessary security to an individual. Therefore, one should make a conscious effort to stop vaccine wastage, he said.

The Prime Minister also emphasised the priority of easing the lives of citizens while saving lives and said that added facilities for free ration for the poor, and other essential supplies must be provided, and black marketing should be stopped.

Modi said these steps are necessary to win this fight and move forward.

During the interaction, the officials briefed the Prime Minister about the Covid situation in their respective districts.

The officials shared their experience of using technology for real-time monitoring and capacity building. They also informed about the steps being taken to enhance public participation and awareness in their districts.

The Prime Minister lauded the outstanding work of the state and district officials in fighting the pandemic and said that experience and feedback from their work in the field helped in formulating practical and effective policies.

Kangana Ranaut praises Samantha Akkineni in ‘The Family Man 2’ trailer

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Kangana Ranaut praises Samantha Akkineni in ‘The Family Man 2’ trailer

Actress Kangana Ranaut on Thursday shared an Instagram note praising South star Samantha Akkineni in the trailer of the upcoming web-series “The Family Man 2”. The trailer dropped the day before.

“This girl has my heart @samantharuthprabhuoffl,” wrote Kangana, sharing a snapshot of the trailer featuring Samantha.

The second season of the popular web series “The Family Man” will premiere on June 4. Manoj Bajpayee returns in the starring role with Priyamani Raj, Sharib Hashmi, Seema Biswas, Darshan Kumar, Sharad Kelkar, Sunny Hinduja and Shreya Dhanwanthary in pivotal roles.

South star Samantha marks her digital debut as antagonist of the show.

Lakshmi Manchu helping kids who have lost parents to Covid

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Lakshmi Manchu helping kids who have lost parents to Covid

Actress Lakshmi Manchu is doing her bit to help children who have lost their parents to Covid.

Her NGO Teach for Change will be extending support to 1,000 kids who have lost their parents to the virus. Their team is already on the ground, identifying such kids. They will be helping them with education, basic necessities and also help build a foundation for themselves.

“On a personal front, I have been helping as many people as I can, trying to find medications or hospital beds and vice versa. The effect of Covid is more devastating post getting Covid even for the families and children who lost parents during this time,” she says.

She adds: “We, at Teach for Change, are committed to taking care of 1,000 kids from lower-income households — of their education, tuition, clothes and whatever it is they need help with.”

Recently, the actress also stepped up to help the community of Hyderabad by donating 1,000 cooked meals in hospitals.

“The initiative started with the lockdown where most people around the hospitals have been coming in from smaller towns and have no access to food. So, we chose a few hospitals that we would distribute 1000 meals during the entire lockdown. Our team at Teach for Change, our volunteers, our team members have been doing this every single day and are so grateful to be able to feed people and take hunger away from them,” she says.

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