Sonu opens up on helping migrant workers reach HAPPY...

WE NEED TO MAKE ‘SOCIALDISTANCING’ A PART OF OUR

LIVES FOREVER, SAYSATHIYA SHETTY

THE SETS OF AKSHAY KUMAR’S UPCOMING PERIODEPIC, PRITHVIRAJ, WILL BE TAKEN DOWN BEFORETHE MONSOON, BECAUSE OF THE DELAY CAUSED INFILMING DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN.

TO WATCH ALL THE LATEST GOSSIP IN ENTERTAINMENT,WATCH CHANNEL Y ROGERS 857, BELLFIBE 828, TELUS 2418

ACTOR ATHIYA SHETTY SAYS THATWHATEVER CHANGES WE HAVEBROUGHT INTO OUR LIVES DUE TO THECORONAVIRUS SCARE, THEY WILLCONTINUE BEING A PART OF OUR BEINGEVEN WHEN THE PANDEMIC ENDS.

SHAH RUKH KHAN EXTENDSEID WISHES TO FANS, SAYS ‘IN

THE END, IT’S FAITH THATKEEPS US GOING’

TO ADVERTISE CALL 416-475-5000OR EMAIL [email protected]

AKSHAY KUMAR’S PRITHVIRAJ SETSTO BE DESTROYED BEFORE

MONSOON, SCENES YET TO BE SHOT

Sonu opens up on helping migrant workers reachhome, Rana reveals how he proposed Miheeka & more

Kevin Pietersen tries to troll ViratKohli, India captain gives epic reply

IN TODAY'S TOP ENTERTAINMENT NEWS, SONU SOOD STATED THAT HE WILL CONTINUE WORKING UNTIL EVERY MIGRANT WORKERREACHES THEIR HOME. RANA DAGGUBATI SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT HIS LOVE STORY WITH MIHEEKA BAJAJ.

ACTOR SHAH RUKH KHAN TOOK TOTWITTER TO WISH HIS FANS ON THE

OCCASION OF EID, WHICH FELL DURINGTHE TRYING CORONAVIRUS TIMES.

ARJUN KAPOOR TRANSFORMS INTO ROBERTDOWNEY JR’S SHERLOCK HOLMES IN A

‘PRETTY SPECIAL’ ARTWORK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANUSHKA SHARMA:5 TIMES 'ZERO' ACTRESS PROVED SHE

IS AN UNAPOLOGETIC 'HERO'

Three-time Olympic Hockey Gold med-allist Balbir Singh Sr. Passed away onMonday after a long battle with mul-tiple health complications. One of thefinest sportsman produced by India,Singh’s inspirational career span andleadership helped the Indian hockeyteam win their historic hat-trick Olym-pic golds in 1948, 1952, and 1956.Singh’s biggest moments include hisgive goals against the Netherlands, stillthe most goals scored in a men’s Olym-pic final. His conviction towards hockey wasdemonstrated when he played through a frac-ture in his favoured hand and nudged the teamto a 1-0 victory, scoring a sixth consecu-tive gold medal. Balbir Singh Sr. Wenton to become the coach of the Indianhockey team, leading them to a bronzemedal at the 1971 World Cup.

THREE-TIME OLYMPIC HOCKEY GOLD MEDALLISTBALBIR SINGH SR. PASSES AWAY AGED 95

Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma celebrates turns 32 years oldtoday, on May 1 and to celebrate and wish the actress, what betterthan a list of her famous quotes which depict the true and unapolo-getic side of the 'Zero' actress.Anushka is famous for never mincing words and always speakingher truth whether through her choice of films or in life which is sure toinspire us all to live life our way without asking for directions. Anushkahad made her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab NeBana Di Jodi and since then there has been no stopping her. Anushkais married to Indian skipper Virat Kohli. The actor-cricketer duo, too,makes for a power couple in every definition of the word. For theuninformed, Anushka and Virat got married in December 2017 in afairytale wedding in Italy’s Lake Como. From their pink and ivory outfits to thedecor to the overcast sky, everything came together to give Anushka and Virat awedding to remember. So on Anushka’s bir thday, check out these 5quotes by the actress and get inspired to live a fuller life.

Actor Arjun Kapoor on Monday shared a ‘pretty special’ ar twork trans-forming him into his favourite actor and Hollywood star Rober t DowneyJr from the mystery action thriller Sherlock Holmes.The Ishaqzaade star put out a picture on Instagram in which he isseen as the fictional character Sherlock Holmes in a painting, justlike the original character from the series. Telling fans about his fas-cination with the character, Kapoor wrote in the caption, “There’snothing more elusive than an obvious fact.” Sherlock Holmes, Myfavourite character played by my favourite actor @rober tdowneyjr!!!A match made in cinema heaven... Ar twork by @swapnilmpawar.This one is pretty special.” Celebrity followers including Tiger Shroffliked the post that garnered more than 26k likes within just half andhour of being posted on the photo-sharing platform. AparshaktiKhurrana found this transformation cool, and he commented, “Ohhwowww. This is sooo coool .” (along with emoji wearing glasses.)

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen and current India captainVirat Kohli share a great camaraderie. The two cricketers met whenKohli was a youngster, and since then have always got along on greatterms. But this does not stop both of them from trying to poke fun ateach other on social media.One such moment took place recently on social media when Kohliposted a throwback image of his beard. In response to Kohli’s image,Pietersen wrote: “Shave your beard off”.In reply to the former England batsman, Kohli came up with an epicresponse and said: “@kp24 better than your TikTok videos”.It is not the first time the two cricketers have engaged in banter onsocial media over Kohli’s beard. Earlier, the India cricketer had posteda video on Instagram in which he explained the style of his beard.Pietersen was quick to respond: “Does it get rid of your grey therebuddy?”The two cricketers had spoken to each other on Instagram Live inApril, in which Kohli laughed over Pietersen being Dhoni’s first Testwicket. “A lot of people told me, I am Dhoni’s first test wicket. I re-ferred it and I was given not out remember?” Pietersen said in thevideo. “Yeah, I know. Look the thing is, MS has a point; it came up onthe stump mics and nothing came on the hotspot so he has a point,”Kohli said laughing. KP replied, “Oh, you stop backing him.”The two also joked about the time when Kohli got Pietersen out.

14 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020BOLLYWOOD

Sooryavanshi trailer is agrand action extravaganza!

The trailer of Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif's highly antici-pated action-thriller film Sooryavanshi has just unveiled andlike any other Rohit Shetty directorial, it is action-packed,high on grandeur, drama and witty one-liners.The trailer wasreleased this very afternoon in a grand event in Mumbai at-tended by all three super cops of the famed Rohit Shetty CopUniverse. The trailer is unusually long at 4 minutes and 15seconds but commensurates with the grandeur of the film.It star ts with narration by Ajay Devgn's Singham of the ter rorattacks that Mumbai has been through star ting from the 1993serial blasts, 2002 bus blasts, 2006 train blasts, and 26/11 in2008. The primary focus is on the remaining 600 kg of RDXbrought for the '93 blasts as only 400 kg was used. AkshayKumar's DCP Veer Sooryavanshi will be dealing with sleepercells and a highly probable upcoming terror attack. RanveerSingh and Ajay Devgn reprise their roles from the franchisefor extended guest appearances and have grand entries.Akshay and Ajay even take a dig at each other over who'sentry was grander. Katrina Kaif plays Sooryavanshi's wifealso looks great and its refreshing to see her and Akshay'spair returning to the silver screen after 10 years.The Rohit Shetty directorial stars Akshay Kumar and KatrinaKaif in lead roles. Other cast members are Gulshan Grover,Abhimanyu Singh, Jackie Shroff, Nikitin Dheer, Javed Jaffrey,and Vivan Bhatena. The film is produced by Reliance Enter-tainment, Rohit Shetty Pictures, Dharma Productions, andCape of Good Films. Written by Farhad-Samji, the film will hitthe screens on March 24th. The trailer promises you an en-ter tainer which is going to be one hell of a roller-coaster rideof action, drama, romance, and, of course, grandeur!

Extraction first look: RandeepHooda makes his Netflix debut

alongside Chris Hemswor th

Actor Randeep Hooda is all set to make his Hollywood debutwith the Netflix film, Extraction that has been directed by SamHargrave. Extraction stars Chris Hemswor th and has beenwritten by Joe Russo, of the directing duo Russo Brothers.Talking about this association, Randeep said in a press state-ment, “I get to do a lot of action in the movie. I might be thefirst Indian male actor to do such an action-packed role in aHollywood film. It was a great experience working withHemswor th, Russo brothers and the director, Sam Hargrave.”Extraction, which was initially titled Dhaka, also stars PankajTripathi. “It (Randeep’s character) is described as a wreck-ing ball in the script. He’s had a run as a military personneland is now working for Ovi’s father. For the action shots, werehearsed twice a day for 10 days, since many of my roles sofar have been more dramatic. I must say, I’ve never had adirector on a wire, hanging next to me, giving me instruc-tions,” he added.The film revolves around Tyler Rake (Chris Hemswor th), afearless, black market mercenary, who embarks on the mostdeadly extraction of his career when he’s enlisted to rescuethe kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord.Itis scheduled to release on April 24.Chris Hemswor th will visit India for the promotional tour ofhis upcoming action film Extraction. He will reach Mumbaialong with Hargrave, on March 16. Hemswor th shot for theNetflix film in India in 2018. Randeep, who was recently seenin Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal 2 which featured Kar tik Aaryanand Sara Ali Khan in lead roles, is now working on SalmanKhan’s Radhe The Most Wanted Bhai where he will be seenas the antagonist.

Disha Patani has the sweetest wishes for her‘Malang’ director Mohit Suri on his birthday!

RE-RUNS OF SALMAN KHAN’S FILMS BY CHANNELSON TELEVISION TO ACHIEVE A SPIKE IN TRPS

Actress Disha Patani recently worked with Mohit Suri in Malangand the movie did wonders at the box office. Next up, Disha willbe seen in another Mohit Suri directorial, Ek Villain 2. Today,marks the occasion of the director's bir thday and wishing himon his special day, Disha has the sweetest wishes for him!The actress took to her social media and posted a picture ofthem together- a BTS from their last, Malang as they are visibly

seen engrossed discussing. She writes, `Happy b'day to one ofthe most amazing directors and an even more amazing human,have an amazing year ahead sir, lots of love always??@mohitsuri`.After the super success of Malang, Disha is all geared up towork on another project with Mohit Suri. She will also be seenin Radhe, alongside Salman Khan.

The lockdown caused due to the pandemic has brought about aninability to display new content on TV channels as the shootand production have come to halt. In a time like this, thetelevision channels are running low on content to put out for thetelevision audience and are re-running popular Salman Khanfilms to keep the audiences engaged. The channels havewitnessed a trend where Salman Khan's movies spike the TRPratings. In a perilous time like this, to maintain their respectiveTRPs and banking on his unprecedented popularity, channelsacross the country are doing a re-run of Salman's films as thesuperstar is a household name when it comes to the world ofenter tainment. Salman Khan's popular movies are being playedby television channels in order to treat the viewers keeping inmind the nationwide consumption, and the fact that the

viewership is at its peak amidst the nationwide lockdown.Undoubtedly, Salman Khan is one of the widely loved andpopular superstars of the nation with a fanbase that sees noboundaries- cutting across language, age, geographies.Winning over and creating history in the Television space alsowith popular reality show Bigg boss, Salman is one of the fewactors to have taken a reality show on a level that is unimagin-able. His larger than life persona and his superstardom haveboomed the TRPs every time he's on air with the reality showleading to re-run of Bigg Boss.Salman has a cult fan following of his own and his moviescompletely conquer the box office upon release. All his fan aresurely delighted to see him on television, while everyone ishome quarantined!

The channels have witnesseda trend where Salman Khan'smovies spike the TRP ratings.In a perilous time like this, to

maintain their respectiveTRPs and banking on his

unprecedented popularity,channels across the country

are doing a re-run ofSalman's films as the

superstar is a householdname when it comes to the

world of entertainment.

“

EKTA KAPOOR TO SOON ENTER THE SHORT FILMS FORMAT AFTERCASTING HER MARK WITH ALTBALAJI, TELEVISION AND CINEMA?

Ekta Kapoor is one of the producers who has made the best use of the camera by bringing the broader vision in ways which the audiencescould easily understand and has brought a change in the society with pathbreaking narratives. She reigns as the content czarina acrossplatforms- television, OTT and cinema. Thinking of what next? We are guessing it is, the short films format.The Content Czarina started her journey with television making an irreplaceable mark and then moved to the film industry by raising hervoice on some social issues and, also ventured into the OTT space with ALTBalaji! The speculation is- Ekta is soon to enter short filmsformat after acing all the three platforms with her content. Ekta's recent show 'Mentalhood' staring Karisma Kapoor in a lead role againconnected with the audiences differently as it showed the journey of modern moms. The show also talked about various topics like bullying and much morewhich in general are not talked about. The show is streaming on ALTBalaji and ZEE5. A piece of content which was appreciated and the audiences are alreadydemanding for Season 2! Ekta Kapoor exactly knows how to catch the attention of her audiences and also ensures with every content the viewer has, is somethingrefreshing and has a takeaway! The producer also has a vision like no other can ever have when it comes to producing content in a different way and highlightingissues that need attention. The content Czarina is always producing more and more content one after another. Her next ones being, Ek Villain 2, Pagglait and theaudience is already gearing up to witness some brilliant nEkta Kapoor is one of the producers who has made the best use of the camera by bringing the broader visionin ways which the audiences could easily understand and has brought a change in the society with pathbreaking narratives. She reigns as thecontent czarina across platforms- television, OTT and cinema.

MidWeek 15MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 BOLLYWOODBOLLYWOOD

HARD WORKING AND PASSIONATE,JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ LIFTS THE VEILON IF SHE EVER FELT A SENSE OF NOT

BELONGING IN THE INDUSTRYThe Jacq of hear ts, Jacqueline Fernandez is one of the mostprominently influential actresses in the Indian film in-dustry. She is known to have a substantial positive out-look and carries a persona which makes her a delight-ful person as well.The actress has an absorbing charisma in her per for-mances which keeps the audience of the Indian Cinemaglued to the screens. When asked about the industry beingmore accepting of her now, she asser tively told us abouthow sense of inclusivity in the industry comes with a strongdesire to passionately work. She shares, `Though I don'tthink there was ever really a sense of not belonging in theHindi film industry, there's definitely a greater sense ofinclusivity now, which is great. The industry always opensits doors for hard working and passionate people who pushthe boundaries. It really is just that. And, it has been thatway for me throughout my career.`Jacqueline has a knack of invoking cheerfulness amongher peers and her fans as she keeps the audience involvedin her life, always sharing her positivity and is most aptlycalled `Bollywood's Miss Sunshine`.The actress is all set to be seen next in Mrs. Serial Killerand venturing in the OTT platforms- proof of how she isconstantly experimenting and bringing content to her audi-ence. Jacqueline recently also featured in a musical trackwhere we loved her presence!

Jacqueline Fernandez receives a hugethumbs up as T-Series' Mere Angne Mein

crosses 30 million views!

T-Series and Jacqueline Fernandez have been a hit pair,delivering blockbuster songs over the years. After theirlast music video together, GF-BF did wonders on the digi-tal medium, they reunited for a quirky yet modern take onan old classic, Mere Angne Mein. The song, that has beendirected by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, has beenbankrolled by Bhushan Kumar and features Bigg Boss 13famed Asim Riaz opposite Jacqueline in the video.The song was unveiled on March 9 and captures the es-sence of the colour ful festival well. The song that hit the T-Series' digital platforms, has already turned out to be ahuge char tbuster. With over 30 million views and count-ing, Mere Angne Mein is already a huge success for T-Series and Bhushan Kumar. In fact, it was consistentlytrending at the number 1 spot globally for over 48 hourswhich is a feat that has not been achieved by any otherIndian music video. Jacqueline, on the other hand, hasreceived a lot of praises for her performance.She plays a princess from the era of 1435 AD and has acedit with her look and her dancing prowess. Whether it's herroyal look or nailing the sword sequence, Jackie looked every bitthe princess that we have grown up reading about. Radhika andVinay, who delivered the smashing hit Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi re-cently, starring the beautiful Divya Khosla Kumar, with 200 millionviews and counting on YouTube, were very clear about their visionbehind this music video and they had carefully planned Jacqueline'sprincess look for the same.Jacqueline is happy with the accolades coming her wayand she shares, "I had always loved the concept of MereAngne Mein. The way the song and the music video weredesigned, fascinated me. I'm glad I did it since it has workedout so wonderfully well for everyone involved.

'I do get affected when someoneattacks me personally': Rakul PreetSingh on trolls, getting slut-shamedIn May 2019, Rakul Preet Singh had taken to her Instagram pageand shared a photo from a shoot. In the photo, the stunning actor isseen wearing a blue velvet-lacy bralette and blue unbuttoned jeans.Soon after she posted the photo, Rakul was mercilessly trolled bythe netizens and went to an extent that the actor was slut-shamedtoo. Talking about the same, she told media, "They’re peoplewithout any real identity who think they’re of impor tance to averified profile, and getting a response for their cheap remarkwould validate their existence." Rakul recalled a commentwhich read as "When she forgot to wear her pant after thesession in the car". She had replied, "I think your mother does alot of sessions in the car so you’re an exper t !! Ask her to giveu some sense also besides these session details .. till the timepeople like this exist women can’t be safe .. just debating aboutequality and safety won’t help..."The Marjaavaan actor spoke about it by stating, "Those ques-tioning my ethics, why don’t you speak up when women areobjectified... I had woken up to that post and I just couldn’t holdmyself from replying. It was the girl Rakul who replied and notthe actor. I feel there are so much negativity and hatred in thisworld. Now, I’ve come to a point that there’s a cer tain sectionof the society that you can’t do anything about." Rakul con-cluded by saying, "I’m open to criticism, but I do get affectedwhen someone attacks me personally. That’s something I’ll notbe okay with. Otherwise, I don’t care because they are people whowrite things to seek importance, and I don’t have the time for that."

'I have been misrepresented': Neha Dhupia addresses 'RoadiesRevolution' controversy, writes note clarifying her stand

Actor Neha Dhupia was in the news all of last week after the socialmedia storm raging against her when she commented on cheating ina relationship on her reality show, Roadies Revolution. Neha posted along note on Twitter which said that her family and friends are beingharassed and abused due to it.For the uninformed, Neha had repor tedly scolded a contestant forsaying that he hit his girlfriend after he found out that she was cheat-ing on him. The host and actress had said that it’s a woman’s choiceif she wants to be in a relationship with five boys at a time but hittingher is not the right thing to do.Since then, Twitter and Instagram have been flooded with memes andabuses targeted towards Neha, calling her a hypocrite. Answering tothe abuses, Neha wrote, "Roadies is a show that I have been a par t of

for five years and enjoyed every bit of it. It takes me all over India andgives me the oppor tunity to team up with absolute rock stars from allpar ts of the country. What I do not like or accept is what is happeningfor more than two weeks now! Recently during one of the episodesthat aired, I took a stand against violence. A guy talked about hispar tner who cheated on him (allegedly) and in retaliation, he hit herby his own admission. What the girl did is a choice she made whichis a moral choice regardless of someone, man or woman... adulteryis a moral choice. Cheating is not something I stand for, and it isunfor tunate that I have been misrepresented for the same... but whatI do stand for is women’s safety," she wrote.Actor Taapsee Pannu also showed her support along with husbandAngad Bedi and filmmaker Karan Johar.

Kareena Kapoor Khan has been par t of the industry for 20 years now but remains one of the biggest names in Bollywood right now. 2020is a special year for the actress as she gears up for two mega projects like Laal Singh Chaddha and Takht.In a recent interview with Mid Day, Kareena spoke about her 2-decade long career and how reinvention and staying detached haveserved her well. "I am aware of the industry dynamics and have adequately reinvented myself. People who don’t have their heads ontheir shoulders can’t stand the pressures. Here, people around constantly boost your ego; having 40 million followers on Instagram andearning heaps of praise can create a false haze. But I have lived the last two decades by detaching myself. It’s an ar t that I havemastered over the years," Kareena said.She fur ther added that along with the new lot of actors like Kangana Ranaut, she is helping change the story. She said, "Kangana[Ranaut], Vidya [Balan], Priyanka [Chopra Jonas] and I picked up films that molded different narratives for women. There was a shiftin audience mentality. Actors, who are in their 30s, are a lot more relaxed now; they chase stories before everything else."Kareena also did not shy away from praising Saif Ali Khan and how he has been a constant source of advice and guidance. "As actors,we meet the same people, talk about which film is being made, which brand endorsement you missed, which director you want to meetfor the next big role. This loop gets toxic. For me, reinvention is getting the big picture right and [that is achieved] by knowing moreabout the world. I have had the privilege of taking a step back, travelling, reading, and meeting people who have nothing to do with thisworld. I owe that to Saif," Kareena said.

'Have lived the last two decades by detaching myself': KareenaKapoor Khan on how she survived 20 years in Bollywood


TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020BOLLYWOOD

Isha Koppikar to play lead protagonist inNeil Nitin Mukesh's digital debut

Isha Koppikar, who made her enter tainment foray with Tamil, Teluguand Kannada cinema, shot to fame in Bollywood as the "Khallas Girl"with her appearance in Ram Gopal Varma's `Company`. After anintended sabbatical post her marriage to Timmy Narang, Isha, also amother to 5-year-old Rianna Narang, preferred to be low key andhandpick her projects. Now we have learnt from credible sourcesthat she will be paired opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh as the lead pro-tagonist in the role of an Inspector General in Prawaal Raman's webdirectorial venture and Zee 5's untitled next that will release this year.This web series also marks the web entertainment debut of BypassRoad actor, Neil Nitin Mukesh who will play a con artiste accused ofmurder, kidnapping and identity theft. Isha has previously acted inweb series like Fixer, White Matter and this year in Ram Gopal Varma'suntitled web series where she will once again essay the role of a copas the lead protagonist. Surprisingly Isha has an uncanny tryst withthe cop role as seen over the past 3 years - `Keshava` in Telugu,`Kavacha` in Kannada and Shabbir Ahluwalia's `Fixer`.Speaking about her role Isha Koppikar says, `When Prawaal Ramannarrated the script to me I was fascinated with how the plot is timebound and will get the audiences to put on their thinking caps. It's acat and mouse game where there is an intellectually stimulating chaseequally juggled between the protagonist and the antagonist, both ofwhom are equally intelligent. The content is captivating and has manylayers to it. Somehow the thriller genre has always excited me andthe cop role is something that comes very naturally to me. This coprole is unlike what mostly writers sketch is not a typical cop charac-ter. She is not an abusive loud cop. The true power is not in loudnessbut in the gravitas and position.`

Elaborating fur ther Prawaal Raman adds, "Isha and I worked in DarnaMana Hai and I had found her to be an excellent actor. One of thosepragmatic dedicated ones and her films and her journey till now isproof of that. We both continued working and remained in touch andfinally we reunite after so many years. This is really something I'mvery excited about. She really fits the character and I'm excited aboutboth dedicated actors Isha and Neil working towards contributing alot while essaying the characters. Thankfully my first digital film iswith Zee5 and I'm excited about how Zee5 is raising the bars andleaving no stone unturned to make sure quality is maintained in everyaspect. The very first step being to selecting such a story to narrateand get such talented actors on board.`Neil Nitin Mukesh had earlier stated, `The story is based on one ofthe biggest prison breaks in India and my character will have multiplepersonalities. Prawaal Raman's directorial venture challenges me asan actor. I was excited to be par t of a one-hour short film. This was theper fect film to debut with on the OTT, before I took up a web series.Prawaal was making a film on a similar subject earlier and I wantedto be par t of that film, but things didn't pan out. I feel it's almost karmicto get a call from him when he was tackling the same subject for theweb. My character is multi-dimensional. After doing films like, SaatKhoon Maaf, David and Wazir, I kept wondering if there ever will beanother shade of grey. I wanted something challenging and this is astep fur ther. I will be playing seven shades of grey with one charac-ter."The multi-starrer web series' plot revolves around the twists andturns involved in the escape of the most notorious prisoners detainedin one of most secure Indian jails.

JANHVI KAPOOR LOOKS PROM READYIN THE SAPPHIRE DRESS

The very captivating actress Janhvi Kapoor has set instone herself as a millennial fashion icon especially onsocial media, the one-film old actress already has a hugefan following and she never fails to impress them be it ared carpet look or gym look. She recently shared a pic-ture of herself on Instagram.It is a one-shoulder asymmetrical silk satin dress withruffles that can be worn at any high-end occasion. Theunusually paired the dress with a pair of pastel tie-upheels and accessorized the dress with golden hoops andmultiple golden rings. Her hair in open hair-do with natu-ral streaked waves and illuminated her face with mini-mal nude make up. After the commercial success of theromantic drama movie Dhadak and horror movie Ghoststories, Janhvi Kapoor will next be seen in biopic GunjanSaxena directed by Sharan Sharma produced by DharmaProductions and Zee Studios. The movie is slated to bereleased on 13th March 2020. She is also filming for thenext horror movie Roohi Afzana along with Rajkumar Raoand Varun Sharma, directed by Hardik Mehta and pro-duced by Dinesh Vijan and Mrighdeep Singh Lamba re-leasing on 17th April 2020.

BHUMI PEDNEKAR KEEPS IT FORMALLY CHICThe multifaceted actress Bhumi is very versatile and tal-ented, she is an actress who was recently seen in acameo avatar in both the releases of last Friday - VickyKaushal's 'Bhoot - Par t One: The Haunted Ship' andAyushmann Khurrana starrer 'Shubh Mangal ZyadaSaavdhan'.She teaches us how to fashionably impress our bossesin a black and white body-con shir t dress designed byKarl Lager feld and she paired the dress with T- strappedblack heels from Jimmy Choo. Bhumi elevated her lookwith brown-toned makeup and naturally finished bluntbob hairdo styled by Mitali Vakil. She accessorized theensemble with a pair of delicate hoops from Swarovskiand is overall styled by Pranita Shetty.Bhumi will be seen playing the lead alongside KonkonaSen Sharma in 'Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare'.She also has 'Durgavati', which is produced by AkshayKumar. Bhumi also has a pivotal role to play in KaranJohar's magnum opus directorial venture, the multi starrer'Takht'. Along with Bhumi, the film will also featureRanveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vicky Kaushal,Alia Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, and Janhvi Kapoor.

Kriti Sanon shows off amysterious new tattoo, says it’s

‘start of something new

Actor Kriti?Sanon has got inked. The actor took to Instagramto share a picture of her tattoo, which hints rather thanshows her latest acquisition. With her back to the cameraand only her profile visible, we can see parts of a tattoo.While only a bit of it is visible, it appears to be the alphabet‘K’, after her name. Sharing the picture, she wrote: “Thestar t of something new.. #Inked”, followed by a bunch ofemojis. The tattoo appears to be in a shade of purple.Kriti, who was last seen in Ashutosh Gowariker’s ambi-tious Panipat, which sank at the box office, has been shoot-ing for her next, Mimi. The film will see her play a surro-gate mother. Sometime in February, a leaked picture fromthe sets of Mimi made its way to the internet. It showedKriti in a salwar kameez, seated on stairs and cradling herbaby bump. Mimi is being directed by Laxman Utekar, whoalso directed the actor in 2019’s hit film, Luka Chuppi.On Sunday, the actor-director combine of Mimi and LukaChuppi celebrated 1 year of the latter film on the sets of theformer. Kriti took to Instagram to share some pictures. Inone of them, Kriti can be seen teaching her director theCoca Cola step from Luka Chuppi. Sharing the picture, Kritiwrote: “Teaching my director @laxman.utekar CocaColastep as we celebrate #1YearOfLukaChuppi on the sets of#Mimi! @maddockfilms #PankajTripathiSir Missed youGuddu ji”. Replying to this, her co-star in the 2019 filmKar t ik?Aaryan wrote: “Kya yaar i wanna dance too#CocaColaTu”.Kriti has put on a significant amount of weight for the roleand it is pretty evident in the recent pictures she shared.Through much of February, the team has been based inRajasthan for the shoot of the film. Mimi will also starsome popular characters actors namely Pankaj Kapoor,Supriya Pathak and Manoj Pahwa.

'UNFAIR AND LOVELY'RANDEEP HOODA-ILEANA D'CRUZ TEAM UPFOR FIRST TIME IN QUIRKY COMEDY FILM

Randeep Hooda and Ileana D'Cruz are all set to team up for the firsttime in a film titled Unfair and Lovely. Going by the title, the filmtakes on the subject of an obsession of 'fairness' in our country. Inthe film, Ileana plays the role of a Haryanvi girl, who battles withthe prejudices of society regarding fair skin. Her name in the filmis Lovely as suggested in the title.Talking about the film, Ileana told Mumbai Mir ror, "This role isdifferent from all my earlier work and a challenging one. Thecharacter requires a lot of sensitivity and I’m waiting to see howit unfolds. I can assure you that the film will leave you with asmile." While Randeep shared, "I do have a lighter side to me andwhen I heard this story, I was instantly hooked."

Unfair and Lovely is being directed by debutant Balwinder SinghJanjua, who wrote the screenplay for Taapsee Pannu and BhumiPednekar starrer Saand Ki Aankh. Meanwhile, the upcomingfilm is written by Anil Rodhan and Kunal Mandekar.Ileana, who was last seen in Anees Bazmee's Pagalpanti alsohas The Big Bul l , in which she stars alongside AbhishekBachchan. The film is directed by Kookie Gulati and is slatedto release on October 23, 2020.Talking about Randeep, he was last seen in Imtiaz Ali's LoveAaj Kal along with Kar tik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan. Hooda isall set to make his Hollywood debut with Chris Hemswor th inExtraction.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 BOLLYWOOD

RAKULPREET SINGH ROCKINGRUFFLES THIS SUMMER

De De Pyaar De actress Rakulpreet never fails to impressher fans and followers when it comes to her fashion gameor be it her acting performance. The actress recently sharedpictures of herself on Instagram as she takes it subtle anddelicately in a beautiful ruffled ensemble from Zara thatshe paired up with T-strapped heels from Truffle collectionIndia. She illuminates her face in neutral makeup and subtlered lips done by Salim Sayyed and her blunt bob hair neatlystyled by Ashis Bogi. She accessorized her outfit with apair of earrings from Azotique by Varun Raheja, Rakul isoverall styled by the celebrity stylist Nidhi Jeswani.On The work front, the actress will be seen in LakshayaRaj Anand's action-thriller movie Attack starring JohnAbraham and Rakul Preet Singh in the leading role. Themovie is produced by Dheeraj Wadhwaan, Ajay Kapoor,Nishant Kamat, and John Abraham is slated to release on14th August 2020.

Hrithik Roshan keeps it hot andclassic even on a travel

The Indian Greek god is most definitely the fashion inspira-tion for many people, he looks attractive in whatever hewears. In the world full of trends, the actor has remained aclassic and timeless, his polo shirts jeans and a cap are asignature. Hrithik Roshan strikes back yet again and thefans are going into frenzies as he shares a couple of pic-tures of himself looking dapper and youthful in them.The actor added these pictures to his Dubai diaries as heshared them with his followers. The three things that re-mained common in the picture and that we really love areHrithik's white and off-white sweatshir t, his flat hat and hiseffor tlessly sexy aura. So if there's a storm or not we do notknow but the actor is sure striking off the lightning on hisfan with his fashion statements.On the work front, the actor was last seen in the actionthriller movie war. The film also featured Vaani Kapoor andTiger Shroff in pivotal roles. It has been repor ted that hemight be working on a biopic on former Indian cricket cap-tain Sourav Ganguly. However, no official announcementabout this project has been made.

Alaya F is giving the audiences a perfectsummer vibe with her yellow addictionAlaya F is currently riding high on the success of her debutfilm Jawaani Jaaneman and took all the hear ty commentsof the audiences and critics alike the fans already want tosee more of the actress.Alaya always makes sure to give major fashion goals withher sar torial choices and the fans can't get enough. As theweather changes from spring to summer so does Alaya'sfashion game.Alaya spor ted a sun yellow Micro Button Detail Corset PonteDress and paired it with a silver open toe tie-up stilettoes.The actress had a super glowy and dewy per fect summermake-up look with a winged-liner. The actress kept herhair open with per fect beachy waves. and stacked somerings. The debutante is surely enjoying and making themost of the success she is currently enjoying. After mak-ing an unforgettable Bollywood debut Alaya will be seen inPuja Enter tainment's next.

TIGER SHROFF SHARES THE FREESTYLE BTS FROMFIRST INSTALMENT OF BAAGHI; UNPACKS FIGHTING

MOVES IN HIS ACTION-PACKED MOVIES!

Here’s proof, Prabhas always makes a blazing entry in hismovies and lights up the screens. Check it out!

AHEAD OF THE T-SERIES & RED FM THE CARE CONCERT ADNANSAMI'S DAUGHTER WONDERS WHY HER DAD INSPECTS HISGRAND PIANO 25 TIMES IN A DAY FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES

Tiger Shroff is the youngest action superstar of the nation and,has got some killer action scenes in his movies which knocksthe audiences' socks off. He has been training in mar tial ar tsfrom a very young age and is a prodigy. The actor's franchise ofBaaghi is proof of his proficiency in delivering mind boggling andgripping action scenes.The actor posted a story on his social media where he was seensparring and packing some real blazing punches in a video, BTSfrom the first instalment of Baaghi. Reminiscing the training that

he underwent, he shares the video, "Free-styling before the actualfight...Behind the scenes of Baaghi 1."The actor's movements in the video really show some vigour andhis skil ls. Showing us behind the scenes with some real fierymar tial ar ts proves that Tiger Shroff keeps on refining his movesto give us better and more energetic action scenes.On the work front, the actor is basking in the success of Baaghi 3and will be seen in the second installment of Heropanti which isall set to release on 16th July 2021.

Prabhas is an actor who is aptly known as the hear tthrob of thenation. His marvellous two-par t epic film Bahubali has not onlymade him famous in the Indian film industry but has made himprominent in the whole world. What really sets Prabhas classapar t are his goosebumps inducing entry scenes in each of hisfilms- from Bahubali to Saaho!In his recent blockbuster film Saaho, the superstar makes an epicentrance, on a dark rainy day, by drif ting in an exquisite lookingcar and stepping out of the drif t ing car. The drif ting car thencrashes into a shop while the actor is opening his umbrella toprotect himself from the rain. Prabhas really strikes the audiencewith awe in his entrance.Prabhas's entrance in the worldwide hit Baahubali: The Beginningreally created a massive stir among the audience. The actor'scharacter is seen as a kid climbing a water fall of a mountain and

his mother shouting at him for doing so. Then, the scene skips toyears later where a youngster is seen climbing the water fall moun-tain and failing, the scene then goes to the top of the mountainwhere we see Prabhas who is already on top of the water fall ofthe mountain. Everyone is in awe watching him and it truly givesgoosebumps. The actor 's much awai ted ent ry scene in h isBaahubali 2 really shook the audience. The actor's mother in themovie whose character is named Shivgami is seen per forming aritual where she has to continuously keep walking with a bowl offire on her head to reach a temple. Unfor tunately, a mad elephantis set loose which is about interrupt her walk and cause her harm.Prabhas's character Baahubali makes a legendary entrance at thebrink of the moment by pulling a whole temple of a car t and crash-ing the humongous car t-like temple into the elephant to allow hismother Shivgami to pass from under the car t.

Of the many ar tists that are per forming at the T-Series and RED FMorganized The Care Concer t is none other than Padma Shri AdnanSami. Like several others he too is busy prepping up for April 11, 6pm where some of the best music stars of this country will be takingpar t in a unique digital initiative. Through this concer t Adnan likeothers from his home will appeal to music lovers to donate whateverbest in their capacity to the PM Cares Fund to fight the currentCoronavirus pandemic. The concert would be streamed on YouTubeand Facebook handles of both T-Series and RED FM. The celebratedpianist and vocalist is sure to give you your expected dose of enter-tainment. Going by past experience, he is guaranteed to enthrall mu-sic lovers. Most musicians, when per forming for a concer t are usedto everything being taken care of for them by a technical team. In thecurrent scenario, because of the nationwide lockdown, this is for thefirst time they are trying to figure out how to put their best act withlimited help just like how Australian country singer Keith Urban andhis wife actor Nicole Kidman recently did through a shor t and sweetperformance from their warehouse. The concer t was viewed by fanson a social media account last month after the entire world cameunder lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Talking about his

preparations, Adnan confidently informs, "Luckily for me, when I wastwelve years-old, my father had gifted me a home studio. I had nochoice but to engineer. That's how my technical knowledge becamestrong." But figuring out the shooting par t is still a bit of challenge whichAdnan is now settling down with, this being his first digital concer t.Well for star ters, he didn't have to break his head on which par t of hishome is going to be a world stage on April 11.The interesting story about that is that Adnan being an accomplishedconcert pianist, a few years ago had first things first locked in theplacement of his Grand Piano when he was doing up the interior of hisplush apartment in the western suburb of Mumbai. His diktat to theinterior designer was, `This is where the paino is going to be. Now, youfigure out where you want everything else to be." So Adnan's per for-mance space is locked. Still, at home his two-and-half -year-old daughterMedina can often be seen looking at how things are moving around thehouse in a quizzical manner. Says Adnan, "She is perceptive to thehustle and bustle in the last few days. She is probably wondering, whyher Baba, who doesn't take her out anymore, is looking at the samepiano, which has been around for some years from different angles 25times in a day. What's the big deal?"

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‘RAFAEL NADAL MENTALLYSTRONGER THAN ROGER

FEDERER’: NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Novak Djokovic has kept himself quite busy on social me-dia, be it playing home tennis with his friend or engaging inan Instagram Live session with two-time Wimbledon-win-ner Andy Murray, where he lauded the mental strength of hison-cour t rival Rafael Nadal.Amidst the knockabout banter between the two players, the17-time Grand Slam-winning Serbian rued about his Olym-pic per formances and joked about Stan Wawrinka’s shor ts.Although Djokovic picked Roger Federer’s forehand as thetoughest, he complimented the World No. 2 for a differentreason. “When it comes to mental strength there is no onebetter than Rafa. Over the years, we have seen him bounceback from injury so many times. He probably has had moreinjuries than anyone on the ATP tour and he has managed tocome back from every single one of them,” he said.Nadal, who has faced a barrage of injuries over the courseof his career has won 19 Grand Slams, with 12 of themcoming on the clay cour ts of Stade Roland-Gar ros. His lat-est Grand Slam win was at the 2019 US Open where hedefeated Daniil Medvedev for the title.“When you walk onto the cour t with him and you see himjumping, you know you are facing a gladiator. You know youare facing a mental giant. He is mentally stronger than evenRoger Federer.” Djokovic also threw light on the dominanceof the ‘Big Three’ and how their time was coming to an end.“We [him, Nadal, Federer] are also not that young anymore.You have guys like Dominic Thiem and [Stefanos] Tsitsipasand [Alexander] Zverev,” he said.

KL RAHUL DONATES 2019 WORLDCUP BAT & OTHER GEARS TORAISE FUNDS FOR CHILDREN

With the nation jostling against the novel coronavirus, sev-eral spor tstars have stepped up to help India in its battleagainst the pandemic. KL Rahul is the latest member to jointhe fight as the cricketer has decided to auction his Test,ODI, T20I jersey on Monday. He will also auction his 2019World Cup bat and some other gears to raise funds for chil-dren. The humanitarian gesture was announced by the crick-eter on his 28th bir thday and said that the money will be donated tothe Aware Foundation, which looks towards helping children. He alsourged the citizens to stay safe and remain indoors during this criticalperiod. England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler also auctioned his2019 World Cup final shir t to raise funds for two hospitals. The shirt wassold for £65,100. Meanwhile, in the fight against coronavirus, Indiabatting legend Sachin Tendulkar made a contribution of Rs50 lakhs. Among other Indian cricketers Suresh Raina do-nated Rs 52 lakh, while skipper Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharmaalso contributed in the noble cause.

Suresh Raina gives fiery response to YuvrajSingh's 'Dhoni’s favourite player' remarks

Veteran Team India cricketer Suresh Raina has finally responded toYuvraj Singh's comments on how the then captain MS Dhoni favouredhim over Yuvraj. "Suresh Raina had larger suppor t then because MSused to back him. Every captain has a favourite player and I thinkMahi really backed Raina at that time," Yuvraj had said on a talkshow. "Yusuf Pathan was also per forming well at that time and evenI was doing well and was also picking wickets. And Raina was not ingood touch then. They did not have a left-arm spinner at that time andI was picking wickets so they did not have any choice."Now, the left-handed batsman has expressed his thoughts on Yuvicomments and claimed that MS always backed him as he knew thetalent in him. "I would say MS definitely suppor ted me, he supportedme because he knew I have talent, I’ve done it for him, CSK and TeamIndia, whenever he suppor ted me.""The best par t about him is that he will tell you af ter two games, ‘Ifyou don’t score, I’ve to take a big step.’ I said just give me one or two

games, I will make sure not to repeat mistakes," Raina was quotedas saying by multiple outlets.During Dhoni's reign, Raina was one of the regulars in the Indiansquad, however, his international appearances dried up since ViratKohli took over.Raina's last played in the blue jersey in an ODI against England inJuly 2018. It was the only ODI series he was involved in that year andone of five international series he was par t of in 2018. His last Testappearance came in the 2014/15 series in Australia which was alsothe one in which Dhoni retired from the longest format.The 33-year-old also spoke on the challenges a middle-order bats-man faces, "You know, middle-order isn’t easy, every game you playsometimes you bat for 10-15 overs and sometimes for 30 overs.""Our position is different and we’ve to chip in with the ball, we’ve to get 2-3 wicketsand we’ve to save 15-20 runs. Middle-order has always been challenging for me,but, I’ve always taken everything positively," he added.

INDIAN HOCKEY LEGEND BALBIR SINGHSR CREMATED WITH STATE HONOURS

Indian hockey legend and three-time Olympic gold medalist BalbirSingh Sr, who passed away at the age of 95, was cremated with statehonours on Monday.The Spor ts Minister of Punjab Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi was also inattendance at the funeral and announced that the Mohali Stadium willbe named after Balbir Singh."Definitely, we will do it. He is the biggest name in the world of hockey.The Chief Minister (Captain Amarinder Singh) will make the announce-ment in this regard," Sodhi told repor ters when asked if the Mohalistadium will be named af ter the legendary hockey player.Sodhi also claimed that Balbir Singh will be honoured with the presti-gious Bharat Ratna Award and stated that Punjab Chief Minister hasalready written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it.

"The Chief Minister has already written a letter to the Prime Minister.I hope this will be done at the earliest. This should have happenedwhen he was alive, but the central government did not pay attention toit. He truly deserves this and he will get the Bharat Ratna Award," theminister said.Since May 18, Balbir Sr was in a semi-comatose state, developing ablood clot in his brain. He was first hospitalized for bronchial pneu-monia with a high fever.One of the country's most iconic athletes, Balbir Sr was the onlyIndian among 16 legends who got picked by the International OlympicCommittee across modern Olympic history.He still holds the prestigious world record for the most number of goals scored byan individual in the men's hockey final of the Olympics.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 SPORTS

‘CAN’T TOLERATE SOME PEOPLE IN THE BOX’ - YUVRAJSINGH ‘NOT INTERESTED’ IN BEING A COMMENTATOR

WITH A SALT-AND-PEPPER BEARD, INDIA'S1983 WORLD CUP-WINNING CAPTAIN, KAPILDEV, WENT FOR A COMPLETELY SHAVEN LOOKWHICH BROUGHT COMPARISONS TO SYEDKIRMANI'S LOOK ON TWITTER.

With the entire sporting world cooped up inside their four walls, severalTeam India cricketers are taking to trying out new looks. Kapil Dev toofollowed suit on Monday, as he shaved his head off and sported a new baldlook.With a salt-and-pepper beard, India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captainwent for a completely shaven look which brought comparisons to SyedKirmani’s look on Twitter.Earlier, David Warner had pleaded online to go for the bald look to paytribute to the healthcare officials who are working tirelessly during thepandemic.

SACHIN TENDULKAR too had a haircut recently, as he posted on Instagrama series of photos showing the Master Blaster trying his hand at the “self-haircut”.“From playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts, have always en-joyed doing different things. How’s my new hairdo looking?”, captionedTendulkar tagging his usual hairstylist Aalim Hakim.

VIRAT KOHLI’S wife Anushka Sharma even turned hairstylist for the cur-rent India captain last month. As Anushka spor ted a pair of scissors andwondered which haircut to give to her husband, Kohli can be heard sayingin the video, “You allow things like this to happen, getting your haircut withkitchen scissors.”In the end though, Kohli praised his wife’s skill and said, “Guys just see!It’s very good! Beautiful haircut by my wife.”

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh on?Monday said that he is not interested in taking up a commentaryrole at this moment. The stylish left-hander had announced his retirement from all forms of the game lastyear. Speaking to former India teammate Mohammad Kaif in an Instagram Live video, Yuvraj opened up onwhat he wishes to do af ter retirement. Kaif, who also announced retirement last year, has taken upcommentary role, and questioned Yuvraj when he would join him in the commentary box.In reply, Yuvraj joked that he cannot tolerate a few people. “You can get along with people. I can’t toleratesome people in commentary box (laughs),” he said. “It really depends if a time comes when I want tocommentate, I will. I want to do ICC events - T20 world Cup, ICC?ODI?World Cup. I don’t think I can docommentary all the time. I don’t have the patience to sit and talk about cricket all the time again. I won’tbe able to do it,”?he said.Yuvraj fur ther added that he also finds it difficult to criticise youngsters which the commentators of ten do.“The player on the field knows what pressure he is facing. I don’t like criticising young players . I havebeen in that place how it feels when people talk about you. This is why I don’t want to be a commentator.It is also necessary to tell youngsters what mistakes they are making. But we should strike a balance.”But Yuvraj added that he might feel different about commentator ’s role af ter a few years into hisretirement, but at the moment, he is eager to be a coach. “I feel I enjoy coaching more thancommentary. I don’t think commentary will be my full time job,” he said.“But I understand I have not even retired for even a year. I have played cricket for 25-30 years ofcricket, right now I am looking to take a break. But I?will take a call on what I want to do after a fewyears into my retirement.”

Can chase any score: Only 1 Indian in Nasser Hussain’s list of batsmen he would pay to watchNarrowing down the best batsmen across generation in cricket isan extremely difficult task to say the least. Former cricketers andcoaches are often put in the hot seat and asked to name the bestaccording to them. Amid lockdown due to the global outbreak of coronavirus,the same question was thrown towards former England captain and now apopular commentator Nasser Hussain. The nature of the question, however,was a bit different, Hussain was asked who are batsmen in the currentand past era he would pay to watch.The former England batsman, who was known for his tactics onthe cricket field, was precise in his answer. Hussain picked fourbatsmen he would pay to watch across generations in a Q&Asession with Daily Mail.David Gower“I have to go for my childhood hero David Gower. I remember anearly game against Leicestershire and I was at cover point as heleant on one and before I could move it hit the boundary boardsbehind me. Everything I had admired was there in front of myeyes,” Nasser said about Gower, who played 117 Test matches

for England between 1978 and 1992 and piled up 8,231 runs.Brian LaraHussain’s next pick was West Indies legend Brian Lara. “I’ve beenwatching some old footage of Brian Lara with that big back-lift and,wow, could he bat,” said Hussain.“I didn’t captain against him much but I have to say, Brian Lara. PoorMike Atherton would move a fielder and Lara would almost take themickey and hit it in the gap where the fielder had been,” Hussainadded.Saeed AnwarPakistan’s Saeed Anwar who regarded as one of the most stylishbatsmen of his era earned high praise from Hussain. “In terms ofbeing easy on the eye, Saeed Anwar had an elegance and gracethrough the off-side,” Nasser said about the Pakistan legend.Virat KohliIndia captain Virat Kohli was the only Indian and also the lone currentplayer in Hussain’s list. “ Virat Kohli in a 50-over run chase. He justseems to chase down any score every time,” Hussain said.

Kapil Dev gets new haircut, sports a bald look in self-isolation


TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020SPORTS

ELITE INDIAN TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES WILL BE IN FOR A HECTIC TIME IN 2022 WITH THREE MAJOR COMPETITIONS LINED UP ONE AFTER THE OTHER OVER TWO MONTHS.THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE TOKYO OLYMPICS HAS RESULTED IN A SITUATION WHERE THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS, COMMONWEALTH GAMES AND ASIAN GAMES WILL ALL BEHELD IN THE JULY-SEPTEMBER TIME SLOT.THE WORLDS, TO BE STAGED IN OREGON IN THE UNITED STATES, WILL BE ON FROM JULY 15-24, QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY THE CWG IN BIRMINGHAM (JULY 27-AUGUST 7). AFTER A BRIEFRESPITE, THE FORTNIGHT-LONG ASIAN GAMES BEGIN IN HANGZHOU, CHINA FROM SEPTEMBER 10.WITH INDIANS ELIGIBLE FOR ALL THREE EVENTS, THE TIGHT SCHEDULING WILL PRESENT A CHALLENGE TO THE ATHLETES, ESPECIALLY THOSE LIKE JAVELIN THROWER NEERAJ CHOPRA, WHOWILL BE EYEING THE PODIUM AT ALL THREE COMPETITIONS.“IT WILL BE CHALLENGING BECAUSE YOU HAVE THREE BIG COMPETITIONS IN ONE YEAR AND THAT TOO WITHIN TWO MONTHS. IN MY CASE, I HOPE THE EXPERIENCE OF PARTICIPATING IN THEDIAMOND LEAGUE SERIES (UP TO THREE COMPETITIONS A MONTH), WHICH I HAVE GOT USED TO, HELPS,” THE REIGNING ASIAN GAMES AND CWG GOLD MEDALLIST SAID.“DIAMOND LEAGUE COMPETITIONS ALSO TAKE PLACE WITHIN ABOUT A MONTH. I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN ABOUT 10 COMPETITIONS A YEAR, INCLUDING THE DIAMOND LEAGUE. BUT THESCHEDULE FOR 2022 CALLS FOR PROPER PLANNING IN TERMS OF TRAINING IF I WANT TO PEAK AND WIN MEDALS IN ALL THREE COMPETITIONS.”

I hit Jadeja for a four and six, Mahi bhaigave him an earful: Ishant Sharma

‘WORLD IS NOT STARTING FOR NEXT ONE YEAR,HOW CAN CRICKET START’: SHOAIB AKHTARFormer Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar believes cricket will not star t for atleast one year as severalcountries do not have adequate testing kits and hence, there can be no planning done and no series can beheld. The world is currently in a state of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and as per Akhtar,things are not improving anytime soon.“If you ask me honestly, I do not know for how long the coronavirus outbreak will last, until and unless itis not known that how many people are infected, one cannot go ahead with any kind of cricket anywhere,”Akhtar said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.“I do not see cricket being played for at least a year due to the coronavirus. I see the virus troubling us forone year, these are troublesome times, I just hope we come out of this stronger,” he added.“The situation is very bad, it is very tricky. I am not seeing the virus going for at least one year. But, we agroup as different communities will come out of it. The world is not star ting for the next one year, how cancricket star t,” he added.On bowlers not being able to shine the ballAkhtar also said that if bowlers are not able to apply the shine on the ball with their saliva, the ICC?shouldbe working on an external agent which could assist the bowlers. He also said that he would welcome thedecision of ICC?as this was made keeping in mind the health of the bowlers and the players.“I do not think that one can apply saliva on the ball now, we as bowlers apply saliva on the ball to makethe ball shinier, the ball goes in the hands of everyone on the park, I saw a repor t of the ICC which saidbowlers would not be able to apply saliva on the ball, Akhtar said.“Cricket is a game which requires contact, if ICC is thinking about passing the law related to applyingsaliva on the ball, then I welcome the decision keeping coronavirus in mind,” he added.

Ishant Sharma’s rise to becoming the leader ofthe pack in red ball cricket has been one of themost fascinating stories of Indian cricket overthe past few years. In his long career, Ishantwas always looked at as a buffer option, de-spite producing some match winning spells overthe years. But his rise has been meteoric overthe past couple of years.Ishant has also been a regular in the Indian Pre-mier League despite not playing limited overscricket for India for a while. Ishant represented Delhi Capitals last season and in a match againstChennai Super Kings, he managed to hit a few lusty blows with the bat. Speaking to Gaurav Kapur onhis YouTube show Isolation Premier League, Ishant revealed how CSK captain Dhoni got irritated afterwatching his batting skills.“Mahi bhai (Dhoni) used to make fun of me that I can’t hit sixes, saying you don’t have that power. Lastyear I hit Jaddu (Jadeja) for a four and followed it with a six. Then I turned my head towards Mahi bhaito see his reaction, who gave an ear ful to Jaddu,” Ishant said.Ishant had earlier in a video posted by his IPL franchise Delhi Capitals said that he can’t pick betweenhis seven-wicket haul in Lord’s and his fifer at Eden Gardens in the pink ball Test, while speakingabout his most memorable per formance.“Both of them are equally memorable. Taking seven wickets at Lord’s is obviously something I can’tforget. And taking those five wickets with the pink ball also I can’t forget because after 12 years I hadtaken a five-wicket haul.”Ishant Sharma’s spell of 7/74 in the second innings of the Lord’s Test helped India win a match at the‘Hone of Cricket’ for the first time in 28 years.

IPL’s big money can add pressure, peopletry to drag you down: Yuvraj Singh

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh on Monday said pressure of being a big money buy in theIndian Premier League (IPL) is felt when you don’t per form and people talk about all that moolahgoing to waste, all the time. Yuvraj still holds the record of being IPL’s most-expensive buy. The2011 World Cup hero went for a whopping Rs 16 crore to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) inthe 2015 auctions. Yuvraj did not have a good IPL that year, managing 248 runs in 14 matches at19.07. “The pressure is felt because of the big money. I won’t say it changes a player. Now whenyou climb the success ladder, people try to drag you down,” Yuvraj said during an Instagram Livewith former teammate Mohammad Kaif.“See the point is...pressure is there because when you get out and don’t per form they say he isgetting so much money and not per forming. Negative news sells more and those things affect you.My advice to all youngsters would be to stay away from TV and newspapers,” said the 38-year old,regarded as one of the all-time best white-ball batters.Australian quick Pat Cummins became the second most-expensive buy in the popular T20 league inthe 2019 auctions where Kolkata Knight Riders shelled out Rs 15.50 crore for him. The IPL ispostponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Yuvraj also spoke about his fielding and how he became such a great fielder. Yuvraj and Kaif wereIndia’s two best fielders during their playing days.“I was very athletic. I was quick. But fielding i did not have too much idea. In the first Ranji matchI was playing, I was 15-16 years. I misfielded and next day ar ticle came out Yuvraj Singh ‘gatewayof India’. “My father read that. He said now I will see how you don’t improve your fielding. Then Istar ted getting better and body also got stronger.”Talking about the famous 2002 NatWest Series final win against England where Yuvraj and Kaifshared a match-winning 121-run stand for the sixth wicket, Yuvraj said: “My lesson from that gamewas that you can’t relax at any time. England had thought they had won the game. You can’t give up.You have to keep trying.”

Track and field athletes face gruelling 2022 season

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SHWETA BACHCHAN NANDA TOOK TO HER INSTAGRAM PAGE AND SHARED A SERIES OF PHOTOS WITH NAVYA NAVELI NANDA AS SHEGRADUATED FROM COLLEGE BUT CELEBRATED IT AT HER HOME. SHWETA WROTE, "CLASS OF 2020 - NAVYA FINISHED COLLEGE TODAY ANDSINCE SHE AND EVERYONE ELSE GRADUATING THIS YEAR WON’T GET A CEREMONY WE DECIDED TO DIY ONE. WITH A CHART PAPER CAP ANDA GOWN HAND STITCHED FROM SCRAPS OF BLACK TENTING. I THREW ON A FORDHAM (HER COLLEGE) SWEATSHIRT OVER MY PJ’S!!CONGRATULATIONS BABY I LOVE YOU AND AM PROUD OF YOU! GO FORTH AND CONQUER X (I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING)."

CMHC’s Evan Siddall Warns CanadianHomebuyers Face ‘Debt Cliff’ This Fall

Ford throws lifeline to suppliersfacing cash crunch

'Human trials for COVID-19 vaccinemay begin in at least 6 months'

MALAIKA ARORAJANHVI KAPOOR VAANI KAPOOR SOHA ALI KHANDAISY SHAH

Canadian consumers will face previously unheard-of levels of debt inthe coming months as households grapple with shrinking incomesand mounting bills, the head of Canada’s government-run mor tgageinsurer says. There were vir tually no silver linings in Evan Siddall’stestimony to the House of Commons finance committee Tuesday ?testimony Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre described as “bloodyterrifying.” One in eight households with a mor tgage have defer redtheir payments, and that could rise to one in five by September if theeconomic recovery disappoints, Siddall ? CEO of Canada Mor tgageand Housing Corp. (CMHC) ? told parliamentarians.Canada lost more than three million jobs in March and April amid theCOVID-19 lockdown, and the total number of hours worked shrank bynearly 30 per cent. Canada’s major lenders put in place programsallowing mor tgage borrowers to defer payments for several months.Those deferrals are set to expire in the fall.The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which provides$2,000 a month for up to 16 weeks for those who lost work in thepandemic, will also expire around that time, if it isn’t extended.“A team is at work within CMHC to help manage a growing debt ‘de-

ferral cliff’ that looms in the fall, when some unemployed people willneed to star t paying their mor tgages again,” Siddall said.A key measure of how well households can handle their debt will hitits worst level on record, CMHC predicts. That’s because unpaid billsare piling up even as households are seeing lower incomes.The ratio of household debt to disposable income will rise to “wellabove” 200 per cent ? possibly as high as 230 per cent ? beforestar ting to decline. The highest it had ever been before was 178 percent, several years ago at the height of the house-price explosion.“Almost everything we’ve done in response to the crisis involvesborrowing,” Siddall said. “Just as governments are taking on moredebt … mor tgage deferrals (are) adding to household debt.“The resulting combination of higher mor tgage debt, declining houseprices and increased unemployment is cause for concern for Canada’slong term financial stability.” CMHC sees house prices in Canadafalling between 9 per cent and 18 per cent over the next 12 months.Siddall warned that first-time homebuyers who are early into theirmor tgages could find themselves underwater ? meaning their mor t-gage could be larger than the market value of their house.

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is helping some of its suppliers survive acash crunch by paying its bills early to ensure that critically neededpar ts keep flowing to its auto factories.The Detroit 3 are restar ting production after shutting down for twomonths to slow the spread of the coronavirus. That has caused acash-flow crisis at many suppliers that don’t have deep capital re-serves. Ford burned through $8 billion (all figures in USD) in the firstthree months of the year, but it has built up a substantial cash pile bysuspending its dividend, drawing down its credit lines and sellingjunk bonds. Now it is helping keep key component suppliers afloat bypaying invoices early. “In light of current market conditions, Ford iscreating an early-payment program for our supply base,” JenniferFlake, a company spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. “Thisnew voluntary program creates access to cash flow and workingcapital to Ford suppliers.” The automaker, which is projecting a $5billion operating loss for the second quar ter, said it is making theseearly payments to a small group of key suppliers it declined to iden-tify. The company plans eventually to expand the program to othermanufacturers across its supply base, Flake said.

NEW DELHI: As India ranked 10th in the global infection list, overtak-ing Iran, which was an early hotspot of coronavirus, India's top medi-cal body has said the human trials of COVID-19 vaccine may begin atleast in six months. Speaking to IANS, Dr Rajni Kant, Director Re-gional Medical Research Centre and Head at the Indian Council ofMedical Research (ICMR) said, "The virus strain isolated at the Na-tional Institute of Virology (NIV) laboratory in Pune will be used todevelop the vaccine, and this strain has been successfully trans-ferred to the Bharat Biotech International Ltd. (BBIL). It is expectedthat the human trials of the vaccine will begin in at least six months."Queried on the focus areas as India inches closer to 1.4 lakh COVID-19 cases, Kant said we should not get anxious about the rapid in-crease in numbers, especially in the past week, which saw 5,000Covid-19 cases daily, instead focus on protecting the most vulnerable group."We should not fear from increasing Covid-19 cases. The elderly and people withcomorbidities need protection. This is the highly vulnerable group, and we needto deploy resources and develop strategies to keep the mor tality rateas low as possible in this group," said Kant.


TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020L I FESTYLE

YOU ARE WHAT YOU BELIEVEWe must realise that our own power is limitless. Our subconscious inspiresand guides us. It can recall scenes from memory and take us into our future.It actually regulates assimilation and elimination. Our subconscious controlsall the vital processes and functions of the body. It has the answer to all theproblems. Stress is self created; therefore mastering ourselves is truly in ourown hands. Stress looms large on a conscious or subconscious level in ourlives. As much as it is the manifestation of our own minds, it is also controlledby it, and we need to understand this.SOURCE OF POWERThe power of the subconscious is a power that never sleeps or rests. We candiscover its miraculous effects by plainly stating to the subconscious beforesleeping a specific required accomplishment. Amazingly much to your initialsurprise, you will see your desire accomplished. Here is a power putting you intouch with the universal forces. Live in the faith and belief, as to the wisdom of theUniverse. This is the power that moves the worldThe subconscious is the storehouse from where great ar tists, musicians andwriters draw their inspiration and power; it enables them to produce their greatwork. Similarly in our lives, stress can be controlled by us too and the subcon-scious power can be harnessed to keep it at bay.MENTAL ANAESTHESIAEsdaille, a Scottish surgeon, practiced Mental anaesthesia in the 1840s. This

was before the modern methods of chemical anaesthesia were used. All theoperations performed by him were done under mental anaesthesia. Thepatients didn’t feel the pain at all. Esdaille suggested to his patients, whowere in a hypnotic state, that no pain would be there and no infection woulddevelop. Their minds responded to the suggestion. The suggestion would setin motion the processes needed to fight the dangers of infection.IMPRESSION IS EXPRESSIONWe must realise that within us is the power and intelligence that far tran-scends the intellect. All our positive experiences make us realise the power of ourown subconscious mind. Impression is expression. Whatever is im-pressed on your subconscious mind, manifests as a reality in theouter world.CREATE EQUILIBRIUMHealth, happiness, peace and joy are only possible, when theconscious and subconscious work in peace and harmony together,then there is no sickness and discord happening. Your frustra-tions in life, which are actually your major cause of stress, aredue to unfulfilled desires. Thinking negative generates negativeemotions, which in turn manifests as tensions, anxieties, ulcers,skin diseases etc.IMAGINE HAPPY SOLUTIONSFeel the thrill of your accomplishments beforehand. Whatever you imag-ine and feel is accepted by your subconscious mind, and it creates a parallelreality. We can affirm “I believe that my subconscious desires are fulfillingthrough me”. This will put you on the road to happiness.

E-CIGARETTES ARE NOT SAFE, ADDITIVESMAY IMPAIR LUNG FUNCTION

NEW DELHI: Flavouring and ad-ditive ingredients in e-cigarettesmay increase inflammation andimpair lung function, according toa study. The research, publishedin the American Journal of Physi-ology — Lung Cellular and Mo-lecular Physiology, also found thatshor t-term exposure to e-ciga-rettes was enough to cause lunginflammation similar or worsethan that seen in traditional ciga-rette use. E-cigarettes, popularbattery-powered devices thatsimulate the act of smoking a tra-dit ional cigarette, dispense avapour der ived from l iquidchemicals in a refi l lable car-tridge. The refills typically con-tain propylene glycol, nicotineand often flavourings, said re-searchers from the University ofAthens Medical School in Greece.Propylene glycol — a colourless,odourless food additive — isfound in numerous processedfood and beverages; it is also used

as a solvent in a number of pharma-ceuticals. E-cigarette devices and re-fills are not well regulated, and the long-term health effects of e-cigarette useare not widely known.Researchers studied severalgroups of mice that receivedwhole-body exposure to varying

chemical combinat ions fourtimes each day. Each exposuresession was separated by 30-minute smoke-free intervals. Thecigarette and e-cigarette groupswere compared with a controlgroup that was exposed to medi-cal-grade air.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 L I FESTYLE

How your eating plan is moreimportant than working out

What should you prioritise — diet or exercise? That seems to bethe eternal question that haunts many wanting to knock off theirextra kilos. Well, some health researchers seem to have found theanswer. A recent study suggests that diet is far more impor tantthan physical activity. Read on to know more...THE STUDYCNN reported that the reason behind this is exercising increasesthe appetite, especially with prolonged endurance exercises orweight lifting, that can ultimately sabotage the best of intentions tolose weight. About 10 per cent of our calories are burned digesting thefood we eat and roughly 10 per cent to 30 per cent are lost throughphysical activity, the study said. “It could not be more true. What youomit from your diet is so much more important than how much youexercise,” says nutritionist Lisa Drayer.EXPERT SPEAKDiet is more important than exercise to lose weight, agrees ShaliniBhargava, director — JG’s Fitness Centre. There has to be a calo-rie deficit in order to shed the pounds, which is easier to obtain byrestricting the number of calories consumed. Most of us consumemore calories than required by our bodies. “An hour of exercise will burncalories, give an after burn, keep the metabolism high so that youcontinue burning calories post-exercise sessions too. However, thereis an upper limit to that unless you go berserk and start exer ting like amaniac, which may result in injuries. It is much easier to cut caloriesthan to burn calories,” she reasons.70/30 RULE OF DIET AND EXERCISEMany articles online peg diet at 70 per cent and exercise at 30 per centefforts when it comes to losing weight. Shalini believes this is agood ratio, but adds that depending on the person, gender, age,medical conditions, it can be altered to 80/20 also. Leena Mogre,director, Leena Mogre’s Fitness, says, “This 70/30 rule of dietvs exercise is not modern day science. It’s been there for years,something which I’ve been telling my clients for three decades.”DON’T PUSH EXERCISE ON THE BACK BURNERLeena agrees that diet is more impor tant when it comes tolosing weight, however, she points out that if one doesn’t workout, there will be a loss of lean muscle tissue, which increaseBasal Metabolic Rate (BMR). One will lose weight for the time being,but in the long run, this eventually will result in fat percentage going up.If you only rely on dieting for weight loss, you won’t get a toned, fitlook for which exercise comes into play. The 30 per cent ofexercise is equal to 70 per cent of dieting because it takes a lotof effor t to work out.

Many of us have childhood memories of sitting around in a circle, takingturns to narrate a scary story. These highly engaging mysteries were oftendiscussed in groups for their shock value, and sometimes, even in exchangeof popularity. The same plot lines and characters may not necessarily seemimpressive to us anymore, but the adrenaline rush and that hooking what-happens-next feeling they bring with them remains relevant. We may not bekids around a campfire today, but we surely are using technology to streamshows, movies and podcasts based around true crime. Documentary serieslike Michigan Murders and The Keepers have gained immense popularity onOTT platforms, as have Spotify podcasts like Casefile and Serial Killers. Butinterestingly, it looks like it’s the women who can’t switch them off.One particular study, led by Amanda Vicary—a crime psychology expert,associate psychology professor at Illinois Wesleyan University and a self-con-fessed ‘true crime addict’ herself—showed that the number of women interestedin the genre of true crime increased by 16 per cent in 2019. Another surveyconducted by ABC revealed that the surge in popularity that true crime podcastswere experiencing was due to a growing appetite among women too. In fact, onepopular true crime podcast, called Wine and Crime, reported that they get half amillion downloads each month, but a staggering 85 per cent of their audience isfemale.To dig deeper into the topic, we took cues from Vicary’s study and spoke toMumbai-based psychotherapist and counsellor, Rhea Gandhi for more insights.True crime content helps women understand a criminal’s mindset, and promotesa sense of justiceMore often than not, true crime stories—whether in the form of books, podcasts,movies or shows—spotlight details on the thought processes of criminals. Vicaryfound that even though women fear becoming victims of a crime, they’re interestedin the genre because it helps them understand how a crime is perpetrated. Whattriggered the attacker? How did the victim fall into the trap? What techniques did thevictim use to escape? Vicary suggests that while consuming this content, womensubconsciously absorb information on coping with horrific situations, and tricks torecognise tell-tale signs which could cause lead to violence.Gandhi, on the other hand, focuses more on one particular feeling—of justice. “Inreality, women are often the victims or survivors of crime, rather than perpetrators.Perhaps we are drawn to this genre in search of a sense of justice,” she postulates.“As women living in a deeply patriarchal society, feeling unsafe and frightened isalmost a constant state of mind, and perhaps, our deep desire to feel safe andprotected by legal systems is sublimated when we watch stories where justiceprevails. That sense of justice we feel at the end of a true crime film or seriesreflects our desire to be a par t of social and legal systems that work tirelesslytowards women’s safety and protection.” It can also directly impact women’sbehaviours, and help them pick up survival techniques. According to Vicary, women

have claimed that consuming true crime content led to a conscious change inbehaviour to ensure safety. For instance, double-checking door locks and carryingmace and pepper sprays is more common now than ever before. She suggeststhat women are enacting tips and tricks that they observe during shows, withoutrealising that it’s their very need to protect themselves that could be drawing themto the genre. Interestingly, Gandhi vocalises the opinion that apar t from this, womenindulging in this genre doesn’t really change anything in their reality. “I only view itas a space that offers some psychic relief,” she says.Discomfor t and fear doesn’t deter women from finishing a true crime storyWhile studying the reactions of men and women towards a true crime podcast,Vicary found that while both sexes reacted with fear at cer tain points, it wasthe female listeners who showcased higher levels of anxiety than men.However, their will to continue with the content remained affected. This needto know what happens next, and subconsciously reading between the lines,overpowered the discomfor t and negative feelings of watching listening todistressing content. The final observation: women are willing to go throughdiscomfor t and fear to get their true crime fix.

THIS MIGHT BE THE REASON WHY WOMEN AREOBSESSED WITH TRUE CRIME STORIES


TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020

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