Actor Taapsee Pannu who is on a photo-sharing spree these days on Saturday shared an exquisite throwback picture from her trip to Rome. Just like many others who are dreaming of vacations during the lockdown, the 'Pink' actor is also seen reminiscing about her vacation in her latest throwback post on social media.

 

 

 

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One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time. I love seeing places which should either have beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants. Basically good restaurants is the basic common key here. I loved using all the local apps to find me local transport n restaurants to dine in. Quaint cafes which make u pause. I think it will be some till I experience the thrill of travelling again. But until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it’s quite possible that things won’t be the same tomorrow 🤷🏻‍♀ï¸Â #Throwback #Archives #QuarantinePost

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:57pm PDT

Alongside a picturesque picture shared on Instagram, the actor wrote: "One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time... "

Taking it to the captions, the 'Mulk' actor also pinpointed the key factors she seeks while travelling. "I love seeing places which should either have a beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants," the caption read.

"Basically good restaurants are the basic common key here," the 32-year-old wrote. She also mentioned her interest in using the "local apps" to find her "local transports and restaurants to dine in." "Quaint cafes which make u pause," she added.

Referring to the current lockdown and unpredictable situation the life has been thrown into in the wake of coronavirus crisis, Taapsee also added that one can "experience the thrill of traveling again.. until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it's quite possible that things won't be the same tomorrow."

Lately, the 'Manmarziyaan' actor has been sharing many throwback pictures as she earlier announced on Instagram that she will be posting a series to refresh some memories amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Taapsee is currently at home like many other celebrities as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

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It has been seven years since Mohit Suri's Aashiqui 2, starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor came out. It made the actress an overnight star and sensation, and her character, Aarohi, still continues to be remembered for her piquancy and innocence, and of course, singing.

Every year, the actress does something special on this day to mark this musical blockbuster's anniversary and this year was no exception. She not only changed her Instagram name to her screen name from the film and upload a new photo from one its stills, but also uploaded a collage of some of the film's scenes to create one beautiful picture.

This is truly an innovative and imaginative way to celebrate your film, don't miss this post:

 

 

 

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7 years of Aashiqui 2 today!🥰💝 Thank you forever @mohitsuri for this gift of a lifetime @visheshfilms for believing, #ShaguftaRafique for your exquisitely beautiful writing, @adityaroykapur for being an unbelievably amazing costar and the entire team who gave their everything to this precious film. Thank you everyone who gave this film so so sooo much love. Its priceless✨ Thank you to all those who have made such beautiful edits and to the fan clubs for uniting and sharing a common dp today; this collage 🙃🥰 I’m the luckiest girl in the universe ✨💜

A post shared by Aarohi (@shraddhakapoor) onApr 25, 2020 at 11:43pm PDT

Shraddha Kapoor is well known for always delivering hits along with a new character and fresh content with every project. Shraddha being a lover of always wanting to try something new has been unstoppable ever since Aashiqui 2.

After Aashiqui 2, taking no breaks, Shraddha was seen in Ek Villain, where the character of being full of life was super fresh. Not forgetting ABCD 2 where Shraddha's dance totally stole hearts. Shraddha showed her versatility factor and the audiences were stunned on how the actress can mould herself in every way possible.

Moulding herself into another new character, Shraddha was seen doing some kicks and punches in Baaghi. The actress has given a carousel of hits and is a roll as the actress chooses quality projects over quantity and this totally sets her apart. Shraddha knows how to treat her fans with the best of characters, where fresh content always hunts Shraddha.

On the work front, Shraddha will be seen in a Luv Ranjan directorial alongside Ranbir Kapoor. The actress is basking in the success of Baaghi 3. Truly we can't wait to see what this fresh pair has brewed for us!

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The makers of Kangana Ranaut's Thalaivi are resigned to the fact that the film, like many other Bollywood offerings, will be delayed. However, they have a more pressing problem on their hands — two elaborate sets that were built in Hyderabad and Chennai have been standing unused over the past six weeks, leading to losses. If the lockdown extends to June, the makers fear the sets may be destroyed in the rains.

"We need to wrap up the film before the rains hit. Since they are outdoor set-up, they will be ruined in the monsoon. Reconstructing the set will be an expensive affair," laments producer Shailesh R Singh.

J Jayalalithaa

The shoot of the biopic on J Jayalalithaa, the late chief minister of Tamil Nadu, was running like clockwork until March. With a 45-day shooting stint slated to kick off on March 10, the AL Vijay-led team had constructed a set of the Parliament House at the Ramakrishna Cine Studios in Hyderabad. After the shoot would be wrapped up by the third week of April, their next pit-stop was Chennai.

"We have recreated Mount Road at the AVM Studio in Chennai, and had planned a patchwork shoot there. Almost 40 per cent of the movie is left to be filmed," says producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri, adding that they pre-emptively cancelled the Hyderabad shoot in the wake of the pandemic.

Sources say that the makers, who are bearing the maintenance cost of the sets and the studio rent, have incurred losses of R5 crore so far due to the lockdown. While Singh is unwilling to put a number to the damages, he adds, "Our team's safety is our priority. We had paid [the studio] for March, but were unable to shoot for a single day in Hyderabad. It's uncertain when the lockdown will be lifted. Even if we get a 10-day window, we will finish shooting the outdoor portions."

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Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover tied the knot on April 30, 2016, in a grand ceremony that was attended by The Who's who of Tinsel Town. In a span of just three days, they will be celebrating four years of togetherness, and of course, will be doing something special. And given the woman has the tendency to remember dates more frequently, the wife has already begun her side of the preparation.

Taking to her Instagram account, Basu shared a video where she could be seen cooking Karan's favourite Besan Laddoos and by the time the video ends, you could be feeling hungry and especially if you have a sweet tooth. This is what we call true love, and in this couple's case, Monkey Love!

Have a look at the video right here:

 

 

 

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The Making of his favourite Besan Laddoo❤️

A post shared by bipashabasusinghgrover (@bipashabasu) onApr 26, 2020 at 10:54pm PDT

Grover and Basu are travel junkies and often travel abroad to the most gorgeous locations and even share their beautiful and bold pictures from the different corners of the world. They even acted together in the 2015 film Alone and will now reunite for another thriller called Aadat, which is directed by Bhushan Patel.

It has been a while since we saw the actress on the big screen and we hope she comes back soon! And we also hope the couple shares some pictures on the day of their anniversary!

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It has been a while since we saw Esha Gupta on the celluloid, but she continues to scorch and scintillate with her no-holds-barred Instagram posts that can set your screens ablaze. She has always been unapologetic about her pictures and videos and believed in living life on her own terms.

And now, there's some good news, the beautiful lady has found love and that too all the way from Spain. She has taken to her Instagram account and written a post in Spanish that translates into- "I love you so much my love." The duo looks dapper in black and is twinning together and it seems they are truly made for each other.

Have a look at the post right here:

 

 

 

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te amo mucho mi amor ♥️

A post shared by Esha Gupta🌎 (@egupta) onApr 27, 2020 at 1:02am PDT

And a few days back, speaking to Hindustan Times about him, she revealed how he has been coping up during this quarantine. She said, "My boyfriend, who is in Spain, has been in isolation and has been taking all kinds of precautions. He has been telling me about the virus and somehow I was mentally prepared for this lockdown to happen. I'm talking to him every day and video calling to keep a check on his health. Honestly, he's the one who is calming for the otherwise hyper person that I am. He has this relaxing effect on me."

Well, given she has now spilled the beans on her love, can we expect more such gorgeous pictures, please!

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Ever since 83 was announced, the movie has been everything anyone can talk about. Tracing India’s historic win at the 1983 cricket World Cup, the movie was one of the most awaited films of this year. Due to current situations with the global pandemic, the movie, which was supposed to hit the screens on 10th April 2020 had to be pushed for a later date.

Trade is abuzz with high expectations from the film and estimated that ‘83’ would have collected upwards of 300 crores during its theatrical run. Hence, OTT platforms are offering a calculated price to the makers basis the estimated box office earnings for a direct digital release of the film.

However, when we texted Kabir to check on the veracity of this news, he confirmed that yes they have been offered a whopping sum and added that, "83 is a film that has been envisioned and made to be experienced on the big screen and we are ready to wait for things to get normal and then release it in cinemas."

Ranveer Singh will see playing the character of former world cup winning captain Kapil Dev and Deepika Padukone portraying the character of Kapil Dev’s wife Romi Dev.

Reliance Entertainment and Phantom Films present 83, a Kabir Khan Films Production. The movie is produced by Deepika Padukone, Kabir Khan, Vishnu Induri, Sajid Nadiadwala, Phantom Films, Reliance Entertainment and 83 Film Ltd. 83 is directed by Kabir Khan. A Reliance Entertainment and PVR Pictures release is slated to release in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.

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Turns out, the high-intensity workout program, CrossFit, can do a lot besides just keeping people fit and fine. According to a study conducted by The Physiological Society, a six-week CrossFit exercise programme can lead to improved control of blood sugar levels and decreased risk of heart disease in people with Type II diabetes.

Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. Type II diabetes is the most common form, which is where the body doesn't produce enough of the hormone that controls sugar levels, called insulin. People with Type II diabetes are at significantly higher risk of heart disease. A primary focus for managing diabetes is exercise, as it has been shown to improve the body's ability to control sugar levels by making the body more sensitive to the insulin produced.

However, adherence to exercise advice is particularly low amongst those with Type II diabetes, who are mostly overweight or obese, with lack of time being cited as one of the greatest barriers to regular exercise. This new research suggested that a high-intensity exercise programme such as CrossFit improves the ability of the body to control blood sugar levels by reducing the amount of insulin required.

Importantly, these improvements appear to be similar to the sort of change we would expect from more traditional exercise interventions, despite participants spending considerably less time exercising than health guidelines recommend. CrossFit, therefore, offered a time-effective exercise approach for people with Type II diabetes who struggle to maintain daily exercise.

CrossFit is a high-intensity training intervention incorporating both endurance and strength training. Sessions range from 8-20 minutes in duration and represent a far more time-effective form of exercise than traditional exercise interventions. CrossFit has been growing in popularity over the past decade, although until now it was not clear whether such forms of exercise would improve the ability of individuals with Type II diabetes to control their sugar levels.

For this research, thirteen overweight/obese patients with Type II diabetes were recruited to participate in a 6-week CrossFit exercise programme. Participants' blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity (an individual's ability to reduce high blood sugar levels effectively) were assessed both before and after the exercise programme, in addition to their blood chemistries and blood pressure, which were tested to predict heart disease risk.

The post-exercise intervention test results showed significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and heart disease risk factors. Importantly, these improvements appeared to be similar to the sort of changes expected from more traditional exercise interventions, despite participants spending considerably less time exercising than such guidelines recommend. The study appears in the journal Experimental Physiology.

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Representational picture

Washington D.C.: Intermittent fasting diets could increase diabetes risk, suggests a study. These findings suggest that fasting-based diets may be associated with long-term health risks and careful consideration should be made before starting such weight loss programmes.

In order to investigate whether an intermittent fasting diet could also generate damaging free radicals, Ana Bonassa and colleagues, from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, examined the effects of fasting every other day on the body weight, free radical levels and insulin function of normal, adult rats, over a 3-month period.

Although the rats' body weight and food intake decreased as expected over the study period, the amount of fat tissue in their abdomen actually increased. Furthermore, the cells of the pancreas that release insulin showed damage, with the presence of increased levels of free radicals and markers of insulin resistance were also detected.

Ana Bonassa commented, "This is the first study to show that, despite weight loss, intermittent fasting diets may actually damage the pancreas and affect insulin function in normal healthy individuals, which could lead to diabetes and serious health issues."

Ana cautioned, "We should consider that overweight or obese people who opt for intermittent fasting diets may already have insulin resistance, so although this diet may lead to early, rapid weight loss, in the long-term there could be potentially serious damaging effects to their health, such as the development of type-2 diabetes."

The findings were presented at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, ECE 2018.

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Improving heart health could prevent frailty in old age, finds a study.

The largest study of its kind, led by the University of Exeter, found that even small reductions in risk factors helped to reduce frailty, as well as dementia, chronic pain, and other disabling conditions of old age.

Many perceive frailty to be an inevitable consequence of ageing - but the study found that severe frailty was 85 percent less likely in those with near ideal cardiovascular risk factors.

It also found that those with fewer heart disease risk factors were much less likely to have other conditions unrelated to the heart - including chronic pain, incontinence, falls, fractures, and dementia.

Dr João Delgado, the joint lead author of the study, said: "This study indicates that frailty and other age-related diseases could be prevented and significantly reduced in older adults. Getting our heart risk factors under control could lead to much healthier old ages. Unfortunately, the current obesity epidemic is moving the older population in the wrong direction, however, our study underlines how even small reductions in risk are worthwhile."

The study analysed data from more than 421,000 people aged 60-69.

The researchers analysed six factors that could impact on heart health. They looked at uncontrolled high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, plus being overweight, doing little physical activity and being a current smoker.

"These findings are relevant to us all because they re-emphasise the importance of a healthy lifestyle for better quality of life in old age. These new results also show that age-related conditions may share common risk factors or mechanisms with cardiovascular diseases. We're living longer so it's crucial that we recognise this by taking care of our bodies and monitoring our risk for disease even earlier in life," said Dr Ivan Pavlov.

The study has been published in the Journal of Gerontology.

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Summer brings along with the struggle to find the right thirst quencher, or rather the healthy thirst quenchers. You should not opt for aerated drinks for aerated drinks to quench your thirst, because drinking aerated drinks can add unnecessary body weight. Instead, try lassi, coconut water, and sugarcane juice, suggest experts. Culinary researcher Akanksha Dean lists some healthy thirst quenchers to opt for in this scorching summer:

1. Coconut water: This is the most natural drink after regular water that helps you keep yourself hydrated during summers. It is naturally refreshing and boasts of a sweet nutty taste. Coconut water is the clear liquid that is extracted from a young green coconut, usually a harvest between 5-7 months. It rehydrates the body as it comprises of processed carbohydrates in the form of electrolytes and sugar, which in turn help balance the water levels in the body.

2. Lemonade: Possibly the most popular beverage in the world, it helps energise your body as well as kill your thirst. It is an excellent source of Vitamin C and helps in improving digestion. The good part about this beverage is that it helps in cleansing your body and reduces the risk of experiencing heartburn or bloating.

3. Lassi: The beverage is traditionally served in earthen clay pots, referred to as 'matkas', which aid in providing the instant coolness that is associated with the drink. This smoothie-like drink is made from yoghurt and boasts of a creamy texture. It is sweet in flavour, but can also be enjoyed in a savoury form. It is an excellent digestive and helps in energising the body as well.

4. Sugarcane juice: This is the perfect drink to beat the heat during the summer months. Sugarcane juice also serves as an energy drink. A glass of cold sugarcane juice can help rebuild the depleting energy levels in your body. It is rich in antioxidants, acts as a diuretic and helps keep your liver strong.

Dietician Jasleen Kaur, also the Founder of Just Diet, said: "It is loaded with abundant carbohydrates, proteins and minerals that our body needs. It is rich in antioxidants so it is great for dehydration. It has a surprising number of health benefits."

She lists four major benefits of sugarcane juice:

1. Immunity booster: Sugarcane juice is one of the best sources of instant energy. It is full of essential antioxidants that help our immune system. It reduces infections in the stomach, liver and respiratory zone. It fights against a number of diseases like cancer. It can help you to boost energy levels.

2. Rich in antioxidants: Sugarcane juice helps in cleansing the harmful toxins and other bad components from our body. It helps in boosting the metabolism of the body. It contains natural sugar which helps us to manage our weight.

3. Helps in proper digestion: Sugarcane juice acts as a good digestive tonic. It is very useful in treating the problem of constipation. It also helps maintain the acid base balance in our body.

4. Removes mouth odour: If you have a problem of bad breath or mouth odour, you should consider sugarcane juice as a home remedy. It contains calcium that helps build our strength including bones and teeth.

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One among every 10 parents blame "contaminated" meals from restaurants as the leading cause behind food-borne illnesses in their children, a survey has revealed.

While just one third of parents said their children got sick from spoiled or contaminated food eaten at home, a whopping 68 per cent named restaurants as the most common source, according to the "National Poll on Children's Health" led by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

The poll also reported that only 25 per cent of people check health inspection ratings before dining out.

"Contaminated food can make both kids and adults sick. For young children, whose immune systems are not fully developed, this kind of illness can present a greater risk of serious complications," said Gary L. Freed from University of Michigan.

He explained that virus Hepatitis A is being increasingly passed on through unwashed hands, causing food contamination and, thus, recommends vaccination for one-year-old children.

Other places where eating made children sick included school (21 per cent), friend's house (14 per cent) or at a potluck (11 per cent), the report stated.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), about one in every 10 people around the world falls ill due to food-borne disease each year. Of those 600 million people, almost 420,000 die as a result.

Food-borne illnesses are most often caused by toxins, parasites, viruses and bacteria -- such as salmonella and E. coli. It can occur when germs, either certain bacteria or viruses, contaminate food or drinks, according to the report.

Once contaminated food enters the body, some germs release toxins that can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and sometimes fever or muscle aches.

"Simple precautions, like checking restaurant inspections and following food safety rules when cooking and storing food, can help keep your family safe," Freed said.

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A day after the plane crash at Ghatkopar, family members have now begun laying all five victims to rest, after identifying them with the help of their personal effects and teeth. On the other hand, their doubts and questions are yet to be put to rest, so they have now raised demands for a proper investigation of the mishap. Co-pilot Marya Zuberi was buried at the Shia Kabristan in Govandi's Rafi Nagar on Friday evening, while aircraft maintenance engineer Surabhi Gupta will be taken back to her native place for the last rites.

All five bodies were badly charred, so their DNA samples had been sent to the Kalina forensic laboratory for identification. However, the victims' kin did not want to wait too long, so they decided to go ahead with the last rites. Captain Pradip Rajput was identified by his bracelet, Gupta by her earrings, and Zuberi with the help of her engagement ring. Junior flight technician Manish Pandey's face was partially recognisable. Dr Hemlata Pandey, forensic odontologist from KEM hospital, reconfirmed the identity with the help of photographs where their teeth are visible. "In such cases, when everything turns to ashes, teeth remain intact," said Dr Pandey.

Prabhat and daughter Charvi. Pics/Suresh Karkera

'We want answers'
As Marya's husband and male family members lowered her body into the ground, her daughter Charvi as she wept outside the cemetery. Upon returning to their residence at Mira Road, her husband Prabhat Kathuriya told mid-day, "We are going to file an FIR." In a press statement titled 'Who Killed Marya?', Prabhat, a lawyer, said: "She left the house assuring me that she would return soon, as the weather conditions were clearly not right for a test flight of a small plane. She was sure that the commission to undertake such a flight would not be given."

We know that the aircraft was well beyond its prime. We know it was more than 20 years old. We know it had already had an accident in 2009 and that the UP government chose to sell it rather than spend on its repairs. Considering all the above stated facts we, the family of Marya Zuberi, want answers. We want to know who exactly was at fault and who will bear the responsibility?"

He told this paper, "I am startled that the police haven't enquired about the crew's cell phones. A colleague told me that when she tried Marya's number at 2.30 pm (after the crash), it was ringing, but there was no response. That could reveal something." First pilot in family The family will remember Marya as a trailblazer. She was the first among them to become a pilot, after battling the stigma and restrictions often imposed on women in conservative society. "She was our brave child," said uncle Gauhar Raza.

Also Read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Neighbours of Mira Road co-pilot unable to believe she is no more

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Nalasopara has heaved a big sigh of relief after the arrest of suspected Sanatan Sanstha member Vaibhav Raut, who had allegedly terrorised his neighbourhood with his activities.

According to the police, Raut, who called himself a gau rakshak, has been involved in a series of attacks on butchers in the area every Bakri-eid. Raut allegedly tried to create communal tension, particularly in the neighbouring Sopara village, by harassing locals and carrying out illegal raids on mutton and beef shops.

Every year, the police would extern him from the area for short periods, by serving him notices under section 144 of the Mumbai Police Act; he, however, would stay put by bringing in political influence in the name of cow protection, said an officer, adding that even the police will breathe easy after his arrest.

Living in terror
Sopara village's Muslim community, especially the butchers, lived in fear and insecurity due to Raut's activities — even when beef hadn't been banned by the government, he would go around conducting 'raids' on meat shops and harassing the owners, said a local, Anis Qureshi. Speaking to mid-day, he added, "In 2014, Raut forcibly stopped my tempo in his area and assaulted the driver.

The driver called me and I went to the spot, but Raut and his colleague abused and assaulted me too, saying I was smuggling cow meat. They forcibly took me and my tempo to Nalasopara police station. I have never carried or supplied cow meat; after I showed all the relevant documents to the cops, they let me go and registered a case against Raut and his colleague.

"Large numbers of Muslims as well as gau rakshaks had gathered outside the police station that day... he had succeeded in creating communal tension; clashes could have erupted anytime. Huge police bandobast was then deployed in the area, for the first time in the history of Nalasopara."

Policespeak
"There are two cases of rioting and one of not following the district collector's order registered against Raut at Nalasopara police station. Since 2015, we have been serving him notices to leave the area during Bakri-eid to maintain law and order there," said Datta Totewar, SDPO, Nalasopara Division of Palghar district.

Also Read: Crime: Trio planning 'terror attack' held from Nalasopara, Pune

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Over one lakh students from 659 schools will be trained across the country to assemble solar lamps under the `Solar Urja through Localisation for Sustainability' (SoULS) project of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) on October 2.

Workshops will be held for this purpose at various places on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, said Chetan Singh Solanki of IIT-Bombay who heads the SoULS project. It is part of an initiative of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), he said.

The objective is to "sensitise our future generation" about importance of solar technology, he said. The initiative also reaffirms India's commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and the MNRE's goal of installation of 100 GW of renewable energy by 2022, he said.

IIT-B will observe October 2 as `International Day of Non-Violence to Environment', Solanki said. The SoULS program has trained several people from rural areas to assemble solar study lamps, he said. The participating students will take home the solar study lamps assembled by them.

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Even after spending Rs 3.50 lakh and working for more than 30 days to set up the Dhobi Ghat police chowkie, the locals have not been able to get the structure inaugurated. Reason: The Dharavi police reportedly refused to attend the inaugural ceremony scheduled on Wednesday, just because the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has termed the structure illegal. More than 100 residents of the area are now trying to convince the police officers to help inaugurate the chowkie.

The civic body had demolished the beat chowkie last year after the walls of the structure developed cracks and it became dangerous. Even though at that time BMC had promised to rebuild it, no development happened thereafter. However, last month Dharavi Nagrik Seva Samiti took up the responsibility of rebuilding the structure and raised money for the purpose. After construction work started on January 15, the samiti decided to inaugurate it on Republic Day, but then they had to postpone it to February 6.

Meanwhile, BMC said that the structure would be razed, as there was no place for a chowkie in the area as per the development plan.

"The chowkie was first built in 1991. Since then it has been razed twice and rebuilt again. At that time BMC had no objections to the structure, but now they have issues," said a Dharavi resident.

"Due to BMC's negative approach, even the cops did not attend the inaugural ceremony. This is really disheartening for all of us," another resident said.

Speaking to mid-day, Siddharth Medhe, president of Dharavi Nagrik Seva Samiti, said, "We had planned the inauguration on February 6, but now it has been rescheduled. None of the cops confirmed their presence for the event. Hence, we had to cancel it. Members from our team will visit the officers to know their concerns and then decide on another date for the inauguration."

Even after several attempts to contact the senior police inspector of Dharavi police station, he refused to comment on the matter.

Popcorn

• Jan 15: Day construction work of the chowkie had started
• 70: No. of residents who have funded the project
• 1991: Year the chowkie was first set up

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Parvaaz, a four-member outfit, believes in spreading the message of peace through their progressive rock music with guitar-driven compositions. With their Urdu lyrics and the familiar sound of chimes, the soundscape is a refreshing change. Now, they are back in the city for a gig that promises to be about the coming together of western guitar techniques and Indian elements, making them one among a handful of true-blue fusion indie bands today.

Parvaaz, which translates to "flight", came together in 2010 when childhood friends Khalid Ahmed and Mir Kashif Iqbal (both on vocals and guitar), reconnected in Bengaluru over their shared love for blues rock melodies, and were joined by Sachin Banandur (drums and percussions) and Fidel D'Souza (bass). But they only started developing their own sound two years later. "We were playing at competitions and winning, which was a great boost. We felt confident enough to make original music, and our sound shifted towards progressive and classic rock of the '60s and '70s," says Ahmed, quoting Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and Indian Ocean and Avial, as their influences.

It was a process of trial and error till they found the best way to let all their individual influences flow while jamming, which is when the Urdu lyrics also came in, the natural form of communication for two members at least. "Hindi and Urdu come naturally to us. Singing in English would have just not flowed with the music. Besides, the sound of the fusion that comes out of a merging of different styles of music is what our goal has been. It is the sound that guides most of our writing," says Ahmed.

Their lyrics primarily talk about the human nature and comprise metaphorical poetry, like their song Beparwah, which talks about man's dependence on materialistic objects, and Shaad, which is about loss and regret.

Khalid Ahmed

But lyrics are the last thing that get added onto their music, and that too if they deem it necessary. "A lot of our jams just end up being instrumental, and hence our seven minute-long songs," reasons Ahmed.

They will also be playing some new songs from their upcoming album that they have been putting together for four years, and will be releasing later this year. For fans who like to sing along, they will also perform songs from their first EP and debut album, including Ziyankar and the achingly serene Itne Arse Ke Baad, which echoes a longing to go back home. Home, for Ahmed and Iqbal, is a sensitive issue now, since both hail from Kashmir, which is still trying to heal from the Pulwama attack. Both were reluctant to comment, and as they say, prefer to let their music do the talking.

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Captain Maria Zuberi was at the controls along with Captain P S Rajput, the pilot, with an engineer, identified as Surbhi, and a technician, identified as Manish, onboard when the chartered plane crashed.

One of the deceased brought into Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar

When mid-day reached Zuberi's home in Mira Road, there was no one at home and the area wore a sombre look. Ivy Sarkar, a neighbour, said, "I can't believe she is no more. She was a wonderful woman, always ready with a helping hand. She had thrown a party at her home recently after her 17-year-old daughter cleared her HSC exams with excellent marks. "I am incredibly proud of her for using her presence of mind and manoeuvering the plane away from residential buildings, saving so many lives. I salute her."

The bungalow in Mira Road where Maria Zuberi staye

Zuberi stayed with her husband Prabhat Kasturia and daughter Charvi. Kasturia had messaged her around 1 pm for her whereabouts, but got no reply. Then he saw the crash on TV. He told the media, "My wife, along with Rajput, had earlier informed the company that the weather was not right for flying. The company insisted on the test flight." 

Her domestic help, Aarti Waghmare. Pics/Atul Kamble, Hanif Patel

The domestic help who worked at Zuberi's home, Aarti Waghmare, said, "I have been working there for three months now. Her husband is an advocate, who is in Delhi most of the time. She always addressed and spoke to me like a friend, never made me feel like a servant. I am unable to come to terms with the fact that she is no more. I keep thinking she will be back home in some time."

Also Read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Pilot's presence of mind saves hundreds

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ram Kadam has issued a clarification on his 'elope' remark and said that his statement was quoted out of context.

The BJP MLA from Ghatkopar constituency faced a backlash after a video of him where he can be reportedly heard saying that he would kidnap a girl even if she refuses a proposal from a boy and help him elope with her, surfaced on media.

Clarifying his stance on the issue, Kadam told ANI, "A 40-second incomplete video is being circulated by opposition leaders. I would only request them to listen to my complete statement. If my statement has hurt anyone, I won¿t mind expressing regret for the same."

"My statement is being quoted out of context. At that event, I said that all youngsters whether it be a boy or girl should take their parents" in confidence before marrying. If they elope without taking their permission, the parents feel disheartened and it is very wrong to disappoint your parents. After saying so I took a long pause and someone from the audience said something which I repeated on the mike. I also kept speaking after that as well but it was not reported. If I had said anything objectionable, it was being live telecasted and there were a number of journalists present at the venue and someone would have pointed it out. But no one raised an objection because they had heard me completely. To find the true meaning of an address one must listen to it completely," he added.

The BJP MLA made the statement during a 'Dahi Handi' festival organised in Mumbai on the auspicious occasion of 'Janmashtami' on Monday.

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In a shocking incident that took place in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai, a 59-year-old man was beaten to death after a fight broke out for using a public toilet for a little longer. The elderly man was killed in a spat over using the public for a longer time. The incident took place on Wednesday night.

As reported in Mumbai Mirror, the incident took place on September 19, in the Sangam Nagar area located in Wadala East. The accused was identified as Shakir Ali Shaikh (34) who had an argument with Yadav when he used the public toilet for a little longer. When the locals intervened and prevented the altercation the two left the argument and left from there. Later, when Yadav was walking back home, Shaikh attacked him and hit him until Yadav fell into a nullah. 

After the local residents took notice of the fact that Yadav had fallen into the nullah, they rushed to his aid and immediately took him to the nearest hospital where the doctors declared him dead on arrival. The Wadala TT police have arrested the accused and have registered a case.

A police officer from Wadala police station was quoted saying, "Yadav worked with a transport company and offered driving lessons. We have registered a case and arrested the accused."

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A high court order has inadvertently turned the Dadar Parsi Colony into the Dadar Parking colony. Miffed with all kinds of taxis parking in its premises -after they were not allowed to park under the Khodadad flyover - and causing a 'great nuisance' to residents, the colony's residents wrote to the local police and the BMC in November, seeking an end to the issue. They have got no respite yet.

The Bombay High Court disallowed parking underneath flyovers in February 2016 because of security concerns. Because of that, cabbies have shifted from parking underneath the Khodadad Circle flyover to the Colony.

Cabbies have shifted from parking under the flyover to Dadar Parsi Colony

This has angered residents of the iconic community housing enclave in Dadar East, who first sent an anguished letter about their grievances to the Sion Police Station. The letter cited that private taxi aggregators, black and yellow cabs, and other cabs are parking in the colony, causing a, "great nuisance" to residents, especially those of Katrak, Firdoshi, Khareghat and Mancherji Joshi roads within the colony. Their letter went on to say that cabs are being parked haphazardly, blocking traffic within the colony and not giving its residents any space to park their cars.

Residents Darayus (who goes by his first name), Zarine Engineer, Dilly Dalal, Anjali Cooper, Zinobia Schroff, Sunita Davar and Nikhil Desai said, "The problem started after parking under flyovers was stopped by a High Court order. We appreciate this security measure, yet a majority the cabs that used to be parked under the Khodadad flyover have now made Dadar Parsi Colony their home. This has become a free parking spot."

Garden pardon
When mid-day visited the flyover, underneath which cabs used to be parked, it was clear of vehicles and shuttered from one side. The cab booking office though was functional.

A staffer sat at the ticket window for Mumbai-Pune cabs and said sarcastically, "Bageecha bana rahe hain, pareshaan kar diya." (A garden is being made here; we have been troubled because of no parking).

Said Dadar colony resident Dilly Dalal, "We have become a soft target because the community is so peaceful; we do not stoop to rowdy protests or resort to hooliganism." Instead, these Parsis believe in the power of the pen. Another letter was sent in November, to the BMC's assistant engineer of the waterworks department (F/North Ward), which encapsulated residents' arguments about cab parking bringing in social ills.

This letter read, "There is an illegal racket on at Katrak Road Junction. A flower merchant draws water illegally from a toilet meant for shopkeepers and then the cabs are cleaned." Residents pointed out the huge amount of cab washing makes the roads slippery, and has turned the place into "an illegal taxi stand." They stated that cab parking has a domino effect, "it leads to problems like drinking and other anti-social behaviour."

Residents said angrily that, "There is double and triple parking because of these cabs and we have been rendered helpless against this." Desai added, "Despite complaints, the system is not responding to the problem."

Locals were also in no mood to hum 'dil garden, garden ho gaya' when told that a beautiful garden is going to come up under the flyover, which they could access, pointing to at least 14 gardens within the colony itself. Cooper said, "Authorities should have found an alternate and viable parking space before shutting the parking underneath the flyover."

No solution
Amey Gole, the corporator for Dadar Parsi Colony, said he has had several meetings with residents, but nothing has come out of them. Gole added, "I am, in fact, in-charge of the garden coming up underneath the flyover. The design is almost complete; it looks like the streets of Paris."

Gole added, "Having said that, I do know the problems being caused by parked cabs, and have spoken to the police about these. The police though had a negative attitude and said they could not move the cabs out of the colony. Cops have to ensure the cabs move out, not the BMC. We do have other parking spaces in the area. All of this is extremely difficult as I have been repeatedly told there is no solution," finished Gole.

Also read: Mumbai: Construction noise leads to brawl at Dadar Parsi Colony

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For a city as hot and humid as ours, there isn't much on offer for beer lovers. But thankfully, our neighbouring city, Pune, is a haven for craft beer breweries and they are slowly trickling down to Mumbai. Joining the ranks is Drifters Tap Station in BKC and they will offer 24 craft brews, including ciders, ales and beers.

We first got a taste of their beers at the now-shuttered Drifters Brewing Co in Kamala Mills last year and fell in love with their Milky Way stout, and are eager to try more at their soon-to-open BKC bar. Sunlight fills the large bar, and our eyes are instantly pulled towards a huge wall mural that depicts the brewing process.

Kasundi fish tikka

Seated in a cosy corner that overlooks the walkway outside, owner Nayan Shah presents us with flyers of different tasters and a plate of crumbled cottage cheese (Rs 365), which has chunks of paneer coated in batter and crumbles of spicy papad — a fried delight that we guiltily wipe off. The menu has a host of other options for Indian fare and a few international dishes such as bil lamhe chicken (Rs 415), flatbreads and pasta.

From the beers (Rs 295 for 300ml; Rs 1,300 for a 1.5l pitcher), we start with the light lagers first. The Helles is a pale unfiltered brew that's perfect for a light summer drink. Vienna lager offers a more malty experience with a medium body, and a beautiful, hoppy finish. For a crisp lager with just a hint of fruit, try IPL (Indian pale lager). The lemongrass is a white ale that catches us by surprise, and is exactly the kind of innovation we are looking for on balmy summer afternoons.

Crumble Cottege Cheese

By now, we have a table filled with stuffed kulcha balls (Rs 335), achari soya chaap (Rs 355) and kasundi fish tikka (Rs 475). The kulcha balls are deliciously cooked in a tandoor, and come with a simple stuffing of onions, paneer, mushroom and cheese. The soya chaap is just like the ones you would find in local Punjabi restaurants, but these are thankfully less greasy. The fish tikka is delicately spiced and the meat falls perfectly off the fork.

A flyer of four beer tasters brings our attention back to the brews. We now get experimental with kokam cider, a drink that reminds us of an idyllic weekend spent in Alibaug lazing on a hammock under mango trees. The black hefeweizen isn't our favourite, so we clear our palate with citra wheat, an American white ale with citrus notes.

Achari soya chaap

Coconut lovers looking for some fun should try their coconut porter or coconut saison ale. The former has a dark-chocolatey flavour, while the latter is a refreshing light ale. For tropical fun, try pina colada ale or the pineapple saison, which can also work for great cocktails.

And just in case you are looking for something more than beer, they also offer large plates that include everything from dal tadka (Rs 375), Turkish casserole (Rs 410) or chicken ala keiv with mushroom sauce, mash and assorted vegetables (Rs 425). But it's the 24 beers on tap that will take this beer lover a while to get over.

Restaurant Drifters Tap Station

On January 12, 5 pm to 1 am (for the first week); 12 pm to 1 am (after first week)
At Adani Inspire BKC, G Block, BKC, Bandra East.
Call 26522007

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Rajesh Hudiyar, a resident of Mahul, was forced to stay at home because of the BEST strike in the city today. The youngster's board exams are hardly two months away but as he could not afford to take an autorickshaw or a taxi, he had to skip going to school.

Not just him, but many other residents of Mahul, most of whom are Tansa pipeline project affected people, are skipping work and school because since buses are not operational.

Meanwhile, the BEST strike in Mumbai has entered its ninth day today.

While Hudiyar says that he is missing important classes, he simply can't afford to spend Rs 100 on an autorickshaw ride.

Vikas Logade, who is a student of a Wadala college, says that he missed a project submission already which he fears will cost him marks in the final assessment but he can't spend Rs 150 on a taxi every day.

Firdaus Sheikh is a Std. 10 student whose preliminary examinations are underway and two of her siblings are skipping school as well.

Mangal Thakur is sending only her elder son, a Std 10 student, to school while her younger son has to sit at home.

She told Mumbai Mirror, “Unscrupulous autorickshaw drivers have jacked up fares. We can’t afford to send both our children to school in such a scenario."

Vivek Gambre who works in a factory in Andheri east says that he has missed seven days of work which has cost him Rs 9000, which is about 25% of his income.

Amita Pawar, a tester in a factory in Sakinaka, says that her daily wage comes to Rs 250 but an autorickshaw will cost her Rs 200 alone. “Then there’s the additional hassle of getting a vehicle in the first place.”

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Thane: A local court sentenced a man to three years rigorous imprisonment for abetting the suicide of his wife but acquitted his mother for lack of evidence in Maharashtra's Thane. District Judge RV Tamhanekar, in a recent order, also fined Bhiwandi-resident Sanjay Waghmare (26) Rs 7000.

Sanjay and his wife Priyanka had married in 2016 and there were frequent fights between the couple as well as the victim and her mother-in-law Jinsabai, said additional public prosecutor Sandhya Mhatre. After one such quarrel on August 30, 2017, Priyanka set herself ablaze, the APP said, adding that she died in a nearby hospital on September 4.

In his order, the judge said, "The accused has caused cruelty to the victim and his act was of such a nature as was likely to drive Priyanka to commit suicide". Sanjay was found guilty of the charges under sections 498A and 306 of the IPC, the APP said.

In a similar incident, the deposition of two minor siblings was considered as significant evidence by a Thane court which awarded five years imprisonment to their 45-year-old father for abetting the suicide of his wife. Assistant Sessions Judge S A Sinha held the accused, Sunil Martand Gaikwad, guilty under IPC sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 498 A (cruelty) while pronouncing the punishment. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on him.

The prosecution told the court that Gaikwad, a resident of Gorsai village in Thane's Bhiwandi taluka, had married the victim, Vaishali, on May 27, 2005. The couple had a son and a daughter, aged 11 and 10 at present. As per the prosecution, the accused would come home late from work after consuming liquor and then fight with his wife. Fed up with the harassment, the woman hanged herself at her home on June 21, 2017, they said.

In their sworn statements in court, the couple's two children said their father would abuse and beat their mother after consuming liquor. They told the court that on the day of the incident, Gaikwad came home in an inebriated state and abused their mother following which the couple quarrelled. The children then went to sleep. The daughter woke up after some time and saw her mother hanging. She started crying and alerted her brother. On seeing the woman hanging, Gaikwad ran away from the house leaving the children alone, the siblings told the court.

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Bollywood actress Shamita Shetty's driver was bashed up by a motorist and his friends in Majiwada, Thane. The incident took place followed by an accident in Thane on Tuesday afternoon. According to reports, Shetty travelled from Andheri to Thane for some personal work, when a car rammed into her BMW from the rear near Viviana Mall, Majiwada. When her driver got off the vehicle to check for any damages, the motorist and two of his friends started abusing him.

Following the incident, Shamita's driver approached Rabodi police station and filed a complaint against the attackers. The police have already managed to identify the vehicle and are currently working on tracing its owner. Meanwhile, Rabodi police have also registered a case against the trio under Sections 279, 323, 427, 504, 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal code.

Shamita Shetty, sister of actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra, is a Bollywood actress and an interior designer. She made her Bollywood debut in 2000 with the blockbuster Mohabbatein. Her portrayal in the film earned her the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the year.  She also featured in a couple of movies later and her notable work includes Zeher, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Bewafa and Cash. She was also a contestant on Bigg Boss, the reality show in 2009.  She is currently a contestant on the reality show season 9 of Colors, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. She had endorsed Pantene with her sister Shilpa Shetty Kundra for a year. She has also been associated with brands like Audi, Aldo, IIJAS Jewellery exhibition and many more.

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A pod of dolphins was spotted in the Ragodi beach in Nalsopara West in north Mumbai. Janardan Alonghe, a lifeguard deployed by the VVMC at Rajodi beach said, "I was on duty and suddenly noticed some movement in the sea. I thought someone was drowning in the water so I immediately took the help of a guard and rushed to the spot on a rider boat. There we saw a bunch of dolphins swimming and enjoying in the water."

He further said that this is not the first time when a dolphin appeared on the beach. Alonghe said, "Dolphins are seen here but mostly far away from the seashore. This is the first time when dolphins were this seen close to the seashore. Dolphins are usually seen at the seashore when the days are cold and then they go to the deep sea around 11:30 am when it is hot and sunny. Since it was cold for the last few days, the dolphins must have come closer to the seashore."

Nikhil Tandel, 'Blue life Adventure' guard deployed at Rajodi beach said that he has seen several dolphins in the past but he had seen them this close for the first time. He said, "There were ten to twelve dolphins jumping and swimming in the water. As soon as the people heard about them, they started visiting the seashore to witness the pod," he added. 

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In what can be called as a shocking incident coming from thane, a 34-year-old man was apprehended for allegedly filming people bathing. Police said that the accused is a student who is pursuing higher education from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay.

The molester, identified as Avinash Kumar Yadav, is a Thane-resident who has been arrested under section 354 (any man who watches or captures the image of a woman engaging in a private act in circumstances where she would usually have the expectation of not being observed) of the Indian Penal Code.

"A woman filed a complain that she found a mobile phone on the bathroom window while she was bathing on Friday night. She alerted her husband who confiscated the phone. The couple saw the accused fleeing from the place," a Kapurbawdi police station official said.

"The accused was nabbed by other residents. The mobile phone had clips of men and women, mostly residents of the same building, bathing," he added.

In another incident in Thane, a 36-year-old man was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a local court for raping a married woman in his neighbourhood. District Judge Kavita D Shirbhate convicted Bablu Lakhan Shaha under section 376 (rape), 385 (extortion) and 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and also imposed a fine of Rs 9,000 on him.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Motorists who travel from Mumbai to Thane are in for good news as the traffic of Mumbai city is going to unclog. With these bridges, motorists are likely to face fewer traffic problems in the city.

In order to beat the slow-moving traffic on Eastern Expressway, commuters can use the internal flyovers constructed over LBS Marg near Castle Mill and MG Road at Naupada.

Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated the two bridges on Sunday which was built by MMRDA under intercity flyover project plan.

The time taken to exit the city using the new flyovers will be lesser as compared to the existing one, which is currently over clogged because of the movement of heavy vehicles and ongoing Metro and Kopri bridge widening work.

Noise and view barriers have been installed on the two newly inaugurated bridges.

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A Maharashtra government official was Thursday sentenced to 16 months rigorous imprisonment by a court in the neighbouring Raigad district for accepting a bribe.

Raigad Additional District Judge BC Kamble convicted Ashik Bharti, a deputy engineer with the Kharbhoomi Sarvekshan and Anveshan Department of Pen, under the Prevention of Corruption Act and fined him Rs 5,000, said a senior Anti-Corruption Bureau official.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACB) Mahesh Patil said Bharti had demanded Rs 5 lakh from a contractor to get his bills cleared. The contractor approached the ACB following which a trap was laid on November 6, 2015, and Bharti was nabbed while accepting Rs 1 lakh, Patil said.

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Four-year-old Mayank Patil, who underwent a liver transplant at Jupiter Hospital, Thane, was discharged on Thursday, after over a thousand donors from across India and overseas helped his family by contributing through crowd-funding platforms. Nearly R16.5 lakh was raised overnight through social media, after mid-day's story on Wednesday, 'Hellish health turn for Nashik family'.

The management of Jupiter Hospital had also extended support to the family. They waived off half the billing amount and stood by their quotation given to Mayank's father at the time of the transplant, Rs 15 lakh. The hospital was paid around Rs 18.45 lakh (Rs 16.50 collected from milaap, Rs 1.45 lakh from trusts and charitable institutions, and Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister's Fund).

"Unfortunately, in Mayank's case, his stay and treatment in the hospital prolonged due to certain complications. In all cases of post-operative complications in pediatric transplant patients, Jupiter Hospital, as a policy, waives off the amount incurred in the bill beyond the pre-fixed package cost. In an effort to relieve the family from any stress related to money, our team also raised a substantial amount through various foundations and trusts that the hospital was following up with," said the hospital spokesperson.

Mayank will have to go to Jupiter Hospital for regular check-ups. Pic/Sameer Markande

"We are grateful to the Good Samaritans who have generously donated and helped us in getting back the smile on the little child's face. The additional funds that have been collected through these funds, will be used for the medicines and follow-ups once Mayank goes home," added the hospital spokesperson.

Donations overnight
mid-day readers from Mumbai and overseas had contacted Harish Patil, Mayank's father, who directed them to the milaap portal (a crowd-funding platform), which had started an online campaign. The portal collected almost Rs 16.50 lakh overnight, donated by 1,142 Good Samaritans from India and overseas for Mayank. Anoj Viswanathan, president and co-founder milaap said, "The kindness of strangers was the miracle that saved Mayank's life. The entire amount of nearly R16.50 lakh was raised overnight through social media. It is extremely heartening how the world stepped forward to help the Patils."

Asked if people still can donate for Mayank, the portal spokesperson replied in the negative, stating, "Since we have already collected more than the required funds, the page will be paused for any further donations." Another crowd-funding portal, Ketto, collected R15,175 contributed by eight donors, which will be given to the parents soon. "This is one of the most amazing examples of how the community nowadays steps up to help families with financial problems," said Varun Sheth, CEO Ketto. Some Good Samaritans even visited Jupiter Hospital to give financial support to Harish. Rishi Gangoli, senior manager at ESPN, and his colleagues, contributed Rs 30,000, a cheque for which was handed to Harish.

Doctor overwhelmed, too
Dr Gaurav Chaubal, Chief Liver Transplant Surgeon at Jupiter Hospital said, "We have asked Mayank's parents to get him to hospital for a regular follow-up at least for next one month and have advised them to give him only home cooked food. I am also overwhelmed to see such an amazing number of people come forward overnight to help the cause."

'Every paisa for Mayank'
Both Harish, 35, and Jyoti, 29, Mayank's parents, are overwhelmed with the financial support that they received. "We had only heard that Mumbaikars have a heart that cares. We are grateful to every donor who opened his/her heart for my Mayank. We will always be indebted to them," said an emotional Harish.

Harish also thanked this newspaper for highlighting Mayank's case. When it was suggested that he could get Jyoti's reconstructive surgery performed through these funds, Harish responded firmly saying, "This money has come from people who have read about my son's health condition. I will ensure that every paisa is only used for his treatment. I will work hard and raise funds for my wife's surgery." He has rented a place in Ulhasnagar at Rs 3,500 a month, to take Mayank to the hospital for regular check ups.

1,142
No. of donors who came forward to help Mayank

Rs 18.45 lakh
Entire amount donated by Good Samaritans, trusts, charitable institutions and the CM's fund

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A group of 22 people from Mumbai and Thane district went for a picnic at Tandulwadi Fort in Palghar district where they lost their way out of the jungle in the dark. They called up the police control for help and the local Safale police of Palghar district rushed to their rescue and escorted them out safely.

According to the Safale police sources, "A group of 22 people from Mumbai and Thane district visited Tandulwadi Fort situated in Safale Palghar district for a trek on Saturday where they decided to walk through the jungle around 7:30 pm but after sunset, they lost their way out of the jungle.

Fearing of being lost, they contacted the police control for help and senior inspector Sandeep Sanap from Safale police station despatched a team of officers to their rescue. Constable SU Solkhe, SB Bhavar, NL Dhongde reached the spot at around 9 pm and rescued the group. Their respective parents were contacted after which they were returned home safely," said Hemant Katkar PRO of Palghar district police.

Also Read: Six rescued, one missing as tugboat capsizes off Mumbai

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Three local MNS activists have been booked for allegedly beating a BJP worker in Thane district of Maharashtra over a post forwarded by him on WhatsApp which they found offending, police said on Tuesday.

According to the complaint filed by the BJP activist, Pradeep Rane, on Sunday he received a post on WhatsApp about the MNS along with a picture of its party chief Raj Thackeray, Rabodi police station's senior inspector R M Somavanshi said. Rane forwarded the post to some other people. Later, three MNS workers also saw the post and felt offended following which they thrashed Rane, he said.

The complainant alleged that he apologised and also deleted the post from his mobile phone, but the MNS workers allegedly made a video-recording of the beating incident which they posted on social media and also aired on a local channel, the official said.

Based on his complaint, the police registered a case against the three MNS activists under IPC Sections 452 (house- trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of peace) and 500 (defamation), he said. No arrest has been made so far, he said, adding that a probe was underway into the incident.

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In a video that went viral, MNS Yuva shakha Vice President Akhil Chitre was seen thrashing a taxi driver for allegedly misbehaving with a female passenger.

While speaking to mid-day, Chitre said that the female was plying from Wadala to BKC and she later returned to Dharavi. Though the fare was then Rs 118 the taxi driver was forcing her to pay Rs. 200 saying she had to also pay for the 'luggage' she was carrying.

A man who was the other passengers in the taxi stepped out and paid Rs 118 to the driver. However, shockingly the driver drove the cab without allowing the female passenger to get off. A crowd gathered around the taxi but the driver was still adamant on getting Rs 200.  The male co-passenger called up Chitre who reached the location and thrashed the driver.

Chitre said, "The male passenger located my number via Facebook and called me. Luckily, I was in BKC at the time and reached the spot within a minute. I then caught hold of the taxi driver and taught him a lesson."

In another video that went viral recently, an auto driver was seen hitting a passenger after an argument over auto fare. After watching the footage, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) swung into action and thrashed the auto driver for his behaviour.

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Fancy cycling to the beautiful beaches of Gorai? Want to pedal away on roads lined with mangrove trees before you park your bike in front of sea-facing rocks? Then sign up for an event called Cycling- The Adventurous Islands of Mumbai. And apart from the exercise you get, you can also take in sights like the Golbal Vipassana Pagoda and Uttam Lighthouse.

ON March 3, 6 am to 1 pm
MEET AT Borivali Biryani Centre, Shimpoli Chikuwadi, Borivali West 
CALL 9833376765
Cost Rs 2,500 (for rented cycles)

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Digital Transformation with 5G – 2nd 5G India 2018 International Conference & Exhibition. The conference will be held on May 17 and 18, 2018 at The Leela, Mumbai

Bharat Exhibitions is organising the 2nd edition of the 5G India 2018 International Conference and Exhibition, bringing together India’s telecom industry leaders, policymakers and telecom analysts to discuss how 5G will enable the future ushering in a new India. The conference to be held on May 17 and 18 at The Leela, Mumbai will focus on issues and opportunities related to the deployment of 5G and high-speed digital applications that will drive cross-industry applications and spur digital transformation and connectivity to catalyze growth.

With 5G promising to bring about a sea change in the digital ecosystem by servicing more industries through one architecture, the conference will address the tremendous growth that promises to take place in the next few years to revolutionize the Indian Data market and help India to emerge as a qualitative internet market as against a quantitative one. Leading experts will speak about the challenges and opportunities that operators and technology providers will face in the transformation of mobile broadband to 5G.

The event will witness the 5G Demo by various organization (BSNL, Reliance Jio, Intel, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay). The conference will include sessions and panel discussions on what will it take for India to emerge as one amongst the leaders in standardization for 5G technologies and applications, enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for all, global perspectives on 5G, preparing for 5G, trends and drivers shaping 5G, spectrum and technology for 5G and a CXO Round Table on Digital Transformation with 5G.

Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of Communications (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Railways, Govt. of India will be the Chief Guest, Smt. Aruna Sundararajan, IAS, Chairman, TC & Secretary (Telecom), Department of Telecommunications, Govt. of India and Mr. Malcolm Johnson, Deputy Secretary-General, ITU will be the Guests of Honour, Introductory Address by Mr. Adrian Scrase, CTO, ETSI and Keynote will be deliver by Shri Anupam Shrivastava, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. 5G India 2018 International Conference and Exhibition is being supported by the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Govt. of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Govt. of India. With Broadband India Forum as the Knowledge Partner, the conference is also being supported by the industry associations including 3GPP, TSDSI, CEWiT India, COAI and TAIPA.

With plenary sessions, technical tracks in an innovative show formats and international case studies, the agenda will include visionary presentations from 30+ speakers across the globe including Mr. Klaus Pendl, First Counsellor – ICT, Delegation of the European Union to India, Mr. Sebastien Soriano, Chairman, ARCEP France, Mr. Daniel Brower, Vice President, Program, Deutsche Telekom, Mr. Julius Knapp, CTO, FCC USA and Dr. Wu Yong, Senior Standards Expert, 3GPP as well as Senior Spokesperson from BSNL, INTEL, Google, Savitri Telecom Services, Syniverse, Keysight Technologies, UTStarcom, Cambium Networks, CSG International, Rohde & Schwarz, Commscope, Infineon and Siae Microelettronica.

About Bharat Exhibitions

In a world where technology is erasing borders, it is indeed ironical that professionals find it increasingly difficult to maintain peer to peer contact on regular basis. Bharat Exhibitions fills in this space by managing and hosting some of India’s premier Telecom & IT events. We own niche and prestigious conference properties in the new generation technology arena such as 100 Smart Cities India, Cloud & Network Virtualisation India, 5G India, Data Centre India, Broadband Tech India, Smart-Sustainable Cities Technology & Innovation Summit, Cyber Security India, SMC Technology India and Telecom CXO Summit. We have a simple mission: Establish & deliver contacts that create value for your business.

For further details, please visit http://www.bharatexhibitions.com

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YouTube has begun rolling out support for high dynamic range (HDR) video content for iPhone X, the media reported.

For iOS users, YouTube videos in HDR can be viewed on the iPhone X, but the feature does not yet appear to be working on the latest iPad Pro models, MacRumors reported late on Thursday.

HDR videos provide a broader range of colours and also supports quality video playback on a variety of screen sizes. YouTube has platforms like "The HDR Channel" that provides HDR videos for iOS.

Apple debuted HDR support last year with the "Super Retina" display in the iPhone X, which became the first HDR OLED display incorporated into one of Apple's smartphones, the report added.

On the iTunes Movies Store on Apple TV 4K, select films also support 4K, HDR10, and "Dolby Vision" when paired with compatible 4K television sets, the report added.

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Google

Google has rolled out a new series of controls that will allow YouTube users to set limits on their video viewing, and help them set "Take a Break" reminder from browsing the channels for too long, a media report said.

The new feature will enable the users to set a reminder for every 15, 30, 60, 90 or 180 minutes, at which point the video will pause and users will receive "Take a Break" notification that they have been binge-watching videos for longer than they decided to.

Users can then choose to dismiss the reminder and keep watching, or close the app, the TechCrunch reported late Friday.

The changes announced during Google's I/O keynote will roll out in the latest update of YouTube, along with YouTube's ability to send notifications.

The reminders will come with an option of being dismissed and the feature will also allow users to disable notification sounds during a specified time period each day.

The new features are first expected to hit the 13.17 and higher versions of the YouTube mobile app on both iOS and Android, the report said.

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Do you also start watching a video on YouTube and lose track of time following the recommended/autoplay list? Google wants to tell you that it is concerned over this habit of yours and has inserted a nifty new feature to its video service.

As part of its focus on digital well-being, Google has added a feature to YouTube called 'take a break' which notifies you when you have exceeded a specific amount of consecutive viewing time, The Verge reports.

The feature is optional, and just like how you might scold a little one for exceeding their television viewing time, the feature will show you a prompt when you lose track of time.

You can enable it through the Settings menu and selecting 'Remind me to take a break'. You can choose from options ranging from 15 minutes to 180 minutes.

Whether or not it really contributes to a healthy digital well-being is something we are yet to see, but it surely gives an easy way of timing the consumption of the addictive video service.

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Facebook has rolled out new updates in its Stories feature that are available for the users in India first and will reach the global users later.

One such update is "Voice Posts" that will let users share their thoughts via audio to their friends and families.

"Voice posts lets you share in the moment without having to share a photo or video. This could also help people who can't necessarily write in the language they want to share in," Connor Hayes, Director of Product Management, Facebook Stories, wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

People will now be able to save the photos and videos they capture through the Facebook camera, where only they can see them when they log into their Facebook account.

"This allows people to save the photos and videos they capture without taking up space on their phone," the post read.

It can also be used to save photos you might want to share later, so you don't have to edit or post them while you're out with your friends and instead enjoy the moment and share them later.

"In the coming weeks we're rolling out an archive for people to save the stories most important to them. After a photo disappears from your story, you can find it in your story archive - a place only you can see. You can always choose to not save them," said the post.

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The city is shaken up by the brutal murder of a young woman working with an upmarket chain of salons. In what has been dubbed as a case having parallels with the Sheena Bora murder, this beautician's body was kept in a car post the murder and then disposed off in marshy land at Wadala. Police teams are trying to recover the body, but have been unsuccessful so far.

It's time to focus on the reason for this murder. According to the police, two colleagues, who have been caught, killed the young woman because she refused to take back a notice sent to one of the accused because of his shoddy performance at work. Despite their entreaties, the victim had not relented about withdrawing a notice sent to one accused till the last day when his employment may have been terminated.

Both colleagues claim, according to reports, that the murder was done in the heat of the moment. The family of the accused, though, insist they are innocent. What has shocked the city is the triviality of the motive. A life has been lost simply because somebody was going to lose his job. As one tries to absorb this, a much smaller report recently was indication of a society, which is weaned on instant gratification and instant rage. A young gym owner was stabbed to death and his female friend hit with a beer bottle over a quarrel with a Disc Jockey (DJ) over which songs to play.

We have been seeing murders happening over slightest provocations. Bring back regard for human life, which has been cheapened considerably. Cherish patience, logic and encourage our children to think before they act. Put an absolute premium on human life. These seem like knee-jerk murders, where rage consumes the murderers, who are mostly ordinary men and women who have no criminal record. Speed kills and in more ways than one.

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The Roman Forum in the center of Rome. Pic Courtesy/Rosalyn D'mello

I did not account for what now seems like the inevitable consequence of so much travel: the blurring of existential categories that define my raison d'etre as I continue my Italian sojourn. What am I first, writer, tourist, traveller or pilgrim? To which of these vocations do I owe my primary allegiance?

Starting out in the northern region of Bolzano, within which I somehow managed to ensconce myself, thanks to my residency at Eau&Gaz, within exactly 30 days I have found myself in the deep south - the autonomous Mediterranean island of Sicily; a lived repository of continuous histories dating two millennia. I accessed the regions of Tuscany, Veneto, Neapolitan and Lazio through my explorations of Firenze, Venezia, Napoli and Roma, before taking a flight to Palermo, from where I am transcribing this dispatch. By the time you will have read this, I will already have returned to Roma where I will spend another night before I make my way to Ortona and Assisi, thereby initiating the more pilgrim end of my travel. I am deeply aware that I now have less than two weeks left in Italy, and I am struggling (really, really struggling) to make sense of everything I have encountered through my witness. How to distil the vast everything-ness of my recent realities into bottled significance; something that is easier to swallow, digest, imbibe, share?

I was grateful to land in Palermo; grateful to have found a cheap flight that got me here from Rome in under an hour, grateful to avoid what would otherwise have been a 14-hour journey. But, mostly, I discovered I was grateful to be in a city that felt like the opposite of Rome; un-pretentious, unabashed about its past, non-ostentatious and aesthetically more austere. Here I felt I could allow my body to recover from the sensual assault of the spectacle that is that city of grand beauty, magnificence, un-mindful excess. No guide I'd perused had prepared me for my sensory dyslexia, particularly on the perceptual front, like the difficulty I would experience in simply focussing my gaze.

As a sightseeing tourist, one is mentally prepared to encounter a monument; a spectacle; a historic site. In Rome, however, you are condemned to stumble upon multiple. You walk into a street and your eyes rest first on a fountain, then naturally zoom out to witness the larger frame, except you spot, next door, an opulent church façade, and across from it another, but perhaps from another century altogether, and for a moment you feel like you're experiencing a glitch in a time-travelling machine. You walk later at night to catch your bus back to your Airbnb and come upon a vast excavation site bearing just a two-paragraph description and you empathise with the historians and archaeologists who seem themselves to be struggling with this excess; this dense populace of relic, debris, pagan vestige and Catholic worship sites.

Each night my feet, exhausted and overwhelmed from walking, cried themselves to sleep as my mind, unable to still my still-restless body, tried to make sense of what I'd seen, thought, remembered, and referenced: the Sistine Chapel, the wonders of Bernini, the cinematic odes by Fellini, Rosselini, Passolini and Sorrentino; and the more obscure works of writers like Malcolm Lowry. I had to re-read one of his protagonist's visit to the Keats and Shelley Memorial Museum next to the Spanish Steps as I sat by the side of The Pantheon, after having been to that museum, and in preparation for the next day's visit to the Non-Catholic cemetery containing both poets' tombs. Had I not had the sense of mind to seek solace in relatively more obscure churches and smaller chapels, both to escape the madding crowd of tourists and to offer my body an indulgent moment of pause, I'm sure I would have been defeated by that city.

It was the only reason why, despite being drained of all energy, I could make one final schlep towards the Coliseum and also convince Mona to meet me there. After a very leisurely stroll at what felt like perfect timing, when the final rays of the sun hit the millennia-old façade, we found a corner to park ourselves for a while. I couldn't help, but show her a clip from Sorrentino's The Great Beauty; of Sister Maria on the balcony of the protagonist's home in front of the Coliseum, gathering the flamingos in the thick of night, then blowing into the air to gesture at them to fly away. I felt as though I'd finally 'got' Sorrentino's film, despite having seen it a while ago. I had to come to Rome to solve its mystery.

I cannot shake off this lingering feeling that something beyond my own free will is designing my itinerary, is customising each imprint my feet make. Whether I am either or interchangeably a writer, tourist, traveller or pilgrim has become inconsequential. All that matters now is that I willingly surrender in order to be remade.

Deliberating on the life and times of Everywoman, Rosalyn D'Mello is a reputable art critic and the author of A Handbook For My Lover. She tweets @RosaParx Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

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A day after this paper published a report about a couple who has been left in limbo because a financial institute has misplaced their Sale Deed or Sale of Agreement papers, there have been a few readers who have written in claiming that they experienced a similar situation. They, too, had a harrowing story to tell.

According to our report, an Andheri couple who had taken a loan from a financial institution years ago to buy a home and were paying it off over years, finished paying their loan. They asked the institute to return their documents and that is when they learnt that the Sale of Agreement has been misplaced. Their nightmare began, but it has been months the paper has not been found and they have subsequently been unable to sell a home on the outskirts of the city because buyers are wary of buying a home without the original Sale Deed.

Finance institutes cannot afford to misplace such important documents. Institutes might have misplaced the documents while shifting or the file has been lost when being transferred from one centre to another.

If this happens, and from the responses we learn that this is unfortunately not very rare, it is the organisation's responsibility to give the affected a way out. There has to be a redressal mechanism. If the true copy of the document does not work for certain people, the institute has to step in and provide them a solution.

They need to be held liable and accountable. You cannot expect the affected people, who are already suffering considerably and have also spent time and money, to do all this on their own. Those who have erred cannot wash their hands off the matter. They need to be there with the people, whose papers they have irresponsibly, though inadvertently, misplaced, right till the bitter end.

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This paper ran a disturbing front page story on the weekend. It cited how, for several months, the Mumbra Police have been at their wits' end over bikes and scooters going missing from various parts of the suburban township. Last week, however, the police tracked the culprits, who were a gang of 10- to 15-year-olds.

All the nine boys who were apprehended by the police were minors. All of them hail from poor families in Mumbra and they are passionate about bikes and just wanted to ride them for fun. While the boys have been put in a home, what is worrying is that a couple of parents are in denial about their boys being involved in the theft.
The report said that Mumbra residents had complained to the police about rash driving by young children, who didn't have a driving licence. A social activist in the area had even said that many children here start riding bikes when they are as young as 12.

Most of these kids have not been to school. There is also the prospect that this crime may be a stepping stone for them and it may escalate to bigger crimes once they are out of this home. Parents need to pay much closer attention to what their children have been doing. They may not know about the crime, as it is natural these children will hide this from their parents. But, as a parent, they must try to investigate and question their children in case they suspect an unusual pattern in their behaviour.

It is unacceptable that 10-year-olds are riding bikes, putting not only themselves, but also other bikers and pedestrians in danger. Report them, if you suspect it's an underage boy riding a bike.

Finally, much more social awareness, sustained campaigns, and acceptance rather than denial by parents, can counter this menace. The bike robberies are not all innocent fun, it has grave ramifications for the future.

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Richa Kaul Padte

When I set out to write this book, I expected to find that Indian women were watching, making and enjoying porn. And indeed, I found that! What I didn't expect, though, was how comfortable and open they would be while talking about it," says Richa Kaul Padte of her debut non-fiction, Cyber Sexy (Penguin Random House). Through an intimate tour of online sex cultures — from camgirls to fanfiction writers, homemade videos to consent violations — the book investigates what it means to seek out pleasure online. Padte grew up in Kodaikanal and has lived most of her life in Brighton, England. Apart from being the co-founder of the award-winning publication Deep Dives, her writings have appeared in several publications. The well-researched book is full of interesting anecdotes, which had us questioning what we think we knew of porn. We spoke to her about women who romantacise porn, what inspires her, and if women would rather read erotica than watch the act on screen.

Excerpts from an interview:

In retrospect, what would you say the true vision of the book is?
Looking back on the project, what has come to the surface is that Cyber Sexy allows readers to feel less alone. Many people I interviewed said that the experience of sharing their stories removed a sense of isolation, and I know for sure that I as the listener felt a lot of relief, just hearing them. It's a comfort to know how varied desire is; that no matter how strange what's inside us can feel, we're never truly alone.

You have had intense, deep conversations with varied women for this book. Share some anecdotes that really stayed with you.
Not just with women, but with men too. For example, I spoke to one man who said he had always been embarrassed and bullied about the size and shape of his penis, but through participating in nude photoshoots, he came to terms with and started loving his body. This stayed with me, because men are often under pressure to be a certain type of masculine — and they rarely express these vulnerabilities. So, whenever men were able to talk about these gentler, less confident parts of their sexualities, it stood out for me.

What revelations did you have about the Indian woman and her sexuality?
As girls and women we're not encouraged to talk about sex, so I thought there would be some degree of reservation in interviews. I was so heartened to find this was not the case – women were happy to openly share their experiences, and I was more than happy to hear about them.

In your experience, how do men and women consume porn? For example, one may watch porn to please themselves, but quite often, we also think of people we desire. Do you think woman romanticise porn?
I think this might be more of an individual preference than a gendered thing. Desire is constantly shifting, just like fantasies, just like porn preferences. And I don't think romaticising porn is a gender-specific experience. Having said that, I think where women and men's porn preferences do differ is on the question of consent. Almost every woman said that as soon as porn seemed non-consensual, they were instantly turned off. I think as women we are constantly worried about having our consent violated, so our porn consumption reflects this fear.

Do you think women prefer reading porn rather than watching it?
I don't think I've surveyed enough women to make this claim definitively, but what I can say for sure is that erotica, fanfiction, and other sexy writings on the Internet are predominantly women-led spaces. Personally speaking, sex scenes in novels was how I first started exploring my own desires as a teenager, and I think for many women the written word is a safe, intimate space in which to express sexuality — both as readers and as writers.

Women usually find it easier to go without sex for long periods of time. Could this affect their desires?
My point is, everyone can survive without sex, but sex is also a deep human need. I think what does affect women's desires is fear — fear of unwanted pregnancies, abuse, violence, etc. We think twice — or 50 times —before we go home with unknown men. Not because we want sex any less than them, but because gender violence is a reality we have to perpetually contend with. So we often forgo desire because we want to, you know, stay alive.

Also Read: Married? This Dating Site Is Meant For You

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Have a love for ice-creams but don't want the calories to settle it into those arms? Perhaps slurping on a Michelle Melt might be more appetising. In 2009, a Washington based restaurant named a ice-cream after the then First Lady. But, why look as far as America? Here in Mumbai alone, various restaurants have named dishes after not just Bollywood celebs but even famous painters. Here's where to go celeb-hopping for your tummy.

The Big Bachchan Slider Bombay Bronx, Breach Candy
The Bombay Bronx at Breach Candy is known for all things Mumbai. Apart from the community table inspired by the dabbawalas, a railway map and a huge painting of Amitabh Bachchan on the wall, the food too is an ode to the city and its people. Therefore, it's not surprising to see a chicken slider dedicated to Big B.

Pic/Bipin Kokate

"The idea came to us when we were making a wall poster dedicated to him," says owner Nakuul Kumar. The grilled slider is made with chicken keema, caramalised onions, tomato slices, cheese, lettuce and served with gun powder mayo. Having named it after one of the biggest names in the country, naturally makes the appetiser a crowd puller. "It gives you a direct hint that it's going to be big and fabulous just like Bachchan," he laughs.

Da Vinci Tini Hoppipola, Khar
No prizes for guessing that  Hoppipola's dessert cocktail, made with Baileys, cream and vodka espresso, is inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci. The drink is served with a painting brush and palette, where the "colours" include three types of chocolate — dark, white and caramel. Patrons are encouraged to paint inside and outside the glass, in a manner of getting playful with chocolate.

Rs 495

Sandeep Sharma, bartender, says, "The idea is to engage our customers, be it through games, or through our drinks?" Initially, they would ask customers to slip in behind the bar counter and try out the activity. "But, that proved tedious. So, we came up with this concept. And because it's to do with painting, who better than Da Vinci, to salute?"

RajiniKhanth Dosa The Junction, Mahim
Formerly an economics teacher at HR College, Vikram R Jumani has always been a huge film buff. When he introduced a line of experimental fusion dosas at his restaurant, he was clear that he wanted to doff his hat to the cinematic greats of Bollywood and also down South.

Rs 99

"In the South it's of course Rajinikanth and here, it's the three Khans. That's why the name is RajiniKhanth." The dosa in question is a spin-off on the pav bhaji dosa, wherein the bhaji is cooked on the dosa and the process is a spectacle for the customers to see. Jumani was aware that the name would catch on. "The taste was a deciding factor in the popularity of the dosa. It's a superhit item," he says.

Sonam Kapoor's cake Healthy Treats, Pali Hill
Divya Ranglani's patrons include Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar. But it's a Sonam Kapoor cake that made her go viral in 2016. "She would order cakes from us quite often. And one day, she decided to post a testimonial where she said the orange and dark chocolate cake is to die for. This was when nobody knew about us," she says.

Rs 1,200 per kg

After that, calls started pouring in to order the 'Sonam Kapoor cake' and before they knew it, the orange and dark chocolate cake had been rechristened. Now that Kapoor has turned vegan, Ranglani has started baking gluten-free and vegan version of the same.

Dylan's Galouti Kebab Raasta, Khar
Since music is second nature to Raasta, owner Joy Singh wanted a dish named after American singer-songwriter, Bob Dylan.

Rs 355

"He is a revolutionary artiste. But we wanted the dish to be of Indian origin, because he loves the country," he says. Singh chose the galouti kebab and gave it a vegetarian twist as Dylan is rumoured to be a vegetarian. "His love for 'magic mushrooms' — fungi famed for their psychedelic effects — led us to choose mushrooms as the main ingredient. After a number of trials we finalised this galouti and named it as Dylan's Galouti," he says.

Lord Brown's Gift Gymkhana 91, Lower Parel
At Gymkhana 91, you can drink to Lord Burdoch Brown's legacy. Concocted using Jim Beam, pineapple juice, peach juice and smoked cinnamon, it is a refreshing and not-too-potent drink dedicated to the British officer for his contribution to spices.

Rs 595. Pic/Ashish Raje

"Brown established the Ancharakany Cinnamon Estate in 1767 under the East India Company. It's reputed to be Asia's largest Cinnamon estate," says owner Aditya Hegde, who introduced the cocktail last September. Since then, it has naturally got guests curious.

"They do ask about the name and story behind it as the drink also involves drama and theatre, because the smoking of the drink is done in front of the guests at the table," he adds. Hegde says it is common practice at Gymkhanas to dedicate dishes and drinks to somebody iconic, but not so in stand-alone restaurants. "We believe in giving due credit to the person to whom the dish belongs and that's how the trend started," he says.

Dara Singh Thali Mini Punjab's Lake Side, Powai
The Dara Singh thali is not for the weak-hearted. It packs in the best of unlimited eating. It has aloo paratha, chur chur de naan, makki di roti, murg mussalam rice, lamb  yoghurt curry, chicken Amritsari and lot more.

Rs 1,600 (non-veg) and Rs 1,200 (veg)

The accompaniments include four types of beverages, three chaat options, a soup, pickle, chutney and seven desserts. In all, the thali packs in 40 items. Jagjit Singh, co-owner says, "It needs a champion to finish it. And who better than our famous Indian professional wrestler Dara Singh.

Indians looked up to him as a role model." From Uttar Pradesh, to Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan, the thali brings together the best of North Indian flavours. While they have not met Dara Singh, his son Vindu Dara Singh has sampled this thali. "He was happy to see a thali named after his father. While eating, he was remembering nuggets about him and his father eating together from one plate during his childhood. Vindu loved the lamb yoghurt curry in the thali,"  adds Singh.

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Pics/Gautam Benegal

The setting of Gautam Benegal's A1 Chiken Sope cartoons is largely familiar to those who get their meat from the local market. The air is thick with down feathers, and dismembered bits of chicken scattered about, with butchers being none too fussy about our sensitive nerves. In Benegal's hands, however, this scene is turned into a humorous commentary of our contemporary socio-political scenario.

A1 Chiken Sope series, where we meet a butcher named Salim Bhai and his rather chatty coop of chicken, has been one of Benegal's longest series. The National Award-winning animation filmmaker and cartoon first invented A1 Chiken Sope in 2006 for the supplement of a newspaper, after a bird flu scare, when people had stopped consuming chicken. The poultry business was evidently suffering. A minister smuggled in a tandoori chicken leg into the Lok Sabha, and started eating it to prove that it was perfectly safe. "I drew a cartoon of a chicken shop where one bird boasts to another, showing the headlines, 'Hey guys check this out, my second cousin, twice removed, made it to the Lok Sabha'," says Benegal, 52. In 2009 A1 Chiken Sope found more takers, the year when Benegal joined Facebook.

Having made nearly a thousand cartoons in this series, he says, "On social media, you can post a rough sketch and it becomes a mass pool of conversation with several people contributing to it, which is not the case with mainstream media," he says. The chicken, or chiken as Salim Bhai's shop terms them, play the role of both the naive public and the court jester. In one cartoon, the chicken bid adieu to their former coop-mate, bundled in a black bag, as Salim Bhai hands it over to a customer. "There goes Sonu... recruited into the militia," says one hen. "The chicken's work is to get slaughtered. They are a captive population, but a large percentage is happy at being kept. There is a person who is their benefactor, and is selling them out. We are all chicken," he says, adding, "There is an existential angle to this. The only way to escape is to stop being chicken," he says.

About 35 of these cartoons will be shown at Chemould Prescott Road, Fort, starting May 25, for 10 days. You may want to pay close attention to Benegal's caricatures, where the strength of these cartoons lies. Rather than state the obvious visually, Benegal thrives on allusions and references. Everything is an open secret. "I draw a lot from the earlier part of the century, when cartoons were couched in symbolism and stylised references. The latter is true in my case — it's like guerrilla warfare. You won't be able to put your finger on it, but everybody knows and everybody smiles about what they are seeing," says the cartoonist, whose first brush with the art was as a 15-year-old with Satyajit Ray's children's magazine, Sandesh.

There is a certain rawness to them, with a lack of standardisation that we may see with daily cartoons in mainstream media. And Benegal is not interested in polishing them up either. His taste in cartoons, for that matter, is very James Thurber, the American cartoonist who was featured regularly in The New Yorker, and the late Abu Abraham, whose worked for several publications, including Punch and The Observer. "We are used to a very gentle form of cartooning in India, be it themes or visuals. I wanted A1 Chiken Sope to be very ad hoc, much like how politics in India is," he says.

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Photographer and graphic designer Anusha Yadav started the Indian Memory Project, an online, visual, narrative-based archive in 2010, to trace the history of the subcontinent via photographs and letters. Pic/Ashish Raje

EarLier this week, artist and oral historian Aanchal Malhotra, 28, travelled nearly 240 km to Chandigarh from Delhi, to meet a nonagenarian, who had lived through the Partition of 1947. As she speaks about it now, there's a lump in her throat. "I couldn't sleep that entire night," Malhotra confesses. "Even 70 years on, the woman is so afraid to talk about it. It had everything, from gun fire, to fleeing from her home in Pakistan, to her brother and mother being taken as prisoners, and to giving birth in a forest on her way to India. When she first delivered the baby, her immediate response was to throw it away. You can imagine what trauma she was experiencing." What surprised Malhotra most was when the 90-year-old asked her what she would do with her story. "I said that I wanted to publish it. The woman's immediate response was, 'who will read this?'. They really think that nobody cares. But, this is the story that has shaped the future of contemporary India."

The jewellery Aanchal Malhotra is wearing, was made in the North-West Frontier Province and was given to her great-grandmother, Lajvanti Gulyani, by her in-laws on her wedding to Hari Chand Gulyani in the year 1919. But it could have been in the Gulyani family before that as well. Since she became a widow quite young and was a single mother at the time of Partition, it was carried by her to India in 1947 because she thought she would be able to sell it and earn money to put her children through school. She then gave it to Malhotra’s grandmother, who has now given it to her. Pic/Nishad Alam

Malhotra is the author of Remnants of Separation (HarperCollins India), a book that revisited the Partition through objects carried across the border, and the co-founder — along with Navdha Malhotra — of The Museum of Material Memory, a digital repository of material culture of the Indian subcontinent, tracing family histories and ethnography through heirlooms and objects of antiquity. Since the launch of the archive last year, the founders have put together over 35 heartwarming object stories. Closer home, photographer and graphic designer Anusha Yadav's Indian Memory Project — an online, visual, narrative-based archive, founded in 2010, which traces the history of the subcontinent via photographs and letters — has helped us see history in another light. There is also Paris-based perfumer Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan, whose recently-published book, Pukka Indian: 100 objects that Define India (Roli Books), documents the most coveted symbols and designs representing our culture, by tracing its origin and significance in our lives. All three projects while different in essence and form, have one common intent — to record untold stories from our history and preserve them for posterity. But, as Malhotra's subject asked her, why should anyone be curious?

The chakla and belan originated in 7,500 – 6,000 BCE in Punjab. At the time, this region was cultivating wheat and barley extensively. Rather than using the flatness of the chakla and the pressure of the belan to what we might expect to be used around the country to make flatbread, whatever the ingredient might be, it is only in this region of north India that the chakla and belan were used simply because wheat and barley lend themselves to kneading. What must have been perceived as a high-technology kitchen tool then, the chakla and belan soon spread to other parts of the country. Text courtesy/Pukka India by Jahnvi Lakhota Nanda, Roli books; Pic/Shivani Gupta

Celebrating the mundane
Nandan, an alumnus of the School of Art and Design at Tsukuba University, Japan, admits that her project stemmed out of her curiosity to find out about the designs that define us an Indian. "Design is a mirror of our attitudes and habits. Through the course of writing this book on Indian design, I found that uniquely Indian gestures like churning, combing and calculating were reflected in it," she writes in the book. From the dabba, agarbatti, and kulhad, to Babuline gripe water, most of the objects Nandan chose for the book, have "either been made or originated in India, or have an element that is very Indian, or are being used in a very Indian context".

This picture is of Purvi Sanghvi’s grandfather Dwarkadas Jivanlal Sanghvi (extreme right in a black coat) and his brother Vallabhdas Jivanlal Sanghvi with their business partners at a Pen Exhibition in Bombay around 1951. The family ran Wilson Pens that quickly rose to huge fame and became a preferred choice of pens across the country. All government offices, law court, used the Wilson pens. The Wilson Pen Family made the orange, thick-nibbed pen that wrote the most fundamental document that defines the state of India: The Constitution of India written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Pic, Text Courtesy/Indian Memory Project/Contributed by Purvi Sanghvi, Mumbai

It's while working on the book that Nandan realised how "our own homes are a repository of history". Here, she relays an incident when Shivani Gupta, the photographer for Pukka Indian, had been anxious about finding a mandira — a butter churner — that Nandan had mentioned in the book. "She went home, and realised that she had five of them in her kitchen. She didn't even know she was sitting on so much wealth." Nandan adds, "We don't tend to celebrate the mundane. What we celebrate are things that have obvious value, like jewellery, the beautification of the body or the exotic."

Paris-based perfumer Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan's recent book, Pukka Indian, documents the most coveted symbols and designs representing Indian culture, by tracing its origin and significance in the lives of its users. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Object as a catalyst
Malhotra's interest in people's histories began while working on Remnants of Separation, which was an extension of her Master of Fine Arts thesis project for Concordia University, Canada. Malhotra's research began after she came across a gaz (a measuring device) and ghara (a pot), which belonged to her nana's family, and had crossed the border. "Sometimes the Partition is too traumatic to speak about. When I started my research, I didn't know where to begin or what I could ask, without sounding frivolous. The object became a catalyst to enter into that conversation. So, rather than me saying 'Oh! You lived through the Partition, that must be awful,' I was now asking relevant questions, like 'why did you choose to take this gold bangle with you?'. The object then, didn't become something that recessed into the background, but something around which the entire background was arranged."

That's when she and Navdha decided to start The Museum of Material Memory. The duo encourages everyone to contribute, provided the object is from or before the 1970s. The archive comprises everything from a 5-inch-long, mottled sewing needle to a chaddar with traditional baagh and phulkari embroidery and a former Class II Income-Tax officer's diary filled up with the repeated words 'Sri Rama Jayam', meaning Jai Sri Ram. Each post is accompanied with the story behind the object. "Material ethnography is so vastly explored in the West, especially when it comes to events of trauma and crisis. What we are recording here, will never be found in any textbook. We need active memoralisation, not just of traumatic events, but of our tradition and culture, which is primarily oral."

Not just for nostalgia's sake
The indianmemoryproject.com, says Yadav, started off as a book idea, where she wanted to collect old, wedding photographs. "I wanted to document the idea of weddings in different cultures, and explore the entire phenomena behind the crew that makes it possible," she says. "While the book didn't happen, the pictures stayed with me." That's how, her archive, a first-of-its-kind in India, took off. "If you are fascinated with history, you will know that India really is a melting pot. Every civilisation has passed through it. And so we have all kinds of DNA in us. And considering photography was discovered two centuries ago, we did have a lot of content to discuss," says Yadav.

She admits that it wasn't as easy to get people to share their photographs or talk about their stories. "But, there needs to be integrity, transparency and you need to earn the trust of your subject. When you have these value systems in place, people are more open. I always thought of the archive as an institution." Funding for the project has been tough, says the archivist. "When I began, I was very clear that I didn't want to become a trust. Unfortunately, that's the channel through which most of the money comes from. But, there's a server and maintenance cost and the site constantly needs to be upgraded. Now, I have started putting in requests for honorariums. The only way I will get money is through a private funder, who is fascinated with the idea, and wants to back it as well. Sometimes, when a good sum comes from my own work as a photographer, part of the profits go to it. At the end of the day, it is an unofficial record of history, and I'm doing my best to sustain it."

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Kareena Kapoor Khan. Pic/Rane Ashish

In the last few months, we have been a bit awestruck by how hot Kareena Kapoor Khan has been looking — be in stills and videos from her new movie, Veere Di Wedding, which releases in June, or in behind-the-scenes-clips, or basically all her public appearances. The hip and sexy styling, the lustrous hair, the impeccable make-up, and the undeniable, and oh-so-Bebo swag, has helped us see the new mother in a new light, yet again. When we meet her at a suburban hotel, wearing an off-white pant suit, her hair pulled back, and her green eyes set on us with a smile, we are slightly flustered. And we ask, how are you giving 30 somethings, even the one with kids, such hotness #goals.

"No please! Honestly, I have always been very fitness conscious. Everyone is saying I have lost weight so fast, but I have taken a year and a half. It has happened over time. It's not for the movies, but just for me. Like I always say, feed me karela for lunch and dinner and I am happy," she tells us nonchalantly. There is no blueprint plan for the evolution in her style as well, says the 37-year-old. Instead, she says that the movie, where she has been styled differently from previous avatars is responsible for turning up the heat. "That's one of the reasons I did the movie. It's young and fresh. I could have come back in an author-backed role, playing a titular character. But I chose not to. I just had a baby, and I wanted to do something that's young and the language for which is different," she says. She laughs when she recalls Veere Di Wedding producer Rhea Kapoor being wary of bringing the movie to her, because she is a mainstream actress who has been a part of the Khan movies, making Rs 100 crores and more.

A still from Veere Di Wedding

"There is no hero. I have never worked with four girls. No one expected me to do this. When I read the film, I wanted to do it. A mainstream actress would ask 'but what am I doing?' But with Veere, it's about the language of the film that's about four friends. No one has the bigger part." This is where she says, that it's her choices that have always set her apart. And we agree. "I did Chameli when I was 21. I also did Ki & Ka, even though Arjun is younger to me. I did Udta Punjab, even though mine is just a parallel track," she says, and when we point out that she dies in the middle of the movie, she says "Ya! I had to make sure something happened with my character so that people remembered me. I needed that moment. I want to do something different. My attitude towards movies has changed — I may say no to a big-budget films. My headspace is not that." We steer things back to her drop-dead vibe these days. We all can diet and work out, but what is she doing every day that makes her glow?

And the answer is simple. "Happiness," she smiles, "You have to make yourself happy. You have to find joy in smaller things in life, not just success. I am happiest when I am having coffee or a glass of wine with a friend and chatting. Or when I am reading a book, not a script, trying to prove that I have 30 scripts lined up." When we ask her what is she reading these days, we find common ground. "I love reading crime thrillers, especially Jo Nesbo and Agatha Christie. I keep watching the Poirot series again as well. Saif and I are hooked." Seeing her love for Christie, we recommend Japanese author Keigo Higashino to her, and she says, "Please write down the name for me!" We come back to us telling her how we have all been obsessing over her swag on social media, even though she doesn't have an account. "I may not be there but I am there na! And my friends and family keep putting stuff up. I am very much there. Anyway, I don't think anyone wants to hear my opinions — there are so many opinions out there. Wasn't it better that you and I had a chat instead of you already knowing everything about my life?"

Also Read: Kareena, Sonam, Swara And Shikha Had 10 Stylist For Veere Di Wedding

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When the trailer of Shank’s hit the Internet two years ago, it garnered over 2,00,000 views in under a fortnight. And, why not? Until then we had not really seen stylised montages of modaks and varan bhaat being served in a fine-dining ambience. The trailer had us curious about Ashay Dileep Javadekar’s film, which looked like a documentary. Where is this Shank’s, the Marathi fine-dining place, we wondered. Two years on, with the release of the film online, we have the answers.

The 1 hour, 11 minute-long film, shot on a Canon Powershot and iPhone 6, traces the journey of Shashank Joshi, a man who nurtured and nourished his dream of being a chef, right from his boyhood days in a small town in Maharashtra. We know him, little by little, through his family, especially one cousin he is close to. We know him through his college friend, through food critics and historians, and most importantly, his mentor’s daughter Pauline with whom he has the most extraordinary journey. We see how he had to fight the odds, and nearly give up before he makes his dream a reality.

Bhave in a still from the film

A generous part of the film is made of lush close-up shots of Maharashtrian food that is sure to get Indians, especially those from the state, excited. And for Westerners, well, it’s Indian food like they have never seen before — a far cry from tandoori chicken, paneer masala and dal makhni. The screenplay uses a documentary narrative to tell a fictional story. Javadekar seems to be an ardent believer of the phrase: God is in the details. The care with which each character has been crafted, from dialogues to props and their stories, you forget that none of it is real. That’s also because of the convincing performances the actors bring to the table. Makarand Bhave becomes Shashank, in the controlled passion with which he narrates his story. Playing Pauline Bonnet-Joshi, his partner in crime, is Melissa Ehrlich Blevins. She brings so many moods into her account, from compassion, to vulnerability, excitement, and determination. The supporting cast is also impressive.

Besides telling an absorbing story, Shank’s makes us ponder on questions like how the West perceives Indian cuisine, the importance of educating customers on the food, and also, the gender bias in the industry, a reality that is larger than we wish to acknowledge. Food for thought, quite literally. The film can be streamed seamlessly, at a reasonable price on a pay-per-view platform. Shank’s heroes Maharashtrian food like never before, but, more than that it urges dreamers, aspiring restaurateurs in this case, to make their real voices heard. Minus a few rough edges in production, the film might remind you of Chef’s Table. That’s interesting because when this film was made, Chef’s Table was yet to hit the screen. A word of caution though: Do not watch it on an empty stomach, unless you are looking to work up an appetite.

Log on to: www.njemovies.com
Price: Rs 99

Shades of red, bordeaux, pink and yellow are the key emanating colours this summer. Along with these colours, core summer essentials like white and blue also build foundations of the wardrobe. Prernaa Lohiya, Marketing Manager, French Connection, and Samantha Chilton, Head of Design KOOVS, have listed seven best summer fashion trends you must look out for. 

1. Fun and message-driven slogan T-shirts: Fun and message-driven slogan T-shirts that speak your mind, some core checkered shirts and athleisure inspired look for men are big this season. For women, soft florals and fashion infused athleisure is here to stay.

2. Side-striped bottoms and popper pants: Some of the other trends this season include side striped bottoms and popper pants.

3. Summer dresses in pastel shades: For a more ethereal look, you can choose pretty summer dresses in pastel hues as well.

4. Florals, solids, and patterns in green: The new hot colour for the summer is green and this can be seen in the form of florals, solids and patterns.

5. Bohemian grunge: It is also that time of the season when Bohemian grunge and festival dressing is popular including details like studding, lace inserts and broderie.

6. Neon camo and digital oversized sleeveless shirts for men: Men can add an element of exploration, with utility and military accents. Also this season it's all about the prints; from contrasting resort florals to neon camo and digital oversized sleeveless shirts.

7. Embroidered denim jacket: For layering, denim works wonders in summer and one can pick an embroidered denim jacket to layer a look with clean slip ons.

This summer, let your clothes speak your mind and add bright hues to your wardrobe to make a fashionable statement, say experts.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Illustration/Uday Mohite

Several years ago, when Dr Karanvir Singh was pursuing his doctorate in the field of applied psychology, he stumbled upon an interesting find. The focus of his PhD was relationships. What he surmised from those years of research and interviews was that "if people enjoyed good relationships with their partner, it also positively influenced and affected other areas of their lives too." But Singh, who now works as a relationship empowerment coach, believes that romantic utopia isn't possible, until one develops a perfect relationship with themselves.

Karanvir Singh

Having conducted over 55 workshops on relationship management across the globe, Singh is conducting a session for singles - My Perfect Welationship - that will equip participants with the right tools to create their happily ever after. The two-hour-long session, which will involve games apart from examination of case studies, will walk you through three main topics.

"First, it's important to define what is a right relationship," says Singh. While there is no ideal relationship, having false notions about love can be detrimental, he adds. Singh will also reflect on the need for "creating an inventory" of the kind of behaviour one is looking for, from their potential partners. "Top on this list is the non-negotiable ones," he says, adding that he will also discuss ways where one can spot the red flag in romance. Lastly, he will suggest ways of breaking the communication barrier. "When communication between two people is more aligned, half the conflicts can be gotten rid of," he says.

WHERE: Ninos Nook, Bhulabhai Desai Marg, Breach Candy
ENTRY: Rs 2,000
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

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