Sivaji Raja, a renowned Telugu actor, was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad on May 5 after he suffered a heart attack. Times of India reports that the actor complained of severe chest pain and was rushed to the emergency department. He's being treated in the ICU, but his health is currently stable, as reported by the portal.

Talking about the same, PRO Suresh Kondeti said, "I just talked to him now. His BP drastically went down and that resulted in a heart attack. He is expected to get a heart stent."

The actor is known to have acted in as many as 400 Telugu films and his recent ones include some immensely successful titles like MLA and Nela Ticket.

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Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Wednesday shared a glimpse from some endearing moments with her pet Gino in lockdown. The 37-year-old actor put out on Instagram an adorable picture cuddling her German Shepherd. In the picture, the 'Quantico' star is bending to hug her beloved pet on a couch.

'The Sky Is Pink' star captioned, saying, "I promise Gino loves my cuddles. @ginothegerman."

 

 

 

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I promise Gino loves my cuddles. @ginothegerman

A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) onMay 5, 2020 at 5:07pm PDT

Lately, Priyanka has been updating fans on her quarantine activities through social media handles. On Monday, the actor posted pictures from her make-up and styling session, with her little niece Krishna. The adorable post on the photo-sharing platform garnered more than four lakh likes. Recently, Chopra, along with husband Nick Jonas, became a part of 'I For India' concert to raise Covid-19 relief funds. She had also pledged USD 100,000 in total to four incredible women who rose above the challenges to make a difference during the coronavirus crises.

Earlier, the couple donated to several organisations including PM CARES Fund, Goonj, Feeding America and others to combat Covid-19 which has affected over 10 lakh people globally. The 'Baywatch' actor took part in WHO's live stream event 'ONE WORLD: TOGETHER AT HOME' to raise funds for Covid-19 relief.

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The 'Bois Locker Room' controversy has taken the country by storm. Leaked screenshots of a private Instagram chat group comprising teenage school students from Delhi has shocked people to the core. Many of the boys in the group were allegedly seen sharing photos of underage girls, objectifying them, and planning gang rapes.

Bollywood celebs like Richa Chadha, Swara Bhasker and Chandan Roy Sanyal have spoken out about the issue. Here's what Richa tweeted:

This a multi-faceted problem. Because everyone is still squeamish about sex education in our populous/moralistic country, teenagers are confusing porn for sex education! And now data is free. How dangerous! This will explode in our faces in the next five years sadly,I reckon. https://t.co/mPVaXPOe6d

— TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) May 5, 2020

Swara Bhasker, too, spoke about the toxic masculinity that still runs rampant in the country. She tweeted:

#boyslockerroom a telling tale of how toxic masculinity starts young! Underage boys gleefully planning how to rape & gangrape minor girls. Parents & teachers must address this with those Kids.. Not enough to ‘hang rapists’ .. we must attack the mentality that creates rapists! https://t.co/Jw4cFQ9gXM

— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) May 5, 2020

Actor Chandan Roy Sanyal wrote, "15-year-old School Boys from distinguished Delhi schools talk about raping the girls in their own class. Shocked to the core!!"

Amyra Dastur emphasised that a line had been crossed. She tweeted:

These are people’s daughters & sisters. I understand being young & trying to act cool but there’s a line which has been crossed. girls are afraid & traumatised. threatening rape is a crime & shud b treated as such no matter how old the boys are! #EnoughIsEnough #boislockerroom https://t.co/dmbdwDSnOG

— Amyra Dastur (@AmyraDastur93) May 5, 2020

Dastur wrote in another tweet, "The boys don't need sex education. They need to be educated about equality, consent & DECENCY! Education about what RAPE actually is & a new perspective on girls & women! This isn't about Sex Ed, it's about a superiority & misogynistic chain of thought that needs to be broken."

Sonam Kapoor shared on her Insta story a post by model and British actress Jameela Jamil.

According to a report in IANS, the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police has detained a 15-year-old student of a prominent school in South Delhi in connection with the Instagram chat group. Twenty two other boys have also have been identified.

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Parineeti Chopra has stepped forward to do more during the coronavirus crisis that is raging in our country. The sensitive actress has decided to go on a virtual coffee date with people to raise funds that will feed 4000 family members of 1000 daily wage earners of our country!

Millions of poor labourers are struggling to access food and rations during the COVID lockdown, and are unable to keep themselves and their families safe. Parineeti has come on board to help raise funds for GiveIndia's Mission: Ration Kit that aims at delivering food to those most affected by the crisis.

 

 

 

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•FOR THE DAILY WAGE WORKERS• You say coffee, I say WITH ME! @fankindofficial @give_india and I have come together for your chance to go on a virtual coffee date with me! All you have to do is log onto fankind.org/parineeti and help provide ration kits with essential food supplies for daily wage labourer's who are struggling to feed their families. (Link in bio) 5 lucky winners will get a chance to go on a super fun virtual coffee date with me! No one should go to sleep hungry, so let's come together to feed the less privileged. And to make our impact even bigger, A.T.E Chandra foundation will be be adding 25% of the total donation we raise as a matching amount, thereby multiplying our impact. YOU, ME and Latte fun! So donate now! #Fankind #FankindXParineeti #Covid19

A post shared by Parineeti Chopra (@parineetichopra) onMay 6, 2020 at 12:14am PDT

Pari's campaign will see ration kits containing dal, rice, aata, salt, masala, tea, sugar, oil etc, to be able to sustain a family of 4 people. These kits will be distributed to families in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. The A.T.E. Chandra Foundation has also joined hands in this cause and will be adding 25 per cent of the total donation value collected as a matching amount, thereby multiplying the impact!

Parineeti, who is doing this in association with Arjun Kapoor’s sister Anshula's breakthrough charity initiative Fankind, says, "There are millions of unemployed daily wage earners who are struggling to make two ends meet today due to the coronavirus crisis in our country. During the COVID19 national lockdown, they are unable to earn and that is putting them at high risk! Fankind, GiveIndia and I have come together to try and help them and their families by providing them ration kits."

One just needs to log on to fankind.org/Parineeti and donate to be eligible for this virtual date which will aid GiveIndia to reach out to the ones who need our immediate help. The contest will be open for donation for a week, starting 6th May.

Parineeti adds, "No one should go to sleep hungry, so let's do our bit to make a difference and take care of our fellow brothers and sisters of India. This fund raiser is uniquely crafted for me to meet you virtually and have a cup of coffee! This is how I will be saying thank you to 5 lucky winners through a video chat. I am looking forward to chatting with you and getting to know more about you over a piping cup of coffee. Let's join hands and donate for those who are in need."

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He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Nitya Mehra and Alankrita Shrivastava as he co-directed the much-loved Amazon Prime series, Made In Heaven, last year. However, before the second season goes on floors, Prashant Nair has made a graceful exit from the picture. The Spain-based filmmaker is instead consumed with bringing a real-life story to the screen.

A still from Made in Heaven 

"I am not part of the second season as I am working on a web series based on the Uphaar Cinema tragedy," says Nair, referring to the 1997 fire at the Delhi theatre that had claimed 59 lives and injured over 100 people. "I am the show-runner, director and creator of the series that is being developed with Endemol Shine India. It's currently in the research phase," he adds.

Prashant Nair

It has been a memorable week for the filmmaker, whose latest offering, Tryst with Destiny, won the Best Screenplay award at the Tribeca Film Festival. "The organisers kept the competition section open virtually so that [the jury] can watch the links. When they announced the win, I was in my pyjamas at 2 am, feeling remarkably unglamorous, reading Danny Boyle's lovely feedback on the movie," he laughs. Though glad that the Viineet Kumar Singh-starrer has received acclaim, Nair feels rather disconnected from the win. "I wanted to experience this moment with my cast and crew. And damn, we didn't even get a selfie with Robert De Niro [who is the co-founder of the festival]!"

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Raveena Tandon gave a funny reply to a fan who proposed to marry her in the next birth. On Wednesday, the actress took to Instagram to share throwback photos from a vacation in the mountains. "#throwback When the summer gets to hot to handle... my heart dreaming of snowy vacays , soft ,fresh snowed in slopes and the icy moon.. disclaimer- always in #fauxfur," captioned Raveena.

 

 

 

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#throwback When the summer gets to hot to handle... my heart dreaming of snowy vacays , soft ,fresh snowed in slopes and the icy moon.. disclaimer- always in #fauxfur

A post shared by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon) onMay 6, 2020 at 6:39am PDT

Commenting on her post, a fan wrote: "Raveena ma'am will you marry me in your next birth?" The actress replied: "Sorry ya booked for 7 already".

Other fans also showered the actress with love and appreciation for her beautiful pictures. One fan commented: "Every time I see you, I fall in love with you once again". Another fan expressed: "You always be a queen, love you."

Raveena Tandon's fan club incidentally includes a celeb admirer -- rapper Badshah! The rapper during a recent question-answer session with his fans on Instagram has revealed that he has a crush on Raveena Tandon.

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It has been more than 40 days that the country has observed complete lockdown. People are finding various ways to keep themselves entertained and occupied during this time. We all know it isn't easy to keep ourselves calm in this difficult time, but all one can do is be patient.

Speaking about Bollywood celebrities, actors are doing their bit by educating their fans and sharing positivity among their followers. Preity Zinta, who is known for her bubbly persona, has been sharing some motivational posts, which will help you stay positive. Let's take a look at her quarantine chronicles through a series of social media posts.

In this one, Preity Zinta gave us some tips on working out at home and staying fit without hitting the gym. The post read, "A lot of people have been asking me for some simple but effective lower back and hip strengthening exercise.... so here it is. Make sure to keep ur core muscles squeezed and engaged. Squeeze ur butt muscles when u go up and breath. The more u do the better for you. Do 4 sets of 10 to start. Keep doing it till someone stops you like Bruno did to me. Hope this helps. #pzfit #day52 #Quarantine #lowerback #stayhome #staysafe #staystrong #ting [sic]"

Watch the video right away!

 

 

 

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A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) onMay 2, 2020 at 11:33pm PDT

It's not just working out that keeps her engaged the entire day. She has also been brushing up on her cooking skills. Her fruit custard turned out to be successful! Check it out.

 

 

 

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Brushing up my Desert making skills and trying to make the most of staying home during this crazy time. #fruitcustard #stayhome #staysafe #day48 #quarentine #ting

A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) onApr 28, 2020 at 9:59pm PDT

It seems like no quarantine chronicles are complete without some throwback memories. In one of the posts, Preity Zinta is seen washing a bike. Picture courtesy: Dabboo Ratnani.

 

 

 

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Can you believe this shoot took exactly 5 minutes. Thank you @dabbooratnani for always making my shoots so effortless 😘 #throwbackthursday #ting

A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) onApr 16, 2020 at 9:47am PDT

That's not it! Preity Zinta proved herself as the queen once again. Confused? The actress became the monopoly queen on one of the lockdown days!

 

 

 

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It’s good to be Queen 🤩 #monoplyqueen #day42 #boardgames #stayhome #staysafe #family #fun #ting

A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) onApr 22, 2020 at 8:04pm PDT

An older post shared by the actress had Preity Zinta's mother Nilprabha giving her a much-needed head massage. Do you know what's the highlight of the video? Preity's husband Gene asking, 'saasu maa, what are you doing? (mother-in-law, what are you doing). Isn't that cute?

 

 

 

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à¤ÂÂœà¥Âˆ माता दà¥Â€ 🤩🙏 Champi once again 👍Making the most of home quarantine 😘❤ï¸ÂðŸ¤Â— #Day15 #stayhome #staysafe #jaimatadi #ma #champi #navratri ðŸÂÂŽ¥ #mrgoodenough #patiparmeshwar ❤ï¸Â #Ting

A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) onMar 25, 2020 at 11:27pm PDT

Preity Zinta and Gene Goodenough tied the knot on February 29, 2016, and the duo celebrated their first wedding anniversary on February 29, 2020. Yes, the leap year!

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Superstar Saif Ali Khan's son Ibrahim Ali Khan on Thursday treated fans with a priceless childhood picture of himself and his star sister Sara. Ibrahim took to Instagram to share the picture that he had dug out of his childhood albums.

 

 

 

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The face I make when it’s me who can bully sara now

A post shared by Ibrahim Ali Khan (@iakpataudi) onMay 6, 2020 at 5:01pm PDT

While he is seen wearing glasses and giving a sly look to the photographer of the picture, Sara is seen busy in some work as she is looking downwards. Ibrahim further revealed the reason for his expressions in the caption and wrote, "The face I make when it's me who can bully Sara now."

The Pataudi siblings are known to enjoy a great brother-sister bond and are also quite close to each other. Both Sara and Ibrahim keep fans well posted with their childhood and recent pictures with each other.

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Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan's daughter, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, must be extremely proud and happy today. Her daughter, Navya Naveli Nanda, recently graduated from Fordham University in New York, but owing to the coronavirus outbreak, the ceremony couldn't be held this year. 

But university ceremony or no, Navya Naveli didn't let it get her down! She enjoyed a graduation party right at home in Mumbai, surrounded by her family. Both Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, who are super proud of their little Navya, shared photos from the party.

Abhishek Bachchan shared a lovely snap of Navya's and wrote, "Congratulations my Navya on your graduation! Although due to the lockdown you were not able to celebrate it at your university with your classmates and the home garden had to suffice..."

 

 

 

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Congratulations my Navya on your graduation! Although due to the lockdown you were not able to celebrate it at your university with your classmates and the home garden had to suffice.... Seems like yesterday that we were moving you into your dorm room as a freshman... Wait, strike that. Not "we", "I"!! (You always managed to make Mamu do the heavy lifting 😉). God bless you! Can't wait to see what you have in store for the world. ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Abhishek Bachchan (@bachchan) onMay 6, 2020 at 7:48am PDT

Grandpa Amitabh Bachchan shared a few posts on Instagram congratulating his pretty granddaughter on her graduation day. Sharing a slo-mo video of Navya, he wrote, "Granddaughter Navya... the most important day in the life of a young student - Graduation Day..."

 

 

 

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Grand daughter Navya .. the most important day in the life of a young student - Graduation Day .. ! She graduated from College in New York, but ceremony and presence got cancelled because of Corona and lockdown .. she could not go .. we too had all planned to be with her on this important occasion .. BUT .. she though wanted to wear that Graduation gown and Cap .. so staff stitched her an impromptu gown and cap .. and she wore it and celebrated at home in Jalsa .. So proud of you NAVYA .. god bless .. such a positive and happy attitude .. LOVE YOU💕💕💕💕

A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) onMay 6, 2020 at 7:22am PDT

Big B also shared a sweet post where both his lovely ladies, Shweta and Navya, are featured. 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) onMay 6, 2020 at 8:10am PDT

And what graduation party would be complete without wishes from mum? Shweta, too, shared a pic of her baby girl and wrote, "I threw on a Fordham (her college) sweatshirt over my PJ's!! Congratulations baby I love you and am proud of you! Go forth and conquer x ( I'm not crying you're crying)."

 

 

 

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Class of 2020 - Navya finished college today and since she and everyone else graduating this year won’t get a ceremony we decided to DIY one. With a chart paper cap and a gown hand stitched from scraps of black tenting. I threw on a Fordham ( her college ) sweatshirt over my PJ’s!! Congratulations baby I love you and am proud of you! Go forth and conquer x ( I’m not crying you’re crying)

A post shared by S (@shwetabachchan) onMay 6, 2020 at 6:26am PDT

Well, aren't these the cutest congratulatory messages? Big congratulations to Navya Naveli Nanda on her graduation!

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For most of us, movies are one of the best ways to unwind ourselves from all the stress that we deal with on a daily basis. The emergence of OTT content has made it even easier for moviegoers to watch their favourite content at the click of their fingers.

It is a welcome change to see the short film titled Mishti Doi, a touching family drama that leaves you with a warm feeling in your heart and a new lesson, every time you watch it!

Produced by the dynamic production house KBJ Entertainment, the movie was distributed by Pocket Films, the largest channel for short films in India and was also released on Disney + Hotstar on 16 April this year.

Mishti Doi is the story of Chandrakant, a widower, who is eagerly waiting for his son Rohan and daughter-in-law Kavita to visit him on his late wife's birth anniversary. However, the visit will test the strength of their relationship in ways they had never imagined...

The short film takes us on an emotional ride leaving behind an everlasting impact with its touching and relatable storyline. A perfect film to watch during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Directed by Shibu Sable and produced by Harshada Patankar and Swar Patankar, the short film has been written by Jaidev Hemmady & Shibu Sable, shot by DOP Bhavesh Rawal and edited by Kedar Gogate, while the music has been given by Anurag Godbole & the sound design is by Abhijit Shreeram Deo.

Starring Milind Uke, Deepal Doshi and Bhawna Munjal, the short film ‘Mishit Doi’, just like the famous Bengali delicacy mishti doi, leaves behind a sweet after-taste.

Excited with the response that the short film has been getting, Producer Harshada Patankar said, “I had tears in my eyes the first time I read the script and I decided then and there to produce this short film, which had such an emotional core. I am happy to know that Mishti Doi has been praised by everyone who has seen it and the positive comments from viewers have really been a source of encouragement and motivation to us. At KBJ Entertainment, we believe in making meaningful and yet entertaining content and we shall be coming up with more such content in the near future.”

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Bhumi Pednekar is one of the most exciting young actors of our generation. The young actress in her first few years of journey in Bollywood, has already given audiences some really strong and brilliant female protagonists in films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Toilet, Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan, Bala, Saand Ki Aankh, Son Chiriya, among others.

"For me, how I represent women on screen is very important. Cinema has the power to influence people and I do feel that through our portrayal of women, we can push the messaging of equality, of independence. I have looked out for such characters and play them with all my heart of screen. I have been fortunate to have got these characters that have made a mark and stood out," says Bhumi.

The talented actress will be soon seen as a leading lady in the Akshay Kumar presentation Durgavati and award-winning director Alankrita Srivastava’s Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare.

"I thank my visionary filmmakers who chose to tell stories of these magnificent women to the people of my country. It has been an honour to be a part of their cinema and bring such courageous, fantastic, confident women on screen," she says.

Bhumi intends people to realise how equality is yet to be achieved in society through cinema. "My journey in cinema has just begun. I will continue to strive to find more such women whose stories I want to tell on screen. I feel when people see such women and their lives, their struggles, their pain, their dreams, their victories, there can be a shift in perspective. It might help us to further understand how far we are from achieving equality and how much women can contribute in making our country and our society stronger," she says.

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The genius of Rishi Kapoor came alive every time the camera rolled. It is only apt then that his countless fans witness him, one last time, as the larger-than-life hero whose rightful place was on the big screen. Honey Trehan, co-producer of the late actor's swansong Sharmaji Namkeen, believes he owes the audience the final chance to say goodbye to him.

"We want to take this film to the theatres for his friends, family and fans. We all owe this to Rishiji, one of the silver screen legends. I am grateful to Ritesh [Sidhwani, producer] and Farhan [Akhtar, producer] for investing in the movie not just monetarily, but also emotionally," he says.

The slice-of-life film, which also features Juhi Chawla and revolves around a sexagenarian who discovers the joy of life after retirement, had gone on floors last December. While the unit was to shoot the final Mumbai stint in March, their plans went awry due to the lockdown. "We shot a major portion of the film in Delhi during January. Only a four-day schedule was pending."

Rishi Kapoor with Juhi Chawla, Abhishek Chaubey and Honey Trehan during the rehearsal of the film 

As the central character, the veteran was to shoot some crucial scenes in the final leg. However, with Kapoor's sudden demise on April 30 following a two-year battle with leukemia, director Hitesh Bhatia and the unit have the task of completing the project minus the leading man. "We will be using advanced technology, an amalgamation of VFX and some special technique, to finish the film without compromising on the quality. We are in discussion with a few [VFX studios] and are figuring out the way forward," says Trehan.

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It has been a long yet fulfilling journey for Rakul Preet Singh, who has dabbled with both the South and the Hindi film industry successfully. After the success of De De Pyaar De and Marjaavaan in 2019, she now has a film with Arjun Kapoor coming up that's supposedly a cross-border rom-com, produced by John Abraham and Nikkhil Advani.

Now let's talk about her Instagram posts, which are also very gorgeous. She has often channelled her bold avatar on social media and now, recently in an interview with Pinkvilla, spoke about her journey as an actor, and also the beautiful days of Miss India. When asked about wearing a bikini and her parents' reaction to it, she answered very candidly and her reply will truly win your heart.

She said, "My mom and my dad were more comfortable than I was with the idea of wearing a bikini. In fact, when we were going to shop for the bikinis, my dad kept telling us to buy vibrant coloured bikinis and not the dull ones." And did you know Rakul's mother was the one who asked her to wear a bikini when she was preparing for her Miss India contest?

Rini Singh, her mother, who was also a part of the interview, spilled the beans and said, "I kept telling her that you need to wear a bikini for Miss India. She said she was not prepared for that. But I was confident. I said, 'You'll prepare for it, isme kya hai?' Well, this is truly a candid confession from the mother-daughter duo!

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Actress Adah Sharma, who has worked in both southern cinema and Bollywood, says that the casting couch exists everywhere. Several Bollywood personalities have previously spoken out about their horrific casting couch experience in southern cinema.

"Casting couch isn't something that just exists in the South or the North. I think it is something that has been spoken about worldwide. The production of couches exists universally," Adah told IANS.

Adah, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada film industries apart from Bollywood, says there is always a choice. "I think you always have a choice of whether you want to sit on it, lay on it, stand on it or not do anything on the couch. You can sit on the floor," quipped the actress.

On the acting front, Adah, who was last seen on screen in Bypass Road, will next be seen in the film Man To Man. The film revolves around actor Naveen Kasturia's character falling in love with and marrying Sharma's character, only to realise she was biologically a man who became a woman after surgery.

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Several showrunners are speeding up the post-production work to release their digital offerings during the lockdown. Though the idea of having all eyes glued to his show sounds tempting, director Ali Abbas Zafar is in no hurry to reach the finish line. The director — whose political drama, tentatively titled Dilli, is currently in post-production — says he would rather revel in the satisfaction of a series made well than join the rat race.

"On Twitter and Instagram, people have been asking us to release the show now. So, there has been pressure, but we don't want to rush the process. Our series was supposed to drop in the last quarter of 2020, and we will stick to that deadline. If the show was ready, we would have released it now because it is an ideal time to grab eyeballs," says Zafar, happy that the Saif Ali Khan-starrer has piqued the audience's interest.

When it comes to developing an offering for the global audience, the post-production is a long-drawn process. "Once you deliver your project, it has to be dubbed in nine languages. So, the post-production takes three to four months, longer than the shoot itself."

Ali Abbas Zafar

As his team gives the finishing touches to the project, Zafar, nestled in his hometown Dehradun, has begun writing the sophomore season. "[The top brass of] Amazon Prime have seen the rushes, and basis that, they have decided to sanction the second edition," he says, beaming with pride.

Point out to him that the drama has found its way into the second instalment, but has yet to find an apt title, and he laughs at the irony of the situation. While the working title was Tandav, the makers rechristened it Dilli, only to have a change of heart later. "We are struggling with the name. That's why Amazon has not been able to make an official announcement."

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On Thursday, Rakul Preet Singh was spotted at Pali Naka, Bandra. She made sure to wear a mask while stepping out to head to a chemist in the vicinity. A video of the De De Pyaar De (2019) actor's outing has gone viral.

Some netizens thought she was Deepika Padukone and still others felt she had gone to buy alcohol. Responding to the speculation, she tweeted, "Oh wow! I wasn't aware that medical stores are selling alcohol."

Oh wow ! I wasn’t aware that medical stores were selling alcohol 🤔😂😂 https://t.co/3PLYDvtKr0

— Rakul Singh (@Rakulpreet) May 7, 2020

Singh informs that she had picked up some stuff from the chemist and the video shows her exiting. She wondered why people chose to speculate. Blame it on the University of WhatsApp, perhaps.

Rakul Preet recently spoke about her Miss India days and how she wasn't entirely comfortable wearing a bikini for the pageant. Her parents, however, were more comfortable with the idea than her! She shared, "My mom and my dad were more comfortable than I was with the idea of wearing a bikini. In fact, when we were going to shop for the bikinis, my dad kept telling us to buy vibrant coloured bikinis and not the dull ones."

Well, now that's a cool set of parents right there!

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Actor Kunal Kemmu says he has learnt that when you don't want to impress and when no one is watching, dancing is not just therapeutic but also looks pretty cool. He proved it with his impromptu dance video that he posted on social media.

"Somewhere between painting singing dancing and doing online classes with the toddler I learnt that dancing when you don't want to impress and when no one is watching is not just therapeutic but also looks pretty cool. no look no choreography no plan. Just let the music guide your body and mind #barefoot #impromptudance," he captioned it.

He and his wife Soha Ali Khan have been using social media to give glimpses of their personal lives during the quarantine phase. And that involves their daughter quite often.

A few weeks ago, Kunal and his daughter Inaaya were seen peeling peas in an image. "It's just a 'matar' of time...#lockdown...#stayhome..#twopeasinapod," Soha had captioned the picture.

 

 

 

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Somewhere between painting singing dancing and doing online classes with the toddler I learnt that dancing when you don’t want to impress and when no one is watching is not just therapeutic but also looks pretty cool😎 no look no choreography no plan. Just let the music guide your body and mind #barefoot #impromptudance

A post shared by Kunal Kemmu (@khemster2) onMay 7, 2020 at 10:41pm PDT

Kunal has also stayed connected with his colleagues virtually. On Wednesday, he was part of a virtual reunion with his "Malang" costars Anil Kapoor, Disha Patani, and Aditya Roy Kapur.

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Last year was indeed owned by Hrithik Roshan for his remarkable performances in War and Super 30. All good actors are capable of externalizing emotion and they have an innate charisma to bring their characters to life on the celluloid. Hrithik is the rare star who seeps into the skin of the character and makes it his most powerful asset.

It is because of this trait of delivering exemplary work, that Hrithik's fandom is multiplying amongst the film fraternity. Actress Tammanna Bhatia who has always been in awe of Hrithik, recently shared she was moved and inspired by his phenomenal acting in Super 30. She said, "I am a huge Hrithik fan for anyone who doesn't know. If I do a film,I'll probably be standing there and just be in awe. I love all the kind of work he has done. Even recently, Super 30 was a film that I really liked and I was like completely surprised to see him do a character like this and he did it so beautifully. So I really really loved Super 30. Apart from the fact that his dance skills and everything that we have already seen, this was such a pleasant surprise, such a get away from everything he has done."

The portrayal of the character of Anand Kumar not only earned rave reviews and critical appreciation but also won Hrithik many best actor awards. Hrithik's acting chops need no superlatives as we have seen him deliver many incredible performances before and with Super 30, he does the same.

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Divyanka Tripathi has amassed a huge fan following for herself over the last few years and fans look forward to her work. She made her debut on the OTT platform with Rajeev Khandelwal in Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala. Her claim to fame was the massively successful show, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein with Karan Patel that recently went off air after running on television for over six years.

Fans are now hoping to see the two actors on the screen again as their chemistry was immensely loved. However, there's some heartbreaking news. She said to Pinkvilla, "As of now, I haven't signed for anything else. There was one project with Karan which I think is not happening anymore. I am sorry guys. I know a lot of people were waiting for his project of ours. I am not sure, there might a technical reason but I think it is my responsibility to inform people that it may not happen."

And given the response that Cold Lassi received, will there be a season 2 and will the story continue? She spoke, "Coming to Cold Lassi, its next season is supposed to come this year but I think it will be pushed further. But, I am waiting for a really good project. I won't shy away from saying that I am waiting for some challenging character to come my way. I am itching to do something different."

Fans! Hope that you all get to see the chemistry between Karan and Divyanka soon!

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Sexual harassment at workplaces and in Bollywood has unfortunately been rampant for years. There are multiple names that have come out and shared their horrific and shocking stories. And the recent one is Divyanka Tripathi, who recalled an incident when a guy at a cinema hall touched her in an insolent manner.

Talking to SpotBoyE, she recollected what exactly unfolded on that fateful day and how she reacted. She said, "It happened in one of the theatres, these were the days when tickets were sold in Black at single screens. So, there should be a lot of rush. I had gone to watch a film and was in the cue to buy tickets. There was this guy who was taking advantage of the crowd and touching me inappropriately."

She added, "I lost my cool, held his hand, and of course, after that I slapped him hard and in no time public was all over him." There's a lot of stigmas attached to speaking openly about one's bitter experiences and especially when you're an actor. The fear of being judged looms large and that unfortunately and incorrectly keeps them away from speaking up. But now, given the power of social media, actors and actresses have become fearless and ferocious. They now know how to give it back!

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The popular sitcom Office Office is back on television, and actress Asawari Joshi, who played the role of Usha ji in the show, went down memory lane recalling how her co-stars would play pranks on her on the set, and added how she learnt many things from her veteran co-star Pankaj Kapur.

Kapur plays a retired schoolmaster named Mussaddi Lal Tripathi, and the evergreen show narrates his struggles to get work done in corrupt offices in a satirical manner.

"The most mischievous one on the set was Sanjay Mishra, who was the master of quick comebacks. He played pranks on me every day. I was always the prime target of all pranks, and one day everyone decided to play a prank on me while we were in the middle of a reading session.

"They made me scream in the middle of the session by making me think that a mouse was under my chair!" she recalled.

Asawari also shared that she was called "production ka eklauta damaad" (the sole son-in-law of the production guys) on the sets.

"Being the only woman in the cast, all the men used to pull my leg and called me 'production ka eklauta damaad', because I had all the perks -- such as an individual room and a personal stylist -- like a pampered son-in-law. While Sanjay, Manoj (Pahwa) and Hemant (Pandey) were the notorious gang who played pranks on me, they also became really good friends. Deven (Bhojani) was fairly quiet on the set and very sincere towards his work. I feel we all learned the most from Pankaj ji, and during the entire journey of 'Office Office', I witnessed his immense dedication towards work," she reminisced.

The show is currently re-running on Sony SAB. The decision to bring back the show came in the wake of the good response that the re-telecast of several old popular TV shows among new-age audiences has seen during the coronavirus lockdown.

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Prince Narula and Yuvika Chaudhary are setting couple goals, and no one can deny that! The duo is simply smitten by each other, and can't get enough of it. As the country is under lockdown, many celebrities have been sharing encouraging videos of them spending time at home and finding multiple ways to keep themselves occupied, away from boredom.

Prince Narula too shared a video of him being a fun husband during the time of lockdown. But his prank didn't turn out as he planned! The Roadies judge was trying hard to make his wife laugh with a lighthearted game. As the video proceeds, it seems like Yuvika didn't like the prank, at all! Take a look.

In fact, when the Ex-Bigg Boss contestant shared the video, he wrote, "Prank video having fun with my wife @yuvikachaudhary. Video k baad mera kya haal hua dakheye is video main [sic]"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Prince Yuvika Narula (@princenarula) onApr 15, 2020 at 5:29am PDT

OMG! Nobody saw this coming, did you? Well, Prince Narula, don't trouble your wife, especially during the lockdown time.

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On Monday, JD Majethia, chairman of the TV wing of the Indian Film and TV Producers' Council (IFTPC), stated that he intends to approach the government to seek permission to resume shoots of television shows with small crews from May 4. The move has sent the daily-wage workers of the television industry into a tizzy as they have been relentlessly calling the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) to enquire whether they can report to work post-May 3.

BN Tiwari, president, FWICE, says, "[With his statement], JD Majethia has sent a wrong message to the daily wagers who now feel that producers are willing to work, but the FWICE is imposing unnecessary restrictions. That is not the case. Maharashtra is at high risk, and we are only concerned about our workers' safety. We have issued a letter to Majethia, asking him not to make such statements."

BN Tiwari

On March 15, various cine bodies had unanimously decided to suspend all shoots in the wake of the pandemic. "Similarly, the decision to resume work will have to be collectively taken by IFTDA, FWICE, Producers' Guild, and other associations," insists Tiwari.

Majethia was keen to propose the resumption of shoots as it would bring relief to the daily wagers. However, Tiwari points out that the associations are standing by those in need. "The industry — including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Rohit Shetty and Yash Raj Films — has come together to help the workers. Even if the lockdown is lifted on May 3, we may not begin work until May 25. In case the stay-at-home orders are extended to June, we will continue to take care of our workers."

When mid-day reached out to Majethia, he agreed that the recommencement of shoots will be "a collective decision of the industry" with the approval of the government. "It is not as if we have already taken a call. We will start shooting only when it is safe for everyone, but we must start planning for it in advance."

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Actor Rajeev Khandelwal will make his theatre debut in the play "Court Martial". He says essaying a character on stage is supremely challenging and it provides the ultimate validation for any actor.

"I think essaying a character on stage for theatre is supremely challenging and provides the ultimate validation for any actor. I have always envied actors who can entertain audience on stage. It was as good as one of the things in my 'to do list'," Rajeev said.

Zee Theatre's teleplay "Court Martial" follows the unusual trial of a junior ranked army man convicted of murdering his senior officer. Rajeev plays the role of Bikash Roy, an extremely sharp defence lawyer who goes deep into the shocking truth behind the assault.

Talking about the play, the actor said: "'Court Martial' demanded an intensity that required me to work on myself and prep for the role. It is an intense and gripping play with a fabulously taut storytelling technique. This play is regarded as a classic in the world of theatre."

Written by Swadesh Deepak, the play also stars Govind Pandey, Bhagwan Tiwari, Saksham Dayma and Swapnil Kotiwar.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Actress Hina Khan shared a stunning post-workout photograph of herself and said she feels the prettiest when she sweats. Hina took to Instagram, where she shared a picture of herself flaunting her post workout glow. She is seen dressed in a white-and-grey exercise gear.

"I feel Prettiest when I Sweat... #WorkOutWithHinaKhan#WorkOutInStyle," she captioned the image, which has over 303K likes. Amid lockdown, Hina took to sketching to show the present situation of the country. She shared a sketch resembling a map of India, tied with a lock and chain.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

I feel Prettiest when I Sweat 💧 #WorkOutWithHinaKhan #WorkOutInStyle 👍

A post shared by HK (@realhinakhan) onApr 23, 2020 at 7:47am PDT

On the acting front, the actress, was last seen onscreen in Vikram Bhatt's "Hacked". The film explored the dark side of the digital and the social media world. It also features actors Rohan Shah, Mohit Malhotra and Sid Makkar.

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On Saturday, actress Hina Khan took to Instagram to share a few pictures from her first Roza (fast) during the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramzaan.

Praying for all those who have tested COVID-19 positive, Hina wrote: "Ramadan Kareem Let's make Dua Let's pray for Infected, let's pray for Protection and Healing #FirstRoza #Positivity #WeShallGetThruThis."

 

 

 

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Ramadan Kareem Let’s make Dua 🤲 Let’s pray for Infected, let’s pray for Protection and Healing 🙏 #FirstRoza #Positivity #WeShallGetThruThis

A post shared by HK (@realhinakhan) onApr 24, 2020 at 5:13pm PDT

Dressed in yellow suit with duppata tied around her head, Hina strikes a peaceful picture while praying.

A while back, Hina took to sketching to show the present situation of the country. She shared a sketch resembling a map of India, tied with a lock and chain.

On the acting front, the actress was last seen in Vikram Bhatt's "Hacked".

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

A few weeks ago, reports about Karan Kundra and Anushka Dandekar's break up began surfacing on social media and fans were worried. One of the most loved couples of Tinsel Town was suddenly no longer together? Well, the good news is they are very much together and their Instagram video is proof. They both shared the same video on their respective accounts to silence all the speculations.

It was a video that was all about virtual dating and was truly edited crisply and fantastically. Anusha wrote- "Ok so it's been over 6 weeks of lockdown. Karan and I are virtual dating! Obviously I worked out some amazing ways to keep the love alive! @bumble_india also has an amazing Video Chat feature so you guys can connect with your Bumble matches while staying home. Why don't you give these tips a go? Also don't forget to tell us how it went! Remember you can still find the love of your life or reunite with yours soon, this will help keep it special." (sic)

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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Ok so it’s been over 6 weeks of lockdown😅💔 soooo Karan and I are virtual dating! Obviously I worked out some amazing ways to keep the love alive! 💯 @bumble_india also has an amazing Video Chat feature so you guys can connect with your Bumble matches while staying home. Why don’t you give these tips a go? Also don’t forget to tell us how it went! 😘❤ Remember you can still find the love of your life or reunite with yours soon, this will help keep it special. 💛💛💛 @kkundrra @bumble_india

A post shared by Anusha Dandekar (@vjanusha) onMay 3, 2020 at 6:01am PDT

Now here's hoping all those people who were mourning their break-up cheer up and we hope they continue sharing such charming videos on social media to keep all of us happy!

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Shehnaaz Gill, ever since she entered the Bigg Boss 13 house last year, has become a household name and everyone seems to be fond of her. And immediately after the staggering success of the aforementioned reality show, she participated in another reality show, Mujhse Shaadi Karoge. The show attracted a lot of attention but she regrets doing it. Why? You may ask! She spilled the beans to Times of India.

Speaking about the show, she said, "While Bigg Boss was my dream, my heart wasn't in Mujhse Shaadi Karoge. After a point, I was irritated about guys coming on the show to appease and impress me. I regret taking up that show." And then talking about her equation with Sidharth Shukla, she said he was a friend. "He is a friend. I get to learn a lot from him and he is protective of me."

Sidharth and Shehnaaz became extremely popular in the Bigg Boss house and their fans have even combined their names to SidNaaz, you all must be aware of it. Now it would be great to see the two of them in a Bollywood film and it could be a money-spinner, given their massive fan-following.

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Television actress Sambhavna Seth, who became a household name after Bigg Boss 2, was rushed to the hospital on May 4 for being unwell. The news was announced by her husband Avinash Dwivedi from the actress' Instagram account.

He wrote- "Hi Guys, Yesterday night we had to rush to the hospital as Sambhavna is unwell. We came back at 5 am in the morning..And now taking her to the hospital again..So there will be no vlog today. Regards Avinash Dwivedi." (sic)

Have a look at the post right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sambhavna Seth (@sambhavnasethofficial) onMay 4, 2020 at 11:16pm PDT

Moments after the post, comments from friends and colleagues from the television industry started pouring in that expressed concern and worry for the actress and her health. One of the first ones to comment was actor and singer Lizaa Malik, who wrote- "What happened" (sic) Next in line was Bollywood actress Meghna Naidu, who also wrote- "What happened?" (sic) Sonali Raut had this to say- "Ohhho...get well soon darling...godbless" (sic)

There were a lot more comments that followed! Kamya Panjabi also expressed her worry and commented- "Get well soon darling! Avinash hope nothing serious!" (sic) Anara Gupta wrote- "What happened to her ... vo thik hain ...???? Pls update about her" (sic). And Pakkhi Hegde commented- "???????? M worried" (sic)

More details about her health are awaited! Given the support of the industry people and the wishes that have been pouring in, we are assured she's going to be fit and fine, hale and hearty!

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For all those who have seen the reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi 10, they all might know who Tejasswi Prakash is. She has one of the most interesting Instagram accounts as she keeps sharing some fantastic pictures on her account and she knows how to flirt with the camera and ooze oomph in all her pictures. Check them out if you haven't!

And now, in a recent interview with SpotBoyE, she talked about her photoshoots, her cheeks, and how they have been a boon but also a bane. Yes! Speaking about them, she said, "I look very young because of my cheeks. But they have troubled me a lot too. Because when we shoot for daily soaps the maximum shots are close ones as they focus on expressions more. So whenever they zoom in too much anyway camera adds in about 10 pounds of weight it adds lot."

She added, "Even if I am thin, due to my face it looks very chubby and you won't believe there are times when people came to me and said that eat less because you're looking fat on the screen. And I'm like how can I be thinner than this?"

She was also asked about her process of taking care of her skin and her body, to which she said, "I don't do much for my skin like other celebrities, who follow a skin routine. Somehow when I am at home now and not stepping out at all, there is actually a good change in my skin. It's feeling healthy. I think right diet and drinking lot of water helps."

If you have been following her Instagram account, don't you feel she actually has perfect skin and a perfect body?

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We've all heard of Bollywood celebrities using the unlimited free time during the coronavirus lockdown to work out and stay fit. But it's not just celebrities who have been keeping fit! In a post shared by Karan Wahi on Instagram, he shared how proud he is of his mum, Veena, who, at the age of 62, lost 18 kg in four months. Amazing, isn't it?

Wahi shared a before and after picture of his mother and wrote, "So proud of my MOM @wahi.veena
Thank you for listening to me and taking care of yourself before u took care of the world. My Mom is 62 and a hypothyroid. But I am glad I inspired her to do this for her. 18 kgs in 4 months..."

 

 

 

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So proud of my MOM @wahi.veena Thank you for listening to me and taking care of yourself before u took care of the world. My Mom is 62 and a hypothyroid But Iam glad I inspired her to do this for her 18 kgs in 4 months Lockdown ke bawajoood my MUMMA is the strongest... Thank you @tahirakochar for making this happen .. Age is just a number ,hence proved... INSPIRE People NOt Influence... #iloveyou Mom

A post shared by Karan Wahi ðŸÂÂ’ÂÂœ (@karanwahi) onMay 5, 2020 at 6:31am PDT

Along with the photos, Karan Wahi also shared a video of himself talking about his mother's fitness journey. The actor also gave a shout-out to his mum's lifestyle coach who helped her achieve her goal.

Well, we sure are inspired by Karan's mother's weight loss and fitness journey!

On the work front, Karan Wahi can be seen in the role of a DJ, who also doubles up as a police informer, in the web series, Hundred.

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Actress Nisha Rawal has slammed people who belly-shamed her by asking if she is pregnant.

Nisha, who is married to Karan Mehra of "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai", took to Instagram and wrote: "This picture was clicked yesterday & ‘No! I ain't pregnant' & ‘Yes! I have a belly'. Belly shame is one of the many kinds of shaming we have in our stigmatised society! I have always had a tummy. It would become smaller or bigger depending on my fitness regime but would never go away! I was always ashamed of it and that made me do things that would either injure me by beating myself up in the gym doing crunches until my muscles went into a cramp or would do the opposite with my hog-sprees!"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Nisha Rawal (@missnisharawal) onMay 7, 2020 at 5:53am PDT

She added: "After we got married, all eyes were even more on my tummy! And now they had the audacity of transforming into questions, at the red carpet, in the lift, in interviews, coffee shops: ‘Are u pregnant?' While I was like, ‘Am I supposed to be or am I even supposed to answer that question or should I work more on my belly, and towards the end of it, that shame would make me indulge more, making it a vicious cycle!"

Nisha believes in being fit over fat.

"See that's what shaming does, it just makes the victim do more of what he is shamed about.We all have shamed someone, knowingly or unknowingly because our culture conditions us to believe it's normal to ask anyone,
‘Hey why all the weight?'
‘Don't u eat anything?'
‘You must be dieting too much',
and on goes the list!

And after we have babies, except for a rare, few women, our bellies are never the same! They sag and have stretch marks! We won't wear a bikini, won't have sex with lights on and would suddenly become so conscious of the bodies we have lived in all our lives!It's not easy to accept this new found body post birth.But let's atleast hold each other's hands and try! Let's uplift each other," she urged.

Karan and Nisha have a boy named Kavish who was born in 2017.

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The Philippines' Senate on November 28 approved its version of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill, which is expected to exempt 6.8 million workers from paying income taxes.

Legislation to bring down the Philippines' corporate income tax rate and overhaul the country's fiscal incentives has been tabled in the House of Representatives.

On February 19 the Philippines Senate adopted three resolutions ratifying agreements for the avoidance of double taxation with Mexico, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

Corporate tax reform in the Philippines has moved a step closer with the introduction of House Bill No. 7458 into the country's parliament.

Representational image

London: Most people prefer to have sex with partners of the same age range, and that includes men too, says a study that challenges the common assumption that men - regardless of their age -- remain interested only in young women.

Men become interested in older women as they themselves age, said the study.

The finding, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, suggests that when it comes to sexual partners, the difference between men and women with respect to their age preferences, is smaller than earlier believed.

While earlier research had indicated that even older men prefer young women, the new study by Jan Antfolk at Abo Akademi University in Turku, Finland suggests that this is only partly true.

The study was conducted in Finland and included 878 adult men and 1,789 adult women.

"Over the investigated age span, women reported a narrower age range than men and women tended to prefer slightly older men," the study found.

"We also show that men's age range widens as they get older: While they continue to consider sex with young women, men also consider sex with women their own age or older," said the study.

The research concluded that contrary to earlier suggestions, men's sexual activity thus reflects also their own age range, and their potential interest in younger women is not likely converted into sexual activity.

Most sexual activity occurs between partners of approximately the same age, the study said.

Additionally, the research showed that homosexual and bisexual men and women differ very little from their heterosexual counterparts.

The only exception from this is that homosexual men are somewhat more likely than bisexual and heterosexual men to have sex with partners younger than themselves.

Representational picture

Weekly sexual activity - Key to healthy relationship: A recent study conducted in Canada has found that couples are at their happiest when they hop into bed just once a week.

It is based on surveys of more than 30,000 people collected over four decades, is the first to find that association is not there after couples report having sex more than once a week on average.

These findings were specific to people in romantic relationships and in fact, there was no association between sexual frequency and wellbeing for single people and do not necessarily mean that couples should engage in more or less sex to reach the weekly average, but partners should discuss whether their sexual needs are being met.

Frequent action between the sheets leads to positivity: The more often couples have sex, the more strongly they associate their partners with positive attributes, a study conducted by an American university has found.

In the study, 216 newlyweds completed survey-style measures of relationship satisfaction. Estimates of sexual frequency were correlated with participants' automatic attitudes about their partners. That is, the more often couples had sex, the more strongly they associated their partners with positive attributes.

Sex gets passionate after childbirth: Resuming sex with your partner after childbirth may be a matter of two months on an average but when passion does return to the bedroom again, it comes with a new vigour, enabling couples to enjoy the act of lovemaking more, new research suggests.

A study of 1,118 couples with children showed that 94 percent said they were satisfied with their sex lives and nearly 60 percent said that it actually got better after childbirth. The research, however, showed that men are more keen to have sex after the wait than women. While fathers want sex twice a week on average, mothers remain content with sex just once a week.

Sex twice an hour can skyrocket male fertility! Having sex twice in an hour can make men three times more fertile, a new study done at a London hospital suggests.

The researchers found that when a man provided a second sperm sample within an hour, the success rate for an infertility treatment called intrauterine insemination (IUI) shot up to an incredible 20 percent. The typical success rate for IUI is six percent. Scientists believe the finding could also help couples trying to conceive naturally.

In the study, when doctors used the second sperm sample provided by men within an hour, 15 of the women involved in the IUI study became pregnant immediately. Ten of the other women became pregnant the second time they tried insemination using the second sperm sample provided by the male within an hour.

Sex really can make you happy: According to fascinating research by Canadian researchers, the action between the sheets once a week is enough to reignite and keep the passion and love alive between the two souls.

Although more frequent sex is associated with greater happiness, this link was no longer significant at a frequency of more than once a week, the team revealed. Sex may be more strongly associated with happiness than is money. The team came to this conclusion after an online survey with 335 people (138 men, 197 women) who were in long-term relationships.

Frequent sex can flush out kidney stones: Suffering from kidney stones? Well, stop gulping down beer after beer or other drinks to pass it out and prepare yourself for better action between the sheets tonight. According to a significant research from a reputed hospital and medical centre in Ankara, Turkey, having sex at least three to four times a week can help ease the spontaneous passage of kidney stones.

To reach this conclusion, the team split 75 participants into three groups. The first group was asked to have sex at least three to four times per week. The second group was administered tamsulosin (a drug commonly used to improve urination in men with enlarged prostate) and a third group received the standard medical treatment for kidney stones. Two weeks later, the researchers found that 26 of the 31 participants from the sex group were able to pass their kidney stones. Meanwhile, only 10 of the 21 participants from the tamsulosin group and eight of the 23 participants from the standard medical treatment group successfully passed their stones.

Indian urologists have however expressed their doubts at the findings. While they agree that probably the release of a key compound that is an integral part of sex and heart health can help pass small stones, they cannot yet tell their patients to go have sex to get rid of kidney stones.

Representational picture

Women rule the dating game in India: A nationwide research undertaken by a dating app recently has revealed that a whopping 46 percent of women respondents said they are happy to take the lead in planning a date, while the corresponding number for men stood at 62 percent.

The research also suggests that even as gender roles are interchanging; more than 53 percent of the female respondents were willing to choose a fulfilling relationship over a career. Also, 48 percent women said they prefer brains over brawn, while 52 percent men prefer success over good looks. About 47 percent men and 48 percent women respondents said they are open to sharing their Facebook password with their partners.

India's youths seeking love online: Thanks to an increasing range of dating apps, majority of Indian youths are looking for love online, revealed a recent study conducted in Delhi. Experts say that the mammoth surge in the user base of these apps is being fuelled by youth's "changing narrative, thinking and preferences".

Did you watch the match yesterday? When it comes to first dates, individuals who meet each other through a match-making process in India discuss a lot of sports after the conversations on family, a survey has revealed.

The survey found that 21 percent Indian men talk about sports during their first date with a prospective match after family, which still dominates the conversation. As per the study, 14 percent of women love to talk about sports during their first meeting. The surveyors also found that for women, family still comes the first with 70 percent of them talking about it on their first meeting, only 44 percent men discuss the topic.

Indian men want women to pop the question: Traditionally, it's the guys who pop the question to take a relationship forward but an increasing number of Indian men now prefer if women make the first move, according to a recent survey conducted by a popular matrimonial website. 6,500 single Indian men in the age group of 25 to 36 across the country were studied as part of the survey.

As many as 71.7 percent respondents shared that they would like it if a woman proposed to them instead. As many as 63.8 percent of the men surveyed were of the opinion that the country's modern day women are confident enough to make the first move towards a relationship, while 36.2 percent of them said that it's hard for them to believe that a woman can make the first move because tradition has always seen men do so.

Illustration/Uday Mohite

I am looking for a sapiosexual guy." That's the line, which ran below the photograph of a gorgeous woman, on writer Jaidev Hemmady's Tinder page. Chancing upon it a few months ago, Hemmady had two options - either swipe left or right. He chose the latter. Why? "I had never heard the word before. It immediately aroused my curiosity," the 35-year-old recalls. Thinking of it now, Hemmady tells us it was probably his most foolish decision ever. "When we did begin to converse, I asked her what she meant by sapiosexual," he says. She said it was "fascination for intellectual men". "So, would she choose an average-looking man with the IQ of a rocket scientist?" To his surprise, the girl typed in a 'NO'. "He has to be both, handsome and smart," she insisted.

One possible reason for this artifice in vocabulary could be the nature of online dating. Here, as everywhere else, first impressions matter. Only last week, IllicitEncounters.com, UK's leading dating website for married people, released a survey after analysing four lakh profiles, where it threw a few words of caution when describing oneself on dating apps. While words like 'confident' and 'honest' earned a good score, 'shy' and 'happy' were major put-offs. With technical details playing a key role, relationship coaches are now being roped in to add finesse to people's dating profiles. When we enquired, most coaches claimed that 50 per cent of their clients were currently investing in online image building. The rules may differ for each, but if you want to be a smooth player in the swipe game, here's what you could do.

Ritesh Uttamchandani

Treat profile pic with kindness
Some time ago, freelance photographer Ritesh Uttamchandani was asked if he was interested in clicking profile shots for dating apps. "Some of the photos you see on these apps are horrendous, boring and repetitive," he rues. Uttamchandani, who joined a few dating apps out of sheer curiosity, says that because of the nature of his job, it wasn't hard for him to see through the sham behind the lens. According to him, there are four kinds of set images common to most profiles - the side profile, the exotic destination shot, the selfie and one that flashes a facial asset. Of the four, he advises avoiding the selfies. "Pout selfies are the worst."

If Uttamchandani is thinking aesthetics, London-based Dr Siva, who is a physician and relationship expert and runs drsivacoaching.com, says that the profile picture also reflects how serious you are about the dating game. "Larger women should not be ashamed of their body type. Men like women who are comfortable in their own skin," claims Dr Siva.

Mumbai-based Shiva, the head coach of Real Man Academy, which runs dating and seduction workshops, advises following the ABS rule. A implies having pictures that show you lead an 'active' lifestyle. B means portraying a 'bold' body language. (Example: no crossed legs). S is showing off your 'social' circle. "If there are women in your photograph, it's good, because it shows they are comfortable with you."

Nidhi Sharma

Be quirky with your bio
"Be original when describing oneself," says Nidhi Sharma (47), personal branding coach at Bon Impressions in Mumbai. "Never put up an inspirational quote in your bio. It would be stupid to believe that someone is going to date the person who scripted that quote," she says. Instead, she suggests writing something that reflects your attitude towards life. Elizabeth Sullivan, a dating coach, who runs Lovementor.com in London, advises using positive language to describe oneself. "Add some humour.

But, don't force it because people can see through it." Hemmady says, "I prefer women who don't shy away from talking about their food adventures."

Dr Siva

After you've been swiped right
According to Nidhi, a lot of men come across as being very forceful and persistent, once they've got a right-swipe from someone they have taken a liking to. "Begin with a 'hello, how are you?' even if that means sounding a tad bit formal. Let the rapport develop before getting personal," she suggests.

Also, when your 'prospective date' messages, do not respond immediately, says Shiva. "It shows you have lots of free time. At a subtle level it communicates that she/he is the only person who is texting you."

Being online all the time can also be a turn-off. "That shows you don't have much going on in your life. Especially on weekends, be completely offline. As the saying goes, fake it till you make it," Shiva says. Online dating is just a tiny window to your world. "It's a practising tool, until that door really opens," Sullivan says.

Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Meera Chopra has revealed that her father was robbed at knifepoint at Police Colony in New Delhi. Her father was out for an evening walk when the incident took place.

Sharing the details on her Twitter, Meera wrote, “My dad was taking a walk in #policecolony. 2 guys came in a scooter, showed knife and snatched his phone. This is how safe you claim Delhi to be.” She tagged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Police in her tweet.

@DelhiPolice my dad was taking a walk in #policecolony. 2 guys came in a scooter, showed knife and snatched his phone. This is how safe you claim delhi to be. @ArvindKejriwal @CPDelhi

— meera chopra (@MeerraChopra) May 5, 2020

"Fir no: NWD-MT-000568 at prince road near pcr police line, model town. Can send you the contact number in direct msg or some email," she wrote in her follow up tweet.

Fir no: NWD-MT-000568 at prince road near pcr police line, model town. Can send you the contact number in direct msg or some email. https://t.co/KFmH0vTtFo

— meera chopra (@MeerraChopra) May 5, 2020

She further thanked the cops for their swift action. “Thanks @DcpNorthDelhi for such a quick action. Makes me proud when we feel protected by our police department. It's never abt what has been snatched but protecting our elders is most important! Respect @DelhiPolice," she wrote.

Thanks @DcpNorthDelhi for such a quick action. Makes me proud when we feel protected by our police department. Its never abt what has been snatched but protecting our elders is most important! Respect @DelhiPolice https://t.co/KFmH0vTtFo

— meera chopra (@MeerraChopra) May 5, 2020

Meera Chopra was last seen in Section 375 alongside Akshaye Khanna and Richa Chadha.

ALSO READ: Bigg Boss 13: Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Meera Chopra calls out Sidharth Shukla for making derogatory remarks about Asim Riaz’s father

On Monday, the Bombay High Court directed Eros International Media Ltd to pay Rs 19.39 lakh to filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bhansali Production within three weeks. This move comes after Bhansali had approached the court to restrain Eros International from exploiting rights over actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh starrer Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela.

Bhansali had sought urgent reliefs to restrain Eros International from selling, exploiting, distributing , licensing and renewing rights over the film. Bhansali Productions had challenged an intimation filed by Eros International with Bombay Stock Exchange of an all-share merger with its parent company Eros International Plc and Hollywood's STX Filmworks.

Bhansali's Production house claimed that the merger was based on incorrect and misleading disclosure and that STX Filmworks or other companies cannot claim any rights in the film.

Meanwhile, the advocates representing Eros International said that the film Ram Leela was specifically mentioned in annual returns published for the fiscal ending March 31, 2019 and therefore there was no urgency to grant interim reliefs to the Bhansali Productions.

While the court has directed Eros International to pay Bhansali production the dues, it also said that the Production will have the liberty to approach it for relief against the merger after regular court resumes post lockdown.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Eros India said “The Bombay High Court has adjourned the case in our favour. Eros always sticks to best corporate governance and business practices and had already given the cheque in advance as per our agreement. We will take appropriate legal action against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s production for this mala fide and unfounded action, which has also been duly noted by the court”.

Parineeti Chopra has stepped forward to do more during the coronavirus crisis that is raging in our country. The sensitive actress has decided to go on a virtual coffee date with people to raise funds that will feed 4000 family members of 1000 daily wage earners of our country!

Millions of poor labourers are struggling to access food and rations during the COVID lockdown, and are unable to keep themselves and their families safe. Parineeti has come on board to help raise funds for GiveIndia’s Mission: Ration Kit that aims at delivering food to those most affected by the crisis.

Pari’s campaign will see ration kits containing dal, rice, aata, salt, masala, tea, sugar, oil etc, to be able to sustain a family of 4 people. These kits will be distributed to families in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. The A.T.E. Chandra Foundation has also joined hands in this cause and will be adding 25% of the total donation value collected as a matching amount, thereby multiplying the impact!

Parineeti, who is doing this in association with Arjun Kapoor’s sister Anshula’s breakthrough charity initiative Fankind, says, “There are millions of unemployed daily wage earners who are struggling to make two ends meet today due to the coronavirus crisis in our country. During the COVID19 national lockdown, they are unable to earn and that is putting them at high risk! Fankind, GiveIndia and I have come together to try and help them and their families by providing them ration kits.”

One just needs to log on to fankind.org/Parineeti and donate to be eligible for this virtual date which will aid GiveIndia to reach out to the ones who need our immediate help. The contest will be open for donation for a week, starting 6th May.

Pari adds, “No one should go to sleep hungry, so let’s do our bit to make a difference and take care of our fellow brothers and sisters of India. This fund raiser is uniquely crafted for me to meet you virtually and have a cup of coffee! This is how I will be saying thank you to 5 lucky winners through a video chat. I am looking forward to chatting with you and getting to know more about you over a piping cup of coffee. Let's join hands and donate for those who are in need.”

With the increasing cases of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the lockdown till May 17. The lockdown first commenced on March 25 for a 21 day period. But had to be extended owing to the increasing cases.

However, the lockdown has badly hit the economy of the country with several people going out of a job. One industry that has completely shut down is the entertainment industry. The cinema halls were the first one to shut down in the country. Speaking to a tabloid about resuming Bollywood movies shoots, Ashok Dubey, the General Secretary of Federation of Western Indian Cine employees said that they spoke to CINTAA recently and are making guidelines on how they can proceed with shootings. Ashok Dubey said that nothing has been finalised. He said that Mumbai is a red zone and so they cannot think of shooting right now. Dubey also spoke to Sidharth Roy Kapur who said that they will have a conference call with Indian Motion Picture Producers (IMPPA), Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) and Western India Film Producers' Association on how to deal with the situation and go ahead.

A few days back, the Producers guild had shared a document that lists precautions to be taken while shooting including proper sanitation, use of masks, etc. Dubey said that the guidelines are correct but how are they to shoot when there are spot boys and workers who travel from their home and back and how they are supposed to test everyone daily when the reports take time to come.

He also questioned about reducing the number of people on the sets. He questioned how the people left out will manage their livelihood and how to assure them a salary. Dubey said that there are several factors to be considered before proceeding with the shoot.

Ashok Dubey said that the TV producer body is in a hurry to start shooting bit is not possible. He said that it will be like digging its own grave if it does something like this. He further said that social distancing is not possible on the sets and lightmen cannot work 12 hours with a PPR kit. Dubey said that there is a difference in giving suggestions and actually implementing it.

Dubey said that the Government has not released any guidelines for the film industry to start shooting. Producers' Guild has just said that these precautions are to be taken while shooting; they haven't said to start shooting and take these precautions.

ALSO READ: Actors to do makeup at home, doctors to be on set and more new safety measures set up by Cine bodies

StarPlus, the country’s leading general entertainment channel StarPlus is entertaining viewers with the legendary show – Ramayan. Written, produced and directed by Ramanand Sagar, Ramayan, first aired in 1987 and acquired a cult status over the years. The show boasts of a talented ensemble comprising of Arun Govil as Lord Rama, Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala as Goddess Sita and Sunil Lahri as Lakshman. It also starred veteran actors Lalita Pawar as Manthara, Arvind Trivedi as Ravana and Dara Singh as Hanuman. Not many people are aware that the show’s maker Ramanand Sagar was destined to make this mythological saga into a classic rendition for television.

There is an interesting story that has been shared by Ramanand Sagar’s son Prem Sagar in the book that he has written on his father’s life - An Epic Life: Ramanand Sagar: From Barsaat to Ramayan. In 1942, when Ramanand was 25 years old a Kashmiri mystic, Pandit Nityanandji had predicted that Ramayan would be retold by Ramanand Sagar. In 1976, noted film producer, Mr Mohla, on observing Ramanand’s astrological chart, had said that Ramanand Sagar would cause a spiritual awakening globally through the medium of cinema. Going forward, Ramanand Sagar ensured that this vision turned into reality and the rest is history!

Ramayan created waves across the world with its soulful narrative. The divine tale of how good triumphs over evil gladdened hearts of every viewer. Streets would be deserted on Sunday mornings as people stayed glued to their television sets as Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan described the tale of Lord Ram in vivid detail.

ALSO READ: Ramayan’s Sita denies asking for Padma Award from government

Rakul Preet Singh started off with the south industry and is now one of the coveted actresses of Bollywood. She started off as a sportsperson and has played golf at a state level, but soon changed industries and her mother was the driving force for the career change. Her mother, Rini Singh revealed that she was the one that prepared her for Miss India and encouraged her to audition. Whenever Rakul would question her how things will work out, Rini moulded her.

Even when Rakul expressed that she will be required to wear a bikini, her mother said that she will prepare for it. Rakul reveals that her parents were more comfortable with the idea of her wearing a bikini more than she was. Whenever they went shopping, her father would ask her to buy vibrant coloured bikinis rather than the dull ones. It was Rakul's mother that wanted her to be a part of the industry because she was aware that Rakul could do it.

Rakul also spoke about how her mom changed jobs to take care of her brother and her whenever her father was transferred. She definitely gives all the credit to her parents for being super supportive with her career. She will next be seen in Attack with John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandes and has already started shooting for her untitled next with Arjun Kapoor.

Also Read: Rakul Preet Singh says Alia Bhatt is the best actress we have today

Rishi Kapoor bid adieu to the world on April 30 after battling for two years with cancer. However, we will get to see him on the big screen for one last time with Sharmaji Namkeen. 

Honey Trehan, co-producer of the film while speaking to a tabloid revealed that they will release the film in the theatres. He said that they owe it to Rishi Kapoor and said he is grateful to Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar for investing in the film monetarily and emotionally. 

The film had gone on floors in December. Sharmaji Namkeen revolves around a sexagenarian who discovers the joy of life after retirement. Honey said that he had shot a major portion of the film in January in Delhi and had a four-day schedule pending. The crew was supposed to shoot in Mumbai in march but their plans went for a toss owing to the pandemic. 

Rishi Kapoor had crucial scenes in the final schedule. However, with the sudden demise of the lead actor, the unit have to complete the film in his absence. Trehan said that they will be using advanced technology, an amalgamation of VFX and some special technique to finish the film without compromising on the quality. 

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Jonas remembers Rishi Kapoor as she pens a piece for Time magazine

In 2014 Irrfan Khan opted out of the Ridley Scott sci-fi spectacle The Martian which later released to raves. Ridley Scott is the director of such futuristic classic blockbusters as Alien and Blade Runner. Irrfan had told me, “Yes, I was offered The Martian. The director Ridley Scott and I met. I had a memorable conversation with him. What an inspiring man and talent. He is so many things at the same time and yet he told me he had seen my Lunchbox. I asked him how he could find the time to see films after being a producer, director and so many other things. He said films like Lunchbox were his bedtime stories. Can you believe it?”

Speaking of the role that was offered to him Irrfan had said, “It was that of a NASA scientist. While Matt Damon was in outer space my character was very much on earth. But meri baatein hawa mein ho rahi tthi (but I was talking in the air).” This was not the first time Irrfan was offered a role by Ridey Scott. “He had earlier offered me part in film with Russell Crowe which too I couldn’t do due to time constraints. Maybe I’ll be third time lucky.”

Alas, that was not to be. So why did Irrfan say no to Ridley Scott? “For Piku,” came the prompt reply. “I had committed my dates to Shoojit Sircar’s film, and no regrets about that. Piku is an important film in my career. For the first time I was seen in an overt romantic role. Not that I haven’t played romantic roles. I have, in Maqbool and The Lunchbox. But in these films I didn’t get a chance to romance my heroine with poetry and banter. Shoojit is a good filmmaker, and I’d love to work with him again. But more importantly, he is a wonderful human being.”

Irrfan has no regrets about losing out on The Martian. Weirdly the part that was offered to him, of an Indian character named Vincent Kapoor was played by an African American actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Also Read: American Indian actor Kal Penn on sharing screen space with Irrfan Khan in The Namesake

07/02/2020

As many as 918 COVID-19 cases and 34 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases to 8,447 in the country, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, while asserting that the government is "extra prepared" if there is an exponential rise in the number of coronavirus patients.

Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry's Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said the government is expanding the COVID-19 testing capacity in state-run as well as private medical colleges. "The total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 8,447. A total of 918 new cases and 34 deaths have been reported since Saturday. The good news is that 716 people have recovered and have been discharged so far. Seventy-four people have been cured since Saturday. The government is extra prepared if the number of cases rises exponentially," he said.

"We are working on an urgent basis to expand the capacity for COVID-19 testing in government and private medical colleges across the country. Fourteen mentor institutes, including the AIIMS and NIMHANS, have been identified to mentor the medical colleges and expand the coronavirus testing capacity," Agarwal added.

According to ICMR officials, a total of 1,86,906 samples have so far been tested across the country, of which 7,953 have been found positive for COVID-19. "In the last five days, on an average, 15,747 samples were tested per day and 584 of those were found to be positive per day," an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) official said at the press briefing. Responding to a question about development of vaccines, he said, "There are 40 plus candidate vaccines that are under development but none of them has reached the next stage."

Relief distribution pictures banned

District magistrate, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary has banned circulation of photos and videos showing distribution of relief on social media sites.

'Bengal not fighting a communal virus'

The Centre and the West Bengal government on Saturday pressed a confrontationist button over the Union Home Ministry writing to the state chief secretary and the director general of police seeking action against the 'dilution' of lockdown measures in the state, and over permission for religious gatherings given by the state cops. Hitting back, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hinted that the Centre had a communal stand and said her government was now busy fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and not any "communal virus".

AP govt introduces apps for food delivery

The Arunachal Pradesh government has introduced various Apps including 'U Tell Us' and 'Dukan Dada' to ensure essentials reach at the doorsteps of the people, officials said on Sunday. Besides the AP government, other state governments of the northeastern region have taken some fresh measures to maintain supply of essentials for effective enforcement of the lockdown.

No food, woman throws kids in river

In a shocking incident on Sunday, a woman threw her five children into the Ganga river in Jeghangirabad in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi district. As soon as the police were informed, senior officers reached the spot and divers were pressed into service to locate the kids. The woman has been arrested. Sources, meanwhile, said that the woman had earlier said that she and her children were not getting food in the lockdown.

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