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  • Zain Imam to star in Ayaana Khan's next song

    This is the third song that Ayaana will release and her second, featuring TV actor Zain Imam. With a promise to keep the audiences entertained with her melodious voice, singer Ayaana Khan is set to launch a new music video ‘Puri Bottle Ve’ in collaboration with Zee Music. The video will feature TV actor Zain Imam, who also featured in the singer's debut song ‘Promise’. The song will be out on 29 January. Kunwar Juneja has peened its lyrics and Ramji Gulati has directed it. The music video has been shot in Armenia that is home to some of the most bewitching landscapes in the world. Ayaana called her the opportunity of working with Zain an honour. She said, “Having the opportunity to work with Imam again is a joy and an honour for me. He is an extremely humble and supportive co-star. His humility and supportiveness have been a pleasure to work with. We immensely enjoyed and had fun while the shoot of this music video. A future project with him is on my wishlist." Ayaana debut song surpassed a whooping two million views. Her previous song ‘Ajib Dastan’ that featured Bhavin Bhanushali crossed over one million views. Ajit Bapu Satam has produced the song.

  • Gehraiyaan trailer out now

    Amazon Prime launched the trailer of the much-awaited film, Gehraiyaan. The film looks promising as it explores the grey areas of modern relationships. Here’s what the trailer has in store for you. Bollywood has had a long history of making love stories but rarely have filmmakers explored relationships involving infidelity, choices and consequences. After Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehna, Dharma Productions has once again attempted to showcase grey areas of modern relationships in Gehraiyaan. The film, which stars Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Dhairya Karwa in lead roles, is a contemporary take on modern relationships. It showcases how real, honest and intense relationships can get today. The trailer reveals the story about cousin sisters Alisha and Tia (Deepika Padukone and Ananya Panday, respectively) whose relationship turns hostile after Alisha falls in love with the latter’s fiancé Zain (Siddhant Chaturvedi). However, Karan Johar, the producer of the film, points out that there is much more to the film than its trailer. Speaking at the virtual press conference, Karan said, “Gehraiyaan is about the power of love, lust and longing by the millennials and Gen-Z. It highlights their reactions to these emotions and the choices they make. The trailer only gives a glimpse on the complex, twisted and vulnerable characters that our film has but there is more to what you see in it.” Speaking about her role in the film, Deepika Padukone said that she found her character to be a challenging one. “You have never seen me play a character like this. India’s never seen a film like this. The character needed me to be completely raw and vulnerable which is not something that I have played before. Intimacy is not easy but the way that we have explored in this film has not been attempted in the Indian cinema before,” she said. Siddhant Chaturvedi also explained his role to be a different one. “I am relatively new to the film industry so I am open to different genres. When I heard about Zain’s role, I thought that it is a different role. I found it so layered and nuanced,” he said. Shakun Batra has directed the film. It will stream on Amazon Prime Video from February 11, 2022.

  • Challenging epilepsy to wheel a change

    Vinay Jani had epilepsy at 21 but it did not deter his spirits. In fact, he channelised his energy in the right direction and became limitless. Due to his sheer grit and determination, he has completed five half marathons, a full marathon and several Brevets – 200 kms, 300 kms, 600 kms and one 1000 kms. In July 2005, 21-year-old Vinay Jani had a seizure while driving down and due to which, he had an accident. After a few days, he faced a series of seizures. His family consulted a neurologist who recommended him to undergo a few scans. It was in an MRI scan that Vinay recalls the neurologist noticed a small cyst on the left emporia region of the brain. Vinay was diagnosed with epilepsy and was suggested to get the tumour removed. But his family consulted another doctor, who suggested that that the cyst could be treated through medicines. Vinay was put on medicines for epilepsy. “I initially started taking Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines. Later, I switched to allopathic medicines from 2008-2011,” he shares. In 2008, his complex partial seizure gradually became a generalised seizure. He gained weight as he stopped doing any physical activities and was forced to stay at home due to his condition. He also consulted another doctor to understand the complexity of the situation. “The doctor told me that the medicines he was prescribing me were not as per my body weight. Now, it was up to me whether I wanted to loose weight or increase my dosage as per my dedicated body weight. I was 135 kgs then. I chose the former and started going to the gym with my friends,” he says. Vinay started doing cardio sessions. Understanding his condition, he informed his friends to keep an eye on him while I was working out to avoid any accidents. Vinay was able to recover from epilepsy and for six years, between 2008 to 2013, he went seizure-free. His medication stopped and had also started driving. However, in 2014, seizures knocked his door again. This time, Vinay consulted another neurologist. In November 2015, Vinay pushed the envelope and started doing endurance cycling with his friends. He initially rode for 30 kms and later upgraded to 50 kms, 70 kms and 100 kms. To train himself, he joined a local gym and asked the gym trainer, who also happens to be an endurance cycler to train him in indoor cycling. The trainer then randomly asked Vinay if he would be interested in cycling outdoors. Initially, Vinay hesitated but upon the trainer's support and confidence in helping him, he agreed. In May 2016, Vinay did his first Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux. Eventually, he has also completed five half marathons, a full marathon and multiple 200 kms, 300 kms, 600 kms ones, one 1000 kms. So did seizure stopped while he trained to become an endurance cyclist? Vinay specifies that medicines helped in suppressing their reoccurrence. “Seizures happen. But whenever I go for a ride, I carry an SOS medicine and give the same to my friend, just in case something happens to me. I always tell my friends that if a seizure happens, let it happen. We will resume riding after the seizure has happened,” he clarifies. He even attempted Paris-Brest-Paris Brevet which he regrets not completing due to an injury. He has also embarked upon his latest ride, a 1000 km Brevet that began from Gurugam to Kundli. "This time I am riding to create awareness about epilepsy and to motivate other persons with epilepsy to believe in my philosophy -- there are no limits," he says. Vinay’s self-belief, determination and grit has helped him challenge epilepsy. He also advises other epilepsy warriors to not let their condition deter their spirits. “I always tell people, ‘I had epilepsy but epilepsy could not have me’. That should be every epilepsy patients’ mantra”.

  • This actress is 'Diamond of India'

    The Mayor of Maharashtra Kishori Pednekar called actress Urvashi Rautela the 'Diamond of India' and appreciated her for her works. Urvashi Rautela might not have received the Miss Universe crown in 2015 but she surely managed to turn heads in 2021. After receiving kudos at the recently-concluded Miss Universe 2021, the actress became one of the panelist at the Dada Saheb International Awards 2022. Urvashi was one of the youngest panelists at the event. However, that did not stop her from receiving applauds. The Mayor of Maharashtra Kishori Pednekar appreciated and congratulated her for creating history and making India proud. The actress shared an adorable video on her social media account. The Mayor thanked Urvashi's parents for giving her great sanskars. He also called her the 'Diamond of India'. For the event Urvashi looked stunning as always which had made our heartthrob as the actress wore a dark purple shimmer saree paired along with a sleeveless velvet blouse, flaunting her toned body made the actress look very enchanting, she went for minimal makeup along with winged eyeliner and nude lip shade along with her tresses tied up in a ponytail with long earrings and bracelet adding the perfect accessorised look to it. With a perfect round hand clutch adding ultimate shine to her entire look, definitely we can say that Urvashi looked no less than a goddess in this ensemble. Urvashi Rautela will be soon seen in the Jio studios web series 'Inspector Avinash' opposite Randeep Hooda in a lead role. The actress will also play the lead role in a bilingual thriller 'Black Rose' along with the Hindi remake of 'Thiruttu Payale 2'. Besides this, she will make her debut in Tamil film industry with the 200 crores big-budget film 'The Legend', where she will be seen opposite Saravana. The actress has also signed a three-film contract with Jio Studios and T-Series.

  • What makes 'Wordle' go viral

    Wordle is a grid puzzle that allows players to guess five letter words in six chances. When Josh Wardle thought of gifting something for his puzzle-loving partner Palak Shah, he decided to create a game for her. He named it ‘Wordle’, a word game that can be only played once in a day. However, never in his wildest dreams, he imagined that his exclusive gift would become a viral trend on the internet. Wordle has got the attention from people across the world. According to The Guardian, 300,000 players have played the game till the beginning of January 2022. Wordle isn’t like any other game that is played on an app. It isn’t like PubG and Candy Crush that took the world by storm as it neither involves candies nor warfare. Wordle, as the name suggests, is made from the words: 'word' and 'puzzle'. The game allows players to guess five letter words in six chances. Each time a player adds a word in a grid and hits ‘Enter’, the alphabets appear in green, yellow or grey colour (as shown above). These colours mean different. The alphabet(s) in green highlight the right letter in the right position while the ones in yellow highlight the right letter in the wrong position. Grey denotes the wrong alphabet. These colours enable players to guess the correct words. The puzzle for a day remains same for everyone. Wordle v/s other games This isn’t the first time that a word-based game has been introduced on the internet. There are several app-based games have gained popularity in the past. But never has any game appeared where people brag about their scores on the internet. Wordle has managed to achieve that feat. It’s the love for guessing words and expanding your vocabulary that makes it a popular game. People also consider it as a great mental exercise that does not involve any numbers. The fact that it is available free of cost, and does not accompany any complicated rule book and a sign-in process, makes it a success. The game is not available on Google Play and Apple Store. This grid puzzle can only be played on its website.

  • Don’t mock meat, enjoy it!

    Ever imagined eating a chicken tikka or a mutton curry in vegetarian avatars. This eatery in Gurgaon has introduced a spread of chicken and mutton dishes with vegetarian ingredients. When Rajiv Wadhwa dreamt of opening his restaurant, he wanted to offer dishes that were not attempted before. Though he introduced a spread of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, the pandemic taught him an important lesson. He realised that more than the flavour, people were looking healthy and plant-based alternatives in their food. “Vegetarianism was becoming increasingly popular at that time,” he says. Keeping the market trends in mind, he thought of introducing mocks meats that are made from plant-based ingredients. For his venture, he replaced chicken and mutton with soya. His eatery, Soya Moya Chaap, specialises in serving dishes made from soya. The dishes under this category have the same taste as that of a mutton and chicken preparation. Soya has always been used a perfect replacement for chicken. Its soft and chewy texture brings it closest to any meat. In India, people refrain from eating meat, due to health-related reasons and their religious or cultural beliefs. Understanding this, chefs at Soya Moya Chaap replicate the flavours and textures of chicken and meat in dishes categorised under the mock meat category. “Typically, a dish is prepared in the same manner as a chicken or a mutton-based dish is prepared. Our chefs even use the same spices in marination in both the cases. The only difference is that a vegetarian chicken and mutton dish is made from soya. There is no change in the ingredients or spices that are used in the marination of soya or chicken. If we use mayonnaise, we opt for vegetarian mayonnaise,” he says. After the marination, soya pieces are roasted in a tandoor. Sometimes, to enhance the taste of curries, distinct spices are added to soya-based meats. This is one of the reasons that mock meats not only draw interest from vegetarians but also meat eaters, who are curious to understand their flavours and preparation. For instance, the flavour and texture of chicken achari tikka is replicated in soya achari tikka and that of chicken/mutton curry is replicated in soya-based chicken and mutton curry, which tastes just like a chicken/mutton. “Since we use the same spices in a tandoori preparation, the chicken-like taste comes from the marination. However, in a soya-based chicken and mutton curry, we add a few additional spices to replicate the flavour of chicken in soya-based dishes and enhance its taste, making them flavourful,” he clarifies. Soya Moya Chaap has more than 25 dishes under its mock meat category. It also serves other non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. However, in the kitchen, chefs ensure refrain from using the same vessels for a vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparation. They follow protocols while preparing the vegetarian version of a chicken or mutton. Rajiv explains that separate counters are used for making meat and mock meats so that preparation is devoid of the use of eggs and meat. With so much variation, the brand also wants to introduce fish using plant-based ingredients. However, chefs are still exploring the perfect ingredient that can replicate the texture and flavours of fish in the vegetarian format. “In North India, people like relishing Amritsari fish. However, we want to have vegetarian fish dishes in Bengali and south Indian flavours. Since we have not mastered in these dishes, we are not serving them. But we are looking for ingredients that can replicate the flavour of fish in a vegetarian option,” he shares. While Rajiv's team decides the new addition in the mock meat category, do try the ones already available in the eatery's mock meat. Let us know if you could find their mock meat any different from the real chicken or mutton.

  • Blind cyclist pedals for road safety

    The last time he rode his cycle, onlookers greeted him. Some even asked for a selfie. And why not? How often do we see a blind cyclist on roads? Meet Ajay Lalwani who did not let his vision deter his spirits to pedal a 7500-km-long journey across India. Ajay Lalwani was born with a vision impairment. He was introduced to cycling when he was nine-years-old. "My brothers held the cycle’s handle and gave me directions to help me pedal forward," he recalls. His friends and onlookers felt that he would not be able to scale miles due to his condition. Some even suggested him to ride a tandem cycle as it has the provision for a blind person to sit at the back of the rider and pedal. But he never wanted to use a cycle that did not give him handling rights. Nothing deterred Ajay's dream of becoming a cyclist. In fact, this 25-year-old cyclist has recently completed a 45-day and 7,500km-long-journey from Mumbai to Kashmir and thereon to Kanyakumari on his cycle, spreading awareness on road safety and the need for adequate lighting on Indian roads. “People still ask me how do you manage to ride despite being visually impaired. I tell them, there is nothing impossible. I want to achieve everything that people think is impossible for a blind person to achieve,” he says. This is not the first time that he has undertaken a long journey. He in fact, has several such accomplishments in his kitty. In 2019, he took a 4000 kms-ride from Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Nasik and Mumbai-Vaasi. He has also set two world records in blind cycling from Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai and Dadar-Gondia-Dadar. However, unlike his previous expeditions, this one was special for him as it eased him financially. “I got a sponsorship from Signify (previously Philips Lighting). The company provided me and my team with vehicles as well as walkie talkies. They took care of our accommodation, food, (cycling) kit and water back-up, among other things. Had I not received the sponsorship, I had to apply a loan for making travel and logistics arrangements,” he shares. Ajay works as a telephone operator at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. His limited income does not come to his rescue. He has a team of people who also accompany him on rides and their costs also fall on him. Ajay's team includes 16 volunteers and two cars, besides other necessities, to help him navigate. “Cars carry my luggage and help manoeuvre traffic. One car precedes my cycle and the other, follows it so that I can travel safely, avoiding any mishaps,” he explains. His team of volunteers become his eyes while traveling. “I always need two volunteers who sit on the trunk of the car preceding my cycle with a walkie talkie in their hands. They give me directions on the road. I follow navigation based on their instructions through the walkie talkie pinned on the string of my backpack. We talk back and clarify doubts, if any. They instruct me on red lights, directions and speed breakers, as well as monitor my speed to avoid an accident,” he shares. Driving on highways isn't easy. Ajay blindly follows their instructions in literal sense. That is why he chooses his team of volunteers carefully and with utmost seriousness through a rigorous training process. Ajay points that they are tested several times before being taken on the final journey. “They are challenged through mock rides and practice sessions. I test them for their sense of direction, vigilance and clarity with which they give instructions. Those who pass these hurdles accompany me on the final ride,” he says. Besides cycling, Ajay is a lover of other sports and fitness activities. He has represented India in judo at the international level and swimming at the national level. He also led Maharashtra in kabaddi at the national level. In his spare time, he enjoys gymming, mallakhamb and yoga to keep himself in shape. Having achieved so much, it’s hard to imagine what’s next is in his kitty? But just like his rides, he has a plan carved out in his mind. “I want to climb Mount Everest and I have already begun my practice. I want to become the first visually-impaired person to climb Everest,” he shares. With such grit, dedication and determination, it seems that he might reach for stars someday.

  • Indian artists create world record at AstaGuru’s auction

    The artworks by N S Bendre, M V Dhurandhar and Krishen Khanna generated the total sale value of more than INR 93 crores, setting a world record. Four Indian artists created a world record at the recently concluded AstaGuru’s Modern Indian Art Online Auction. The line-up included 41 iconic modern Indian masterpieces. Among these works were Tyeb Mehta’s two paintings, namely, ‘Figure With Bird’ and ‘Diagonal’ series, that made a huge impression. While ‘Figure With Bird’, executed in 1987 in the artist’s signature style, was realised at the value of INR ₹ 24,27,24,824 (US$ 3,324,997), the famous ‘Diagonal’ series was acquired at INR15,93,52,869 (US$ 2,182,915). Other masterpieces that set a world record were works of N S Bendre, M V Dhurandhar and Krishen Khanna. These garnered the total sale value of INR 93,18,78,408 (US$ 12,765,436). N S Bendre, Untitled, circa 1980, achieved a world record price. It was sold for INR 6,66,63,372 (US$ 913,197). An untitled vintage work by revered old master M V Dhurandhar generated the highest sale value ever achieved at an auction for the artist with INR 5,90,59,517 (US$ 809,034). This resplendent work, dates back to 1921, depicted a congregation of Hindu deities amidst alluring landscape. Krishen Khanna’s 10-feet-long untitled work was sold at a world record price of INR 3,84,78,138 (US$ 527,097). The painting from the year 1980 was executed in the artist’s signature style colour palette composed of reds, maroons and browns. Besides these paintings, an untitled artwork of eminent modernist Jehangir Sabavala was also auctioned and acquired at an impressive value of INR 9,36,61,442 (US$ 1,283,033). This 1974 piece was executed during a period when the artist was focused on creating art with a subdued colour palette, predominantly featuring tones of grey, brown and green. The auction also included several important works from different stages of legendary modernist M F Husain’s career. Untitled (BhagavadGita) depicts an important chapter towards the end of Hindu epic ‘Mahabharata’. The 1994 work was executed in a minimalist style with only three colours, the canvas shows Bhishma Pitamah on the bed of arrows. It was acquired at a value of INR 5,69,25,000 (US$ 779,794). A beautiful landscape work created by F N Souza was executed during his years in the UK. Reminiscent of Victorian style architecture, the painting titled ‘Manor House’ from the year 1957 was acquired for INR 4,54,60,305 (US$ 622,743). Rameshwar Broota’s ‘Man,’ was acquired at INR 1,87,85,250 (US$ 257,332). The stellar collection also showcased Avant-Garde works by more distinguished Indian modernists including Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil, Sailoz Mookherjea, Ramkinkar Baij, Jogen Chowdhury, S H Raza, Ram Kumar, K H Ara, H A Gade, Prabhakar Barwe, B Prabha, Ganesh Pyne, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Satish Gujral, Himmat Shah, Anjolie Ela Menon, Manu Parekh, and Thota Vaikuntam. Speaking about the results, Sunny Chandiramani, Vice President – Client Relations, AstaGuru Auction House said, “With milestone creations by modern Indian artists, the auction featured several works which made their auction debut. The overwhelming response underscores the continued demand for works by the modernists that are new to the auction market and have great provenance. Moreover, three world records including a hundred-year-old painting by M V Dhurandhar absolutely affirms our commitment to bring the best that Indian modernism has to offer.”

  • Debunking myths on epilepsy

    There are 65 million people in the world who are battling epilepsy and of them, 15 million are in India. Despite these increasing numbers, people do not talk about epilepsy. We spoke to Dr P Sarat Chandra, Founder, Ekatwam, and Professor of Neurology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences who debunked myths surrounding this neurological disorder. Myth: Most people think that epilepsy surgery cannot be successful. Epilepsy surgery can be successfully done across India. I have seen the most satisfying results following the surgery. There was a child who came to us in 2002 who used to have 200-300 seizures a day. When he was admitted to the hospital, he was put on the ventilator. We did a surgery where one half of his brain was completely disconnected. When the child revisited us in 2015, he was fully integrated in the society as an adult. These are the kind of results that epilepsy treatments – be it medical or surgical – can produce. We have handled ~70–80 such cases. Myth: Many parents fear that their child will not lead a normal life. I have seen several cases where if a daughter has epilepsy, parents hesitate telling their relatives about her condition. Whereas, in the case of a son, the relatives accompany the child to a hospital for the treatment. Many parents secretly ask if they can get a surgery done on their daughter. They also fear if her in-laws or husband will come to know about the surgery, if they get it done, and will they accept her in the society. However, the truth is that epilepsy patients can lead a normal life. They can be treated and amalgamated completely into the society. Myth: Epilepsy patients cannot succeed in life. If this was truth then we would not have seen Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Charles Dickens, Tony Greig, Theodore Roosevelt, Michelangelo, Prince, Beethoven and Lil Wayne become successful. I feel if they could do it then others can too.

  • Films to watch out for in 2022

    Check out the names, release date, budget and genre of list of films that will release in 2022. Pippa Logline: Pippa is an action-packed war film with a celebrated army tank at the crux of the film based on war veteran Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta of the 45th Cavalry tank squadron who, along with his siblings, fought on the eastern front during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. It was this war that led to the liberation of our neighbour Bangladesh. Genre: War-drama Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Soni Razdan, Mrunal Thakur & Priyanshu Painyuli Directed by: Raja Krishna Menon Produced by: RSVP (Ronnie Screwvala) and Roy Kapur Films (Siddharth Roy Kapur) Release date: 9th December 2022 Tera Kya Hoga Lovely Logline: Tera Kya Hoga Lovely is a rib-tickling comedy that grapples with India’s unrelenting obsession with fair skin. Set in the backdrop of Haryana, the film chronicles the story of a dusky girl tamed by prejudices and biases held by the Indian society against dark skin. Genre: Comedy Cast: Ileana D'Cruz and Randeep Hooda Directed by: Balwinder Singh Janjua Produced by: Sony Pictures Films India Release: TBA Khuda Haafiz Chapter II Agni Pariksha Logline: Sameer and Nargis have undergone a traumatic incident and overcoming its repercussion and the societal pressure hinged to it unfolds into an intense action love story. Genre: Action-drama Cast: Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi Directed by: Faruk Kabir Produced by: Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak (Panorama Studios) Release date: TBA Vikrant Rona Logline: Vikrant Rona is a pan-India film that chronicles the bravado of the world's new hero, who sets off on an exciting adventure. Genre: Action-adventure Cast: Kichcha Sudeepa, Nirup Bhandari, Jacqueline Fernandez and Neetha Ashok Directed by: Anup Bhandari Produced by: Jack Manjunath and Shalini Manjunath Release date: 24th February 2022 Project K Logline: NA Genre: NA Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Prabhas Directed by: Nag Ashwin Produced by: Vyjayanthi Movies Release date: TBA Mission Majnu Logline: Set in the 1970s, Mission Majnu is the story of Rajat Goel, a RAW agent, who leads India's covert operation on Pakistani soil. Genre: Espionage thriller Cast: Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmik Mandanna Directed by: Shantanu Bagchi Produced by: RSVP Movies; Guilty By Association Media LLP Release date: 13th May 2022 Woh Ladki Hain Kahaan? Logline: A laugh riot ensues as a feisty cop and a brat run into each other and the repercussion result in a fun rollercoaster ride. Genre: Comedy-drama Cast: Taapsee Pannu and Pratik Gandhi Directed by: Arshad Syed Produced by: Junglee Pictures and Roy Kapur Films Release date: TBA GOBAR! Logline: Based on real events, GOBAR! follows the story of an animal-loving veterinary doctor who gets to know about a corruption web being carried out at his hospital and decides to stand up against it. Genre: Comedy Cast: TBA Directed by: Sabal Shekhawat Produced by: Roy Kapur Films and Ajay Devgn Ffilms Release date: TBA Music School Logline: Music School is about two teachers, Mary D’Cruz and Manoj (played by Shriya and Sharman respectively) who introduce the rich culture and refinement of music and theatre to students who have been conditioned to accept an unimaginative education system. Genre: Musical Cast: Sharman Joshi, Shriya Saran, Shaan and Prakash Raj Directed by: Papa Rao Biyyala Produced by: Yamini Films Release date: TBA

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