Mumbai: Actress Radhika Madan seen at Bandra, in Mumbai on March 10, 2020. (Photo: IANS)
Mumbai: Actress Radhika Madan seen at Bandra, in Mumbai on March 10, 2020. (Photo: IANS)
Actress Radhika Madan says she drew inspiration to join films from superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Radhika was a well-known face in the television industry before she won plaudits with her film roles. She was seen in the television show “Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi” and also participaite din the reality dance contest, “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 8”. In 2018, she made her Bollywood debut with Vishal Bhardwaj’s “Pataakha”, and there has been no looking back.
“I was quite well known in TV, but I had to start from scratch while starting my journey in Bollywood. It was not that I got roles immediately. I had to give several auditions. I had to start from the very beginning. I even heard a lot of negative comments about myself. But those remarks did not stop me from moving ahead. I believed in my dreams,” Radhika tol.
Mumbai: Actress Radhika Madan at the red carpet of Jio MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival in Mumbai on Oct 17, 2019. (Photo: IANS)
“I used to say to myself, ‘If Shah Rukh (Khan) sir or Vidya (Balan) ma’m or Sushant (Singh Rajput) could do it, I can too. Their journeys inspired me a lot. They all came from television background. I feel the medium does not matter. What truly matters is hard work,” Radhika shared.
She recalled working on her debut film “Pataakha”, saying: “It was not a typical Bollywood debut. The film let go off my inhibitions. From getting my hair bleached and teeth stained to gaining 12 kilos, the movie taught me the real meaning of my craft and made me realise how important it is to put the character above yourself. It was a dream debut. Working with Vishal sir was always on my wish list. (I) Couldn’t have asked for more,” Radhika added about her debut film, which also features Sanya Malhotra and Vijay Raaz.
With demand for Indian animated content growing among global audiences, especially with children who are a significant consumer group for animations like cartoon shows, a home-grown animation brand Cosmos Maya, the creator of popular children’s show ‘Motu Patlu’, shares that it is an exciting time to be in the animation business. Anish Mehta, the CEO of Cosmos Maya interacts with Siddhi Jain.
The animation studio and Arbaaz Khan Productions have recently come together to adapt the blockbuster franchise ‘Dabangg’ into an animated series. This news comes right in line with the tenth anniversary celebration of the film franchise that introduced the character of Chulbul ‘Robin Hood’ Pandey for the first time in 2010. The show will feature animated avatars of all of the franchise’s characters. Targeted at kids and family audiences, Season 1 will be launching in summer 2021.
Anish Mehta, the CEO of Cosmos Maya – whose content is airing or streaming in over 150 countries on major OTT or TV platforms in 18 languages, speaks about Indian animation and how promising its future is, globally. Excerpts:
Tell us about the making of some of your most popular IPs.
Our idea behind most of our content output is to ensure familiarity with novelty. Implementing insights, we derive from everyday familial and social life that are relevant for kids in a package that adapts to changing sensibilities and requirements of our young audience. For example, naughtiness and clumsy behaviour is something which many kids expect to be reprimanded for and is often the subject of most kids’ animation, so ‘Motu Patlu’, showing on Nick and Voot Kids, subverted the trope by providing a set of adults indulging in such behaviour instead.
New Delhi: Popular cartoon characters Motu Patlu on a visit to IANS ahead of the TV premiere of the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards (KCA), to be aired on January 6; in New Delhi on Jan 3, 2019. (Photo: Amlan Paliwal/IANS)
‘Selfie with Bajrangi’ streaming on Disney TV and Disney+ Hotstar takes the fantastical power of invisibility and shape-shifting and provides the lead character a friend in Bajrangi, a junior version of a revered god who is known for such powers. We largely credit our business spread and market share of over 60 percent to this core philosophy. We are always looking out for arenas where we can be first innovators, such as the Dabangg animated series coming out on Disney+ Hotstar soon, which will be one of our first projects and a step for the Indian animation business towards working with established Bollywood IPs and provide them a creative and lucrative extension.
How exciting is it to be in the animation business right now? How has it picked up over the years?
Our company is in the remarkable position where we have only witnessed but been a significant catalyst to the growth of the animation and post-production industry in India. We have seen the transition of this market from a solely outsourcing-based service provider sub to and IP-rich industry. Additionally, more and more media outlets and business entities have come to realise that this medium helps them accomplish greater storytelling and advertising potential, as it works perfectly for the zaniest of narratives and visual mandates.
Animation is simply fun, being one of the first visual interfaces a child has for the world, and it is a sector that has proved resilient in the face of global calamities, which reflects in the performance of the industry despite an entire locational shift in the workspace of people involved. The projected growth of the sector is expected to reach almost $26 billion in FY21, and we strive to make the most of it.
Children are huge consumers of animated content. How do you create content around them?
We have a think tank comprising of people from the creative, business, sales and executive departments and concept artists, who come together to discuss and derive actionable insights from everyday life and how kids are adapting with the times. How life reflects in their worldview and behaviour, and what kind of ideals their parents as the content moderators want to inculcate in them. Our show ‘Titoo’ on Pogo takes the story of an everyday boy akin to ‘Dennis the Menace’, and delivering it in a tone and language relevant to kids today in a slice-of-life narrative. ‘Bapu’ and ‘Gadget Guru Ganesha’ take a similar setup as ‘Selfie with Bajrangi’ to provide known and respected figures as best friends/role models to the lead characters and helping them navigate through, discussing relevant topics such as social responsibility in a non-pedagogical manner.
Please tell us about animation as an art form.
Two things render animation its artistic status – that it adapts to nearly every creative requirement that a content creator may have of its narrative, and that it’s limited only by their imagination. Animation lends itself to the most randomly imaginative narratives and visual detail and nearly every genre of storytelling in a manner that is adaptive, conducive and cost-effective.
Anish Mehta, the CEO of Cosmos Maya
What’s the global appeal of Indian animated content as of now? Animation is mostly thought of as Japanese or Korean.
Our show ‘Eena Meena Deeka’ can be called to the stand to answer this. A non-dialogue show about three chickens and their battle of wits with a hungry fox, is one of our best performing shows in over 80 countries, and is one of the most highly viewed shows in Europe and Latin America. ‘Vir: The Robot Boy’ has nearly 11 billion views globally on our YouTube multi-channel brand WowKidz. From long-format to short-format content, Indian animation is catering to audiences across the world and is steadily creating its own niche. If the demand for Indian animation is going anywhere, it’s up.
Some new trends you may be observing in the industry or consumer group?
Thanks to the near simultaneous growth of video-sharing websites, OTT streaming and e-commerce, the issue of piracy is very nearly taken off, with financial losses on that front reducing significantly. Moreover the Indian industry is moving fast to make a foothold in the licencing and merchandising market which is the largest profit driver for the global animation industry. Cosmos-Maya is taking active steps in that direction as well, with advertising-funded modules being discussed with brands. Animation is being explored in detail as an effective communication touch point for business consumers.
World Tourism Day: Jaipur, Goa, Kochi to be most popular leisure destinations.
World Tourism Day: Jaipur, Goa, Kochi to be most popular leisure destinations.
Air travel taking a backseat, combined with the opening up of many state borders to welcome tourists once again has led to the rise in demand for domestic leisure destinations, as a getaway from city life…reports Asian Lite News.
According to a data-backed predictive analysis, OYO predicts ‘India’s Next Destinations’ that brings to light the country’s upcoming leisure destinations for travellers. Here are the top destinations set to power the country’s tourism industry back on track.
Jaipur, followed by Goa and Kochi are set to become India’s top leisure destinations in October, November and December 2020
World Tourism Day: Jaipur, Goa, Kochi to be most popular leisure destinations.
What’s hot for the coming long weekend: With October 2 long weekend on the horizon, the report reveals that travellers are opting for staycations across India’s beach destinations – with Goa topping the list, followed by the seaside resort town of Digha in West Bengal. Travellers are also opting for Jaipur, Pondicherry, Agra, Tirupati, among others.
Rise in pilgrimages: Interestingly, the report reveals that Indians will turn to faith during these tough times. The trend forecasts an upswing in demand for the alluring, holy cities of India, including Varanasi, Shirdi and Haridwar.
Road trips are here to stay: The data predicts that most leisure destinations to rule the roost in the latter half of the year are within a driving distance from mainstream cities, such as Jaipur and Udaipur for Delhiites, Goa and Shirdi for Mumbaikars, Mysore for Bangaloreans, among others.
Given the reality around Covid-19, leisure travel took a backseat to business or essential travel in the past couple of months, leaving little room for recovery of predominantly tourist destinations. However, on the brighter side, with each unlocking phase and the reopening of states, there’s a positive upswing for consumers aspiring to travel in the next three months. As per OYO’s consumer use cases, 56percent of consumers will be travelling for leisure while 43 percent would travel for business.
World Tourism Day: Jaipur, Goa, Kochi to be most popular leisure destinations.
When asked about their next travel destination, most respondents opted for Kerala, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. Amongst these, 45 percent of leisure travelers would prefer hill stations like Shimla, Mussoorie while the remaining 55 percent of leisure travelers would prefer non-hill station destinations like Goa, Agra, and Jaipur.
The data further highlights that 56 per cent of consumers would travel via private vehicles to nearby locations, with family or friends, preferably between the duration of 1-3 days.
Winning the Emirates Lotto has not changed the lifestyle of this 45-year-old UAE resident and electrical engineer from India. Not only that, he is also involved in a search to find people who need help in this difficult times.
Joshy Isaac from India was lucky enough to claim AED 500,000 when he and another winner shared AED 1,000,000 in an Emirates Loto draw on 13 June 2020, and since that time he has mostly helped others in need.
“To be honest since winning the Emirates Loto draw, my lifestyle hasn’t changed that much but I have helped people who need the money more than I do”, said Joshy. “My family in India have benefited from my good fortune too, but I also helped a friend by paying for some urgent medical expenses as he could not afford it.”
During his search for good causes to help, Joshy found a family in need and paid for the construction of their home: “Rather than donating to local charities I thought I would help a family in need to build a house. Security and financial stability should never be taken for granted, especially during times like these.”
Having lived in the UAE for 15 years and a father of three, Joshy has decided to keep doing the same job he did prior to winning Emirates Loto. “The UAE has been very good to me, and I have so much appreciation for Emirates Loto and what it stands for. I am so thankful to be able to have helped others with my winnings; I don’t feel hard times are over just yet.”
Joshy recently postponed a planned vacation due to the continued rise of COVID-19 cases in his home country, and like many others, has not seen anyone there for more than one year. He continued: “International travel has now become quite a complicated luxury, but I have faith that one day, we will look back on these times having emerged stronger as a global community. One has to crawl through the shadows, then stand in the sun.”
Emirates Loto is set to re-launch soon and continues to work behind the scenes ahead of its first draw. Emirates Loto will also continue to support communities across the UAE and beyond through philanthropic and CSR initiatives that are aligned with its corporate mission and values.
His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council
Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, has congratulated the stakeholders for the scintillating start and organisational success of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League, IPL, in the UAE.
Organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in cooperation with the Emirates Cricket Board and other government entities, the much-anticipated 2020 edition of the star-studded Twenty20 Indian cricket league kicked-off on 19th September in the UAE, with no fans but lots of sizzling action and sensational finishes, especially in Dubai where two of the five matches until now have finished in the Super Over, which is the cricketing equivalent of a penalty shootout.
Sheikh Mansoor said, “The UAE has always welcomed the world with open arms and, thanks to our visionary leadership, we have available all the ingredients needed for the success of any event taking place on our soil, whether it is a sports event, economic or any other.
“The hospitality of the people of UAE is renowned across the world, and we are always keen to support and cooperate with everyone who seeks our assistance.”
He added, “Choosing UAE to host this major tournament at this particular time has great significance and is indicative of the world’s trust and confidence in UAE’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Players and officials from around the world are here for the IPL, and they are here because they feel safe and secure in the UAE.
Concluding his statement, Sheikh Mansoor said, “We are keen to continue hosting local and international sporting events in accordance with the precautionary measures and protocols in place, and we have succeeded, in cooperation with Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management and other relevant authorities, in organising and hosting various local and international sports events since reopening Dubai’s sports sector.”
The IPL is one of the most-watched cricketing events in the world, with top players from around the globe taking part.
The brand value of the 2019 IPL was estimated to be US$6.7 billion, according to New York-based financial consultancy firm Duff & Phelps, and it had a viewership of more than 462 million.
This edition will see a total of 60 matches being played in the UAE over 56 days, with the final on 10th November at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai Sports City. Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium are the other hosts for the tournament.
Kids have many dreams. Maths has always been my favourite subject; hence it was more of a hobby and I dreamt of doing something big in Maths. Chess is another such hobby cum dream. I have travelled places for playing chess tournaments and won loads of trophies. I love playing and watching cricket. Going out cycling with family and friends is what I cherish a lot too.
My name, Neev, means foundation. I believe, to do something better and big (in Maths), your foundation should be very strong. Yes, Abacus can help you achieve a solid base.
My journey with Abacus started 2 years back. I started doing Maths on my fingers using the Abacus technique, progressed to using the Abacus tool and then doing all Maths sums mentally visualizing an Abacus tool. Within 2 years, I was able to complete all my levels in Abacus.
There is a lot of practice taken by Rashmi Mantri and whole Abacus team. Their teaching technique is awesome. They make sure each and every kid attain a certain level of proficiency before moving to the next level. At times I was stuck at a particular level for many weeks. It was frustrating and I almost thought of quitting. My teachers encouraged me and gave more guidance. I realized it was for a purpose to master that level and I continued my journey ahead.
Mental Abacus has helped me with improved focus and concentration. Mental theory enhances visualization skills. Mental Abacus is nothing short of any brain exercise. This helps with confidence building and positive attitude.
Here’s hoping that my Maths journey continues with the upward trajectory that Abacus has given me a kick-start with.
Manchester City complete signing of Ruben Dias from Benfica.
Manchester City have completed the signing of Portuguese international Ruben Dias from Benfica. The 23-year-old centre-back has signed a six-year contract, which keeps him at the club until 2026.
Dias has made more than 100 appearances in three seasons for the Lisbon giants, with whom he won a league title in 2018/19 and has been capped 19 times by Portugal.
“To have the opportunity to join a club like Manchester City is a fantastic opportunity for me and one I couldn’t turn down,” Dias said.
“I believe I can improve here, at a club whose ambitions match my own and I will give everything to be successful and win titles,” he added.
Meanwhile, defender Nicolas Otamendi left City and has signed a permanent deal with Benfica. The 32-year-old defender embarks on a new challenge in Portugal after five years of service during which he helped the club lift every major honour in English football.
“They were five wonderful years, not just in a footballing sense, but also at a club where they treat you in the best way possible, from the chefs to the kitmen, through to the backroom staff,” he told mancity.com.
In total, Otamendi made 210 appearances, scoring 11 goals and he departs a two-time Premier League champion, with four League Cup medals to his name and having lifted the FA Cup in 2019.He also won the Community Shield on two occasions.
After the COVID-19 pandemic triggered crisis cut down the internal demand and energy consumption, India has been recording a respite from its current account deficit story. As of Q1FY21, India posted a current account surplus in on the back of lower trade deficit, official data showed on Wednesday.
According to Reserve Bank of India’s data on India’s Balance of Payments (BoP), a year-on-year basis the Q1FY21 surplus stood at $19.8 billion from a deficit of $15 billion reported for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.
“India’s current account balance (CAB) recorded a surplus of $19.8 billion (3.9 per cent of GDP) in Q1 of 2020-21 on top of a surplus of $0.6 billion (0.1 per cent of GDP) in the preceding quarter, i.e., Q4 of 2019-20; a deficit of $15 billion (2.1 per cent of GDP) was recorded a year ago,” the Reserve Bank said in its statement on developments in India’s Q1FY21 BoP.
“The surplus in the current account in Q1 of 2020-21 was on account of a sharp contraction in the trade deficit to $10 billion due to steeper decline in merchandise imports relative to exports on a year-on-year basis.”
IT sector veteran and Happiest Minds’ founder Ashok Soota has made it to the Hurun India rich list for the first time, backed by a bumper IPO of his company.
With a wealth of Rs 3,700 crore, Soota’s ranking on the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2020 stood at 282nd.
The IPO of Happiest Minds was oversubscribed 150 times. Shares of Happiest Minds, which got listed earlier this month, doubled on the day of listing.
“Backed by the post IPO performance of Happiest Minds, which got subscribed by 150 times, Ashok Soota, 77, registered a wealth of Rs 3,700 crore and debuted the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2020 at the 282th rank,” said a statement by IIFL and Hurun India.
Soota, the Executive Chairman of Happiest Minds, was also the founding Chairman and Managing Director of MindTree, which also completed a successful IPO during his tenure.
Soota is the co-author of the national bestseller “Entrepreneurship Simplified”.
Meanwhile, retail tycoon Radhakishan Damani entered the top 10 with a wealth of Rs 87,200 crore, backed by a 51 per cent increase in D-Mart’s share price. Damani was ranked 6th in the list of richest Indians.
New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani addresses after inaugurating a maiden presentation of 'Sampoorna Ramleela' -- a dramatised musical rendetion of Hindu epic Ramayana -- which is dedicated to the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi on Oct 10, 2018. (Photo: IANS)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V_i3Nq7bV8
A Special CBI court hearing the Babri mosque demolition case of December 6, 1992, acquitted all the 32 accused on Wednesday saying it was spontaneous and not a planned move.
Those acquitted in the case that lasted 28 years include former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, former Union Ministers M.M. Joshi, Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, among others.
Former BJP MP Vinay Katiyar and Hindu leader Sadhvi Rithambhara, who were among the accused present in court, said: “Sab Ramji ki kripa hai”.
As soon as the court announced the acquittal of the accused, jubilation broke out outside the court, in Ayodhya and Lucknow where supporters of the leaders were present to celebrate the occasion.
Special CBI judge S.K. Yadav, in his verdict, said that the demotion was not a planned incident but a spontaneous act.
He said that Ashok Singhal and other Sangh Parivar leaders wanted to save the structure as Ram Lalla statues were inside.
All Babri demolition accused acquitted as act was ‘spontaneous’.
The court observed that leaders who were present on the dais repeatedly tried to persuade the ‘kar sewaks’ against taking any action on that day.
The court further said the CBI has failed to substantiate the charges levelled against the 32 accused persons. The court also said that the video recordings submitted to the court were ‘tampered with’.
The judge pointed out that the prosecution could not produce enough evidence against the accused.
He said that the authenticity of audio, video provided by CBI could not be proven and the audio of the speeches were not clear.
The court also said that those who climbed on the dome, were anti-social elements.
Babri Masjid. (File Photo: IANS)
The 26 accused persons who were present in court on Wednesday, said that they had always maintained that the demotion was a conspiracy by the then Congress government.
Babri plaintiff, Iqbal Ansari, said in Ayodhya that after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Ram temple last year, the demolition case had lost its relevance.
“I welcome acquittal of the 32 persons by the court. There should be no further dispute on the matter,” he said.
