The advent of OTT has introduced the Indian audience to foreign shows and films as never before. While western programming has become common across platforms, viewers are now in for an array of popular Korean films, drama and comedy shows.
Among top pick films lined up to stream are “Detective K: Secret Of Living Death”, “The Face Reader”, and “Confession Of Murder”.
“This is an initiative to introduce our subscribers to global cinema and the world of Korean art that is already becoming widely popular in India. We have always provided the viewer with the best of content across languages, and we aim to dub the films in additional Indian languages going forward to make it accessible to our ‘atrangi’ subscribers,” said Aparna Acharekar, Programming Head, ZEE5 India, the platform that plans to bring Korean films to the Indian OTT space.
“We already have four Korean shows on the platform that have had a great run. Ten films and a Korean drama series will add to our existing library and we will constantly be on the lookout for more such content,” Acharekar added.
Korean content has been popular with the younger audience in India, particularly their action, suspense and horror films. Also, Korean and Indian content have cultural similarities, highlighting family and relationship dynamics.
Designers Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna closed the first-ever phygital edition of Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week, Spring Summer ’21 with their line called Parallax on Sunday.
Parallax is a collection created for the “new modern” bride and groom, as the designers aspired to present what they call a “new promise to this new normal”. To bring back and reflect emotions of hope and celebrations for the future this collection aims to reintroduce the colour of love –Red.
Menswear featured intricate metallic embroidery on sharp tailored jackets and Tuxedos made from rich velvet and textured silk fabrics. The womenswear retained the label’s signature structured yet feminine and sensual silhouette. Trending silk organza incorporated meshe, feathers, sequins and fringes on the garments.
With the thought that there is always a reason to celebrate the label aims to lend to “”the mystery of the current global events into a whimsical subversive twist.”
The duo, who are the darlings of the Delhi social circle, requested their friends to support and cheer them on by posting the preview of their show on their friend’s respective social media handles. In addition Delhi’s “Page 3 socialites” or rather, influencers as they are now called, dressed up in the designer’s outfits in time to watch the show, from their homes of course!
In these unprecedented times, when isolation fatigue, gloom and the fear of losing a beloved has also come to grip children, taking care of their mental health is of paramount importance…writes Siddhi Jain.
Here’s a list of books that address the various emotions children struggle with, and can be companions to them during the hard times.
‘The Room on the Roof’ by Ruskin Bond
A classic coming-of-age story which has held generations of readers spellbound! Rusty, a sixteen-year-old Anglo-Indian boy, is orphaned and has to live with his English guardian in the claustrophobic European part in Dehra Dun. Unhappy with the strict ways of his guardian, Rusty runs away from home to live with his Indian friends. Plunging for the first time into the dream-bright world of the bazaar, Hindu festivals and other aspects of Indian life, Rusty is enchanted, and is lost forever to the prim proprieties of the European community. Written when the author was himself seventeen, this moving story of love and friendship, with a new introduction and illustrations, will be enjoyed by a whole new generation of readers.
Hearts Do Matter
‘Who Stole Bhaiya’s Smile?’ by Sanjana Kapur
Bhaiya does not feel like playing these days. Could it be because of his new monster friend Dukduk, who is always hanging around him. No one in the family takes Bhaiya seriously. But Chiru knows there is more than what meets the eye. A story about the lingering effects of depression. The book is illustrated by Sunaina Coelho.
‘Hearts Do Matters’ by Anita Myers
What the world needs now in these times is love. ‘Hearts Do Matter’ supports children and adults through the losses and grief in their life. It teaches us that even when loved ones cannot be with us, we can feel their presence in our hearts. The new release is a beautiful picture book about a little girl who has a very special relationship with her mother. Her mother promised she would always be with her, and she shows in the book that she kept her promise in the most loving way.
The rock band Indian Ocean has paid tribute to Covid-19 heroes through the anthem of upcoming TV show, Bharat Ke Mahaveer.
With lyrics, “Manzilain humse khud aaj kehne lageen, dil mein hai hausla, jeetegi zindagi”, the anthem video features some of India’s Covid-19 heroes along with hosts Dia Mirza and Sonu Sood. The anthem was launched on the United Nations’ 75th anniversary on Saturday.
“We believe that it is important to bring out the positive stories amidst the prevailing negativity. That is precisely why we associated with ‘Bharat Ke Mahaveer’ to create the anthem. It highlights the message that if we all come together, with good intentions and our collective efforts, we can and we will overcome this difficult situation,” the band said in a joint statement.
“It feels great to see that people stepped up during such difficult times to help those in need and we saw many examples of such stories around us. The ‘Bharat Ke Mahaveer’ anthem is a salute to all such heroes and we have tried to do justice to these inspiring stories through our music,” they added.
Talking of the anthem, Dia added: “It speaks of hope, solidarity, unity and brotherhood. During these difficult and trying times, this message is exactly what India and the world need.”
“Bharat Ke Mahaveer” is a three-part series and will bring 12 stories as representative of the spirit of solidarity in the country. It will commence with phase one in November on Discovery channel, and Discovery Plus app.
Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana is shooting his upcoming film in his hometown Chandigarh and he is very thrilled about it. He says the process is special for him.
Ayushmann said: “It is remarkable that this will be the first time I’m shooting in Chandigarh! The process is going to be exceedingly special and I’m going to soak in every second of this experience.”
He added: “Chandigarh is the city that gave me the wind beneath my wings to chase my passion to be an actor.”
Ayushmann says Chandigarh and the people of his hometown have given him much love and confidence right from my school days when he started doing theatre. “The seed of me becoming an actor was planted here and I couldn’t be more excited to shoot my next here,” he said.
“Even when I became an actor, the city has constantly showered me with love. I’m indebted to my hometown and all the people who have always supported me. Actors are nothing without the love of the audience and I can confidently say that people in Chandigarh have always been my biggest supporters,” said the actor, who has delivered eight back to back hits.
“The people of this city stood behind me like a rock and have always been a motivational force. They have cheered the loudest and I can’t thank them enough! So, shooting in Chandigarh is like life coming to a full circle,” he said.
Ayushmann stars in Abhishek Kapoor’s romantic film “Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui” opposite Vaani Kapoor.
The pandemic has forced children to go back to school with virtual learning having swapped classroom teaching. Although school in 2020 may look way too different, it still summons a celebration.writes N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe.
You can make a virtual lunch breaks memorable with some healthy snacks.
Dr Siddhant Bhargava, Fitness and Nutritional Scientist, Co-Founder of Food Darzee shares snacks tips that are nutritious to give a healthy start to your child’s virtual school breaks:
Bookshelf: Virtual School Breaks with nutritious snacks.(pixabay)
Oatmeal: One of the nutritious options which can be a good snacking option for your children is oatmeal. Oats are packed with soluble fibre, which will help in increasing the number of good bacteria in your child’s digestive tract, along with other health benefits. Instead of the sugar-rich flavoured oats, parents should make use of whole rolled oats to make oatmeal. Also, preparing oatmeal with milk instead of water will give some extra dose of protein and calcium to your kids, thus enhancing their immunity.
Ragi or nachani cookies: Ragi is packed with dietary fibre which aids digestion and helps your children to stay full for long time intervals. The amino acids present in ragi do away with the extra fat around the liver aiding to condense cholesterol levels in a child’s body, thus, helping to keep obesity problems at bay. Looking for a crunchy snacking option, parents must sneak in some calcium-rich ragi flour in cookies, these crisp cookies are a perfect option for the short virtual breaks.
Steamed Dhokla: A snack that is perfect to fuel up on after a long day at school, the steaming of dhokla withholds the extra use of oil and is very light and easy for the child to digest. Curd that is used in this recipe enhances the goodness that comes with a fermented food like breaking down fat effortlessly alongside maintaining healthy gut flora. This will further aid your child’s digestion and the bowel movement to get modulated. Healthy soya burger: A big no-no to unhealthy junk food for children and more so during the pandemic times. You can substitute fried burger patties with nutritious soy patties prepared with soya granules. You can opt for a healthy filling with plenty of fresh veggies thus lending a miss to the fattening mayo and cheese. Soy is filled with protein, dietary fiber, and iron, and B vitamins thus making it a healthy snack option for your children to munch on during their virtual breaks.
Spinach Idlis: Parents can give a great twist to the recipe by adding spinach to your fermented idli batter, a perfect option for kids who don’t eat their greens. Spinach being a superfood which includes a lot of rich fibres, iron, proteins, minerals, magnesium, and on the other hand, idli is another meal which is nourishing with less calorie. Spinach is rich in its water content which will aid in keeping your child hydrated throughout. It is a natural laxative and hence helps stimulate your child’s bowel movements. Also, other benefits like aiding to keep immunity high and keeping gastric problems at bay, spinach is a go-to option that must be incorporated during your child’s virtual school break.
Social media is robbing everything away from us — time, health, peace, sleep, self-esteem, confidence, sense of security — everything. But its a boon too!
One can use it to influence the masses, help people and thus, we should be extremely grateful for that. So, it’s all about using it the right way either to influence people or to destroy your life. Just like we have good food, we know that too much of it, in excess becomes an obsession. An excess of anything is dangerous for our health.
While many have built successful businesses out of social media, found great connections others have spiralled into depression, loneliness and sadness; they’ve ruined their sleep, messed up their priorities, started questioning their self-worth and even felt inadequate when comparing their lives with others.
This technology-driven feature is accessible to all. Some make sure that they are using it to their advantage and not to their disadvantage. This brings us to the question, is developing a healthier relationship with social media even possible? Absolutely yes.
Here are few things Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach – Integrative Medicine shares to remember while developing this relationship:
Know that things aren’t always how they look: Everything you see does not have to be real. The lives of most people appear to portray they have done well, but a lot of them are living off their parent’s wealth, living in the homes of or given by their parents, flaunting clothes, jewellery, cars, etc that don’t belong to them.
Is it possible to develop a healthy relationship with Social Media? (Photo: pixabay)
A lot of people own material things on loan, which in a way is not theirs until they pay off the loan. It’s easy to take loans and show the world a life that is not real. Many holidays, material things, etc that you see being flaunted on social media are sponsored or gifts and not really earned, so know that as well.
Then, of course, you have apps that can make you thin, add fake abs, decrease waistlines and increase bust lines etc and you see this in awe, then look at yourself and immediately feel inadequate. Today the medical world has a name for it – “Snapchat Dysmorphia,” . It refers to the psychological phenomena of patients bringing filtered selfies to their plastic surgeons to illustrate the desired surgical changes they want to achieve. Understand that it is all fake and no amount of surgeries will ever fill up low self-worth. If you don’t have solid self-worth, social media and society can negatively affect your life and health.
Haven an intention and set the time you want to spend on social media:Before you start your day with social media sit back and reflect on why you are on it or why you are going to spend time on it. Enter it with a mission. Do you want to post a picture, update a status, learn something, inspire someone, motivate, connect with someone or simply scroll and pass time? When we use social media without an intention and agenda, chances are we may end up spending a lot of time on it and gain nothing in return. Identify what is it that you want to gain out of spending time on social media, set time for it and disconnect when the purpose is met. You can use social media to learn, inspire, share, educate etc, and then you can use it to feel good about yourself or get locked into watching the lives of other people.
Before you start your day with social media sit back and reflect on why you are on it or why you are going to spend time on it. Enter it with a mission, be it to learn, share, inspire, motivate, pass time or is it because it’s going to fill some void in you? Know this and be mindful.
It is a virtual world: Â All the likes, hearts, comments, appreciation, trolling you receive from social media, know that it is coming from a virtual world. You can have a million followers on your page, but that does not mean you are also the most loved or the happiest. A lot of people search for validation on social media, and that’s the worst place to get validation from. You need to connect with reality and unfortunately, for the most part, the virtual world is nowhere close to the real world. If you need to look to social media for constant advice on how to dress, how to date, whom to date, then you need to work at less social media time and more time just being you and living the real you etc.
Truly experience what it is to “Fast” from social media: A lot of people who once thought they cannot do without social media have taken up fasting only to realise how good it feels to be off it for some time. Time and again, take a detox from social media. Shut down completely for a day and experience what it feels like. Improved sleep, better relationships, a happier mind, increased self-worth, having ample time to complete the tasks you have always procrastinated are some of the short and long-term benefits of a social media detox.
In short, social media is a boon as well as a curse and that depends on how you use it. Use social media if you want to, it can give you a lot in return, but use it in balance and use it well.
Actress Jacqueline Fernandez has a grand idea for a Dussehra present. She has gifted a staff member a brand new car.
“On the occasion of Dussehra, Jacqueline surprised a member of her staff who has been with her since she made her debut in Bollywood, she gifted the staff member a car but didn’t know when it would be delivered. So, Jacqueline arrived donning the uniform of a traffic police inspector because she was on the set of her film,” a source said.
“Jacqueline had gifted a car to her make-up artiste previously. She is known for being kindhearted and loving,” the source added.
In a video posted on social media, we see puja being performed on the set, because the car was delivered at the set.
Jacqueline also shared a sneak peek from an upcoming fun project on her latest social media post.
On Sunday night, Jacqueline posted a picture on Instagram, where she is seen in a police attire. In the image, the actress holds a coffee mug and flashes a grin.
“How was everyone’s Sunday?? Fun project coming up soon! #myhappyplace,” she captioned the image, which currently has 969K likes.
Jacqueline did not share any details about her “fun project” in the post.
The actress recently celebrated 46 million followers on Instagram by sharing topless pictures.
Jacqueline will be next seen with Salman Khan in “Kick 2”. She also has “Bhoot Police”, which features Saif Ali Khan and Arjun Kapoor, followed by “Cirkus” alongside Ranveer Singh.
The star cast of the Indian web series Four More Shots Please! Season two, comprising Kirti Kulhari, Maanvi Gagroo, Sayani Gupta and Gurbani Judge, has jointly bagged the Best Rising Star award at the second Asian Content Awards 2020, which is held as part of the prestigious Busan International Film Festival.
Season two of the popular show is the only Indian title to have won an award at the ceremony, and it won despite stiff competition from entries from across Asia including China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand.
The latest honour for the Amazon Prime show comes in the wake of a nomination at the International Emmy Awards earlier this year, in the Best Comedy Series category.
“Four More Shots Please! season 2 has been a true labour of love for us and we are delighted to share this success with Pritish Nandy Communications, and of course our fantastic talent who deserve every bit of adulation coming their way for giving us four extremely memorable, yet relatable flawsome women to look up to!” said Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video, about the feat achieved by the Pritish Nandy Communications production.
Lotus Herbals enters the Ayurvedic beauty space. (Photo: Unsplash)
The country has woken up to the festivities. With the merry making comes the indulgence on makeup. Beginning from Navratri, Durga Puja through Diwali and on to Christmas, it’s that time of the year when you get dressed and look your best.
In an attempt to look your best, your skin goes through a lot during this time, so it is important to keep your skin hydrated and supple.
Here are a few tips to maximise the glow for your skin by using some of the finest skincare products, shared by Kiehls India.
Get glowing skin this festive season.
Day Regime-AM
Cleanser: Start your day by cleaning your face. Wash your face by using a light cleanser which will refresh your face before you start with your other skincare regime.
Toning: Skin toning is an important part of the regime that helps take the tiredness away. A toner should gently cleanse and refresh facial skin without harsh synthetic drying agents. It should soothe and improve the feel of your skin helping your retain the natural glow and radiance of the skin
Eye Cream: Moisturizing the eye is an important step which a lot of people miss out on. Gently moisturizing the under eye area with an eye cream provides hydration to the eyes.
Face Moisturizer: Keeping the skin hydrated becomes an essential part of your skincare regimes especially during the festivities when your regime has gone for a toss; to retain the glow a well hydrated moisturizer is your go to solution.
Tips To Glow Yourself On Festivals
Overall Moisturizer: A rich non greasy hydrating body moisturizer is all you need along with drinking the right amount of water throughout the day to get you through the festive daze with awesomely glowing and radiant skin.
UV Protection- Add to your regime by protecting your skin against UV rays, pollution and dirt by using a light sunscreen. A right sunscreen not only protects the skin from harmful UV rays but also helps in reducing aging
Youthful Skin: To maintain the suppleness of your skin and to ensure it looks youthful and spot free through late night parties & pandal hopping use the Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Serum. This Serum evens skin tone and diminishes dark spots to impart overall radiance and luminosity to the skin.
Night Time -PM
The same regime of cleansing, toning and moisturizing needs to be done at night. Additionally, a nighttime facial oil can be used which visibly restores the appearance of skin and makes it soft.
