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Archives for November 2018

New life-size statue of Jayalalithaa replaced

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The ruling AIADMK unveiled a new statue of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa at its headquarters in Chennai on Wednesday, months after the earlier one was criticised for not resembling the former party supremo.

According to a party release, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator K Palaniswami paid floral tributes to the ‘refurbished’ statue of Jayalalithaa, in the presence of senior leaders, including MPs and state ministers.

Palaniswami is the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and Panneerselvam is his deputy.

The two leaders also felicitated sculptor Rajkumar Udayar who designed the statue, it said.

A life-size statue of the leader was unveiled by the two leaders on February 24, coinciding with Jayalalithaa’s 70th birth anniversary. However, it drew criticism from various quarters that it bore little resemblance to Jayalalithaa following which the party decided to go in for a new one.

Accordingly, the new statue was unveiled on Wednesday, and is placed near that of party founder and former chief minister MG Ramachandran at the entrance of the AIADMK headquarters.

The new life-size statue is made of bronze and weighs around 800 kg, a little more than the earlier one, party sources said.

PTI

 

India’s October wholesale inflation rises to 5.28%

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 India’s annual rate of inflation based on wholesale prices rose to 5.28 per cent in October from 5.13 per cent in September, official data showed here on Wednesday.

Even, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) data furnished by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was higher than 3.68 per cent reported for the corresponding period of 2017.

“The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 5.28 per cent (provisional) for the month of October (over October, 2017) as compared to 5.13 per cent (provisional) for the previous month and 3.68 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year,” the data showed.

“Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 4.64 per cent compared to a build up rate of 2.12 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year,” the Commerce Ministry official statement said.

On a sequential basis, the expenses on primary articles, which constitute 22.62 per cent of the WPI’s total weightage eased to 1.79 per cent, from a rise of 2.97 per cent in September.

Similarly, the prices of food articles declined. The category has a weightage of 15.26 per cent in the WPI index.

However, the cost of fuel and power segment, which commands a 13.15 per cent weightage, edged higher by 18.44 per cent from a growth of 16.65 per cent.

The expenses on manufactured products registered a rise of 4.49 per cent from 4.22 per cent.

On a YoY basis, onion prices declined by 31.69 per cent, whereas potatoes became dearer by 93.65 per cent.

In contrast, the overall vegetable prices in the month under review declined by 18.65 per cent, against a rise of 36.67 per cent in the same month a year ago.

Among the non-food items, the price of high-speed diesel rose by 19.85 per cent on a YoY basis, petrol by 31.39 per cent and LPG by 18.44 per cent.

Film Festival Round Up

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International Film Festival Of India (IFFI) 2018 To Open With The World Premiere Of ‘The Aspern Papers’
The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will open with the World Premiere of The Aspern Papers in the presence of the international star cast.
The whole cast will be present for its premiere at the film festival. Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers (lead actor), Golden Globe nominated actress Joely Richardson (lead actress), Julia Robins (actress), Morgane Polanski  (actress) – daughter of Roman Polanski, Nicolas Hau (actor) Julien Landais (director) will be present at the screening.
The Aspern Papers tells a story of obsession, grandeur lost & dreams of Byronic adventures.
The Aspern Papers is the 1st ever feature from director Julien Landais & is adapted from the novella by Henry James, which is based on the letters of Percy Bys Shelley wrote to Mary Shelley’s stepsister Claire Clairmont. The film stars Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Joely Richardson & her mother, 6 time Oscar nominee & Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave.
The Aspern Papers stars Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in a lead role. The Irish actor is known for his roles in films such as Velvet Goldmine in the year 1998, Bend It Like Beckham in the year 2002, Match Point in the year 2005, Mission: Impossible III in the year 2006 & his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries Elvis in the year 2005, which earned him a Golden Globe Award for “Best Actor” – Miniseries or Television Film & as King Henry VIII in the historical drama The Tudors from the year 2007 to the year 2010.
The film’s lead actress Joely Richardson is an English actress, known for her role as Julia McNamara in the FX drama series Nip/Tuck from the year 2003 to the year 2010 for which she twice received Golden Globe nomination. She has also appeared in films such as 101 Dalmatians in the year 1996, Event Horizon in the year 1997, The Patriot in the year 2000, Return To Me in the year 2000, Anonymous in the year 2011, the Hollywood film adaptation The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in the year 2011 & the remake of Endless Love in the year 2014.
The film also stars Morgane Polanski – the daughter of French-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski & French actress Emmanuelle Seigner. Morgane Polanski made her acting debut in her father’s 2002 film The Pianist, which was nominated for Academy Award for “Best Picture”. She appeared in 2 more of his films, Oliver Twist in the year 2005 & The Ghost Writer in the year 2010, in which she had her 1st ever speaking role. In the year 2015, Polanski appeared in the British independent film Unhallowed Ground & began portraying Princess Gisla in the History Channel series Vikings.
The Aspern Papers set in Venice in the late 19th century, tells the story of an American editor determined to get his hands on the letters his icon, the Romantic poet Jeffrey Aspern, wrote to his beautiful lover & muse, Juliana Bordereau. Juliana lives in a Venetian palazzo with her niece Tina, who she seems to control & Morton tries to manipulate. But when the ambitious adventurer trifles with Tina’s affections she learns to see through his scheme.
The film was shot where Henry James actually wrote it, on original locales in Venice. James Ivory, an old India hand & a recent Academy Award winner is one of the Executive Producers on the film.
The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) begins on Tues, 20th Nov, 2018 & ends on Wed, 28thNov, 2018, in Panaji, Goa.
 

Bollywood Buzz

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Buddha & Buddha.Mov Steal The Show At Mami This Year
 
In the recently concluded MAMI festival, there were 2 brilliant films with a similar title – Buddha. One was Buddha.Mov directed by Kabir Mehta on the former well built Indian cricketer Budhadev In what is reminiscent of the recent Ranbir Kapoor acted Sanjay Dutt biopic, where Sanjay Dutt goes on record to tell that he had bedded some 200 & odd women. The documentary on Buddhadev informs the audience that he’s been to bed with 90 girls & what’s more, he keeps in touch with all of them. How? He’s set his phone to pop up every 5 names a day and then he sends each one of them a short message letting her know that he hasn’t forgotten her. In a series of long shots as he performs his daily exercise routine, the film makes a bold use of full frontal male nudity & uncensored locker-room talks; with outspoken cleverness is also a breath of fresh air amidst many social-themed films. The film has Buddhadev, the flamboyant cricketer authorizing unrestricted access into the most private aspects of his life to the filmmaker, lured by the chance of being the protagonist of the documentary film. The other film titled Buddha directed by Vinit Chandrasekharan talks about  how in the drought stricken eastern part of Maharashtra where close to 23000 farmers commit suicide since the year 2009 & the Christian missionaries decide to sell the land given to the Dalits in exchange for conversion to Christianity, a couple of decades ago. Father Benedict Deddario is entrusted with the task but his biggest roadblock is the poor local Dalit leader Vinya. Besides the land tussle, Benedict is shaken by Vinya’s resistance & unwillingness to convert to Christianity. Benedict will stop at nothing to not only sell the land but also get Vinya to convert, even if that means using Vinya’s power hungry wife against him.
 
Girija Oak’s Sweet & Sour Gesture 
 
The best way to peoples’ hearts is through their stomachs. Girija Oak, who is all set to play the role of Meghana Nikade on Sony TV’s upcoming show Ladies Special knows this only too well! The actress has recently started shooting for the show & decided to treat the entire cast & crew of the show with some Lemon Cakes. When asked about this sweet gesture, Girija said, “It’s such a pleasure to work with this amazing cast & crew every day. Everyone here is so hardworking & appreciative of each other. I brought along these lemon cakes for everyone from Pune’s famous bakery which is also famous for selling Shrewberry biscuits just because I wanted to make them happy.” Actors are known for throwing grand parties & events to show their gratitude, but there is something endearing about the sweetness of a lemon cake that made won Girija a lot of brownie points from her co-workers.
 
AGP World Is All Set To Present ‘Devdas’
 
AGP World, India’s leading theatre production house re-creates the tale of undying love Devdas. Originally written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the much applauded novella has been transformed into a 150 minute theatre play. This romantic saga directed by Saif Hyder Hasan stars renowned actors such as Gaurav Chopra, Manjari Fadnis, Sunil Palwal, Sukhada Khandkekar, Bhavna Pani,  Smita Jaykar et al. Set against the backdrop of historically rich & old Calcutta, this rendition takes us through the unsolved mysteries of what happened to Chandramukhi & Paro after Devdas. In deference to the magnificence of 19th century Calcutta, the décor has been recreated in a manner that will certainly skip a heartbeat. Eye catching visuals from the gas-lit busy streets of the era paired with the history of opulent Havelis in India are sure to delight you. The play also highlights classic & contemporary fusion dance pieces choreographed by Shampa Gopikrishna (daughter of acclaimed Kathak maestro Padmashri Gopi Krishna) & Bertwin Ravi D’Souza, contributing to the spectacular theatrical experience. Saif Hyder Hasan seems equally thrilled & came on record to talk about his excitement. Commenting on the same he says, “Truly it isn’t easy to narrate a journey that has been experienced by audiences for decades.” With utmost precision & commitment to deliver a performance of a lifetime, AGP has added another golden feather to their cap.
 
Aditi Gupta Says That The TRP System On TV Is Bogus! 
 
Aditi Gupta, who is seen in Ravindra Gautam’s Kaal Bhairav 2, is not a big fan of the TRP system. The actor says that somewhere it is this system which stops makers from trying out new things. “I think it is bogus. I don’t know how it works because no one knows how they calculate the numbers. It’s never been explained, so I don’t know how it is being done. But people still believe it & we go by it. I think because of the TRP system, I’ve seen that people are not trying to be more creative. People are not trying to evolve themselves because they think that if this thing is working, let it work as we are anyways getting the TRPs. I think TRPs are not required but if it won’t be there, I feel some shows here will be going on & on for years,” she says. Aditi loves being part of Kaal Bhairav 2 and is especially fond of the title. “I think it’s unique & interesting. It says a lot about the show & what it’s based on. But to know about the show, you will have to watch it. It sounds very strong as a topic, but doesn’t give out too much. I am playing the character of this girl Archana. She is a very outspoken person. She is today’s girl, who is very confident & talks a lot. She will go & talk to anybody. She will also go & talk to a watchman but with the same respect & love. She is in love with a boy who is from a very royal family, which she has no idea of. But his family is cursed, so she’s the one who will be trying to figure out what is the mystery all about. Apparently, in their family any boy can’t live more than 30 years of age. I really relate to my character. We are so similar. I don’t have to actually make up anything. I have to be as natural as possible. Being so alike just helps me with the character. The way she is talkative & her hand moments & all of that is so similar to the way I am in real life”. Aditi is sure that the show will be loved. “Everyone’s expectations is quite high, I think this genre has not been explored on TV as yet. I think it is a great show, I am not just saying that because I am doing it, but it is something which people like. It has a sense of mystery & also has a lot of amazing actors in it. So, I think it is a great combination and people would like to watch this kind of genre. I love working with producer-director Ravindra Gautam as well.
 
Hawan On The Sets Of ‘Ye Ristha Kya Kehlata Hai’!

Rajan Shahi is one producer-director who believes in the power of love & prayers. Rajan Shahi keeps having Hawan from time to time. On Dhanteras morning a hawan was organized with the presence of the cast & the crew. Rajan Shahi is one producer whose sets always have a cosmopolitan culture & all the festivals are celebrated.  The positive vibes are always in the air. 
 
A Surprise Birthday Bash For Smita Gondkar
 
Richa Ranawat, Pururava Rao & Parul Chawla threw a surprise birthday bash for Smita Gondkar. The birthday bash which was expected to be a grand affair turned out to be phenomenal. It was a flamboyantly splendid party with glitz, glamour, opulence & loads of love for the birthday girl reflecting from the entire preparations that were no less than perfect. A significant chunk of Bollywood, Television & Marathi industry was seen at the birthday celebrations. Some of the name from glamour arena were the biggest attraction at the birthday bash which included Sana Khan, Nehha Pendse, Tyagraj, Harshada Khanvilkar, Medha Manjrekar, Priya Darshan, Aniket Vishwas, DJ Shiezwood, Sneha Wagh, Gurmeet & Debina Chaudhary, Romanch, Resham Tipnis, Sushant Shelar, Aastad Kale, Amey Khopkar, Usha Nadkarni, Prashant Virender Sharma, Champak Jain, Rajesh Khera, Dr. Sharmila Nayak, Aziz Zee, Umesh Pherwani etc. The birthday girl, Smita Gondkar said “I am so overwhelmed with the surprise birthday bash by Parul, Richa & Puru Rava. Birthdays are always special. The day becomes further special when you spend the day with your friends & family.
 
Pratibhatai Patil, Ex-President Of India Releases Vidharbha Film Festival Booklet
 
It is for the 1st time ever in the history of Vidharbha District that an International Film Festival will be held in Amravati in the month of Jan, 2019. It is also for the 1st time ever in the history of India & probably in the world, that an Ex-President of that country released the booklet of an upcoming film festival. Hon’ble ex-president of India Pratibhatai Patil blessed the organizers of the film festival & released the booklet at an auspicious ceremony held in Amravati, attended by Nanak Bhai Ahuja, Khushi Shroff (Late Inder Kumar’s daughter). Pratibhatai Patil applauded the organizer Raju Kariya when he announced that it will be for the 1st time ever in the history of India that 15 Marathi films will be screened along with 5 regional films (Sindhi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani & Punjabi), screening web series, music Album & TV Serial. This unique feat has never been attempted even in the history of Entertainment anywhere by any film festival in the world. The Vidharbha International Film Festival is being conceived, designed, executed & organized by noted PRO Raju Kariya & Montu Singh. Raju Kariya is the 1st ever Publicist in Bollywood industry who has been felicitated by the President’s award for his achievements over the past 4 decades in Bollywood & have also been applauded globally & he is also listed in the Book of World Records. More than 50 Bollywood celebrities have confirmed their attendance at the 1st ever Vidharbha International Film Festival. Notable amongst them are Aruna Irani, Raj Babbar, Rohit Roy, Ravi Kishen, Gajendra Chauhan, Rahul Roy et al.  Amongst the other Bollywood celebrities, Dolly Bindra, Krishna Abhishekh, Gautam Rode, Shahwar Ali, Shahleen Bhanot, Shahbaz Khan, Nishant Singh Malkani, Sharad Malhotra, Siddharth Nigam, Arya Babbar, Anas Rasheed, Gurpreet Singh, Amit Pachauri,  Kartik jairam, Pankaj Berry, Manav Gohil, Krunal Singh, Pratham Kumar, Ankit Patidar, Rahul Chaudhary, Jeet Sony, Kunal Chauhan, Rahul Siddharth Sipani, Kiran Jhanjhani & Rahul Prakash Rai have confirmed their presence  at this event as its honored guests. During the booklet launch occasion, the ex-president of India Pratibhatai Patil announced her desire to grace the opening ceremony of this one of its kind film festival, subject to her keeping good health & if she finds time from her busy schedule.

Bollywood Buzz

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‘Sarkar’ Creates Diwali Fireworks & Becomes The Biggest Vijay Starrer Opening Film
 
The much-awaited & anticipated Sarkar which released on Diwali is already creating ripples. The festive release has made its mark by becoming the biggest Vijay starrer in Tamil opening film on BookMyShow. Sarkar’s popularity had gained momentum since the time advance bookings started. As compared to Vijay’s last super hit film Mersal, Sarkar’s advance booking multiplied over 2x on BookMyShow. The film has already crossed 1 million ticket sales milestone on BookMyShow. While Bengaluru, Chennai & Hyderabad have responded extremely well to the film, there has been a strong uptake for Sarkar in Tier II cities including Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy, Kochi & Trivandrum. Talking about Sarkar’s performance on BookMyShow, Ashish Saksena, COO-Cinemas, BookMyShow says, “Sarkar has been the talk of the town since its trailer was out. BookMyShow saw a phenomenal response for the advance booking & the opening days. We anticipate the coming weekends to add to the growing demand of the film & are elated to contribute to the success of Sarkar.”
 
The Trailer Of Shankar’s Magnum Opus ‘Robot 2.0’ Released
 
Director Shankar’s much-awaited film Robot 2.0 had a grand trailer launch at a theatre in Chennai. The lead actors Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar & Amy Jackson were present at the event. The film is touted to be India’s most expensive film ever. 2.0 is the sequel to Shankar’s 2010 blockbuster Robot. The trailer showcases Rajinikanth’s Chitti fighting against Akshay Kumar’s giant monster. The trailer is loaded with some mind-blowing action, brilliant VFX & some great performances by the actors. Apart from the main cast, director Shankar, Music Composer Allah Rakha Rahman & producer Subaskaran were also present at the launch. Rajinikanth says, “2.0 is a thriller, entertainer & has an international message – that the planet is not just for human beings but other creatures also.” He also praises Akshay Kumar for his dedication on the film and says, “Hats off to Akshay Kumar for his hard work. It is definitely worth it”. Akshay Kumar who marks his Tamil debut with 2.0 and plays an antagonist in the film spoke a few lines in Tamil at the function, says, “I got to learn lot of challenging things. Shankar is a scientist, not a director. I did my make up for 3 hours and took one hour to remove the makeup. I just saw myself on the screen, and it was unbelievable. I’m looking forward to seeing the film. I thank Shankar sir. It was worth” the pain.” The Hindi version of the film will be presented by Karan Johar. Robot 2.0, produced by Subaskaran & Lyca Productions, will release across India on 29th Nov,  2018 in 3D & 2D.
 
Adah Signs A Big Budget Period Film With Prabhu Dheva
 
Adah Sharma is currently on a career high right now. The actress who has  completed a London schedule for Commando 3 where she has done some crazy stunts & her Tamil debut with Prabhu Deva Charlie Chaplin 2 which is the No Entry sequel  has signed her next Telugu film Kalki for a whopping fee of 1 crore! Adah says, “The team was very keen on me for the role. After Heart Attack & Kshanam (which was remade in Hindi as Baaghi 2) I have a strong youth & family audience fan following. Even for events & appearances amongst the young actresses I am one of the top paid.  I have the ability to get into the skin of any role convincingly and so the producers were willing to pay me my price to have me as the leading lady.” The Dr Rajasekhar film is directed by Queen director Prasanth Varma & produced by C Kalyan. Adah will next be seen in Commando 3, Bypass Road, another Hindi film with a big banner to be announced soon, Charlie Chaplin 2 with Prabhu Deva, short film MOH, Soulmate & Hollywood film debut also soon, pictures of which went viral a month ago.
 
Sajid Nadiadwala’s Son Turns An Assitant Director On Housefull 4
 
Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala made his directorial debut with Kick in the year 2014 & and it looks like his elder son Subhan wants to follow in his footsteps. The youngster, is assisting director Sajid Khan on Housefull 4 (HF4). This fact came into light when Subhan uploaded picture of his with his father on the sets of Housefull 4.Subhan’s mother Warda Nadiadwala, who also happens to be my best friend who was once upon a time a cub journalist, commented, “Super proud of you man, keep it up AD.”  This is not his 1st ever step in Bollywood, as earlier, Subhan was an assistant director on Judwaa 2. During Judwaa 2 he was adored on the sets by Salman Khan, Varun Dhawan & Jacqueline Fernandez the most. Apparently, it’s during his vacations that the youngster helps out on the sets of his father’s production ventures.
 
Fox Star Studios & R. Balki To Make ‘Mission Mangal’ With Akshay Kumar
 
The synergy will see an array of distinct entertainers over 3 titles with Akshay Kumar in the lead, to be jointly produced by Fox Star Studios & Cape Of Good Films. The 1st ever film to come off this partnership will be India’s 1st ever space film, Mission Mangal, which is in collaboration with R Balki & the film will be directed by Jagan Shakti. The shoot for Mission Mangal commences in mid Nov, 2018.  Akshay Kumar said “I am delighted to find a new creative partner in Fox Star Studios and am looking forward to creating a collaboration that will deliver a meaningful & entertaining cinematic experience. With our combined energies we hope to create content that not only excites but also empowers.” 
 
Amol Parashar Roped In For ‘Dolly Kitty Aur Voh Chamakte Sitare’!
 
Riding high on the success of his latest web series, Home, Amol Parashar has an interesting line-up of projects. While he has already started shooting for the 2nd season of Tripling, the popular digital show with which he shot to fame, the talented & versatile actor has been roped in for yet another interesting project, Dolly Kitty Aur Voh Chamakte Sitare, a film produced by Ekta Kapoor & directed by Alankrita Shrivastava. Also featuring Bhumi Pednekar, the movie will see Amol acting opposite veteran actress Konkona Sen Sharma. Amol has had a fantastic run with all his digital shows & proved his acting prowess through a wide variety of characters. The makers felt that the pairing of Amol & Konkona will be a very fresh & interesting one. He is quite excited to be a part of Dolly Kitty Aur Voh Chamakte Sitare & has already started shooting for the movie. The young digital star is not new to celluloid silver screen having already been part of acclaimed films like Madhur Bhandarkar’s Traffic et al.
 
Suniel Shetty & Other Stars At 2nd Asiaspa India Fit & Fabulous Awards!

There were not as many stars on the sky that night as at the Westin Mumbai Garden City where the most awaited event of the year, asiaSpa India Fit & Fabulous Awards was held. The celebrities from Bollywood, glamour, fitness, sports & lifestyle came in full force & made the night a stunning spectacle. After the resounding success of Wellfest 2018 in Delhi, India’s leading luxury wellness & lifestyle magazine; asiaSpa India proudly brought together the unique festival of wellness to Mumbai. Curated by Parineeta Sethi, Chief Editor & Publisher of the magazine, the festival not only celebrates people who are already “fit & fabulous”, but also inspires others to achieve their wellness goals. asiaSpa was proud to be back in the city that’s home to Bollywood with the new edition of their Awards ceremony that spread out the green carpet to leading celebrities from all walks of life including Bollywood, glamour, fitness, sports & lifestyle. Over the years, asiaSpa’s signature wellness featured the best of the wellness & fitness industry! This year too, wellness icons & enterprises across varied categories across the country were recognized & felicitated. While Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Suniel Shetty, Sonakshi Sinha, Raveena Tandon, Gauahar Khan, Shraddha Salla & Harshvardhan Rane bagged the “Fit & Fabulous” award, the evening also witnessed celebrities including Karishma Tanna, Dia Mirza, Dino Morea, Nandita Mahtani, Harbhajan Singh, Geeta Basra, Karan Tacker, Lulia Vantur, Simone Khan, Elli Avram, Divya Khosla Kumar, Queenie Singh, Pooja Makhija, Terrence Lewis, Namrata Purohit, Yash Birla, Atul Kasbekar, Farah Khan Ali, Shivoham, Samir Purohit, Eefa Shrof, Alanna Panday, Deanne Panday, Sameer Nerukar, Nawaz Modi Singhania, Nikhil Kapur, Aarti Surendranath, Ksrija Surendranath, Anil Singh, Shweta Shetty, Samir Srivastav, Waluscha De Souza, Pria Kataaria Puri, Hema Hariramani, Malavika Mohanan & Sheeba Akashdeep who walked away with the prestigious “Fit & Fabulous” trophy back home. 

Took loan from Ambidant for personal reasons: Janardhana Reddy

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Mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy’s right-hand man Mehfuz Ali Khan submitted an affidavit in court on Tuesday, which may come as a relief to Janardhana. Janardhana Reddy has been accused of accepting Rs 20 crore – Rs 2 crore in cash and Rs 18 crore worth gold bullion weighing 57 kg from the owner of Ambidant Marketing Pvt Ltd for allegedly bailing the owner Syed Ahmed Fareed out of a probe by the Enforcement Directorate.

Bengaluru’s Central Crime Branch sleuths have been trying to track down the gold bullion. They also filed an objection to Mehfuz’s anticipatory bail plea on Tuesday. In an affidavit submitted through his attorney, Mehfuz claims that he bought the 57 kg gold in order to offer it to various places of worship.

Mehfuz, who appeared before the 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Bengaluru on Tuesday told the court that Syed Ahmed Fareed, the founder and managing director of Ambidant, helped him receive a loan to purchase the gold. Mehfuz also said that he was prepared to return the Rs 18 crore to Ahmed Fareed if the court orders him to do so.

“My family and I are great believers of the Almighty and we believe that the only way to be blessed by God is through charity. We had pledged to offer gold to the Almighty if we were redeemed of adversities. We had been facing troubles since 2011 and were able to overcome it, To honour our commitment to God, we began gathering the gold,” Mehfuz Ali Khan’s affidavit states.

In January this year, Mehfuz alleged that he met Ahmed Fareed and confided in him his need to obtain gold in order to donate it to various places of worship. Mehfuz stated that Fareed appreciated his initiative and promised to help him.

“He helped me obtain a loan of Rs 18 crore, which he gave through his company Ambidant in March this year. It is only now, after the reports in the media that I have learnt that there are cases against Ambidant for cheating its depositors. I am not involved in the affairs of the company and the loan was obtained for personal reasons. I am now prepared to return the entire amount now,” the affidavit adds.

Khan’s statement came soon after Justice Jagadeesh, who was hearing Janardhana Reddy’s bail application, reprimanded CCB officials.

Mehfuz’s affidavit may offer Janardhana some respite, since CCB sleuths suspect that he laundered the Rs 18 crore through gold bullion obtained by Mehfuz. Mehfuz has been Reddy’s trusted lieutenant since 2007, when he started working for Brahmani Steel, Janardhan Reddy’s company. Mehfuz was also one of the accused in the illegal mining scam allegedly by the Obulapuram Mining Company in Ballari, owned by Janardhana Reddy and his brothers. Mehfuz was also arrested along with Janardhana Reddy in 2012.

CCB sources say that the paper trail in the gold transactions ends with Mehfuz, and that they suspect the gold was procured by Mehfuz for Janardhana Reddy.

“How will Mehfuz and Janardhana Reddy explain the meeting they held with Ambidant owner at Taj West End or in the hotel in HSR Layout? Mehfuz does not have any proof that he gave the money to said places of worship,” the CCB source added.

CCB sleuths have decided to invoke the Karnataka Protection of Interest of Depositors (KPID) in Financial Establishments Act against all six accused in the case. “We are collecting more evidence regarding the financial transaction. We have invoked KPID Act to ensure that the money which Ali returns will be returned to the investors under legal supervision,” said Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner (crime), who is heading the investigation.

CCB sources say that Janardhana Reddy was aware of Ambidant’s activities and the allegations of financial fraud against it when the alleged transfer of Rs 20 crore was made through Mehfuz. “There is an RTGS transaction made to Ramesh, a Ballari-based jeweller who converted the money to gold which was then sent to reach Reddy’s beneficiaries in Ballari,” the source said.

TNM

#Me Too : Actor Sanjjanaa Galrani apologised to director Ravi srivatsa

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Kannada and Tamil actor Sanjjanaa Galrani has apologised to director Ravi Srivatsa, three weeks after she raised allegations of harassment by him during the shooting of the film Ganda Hendathi.

The actor had accused the director of coercing her into enacting intimate scenes she was uncomfortable in the film which released in 2006. In a Facebook Live posted on October 17, she detailed her ordeal in completing the shooting of her debut film.

However, despite of offering an apology, Sanjjana continues to stand by the allegations she raised in October. But, she says that she wants to move on from the issue and issued the apology following advice from actor Ambareesh. “All that I have spoken in the Me Too allegation is true but to get rid of the headache and the ruckus this has created, I have apologised,” Sanjjanaa told media.

The allegations had led to a controversy with Ravi Srivatsa complaining to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) and the Kannada Film Directors Association that Sanjjana had tarnished his image with false allegations. He had also questioned the reason for her silence for twelve years and demanded an apology from Sanjjana for the allegations.

Initially, Sanjjana had lashed out at the director for demanding an apology but it appears that she has been coerced into making one after the issue snowballed into a controversy. Veteran actor Ambareesh stepped in as “peacekeeper” and urged Sanjjanaa to offer an apology.

Sanjjana apologised to Ravi in Ambareesh’s residence in the presence of director Roopa Iyer, producer Rockline Venkatesh, association president Nagendra Prasad among others.  “Ambareesh sir insisted to close this matter diplomatically, so I decided to apologise to maintain decorum in the industry,” she added. 

Sanjjanna  has acted in more than 40 films across three languages — Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.

TNM

PKL 6: Telugu Titans pip Puneri Paltan in inter-zonal battle

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Telugu Titans defeated Puneri Paltans 28-25 in an inter-zonal clash of the ongoing sixth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the NSCI stadium here on Tuesday.

Telugu Titans witnessed a collective effort from raiders Rahul Chaudhary (8 points), Nilesh Salunke (6 points) and Krushna Madane (4 points) to register their fifth win of the season, while it was the seventh loss for Puneri Paltans from 14 games.

Sandeep Narwal and Akshay Jadhav collected seven and five points, respectively for Pune.

Telugu Titans tackled Rajesh Mondal to open their account before their successful attempts saw them take a 5-1 lead in the first five minutes. Pune then changed gears, managing five points in quick succession to tie the issue at 6-6 in the eighth minute.

The next two minutes saw both teams failing in stretching their lead. Telugu Titans then tackled Akshay to take a one-point lead before extending it to 13 points while their opponents were reeling at just eight points by the 14th minute.

Both the sides then managed to pick three points each in the last six minutes even as Telugu Titans managed to lead 17-11 at half-time.

Rahul continued to break their opponent’s defence successfully, that took his side to 22 points by the 27th minute, while failed attempts by Pune left them at 13.

The next four minutes saw Pune failing to move ahead as they were still at 13 points while the Titans marched to 25 points. Monu’s successful two back to back raids gave some respite to Pune but their opponents were still 10 points ahead by the 35th minute.

Telugu Titans were leading 27-17 in the last four minutes but Pune somehow managed a comeback grabbing two points to move to 19 points which also saw their opponents with just three men on the mat.

Pune continued to show some fight in the final moments by inflicting an All Out as they moved to 24 points, cutting the deficit to just three points.

Mahendra Reddy’s successful one-point raid in the last few seconds was not enough to stop Telugu Titans as Rahul also raided successfully to help his side clinch the contest 28-25.

IANS

PKL 6: U Mumba hammers UP Yoddhas 41-26 in inter-zonal clash.

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 It was a day when host U Mumba’s attack and defense cameA all gun blazing to thrash UP Yoddhas 41-24 in an inter-zonal calash of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the NSCI stadium here on Tuesday.

U Mumba saw stunning performences from Siddharth Desai, skipper Fazel Atrachalli, Darshan Kadiyan and Surrender Singh.

While Siddharth and Darshan collected seven raid points, Fazel took six tackle points to help their side maintain their first spot in the zone A table.

The visitors started with a bonus point by Prashant Rai before Mumbai’s star raider Siddharth also replied back with aA bonus point to make the score 1-1.

Sachin Kumar’s successful raid and Darshan failed attempt helped UP take a 3-1 lead by the third minute. Siddharth made continous attack and collected couple of points on as many occassions to make 3-4 before his team tackled Prashant to tie the contest again at 4-4.

The hosts finally took a one pojnt lead in the game as their defenders tackled Shrikant Jadhav but the visitors also fought back to tie the score 6-6.

Sachin collected two points in a single raid for UP, while Darshan unsuccessful raid took UP to nine points, a two point lead over their opponents.

Two back to back super tackle by the visitors saw UP taking the issue 13-9 in their favour. However, the hosts rode on some successful raid and tackle points to make it 12-14 and inflicted an All-Out in the final moments of first-half to take a 15-14 lead.

U Mumba continued to dominate the second-half as the visiting side’s raiders continous failure made the contest 19-15 in the host’s favour.

U Mumba then saw some fine efforts by their raiders and defenders as the scoreline read 21-15. The home side inflicted anaother All-Out to reach 25 points, while the visitors were still at 15 points by the 30th minute.

Shrikanth came to rescue UP by collecting three raid points in back to back attempts but the score still read 25-18 in Mumbai favour.

Darshan bagged two points for his side as Mumbai moved to 29 points in the 35th minute.

U Mumba came all gun blazing in the final five minutes as they collected 12 points through some terrific tackles and raids while the visitors could only manage to pick three points as the hosts ran away 41-24.

IANS

BCCI to consider appointing higher-ranked umpires in Ranji Trophy

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 Considering the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB)’s plea to appoint higher-ranked umpires for Ranji Trophy games, the BCCI has decided to “relook” at the matter, sources close to the board said.

The CAB had said, in a letter, that the BCCI has deputed lower-ranked umpires for the Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments in December with higher-ranked umpires not being given a chance.

In its reply, the BCCI has assured CAB joint secretary Avishek Dalmiya, who wrote the letter initially, that “the points raised in your mail are well received”, and the issue will be looked into.

“I am sure you would appreciate the fact that we have 115 umpires from which we have to manage the domestic matches appointments keeping in mind the travelling of umpires from one venue to the other.

“However, we will definitely relook at the match allocations to ensure that top eight ranked umpires from Group C, no matter which association they belong to, are posted for Ranji matches,” the mail, a copy of which is with IANS, read.

Asked about BCCI’s reply, Dalmiya said, “It’s a routine matter and we don’t want to make an issue out of it. We wrote the letter in good faith and the BCCI has assured us that the matter would be looked into.”

In the letter, Dalmiya wrote: “I am constrained to write this mail to you regarding the posting of the BCCI umpires allocated by the Board for the upcoming matches to be played in December 2018.

“In this regard, you are aware that ranking of umpires for the season has been done by the BCCI and as part that, the highest ranking umpires are given the priority when allotments are done.

“However, we’ve been given to understand that despite the above policy in place, yesterday when the allotment were made, it was observed that while one to four ranked umpires were given postings in Ranji Trophy games, 5 to 32 ranked umpires were not considered for posting in Ranji Trophy matches to be played in December.

“The most surprising factor here is that again, the umpires who are ranked 33-35 in Group C were considered for Ranji Trophy matches,” the letter said.

IANS

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