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Amid similar efforts being made by other states, the Madhya Pradesh government too is trying hard to get a patent for basmati variety of rice, Chief Minister Shiraj Singh Chouhan has said.
Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh was strongly contesting the claims made by other states on the issue.
He also said that a law had been made in the state to regulate contract farming, which will help both landowners and lessees.
He was addressing farmers at an event here on Sunday.
Close to 25 per cent polling was registered in Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana parliamentary and Noorpur assembly seats on Monday, a poll official said.
In the first five hours the voter turnout has been 23 per cent in the crucial Kairana seat, while that in Noorpur was 24.6 per cent since polling began at 7 a.m., the poll official said. Voting will continue amid tight security till 6 p.m.
Both the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have filed complaints alleging that over 100 voting machines were malfunctioning.
In a letter accessed by IANS, the BJP has written to the State Election Commission that a large number of the EVMs were out of order forcing hundreds of voters to remain standed outside polling booths in the scorching heat.
It also put the reason for the sluggish pace of voting on the EVM-malfunction and said that booth officers have refused to accept their complaints.
In Kairana, the main contest is between Mriganka Singh of the ruling BJP and the RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan.
Singh, daughter of the late BJP MP from Kairana, Hukum Singh is counting on the sympathy wave in the name of her father and the power of the Yogi Adityanath government to win the election, while Hasan is pinning her hopes on the opposition unity as the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nishad Party, Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have extended their support to her.
In all there are 16,09,628 voters in Kairana of which 8,73,120 men, 7,36,431 women and 77 of the third gender.
In Noorpur, BJP’s Avni Singh is pitted against Naimul Hasan of the SP. There are 3,06,226 male voters, 1,41,924 women and 10 from the third gender.
The Election Commission official said there are 2,056 polling booths and 1,094 polling centres. To ensure free, fair and peaceful elections, it has deputed three general observers and two expenditure observers, besides 53 companies of the para-military forces and 10 companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC).
All the electronic voting machines (EVMs) being used in the two bypolls have VVPAT machines to enable the voter to see for whom he or she has voted.
A total of 2,651 EVM control units, 2,651 ballot units and 2,596 VVPAT’s are being used in the polling process, the official told IANS.
The statewide bandh urging waiver of farmer’s loans as promised by HD Kumaraswamy,chief minister in the manifesto of Janata Dal-Secular has turned violent at many places across the state.
It may be recalled here that BS Yeddyurappa, leader of the opposition had threatened in the state Assembly on last Friday:The Bharatiya Janata Party will call for a statewide bandh if the chief minister HD Kumaraswamy doesn’t announce waiver of 55,000 crore farmer’s loans availed from nationalised banks,district cooperative banks and rural credit societies.
Ever since his elevation as the chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has been dilly dallying on the issue and the main opposition BJP is making the issue a ploy to hammer the ruling party and the CM.
Initially BS Yeddyurappa had claimed that his party will call for the bandh and later changed his stance by proclaiming that it would be a self declared bandh but supported by the BJP.
Prathap Simha,Mysuru MP and Mysuru BJP MLAs’ A Ramdas and L Nagendra have been arrested for protesting against the state government in Mysuru.
Yadgir BJP MLA Mutnal is under attack from the television media for allegedly threatening the local hoteliers to close down the shutters to support the bandh.
Meanwhile a Indira Canteen has been vandalised allegedly by BJP sympathisers at Chitradurga. The movement of government buses came to a standstill in Dharwad while Karadi Sanganna,Koppal BJP MP led the procession in Koppal.
Hindusthan Samachar/Manohar Yadavatti
Keshava Vitla,senior press photographer died at the Wenlock government hospital in Mangaluru today.He had lost both his kidneys and was being treated for issues related to renal failure.A vegetable seller for living turned professional cameraman,Keshava Vitla had stints with Mungaru,Kannada Prabha of The Indian Express,The Telegraph and Hindusthan Times among many other newspaper publications.
His latest work on the facets of the state had become quite popular and the coffee table book had made him well known in the journalistic circles and elsewhere.He had also won many journalistic awards to his credit.He was unmarried.
Hindusthan Samachar/Manohar Yadavatti
Senior Congress legislator Siddu Bhimappa Nyamgoud from Karnataka’s Bagalkot district died in a road accident near here on Monday, police said.
He was 71 and leaves behind his widow, two sons and three daughters.
“The accident occurred near Tulasigiri village when the car in which Nyamgoud was traveling crashed into a divider after the driver lost control while trying to avoid a head-on collision with a truck,” Tulasegiri police inspector M.B. Biradar told IANS.
Bagalkot is 530 km from state capital Bengaluru and 20 km from Tulasegiri.
Four persons, including the driver, were injured. They have been admitted to a hospital here.
“The legislator was traveling to Jamkhandi via Bagalkot from Panaji in Goa upon his return from Delhi on Sunday night,” Biradar said.
Nyamgoud was re-elected to the state Assembly in the May 12 election, defeating BJP’s Kulkarni Shrikant Subrao by 2,795 votes.
The veteran party leader was a Union Minister in the P.V. Narasimha Rao cabinet in 1990-91.
Chief MinisterH.D. Kumaraswamy and many Congress leaders mourned his untimely death.
Polling in the Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly constituency in the city has begun on a slow pace as reports last ame in.The polling began at 7 am in the morning and is scheduled to continue till 6 pm in the evening.But only six percent of voters had polled so far according to reports.
The elections to this constituency was deferred following seizure of around 10,000 voter IDs’ belonging to the constituency in a apartment block.Though FIRs’ were lodged against 14 people including Muniratna,previous Congress MLA and present Congress party candidate the Congress nominee however was granted bail.
Both the ruling partners Janata Dal Secular and Congress parties are fighting against each other while the Bharatiya Janata Party has also ensured that the contest is triangular by being in the field.
Hindusthan Samachar/Manohar Yadavatti
Rights groups say Israeli ‘loyalty’ law threatens basic rights of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem [Reuters/Mussa Qawasma]
by Jaclynn Ashly, Al Jazeera
Ramallah, occupied West Bank: “Exile is like death,” Ahmad Attoun, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), told Al Jazeera. “I can’t explain my relationship to Jerusalem. It is part of my soul.”
“Jerusalem is now just a few metres away from me, but I can’t enter. There are no words to describe the pain we are feeling,” he said.
Attoun, along with PLC members Mohammad Totah, Mohammad Abu Teir and former Palestinian minister Khaled Abu Arafeh, were forcibly deported from occupied East Jerusalem in 2011 after Israel’s interior minister revoked their Jerusalem residencies over allegations of “breaching loyalty” to the Israeli state.
Attoun’s deportation from the city wreaked havoc on his life. He only sees his family on weekends when they travel to Ramallah, where he now resides. His eight-year-old daughter has never experienced living with her father.
“I wish I could see her just once in her school uniform when she comes home,” Attoun said, noting that his family has continued to reside in Jerusalem despite his expulsion.
“Despite the suffering, in my heart I know we are right. In the natural order, I must return to Jerusalem.”
On April 29, Israel’s Interior Minister Aryeh Deri upheld the deportation of the four parliamentarians, after Israel’s parliament passed a law in March granting the interior minister full power to revoke the Jerusalem residencies of Palestinians over allegations of “breaching allegiance” or “loyalty” to the Israeli state.
Rights groups have raised serious concerns over the new law, noting that the legislation is a clear breach of international law and threatens the basic rights of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem.
Palestinians fear the legislation will speed up the expulsion of Palestinians from the city, and be used to target Palestinians who criticise the Israeli state.
‘You will never return to Jerusalem’
Israel occupied and subsequently annexed East Jerusalem in 1967 – a move which was not accepted by the international community – with the exception of US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Israeli control over the occupied city in December 2017.
Palestinians residing in East Jerusalem following Israel’s occupation were not granted Israeli or Palestinian citizenship, but were instead issued Jerusalem residency ID cards, which can be revoked by Israel at any time.
Last year, Israel revoked the residency of 35 Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, including 17 women and four minors, according to Israeli rights group Hamoked.
Since 1967, almost 15,000 Palestinians have had their Jerusalem IDs revoked, mostly for failing to prove to Israeli authorities that Jerusalem or Israel was the centre of their life.
Attoun and the other Palestinian parliamentarians were targeted by Israel in 2006, after being elected to the PLC on the list of the Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform Movement in Jerusalem.
Israel considers Hamas, one of the most popular Palestinian political parties, a “terrorist” organisation.
Abu Arafeh was appointed the Palestinian Minister of Jerusalem Affairs.
Following the elections, then Israeli interior minister Roni Bar-On initiated the process of revoking their Jerusalem residencies over allegations of being “disloyal” to the Israeli state, owing to their membership to the PLC.
The four were subsequently sentenced to prison. Attoun, Totah and Abu Teir all spent four years behind bars, while Abu Arafeh served three years.
Upon their release in 2010, they received an official deportation notice from Israeli authorities, notifying them that they had just 30 days to leave Israel’s territory.
The parliamentarians decided to fight the decision.
Attoun, Totah and Abu Arafeh launched a nonviolent movement inside the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jerusalem, where they erected tents and lived inside the building in protest of Israel’s decision for a year and a half. Abu Teir was arrested by Israeli forces two days prior to the action.
However, in September 2011, members of Israel’s special police unit, disguised as lawyers, entered the ICRC headquarters, and violently dragged Attoun out of the building. Totah and Abu Arafah were arrested in similar fashion a few months later.
Attoun spent four months in Israel’s Al-Moscobiyeh detention in Jeursalem, before being forcibly transferred to Ramallah.
On that December day, he was told by an Israeli soldier at Israel’s Qalandiya checkpoint, standing between him and his home: “Now you are in the West Bank, and you will never return to Jerusalem.”
‘Leaving Palestinians stateless’
The exiled parliamentarians won an appeal against the interior minister’s decision in the Israeli Supreme Court last year. However, the Israeli government was given a six-month period to formulate legislation that could uphold their decision.
The new “breach of loyalty” legislation also applies to cases in which Palestinians provided false information to acquire their Jerusalem residences or have committed crimes.
Danny Shenhar, head of the legal department at Hamoked, told Al Jazeera that there were two other cases in which Palestinians had their Jerusalem residency status revoked owing to allegations of “breaching loyalty” or “allegiance” to the state.
One of the cases was Abed Dawiyat, a teenager who threw stones at an Israeli vehicle in Jerusalem in late 2015, resulting in the death of the driver. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The two other teens who were with Dawiyat at the time were also facing the revocation of their Jerusalem residencies after being accused of abetting the crime. However, their cases are still pending.
Shenhar said that the decision to retroactively apply the “breach of loyalty” law to these cases that occurred years ago “contravenes any idea of the rule of law”.
Under international humanitarian law, Israel, as an occupying power, cannot demand allegiance from an occupied population. However, “this is exactly what Israel is doing,” Shenhar noted.
“We adamantly oppose this law,” he added. “The decision is flawed on so many grounds.”
Palestinians in East Jerusalem are considered protected persons, and under international law their forcible transfer from the city is prohibited.
“Through this decision, Israel is leaving Palestinians stateless,” Shenhar told Al Jazeera.
Israel’s interior ministry did not reply to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on the matter.
Munir Nuseibah, the director of the Community Action Center in East Jerusalem – which provides legal support to Palestinians who have lost their Jerusalem residency status, said that the law also punishes the perpetrators twice for the same crime, noting that Palestinians already face heavy sentences in Israeli courts and controversial punitive policies targeting their families.
Following the stone-throwing incident, Dawiyat’s family was displaced from their home after Israel ruled to shutter the premise as a punitive measure against the family- a common Israeli policy condemned by rights groups as a form of “collective punishment”.
Far-reaching consequences
Owing to the ambiguity of what exactly constitutes a breach of loyalty or allegiance to the Israeli state, Palestinians and rights groups fear that the new law will have far-reaching consequences for Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
“If you leave such a draconic law with this much ambiguity surrounding it, then you give the state very strong powers to erode people’s basic rights,” Shenhar said.
In the case of the deported parliamentarians, Shenhar said the implications were “frightening to think about”.
“If the state uses this legislation to fight the [Palestinian] population, then you’re looking at a very problematic situation of mass residency revocations.”
The targeting of the parliamentarians has raised fears among Palestinians that the legislation could be applied to Palestinian activists in East Jerusalem, or worse, all Palestinians.
“Every Palestinian holds principles against the occupation and against the Israeli state,” Nuseibah said. “No one knows how far Israel will go with this law, but it’s clearly very dangerous.”
The legislation “gives Israel more control over Palestinian politics and activism, because the possibility of being kicked out of the city scares us,” he continued. “It will give Israel another opportunity to displace more Palestinians from the city.”
According to Nuseibah, even lawyers are at a loss as to how to defend Palestinians who could be targeted with the new law.
“How do you defend someone who is being accused of breaching allegiance to the Israeli state?” Nuseibah stated.
“Do we tell the judge he will kiss the Israeli flag every morning?”
Teaser Launch Of ‘10 Nahi 40’
The teaser of 10 Nahi 40 was launched in Mumbai with much fanfare. The director & actor of the film Dr. J S Randhawa was present at the event along with the senior artistes Birbal, Manmouji & Ramesh Goyal. 10 Nahi 40 is an exceptional film which highlights the major need of the society to understand & care for the elderly. The story is laced with loads of laughter in spite of dealing with a sensitive & serious issue. The film will reintroduce you to some veteran character artistes from yesteryears Birbal, Manmauji & Ramesh Goyal with current generation Manoj Bakshi. “Tum To Thaire Pardesi” famed singer Altaf Raja has rendered his voice to a song and is present in the movie too singing the same. 10 Nahi Chaalis starring Dr.J. S. Randhawa Aashi Singh, Sonal Mudgal Ranjan Singh Dr. Rakhi Anand Agarwal Manoj Bakshi, Ramesh Goyal, Birbal, Manmaujee, Mahesh Gehlout, Rajendra Bhatia & Mridul Gupta is currently in postproduction.
Lizaa Malik’s Debut With Sanjay Dutt In ‘Torbaaz’!
Lizaa Malik debuts in Bollywood alongside Sanjay Dutt in Torbaaz. The actress plays a key character in the film “Since it was Sanju sir’s film and I am a big fan of him, I didn’t mind playing the character role in that other than playing the lead but I would look forward to do more films with him.” For her debut film, Lizaa had to face a lot of challenges. The actress essays the role of an Afghani girl which is why Lizaa had to work very hard on her Afghani dialect “Their language & the way they talk is very different. I was put on to a tutor to learn the basics of the language” Lizaa may indeed be stylish on & off camera but the actress has no qualms about going completely de-glam for her role in the film “Audiences has always watched me in glamorous roles. However, for my role in Torbaaz, I did not want to use any make up at all, because I felt it would not suit my character and I wanted to be as real as possible.”Torbaaz is based in Afghanistan and is a story about child suicide bombers of Afghanistan, who have been trained to believe that killing is a virtue & glory is in afterlife”.
Sneha Is Glad About Not Being A Showpiece!
The biggest rappers of our nation release music videos every other day and we find one thing common, presence of women in them who are so dolled up that they’re almost irrelevant for the part. That isn’t the case for actress Sneha Namanandi who features in “Humsafar” from Badrinath Ki Dulhania fame singer Akhil Sachdeva’s 1st ever single “Gal Sun” released by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and the lyrics have been penned by Manoj Muntashir.In the video, she plays a lover whom the singer is trying to get back after serving his jail term post a mishap. Sneha is being applauded for her simplicity & expressions in the video that is catching fire by the passing day. Upon featuring in this romantic number. On the Bollywood front, she has a big film in the pipeline which she’ll talk about very soon.
Vinod Rathod Records For ‘Woh Kaun Thi-The Murder Mystery’’
Vinod Rathod has recorded a song for Hindi film Woh Kaun Hai-The Murder Mystery. The song set to music by Music Director Sanjay Raj was recorded at Kumar Sanu Studio. Producer P. Abhaykumar & Director D. K. Barnwal were also present on the occasion. P. Abhaykumar announced the name of the film Woh Kaun Thi-The Murder Mystery” on his birthday. Shooting for the film is all set to start very soon. The main character in the film is played by Telugu actress Vrushali Goswami and this being her debut film in Hindi she is fully excited. Vinod Rathod learnt music from his eminent father Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod. He has rendered songs with legendary Lata Mangeshkar & Suresh Wadkar, Sadhana Sargam, Anuradha Paudwal, Alka Yagnik & Kavita Krishnamurthy. Vinod Rathod has earned many awards so far and has sung in varied languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, English, Gujrathi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Bangla, Oriya, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri as well as in Persian. It is learnt that he is going to record some more songs for Woh Kaun Thi-The Murder Mystery
Sanjay Dutts Productions’ ‘Prasthaanam’ To Be Launched On Nargisji’s Birthday
Sanjay Dutt’s Productions which is all set to produce the Hindi remake of Telugu hit Prasthaanam, will have the film go on the floors on the birthday of Sanjay Dutt’s mother Nargisji. Sanjay Dutt who will be seen playing one of the lead roles in the film was keen on starting this new venture on the day of his mother’s birth marking it to be a milestone for the film. The film which is a family drama with a political backdrop will be shot in Lucknow and also stars Ali Fazal & Amyra Dastur. Deva Katta, who directed the original movie, will also helm the Hindi project. Sanjay Dutt’s production house is getting back to producing films after 7 years with this anticipated film which had created a lot of buzz during the Telugu release.
Krushna Abhishek Plays The Tharki Hero In ‘Teri Bhabhi Hai Pagle’!
Viinod Tiwarri’s Teri Bhabhi Hain Pagle’s 1st ever character poster has been unveiled. Krushna Abhishek will be seen in the character of Tharki hero, Raj Chopada. The film is a comedy drama of a complicated love story, directed by Viinod Tiwarri and has an ensemble cast of Krushna Abhishek, Rajniesh Duggall, Nazia Hussain along with Deepshika Nagpal, Mukul Dev, Sunil Pal, Khayali Ram, Nancy Marwah & Aman Verma. The film is presented by Nostrum Entertainment and is produced by Raj Nostrum, Haresh Kumar Nor & Viinod Tiwarri and will release on 6th Jul, 2018.
Sandeep Mohan Announces New Feature Film “Nirmal Anand Ki Puppy”, India’s 1st Ever Film Scripted By A Man & A Dog
Director Sandeep Mohan is all set to announce his film, Nirmal Anand Ki Puppy. The movie is all set to go on the floors in Sept, 2018. After the success of his Love Wrinkle-free, Hola Venky & Shreelancer, Sandeep Mohan is ready to start his 4th feature film. The film will be India’s 1st ever film scripted by a man and a dog. Written along with his pet dog Hermione, the movie Nirmal Anand Ki Puppy promises to be one of the most awaited comedy for its audiences and is all set to release early 2019.The film stars Karanveer Khullar (an actor, model, theatre artist, known for his 1st ever commercial debut Rocky Mental), Gillian Pinto (a theatre actress known for Jolly LLB 2), Khushboo Upadhyay (an actress known for City Lights), Vipin Heero (singer, song writer & composer) & Salmin Sheriff (theatre artist for over 25 years, also acted in Shreelancer). Sandeep in his own way has made a mark for himself and his films through his entertaining offbeat films. Also, his innovative approach to taking his films to the audiences has always endeared him to the new age audiences.
Nikkhil Advani To Direct ‘Batla House’ With John Abraham
Nikkhil Advani is all set to make his next directorial venture with John Abraham in the lead. After directing the much acclaimed D-Day & POW: Bandhi Yuddh Ke and producing Airlift, he will tell the story of the encounter at L-18 Batla House, Delhi which happened in Sept, 2008. It was one of the most talked-about police operations of recent times. Nikkhil Advani last directed John Abraham in Salaam-E-Ishq and is currently producing Satyameva Jayate starring John Abraham & Manoj Bajpayee which is releasing on 15th Aug, 2018. Batla House will go on the floors this Sept and will be shot in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur & Nepal. The film will be produced by Emmay Entertainment & Motion Pictures LLP in association with Bake My Cake Films.
Vidya Balan Joins The Fight Against Child Sexual Abuse As Arpan’s Goodwill Ambassador
Mumbai based leading non-profit organization working on the issue of Child Sexual Abuse has engaged Vidya Balan as their goodwill ambassador. She had played the role of Durga Rani Singh a survivor of child sexual abuse, in the movie Kahaani 2, where she saved another child who was being sexually abused by her uncle. Vidya said “I first connected with Arpan during the filming of Kahaani 2 to understand the issue better and get into the skin of my role. I was amazed by the kind of work Arpan does on the issue especially working with children across age groups and their caregivers to prevent Child Sexual Abuse and heal survivors from the trauma of such an ordeal. As a society, it is critical that we look at how such a social evil can be prevented and how each of us can play a role in keeping children safe.” Ms. Pooja Taparia, Founder & CEO of Arpan said “It is an honour for Arpan to have a celebrated actor like Vidya Balan as our Goodwill ambassador. Arpan has played a very important role in the lives of numerous children & adults in the prevention of Child Sexual Abuse”.
Kajol Starrer Tentatively Titled ‘Eela’ All Set To Release On 14th Sept 2018
Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, Eela (tentative title) starring Kajol will be all set to hit the theaters on 14th Sept, 2018. The film also stars the National Award winning actor, Riddhi Sen who will be playing Kajol’s son. Written by Mitesh Shah, the film will see Kajol playing a single mother and an aspiring singer. The movie is produced by Ajay Devgn & Jayantilal Gada (Pen India Limited) and is all set to release on 14th Sept, 2018.
Varun Launches His Clothing Line With “Dhawan And Only”
Following in the footsteps of his peers including Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja & Anushka Sharma, Varun Dhawan too ventures into the world of fashion with his recently launched clothing line, Dhawan And Only. The brand is his brainchild and he has designed the 1st edition of the collection in such a manner so as to appeal to the youth. The slogans on the tees are simple so that it is able to connect to people. The actor says, “I wanted the collection to sell on merit. So, we put out only a few pieces and they are sold out at many outlets. So far, the tees are available in solid colors with a slogan running on them. The sayings are my idea.” Varun’s Kalank co-star Alia Bhatt, too was seen sporting a tee from the collection. The collection available in FBB outlets across metros has already found takers despite the low-key promotion.
Panorama Studios To Produce A Biopic Based On Sumedha Mahajan’s No.1 Bestseller, “Miles To Run Before I Sleep”!
After the phenomenal success of Raid, father-son producer Kumar Mangat & Abhishek Pathak of Panorama Studios have acquired the rights of the best seller on Amazon India, “Miles To Run Before I Sleep”. The book is written by Sumedha Mahajan and is a true story of herself, a married, working woman who undertook an extraordinary journey of running 1500 kms in 30 days from Delhi to Mumbai. Abhishek Pathak, producer & MD at Panorama Studios, says, “Sumedha Mahajan’s inspiring story just goes to show that if one has a strong will nothing is impossible. Before even reading the book, when she narrated her journey, we were spellbound and after reading the book and the manner in which she went about overcoming a chronic asthma condition, fighting all odds and emerging a winner, is truly extraordinary.” Panorama Studios is now in talks with leading A-list actresses to step into Sumedha’s shoes.
Ronnie Screwvala & Siddharth Roy Kapur Reunite At The Movies With ‘Pihu’
RSVP & Roy Kapur Films to join hands for this path-breaking film – Pihu, directed by national award winner Vinod Kapri, all set to release on 3rd Aug, 2018. Known to have backed path breaking & unconventional cinema like – Dev D, A Wednesday, Rang De Basanti & Barfii – in their 1st ever innings together at UTV, Ronnie & Siddharth seem to have picked up where they left off from. Their 1st ever collaboration – Pihu in their new avatars at RSVP & Roy Kapur Films, is a testament to their belief in content-driven films. Pihu, directed by journalist turned filmmaker Vinod Kapri is a 1st ever for Indian cinema in every aspect. Circumstances lead to a 2 year old girl Pihu being left alone in an apartment. What ensues, makes for an edge of the seat social thriller, based on a true story which is sure to blow your mind. The fact that it’s the only film in the history of our cinema to have just one character throughout played by a 2 year old child makes this movie absolutely incredible. Ronnie & Siddharth have identified the unique potential in Pihu to break norms of storytelling, push boundaries of narrative & discovered a fresh new directorial voice in Vinod Kapri.
Khayyam Saheb Donates Rs. 1.5 Lakh To Fwice For Cine Workers’ Welfare
Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), helmed by its President B. N. Tiwari & General Secretary Ashok Dubey hosted a grand press meet in their office situated at Andheri (West). On this occasion veteran music director & The Padma Bhushan Award winner Khayyam Saheb & his wife Jagjeet Kaur visited the association’s office to donate a cheque of Rs.1,50,000 to FWICE for the welfare of cine workers. This is 3rd time in a row that they have been donating to the association through their KPJ Charitable Trust. The event was attended by Anup Jalota, Film Studios Setting & Allied Mazdoor Union’s (FSSAMU) General Secretary Gangeshwarlal Shrivastav a.k.a Sanju, Cine & TV Artistes Association’s (CINTAA) General Secretary Sushant Singh etc. B. N. Tiwari, President of FWICE said, “We are thankful to Khayyam Saheb who is thinking about the workers’ welfare associated with our film industry.” The 92 year old Khayyam Sahab enunciates, “Film Industry has given me so much in wealth & fame. So in turn we thought of giving it back. Even when we are not around; our trust will be donating this amount every year. Every year Rs. 5 lakh will be donated to Prime Ministers’ fund. Some amount too will also be earmarked for Maharashtra Chief Ministers’ welfare fund. The trust will also help individual cine workers to the tune of Rs. 10,000 to 20,000 also.” Also present were Kishan Sharma & Sushant Singh – actor & General Secretary of Cine & TV Artistes Association (CINTAA).
Aushim Khetarpal’s Book On Match Fixing “The Chosen One” To Be Made Into Film
After going through an extensive development period, actor-filmmaker Aushim Khetarpal, is producing a movie on his life along with a Hollywood production house. It is actually based on his book titled “The Chosen One”. In 1999, Khetarpal a sports promoter through his company, Radiant Sports Management Company too got linked to match fixing but won the case and was given a clean chit from Scotland Yard. Aushim Khetarpal says, “The book was an effort to show my journey, from being a tennis player of the country to sports promoter, filmmaker, producing television shows, spiritual speaker and how it changed my entire course of life in the last span of 19 years. I was running a sports management company which had attained recognition for getting sponsors and then my name was embroiled in a controversy. I want the same to be exhibited on celluloid and release it worldwide to wider audience to know the real aspects. It is titled as Om Allah and will be made in Hindi & English. Vikas Kapoor has written the story & screenplay for the film. The songs of the film have also been recorded in the voices of Asha Bhosle, Humsar Hyaat, Anup Jalota & Alisha Chinoy.”
Russia slams ‘discrediting’ bid after Netherlands and Australia say it’s liable for 2014 downing of jet that killed 298.
All 298 people aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 17 were killed when the plane was brought down on July 17, 2014 [EPA]
by Al Jazeera
The Netherlands and Australia have formally accused Russia of being responsible for the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet in 2014 that killed 298 people.
The move on Friday came a day after international investigators concluded that the missile which smashed into the flight MH17 came from a Russian military brigade in Kursk.
At the time of the incident on July 17, 2014, pro-Russian separatists were fighting Ukrainian government forces in the region.
The Boeing 777 broke apart in midair, flinging wreckage over several kilometres of fields in rebel-held territory.
The two countries “hold Russia responsible for its part in the downing” of the Malaysia Airlines flight, the Dutch government said in a statement on Friday.
They may now move towards submitting the complex dossier to an international judge or organisation, it added.
“Australia and the Netherlands have now informed the Russian Federation that we hold it responsible under international law for its role in the bringing down of MH17,” said Julie Bishop, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.
“Australia and the Netherlands have requested Russia to enter into negotiations to open up a dialogue about its conduct and to seek reparations.”
Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands, reporting from Russia’s second biggest city of St Petersburg, said the evidence provided by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) led the Netherlands and Australia to believe that Russia was responsible.
“Holding a country legally responsible is a complex process but what Netherlands and Australia want is for Russia to enter into negotiations with both of them which will ultimately lead to reparations for the victims’ families.”
‘Discredit Russia’
Russia said on Friday the Netherlands had provided no evidence that Moscow was directly behind the shooting down of flight MH17, accusing the Dutch of promoting their own agenda.
“They have practically no doubt that the BUK missile came from Russia,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in St Petersburg.
“I asked [Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok] about facts proving these claims. He did not give me any facts saying they want Russia to help establish them based on unfounded suspicions,” Lavrov said.
He accused the Dutch of using the tragedy to “achieve their own political goals”.
“We are still ready to cooperate,” Lavrov added, saying that information that Russia has supplied should not be ignored or used selectively.
Russian President Vladimir Putin late on Thursday repeated calls that Moscow should be included in the investigation team.
The Russian foreign ministry also denounced what it called an attempt to “discredit Russia in the eyes of the international community”, but investigators, who painstaking recreated the BUK missile system’s route from Kursk across the border into rebel-held eastern Ukraine using videos and photos, stood by their findings.
The team “has come to the conclusion that the BUK-TELAR that shot down MH17 came from 53rd Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade based in Kursk in Russia,” top Dutch investigator Wilbert Paulissen said.
“The 53rd Brigade forms part of the Russian armed forces,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Prosecutors have said that the BUK missile system was fired from the Ukraine village of Pervomaysk and later returned to Russian territory.
Investigation officials have not yet said who actually fired the missile, stressing that the probe continues.
They have appealed for further information, especially from those who know people among the 53rd Brigade, as they seek to bring criminal charges against those who ordered the plane to be shot down.
Challands said that the information available was enough for Australia and the Netherlands to “push forward and accuse Russia of being responsible for the deaths of all those people”.
“Essentially for Russia this is a political culture where admitting any kind of guilt or contrition is essentially seen as a sign of weakness and for Vladimir Putin, who has invested so much political capital in his image around the world as a strong man leader, it’s basically not in his interests to back down or accept any of these findings now,” Challands said.
JINAGI AGO JUNG Recording Starts
The songs recording of Upendra Films Creation’s JINAGI AGO JUNG has started at High-N-Mid Studio, Andheri West, Mumbai from 23rd May, 2018 under the supervision of music director Aman Shlok. The songs were rendered by Rakesh Mishra, Pamela Jain & Alka Jha. The credits of the film are produced by Upendra Giri, directed by Sanjay Kumar Sinha, written by Jitendra Suman, lyrics by Santosh Puri, Shekhar Madhur & Arvind Tiwari & art by Mukesh Sinha. Its stars Rakesh Mishra & Gunjan Pant in main lead role. Rest of the cast & the credits are under finalization. The film will mount the sets in Jun, 2018 with a start to finish shooting schedule.
PATNA WALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE Releasing On 1st Jun, 2018 in Bihar
Shree Kamala Film’s PATNAWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE is going to be released on 1st Jun, 2018 in Bihar at 25 prominent cinemas by Rajrath Films (Bittu Singh). The credits of the film are produced by Keshari Nath, directed by Sanjay Kumar Sinha, written by Jeetendra Suman, music by Aman Shlok, lyrics by Santosh Puri, action by Pradip Khadka, editing by Govind Dubey, choreography by Kedar Subba & cinematography by Saanu Sinha. It stars Gunjan Pant, Kalpana Shah, Kirshore Singh “Munna”, Kritn Ajitesh, Bipin Kumar, Ramesh Singh, Rahul Shrivastava, Om Kapoor, Jayant Kumar, Rupa Singh, Subodh Seth, Santosh Sinha, Ashok Gupta, Brijesh Kumar, Chhaya, Amar Singh, Ekta Verma & Seema Singh.
KAHANI KASHI KI Music Released
The music of Subi Films Production’s KAHANI KASHI KI has been released on 21st May, 2018 at I.M.A. Hall, Gandhi Maidan, Bihar by SRK Music. The credits of the film are produced by Binita Kumar Kushwaha, directed by Rajesh Sinha, music by Nirmal Agastya, Vinod & Pritesh Pandey. Singers are Indu Sonali, Mohan Rathod, Khushboo Jain, Mamta Raut, Rakesh Mishra, Satyam Prakash & Shanu Syed. It stars Anand Dev Mishra, Koyal Banerjee, Sunil Bihari, Mithlesh Suman, Subhash Kumar, Anushka Verma, Ashok Akhouri et al.
NAMASTE BIHAR VFX Progresses
The VFX of Omkar Film & Television Production’s NAMASTE BIHAR is currently in progress at Raj Studio, Andheri West, Mumbai. The credits of the film are concept & produced by Rajan Kumar, directed by Laxman Sinha, screenplay by Nehal Ahmed, lyrics by Rajesh Mishra, Satish Sinha & Santosh Puri, music by Aman Shlok, choreography by Gaurav Kaushik, art by Govind Sahani, editing by Nakul Prasad & cinematography by Anil Vaghela. Co-producers: Advocate Kalpana Waskar & Laxman Prasad Singh. The film stars debutante Bhumika Kalita, Rajan Kumar, Manoj Sinha, Monika Kanti, Madhusudan Atmiya, Devnayak Das, Jeetendra Singh, Sohail Rana, Pramod Nirala, Rajesh Kushwaha, Harsh Kumar, Preetam Adhikari & Ex. Chief Minister-Bihar Satish Prasad Singh. Dr. Pawan Agrawal presents the film.