Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / 2018 / Archives for December 2018

Archives for December 2018

Bollywood Buzz

by

Sonu Nigam & Hariharan Performed Live For A Chritable Cause
 
One of the choicest of music concerts “Rehmatein” is back with its 6th edition! This time with music veterans Sonu Nigam & Hariharan at the helm of affairs, and an 18 piece orchestra set up, “Rehmatein 6” was bigger. “Rehmatein 6”, the biggest fundraiser event from Sangeetam Charitable Trust, was hosted by E-Bizz Entertainment Pvt Ltd at Shanmukhanand Hall, Sion Mumbai.  
 
The concert was a full house with a noble cause attached to it. Hariharan & Sonu Nigam sang all their major super hit songs for the audiences & the guests.
 
Padam Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Padamshri Anup Jalota, Talat Aziz, Salim Merchant, Jaspinder Narula, Leslie Lewis & Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor attended the concert.
 
Saurabh Daftary thanked all his sponsors namely LIC, Kanakia Builders, SBI, Axis Mutual Funds, Mahindra Finance & even the audiences for their support for this noble cause.
 
The trust, co-founded by Saurabh Daftary, has been extending financial aid to the artists of the music fraternity over the last decade & over the last 5 year via “Rehmatein”. While in the 1styear they presented an amount of 5 Lakhs to the living legends of our industry Khayyam Saab & Rajendra Mehta, in the 2ndyear “Rehmatein” gave medical insurance cover to as many as 20 musicians. In their 3rd, 4th & 5th year they gave medical aide & insurance cover to over 100 musicians.
 
However, this time around “Rehmatein 6” will be contributing to the “Kerala Relief Fund” & little does one know, that the show had already taken up about 80% occupancy!
 

Film Festival Round Up 

by

Director Shaad Ali Dicussing Movies With The Film Critics At IFFI
The Internation Film Festival Of India (IFFI Goa 2018) also saw some of the leading film critics of the country engage in a conversation on the new age of cinema & how the lines between commercial mainstream cinema & alternative cinema are blurring. This elite panel included film critics like Bhawana Somaaya, Rajeev Masand & Anupama Chopra along with trade analyst Komal Nahata & filmmaker Shaad Ali (of Bunty Aur Babli & Saathiya fame) & Ankur Mehra (of Facebook fame) moderating the session. 
 
This is especially true in a year where some of the biggest films have been those without stars but with amazingly fresh storylines. These include films like Badhai Ho, Stree & Raazi.
Starting of the panel on a light note Komal Nahata said that, “Because we don’t pay for our tickets & popcorn, we try to save other people’s money by giving a fair opinion.” Rajeev Masand added that “a lot of people don’t know what we do”, to which Komal Nahata retorted, “Even I don’t know what we do.”
Things soon took a serious turn with the conversation veering to how films are judged in India. When asked about his opinion filmmaker Shaad Ali mentioned that, “Films should not be judged by how much money is spent on them. Everyone works equally hard on their films.”
Throwing light on the role of the exhibitors & their perceived knowledge of what works & what doesn’t, Komal Nahata said that, “All the exhibitors understand is that ‘if the film gets an opening, then it will be a hit & if it doesn’t then it will flop.’ I don’t agree with that. That is why I like to see the film with the audience. The opening day figures of a film are not as important as the feeling & mood of the audience when they are watching a film.”
Speaking on the on-going audience evolution & their changing tastes as far as cinema is concerned, Anupama Chopra said, “There is no art-house cinema or mainstream cinema. What is Andhadhun? What is Badhai Ho? What is Sriram Raghavan? Is he an art-house filmmaker or a mainstream filmmaker? Now the lines are blurred, almost extinguished”.
Rajeev Masand added that, “It’s really an exciting time. Ideas & themes that wouldn’t usually be touched upon by the mainstream are today getting funded.” Komal Nahata added, “The audience has evolved, they see world cinema on their smartphones, they are receptive to different themes now. Therefore they appreciate films without a star-cast or middle of the road.”
The audience peppered the panel with questions on what the future holds for Indian cinema and how they see the market evolving further.

Salman Khan is richest Indian celebrity: Forbes

by

 Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is the richest Indian celebrity, according to the 2018 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, which he has topped for the third consecutive year. Shah Rukh Khan has fallen out of the top 10 list.

The 2018 Forbes India Celebrity 100 List rankings are based on estimates of entertainment-related earnings of celebrities. The period under consideration is October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018.

The actor’s earnings are pegged at Rs 253.25 crore. Salman, 52, cemented his place in the top spot thanks to the commercial success of his movies “Tiger Zinda Hai” and “Race 3”. His earnings were backed by endorsements of several consumer-facing brands, and constitute 8.06 percent of the total earnings — Rs 3,140.25 crore — of the top 100 celebrities for the year, read a statement from Forbes.

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli jumped one spot to the second rank, with total earnings of Rs 228.09 crore, a sharp increase of 116.53 percent from the previous year. Actor Akshay Kumar completed the top three, with Rs 185 crore in earnings in the period under consideration for the list.

With no movie releases in 2017, Shah Rukh Khan, who was at the second spot on the 2017 Forbes India Celebrity list, fell out of the top 10. His earnings were down 33 percent this year, at Rs 56 crore from endorsements, placing him at rank 13 on the list.

Newly-wed actress Deepika Padukone broke into the top five on the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list — the first woman celebrity to find place in the top five — with earnings of Rs 112.8 crore, placing her firmly at rank 4, thanks to the commercial success of “Padmaavat”, and her brand endorsements.

Cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni rounded up the top five with Rs 101.77 crore, followed by Aamir Khan (Rs 97.50 crore), Amitabh Bachchan (Rs 96.17 crore), Ranveer Singh (Rs 84.7 crore), Sachin Tendulkar (Rs 80.00 crore) and Ajay Devgn (Rs 74.50 crore) making it to the top 10.

There is mixed representation from the prolific South Indian film industry. There are 17 celebrities from the South this year against 13 on the 2017 list. The number of Bollywood actors is down from 33 to 31, despite their cumulative earnings increasing by 12.89 percent from the previous year.

Brian Carvalho, Editor, Forbes India, said: “The Celebrity 100 is a definitive barometer of earnings of celebrities. Besides the earnings charts and cover stories on high-fliers like Sachin Tendulkar, Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, we have also covered in the Celebrity 100 Special issue a whole new generation of celebrities — the unlikeliest of YouTube stars from the hinterland, a rapper from the Mumbai ghettos and an activist actor from Kerala taking on misogyny head-on in the testosterone driven Malayalam film industry.”

Indian cricket team all-rounder Hardik Pandya, with earnings to the tune of Rs 28.46 crore, was the highest gainer (in percentage terms), with his annual earnings rising nearly nine times.

Actress Nayanthara, whose earnings stand at Rs 15.17 crore, is the only woman from the South Indian film industry to make it to the list, following the success of her dark comedy, “Kolamavu Kokila” and the thriller “Aramm”.

ISL: North East aim to break Bengaluru dominance in top of table clash

by

 In-form NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) will look to break Bengaluru FC’s dominance and close the gap at the top of the table when the two sides clash in an Indian Super League (ISL) game at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here on Wednesday.

Bengaluru have been the best team in the league so far, remaining unbeaten in eight matches, wining seven of them, including six on the trot.

But they will still be on their guard as they are challenged by the next best side in the league, who are placed second and have 18 points from nine matches.

NorthEast coach Eelco Schattorie will be highly motivated to end Bengaluru’s unbeaten run. The home side have not exactly been in red-hot form this season, particularly at home.

They have registered a single win in their four matches on home soil but coach Eelco Schattorie will hope they can get a positive result as they attempt to break the 20-point mark at the start of the second leg.

It will not be easy for the team, particularly with matches coming in thick and fast.

“I think Bengaluru have an advantage here (because of the fixtures). But they don’t have their best player (Miku) available, so I think that’s a disadvantage. But they have shown that they can win games even without him. They have conceded just six goals so far so breaking them open will be difficult,” said Schattorie.

In midfield, Jose Leudo and Rowllin Borges will have to shoulder additional responsibility as they come up against a solid midfield pivot consisting of Dimas Delgado and Erik Paartalu.

Bengaluru have maintained a 100 percent record on the road, winning each of their four away games. Despite the continued absence of Miku, who has been a vital cog in their team, the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh and others have stepped up to the challenge.

Bengaluru coach Carles Cuadrat will be pleased with the collective effort of his squad in front of goal. Players such as Rahul Bheke and Nishu Kumar have contributed with a goal or two as Bengaluru continue their march into the play-offs.

“NorthEast United FC have done really well this season. From all their games that I’ve watched this season, I can see that there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes. They’ve been working hard and you can also see that they have done well with their scouting. They’ve brought in some good players and you can see that the club is growing,” said Cuadrat.

Bengaluru have looked susceptible to pressure outside their Fortress as they have conceded at least a goal in their last three away games. Schattorie would have done his homework and now it’s over to his boys to do the needful.

‘Medical milestone’ as first baby born from womb of dead donor

by

A woman in Brazil who received a womb transplanted from a dead donor has given birth to a healthy baby girl in the first successful case of its kind, doctors reported.

The breakthrough operation, carried out in September 2016, shows that such transplants are feasible and could help thousands of women unable to have children due to uterine problems, according to a study published on Wednesday in The Lancet medical journal.

The case involved connecting veins from the donor uterus with the then-32-year-old’s recipient’s veins, as well as linking arteries, ligaments and vaginal canals.

It comes after 10 previously known cases of uterus transplants from deceased donors – in the United States, the Czech Republic and Turkey – failed to produce a live birth.

The girl born in the Brazilian case was delivered via caesarean section at 35 weeks and three days, and weighed 2,550 grams, the case study said.

Dani Ejzenberg, a doctor at Brazil’s Sao Paulo University hospital who led the research, said the transplant shows the technique is feasible and could offer women with uterine infertility access to a larger pool of potential donors.

The current norm for receiving a womb transplant is that the organ would come from a live family member willing to donate it.

“The numbers of people willing and committed to donate organs upon their own deaths are far larger than those of live donors, offering a much wider potential donor population,” Ejzenberg said in a statement about the results, describing the procedure as a “medical milestone”.

She added, however, that the outcomes and effects of womb donations from live and deceased donors have yet to be compared, and said the technique could still be refined and optimised.

‘Extremely exciting’

The first baby born after a live donor womb transplant was in Sweden in 2013. Scientists have so far reported a total of 39 procedures of this kind, resulting in 11 live births.

Experts estimate that infertility affects around 10 to 15 percent of couples of reproductive age worldwide. Of this group, around two in 1,000 women have uterine problems.

Before uterus transplants became possible, the only options to have a child were adoption or surrogacy.In the Brazilian case, the recipient had been born without a uterus due to a condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. The donor was 45 and died of a stroke.

Five months after the transplant, Ejzenberg’s team wrote, the uterus showed no signs of rejection, ultrasound scans were normal, and the recipient was having regular menstruation. The woman’s previously fertilised and frozen eggs were implanted after seven months and 10 days later she was confirmed pregnant.

At seven months and 20 days – when the case study report was submitted to The Lancet – the baby girl was continuing to breastfeed and weighed 7.2kg.

“We must congratulate the authors,” commented Srdjan Saso, an honorary clinical lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology at Imperial College London, describing the findings as “extremely exciting”.

Richard Kennedy, president of the International Federation of Fertility Societies, also welcomed the announcement but sounded a note of caution.

“Uterine transplant is a novel technique and should be regarded as experimental,” he said.

Aljazeera

Inspector killed in Bulandshahr violence cremated

by

 Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was killed in a mob violence in Bulandshahr district of western Uttar Pradesh on Monday, was on Tuesday cremated in his ancestral village Jaithra in Etah district, police said.

Amid a sea of emotions, senior police officials played the pallbearers, before the body of Singh wrapped in a tri-colour was put on the funeral pyre.

The cremation was got delayed since the relatives and family members of the slain officer demanded that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath come and meet them and that the village be declared a martyr’s village.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of the region, including Farrukhabad MP Mukesh Rajput and Aliganj legislator Satyapal Singh Rathore, pacified the heart-broken family members and assured them that their demands will be met.

The family also alleged that the Inspector was shot dead in a planned manner and under a deep-rooted conspiracy. Lawmakers told the family that a probe is underway and that all angles are being investigated. They also said that justice will be done to them.

Meanwhile, Sumit, the youth who was also killed by a bullet in Monday’s violence in Bulandshahr, was also cremated in his village. His family has alleged that he was innocent and had gone to drop a friend to the bus stop and he was shot on his way back.

The family also alleged that slain Inspector Singh had shot him.

IANS

Delhi franchise unveils new name, logo for upcoming IPL edition

by

 The Delhi franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL) unveiled its new identity on Tuesday, which includes a new name, new crest and new colours for the upcoming season.

Delhi Daredevils have renamed themselves as Delhi Capitals. The new name originates from an identity that’s exclusive to Delhi — the capital of India.

Delhi Capitals will compete in the 12th season of the Indian Premier League under the guidance of head coach Ricky Ponting, assistant coach Mohammad Kaif, bowling coach James Hopes and captain Shreyas Iyer.

“We, at JSW Sports, are proud to be associated with the capital city of India and wanted our team, our players, our fans to wear that fact with pride.” said Parth Jindal, Co-Owner and Chairman, Delhi Capitals.

“With a new name, a new logo and a new look, Delhi Capitals’ vision is to continuously entertain fans all across through high quality performances, both on and off field. We also want to revolutionize the way the fans connect and engage with their favourite franchise. We believe a change in identity for the club was necessary to effectively live and breathe this vision,” he added.

Delhi Capitals will sport a new logo and crest for the upcoming Indian Premier League season.

“I have been through a lot of ups and downs in my time as a cricketer, and have realised how important it is to sometimes take a step back and start afresh,” Ponting said.

“A new ideology and approach can do wonders towards revitalising a team, renewing their energy and spirit, which will in turn permeate into the team’s performances. Our team currently has all these in abundance and our goal is to achieve our new vision,” he added.

Delhi Capitals traded in Shikhar Dhawan and have retained 14 players ahead of IPL 12 auctions and are aiming for a right mix of players for the upcoming season.

IANS

2018 Hockey WC: Australia outclass England 3-0 in Pool B tie  

by

Australia outclassed England 3-0 in a complete one-sided Pool B affair of the ongoing 2018 Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga stadium here on Tuesday.

With this win, Australia topped their group chart with two wins from as many games and six points in their kitty, while England are at the second spot after suffering a loss and playing a draw.

The contest remained goalless for the first three quarters before Jake Whetton found the back of the net in the 47th minute to put Australia ahead.

Three minutes later, Blake Govers’ goal extended Australia’s lead to 2-0, while Corey Weyer also scored in the 56th minute to make the scoreline read 3-0.

IANS

Hockey players shake a leg, share experiences at Fan Village in Odisha

by

 The hockey players, who are showing their mesmerising skills on the ground in the Men’s Hockey World Cup, entertained the fans with their dancing skills at Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday.

The participating teams visited the Fan Village and shared their experience, likings for different Indian foods and journey so far with the spectators. While they shook a leg on several Bollywood numbers, they also took selfies with the fans.

The Fan Village set up in an area of 18,000 square meters has been designed to keep the visitors engaged in various activities.

The players of South Africa, Belgium and India visited the village on Tuesday.

“It’s nice to see that people here are more interested in sports much more than Europe. It is amazing while interacting with the people and participating in the event,” Belgian player Simon Gougnard told IANS.

Some Belgian players shared their liking for the Indian foods including chicken and paneer.

“Although the Indian foods are little spicy, I like these. I like black dal and butter chicken,” said Arthur Van Doren.

The Indian players, who visited the Fan Village with their chief coach Harendra Singh, also shared their experiences with the audience.

“I feel very happy being here. This is not the first tournament I am playing here. I have already played two tournaments here. The support of the crowd is amazing. It is like the second home for us. The support of the crowd works like a 12th player. They are very friendly,” said Indian hockey team captain Manpreet Singh.

The Indian team was accorded a grand welcome at the Odisha Police stall at the Fan Village.

The Indian hockey team on Tuesday visited seabeach in pilgrim town Puri and played football.

“We feel relaxed and we are enjoying the gap time. We went to Puri and spent some time there. We also played football on the beach,” said Birendra Lakra.

He said visiting the Fan Village and interacting with the hockey fans was amazing.

Pool D teams Malaysia, The Netherlands and Germany will visit the Fan Village on December 6. France, New Zealand, Argentina and Spain will visit on December 7 while China, England, Ireland and defending world champions Australia will pay a visit to meet their fans on December 8.

There are plenty of other activities in the Fan Village with activities that range from anti-gravity photo booth which lets people click gravity-defying photos in a hockey stadium ambience while those who wish to take a 360 degree photo can do so at the 360 degree photo booth.

The massive fan village also features several eatery stalls including those of local specialities like the Odisha Millet Missions for those who prefer to eat healthy.

The organisers have also created a three-a-side hockey turf for those who feel inspired by their favourite stars playing the prestigious event and wish to emulate the action on a mini-turf.

Gambhir retires from all forms of cricket

by

 India discard Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The Ranji Trophy game between Delhi and Andhra starting on Thursday at the Feroz Shah Kotla here will be his last game.

“The next Ranji trophy match against Andhra will be my last game in the sun. It is all coming to an end from where it started at Feroz Shah Kotla,” Gambhir said in a video message on social media.

“As a batsman I have always valued timing. I know the time is just right and I am sure it’s sweet as well,” he added.

The 37-year-old Delhi batsman has played 58 Tests (4154 runs), 147 One-Day Internationals (5238 runs) and 37 Twenty20 Internationals. He has also played 197 first-class matches.

While reflecting on some of the high points of his career, Gambhir admitted that the dreaded feeling that his ability to play at the highest level is decreasing has haunted him for sometime.

“Grounds, dressing rooms, wash rooms, you name it the thought has rarely deserted me. Each time I got out playing for India or KKR or Delhi Daredevils this thought would turn into a sharp, disturbing noise and walk with me all the way to the dressing room shouting: “IT IS OVER GAUTI”.

“It slapped me hard when I got those three ducks in a row in 2014 IPL. Then again when I had a dreadful tour to England the same year. In 2016 I was on my knees again. I was dropped after Rajkot Test match against England. But once again I refused to pay attention. I wanted to beat this noise. Instead of getting knocked down, I punished my body even more.

“After a decent 2017 domestic season I entered this year’s IPL with confidence as my best buddy. My feet seemed to have got fresh batteries. My head was still as a pond. And my game, roaring as a raging ocean. I thought all those negative noises were dead. But I was wrong. Six games of IPL for Delhi Daredevils it was back. And this time it was louder than before. Perhaps, my time was up. Yes, my time was up,” he said.

“So, here I am, after more than 15 years of cricket for my country I want to retire from playing this beautiful game. Despite all the aches and pains; fears and failures I won’t mind a repeat of this in my next life too. But obviously with a few more wins for India, a few more hundreds and in the next life may be a few 5-wicket hauls as well.”

While reflecting on the high points of his career, he said: “The historic series wins in New Zealand and in CB series in Australia will be reflected upon fondly. But I do hope the current Indian team Down Under can overshadow our feats. I won’t say the list is satisfactory as I feel I was good enough for a lot more.”

“This may sound a little wishful but then I have seen wishes do come true. Two World Cups, highest run-getter in finals of both these games is a stuff dreams are made of and I only had this dream of winning the World Cup for you all. I think someone up there was writing my script but looks like now he has run out of his ink.

“But along the way he wrote some fascinating chapters. Somewhere on the top is being part of the number one Test team in the world. A trophy that I look at very fondly is the one that I got for being awarded ICC Test batsman of the year in 2009. For a purist like me it is a reward of somewhat knowing where my off-stump was,” he added.

The former India opener also thanked everyone he has encountered during the course of his career.

“Next on my thank you list are the curators, groundsmen and numerous dressing room attendants across India. They toiled for little or minimal returns for what is essentially treated as a thankless job. I hope their life standards improve from that they are now. A big thanks to each one of you. I’d also like to thank numerous net bowlers who bowled to me so that I can become a better batsman. They travelled long distances just to help me practice. Thank you very much.

“My cricket coach Mr Sanjay Bhardwaj stood with me during thick and thin of life. Whenever in trouble I could count on him. “Sir, I don’t know if I have you proud but I can assure you sir I gave it all that I had.” Sanjay sir introduced me to the other coaching influence of my life, the late Mr Parthasarthy Sharma. He was an institution in the art of batting. A lot of credit for my ability to play spin bowling should go to him. I hope I was worth his time,” he said.

“The thing that I will miss the most is the camradrie of an Indian team’s dressing room. It was a wonderful place to be in. Yes, there are pressures of international sport but then when you have team-mates like I had these pressures look elementary. I learnt heaps from each one of them. I will miss all of that and more. Thank you guys, you all will be my one, big family,” he added.

“Thank you DDCA and BCCI for helping me realise my dreams. Thank you KKR for giving me an opportunity to express myself as leader.”

Gambhir also thanked the fans for their support.

“Along this journey I have fostered some meaningful partnerships. None more than with you guys, the supporters of Indian cricket, the most important stakeholders. I have always disapproved of the terms “fans” or “crowd”. Its quite demeaning because I think at the end of the day it is you guys who make cricket or cricketers what they are,” he said.

Talking about the support from his family, Gambhir said: “In the end I’d like to thank all my family members for their love and support. My parents, grand parents, both the mamas and maamis, my wife and my two little angels who took all my tantrums and mood swings.”

“I’d like to begin with the original talent scout of my family, my mom. It was she who took me to a proper cricket academy at the age of 10 and rest is history. In my tough times Mom was and is my favourite punching bag. I am extremely sorry mom I have been an absolute jughead. My dad took more pressure than me whenever I played. He never shared with me but his colleagues would tell me he’d never watch TV when my game was on. Dad, you too can relax now.”

IANS

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives