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Topgear Magazine Awards Celebrated A Decade Long Journey

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BBC TopGear magazine, the world’s No.1 motoring media brand, hosted the 10th edition of the coveted TopGear magazine awards. One of the most sought after awards recognizing unparalleled innovations in the automobile industry was held at Sofitel Luxury Hotel, BKC. The best cars & bikes of 2017 stole the limelight as they vied for the “STIG”; a prestigious honor that has now become a much pursued symbol of excellence in the automotive industry. The night witnessed renowned personalities from the automobile industry & Bollywood grace the celebratory event to cheer for the big wins.

Speaking about the 10th edition of TopGear Awards, Deepak Lamba, CEO, Worldwide Media averred, “With a legacy that is unmatched, TopGear commands immense credibility in terms of honoring the best of the automobile industry. Over the years, our team has worked extremely hard towards building the brand value of a property which bestows deserving metals with accreditations that are today considering extremely prestigious. It is not just a moment of celebration for the winners, but for TopGear as well, as we mark the 10thsuccessful edition of the TopGear Awards. With this, we look forward to setting new benchmarks as far as staging a platform year after year, which brings together every stakeholder of the automobile industry under one roof.”

The winners are selected based on varied rounds including voting, shortlisting, jury selection & testing. Starting with in an online voting phase, the digital community first selects the reader’s choice car & bike of the year. This is followed by a jury round where a credible panel of judges shortlists the befitting nominees under each category. The winners are then selected from the nominees that undergo a rigorous round of testing across pre – requisite parameters, in order to gauge their performance.

Girish Karkera, Editor of BBC TopGear shared his views and said, “Being a brand that has today become such a sought – after platform to earn recognition, comes with a huge responsibility. It is a privilege to lead such a qualified & dynamic team of individuals who pay so much attention to vehicular detail in ensuring a fair & unbiased adjudication of the winners year after year. It is this expertise that has made TopGear Awards and more so the “STIG”, a symbol of excellence, as we strive to strengthen this legacy in the years to come. The credit of the successful 10th edition of the TopGear awards goes to our entire team, to whom I would like to raise a toast.”

The extremely likeable & versatile Luke Kenny set the perfect tone for the evening, as he hosted the awards attended by car & bike aficionados. Renowned Bollywood stars such as director Sanjay Gupta, Actress Shama Sikandar, Payal Ghosh amongst others also graced the event to witness the glorious night, giving them an opportunity to root for their favorite automobile brands. The arena was adorned with the competing metals, as they shone bright with their looks & features, powered by innovative functionalities.
The event was powered by Yes Bank, 100 Pipers, Lodha (The PARK), IPOL. Associate Partner – Advanced Hair Studio; Eyewear Partner – Stepper; Destination partner – Amazing Thailand; Footwear Partner – Atesber; and Tyre Partner – CEAT.

Worldwide Media is a part of the Times Group, one of India’s largest media & entertainment conglomerates, and publishes Filmfare – India’s No 1 entertainment magazine. Femina – India’s largest women’s magazine, BBC TopGear, HELLO!, BBC GoodHomes, GRAZIA, Lonely Planet Magazine India, Home Trends & BBC Knowledge are other exciting titles from Worldwide Media.

TopGear Magazine India is a unique automotive lifestyle magazine that caters to a predominantly male audience. Brand TopGear is a known for its wit, humor and the fact that it doesn’t mince words when it comes to evaluating automobiles for its readers. It is also known for its over –the – top feature stories with exotic as well as everyday cars going places, under taking challenges that put the machines to the ultimate test. Just like its mothership title back in UK, TopGear India is known for its visual treatment of stories, something that rivals are still trying to match for over a decade now. The magazine now stretches beyond print and caters to audiences across social media and new age digital platforms.

Indian constitution is the best in the world: MEP’s Dr. Nowhera Shaik

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Newly launched All India Mahila Empowerment Party’s (MEP), leader Dr. Nowhera Shaik spoke to Nasheman on the eve of Republic Day. Dr. Shaik said that India’s constitution is the best in the world, and said the whole country should be proud of it.

On the occassion, Dr. Shaik also said that MEP will be contesting in all the 224 assembly constituencies in the state, and said that the party will also contest elections across the lengths and breadths of India in the coming years.

Siddaramaiah best CM, Congress ahead of rivals in Karnataka: Lokniti-CSDS Survey

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Bengaluru: A survey conducted by Lokniti-CSDS, an independent research organisation would certainly bring cheer to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as a whopping 49 per cent people chose Congress over the nearest BJP which drew only 27 percent backing, and the JD (S), 20 per cent support.

To add to this is the approval rating of the CM. As many as 34 per cent of respondents want Siddaramaiah as chief minister after the assembly elections. Surprisingly, the BJP’s CM candidate B S Yeddyurappa stands third with a mere 14 per cent while the JD (S)’ H D Kumaraswamy got 19 per cent votes for the CM post. Curiously, Congress’ leader in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge got a traction among respondents with 10 per cent backing him.

As part of the Mood of the Nation Survey, Lokniti-CSDS conducted an additional exercise to perceive the mood of people of Karnataka which will go to the assembly polls in three-to-four months. This survey focused on four major areas: performance of the incumbent government, who the respondents would prefer as the next chief minister, the important issues to be kept in mind while voting and finally, which party they would vote for in the assembly elections.

In the category of satisfaction, Bengaluru gives a thumbs down to the government with 55 per cent respondents said they were “somewhat dissatisfied”. Overall, only 11 per cent said they were “fully satisfied” and 46 percent said they were “somewhat satisfied”. The Congress party seems to have better image in smaller towns and cities which is the opposite of the trend in Bengaluru. The level of satisfaction was clearly much higher among non-dominant backward castes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and high level of satisfaction was shown by the respondents from southern Karnataka, Mumbai and Hyderabad-Karnataka.

The survey was conducted under the overall guidance of national co-ordinator of Lokniti, Dr Sandeep Shastri pro vice-chancellor of Jain, a deemed to be university.

For the question on who would they prefer as the chief minister, no names were suggested, Dr Shastri clarified. Women tended to support Siddaramaiah more than his nearest rivals and he was more popular in smaller towns and cities. Kumaraswamy got more backing in Bengaluru city while Yeddyurappa’s support was uniform across rural and urban areas. He got greater support among Lingayats while Kumaraswamy got more among Vokkaligas. Kharge was mentioned more frequently by respondents from SC and other social groups. Among the issues, nearly a quarter said they would go by the track record of performance of the ruling party and that of the opposition.

Rural respondents gave more weightage on agriculture related issues, that is 11 per cent while those from the urban areas focused on development issues such as unemployment and price rise that is six percent.

Interestingly, in Karnataka nearly 47 per cent voters said they would vote for the Congress if Lok Sabha elections were held today and the BJP got the support of 27 per cent respondents and the Janata Dal (Secular), 20.

(Agencies)

BJP setting country on fire: Rahul on ‘Padmaavat’ row

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New Delhi: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP which leads the government in Haryana, where anti-“Padmaavat” protesters on Wednesday attacked a bus carrying school children, alleging that the party’s use of “hatred and violence” is setting the country on fire.

The Congress President also condemned the violence against children by the mobs which have been protesting against the release of the controversial film.

“There will never be a cause big enough to justify violence against children. Violence and hatred are the weapons of the weak. The BJP’s use of hatred and violence is setting our entire country on fire,” Gandhi tweeted.

The opposition party also slammed the BJP government in Haryana over its “failure” to maintain law and order in the state.

Around 20-25 students of a leading Gurgaon school had a narrow escape when a frenzied mob attacked their bus, a day ahead of the controversial film’s scheduled release.

Congress’s communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala took to Twitter to term the attack as “unacceptable” and “reprehensible” that endangered the lives of children.

“Unacceptable, reprehensible and devastating as vandals attack school bus and Haryana Roadways bus in Gurgaon endangering the lives of innocent children and passengers.”

“Terrified children cry inconsolably and anarchy prevails. Khattar Govt fails again miserably in upholding law and order (sic),” he tweeted.

The students were on their way home when a group of around 60 protesters, believed to be members of a fringe group, attacked their bus with bamboo sticks asking the driver to stop the vehicle. The miscreants also pelted the bus with stones.

Violent protestors also torched a bus in Sohna, where they pelted a fire tender with stones and forced it back when it came to douse the fire, local officials said.

Despite prohibitory orders in Gurgaon, hundreds of Shree Rajput Karni Sena supporters protested at the Kherki Daula toll plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway.

Violence spread to towns and cities in many states including Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, a day ahead of the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film, as fringe groups opposing it remained defiant.

(PTI)

Karnataka shutdown logs out India’s tech hub

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A shutdown across Karnataka on Thursday has logged out India’s tech hub, with IT majors Infosys, Wipro and other multinational firms suspending their operations for the day. Infosys campuses at Electronics City on the city outskirts and other locations were closed on Thursday till 6.30 pm as result of the shutdown. The IT major’s offices in Mysuru and Mangaluru were also shut.

A Wipro official said in a statement to IANS: “On account of the shutdown, as a precautionary measure, Wipro has declared a holiday for employees in Karnataka on Thursday.”

The 12-hour shutdown is being observed across the southern state for Mahadayi river water from the neighbouring state of Goa to meet the drinking needs of the people in the state’s four northwest districts of Belagavi, Bagalkote, Dharwad and Hubballi.

Localities like Whitefield, a suburb in the northeastern part of the city, and Manyata Tech Park in the northern part, housing several global IT giants like Microsoft, IBM and Cognizant, have also suspended their operations for the day. The southern state capital is home to at least 750 multinational companies and over 2,000 IT firms, with nearly 20 lakh techies working in them.

With a dominant IT industry, the city contributes to about 40 per cent of the total IT exports done by the country. Farmers and pro-Kannada organisations and regional outfits have given the dawn-to-dusk shutdown call for the Prime Minister’s intervention to resolve the two decades’ old inter-state dispute over the sharing of the river water for drinking and irrigation needs in the four drought-prone districts.

Public transport like buses, taxis stayed off the roads, with schools, colleges, offices, hotels, restaurants, malls and markets closed till the evening, disrupting normal life in the city.

The 77-km Mahadayi or Mandovi river originates at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in Belagavi district of north-west Karnataka and flows into Goa and eventually joins the Arabian Sea off the west coast. Though the river flows runs 29km in Karnataka and 52km in Goa, its catchment area is spread over 2,032km in the southern state as against 1,580km in the western state (Goa).

Karnataka has been asking Goa since 2001 to release 7.6 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of the river water. Karnataka plans to build two canals at Kalasa and Banduri, which are the tributaries of the river in the state, to divert and supply the water to the four districts.

The Mahaydai Water Disputes Tribunal, headed by JN Panchal, on July 28, 2016 rejected the state’s petition for releasing the river water, citing various grounds, including ecological damage the twin canal projects may cause.

(IANS)

VIKRAM BHATT’S ‘1921’ BREAKS RECORDS IN PAKISTAN!

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Being the 1st ever horror release of the year, 1921 is reigning the box office turnstiles and has received a lot of applaud from the audiences not only in India but other parts of the world as well. 1921 started off its box office turnstiles journey on a good note and has earned a total of Rs. 8.07 crores in India and is expected to see a rise in the numbers in the coming week. The film has also earned great admiration in Pakistan and has broken a record by accumulating a total sum of Rs. 1.3 crores within the 1st ever four days of its release. It is a big deal to see an Indian horror flick to do so well and have such high earnings at the Pakistani box office turnstiles. The movie released on 12th Jan, 2018 and is stable at the box office turnstiles.

SHWETA BASU PRASAD TO WORK ALONGSIDE NASEERUDDIN SHAH & MITHUN CHAKRABORTY IN ‘THE TASHKENT FILES’

Shweta Basu Prasad, who was last seen essaying the role of a simple, down – to – earth housewife in Badrinath Ki Dulhania, is all set to be a part of the upcoming thriller, The Tashkent Files. She will be portraying the role of a ferocious scribe who helps in investigating the case. Shweta stated, “The best part about being an actor is the fact that one can live so many lives in one. I enjoy portraying different characters, whether it was the twin role in Makdee, a doting sister using sign language to communicate in Iqbal, Urmila in Badrinath Ki Dulhania or a warrior princess in my TV show Chandra Nandini. Raagini Phule in The Tashkent Files is different from anything I have ever done so far. She is a rookie journalist who with the story of the film gets serious and more invested in the mystery of Lal Bahadur Shastriji’s death. For me, Raagini has many shades that I can discover as an actor. I am really excited and looking forward to it.”Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the gripping thriller also stars Naseeruddin Shah & Mithun Chakraborty. The film revolves around the mysterious death of the 2nd Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri.

GUJARATI FILM ‘DHAAD’ STARRING KAY KAY MENON TO RELEASE AFTER 17 YEARS PORTRAYS POWERFUL WOMEN CHARACTERS

After a successful release of the film Dhaad in Gujarat, the cast & the crew is all set to release it in Mumbai too. From Jayant Khatri Film Foundation, one of India’s leading theatre production houses & award winning director Aditi Desai (Kasturba, Akoopar, Agnikanya & Samudra Manthan), comes an exciting new theatre production, Dhaad. The film, shot before the 2001 earthquakes in Gujarat. Director of the movie Paresh Naik said that when 2001 earthquake struck, the film had almost been shot. The movie had funding problems, which is the major reason why it took 17 years (2000 – 2017) for the film to see the light of the day. The cast & the crew of the film had almost given up before Shemaroo stepped in to save the film. He also stressed on the fact that like Maharashtra government, Gujarat government also needs to adopt similar measures in order to promote cinema & theatre and must prioritise Gujarati cinemas. The movie is set in the dangerous desert sands of Kutch region, where women are considered as child bearing machines, Dhaad tells the epic story of the unapologetic & eccentric anti – hero, Ghelo, and the 3 incredibly strong willed women whose fate have betrayed. The story takes the audience on an intriguing & thought provoking journey, alongside the passion & aggression of the robbers in this barren land. The film is based on a short story located in the interior rural landscape of Kutch, on the western borders of Gujarat, India. Paresh Naik also announced the arrival of his forthcoming movie projects called Samudi & Dharaar.

SUNIEL SHETTY ATTENDS THE TOSS CEREMONY OF THE ANCHOR PREMIER LEAGUE, A CRICKET TOURNAMENT

Trumpets of excitement & enthusiasm blew as Suniel Shetty tossed the coin to mark the commencement of a thrilling cricket match in the Anchor Premier League organised by Sportobuddy. The ceremony took place at the Western Railway Cricket Ground in Lower Parel in the esteemed presence of Dhananjay Rawal, the Creative Head of Sportobuddy and the captains of the contending teams, Great White Tuskers & Fierce Mustangs.. Suniel Shetty, a Mumbai Heroes player in the Celebrity Cricket League has a deep seated love for cricket and hence, made his presence felt at the exciting match – up.“As a fitness lover, I always promote a healthy way of life. With corporate’s like Sportobuddy entering the sports sector, it won’t just help people attain & maintain an active & fit lifestyle but also encourage people to pursue their passion for sports, exults Suniel Shetty.

ALL IS WELL BETWEEN IHANA DHILLON & URVASHI RAUTELA

Ihana Dhillon, who is making her Bollywood debut with upcoming film Hate Story 4, has denied rumours about catfights due to constant comparisons between her & Urvashi Rautela. The actress quips, “Honestly speaking, I don’t think I can do catfights. It is not possible. Also there is no comparison as our characters are totally different. I am playing a corporate girl and she is playing a supermodel, so you can’t compare them. Both the characters are totally different. I got along with Urvashi very well, we enjoyed working together. In fact, all the actors were like a family on the sets.”Talking about Hate Story 4, she adds, “It’s based on a real life incident. The film is not a love triangle, it is a revenge story. This is a thriller movie, like the previous parts, but this part is different as the story is based on a true incident. It’s the reason why I agreed to work on the film.”Directed by Vishal Pandya, the film will release on 9th Mar, 2018. It will also feature Gulshan Grover & Karan Wahi
NUSHRAT BHARUCHA BONDS WITH CHILDREN ON THE SETS OF ‘SONU KE TITU KI SWEETY’
Nushrat Bharucha who is all set to play a perfect bride in the film Sonu ke Titu ki Sweety is not just an idol bride but is an idol friend for the kids. Since her character works with an NGO for children in the film, a lot of the filming was done with children. The children took a fond liking for her as she would play games, bring them treats and spend time chatting in between shots. They just did not want to leave her post pack up too. While wrapping up the film, the children got teary eyed as they had come to get very close to Nushrat. https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif

SHAHID IS ON A ROLL

Shahid Kapoor has become one of the most sought after actor in the last couple of years. In 2016 he walked away with the accolades and several awards for his performance as the drugged out rapper Tommy Singh in Udta Punjab. Shahid’s career is flying high and high. Recently, a presswallah caught a sneak preview of Padmaavat (the journo saw the rushes when the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial was called Padmavati) and came back saying that Shahid’s Maharawal Ratan Singh act is perfect. The actor awaits the release of his magnum opus with Deepika Padukone & Ranveer Singh, Shahid’s next is Shree Narayan Singh’s Batti Gul Meter Chalu, opposite Shraddha Kapoor. He is also in talks with Imtiaz Ali for his next and, of course, there’s another surprise announcement on the anvil with another top production house.

KARAN JOHAR HAS BEEN INVITED AS A CULTURAL LEADER TO THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM (WEF) IN DAVOS, SWITZERLAND

This year, Karan will be participating in a session titled “The Weaponization of Culture” on 23rd Jan, 2018 alongside names such as Alice Bah Kuhnke, the Swedish Minister of Culture & Democracy, and Arlie Russell Hochschild, a professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. The session will be moderated by television anchor, Ali Velshi.Karan Johar was invited last year as well where he was in a one on one session with Pakistani activist & filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid – Chinoy…Karan Johar says, “It’s an honor to be invited as cultural leader to Davos at the WEF. Davos is a spectacular meeting ground for some of the most prolific men & women from across the globe. It’s inspiring & motivating to be amongst them.”This year, the WEF’s opening plenary will be delivered by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on 23rd Jan, 2018. US president Donald Trump will deliver a keynote address before the close of the meeting on 26th Jan, 2018.

RASHMI SHARMA ANNOUNCES HER NEW VENTURE WITH AKB48 TO CREATE MUM48

On Tuesday night, Rashmi Sharma had 2 new announcements to make to the media fraternity and her friends from the industry which left everyone in the state of curiosity. She has launched a new media company named Rashmi Raj Media Pvt. Ltd and also announced its 1st collaboration with AKB48 called MUM48. AKB48 are a Japanese idol girl group from Tokyo and have sister groups in China, Japan, Indonesia and have now shown interest in India. This gave rise to MUM48. MUM48 is going to be an opportunity to explore talents for any girl aged between 12 to 30. She had invited all her lead female star casts from the television industry to showcase the empowerment of girl power. The event was graced by the presence of Jayati Bhatia, Kamya Punjabi, Dipika Kakar, Devoleena Bhattacharya, Helly Shah, Tanya Sharma, Tejaswi Wayangankar, Rubina Dilaik, and many more.

R BALKI ALL PRAISES FOR AKSHAY KUMAR

Akshay Kumar has reinvented himself and as an actor in the last few years. We have seen a different side of his. Along with action & comedy, he has been exploring a variety of genres, delivering some gritty & memorable performances. And we are not saying this it’s Writer – director R Balki who is all praises for Akshay’s performance in his next, Padman, “is one of the finest by an Indian actor”.Revealing how the superstar effortlessly slipped into the character of Arunachalam Muruganantham, the inventor of a low – cost sanitary pad making machine on whom the movie is based, the filmmaker says, “Arunachalam is a simple man, and Akshay, too, is an unassuming, no – fuss person. So, I thought that he was naturally right for the role. He has imbibed Arunachalam’s simplicity so well that it is wonderful to watch him on screen.” Elaborating on the actor’s restrained performance, Balki says, “It’s not about saying a lot; Arunachalam is the kind of man who just smiles & insists that he hasn’t done much, and that takes a lot of character. Akshay understood him perfectly and essayed the part beautifully.” One of the highlights of the film, which also stars Sonam Kapoor & Radhika Apte, is its climax. Akshay performed the 10 minute dialogue heavy scene with a 3 camera setup in just one take. Balki recalls, “We thought we’d divide the shots because the scene was heavy on emotions & expressions, but Akshay got it right it in the 1st ever take.” Summing up, Balki says, “Akshay doesn’t intellectualise acting. He does his homework quietly, understands his character and portrays it in his own way. Everyone knows him as a star, but in Padman, his performance is extremely nuanced; it’s one of the finest by an Indian actor.” Padman, produced by Mrs Funnybones Movies, SPE Films India, Kriarj Entertainment, Cape of Good Films & Hope Productions, and released worldwide by SPE Films India, releases on 25th Jan, 2018.

SAREGAMA’S YOODLEE TO COME UP WITH ONIR’S NEXT ‘KUCHH BHEEGE ALFAAZ’

Saregama’s Yoodlee Productions are back with their 2nd movie titled Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz which is a love story in the age of social media. The film has been directed by Onir who has directed award winning films like My Brother Nikhil & I Am. The movie marks the debut of model Zain Khan Durrani & National Award winning actress Geetanjali Thapa in the lead. The teaser of Kuch Bheege Alfaaz is now out as a precursor to the trailer. The teaser starts with a Shayari being recited by the film’s lead character RJ Alfaaz. With the evergreen melody “Pehla Nasha” playing in the background, the film sets up the love story perfectly with a warm sense of nostalgia. Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz is an interesting take on modern day love, where 2 strangers remain hidden behind digital screens, sparking off an unlikely romance. The film is scheduled for a release this Valentine Weekend on 16th Feb, 2016. India’s oldest music label Saregama had ventured into movie production under their banner Yoodlee Films, which churns out films high on content and driven by a philosophy of “fearless filmmaking”. After the hugely critically acclaimed 1st ever film from the banner, Ajji, that released last year, their 2nd film is Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz directed by the ace filmmaker Onir, director of award winning films like My Brother Nikhil & I AM. The film is a modern day love story in the age of social media, as seen through 2 primary characters, RJ Alfaaz, played by debutant actor Zain Khan Durrani & meme artist – Archana, played by Geetanjali Thapa. In a world of pings, likes, tweets, shares & comments, 2 strangers connect over a miss dial & Whatsapp their way into each other’s hearts, safely hidden behind digital screens. But will the emojis translate to emotions when they reveal their truth to one another, forms the crux of the story. The film is scheduled for a release this Valentine Weekend on 16th Feb, 2018.

ROHIT SHETTY RECEIVED AN AWARD FOR “A DIRECTOR WITH A DIFFERENCE” AT THE SOCIETY ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2018

The Society Achievers Awards held on 14th Jan, 2018 is an occasion where the people who matter congregate at a grand venue to raise a toast to some powerhouses of talent amidst the industry. Ever since Rohit Shetty stepped into the film industry, he has rewritten the entire game of film making. With one blockbuster after another, Rohit has made his mark as the king of family entertainers. Not to mention, the huge fan base he has created, thanks to the amazing films he churns out. The film makers was felicitated with the award for “A Director with a Difference.”

EMRAAN HASHMI STARRER ‘CAPTAIN NAWAB’ PRODUCERS ODDBALL MOTION PICTURES RECEIVES 250 CRORES INVESTMENT FROM CHANDA GROUP FOR FILMS & DIGITAL CONTENT

ODDBALL Motion Pictures, a leading film & media production company founded by filmmaker Nitin Upadhyaya announced their association with Chanda Group on Mon wherein the latter will be funding a seed capital of upto 250 Crores for the feature films & original digital video content that will be exclusively developed & produced by ODDBall Motion Pictures. This path breaking deal will help the upcoming Production house develop feature films, long form & short form content across genres, and over time, a platform of their own. Speaking on the association, Chanda group’s managing director, Rahul Chanda said, “Indian Film & Media sector is one of the fastest growing market and in a country which has an exceptional appetite for information & content, it is about time that this sector is explored as a serious business avenue. This association with ODDBall Motion Pictures will help us to power forward in the Industry. They are passionate and developing some great content.”.This unique collaboration will bring in ₹250 crore in the Industry and leverage Nitin Upadhyaya’s rich experience in filmmaking. Under his leadership, ODDBall Motion Pictures produced Behen Hogi Teri starring Rajkummar Rao & Shruti Hasan in 2017 and has a great line up of films in 2018. This year they would be producing 7 films including the much awaited Emraan Hashmi starrer Captain Nawab. Their slate contains 3 Hindi & 2 Marathi films to be released next year. Apart from these ODDBall has some exceptional stories to tell in their pipeline next year, details of which will be shared soon in a press conference in Mumbai. Chanda group will be exclusively investing in ODDBall Motion Pictures for 5 years, for their developments in the Media & Entertainment Industry. Their 1st ever release will be Gulshan Devaiah, Sagarika Ghatge & Kunal Roy Kapur starrer bilingual thriller Haadsa.

TAARAK MEHTA KA OOLTAH CHASHMAH IS TAKEN AS “CASE STUDY” FOR MARKETING & COMMUNICATION
Success story of daily comedy show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is a well known and well received fact. Now this unique trendsetter show is taken on as a case study by Dr Darshan Trivedi, assistant Professor with MICA Institute (formerly known as Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad). It is the 1st time ever that a Television show has been taken as a case study by any MBA college. MICA offers a wide range of academic programmes including 3 residential programs: the Post Graduate Diploma in Management – Communications (PGDM – C), Crafting Creative Communication (CCC) & Fellow Programme in Management – Communications (FPM – C). “It’s been a moment of pride for us. To be taken as a case study means that you are not just a success story but you are discussed in the marketing circles for your strategies, planning, content & content marketing. To remain successful constantly, we have shed a lot of sweat and tears & blood. It is not easy to sustain at the top and compete with the mainstream shows. Specially during the era of Saas Bahu sagas. In our show neither do women shed tears nor are they conniving kitchen politics. They are progressive & happy women who are inspiration to children and support to their husbands. Like Guajarati samaj, Neela Telefilms has also ensured the sanctity of women in its shows,” says the creator & producer of the show Asit Kumarr Modi. After its initial launch on SAB TV and after initial few episodes, came the track of a Ghost in Gokuldham Society and the TRP graph shot upwards. Since then the show has turned into channel driver and has constantly maintained #1 position in comedy shows and amongst top 10 across all shows in all the channels.

DECODING POOJA CHOPRA’S FITNESS MANTRA

Recently, we saw Pooja Chopra turn ninja while she was promoting her upcoming film Aiyaary at Jaisalmer BSF camp. The actress was asked to do the drills designed for the jawans. She hopped up on a rope and climbed like a professional. It made all of us wonder what keeps this actress so fit. The actress was caught cycling in the city yesterday on the back road in Andheri. Pooja love to cycle in the day light and also spends hours in the gym. Well, now we know what to do to get that fit bod! #Thurdaymotivation!

PADMAAVAT TO RELEASE WORLDWIDE ON 25TH JAN 2018 IN IMAX 3D IN HINDI, TAMIL & TELUGU

Viacom18 Motion Pictures announced 25th Jan, 2018 as the worldwide release date of Padmaavat. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Padmaavat is the 1st ever Indian film that will have a global IMAX 3D release. It has been cleared for release by the CBFC with a U/A release certificate post the incorporation of only 5 modifications. Starring Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh & Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji, the film will also be released in Tamil & Telugu, in addition to Hindi. Based on 16th century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s epic poem Padmavat, the movie faced resistance from its early stages due to a misinformation campaign & rumour mongering. Despite these challenges, the film that showcases the valor of Rani Padmavati, Maharawal Ratan Singh and the famed Rajput ethos of honor, bravery & sacrifice, has managed to overcome all odds; aided by the support of well – wishers from across the film fraternity, the government authorities & the society at large. Sanjay Leela Bhansali said, “Padmaavat is a dream come true for me. I have always been fascinated by the stories of honor, valor & vigor of our great Rajput warriors that have been captured so beautifully in our literature and this movie is my homage to those glorious stories. I would also like to thank the entire film fraternity for supporting Viacom18 & Bhansali Productions through the entire production & pre – release phase and hope they like the film they so supported.”

RAKUL PREET SINGH TO STAR OPPOSITE AJAY DEVGN IN HIS UNTITLED NEXT!

Former Miss India Rakul Preet Singh, who stars in Aiyaary opposite Sidharth Malhotra, will next be seen romancing Ajay Devgn in Luv Ranjan’s contemporary rom – com. The film is scheduled to go on the floors soon and she will be seen playing a feisty & super confident urban girl. The yet untitled film will mark the debut of renowned editor Akiv Ali as a director. Akiv has previously edited some amazing movies such as Agneepath, Gangster, Life in a Metro, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, Barfi and many more. This rom – com also stars Tabu. The movie is produced by T -Series’ Bhushan Kumar & Krishan Kumar & Luv Films’ Luv Ranjan & Ankur Garg and will be a festive treat for the audience as it will be releasing on Dussehra, 19th Oct, 2018.

Krishna Bhatt shares her experience on directing her father, Vikram Bhatt

Director Vikram Bhatt, who is recently busy promoting his movie 1921, is also awaiting the release of his daughter Krishna Bhatt’s web series Untouchables where Vikram, has also acted in the series himself. Vikram Bhatt is all set to launch his own OTT platform and this web series titled Untouchables will be featured on this new platform. Krishna Bhatt who has assisted her father in films like 1920, Mr X, Haunted & Dangerous Ishhq will debut as a director from his web series. Krishna Bhatt said, “Working with my father is always a learning experience. Only after I started direction did I fully appreciate the powerhouse of knowledge & talent he is. I always look at my dad after every shot and wonder what he thinks of it. I thought working with him would be unnerving but it ended up being the most enriching & fun experience.” She received various inputs from her father while shooting for the series. “He’s an excellent actor and blew my mind with his performance. He had suggestions from time to time which I happily incorporated because it would be silly to turn away from 35 years of experience. I cannot wait to work with him again.” ‘Untouchables’ is a crime thriller courtroom drama which revolves around a medical student who’s an escort who lands up facing a murder rap when her wealthy client is killed.

BOMAN IRANI IN TOTAL DHAMAAL FRANCHISE

In a traditional mahurat ceremony, Total Dhamaal, featuring franchise regulars Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffery, Riteish Deshmukh & Ashish Chowdhury and new addition to the film Ajay Devgn, Boman Irani, Anil Kapoor & Madhuri Dixit went on the floors recently with an early morning pooja. Boman Irani, who is a part of this franchise has not been part of a traditional Mahurat in a very long time and was very happy & excited at the same time. The film schedule will go on till the end, the opening sequence will be filmed after which we move out of the city to shoot from Feb, 2018 to April. “Boman Irani has known producer – director Indra Kumar & co – producer Ashok Thakeria since his early days and the duo had offered him 3 – 4 films in the past which he couldn’t do because of prior commitments.”There was a clash of dates this time too but they worked things out and now I’m finally on board. Except for Madhuri I’ve worked with all my co – actors before. With Ajay I did Tezz in 2012 but we didn’t have any scenes together,” he added.

‘PARESHAAN PARINDA’ IS A LOVE STORY WITH GANGSTER INVOLVEMENT IN MANY SHADES”- DR. RACHEL SINGH

The upcoming Hindi movie Pareshaan Parinda – Ek bechara had its trailer launch recently in Mumbai. The film is starring Meeraj Shah, Sakshi Singh, Pankaj Kumar, Avtar Singh Bhullar, King B Chouhan, KP Sandhu, Pallavi Sharma, Sadia Nabila, Ricky Sapuran Singh, Dave Sidhu, Sahil Sood, Sammy Gill & Naz Gill. The cast & the crew present at the event was the director Devesh Pratap Singh along with Producer & writer Dr. Rachel Singh. The actors Pankaj Kumar & Avtar Singh Bhullar were present at the event, making the event very splendid. The film is about 2 strangers who unknowingly ran into each other one night and when they got up next day, they were quite shocked. Neither of them can remember the previous night events and cannot recollect how they got there in the first place. The boy (Neel) is an average middle class IT professional and working in Sydney and the girl (Mini) belongs to a gangster family of Sydney. She is the daughter of a crime boss. Little did he know this was a fatal mistake getting involved with the underworld? He takes some decision and with that some consequences come and in one night his life changes. The director Devesh Pratap Singh quoted “Pareshaan Parinda is a youth centric film, as they are the driving force of this generation. The audience will connect to the story and will get glued to their seat. Pareshan Parinda is an engaging but fresh concept of youth, how they deal with their day to day situations, circumstances and how they sort it out in their own way. By this film, the perspective towards youth will definitely change. The film is entirely shot at various locations of Sydney & Singapore. The film is set to release on 16th Feb, 2018.

The Nasheman Heera Awards 2018

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On the eve of the 57th Anniversary of The Nasheman Weekly, India’s largest selling Urdu Newspaper. A special Awards Ceremony namely NASHEMAN HEERA AWARD 2018 is being held on 27th Jan, 2018 at the Press Club of Bangalore at 11 am.

In this award ceremony Dr. Nowhera Shaik CEO of Heera Group of Companies will be the Chief Guest and also the recipient of the NASHEMAN RATNA AWARD 2018.

Dr. Nowhera Shaik has also kindly consented to present the other awardees in the arena of Journalism, Social Activism & Entrepreneurship.

Keeping in mind the adage of “Women Empowerment” most of the awardees will be women.

The most prominent women awardees are Mrs. Roopa Moudgil (IPS), Afshan Yasmeen from The Hindu, Nabeela from News 9, Rohini Swamy from The Print, Jahnavi Mahadi from News 18, Shazia Khan a social activist and an Entrepreneur, Dr. Rajlakshmi professor & Miss Wheel Chair World 2017, Dr. Naaglakshmi Choudhary Spokesperson Congress, Mrs. Malvika Avinash Spokesperson BJP, B. T. Lalita Naik former Minister & Kulsum Shadab Wahab Social Activist.

That apart the other most prominent & proud recipients are Muneer Ahmed Azad Chief Reporter of Daily Salar, Zaheer Ansar Photographer Daily Salar, MC Asad Abbas Anchor & Journalist & Tanveer Ahmed Spokesperson JDS.

And above all the Guest of Honors are Geeta Menon Social Activist from Mumbai, Shantala Damle from Aam Aadmi Party & Najma Rhozali Minister of Education Morrocco.

Ambedkar National Congress opposes Centre’s Triple Talaq Bill and the cancellation of Hajj Subsidy

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Ambedkar National Congress’ national president Mr. Nawab Mohd. Kazim Ali Khan addressed a press here today and opposed the Centre’s Triple Talaq Bill and the cancellation of Hajj Subsidy.

He alleged that the Centre is using bills such as these to harass the minority Muslim community in the country, and called on people of all communities to oppose these tactics and to live with harmony.

GST compliance: from complication to simplification

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by Ankit Agarwal, MD at Alankit

In the past couple of months, there has been enough discussion and debate around GST and its implementation. We have almost seen it all, whether it is talking about the viability of GST, its impact on economy, global comparison with various nations which have adopted the structure, experts from various sectors dissecting it, etc. The fact which is now a reality of the day leaves no option for the businesses and other sectors but to adopt and accept this reform in the Indian tax structure. And, in all fairness, this change is only going to lead to a larger national good in the long run.

If we talk about introduction of GST, like any other major transformation in the country- this fact will also take some time to settle in the minds of the people and for the businesses to change the way of doing businesses. The question remains that why is there such a furore and pother about something which has been scanned by various financial experts and has been implemented after thorough economic deliberation for larger good of the nation? Maybe it’s just the fear of unknown.

In India’s tax compliance structure, major challenge lies in the fact that India is not a DIY (Do it yourself) economy. Whenever there is anything related to direct/ indirect business taxation we prefer and reach out to our very own subject matter expert – ‘The CA friend’ to do it for us. Despite the availability of various tools and techniques which can actually help us ease the compliance, we ignore them being too complex for our understanding. Taxation is not the only subject.

There have been many roadblocks for GST compliance which have been highlighted such as technological dependence, complicated compliance tax structure, immense revisions in product changes within the tax slabs, changes in the deadlines etc. most often goes unnoticed is the psychological barrier in change adoption. Taking a step back to remember that when was the last time any economic reform was welcomed with open arms by all stakeholder groups in India? Talking about diversity, it is a well-known reality to everyone. It brings with itself plethora of divergent opinions, which are then laced by local/national political point of views and undercurrents, which together make a perfect cocktail of sentiments which have you vote-in or against a change.

Looking at the situation from a different perspective, we see GSTN is being chastened for many technology glitches, network failure, etc. while filing returns in the present tax structure. Not only GSTN, if we talking about searching for CBSE board results, booking a ticket in ‘tatkal quota’ on the IRCTC website, logging in to a flash sale at any e-commerce website portal, when has the network not broken down? Every form/technology comes with a specific capacity and whenever we overshoot that, it is bound to break down. Then, why are we only pointing out GSTN in this case? Instead, shouldn’t we question our laidback behavior for this break-down?

Procrastination is intrinsic to our nature, we always end up waiting for the last moment or the last minute to file tax returns and if given an option, we don’t even mind paying a little extra to get our jobs done of filing our tax returns post the date of compliance. If this same load is divided across different days of the month in even timeslots, half the problem would be resolved there itself. Therefore, It wouldn’t be wrong to say that GST compliance is a reality we cannot shy away from and hence, instead of creating much ado about nothing, let us all embrace the change and start acting in the direction of positivity together to bring the change in the economy.

About Ankit Agarwal

Mr. Ankit Agarwal, aged about 29 years, is the Managing Director of Alankit Limited, the Flagship company of Alankit Group which is listed on both the premier exchanges of the country- National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited (BSE). He is the youngest director of the Group who joined the company in 2009 and has been contributing towards the growth of the business since then.

He holds a Bachelor degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Mr. Ankit Agarwal has over 7 years of experience in the field of Finance, Accounting, Process Enhancements, Liaising & Co-ordination as well as Research activities.

His interests include Photography, Traveling, Music and Adventure Sports.

Pakistan police arrest suspected rapist, killer of 7-year-old Zainab Ansari

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The incident led to angry protests in various parts of Kasur that resulted in deaths and several injuries [Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Police have arrested the main suspect involved in the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in the central Punjab province of Pakistan, a police official told Al Jazeera.

Zainab Ansari was found dead in a rubbish dump on January 9 in Kasur, several days after her disappearance.

An autopsy revealed she had been raped and strangled to death.

“The suspect lives in the same [area] where Zainab lived,” a police district official confirmed to Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

The suspect has confessed, the official said.

“He was arrested before, but was released as we did not have evidence. After that, he shaved his beard off so that no one could recognise him.”

The rape and murder of Zainab Ansari was the 12th such case in Kasur district in the last year, according to local media reports.

The incident led to angry protests in various parts of Kasur that resulted in at least two deaths and several injuries.

In 2015, Kasur was in the international headlines when hundreds of videos of child molestation surfaced, and police later arrested several members of a racket involved in selling child pornography to websites in Europe.

Most of the victims were under 14, including a six-year-old boy, according to officials.

The hashtag #JusticeForZainab has trended in Pakistan and elsewhere.

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