First-look poster of spooky comedy ‘Kakuda’ out; cast includes Sonakshi, Riteish, Saqib Saleem

Mumbai, June 21 2024-

The makers of Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh, and Saqib Saleem-starrer supernatural comedy ‘Kakuda’ on Friday unveiled the first look poster of the starcast, announcing that the movie will be released on July 12.

Taking to social media, the makers shared a spooky poster, in which Riteish is in the middle, standing with a device in his hand. He has a rugged look, tattoos on the left hand and left arm, and kohl on his eyes. Next to him is Sonakshi, who looks scared in the picture and is holding a torch.

On the other side of Riteish is Saqib who is giving a goon-vibe and is holding a torch. Behind the trio, there is a ghostly figure watching them closely.

The post is captioned as: “Purushon ke hit mein jaari #kakuda aa raha hai ’12 July’ ko, toh ghar pe rahein aur theek 7:15 baje, darwaza khula rakhna naa bhoolein. Kyunki #AbMardKhatreMeinHai”.

The film is a rollercoaster ride of laughter and chills, revolving around the cursed village of Ratodi. The film features spine-tingling moments intertwined with side-splitting humour.

It also stars Aasif Khan.

Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, it will release on July 12 on ZEE5. (Agency)

Australian woman charged after threatening police with knife

Sydney, June 21 2024-

Australian police revealed on Friday that a woman was charged after wielding a knife and was injured during a police shooting in Victoria.

According to a report from Victoria Police, the 51-year-old woman has been charged with two counts of threats to assault police, two counts of assaulting police, two counts of common law assault, and reckless conduct causing serious injury.

On Sunday, emergency services were called to Penders Park near Collins Street in Thornbury at about 2:50 p.m. local time following reports of a woman armed with a kitchen knife, reports Xinhua news agency.

The involved venue is located approximately 8 km north of Melbourne’s central business district.

Despite officers’ negotiations with the woman to drop the knife, she refused to do so, and pepper spray was deployed afterward.

“The woman then allegedly ran at officers while holding the knife before one shot was fired by police. She was conveyed to hospital in a stable condition to be treated for a gunshot wound to her thigh,” said Victoria Police.

Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident under the oversight of Professional Standards Command, which is standard protocol when a police firearm is discharged. (Agency)

Nia Sharma ends up with blisters on her stomach while frying food on ‘Laughter Chefs’ sets

Mumbai, June 21 2024-

Actress Nia Sharma, who is currently putting her culinary skills to the test in the show ‘Laughter Chefs Unlimited Entertainment’ has accidentally hurt herself while frying food at her station.

Amid fast-paced culinary action, she bumped into one of the drawers, causing an injury. Rather than getting flustered or upset, Nia handled the situation with remarkable poise and calm. Without missing a beat, the actor took care of her injury right away, ensuring she could continue participating in the challenge and creating the dish assigned to her.

Recounting the incident, Nia said: “I think I’m a decent cook and I’m thrown off by minor cooking hazards. When a little bit of the oil splattered on me, I didn’t let it freak me out. But right after I bumped into one of the drawers. Despite these two incidents, all I wanted was to finish cooking and do it well.”

“I didn’t think much about it then, but later I saw it had left a little bit of a blister on my stomach. It’s just part of cooking– there are ups and downs, but they all add up to the fulfilling experience of preparing a dish,” she added.

‘Laughter Chefs Unlimited Entertainment’ airs on Colors.

Nia is known for her work in shows like ‘Naagin 4’, ‘Jamai Raja’, ‘Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai’, ‘Behenein’, and ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi: Made in India’.

Currently, the actress is featuring in the fantasy thriller romance ‘Suhagan Chudail’. The show also stars Debchandrima Singha Roy, and Zayn Ibad Khan in pivotal roles. (Agency)

Army’s Trishakti corps performs Yoga on mountains near India-China border

Guwahati, June 21 2024-

The Trishakti corps of the Indian Army celebrated on Friday the International Day of Yoga across its stations in North Bengal and Sikkim, including border areas located above 15,000 feet, officials said.

An Army official said, “As part of the International Yoga Day, Trishakti Corps conducted various Yoga activities in military stations across North Bengal and Sikkim, including the border areas. The activities were conducted throughout June and culminated on Friday.”

In Sikkim, Yoga was performed at an altitude of over 15,000 feet near Gurudongmar Lake, ahead of Zero Point and near India-China border.

The events witness enthusiastic participation by serving soldiers and their families in military stations of the Corps.

In many places, locals were invited to practise Yoga with the troops and families.

The official said that Yoga is a vital practice for military personnel, who face physically and mentally demanding conditions while serving on the frontlines. It enhances their overall well-being by improving both physical and mental health, thereby boosting their resilience and performance in demanding environments.

“The Yoga sessions focussed on creating awareness about the benefits of Yoga and inculcating the habit of practising Yoga as a part of everyone’s life,” he added. (Agency)

Ritviz joins hands with Pakistani pop-R&B sensation Hasan Raheem for ‘Mehrbaan’

Mumbai, June 21 2024-

Indian independent music artiste Ritviz has joined hands with Pakistani pop-R&B sensation Hasan Raheem for a new track titled ‘Mehrbaan’.

“This collaboration felt like a natural progression,” shared Ritviz in a statement.

“Hasan’s music has always resonated with me, and I believe our creative energies collide beautifully in ‘Mehrbaan’. I continue to create music that inspires me, and it’s been an honour to collaborate with him on this track,” added the singer, who is known for tracks such as “Udd Gaye” and “Liggi”

Raheem, who is Pakistan’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year (2021), and a certified doctor, said that working on the track was an absolute joy.

Raheem said: “Working with Ritviz on ‘Mehrbaan’ was an absolute joy. We connected instantly over our passion for music and storytelling, and it’s translated into something truly special. This song is more than just a collaboration; it’s a symbol of the bridges music can build.”

Multidisciplinary artiste Santanu Hazarika has lent his design charm to the artwork of the song.

Hazarika said: “Ritviz & Hasan coming together seems like such an organic fit & it’s such a delight to create for both of them, especially for such a special project. It also seems like an organic way to grow alongside the Ritviz universe, where we’ve taken on a different tonality to highlight a new phase of his career.” (Agency)

Japan’s Takeda allows Sun Pharma, Cipla to market gastro drug in India

Mumbai, June 21 2024-

Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical gave India’s Sun Pharmaceutical and Cipla the rights to commercialise the gastrointestinal drug Vonoprazan in the country.

The drug, which is sold in the form of tablets under the brand name ‘Voltapraz’, blocks a key step in the production of stomach acid, Sun Pharma said on Friday.

Takeda has granted both drugmakers non-exclusive patent licensing rights for the drug.

Cipla and Sun Pharma will independently commercialise the drug in India under their respective brands.

Vonoprazan (oral tablets) is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), used for the treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Vonoprazan is also used in treating disorders such as erosive oesophagitis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, peptic ulcer, gastro-oesophageal reflux, reflux oesophagitis and Helicobacter pylori eradication, according to a Cipla statement. (Agency)

Zerodha’s Kite app faces another tech glitch, users complain on X

New Delhi, June 21 2024-

Brokerage firm Zerodha’s trading app Kite on Friday suffered another technical glitch, with users complaining of frozen screens and other issues.

Several users took it to social media platform X, complaining that the app was completely frozen, causing them issues for a brief period.

However, reports suggest that the broking platform has started working again after the outage.

“Zerodha Hang!!! We have already switched to another platform. Too many problems in #Zerodha,” a user wrote.

“Another day same story, Zerodha is broke. Zerodha system is not working again. The Price & Chart both are not moving,” said another user.

One more user mentioned, “#Zerodha freeze!! Who will take responsibility for my loss due to Zerodha being frozen”.

This is the second outage in just 15 days.

Earlier this month, Zerodha faced a technical glitch when the Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, touched record high levels on June 3 after the Lok Sabha elections’ exit polls for 2024 were announced. (Agency)

B Praak opens up on music: ‘My mother gave birth to me, but music has kept me alive’

Mumbai, June 21 2024-

On the occasion of World Music Day on Friday, composer-singer B Praak has shared what music really means to him and said that it has kept him alive.

“If my studio is my temple, music is my God. If my mother gave birth to me, music would keep me alive. It gave me a purpose — a purpose to entertain, to spread joy across the world, and I am immensely grateful to my fans, who I call my extended family, for giving me so much love, support, and success,” Praak said.

He said that the reason behind his thriving in the industry is because of Goddess Saraswati.

“I wouldn’t have been thriving and surviving in the music industry if I didn’t have Goddess Saraswati’s blessings on me. It may have taken years to become what I am, but I am truly thankful for each and every learning and success,” said the singer, who is known for numbers such as “Baarish Kiye Jaa” and “Mann Bharrya”.

“I hope to continue my journey ahead with the same kind of energy, hard work and blessings,” B Praak shared.

B Praak, whose real name is Pratik Bachan, started his career as a music producer, and later debuted as a singer with “Mann Bharrya”. He was feted with the National Award for Best Playback Singer Male for the track “Teri Mitti” from the Akshay Kumar-starrer.

He ventured into Hindi cinema in 2019 with two songs in the films ‘Kesari’ and ‘Good Newwz’. (Agency)

Jitendra Kumar, face of ‘Kota Factory’, recalls calling up his mother when he fell ill during IIT coaching

New Delhi, June 21 2024-

An IIT Kharagpur alumnus Jitendra Kumar, who stars in the black-and-white series ‘Kota Factory’ has recalled the most magical moment from the shoot of the show, reminiscing how his mother visited him when he used to get sick, while he was studying in Kota, Rajasthan.

In 2013, Jitendra starred in ‘Munna Jazbaati: The Q-tiya Intern’. He then went on to feature in shows like ‘Permanent Roommates’, ‘TVF Pitchers’, ‘ImMature’ and more.

His show ‘Kota Factory’ revolves around the life of students in Kota, and their efforts to get into an IIT by cracking the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).

Being an IITian himself, if he felt any nostalgic moment throughout the shoot of the show, Jitendra, who also did coaching in Kota told IANS: “When I read the script, there are many moments that are happening with students. And the one thing that instantly clicked with me was when Vaibhav (played by Mayur More) gets sick, and his mother comes. There is a different bonding between a mother and a child. Even the teacher says don’t gossip much with your mother. Don’t spend too much time on that.”

“So, exactly these things had happened to me. And I used to think that it happened to me only as a student. But every student does this, and there is something in the water of Kota, or in the food of the mess, that students get sick somehow. They can be saved only in one manner and that is by their mothers. And then everyone calls their mothers, and spends two months with them,” shared Jitendra.

The 33-year-old actor said that phase comes in everybody’s lives, and it was quite relatable.

“And it was also magical, because I used to think that I was the only boy who was facing this situation, that he was sick and calling his mother, and I was gossiping with my mother all night. I thought I had only done this, but when I asked the writer, he said ‘no, no it happens with everyone’. So that was the most magical moment in the script,” said the ‘Panchayat’ fame actor.

With hit projects in his kitty, Jitendra is the OTT star right now. How does he feel about it?

Jitendra added: “It feels good. I think OTT has given a lot to the storytellers, given a lot to explore and experiment. And I also come in them only. I am experimenting with stories. I have been told that there are limited stories, and different filmmakers are creating them in different modules, and presenting them in unique ways. So far OTT has set up a very nice platform. I am glad that I am able to do all those things. And people are loving and appreciating them.”

Season 3 of ‘Kota Factory’ is directed by Pratish Mehta and produced by TVF Productions, and is helmed by Raghav Subbu.

It stars Tillotama Shome, Mayur More, Ranjan Raj, Alam Khan, Revathi Pillai, Ahsaas Channa, and Rajesh Kumar.

The show is streaming on Netflix. (Agency)

T20 World Cup: Rohit credits Suryakumar-Hardik ‘critical partnership’ for win over Afghanistan

Bridgetown (Barbados), June 21 2024-

India captain Rohit Sharma credited a 60-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya after registering a 47-run win over Afghanistan in the Super Eight clash at T20 World Cup on Thursday.

The duo joined forces in the middle in the 11th over and stitched a crucial fifth-wicket partnership to take the side to the 150-run mark. Suryakumar smashed 53 off 28 balls studded with three sixes and five fours while Hardik Pandya scored 32 as India posted 181/8 in 20 overs.

“I think everyone coming in there and doing their job is critical for us and that is something we dwell on. So that is something we keep talking about how each one, if they can play their role, we can set up a good platform for ourselves. Surya Kumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya’s partnership was very critical for us at that point in time because we kept losing wickets there. So we needed somebody to bat little deep. Surya Kumar Yadav did that along with Hardik Pandya and it was a great partnership in the end,” Rohit said after the match.

Chasing 182, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh scalped three wickets each to bundle out Afghanistan for 134 in 20 overs. Bumrah returned with the figures of 3-7 in his four overs and claimed important wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (11), Hazratullah Zazai (2) and Najibullah Zadran (19).

Rohit said Bumrah understands his role well and is always ready to take up the challenge. “We know his class. We know what he can do for us and it’s important for us as well that we use him smartly. We use him smartly and he is the one who is ready to take that responsibility as well because it’s not easy for a strike bowler to keep holding him on.

“But Jasprit Bumrah being Jasprit Bumrah, he has been doing that for years. Wherever he plays, he understands that this is what the team expects from him and he is always ready for that responsibility,” he said.

India added Kuldeep Yadav to their playing 11 to bolster their spin attack but the move didn’t pay any dividend to the side. Rohit also acknowledged the fact and said they would make changes according to the conditions.

“Nothing as such. I’ve got to assess the condition and see what is right and wrong – look at the opposition composition as well, what they play and how they play as well. So based on that, we are open to making any changes if required. At the moment we felt that 3 spinners is a good option here and we went with that. If the game in the next venues offers something for the seamers, we will be open for that as well,” Rohit said.

India will now take on Bangladesh in their next Super Eight match in Antigua on Saturday.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is streaming live and free on mobile on Disney+ Hotstar. (Agency)