Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Thursday sent handwritten notes to director Amit R Sharma and Neena Gupta praising their work in “Badhaai Ho”.
Neena took to Twitter to share the picture of the letter and a bouquet Bachchan sent her after watching the film.
“Aapse ye patr aur pushp pa ke ankhen khushi se bhar aaeen thank u so much @SrBachchan sir #Badhaaiho (sic),” she wrote alongside the pictures.
The director said he was humbled to receive Bachchan’s appreciation.
“When The LEGEND Himself Appreciates Your Work. A Slice Of Heaven. Deeply Humbled. @SrBachchan SIR This Means The World To Me. #AHandWrittenLetter #BadhaaiHo,” Amit wrote, alongside the picture of the letter.
The film is a comedy drama about a middle age couple, played by Neena and Gajraj Rao, facing unexpected pregnancy.
Also featuring Ayushmann Khurrana, Surekha Sikhri and Sanya Malhotra, “Badhaai Ho” released on October 18.
Two tiger cubs were Thursday killed after being hit by a train in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, over 150 kilometres from here, an official said.
The two cubs, around six months old, were hit by the Balharshah-Gondia passenger train near Junona village between Chandrapur and Nagbhid stations around 7-7: 30 am, killing them instantly, Rishikesh Ranjan, general manager of the state-run Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra told agencies.
He said samples obtained from the two cubs will be sent to labs for tests following which post-mortem would be conducted.
With an eye on elections due next year, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday proposed redevelopment of various slum pockets in the megacity.
Speaking at a meeting to discuss slum redevelopment, State Housing Minister Prakash Mehta said slums at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, Shantisagar police residence and Kamraj Nagar in suburban Mumbai would be redeveloped.
He said the area covered by Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar slum in suburban Ghatkopar and Kamraj Nagar slum is 155 acres.
“The issue of redevelopment of these slums is pending for many years. In 2007, the issue was raised by then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh of Congress in the Assembly. At that time, he assured that the development will be done through a township,” Mehta said.
The minister said the redevelopment process was delayed due to a report submitted by officers.
“Now, this temporary deferment is removed and a decision has been taken to develop these slums through a township,” he said.
The minister directed the officials to submit the report within a month about the proposed scheme and consider it as a “special project”.
“The report should mention the present status of the schemes, difficulties, after discussing the matter with the developers. The report should also suggest ways for financial investment by the government to carry forward this scheme,” Mehta said.
He said the final decision will be taken after submitting the report to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Slumdwellers is a major constituency for various political parties in Mumbai.
An unidentified man has been booked for impersonating Thane Lok Sabha MP Rajan Vichare and MLA Pratap Sarnaik to demand donations for a non-existent Children’s Day function, police said on Thursday.
The man called up some shop-owners on November 13 asking them to donate money to distribute wheelchairs to children at a function to be held the next day.
“According to the complaint filed by a shopkeeper, on November 13, the accused identified himself as MP Rajan Vichare and demanded donation for a function in Masunda Talao area. He then called again identifying himself as (Ovala-Majiwada) MLA Pratap Sarnaik,” an official said.
The official said the complainant found out from local Sena leaders that no such function had been organised, nor had the two public representatives asked for donations.
“A case was registered at Kasarwadavali police station under relevant sections of the IPC for cheating and other offences. We have the mobile number from which the accused called. Efforts are on to arrest the caller,” the official informed.
The Bombay High Court has granted an interim stay till November 26 on a Pune Police notification banning entry and movement of private luxury buses in that city during daytime.
A vacation bench of Justice M S Karnik was on Wednesday hearing a petition filed by luxury bus operator Konduskar Travels Pvt Ltd challenging an October 26 notification issued by the Pune traffic police imposing restrictions on entry and movement of private luxury buses in Pune.
As per the notification, private luxury buses can ply only on four prescribed routes for the exit to cities like Mumbai, Nashik, Ahmednagar, and Solapur.
It also banned the movement of luxury buses on these prescribed routes from 8 in the morning till noon and from 5 in the evening till 9 in the night.
The petition claimed the notification was “illegal” and “discriminatory” as the same did not apply to state-run luxury buses.
The court on Wednesday directed the state and Pune traffic police to file their affidavits in response to the petition.
“Considering the submissions advanced on behalf of the petitioner, there shall be ad-interim relief in terms of prayer clause C (stay on implementation of the notification) till November 26,” the court said.
India’s ace cueist Pankaj Advani on Thursday won his third straight IBSF billiards crown in the 150-up format, taking his overall tally of world titles to a staggering 20.
The 33-year-old from Bengaluru overcame Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar in a high-quality final. After bossing the ‘150-up’ format, Advani will now compete in the longer version, ‘Up’ format, commences immediately.
It was also a proud moment for Myanmar which saw its own player in the title round for the first time. Nay Thway Oo did well to oust multiple world champion Mike Russell in the semifinal with a convincing 5-2 victory.
With home support and overall advantage, the one thing that was evidently lacking was the experience of competing in a World Championship final as Oo was denied much opportunity to reproduce the magic of his previous match.
Up against the man to beat in the world of billiards, Oo wasn’t given much breathing space as Advani was clearly on a mission to retain his title. And he did so with absolute supremacy. His flow and fluency left even the local crowd in awe of his prowess as they saw the visitor steal the dream from its national hero.
“This win is extremely special for me. It’s a perfect 20 and I’m glad that I’m still hungry for more. It’s pleasing to be able to play at a quality level over the years and looking to take this tally beyond a score’,” said the champion.
As Advani played the winning shot, the sporting Myanmar cueist clapped, smiled and rose from his chair to congratulate his worthy opponent.
While this is yet another world title for the maestro, this win also marks a hat-trick of wins in the shorter format. Advani had won in his hometown Bengaluru in 2016 before doing the same in Doha last year.
India’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh said that his team is focused on topping its pool and make the quarterfinals of the men’s World Cup starting here on November 28.
With less than two weeks to go for the prestigious World Cup which will witness 16 top teams battle for supremacy at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, India are busy making final preparations for their campaign.
“There is no doubt we want to win every match in the Pool Stage, earn the three points from each match, and top the Pool to make the Quarter Final. That is our first hurdle,” said Manpreet.
Grouped in Pool C, India will face South Africa on November 28, before taking on Belgium on December 2 followed by their last group match against Canada on December 8.
While the Indian team has not faced South Africa in a major tournament in over two years, Manpreet said that a win in their first match will set them on the right course.
While India have defeated Belgium recently at FIH Champions Trophy in Breda and last year’s Hockey World League Final, Canada have posed India some serious threat in their past campaigns at major International Tournaments.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of “snooping” by installing a powerful CCTV camera atop a boundary wall of the CM residence near his bungalow.
Leader of opposition in the state assembly, Yadav’s 5, Desh Ratna Marg bungalow is just behind Kumar’s 7, Circular road, house in Patna.
The official residence of the chief minister is 1, Anney Marg.
Posting a photograph of the CCTV camera on his Twitter handle, Yadav asked, “Why the chief minister felt the need for the camera only on the wall bordering his political adversary.”
The chief minister’s residence has main roads on three sides and Yadav’s bungalow is across the fourth boundary wall.
“Bihar chief minister’s residence is surrounded by main roads from three sides and leader of opposition’s residence from the fourth side.
“But, the chief minister felt the need for CCTV only on the wall bordering his political adversary’s residence. Someone should tell him that these petty tricks will prove futile,” Yadav, the younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, tweeted.
In his tweets, he accused Kumar of “snooping and interfering with the privacy of a neighbour and having an obsession with luxury and grandeur besides using invectives like autocratic and insecure”.
The ruling JD(U) in Bihar hit back at Yadav, saying he “seems to be worked up over the possibility of his hobnobbing with criminals getting exposed”.
Yadav, was allotted the 5, Desh Ratna Marg, residence when he was deputy chief minister in the Grand Alliance government in Bihar.
But, he continues to occupy it despite notices to vacate it in favour of incumbent Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. The Patna High Court has also dismissed Yadav’s petition challenging the evacuation notices.
Kumar after stepping down for a brief period after the drubbing in the last general election had been allotted the 7,
Circular Road, house, which is adjacent to the Chief Ministers’ official residence 1, Anney Marg.
After returning as chief minister, the JD (U) chief, retained the bungalow on Circular Road.
Reacting to the outbursts of the RJD leader, JD(U) spokesman Sanjay Singh said, “Tejashwi Yadav seems to be worked up over the possibility of his hobnobbing with criminals getting exposed.”
“There is no other reason why he should get so agitated over a CCTV camera being installed on a boundary wall. It has not been installed in his bedroom.
“Moreover, he should try to acquire some knowledge so that he could at least come out with his own tweets. He has not even completed high school and we are certain that someone is ghost-writing on his behalf,” he said.
There has been no official word on why and upon whose instructions the CCTV camera was installed.
Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, who recently joined the JD(U) and had a meteoric rise with elevation to the post of national vice-president within a month of being inducted to the party, also operates from this bungalow.
The Congress Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising national interests on the Rafale issue, with party chief Rahul Gandhi alleging that the latest skeleton to tumble out of the “Rafale cupboard” is that there is no guarantee by the French government backing the deal.
Gandhi asked if the Rafale jet deal can be called a “Government to Government” contract with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying there is only a letter from the French government promising to be faithful.
“The latest skeleton to tumble out of the RAFALE cupboard: No Guarantee by the French Government backing the deal.
“BUT, our PM says there’s a letter from the French promising to be faithful. That’s enough to call this a Government to Government deal?” he asked on Twitter, using the hashtag “BikGayaChowkidar”.
The government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that no “sovereign guarantee” was given by the French government on the deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
The French government has, however, given a “letter of comfort” to India which would be good enough “governmental guarantee”, Attorney General K K Venugopal told the court.
Echoing his party president, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the only forum to investigate acts of omission, commission, and corruption in the “biggest defence scam” of India is to have a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone as far as to sabotage his own nation’s interests in favour of his crony capitalist friends,” he said at a press conference, alleging that the prime minister had waived the sovereign guarantee requirement in the deal.
In a breather to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), publisher of the National Herald newspaper which was asked by the Centre to vacate its premises in New Delhi, the Delhi High Court said on Wednesday that status quo be maintained till November 22.
AJL approached the high court on November 12 challenging the October 30 order of the Urban Development Ministry, ending its 56-year-old lease and asking it to vacate the premises at the press enclave at ITO by November 15.
When the matter came up for hearing, the central government gave an oral assurance to the high court that it will maintain status quo till November 22 in the land lease matter.
The assurance was given before Justice Sunil Gaur by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta after the court said that if the government wanted the matter to be heard on another date “then maintain status quo till then”.
Mehta told the court that he will not be able to argue post lunch as he has to be in the Supreme Court for another matter and urged the high court to hear the matter on another date.
Senior advocate Abhishek M. Singhvi, appearing for AJL, told the court that status quo ought to mean no taking over of possession as well as no initiation of proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971.
The Land and Development Office (L&DO), which comes under the Urban Development Ministry, had ended the lease—entered into with AJL on August 2, 1962, and made perpetual on January 10, 1967—asking the company to hand over the possession by November 15.
The weekly newspaper ‘National Herald on Sunday’ resumed on September 24 last year and the place of publication was the ITO premises, Singhvi said, adding that the Hindi weekly newspaper ‘Sunday Navjivan’ was also being published since October this year from the same premises.
“The necessary licences and authorisations for the purposes of publication were also placed on record, in particular, the necessary licenses have been obtained by the petitioner (AJL),” the petition has said.
