Steering clear of commenting directly on the popularity of the pairing of her boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor and his ex-flame Deepika Padukone, actress Katrina Kaif says everybody is free to work with each other.
Gossip mills were abuzz that the 32-year-old “Phantom” star was getting insecure of Ranbir-Deepika’s chemistry in their upcoming film “Tamasha”.
The pair, who dated for a year, were first seen together on screen in “Bachna Ae Haseeno” (2008), followed by the 2014 blockbuster “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”, which marked their first release post split.
An online survey has claimed that Ranbir-Deepika would be the industry’s next Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol, who are considered as an iconic on-screen couple.
When asked what does she feel about it, Katrina said, “I am not a director, so I don’t look at actors like that. Everybody is free to work with each other.”
The actress was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival here.
Katrina also shot down speculations that she would replace Priyanka Chopra in the upcoming third installment of Shah Rukh-starrer “Don” franchise.
“No nothing like that,” said the “Ek Tha Tiger” actress when asked about such reports.
A Dancer is a known not only for their grace, passion and their dedication for the art but also for their fabulous body. This magnificent body that a dancer possesses is all because of the hard exercises they put themselves through. Dancers fitness training is just like that of an athlete.
Wonder if you all known Latin and Ballroom dancing has been accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a form of Sport, popularly known as ‘DanceSport’. In India, All India DanceSport Federation (AIDSF) is the prime body that looks after the interest of the Indian dance athletes, as the technical director of AIDSF, I have been meeting so may dancers from all over India and I feel that one place we dancers lack from the dancers internationally is the way our bodies look.
We need to get more serious about our shape and workout at the gym, do yoga, pilates, swim, follow a great diet plan and all that matter to get the perfect shape. Along with that yes dance and practice that is most important too. Being a dancer and a representative of the country is like a full time job, so better get serious with it.
Young dancers love to practice and put hours in their rehearsals but when it comes to hitting the gym, laziness sets in and even if they do reach the gym, it becomes more of a chatting space and making friends area. For them it is a place to hang out, catch up with friends, grab a healthy shake and yes, also get some exercise.
But do you give a thought for safety, or the correct use of the gym equipment? Please do not ever make the mistake of using gym equipment in a casual manner. You could injure yourself and end up with back and joint problems for life and this will result in no dance forever too.
After overseeing hundreds of young dancers, observing how they go about their forced gym routine and finally talking to my dear friend and fitness expert Shalini Bhargava of JG’s Fitness centre in Santacruz, Mumbai, I have listed out 10 dos and don’ts that a dancer must keep in mind.
Do’s:
Do have a spotter on standby:
Whether you like to live by yourself or go gymming with a buddy dancer, ensure a safe workout you must be supervised by a spotter/trainer/instructor. A spotter also offers constructive guidance or training techniques and much needed words of encouragement. Like your dance guru did when you practiced for hours.
Do breathe right:
Breathing is a crucial component of fitness training and is especially important for weight training, yoga, pilates, swimming, etc. When you weight train the correct breathing technique is: exhale when you exert and inhale when you release muscles tension. Remember when we dance we breath normally as that’s what dance demands same way a fitness program has its own style of breathing technique so follow that.
Do Warm up well:
Before the real workout begin moving the body, rotating the joints and stretching the muscles is very important so that the body gets ready and prepares well for the exercise it will get. Many dancers just reach the workout place and start the exercise without warming up resulting in aches and pains later. Before starting any dance practice all dancer pray, think that warm up is like a prayer, it is a must.
Do drink lots of water:
When you exercise, you lose body fluids due to perspiration just like dance. To replenish those fluids, you need water. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your exercise routine, to keep your body from getting dehydrated, just as we do when we do loads of dance rehearsals.
Do progress gradually:
The intensity of your workout routine must build up over the period of time, so do not rush it. It is best to progress step by step and gradually prepare one’s body for more strenuous exercise. Just as you did from, your first dance class till date. A rule of the thumb is, increase the intensity, or weight, by 5 to 10 per cent at a time. This way you do not end up with injuries because of over training.
Do eat well:
Healthy eating and exercising go hand in hand. Only if you eat healthy will you have the necessary energy to exercise, be active and dance with zest and vigour too – as simple as that.
Do have fun:
Your fitness routine at the gym is all about enjoying what you do, remember it is going to help you achieve your dancing goals. Try different kinds of exercises to keep your interest levels and work towards building a great stress – buster routine.
Do not:
Do not compare or compete:
There’s no point wasting trying to be something you’re not. You have your own unique genes, so what works for another dancer friend may not work for you. Instead stand by your goals and work towards achieving your objectives. Just the way your initial days of dance training.
Do not compromise on posture when you chat:
If you are in a habit of talking while exercising, beware! Remember right form and technique is everything. It protects the joints and safeguards the body from exercise trauma. So if you are too busy chatting, you tend to get distracted and this leads to wrong techniques, or jerky movements, both of which can cause serious injury. Working out is like dancing in many ways, concentration is important in both.
Do not forget to stretch/ cool down:
The best time to stretch is immediately after the exercise session, while the body is still warm, stretching increases flexibility and relaxes the muscles. The rules are followed in dance, after a practice we stretch, so why leave it after a workout?
Do not use reel models in real life:
The truth is real people leading real lives cannot look the same as those who live in reel like existence. So there is nothing wrong in aspiring for a slimmer shaped body like size zero of Kareena Kapoor, Shiela’s figure of Katrina Kaif or Hrithik’s ripped muscles, but always keep things in perspective and do not overdo it. Remember camera, lighting and make up plays lots of tricks too. Just like on stage a dancers costumes, make up, jewellery, sets and lights enhance the performance, similarly the reel models look ideal because of many other factors too.
An artist, a dancer is said to be the most dedicated person, so remember to achieve your goal as a dancer being fit is extremely important and any kind of fitness activity helps to come closer to your goals. So next time you are working out keep the aims as a dancers in front of your eyes and on top your mind and try your best to grab it with both hands and see the change it will soon bring to your dance performance.
The state government should incur the expenses required for paying bonus to BEST employees says Sunil Prabhu.
Even though the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) employees have deferred the strike to November 4 but the civic body has urged the state government to bail out the loss making transport undertaking. Earlier the BEST workers had threatened to go on strike from October 26 to 28 in support of their demand for Diwali bonus.
Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu said, “The state government should incur the expenses required for paying bonus to BEST employees. It must offer subsidy to BEST a practice which is followed by other states.”
President of standing committee Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Yashodar Phanse too came forward with similar demands. Thus a political colour has been given to the bonus issue by the civic body by putting the ball in the Chief Minister’s Devendra Fadnavis’s court. Earlier the BJP had held the Shiv Sena responsible for the alleged irregularities in the nullah cleaning work and also demanded for a probe. Of late the relations between the Shiv Sena and BJP had strained over issues like Ghulam Ali concert and Kasuri book launch. Sena has always expressed its dissatisfaction over the functioning of the BJP. It also criticises BJP in the party mouth piece Saamna.
It will be interesting to see what decision Devendra Fadnavis takes over the bonus issue. BEST has been unable to pay bonus to its workers since last three years as the transport body is incurring heavy losses. This year too the BEST is expressing its inability to pay bonus to workers citing the same reason. The decision pertaining to paying bonus to workers will be taken after a discussion with the chief secretary, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief and BEST chairman, on November 3. A surcharge of 15 per cent is imposed on power bills of customers staying in island city as a “cross-subsidy” wherein revenue from BEST’s electricity division is used to offset losses incurred by its transport wing.
The undertaking has suffered an accumulated loss of Rs2,400 crore. A bonus of Rs 5,000 to each of the 45,000 BEST employees could mean burden of around Rs 25crore on BEST, which will eventually be passed on to power consumers or commuters in the form of a tariff hike.
“We have stated all financial facts to the action committee and appealed to them not to agitate. Considering the loans and losses giving any bonus to workers looks difficult. However, a decision will be taken on November 3 at the BEST committee meeting,” said Jagdish Patil, general manager, BEST.
Increasing its stridency, the Sena recently forced cancellation of Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali’s event in the city and later opposed the book launch of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. In the name of nationalism, Sena has gone harsh on Pakistani singers, writers and actors but surprisingly BJP is supporting them much more dedicatedly. BJP and Sena, ruling alliance partners in Maharashtra, are at loggerheads with each other over several issues including sports and cultural ties with Pakistan. He alleged the party (BJP) had done nothing for Kalyan Dombivili towns and claimed it was Sena that has done a lot for these towns. Sena activists blackened the face of the event organizer, Sudheendra Kulkarni, causing much embarrassment to BJP and triggering widespread protests across the country. Though, the BJP has refrained from openly reacting to the ally’s aggressive posturing, state party functionaries, requesting anonymity, said the government would continue even if the Sena pulls out of it. Political observers, however, say BJP has failed to control Sena’s capacity to create “nuisance repeatedly”. May be that’s the reason, Fadnavis was very upfront in commenting that they will not hesitate to put behind bars even somebody from our party or our friends ( Shiv Sena) who breaks law.
The disconnect between the allies, both wedded to Hindutva ideology, further widened when Sena ‘boycotted’ all functions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai on October 11. Shiv Sena is its natural ally and BJP needs to carry along so that the government completes its tenure. If Sena withdraws support, BJP can take NCP support, but will lose its credibility. Tackling Shiv Sena, maintaining social harmony and strengthening social fabric in the state is a challenge for BJP for the rest of its tenure but discounted the chances of it quitting the government any time soon. If the Sena emerges as the single largest party in the upcoming Kalyan-Dombivali municipal polls, it will get an upper hand to pressurise the BJP. If BJP gives in to the Sena during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election (to be held in 2017) to ensure stability of the government, it would be Sena’s victory.
Uddhav asked Shiv Sainiks to project work done by Sena and seek mandate of voters for it to return to power in the civic body. Making a reference to the reported ‘havan’ being carried out by BJP in Dombivili for its victory, he said Shiv Sena never needs any such act or never approaches ‘mantrik’ or ‘tantric’ (faith healers) for such things. If Modi installs a huge memorial of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel in Gujarat, then what is wrong if Sena install the memorial for Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) and Tilak (Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak) here (in the state)?” he said. He asked the Sainiks not to answer the criticisms of others and instead project good work done by it. Voting for Kalyan-Dombivili in Thane district will take place on November 1.
On the other hand, BJP always believed in talking, but it has done nothing on allegations against education minister Vinod Tawde whose educational qualifications came under cloud and the purchases made by his department without inviting tenders, and the ‘chikki scam’ involving Women and Child development minister Pankaja Munde. Days after the Shiv Sena forced the cancellation of Pakistani artist Ghulam Ali’s concert, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government will ensure full-proof security to the ghazal maestro if he still wishes to perform in the city.
In a veiled attack at the Sena, Fadnavis said it is wrong to relate Ghulam Ali to any religion or a country, as he is an artist. Fadnavis further said the state government’s decision to provide security for former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri’s book launch should not be seen as endorsing his views.
Devendra Fadnavis government will complete a year in office this week, the partnership between BJP and its oldest ideological ally Shiv Sena is at an all-time low, raising a question mark over the political stability of the regime. The unfolding scenario has thrown up doubts in the minds of people whether the government will be able to complete its tenure, say political observers. The Sena, after severing ties with BJP on the eve of assembly polls, joined the government in December last year and since then has relentlessly been attacking the policies and approaches of the ministry through its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ on various issues. Right now, Sena and BJP both are engaged in commenting on each other leaving the partnership aside. May be, they both are trying to be single largest party in the state for future.
Indrani Mukerjea, one of the three prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, is not suffering from dengue fever, JJ Hospital confirmed on Thursday.
Informing the media, JJ Hospital Dean Dr TP Lahane said that Indrani’s blood tests are negative and she’s not suffering from dengue.
“Doctors will take a call about Indrani Mukerjea’s discharge after her next platelets test,” Dr Lahane said.
Byculla Women’s prison authorities on Wednesday informed a Metropolitan Magistrate court here that Indrani was struck by dengue fever.
Earlier this month, traces of cocaine were found in the urine samples of Indrani, who is lodged in a Maharashtra jail.
Indrani was then rushed from Byculla Jail to the Sir JJ Hospital, where she was under treatment for five days.
The local court on October 19 had extended the custody of Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamvar Rai till October 31.
On September 07, a fortnight after their arrest and prolonged interrogation, the court had remanded Indrani and Rai to judicial custody till September 21, which was later extended till October 5 and further up to October 19.
A day after, on September 8, Khanna too was remanded in judicial custody.
Indrani, Khanna and Rai have been arrested on the charge of murdering 24-year-old Sheena and disposing off her body in a Raigad forest in April 2012.
Mumbai Police are fully prepared to deal with all the cases involving underworld don Chhota Rajan even as it briefed the Union Home Ministry of the steps being taken in the matter.
” The fact is that he has been arrested on our Red Corner notice and he is wanted in so many cases…Mumbai Police are fully prepared to deal with all the cases pertaining to his involvement in different crimes”, Police Commissioner Ahmed Javed said.
He, however, parried questions from the audience whether this development could subsequently lead to the arrest of don-cum-terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, also one of the most wanted persons in India.
An officer from Mumbai Crime Branch today briefed Union Home Ministry officials on the process of documenting the offences committed by Rajan.
The Union Home Ministry had asked Mumbai Police to make a detailed documentation of the offences committed by the arrested fugitive in India where he is wanted in over 75 cases including suspected role in murder of investigative journalist J Dey.
Following the directives, the Crime Branch had formed a team to compile the history of the 55-year-old gangster who had been on the run for two decades.
On whether the officer concered was going to Delhi along with the dossier, Mumbai Police spokesman Dhananjay Kulkarni refused to divulge any details.
However, according to another officer, privy to the developments, documenting a big dossier would take time but a squad of Mumbai Police Crime Branch would be part of the team which would go to Bali, Indonesia, to bring back Rajan.
The one-time trusted aide of terrorist and crime boss Dawood Ibrahim, Rajan is wanted in scores of criminal offences ranging from murder and extortion to smuggling and drug trafficking.
The cases in which Rajan’s involvement is suspected o include the murder of J Dey in June 2011.
Out of the 75 cases Rajan is facing, four are registered under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), one under Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and over 20 cases under stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Underworld don Chhota Rajan, who has been nabbed in Indonesia’s Bali, has written a letter to the Government of India saying that there is a grave threat to his life and wants to be deported to India at the earliest.
Rajan, in a letter addressed to the Indian Consulate, has said that he is not safe even in the custody of Bali police.
Rajan also talked about his fast deteriorating health as he suffers from kidney failure in the letter, which was forwarded to the Indian authorities by his lawyer.
The ailing underworld don also claimed that he had not taken proper meals since his arrest and said that medical facilities there were not good.
The dreaded gangster also sought consular access in view of the threats to life in Bali.
Interestingly, Rajan did not address the letter as Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje but as Mohan Kumar.
While talking to reporters earlier, Rajan had said that he was in fact arrested upon landing in Bali and he did not surrender as it was reported by media.
The don flew into Indonesia from Australia.
Stating that he was unhappy in Bali, Rajan said he wants to go to India, CNN-IBN had earlier reported.
Rajan also denied that he was not en route to Zimbabwe.
Reports had earlier stated that Rajan had told Indonesian police about the threat to his life he faces in India and appealed them to let him go to Zimbabwe.
The remarks came amid speculation that Rajan had feared elimination at the hands of Chhota Shakeel, the closest aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Indian authorities, at present, are working on the documentation to be provided for deportation of Rajan from Indonesia, which has been made easy recently after the two countries signed an agreement to handover criminals based on a court warrant.
The Indian Government had issued a notification on August 21, 2015 to facilitate repatriation of criminals from each other’s territory.
Once Dawood’s right hand man, 55-year-old Rajan is said to be facing serious security threats from gang of Karachi-based don and has long been hopping places in Southeast Asia to avoid attempts on his life.
“I am not scared,” he said when reporters asked him if he was scared of threats to his life from rival gangs, including one headed by Dawood.
However, he parried questions whether he has reached a deal with Indian intelligence agencies to return to India.
The Indonesian Police has provided him a strong protective cover of special commandos amidst reports that rivals could eliminate him.
Asked whether Indonesian police did not find it suspicious to spot Rajan alone as police, rival gangs and mafias were looking for him, Bali Police Commissioner Nainggolan said, “Of course, it is very suspicious. When we caught him, he looked scared…He was smoking constantly.”
A squad of Mumbai Police Crime Branch would be part of the team which would travel to Bali to bring back underworld don Chhota Rajan and would also brief the Union Home Ministry on the process of documenting the offences committed by the gangster.
Mumbai Police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni said, “One officer from our force has left for Delhi today, who would be briefing Home Ministry with reference to the communique made to us on Tuesday.”
The Union Home Ministry had asked Mumbai Police to make a detailed documentation of the offences committed by the arrested fugitive in his home turf where he is wanted in over 75 cases including suspected role in murder of investigative journalist J Dey.
Following the directives, the Crime Branch had formed a team to compile the history of the 55-year-old gangster, who had been on the run for two decades.
On whether the officer concered was going to Delhi along with the dossier, Kulkarni refused to divulge any details.
However, according to another officer, privy to the developments, documenting a big dossier would take time but a squad of Mumbai Police Crime Branch would be part of the team which would go to Bali to bring back Rajan.
The one-time trusted aide of terrorist and crime boss Dawood Ibrahim, Rajan is wanted in scores of criminal offences ranging from murder and extortion to smuggling and drug trafficking.
The cases in which Rajan’s involvement is suspected o include the murder of crime reporter J Dey in June 2011.
Out of the 75 cases Rajan is facing, four are registered under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), one under Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and over 20 cases under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Atulchandra Kulkarni, Joint Commissioner of police (crime branch) had said that apart from compiling records of over 75 criminal cases against Rajan, a police team was also documenting the fine-prints of each case, evidences available and status of each of them in different courts, not only in the Mumbai city, but also in Navi Mumbai and Pune, where the offences have been registered.”
Kulkarni, who heads the crime branch of Mumbai Police, said the documents would be presented to the State as well as and Union Home Ministry to be be furnished subsequently to the Indonesian counterparts for Rajan’s extradition after translating them into English and Bahasa, the official language of Indonesia.
Taking potshots at Narendra Modi on his frequent foreign tours, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray on Thursday alleged that he is the first Prime Minister in Indian history to have remained out of the country for long.
“What kind of a government do we have? Instead of doing work, they are behind banning every possible thing. Here we have a PM, who is the first in the country to have remained out of India for so many days,” Thackeray said.
“I just heard that Salman Khan is now making ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ part 2. In the sequel, he will be seen bringing back Modi to India from a foreign country,” he said taking a dig on the PM.
As of October 2015, Modi has reportedly made 28 foreign trips. Most of them were state visits to Asian countries, following his neighborhood first and Act East policies.
Criticising the proposed Bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Thackeray questioned the purpose that would be served by introducing this super fast train.
“Why do we need a Bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad? Why not to some other state? What purpose will it serve? Just go to Gujarat, eat a Dhokla (Gujarati delicacy) and come back. That’s all,” he said.
He further said that the recent standoffs between the BJP and Sena are ruining the smooth running of the government.
“The way these both parties fight publicly, even husbands and wives don’t fight this way. CM says all is well between them, but if that is so, one needs to go and ask the Sena ministers,” he said.
“It is only the BJP whose ‘Acche Din’ have come. Their ally and its ministers are only sulking,” he added.
Backing Sena’s Opposition to Ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali’s concert here, Thackeray said,
Opposition is not to him as a singer. But, do our artists get the kind of respect they deserve in Pakistan? There is so much of talent here in India that we do not need an outsider to perform here.”
The Bombay High Court asked the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to study the pollution of river Godavari caused by the ‘Shahi Snaan’ (royal bath) events during the Kumbh Mela which began at Nashik on July 24 this year.
The division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka asked the NEERI to form a committee for this purpose and submit a report before December 11.
The High Court also directed the authorities not to release the water from Godavari any further as it might have been polluted after the Shahi Snaan.
Maharashtra government and the Nashik Municipal Corporation shall take immediate measures to clean the water of Godavari, said the High Court which was hearing a petition filed by Pune resident H M Desarda.
The PIL alleges pollution of river water during the Shahi Snaan days (when it is considered auspicious to bathe in the river). It also challenges the government’s decision to release one TMC water from upstream reservoirs for every Shahi Snaan.
The court had earlier restrained the government from releasing water for the last Shahi Snaan and criticised the release of water on September 13.
“The government has a policy which categorises its priority list….Supply of water for drinking purposes comes first and supply of water for such Shahi Snaan purposes comes in the last category,” the court had said.
Steering clear of commenting directly on the popularity of the pairing of her boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor and his ex-flame Deepika Padukone, actress Katrina Kaif says everybody is free to work with each other.
Even though the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) employees have deferred the strike to November 4 but the civic body has urged the state government to bail out the loss making transport undertaking. Earlier the BEST workers had threatened to go on strike from October 26 to 28 in support of their demand for Diwali bonus.
Indrani Mukerjea, one of the three prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, is not suffering from dengue fever, JJ Hospital confirmed on Thursday.
Mumbai Police are fully prepared to deal with all the cases involving underworld don Chhota Rajan even as it briefed the Union Home Ministry of the steps being taken in the matter.
Underworld don Chhota Rajan, who has been nabbed in Indonesia’s Bali, has written a letter to the Government of India saying that there is a grave threat to his life and wants to be deported to India at the earliest.