The song “Bandeyaa” from the film “Jazbaa” features Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, but sans a display of her dancing skills. The actress says the attempt was to stay true to the essence of the film, which has serious overtones.
Talking about the song at a media interaction, Aishwarya said: “We wanted to stay true to the film. Just because we had Sanjay (Gupta), I and Ahmed Khan, we didn’t want to add dance moves. We just kept it very simple and stayed true to the film.”
Aishwarya is portraying a criminal lawyer in the film.
When Kangana Ranaut looks back at her career, she smiles with pride. The “Queen” star says that while she has grown strength by strength from B-grade cinema to being the “number one actress of the country”, she considers that her contemporaries “have had no growth”.
The 28-year-old’s post “Queen” phase has seen Kangana featuring in and bagging plum projects — including “Tanu Weds Manu Returns”, “Katti Batti”, “Rangoon”, “Rani Lakshmibai” and “Simran”.
“This is just the beginning,” Kangana told in an interview, and added that for the “longest time I was struggling and nothing was falling into place, and I didn’t have offers”.
“I started from ‘B grade films’ and today I’m the number one actress of this country… whereas other actresses, whom you might call my contemporaries, they have had no growth in whatever platform they were launched… they are still there and have not risen to another platform,” she added.
Without naming anyone, the two-time National Award winner said: “The other actresses, who are called my contemporaries, they started with a megastar. They were superstars overnight, and are the same even today.”
“Initially, I wanted to do films with A-list actors when I was struggling. I was hoping that I could also get that platform where I’m launched with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Aamir Khan… and with them my career could also start, but it didn’t happen. And then came ‘Queen’,” Kangana said, referring to the life-changing effect that the Vikas Bahl directorial brought for her.
Following that, “Tanu Weds Manu Returns”, did well.
“Then why should I be dependent on anyone else,” questioned Kangana, and pointed out that she has the capability “to recover the money that has gone into production” of her films.
She is proud that even though success came late to her, it tastes sweeter.
“Now I’m getting the kind of roles I think I deserve,” said the actress, who hails from Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, and who belongs to a non-film background.
There is need to establish a National Commission on Famers again not only to find out numbers but to take preventive actions to the extent possible against occurrence of farmers suicide. Action taken report on the earlier Farmers Commission Report needs to be made known. All sorts of atrocities-self-made, money lenders made, alcoholism, public abuse etc etc. needs to be addressed. Farming is projected as an unattractive profession. In Kerala coconut cultivation in homesteads has become unremunerated-no climbers, no takers of harvested nuts and above all bad neighbourhood relations due to fall of nuts destroying others properties. In Punjab wheat straw is burned causing pollution. The drought like situation in major agricultural states induces pauper farmers to think of unthinkable things. The proposed NCA should have powers to implement and help farmers.
What are the agricultural ministries, universities and scientists doing? The Farmers commission report gathers dust while our Parliament adjourns….where are we headed? Why cannot the courts take notice? Are we all so helpless that we can afford to lose famers? We need to treat this as the most important threat to the nation. Farmers cannot prosper because of problems created by the rooted traders Mafia in Agriculture produce marketing. They are worse than the world’s worst cartel. Go from end to end in any city; you will wonder how the same price is being made applicable to the vegetable you buy. It is actually acting in consort by the traders lobby to determine both the prices, logistics and the supplies that will come to market. Only corporate intervention in agriculture marketing will break the trader mafia’s hold.
Farmers are committing suicides mainly because of crop failures due to natural calamities, climate change, lack of infrastructure facilities say transport facilities, so farmers can dispose of their produce in Agriculture market without getting exploited by agents. Twenty four hours water and power facilities, warehouse facilities, high tech farming technology must be provided to them. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan claimed that the ‘complex problem’ of farmer suicides could be arising out of lack of formal finance and not excessive burden of it. “In the last few days, the tragic picture of farmer suicides has emerged. Researchers have found that it is a complicated matter to say why someone will take the extreme step of ending his life. “Farmer suicide is a problem that one should neither take lightly nor offer too easy explanations for”, said Rajan at an interactive session organized by Centre for Research and Industrial Development (CRRID).
Many farmers, who died in the past one month, have died of heart attacks, unable to bear the shock of seeing their healthy crops lying flat under the vagaries of the weather. Livelihood security for any farming family, therefore, hangs by a slender thread. The spate of farmer suicides in the wake of the continuing spell of unseasonal rains is simply a reflection or a symptom of how fragile the farm economy is. Even a small aberration in weather – unseasonal rains, high winds, dry weather and drought – multiplies the risk factor for farmers, taking it to unmanageable levels. World Health Organization figures show India has one of the highest rates of depression in the world. Due to lack of psychiatrists and stigma around mental illness, particularly in rural swathes, many sufferers believe the only way out is to take their own lives.
Maharashtra is by far the epicenter of the crisis, with over 10,000 recorded farm suicides between 2011 and 2013. This year, the Marathwada region alone has seen over 200 farmer suicides in just three months. According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, the total of number of suicides committed by farmers for agrarian reasons in the last three years stands at 3313. The five States — Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala — accounted for 3301 of them. The numbers of suicide cases by farmers due to agrarian reasons have increased by 26 percent to 1,109 in 2014, with majority of deaths reported from Maharashtra. Nearly 2,25,000 people involved in farming and agriculture killed themselves in India between 2000 and 2013, the latest years for which data is available from the National Crime Records Bureau. Out of 1,109 cases, 986 were reported from Maharashtra, 84 from Telangana and 29 from Jharkhand.
In 2013, 879 farmers had committed suicide, and in 2012 the cases of farmer suicides were 1,046, according to a data shared by the Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundaria in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Poor farmers are dying because of non-availability of government initiated land acquisition. While Congress-led UPA ( I & II) was in power, BJP adopted tactics like, referring Bills to select-committee, bringing amendments after amendments etc. Neither UPA Bill nor NDA Bill ever got implemented. Farmers were committing suicide even before Modi came to power and they continue to end their lives when he has come to power, nothing has changed their plight. One could add so many arguments to what I have already stated so articulately here, but there won’t be the actual solution to fading farmers of this country……….still we say #JaiKisan ? India is the land of agriculture.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is on a week long two-nation trip, met Japanese Prime Minister Sinzo Abe at Tokyo and discussed the possibilities and avenues of technology cooperation between both the countries to achieve zero accident goal in Indian Railways.
Prabhu will also visit South Korea to explore the possibilities of acquiring high speed technology for the Railways’ ambitious bullet train project.
While railways is facing an increased number of train accident in the recent past, Japan is known for zero accident rate in its rail operation.
Besides, Japan is involved in the construction of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and railways is in the process of importing 40 high power electric locomotives from it.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has also conducted feasibility study of Mumbai-Ahemedabad high speed corridor for running first bullet train in the country.
Minister is expected to discuss the issues affecting railways and also ways to strengthen cooperation in rail sector with Japan and Korea, said a senior Railway Ministry official.
Accompanied by Railway Advisor ( Infrastructure) Girish Pillai, Prabhu is also expected to witness the modernised signal system and experience high speed service in both the countries before returning on September 13.
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse has publicly accepted that the BJP decided to snap ties with its over two-decade-old alliance partner Shiv Sena a fortnight before the Assembly polls in October last year only after he assured the central leadership that the party can come to power on its own.
Khadse made the disclosure at a public rally at his home turf Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra over the weekend.
“Once Modi told me ‘Khadseji, you say that the (BJP) government can come (to power in Maharashtra). I said yes, it can come (to power). He said will it come under our own steam? I said yes,” Khadse said.
“He (Modi) said it is your responsibility to tell Shiv Sena that the alliance has broken. Not a single person from amongst us (senior BJP leaders in Maharashtra) was ready to come forward (to inform the decision to Shiv Sena).
“When there were three-four meetings in Delhi on this issue, Amit Shah, Narendra Modi, myself, Nitin Gadkari and Devendra (Fadnavis) decided to take the decision (to break the alliance), there was nobody on my side,” Khadse said.
“Someone said only 15 days are left for election day. What if something else happens, what if the Congres-NCP government wins again. I said come what may, let us contest the Assembly polls under our own steam,” Khadse said.
After parting ways before the polls, the Shiv Sena later agreed to join the Devendra Fadnavis-led government in the state.
Ten Sena MLAs were sworn in as ministers in the oath-taking ceremony held on December 5.
The Bombay High Court today sought to know from the Maharashtra government under which law it allows Ganpati and Navratri processions on private roads leading to immersion points, even when residents along private roads have raised objections.
A division bench of justices A S Oka and V L Achliya asked the government to inform by September 14 under what provisions of law does it allow processions on private property.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Abhinav Nagar Cooperative Housing Society, a private residential complex having gates, located in suburban Borivali.
The society has challenged a notice issued to it by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) directing it to keep the society gates open so that the road, which leads to the Dahisar river, can be used for immersion procession.
The civic body in its notice has said if the gates are kept closed during immersion days, then the corporation would break them open.
Counsel Shreepad Murthy, arguing for the petitioner, said that the society is spread over 30 acres and as per an agreement entered with the civic body, a part of it was handed over to the corporation for constructing and maintaining the road. This did not mean the ownership of the road was transferred to the corporation, he said.
He said there are other roads that lead to the Dahisar river, but still the corporation is insisting on using the private road.
However, BMC’s counsel Anil Sakhare claimed that the civic body built the road and the BMC is maintaining it and also provides electricity on the road, thus they were the owners of the road, he argued.
The court, after going through the documents placed before it, said, “Prima facie possession (of the road) does not vest with the corporation. The state government has to take instructions whether processions are allowed on private roads.
The number of cases of atrocities against women has increased in Maharashtra, especially in rural areas, under the BJP-Shiv Sena regime, alleged NCP Maharashtra women’s chief Chitra Wagh.
“The women in rural parts of the state (Maharashtra) are comparatively much more unsafe and a sense of insecurity is prevailing among them since police force is not available to take cognisance of their reports at police stations,” Wagh told reporters here.
Wagh was in the city as a part of her maiden visit to Vidharbha region for strengthening the party’s women wing.
The NCP leader claimed the overall law and order situation was much better during Congress-NCP regime and that women were getting better treatment at police stations when R R Patil, the then Home Minister, was at the helm of affairs.
She warned that her party will launch an agitation if the existing situation (of women) did not improve.
Meanwhile, expressing concern on the drought-like situation in Marathwada region, Wagh said, “Immediate steps should be taken by the state government to ensure that lives are not lost due to the natural calamity.”
The opposition Congress and the NCP dug out an old tweet made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a bid to corner the BJP-led Maharashtra government and prove that the party had promised good governance merely to “deceive” the people.
On August 13, 2013, Fadnavis had tweeted that for the first time in the country’s history items of need, comfort and luxury were being sold at the same price.
“Fact: For the first time in the history of India “Need”, “Comfort” and “Luxury” are sold at the same price. Onions, petrol and beer all at Rs 80,” Fadnavis had tweeted.
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam dug out this old tweet and said that the BJP-led Fadnvis government had “shamelessly” failed to bring down inflation levels despite making it a poll plank prior to the 2014 assembly election.
“One of the BJP’s poll plank on which they fought election was inflation. The BJP had then alleged that the Congress government has failed to keep the growth rate steady and failed to decrease prices of essential commodities.
Today, the situation is the same. Commodities are still being sold at the same price they were sold in 2013,” Nirupam said.
NCP leader Sachin Ahir said that after being in power for a year, it seems that promises were made purely to deceive the people.
“It has been almost a year since they (the BJP and Shiv Sena) came to power, but they failed to keep their poll promises. They kept on taunting us and kept on accusing us of inefficiency, but change have they brought about? Middle class finds it difficult to buy essential commodities which are sold at luxury rates,” Ahir said.
The Maharashtra government has decided to abolish the Local Body Tax (LBT) within 15 days on petrol and diesel to end the disparity between fuel dealers and other traders.
The decision comes after discussions between the state government and petrol/diesel pump owners over its imposition.
State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar however said that the government will impose an alternate tax in place of LBT.
“The fuel dealers’ contention is that those whose pumps are within the jurisdiction of any of the 25 Municipal Corporations in the state are required to pay the LBT while others are not,” Mungantiwar said.
“They say the LBT eats into the businesses of those who pay the tax and hence wanted us to abolish the LBT,” he said.
The minister claimed that the fuel dealers are ready to accept the imposition of an alternate tax in lieu of LBT.
“When we met representatives of fuel dealers, they said that they do not have any problem if the government imposes an alternate tax in place of LBT. All they want is parity between all pump owners.
“We have told them that will abolish the LBT within a month’s time. But, the state government has decided to make a formal announcement within 15 days,” Mungantiwar said.
When asked about the financial implications of the government’s decision, Mungantiwar said that abolishing LBT will cost the government Rs 280 crore.
The state government has already exempted traders having an annual turnover below Rs 50 crore from paying LBT across the state from August 1.
According to the government, more than 99 per cent of traders benefited from the decision.
However, petrol and diesel retailers were not considered for LBT exemption.
There are around 800 petrol and diesel pumps within 25 municipal corporations in the state.
The Bombay High Court rejected the ‘paper-book’ in 2002 hit-and-run-case, in which Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been convicted, saying it doesn’t conform to rules and should be prepared anew by September 11. Paper-book is compilation of evidence, documents and the lower court’s orders/verdict, prepared by the HC registry and submitted to both the sides before the appeal is heard.
The HC is hearing an appeal filed by Salman against the five-year sentence awarded on May 6 by the sessions court for ramming his car into a bakery, killing one person and injuring four others, in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002.
Last month, the court had asked the registry to prepare a fresh paper-book by adding some documents which Salman’s lawyer, Amit Desai, said were “missing”. The revised paper-book was submitted today but advocate Desai said it was still not in keeping with the HC manual.
The charge-sheet was included when it is not needed, he said. “The charges are to be listed but here the charge sheet has been added….the (present) paper-book is a prejudicial material, it is in conflict with law, conflict with manual,” he said.
Justice A R Joshi then ordered the HC registry to prepare the paper-book again, strictly complying with rules as the appeal cannot be heard without completing this exercise.
Among other things, the paper-book did not have a document pertaining to a media interview given by Ravindra Patil, a policeman who was then Salman’s bodyguard and eye- witness to the accident. Patil, who died during the trial, had contradicted in the interview his own statement before the magistrate, the application by Salman’s lawyer says. It is a very vital document for the defence to prove that Patil was not telling the truth, it says. Patil had told the magistrate that Salman was driving the car and was drunk.
The actor, who is on bail, did not come to the court today. His sister Alvira was present.
The song “Bandeyaa” from the film “Jazbaa” features Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, but sans a display of her dancing skills. The actress says the attempt was to stay true to the essence of the film, which has serious overtones.
When Kangana Ranaut looks back at her career, she smiles with pride. The “Queen” star says that while she has grown strength by strength from B-grade cinema to being the “number one actress of the country”, she considers that her contemporaries “have had no growth”.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is on a week long two-nation trip, met Japanese Prime Minister Sinzo Abe at Tokyo and discussed the possibilities and avenues of technology cooperation between both the countries to achieve zero accident goal in Indian Railways.
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse has publicly accepted that the BJP decided to snap ties with its over two-decade-old alliance partner Shiv Sena a fortnight before the Assembly polls in October last year only after he assured the central leadership that the party can come to power on its own.
The Bombay High Court today sought to know from the Maharashtra government under which law it allows Ganpati and Navratri processions on private roads leading to immersion points, even when residents along private roads have raised objections.