BY SACNILK

Cricketer Suresh Raina has raised concern over child abuse & domestic violence during the nationwide lockdown caused by a coronavirus pandemic. On Monday the star cricketer took to Twitter to express his concern over abuse and urged the people to reach out and help the victims. ## However, the cricketer told the benefits of the lockdown also and said that lockdown has taught us various ways to love & bond with our family. ## "Lockdown has taught us various ways to love & bond with our family. Though it’s disturbing to read how exponentially the no. of child abuse & domestic violence cases have grown around the world. I urge anyone who is facing violence please reach out for help & don’t shut yourself", Suresh Raina tweeted. ## Lockdown has taught us various ways to love & bond with our family. Though it’s disturbing to read how exponentially the no. of child abuse & domestic violence cases have grown around the world. I urge anyone who is facing violence please reach out for help & don’t shut yourself. pic.twitter.com/q6YsJ9pgwa— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) May 4, 2020 ## Suresh Raina is the co-founder of the Gracia Raina Foundation with his wife Priyanka Chaudhary Raina. The foundation work for women empowerment. It was started in 2017 and named after their first child daughter Gracia Raina. ## Apart from this, Suresh Raina also contributed to the PM Cares Fund to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. He contributed ₹ 52 lakh rupees (₹ 31 lakh to the PM-CARES Fund & ₹ 21 lakh to the UP CM’s Disaster Relief Fund). He often seen sharing videos of him to motivate people to donate. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan continued to help the needy people amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. After providing financial supports to the film city workers, the actor now comes forward to help needy by delivering food. ## Salman Khan is currently stranded in his Panvel farmhouse with his friends Jacqueline Fernandez, Iulia Vantur, sister Arpita Khan Sharma, Aayush Sharma, Waluscha De Sousa and more due to lockdown. In the latest video shared by him, the actor seen distributing food packets along with the people living with him. ## Thanks for the contribution... Thank you all @Asli_Jacqueline @IuliaVantur @Iamrahulkanal @imKamaalKhan @NiketanMadhok @Iamwaluscha #AbhirajMinawala pic.twitter.com/rtPOvcGxNv— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) May 3, 2020 ## Earlier, Salman Khan took the responsibility of the cine workers who lost their job due to the nationwide lockdown caused by coronavirus pandemic. The actor asked for the 25,000 workers working in film city and provided them financial support. ## Along with providing essential support, the superstar often seen sharing videos of him to motivate his fans to follow the lockdown. ## On the work front, Salman Khan is preparing for his upcoming film, 'Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai'. The film was originally slated to release on Eid (22 May) but the lockdown has pushed the film further for an indefinite time. Salman Khan last was seen in the film 'Dabangg 3'. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Amid the lockdown, actress Nidhhi Agerwal, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Tiger Shroff in "Munna Michael", is currently taking an online course in acting and scriptwriting from the New York Film Academy (NYFA).## "So I decided to see how I can utilize my time wisely. When I came to know there would be a break from the shoot, I looked for many different courses and decided to go with NYFA because I've always wanted to study in a place like that and I knew their faculty would be top class... I'm happy that I decided to take these classes," Nidhhi shared.## Nidhhi has also tried her hand at baking during the lockdown. A few days ago, she baked a cake.## "Baked a cake for the first time of course with the expert guidance of @tanveagerwal.... 1. Check whether the batter tastes good because we used maple syrup instead of sugar. 2. Wait for light bulbs to cook the cake. 3. Some coco powder seasoning. 4. Satisfaction. Oh, and we baked the second one too... with fresh orange... let''s see how that tastes #stayhome #stayhome #quarantine#cake #healthyfood," she wrote on Instagram.## On the acting front, Nidhhi will next be seen "Bhoomi", a Tamil action-drama film, which also stars Sathish.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, April 29 (IANS) Coronavirus has come as a blockbuster blow for the Telugu film industry, the second biggest in India after Bollywood, as films valued Rs 2,000 crore either ready to be released or in production have been stuck for over a month.## With no chances of an early end to the crisis, the industry is not only staring at massive losses but also fear the loss of over 70,000 jobs in production, distribution, and exhibition departments.## Like many other industries and every film industry in the world, the coronavirus outbreak and the resultant lockdown brought everything to a standstill in Tollywood, as the Telugu film industry is popularly referred to.## According to well-known producer Daggubati Suresh, 15 films which were ready for release and another 70 films which were under various stages of production are stuck.## "Production varies from a film like RRR which is Rs 400 crore plus film to many films which are in the hundred crore bracket and a lot of films in the Rs 20-30 crore bracket. There are many with a budget of Rs 3-5 crore. There is quite a big money stalled. May be in production alone projects worth Rs 2,000 crore are stalled," Suresh told IANS.## The big banner movies stuck include 'RRR' of S.S. Rajamouli of 'Baahubali' fame. Starring Ram Charan and Jr. NTR in the lead roles, it is expected to be another magnum opus from Rajamouli.## Superstar Chiranjeevi's 'Acharya' is another big banner movie stuck due to lockdown. Movies of leading stars like Balakrishna, Allu Arjun, Vankatesh and Ravi Teja have gone behind schedule. Most of them are Rs 30-40 crore movies.## Nani and Vijay Devarkonda's movies were ready for release. Ram Pothineni-starrer 'Red' was also scheduled for April release.## The lockdown has brought all the production, distribution and exhibition activities of Suresh Productions to a grinding halt. The company had four films under production 'Narappa', 'Virata Parvam', 'Crush' and 'Krishna and his Leela' and it had planned three other movies.## "It's not just filmed under production which is hit. All three studios and 250-300 screens all are shut. The losses are huge," said Suresh.## He pointed out that 1,800 cinema theatres are the worst affected by the lockdown.## The second-largest film industry in the country after Hindi, Tollywood makes 250-275 movies every year. About 175 films are made in Telugu while about 100 films are dubbed from other languages. The budget varies from Rs 1-2 crore to Rs 200 crore, pointed out the ace producer.## "Tollywood's most successful film 'Baahubali' proved to be the biggest hit in India. Now 'RRR' will be the biggest film. It is basically a Telugu film being dubbed into other languages. Somewhere we are making the biggest films of the industry," said Suresh.## Every year 25-30 Hindi movies are made with Rs 100 crore budget while the number of Tollywood movies in this bracket will be around 12. Tamil industry ranks third in this category with 3-4 films.## Suresh foresees plenty of joblessness in the industry even after it gets back to work. "The filmmakers will try to save cost and try to remove the unnecessary flab. There will be a lot of digital interfaces and there will be a lot more work from home attitude."## Many low-level non-technical jobs and even mid-level managerial jobs are likely to go. Things may change even for outdoor shootings with less number of people handling the work. Huge joblessness is also feared in distribution and exhibition with cinema theatres resorting to lay-offs.## The producer does not expect things returning to normal in the industry until the vaccine or drug is made for COVID-19. "I don't think too much is happening. It could be a low of 6 months to a high of 12-15 months."## "All depends on when the vaccine and medicine will come. That's when we are fully done. If the process of developing a vaccine or medicine is slow then some small shootings and some post-production work can happen. The films may have to be released through OTT (over the top) or some other platform."## Creative Producer Venkat Sidda Reddy believes that Tollywood will make a comeback. "The film industry has seen so many ups and downs and I strongly feel that there will be a comeback. The looming uncertainties of shooting schedules, theater occupancy and the competition with the OTT platforms are definitely going to be major challenges but every challenge is also an opportunity," Reddy told IANS.## "With this sudden downward trend, the budgets will become smaller. With smaller budgets, shoot schedules have to be very well planned and we will have to find ways to work with smaller crews and shorter shooting schedules. This is a good opportunity to use technology and device processes that are lacking in the industry," said Reddy.## He believes that the low budget films with genre-specific films will have worldwide reach on OTT platforms. There will be a lot of opportunities in the OTT platform for newer ideas.## "With theaters closed and everyone binging on OTT, the producers, distributors, and exhibitors now know the real impact of OTT on films. So there will be a huge paradigm shift and as a supporter of Indie cinema, these challenging times are going to open doors for more opportunities," he added.## For more and latest news about Tollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Bollywood actor and social activist Rahul Bose, who lent his voice for a digital campaign against domestic violence, says that the major responsibility of any individual, including celebrities, is to be a good human being with a set of high values.## Reports have stated that cases of domestic violence have increased during the ongoing lockdown. "Articles and anecdotal data published across the world say how domestic violence has increased in European countries, in North America and other parts of the world including India. During the lockdown when the male members of the family are staying at the house, they get frustrated. Females, who had a little freedom in the absence of the males, are also not getting it. So, the frustration is building up for both. Naturally, there is more domestic violence under these situations," Rahul told IANS.## The campaign #LockdownOnDomesticViolence is initiated by Akshara Centre and promoted by several celebrities like Karan Johar, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Dia Mirza, Farhan Akhtar along with Rahul among many others.## "It is great that along with prominent Bollywood faces, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra also supported the campaign," he added.## This is not the first time when the actor has come forward to address social issues. He has been constantly working on social initiatives like education for underprivileged children, climate change, and gender equality among other issues.## On the social responsibility of a celebrity, Rahul said: "Whether you are a celebrity or not, the only responsibility you have is to be a good human being with the value of tolerance, non-discrimination, compassion, non-violence, etc. I think that is the responsibility that we all have. When a popular personality lends voice to a cause, he or she believes in that. The onus that we put on celebrity, that 'if you are influential, you should talk about social issue' is something I disagree with. It is enough to deliver your best in your respective field and just be a good human being with a lot of compassion.## "If you do anything extra, then that is great. But it is not incumbent of contingent on you. It does not make you less of a human being if you do not do it. I think that way, there are a lot of unfair responsibly placed on the shoulder of a celebrity. Having said that, our 'Lockdown On Domestic Violence' campaign has crossed five million views in just two days, and it is growing. That would have not to happen without the involvement of celebrity. Yes, we have the power and if that is used in an effective manner, society is benefitted," he explained.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Madhuri Dixit has revealed how she is spending her days during the ongoing COVID 19 lockdown. The actress is making the most of her quarantine time with her family and pet dog Carmelo, cooking, reading books and practicing Kathak dance.## On Tuesday afternoon, Madhuri Dixit did an #AskMD session on Twitter where she responded to curious questions thrown at her by fans regarding her life, her perception, and opinion about several things including the ongoing lockdown. The actress patiently handled all the questions and responded to them.## Responding to a fan's question about how she is spending her lockdown days, the actress tweeted: "Mostly spending time with my family, playing with Carmelo, reading books, some cooking and doing kathak riyaz!"## Another fan asked for a suggestion regarding "how to control anger when dealing with negativity". Madhuri replied: "Anger never helps you. Try to think with an open mind and always look on the bright side while dealing with negativity."## Responding to another fan who was curious to learn the "secret" behind her "positive" mindset, the "Kalank" actress shared: "There's no secret. You just need to find the silver lining in everything."## Another fan was eager to know how many times did the actress watch her 1994 blockbuster "Hum Aapke Hain Koun", to which she replied: "Honestly, I have lost the count."## While she was responding to fans' questions in a light-hearted manner and even gave them "virtual hugs", Madhuri gave a stern response to a fan asking whether she feels the ongoing lockdown should be extended.## The actress replied: "It's not about what we all think. It's about our safety. So any which ways, we all should practice social distancing until it becomes safe out there."## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) TV personality and actress Bani J added a dash of mermaid vibes to her persona, colouring her hair ocean blue with a streak of sea green and lavender. She said she couldn't just post a plain photograph as it doesn't feel creatively satisfying.## The actress, who plays Umang in the web-series "Four More Shots Please!", flaunted her new look in an Instagram selfie.## Alongside the picture, she wrote: "Day 37: Took some pictures to document the hair. Every time I color it, it's my favorite color. Every time I think it's the best, it gets better. Couldn't just post a picture plain, it never feels creatively satisfying - enough, I guess that's a good thing. Always wanting to do more. Always doing more. I'll know when to stop. Internal guidance."## "May we all learn to channelize it. And listen to it. Did you know they actually do tattoos like this? Not just in white ink, it's called Bloodlines or blood lining (you can ask Google about it) Making art in your skin minus the ink. Tres cool. Just as painful as a regular tattoo though. Lol."## Bani had recently shared that she was "dangerously dehydrated" while shooting for the second season of "Four More Shots Please!" in Udaipur.## Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd and created by Rangita Pritish Nandy, the second season of "Four More Shots Please!" sees four women making radical choices in love, career, and friendship. The web-series airs on Amazon Prime Video.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Actor Arjun Kapoor has come forward to support the cause of looking after stray animals during the lockdown, by hosting a charity sale of his personal closet.## Arjun's fans can choose from sunglasses and caps to shoes and T-shirts, and the proceeds will fund food and water for hungry strays.## "I have been doing my best to support as many organizations I can in this crucial hour of need. Whilst we are battling with the pandemic, we must also not forget to be humane to the animals that need our help. Since the lockdown began, there's been a staggering increase in animals starving on streets because their usual sources of food -- like our street stalls and restaurants -- have closed," Arjuns said.## Arjun's fans can choose from sunglasses and caps to shoes and T-shirts, and the proceeds will fund food and water for hungry strays.## He added: "In my small way, I am supporting the efforts for World For All, which is providing food and water to stray animals during this lockdown and I'm putting up for sale some pieces from my closet in an online fundraiser. The sale proceeds will entirely go to them. So, I hope people will join me in supporting this important cause."## Recently, Arjun helped to raise funds for the families of 300 daily wage earners by going on a virtual date. The actor's virtual date happened through his sister Anshula Kapoor's online fundraising platform, Fankind, and raised enough funds to feed the families in question for a month.## Earlier, the actor has pledged to the PM-CARES Fund, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund, GiveIndia, The Wishing Factory, and Bollywood's Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).## On the acting front, Arjun will next be seen in Dibakar Banerjee's "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar". The film also stars Arjun's "Ishaqzaade" co-star Parineeti Chopra.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Actor-host Maniesh Paul is making sure that his fitness is not affected during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.## In this difficult phase, his family is staying indoors, and Maniesh has found a new way to burn some calories.## "While I am missing the shoot of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs' as well as the young contestants, I understand the need to stay indoors. I knew I'll not be able to go to the gym when the lockdown was eminent, but I wanted to work out every day and so, I bought some gym equipment," said the host of "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs".## "Come what may, me and my wife wanted to stay fit during this quarantine phase. I brought dumbbells, benches and rods -- everything home," he added.## He also shared that his wife is into functional training.## "We are doing lot of planks, push-ups, ab crunches and so on as well. In fact, every day for cardio, we are walking down 10 floors and then we climb up again. We repeat this for 20 minutes in a day and make sure that we cover everything," he said.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Singer Sona Mohapatra has come out with a cheeky version of singer Arijit Singh's number "Zaalima" and said the quirky do-it-yourself (DIY) music video was created as an artistic response to the lack of songs featuring female voices in mainstream music.## "I think the lockdown has reset our response to music, art, and life in general. It's brought us back to basics & it's reflected in the music heard around the world. People now enjoy music that's more minimal & stripped down because it feels more handmade, personal, and authentic. This is why I decided to release this reprise version of a song for music lovers that was supposed to be part of the original soundtrack," she said.## The lyrics of the reprised version of the song, which was originally pictured on Shah Rukh Khan and Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, were written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.## "He is the biggest hitmaker lyricist of his generation and a dear friend of Ram and mine," Sona added.## She said she feels proud of being an artiste who might have alienated herself in Bollywood.## "The cheeky DIY music video was created as an artistic response to the lack of women songs in mainstream music and I feel proud of being that artist who might have alienated herself in Bollywood for calling out such sexist biases but will surely make things better for the coming generation of female artists for speaking up the truth," she said.## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Actress Huma S. Qureshi says practicing social distancing is a luxury, and it is important to think about the people who don't have the luxury.## "We need to think about people who either have really small houses or don't have one at all and how are they managing in these tough times," Huma said.## "Social distancing is a luxury, it's something you and I have. A lot of people don't have that luxury and we really have to think about them," she added.## The actress recently spoke about how it is important to worry about street children, who are at a higher risk amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. She extended support to NGO Save The Children and their 21-day campaign that aims at bringing focus to over 20 lakh children living in the streets across India. She was also part of the two-hour telethon initiated by the NGO titled 'Making The Invisibles Visible'.## Meanwhile, the actress is spending her lockdown period with her family.## On the work front, she will be soon seen in "Army Of The Dead". Scripted by Shay Hatten and Zack, "Army of the Dead" is set amid a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, during which a man assembles a group of mercenaries to take the ultimate gamble: venturing into the quarantined zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted. Zack Snyder has directed the zombie heist film. It will release on Netflix.## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Actress Madhuri Dixit Nene is going to give an opportunity to people to relieve stress through her online dance festival.## The two-day online festival will kickstart on April 29 on World Dance Day.## The festival is organized by her dance academy, Dance With Madhuri, and it includes masterclasses by ace choreographers Farah Khan and Saroj Khan, a performance by Madhuri and Kathak legend Birju Maharaj, and more.## "With the ongoing global lockdown, we wanted to provide our users with an opportunity to relieve stress while learning something new within the sanctity of their own homes," said Madhuri.## "After successfully enabling our users to learn for free from our platform since April 1, we have created an online experience for our dance community with the DWM Dance Festival. It will be 2 days of fun and learning from the best dancers, choreographers, and industry experts," she promised.## The festival will take place across Dance With Madhuri social properties like Instagram, YouTube, and their website.## Stay tuned...