Making Maharashtra Drought Free Will Give Me More Satisfaction: Aamir Khan

January 4, 2017

Mumbai, Jan 4: Actor Aamir Khan, whose latest release Dangal is shattering box office records, said that success of his endeavour to make Maharashtra drought free will give him more satisfaction.

Aamir

"Just like I am nervous and tense before the release of my films, I am anxious about the second edition of Satyamev Jayate Water Cup organised by our Paani foundation," Aamir told reporters here at the launch of the second edition of the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup.

"We are reaching out to 30 talukas in 13 districts. If the project works well and we contribute to make Maharashtra drought free, that will give me more satisfaction than the success of my films," said the 51-year-old star. He said last year the competition was among 116 villages in three talukas and now 30 talukas in 13 districts are being covered.

"It gives me satisfaction that we have been able to inspire confidence among the villagers that they can overcome water crisis. The idea of Paani Foundation came during my interaction with (Maharashtra) chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was passionate about Jalyukt Shivar, his flagship water conservation programme.

"Water security needs to be a people's movement. I was discussing with him about my plans for doing something for water conservation and I was impressed with the Chief Minister's passion," said the actor.

The selected talukas are Purandar, Indapur in Pune district, Karanja in Washim, Koregaon, Maan, Khatav in Satara, Fulambri, Khultabad in Aurangabad, Bharni, Paranda, Kalamb in Osmanabad, Ausa and Nilanga in Latur, Arvi in Wardha, Ralegaon, Kalamb and Umerkhed in Yavatmal among others. Fadnavis described Aamir as a 'Jal-Sevak'. "Aamir is like Hanuman. He has to be reminded of his strengths. He was unsure of whether he would be able to handle the project perfectly. He organises everything so perfectly whenever he takes a responsibility."

He said the Paani Foundation has given a new dimension to people's movement on water security. "One can't rely only on government support. 'Paani adva, paani jirva' (the water conservation slogan of the state government for 40 years) was just a slogan and not a people's movement. Communication is important. Aamir is a good communicator and he has converted struggle for water conservation into a celebration," said the CM.

Fadnavis said, "Swach Bharat Mission has created awareness about open defecation free villages." "People's movement on water security will create a water army to make the state drought free," he added. The CM said he is planning to organise a review meeting of all stake holders in water conservation regarding work done in the last two years.

"We will discuss experiences and the transformation needed", he added. The Chief Minister said 4,000 villages are now tanker free. He said there was no room for complacency because there have been good rains. Aamir, 51, said the state needs to work continuously on water conservation irrespective on the rains. The water cup is a competition between different villages to see who can do maximum work for watershed management and water conservation.

The competition period is from April 8 to May 22. The top three villages will get Rs 50 lakh, Rs 30 lakh and Rs 20 lakh respectively. The top village from each taluka will get Rs 10 lakh. The last date for villages to apply for the competition in 30 selected talukas is January 31. Satyajit Bhatkal, CEO of Paani Foundation said 1360 crore litre water was stored in the first edition.

"As many as 116 villages in three talukas had participated. Now we have received applications from 200 villagers from the first round to be trainers for the villages participating in the second round where 55 lakh population is being covered," he added.

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News Network
January 14,2020

Indore, Jan 14: Yoga guru Ramdev has said that Deepika Padukone should hire persons like him for offering correct advice, days after the actress had visited Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi following the violence at the campus earlier this month.

"Deepika Padukone needs to study about political, social and cultural issues. She should understand more about our country. Only after gaining knowledge, she should take decisions. I feel she should have persons like Swami Ramdev for correct advice," Ramdev said at an event here on Monday.

On January 7, Padukone joined the protest at JNU after a masked mob entered the varsity campus and attacked the students and teachers with sticks and rods on January 5.

Several BJP leaders questioned the support extended by Padukone. On the other hand, the Congress threw their weight behind the actress for her stand.

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News Network
January 9,2020

Los Angeles, Jan 9: Actors Salma Hayek and Tiffany Haddish are hopeful about the future for women in Hollywood and now cinema is making films about women because the audience was "neglected".

The duo along with Rose Byrne star in Like a Boss, a comedy directed by Miguel Arteta, which follows best friends Mia and Mel (Haddish and Byrne) who join forces to run their own boutique cosmetics company.

When the prospect of a big buyout offer from a notorious titan of the beauty industry (Hayek) tempts them, their lifelong bond - and their business - is put in jeopardy.

Hayek said she is happy with the increase in female-driven films in Hollywood.

"We're on the right path. And we're not going to stop," the actor told Variety.

"What I can tell you is that a lot more women are directing and acting and writing and producing. And there are a lot more movies made about women and for women because the audience was neglected, she said.

She was speaking at the premiere of the film in New York.

Haddish added that the mantle for change shouldn't be left to the traditional decision-makers.

To get things, one has to sometimes make noise, the actor-author said.

"It's about us putting in the work and creating the projects and creating the opportunities in order to do those things to make it better. I sit back and I listen to people talk sometimes, saying, 'They're not letting us; they're not giving it to us.' Why do we have to ask permission? Why can't we just start putting it together? If they want to come on board with it, come on board. And if not, oh well," Haddish said.

"I'm about creating an opportunity. People say I'm loud and obnoxious, but sometimes it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the oil and gets things done," she added.

The comedy comes on the heels of a year gone by in cinema that featured female protagonists in films like Little Women and Captain Marvel.

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News Network
July 4,2020

London, Jul 4: Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth says he is really excited about the biopic on WWE legend Hulk Hogan, which is currently in development.

"The Thor" actor revealed that he will bulk up his physique for the much-anticipated film to be directed by “Joker” helmer Todd Phillips.

“This movie is going to be a really fun project. As you can imagine, the preparation for the role will be insanely physical. I will have to put on more size than I ever have before, even more than I put on for Thor.

''And then there is the accent as well as the physicality and the attitude. I will also have to do a deep dive into the rabbit hole of the wrestling world, which I'm really looking forward to doing,” Hemsworth told British magazine Total Film.

The project was announced last year, with “8 Mile” scribe Scott Silver and John Pollono attached to pen the script.

It is expected to look into Hogan's rise from the Florida wrestling circuit to becoming the face of the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s where he squared off with villain Andre the Giant.

The 36-year-old actor, however, said that the team is still “quite a way away” from starting production on the film.

“'I haven't even seen a script yet. The project is deep in development. Todd Phillips and I met to chat about it maybe a year or two ago. We talked about the idea for the film, which I think was going to be a TV series at one point.

''There were a few different ideas about what portion of his life it was going to be set in, so we spitballed about what it could be and what I thought it might be. Thankfully, they ran with a few of those ideas and the script is in the process of being written - but Hulk Hogan is still quite a way away.''

The biopic will be produced by Michael Sugar through his Sugar23's first-look Netflix deal along with Joint Efforts' Phillips and Bradley Cooper, Eric Bischoff, and Hemsworth.

Hogan will also serve as executive producer along with Sugar23's Ashley Zalta. Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman will serve as co-producers.

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