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
April 4,2020

New Delhi, April 4: Extending a helping hand to curb the spread of coronavirus, superstar Shah Rukh Khan and wife Gauri Khan have offered their personal office space in Mumbai for quarantine purpose for children, elderly and women.

The information was tweeted by the official Twitter handle of BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) on Saturday that thanked the couple for the gesture.

"Stronger together. We thank Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan for offering their 4-storey personal office space to help expand our quarantine capacity equipped with essentials for quarantined children, women and elderly, Indeed a thoughtful and timely gesture!" the tweet read.

Earlier the 54-year-old superstar and his group companies had pledged to donate to a number of relief funds, including the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) fund and the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund to combat the coronavirus.

The 'Devdas' actor had taken to Twitter on Thursday and shared that his companies -- Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation, and Red Chillies VFX -- are taking several initiatives to support the relief efforts.

The Padma Shri awardee also announced that his initial efforts will be focused on three cities -- Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi, "with the realisation that this is a start and we stand ready to contribute in whichever way possible going forward".

Meanwhile, India's tally of coronavirus positive cases rose to 2,902, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.

Out of 2,902 cases, 2,650 are active cases and 184 have been cured or discharged or have migrated. The total number of deaths reported due to the disease rose to 68 on Saturday.

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News Network
May 19,2020

Washington, May 19: Actors Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox are going their separate ways after 10 years of marriage.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 46-year-old Green, on Monday announced the news during an episode of his podcast 'With Brian Austin Green' where he emotionally opened up about the breakup with Fox.

The 'Beverly Hills 90210' star revealed that they simply grew distant at the end of last year while Fox was away shooting a film.

Green recalled Fox saying during the conversation they had after she returned from filming, "She said, 'I realised when I was out of the country working alone that I feel more like myself, and I liked myself better during that experience and I think that might be something worth trying for me.'"

Though feeling "shocked" and "upset" at first, Green admitted that he couldn't be upset with her for being honest.

He said, "Neither one of us did anything to each other. She's always been honest with me. I've always been honest with her. We've had an amazing relationship. I will always love her. And I know she will always love me and I know as far as a family what we have built is really cool and really special."

The 'Impact Point' star shared that they intend to "still do family vacations and holidays as a family and really make that a focus for the kids."

Green went on to say that it's hard to adjust to the change and he doesn't want himself and Fox to "be at odds": "She's been my best friend for 15 years and I don't want to lose that."

He added: "There's this sense of loss of, 'How do I go on with this big part of my life that I've always known and loved and shared changing?' What does that landscape look like? What does that life look like?' ... Megan and I talked a lot about it, and it's a big concern for both of us." Aware of the scrutiny around their age difference, Green defended Fox, saying "she's really a responsible person. ... She really loves the kids and cares about what their life and their experience is."

The couple share three children together 7-year-old Noah, 6-year-old Bodhi, and 3-year-old Journey, and Green said that they are only concerned about controlling how the separation will truly affect their children.

After photos circulated online of Fox and Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, hanging out -- Fox and Baker are co-stars in the upcoming film, 'Midnight in the Switchgrass,' Green said Fox and Baker are "just friends at this point."

He said, "She met this guy, Colson, on set. I've never met him. Megan and I have talked about him. I trust her judgment; she's always had really good judgment."

Green emphasised that despite what tabloids can say, he didn't want the public to categorise Fox and Baker as "villains or that I was a victim in any way."

Fox and Green started dating in 2004 and married in 2010. Fox had filed for divorce from Green in 2015, but the couple later reconciled.

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News Network
February 10,2020

Feb 10: Bong Joon-ho’s film “Parasite” starts in a dingy, half-basement apartment with a family of four barely able to scratch out a life. There must be no place to go but up, right? Yes and no. There’s nothing predictable when the South Korean director is on his game.

This dark, socially conscious film about the intertwining of two families is an intricately plotted, adult thriller. We can go up, for sure, but Bong can also take us deeper down. There’s always an extra floor somewhere in this masterpiece.

It tells the story of the impoverished four-person Kim family who, one by one, and with careful and devious planning, all get employed by the four-person affluent Park family — as a tutor, an art teacher, a driver and a housekeeper. They are imposters stunned by the way wealth can make things easier: “Money is an iron. It smooths out all the creases,” says the Park patriarch with wonder.

Bong, who directed and wrote the story for “Parasite,” has picked his title carefully, of course. Naturally, he’s alluding to the sycophantic relationship by a clan of scammers to the clueless rich who have unwittingly opened the doors of their home on a hill. But it’s not that simple. The rich family seem incapable of doing anything — from dishes to sex — without help. Who’s scamming who?

Bong’s previous films play with film genres and never hide their social commentary — think of the environmentalist pig-caper “Okja” and the dystopian sci-fi global warming scream “Snowpiercer.” But this time, Bong’s canvas is a thousand times smaller and his focus light-years more intense. There are no CGI train chases on mountains or car chases through cities. (There is also, thankfully, 100% less Tilda Swinton, a frequent, over-the-top Bong collaborator.

The two Korean families first make contact when a friend of the Kim’s son asks him to take over English lessons for the Park daughter. Soon the son (a dreamy Choi Woo-sik) convinces them to hire his sister (the excellent Park So-dam) as an art teacher, but doesn’t reveal it’s his sis. She forges her diploma and spews arty nonsense she learned on the internet, impressing the polite but firm Park matriarch (a superb Jo Yeo-jeong.)

The Park’s regular chauffer is soon let go and replaced by the Kim patriarch (a steely Lee Sun-kyun). Ditto the housemaid, who is dumped in favor of the Kims’ mother (a feisty Jang Hye-jin.) All eight people seem happy with the new arrangement until Bong reveals a twist: There are more parasites than you imagined. The clean, impeccably furnished Park home will have some blood splashing about.

Bong’s trademark slapstick is still here but the rough edges of his often too-loud lessons are shaved down nicely and his actors step forward. “Keep it focused,” the Kim’s son counsels his father at one point. Bong has followed that advice.

There are typically dazzling Bong touches throughout. Just look for all the insect references — stink bugs at the beginning to flies at the end, and a preoccupation with odor across the frames. And there’s a scene in which the rich matriarch skillfully winds noodles in a bowl while, in another room, duct tape is being wrapped around a victim and classical music plays.

Bong could have been more strident in his social critique but hasn’t. There are no villains in “Parasite” — and also no heroes. Both families are forever broken after chafing against each other, a bleak message about the classes ever really co-existing (Take that, “Downton Abbey”).

“Parasite” is a worthy winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the first South Korean movie to win the prestigious top prize. The director has called it an “unstoppably fierce tragicomedy.” We just call it brilliant.

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