Sunil Grover ‘quits’ The Kapil Sharma Show, won’t return even if fee is doubled

Kochi, Feb 7: The younger brother of noted playback singer K J Yesudas was found dead in the backwaters near here, police said.

The body of 62-year old K J Justin, who had reportedly gone missing from his house in Thrikkakara near here on Tuesday evening was found floating in the backwaters near Vallarpadam Container Terminal on Wednesday, they said.

The relatives identified the body, police said adding it was later sent for autopsy at General Hospital here.

A General Hospital spokesperson said the body was handed over to his relatives on Thursday evening after autopsy was performed.

The funeral is expected to be held after the arrival of Yesudas from abroad, police sources said.

Police said the initial investigation suggested it was a case of suicide.

According to police, Jusin's relatives have informed the investigation team that he had been showing signs of suicidal tendency for the last one week as he was allegedly facing some financial problem.

His relatives were not available for comments.

Son of the renowned musician late Augustine Joseph, Justin is survived by his wife.

Justin had been a regular presence at popular ganamela programmes here in the past, sources said.

Mumbai, May 30: Actor Vaani Kapoor on Saturday said she will go on a virtual date with five people as part of an initiative to raise money for daily wage earners, who have been affected due to the nationwide lockdown implemented to rein in coronavirus.

Vaani has teamed up with actor Arjun Kapoor's sister Anshula Kapoor’s online fundraising platform, Fankind, to raise funds for daily wage workers.

Vaani and Fankind have come together to provide five of her fans a chance to go on a virtual date with her - by donating to provide food to daily wage workers.

“As human beings, we will need to come forward and support as many people as possible in need due to the coronavirus pandemic in our country. I’m doing my bit to support the daily wage earners of our country and their families who are in dire situations given the lockdown.

“My activity, in which five lucky winners can have a virtual date with me, will see us collect funds to help feed them and their families across the country," Vaani said in a statement.

Earlier, Arjun too supported the initiative to help daily wage earners.

According to the press release, the funds will go to GiveIndia, a non-profit organisation, which will provide hot cooked meals to wage earners and their families. Each meal costs Rs 30 and will be delivered in various areas of Maharashtra, Bangalore, and Chennai.

A.T.E. Chandra Foundation has also come on board and will be adding 25 percent of the total donation value collected as a matching amount, thereby multiplying the impact, the release said.

Mumbai, Jul 25: Movie theatres have been shuttered for months due to the coronavirus pandemic in the country, but the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has now recommended that the Union Home Ministry allow cinema halls to reopen in August. 

I&B Secretary Amit Khare indicated this at a close-door industry interaction with the CII Media Committee on Friday. He said Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla at the Home Ministry would take the final call.

Khare said that he has recommended that cinema halls may be allowed to reopen all over India as early as August 1, or at the latest, around August 31.

The formula suggested is that alternate seats in the first row and then the next row be kept vacant, and proceeding in this fashion throughout.

Khare said that his ministry's recommendation takes into consideration the two metre social distancing norm, but tweaks it gently to two yards instead. The Home Ministry, however, still has to revert on the recommendation.

Cinema owners, present in the interaction, however, pushed back and said this formula is unwise and merely running films at 25% auditorium capacity is worse than keeping the cinemas shut.

The attendees at the meet included media CEOs like N.P. Singh of Sony, Sam Balsara (Madison), Megha Tata, (Discovery), Gaurav Gandhi (Amazon Prime), Manish Maheshwari (Twitter), S. Sivakumar (Bennett Coleman and Co Ltd), and K Madhavan, Star & Disney, and also Chairman, CII Media Committee.

The OTT platforms present, including Gandhi of Amazon Prime, did not push back. Some Bollywood producers, notably those of Amitabh Bachchan's Gulabo Sitabo, have posted their movies on OTT, rather than live out the lockdown uncertainty.