Actress, dentist, mother in first all women racing team

Agencies
July 8, 2018

Coimbatore, Jul 8: An actress, a dentist, a mother of two: Females from all walks of life have joined forces to form India's first all-women racing team, which expectedly ‎turned heads in the opening round of the JK Tyre National Championship.

Six women, including actor Manisha Kelkar and dentist Ritika Oberoi‎, became part of history when they drove the Formula LGB cars at the Kari Motor Speedway over the weekend, just a fortnight after they spotted an online post on a talent hunt conducted by former national champion Sarosh Hataria.

"An odd women on the grid has become usual but I had been wanting to create an all women team to take on the boys. Having females in motorsport is seen as more of symbolism than substance. I want to change that perception," Hataria told news agency.

Ahura Racing is the name of the team which came to being after Hataria handpicked 12 women out of 190 who sent in their entries for the talent hunt organised here.

Six took part in the opening round while the other six have been kept on standby and could get to realise their dream during the four round championship.

‎They have a long way to go before they compete with drivers from opposite gender but a chat with them makes it clear that these multi faceted females are in it for the long haul.

"I had never seen a race track until two weeks ago and I have just taken part in ‎the national championship. It is a dream come true. And I am sure with time we will get there," Manisha, who is the daughter of reputed screenwriter Ram Kelkar, told news agency.

Like most of them, Manisha has taken time off work to pursue her passion.

"It has been a crazy two weeks. I have left shooting and come for this. Balancing racing with my acting career will be tough‎ but surely worth a shot," said the 32-year-old, who has worked in Hindi and Marathi films.

Diana Pundole and Natasha Shah are the two mothers in the 12-member squad. They did not get to race this week but are ready to wait for their turn.

"It has been one of the best two weeks of my life. Going forward I know managing things will become tougher but I have the full support of my family back in Pune," said Pundole, who is a pianist as well as a painter.

Nothing comes cheap in motorsport and even at the level where these feisty females‎ are trying to make their name, a season would cost the team about Rs 80 lakh.

Team owner Hataria just about managed to arrange funds for the first round and is now trying to secure the future.

"My mother always wanted me to do this. I am in it for the long run and ready to spend my own money for as long as I can. We would need sponsors if we need to carry on. I am confident we will find a way out somehow. I thank JK Tyre for doing its bit," added Hataria.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 27,2020

New Delhi, Mar 27: By posting a stunning picture of herself, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan on Friday motivated people to stay strong during the tough times that the country is facing amid the coronavirus crisis.
The actor took to Instagram and posted a high-on-style picture of herself clicked from behind.
In the picture, the 'Jab We Met' actor is seen standing in front of make-up mirrors that had lights adding on to the shine of the picture.
"Nothing can dim the light that shines from within... Stay strong. We can and we will," she captioned the picture in which she is seen wearing a blue bodycon dress having puffy sleeves.
The glamourous picture received scores of comments from the celebrated actor's fans.
With the entertainment industry under shutdown, many celebrities are self-isolating them to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus rose to 724 on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 9,2020

Mumbai, Jan 9: Actor Juhi Chawla on Wednesday said instead of constantly criticising the government, one should reflect on own conduct and talk about uniting rather than dividing.

The actor attended an event which aimed to counter "Free Kashmir (narrative), anti-India slogans, false propaganda and clear the misconception."

Juhi said as artistes, it's unfair to be questioned about incidents "just for a reaction" when they should be given time to truly understand the situation.

"We are going to work, thinking how to execute our task, then some incident happens somewhere and suddenly the media asks, 'what do you think about this?' We haven't understood the matter, people haven't understood the matter but you need a reaction.

"Let people understand, whether it's NRC or CAA, and what's is it about, why is this being talked about," Juhi told reporters.

The actor said it is sad that people talk about division more than unity.

"Everyone is quick to talk about dividing. Why don't we talk about uniting? Why does everyone say 'what is the government doing, why is it doing this?' but I say if you point one finger there then three fingers are at you.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 2,2020

Jan 2: A young filmmaker was allegedly assaulted by an acquaintance during an argument over CAA-NRC in neighbouring Salt Lake City, police said on Wednesday.

The police have arrested the accused following a complaint by the filmmaker.

According to a senior police officer, the argument over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) began following a social media post by the filmmaker.

The accused allegedly went to the house of the filmmaker on Monday night and picked up an argument, which led to a scuffle.

"During the scuffle, the accused attacked the filmmaker with a knife," the senior police officer said, adding that the accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.