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.

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News Network
June 27,2020

Kochi, Jun 27: The Kerala government on Friday submitted an application in a local court requesting to stop the prosecution of ivory possession case against Malayalam film actor Mohanlal.

In the application for withdrawal of prosecution, the government has requested the court to stop the prosecution "immediately for the interest of justice".

''The legality of the possession of two elephant tusks by Mohanlal was accepted by the competent authority under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 by issuing him a certificate of ownership. The possession and custody of the elephant tusks thus become legal after the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) issued him the certificate," the state government said.

"Further conduct of the criminal trial may go against the good faith amongst the parties as far as the certificate of ownership issued to Mohanlal is concerned. One cannot go back from that ownership certificate and it was stopped from contradicting, deny or declare to be false the previous statement made by the actor in the court," it added.

"The government should not be allowed to revert from its promises in order to keep the faith of the people and in the interest of good governance," the government further said.

The case was registered by the forest department in 2012. The state government submitted the application in Kuruppampady Judicial Magistrate Court, which will hear the matter on July 24.

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News Network
June 27,2020

Patna, Jun 27: As Sushant Singh Rajput’s family tries to come to terms with his loss, they have decided to honour his legacy and celebrate his passion for cinema, science and sports.

In an emotional statement shared on Saturday, the Bollywood actor’s family remembered him as a “free-spirited” person who worked hard to turn his dreams into reality.

“He was free-spirited, talkative and incredibly bright. He was curious about just everything. He dreamed without restraints, and chased those dreams with the heart of a lion. He smiled generously. He was the pride and inspiration of the family,” the statement read.

Rajput, 34, known for films like Kai Po Che!, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Chhichhore, was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14, sending shockwaves in the film industry and elsewhere.

The family said that the actor’s untimely demise has created an irreparable void in their lives.

“We can’t bring ourselves to accept that we wouldn’t get to hear his easy laughs anymore. That we wouldn’t see his sparkling eyes again. That we wouldn’t hear his endless rants about science again. His loss has created a permanent, glaring void in the family that will never be filled.”

Thanking his admirers for being a constant support as they try and recover from the loss, the family added that Rajput, “truly loved and cherished every single one of his fans.”

The actor, who made the storybook transition from Patna boy to television and then the starry lights of the Hindi film industry, was the youngest of five siblings and is survived by his father and four sisters. His mother had passed away in 2002 when he was a young teen.

To honour his memory and legacy, the family has decided to set up Sushant Singh Rajput Foundation (SSRF) that will support young talents in cinema, science and sports.

His childhood home in Rajiv Nagar, Patna, will be turned into a memorial, where all his personal memorabilia and belongings, that include thousands of books, his Meade 14’’ LX-600 telescope, flight-simulator, will be on display for his fans and admirers.

The actor’s family, who used to fondly call him Gulshan, will also maintain his social media accounts as legacy accounts to keep his memories alive.

Rajput started his acting career with television after dropping out from Delhi Technological University in the early 2000s. He was one of the few talents to have made a successful transition to movies.

The actor made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with Kai Po Che!. In past seven years, he had featured in a number of hits including blockbusters Neeraj Pandey’s MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Chhichhore by Nitesh Tiwari.

Tiwari’s 2019 hit was Rajput’s last theatrical release.

On Thursday, it was announced that Dil Bechara, which is the actor’s last movie he shot for, will premiere on Disney + Hotstar on July 24.

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News Network
June 4,2020

Mumbai, Jun 4: Casting director Krish Kapur, who had worked on films like Mahesh Bhatt's Jalebi and Kriti Kharbanda-starrer Veere Ki Wedding, passed away at the age of 28 due to brain hemorrhage, his family said.

There was speculation that Kapur died in a road accident but his maternal uncle, Sunil Bhalla, dismissed the reports, saying that the casting director fainted at his home in suburban Mira Road here and suffered brain hemorrhage.

According to Bhalla, Kapur breathed his last on May 31.

"He had no medical history. He was healthy and doing absolutely fine. On May 31, he just collapsed and started to bleed. He died of brain hemorrhage," Bhalla said on Wednesday.

Kapur is survived by his mother, wife and seven-year-old child.

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