Anupam Kher named advocate for UN's 'HeForShe' campaign

August 19, 2015

United Nations, Aug 19: Acclaimed Indian actor Anupam Kher has been named an advocate for the United Nations' campaign on gender equality.

anupam-kher

The 60-year-old "Saaransh" star will collaborate with the world body to call on men and boys to stand up against inequalities against women and girls, thereby ending the discrimination and violence against them.

Kher was pinned as a "HeForShe" Champion by UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri at a ceremony here last evening.

The Kashmiri actor said he was honoured to be named the HeForShe advocate and voiced his full support for the organisation's efforts to achieve gender equality.

"Most important is that you have to start the change at home. You have to know how to treat your daughter and it should not be different from the way you treat your son," Kher told PTI.

He termed the mindset of masculinity means overpowering or oppressing women as "ridiculous".

"Weak men show their masculinity to women. A powerful and strong man will never do that, he will allow the women to be powerful," he said.

Kher added that men in India grow up with a feeling of being superior to women. The actor, however, feels that change is gradually taking place in India in the way women are treated but said there is still a long way to go.

"There is a beginning. Things are changing in India but the change is very silent, it doesn't happen overnight. In a society like India, change takes a little time," he said.

Kher also underscored the importance of making people sensitive about gender issues. He also voiced hope in the Indian young generation, which he said are forward-looking and having grown up in a free India that do not have any colonial hangovers.

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‘Baahubali’ director Rajamouli, family test positive for covid-19

Agencies

July 30,2020

Chennai, Jul 30: Filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli on Wednesday said he and his family members have tested positive for coronavirus and are currently quarantined at home.

The director, best known for his epic fantasy hit Baahubali series, said they got tested after they developed mild fever recently which subsided by itself.

“My family members and I developed a slight fever few days ago. It subsided by itself but we got tested nevertheless. The result has shown a mild COVID positive today. We have home quarantined as prescribed by the doctors (sic)” he said.

In a subsequent tweet, Rajamouli said he and his kin are asymptomatic and “feeling better”. They are, however, following all the precautions and instructions.

“Just waiting to develop antibodies so that we can donate our plasma,” he added.

Before the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown was announced in March, the filmmaker was working on his upcoming period action drama Rise Roar Revolt.

The Telugu film, featuring actors Ram Charan and NTR Jr in the lead, is a fictional tale based on the lives of two freedom fighters in early 20th century.

Andhra Pradesh witnessed its worst single day spike of coronavirus on Wednesday, 10,000 plus cases, as the other southern states, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also reported high daily numbers, although they saw a dip in the infections.

The cumulative tally of southern states — AP, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry was 24,855 on Wednesday.

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Cinema halls should be allowed to reopen in August: I&B Ministry

Agencies

July 25,2020

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.

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Deepika Padukone should hire me: Ramdev

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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