None of my children have my habits: SRK

Mumbai, Mar 28: Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has donated Rs 25 crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi''s initiative PM CARES Fund to lend support to the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

Akshay wrote on Twitter: "This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to Narendra Modi ji''s PM-CARES Fund. Let''s save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai."

Earlier, the government set up the Prime Minister''s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, or the PM CARES Fund, with the objective of dealing with emergency situations such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Contributors to the fund will enjoy tax benefits, it has been announced.

"People from all walks of life expressed their desire to donate to India''s war against COVID-19. Respecting that spirit, the Prime Minister''s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund has been constituted. This will go a long way in creating a healthier India," PM Modi announced in a tweet on Saturday.

The Prime Minister is the chairman of the trust that includes the home minister, the finance minister the defence minister

Mumbai, Apr 2: Ramayan, the over three-decade-old TV series based on Hindu mythology, garnered 170 million viewers in four shows over the last weekend in its new avatar, the BARC said on Thursday.

This catapulted the Ramanand Sagar production as the highest watched serial in the Hindi general entertainment space ever, the Broadcast Audience Research Council said.

The show was relaunched last Saturday amid the gloomy times of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a lot of thrust laid by the government machinery to popularise the series.

BARC's chief executive Sunil Lulla said the numbers notched up by the series was a bit surprising and called the move as a brilliant one by the Prasar Bharti.

He said eventually, we will also see advertisers flock the series which will be running for a few more days.

The inaugural show of the series on Saturday morning had 34 million viewers glued to their TV sets watching and enjoyed a rating of 3.4 per cent, while a telecast the same evening had 45 million viewers and a rating of 5.2 per cent.

The show bettered its performance on Sunday, with 40 million and 51 million people watching it in the morning and evening telecasts, respectively.

New Delhi, Apr 23: As the holy month of Ramzan is about to begin, several Muslim public figures on Thursday appealed to the community to offer tarawih and hold iftar inside their homes and follow the lockdown regulations imposed to tackle the coronavirus threat.

Television actor Iqbal Khan in a video message appealed to the people to not step out of their houses during Ramzan.

"This time around, whatever you do during Ramzan, you have to do it inside your houses. Do not visit mosques; offer tarawih (late evening prayers offered during Ramzan) at your homes. Your stepping outside will not only put you in a problem but may put your family members in trouble also," said Khan.

"And that will be wrong, do not go outside. If anyone says you have to go outside then they are wrong. Stay home and stay safe and help others stay safe too," he added.

Another TV actor and Tik Tok star Jannat Zubair asked people to avoid any kind of social gatherings so as to ensure the safety of everyone.

"I know we are in a difficult situation but there is no need to panic. We will overcome this and things will be fine. The holy month of Ramzan is going to start, please stay home, offer prayers at your homes and avoid family/friends gatherings for now. It is just a matter of time, things will be fine soon. Stay home and stay safe," she said.
Ramzan is likely to begin from April 24.