Month: February 2021

Kajol Calls Mom-In-Law Her Partner-In-Crime

By LokMarg

Bollywood star Kajol Devgan on Friday penned down a heartwarming note to commemorate her mother-in-law’s birthday and termed her ‘partner-in-crime’ with an adorably sweet picture.

The ‘Tanhaji’ actor took to Instagram and shared a selfie that featured her mother-in-law Veena Devgan. The actor looks gorgeous as she bears a no-make-up look while she clicks a selfie with Veena. The actor also described Veena as her “crab for the last 22 years.”
Penning down the birthday wish, the ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ star wrote, “Happy birthday to my partner in crime and crab for the last 22 years. Aapki hansi kabhi kam na ho. #motherbylaw #mominspirit.”

Celebrity followers including Tamannah Bhatia and more than 1 lakh followers liked the post, while many chimed into the comments section as they extended birthday wishes to Veena. Kajol’s sister Tanishaa Mukerji wrote, ” Happy birthday” with a string of heart emoticons.

Adoring the relation between the duo, as is visible in the picture, a fan noted in the comments section, “I hope one day I have such a positive relationship with my mother-in-law lol if I ever get one.”

In the year 1999, Kajol married Veena Devgan’s son and actor Ajay Devgn. Kajol and the ‘Drishyam’ actor met for the first time on the sets of the 1995 film ‘Hulchul’, and since then the much-in-love couple has co-starred in many films like ‘Gundaraj’, ‘Ishq’, ‘Dil Kya Kare’, ‘Raju Chacha’, ‘Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha’ and ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ among others. (ANI)

‘Bell Bottom’ To Hit Theatres On May 28

By LokMarg

Bollywood powerhouse Akshay Kumar will soon treat moviegoers with his upcoming film ‘Bell Bottom’, the release date of which is finally out. The film is set to hit the theatres on May 28, this year.

Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the news about the film’s release date on his Twitter handle.
He wrote, “AKSHAY KUMAR: #BELLBOTTOM RELEASE DATE FINALISED… #BellBottom – starring #AkshayKumar as #RAW agent – to release in cinemas on 28 May 2021… Costars #VaaniKapoor, #HumaQureshi, #LaraDutta and #AdilHussain… Directed by Ranjit M Tewari.”

In another tweet, he added, “#BellBottom is produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani.”

Directed by Ranjit M Tewari, the forthcoming film also stars Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Lara Dutta, and Adil Hussain in lead roles.

‘Bell Bottom’, a spy thriller, will feature Akshay playing the role of a RAW agent. It is based on the plane hijacks that took India by storm in the early 1980s. Lara will essay the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was in power at that time. Vaani will play Akshay’s wife in the film.

‘Bell Bottom’ was the first major Bollywood film to start and finish its shooting during the coronavirus pandemic. The upcoming film marks Vaani’s first collaboration with Khiladi Kumar.

Apart from ‘Bell Bottom’, Akshay has a flurry of projects in his kitty including ‘Atrangi Re’, ‘Raksha Bandhan’, ‘Bachchan Pandey’, ‘Sooryavanshi’, ‘Prithviraj’ and ‘Mission Lion’. (ANI)

The Priya Ramani’s Victory in The Defamation Case

‘Ramani’s Win Will Act As A Precedent, And A Deterrent’

By LokMarg

Prerna Priyadarshini, 35, a Masters of Laws from Harvard Law School and a practicing Supreme Court lawyer, says the Priya Ramani’s victory in the defamation case is a logical step forward to the Vishakha judgment in 1997

The Priya Ramani judgment in my view comes as a much needed addition to the discourse on the issue of sexual harassment at work place. The process has its roots in the Vishaka judgment of the Supreme Court in the year 1997 which culminated into the law on protection of women from harassment at workplace in 2013. In this light, the court order in Priya Ramani’s case is a welcome step forward from a legal standpoint; and much more from that of a working woman’s viewpoint.

From the legal perspective, it may be construed as only part victory since acquitting Priya Ramani from the charge of defamation is not the same thing as punishing MJ Akbar for his alleged crimes of sexual harassment against her or anyone else. Yet, there are at least three significant reasons noted in the judgment that ought to be widely publicised and made known to all women, particularly the working women across our country.

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First, that a woman cannot be penalised for raising her voice against sexual harassment at workplace on the pretext of criminal complaint of defamation. Second, a woman has the right to speak up about the sexual harassment suffered by her at any point in time and at any platform. And, third, the right to reputation cannot be protected at the cost of right to life and dignity of a woman as guaranteed under the Constitution of India.

The mental state of a woman who has been at the receiving end of sexual harassment and the dilemmas she faces while reacting to it range from self-shame to the attached stigma, to self-pity and fault-finding in herself. Such a distressful situation often makes them either to hold the trauma as their dark secrets or to delay their decision to complain about it. The court judgment in Ramani’s case acknowledges this trauma. Hence, it also gives hope and encouragement to women in speaking up against their sufferings.

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I also think, it’ll have a greater impact in cases where the perpetrator of the crime is someone mighty and powerful, or a public figure, as it was in Ms Ramani’s case. It may work as a deterrent.

I think (and I hope), the judgment will serve another very important purpose and make anyone in MJ Akbar’s shoes rethink before using a criminal defamation proceeding as an intimidation tactic or a revenge mechanism against a woman, who goes public with her sexual harassment complaint.

Additionally, I hope that the verdict, when challenged in appeal by MJ Akbar, is also upheld by the higher courts, which would definitely help in this becoming a significant precedent in sexual harassment cases.

As Told To Mamta Sharma

Puducherry L-G Tamilisai Orders Floor Test On Feb 22

By LokMarg

Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday ordered a floor test in assembly on February 22 amid a political crisis in the Union Territory.

The floor test will be conducted at 5 pm on February 22 and will ascertain the claims of the ruling Congress about having a majority. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy met the Lt Governor on Thursday.

Asked about opposition demanding floor test in the legislative assembly he said, “I met the Lieutenant Governor. We discussed that also.”

Puducherry BJP President V Saminathan said his party, AIADMK and All India N. R. Congress have submitted a memorandum to LG stating that the Narayanasamy government has been reduced to a minority.

“The Chief Minister should resign immediately. We want a floor test to be conducted. He has lost the majority and his claim of having the majority is false. His government will fall on February 22. All 14 Opposition MLAs are united,” Saminathan said

Congress MLA A John Kumar had resigned on February 16 citing “dissatisfaction with the Congress government”.

Congress leader Malladi Krishna Rao had earlier resigned as Health Minister and MLA.

The Union Territory is likely to face elections in April-May this year. (ANI)

Army Deploys K9 Vajra Howitzer Guns In Ladakh

By LokMarg

As Indian Army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane inducted the last of the 100 K9 Vajra guns ordered, three of these howitzers have been deployed for trials in high altitude mountainous area of Ladakh.

Three guns arrived in Leh yesterday and are being transported to a high altitude base to be tested if they can be used in high altitude areas against the enemy, top government sources told ANI on Thursday. Based on the performance of the guns, the Indian Army would consider placing orders for two to three additional regiments of the self-propelled howitzers for mountain operations, sources said.

The Army chief has been monitoring the induction and operations of the howitzers produced in the Larsen and Toubro facility in Hazira near Surat in Gujarat.

The Indian Army placed orders for 100 of these guns from a South Korean firm and has been inducting them for the last two years in different regiments of the force.

The K-9 VAJRA is the indigenized version of the basic K9 Thunder from South Korea.

The self-propelled guns have a range of 38 kilometres and are manufactured by Mumbai-based firm Larsen & Toubro in partnership with a South Korean firm.

The Indian Army had not inducted any new heavy artillery since 1986 after the Bofors scandal rocked the nation.

With the induction of the K9 Vajras, Dhanush and M777 ultra-light Howitzers, the army is obtaining new inductions in its inventory. The next made in India howitzer is likely to be inducted in large numbers would be the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)-developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) system. (ANI)

Lockdown Declared In M’rashtra’s Amaravati Distt

By LokMarg

Following a rise in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra’s Amaravati, district collector Shailesh Naval on Thursday announced a lockdown in the district.

“Owing to rising cases, lockdown declared in Amravati District from Saturday 8 pm to Monday 7 am,” Naval told reporters.

“I advise all the people of the district to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines failing which strict action will be taken by the concerned authorities,” he added.

Following this information, the Yavatmal district also tightened its COVID-19 restrictions.

“Restrictions are being put in place in Yavatmal district due to rising COVID-19 cases. It is not a lockdown,” said District Collector, MD Singh.

Maharashtra reported 5,427 new COVID-19 cases, 2,543 discharges, and 38 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per State Health Department on Thursday. The total cases in the state are 20,81,520

Total recoveries are 19,87,804. The active cases are 40,858, while the death toll is at 51,669 in the state.

On February 16, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray directed senior officials to take strict action against people or organisations who flout COVID-19 guidelines.

“If people do not wear masks or follow COVID-19 rules, then the district and police administration has the responsibility to strictly enforce these rules. They must take strict punitive and necessary action without showing any leniency,” stated Thackeray. (ANI)

Taapsee Flaunts Abs In Stylish Outfit

By LokMarg

Raising fashion goals, Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu on Thursday treated her fans to stunning pictures of herself on social media.

The 33-year-old actor, who is working her fingers to the bone for her upcoming slate of dramatic films, leaves no stone unturned to not wow her fans with her stunning fashion styles.

In her recent Instagram post, Taapsee is seen stunningly posing for the camera click while donning off-white coloured flared pants having details on the front part which she teamed up with a crop-bold blacktop and long navy blue jacket. Her bronze-based makeup and loose curly bun hairstyle accentuated the whole edgy look.

In the second picture, the ‘Pink’ actor is seen showcasing her toned abs while posing for the lens.

With the post that accumulated more than two lakh likes within a few hours of being posted, Taapsee kept the caption apt and wrote, “Ready……Take! #AllSet #OnToTheNext.” She also acknowledged her team for creating the stunning look by tagging their official accounts with the picture.

Scores of her fans and fellow celebrities chimed into the comments section and left heart and fire emoticons. Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan also left a hundred points emoji in the comments.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Taapsee recently announced a new collab with director Anurag Kashyap titled ‘Dobaaraa’ which mark the director-actor duo’s third collaboration after 2018’s hit ‘Manmarziyaan’ and biographical drama ‘Saand Ki Aankh’, which had Anurag on board as producer.

Besides this, she will soon be seen in ‘Shabaash Mithu’, a biopic based on the life of Indian cricketer Mithali Raj and has started training for the film, which revolves around the life of Mithali, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team.

Apart from ‘Shabaash Mithu’, Taapsee is currently shooting for ‘Looop Lapeta’, a remake of the German hit ‘Run Lola Run’. She also has a line-up of films that includes ‘Haseen Dillruba’, ‘Rashmi Rocket’. (ANI)

Madhuri All Elegance In ‘Shade Of Black’

By LokMarg

The ‘Dhak-Dhak’ girl of Bollywood, Madhuri Dixit Nene treated her fans with drop-dead gorgeous pictures of herself from a recent photoshoot on Thursday.

Slaying in shades of black, the 53-year-old was seen exuding elegance in a Manish Malhotra traditional embroidered suit with heavy lace detailing on it.
The ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ star shared a series of pictures featuring herself where she can be seen sitting on a sofa while posing for the lens.

In the pictures, Madhuri is seen effortlessly carrying the beautiful black straight suit with matching high heel stilettos. To complete the look, she accessorised her outfit with beautiful Indian jhumkas and bangles. Skipping neckpiece, she complemented the look with a messy low bun hairstyle and minimal makeup look.

With the post in which Madhuri is seen flaunting her million-dollar smile, she wrote, “Shades of black,” with a black heart emoticon.

The post garnered more than 1 lakh likes while scores of fans chimed into the comments section and left fire and lovestruck emoticons. The celebrity fashion designer Manish Malhotra also left heart emoticons in awe of the stunning picture.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Madhuri was last seen in the movie ‘Kalank’, in which she co-starred along with Sonakshi Sinha, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sanjay Dutt.

She will be next seen in the third season of the dance reality show ‘Dance Deewane’ as a judge with Dharmesh Yelande and Tushar Kalia from February 27, this year. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh Gets Its 1st Transgender Toilet In Varanasi

By LokMarg

The first transgender toilet of the state has been built by the government in the Kamachha area of Varanasi under the Smart City project to ensure the participation of the community in the cleanliness of the city.

It was inaugurated by Mayor Mridula Jaiswal on Thursday. “It is the first transgender toilet in Uttar Pradesh. We will build more wherever they are required,” said, Mridula Jaiswal, Varanasi Mayor.

The municipal commissioner of Varanasi, Gaurang Rathi said: “These toilets are only for third genders and not for the others. This was a long-awaited demand as they have faced a lot of difficulties. We plan to build four more of them in the upcoming two to three months.”

“This has been done in order to promote all kinds of inclusivity in the Prime Minister’s constituency,” he added.

Transgender toilets will help the community considerably, said Roshni, “We appreciate the step taken by the local body administration as it is good for us. We had faced a lot of difficulties but now we are happy.”

“There should be more toilets like this in every city,” she added. (ANI)

Metro Man Sreedharan To Join BJP, May Contest Kerala Poll

By LokMarg

Former Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan, who is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of Assembly polls in Kerala, expressed his willingness to contest polls on Thursday.

“Yes, I will be joining BJP. Other political parties in Kerala are just working in the interest of their respective parties and failed to do any good to Kerala,” he said.

When asked whether he would contest the upcoming assembly polls, he said “If the BJP asks me to contest I will. It is for them to decide the constituency. A lot of development works can be done and I hope to do it by joining BJP.”

He said there are many development-oriented works in infrastructure and industries that need to be carried out in the state.

“If Kerala has to develop then its infrastructure and industries have to develop,” he stated.

Kerala state president K Surendran said in Kozhikode that Sreedharan would join the party during the Vijay Yatra led by him that will begin from Kasaragod on February 21.

“He will officially join the party during the Vijaya Yatra. Both fronts – LDF and UDF in Kerala have opposed him on several occasions. When Sreedharan opposed Kerala’s practice of taking commission under the guise of development activities, Oommen Chandy opposed him. Pinarayi Vijayan’s approach was similar,” he said.

Surendran added many other prominent people would be joining BJP in the coming days.

This came ahead of the Assembly elections in Kerala scheduled to be conducted between April-May. (ANI)