Month: May 2023

Ship

MH60R Helicopter Undertakes Maiden Sea Landing Onboard Indian Navy Warship

By LokMarg

In a significant milestone for the Indian Navy, the MH60R helicopter undertook maiden landings on the indigenously designed and constructed destroyer, INS Kolkata, said Indian Navy on Friday.

This achievement provides a major boost to the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare capability, the navy added.

According to Indian Navy, the MH60R helicopter is a versatile platform known for its exceptional ASW, surveillance, anti-shipping and Search and Rescue capabilities.

Its integration with Indian Navy warships would further strengthen the Navy’s capability to counter underwater threats, monitor maritime activities and conduct surveillance operations, the navy said.

Meanwhile, the sixth Scorpene Submarine of Project-75, Yard 11880, Indian Navy’s Kalvari class, ‘Vaghsheer’ commenced her sea trials on Thursday.

The submarine was launched on April 20, 2022, from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).

Vagsheer is scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy in early 2024 after the completion of these trials.

MDL has ‘delivered’ three submarines of Project – 75 in 24 months and the commencement of sea trials of the sixth submarine is a significant milestone. This is indicative of the boost towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.

The submarine will now undergo intense trials of all its systems at sea, these include propulsion systems, weapons, and sensors.

INS Vagsheer is named after the Sand Fish– a deadly deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean.

The first Submarine Vagsheer, ex-Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 26 December 1974 and was decommissioned on 30 April 1997 after almost three decades of yeoman service to the nation.

The state-of-art technology utilized in the Scorpene has ensured superior stealth features, including advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape, and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. Its stealth features give it an invulnerability, unmatched by most submarines.

According to an official statement, “The Submarine (Vagsheer) is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. It is a potent platform, marking a transformational shift in submarine operations.”

“With the launch of Vagsheer, India further cements its position as a Submarine Building Nation and MDL has more than lived up to its reputation as Warship and Submarine Builders to the Nation,” it read further. (ANI)

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Bhumi at Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne 2023

Bhumi Opens Up About Taking Risks In Career

By LokMarg

Actor Bhumi Pednekar recently opened up about how challenging roles pushed her as an actor.

“I hope I always have the determination and confidence to take on challenging roles that push me as an actor on screen. I am always drawn to the new, the fresh and the disruptive and every validation and every award of my career has solidified my belief that I should chase excellence. I have been hugely fortunate that audiences and critics have equally loved my performances. Their love and encouragement has helped me choose disruption over safe bets,” she said.
She added, “I do not think I would be anyone today without taking risks. It is who I am as an artiste and has become my identity and I love it. The idea to be disruptive did not really happen by chance. I always wanted to do something different, off the beaten path and have a lasting impact as an actor on the minds of people. From my first film to every film that I sign now, I first look for what is new in the script. I have always focussed on choosing great content and I’m lucky that the filmmakers have chosen me to helm their visionary projects.”

In a career spanning seven years, Bhumi has featured in films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Lust Stories, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Badhaai Do and Bala. (ANI)

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Sapna Choudhary

Sapna Choudhary Hits Cannes 2023 Red Carpet

By LokMarg

Haryanvi dancer and ‘Bigg Boss 10’ fame Sapna Choudhary, on Friday, made her Cannes debut.

Sapna hit the red carpet wearing a pink stone-embedded Indo-western ensemble. For the glam, she opted for glowy make-up and tied her hair in a tight bun.

While posing on the red carpet, she greeted the shutterbugs with “namaste” gesture.

Sharing pictures of her red carpet look, Sapna took to Instagram and wrote, “Dreams really do come true. It’s been a long journey full of sweat, sacrifice, and determination, but it’s all worth it. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Also, I am absolutely thrilled to have walked the red carpet in collaboration with @airfrance.”

Sapna’s appearance at Cannes surprised netizens.

“This is quite surprising,” a social media user commented.

“A big achievement for Haryanvi industry..,” another one wrote.

“Unexpected,” a netizen wrote.

Actor Hina Khan, who made her Cannes debut in 2019, also reacted to Sapna’s Cannes appearance.

“Sapnaaaaaaaa so so proud of u,” she commented.

Prior to Sapna, other Indian divas including Mrunal Thakur, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Esha Gupta, Sara Ali Khan and Manushi Chillar walked the iconic red carpet in their stylish avatars.

Cannes Film Festival 2023 started on May 16 and will conclude on May 27. Established in 1946, the festival serves as a platform for filmmakers to showcase their works and compete for prestigious awards. (ANI)

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Devara

Jr NTR’s 30th Film Is Titled ‘Devara’

By LokMarg

‘Devara’ has been revealed as the title of ‘RRR’ star NTR Jr’s 30th film.

Jr NTR shared the update via a post on Twitter and Instagram. He also shared his intense look from the film.

The excitement has left fans excited.

“Woah…can’t wait,” a social media user commented.

“Loved the titled,” another one wrote.

“Devara,” which means God or Godlike, reunites Jr NTR with his “Janatha Garage” director Koratala Siva, whose last film was “Acharya,” starring megastar Chiranjeevi and “RRR” star Ram Charan.

The film also stars Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in pivotal roles.

‘Devara’ will be out in theatres on April 5, 2024.

Anirudh Ravichander will be in charge of the music, R Rathnavelu will be manning the camera, Sabu Cyril will lead the art and Sreekar Prasad will be the editor of the film. (ANI)

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Sara Ali Khan

Sara Dazzles In Tassel Outfit At Cannes 2023

By LokMarg

Actor Sara Ali Khan left everyone in awe with her latest look at Cannes.

Dressed in a tassel shimmery outfit, Sara definitely amped up her glam quotient.

Sharing pictures of her look, Sara took to Instagram and wrote, “Sorry for the spam.

Feeling too Glam. Seeing this clear water- sara nearly swam. But then decided against it- only for my gram fam.”

A video of Sara delivering a powerful speech at the ongoing 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is also doing the rounds.

In the speech, Sara highlighted Indian culture, cinema and art.

“I’m so proud to be here celebrating women both in front of and behind the camera. I hope that we continue to do things like this worldwide. I hope that my country does more and more, has a louder and more felt presence globally and internationally,” she said.

Sara made her debut at Cannes red carpet on Tuesday in Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s lehenga.

Meanwhile, on the film front, Sara will be seen in ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’ starring Vicky Kaushal as the male lead. She will also be seen in ‘Metro… In Dino’ featuring Aditya Roy Kapur, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkana Sen Sharma, Ali Fazal and Fatima Sana Shaikh. (ANI)

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Janhvi Kapoor

Janhvi Turns Into Little Mermaid’s Princess Ariel

By LokMarg

Ahead of the release of ‘The Little Mermaid’, actor Janhvi Kapoor turned into a mermaid, much like Princess Ariel.

Taking to Instagram, Janhvi dropped a video in which she is seen donning a mermaid look.

In the brief 45 seconds clip, Janhvi walks into a room where two little girls are playing dress up. She tells them that they both look exactly like Princess Ariel and they ask her to tell them the poem.

She captioned the clip, “Immerse yourself in the wonders of The Little Mermaid where love knows no bounds and where wishes come true. Watch Princess Ariel in #TheLittleMermaid in cinemas on May 26.”

The upcoming film is a re-imagined telling of the classic fairy tale and is updated from the studio’s own 1989 animated version.

The movie The Little Mermaid directed by Rob Marshall, features Halle Bailey as Ariel, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Noma Dumezweni, and Jude Akuwudike.

Disney India is set to release ‘The Little Mermaid’ on May 26th, 2023, exclusively in English, captivating audiences in theaters with its wondrous tale.

Meanwhile, Janhvi will be seen sharing screen space with Jr NTR in ‘Devara’. The film marks her Telugu debut and it also stars Saif Ali Khan in a pivotal role. (ANI)

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Modi To Hold Bilateral Meeting With Zelenskyy On Saturday

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Tokyo tomorrow.

Notably, this is the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after the Russia-Ukraine war started on February 24 last year.
The Ukrainian president is attending the summit on an invitation by Japan, the current chair of the powerful grouping.

Since the Ukraine conflict began, PM Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as President Zelenskyy a number of times.

New Delhi has sought a diplomatic solution to the conflict while Modi, in comments seen as mildly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, told him in September that now was “not an era of war”.

Prime Minister Modi’s appeal to President Putin for a “cessation of violence” and for all sides to return to the dialogue table was certainly a notch up from India’s earlier explicitly neutral stance, and carried a hint of the compulsions to get off the fence, though still largely maintaining a balance.

PM Modi’s phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined that Delhi will for now stick to a path of strategic ambivalence on the Ukraine crisis. This is a pragmatic choice, one that reflects the complexities of a realist world and Delhi’s own positions on territorial integrity and sovereignty, its own concerns about its unresolved borders, it’s a difficult relationship with its two northern neighbours.

In a phone conversation with President Zelenskyy on October 4 last year, PM Modi said there can be “no military solution” and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts.

India has maintained that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

PM Modi is in Japan to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit. The prime minister is visiting the East Asian country at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida.

Japan is hosting the G7 summit as the current chair of the powerful grouping. PM Modi will be in Hiroshima for the G7 summit from May 19 to May 21. He is expected to speak on global challenges, including food, fertiliser and energy security.

Notably, PM Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and France ahead of the Quad Summit, tomorrow.

He will meet Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea; Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of Vietnam; and Emmanuel Macron, President of France. (ANI)

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Modi on 2024 elections

Want Neighbourly Relations, However…Modi On India-Pak Ties

By LokMarg

India wants “normal and neighbourly relations” with Pakistan but it is incumbent on Islamabad to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and to take necessary steps, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with Nikkei Asia.

PM Modi said India wants normal bilateral ties with Pakistan, adding that “it is incumbent upon them to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and hostilities. The onus is on Pakistan to take necessary steps in this regard”.
India has repeatedly raised its concern over Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism and has asserted that terror and talks cannot go together.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto had attended the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa earlier this month but there were no bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

PM Modi’s interview to Nikkei Asia, which is part of Nikkei, one of Asia’s largest independent business media groups, has come ahead of G7 Summit in Japan, happening at a time of increasing global challenges.

During the interview, the Prime Minister also answered queries related to ties with China and spoke about India’s efforts to amplify the voices and concerns of the Global South.

“India is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity,” PM Modi said.

A standoff erupted with China in Eastern Ladakh in the summer of 2020 following actions of the Chinese army and while talks have led to disengagement from some areas, some friction points remain.

“Peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for normal bilateral ties with China. The future development of India-China relationship can only be based on mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests,” PM Modi said, noting that “normalizing” the ties would benefit the wider region and the world.

PM Modi on Friday reached Hiroshima in Japan to attend the G7 Summit. India has been invited as a guest country for the Summit. India has been participating in the G7 Summit since 2003.

Asked whether India can play a mediator role in Russia-Ukraine conflict, PM Modi said his country’s position on the Ukraine conflict “is clear and unwavering.”

“India stands on the side of peace and will remain firmly there. We are committed to supporting those who face challenges in meeting their basic needs, especially in the face of rising costs of food, fuel, and fertilizers. We maintain communication with both Russia and Ukraine,” PM Modi said, adding that “cooperation and collaboration should define our times, not conflict”.

PM Modi said that Japan and India’s shared values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law have naturally brought them closer.

“We now see a growing convergence in our political, strategic, security, and economic interests,” he said in the interview, which was conducted partly in writing and partly in person.

PM Modi also vowed to “amplify the voices and concerns of the Global South” nations at the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, as he strives to “foster synergy” with the broader Group of 20. India holds G20 presidency and will host the summit later this year.

PM Modi told Nikkei Asia that he was looking forward to discussing global changes and challenges in areas such as energy, digital technology and supply chains.

“I will emphasize India’s role as a reliable partner in addressing these challenges,” he said, adding that India’s experience would “resonate strongly at the meeting.” (ANI)

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2000 banknotes

Rs 2,000 Notes To Remain Legal Tender Even After Sept 30

By LokMarg

The Rs 2,000 denomination bank notes which the RBI has decided to withdraw from circulation will continue to remain legal tender even after September 30, sources informed ANI.

The central bank believes that four-month time is enough for people to exchange these notes at banks. Most of the Rs 2,000 notes that are in circulation are expected to return to banks within the given time frame of 30 September.
This is a routine exercise of RBI and people need not panic, the source added.

“Rs 2000 currency note will remain legal tender after 30th September too. RBI expects that 4 month time is enough for people to exchange notes with the banks. Most of the Rs 2000 notes that are in circulation will return to banks within the given time frame of 30th September. This is a routine exercise of RBI and people need not panic,” the source told ANI.

Meanwhile, the central bank has advised banks to stop issuing Rs 2000 denomination banknotes with immediate effect.

The Rs 2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016, primarily to meet the currency requirement of the economy in an expeditious manner after the withdrawal of the legal tender status of all Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes in circulation at that time.

The objective of introducing Rs 2000 banknotes was met once banknotes in other denominations became available in adequate quantities. Therefore, the printing of Rs 2000 banknotes was stopped subsequently in 2018-19, stated RBI.

About 89 per cent of the Rs 2000 denomination banknotes were issued prior to March 2017 and are at the end of their estimated life span of four-five years.

The total value of these banknotes in circulation has declined from Rs 6.73 lakh crore at its peak as of March 31, 2018 (37.3 per cent of Notes in Circulation) to Rs 3.62 lakh crore constituting only 10.8 per cent of Notes in Circulation on March 31, 2023.

“It has also been observed that this denomination is not commonly used for transactions. Further, the stock of banknotes in other denominations continues to be adequate to meet the currency requirement of the public,” RBI said Friday.

It added, “In order to ensure operational convenience and to avoid disruption of regular activities of bank branches, exchange of Rs 2000 banknotes into banknotes of other denominations can be made upto a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank starting from May 23, 2023”. (ANI)

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Juhi Chawla and Shah Rukh Khan

SRK Congratulates Juhi’s Daughter On Her Graduation Ceremony

By LokMarg

Actor Juhi Chawla recently posted a picture of her daughter Jahnavi from the graduation ceremony at Columbia University on Twitter and she wrote in the caption, “#columbiaclass2023.” After her post, superstar Shah Rukh Khan praised Jahnavi for her achievement.

Shah Rukh reshared the picture and wrote while giving his best wishes, “This is so awesome. Can’t wait for her to get back and celebrate with her. And a feeling of extreme pride. Love u Jaanz.”

Shah Rukh and Juhi have been friends for years. They both appeared in films like ‘Darr’, ‘Yes Boss’, ‘Bhoothnath’, and ‘Duplicate’. The IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is co-owned by Juhi Chawla and Shah Rukh Khan.

Juhi was seen in movies like ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’, ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’, ‘Ishq’, ‘Yes Boss’, ‘Jhankaar Beats’, ‘Lootere’, ‘Darr’, ‘Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa’, among many others. She married industrialist Jay Mehta in 1995. The couple have two children, Jahnavi and Arjun.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Shah Rukh is all set to be seen in movies like ‘Jawan’ and ‘Dunki’. (ANI)

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