Month: March 2025

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari talked about the 25th Silver Jubilee edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards 2025 (IIFA) in Jaipur.

While speaking to the media, she discussed the importance of such events in increasing tourism in the state and said, “…People are very excited. Our effort will be to organize more such events in Rajasthan. By organizing these events, tourism will increase in Rajasthan, the economy will grow, and people will also get employment.”

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also said that the film industry and the state have an “old relationship” that has become stronger with the celebration of the 25th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA).

While speaking to the media, he shared, “… Rajasthan and the film industry have an old relationship. The culture of Rajasthan and its natural beauty are very different from the world… This old relationship became stronger when the 25 years of IIFA were celebrated in Rajasthan… I invite all the filmmakers of the world, people associated with films and nature lovers to Rajasthan…”

Earlier, a special screening of the iconic film ‘Sholay’ was held at the prestigious Rajmandir Cinema. Several Bollywood legends and cast members attended the event, and they shared their experiences and memories of working on the classic movie.

Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatiya, who attended the special screening, expressed his gratitude towards the Government and IIFA for their support.

“It is a matter of pride for us that the way we have got support from the Govt and IIFA. We have been associated with Raj Mandir since 1977. Four of our films were running in this theatre for over 100 days. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun kept running here for 75 weeks,” Barjatiya said while speaking to ANI.

Deputy CM Diya Kumari also attended the screening, said, “It is a matter of great pleasure and a proud thing. Today, Raj Mandir Cinema is completing 50 years…my greetings…this moment is iconic for all of us…whoever visits Jaipur, they come to Raj Mandir Cinema as well, it is like a tourist spot…”

The IIFA Digital Awards, which took place on March 8, saw major wins for Kriti Sanon, Jitendra Kumar, Panchayat 3, and Amar Singh Chamkila.

The main IIFA Awards night, hosted by Kartik Aaryan and Karan Johar, kicked off on March 9. MMA legend and combat sports star Anthony Pettis is set to make a special appearance. The awards show will also feature a performance by Kareena Kapoor Khan, where she will pay tribute to her grandfather, legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor. (ANI)

Amid the delimitation row, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs on Sunday passed a resolution to discuss the exercise in the upcoming parliament session, set to resume on March 10.

The DMK MPs have resolved to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests concerning the Lok Sabha seat delimitation issue, emphasising that the population-based exercise would impact not only southern states but also others like Odisha and West Bengal.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on Sunday expressed strong opposition to the proposed delimitation exercise in 2026, arguing that a population-based approach would disproportionately reduce parliamentary representation for southern states. He highlighted that Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana would lose seats, while northern states would gain.

Addressing the media, Siva stated, “Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK party president MK Stalin convened an all-party meeting in the state. Almost 56 parties participated in that. In that meeting, we passed a resolution that if delimitation, which is going to happen in 2026, is done on the basis of population, it would affect the Southern states very much. Tamil Nadu will come down from 39 MP seats to 31. Kerala will come down to 12 from 20. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and other southern regional states will also suffer.”

Siva emphasised that the party holds no grievances against the northern states but insisted that population figures should not solely determine representation.

“It cannot be done on the basis of population. Our leader has taken a decision and has passed the resolution. Based on that, from tomorrow onwards, when the second part of the Parliament budget session commences, we all will raise our voice on various rules like adjournment motion and zero special mention, short duration discussion,” he added.

The DMK and its allies are expected to voice their concerns in Parliament, calling for a reconsideration of the delimitation process to ensure fair representation for all states.

This comes after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called for a united political front against the proposed delimitation exercise, urging various parties to join forces in opposing what he termed a “blatant assault on federalism.”

To strengthen the collective stand, he convened a Joint Action Committee meeting on March 22 in Chennai, inviting representatives from multiple political parties to participate in the discussions.

The resolution was adopted during a meeting in Chennai, chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members of the party attended the meeting, where three resolutions were passed. The primary focus was on the delimitation exercise, highlighting its significance in the forthcoming session.

One resolution read, “DMK MPs will raise their voices in Parliament supporting the efforts of Chief Minister M K Stalin to safeguard the Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha constituencies. This meeting passed a resolution that MPs will raise this issue in Parliament and will attain victory by fighting without losing a single constituency for Tamil Nadu and maintaining the proportionality of Tamil Nadu constituencies.”

Another resolution stated that DMK will coordinate with other states, including Karnataka and Kerala and others, for a fight against delimitation. The resolution says, “Coordinating with other states which are also losing constituencies because of delimitation. This meeting passes resolution, MPs will take responsibility that they will work together with alliance party MPs to coordinate seven States -Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Punjab for the fight against delimitation, which are the states in possible danger to lose constituencies in the elimitation exercise.”

The third resolution read, “With DMK MPs, alliance MPs, INDIA alliance MPs resolution passed to coordinate all Democratic forces against delimitation and to continuously raise voice in Parliament session, which to begin by March 10.”

According to the DMK team, one minister has been assigned to each State to personally invite the meeting on delimitation, which the DMK proposes to hold on March 22 in Chennai.

On Friday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin called for a joint effort from various political parties to raise their voices against delimitation, calling for a Joint Action Committee meeting on March 22 to be held in Chennai, inviting representatives from various political parties to join against the “blatant assault on federalism.”

Meanwhile, RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha said, “Delimitation is a very sensitive issue. Those who are making statements on this, whether they are from the ruling party or the opposition, should be a little careful. “

Earlier yesterday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated that the state government will adhere to the directives of the Congress’ central leadership regarding the delimitation issue, including the decision to join the Joint Action Committee proposed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

“We will go by our party high command, and if the high command tells us, we will be a part of that and join hands with them,” Shivakumar told ANI.

On Saturday, Stalin wrote to the Chief Ministers of seven states, both from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruling states and otherwise, to join him in the “fight against this unfair exercise.”

He wrote to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, and heads of all political parties in those respective states to join him.

Calling upon state units of national parties and regional parties to send senior representatives for the JAC, he tagged the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, Telegu Desam Party, Jana Sena Party, AITC, Janata Dal, Aam Aadmi Party, Akali Dali, Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, AIMIM and multiple other state units for the meeting.

Congress backed CM Stalin’s stance on delimitation. However, the party has not yet confirmed whether they will join the JAC meeting on March 22.

In his letter to other CMs, Stalin pointed out that the previous delimitation exercises were conducted in 1952, 1963, and 1973, but they were frozen by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 until the first census after 2000.

The freeze was extended in 2002 until the census after 2026. However, with the 2021 Census delayed, the delimitation process might happen earlier than expected, potentially affecting states that have controlled their population and achieved better governance.

The Chief Minister stated that if the exercise is based on population after 2026, states with better population control would face a reduction in parliamentary representation, which he called unjust. He also noted that the Union Government has not clarified the matter, only offering vague assurances.

As the row over constituency delimitation intensified, Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday questioned Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s call for a Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting on delimitation, alleging that Stalin’s opposition was an attempt to “cover up” his “corruption and failure.”

“This is his (MK Stalin’s) attempt to cover up his misdeeds, corruption, and failure,” Joshi told ANI. He said there was no need for a committee since there was no delimitation commission.

“What is the need of this committee when there’s no delimitation commission so far, no terms of references?” Joshi asked.

Accusing Stalin of “talking nonsense things,” he said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured that the number of Parliamentary and Assembly seats would not be curtailed.

“The Home Minister himself has assured that there will be no reduction in the number of MP or MLA constituencies. Why talk nonsense things despite knowing that?” Joshi said.

Whereas, Congress leader P Chidambaram expressed his fear that if delimitation is conducted, Southern states will lose 26 seats in the Lok Sabha, and their voices will not be heard.

P Chidambaram said, “Delimitation is a serious issue. It was frozen in 1971. A census taken after 2026 will lead to delimitation, followed by re-determination of the seats. According to our calculation, if it is redistributed according to the current population of states, and the state’s numbers are changed, our southern states, which have 129 seats, will come down to 103. The five southern states will lose 26 seats, whereas the populous states where population is growing will gain seats, especially UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.”

He further said that the Southern states have stabilised their population.

“Northern states have not stabilised the population, and it will take time to stabilise. With 129, our voices are not heard in Parliament. In 103 it will become worst. We are opposing delimitation and re-determination based on the current population. Tamil Nadu will lose 8 seats if 543 constituencies are divided according to the current population,” he further said.

He said that the central government must start a dialogue on delimitation. (ANI)

The much-awaited film Nadaaniyan, starring Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor, was recently released, and the stars are now enjoying their time post-release.

The duo, along with their director, Shauna Gautam, attended the Lollapalooza music festival in Mumbai on Saturday.

Khushi took to her Instagram to share a series of pictures from the event that included her solo shots as well as fun and stylish pictures with Ibrahim and Shauna, as the trio posed together at the festival.

Along with the pictures, the ‘Archies’ actress added a caption that read, “Hola Lolla,” along with a playful emoji.

Soon after she dropped the pictures, her sister, actress Janhvi, quickly chimed in the comments section to react to the post, calling the pictures “beautiful.”

Take a look at the post

Meanwhile, the Khushi and Ibrahim starrer Nadaaniyan premiered on Netflix on March 7.

Directed by Shauna Gautam and produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra under Dharmatic Entertainment, Nadaaniyan promises to be a heartfelt rollercoaster ride of emotions, filled with romance, drama, and humor.

The film also boasts an impressive supporting cast, including Mahima Chaudhary, Suniel Shetty, Dia Mirza, and Jugal Hansraj in key roles. (ANI)

Amid the row over Sambhal Circle Officer (CO) Anuj Kumar Chaudhary’s “Holi comes once a year” remarks, Congress MP Imraan Masood has urged the Supreme Court of India to take cognizance of Sambhal Circle Officer (CO) Anuj Kumar Chaudhary’s remarks on Holi and Friday Namaaz.

Massood said that the apex court should look into how an official holding a constitutional post could use such language.

Masood told ANI on Sunday, “… The Supreme Court should take cognizance of this matter… An official holding a constitutional post is not supposed to use such words…” “How can an official use such a language?” he asked.

Sambhal Circle Officer Chaudhary had, on Thursday, said that those uncomfortable with colours should remain indoors as the Hindu festival comes once a year and there were 52 Jummas (Fridays) in a year.

A peace committee meeting was held on Thursday at the Sambhal Kotwali police station in view of the upcoming Holi festival on Frida during which he made the remarks.

“We have requested to the Muslim community that if they cannot accept getting coloured, then they should not come to the place where Holi is being celebrated. There are 52 ‘Jumma’ (Fridays) in a year, but only one day for Holi. Hindus wait for Holi the whole year, just like Muslims wait for Eid… We have given a direct message that when people play Holi and if they (Muslims) don’t want colours to fall on them, then they should stay at home. And if they want to go out of their house, then they should be big-hearted enough not to object if colour falls on them…” Chaudhary told reporters after the meeting.

Further, he stated that both the Hindus and Muslims will celebrate their festivals in their own way.

“We had a meeting with people of all communities… It is a festival of harmony. Both Hindus and Muslims will celebrate in their own way…” the CO further said.

Holi, a Hindu festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Phalguna. People play with colours with friends and family. (ANI)

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2025 commemorated 50 years of the iconic film ‘Sholay’ with a special screening at Jaipur’s prestigious Rajmandir Cinema on Sunday.

The event attracted Bollywood legends and film industry personalities, who have gathered to celebrate the film’s enduring legacy.

Veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, the director of ‘Sholay’, also shared his thoughts on the momentous occasion.

“The 25 years of International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) are as important today as the 50 years of Sholay. Together, we had a wonderful start last night, and it will continue not just tonight but on and on,” he said.

Released on August 15, 1975, Sholay is widely regarded as one of Indian cinema’s greatest films.

The action-packed drama, featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, and Amjad Khan, became a cultural phenomenon, with its characters, dialogues, and music remaining unforgettable even after five decades.

Marking the grand occasion, Devendra Surana, son of Rajmandir Cinema’s founder, expressed his pride in hosting the screening. “It is a matter of pride for us that Sholay is released here. It is an evergreen hit film. All this is possible only because of IIFA. This is a memorable day for us,” he said.

The IIFA 2025 is currently underway in Jaipur. The grand IIFA Awards Night, which is set to take place on March 9, will feature a special celebration of the iconic film Sholay on its 50th anniversary, with the exclusive screening at the famous Raj Mandir Cinema underway.

Legendary MMA fighter and combat sports trailblazer Anthony Pettis will also make a special appearance.

This year, the audience will see Kartik Aaryan as the host of the IIFA Awards.

Kareena Kapoor Khan, on the other hand, will be seen performing at the 25th edition of IIFA, and she will pay tribute to her grandfather, legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor, at the awards show. (ANI)

India’s foreign exchange reserves slumped in the week that ended on February 28, as per latest RBI data.

In the week under consideration, the foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 1.781 billion to USD 638.698 billion.

Forex reserves had slumped for about four months, recently hitting an 11-month low. Then followed the latest rollercoaster movement, with gains some weeks and declines the next.

Forex reserves started falling after touching an all-time high of USD 704.89 billion in September. They are now about 10 percent lower from their peak.

The decline in reserves is most likely due to RBI intervention, aimed at preventing a sharp depreciation of the Rupee. The Indian Rupee is now at or near its all-time low against the US dollar.

The latest RBI data showed that India’s foreign currency assets (FCA), the largest component of forex reserves, stood at USD 543.350 billion.

Gold reserves currently amount to USD 73.272 billion, according to RBI data.

Estimates suggest that India’s foreign exchange reserves are sufficient to cover approximately 10-11 months of projected imports.

In 2023, India added around USD 58 billion to its foreign exchange reserves, contrasting with a cumulative decline of USD 71 billion in 2022. In 2024, the reserves rose by a little over USD 20 billion.

Foreign exchange reserves, or FX reserves, are assets held by a nation’s central bank or monetary authority, primarily in reserve currencies such as the US Dollar, with smaller portions in the Euro, Japanese Yen, and Pound Sterling.

The RBI often intervenes by managing liquidity, including selling dollars, to prevent steep Rupee depreciation. The RBI strategically buys dollars when the Rupee is strong and sells when it weakens. (ANI)

Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Team India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill has given an update on whether the Men in Blue skipper Rohit Sharma is retiring or not from the 50-over format after the completion of marquee event.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gill stated that no conversations regarding Rohit’s future had taken place in the dressing room or with him personally.

“No discussion in the dressing room or with me–even Rohit bhai would be thinking about the Champions Trophy final, like all of us. So, nothing like that now,” he said.

According to Gill, Rohit might make a decision after the final: “I think once the match ends tomorrow, he will make a decision. There is no talk about it within the setup.”With India eyeing another major ICC title, Rohit Sharma’s experience and leadership will be key as they take on a determined New Zealand side in the high-stakes clash.

India is undefeated in the tournament so far, and the Kiwis have looked rock solid with bat and ball under Mitchell Santner’s captaincy.

The clash promises to be an epic sequel to the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy final, which New Zealand won. Men in Blue would like to avenge losses to the Blackcaps in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal and 2021 ICC World Test Championship final.

India claimed last week’s contest against the Kiwis by 44 runs, after posting 249 runs from their 50 overs and restricting New Zealand to 205 runs all out in the 46th over. While there’s been a lot of focus on spin bowlers stepping up in the UAE, it was Matt Henry who starred with the ball for the Black Caps, claiming 5/42 off eight overs, in an innings where Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with a 79 off 98 balls.

Kane Williamson fought valiantly for the Kiwis with an 81 (120 balls), but couldn’t find support in the middle order. India’s spinners combined for nine wickets, led by ‘secret weapon’ Varun Chakaravarthy, taking 5/42 – coincidentally the exact figures as Henry for the Kiwis – in what was just the 33-year-old leg-spinner’s second One Day International.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy. (ANI)

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was admitted to the cardiac Department at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the national capital early on Sunday morning, as per sources.

The 73-year-old was said to have experienced chest pain and uneasiness.

Sources said that the health of Vice President Dhankhar is stable now.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)

Actress Kriti Sanon, who bagged the award for Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) for her film ‘Do Patti’ at the 25th International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), shared her thoughts on her journey, upcoming projects, and aspirations on the global stage.

Expressing her joy over ‘Do Patti’s warm reception, Kriti said, “IIFA is a celebration. The nervousness about ‘Do Patti’ is over now because everyone loved the film.”

When asked about an international artist she would love to work with, Kriti admitted it was a tough choice. “I would obviously love to work with Meryl Streep. But there are so many! Ryan Gosling as well,” she said.

Speaking on the debate over content restrictions on digital platforms, Kriti called for a uniform approach.

“There is censorship in theatres, but digital platforms show international content without any restrictions. So, there should be balance. Either all content should have similar regulations, or none at all, regardless of whether it is from India or abroad.”

Reflecting on her National Film Award win for Mimi, Kriti described it as a major validation of her craft.

“It gives you the confidence to take risks. As an artist, it makes you believe in doing something different. People also start looking at you through a different lens,” she explained.

Speaking about her current project, she revealed, “I am shooting for ‘Tere Ishq Mein’ with Anand L. Rai and Dhanush. The team is waiting for me to return to Delhi. It’s a beautiful film–something I haven’t done before. Love stories are my favorite genre, and Anand sir does them so well and uniquely. Working with Dhanush for the first time is also very exciting.”

When asked what she would have pursued if not acting, Kriti, an engineer by degree, said, “I would have done something related to the entertainment industry. I don’t know what, but something for sure.”

On her wish list for South Indian collaborations, she named Allu Arjun and filmmakers S.S. Rajamouli and Sukumar.

“I debuted with Sukumar sir, and I would love to work with him again,” she said, remembering of the 2014 Telugu film ‘Nenokkadine’.

Discussing IIFA’s 25-year journey, Kriti noted, “IIFA has grown tremendously and continues to showcase Indian cinema internationally. This year, bringing the awards to Rajasthan, with its beauty, dance, music, and palaces, is ideal.”

For Kriti, awards are a token of appreciation but not the ultimate reward, as she said, “It means you’ve done a good job, but the biggest reward is the love of the audience, which stays with me forever.”

On performing at IIFA, she admitted, “I always feel nervous before going on stage because I want to do my best. But once I’m on stage, I forget everything and just enjoy the moment.”

The IIFA 2025 is currently underway in Jaipur. The grand IIFA Awards Night, which is set to take place on March 9, will feature a special celebration of the iconic film Sholay on its 50th anniversary, with an exclusive screening at the famous Raj Mandir Cinema.

Legendary MMA fighter and combat sports trailblazer Anthony Pettis will also make a special appearance.

This year, the audience will see Kartik Aaryan as the host of the IIFA Awards.

Kareena Kapoor Khan, on the other hand, will be seen performing at the 25th edition of IIFA, and she will pay tribute to her grandfather, legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor, at the awards show. (ANI)

A BAPS Hindu Temple located in Chino Hills, California was vandalised with discretionary messages, days ahead of a so-called ‘Khalistani referendum’ in Los Angeles.

The official page of BAPS for the United States, shared the details of the incident on social media platform X. It also stressed that they will “never let hate take root” and peace and compassion shall prevail.

In a post on X, BAPS Public Affairs wrote, “In the face of another Mandir desecration, this time in Chino Hills, CA, the Hindu community stand steadfast against hate. Together with the community in Chino Hills and Southern California, we will never let hate take root. Our common humanity and faith will ensure that peace and compassion prevail.”

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), also shared details of the incident on X, and said the desecration of the iconic BAPS Temple in California comes ahead of the “so called Khalistan referendum” in Los Angeles.

“Another Hindu Temple vandalized – this time the iconic BAPS temple in Chino Hills, CA. It’s just another day in a world where media and academics will insist there is no anti-Hindu hate and that #Hinduphobia is just a construct of our imagination. Not surprising this happens as the day for a so called “Khalistan referendum” in LA draws close.”

The post listed down other recent cases of vandalism of temples from 2022 onwards and gave a call for investigation into the matter.

CoHNA is a grassroots-level advocacy organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism in North America and matters impacting the Hindu community.

Cases of temple vandalism took place last year too as the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Sacramento, California, was vandalised on the night of September 25. This incident occured less than 10 days after a similar incident at the BAPS Mandir in New York.

The ‘anti-Hindu’ messages included phrases such as ‘Hindus go back,’ alarming the local Hindu community. In response, the community expressed its commitment to standing united against. (ANI)