In a dominant victory over South Africa, India secured their second T20 World Cup title by edging out South Africa by a narrow 7-run margin in the final. This victory marks India's return to ICC glory after an 11-year hiatus, their first World Cup triumph since 2011. Soon after, millions celebrated the Men in Blue for their outstanding performance in the final match.
The same excitement and enthusiasm also prevailed 40,000 feet above sea level. A video going viral on the internet shows passengers on a London-bound Vistara flight watching the match live on their laptops. X user Vinamra Longani shared a video showing the passengers watching the nail-biting match and then erupting in cheers after the win.
''TeamIndia's win of the #T20WorldCup2024 being celebrated 40,000 ft in the air on a @airvistara flight enroute #London! My friend @i_hardeepsingh (in yellow watching the match on his laptop) just sent me this. You have got to love In-flight WiFi,'' the caption of the video read.
Hardeep Singh, who recorded the video, thanked Vistara saying that he could enjoy the victory due to the seamless in-flight wifi services.
''Flying @airvistara turned out to be lucky. All World Cup finals on board the UK now! Or Air India once the merger is done! Anyway - this was a great experience. The matched streamed perfectly. Ball by ball! The airlines we deserve. @airvistara,'' Mr Singh wrote.
Vistara replied saying, ''Couldn't have let @i_hardeepsingh miss this incredible match!''
Reacting to the video, one user wrote, ''Gone are the days of waiting for Captain to make the announcement.'' Another commented, ''So cool.''
Notably, it was team India's second T20 World Cup victory after they had won it in 2007 under the legendary MS Dhoni in South Africa, and first since winning the Champions Trophy in 2013. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Team India on the big win. "Champions! Our team brings the T20 World Cup home in style! We are proud of the Indian Cricket Team," PM posted on X.
US President Joe Biden's first presidential debate of the US Election against Republican nominee Donald Trump made all the wrong noises. Mr Biden's shaky performance has been a topic of discussion. While a section has been criticising Joe Biden's performance against Donald Trump, others are wondering what would happen if Mr Biden decided to step down as party flag bearer at the last minute.
Now, let's break it down for you.
If Joe Biden withdraws his name, delegates from 50 states will have to look for a replacement at the earliest. They will most likely assemble for a nominating convention and officially appoint a candidate. The candidate is picked based on voting.
Who are the potential candidates?
Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro are among the names that can represent the party.
Meanwhile, US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has predicted that former First Lady Michelle Obama will replace Joe Biden.
Speaking on his podcast Mr Cruz said, “The odds are north of 80% that the Democratic Party will remove Joe Biden from the ticket and replace him with Michelle Obama because Biden did so disastrously badly tonight that Democrats across the country are in utter freefall and complete panic.”
Has this happened before?
In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson sent shockwaves when he decided to exit. He made the announcement in the middle of the Vietnam War.
What is Joe Biden saying
President Joe Biden has expressed his intent to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming November elections.
Speaking at a rally, he said, "I know I'm not a young man, to state the obvious. I don't walk as easy as I used to, I don't speak as smoothly as I used to, I don't debate as well as I used to. I would not be running again if I didn't believe with all my heart and soul that I could do this job. The stakes are too high." The statement came a day after President Biden faced-off with Donal Trump in a heated debate.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The central government has stepped up the process of separating civilian areas from defence areas, and property rights over assets in 13 military cantonments will be shifted to local municipalities. This means that while military stations will remain with the forces, areas outside it will be transferred to the state government.
In a letter to the cantonments, the government has laid out broad guidelines for excision of civil areas and their merger with state municipalities. These guidelines, the letter state, were chalked in a meeting chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane last week.
"The propriety rights over all assets meant for providing civic amenities and municipal services in the excised area shall be transferred to State Government/State Municipalities free of Cost Assets & Liabilities of the Cantonment Boards shall be transferred to State Municipality," the letter said.
It also clarified that the government will retain title rights where applicable.
"Municipality shall be able to impose local taxes/fees over such areas under its jurisdiction. However, while segregating the areas, the security concerns of Armed Forces would be given due priority in case there are some such privately held lands where the segregation is impinging on security of Military Station, same shall be considered in case to case basis," the order added.
Why Is This Being Done
There is a sense in the government that cantonments are a part of an archaic colonial legacy and the current system deprives residents of these areas from the access to some welfare schemes of the state government.
The issue of separation of civil and military areas goes back to the post-Independence period. In 1948, a committee headed by Congress veteran SK Patil had recommended the excision of civil areas in six Cantonments. But this plan was scrapped, citing public opposition to such a move. This issue has come up on multiple occasions since then, and the government's latest move plays out against that backdrop.
The Defence Ministry owns nearly 18 lakh acres and is the largest landowner in the country. In the past, parliamentary panels have flagged the use of defence funds for non-military purposes, such as civic expenditures in civilian areas part of cantonments.
The country currently has 62 notified cantonments that together hold 1.61 lakh acres. Currently, all civil and municipal affairs are handled by military cantonment boards.
A big question, however, is whether civic bodies, already reeling under a staff and funds crunch, can handle the added responsibility.
The Gaganyaan Mission is at a critical stage this year with three important missions scheduled for this year, ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath told NDTV.
"We are at a critical juncture with Gaganyaan this year. We have three important missions scheduled. First and foremost is the unmanned mission to orbit, spend time in orbit and return; the second is a test about equipment and algorithm; the third is a test to check the launch pad scenario," he said.
The space agency also has a manned mission in the pipeline for which four astronaut-designates have been named. Of them, only one would ultimately fly to space, Dr Somanath said, adding that the others will also be trained.
Speaking about a launch date, Dr Somanath said, "The first test flight of the Gaganyaan is scheduled for the end of next year if all goes well. But everything depends on the progress we are going to make."
The first Gaganyaan crewed flight may last one day in space with the astronaut doing 16 orbits of Earth, this would effectively test the environmental life support and control systems says Dr Somanath.
Prashanth Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla are the four test pilots of the Indian Air Force who have been chosen for the Gaganyaan mission. The human space flight mission aims to launch a crew of up to three members into a Low Earth Orbit and bring them back after a missing lasting up to a week.
Irked over non-adherence to its directives, the Centre has asked all ministries to timely review the working of the employees so that the non-performers are prematurely retired from service.
In an order, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) asked ministries concerned to direct the public sector undertakings (PSUs), banks, autonomous institutions and statutory bodies under their administrative control to undertake the exercise of periodic review of employees.
It said instructions have been issued from time to time for undertaking periodic review of the government servants' performance with a view to ascertaining whether they "should be retained in service or retired from service prematurely, in public interest".
The administrative ministries and departments have repeatedly been requested to adhere to guidelines issued in this regard and furnish a report to this effect to the DoPT, said the order issued to the secretaries of all central government departments.
However, it has come to notice that various ministries and departments are not adhering to the said guidelines resulting in delay in identifying the government employees due for review under relevant provisions of Fundamental Rules (FR)-56 (J)/(I) and Rule 48 of Central Civil Services or CCS (Pension) Rules (now, revised as Rule 42 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021), it said.
These rules lay down the policy of periodic review and premature retirement of government servants and to ensure efficiency, economy and speed in the disposal of the government functions.
"In view of the above, the ministries/departments are requested to take immediate action to identify the employees due for review under relevant provisions of Fundamental/Pension Rules and ensure that their cases are expeditiously submitted for consideration before the duly constituted review committee as per extant instructions," read the order dated June 27.
Further, all the ministries, departments and organisations have been asked "to strictly adhere" to the timeline mentioned in DoPT's order issued in this regard in 2020 "for undertaking the exercise of review of performance of the government servants and for the employees of PSUs/banks/autonomous institutions/statutory organisations under their administrative control to ensure that the employees with doubtful integrity or found to be ineffective are not allowed to continue in government", according to the order.
The DoPT had issued comprehensive and consolidated guidelines through its 2020 order detailing the procedures to be followed in identifying the cases of premature retirement.
All ministries and departments have been asked to furnish a report to the DoPT in a particular format by the 15th day of each month starting from July, 2024, it added.
The DoPT said that the objective of the CCS rules is to strengthen the administrative machinery by developing responsible and efficient administration at all levels and to achieve efficiency, economy and speed in the disposal of government functions.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The first rain in Delhi-NCR has caused trouble for people and politicians alike. On Friday morning, the roads around Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav's bungalow in the Lodhi Estate area of the national capital were inundated. When Mr Yadav stepped out to leave for the Parliament, all he and his entourage saw was water.
The heavy rain made it impossible for him to leave without help. In a video shared by news agency ANI, Mr Yadav's staff lifted him in their hands and carried him to the car.
#WATCH | Delhi: SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav being helped by members of his staff and others to his car as the area around his residence is completely inundated.
Later, the MP spoke to ANI about the trouble he faced. "I had to do all this to go to Parliament. We came out in a car, then people lifted us to the car," he said.
He questioned the mismanagement of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, stating, "I have been talking to MCD officials since 4 o'clock. We will get relief from this only if someone brings a pump and removes the water."
#WATCH | SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav says, "NDMC is not prepared. The rainfalls are late, still they didn't clean the drains...If the drains are cleaned, this situation would never occur. A NITI Aayog member, ministers, MoS Home, other ministers, Navy Admiral, General live here. But… https://t.co/PlLZAUqWw5pic.twitter.com/RKoAI1Raa4
Talking about the extent of the damage, he revealed his entire bungalow was filled with water. “We got the flooring done just two days ago. There has been a loss of lakhs."
He also criticised the MCD's lack of preparedness, saying, “They did not clean the drains despite rains being late this year”. He noted that long-serving NDMC employees were aware of where the drains were clogged. "If drains were cleaned, this situation would never occur," he said.
He pointed out the irony of the situation, given the high-profile neighbourhood, saying, "Next to us is the bungalow of the member of Niti Aayog, who has the status of a state minister. Then there are ministers. There is the Minister of State for Home Affairs, under whom NDMC is. There are army generals. There are navy admirals, but it has become difficult for people to move out."
The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has taken a decision not to charge the female driver involved in a freak accident that killed an Indian-origin schoolgirl as she lost control of her vehicle due to a sudden epileptic fit.
Nuria Sajjad was killed along with a fellow schoolmate, both eight years old, when a Land Rover crashed through a fence at their Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon, south-west London, last July.
Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor with oversight of the Crown Prosecution Service London Homicide Unit, described it as an "unthinkable tragedy" but concluded on Wednesday after a "lengthy and detailed investigation" that it was not in the public interest to pursue a criminal investigation.
"The driver of the vehicle had an epileptic seizure behind the wheel, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle which then drove into the school," said Narwal.
"There is no evidence the driver had ever suffered a similar seizure before and she had no previously diagnosed medical condition. Because there is nothing to suggest the driver could have done anything to predict or prevent this tragedy, it is not in the public interest to pursue a criminal prosecution," she said.
The prosecutor said that in reaching this decision, the CPS considered the driver's full medical records, obtained by police, and received evidence from neurological specialists, who agreed that the driver had a seizure and that this was the first such medical episode she had experienced.
"The death of a child is an unthinkable tragedy for any parent...Throughout this process we have met with the bereaved families on several occasions, to ensure they are kept informed of the case progress and to fully explain the decision we have made. Our thoughts remain with them today, as well as with the other injured victims and the wider school community upon whom this tragic incident has had a profound impact," she added.
The driver of the vehicle in her mid-40s, Claire Freemantle, has voluntarily surrendered her licence and, following her diagnosis, will need to be a year free of any seizures before she can reapply for it again.
In April, Nuria's parents Smera Chohan and Sajjad Butt had sought answers over the lengthy delays in the investigation into the incident, after which Freemantle had been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and released on bail. Chohan was also seriously injured in the accident as she posed for a picture with her daughter on the fateful day just before the vehicle crashed into the school. Following the CPS statement this week, the families of both girls said "justice has neither been done, nor has been seen to be done today".
"All the victims of the events of 6 July 2023 did nothing wrong. We were all in the safest place we could have been outside our own homes. We were celebrating a day filled with joy. Nuria and Selena's lives were taken in a moment. Some of us will never experience joy again," their joint statement reads.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised newly-elected Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla for his condemnation of the Emergency. In his first move after assuming the key post, Mr Birla called for a 2-minute silence to honour those who suffered during the "dark days of emergency".
Mr Birla read out a resolution condemning the Emergency in the Lok Sabha and spoke up against the then-government headed by prime minister Indira Gandhi. The move stirred up a row and the House was adjourned amid an uproar from the Opposition benches.
PM Modi though, backed Mr Birla calling the '2 minutes of silence' a wonderful gesture.
"I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand in silence in honour of all those who suffered during those days," the Prime Minister said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
"The Emergency was imposed 50 years ago but it is important for today's youth to know about it because it remains a fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled and institutions are destroyed. The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like," he added.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who have worked as co-actors in a film in the past, shared a light moment at Parliament today. A video of the two young leaders shows them greeting each other with a 'low five' this morning.
Back in 2011, the two had starred in a movie, Miley Naa Miley Hum. The movie did not do well and Chirag Paswan, still under the shadow of his father, the veteran late Ram Vilas Paswan, turned to politics. Kangana went on to build a successful celluloid career.
Many films and several elections later, the two are colleagues again, not on a film set but in the Parliament. While Chirag Paswan has stepped out of his father's shadow and carved his own identity in politics, Kangana Ranaut has taken a leap in the uncharted waters.
Mr Paswan now leads the LJP (Ram Vilas), a key ally of the BJP that pulled off a stunner in this election by winning all five seats it contested. He is now a cabinet minister in charge of the food processing industries portfolio, earlier handled by his father. A two-time MP from Jamui in Bihar, he now represents the state's Hajipur seat.
Ms Ranaut, on the other hand, is a first-time MP and has been elected from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. The actor-politician defeated state minister and heavyweight candidate Vikramaditya Singh by a margin of nearly 75,000 votes in this election. On the cinema front, the national award-winning actor is now promoting her movie Emergency, scheduled to hit the screens on September 6.
Researchers have found the world's oldest Ostrich nest, dating back to 41,000 years, in Andhra Pradesh.
The nest was discovered while archaeologists from a Vadodara University and experts from Germany, Australia and the US were investigating a fossil-rich site in Andhra Praderdsh's Prakasam.
The nest, a massive structure containing 911 ostrich eggs, offers unparalleled insights into the behavior and habitat of these ancient megafaunal birds, the researchers said,
Typically measuring between 9 to 10 feet in width, such nests were capable of holding anywhere from 30 to 40 eggs at a time.
"This finding represents a crucial moment in comprehending the extinction of megafaunal species in India," said Devara Anil Kumar, Assistant Professor at MSU's Department of Archaeology and Ancient History in Vadodara/
"The discovery of nearly 3,500 fragments of ostrich eggshells within a confined area of 1x1.5 meters not only validates the historical presence of ostriches in Southern India but also establishes the existence of the oldest known ostrich nest in the world," he added.
Tamayo Perry, who appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, has died after being attacked by a shark. According to Sky News, Mr Perry, an Ocean Safety lifeguard and surfing instructor, was attacked by a shark off Oahu in Hawaii. The attack took place near Goat Island on Sunday and Mr Perry was spotted by a man who alerted the emergency services. When the officials arrived at the scene, they brought Mr Perry to shore by jet ski. But the actor was pronounced dead on the beach.
The 49-year-old had also appeared in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Blue Crush, as per the Sky News report. He also had a role in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the franchise.
Released in 2011, it also featured Penelope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush.
The BBC quoted acting Honolulu Ocean Safety chief Kurt Lager as saying that Mr Perry was "a lifeguard loved by all". He added that Me Perry was well known on Oahu's North Shore as well as around the world.
"Tamayo's personality was infectious, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more. Our condolences go out to Tamayo's family," said Mr Lager.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi echoed similar sentiments, calling Perry's death "a tragic loss", as per the BBC report.
"Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected, he grew up right over here, and just a great member of our ocean safety team," the Mayor further said.
Mr Perry, who worked as a lifeguard on the North Shore, began his career with the Ocean Safety department in July 2016, the Sky News report said.
A German town, Limburg an der Lahn, has voted to exterminate its entire population of pigeons, sparking a fight between the residents and animal rights activists. The residents voted in favour of culling the birds earlier this month, in a referendum, according to local media.
The report revealed that the legal fight against the pigeons was prompted by innumerable complaints over the birds' faeces. These complaints were registered by residents, restaurateurs and market vendors around Limburg's Neumarkt central square.
On June 20, Limburg officials said they were still considering whether to proceed with the referendum results.
The report quoted town spokesman Johannes Laubach, as saying, “There is no timetable for implementation. The resolution stipulates that there will be another comprehensive case-by-case review before implementation.”
The residents and business owners claimed that they have been frustrated by the town's pigeons for years now.
The report added that last year in November, the town's council decided that a falconer should be commissioned to kill Limburg's pigeon population.
It stated, “The falconer will lure the birds into a trap, hit them over the head with a wooden stick to stun them, and then break their necks.”
This decision led to fierce protests from animal rights activists and a petition for signatures, after which a referendum was initiated.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), DW added, “Animal rights activists are horrified that the cull is going ahead, while critics say that pigeon culls aren't really effective since any remaining birds will reproduce, replenishing the population. Other German cities, like Frankfurt, rely on a form of birth control and replace real eggs with plaster ones to keep its pigeons in check, while the city of Hagen is trialling a drug that makes the birds temporarily infertile.”
Flying rats, vermin, rats with wings — urban pigeons have a bad reputation that's hard to shake off.
In one German town, however, pigeon-human relations have taken a macabre turn.
Limburg an der Lahn, in the western German state of Hesse, voted last week to exterminate its… pic.twitter.com/CZ2IZoxzeo
After the referendum, Limburg's mayor Marius Hahn said the citizens had decided “that the pigeon population should be reduced over the next two years by a falconer who stuns and kills animals.” On Thursday, the mayor informed a final review of the implementation of the referendum was still pending.
A 13-year-old boy was apprehended for allegedly sending an email to the Delhi Airport falsely claiming that a bomb had been planted in the Dubai-bound flight, police said on Sunday.
The boy had sent the mail "just for fun" after being influenced by the news of another teenager who made a hoax bomb threat call a few days ago, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Usha Rangnani said.
The incident occurred on Monday when a complaint was registered regarding a bomb threat on a Dubai-bound flight on June 18, DCP said.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was lodged, and an investigation was launched. All the guidelines, protocols and SOPs were followed to ensure the safety and security of the passengers, DCP said.
"Airport was put on high alert, and an emergency was declared," she said.
However, during the investigation, the email was found to be a hoax, she said.
"During the investigation, it was revealed that the e-mail ID was deleted just after sending the email. The email was traced at Pithoragarh in Uttranchal," Rangnani said.
A team was sent, and the boy was apprehended for sending the hoax email, she said.
"The boy told the police team that his parents had given a mobile to him for study purposes through which he sent the email and later deleted his ID. He did not share any information with his parents as he was scared. He was apprehended and handed over to his parents," she added. PTI BM HIG HIG
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The year was 1914. A young entrepreneur from the Shikarpur town of Sindh district, then part of undivided India, had travelled to Bombay (now Mumbai). His name was Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, and he founded what would, over the next 100 years, become an enviable global business empire worth $20 billion.
The Hinduja Group expanded to shipping, banking, media, and real estate, including London's prestigious Raffles Hotel, eventually making them the richest family in the United Kingdom.
Today, the Hinduja empire is managed by four brothers – Srichand, Gopichand, Prakash and Ashok. Srichand and Gopichand are based in London and focus on the group's interests in Europe and America. Prakash oversees European operations from Geneva while Ashok manages the group's India ventures from Mumbai, particularly in media and communications.
They also contribute to healthcare, education, and rural development through the Hinduja Foundation.
Despite their philanthropic contributions, recent legal issues have overshadowed the Hindujas' legacy. Four members of the Hinduja family were sentenced to prison by a Swiss court on Friday for exploiting their household staff.
The trial
The trial in Geneva revealed disturbing details of mistreatment at the Hinduja family's Swiss villa. They were accused of underpaying workers and keeping them on call without proper breaks. Prosecutors also alleged that while the family spent lavishly on their pet dog, some staff members earned as little as Rs 600 a day for 18 hours of work.
The family also reportedly confiscated their staff's passports, restricting their freedom to leave the premises without permission, attracting human trafficking charges under Swiss law. Staff members were paid in Indian currency, leaving them without money in Switzerland.
Workers also said there was a “climate of fear” around the house and they had to work without breaks and were made to sleep on mattresses in the basement.
Who are the ones sentenced?
Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal Hinduja have been sentenced to four years and six months in prison. His son Ajay, 56, and his wife Namrata, 50, were sentenced to four years each.
Prakash P Hinduja, 78, is the Chairman of the Hinduja Group of Companies (Europe) and Advisory Board Chairman at Hinduja Bank Switzerland. He is also a Board member of the Swiss Indian Chamber of Commerce.
He joined the family business in Tehran, Iran, after completing his University education in India.
Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, 75, have another son, Ramkrishan, and a daughter named Renuka.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir on Friday urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to revisit the two new-ball rule in limited over formats, and the World Cup-winner termed it as "unfair" to finger spinners. The ICC had implemented the particular rule in ODIs in October 2011, something the legendary Sachin Tendulkar had rated as "perfect recipe for disaster." "One thing I would definitely change is the use of two new balls, especially in white-ball cricket," Gambhir said during the 'Rise to Leadership' talk show by the Indian Chamber of Commerce. The stipulation to use two new balls, several experts felt, has disadvantaged finger spinners and reduced the chances of reverse swing as it helps the ball to retain the shine.
"It is very unfair for finger spinners, who are not playing enough white-ball cricket because there is nothing for them. It is not right.
"The ICC's job is to ensure that everyone, whether a finger spinner, fast bowler, wrist spinner, or batter, has an equal opportunity to showcase their talents," said Gambhir, who recently mentored Kolkata Knight Riders during their run to the third IPL title.
Gambhir is also viewed as the frontrunner to become next India coach following Rahul Dravid's exit after the ongoing T20 World Cup.
The two-time IPL winning former skipper asked the ICC to have a review of the rule.
"Taking that opportunity away from certain players is very unfair. Today, you hardly see any finger spinners playing white-ball cricket. Why? The blame lies not with them, but with the ICC.
"There is no reverse swing anymore because of the two new balls, and there is nothing for finger spinners or left-arm spinners.
"This is something I would want to change, and hopefully, it will change to create a balance between bat and ball," added Gambhir.
Gambhir, who played under various captains, refrained from naming the best skipper, but hailed MS Dhoni and said the best phase of his career was under him.
"This is such a controversial question. I honestly don't want to give headlines, everyone had their strength and weaknesses. I made my Test debut under Rahul Dravid and ODI under (Sourav) Ganguly.
"I had my best performance under Anil Kumble and I had my phase under MS Dhoni, and the longest I played was under MS. I enjoyed playing a lot with MS and the way he led the team," he said.
Gambhir also hailed Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan as the best team owner in the IPL.
"I had the privilege of working with the best IPL owner."
The Pakistan Cricket Board is set to revert to its old selection committee system after the experiment of having no chief selector failed miserably during the T20 World Cup and before it. Pakistan was ousted in the group stage of the T20 World Cup, losing to minnows USA and arch-rival India. “The board is likely to return to the old system of having a chief selector with two or three selectors and the captain and head coach not sitting in selection meetings with the selectors,” a source told PTI.
Former Test fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who was part of the selection committee that picked the team for the T20 World Cup, is expected to retain his influential position on the board and might also be appointed the new chief selector.
Wahab was also the chief selector before the PCB decided to abolish the old system of having a three or four-member national selection committee with a chief selector and instead opted for eight selectors.
Under the new system, the captain and head coach (Babar Azam and Gary Kirsten) were made proper selectors, along with a data analyst and former cricketers -- Mohammad Yousuf, Wahab, Asad Shafiq, Abdul Razzaq, etc.
Wahab was later also made the national team's senior manager, although there was already a manager travelling with the side for the World Cup.
Apparently, Wahab is seen as very close to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who has a lot of trust in him and made him advisor sports when he was caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab before the elections.
The board is also actively looking at the central contracts given by former Chairman Zaka Ashraf to the players under which their tenure is for three years.
“Most likely players, who have central contracts, will be demoted or even dropped because of poor performances and other perks awarded to the players will be looked into,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
This week, customers shopping online have been met with unexpected surprises in their deliveries, ranging from unsettling to downright shocking. From a live snake wrapped around an Amazon package to a severed finger found in ice cream, these incidents have left consumers understandably disturbed.
Here are 4 bizarre things found in online orders this week:
Snake in Amazon package
In Bengaluru, a woman received a terrifying surprise when she opened her Amazon package containing an Xbox controller. Wrapped around the box was a live Spectacled Cobra, a highly venomous snake native to Karnataka. Fortunately, the snake was stuck to packaging tape and did not harm the woman.
The incident, captured in a viral video, raised serious concerns about safety in online deliveries. Amazon responded and apologised, saying that safety was their “top priority.”
The woman received a full refund but criticised Amazon for “negligence and their poor transportation/warehousing hygiene and supervision.”
Human finger in ice cream
A Mumbai doctor, Orlem Brandon Serrao, made a chilling discovery in his online-delivered ice cream – a human finger. Initially mistaking it for a nut, Dr Serrao was horrified to find that the solid piece was indeed a finger, which he described as traumatic.
He immediately reported the incident to the Malad police, leading to a case against Yummo Ice Creams for alleged food adulteration and endangerment.
The Police has now traced the human finger back to an employee at the ice cream company's Pune factory. The breakthrough came after police discovered that a factory staff member had suffered a finger injury on the same day the batch was packed. Samples have been sent for DNA testing to confirm the identity of the finger. The incident has led to the suspension of the ice cream manufacturer's licence by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Dead rat in chocolate syrup ordered from Zepto
A customer named Prami Sridhar discovered a dead rat in a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup she ordered through Zepto. In a social media post, Ms Sridhar claimed she found “small hair continuously” dripping along with the sauce. The packaging appeared sealed and intact but when she poured the syrup into a glass, a thick and hard object fell out. To verify, she washed the object under running water and confirmed it was, indeed, a dead rat.
Three people tasted the syrup, one of which fainted and had to be taken to the hospital.
She tried to file a complaint, but received no response initially. Later, Hershey's commented on the post, apologising and requesting details for further investigation.
In another odd incident, a customer named Aaraynsh received a sealed empty glass instead of the lime soda he ordered from Swiggy. He posted a sarcastic tweet on X with a picture of the transparent, empty container, saying, “Thanks, Swiggy, for sending me a sealed empty glass. I hope my lime soda will come in another order.”
Thanks, Swiggy, for sending me a sealed empty glass. I hope my lime soda will come in another order. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EsK9PBfYgy
Swiggy responded immediately, asking for his order ID to resolve the issue. Aaraynsh later confirmed that he received a refund of ₹80 for the ₹120 soda.
Exactly three years ago, The Guardian published a story with this headline: "The day Denmark stood still: Christian Eriksen's collapse and the heroes who saved him."
On June 12, 2021, Denmark faced Finland in a match in the 2020 Euro tournament. In the 43rd minute, the world witnessed a shock as Denmark's midfielder collapsed on the pitch for reasons then unknown. Realising something was terribly wrong, fellow players rushed to ensure that his airway remained open. The team doctor feared the worst - Eriksen had suffered a heart attack on the pitch.
He lay on the pitch for a tense 13 minutes before somehow regaining consciousness on the way to the nearby hospital. Reportedly, one of his first requests after regaining consciousness was to have his boots removed, as he believed he might never need them again.
Exactly three years later, on June 16, Christian Eriksen returned to play in the ongoing edition of the Euro Football tournament, donning the national jersey once more. In the 17th minute, a miracle happened as Eriksen scored the first goal for his team, reportedly wearing the same boots from that fateful day. It was like a fairytale we expect to happen all the time.
If this isn't a miracle, what is? These are the moments that give us hope, showing that bouncing back from the brink is always possible.
Hoping Through Dark Times
I felt the same sense of awe while watching the Netflix movie The Swimmers, based on the true story of two Syrian girls, Yusra Mardini and her elder sister, Sara Mardini. Residents of Damascus, the sisters dreamt of representing their country in the Olympics. But Syria's civil war made it nearly impossible. Their push came when a bomb hit a venue where they were competing in a swimming competition. With no choice but to seek asylum as refugees in Germany, they embarked on a daunting journey without knowing how to reach their destination.
Undeterred by the challenges ahead, the sisters, along with a relative, embarked on a journey as nerve-wracking as it could be. While their flight to Turkey was smooth, what followed tested even the toughest nerves. Local guides facilitating illegal migration suggested they take a boat to Greece, the shortest route to mainland Europe. During the perilous sea crossing from Turkey, their dinghy's engine failed. The sisters were among those who jumped into the water, guiding the overcrowded boat to safety and saving all on board, as documented in a Time article.
Just imagine: two little girls in an overcrowded dinghy on the verge of sinking in the middle of the sea. Darkness surrounded them, with no clue how far the shore lay. Who could muster the courage to jump into the sea, swim for three and a half hours, and guide the boat to safety? Most would have fainted. But not the Mardini sisters. They were fully aware that reaching shore didn't guarantee safety; as illegal refugees, they risked detention at any moment. Yet, driven by their Olympic dreams, they endured all and were prepared to face more.
Their long and arduous journey eventually led them to Germany. As they say, the rest is history. Within a year of arriving in Germany, Yusra, the younger and the more passionate one about swimming, qualified for the Rio Olympics as part of the refugee team. Now retired, she serves as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and will be in Paris, cheering on refugees from around the world when the city hosts the Summer Olympics.
What do the stories of Eriksen and Yusra have in common? Perhaps it's the determination to succeed against all odds. They possessed strength of character and found their way through the most challenging circumstances.
In my own experience, when faced with adversity, saviours often emerge from unexpected places. For Yusra, it was a German swimming coach who helped her realise her Olympic dream. For Eriksen, it was the immediate support from his teammates.
Throughout my life, I've had many saviours who helped me navigate difficult times. My humble advice to all of you is to never give up. Keep moving forward. Miracles do happen - and they happen all the time.
(Mayank Mishra is Consulting Editor at NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
A video of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar checking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's index finger for the indelible vote ink has gone viral on social media, shortly after the two leaders attended the inauguration ceremony of the new Nalanda University campus in Rajgir.
A video put out by news agency PTI shows Arvind Panagariya, Chancellor of Nalanda University, addressing the gathering. Then the camera focuses on Prime Minister Modi and Mr Kumar. The Bihar Chief Minister suddenly holds the Prime Minister's left hand, almost taking him by surprise. The move also alerts the security personnel seated behind.
VIDEO | #Bihar CM Nitish Kumar checks PM Modi's finger for indelible ink mark during the inauguration event of new campus of #NalandaUniversity in Rajgir.
As the Prime Minister leans towards him, Mr Kumar appears to check the Prime Minister's index finger. He then shows his left index figure to the Prime Minister.
The video has now gone viral on social media.
The Prime Minister today inaugurated the 455-acre campus of Nalanda University and said his visit there within 10 days of his third term is a "good omen" in India's development journey.
"I got an opportunity to come to Nalanda within 10 days of taking oath for the third term. This is good luck. I also see this as a good omen in India's development journey," he said.
Developed at the site of the ancient university at Nalanda, the central university has two academic blocks with 40 classrooms and a seating capacity of around 1900. It has two auditoriums and students' hostel with a capacity of around 550.
The 455-acre campus also has an international centre, an amphitheatre, a faculty club, and a sports complex. The Nalanda University campus is a 'Net Zero' green campus. It runs on solar power, domestic and drinking water treatment plants, a water recycling plant and several water bodies.
After a stellar performance in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal last year, Ranbir Kapoor is all set to feature as Lord Ram in the Nitesh Tiwari directorial Ramayana. Now, while Ranbir Kapoor is busy with the film's shoot alongside his lead co-star Sai Pallavi, television actor Sunil Lahri has weighed in on the actor's casting in the upcoming film. The actor, who played the role of Lakshman in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan in the 80s, opined that the audience might not accept Ranbir playing Lord Ram considering his last release, Animal, where he played a violent character. “From the poster, I liked his look. It's very nice and since he's so smart, he will look perfect in that role. But I don't know how much people will accept him as Ram,” Sunil Lahri told Hindustan Times.
He continued, "I feel that you should take someone that has no image or baggage. It works better. No doubt Ranbir is a great actor with a big legacy of his family and work he has done. I'm sure he will do justice, but again, it is the perception of people that you can't change.”
Drawing a comparison with Ranbir Kapoor's latest offering, Animal, the actor said “He has to crush his earlier performances and come out with this. And especially, after doing something like Animal recently, it will be very difficult for people to see him in such an opposite role as Lord Ram.”
For those unaware, Arun Govil, who played the role of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan will be seen playing the role of King Dasharatha in the film. While Ranbir Kapoor has been cast to portray the role of Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi has been chosen to portray Goddess Sita. Initially, Alia Bhatt was picked for the role of Sita but reportedly she had to opt out due to scheduling conflicts. Meanwhile, the role of Ravana will be played by KGF fame, Yash. Ramayana will also feature Sunny Deol and Lara Dutta in key roles.
Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was involved in a war of words with a man in Florida. Rauf, who was having a stroll around the city with his wife, lost his cool at the man, who must've said something to him, which the Pakistan pacer didn't like or agree with. As Rauf ran towards the man to attack him, a few people stopped him from doing so. Even Rauf's wife tried stopping him, but the star pacer manager to free himself from her grasp. Rauf and the man exchanged a few expletives, but the people around them did a great job by separating the duo from hitting each other.
In a viral video, Rauf was even referring to the man as "Indian hoga (he must be Indian)."
However, the man replied saying: "Pakistani hoon (I am from Pakistan)".
Rauf's wife was constantly trying to calm him down but the cricketer looked visibly upset with the man confronting and constantly arguing with him.
Kalesh b/w a Fan and Pakistani Bowler Haris Rauf (Haris Rauf Fight His wife tried to stop her, Haris: Ye indian hi hoga
Guy- Pakistani hu) pic.twitter.com/e4DpwX0b4S
Pakistan players have been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism after the team's exit from the T20 World Cup in the group stage.
Pakistan players have been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism after the team's exit from the T20 World Cup in the group stage.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam and five other players including Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Azam Khan have decided to spend their holidays in London before returning to Pakistan after their disastrous T20 World Cup campaign.
The six players will not land in Pakistan with the rest of the squad on Tuesday.
The above-mentioned players plan to spend time with friends and family in London.
Some are also thinking about playing in local leagues in the United Kingdom, according to a report in The Express Tribune.
A minor dispute on a road in Delhi led to the murder of a 35-year-old man, a father of three children. The incident took place in the Bhalswa area of the national capital yesterday.
Thirty-five-year-old Nawab Singh, an auto-rickshaw driver, got into a minor dispute with a car driver in the Mukundpur area of Bhalswa. When the victim was parking his auto, the driver honked for space, which led to an argument, leading to a full-blown road rage.
The driver pulled an iron rod out of his car and hit Nawab on his head multiple times. The injuries were critical and the driver fled from the scene.
Locals informed the police and the auto driver was taken to a hospital, where the doctors declared him dead. He is survived by his wife and three young children.
Nawab was the sole breadwinner of the family. The police have registered and have arrested a person.
Last month, a woman and her brother were allegedly beaten up by a group of men here after their car brushed against one of them in south Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpur.
The police said the altercation began when the victim's vehicle brushed against one of these men while they were standing. Later, they beat up the siblings, broke the front and rear window pane of their car and fled.
Did you know Shah Rukh Khan was replaced by Anil Kapoor in his 2001 cult-classic Nayak? Not only this, but the Jawan star also took one rupee as a signing amount from Nayak director S. Shankar. FYI: Nayak is the Hindi remake of Shankar's 1999 Tamil-language film Mudhalvan. While Nayak couldn't perform well at the box office, the film received much love after premiering on TV. Now, Shah Rukh Khan's old interview with Rediff is making rounds on the Internet. The superstar got candid about why he didn't do the film after taking the signing amount. An Indian Express report quoted SRK as saying, “Did he (Shankar) also tell you that I signed for him and took a signing amount? You know how much? One rupee. I took one rupee from him. And told him I would give him dates in bulk whenever he wanted them.”
In the same interview, Shah Rukh Khan confessed that he watched the original Tamil version and “loved it”, but thought that the concept wouldn't work in “North India.” He added, “But I was not comfortable about doing the Hindi version. I told Shankar that in Tamil, that whole chief minister for a day thing worked brilliantly, but I did not think it was such a big issue in North India. I didn't think the concept would work as it is. So, on that project, we had some issues — nothing major, just that we didn't think alike on a few things, so it did not make sense to do it.”
The superstar continued, “But I still have that signing amount; he still has my promise of dates. He is one guy I most definitely want to work with. For me, he is like James Cameron — you know, he makes out-and-out entertainers on a gigantic scale, and that kind of thing can be a huge high.”
Earlier, a source told Pinkvilla that Nayak 2 is in the making. The source said, “Nayak 2 will be produced by Siddharth [Anand] and Mamta Anand under their banner, Marflix Pictures. Much like the original film, this one too is a big-scale commercial entertainer set against the backdrop of politics and will be directed by Milan Luthria. The makers have cracked a plot that organically leads itself towards Nayak sequel and has a strong undercurrent of being a vigilante flick.”
On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan was last seen in Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki, which hit the theatres in December last year.
Former opening batter Gautam Gambhir's appointment as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team is all but confirmed. For months, Gambhir has linked with the India coach job, with current boss Rahul Dravid's contract set to expire after the ongoing T20 World Cup. According to report in Dainik Bhaskar, Gambhir's appointment will be made official by the BCCI in the coming days. After being approached by the BCCI, Gambhir accepted the offer, but laid down a few demands, which have been accepted by the board.
"We have held talks with Gambhir to become the head coach of the Indian team. He will replace the outgoing Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup," a BCCI source privy of the developments told Dainik Bhaskar.
The report also added that Gambhir told the BCCI that he would accept the job if he gets to decide the support staff. His demand was accepted and the board will make an official announcement on Gambhir's appointment as head coach later this month.
When Ravi Shastri was the head coach, Vikram Rathour had replaced Sanjay Bangar as the batting coach. Rathour managed to keep his place in the support staff even after Dravid replaced Shastri as the head coach.
Currently, Paras Mhambrey and T Dilip are the bowling and fielding coach, respectively. The report also revealed that Gambhir will not only make changes to the support staff, but also in the team.
Under Gambhir's mentorship, Kolkata Knight Riders clinched the IPL 2024 title. His leadership at KKR has been widely praised, contributing to his rising profile as a top coaching candidate.
During a recent event, Gambhir suggested that, "there is no bigger honour than coaching the national team".
"I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team. You are representing 140 crore Indians and those across the globe as well," the 42-year-old had said.
Gambhir was part of India's T20 World Cup winning team in 2007 and the 2011 ODI World Cup side.
Pakistan's shock early exit from the T20 World Cup is being blamed on "groupings" within the team and non-performance of senior players during critical moments and it could lead to "major changes" not just in the team but also in the PCB. According to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sources, the biggest challenge before Babar Azam on his comeback as captain was to unite the team but he could not do so because of the groupings. Shaheen Afridi upset at losing the captaincy and Babar not supporting him when required while Mohammad Rizwan was unhappy at not being considered for the captaincy.
"There are three groups in the team, one led by Babar Azam, the second one by Shaheen Shaheen Afridi and the third one by Mohammad Rizwan. Add to this mix the return of seniors like Mohammad Aamir and Imad Wasim and the recipe was ready for a World Cup disaster," a source close to the team told PTI.
"The return of Imad and Amir added to the confusion as it was difficult for Babar to get any worthwhile performances from both of them as they had not played top level domestic or international cricket for a long while now except in franchise based leagues.
"There were even instances where some players were not talking to each other and a few of them even tried to appease all the group leaders in the team," added the source.
A senior PCB official said that Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was well aware of the problems in the team even before the World Cup and had been briefed by his right hand, national selector and senior manager, Wahab Riaz.
"Naqvi held two meetings with all the players in private and gave them pep talks asking them to put their issues aside and focus on winning the World Cup and he would remove all misgivings in the team later on but apparently things didn't work out.
"I am not defending Babar but what is a captain supposed to do when your premier bowler can't even defend 15 in the final over against a weak USA side and concedes a boundary and six on full tosses.
"Or when an all-rounder brought out of retirement to help win the World Cup sits out with fitness issues." The role of outside elements including agents of players and some former players who ran social media campaigns also have not helped ease the simmering tensions in the team.
Naqvi has now hinted at making changes in the national team but another well-informed source made it clear that changes would now also be made in the cricket board.
"The Chairman obviously is going to clean up things in the team but already he has started a process of performance related appraisals of senior and mid level employees in the board," the source claimed.
"You will see major changes in the team and at management level in the board now," he said.
"Naqvi is himself facing problems as he is not the ruling government's choice to head the board. He is also now facing criticism for the WC debacle and there are calls for his head as well," said another PCB source.
Several reliable sources have also confirmed that Naqvi will not be making an immediate call on Babar Azam's captaincy since Pakistan now plays its next white ball series in November.
"The one good thing for Naqvi is that Pakistan now has two test series lined up at home against Bangladesh and England and with Shan Masood already the test captain and a new head coach in Jason Gillispie and he doesn't have to worry about immediate changes.” Usually in Pakistan cricket a failed World Cup campaign means that heads roll and the board tends to search for scapegoats but this time even the cricket fans and critics are pushing the PCB to take steps to stop the fall of the team.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has caught the attention of fans on social media with his latest comments on India batter maestro Virat Kohli. Comparing Kohli to his brother Umar Akmal, Kamran said that the out-of-favour Pakistan batter has better stats than the former India skipper, as far as the T20 World Cup is concerned. Kamran, who has been accused of his involvement in spot fixing, also took at dig at Kohli, saying unlike the Indian great, Umar does not have PR companies to share his stats and performances.
"Mujhe stats kal aaye hain. Mein baat kar raha hu Umar ki (I have received the stats yesterday, I am talking about Umar). World Cup matches in T20s, Umar and Virat Kohli's. Umar is like Virat Kohli's little finger, (compared to) the performance and stature of Virat Kohli, the kind of player he is. (But Umar has) Better strike rate than Virat Kohli, runs as well (in T20 World Cups)," Kamran said on ARY News.
"Hamari koi PR company nahi hai. We don't spread our stats on social media. If these stats (of Umar) were part of these 15 players (Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad), is waqt tak tabahi aa jani thi (it would have created mayhem)," the former stumper added, and went on to highlight Kohli's 80 international tons.
Kami says Umar Akmal has better stats than Kohli in T20 world cups but he has no PR company pic.twitter.com/XW2Bzmriir
For the record, Kohli is the leading run-scorer in the history of the T20 World Cup and holds several records in the shortest format of the game.
Umar, on the other hand, has not played for Pakistan in over five years, having last featured in an T20I against Sri Lanka in October 2019.
However, Umar recently became the talk of the town on social media. He decided to flaunt his abs on social media, showcasing his fitness standards, silencing those who feel he is out of the team due to poor physical health.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan cricket team crashed out of the T20 World Cup on Friday, even without playing their last group match against Ireland.
USA and India progressed to the Super 8 stage from Pakistan's group.
The summit is being held at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort in Italy's Apulia region. India has been invited to the G7 Summit as an Outreach country and this is PM Modi's first overseas visit since he took oath as Prime Minister for the third straight term.
The Prime Minister has held bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He will hold talks with several other leaders, including the Pope and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. PM Modi had also met Mr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the previous G7 summit in Hiroshima in May last year.
"Friday is a packed day for him (PM Modi). We have several bilateral meetings with world leaders lined up. He will also be addressing the Outreach session of the G7 Summit," External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a video message.
"Taking Strategic Partnership to new levels! PM @narendramodi met President @EmmanuelMacron of France on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy," Mr Jaiswal posted on X after the PM's meeting with Macron.
"The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen the partnership including in areas of defence, nuclear, space, education, climate action, digital public infrastructure, critical technologies, connectivity and culture. They also exchanged views on key global and regional issues," he added.
Day one of the summit was dominated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the leaders agreed on a US proposal to back a $ 50-billion loan to Kyiv utilising frozen Russian assets, described by US President Joe Biden as a "significant outcome" and a strong message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In his departure statement, PM Modi said he was "glad" that his first foreign visit in his third term as Prime Minister was to Italy for the G7 Summit.
"I warmly recall my visit to Italy for the G20 Summit in 2021. Prime Minister Meloni's two visits to India last year were instrumental in infusing momentum and depth in our bilateral agenda. We remain committed to consolidate the India-Italy strategic partnership, and bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean regions," his statement said.
In her opening address at the meeting of the G7 leaders, Ms Meloni said southern Italy was chosen as the venue to send a strong message to the Global South. "It is no coincidence that we are hosting the summit in Apulia. We did this because Apulia is a region of southern Italy and the message we want to launch is that the G7, under the Italian presidency, wishes to strengthen its dialogue with the nations of the Global South," she said.
Italy is India's fourth-largest trading partner in the European Union, with bilateral trade worth $15 billion.
The long-forgotten but incredible story of Murlikant Petkar, India's first-ever Paralympics gold medallist and Padma Shri recipient, comes alive on the big screen in Chandu Champion, a sweeping and somewhat overdone biopic spearheaded by Kartik Aaryan as the spirited titular hero.
Chandu Champion, writer-director Kabir Khan's second sports film in succession (after 83), intense emotions, high drama, anthemic music, athletic action and comic interludes into a blender to capture a phenomenally eventful life.
Murlikant's life was one that witnessed more twists and turns than any average life ever does. Indeed, the things Murlikant Petkar attempted and achieved as a young man was indeed anything but commonplace. Does the film do justice to him? Yes, for the most part.
Murlikant's journey from a village in Maharashtra's Sangli district to the swimming pool at the 1972 Summer Paralympic Games in Heidelberg via the boxing arena at the 1964 International Military Games in Tokyo is a rousing tale of grit, determination and consummate self-belief.
Chandu Champion might have worked better than it does had the cinematic enactment been a touch less melodramatic and a little more realistic. The portrayal of the budding wrestler of Islampur and his exchanges with his friends, family and mentors are frequently marred by emotional overreach.
To be fair, however, Chandu Champion is pacy and enjoyable. It wastes no time in hitting its straps. Such was the nature of the life that it brings to the screen that it has no time to pause for breath. With the lead actor getting into the swing of things with all his might, the exercise isn't weighed down as other such films are by the cliched tropes of the underdog drama.
The rhythm of the film is obviously dictated by the flow of Murlikant's topsy-turvy life. It flits from one set of experiences to another as the protagonist encounters and surmounts challenges and setbacks on his way to the phenomenal achievement that put him in the record books.
In the opening moments of Chandu Champion, a wizened and somewhat bitter Murlikant Petkar arrives at a police station with his son to lodge a formal complaint against the President of India for not giving him an Arjuna Award.
The skeptical SHO, Inspector Sachin Kamble (Shreyas Talpade), is understandably dismissive to begin with but soon gets drawn into Murli's account of his dramatic ups and downs. The flashback provides the film its narrative crux while rounding off the portrait of a man who never said die.
Chandu Champion is an overtly and inevitably masculine film. Two of the sports that it showcases - wrestling and boxing - were officially out of bounds for women until the late 1980s and became Olympic disciplines for female competitors even later.
The bulk of the film plays out in the 1960s and early 1970s, when women were never anywhere near the wrestling or boxing arena, let alone in it. The male protagonist has no romantic interest to boot. The film, therefore, has no room for love ditties.
The only time that Murli breaks into song and dance is on a train with a large group of young men on their way to enlist in the Indian Army. The peppy musical set piece, composed by Pritam, gives director of photography Sudeep Chatterjee the scope to pull out the stops and display his proven virtuosity.
At another point, in a protracted and crucial war scene filmed without a cut, the cinematographer is at his very best capturing the rough and tumble of battle. As for the rest of the film, editor Nitin Baid imparts to it the sort of pace that ensures that Chandu Champion never feels overlong.
Chandu Champion is an all-male affair. Well, almost. The film has three secondary female characters - Murlikant's mother (Hemangi Kavi), an Indian television journalist in Tokyo (Bhagyashri Borse) and another present-era scribe (Sonali Kulkarni) who pulls the man out of oblivion more than four decades after his historic Paralympics feat.
Unlike other sports dramas, Chandu Champion is obviously not limited to a single Olympic discipline. Murlikant Petkar, a timid and bullied boy who fought humiliation and scepticism to make his way out of anonymity, began as a wrestler, turned into a boxer in the Indian Army and finally, after being seriously wounded in the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and paralysed from the waist down, took to 50m freestyle swimming.
The three sporting arenas - a village wrestling pit, a Military Games boxing ring and an Olympic swimming pool - have distinct colour palettes. Each necessitates a specific rhythm and technique. That helps Chandu Champion keep visual and tonal monotony at bay.
Murlikant, who idolised freestyle wrestler Dara Singh, strayed into wrestling because he believed that the sport could help him realise his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. He is laughed off by his mates and elders but, as life takes him in a new direction, he finds men who see his potential and agree to groom him.
As a boy, Murli witnesses the hero's welcome that bronze medal-winning wrestler K.D. Jadhav receives on his return from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. The sight ignites in him a desire to do even better. Murli defies the odds and finds a toehold in the village wrestling akhada, where he invites trouble by defeating the son of the most powerful man in the village.
The latter's goons chase him out of the village. Murli ends up in the Army and becomes a boxer because wrestling isn't a defence forces sport. He trains under a hard taskmaster, Tiger Ali (Vijay Raaz), and quickly acquires exceptional skills.
Under Tiger Ali's guidance, Murli goes from being "Chandu Champion", a disparaging sobriquet given to him by his village of naysayers (Chandu is shorthand for 'loser'), to emerging as "Chhotu Tiger" - as his boxing coach christens him - and "Indian wonder boy" - a title the Japanese media bestows on him when he makes a significant mark at the 1964 International Military Games in Tokyo.
And then the 1965 war erupts. Murli is riddled with nine bullets but survives miraculously. His life changes in more ways than one as he recuperates in an Army hospital, finds a new friend, Topaz (Rajpal Yadav), in the medical ward, and Tiger Ali returns to mentor him again.
Kartik Aaryan sheds his free-spirited gadabout cloak and gets into the skin of a character that makes a slew of demands on the actor. Aaryan gives the physically exacting role all he has and pulls off a career-best performance.
Chandu Champion is a one-man show but trust Vijay Raaz to turn a supporting role into something much more than that. When he is on the screen, Kartik Aaryan has to concede ground to him. But the rest of the film has the lead leading from the front.
Chandu Champion, which celebrates an unprecedented victory in the face of great adversity, has to negotiate its own share of hurdles. It is tripped by a few of them but manages to tide over the rest.
Chandu Champion may be a mixed bag but it never ceases to be uplifting.
Filmmaker Karan Johar, promoting his upcoming release 'Kill', said he doesn't condone violence in any form when asked about the alleged assault on actor-politician Kangana Ranaut at an airport.
"I do not support or condone any form of violence, verbal or physical," he said at the press conference.
#WATCH | Mumbai: On Kangana Ranaut slapped by CISF woman constable, filmmaker Karan Johar says, "I do not support or condone any form of violence, verbal or physical." pic.twitter.com/WAiSHneYZx
Kangana Ranaut has earlier called out Mr Johar for allegedly promoting nepotism in the Hindi film industry on his show "Koffee With Karan", tagging him as the "flag bearer of nepotism" and a "nepo mafia".
Earlier, senior actors Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher spoke about the attack on the actor, now also an MP.
"I have no love lost for Kangana Ranaut. But I can't find myself joining this chorus of celebrating 'the slap'. If security personnel start taking the law into their hands, none of us can be safe," Ms Azmi wrote on X.
"I deeply regret it. The way a woman slapped another taking advantage of her position is wrong. This should be investigated. She can have grievances, but they shouldn't be addressed by taking advantage of one's power. It's very sad and unfortunate. Any kind of violence towards anyone is not right," Mr Kher noted.
On June 6, ahead of the grand oath ceremony of the Modi 3.0 cabinet, Mr Ranaut was traveling to Delhi to collect her Parliament ID and passes. As she went for the security check at the Chandigarh airport around 3:30 pm, she was allegedly slapped by a woman CISF constable.
An FIR was filed against the constable under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code but no arrest has been made.
After landing in Delhi, Kangana Ranaut released a video message flagging the "rising terrorism and extremism in Punjab". Chandigarh is the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana states.
"I am getting a lot of phone calls from the media and my well-wishers. Firstly, I am safe, I am perfectly fine. The incident took place at Chandigarh airport with security staff. The moment I came out after the security check, a security staff member in another cabin came from the side and hit me on my face and started abusing me."
"When I asked her (CISF jawan) why she did this, she said she supported the farmers' protest. I am safe but my concern is that jo aatankwad aur ugrawad Punjab mai bad raha hai (the terrorism and extremism that is rising in Punjab), how do we handle that?" she said.
Passengers at the airport recorded the constable saying that her mother was among the farmers protesting the now-repealed farm laws when the actor had said the protesters were paid to sit in protest.
"She gave a statement that women farmers were sitting at the protest in exchange for Rs 100 each. My mother was also sitting there when she gave this statement. I could not tolerate my mother's insult," she was seen saying in the video that went viral.
The trailer of director Nag Ashwin's dystopian sci-fi action film Kalki 2898 AD was dropped on Monday. Following the trailer's release, audiences drew parallels between Kalki's post-apocalyptic world and Hollywood movies like Dune and Mad Max: Fury Road. Despite several postponements and delays, the film, starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, and Disha Patani, is set to release in theatres on June 27. Recently, Sung Choi, a South Korean concept illustrator and designer who has worked with Marvel Studios, Disney and Warner Bros, has accused the makers of Kalki 2898 AD of "copying" his artwork.
Sung Choi shared a collage on social media featuring his illustration and a still from the film's trailer, stating, “Unauthorised use of the artwork is a bad practice. This makes me question doing art in this lawless environment. @Kalki2898AD @VyjayanthiFilms #kalki2898ad.” The original illustration was published on his website, ArtStation, ten years ago.
Following Sung Choi's criticism, netizens supported the artist and condemned the production house. One user commented on Instagram, “I hope you pursue legal action if possible. This is awful.” Another person noted, “The whole trailer gives off the vibe of Epoch, Mad Max, Dune, and other films. A lot of designs from the trailer are ripped off from the Halo series and Death Stranding too. Idk how some of the concept designers who worked on the film can stay silent.”
A comment read, “This is shameful and disappointing. They just copied and pasted a 10-year-old artwork on literally the first frame of the trailer. Even the weapons and other stuff look directly ‘inspired' by so many games and movies.” While some criticised the makers, others defended Nag Ashwin, suggesting he might be unaware of how his VFX team sourced the image.
This is not the first time a Prabhas film has faced plagiarism accusations. In 2023, an animation studio, Vaanarsena, claimed that the poster for Adipurush, starring Prabhas and Saif-Ali Khan, copied their work. The studio shared a collage of the Adipurush poster and the original Lord Shiva artwork on Instagram, calling for credit to the original creator. Artist Vivek Ram from Vaanarsena Studio also criticised the blatant copying on LinkedIn.
Previously, Lisa Ray censured the makers of Prabhas' Saaho for allegedly plagiarising artwork from Bengaluru-based artist Shilo Shiv Suleman for one of the film's posters. She shared images comparing the original artwork and the Saaho poster on Instagram, highlighting the similarities.
Kalki 2898 AD features a star-studded cast including Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani. The mythology-inspired sci-fi film is directed by Nag Ashwin. Backed by Aswini Dutt, Kalki 2898 AD will be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.
