Comedian Kapil Sharma is back with The Kapil Sharma Show post the lockdown but the host says he misses recording the episodes of the show without the live audience.
The production on the show, a comedy chat show with celebrity guests, had come to a halt due to the coronavirus-led lockdown in March with the producers making do by airing old episodes.
The team, including Sharma, Bharti Singh, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda and Sumona Chakravarti, resumed shooting amid strict safety guidelines from July 18 and the show went on air from August 1 on Sony Entertainment Television.
Sharma, who calls his show a “congregation of likeminded artists”, said the new format does not have a live audience due to the safety concerns.
They have replaced the live audience with the cutouts of people behind the show’s permanent guest, Archana Puran Singh.
“We are not shooting with live audience, that’s something we all miss. However, Archana ji makes up for it she and her laughter are equal to 100 people on set,” Sharma told PTI in an email interview.
Given the rising number of COVID-19 cases, there was some apprehension about resuming production but they decided to begin work cautiously, he said.
“With the kind of news coming in and the information available, one does feel apprehensive. I am no different. We are taking all preventive measures in our capacity while shooting. Personally, we are all very careful and conscious. Our show gives us an opportunity to make people smile during these grim times. So, it’s worth it.”
The 39-year-old comedian-actor said there are challenges while shooting especially with a limited number of crew as the responsibilities double up.
“It has been our conscious effort to bring laughter into people’s lives. We get so many messages and posts from people saying if they were stressed, watching the show helped them overcome certain situations…
Comedy has that effect on people. After a long and tiresome day, all one wants is to forget about whatever has happened, even though it’s for a little while. Maybe we help people relax, and to me, that’s the least that we can do,” Sharma said.
The first guest on the show post the lockdown was actor Sonu Sood, who has been hailed for his work in helping migrants reach their homes in these tough times.
“Sonu paaji is a very nice human being. He has done such commendable work and tirelessly worked towards uplifting people’s lives. This is the kind of positivity we all need to see and experience in such challenging times. He is an inspiration to many, and it was an honour to host him,” he said.
Worli Charity Commissioner’s Office Serial Part 1
Mumbai Correspondent / Editor-in-Chief Anil Mahajan
The Office of the Charity Commissioner is an important place for the common man. This office registers all the temples, trusts, societies, institutions, circles and many more in the state. Lawsuits against all these registered institutions are also conducted here. However, the picture is getting better in the office of the Charity Commissioner at Worli. On the contrary, we can see the plight of the citizens here. The team of Garja Maharashtra News Channel personally visited the office and inspected the picture.
The office of the Charity Commissioner at Worli is functioning smoothly. As per the rules, this office should have a total of 13 Assistant Charity Commissioners and 1 Deputy Commissioner Charity Officer. However, at present only 3 Assistant Charity Commissioner officers are working here. Insufficient manpower in the office, so it has become a habit to delay the work of the citizens. Not only that, instead of working on quality, there are ways of working in the office with interest in mind. Doubts like that? Creating. There have been several complaints from RTI activists. However, no action is taken on the complaints. All the mismanagement is on.
When the team of Garja Maharashtra Vahini reached the Worli Charity Office, it was seen that the work of many citizens was stalled. Citizens’ work is not done on time. Citizens have to stay here for a day, even if it is a simple task like registering an organization.
When the representative of Garja Maharashtra Vahini contacted the office superintendent Seema Gadgil about the mismanagement in the Charity Commissionerate, he refrained from speaking and said that the senior officers would not give a byte. Various types of scams run in the Charity Commissionerate will be carried out in various programs in the next part of Maharashtra. Relevant officials will also be informed about the incidents in the office.
Meanwhile, information on various issues related to property, including the office at Palghar, will be disseminated to the public. The formal complaint will be lodged with the Principal Secretary, Lawn Judicial Ministry, Mumbai. Also, there is a demand from the public for a relevant inquiry at the senior level
Actor-filmmaker Ben Affleck is set to direct a movie that will explore the making of Roman Polanski’s crime classic “Chinatown”.
The film, set up at Paramount, is based on author Sam Wasson’s book “The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood”, which was published in February this year, reported Variety.
The non-fiction book tells the behind-the-scenes story of the 1974 film, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
“Chinatown” followed a private detective (Nicholson) who is hired by a woman (Dunaway) to expose her cheating husband, only the investigation throws the PI into a proverbial web of deceit.
Cinema aficionados still remember the movie for its twist ending, which had quite the impact on audiences at the time.
Affleck, 47, will also produce the movie along with Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels.
The actor will next star in psychological thriller “Deep Water” and Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel”.PTI
Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sworn in as the country’s new prime minister for the fourth time at a historic Buddhist temple on Sunday, consolidating the hard-line political dynasty’s grip on power.
The 74-year-old Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) leader, who polled over 500,000 individual preference votes — the highest ever recorded by a candidate in the history of elections — will take the oath of office for the ninth Parliament at the sacred Rajamaha Viharaya in Kelaniya, a north Colombo suburb, according to an official statement.
The SLPP, led by Mahinda, registered a landslide victory in the general election, securing two-thirds majority in Parliament needed to amend the Constitution to further consolidate the powerful Rajapaksa family’s grip on power.
It won in 145 constituencies, bagging a total of 150 seats with its allies, a two-thirds majority in the 225-member Parliament. It polled 6.8 million votes (59.9 per cent).
The Cabinet of Ministers will be sworn-in on Monday, followed by the swearing-in of the state and deputy ministers, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.
The new government has decided to restrict the size of the Cabinet to 26, though it can be increased up to 30 in terms of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
The Rajapaksa family — including SLPP founder and its National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa, who is the younger brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa with the eldest being Mahinda — has dominated Sri Lankan politics for two decades. Mahinda previously served as the president for nearly a decade from 2005 to 2015.
President Gotabaya had won the November presidential election on the SLPP ticket.
In the parliamentary election, he was seeking 150 seats mandatory to execute constitutional changes, including to repeal the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which had curbed the presidential powers while strengthening the role of Parliament.
Reacting on the prospects of amending the Constitution, SLPP Chairman G L Peiris on Friday said it would only be carried out after much thought and consideration.
Clearly, some amendments are required. It cannot continue in this manner when it comes to governing the country, he told reporters.
After President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected, the 19A Amendment prevented him from dissolving Parliament to make way for a government which could support his programme of work while former opposition MPs urged that the dissolved Parliament be re-convened, he said.
From the results of the general election, it is evident that the government, people needed after the new President was elected, was quite different to that of the previous Parliament.
These things should be changed. If needed, the new government has the power to amend the Constitution, Peiris said.
When asked whether the Independent Commissions would be abolished, he said there was no such need.
“The intention of the Independent Commissions is to maintain apolitical institutions with appointments made by the Constitutional Council which should also be independent. Anyone can see that these purposes had not been served. To achieve these targets, some reforms are necessary, Peiris added.
Activists, already alarmed by the diminishing space for dissent and criticism in the island nation, fear such a move could lead to authoritarianism.
The biggest casualty from the election outcome was the United National Party (UNP) of former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe which managed to win only one seat. The country’s grand old party failed to win a single seat from any of the 22 districts.
Its leader and four-time prime minister was unseated for the first time since he entered Parliament in 1977.PTI
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday defended the use of the Rapid Antigen tests for diagnosis of COVID-19 in the national capital, saying the false reading rate for it is almost the same as that of the-PCR.
Sisodia said the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), over which the experts have expressed reservations due to high false negative rate, has its own merits, one of which is giving immediate results that can help in early isolation of a patient to contain the spread of the virus.
“I don’t think there is a problem with antigen tests. The false reading rate for antigen is almost same as that of-PCR which is around 30 per cent,” Sisodia told PTI in an interview.
He was responding to a question on why the Delhi government was not increasing the PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) — a laboratory technique widely used in the diagnosis of genetic diseases as well to measure gene expression in research and considered more reliable due to its sensitivity and — despite the High Court’s observations in this regard.
Delhi started ramping up coronavirus tests since June 18, especially after RAT was introduced. The increased number of tests proved to be an important pillar, according to experts, in containing the spread of the virus in the city where fresh infections per day had touched nearly 4,000 in June.
However, the bulk of the daily tests continue to be RAT.
Till July 30, more than 10.13 lakh tests were conducted in the national capital, according to the health bulletin of which some five lakh were conducted alone in that month.
Of the five lakh tests in July, 3.82 lakh tests were RAT while the rest were mostly PCR.
Last month, when Delhi’s case tally started showing a decline, several experts lauded the role of increased testing in curbing it. However, they expressed reservations about the reliance on RAT.
In virologist Shahid Jameel’s view, rapid antigen tests don’t have the same accuracy as-PCR tests.
“Delhi has almost completely switched to antigen based tests. A very large amount of tests are antigen tests and they have sensitivity of 50-60 per cent. It is possible that the reduced numbers (of cases) are because of the low sensitivity of the antigen test,” Jameel, CEO of the Welcome Trust/ DBT India Alliance, had told PTI last month.
Referring to lab sensitivity, he said the nasal swab, for instance, has to be put deep into the nasal cavity and maybe not everyone is trained adequately.
“It is not that PCR does not have false negative. Antigen test has its merits.- PCR test results come in two days and by then already many people are infected from the individual concerned. However, antigen test has immediate results which is effective in controlling its further spread,” Sisodia said.
On July 27, the Delhi High Court had asked the AAP government why it was going with RAT, which has a high rate of false negative results, as the primary test of COVID-19 infection.
The high court was also of the view that in light of the sero survey report and the high rate of false negatives of RAT,-PCR tests, whose numbers were plummeting, should be ramped up.
On August 4, the Delhi High Court also disapproved of the AAP government’s “resistance” to monitor its COVID-19 testing strategy, saying the administration appears to have developed “cold feet” as it was questioning maintainability of a plea for augmenting of testing numbers in the national capital on “technical” grounds.
However, in the instant matter, the focus of the court has been on ramping up testing in Delhi not just through RAT, but also through-PCR, CB-NAAT and TrueNat, it said.
Cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) is a recently introduced polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based method for detection of TB.
TrueNat is an indigenously developed portable version of CBNAAT and was also meant for detecting tuberculosis (TB).PTI
Adani Power on Thursday said its consolidated net loss widened to Rs 682.46 crore in the June quarter, mainly due to lower revenues on account of low power demand during the lockdown.
The company had posted a net loss of Rs 263.39 crore for the same period last year.
The total income of the company in the quarter declined to Rs 5,356.19 crore, from Rs 8,014.50 crore in the year-ago period, Adani Power said in a BSE filing.
The company’s consolidated net loss was Rs 2,274.77 crore for 2019-20, while total income stood at Rs 27,841.81 crore in the fiscal.
Average plant load factor (PLF or capacity utilisation) achieved during the first quarter of FY21 was 51 per cent, as compared to 78 per cent in Q1 FY20.
The PLF is lower due to the decline in power demand following the announcement of a nationwide lockdown to combat COVID-19, it said.
Consolidated units (of power) sold for the quarter stood at 12.7 BU (billion units), as compared to 16.5 BU in the same quarter previous fiscal.
Despite the lockdown, 3,300 MW Tiroda plant witnessed a good demand for power for the major part of the quarter.
Kawai plant (1,320 MW) also saw improved PLF in June 2020, after the lockdown was relaxed and power demand started to normalise.
However, it said, the Udupi plant witnessed a sharp fall in PLF due to a slump in power demand.
Mundra plant’s PLF was also affected by lower power demand and subdued short-term market tariffs.
On the other hand, all power plants were able to achieve or exceed normative availability under long-term PPAs (power purchase agreements) through diligent efforts, despite restrictions imposed during the lockdown, in fulfilment of their role as providers of the essential service of electricity generation, the company said.
“Adani Power continues to march ahead towards achievement of its vision to play an important role in fulfilling India’s growing demand for electricity. The Adani Group has a strong belief in India’s economic fundamentals and potential, and the role of the infrastructure sector in attaining long term growth.
“Achieving the Government’s ambitious targets for the infrastructure sector will call for a confluence of enabling policy actions, procedural reforms, and support from the financial sector, in order to reinvigorate investments by the private sector. We remain committed to sustainable growth and being an active contributor to nation building,” Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group, said.
As the firm continues to seize opportunities for value creation in a challenging market and a fast-changing competitive landscape, it is focusing on operational excellence and sustainability while taking long-term decisions to enhance strategic capability and resource flexibility, Anil Sardana, Managing Director, Adani Power, said in the statement.
“Having combated and overcome the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, our resolve is to excel in all spheres of our activity and to meet the aspiration of millions of Indians who don’t have access to affordable power, has only become firmer,” he said.PTI
The Supreme Court Thursday extended the protection from any coercive action till August 31 to TV news anchor Amish Devgan in connection with the cases lodged over his alleged defamatory remark against Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti during a show telecast on June 15.
A bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari took note of the fact that one of the FIRs against Devgan has been transferred from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh to Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
The bench, during the proceedings conducted via video conferencing, said the news anchor, represented by senior lawyer Siddharth Luthra and advocate Mrinal Bharti, will have to now amend his plea accordingly and deferred the hearing to August 31.
Now the UP government will have to file its response to Devgan’s plea in which he has sought quashing of the FIRs, stay on the investigation and the protection from any coercive action for his alleged comments against the sufi saint.
The bench made clear that the interim relief of protection to Devgan, granted earlier, shall remain operative.
The apex court, while granted interim relief to Devgan, had also stayed the probe in the cases related to the June 15 telecast against the journalist.
Five FIRs have been lodged against Devgan in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Telangana for using a derogatory term for the Sufi saint in the news debate show called Aar Paar’ on his channel on June 15.
However, he later tweeted an apology saying that he was actually referring to Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji and inadvertently ended up naming Chisti.
As regards the interim relief, till the next date of hearing, we deem it appropriate to pass ad-interim relief in terms of prayer clause (A) and (B) (which seek stay of investigation in pending and future FIRs and the protection from possible coercive action), the top court had said in its June 26 order.
On July 8, the interim order of June 26 was extended till August 6 and now it will remain in operation till this month end.
Issuing notices to Maharashtra, Telangana and Rajasthan, the bench had earlier asked the petitioner to make the complainants, who have lodged FIRs, as parties to his plea.
Two FIRs for the alleged offence have been registered at Ajmer and Kota in Rajasthan and one has been lodged at Bahadurpura in Hyderabad, the plea said, adding that two such FIRs have been lodged at Nanded and Pydhonie in Maharashtra.
Devgan said he has already issued a clarification through a tweet and moreover, errors cannot be construed as criminal offences.
The journalist has said the plea concerned his life and liberty.
In a well-orchestrated manner – the petitioner has been made a victim of country-wide filing of false and baseless criminal complaint and FIRs on the one hand, and on the other hand, petitioner, his family and his crew has been abused unabashedly on social media and by personal messages by unknown persons. The petitioner has also received several death threats from various anti-social elements, the plea submitted.
It said that Devgan was holding a discussion on a petition filed before the top court on his show on June 15 on the issue of the Places of Worship Special Provisions Act.
During the course of the live heated discussion one of the panellists quoted Chisti (Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti) and inadvertently, petitioner (Devgan) who wanted to refer to the historical figure Khilji(Alauddin Khilji) as a marauder, mentioned the name Chisti’ , the plea submitted.
That immediately on realising his inadvertent slip of tongue during heated debate in his news debate show petitioner tendered a clarification and clarified that the name Chisti was mentioned by error and inadvertently, it said.
Devgan tweeted the clarification on his personal Twitter account on the intervening night of June 16-17 and moreover, the channel carried a video clarification featuring the journalist, the plea said.
One of the FIRs was lodged at Pydhonie police station in Mumbai against Devgan for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by referring to Chisti in derogatory terms in the TV programme on the complaint of Arif Razvi, general secretary of the Raza Academy.PTI
The Centre has released Rs 890.32 crore as the second instalment of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness package to 22 states and Union Territories, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.
The amount of financial assistance to each state and Union Territories is based on their COVID-19 caseload.
Those who received financial assistance in the second instalment include Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Sikkim, the ministry said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the Rs 15,000 crore package as part of the ‘Whole of Government’ approach wherein the Centre is leading the COVID-19 response and management, and supporting the states and UTs through technical and financial resources.
The second instalment of the aid will be used to strengthen public health infrastructure for testing, including procurement and installation of RT-PCR machines, RNA extraction kits, TrueNat and CB-NAAT machines, bolster infrastructure for treatment and development of ICU beds, installation of oxygen generators and procurement of bedside oxygen concentrators among others.
It would also be used for engagement, training and capacity building of necessary human resources and incentives to healthcare workforce and volunteers, including ASHA workers on COVID-19 duties, the health ministry said, adding that wherever necessary, volunteers registered on the COVID Warriors portal may also be engaged in coronavirus duties.
The first instalment of Rs 3,000 crore was released in April to all states and UTs to aid and enable them ramp up testing facilities, augment hospital infrastructure, conduct surveillance activities along with procurement of essential equipment, drugs and other supplies, the health ministry said.
As part of this package, states and Union territories have been strengthened with 5,80,342 isolation beds, 1,36,068 oxygen-supported beds and 31,255 ICU beds.
Also, 86,88,357 testing kits and 79,88,366 Vial Transport Media (VTM) have been procured by them. As many as 96,557 human resource has been added and incentive has been given to 6,65,799 human resources. The package has aided provision of mobility support to 11,821 staff, the ministry said.
Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio’s production banner Appian Way has inked a first-look film and TV deal with Apple, under which the company will develop new TV series and films for the technology giant.
Appian Way, ran by DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson, previously had a three-year film deal with Paramount Pictures and, prior to that, was working in collaboration with Warner Bros.
The banner already has two projects set up at Apple TV Plus the feature Killers of the Flower Moon directed by Martin Scorsese and starring DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro, as well as thriller series Shining Girls , featuring Elisabeth Moss.
Under the company, the Oscar-winning actor and Davisson have also produced films like The Aviator, Shutter Island, The Ides of March, Runner Runner, The Wolf of Wall Street, Robin Hood and Richard Jewell .PTI
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