'Once I started acting, I gradually started liking it and the perks that come with it.'
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, known for his hardline Hindutva views and 'bulldozer justice' approach, has spoken out about his policies toward Muslims, the Waqf board, and his vision for India. He asserts that Muslims will receive a fair share of development in Uttar Pradesh, but not special concessions. He also criticizes the Waqf board for its alleged appropriation of government properties and calls for its reform. Adityanath defends his 'bulldozer justice' policy, claiming it is necessary for infrastructure development and removal of encroachments. He also discusses his vision for India, emphasizing the importance of Hindi as a national language and the need for unity across different linguistic groups.
"Religion should remain within the four walls of your home. A Hindu identifies as a Hindu only when Muslims take to the streets or during riots; otherwise, Hindus are divided by caste," he said.
"This same person (Kamra) had commented on the Supreme Court of India, the Prime Minister, (journalist) Arnab Goswami and some industrialists. This is not freedom of speech; this is working for someone," Shinde said.
Political sources say Modi is 'keen' on getting the NCP (SP) over to the Mahayuti to counter Eknath Shinde's 'demands' and to act as a cushion against his present allies, Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu, 'in case their relationship became untenable'.
The blazing success of Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava has laid out a path for more eventful year at the movies, as an exciting line-up of historical biopics queue up for the big screen.
'I am determined now to celebrate all festivals together.' 'People don't respond much when you try to convince them by talking about principles of secularism etc. But if we revive our shared cultural practices, specially food, we may get a better response.'
Comedian Kunal Kamra continues to face backlash for his jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. The Legislative Council admitted a breach of privilege notice against him, while a state minister demanded his arrest. The controversy stems from Kamra's stand-up performance where he made satirical remarks about Shinde, leading to protests and vandalism by Shiv Sena supporters. The comedian has been summoned by the police and faces legal trouble, with even Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw justifying the action, emphasizing the need to uphold legal safeguards. Amid the controversy, Kamra lashed out at the mainstream media, calling it a "miscommunication arm" of the ruling party.
'Due to this sudden phenomenon, guests stopped visiting the homes of these villages, girls and boys from these villages were not getting proposals; students were reluctant to attend schools and colleges for fear of being shamed.'
'For three months Raj Thackeray becomes a staunch Hindu and for the next three months he becomes anti-Hindu.'
Bus services between Karnataka and Maharashtra have been suspended following attacks on buses and their crew. The decision was taken given the tension prevailing in the border district of Belagavi over a sensitive issue. The language row began after a group of people allegedly intercepted a KSRTC bus and assaulted its conductor and driver for not speaking to a passenger in Marathi. The passenger, a minor girl, also filed a complaint stating that the conductor misbehaved with her. However, the family of the minor girl has decided to withdraw the case and urged people to stop escalating the matter into a language dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra.
A thief was overcome with remorse after realising that the house he stole valuables from belonged to a famous Marathi writer and returned the valuables he had decamped with, the police said on Tuesday.
'Look at the amazing combination of you coming from Punjab, me coming from Chennai, and we are making a Marathi film.'
For a story that thrives on jumpscares and gruesome kills, The Monkey has enough tricks up its sleeve. The shockers keep you entertained for the most part, observes Mayur Sanap.
In a lengthy statement on X late Monday night, a defiant Kamra said those busy leaking his number on social media or calling him incessantly should know that it all goes to his voicemail where they will be subjected to "the very song" that they hate.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has strongly criticized its ally, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, for felicitating Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at an event in Delhi. The party's spokesperson, Sanjay Raut, views the felicitation as an endorsement of BJP leader Amit Shah, who was instrumental in Shinde's split from the Shiv Sena. While Pawar's party maintains that the event focused on literature, BJP interprets it as an acknowledgment of Shinde's leadership. The incident has sparked a political controversy in Maharashtra, with both sides engaging in verbal sparring.
This Women's Day week, we salute India's first female doctor, Anandibai Gopal Joshi. Her achievement opened the gates of freedom and liberty for India's women.
Shirish More Maharaj, a well-known kirtankar and descendant of 17th century Marathi poet-saint Tukaram, was found dead in his home in Dehu Road, Pune. A suicide note found at his home mentioned financial distress as the reason for his decision.
'When you are in new waters, you have to follow the rules of that water.'
'It showed me that this man had courage. He makes his own decisions, but he also trusted me enough in that moment to walk with me into the crowd,' Modi tells Lex Fridman on his podcast.
Anyone with self-respect would have quit, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar supremo Sharad Pawar said on Monday amid demands that Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde resign after his close aide was held in a case that has made national headlines.
'This is the age where if you Blinkit, you will get things in eight minutes.' 'But nothing will happen here in eight minutes. It takes at least eight years to do something.'
Referring to Abdullah's comments, Saamana claimed that Congress actively contributed to AAP's defeat in at least 14 seats in Delhi, which could have been avoided.
'It pains me when Marathi film-makers come to me and say that Marathi cinema is not getting the right platform.'
DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran objected to the provision of simultaneous interpretation of Lok Sabha proceedings in Sanskrit, calling it a waste of taxpayers' money fueled by RSS ideology. Speaker Om Birla defended the decision, asserting that Sanskrit is India's primary language and that simultaneous interpretation is available in 22 recognized languages, including Hindi and Sanskrit.
With its age-old fascination for education, southern states have done better than the North. Start-ups, IT hubs, and industry majors setting up shop have changed the face of the South. Nearly 79% of global offices set up by international conglomerates in India are in the South. Almost 46% of tech unicorns are from the South. The GDP per person in the South is 4.2 times higher than the North. None of these indicators can be ignored by any central government, whatever the political compulsions, notes Ramesh Menon.
Loud music, bombastic action scenes, over-the-top dialogues that don't have any ring of truth to it followed by scenes of blood-oozing bodies floating in a river definitely don't make for a magnum opus!' exclaims Prasanna D Zore after watching the Chhaava trailer.
'She was so happy that she misses Chhaava now.'
One worker was killed and another seriously injured after they were hit by Marathi actor Urmila Kothare's car in Kandivali area of Mumbai in the wee hours of Saturday, police said.
'What attitude has spawned such gruesomeness in the state of Saint Tukaram, Saint Dnyaneshwar, and great leaders like Chhatrapati Shivaji, Chhatrapati Shahu, Phule and Ambedkar?'
The Womaniaz -- featuring Veda Nerurkar, Deepi Rege, Shreya Jain and Tanishq -- have clearly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the Mumbai music scene.
For a film with such a grand vision, Sangeet Manapmaan needed more flamboyance to make it a memorable affair, feels Mayur Sanap.
'The message is loud and clear: "If you're not falling in line, we will open a line of understanding with the MNS, and then the Shiv Sena will be in trouble".'
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), questioning the outcome of the recent Maharashtra assembly elections and alleging hypocrisy in the BJP's stance on corruption. He also hinted at internal changes within the MNS, emphasizing the need for discipline and a renewed focus on the party's goals.
50 years later, Ravi Shastri walked the audience through the unforgettable over with flair, sharing details about each shot.
'A struggling actor once came to me and told me there's no work.' 'I said when there's no work, that's when you have a lot of work.' 'He said he didn't understand.' 'I explained that you have to keep reading, watching, writing, traveling.' 'It is like riyaaz for an actor.'
'We have to keep knocking on it before we get a response.'
'There is need for India-specific pricing.' 'Google, Microsoft and others also have different pricing.' 'It is important for OpenAI to think on these lines as the global pricing may not work in the Indian context.'
This year's Sundance Film Festival was rich with films and the theatres were warm, even as temperatures outside dipped to below freezing point. It snowed only once but the sidewalks remained slippery for a few days.
Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchanra Pawar president Sharad Pawar on Sunday had a telephonic conversation with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the murder of a sarpanch in Beed and the death of a man following violence in Parbhani.