Prabhas to start shooting for Jaan (Photo:SocialNews.XYZ)

The latest update is that Prabhas will be resume shooting for Jaan from January first week. Preparations are underway for the same.

He will be undergoing a small makeover for his role in the film.

Jaan is being made on a budget of Rs 180 crores. UV Creations are bankrolling it.

The post Prabhas to start shooting for Jaan appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) The Narendra Modi government on Wednesday distanced itself from the remarks of Minister of State Anant Kumar Hegde who had criticised the word "secular" and said the BJP government would "amend the Constitution" to remove the word from the Preamble.

As a combined opposition in the Rajya Sabha protested against Hegde's remarks, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel told the House: "We are committed to the Constitution. We do not agree with the Minister's remarks."

Minister of State for Skill Development Hegde had on Sunday said at a public event in Karnataka that the Modi government would remove the word "Secular" from the Preamble of the Constitution.

"Seculars do not know what their blood is. Yes Constitution has given that right to say 'we are secular'.... but Constitution has been amended many times, we will also amend it. We have come to power for that," Hegde was reported as saying.

On Wednesday, the opposition sought Hegde's removal from the Council of Ministers and Parliament, saying he had insulted the Constitution of India as well as its architect Bhimrao Ambedkar.

The Opposition forced repeated adjournments over the issue.

The post Modi government distances itself from Hegde’s remarks appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) French luxury house Longchamp has completed an year in Indian market and Sophie Delafontaine, the Artistic Director of the brand says that the Indian luxury market has surely seen a boom in the recent years and credit goes to well versed consumers.

"The Indian luxury market has surely seen a boom in the recent years. With the entry of some of the world's most prestigious and sought after brands in the country, Indian consumers are well versed and exposed with this space. We see India as a market with great potential and are sure that everyone will identify and love the brand." Delafontaine told IANS during her debut visit to India.

Delafontaine was immersed in the world of Longchamp from her earliest years. With her parents and two brothers, she lived above the tobacco store on boulevard Poissonni?re where, in 1948, her grandfather founded Longchamp, selling leather-covered pipes to Allied soldiers after the liberation of Paris.

The brand launched their first store in Capital in July last year and the lady feels that the the brand's craftsmanship on luggage, handbags, accessories, shoes and ready-to-wear collections, has done well with the Indian masses.

"Longchamp has completed its first year in India and the journey has been phenomenal so far. We have received immense love from our Indian consumers.

"When we first came in, there were apprehensions about the awareness the brand held for the Indian consumer, however the reactions we have received have been overwhelming and a driving force for our decision to open doors in Mumbai, the fashion capital of India," said Delafontaine by adding that they are looking forward to the opening of the Mumbai store now.

She also feels that India is an important market for her brand just like France, Britain, Dubai, Italy, Japan, US, Canada, Singapore, Spain, HongKong and Switzerland

"All our markets hold important significance for us, not merely in terms of numbers but in terms of the sentiment that our consumers invest in and the artistic aesthetics that we draw upon from each market that we enter. Every market brings us a fresh eye to our brand and products," she said.

The brand symbolizes well with women who are independent, dynamic, strong yet feminine at the same time.

"She embodies an attitude and a state of mind that shows that she is free yet bound by tradition and values. The brand transcends age barriers and has something in the collection that would appeal to people from all age groups and walks of life. We also have a range specially designed for men. The same has been designed keeping in mind today's young man who is dynamic and always on the go," said Delafontaine, who was made a Knight of the Order of Merit in October 2010.

(Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)

The post Indian consumers are well versed with luxury: ‘Longchamp’ artistic director appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) "Britney Spears is dead by accident!" Fortunately, it was just a hoax and the "Toxic" star is still alive. But not all musicians were as "Lucky" as the star. If it was "Last Christmas" for George Michael, Prince made the rain gods pour "Purple rain" when they breathed their last this year.

It was time for merry making, believing in Santa Claus and hanging lights and gifts on Christmas trees. But the festive mood got switched off when the news of the legendary singer-songwriter George Michael's death broke on Christmas Day. The Grammy winner was 53.

The British pop icon, who sold tens of millions of albums as a member of the Wham! duo and on his own, was found dead at his home in Oxfordshire, England, by his boyfriend Fadi Fawaz. Police described the death as "unexplained but not suspicious".

While the tributes are still pouring in for the "Father figure" hitmaker, the year gone by has been widely tagged as "a curse" as many musicians bid their final adieu.

2016 began with rock legend David Bowie's death on January 10. Aged 69, Bowie, who enjoyed a string of worldwide hits from the late 1960s onwards, died peacefully surrounded by his family after an 18-month battle with cancer.

Bowie's last released album "Blackstar" became his first record to top the charts in the US. The record was released two days before Bowie died.

A week after his death, Mott The Hoople drummer Dale Griffin died at the age of 67. He was a founding member of the group, best known for songs including "All the young dudes", which was penned by Bowie. Griffin died peacefully in his sleep.

January 18 was another day to mourn as Glenn Frey, a founding member of the rock band the Eagles, died at 67. He succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia, read a post on the official website of the band, which had churned out hits like "Hotel California" and "Take it easy".

The time of grief continued in February too. Maurice White, the Earth, Wind and Fire vocalist and co-founder, died in his sleep in Los Angeles on February 4. He was 74. The singer had reportedly been battling Parkinson's disease since 1992.

Singer Gogi Grant, whose hit track "The wayward wind" pushed music icon Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak hotel" off from the top spot on the Billboard charts, died on March 10. She was 91.

The same day, legendary keyboardist Keith Emerson of English progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and The Nice band died at age 71. Emerson's death was ruled a suicide.

On March 16, Frank Sinatra Jr, the son of the legendary singer Frank Sinatra, passed away aged 72. He died of cardiac arrest while on tour in Daytona, Florida.

Flamboyant pop musician Prince, who became a global superstar in the 1980s, with albums like "1999" and "Purple Rain", died at his home in Minnesota on April 21. He was 57. Based on toxicology reports, he died of an accidental overdose of Fentanyl - the same painkiller found at the Los Angeles house where King of Pop Michael Jackson died in 2009.

Congo music star Papa Wemba, 66, died on April 24 after the stage collapsed during a concert in Ivory Coast.

"Me and Mrs. Jones" hitmaker Billy Paul also breathed his last on April 24 "after a serious medical condition". The soul singer was 81.

Nick Menza, drummer of the former heavy metal band Megadeth, passed away after he collapsed on stage during a show in California on May 21. He was 51.

Renowned Pakistani qawwali singer Amjad Sabri was shot dead in Karachi on June 22, after unknown gunmen fired at his car.

Scotty Moore, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" Elvis Presley's guitarist, died at 84 on June 28.

Legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, whose "Hallelujah" was one of the most covered songs, passed away at 82. He died during his sleep following a fall in the middle of the night on November 7.

Rock icon Leon Russell also died in his sleep on November 13. He was 74.

Noted Carnatic musician M. Balamuralikrishna, 86, passed away in Chennai on November 22. He had been ailing for some time.

Renowned Pakistani singer and preacher Junaid Jamshed died in a plane crash in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 7.

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)

The post Final goodbye by some musicians, but undying music left behind appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Mumbai, Dec 29 (IANS) Star or no star, big screen or the computer screen -- it was film and digital content backed by good and compelling storylines that drew the audience's attention in 2016, when formulaic sequels and even some ambitious dramas failed to make it big.

While some small-budget films generated unexpected results, some star-driven movies didn't excite the audience and, instead, growing takers of online viewing added a new dimension to film watching.

This is the year when sequels of hit films, earlier considered as money spinners, failed at the box office. "Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive", "Tum Bin II", "Rock On 2" and "Kahaani 2" didn't do as well as their first instalments.

"Rock On 2" was the first movie to release after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the central government's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. And that had a direct effect on the box office earnings of the movie, which had an approximate budget of Rs 45 crore, and reportedly earned Rs 15.67 crore.

Real-life inspired stories were brought to screen with films like "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Airlift", "Rustom" and "Dangal" -- all of which did well.

"The stories of 'Neerja' and 'Airlift' are truly inspirational and celebrate heroism. I think the mass audience still loves to watch a hero who wins the battle facing all odds. So there is an instant audience connect," Apurva Asrani, writer and editor of "Aligarh", told IANS.

Some highly ambitious films like Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Mirzya" and Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Fan" failed to impress critics and the masses alike.

At a time when success is coming to films like "Neerja" and "Pink", which send out relevant messages in a style that is as commercially viable but yet worthy of critical acclaim, there is also a film like "Aligarh", which gets lauded by critics but does not set the cash registers ringing.

Explaining this, Asrani said: "Two very important things should be taken under consideration while judging the success of a sensitive film like 'Aligarh'. First, the intention of making the film was not box office success.

"Secondly, the audience of this kind of experimental, sensitive film is also outside the theatres. They are watching them on the digital platforms like Netflix and at special screenings during film festivals. Those are some of the ways to reach out to people."

Saiwyn Quadras, co-writer of the Sonam Kapoor starrer "Neerja", feels the audience prefers to watch films on topics like homosexuality, online rather than in theatres.

"That might affect the box office, but not the reach of the film, he said, adding: "Online viewership extends the life of a film after its release in theatres. That is one of the reasons why so many avenues are opening for digital release of a film and the numbers are growing fast."

The digital route is finding many takers.

Production banner Eros International releases films on its online channel Eros Now before their TV premiere. Even Amazon is opening its platform for digital release of films and, most recently, Shah Rukh's home banner Red Chillies Entertainment has collaborated with Netflix for the exclusive viewing of the superstar's movies.

So, is the progressive audience shifting medium from theatre to online?

"Whether a movie is a hit or a flop is always decided based on box office collection as that is the faster way to recover all the invested money of the film for a producer. The online views do not count as revenue for box office or the immediate business of the film.

"Satellite and online viewers are not investing (much) money to watch a film," film trade expert Komal Nahta told IANS.

Nevertheless, one cannot deny that the audience is changing and they are receptive to good stories.

Nahta said: "The audience is evolving, and 'Pink' is an example of that. It has done good business at the box office. It is a good thing that stars like Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor are doing different roles.

"But you see, without Akshay, 'Airlift' could have been made and considered as a good film, but it would not have become such a big film... Stars make that happen," Asrani said of Bollywood's ever-prevalent 'star' system.

Rightfully so.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)

The post Bollywood: Formulas flopped, content was king appeared first on Social News XYZ.

By Nivedita

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) She once said that she wants the world, and it seems 2016 helped her get a few steps closer to her dream. The year saw Priyanka Chopra becoming the first South Asian to win a People's Choice Award, followed by presenting Oscar and Emmy awards, being invited to the annual White House Correspondents Dinner and was also conferred India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri.

"I feel that I am destiny's favourite child," Priyanka told IANS in an interview earlier this year. And she didn't mean it for nothing.

Priyanka's journey in showbiz started when, at 17, she was crowned Miss World -- a title that no other Indian girl has brought back to the country. The Bareilly-born talent forayed into Bollywood in 2003 with "The Hero: Love Story of a Spy". After that, there was no looking back as she kept delivering the unexpected.

The year 2016 started for the actress on a brilliant note when she won the People's Choice Award for her international acting debut as FBI agent Alex Parish in American TV thriller series "Quantico". She is said to be the first South Asian actress to win the honour. The actress is also part of the second season of the show and also landed the big ticket to Hollywood with a negative role in "Baywatch", which stars Dwayne Bravo and Zac Efron.

She again grabbed the headlines when she was named one of the presenters at the 88th Academy Awards and gave away the award in the Best Editing category. She also took to the Emmy stage as a presenter for the first time, and her red carpet statements this year have found mentions in leading international portals' best-dressed lists too.

Her growing popularity in the US took her to chat shows with Jimmy Fallon, Ellen DeGeneres and Seth Meyers. Her name was also featured in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World list alongside Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and singer Nicki Minaj, among others.

Priyanka's humanitarian work also led her to be appointed a Unicef Global Goodwill Ambassador, and one of her biggest moments of fame was to be invited to the annual White House Correspondents Dinner with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Being a person who is close to her roots, and who swears by her "Desi girl" tag, Priyanka never let the foreign sunshine in her life take light away from her career and life back home.

"India has always given me the opportunity on a global stage to represent the country -- be it in Miss India or Miss World, when I was working in films, or at the international level.

"But I will say my evolution has happened along with the people I've met, the people I've spent my time with during the journey of my career. I won't say I have transformed by going international, or because I have seen the world (as) evolution can happen anywhere.

"But the true evolution is that of the mind; so I think I've always wanted to do that," Priyanka told the media recently when she was appointed brand ambassador of Assam Tourism here.

She was honoured for a supporting role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Bajirao Mastani", but it was the Padma Shri that she received from President Pranab Mukherjee which stood out.

Her mother Madhu Chopra, who plays a big role in her career and also partakes in the functioning of their home banner Purple Pebble Pictures, says she is "proud" of the fact that Priyanka achieved everything on her own.

"It's all her own individual achievement and she has reached there with sheer dedication. She is recognised for her passion and dedication. Hard work is something everybody does, but not everyone is lucky enough to get recognised the world over," Madhu told IANS.

As a mother, she is happy that her daughter is going places, but she hopes Priyanka also finds some time to enjoy herself in between her busy schedules.

"I hope she finds some time for herself now, take some time out to meet her friends, have a holiday and enjoy herself. I want to hear her laughter... It's been very long that I have heard it. She had a bindass laughter once upon a time. Now she is so busy that she barely has time for herself," she added.

The life of a star, as they say...

(Nivedita can be contacted at Nivedita.s@ians.in)

The post ‘Desi girl’ Priyanka Chopra raised own bar globally in 2016 appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) From the much-anticipated concert of British rock band Coldplay to the debut performance of the legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, many international acts graced Indian shores in 2016.

The country has in the past seen many renowned singers and bands, including King of Pop Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Backstreet Boys and Akon, treating their Indian fans with live gigs.

But when the line-up of the Global Citizen Festival India was announced earlier this year, music lovers couldn't hide their excitement as Chris Martin, along with his Coldplay bandmates, were set to give their maiden performance in India.

American pop star Demi Lovato, popular for chartbusters like "Let it go" and "Cool for the summer", also joined them for the charity event. Grammy-winning rapper Jay Z too rocked the concert that was held in Mumbai in November and saw as many as 80,000 attendees.

British band The Vamps also made their debut India visit earlier this year for a collaboration with Indian composers Vishal-Shekhar for the song "Beliya". Later, they even made Indians dance to their foot-tapping numbers in Mumbai.

India's rising singing star Armaan Malik thinks the increase in international gigs in the country is great.

"It means India is becoming an international venue for concerts. And nothing makes me prouder to know that India is making a mark on the global map," Malik told IANS.

Doesn't he feel threatened?

"They are bigger and global stars. In fact, we should strive to become as big as them. The problem lies in the fundamental aspect of what music is in India. It's predominantly only Bollywood, and it's very tough to get support to become a big pop icon individually.

"Our industry is not structured to make global pop stars. I'm definitely looking at changing that. I want to be a global artiste representing India on a world platform," said the "Main hoon hero tera" hitmaker.

Singer Papon, known for Bollywood hits like "Moh moh ke dhaage" and "Jiyein kyun", has also given thumbs up to foreign talent performing in India.

"People are coming here and Indians are able to now watch good acts sitting at home. It also enables us to improve things, like the production standards of our shows. Those shows become a reference point for us," said the singer, who also has a folk-fusion band Papon and The East India Company.

Generally, an international artiste is the headlining act at fests in India.

Sharing his thoughts on it, Papon said: "Not always. If it is a bigger act, in terms of bigger following, then they get the headlining slot. There are also unknown international acts that come and play in India, but are not headliners.

"To try and headline a festival or a show should only serve as a motivation for any Indian act. If they are bigger than an international act, they will get the better slots."

Mazhar Nadiadwala, Managing Director at Dome Entertainment, a multi-purpose venue that has hosted many stars like American electro house musician Steve Aoki, says though the entertainment industry is catering mainly to the masses, international artistes are witnessing growth in terms of acceptance.

"A growing audience that is gradually moving to the premium category is clearly evident and we are glad to witness the increase of versatility in their choice of entertainment," he said.

This year, it was first time for many artistes -- Malmsteen, who is among the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarists to emerge during the 1980s, was the headlining act at the Orange Festival of Adventure & Music in Arunachal Pradesh.

DJ Marshmello also came for his maiden Indian gig for a special show at music festival Sunburn.

But getting foreign artistes to India is challenging. Nikhil Chinapa, music entrepreneur and a DJ, says the challenges in India are the same as they have been for the past decade.

"In the sense that we are very much a sponsorship-driven economy when it comes to music festivals and events. We are inching our way to becoming more reliant on ticket sales, but we are still far away from that," said Chinapa, whose latest project is a three-day boutique beach festival, Wonderwall in Goa.

He believes that India is an extremely important market for international musicians because it literally is the "last frontier" as it is one of the biggest English-speaking nations and "we are a growing economy".

English singer Ellie Goulding, who has given hits like "Lights" and "Love me like you do", was also in the Indian city of Udaipur for her performance at one of "India's biggest destination weddings". So, does this mean international stars will replace Indian singers or DJs at weddings some day?

"The fact that Ellie Goulding has come and performed at Indian weddings, as have other performers, means that it's already happening," said Chinapa, who finds the big fat Indian weddings "an interesting phenomenon".

The coming year will also tell the same tale as international acts, including the legendary Swedish DJ Eric Prydz, are set to make their first appearance in India.

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)

The post The year India got high on international concerts appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) From demonetisation adding to box office's blues and calls to ban Pakistani artistes, to directors at odds with the censor board and celebrities going public with their personal battles -- for Bollywood, the year 2016 ranked high in the controversy counter.

IANS lists the biggest controversies of 2016.

• Money trouble after demonetisation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his decision to spike Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in November. The after-effects on showbiz? Shooting schedules were put on hold, films' release dates were pushed forward, single-screen theatres like Regal Cinema and Golcha Cinema in Delhi ended up fighting for survival, footfalls at the multiplexes and single-screen theatres went down and pinched the box-office collection of the films.

  The star power of actors like Farhan Akhtar, John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh could not get Bollywood out of this slumber either. The opening weekend of Farhan's "Rock On 2" was below Rs 10 crore, while John and Sonakshi's action thriller "Force 2" minted Rs 20.05 crore in its first weekend.

  Films like "Tum Bin II", "Dongri Ka Raja", "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" and "Befikre" died quick deaths at the box-office due to demonetisation, trade insiders said. In the end, superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan bailed the industry out of the cash crisis with "Dear Zindagi" and "Dangal", respectively.

• Pakistan artistes' ban: Cross-border India-Pakistan tension spilt over into the entertainment world, with some Indian political outfits imposing a ban on Pakistanis and a few Pakistani theatres pulling down Indian movies from their screens.

  The calls for a ban on Pakistani talent in India created quite a stir after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) issued them an "ultimatum" to quit India within 48 hours or face trouble. The ban came after the September 18 terror attack that killed 19 Indian soldiers in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir.

  It spelt "mushkil" (trouble) for Karan Johar as his film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" was caught in the eye of the storm for featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. Things got better when Karan came out with a video, saying he will not engage with talent from Pakistan "in the circumstances".

• Censor hassles: No kissing, no bikini, no abuses, no same-sex couples kissing -- the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was not so liberal with its approach in 2016. The censor board implemented several cuts, which irked filmmakers. The loudest flutter was made when it tried to alter Anurag Kashyap's film "Udta Punjab" by demanding 89 cuts, including the removal of a reference to Punjab.

  Other films to face the censor board's scissors were "Aligarh" for its homosexual scenes, "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" for some intimate scenes between Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor and "Befikre" for same-sex kissing.

• Piracy trouble: From "Udta Punjab" and "Great Grand Masti" getting leaked even before their release, to the prints of "Kabali", "Mohenjo Daro", "Rustom" and now "Dangal" surfacing online -- the ghost of piracy loomed large on the Indian film industry this year. It not only stumped industry professionals but also fuelled the long-standing debate on how piracy could be tackled.

• Insensitive remarks by actors: Bollywood's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" Salman Khan courted controversy by saying that training for wrestling for film "Sultan" left him feeling like a "raped woman".

  Actor Om Puri also drew ire for his insensitive comments on Indian martyrs. Even actress Priyanka Chopra got into trouble when she posed for a magazine cover wearing a vest with the words "Refugee, Immigrant, Outsider, Traveller". Many people called it "elitist", "offensive" and "insensitive".

• Not-so-personal any way: 2016 was a year of celebrities' personal battles being fought in public. Actress Kangana Ranaut and actor Hrithik Roshan were caught in a murky legal battle. The controversy between Kangana and Hrithik, who were rumoured to have been dating in the past, took an ugly turn with both slapping legal notices against each other.

  Singer Arijit Singh's public apology to Salman Khan also made headlines. The singer claimed that Salman was angry with him after he rubbed him the wrong way at an award ceremony. The "Tum hi ho" crooner urged Salman to retain the song sung by him in "Sultan". While Salman remained silent about the whole ruckus, people close to him refuted Arijit's claims.

  (Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)

The post Bollywood’s controversy counter at a new high appeared first on Social News XYZ.

By Haricharan Pudipeddi

Chennai, Dec 26 (IANS) Out of the 600-odd films released in four southern languages -- Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam -- there were some which may not have earned a robust box-office number but still managed to elicit positive response from the audience and critics alike.

IANS lists 10 best southern films of 2016:

"Visaaranai": A riveting take on the abuse of power, this film, made in an industry that's known for celebrating and worshiping khaki-clad heroes, is a gritty and hard-hitting portrayal of the police force, and it comes with a jolt of realism. This is a story of powerless men, faceless men, voiceless men and those with no identity and how they become victims of a corrupt system.

"Pellichoopulu": A refreshing tale of modern-day romance, Tharun Bhascker's "Pellichoopulu" doesn't bring anything new to the table in terms of storytelling. Nevertheless, it works and strikes a chord with the audience, thanks to its treatment and life-like characters and their applaud-worthy performances. Amidst all the romance and laugh-aloud humour, this Telugu drama makes a gentle, intelligent case for an educated woman.

"Ammani": It is the most rooted Tamil film in its setting since "Kaaka Muttai", and the way it is shot is proof of it. Shot as realistically as it can get in a small house in Vysarpadi (Chennai), actress-filmmaker Lakshmy Ramakrishnan captures the aspirational life of a lower middle-class household beautifully. The film proves that simple stories, when told with unflinching realism and unparalleled sensitivity, can strike a chord with the viewers and make for a compelling watch.

"U-Turn": Pawan Kumar's critically-acclaimed thriller "U-Turn", a terrific follow-up to his first film "Lucia", assures that there's more to Kannada industry than the remakes they are usually known for making. It's a film that keeps you guessing until the last minute. Even with its philosophical narrative style, it appealed to all sections of the audience, and it is more intriguing than any recent thriller in southern filmdom.

"Oru Muthassi Gadha": It's about two feisty grandmas - in lead roles - and the heartwarming relationship they share. Filled with fun and frolic, this Malayalam drama questions the attitudes towards elderly and how they are treated, in a way the message delivered doesn't come across as preachy. Though on the same lines of "Baghban", Jude Anthany Joseph's "Oru Muthassi Gadha" addresses the subject with a lot of sensitivity and entertainingly.

"Uriyadi": A solid directorial debut by Vijay Kumar, this Tamil campus drama doesn't hesitate to portray drug use and violence. With absolutely no commercial compromise, "Uriyadi" throws the spotlight on caste-based politics and how students fall prey to it across Tamil Nadu. The excessive violence might make one flinch and squirm, but it doesn't take your eyes off the film.

"Kshanam": A Ravikanth Perepu-directed Telugu thriller, "Kshanam" kept the viewers on the edge of their seats from the get go. It's a story where a bunch of underrated actors -- Vennela Kishore, Satyam Rajesh and Anasuya -- shine with the aid of a taut screenplay. Adivi Sesh, the lead actor, also proved himself as a successful writer.

"Iraivi": A story about a few women told from the perspective of the men in their lives. Karthi Subbaraj's Tamil drama "Iraivi" might have been a box-office dud, but it is a great tribute to women. This emotional drama hits you like a ton of bricks and it's equally moving. With performances that deserve our respect, the film brings out the actor in filmmaker S.J. Suryah, and he is a treat to watch.

"Sethupathi": Even though Vijay Sethupathi's "Sethupathi" is your regular Tamil police drama, the fact that it's a really cool movie, makes it stand out. It's also a great family drama and reminds us that policemen, too, like us have families and wish to spend more time with them. The crackling writing makes it work, even with minor flaws.

"Kammatipaadam": As much as it's a mob movie, Rajeev Ravi's stunning and extremely well-written Malayalam drama "Kammatipaadam" is actually about urbanization of a slum in Kerala, and how in the process the dalits were forced to give up their lands to real-estate mafias.

(Haricharan Pudipeddi can be contacted at haricharan.p@ians.in)

The post ‘Visaaranai’, ‘Kammatipaadam’: 10 southern films that wowed in 2016 appeared first on Social News XYZ.

By Haricharan Pudipeddi

Chennai, Dec 26 (IANS) As the southern film industry continues to be ruled by stars and hit filmmakers, a wave of new generation movie makers -- including first-timers as well as those with a film or two to their credit -- caught the attention of audience and critics alike with their work in 2016.

Vijay Kumar: His impressive Tamil directorial debut "Uriyadi" sent chills down the spines of the audience for its raw and extremely violent portrayal of action. He still managed to win hearts because the action in the film was well justified. Even though the film didn't make a killing at the box-office, it hasn't been forgotten unlike a bevy of southern releases this year. Made with absolutely no commercial compromise, the film is about caste-based politics and how the lives of a few students change forever when they cross paths with a politician.

Johnpaul George: Malayalam drama "Guppy" was well received for its interesting take on human relationships, though it is addressed in an unconventional manner. It was aided by a sturdy screenplay that never gave in to commercial trappings. Johnpaul George made a solid debut as a director and proves that he is here to stay.

Arun Kumar: In Tamil actioner "Sethupathi", director Arun Kumar showed his khaki-clad hero Vijay Sethupathi in his coolest avatar till date. While being a regular police drama, the film stood out because of its treatment and for giving us heartwarming familial moments to celebrate. This was Arun's second film and he displayed great maturity and finesse in the way he handled the story.

Ravikanth Perepu: Ravikanth's Telugu thriller "Kshanam" came as a whiff of fresh air and it succeeded in reaching out to audience beyond Telugu filmdom. Until the last minute, it gave the audience an edge-of-the-seat experience and it achieved it with the help of a few highly underrated actors. The film was raved for its tight screenplay and suspense which it managed to maintain till the end.

Lakshmy Ramakrishnan: Her slice-of-life drama "Ammani", about free-spirited women, was extremely well-received because of its uncomplicated approach to filmmaking, where it's all about writing a solid script. There's so much about life the film teaches us, in ways we never get tired of watching. Though this is her third directorial venture, Lakshmy deserves to be credited because she's getting better with each film and her work leaves an impact, every single time.

Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam: Like it or not, you will fall in love with Tharun's highly successful and instantly likable Telugu debut "Pellichoopulu", which showed us that even a simple story, when told with conviction and passion, can strike a chord among audiences of all sections. Amidst all the romance and laugh-aloud humour, the film makes a gentle, intelligent case for women empowerment.

Rajeev Ravi: Cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Rajeev Ravi, in his third directorial "Kammatipaadam", throws the spotlight on a slum in Kerala, and captures it very realistically in this Malayalam crime saga about urbanisation at the expense of dalits. Dulquer Salmaan delivers a cracker of a performance in what could be termed as a role of a lifetime.

Hemanth Rao: Engineer-turned-filmmaker Hemanth's Kannada directorial debut "Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu" will steal your heart. With its extremely competent cast and stimulating music, the film works beautifully because of its writing and well-etched characters. Veteran actor Anant Nag is a treat to watch as plays an older character suffering from Alzheimer's, and he played his part with ease.

(Haricharan Pudipeddi can be contacted at haricharan.p@ians.in)

The post From Vijay Kumar to Hemanth Rao: Southern directors who impressed in 2016 appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) YSR Congress members on Thursday continued for the fourth day their protest in the Lok Sabha over the issue of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

As Question Hour began, the YSR Congress members left their seats and trooped in front of the Speaker's podium, raising slogans.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan requested them to return to their seats but to no avail.

"Everyday, this is not fair. You please go back to your seats," Mahajan told agitating YSR Congress members, who also raised the issue during Zero Hour.

YSR member Y.V. Subba Reddy said: "The government had promised to grant special status to the state but so far no decision has been taken in this regard."

Earlier in the day, the party members protested in the Parliament House complex over the demand, gathering in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue and displaying placards in support of their demand.

During the first two days of protest, members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a NDA constituent, also supported the protest, joining the YSR Congress members in front of the Speaker's podium.

However, following assurance on Tuesday by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar, TDP members have avoided gathering at the Speaker's podium or raising anti-government slogans.

TDP leader and Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y.S. Chowdary on Tuesday told reporters that his party will maintain a "wait and watch policy".

The post YSR Congress continues protest in Lok Sabha for special status to Andhra appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Du Plesis scored 69 runs off 43 balls, studding his stay in the middle with five boundaries and four sixes. Former England star Kevin Pietersen gave him excellent support from the other end, scoring 37 runs off 31 deliveries.

Pietersen smashed a couple of boundaries and a six as the duo found the gaps at regular intervals, putting together a partnership of 86 runs.

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was the standout performer among the Gujarat bowlers with figures of 2/18 in his four overs. Leg-spinner Pravin Tambe (2/33) also bagged a couple of wickets, including the prized one of du Plesis. Dwayne Bravo was a bit expensive, giving away 43 runs in his four overs, but he managed to clinch the crucial wicket of Pietersen.

Electing to bat first on winning the toss, Pune skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni saw his decision justified as openers Faf du Plesis and Ajinkya Rahane gave the team a flying start.

With du Plesis going after the Gujarat bowlers, Rahane played a steady innings at the other end, scoring 21 runs off 17 balls with four well-timed hits to the fence. Tambe handed the hosts the breakthrough when Rahane missed the line of a delivery that kept straight after pitching, only to see the ball hit him on the backfoot.

Rahane's dismissal did not bring any respite for the Gujarat bowlers as Pietersen joined du Plesis in the middle and the duo proceeded to lay the foundation for a competitive total.

Bravo finally got rid of Pietersen with an in-swinging slower delivery. The South Africa veteran was completely fooled by the clever change of pace as the ball crashed into the stumps.

Tambe struck another crucial blow for the Lions soon after by sending du Plesis back to the pavilion. The South African right-hander had smashed a four and six off the previous two deliveries. He went for a thrid consecutive bit shot, dancing down the track in an effort to hit the ball over the long on fence. But he miscued his shot as Gujarat wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik pulled of a smart stumping.

Jadeja then sent back Steven Smith early in the next over to put the brakes on Pune's once soaring run rate. However, Dhoni produced a trademark strong finish, plundering 22 runs off 10 balls help Pune finish on a strong note.

Brief scores:

Rising Pune Supergiants 163/5 in 20 overs (Faf du Plesis 69, Kevin Pietersen 37; Ravindra Jadeja 2/18, Pravin Tambe 2/33) vs Gujarat Lions

The post IPL: Pune set competitive target for Gujarat appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Both teams are in their debut season in the IPL and registered impressive victories in their opening matches. Thursday's match will also see Pune captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gujarat skipper Suresh Raina clash against each other for the first time.

The duo were teammates in former IPL champions Chennai Super Kings, who have been suspended from the tournament for the next two years along with inaugural edition winners Rajasthan Royals.

The teams:

Rising Pune Supergiants: Ajinkya Rahane, Faf du Plessis, Kevin Pietersen, Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Rajat Bhatia, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, RP Singh, Murugan Ashwin.

Gujarat Lions: Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, Suresh Raina (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Dwayne Bravo, Akshdeep Nath, Ravindra Jadeja, James Faulkner, Praveen Kumar, Shadab Jakati, Pravin Tambe.

The post IPL: Pune win toss, elect to bat against Gujarat appeared first on Social News XYZ.

The opener has suffered a lower back injury, similar to the one which forced him to initially withdraw from the West Indies squad for the recent World Cup which concluded here two weeks ago.

Simmons made a quick recovery and was called up for the semi-final following injury to Andre Fletcher, and it was his superb, unbeaten 82 against India which put the Caribbean side in the final.

Simmons played in the IPL tournament opener against Rising Pune Supergiants last Saturday, making just eight in an emphatic nine-wicket defeat in Mumbai.

However, he was left out of Wednesday’s game against Kolkata Knight Riders here which Mumbai won by six wickets.

The 31-year-old Simmons has been one of the most successful batsmen in the IPL, in his relatively short stint in the cash-rich T20 league.

He has garnered 942 runs in 22 matches at an average of 47, with one century and nine half-centuries.

Guptill went unsold during last February's draft.

The post Gupill to replace injured Simmons in Mumbai Indians appeared first on Social News XYZ.

The Bombay High Court directed on Wednesday that all IPL games scheduled to be held in Maharashtra after April 30 must be re-located due to the severe water crisis in the state. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now faced with the onerous task of deciding on alternate venues for 13 matches, including the IPL final.

"I on behalf of DDCA offer that our association is ready to host playoffs matches of IPL, in case they are shifted from Pune. We assure you our best of cooperation to BCCI/IPL for the said matches if they are shifted and allotted to us," DDCA vice-president C.K. Khanna wrote to IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla on Thursday.

The BCCI has 18 days to look for new venues for the 13 IPL matches to be held in May, should it decide not to challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

Of the three IPL play-offs, two were originally to be held in Pune on May 25 and 27 while the third is to be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 24.

Maharashtra was originally scheduled to host 20 IPL matches in Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune. All three cities are facing a severe water crisis at present.

Five matches will be played in Maharashtra this month. The 13 matches that will have to be moved out now include six that were to be played in Pune, four in Mumbai and three in Nagpur.

The court had allowed the opening match of this year's IPL on April 9 to go ahead as originally scheduled in Mumbai, ruling that the timing of the public interest litigation (PIL) did not allow sufficient time to the BCCI to arrange for an alternate venue.

The post Delhi offers to host Pune’s IPL play-offs appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Delhi, the perennial under-achievers of the IPL, were thrashed by nine wickets by the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. The Delhi batsmen were guilty of poor shot selection on a spinning track and were bundled out for a mere 98 runs after being asked to bat first.

Opener Quinton De Kock was the only Delhi batsman who looked somewhat comfortable on the difficult track before being dismissed by Andre Russell. The South African will once again have the responsibility of giving Delhi a good start before big hitters such as Carlos Brathwaite, Sanju Samson and Chris Morris bring out the heavy artillery. Much will also depend on young Indian batsmen like Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair.

The Delhi bowling was rather toothless in the last match. Skipper Zaheer Khan was rather expensive, giving away 24 runs in 2.1 overs. The likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Morris and Amit Mishra will hope to do better in their own den.

Brathwaite was the only Delhi bowler who did well in Kolkata and he will be hoping to continue his good form in front of his home crowd.

Punjab on the other hand, was torn apart by a whirlwind innings from Aaron Finch and went down to newcomers Gujarat Lions by five wickets.

Openers Murali Vijay and Manan Vohra had given them a promising start. But the middle-order batsmen could not built on it. A 22-ball 33 by Marcus Stoinis lower down the order helped Punjab put up a competitive total of 161/9.

The Punjab bowlers also need to pull up their socks. Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson was a shadow of his former self while Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Pradeep Sahu and Marcus Stoinis also conceeded plenty of runs.

Both teams were disappointing last season as Punjab finished at the bottom of the points table while the DareDevils were a rung higher. A win on Friday could go a long way towards building up some crucial momentum as last season's laggards strive to turn their fortunes around in 2016.

The squads:

Delhi Daredevils: Zaheer Khan (captain), Amit Mishra, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammad Shami, Saurabh Tiwary, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mayank Agarwal, Jayant Yadav, Travis Head, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Imran Tahir, JP Duminy, Albie Morkel, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Pawan Negi, Chris Morris, Sanju Samson, Carlos Brathwaite, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, Joel Paris, Sam Billings, Chama Milind, Pratyush Singh, Mahipal Lomror, Saeed Khaleel Ahmed, Akhil Herwadkar, Pawan Suyal.

Kings XI Punjab: David Miller (captain), Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Manan Vohra, Murali Vijay, Nikhil Naik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Akshar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mitchell Johnson, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Anureet Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Kyle Abbott, KC Cariappa, Marcus Stoinis, Farhaan Behardien, Pradeep Sahu, Armaan Jaffer, Swapnil Singh.

The post IPL: Delhi, Punjab aim to bounce back appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Jos Buttler with a quickfire 22-ball 41 was the other major contributor.

For KKR, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav picked up a wicket each.

The post Rohit, Buttler power Mumbai Indians to 6-wicket win over KKR appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Kerala Cricket Association president T.C. Mathew told IANS it was "unfortunate and sad" that Kerala will not get a single match because there are no stadiums which can host the ties.

"The only stadium now fit to stage international cricket matches in Kerala is the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, but a refurbishment is currently on to make it a likely venue for the 17th edition of the U-17 FIFA World Cup that India will host next year," he said.

"Then there is the brand new, world-class Greenfield Stadium here, but there is no cricket pitch and laying a new one in a few weeks' time just cannot happen."

"So, Kerala will not be able to stage any IPL matches that are going to be moved out of Maharashtra," said Mathew.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was the home ground of the Kochi Tuskers, an IPL team in 2011, but its franchise was cancelled by the BCCI.

The Bombay High Court ruling came following a public interest litigation that demanded these matches should be moved out of Maharashtra due to severe water scarcity in some parts of the state.

The post Maharashtra’s loss of IPL matches won’t be Kerala’s gain appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Gambhir scored a 52-ball 64 and was ably supported by Pandey's 52. For Mumbai, Mitchell McClenaghan returned figures of 2/25.

The hosts got off to a slow but steady start with 19 runs coming off the first three overs. However, Robin Uthappa (8) who was looking good after hitting a delightful boundary, perished trying to hook one to the leg-side.

Manish Pandey then came out to give his skipper company and after six overs, KKR managed to put up 40/1 on the scoreboard.

The duo carried on without too much of a trouble. They ran hard between wickets and picked up the odd boundaries.

But once in the groove, both batters successfully hit the big shots against the likes of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and Hardik Pandya.

In the 11th over, Jagadeesha Suchith was taken for a ride. Pandey hit a massive sixer into the stands followed by another one from Gambhir. The over yielded 18 runs -- the biggest in the innings.

Gambhir, who was dropped at 30 by Rohit Sharma, then got to his half century. Pandey too got to his fifty as the Knights tried stepping on the gas.

But soon after, the men-in-purple lost Pandey who succumbed to a soft dismissal, caught and bowled by Harbhajan.

Russell who walked out to bat after Pandey's departure started off on the highest gear. He clobbered Tim Southee for two sixes and then cracked Harbhajan for another one.

He continued the onslaught but at the other end, Mumbai dropped Gambhir again.

However, a little later Russell dragged a pull on to his stumps and then Gambhir skied yet another one. This time MI wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel held onto the catch.

Mumbai pulled things back in the last few overs which included only seven runs of the ultimate over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah.

The post KKR post challenging 187/5 against Mumbai Indians appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Gambhir scored a 52-ball 64 and was ably supported by Pandey's 52. For Mumbai, Mitchell McClenaghan returned figures of 2/25.

The post KKR post 187/5 against Mumbai Indians at Eden appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Robin Uthappa (wicket-keeper), Manish Pandey, Colin Munro, Yusuf Pathan, Suryakumar Yadav, Andre Russell, John Hastings, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Brad Hogg

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Jos Buttler, Ambati Rayudu, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan Singh, Suchith, Mitchell McClenaghan, Tim Southee, Jasprit Bumrah.

The post MI opt to field against KKR appeared first on Social News XYZ.

The matches scheduled until April 30 can, however, be held in the state, the court said, adding that it could not afford to ignore the plight of people affected by severe drought.

The decision means that the BCCI will have to relocate 13 IPL matches, including the final of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament. Maharashtra was originally scheduled to host 20 IPL matches in Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune. All three cities are facing a severe water crisis at present.

Five matches will be played in Maharashtra this month. The 13 matches that will have to be moved out now include six that were to be played in Pune, four in Mumbai and three in Nagpur.

A bench of Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice M.S. Karnik handed out the verdict on a PIL by an NGO named Loksatta Movement, which challenged the use of large quantities of water in stadiums at a time when the state was reeling under severe drought conditions.

"We cannot lose sight of the plight of millions of poor people," the bench said.

The judges added that although shifting of IPL matches would not solve the problem, water meant for preparing cricket pitches should be diverted to the affected regions.

"Shifting IPL matches won't solve the problem but if water is diverted to drought-hit areas, problem can be solved to some extent," the bench stated.

Reacting to the high court order, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla questioned the timing of the PIL, asserting that concerns over the possible wastage of water should have been raised earlier.

"We will decide on the strategy of shifting the matches only when we get the order in writing. Shifting of matches will be a huge problem. Several events take place which require a lot of water despite the water crisis. Why should only the IPL be made to suffer?" Shukla told India Today.

"It is not easy to organise the IPL. The preparations for the IPL were going on for the last six months. The concerns should have been raised earlier, during the preparation stage," he added.

"We have discussed giving help to the villages most effected by the drought. Our decision has been put forward. The BCCI is neither using potable water nor intends to do so," BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur told reporters before the verdict was delivered.

"Cricket is so popular in our country that people want to create controversy over it. I want to ask how many swimming pools in 5-star hotels are being shut down because of drought. We are not using potable water and we are ready to help farmers too," he added.

The court had allowed the opening match of this year's IPL on April 9 to go ahead as originally scheduled, ruling that the timing of the PIL did not allow sufficient time to the BCCI to arrange for an alternate venue.

Earlier on Wednesday, the BCCI made a series of efforts to keep the remaining 19 IPL matches in Maharashtra.

The board told the court that it will not be feasible to shift IPL matches out of the state as the two Maharashtra based franchises Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants had invested a lot of money and relocating the matches will also adversely affect their support base.

The BCCI also told the court that the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) is ready to supply around 64 lakh litres of non-potable water to drought-hit areas of the state, and that the Mumbai and Pune franchises will donate Rs.5 crore towards drought relief efforts.

"It would not be feasible to shift matches out of Pune as it will disturb the Pune team's brand value and economic balance," the BCCI's counsel Rafiq Dada told the court.

BCCI councel added that the franchisees have invested more than Rs.30 crore to hold IPL matches in the state. Dada also stated that during the World Twenty20 recently, nine qualifying matches were held in Nagpur, but at that time nobody raised a hue and cry about water wastage.

Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia welcomed the court order.

"I'm very happy with this, we welcome this decision. There is a severe water crisis in Maharashtra and this is the right step," he said.

Kings XI Punjab were scheduled to play three home matches in Nagpur between May 7 and 15, besides the games in Mumbai and Pune on May 13 and 21, respectively.

The Mumbai and Pune franchises, however, were not happy with the court's verdict.

"We have already invested a lot of money. Shifting matches at this stage will not only affect the finances, but if the home team's game is shifted to another state, it will lose support," Pune franchise's senior counsel Janak Dwarkadas told the court.

Speaking on behalf of the Maharashtra government, acting advocate general Rohit Deo said that if drinking water is not being misused, the government has nothing against the IPL.

"If non-potable water is being used to maintain the pitches, then the government would not be in favour of shifting the IPL matches out of Maharashtra. Is any sport so sinful or pernicious that it should be sent to another state?" Deo said.

"We see there is a drought. If there is no misuse of water the govenment will not take a judgemental position. So to show solidarity with Marathwada, should we ban every recreational activity? Similar demands will be made that stop films? If potable water is not being used we will leave it to your conscience."

The post Move 13 IPL matches out of Maharashtra: Court appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Pune outclassed defending champions Mumbai Indians by nine wickets in the season opener while Gujarat defeated Kings XI Punjab by five wickets on Monday.

The two new franchises were added to the IPL family after the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

CSK teammates Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina will for the first time face-off in IPL after playing together for eight editions in the cash-rich tournament.

Dhoni-led Pune thrashed Mumbai in all departments of the game and will hope to register their second win. In-form Ajinkya Rahane, Faf du Plessis, Kevin Pietersen, Steve Smith and Dhoni make a strong batting unit and the top order showed their class against Mumbai.

In their bowling department, the experience of Ishant Sharma and R.P. Singh will come in useful to strike early against Gujarat like they did in the campaign opener.

Experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who got to bowl only one over against Mumbai will lead the spin bowling department alongside youngster Murugan Ashwin.

On the other hand, Gujarat also have a formidable top order batting line-up with the likes of in-form Aaron Finch, Brendon McCullum, Raina, Dinesh Karthik and all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and James Faulkner to follow.

Praveen Kumar, Bravo, Faulkner, Pradeep Sangwan and left-arm off-spinner Ravindra Jadeja will form a considerable bowling line-up.

The Squads:
Rising Pune Supergiants: MS Dhoni (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Kevin Pietersen, Faf du Plessis, R Ashwin, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Ishwar Pandey, Jaskaran Singh, Steven Smith, M Ashwin, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Rajat Bhatia, RP Singh, Scott Boland, Adam Zampa, Thisara Perera, Ankit Sharma, Ankush Bains, Ashok Dinda, Baba Aparajith, Deepak Chahar.

Gujarat Lions: Suresh Raina (captain), Sarabjit Ladda, Akshdeep Nath, Amit Mishra, Dwayne Bravo, Paras Dogra, Eklavya Dwivedi, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shadab Jakati, Dinesh Karthik, Shivil Kaushik, Dhawal Kulkarni, Praveen Kumar, Brendon McCullum, Pradeep Sangwan, Jaydev Shah, Umang Sharma, Dwayne Smith, Dale Steyn, Pravin Tambe, Andrew Tye.

The post Pune take on Gujarat Lions in clash of IPL debutants appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Hundreds of youth, including many girls, lined up at the gates from 6 p.m. and endured the agonising security checks and frisking to enter the stands early.

"As I could not watch the ICC World T20 matches played here last month due to board exams, I have been eagerly waiting to see this match and enjoy watching my favourite players like Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle play," pre-university course student B. Vinay Kumar told IANS.

Waving RCB's red flags, sporting its caps and wearing T-shirts matching the old and new jerseys of the hosts, the fans were delighted to see RCB play first after skipper Kohli lost the toss and Sunrisers' captain David Warner opted to bowl.

Though devout fans of big hitter Gayle were disappointed to see him return to the pavilion in the second over without causing a 'gayle storm' he is known for, AB de Villiers's onslaught with sixes and fours all over the ground delighted them.

With in-form Kohli joining the party, the fans were excited to see the skipper carry on his cricketing shots from the World T20 tournament, as he treated them with a flurry of fours and sixes.

"It's worth the money to watch de Villiers and Kohli bat in style they are known for," said N. Devaraj, a techie.

Meanwhile, completion of the much delayed metro rail project work near the stadium and opening up of Cubbon Road relieved police and fans alike, as dust, congestion and chaotic vehicular movement gave way to smooth traffic flow and opening up of more gates to enter the stands.

"Closure of the main arterial road in the city centre for more than three years for the underground work of the metro project gave us tough time to regulate traffic, which had to be diverted to other roads, leading to frequent jams, especially during peak hours and when cricket matches are played in the stadium," a traffic inspector told IANS.

The post Frenzied fans flock to stadium to root for RCB appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Winning the toss, Sunrisers captain David Warner sent Royal Challengers to bat first.

Despite the early loss of Chris Gayle (1) in the second over, A.B. De Villiers (82) and skipper Virat Kohli (75) hit a half century each, while helping themselves to generous boundaries, to set the foundation for a big score.

Coming in at number three, De Villiers filled the void left by Gayle. As the crowd started chanting his name, the South African stalwart responded hitting back to back boundaries.

He cracked seven fours and six sixes to reach 82 in just 42 balls while Kohli hit seven fours and three sixes to reach his 75 in 51 balls.

Entering after the fall of Kohli in the 16th over, Shane Watson hit three successive sixes off Karn Sharma while Sarfaraz remained unbeaten at 35 after hitting five fours and two sixes in just 10 balls to take RCB to the final big total of 227.

Sunrisers' bowlers gave away 20 fours and 14 sixes. Mustafizur Rahman was the best with figures of 2/26.

Brief Scores: RCB (227/4, A.B. De Villiers 82, Virat Kohli 75; Mustafizur Rahman 2/26, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar 2/55).

The post Royal Challengers set 228 run target for Sunrisers appeared first on Social News XYZ.

The box is situated in the B Block of the stadium right below the main corporate box where team owners and guests get together to cheer their favourite teams.

The box has a seating capacity of 850 and each ticket is priced at Rs.5,500 plus taxes. Apart from a great view of the stadium, the audience will be getting food and beverages along with KKR official merchandise.

“In the magnificent Eden Gardens we wanted to enhance the viewing experience for the spectators. We also wanted to increase the hospitality seats so that general public also gets to feel the ultimate experience which is mainly limited to corporates and the VVIPs. I am hoping that it would be full in all the games,” KKR MD and CEO Venky Mysore said in a release.

The post KKR open hospitality box for spectators appeared first on Social News XYZ.

"It is a fantastic opportunity (for Bumrah). Malinga is not available for next few weeks. We have to see his fitness, definitely not playing tomorrow's game. We are keeping a track how he is progressing. Bumrah has evolved in the last couple of months. You must have seen him in Australia. He bowled well and then carried his performance in the Asia Cup and the World T20," Rohit told the media here on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's tie against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens.

"He is a lot stronger and much fitter. He has also matured a lot. A lot of expectations from him but we do not want to put too much pressure."

In their last game -- the opening match of the tournament -- Mumbai Indians suffered a humiliating nine-wicket defeat against newcomers Rising Pune Supergiants. But Rohit said the Mumbai players are not carrying any baggage from the previous contest to this one.

"This is a professional unit you don't need to motivate anyone. The performance (in the last game) was not something we wanted. It was disappointing but things like this can happen. You cannot get demotivated, you have to get stronger and look forward. What has happened has happened, don't want to carry any baggage," he said.

"Want to be the best we can. We got back to the drawing board decided what we can't afford as a team and rectified our mistakes. Hopefully we will have a better game tomorrow."

Kieron Pollard is a key member of the Mumbai side and is a match winner on his day. But of late fitness issues have troubled the West Indies all-rounder. When asked about it Rohit said: "Pollard is raring to go. He has been troubled with injury to his knees, it is always tough when you comeback from a lay-off. He has joined a week before and he is looking good now. He is putting as much effort as he can in training."

"Pollard cannot be written off after one game. He is a match winner for us."

The 28-year-old also said that to lift the trophy again, all the Mumbai batsmen need to contribute and like always he would want to lead the batting unit from the front.

"As a captain, it is important to lead from the front, I will do the same this year. Along with me there are a few other guys who will have to share the responsibility. We did not have any one in the top five last year, so it meant that all the batters were contributing," he said.

Rohit also said the problem with the first half of the tournament is that the team has difficulties in gelling together as a unit as new players come in after each auction.

The post Fantastic opportunity for Bumrah to fill Malinga’s shoes: Rohit appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Narine, who had flown to the West Indies after his father's death, came back to the city to join KKR on Monday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has cleared his action, but whether he will be drafted into the playing XI at the Eden Gardens against Mumbai remains to be seen.

The Knights have had a great start to the tournament. In the last game they overwhelmed Delhi by nine wickets after bowling them out for a paltry 98.

For the men in purple and gold, all-rounder Andre Russell and chinaman bowler Brad Hogg stole the show with the ball, picking up three wickets each. They were ably supported by John Hastings (2/6) and Piyush Chawla (2/21).

The chase was comfortable too with skipper Gautam Gambhir scoring an unbeaten 38.

Mumbai, on the other hand, had a poor outing in the opener against Rising Pune Supergiants. Pune, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, crushed them with nine wickets to spare chasing a low total of 121/8.

Mumbai's only notable contribution with the bat came from an unlikely source -- Harbhajan Singh, who top scored with 45 -- while the famed top order could only manage single digits.

But at the Eden, Mumbai would want to turn the tables. This has been a happy hunting ground for Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma, and if the likes of Lendl Simmons and Jos Buttler fire, KKR would have big problems to deal with.

The bowling unit need to pull up their socks too, if Mumbai are to win it here on Wednesday. Their two strike bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell McClenaghan were taken for plenty in the last game and Rohit would not want a repeat.

KKR would once again look upto the bowlers to deliver like they did last time. The pitch does assist the spinners here and the likes of Hogg and Chawla would relish another opportunity to bowl on it. It will be interesting to see who gets dropped if Narine gets a game.

The hosts' top order has had a good run in the first game, but their middle order has not been tested yet and Mumbai would precisely want to do that.

Mumbai will also take confidence from the fact that Kolkata trail them in the head to head records. Of the 16 matches between the two teams, Kolkata have won only five contests and lost 11.

The squads:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Kuldeep Yadav, Manish Pandey, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Sheldon Jackson, Suryakumar Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Yusuf Pathan, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Brad Hogg, Chris Lynn, Morne Morkel, Shakib Al Hasan, Jaydev Unadkat, Ankit Singh Rajpoot, John Hastings, Jason Holder, Colin Munro, Rajgopal Sathish, Manan Ajay Sharma.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Jos Buttler, Kieron Pollard, Corey Anderson, Lasith Malinga, Lendl Simmons, Mitchell McClenaghan, Marchant de Lange, Tim Southee, Unmukt Chand, Vinay Kumar, Parthiv Patel, Shreyas Gopal, Nathu Singh, Jagadeesha Suchith, Ambati Rayudu, Akshay Wakhare, Deepak Punia, Jitesh Sharma, Kishore Kamath, Krunal Pandya, Nitish Rana, Siddhesh Lad.

The post Confident KKR ready to challenge defending champions Mumbai appeared first on Social News XYZ.

"We don't have plans to restrict Kohli, who has been in an amazing form. If he, Gayle or AB has a day out, that might be something not in our control. What is in our control is executing our plans well," Moody told reporters here ahead of Sunrisers' IPL T20 tie against RCB on Tuesday at the Chinnaswamy stadium here.

Asserting that he was not unduly concerned with the poor form of Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson and Eoin Morgan, Moody said they were world class performers who would thrive and have a success campaign.

"As this (IPL tournament) is a different campaign, different team and different opportunity, I am sure all of them will thrive and have a successful campaign," Moody told reporters after his team had a practice session.

Admitting that the absence of Yuvraj Singh in the first game would be a big loss for Sunrisers, the former Aussie cricketer said he (Yuvraj) was a match winner and hoped he would recover quickly to be back in the team early.

"We are hopeful that within a couple of weeks Yuvi will back in consideration for selections," Moody said.

Allaying fears over inclusion of Ashish Nehra in the final 11, Moody said the Indian pacer was in top form and his presence on and off the field was invaluable.

"He (Nehra) is a wonderful bowler and a great character to have him in the dressing room," Moody said.

Asked if skipper David Warner would open the innings or play at fourth position as he did during the recent ICC World T20 for Australia, the coach said the Aussie was an extremely destructive batsman at the top of the order.

"The thing about Warner is he can bat at any order. He was phenomenal when he batted at no.4 in the first half of the IPL campaign in 2014. As we saw in the previous IPL, he comes as an extremely destructive batsman at the top of the order. You ask any opening bowler if he would be happy to see Warner coming at four or one, I am sure he will prefer him batting down the order," he added.

The post Sunrisers wary of controlling Kohli, Gayle, de Villiers appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Set a 162-run target, Lions reached the mark with 14 balls to spare with Australian opener Aaron Finch (74) scoring the majority of the runs. Dinesh Karthik (41 not out) was also a chief contributor.

Their run chase stuttered early on when former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum departed for a second ball duck, advancing down the track to be smartly stumped by Wriddhiman Saha off the bowling of Sandeep Sharma in the first over.

But Lions recovered from the loss, spearheaded by skipper Suresh Raina (20) and Finch.

Raina guided the team past the 50-run mark in the sixth over with a big six over midwicket. But then he fell off the very next ball, foxed by a Marcus Stoinis slower delivery to offer a simple catch to mid on.

Finch remained unperturbed by Raina's dismissal and used all his experience to lead his team's chase, bringing up his 50 in the eight over.

He forged another 50-run partnership with Karthik to bring up the 100 in the 11th over.

Lions were costing at that point but Finch's sudden stumping in the 12th over, leaving them 117/3, gave Punjab hopes of a turnaround. Lions still needed 41 runs from 42 balls. Ravindra Jadeja's (8) run out made the game more interesting.

But Karthik ensured they crossed the line without any more hiccups.

Earlier, Kings XI Punjab posted 161 for six after Gujarat captain Suresh Raina won the toss and opted to field, opening batsmen Murali Vijay (42 off 34) and Manan Vohra (38 in 23) provided a 78-run stand in 8.2 overs.

Then Dwayne Bravo (4/22) and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2/30) led Gujarat's fightback as the hosts lost four wickets for 102 runs in 12 overs.

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (33 in 22 balls) and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha (20) did the repair work and took the total to 161/6.

It seemed that Punjab will end up getting 180, thanks to their sound start. Right-handers Vijay and Vohra scored 53 runs without any loss till the powerplay overs (6).

Vijay hit three fours and a six off left-arm medium pacer Pradeep Sangwan, while Vohra also made merry, hitting James Faulkner for three fours in the fifth over.

The Punjab right-hander was dropped at his personal score of eight by Bravo, who ran from the deep midwicket in the fifth over.

Captain Raina's third bowler, leg-spinner Sarabjit Ladda also went for 21 runs in his two overs.

Then the captain turned to Indian left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who broke the partnership in his second over by trapping Vohra in front of the stumps. Then the hosts' score reached 78 in 8.2 overs.

Jadeja later also cleaned up Vijay as the right-hander opened up to create some room. He missed the ball and Punjab were 91/2 in 10.4 overs.

In the following over, medium pacer Bravo dealt a double blow, dismantling the stumps of Glenn Maxwell (two) and captain David Miller (15) -- which left the home side at 102/4.

Later, Stoinis and Saha were on a damage control mode before the former picked up four boundaries to keep his team in hunt for a competitive total.

Brief scores: KXIP: (161/6, Murali Vijay 42, Manan Vohra 38, Marcus Stoinis 33; Dwayne Bravo 4/22, Ravindra Jadeja 2/30) vs Gujarat Lions (162/5, Aaron Finch 74, Dinesh Karthik 41 not out, Sandeep Sharma 1/21)

The post Gujarat Lions beat Kings XI Punjab on IPL debut appeared first on Social News XYZ.

"We would like to be in a position to first reach the play-offs on our effort than depend on how other teams fare, run rate, and who wins or loses," Kohli told reporters ahead of RCB's first league tie against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday at the Chinnaswamy stadium here.

Declining to comment on RCB's prospects of lifting the cup this time with a best combination of players, Kohli said as the tournament was long, it was too early for him to think about the title, given the nature of the format, the intense competition, hectic schedule, travel and rigorous training.

"There has been always a feeling that we haven't been able to lift the title having been runners-up twice (2009 and 2011). But as a team, we have done well to be among the top three and in third place (2010)," Kohli said before entering the stadium for a two-hour gruelling practice session under floodlights.

Admitting that Aussie speedster Mitchell Starc would be missed due to an ankle injury, the captain said the team got Shane Watson to make up and West Indian leggie Samuel Badree for a strong bowling attack.

RCB bought in the February 6 auction Watson, who was part of the suspended Rajasthan Royals team, for a whopping Rs.9.5 crore with other Aussie pacer Kane Richardson for Rs.2 crore and Badree for Rs.50 lakh among the overseas players.

Noting that the team had many options to play the best eleven, Kohli said Watson would add strengthen the middle order while Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and himself would be part of the top order to give momentum to the batting line-up.

"We have a strong batting order up to sixth or seventh position. If we play three overseas batters (Gayle, de Villiers and Watson), we have to take the fourth among foreign bowlers. It will be a toss-up between Badree, Kane, David (Wiese) and Adam (Milne) depending up on conditions and against whom we play," Kohli said.

Asked if Indian players got over the dramatic loss to West Indies in the semi-final of the recent ICC World T20, Kohli said personally it was difficult for him to get over the loss after creating such a momentum and reaching the semis by beating Australia and Pakistan in the group.

"Everyone had taken time off and prepared for the IPL, which is equally challenging with travel, hectic schedules and summer heat. It will also be an opportunity for those who have not been among runs or wickets. And those who did well in the World Cup, Asia Cup and in the ODI and T20 series in Australia, will be motivated to perform better and make their teams win," Kohli added.

The post RCB’s first priority to reach play-offs stage: Kohli appeared first on Social News XYZ.

After Gujarat captain Suresh Raina won the toss and opted to field, opening batsmen Murali Vijay (42 off 34) and Manan Vohra (38 in 23) provided a 78-run stand in 8.2 overs.

Then Dwayne Bravo (4/22) and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2/30) led Gujarat's fightback as the hosts lost four wickets for 102 runs in 12 overs.

Later, Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (33 in 22 balls) and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha (20) did the repair work and took the total to 161/6.

It seemed that Punjab will end up getting 180, thanks to their sound start. Right-handers Vijay and Vohra scored 53 runs without any loss till the powerplay overs (6).

Vijay hit three fours and a six off left-arm medium pacer Pradeep Sangwan, while Vohra also made merry, hitting James Faulkner for three fours in the fifth over. The Punjab right-hander was dropped at his personal score of eight by Bravo, who ran from the deep midwicket in the fifth over.

Captain Raina's third bowler, leg-spinner Sarabjit Ladda also went for 21 runs in his two overs.

Then the captain turned to Indian left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who broke the partnership in his second over by trapping Vohra in front of the stumps. Then the hosts' score reached 78 in 8.2 overs.

Jadeja later also cleaned up Vijay as the right-hander opened up to create some room. He missed the ball and Punjab were 91/2 in 10.4 overs.

In the following over, medium pacer Bravo dealt a double blow, dismantling the stumps of Glenn Maxwell (two) and captain David Miller (15) -- which left the home side at 102/4.

Later, Stoinis and Saha were on a damage control mode before the former picked up four boundaries to keep his team in hunt for a competitive total.

Brief scores: KXIP: (Murali Vijay 42, Manan Vohra 38, Marcus Stoinis 33; Dwayne Bravo 4/22, Ravindra Jadeja 2/30) vs Gujarat Lions.

The post IPL: Punjab score 161/6 against Gujarat Lions appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Maharashtra is scheduled to host 20 IPL matches in three venues -- Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. All three cities are currently experiencing a water crisis with the Indian summer just hotting up.

Kings XI Punjab are scheduled to play three 'home' matches in Nagpur and Wadia said that the franchise is considering the option of shifting those games to some other venue in view of the severe water scarcity in Maharashtra.

"We are definitely considering shifting the matches on humanitarian grounds. The consideration has been done internally. Obviously, we can't hold matches when people of India are suffering and water crisis is a serious issue," Wadia told Times Now on Monday.

The staging of IPL matches in drought-hit Maharashtra has attracted a lot of controversy with an NGO named Loksatta Movement filing a PIL in the Bombay High Court demanding that the lucrative Twenty20 league should be shifted out of the state.

The NGO has claimed that more than six million litres of water would be utilised to maintain cricket pitches at the three stadia in Maharashtra where IPL matches are scheduled to be held.

The Bombay High Court had also suggested that IPL matches should be shifted out of the state. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for Tuesday.

The court allowed the opening IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants at the Wankhede Stadium on April 9 to go through as scheduled as it felt that the PIL had been filed too late and there was not sufficient time to arrange for an alternate venue.

However, the fate of the remaining 19 matches in the state is still in doubt.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur virtually asked the Maharashtra government to choose between water or money last Staurday, asserting that the state exchequer could lose approximately Rs.100 crore if IPL matches are shifted out of the state.

Earlier on Monday, Bengaluru-based advocate and environmental activist filed a PIL before the Karnataka High Court, demanding that IPL matches be shifted out of the city.

The petitioner also demanded that the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board should submit an audit report on the usage of water for IPL matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Royal Challengers Bangalore are scheduled to play their home matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The post KXIP owner Wadia open to shifting IPL ties out of Maharashtra appeared first on Social News XYZ.

"We are definitely considering shifting the matches on humanitarian grounds. The consideration has been done internally. Obviously, we can't hold matches when people of India are suffering and water crisis is a serious issue," Wadia told Times Now on Monday.

Maharashtra is scheduled to host 20 IPL matches in three venues -- Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. All three cities are currently experiencing a water crisis with the summer just hotting up. Kings XI Punjab are scheduled to play three matches in Nagpur.

The staging of IPL matches in drought-hit Maharashtra has attracted a lot of controversy with an NGO named Loksatta Movement filing a PIL in the Bombay High Court demanding that the lucrative Twenty20 league should be shifted out of the state.

The NGO has claimed that more than six million litres of water would be utilised to maintain cricket pitches at the three stadia in Maharashtra where IPL matches are scheduled to be held.

The Bombay High Court had also suggested that IPL matches should be shifted out of the state.

The post KXIP owner Wadia open to shifting IPL ties out of Maharashtra appeared first on Social News XYZ.

The teams:

Kings XI Punjab: Manan Vohra, Murali Vijay, Glenn Maxwell, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), David Miller (captain), Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis, Pardeep Sahu, Mitchell Johnson, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma

Gujarat Lions: Aaron Finch, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, James Faulkner, Ishan Kishan, Praveen Kumar, Pradeep Sangwan, Sarabjit Ladda.

The post IPL: Gujarat Lions opt to field against Kings XI Punjab appeared first on Social News XYZ.