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First Post
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Vicky Kaushal, Kriti Sanon to Ayushmann Khurrana: 5 Actors with Impressive Academic Backgrounds Before Entering Films
Did you know that these talents have also been serious scholars, who carry impressive academic credentials? read more The Indian film industry has given us several dynamic actors, be it Vicky Kaushal or Kriti Sanon. But did you know that these talents have also been serious scholars, who carry impressive academic credentials? We've spotlighted five actors who are academic achievers. Vicky Kaushal: In his initial days, Vicky Kaushal faced multiple hardships and despite that, he completed his education. His academic qualifications boasts of an engineering degree from Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology. Only after this qualification, he started his career by doing minor roles in multiple films, and his hard work paid off with the critically acclaimed film, Masaan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ayushmann Khurrana: Beyond being a Bollywood sensation, Ayushmann Khurrana is also a highly qualified personality. He carries a Bachelor's degree in English literature from DAV College, Chandigarh, and he also completed his Master's in Mass Communication from the School of Communication Studies in Chandigarh. Kriti Sanon: Kriti Sanon holds a degree in engineering from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology. During India Today Conclave, the actress revealed that she has always been into academics, and shared that even though she wanted to become an engineer, she didn't know what an engineer would do. She even sat for placements and received two job offers. Kartik Aaryan: Kartik Aaryan hails from a family of medical professionals. Having completed his schooling from Gwalior, he followed his passion for Science and pursued an engineering degree in biotechnology from Navi Mumbai. Beneath the layer of his academic journey, he also nurtured his interest in acting, and later he enrolled in an acting course at the Kreating Charakters Institute. Pragya Jaiswal: Apart from being one of the most in-demand actresses of today's time, Pragya Jaiswal is also a credibly qualified individual. The 'Daaku Maharaaj' actress completed a law degree from Symbiosis Law School in Pune. During her initial days, she participated in multiple pageants and became a model, and later on, she ventured into the acting space. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Wire
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Sikkim@50: Violence Is the New Normal
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Politics Sikkim@50: Violence Is the New Normal Jiwan Rai 17 minutes ago For now, the golden jubilee's most pressing question may well be this – how many more must bleed before justice is not merely promised, but delivered? In this image released by @PSTamangGolay via X on May 16, 2025, Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur with Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang takes part in a 'Tiranga Yatra' to express solidarity with the Indian armed forces, in Sikkim. This was also the day when the state marked its 50th anniversary of statehood. Photo: Via PTI. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Donate now May 16 is 'Sikkim Day', which marks the former kingdom's integration with India in 1975. Sikkim is celebrating 50 years of integration with the world's largest democracy. But behind the roar of celebration resound the cries of young voices who dared to dissent. If political intolerance in Sikkim had a colour today, it would be a deep, unforgiving crimson. Blood has become the new price for dissent. Violence is no longer an aberration; it has become the chilling new normal. The situation has deteriorated so drastically that even the state's Bharatiya Janata Party, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha's own ally, as admitted by chief minister Prem Singh Tamang himself at the India Today Conclave, was forced to convene a press conference on May 6, demanding an intervention by the Police Accountability Commission. When the national ruling party must publicly beg for institutional restraint in a state, the indictment could not be more damning. A macabre pattern of escalating violence against opposition figures in Sikkim is hard to ignore. From the daylight assault on SDF leader J.B. Darnal in June 2020 to the recent attacks on Anand Rai on May 2 and Citizen Action Party youth leader Ashish Rai on May 5, the narrative remains alarmingly consistent: individuals critical of the state establishment are brutally assaulted and perpetrators are hardly given exemplary punishment. In July 2021, a vocal SDF youth leader Arun Limbu, along with his sister and sister-in-law, were brutally attacked. Similarly, his party colleague, Rajesh Walling Rai was assaulted by a mob just outside the Sadar Police Station in Gangtok, with the video going viral. If the state's premier police station no longer deters violence, what hope remains for the average citizen across the state? The viral and damning video of Keshav Sapkota, general secretary of the Joint Action Council being attacked on the Singtam Bridge on April 8, 2023 by a mob as Sikkim Police stood by exposes the helplessness of those in uniform and the law and order situation of the state. The JAC was protesting against the redefinition of the term 'Sikkimese' in relation to tax exemptions for 'old settlers.' Tashi Gyatso Bhutia, another SDF youth leader, was assaulted in March 2023. Then in March 2024, there was the shocking and near-fatal attack on K.N. Rai, the former assembly Speaker. A man in his mid-60s, already battling a rare and debilitating illness was brutally assaulted and left so grievously wounded that he had to be airlifted to Delhi for emergency treatment. S.K. Timsina and Chandra Khaling were also attacked in the same incident. Young thugs targeting a defenceless former public servant weakened by prolonged medical treatment is quite telling – it exposes a culture that is rotting from within. The shift is a screaming red alarm. Other opposition leaders who were attacked include Binod Rai, former MLA, Aron Rai, Jack Rai, Tashi Palki Bhutia, Suman Chamling, Ramesh Kirat Rai, Mahesh Gurung, Sonam Tamang Dhanbahadur Tamang, Sidhant Subba, Noel Sharma and Phurden Bhutia. The list is by no means exhaustive. Each episode leaves behind not just a wounded body, but a wounded democracy. In February 2023, the SDF headquarters, the party office in Namchi and the Gangtok house of its party president – the state's former CM Pawan Chamling – were pelted with stones during a bandh called by the SDF to protest a Supreme Court observation referring to the Sikkimese Nepali community as 'immigrants.' On the night of June 10, 2024, shortly after the swearing-in of the new SKM government, several opposition leaders' homes were targeted in stone-pelting incidents. Among those affected were Bhaichung Bhutia's residence in Lumsey and Mechung Bhutia's property in Burtuk. CCTV footage captured masked individuals throwing stones at these properties. These attacks are frequent and appear to signal a systemic breakdown of law and order along with a collapse of accountability. The repeated targeting of opposition members will gradually weaken the foundations of democracy and demands urgent action from both state and central authorities to ensure the safety and rights of all political participants. The Sikkim Police, once a symbol of public trust, now finds itself at the centre of mounting criticism. The true tragedy lies not only in the blood staining Sikkim's streets but in the betrayal of its founding ideals and the slow suffocation of its democratic soul. As the state marks 50 years of democracy, the gulf between its founding promise and current reality yawns wider with each act of repression. This relentless cycle of political violence forces us to confront an urgent question: What can the future hold when dissent is repeatedly crushed? While banners proclaim 'Sikkim@50,' we must ask the uncomfortable question: can a democracy endure when it fears and resents the voice of its own people? Do we possess the courage to confront the cruel irony of the fact that the glowing tributes and grandiose fanfare seen in this historic celebration stand in grotesque contrast to broken bodies and silenced voices? The youth of this fifty-year-old democracy, who dared to challenge, question, and demand accountability, now bear the cost: hospital beds instead of podiums and fear instead of freedom. For now, the golden jubilee's most pressing question may well be this: How many more must bleed before justice is not merely promised, but delivered? Jiwan Rai is a social and political commentator from Sikkim. He can be reached at jiwanr@ Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Congress Renews Call to Remove 50% Cap on Reservations, Demands Timeline for Caste Census Changing Direction: The Wire's Short Film Festival Pressing Unmute: The Wire Marks 10 Years With a Celebration of Fearlessness The Many Meanings of Vietnam The Vanquished West: 50 Years After the End of Vietnam War, a Memoir of Resistance by the Global South Vietnam War 50 Years On: How It Changed Perception of War Mahavir Singh, Who Has Faded From Memory, Embodied the HSRA's 'Revolutionary Habitus' 'Saying Caste Census Will Take Place Not Enough': Opp Keeps up Pressure After BJP's U-Turn 'We Want Dates' Says Opposition as Modi Government Approves Caste Census in Sharp Reversal View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
India Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Telangana turning investment hub but financial crisis looms, says Revanth Reddy
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy asserted the state's economic leadership even as his administration confronted severe fiscal challenges inherited from the previous government, he the inauguration of a software company's new Hyderabad facility on Monday, Reddy claimed Telangana ranks first nationally in attracting investments, managing inflation and maintaining law and order. He announced the state has secured nearly Rs 3 lakh crore in investments since his Congress government took office in December are the number one state in India in investments – both domestic and international,' Reddy stated, noting Telangana attracted approximately Rs 1.78 lakh crore at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos alone. His international outreach included investor meets in the US, South Korea, Japan and at Sonata Software's event, highlighted Hyderabad's growth as a Global Capability Centre hub for software and life sciences, with the expanding presence of IT giants Microsoft, Cognizant, HCL Tech, Infosys, and Wipro. He claimed his government has created over 1 lakh private sector assertions starkly contrast with Reddy's candid admissions about Telangana's financial condition just a week earlier. At the Telangana Police Real Heroes Zee Awards on May 6, he appealed to government employees to avoid strikes, describing the state's finances as a 'financial minefield' left by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) if you cut me into pieces, I can't raise more than Rs 18,500 crore per month,' Reddy stated then, pointing to a monthly revenue-expenditure gap of Rs 4,000 crore. He bluntly assessed the state's creditworthiness: 'No one is lending us money. Not a single paisa is being given. No one believes us anymore.'At the India Today Conclave in March, Reddy had revealed that of the Rs 18,500 crore earned monthly, Rs 13,000 crore immediately goes to salaries, pensions, and debt repayment, leaving only Rs 5,000 crore for development and Chief Minister blamed the BRS government for leaving behind over Rs 8,500 crore in unpaid retirement benefits and massive arrears in power and infrastructure sectors. 'They declared free electricity, but didn't pay the coal bills for Singareni Collieries. Contractors are owed thousands of crores. They borrowed at 11% interest,' he these challenges, Reddy remains committed to his 'Telangana Rising' vision, highlighting the establishment of Young India Skills University, Young India Sports University, and Young India Integrated residential also pointed to the state's entrepreneurship programs, including what he called 'the country's largest entrepreneur funding and mentoring programme,' which empowers 66 lakh women through Self-Help Groups, and the newly launched 'Rajiv Yuva Vikasam' scheme that aims to promote also cited the The Miss World contest currently taking place in Hyderabad as evidence of the state's growing international profile, with Reddy promising to bring more global events to the region.
India Today
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Why ‘Andaz Apna Apna' is a gift that keeps giving
Aamir Khan reminisces Andaz Apna Apna at India Today Conclave. Film faced challenges like co-stars' discord and punctuality issues. Initially a box-office flop, it became a cult classic over time. As Aamir Khan walked down the memory lane at this year's India Today Conclave in a special session celebrating his turning 60 and some of his most iconic films, he had fond memories of the 1994 cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna. 'It was a lovely time but also a tough time I was the only actor who used to come on time,' he said with a chuckle and to the amusement of the audience. 'Koi time pe nahin aata tha (No one would come to set on time).' Not just that, Aamir revealed that co-stars Karisma Kapoor and Raveena Tandon were at odds back then, making him worried as to how the film would ever be completed. Finish it did alas the Raj Kumar Santoshi-directed film, featuring Aamir and Salman Khan as the eternal rivals, Amar and Prem, was in Aamir's own words a 'disaster' at the box-office. 'I was flummoxed because I thought it was a great film I always believed in it,' he said. 'I found the sense of humour wacky and mad.' Audiences would share his sentiment, for gradually Andaz Apna Apna got a new lease of life on home entertainment where it tickled the hearts of audiences. Its peak quirk quotient, memorable characters like Crime Master Gogo (played by Shakti Kapoor), Teja (Paresh Rawal), Robert and Bhalla (Viju Khote and Shehzad Khan) and quotable dialogues like 'Main toh kahoonga aap purush hi nahin, mahapurush hain', 'Galti se mistake ho gaya', 'Teja main hoon, mark idhar hai' and 'Aankhein nikal ke gotiyaan kheloonga' have only added to its legend. On its 30th anniversary, the film re-released in theatres on April makers will be hoping that the film finds not just an audience that loves nostalgia-tripping as they revisit a classic but also a new generation which will be curious to understand why the film is such an integral part of Bollywood pop culture that has resulted in viral clips and memes galore. Such is the fandom around the film that even politician Shashi Tharoor found himself caught up in the frenzy after a few eagle-eyed fans saw a lookalike in the background in one of the scenes. Part of Andaz Apna Apna's appeal is how it never loses sight of the fact that its two leads are fools whose inflated sense of self leads to much laughs. That Aamir and Salman agreed to play parts where they often are the butt of jokes makes it all the more enjoyable. On paper, the film is essentially an ego clash between two good-for-nothing young men who are both greedy to win over the rich man's daughter. One is nave (Salman), the other too cocky (Aamir), and the lengths they stoop to outsmart each other are hilarious. To Santoshi goes the credit of creating iconic set-pieces, such as the football sequence played out with sherbet glasses or the climax which is a delightful exercise in tomfoolery. The film doesn't miss its humourous beat even during songs such as Dil Karta Hai Tere Paas Aaaon and Yeh Raat Aur Yeh Doori. To think that the film was made when Aamir and Salman themselves are said to have had a rough relationship on the set and still turn out the way it did is even more commendable. Whether the film is second-time lucky, as Tumbbad (2018) and Sanam Teri Kasam (2016), were in their re-releases remains to be seen, but count a bunch of millennials flocking to the cinemas to revisit a film that revels in its silliness and doesn't lose its punch with repeated viewings. Subscribe to India Today Magazine As Aamir Khan walked down the memory lane at this year's India Today Conclave in a special session celebrating his turning 60 and some of his most iconic films, he had fond memories of the 1994 cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna. 'It was a lovely time but also a tough time I was the only actor who used to come on time,' he said with a chuckle and to the amusement of the audience. 'Koi time pe nahin aata tha (No one would come to set on time).' Not just that, Aamir revealed that co-stars Karisma Kapoor and Raveena Tandon were at odds back then, making him worried as to how the film would ever be completed. Finish it did alas the Raj Kumar Santoshi-directed film, featuring Aamir and Salman Khan as the eternal rivals, Amar and Prem, was in Aamir's own words a 'disaster' at the box-office. 'I was flummoxed because I thought it was a great film I always believed in it,' he said. 'I found the sense of humour wacky and mad.' Audiences would share his sentiment, for gradually Andaz Apna Apna got a new lease of life on home entertainment where it tickled the hearts of audiences. Its peak quirk quotient, memorable characters like Crime Master Gogo (played by Shakti Kapoor), Teja (Paresh Rawal), Robert and Bhalla (Viju Khote and Shehzad Khan) and quotable dialogues like 'Main toh kahoonga aap purush hi nahin, mahapurush hain', 'Galti se mistake ho gaya', 'Teja main hoon, mark idhar hai' and 'Aankhein nikal ke gotiyaan kheloonga' have only added to its legend. On its 30th anniversary, the film re-released in theatres on April makers will be hoping that the film finds not just an audience that loves nostalgia-tripping as they revisit a classic but also a new generation which will be curious to understand why the film is such an integral part of Bollywood pop culture that has resulted in viral clips and memes galore. Such is the fandom around the film that even politician Shashi Tharoor found himself caught up in the frenzy after a few eagle-eyed fans saw a lookalike in the background in one of the scenes. Part of Andaz Apna Apna's appeal is how it never loses sight of the fact that its two leads are fools whose inflated sense of self leads to much laughs. That Aamir and Salman agreed to play parts where they often are the butt of jokes makes it all the more enjoyable. On paper, the film is essentially an ego clash between two good-for-nothing young men who are both greedy to win over the rich man's daughter. One is nave (Salman), the other too cocky (Aamir), and the lengths they stoop to outsmart each other are hilarious. To Santoshi goes the credit of creating iconic set-pieces, such as the football sequence played out with sherbet glasses or the climax which is a delightful exercise in tomfoolery. The film doesn't miss its humourous beat even during songs such as Dil Karta Hai Tere Paas Aaaon and Yeh Raat Aur Yeh Doori. To think that the film was made when Aamir and Salman themselves are said to have had a rough relationship on the set and still turn out the way it did is even more commendable. Whether the film is second-time lucky, as Tumbbad (2018) and Sanam Teri Kasam (2016), were in their re-releases remains to be seen, but count a bunch of millennials flocking to the cinemas to revisit a film that revels in its silliness and doesn't lose its punch with repeated viewings. Subscribe to India Today Magazine Join our WhatsApp Channel
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Business Standard
21-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
We're building a newsroom that's not afraid to play with tech: Kalli Purie
The ₹1,100 crore India Today Group, including the ₹990 crore TV Today Network, has been using artificial intelligence (AI) in its newsrooms for over two years now. Vanita Kohli-Khandekar spoke with vice-chairperson Kalli Purie at her office in Noida. Edited excerpts: What's behind the launch of AI pop stars Aishan and Ruh? Nilanjan (Das, group creative director) is our main AI guy. He is always experimenting, sending me AI music. That's where the A-pop idea came. We put these two pop stars together and launched them on our radio station (Ishq) without any explanation. We revealed it at the India Today Conclave (March 2025). Music Today (the group's music label) is about Ustads and legends. This allows us to revive the brand in a different way. Were you looking at doing something like this? We have been looking at AI for two years. In 2023, we launched Sana, an AI anchor. She was on the 9 pm show with Sudhir (Chaudhary, former editor Aaj Tak) for a while. She's done interviews with Shah Rukh Khan, Kriti Sanon et al and brand endorsements with Samsung, Motorola, etc. At the 2023 G20 summit, she did the bulletins in 12 languages (English, Hindi, French, German, Italian, Japanese, among others). We tried using her to do regular headlines. That was okay, not great. She does the weather bulletins. It is just two different programs talking to each other and it goes on air. Why an AI anchor? What other uses has AI been put to in your newsroom? A digital persona can do funny hours. If I could have an anchor in the studio when the newsroom has woken up to a big event like an earthquake, it can be fed in. You have a person in front of the camera. But AI has not kept pace with things we want to do. Sana is not intelligent. You can't have her debate with anyone. The team got AP's (India Today founder Aroon Purie) style sheet from the 1980s and fed that into AI. Now, every story that goes in through the AI content management system has that stylesheet applied to it automatically. The India Today design team has created 200 covers for the magazine and other group print titles, which are either fully AI or AI augmented. We're doing AI twins of primetime anchors like Anjana (Om Kashyap) and Shweta (Singh) for the times when we need them both in the field and studio. What do the AI experiments mean for costs and revenue? The company is in a strong space; it is pure media and profitable (TV Today made an operating profit of ₹82 crore in FY24). Right now, AI is an investment but not a burn. There is break-even at times and even some money to be made. What is the grand plan? How can we use AI to remove monotony from our team's job and give them more creative roles? Anjana is on the field and in the studio. Can we have her speaking in different languages? Can we get into spaces for which we do not have huge budgets, such as general entertainment channel (GEC) content or music. GEC content seems far from what you do…. It is interesting because people are already experimenting with AI actors, scripts and music. If I have two AI actors, the script is written in-house, the location is virtual, you can create something. How will the audience take it? I feel the younger audience is more accepting. They can quickly verify what is AI and what is not. A certain generation would be like, 'it's not human creativity.'
