Latest news with #Jaal
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Aakash Nagi on joining Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan: The biggest challenge was playing a bilingual character
Aakash Nagi and (right) as Jaal in Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan Aakash Nagi is excited to be part of Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, which also marks his debut in the historical genre. He plays the role of Jaal, an Afghani character who infiltrates the Rajput camp in Ajmer under the orders of Ghiyassudin. Speaking about his role, Aakash shares, 'For me, the most challenging aspect was that my character is bilingual — he speaks both Afghani and Marwari/Rajasthani. Another major challenge was performing action scenes while constantly wearing heavy costumes and accessories. However, my theatre experience helped me a lot in managing these demands.' One of the intriguing aspects of playing Jaal is the character's use of disguises. He explains, 'Jaal takes on various disguises — as a trader, a soldier, a dancer, and many more — to accomplish his mission and assassinate as many Rajput kings as possible, including Someshwar and Prithviraj.' Working on the show also gave Aakash the opportunity to collaborate with veteran actor Ronit Bose Roy, who portrays King Someshwar. Aakash says, 'It was a dream come true to work with Ronit Roy sir. We've shot some scenes together, and he's extremely accommodating on set. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 새로 나온 '실비보험' 최적가 가입추천! "주요 보험사별 맞춤견적+가성비 굿"... 굿리치 보험대리점 (등록번호:제2006038313호) 가입하기 Undo He gives other actors the space to improvise and ensures everyone feels comfortable while working with him. I haven't had the chance to shoot with Padmini ma'am yet, but I did get to interact with her. She is truly a gem of a person.' Aakash's journey into acting is a unique one. Originally a mechanical engineer, he completed his engineering degree in 2018 and began working in the field. However, his passion for cinema eventually led him to pursue acting full-time. 'I was always drawn to cinema. During my engineering days, I used to watch up to three movies a day,' he recalls, adding, 'I started doing theatre in college, and it laid the foundation for my acting career. Initially, I did unpaid roles while working my day job. I landed my first paid acting role in 2020 with the Punjabi show Kamli Ishq Di, which was shot in Chandigarh.' Following that breakthrough, he made the decision to move to Mumbai and try his luck in the mainstream entertainment industry. 'Moving to Mumbai was a difficult decision and surviving there was a struggle at first. But once I started getting commercial work, it became a bit easier to sustain myself. I eventually landed my first lead role in the Hindi television serial Mere Desh Ki Dharti, and things started to fall into place after that,' he concludes.
Hindustan Times
01-06-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Pretty lizzie dares the Thar noon
Only those as mad as a hatter would venture into the noon / afternoon heat of the Thar desert for a foodie binge. But for the Brilliant Ground agama (Trapelius / Agama agilis Olivier), a lesser known lizard and commonly confounded by locals with a girgit/korkirla (Garden lizard), the inferno of the desert is best suited for predation on insects and its own safety. This is precisely the time, as the wise lizard knows, the avian hunters such as falcons, hawks and eagles will have beaten a retreat to a shady 'thikana'. Insects, too, are active at this infernal time in the native flora of the Thar: Kheep, Ber, Jaal, Kumbat, Aak etc. Insects feed on foliage and lay eggs, and in turn are gobbled by the 'lizards who duel at high noon'. The lizard is a burrowing species, with the female adapted to dig into the soil for nesting and protection while the male simply slithers under the Thar rocks. 'In summer, male lizards always stay in the open. As temperatures can rise to 55°C, male lizards also get affected by the heat but they counter the onslaught by changing into beautiful colours, which are known to be less absorbent of debilitating sun rays. To humans, it may appear that the lizard has turned magically into a gorgeous creature but the stark colouration changes are critical for survival. So, the head and abdomen changes from the standard dull brown, sandy colour into a vivid blue peppered with white spots while the tail turns yellowish-orange. The male's entire lower surface turns white,' principal of the SBK Government PG College, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, and professor of zoology, Shyam Sunder Meena, told this writer. Meena was the first to venture into the field and study this neglected species of the Thar, resulting in a research paper: Sexual Selection and Sexual Dimorphism in Agama agilis. 'To further cut down on heat absorption, male lizards alternatively move their legs up and down to minimise contact with the warm surface. They also select perches on foliage which are 6-9 feet above the hot earth,' Meena added. The monsoons tail this cuckoo The very early advent of the monsoons this year has manifested itself in avian form. The Pied or Jacobin cuckoo, which is partly a resident species as also a summer migrant from Africa, has been spotted pretty early. The cuckoo migrates to the northern regions of India to lay eggs surreptitiously in the nests of other birds, especially the Turdoides babblers. Cuckoo chicks are then reared by surrogate babbler parents in what is known as 'brood parasitism'. A very early record for Punjab came on May 24, 2025, when birder Manish Ahuja spotted a cuckoo on a power transmission wire just outside Ferozepur. This writer heard a cuckoo late at night the next day in Sector 19 A, Chandigarh. The earliest record for the cuckoo as far as the tricity is concerned is May 23, 2009, when this writer observed one at the 16th hole of the Shivalik Golf Club (SEPTA), Chandimandir. Ebird India, which collates data on avian sightings, shows an unusual record. Samay Srivastava recorded a migrating cuckoo at the Jalvayu Towers Society, Gurugram, on May 1, 2025! Ebird also shows cuckoo records of May 18 and May 23, 2025, from Uttarakhand. The migratory component of the cuckoos is adept at harnessing monsoon winds blowing from the Horn of Africa to migrate 1,500-2,000 km to the Indian coastline and then fly further inland. The pattern that seems to come across is that the monsoon winds come in from the south west but the rains spread southeast to northwest in India. The cuckoos come in with the winds but then spread over India with the rains, southeast to northwest. Due to the cuckoo's augury of the impending monsoon, the bird enjoys cultural resonance, including a reference in Kalidas' Meghdoot as the 'Chataka': '(O cloud) the wind will be favourable, Slow and soft for thee and waft thee ahead, Close on thy left, The Chataka or the Rain lark, Will sing sweetly.' vjswild2@
