Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooq, veteran actor, member of Parliament and freedom fighter of Bengali film Miyabhai, passed away.

He died on Monday (March 15) at 8:30 am while undergoing treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore (Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun).

Farooq's wife Farhana Pathan confirmed the matter. She said that his body will be brought home on Tuesday morning flight.

She said, actor Farooq died around 8:30 am on Monday. He was under treatment in a hospital in Singapore for almost two years.

Actor Farooq had appeared in the big screen through the film 'Jalchhabi' directed by H Akbar. He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1975 for his performance. In 2016, he was awarded a lifetime award.

Notable films he has acted include Sareng Bau, Lathiyal, Sujan Sakhi, Nayan Moni, Mia Bhai, Pinky Now Train, Saheb, Alor Michili, Din Jae Katha Rahe etc.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the new Parliament building inauguration.

SRK took to Twitter and shared a video showcasing the parliament building.

he wrote, "What a magnificent new home for the people who uphold our Constitution, represent every citizen of this great Nation and protect the diversity of her one [email protected] ji. A new Parliament building for a New India but with the age old dream of Glory for India. Jai Hind! #MyParliamentMyPride."

PM Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to inaugurate the new Parliament building on Sunday.

Earlier, music composer Ilaiyaraaja and actor Rajinikanth posted congratulatory messages.

Taking to Twitter, Ilaiyaraaja shared his excitement as a citizen and posted a statement.

The statement read, "Tomorrow as the Hon'ble PM inaugurates the new Parliament building, am happy & excited as a citizen & especially as a Parliamentarian and join our joyous and proud nation in congratulating PM Modi, the Govt of India & all those people who have contributed to building this historic structure in such a short time. I sincerely pray the new structure becomes the abode for transformational policies and decision making as the world celebrates a new India under the inspirational leadership of PM Modi."
He praised PM Modi for his vision of taking India to new heights and his duty-bound actions reflects the same.

The statement continued, "The royalty who possessed the revered Sengol (an ancient Tamilian culture & pride) and successfully ruled over their kingdoms revered the sceptre as a symbol of justice, order, honesty, and ethics. It's with immense pride and joy that we welcome the return of the sceptre to its rightful place of pride. As Head of the World's largest democracy, PM Modi has a vision of taking India to new heights and his duty-bound actions reflects the same. May God be with him in all his endeavors and I sincerely wish him, the Govt of India all success on this momentous occasion."

Rajinikanth also expressed his feeling and wrote, " the traditional symbol of tamil power - the scepter - will shine in india's new parliament building. My sincere thanks to the honorable bharat pratham @narendramodi who made tamilians proud."

Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament Building on December 10, 2020. It has been built in record time with quality construction.
The task of constructing the new Parliament building was a mammoth endeavour. It witnessed several key construction activities being done off-site as well. Further, the construction also saw the usage of materials sourced from across the country.

As per the government officials, Teak wood was sourced from Nagpur, Maharashtra while sandstone (red and white) was procured from Sarmathura, Rajasthan.

The carpets to be floored inside the new building were procured from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.

The bamboo wood flooring came from Agartala, Tripura.

From Rajnagar, Rajasthan and Noida, UP Stone Jali Works were obtained.

The material involved in constructing Ashoka Emblem was sourced from Aurangabad, Maharashtra and Jaipur, Rajasthan while Ashok Chakra came from Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Some of the furniture acquired was procured from Mumbai. From Lakha, Jaisalmer Lakha Red granite was obtained. Ambaji White marble was procured from Ambaji, Rajasthan. Kesharia Green Stone was procured from Udaipur.

The stone carving work was obtained from Abu Road and Udaipur, and the stone aggregate was from Kotputali, Rajasthan.

The M-Sand was procured from Chakari Dadri, Haryana, and Fly Ash Bricks from NCR Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and the Brass work and Pre-cast Trenches were got from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, while the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha false ceiling steel structures came from UT of Daman and Diu.

Meanwhile, amid the boycott call by the opposition, the Centre has received a confirmed list of 25 political parties, including some which are not a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), that will participate in the inauguration ceremony. (ANI)

Srinagar's Dal Lake has been a witness to many romances in Indian cinema - Shammi Kapoor to Shah Rukh Khan, all have had their iconic dance sets filmed with the picturesque lake in their backdrop.

"Almost 370 Bollywood films have been filmed in the Kashmir Valley and now with the OTT platforms, this number will see a sharp increase," G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant stated.

According to him, the Working Group on Tourism will ensure more filmmakers from abroad visit the Valley.

"We are promoting Jammu and Kashmir so that foreign filmmakers also come here. We cannot become a world tourist destination without private investment. That's why we want global and domestic investment. We are also encouraging 100% FDI under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including in the North Eastern states and hill states," said Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy.

"In Kashmir, you will find everything within a radius of 10 km. There are snow-capped mountains, rivers and lakes. It would not be wrong to say that this area is a producer's paradise," Union Minister of State for the Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh told NDTV.

Earlier, a lot of films were shot in the Valley but the trend faded in the 1990s due to terrorism. But now it seems old times are coming back again, according to him.

"For the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, such a big international event is happening here. It signifies how the situation has changed and how the youth here no longer want to participate in strikes. They want employment," he added.

The G 20 summit organised at the Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) was also attended by Oscar-winning film 'RRR' actor Ram Charan.

He along with the delegates reached the stage and danced to the song 'Naatu Naatu' from 'RRR'. During his performance, he also taught the hook step of the song to Korean Ambassador Chang Jae-bok.

Sharing his memories of Kashmir, he said, "I have been coming here since 1986. My father shot a lot here in Gulmarg and Sonamarg. I too shot here in 2016. There is some magic in this place which grabs everyone's attention."

The government is trying to bring a new film policy through this working group meeting.

In discussions held on Monday, many countries shared their experiences about how to promote their countries as a destination for filmmakers.

It was also discussed how Tourism in New Zealand went up 40% after the 'Lord of the Rings' movie was filmed there.

"As many as 6% of international tourists who visited New Zealand admitted that they went there after watching the film," claimed an official.

He said even Singapore's tourist traffic saw a huge jump after Hrithik Roshan-starrer Krrish was shot there. "Indian tourism to Singapore increased after Krrish, from 6 million before to 7 million after the film," he added.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration stated that about 1.8 crore tourists visited the Union Territory last year. And indications so far suggest that this year this number will see a sharp increase.

Source: NDTV

Saubhagya Sharma from Guwahati has been conferred the Youngest Philanthropist of the Year Award for Animal Welfare at the Global Excellence Awards 2023 which was held in Mumbai.

She was delighted to get the award from an animal lover and popular Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit Nene.

She has worked and volunteered with National and Internationally recognized NGOs like The Federation of Indian Animals Protection Organisations (FIAPO), Peta India, PFA and many more.

Saubhagya has always been very compassionate and kind towards stray animals. From fostering in her early teens, while she was working in the H.R. team with a leading international airline company she used to spend most of her non-working days in the animal shelters, orphanages and old age homes volunteering.

Following her passion, she has done an animal communication and psychology diploma under Elmira Strange, University of Whales, UK and under Celtic Learning Solution, Akshaya Kawle in Mumbai.

Inspired by Jo-Ann McArthur she turned VEGAN and has done numerous awareness campaigns, and activism events and single-handedly without any donations has rescued and vaccinated more than 800 strays in the country. Saubhagya aims to be the voice for all the voiceless and teach compassion over cruelty.

Singer Gracyl Ropmay released the music album of Guwahati artiste Esha Das ‘I Can Fly’ on Saturday at Shillong Press Club here.

Shot in Meghalaya, the music video was composed and sung by Esha who also wrote the lyrics.

While releasing the album, Ropmay congratulated Esha to excel in the field of music further.

The 4K video takes viewers on a journey through the scenic landscapes of Meghalaya.

Her father and producer Kishor Kumar Das assembled a talented team to bring Esha’s vision to life.

Esha is a high school student from South Point School in Guwahati, whose passion for music is inspiring. She began composing and singing at the age of 9 and has since then dedicated herself to her craft.

Esha said the song was composed when she was depressed and this has helped to uplift her mind. She hoped that this will encourage the listeners to believe in themselves and their ability to overcome any obstacle.

Her father said as a proud native of North East, Esha is committed to promoting North East tourism, which includes Meghalaya besides showcasing the rich socio-cultural heritage of the region by her music video.

She has been promoting Meghalaya in almost all her videos both regional and English. Her music videos celebrate the beauty of Meghalaya’s natural landscapes, he said.

In addition to “I Can Fly,” Esha had also released the popular video album “Never Let You Go,” which received airplay on London FM.

Esha also has a Youtube channel “Esha Music” where all her music videos can be watched.

AUDIO CREDITS:

Singer: Esha Das, Lyricist: Esha Das Composer: Esha Das

Music: Anowar Hussain, Mixing: Mafia Beatz Mastering: Donal Whelan (Mastering world, LONDON)

VIDEO CREDITS:

Producer: Kishor Kumar Das Director/Editor: Zedrin Phukan D.O.P: Pranay Mane 2nd D.O.P: Krishanku Bidyarthy

DI & Colourist: Zedrin Phukan Assistant Director: Swaraj Bharali Drone: Biplob Makeup: Chimi Bhuyan