Rajinikanth's jeep from 'Kaala' may be preserved in museum

Superstar Rajinikanth's jeep from his upcoming Tamil film "Kaala", being directed by Pa. Ranjith, will be given to businessman Anand Mahindra for a planned auto museum upon completion of the entire shoot, its producer Dhanush said.

Anand Mahindra, Executive Chairman of Mahindra group, expressed his desire to store the jeep as a collector's item in his auto museum.

"When the legend Rajinikanth uses a car as a throne, it becomes a legend. Whoever knows the whereabouts of the used car for this shoot, please let us know. I'd like to acquire it for our company auto museum," Mahindra wrote on his Twitter page.

He also shared one of the posters of the film in which Rajinikanth is seen seated on the jeep, against the backdrop of Dharavi slum.

In response to his tweet, Dhanush wrote: "Thank you so much sir! The vehicle is being used by superstar for shoot currently. Once completed will ensure it reaches you."

Then Mahindra responded: "Fanatastic. Or maybe I should say - Wunderbar! Appreciate the response Dhanush. Good luck to you and the team."

"Wunderbar" is a reference to Dhanush's production banner Wunderbar Films. Read more

'Lovely coincidence' - Priyanka Chopra meets Modi in Berlin

Actress Priyanka Chopra on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in between his packed schedule in Berlin, terming it "such a lovely coincidence".

"Thank you for taking the time to meet me this morning Narendra Modi sir. Such a lovely coincidence to be in Berlin at the same time," Priyanka, who has been making India proud in Hollywood, tweeted.


She even shared a glimpse from her meeting with Modi on Twitter as well as Instagram.

The actress, who is known for her acting skills as well as supporting social and humanitarian causes, is seen in a white dress with a floral print during the meeting.

Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Germany, is in a black bandhgala.

Modi arrived in Berlin on Monday on the first leg of his six-day, four-nation tour of Europe. From Germany, Modi will travel to Spain, Russia and France.

Meanwhile, Priyanka, whose Hollywood debut film "Baywatch" opened internationally to mixed reviews, is enjoying a break in Berlin. "Baywatch", also starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, is slated to release in India on June 2.

Sachin: A Billion Dreams: A glorified account of an over-glorified celeb

Like his book, Tendulkar's biopic is a nostalgic cruise through his career

As I walked out of the cinema hall after watching Sachin: A Billion Dreams, I wondered: Would I have thought differently of this biopic had I not known anything about the person it is based on? James Erskine’s documentary on one of the most celebrated cricketers in the world – one who has achieved a near-deific status in India – went along expected lines.

But was that because I, like many Indians and cricket followers around the world, already knew so much about Sachin Tendulkar? How would someone living under a rock for the last quarter of a century, and did not know who Tendulkar was, have liked it?

Sachin: A Billion Dreams starts off rather nicely, showing us a naughty curly-haired boy of seven or eight years living in Mumbai’s Bandra suburb, getting up to the usual seven-or-eight-year-old boy things like annoying his neighbours with pranks. The boy then receives a cricket bat as a gift from his elder sister, and this is where the story that most Indians and cricket followers already know begins.

This wasn’t the first time I was watching the celluloid adaptation of a story I already knew. I wasn’t, of course, expecting any suspense or plot twists, but I have been far more entertained by some of those other movies where I already knew what was going to happen, than I was by Sachin: A Billion Dreams. Maybe our man under the rock might think differently, but then a story still needs to be told properly, completely and honestly, and this is where Erskine’s attempt is found lacking. (more)

Smartron srt.phone: A fine deal if you are a die-hard Sachin Tendulkar fan

Powerful innards of Smartron's 'all-rounder' smartphone are failed by its many software glitches

Domestic information technology (IT) start-up Smartron, which counts Indian cricket legend Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and former Motorola Mobility Chief Executive Sanjay Jha among its investors, recently launched the srt.phone smartphone, “inspired by the dependable traits of Tendulkar”.

At the launch of srt.phone, the company claimed that the smartphone used the best antennas and other security features that made it an all-rounder. Indeed, Smartron has pleased investors with its manoeuvres to deliver solutions ranging from internet of things (IoT) to smartphones built specifically for Indian consumers. But how does the srt.phone fare against the claims of dependability and the inspiration it apparently draws from one of the tallest role models for India in recent times?

To find out, Business Standard took the device for a spin and tested its real-life performance. Here is an in-depth review of the srt.phone:

Watch the hands-on review here
Design

The srt.phone offers a no-frills design, with rounded edges and curved sides. The smartphone might look appealing, but its polycarbonate built with metallic finish seems to somewhat spoil the experience. The plastic built is not loose or creaky – it fits perfectly on all sides and the matte touch adds to the aesthetics – but the pseudo metallic look was not necessary; it is way too prominent even at the first glance.

The front of the srt.phone is dominated by a 5.5-inch full-HD display protected with Gorilla Glass 3. There are three capacitive keys below the display, but these are without any sign or icon, just three flat dots. These dots acts are the home button and navigation keys. The earpiece along with sensors are placed neatly on the top, next to the front camera. (more)

Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya back on Twitter with new account

Twitter on May 23 suspended Abhijeet's account over sexist remarks targeted at some women users

Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, whose verified account on Twitter was suspended over offensive and sexist remarks last week, on Monday returned to the micro-blogging site with a new handle. He says anti-nationals can't stop his voice.

Twitter on May 23 suspended Abhijeet's account over sexist and offensive remarks targeted at some women users, particularly JNU student-activist Shehla Rashid.

Also Read : BCCI not averse to having series with Pakistan: Amitabh Chaudhary

In a video posted on his new account, Abhijeet says: "People are trying to suppress my voice. I am against those who try to speak against the nation and the Indian Army. This is my new Twitter account.

"Till the time my verified account is not active, please follow me on this Twitter account. All other accounts by my name are fake and are trying to malign my reputation."

An accompanying post with the video read: "Vande Mataram. I am back. Anti-nationals can't stop my voice, salute to Indian Army. This is my new Twitter account, rest are fake."

Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya back on Twitter with new account

Powerful innards of Smartron's 'all-rounder' smartphone are failed by its many software glitches

Domestic information technology (IT) start-up Smartron, which counts Indian cricket legend Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and former Motorola Mobility Chief Executive Sanjay Jha among its investors, recently launched the srt.phone smartphone, “inspired by the dependable traits of Tendulkar”.

At the launch of srt.phone, the company claimed that the smartphone used the best antennas and other security features that made it an all-rounder. Indeed, Smartron has pleased investors with its manoeuvres to deliver solutions ranging from internet of things (IoT) to smartphones built specifically for Indian consumers. But how does the srt.phone fare against the claims of dependability and the inspiration it apparently draws from one of the tallest role models for India in recent times?

To find out, Business Standard took the device for a spin and tested its real-life performance. Here is an in-depth review of the srt.phone:

Watch the hands-on review here
Design

The srt.phone offers a no-frills design, with rounded edges and curved sides. The smartphone might look appealing, but its polycarbonate built with metallic finish seems to somewhat spoil the experience. The plastic built is not loose or creaky – it fits perfectly on all sides and the matte touch adds to the aesthetics – but the pseudo metallic look was not necessary; it is way too prominent even at the first glance.

The front of the srt.phone is dominated by a 5.5-inch full-HD display protected with Gorilla Glass 3. There are three capacitive keys below the display, but these are without any sign or icon, just three flat dots. These dots acts are the home button and navigation keys. The earpiece along with sensors are placed neatly on the top, next to the front camera. (more)

Salman Khan not worried about Baahubali 2 box office record

Baahubali: The Conclusion has so far collected over Rs 1,500 crore across the world

SS Rajamouli's "Baahubali: The Conclusion" may be setting the box office on fire but superstar Salman Khan said he doesn't get worried about the business of a film as he thinks every movie has its own destiny.

"Baahubali: The Beginning" released on July 10, 2015, a week before Salman's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan".

"Baahubali: The Conclusion", which hit theatres on April 28, has so far collected over Rs 1,500 crore across the world.

"After 'Baahubali: The Beginning', we came up with "Bajrangi Bhaijaan". Now after 'Baahubali: The Conclusion', we are coming up with 'Tubelight'. There is a lot of pressure on the CEO of Salman Khan Films. I don't get worried so much. It is a phenomenal success and it is amazing.

Also Read :

• To do a 'pure' character is the most difficult thing: Salman Khan
• Here's why Salman Khan doesn't enjoy watching 'Tublight's teaser

"I have not seen the film but I will watch it. But it doesn't matter (box office records) as I think every film has its own destiny. Lets see what the destiny of 'Tubelight' is and how much it earns," Salman told reporters here at the trailer launch of "Tubelight".

The "Dabangg" star on a lighter note further said, "They (referring to Rajamouli doing one film in four years) do one film in four years, I do two films in a year and the average is that much."

Salman's brother, actor Sohail Khan, who also stars in "Tubelight", said it's good if a movie sets a record at the box office.

"It's lovely when a film does well commercially as it sets a yardstick (for other films). It's nice that 'Baahubali...' did well," Sohail said.

During the launch, Salman seemed emotional while talking about his other co-star, legendary actor Om Puri. (more)