New Delhi: More than six months have passed since he last stepped into the ring but Indian boxing star Vijender Singh is hopeful of getting back to competition in the next three months after his US-based promoter restarted bouts earlier this month.
Signed by Hall of Famer Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions in 2018, Vijender was last seen in action in November 2019 when he defeated Ghana's Charles Adamu to keep his unbeaten record intact in the professional circuit.
The 2008 Olympic bronze-medallist told PTI that he has had a word with Top Rank and plans are afoot for a fight at least by October.
"It will be outside India because it is unlikely that restrictions because of COVID-19 pandemic will ease by then. From what I gather, in the next two-three months, I will probably be able to fight," the 34-year-old said.
Top Rank resumed action amid the pandemic on 9 June with Olympic silver-medallist Shakur Stevenson defeating Felix Caraballo in a TV-only event held without spectators.
"That's the future given the situation. I think that's how professional boxing will be. Unfortunate but that's how it will adapt," said Vijender.
Speaking of adapting to the new normal in the pandemic-scarred world, the former amateur world bronze-medallist said fans should be kept away completely for the time being even if action resumes.
"First of all, there shouldn't be a rush. Secondly, you just cannot have crowds. I know they add to the atmosphere but safety first. You have to take every precaution to ensure that this doesn't spread," he said.
"The post-COVID world would be great for broadcasters and advertisers because there is immense hunger for live sports right now," he added.
"Boxing is easier to conduct in that sense because a very limited number of people are involved in action. They can be tested and kept in a bio-secure zone to ensure that nothing untoward happens."
And when does he see live sports resuming in India even as COVID-19 cases inch towards the 6 lakh mark, Vijender said at this point it is difficult to say.
"India has always been an unpredictable country, one can never be sure how things pan out here," he laughed.
"On a serious note, I would only urge utmost caution before any decision on resuming competitions is taken," he added.
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India has bid for the 2027 Asian Cup hosting rights along with four other countries, the Asian Football Federation (AFC) has revealed.
The other bidders for Asia's premier football tournament are Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.
"The AFC will now work with each Bidding Member Association on the delivery of the necessary bidding documentation in accordance with the bidding process and will announce the host for the 19th edition of the AFC Asian Cup in 2021," said the AFC in a statement late on Tuesday.
AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa thanked the five-member associations for showcasing their support to the Asian Cup.
"On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to thank all our Member Associations for stepping forward to express their desire and for sharing our ambitions to host a world-class stage for our players, teams, officials and fans and I wish all of them the very best in the bidding process," he said.
Of the five countries expressing an interest, two nations have already hosted the tournament twice since its inception in 1956.
Reigning champions Qatar staged the competition in 1988 and 2011, as well as Iran, who are the only nation in Asian football history to have won the coveted crown twice on home soil in 1968 and 1976.
Three-time champions Saudi Arabia and India, who were recently awarded the hosting rights for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, as well as Uzbekistan, this year's host for the AFC U-19 Championship, are all vying to stage event for the first time.
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A new month means a slew of movies and shows being added to the streaming platforms. From highly-anticipated comebacks to intriguing new projects, streaming platforms are churning out varied form of stories to the already diverse world of digital platforms.
If you are feeling a void after finishing the latest instalment of Dark, there is still a lot of shows and films to look forward to. Hence, we sourced through the internet and curated a list of content coming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar this month.
Directed by Naranipuzha Shanavas, Sufiyum Sujatayum is a Malayalam romantic thriller, starring Jayasurya, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Dev Mohan. Sujatha (Hydari) is in love with a Sufi saint played by Mohan. However, she is married off to Rajeev (Jayasurya), and moves to Dubai. The plot revolves around events that unfold when she comes down to take part in the saint’s last rites. It is produced by Vijay Babu under his banner of Friday Film House.
Abhishek Bachchan, Nithya Menen, and Saiyami Kher join the cast for the second season of this psychological crime thriller anthology series that seemingly involves the kidnapping of a Dr Avinash (Bachchan) and Abha Sabharwal's (Menen) daughter. Amit Sadh returns as Inspector Kabir Sawant from the first season. Breathe 2 marks the debut of Bachchan on a digital platform.
Radioactive- 24 July
Radioactive is a biopic on Marie Curie, the Noble Prize-winning physicist and chemist known for developing the theory of radioactivity and discovering polonium and radium. Starring Rosemund Pike in the titular role, it chronicles the scientific and romantic relationship between Curie and her husband Pierre. Written by Jack Thorne, the film is based on Lauren Redniss’s 2010 graphic novel Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout.
Disney+ Hotstar
Hamilton- 3 July
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking, biographical hip-hop Broadway show about the life of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton is finally a movie. The filmed version from 2016 features the original cast led by Miranda, Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting), Leslie Odom Jr (Harriet), and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter). It has won 11 Tony Awards and 2016 Pulitzer Prizes for drama, and has made numerous tours.
Originally set for a theatrical release in 2021, Disney brought it forward to serve stuck-at-home audiences during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dil Bechara - 24 July
A story of love, hope, and endless memories.
Celebrating the late #SushantSinghRajput's legacy that will be etched in the minds of all and cherished forever.#DilBechara coming to everyone on July 24. pic.twitter.com/hG5VMW3WAZ
Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film Dil Bechara is getting a release. Billed as a soulful love story, Dil Bechara marks the directorial debut of casting director and Rajput's industry friend Mukesh Chhabra. The film is produced by Fox Star Studios. Dil Bechara revolves around Kizie Basu (newcomer Sanjana Sanghi) and Immanuel Rajkumar Junior or Manny (Rajput) and explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic adventure of being alive and in love. With an aim to honour the legacy of the actor, the streaming platform is making the movie available to even the non-subscribers.
A Hidden Life- 28 July
Directed and written by Terrence Malick, A Hidden Life is based on real events and tells the story of an unsung hero, Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. When the Austrian peasant farmer is faced with the threat of execution for treason, it is his "unwavering faith and his love for his wife Fani and children that keeps his spirit alive," reads the synopsis.
A new short-form Muppets series debuting on Disney+ on 31 July with tons of celebrity guests including Seth Rogen, Aubrey Plaza and RuPaul. The six-episode show stars Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the gang performing improv and sketch comedy.
The Baby-Sitters Club is based on the series of novels written by Ann M Martin. The series follows the friendship and adventures of Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace), Mary Anne Spier (Malia Baker), Claudia Kishi (Momona Tamada), Stacey McGill (Shay Rudolph), and Dawn Schafer (Xochitl Gomez) as the middle-schoolers start their babysitting business in the town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. Netflix will release all 10 episodes of The Baby-Sitters Club on 3 July.
Japan Sinks: 2020 - 9 July
Special video for the opening song of "Japan Sinks: 2020" new Netflix series by Masaaki Yuasa & Science Saru Studio.pic.twitter.com/EPqZ4rgemu — Catsuka (@catsuka) June 25, 2020
Netflix's Japan Sinks:2020 series is adapted from a 1973 science fiction novel by Sakyo Komatsu. Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, the anime follows the struggles of an ordinary family when they are put to the test after a series of massive earthquakes in Japan.
The Old Guard is based on the graphic novel series of the same name by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez. Charlize Theron stars as an immortal warrior who leads a mysterious group of mercenaries in the movie. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Old Guard revolves around Andy (Theron), and her covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die. When the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it is up to Andy and her soldiers to help the group eliminate the threat.
Down To Earth with Zac Effron - 10 July
The trailer for Zac's documentary on Netflix is out. It's wonderful, I'm already excited about the trailer.💛 It will be released on July 10, 2020#Zac#zacefron#Efron#ZacIsSoCute 🎬: Down to Earth with Zac Efron | Official Trailer | Netflix pic.twitter.com/iMQvJfnz6g — Emma Jones🌴🇺🇸 (@emmajonesZD) June 26, 2020
Following his last acting role as Ted Bundy in Netflix's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Zac Efron has now taken a different route for the streaming giant. Titled Down to Earth with Zac Efron, the docu-series follows the star as he visits places like France, Puerto Rico, Iceland, London, Costa Rica, Lima, Sardinia, and Iquitos to learn about different examples of "healthy, sustainable ways to living". Efron will be accompanied by wellness expert Darin Olien.
Cursed- 17 July
A sword is only as powerful as the one who wields it. Cursed premieres July 17. pic.twitter.com/zXz6WkVV4Q
Based on the bestselling novel by Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller, Cursed follows Nimue (Katherine Langford), a young woman tasked by her mother with delivering a sword to Merlin (Gustaf Skarsgård) — "the kind of sword that gets you noticed." Arthur (Devon Terrell) is a mercenary who joins forces with Nimue. Together, they set out on a quest. All 10 episodes of Cursed will debut on 17 July.
How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast)Season 2 - 21 July
The German coming-of-age drama follows a young boy and his mishaps after he starts selling drugs online out of his bedroom, and becomes one of Europe's biggest dealers. The second season sees Moritz and his MyDrugs crew turning up the heat on their business as it starts gaining success. However, with more sales comes the larger threat of getting caught.
Netflix and Hasbro, Inc, in partnership with Rooster Teeth Animation, bring new anime trilogy series Transformers: War For Cybertron. This new vision of the Transformers world is a three-part arc following the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. The first part Siege begins in the final hours of the devastating civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons. The war that has torn apart their home planet of Cybertron is at a tipping point. Two leaders, Optimus Prime and Megatron, want to save their world and unify their people, but only on their own terms.
Siege will consist of six episodes, each running 22 minutes.
The Umbrella AcademySeason 2 - 31 July
The second season sees the Hargreeves foster siblings scattered throughout the 1960s in Dallas, Texas. Five lands in the middle of yet another apocalypse, and must find a way to reunite his family in order to stop it and return to the present day, all while being haunted by a trio of Swedish assassins. The Umbrella Academy stars Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, and Emmy Raver-Lampman
Greyhound, directed by Aaron Schneider, and starring Tom Hanks, is based on the 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by CS Forester. Hanks, who also serves as the screenwriter on the project, plays the role of a US Navy Commander on his first war-time assignment in command of a multi-national escort group.
The official film synopsis reads, “US Navy Commander Ernest Krause is assigned to lead an Allied convoy across the Atlantic during World War II. His convoy, however, is pursued by German U-boats. Although this is Krause’s first wartime mission, he finds himself embroiled in what would come to be known as the longest, largest and most complex naval battle in history: The Battle of the Atlantic.”
Little Voice- 10 July
Produced by JJ Abrams and the award-winning team behind Broadway’s Waitress, Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson, Little Voice is described as “a love letter to the diverse musicality of New York.” Nelson, who also serves as the showrunner, wrote and directed the first episode.
The coming-of-age drama features original music from Bareilles as it follows Bess King (played by Star‘s Brittany O’Grady), a uniquely talented performer struggling to fulfill her dreams while navigating rejection, love, and complicated family issues.
Mubi India
Family Romance LLC - 4 July
Family Romance LLC, which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of a Tokyo-based company that offers the perfect stand-ins for absent family members, friends or admirers – available to rent for any occasion. Werner Herzog not only directed but also served as writer and cinematographer in the Japanese film.
SonyLIV
On Becoming a God in Central Florida - 3 July
Witness the dark comedy starring the stellar Kirsten Dunst as Krystal Stubbs, a water park employee infiltrating the FAM, a pyramid scheme that ruined her.
On Becoming A God in Central Florida- streaming on 3rd July, exclusively on #SonyLIV#OnBecomingAGodInCentralFloridapic.twitter.com/5ktnuN1wSR
The dark comedy series follows Krystal Stubbs (Kirsten Dunst), a minimum-wage water park employee who schemes her way up the ranks of the cultish, multibillion-dollar pyramid scheme that drove her family to ruin in the first place. The show also features Théodore Pellerin, Mel Rodriguez, and Beth Ditto in lead roles. Dunst and George Clooney are also amongst the executive producers of the show.
Avrodh
Avrodh is inspired from the September 2016 Uri attacks, and is based on a chapter from Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s book India’s Most Fearless. The series features a cast of Amit Sadh, Neeraj Kabi, Darshan Kumar, Vikram Gokhale, Anant Mahadevan, and Madhurima Tuli.
Ram Singh Charlie
Starring Kumud Mishra and Divya Dutta in lead roles, the film follows the story of Ramsingh, whose life takes an unexpected turn when the circus where he used to perform as a Charlie Chaplin impersonator shuts down owing to financial losses. He is thrown into the bigger circus of life where he now has to now juggle between his role as a family man and that of a performer.
Eros Now
Flesh
The gritty series is set against the backdrop of the global human trafficking industry, and how a belligerent cop, played by Swara Bhasker, neglects the law and takes matters into her own hands. Directed by Danish Aslam, Flesh alsostars Akshay Oberoi, Vidya Malvade, Kavin Dave, and Yudhishtir Urs.
In support to the United Nations 'Share Verified' campaign to help fight the battle against misinformation, Flipkart Video is launching a new show Fake or Not, hosted by actress-comedienne Mallika Dua, "to separate what is real from what is not."
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Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan and costume designer Neeta Lulla are among the 819 artistes and executives who have received invitations to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Bhatt's last movie, Zoya Akhtar-directed Gully Boy was India's official entry for best international feature category at the 2019 Oscars. However, the film had failed to make it to the final five.
Other prominent Indian names to receive invitations are casting director Nandini Shrikent, documentary filmmakers Nishtha Jain and Amit Madheshiya, visual effects supervisors Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal.
In a statement, the Academy said the new invitees include 36 per cent of people of colour and 45 per cent women. Artistes from 68 countries have been invited as members.
Those who accept the invitation will have voting rights at the 93rd Academy Awards, scheduled to be held on 25 April, 2021.
"The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travellers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now," Academy President David Rubin said.
The Academy has been actively working to introduce more diversity in its voting to avoid a controversy like 2016 when the Oscars were dubbed "white" for failing to recognise talents of colour.
The 2020 batch also boasts of major Hollywood names like Cynthia Erivo, John David Washington, Constance Wu, Zazie Beetz, Florence Pugh, Zendaya, Awkwafina, Yalitza Aparicio, Mackenzie Davis, Ana de Armas, Adele Haenel, Thomasin McKenzie, Olivia Wilde and others.
The stars of multiple Oscar-winning South Korean movie Parasite — Jang Hye-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Park So-Dam and Lee Jung-Eun — have also been invited to join the Academy.
Directors Lulu Wang, Ari Aster, Terence Davies, Matthew Vaughn, Robert Eggers, Matt Reeves, Alma Har’el are on the list as well.
The Academy has also announced a new five-year plan that includes implementing inclusion standards for nominees.
"We take great pride in the strides we have made in exceeding our initial inclusion goals set back in 2016, but acknowledge the road ahead is a long one. We are committed to staying the course.
"We look forward to continuing to foster an Academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new Museum, and in our awards," Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said.
In 2019, the organisation had invited 842 new members which included Indian names such as filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and veteran actor Anupam Kher.
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Priyanka Chopra has signed a two-year multimillion-dollar first-look television deal with Amazon. The actor-shared the development on social media, writing that through her banner Purple Pebble Pictures, she always wanted to create content in collaboration with a global talent team.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, Chopra said she wanted to tell female stories and work with creators from across the world for "a cross-pollination of storytelling". She added that she can create global content in any language, which will be carried by Amazon globally.
The actress spoke about consuming American films and shows, but never found authentic South Asian representation onscreen.
Despite having a massive following in India with many awards to her name, Chopra explained how she had to start from scratch. "I had to explain who I was and what I wanted to do. There have been some incredibly prolific Indian actors that have worked in American movies and have done incredible work — like Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Anupam Kher, Amitabh Bachchan — and outside of Indian Americans like Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari, there was no precedent for having someone who was an Indian immigrant from outside of the American culture to come in and break global entertainment."
A meeting with Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke led to the first-look deal, who told Variety that the two "bonded over a shared passion for diverse global storytelling." Salke added.
Chopra began her career in the US as the voice of Ishani in Disney's animated film Planes. Her breakthrough role was the ABC series Quantico, following which she featured in films such as Baywatch and Isn't It Romantic.
Prior to her deal with Amazon, the actor had lined up two projects with the streamer. She will star opposite Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden in upcoming thriller series Citadel, produced by the Russo brothers.
She will also feature in Sangeet, an unscripted series co-produced with her husband, Nick Jonas.
Chopra's another project with Amazon is a film about Ma Anand Sheela, the assistant to guru Bhagwan Rajneesh (also known as Osho). The actor will be producing the movie which is based on Netflix docu-series Wild Wild Country.
Besides her association with Amazon, the actor will next star in two Netflix projects — superhero movie We Can Be Heroes and an adaptation of The White Tiger.
She is currently shooting for Keanu Reeves-starrer The Matrix 4, which recently resumed filming after production was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.
(With inputs from Press Trust of India)
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Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah says he wants to remain at the Premier League champions for a long time and says the team have developed a perfect understanding.
The Egypt international, who signed a new five-year deal in 2018, was the top scorer at the club this season with 17 Premier League goals as they secured a 19th top-flight title with seven games to spare.
“I’m very happy... I can’t describe my feelings after we won the league after 30 years. I can see people’s joy and this is so important for all of us,” Salah told BeIN Sport.
“I enjoy the atmosphere here ... I love this place and I hope to stay for a long time. The atmosphere here is different to any other place.
“We have adapted well as a team and our understanding is perfect. If this continues, we can achieve more. It’s difficult to maintain our current level, but it’s not impossible.”
Salah hailed the impact of club captain Jordan Henderson and said he would pick the midfielder as the best player in the league this season.
“Maybe I’ll choose Henderson because he’s the captain and he’s been here for about eight-nine years. He had a difficult time in the beginning and he was heavily criticized,” he said.
“... He, as a captain, is loved by all of us and he tries to help all players and helps youth players to adapt.”
Liverpool visit second-placed Manchester City in the league on Thursday.
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Over the last few days, the world of gaming and esports has been shaken. Many women have come forward with allegations ranging from unwanted flirting to blatant sexual abuse within the industry.
The incident that may have opened the can of worms this time occurred on 21 June when @cofactorstrudel revealed that she has been on the receiving end of some very inappropriate behaviour from Grant 'GranDGranT' Harris. The latter is a popular caster in the professional world of Dota 2, one of the richest Esports today.
GranDGranT has not only admitted to the accusation but also publicly apologised for it. Further, he was removed from his position as a part of Evil Geniuses (EG), the largest esports organisation in North America.
Many women are said to have contacted @cofactorstrudel talking about similar incidents of inappropriate behaviour by GranDGranT. Anthony 'Scantzor' Hodgson, a former coach for the Dota 2 team of Entity Gaming which is a top Indian Esports organisation, has alleged that GranDGranT bullied and harassed a previously fast-rising caster in the world of Dota 2, LlamaDownUnder. This behaviour is said to be the reason behind LlamaDownUnder quitting the scene and even mentioned that such acts were common as far as GranDGranT is concerned.
Within a few days, another popular caster faced allegations of sexual assault from his ex-girlfriend, Kelly Jean. This time it was Henry 'HenryG' Greer, a caster and analyst in competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).
HenryG has, however, denied these allegations and claimed that Kelly Jean may have deeply rooted issues which lead to the misunderstanding between them.
The incidents did not stop with just the people involved in professional esports. Four different women have accused Chris Avellone, a critically acclaimed video game writer of sexual misconduct. Avellone has worked on several well-known games such as Fallout 2, Fallout: Las Vegas, Wastelands 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Omeed Dariani, the Chief Executive Officer of Online Performers Group has been accused of making unwanted sexual advances towards women. Online Performers Group is a talent agency that works with online streamers. This group, on their homepage states, that they were set-up to stop the exploitation of content creators. This accusation has been such a public relations disaster for them that Dariani has stepped down from his position of CEO.
The number of incidents only seem to be increasing with time. Twitch, a popular streaming platform, has not been spared either. The outrage has grown, and a new hashtag has emerged, #TwitchBlackout. This new hashtag with the mounting outrage has resulted in Twitch permanently banning several users who were at the centre of these allegations.
Twitch, in past, has been used by gamers to generate donations worth millions for humane causes. It came under the scanner as many of the incidents that people came forward with involved the platform as a means for these predators to target fans and aspiring gamers. Until these recent bans against the users who are at the centre of the accusations, it was largely believed that Twitch simply turns a blind eye to the behaviour of their users.
The gaming industry showed the possibility of having its own MeToo movement a few times in the past as well. Many accusations were levelled against several bigwigs in the industry back in 2014 and then in 2019. However, both times there was no real movement and things fizzled out soon enough, perhaps due to inaction by those in power.
This time may be different due to a variety of factors that did not exist earlier. The movement is happening within weeks of ongoing Black Lives Matter protests that seem to have captured global attention and imagination. The increased sensitivity could lead to many people, who may previously not have taken notice or had no opinion, to lend their support to the much-needed reformation in the gaming and esports industry.
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