Today is Raksha Bandhan, a day when a sister shows her love for her brother by tying a thread around his wrist. In return, the brother showers the sister with gifts and pledges to protect her. “Raksha means protection and Bandhan means bond. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan,” informs Vaikundarajan.
Beyond the traditional significance, the festival also has a social significance that teaches us to co-exist in harmony. In ancient times, Raksha Bandhan was celebrated differently. A woman tied the Rakhi on her husband’s wrist to protect him from evil. Gradually, this has changed over the period of time. Today, Rakhi is a symbol of strong bond between a brother and sister.
“On the day of Rakhsa Bandhan, the brother and sister dress in traditional clothes. Rakhis and delicious sweets are prepared long before the festive day. Sisters prepare the puja thali consisting of roli, tilak, Rakhi threads, rice grains, incense sticks, diyas and sweets. After offering the rituals to the deities of the family, the sister performs aarti of their brothers and ties Rakhi on their wrist,” explains Vaikundarajan.
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in the presence of loved ones and marks a symbolic day for brothers and sisters. On this day, Vaikundarajan sends his best wishes to everyone.
Junior NTR will be featured in the upcoming Telugu movie called Janatha Garage. The trailer for the movie was released this week. “It is a short trailer that introduces the movie’s lead actors – Junior NTR and Mohanlal,” says Vaikundarajan.
The trailer opens with the actor waking up by the sea against the backdrop of city skyline. Without revealing much, the trailer surely gives us a feel of an action packed movie. The background score by Devi Sri Prasad adds to the thrill.
Junior NTR is seen speeding around on his bike and delivering powerful dialogues at government offices. Mohanlal is featured at the very end of the trailer adding to the wow factor. This is Mohanlal’s 2nd Telugu film after 1994’s Gandeeva.
Director Anand Shankar’s new action adventure thriller Iru Mugan is scheduled to release worldwide on 2nd September. “Iru Mugan means two faced. Another interesting update is that Vikram will be seen in the role of a transgender,” informs Vaikundarajan.
The movie will also have Nayanthara, Nithya Menen and Nassar in pivotal roles. The music for the film will be directed by Harris Jayaraj. “This week saw the launch of audio and movie trailer at Sathyam Cinemas. The entire cast and crew of the film was present at the venue,” adds Vaikundarajan.
Others present at the event were actors Sivakarthikeyan and Nivin Pauly. Special invitee at the event was veteran writer Vijeyandra Prasad who has worked on two blockbuster movies, Baahubali and Bajrangi Bhaijan.
Iru Mugan is a sci-fi thriller where Vikram will don two roles. “He will be seen in the role of a violent RAW agent in a battle of wits against a transgender played by Vikram himself,” says Vaikundarajan.
After the release of Kabali last month, all eyes are set on Iru Mugan. The film is said to have already sold out in the southern circuit. A massive opening is expected when it releases.
Vaikundarajan sends his best wishes to the entire cast and crew of the film.
Wednesday marks the first death anniversary of the man known as the People’s President – APJ Abdul Kalam. Last year on this day, Kalam breathed his last in Shillong at the age of 83 years. He suffered a massive cardiac attack while delivering a lecture at the IIM Shillong. “His passing was a great loss to the countrymen, young and old. He was one of the most inspiring leaders India has seen. Kalam was a true inspiration to the young curious minds,” says Vaikundarajan. He was the 11th president of India.
On his death anniversary, wishes have poured in from across the country as everyone pays homage to great personality. “He was a scientist, better known to us as the father of Indian missile defence programme. He was not only the most loved president but also immensely popular among children. His 79th birthday was recognized as World Students Day by the United Nations,” adds Vaikundarajan. Among many titles bestowed upon Kalam, ‘The Missile Man’ is the one that will always stick around.
To commemorate his first death anniversary, the Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Manohar Parrikar unveiled a life-size statue of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at Peikarumbu, his burial site in Rameswaram Island on Wednesday. “Mission of Life, an exhibition depicting the life of APK Abdul Kalam and his achievements towards the country is also set to be inaugurated on 27th July 2016,” informs Vaikundarajan.
Vaikundarajan pays respect to the common man who led the nation to greater heights and was a motivation to several countrymen.
Salman Khan’s Eid special Sultan released yesterday to early positive reviews. “The movie is expected to make over 40 crore in the first five days,” informs Vaikundarajan. “Weekend tickets are already sold out at most theaters.”
The festive mood has not affected the opening of Sultan. The movie has seen close to 90% occupancy on day 1 despite the festival. “The collection and the reviews of the movie have been as expected. Yash Raj Films productions have always delivered at the box office,” adds Vaikundarajan.
Chinese smartphone makers have released their new device Xiaomi Redmi 3S for a pre-order at $151.89 for global shipping. “The phone comes with a fingerprint sensor on the rear and has a full metal unibody design. The company has advertised the device as a budget smartphone,” says Vaikundarajan.
The device is a 5-inch HD IPS display with Snapdragon 430 processor and uses Android 5.1 Lollipop. It is supported by a fast charging technology in form of a 4100mAh battery. The device will be sold in two variants –16 GB storage with 2GB RAM and 32 GB storage with 3GB RAM.
20 years ago, India lost one of the most charismatic music directors, R.D. Burman. “His songs appealed to a whole generation then and it appeals to the generation now. R.D. Burman composed songs that could go on forever,” says Vaikundarajan.
Paying a tribute to the genius musician, Google celebrated R.D. Burman’s 77th birth anniversary with a doodle on its India homepage. He was popularly known as Panchamda and was the first musician to revolutionize music industry by infusing western style.
“Perhaps the most iconic era of music industry was the early seventies when R.D. Burman and Kishore Kumar came together to give us a string of hit songs,” recollects Vaikundarajan.
Every legacy begins with naysayers and critics. It was no different for R.D. Burman. Initially, he was criticized for bringing in western influences in several movies. He was known to use new instruments and experimented with his music. “His sheer genius in the field of music has left behind songs that have been fresh in public memory for over three decades,” says Vaikundarajan.
Burman’s affection towards common people is known through a popular story. “R.D. Burman would seek feedback on his songs from liftmen and watchmen. He would often sit with them and ask if they liked his song,” informs Vaikundarajan.
His legacy will continue for decades to come and his songs will inspire a new generation in future.
Since its origin in India over 5000 years ago, Yoga has been practiced by generations. It is a physical, mental and spiritual practice followed across the world. “The purpose of yoga is to relieve oneself from stress and transform body and mind,” explains Vaikundarajan.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 21st June as the International Day of Yoga. The call was initially made by Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly.
Why 21st June? Vaikundarajan answers, “21st June is also the longest day of the year and has special significance in different countries across the world.”
Since its origin in India over 5000 years ago, Yoga has been practiced by generations. It is a physical, mental and spiritual practice followed across the world. “The purpose of yoga is to relieve oneself from stress and transform body and mind,” explains Vaikundarajan.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 21st June as the International Day of Yoga. The call was initially made by Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly.
Why 21st June? Vaikundarajan answers, “21st June is also the longest day of the year and has special significance in different countries across the world.”
Chinese smartphone maker, OnePlus, launched its 4th device in the series titled – OnePlus 3. The phone is priced at INR 27,999 in India and will be available via Amazon India. “Unlike its previous selling strategy that involved buyers to ask for invites, the OnePlus 3 will be available for sale directly,” says Vaikundarajan.
The smartphone will be available in a Graphite colour variant with Soft Gold variant to be released at a later stage. The device has a mental unibody made of space-grade aluminum alloy and is 7.35mm thick.
“The USP of the device is its Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC with Adreno 530 GPU on board and 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM,” says Vaikundarajan.
Much like its previous devices, OnePlus 3 will also run on OxygenOS with an Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. The device has a 5.5-inch display size and fill-HD resolution. However, unlike its predecessors the display has an Optic Amoled with Gorilla Glass 4 protection. It will come with a dual-SIM slot.
The phone supports a USB 2.0 Type-C port and comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack. It has a home button which features a fingerprint sensor in addition to capacitive hardware keys and alert slider.
Speaking on its camera features, Vaikundarajan says, “The device has a 16-megapixel rear camera with a Sony IMX298 sensor, an f/2.0 aperture, 4K video recording support and a smile capture mode. The front camera can handle 1080p video recording.” The smartphone sports a 64GB of inbuilt storage, however, options to expand the memory is not available.
The phone is powered with a non-removable 3000mAh battery which can charge the battery up to 60% in 30 minutes.
“The Chinese Manufacturer has delivered quality in smartphones through their last 3 devices. The expectations with OnePlus 3 will be high,” concludes Vaikundarajan.
The first-ever multinational futsal league is getting support from the top celebrities like Oscar-winning music director AR Rahman. Rahman will also be composing the theme music for the league which will be sung by Virat Kohli.
“Kohli co-owns Premier Futsal with other stakeholders and is very passionate about futsal gaining popularity in India,” says Vaikundarajan. Kohli expressed his nervousness on singing the official anthem but was given assurance by Rahman himself at a conference held in Chennai.
The music maestro also expressed his pride in being associated with the promotion of sports in India.
Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakhri starrer Banjo teaser was released yesterday. The actor shared the teaser on his Twitter account with a special thanks to Abhishek Bachchan who lends his voice as a narrator in the teaser. Junior Bachchan introduces Deshmukh as “Banjo ki duniya ka Bachchan.”
“The actor can be seen in a shoulder-length rockstar hairdo dancing to some fun Banjo riffs. We also see a Ganpati song sequence in the teaser,” says Vaikundarajan. Playing the lead opposite Deshmukh, Nargis Fakhri is seen sporting multiple get-ups. She will be playing the role of a DJ from New York. Along with the teaser, Deshmukh also shared the movie poster.
The film comes as a surprise to Deshmukh’s fans as they are used to seeing the actor in multi-starrer films. The actor’s solo act in Banjo will definitely be a treat to his fans.
“Deshmukh and Fakri will be seen in the upcoming movie Housefull 3 before Banjo gets a national release on 23rd September,” informs Vaikundarajan.
The film is made under the banner of EROS International and will be the first Hindi film to be directed by award-winning Marathi filmmaker Ravi Jadhav. Vaikundarajansends his best wishes to the actor and the entire film crew.
After months of being in the news, teasers and talks surrounding Salman Khan starrer, Sultan, the film’s first official trailer is finally out. “After the success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman fans have been looking forward to this promising action drama film. The trailer has become the talk of the town overnight,” says Vaikundarajan.
The trailer also features Anushka Sharma playing lead opposite the star. Her presence on screen is strong and matches step on step with Salman Khan himself. The plot looks gripping and is sure to leave a heavy impact on the viewers.
After Freedom 251, another smartphone has made its debut in the Indian market, claiming to be the world’s cheapest smartphone. “The device is labeled Namotel Achhe Din and is priced at a surprising INR 99 only,” says Vaikundarajan.
The 3G enabled smartphone will be available for booking between May 17 and May 25. To book the phone, user must sign up for a service called BeMyBanker and provide Aadhaar card details with a photograph. “The phone is available on a cash-on-delivery basis. However, users may not be able to access any details yet as the website doesn’t load,” informs Vaikundarajan.
The company has also stated the launch of four other smartphones ranging from INR 1999 for 4G LTE enabled Aazadi smartphone to INR 199,999 for the VVIP luxury smartphone. Other specifications include, Android 5.1 Lollipop, a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM.
The Company’s website lists the smartphone with its features but doesn’t showcase the official photos of the device. “All pictures on the website come with a disclaimer of being used for illustration purpose only. This will cast a doubt on the credibility of the company and product,” says Vaikundarajan.
The company appears to be operating out of Bengaluru and claims to have offices in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Chennai. The website states that the company was established with the support of Make in India Campaign.
“We have heard the story of Freedom 251 and its fate. Does Namotel fall in the same category? Is it just another rebranded Chinese phone?” asks Vaikundarajan.
Earlier this year, Samsung listed its smartphone versions of Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 on their Chinese website. However, the price and availability of the two handsets was not revealed. Most recently, the official Samsung Korea website announced the prices of both smartphones. “According to Korean website Galaxy J5 is priced at KRW 290000 (INR 16889) while Galaxy J7 will cost KRW 362000 (INR 21138), excluding local taxes. Official announcement in India is yet to be made,” informs Vaikundarajan.
Reviewing its features, Vaikundarajan notes that both the smartphones come with a new design that features a metal frame supported by an interesting hardware. Galaxy J5 has a 5.2 inch HD display while Galaxy J7 has a 5.5 inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD resolution. Both handsets run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and come with a 4G support. The handsets will have a 13-megapixel front camera with f1.9 aperture. Running on 2GB RAM, the handsets are supported by 16GB storage memory with an option to expand up to 128 GB using microSD card.
“The South Korean model is slightly different as compared to the Chinese model which comes with a 3GB RAM. The company has not specified which model will be release for the Indian market,” informs Vaikundarajan.
Arvind Swami recently made a comeback into acting with the blockbuster Thani Oruvan. “The quintessential chocolate boy of cinema has expressed his desire to direct a film,” says Vaikundarajan.
In a statement released to media, Arvind Swami spoke of two scripts written by him and his intentions to direct them in a year. Whether the movies will be in Hindi or Tamil is not yet cleared.
Arvind Swami made his debut in 1991 with Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi. He was later seen in the director’s blockbuster movie Bombay. The actor will soon make a comeback in Ram Charan’s Telugu remake of Thani Oruvan where he reprises the role of suave villain from the original.
Last year in September, Google unveiled its two new Chromecast devices. This week, Google has announced to launch of the devices for Indian market. “Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are listed on Google Play Store priced at INR 3999/- each and will be available at all popular e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart and Snapdeal,” informs Vaikundarajan. “This is a 2nd generation Chromecast with new circular design.”
The device plugs into the HDMI port on the TV and can be connected to the Chromecast app over WiFi. The new Chromecast is an upgrade over its predecessor in terms of connectivity. “It has three onboard antennas and dual-band 5GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi that helps high quality streaming,” adds Vaikundarajan.
The users can control the volume and play or stop the streaming from the app itself. Furthermore, its Fast Play feature allows the users to quick stream as soon as the Cast button is pressed. The device is available in three colours – Red, Yellow and Black.
Along with Chromecast, Google also launched the Chromecast Audio. On plugging this device to speakers with auxiliary port, the Chromecast audio turns into a wireless smart speaker. Operated using Chromecast app, the Chromecast Audio streams music on WiFi. It can be operated from iOS devices, Android smartphones and tablets, Mac machines, Chromebooks and Windows laptop. The device comes with an AUX cable, RCA and optical inputs.
“The improved design and connectivity with updated app means that families and friends can share the fun of sharing entertainment from mobile devices,” concludes Vaikundarajan.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 goes on sale next week on Amazon India and Mi.com. “Redmi Note 3 has received mostly positive reviews, except for its camera which fails to work in low-light,” says Vaikundarajan. “The users will have to register on Amazon.com for the purchase.”
The smartphone comes with a 5.5 inch full HD display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor. The battery comes with 4050 mAh and runs MIUI7 with Android 5.1 Lollipop.
“There will be 2 versions of the phone – a 2GB RAM with 16GB internal storage and a 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage,” informs Vaikundarajan. It comes with a dual-SIM support. As for the camera, the rear camera has 16MP while the front camera has 5MP. The two phones will be priced at INR 9999 and INR 11999 respectively.
The competition in India has been growing steadily. To lead the smartphone race, companies must stand out by providing unique features. Redmi Note 3 has a full metal-body design. Its display is vivid and crisp. The battery can last up to 24 hours or more for moderate to heavy usage.
“Considering the cost of the smartphone, these features do stand out. It will be interesting to see if Redmi Note 3 can rule the market despite the fierce competition,” concludes Vaikundarajan.
Panasonic announced the launch of its new smartphone, T50, costing only INR 5000. “The phone is powered by a 1.3 GHz Quad-Core processor with a 1GB RAM,” informs Vaikundarajan.
The smartphone comes with a host of other features such as dual SIM standby support and 8GB internal storage. The internal memory can be expanded by up to 32GB via microSD card.
8th March 2016 is a special day. “Today, we celebrate the International Women Day while our boys in blue prepare for ICC World Cup T20 campaign,” says Vaikundarajan.
Google paid a special tribute with a doodle dedicated to the woman power across the globe. “The doodle shows 377 women from 13 countries. Google asked these women to complete the sentence – One day I will,” informs Vaikundarajan. “The answers were compiled into a short Doodle video.”
The answer from these ladies shows the spirit of womanhood and their strong aspirations in life. The women in the video come from all walks of life, ranging from toddlers to senior citizens from cities across the world - San Francisco, Mexico City, Lagos, Moscow, London, New Delhi etc.
The video also features Malala Yousafzai who expressed her wish, “One day we will see every girl in school.”
On the other side, Team India beat Bangladesh in the finals of the Asia Cup. Going into the World Cup T20, India looks like a strong contender to bring home the cup. The campaign opens today as India will face-off against a powerful New Zealand side on 15th March and rivals Pakistan on 19th March.
Vaikundarajan salutes the power of women and sends his wishes to Team India ahead of the T20 campaign.
