Latest news with #Radha
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘My mom is a big Krishna bhakt…meri beti ka naam Radha hai': Inside Shriya Saran's family home, which she shares with husband and parents
When Shriya Saran greets you at her door with a laugh, you immediately get a sense of who she is. Friendly, spontaneous, and refreshingly honest. Her home feels the same way. This isn't a house designed by a team of professionals. It was built slowly, with love, by her parents. 'It's simple and sweet,' she says, looking around the space that holds pieces of her past, present, and the things she holds close. 'A lot of my mom, a lot of my dad, maybe a bit of me, and a lot of my daughter now.' Spirituality has a quiet but strong presence throughout the home. Her mother is a Krishna devotee, and paintings of Krishna and Radha appear in different forms, from Rajasthan to Tanjore. 'My mom is a big Krishna bhakt, so of course you start with this beautiful painting…It's so beautiful that these art forms still exist… It feels so precious.' One special painting stands out—it's something Shriya made when her daughter, Radha, was born. 'Meri beti ka naam Radha hai. So when she was born, I painted this. It took months to finish… I actually forgot about it. But it's layered, traditional, and different people worked on different parts—one did the eyes, one the colour, one the sketch. It's a process.' Art is a big part of this home. Shriya is proud of how rich India is in its crafts. 'I love that India has so much art to offer, so most of the art that we buy and we have in the house is Indian,' she says, showing us works by local artists—Ganesh statues from Panaji, hand-painted pieces, and even a wall done by Radha's art teacher. 'He won't even tell us how much he charges… because for him, art doesn't have a price.' But there are also touches of her husband Andre's Russian roots—an old samovar tray used for tea, and porcelain that belonged to his grandfather. 'This is a mix of new and old… part Germany, part Russia.' Every corner tells a story. A Kashmiri painting made in memory of her grandmother. A doll her father gifted her when she was 25. A clock from Mexico that tells her 'inner calendar.' Prayer wheels from Ladakh. Even toys and books in Radha's room carry memories from different travels. 'This house is messy, a work in progress,' she laughs. But that's what makes it feel real. In a world of minimal, picture-perfect celebrity homes, Shriya's house is full of life.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
A year after Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, the pain isn't over for families
Sitting on a cot in his dingy single-room house in Karunapuram, Mayakannan makes a blank stare at the wall and calls his son for support. Mayakannan remains the visible reminder of the ill -fated day on June 18, 2024 when a few pouches of moonshine robbed him of his eyesight. Though the grisly reminder of the tragedy that claimed 69 lives is fading in Karunapuram in Kallakurichi district, the pain isn't over with survivors who are blind trying to avoid the outside world; families struggling to make ends meet; and widows with dreams they cannot fulfill alone. The deaths occurred after residents of Karunapuram, mostly belonging to the Scheduled Castes and others from socially and economically disadvantaged groups, who were daily wage labourers and loaders, consumed methanol-infused hooch from a local bootlegger Govindaraj, alias Kannukutty on the night of June 18, 2024. 'It was a mistake. I have realised it now,' said Mayakannan, a load man who has now completely lost his eyesight. The drink (hooch) was easily available in Karunapuram and was sold at a cheap price. I was working as a load man in the local market and drank the brew to drive away exhaustion. The next day (June 19), I felt nausea and blurred vision and my son Murasoli Maran immediately rushed me to the Kallakurichi Government Medical College and Hospital (KGMCH),' Mayakannan recalled. As Mayakannan's condition deteriorated, he was referred to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry. 'After being admitted in the Intensive Care Unit at Jipmer for 15 days, I was discharged. But I had lost my eyesight. Though the Government gave a compensation of ₹50,000, the treatment expenses in a private hospital in Kallakurichi for my eyesight ate into the sum. I have been confined within the four walls of my house for the past one year,' he says. A few lanes away, Murugan, another survivor said he had no idea about hooch being supplied as most of the residents including women consumed the brew daily. 'I an unable to stand now for a few minutes and my right arm has become numb. I wish I had died then, like several of my friends because of the continued mental agony now. I was the sole breadwinner in my family. Now I have become a burden to my family and my wife Kolanji is working as a ragpicker to supplement the family income,' he said. 'I have now started drinking IMFL, which is available in Karunapuram. Earlier, I used to drink arrack to drive away my exhaustion and now I am consuming liquor to overcome my mental agony,' he says. Radha, 33, was two months pregnant with her second child, when she lost her husband Manikandan, also a daily-wage labourer to hooch. 'My husband consumed the brew on the night of June 18 and returned home the next morning. After he complained of severe abdominal pain and blurred vision, we rushed him to the KGMCH from where he was referred to Villupuram. However, he died enroute to the hospital,' she says. Radha is the second wife of Manikandan and the compensation of ₹10 lakh was equally distributed between his two wives. She deposited the amount as a Fixed Deposit in the name of her daughter. Without the daily wages that Manikandan brought in, Radha now has to sustain herself and her two children, doing odd jobs. Anil Pal, a native of Rajasthan and settled in Karunapuram has also lost his vision. 'I worked as a painter and used to drink almost everyday after work. After drinking a few pouches of the brew on June 18, I felt strange. I ignored the uneasiness initially and stayed at home, but as other residents began falling ill, my son rushed me to the KGMCH and doctors referred me to Jipmer. I thought I was going to die. Though I survived I have lost my eyesight. This is worse than death,' Pal said. Following the intensive crackdown on illicit distilled arrack in the Kalvarayan Hills, sales of IMFL sold through TASMAC, which is the next cheapest option has seen a jump. Official sources said the hills had two Tasmac liquor shops and both had registered a 100 % jump in sales when compared with the previous year. The district has registered a 40 % increase in sales. Crackdown against illicit arrack The law enforcement authorities launched a two-pronged drive to combat the problem of illicit arrack in Kalvarayan hills, which is the main distillation point. It consists of a campaign to educate people about the dangers of distillation and a rehabilitation programme aimed at prohibition offenders. 'A task force was deployed and sustained raids were conducted and police officers who were suspected of having a nexus with bootleggers were transferred. With 570 of forests and mountainous terrain in the hills, the police department started building sources and targeted black spot villages. The existing three check posts were strengthened and in the last one year, there has not been a single case of transport of arrack from the hills,' a senior police officer said. The police have mounted surveillance on loose arrack sellers and as many as 54 persons including Bootleggers have been detained under the Goondas Act in the last one year.
New Indian Express
15-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Woman held for stealing Rs 67 lakh in cash, gold and silver jewels in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: A 43-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly stealing Rs 67 lakh in cash, 1.4 kg of gold and 2.4 kg of silver ornaments from a house on 3rd Main Road in Chamarajpet, where she was employed. The accused has been identified as Uma of Ilyas Nagar. According to police, Radha RK hired Uma three months ago to take care of her sister Sujatha, who is ill, for a monthly salary of Rs 23,000. Sujatha recently sold her property near Electronics City and kept Rs 67 lakh in the wardrobe of their house. The wardrobe also had the sisters' gold and silver ornaments. On June 9, Radha found the cash, and gold and silver ornaments missing. While examining the CCTV footage, she saw Uma leaving the house with a bag on June 4. When Radha questioned Uma about the missing cash and ornaments, she denied any wrongdoing. Radha then filed a police complaint, suspecting that Uma had taken them. On June 10, Uma was taken into police custody. During interrogation, Uma confessed to the crime. The police have recovered Rs 57 lakh in cash and 211 grams of ornaments worth Rs 12 lakh from Uma's daughter's house.
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
UK teen jailed in Dubai for holiday romance pleads with Sheikh to let him go
Marcus. who was on holiday with his family, had a fling with a 17-year-old girl from the UK - and has been jailed A UK teenager locked up in Dubai for having a holiday romance with a 17-year-old girl - also from the UK - has begged for mercy. Marcus Fakana has formally submitted a plea for clemency to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. The 19-year-old was sentenced to one year in prison after he struck up a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old British girl. Both his family and the girl's family were on holiday at the time. Marcus, who was 18 when the relationship began, is currently being held in Al Awir Prison, where he has spent several months in isolating and harsh conditions. He has now placed his hopes on a humanitarian pardon from Dubai's leadership. 'This has been the most traumatic and life-altering experience imaginable for Marcus,' said Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, which is supporting the teen's family. 'He is barely an adult himself and never intended to break any law. What happened was legal in the UK and consensual. 'But now he is facing permanent damage to his mental health and future prospects because of it.' Prison conditions are reportedly taking a toll on Marcus, who is said to have only limited contact with his family. His parents have made repeated appeals to David Lammy MP, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. They have also requested the British Embassy in Dubai to help secure his release. Radha said: 'If Marcus could go back in time, he would. He has shown remorse and fully respects the laws of the UAE. He only hopes the government will show compassion and allow him to return home to rebuild his life. 'He's very young and this is a heartbreaking way to begin adulthood.' The family is urging the British public and authorities to back their plea for clemency. They have warned of the legal risks young Britons face in countries with vastly different legal systems. Radha added: 'Parents need to be aware that teens can be charged in the UAE for behaviour that would not be considered criminal at home. Whether that's a relationship, social media activity, or even drinking alcohol. 'Marcus is struggling, and this experience will leave a permanent scar. We implore Sheikh Mohammed and the government of Dubai to hear his pleas and let him come home.' Marcus continues to pray that his voice will be heard, with pardons expected to be finalised this month.
Scroll.in
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
‘Jarann' review: Amruta Subhash is terrified, terrifying and terrific in horror thriller
In the demonetisation-themed crime drama Choked (2020), Amruta Subhash's character has a fit when she hears about the note ban. Subhash is brilliant in this scene, covering a gamut of emotions in mere minutes. The highly mobile face that can switch expression without warning, the ability to summon complex emotions, the power to create empathy – Subhash's protean talent gets the platform it deserves in Jarann. Much of the impact of Rushikesh Gupte's Marathi movie is down to the choice of Subhash for the lead role. Gupte's Jarann (black magic, or bewitchment) attempts to reorient the horror genre. Subhash plays Radha, who has been living under a dark cloud since her childhood. Ganguti (Anita Date), who is deemed a witch, dooms Radha to life-long misery. Given whatever befalls Radha in her adulthood, Ganguti's curse appears to be working. A recent mishap in Radha's life has compelled her to consult the psychiatrist Dhananjay (Kishor Kadam). Ganguti's malevolent influence reasserts itself when Radha visits her ancestral house along with her daughter Saie (Avanee Joshi). Ganguti follows Radha and Saie back to their own home, pushing an already high-strung Radha further to the edge. Cinematographer Milind Jog and editor Abhijeet Deshpande are in perfect sync, conveying Radha's perilous situation though creeping camerawork and judicious transitions. AV Prafulla Chandra's ominous soundtrack nudges viewers into shutting their eyes at the right moment – some scenes in Jarann are truly scary. But Jarann wants to be more than a horror film. Hrishikesh Gupte's screenplay is perched in the grey zone between occult belief and psychological fragility, old-fashioned witchery and an enlightened view of paranormal occurrences. The 120-minute film is stacked – overloaded even – with spine-tingling elements, from mouldy attics to seances, scary-looking dolls to altered voices. Running parallel to the frequently doled out jump scares is a conversation about the source of Radha's plight. However, there are convenient holes in the film's premise, especially in the handling of Radha's parents (Rajan Bhise and Seema Deshmukh) and extended family. Given what we eventually learn about Radha, the behaviour of her family members is improbable, inexcusable even. Parenting is a big theme in Jarann, most vividly expressed in Radha's anxiety that Ganguti has infected her daughter too. But for the sake of maintaining suspense, the film sidesteps the role played by Radha's family in their reactions to the Ganguti problem. The twist-heavy climax undermines the film's approach towards its subject matter. Although Jarann lacks the courage of its convictions, there is no hesitation whatsoever in Subhash's performance. Whatever the drawbacks of his film, Rushikesh Gupte deserves kudos for picking the right vehicle for his ambitions. Amruta Subhash is terrified, terrifying and terrific. In scene after scene, Subhash conveys the utter loneliness and anguish of a woman labouring under an unimaginable burden. There are sharp supporting turns too from Kishor Kadam and Anita Date as the mumbo-jumbo spouting Ganguti. Play
