Asserting that only talent brings success in the film industry, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday expressed hope that actor Allu Arjun would act in Hollywood movies as well and excel.
Allu Arjun was last seen in the blockbuster Pushpa 2 The Rule. (X/@PushpaMovie)
Addressing the gathering after inaugurating Allu Cinemas in Hyderabad, the CM also said the Telangana government intends to make the film industry a part of the state’s success story.
“In future, Allu Arjun should excel not only in pan India (movies), but also in Hollywood. Our sound (Telugu actors’ talent) should reach there also. Till now, we used to compare our Telugu movies with Bollywood only in terms of collections,” the CM said.
He further said language barriers in the movie industry have gone a long time ago, and only talent makes the difference.
CM Reddy said the Telugu film industry should be in a position to compete with Hollywood, but not with neighbouring states or Bollywood anymore.
He assured that the state government will extend its full support to the movie industry in Telangana.
He showered praises on Allu Arjun and his family for putting in efforts to build Allu Cinemas, a movie theatre complex.
Arjun was last seen in the blockbuster Pushpa 2: The Rule. The Telugu-language action drama was written and directed by Sukumar. A sequel to Pushpa: The Rise (2021), it is the second instalment in the Pushpa film series and became the third-highest-grossing Indian film ever. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, Sunil and Rao Ramesh. He will be next seen in Atlee’s upcoming film AA22xA6 alongside Deepika Padukone.
The first phase of IPL fixtures for the 2026 season was announced on March 11, with the tournament set to start on March 20 in Bengaluru. The full list of fixtures is yet to be announced, given the state elections across India. BCCI Vice-President, Rajeev Shukla has hinted at the final date for the announcement of the IPL fixtures.
Rajeev Shukla said that the IPL will go ahead as planned and on schedule. He further added that the schedule for the remaining matches will be released after the Election Commission announces the dates for the states going to the election.
“IPL will be held on schedule. We have released the schedule for 20 matches. The schedule for remaining matches will be released after the Election Commission announces the dates for states going to the election.” Rajeev Shukla said.
The announcement of the full list of IPL schedule is delayed due to elections in Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu.
The IPL is set to start on March 28 with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening fixture. RCB are the defending champions, having won their maiden title in IPL 2025, beating the Punjab Kings in the final.
Royal Challenger Bengaluru will start the 19th season of the Indian Premier League against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The defending champions will be aiming for yet another successful campaign after winning the tournament for the first time ever in 2025.
Another marquee clash is between the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders on the first Sunday of the tournament. Both teams are two of the most successful teams in IPL history, adding to the intrigue.
Among other big matches is the RCB against CSK clash in Bengaluru, and the RCB against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. The defending champions will hope for inspiration from Virat Kohli as they look to defend their IPL crown.
The second phase of IPL 2026 fixtures will be announced after the Election Commission announces the date of elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Tamil Nadu.
ICC charges West Indies player, two team officials
The International Cricket Council has charged two team officials and a player with multiple breaches of anti-corruption rules linked to the 2023/24 Bim10 Tournament, escalating a widening investigation into alleged match-fixing in the Caribbean competition.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Team owner Chitranjan Rathod, official Trevon Griffith and West Indies cricketer Javon Searles have all been charged under the anti-corruption codes of both the ICC and Cricket West Indies (CWI).According to an ICC statement, the charges relate primarily to the Bim10 Tournament 2023/24, which falls under the jurisdiction of the CWI Anti-Corruption Code. Griffith also faces an additional charge linked to international matches that fall under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.Rathod, owner of the Titans franchise, faces three charges under the CWI Code, while Searles has been hit with four. Griffith faces four charges under the CWI Code as well as one charge under the ICC Code.All three have been charged with fixing or attempting to influence the result, progress or conduct of matches in the Bim10 tournament. They are also accused of encouraging players or support personnel to commit offences under the anti-corruption code and of failing or refusing to cooperate with investigators.Searles and Griffith have additionally been charged with failing to report approaches or invitations that could constitute corrupt conduct.Griffith faces a further charge under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for allegedly obstructing the Anti-Corruption Unit’s investigation by concealing or tampering with information that may have been relevant to the probe.The ICC confirmed that all three individuals have been provisionally suspended from all cricket activities with immediate effect. They have been given 14 days, starting from March 11, 2026, to respond to the charges.The case forms part of a wider investigation into corruption in the tournament. In January, United States player Aaron Jones was also charged with five breaches of the anti-corruption codes of both the ICC and CWI.The ICC said it will make no further comment until the disciplinary process is completed.
Jay Shah: Kapil Dev deserves more credit for 1983 World Cup triumph
Priyanka Chopra began her journey in the West with her role in Quantico back in 2015. After establishing herself in the global entertainment space, the actor has now opened up about leaving Bollywood at the peak of her career and taking a leap, and about dealing with tense relationships in the Hindi film industry. Looking back at that phase, Priyanka said she doesn’t like to “stay in s**t.”
Priyanka Chopra on leaving Bollywood
Recently, Priyanka was seen with Amanda Hirsch on her Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, where the Citadel actress spoke about her decision to venture into the West. When asked about why she decided to explore the American film industry, Priyanka said, “When I was working back in India, I started feeling limited… I wanted to be able to see what else was out there. Besides Mindy Kaling and Aishwarya Rai, there were very few female or male Indian actors in Hollywood. And I was like why don’t we have that representation. It made me think of myself as that girl who was in the 9th grade in America, where nobody looks like me… I didn’t think about it (much) at that time, but as someone who was starting to seek work in Hollywood, I thought where do I stand? How do I begin?… It came from the need to want and see what the possibilities were there.”
During the chat, she was also questioned about “tense relationships with some of the stuff going on in India with the movie scene”. Priyanka responded, “Nothing is an easy ride. We all have battles that we have to handle. I am someone who just doesn’t like staying in the s**t because then you get used to the smell. I am a big believer in pivoting. When life gets tough, we are so resilient as human beings; we have the ability to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, take a minute to feel emotional and feel the pain, and then pivot.”
She further admitted that she has done that many times in her career, and that there was no clear path for her when she decided to try her luck in Hollywood. Priyanka added that there wasn’t much of a precedent before her, hence she decided to give it a shot, mentioning that the only thing she knew was that “I’m a hard worker and I know my job. Put me on a set with any filmmaker or co-actor, and I’ll stand toe-to-toe”.
Priyanka Chopra`s Hollywood journey
After earning a name in Bollywood, Priyanka started her journey towards Hollywood with a lead role in ABC`s Quantico in 2015. Ever since, she has not looked back. She made her Hollywood debut in a negative role with Baywatch in 2017, which also starred Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. Later, she was seen in projects such as Matrix: Revolutions, Citadel, Love Again, and Isn`t It Romantic.
In 2018, Priyanka tied the knot with Nick Jonas and welcomed her first child, Malti Marie in 2022. Currently, Priyanka stays in the US with her husband and family.
She was most recently seen in R-rated pirate adventure The Bluff as Bloody Mary, along with her co-star Karl Urban. The film was released on Prime Video on February 25.
NEW DELHI: Govt has asked states and UTs to lift from the Central Pool rice and wheat under the free foodgrain scheme for three months in advance (till June) and distribute them to beneficiaries immediately. This directive comes as govt warehouses are brimming with rice and wheat stocks and little space is available for storing the fresh procurement of wheat which will start in the next few weeks.“In view of upcoming procurement season in the country and consequent bottlenecks faced by states/UTs for efficient logistics and storage, it has been decided that states/UTs will lift the foodgrains allocated up to June 2026 under NFSA in advance and distribute them among the beneficiaries immediately,” the food ministry said in a communication to state food secretaries.It also directed Food Corporation of India (FCI) to ensure sufficient availability of foodgrains in its godowns. The FCI has also been asked to coordinate with states for necessary steps to ensure advance lifting of foodgrains.As of Thursday, FCI has rice stock of 37.2 million tonnes (MTs) and wheat stock of 23.5 MTs. Officials said the combined stock of the two foodgrains is around 60.7 MTs, which is 185% more than the required buffer of 21 MTs as of April 1. The current stock excludes around 39 MT of rice yet to be received from millers.Officials said the advance one-time distribution of foodgrains to over 80 crore beneficiaries will serve a dual purpose — increasing space availability for storing freshly procured foodgrains and reducing stress on supply chain at a time when govt is working to tide over energy-related issues due to the war in West Asia.Due to the current open-ended policy for procurement, rice stocks in the central pool are rising despite the govt offloading the key foodgrain in the open market, liberal allocations to states and even supplies for ethanol manufacturing.
New Delhi: Amid scrutiny over whether new Indian investors would effect an IPL-style shadow ban at The Hundred, it was a big moment for Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed who Sunrisers Leeds signed at the men’s auction in London on Thursday.
Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed in action. (REUTERS)
Sunrisers acquired him for £190,000 ( ₹2,34,59,395) after a bidding war with Trent Rocks, making him the first Pakistani player bought by an Indian-owned franchise.
Several Pakistan players have previously played for global T20 teams owned or part-owned by IPL franchises, but no active Pakistan internationals have featured in the IPL since 2008 due to long-running geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.
Two Pakistan internationals – Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim – appeared in last year’s tournament, which was the final edition before new investors took control.
No Pakistan players have featured in South Africa’s SA20, which launched in 2023. In the UAE’s ILT20, franchises controlled by the owners of MI London and Southern Brave have not signed a Pakistan player across four seasons.
This year, more than 50 Pakistani players – including Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub – registered for The Hundred draft.
Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, insisted last year that the involvement of Pakistani players in The Hundred would be unaffected by the league’s privatisation.
The other Pakistani player acquired by a franchise in The Hundred auction was spinner Usman Tariq, who sold for £140,000 ( ₹1,72,82,356) to Birmingham Phoenix – part-owned by American investment group Knighthead Capital Management and the rest by Warwickshire County Cricket club.
Out of the eight franchises, at least four of them have an Indian ownership – either absolute or partial. Indian company RPSG Group purchased 70% of Manchester Super Giants. RPSG’s portfolio of investments include IPL side Lucknow Super Giants and Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20.
The Sun Group owns IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa. Meanwhile, MI London is owned by the Indian multi-billionaire Ambani family. Their company, Reliance Industries Limited, also owns Mumbai Indians. GMR Group, which also owns IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, also have a 49% stake in Southern Brave for £48m.
BBC Sport reported on February 17 that there is an unwritten rule conveyed to player agents that Pakistan cricketers would not be considered by Indian-owned sides for The Hundred auction.
Following that report, English all-rounder Moeen Ali had warned that players will take action if they believe that Pakistani signings are being boycotted by Indian owners in the Hundred, saying such discriminatory behaviour “can’t happen in the UK.”
In an email to franchises later, English media reported that the ECB warned that teams would face action if there is evidence of discrimination in their recruitment for this season’s competition.
In the auction held for the women’s edition on Wednesday, no Pakistan cricketer was picked by the franchises.
Social media did not respond kindly to Sunrisers Leeds’ player announcement on X as several Indian fans called for boycotts, urging owner Kavya Maran to introspect.
Bhooth Bangla teaser: The teaser for Priyadarshan’s Akshay Kumar-starrer Bhooth Bangla was dropped on Thursday. The 1-minute-23-second-long teaser shows the actor cracking jokes even as his home is haunted by a ghost. Fans say they’re reminded of Priyadarshan and Akshay’s 2007 film Bhool Bhulaiyaa, thanks to his comic timing.
Bhooth Bangla teaser: Akshay Kumar inherits a palace, only to be haunted by ghosts.
Bhooth Bangla teaser dropped
The teaser for Bhooth Bangla begins with the legend of Vadhusur of Mangalpur, an entity who seemingly kills anyone who dares to get married there. Akshay happens to inherit a palace there that’s 2-3 rooms shy of being Buckingham Palace. The teaser also introduces other characters in the film played by Paresh Rawal, Tabu, Wamiqa Gabbi, Rajpal Yadav, Mithila Palkar, Jisshu Sengupta, Rajesh Sharma and the late Asrani. Even as Akshay’s character seems sceptical about the presence of ghosts, the teaser hints that he’ll soon change his mind.
Internet calls it Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
Fans left numerous comments as soon as the trailer dropped, thrilled to see Akshay’s lighthearted side again. “Bhooth Bangla (cross emoji) Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (tick emoji),” commented one fan on YouTube. “Akshay Kumar’s Comic timing (raised hands emoji),” commented a fan on Instagram. For the unversed, Priyadarshan and Akshay did not return for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3, with Anees Bazmee taking on as director and Karthik Aryan as lead star.
“Bhooth Bangla excited priyadrashan and Akshay Kumar combo fire,” wrote one person, while another commented, “The OGs Are Back!! The BB Duo Akki × Priyadarshan Reunion = Guaranteed Entertainment!! Waiting For This Madness!” Numerous other fans also thought the film would do well at the box office, leaving comments like, “Records todega (will break records),” and “Blockbuster loading.”
About Bhooth Bangla
Akshay and Priyadarshan, who have collaborated on iconic comedies like Hera Pheri (2000), Garam Masala (2005), Bhagam Bhag (2006), De Dana Dan (2009), and Khatta Meetha (2010), are reuniting for Bhooth Bangla. The film will be released in theatres on April 10. Aakash Kaushik has written the story, while Priyadarshan, Rohan Shankar, and Abilash Nair wrote the screenplay. Rohan Shankar has written the dialogues, and Pritam is the music composer.
Priyadarshan is also directing Akshay and Saif Ali Khan in a thriller named Haiwaan. It is a remake of the 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam, which starred Mohanlal and Samuthirakani. The film’s shoot wrapped in December 2025, and a release date has yet to be announced. Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar also star in it.
NEW DELHI: Rising tennis star Dhakshineswar Suresh has been included in the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) following his standout performance in India’s recent Davis Cup Qualifiers victory over the Netherlands in February.The decision was taken during the 169th meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) under the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which also approved financial assistance for Yuki Bhambri and Sumit Nagal as part of preparations for major events such as the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and the upcoming Davis Cup ties.
Why is Ahmedabad likely to be the sporting capital of India? | Bombay Sport Exchange
Dhakshineswar earned his TAGG inclusion on the back of a remarkable display during India’s Davis Cup clash against the Netherlands. The youngster played a decisive role in the tie, delivering one of the most memorable performances of his young career.The 25-year-old won both his singles matches against higher-ranked opponents — World No. 88 (Jesper de Jong) and World No. 162 (Guy Den Ouden) — before partnering Bhambri to clinch the crucial doubles match. His contributions helped India secure a historic victory that propelled the team into the Davis Cup second Qualifier round where they will face South Korea, from September 18 to 20, later this year. The MOC noted that Dhakshineswar’s performances underline his potential as a strong contributor for India in both singles and doubles formats. The young player has already registered six wins against top-200 ranked opponents, including a victory over a top-100 player.
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His inclusion takes the number of tennis players supported under the Target Asian Games Group to 12. The TAGG programme, introduced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2025, is modelled on the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and aims to provide financial support to athletes with medal potential at the 2026 Asian Games.In the same meeting, the MOC also approved financial assistance packages for Bhambri (for Rs 28.89 lakh) and Nagal (for Rs 27.51 lakh) to support their international training and competition schedules in the lead-up to the Asian Games and upcoming Davis Cup commitments.
NEW YORK — About 4 1/2 hours after the first notes of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” a startling sound emerges from the wings, one many in the audience likely have never heard before.
A wooden holztrompete joins the Met’s new ‘Tristan und Isolde’ production
A nearly 4-foot wooden horn known as a holztrompete, specially constructed to the composer’s somewhat ambiguous specifications, signals the arrival of the ship carrying Isolde and King Marke to Brittany, inspiring a mortally wounded Tristan to hang on to life for a few more moments.
“Joyous,” said Billy R. Hunter Jr., the Metropolitan Opera’s principal trumpet, who plays the wooden horn from stage left.
Yuval Sharon’s compelling new production starring Lise Davidsen that opened Monday to mostly rave reviews features a specially constructed horn nearly Hunter’s height — it measures a minimum 46.5 inches and lengthens slightly if the tuning slide is turned.
“You listen to the sound of the holztrompete and the imitation, it’s a clear difference,” said bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, who sings Marke alongside Davidsen’s Isolde and Michael Spyres’ Tristan. “It blows my mind to think that Wagner created it himself. How many humans have created an instrument? It really sounds like victory.”
While the Wagner Tuba was invented in the 1850s by the composer for his Ring Cycle to bridge the sounds of horn and trombones, the holztrompete’s details are more nebulous.
Wagner wrote the notes for an English horn but included a footnote to his score saying it should have “the effect of a very powerful natural instrument, such as the alphorn.” As pointed out in research by Daniël Vernooij, Wagner added in a June 15, 1861, letter to violinist and conductor Heinrich Esser that he wanted it to be “at least three feet long, made of wood, almost trumpet-like, slightly curved downwards so that the bell is open to the side.”
While a wood trumpet was used at the opera’s premiere, Wagner’s Bayreuth Festival in Germany switched in 1891 to a newly created woodwind called the Heckel-clarina, which resembled a soprano saxophone. Conductor Hans Richter replaced that at Bayreuth in 1902 with a tárogató, a woodwind common to Hungarian folk music. The tárogató was used by the Met when James Levine conducted “Tristan” from 1981 through 2008.
Mitch Weiss, a Met clarinet for 38 years, took over the tárogató in the 1980s from Roger Hiller.
“One day he said, `I’m sick and tired of playing this. You play it.′ And he handed me the tárogató,” recalled Weiss, now 93.
And then, Weiss had to audition for Levine alongside principal trumpet Mel Broiles.
“We each had to play the solo,” Weiss said. “I played it on a tárogató and the first trumpet played it on a low horn. And Jimmy said: `Tárogató plays it.’”
“The Hungarians used it as a battle cry instrument because it was very loud,” said Dean LeBlanc, a Met orchestra clarinet and bass clarinet who played the tárogató in the 2016 production conducted by Simon Rattle.
When Daniel Barenboim led the opera at the Met later in 2008, he brought his own holztrompete.
“He pulled out this thing. I’m like: What in the world?” Hunter recalled. He said Barenboim told him, “’This is what we use at Bayreuth.’”
Barenboim took the horn with him after the run. Thomas Lausmann, hired in 2019 as the Met’s director of music administration, ordered a new one to be manufactured by Thein Brass in Bremen, Germany, which built its initial version for the Hamburg State Opera.
“They recreated an instrument that they believed would come very, very close to the instrument Wagner would have had in his time,” Lausmann said.
Hunter said the bells of the Barenboim and current Met version are slightly different. Martin Wagemann, principal trumpet of the Deutsch Oper Berlin, has played the Holztrompete at Bayreuth since 2018. He uses different versions at each hall.
“The Deutsche Oper trumpet sounds slightly darker and woodier, but it is softer and therefore harder to articulate,” Wagemann wrote in an email. “The Bayreuth instrument has slightly better intonation and a brighter sound, which allows for clearer articulation — something you need in the Bayreuth acoustic.”
Hunter compared the holztrompete to a bugle. Its one valve lowers the notes down a step — a trumpet has three valves.
“On a regular trumpet, there’s slides you can adjust with pitch but with this, there is no adjustment,” Hunter said.
Preparing for the mostly sold-out run through April 4, Hunter practiced for a month in the living room of his Upper West Side apartment, with an audience of his wife — who is a pianist — and their children.
“If the kids like it, then I know it’s OK,” Hunter said. “It’s like the food. If they eat the food, it means you did a good job.”
Hunter finishes the first act six stories above the stage in The Domes at the tip of the auditorium, where the banda of trumpets and trombones loudly greets Tristan’s ship in Cornwall. The boat’s arrival at Monday’s production premiere also signaled Hunter’s departure: He had about three hours until the wooden horn was needed.
“I left to put my daughters to sleep, relieve grandpa and wait for my wife to return from work,” Hunter said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.