Age is just a number, and Sham Kaushal has just proved it with action and a lot of strength. At 70, the veteran action director and father of actor Vicky Kaushal is winning admiration online after sharing a glimpse of his fitness routine.
Sham Kaushal took to Instagram Story to post a video from the gym, showing himself doing a bench press with weights. Dressed in workout gear and fully focused on his routine, Sham looked determined as he powered through the exercise.
The video also proved that fitness is less about age and more about consistency. Along with the post, he kept the caption simple and humble. Referring to “God`s grace” and his “small efforts” to keep going, he wrote, “God`s grace small efforts to continue…..Rab Rakha..”
Take a look
Picture Courtesy/Sham Kaushal`s Instagram account
Sham Kaushal has choreographed action sequences for several major Hindi films over the years. His work can be seen in acclaimed titles such as `Gangs of Wasseypur,` `Bajirao Mastani,` `Padmaavat,` `Raazi,` `Dangal` and `Sanju,` among many others.
While Sham Kaushal is inspiring people in the gym, his son actor Vicky is busy on the professional front. The actor will next be seen in Love and War, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
The upcoming film also stars Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in key roles. It marks Ranbir Kapoor`s reunion with Bhansali after his debut film `Saawariya,` while Vicky will be working with the filmmaker for the first time. Alia, meanwhile, has previously collaborated with Bhansali on `Gangubai Kathiawadi.`
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are all set to lock horns with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2026 match on Wednesday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Ahead of the game, former New Zealand cricketer Mitchell McClenaghan feels that the visitors will need to work hard to win the game against the Royal Challengers.
“LSG has a well-balanced batting unit. Their openers, middle order, and lower middle order are all contributing. But they are up against the defending champions, who are full of confidence after their win over MI. So, LSG will have to work hard to win this game. Their bowling attack is looking good, especially Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav. But Bangalore is a different challenge. The pitch is flat and the boundaries are short. It will be a real test for their bowlers,” he said on Star Sports.
The former cricketer wants star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and explosive batsman Nicholas Pooran to deliver big performances. He said that the small boundaries at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium should suit Pooran`s game.
“LSG needs Mitchell Marsh to fire, because his power-hitting at the top can take the game away from RCB early on. Nicholas Pooran has also had a poor start to the season and the small ground in Bangalore should actually suit Pooran’s game. He is the key batter I want to see him bounce back and make a statement,” said McClenaghan.
IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants: Full Squads
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal.
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anrich Nortje, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Avesh Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Himmar Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Josh Inglis (WK), M Siddharth, Moshin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Singh, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Mayank Yadav, M Choudhary (WK), Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi.
Actor Kritika Kamra has come a long way since her TV days. Over the past few years, she has worked in some of the most talked-about web series and films, while carving a niche for herself in the OTT space. As her new show, Matka King, gears up for release, Kritika talks to Hindustan Times about the show, working with director Nagraj Manjule, and the landscape for female characters in Indian stories.
Kritika Kamra will be next seen in Matka King.
Kritika Kamra on discovering the world of matka
Matka King is a fictional story that is inspired by real-life matka barons of Mumbai (then Bombay) – Ratan Khatri and Kalyanji Bhagat. But the show talks about the rise of Brij Bhatti, a fictional matka king, played by Vijay Varma. Talking about her introduction to this world, Kritika says, “The world is fascinating. I did not know about matka, before I was offered the show. I did my research. I did not know about this because I didn’t grow up in Bombay, and it was fascinating. I usually judge things by seeing if I’m interested as an audience, then I feel that there will be more people like me who would also be interested in it.”
The show has been directed by National Award winner Nagraj Manjule, making his long-form debut. “He’s been on every actor’s wish list,” says Kritika, emphasising that the filmmaker is one of the reasons she signed on. “Consciously, over the last few years, I’ve been trying to work with filmmakers really known for their craft because I think that’s how I am going to become better at what I do.”
In Matka King, Kritika plays Gulrukh Dibash, a young Parsi widow from south Bombay who becomes Brij’s unlikely partner in crime. “I really found Gulrukh very fascinating,” the actor says, “I like that this character had something to do with the plot. While she has her own journey and her chemistry with Vijay, she’s also a really pivotal part of how the game rises in Bombay. I’m constantly looking for female characters that drive the narrative forward. And they’re hard to come by. Even now, even after so much has happened and we’re all happy with how things are going on OTT, I still feel there aren’t many (female) characters who truly move the story forward.”
‘It’s about playing the riskier bets’
Matka King is all about placing your bets, and Kritika believes that is something she can relate to, in her life, particularly her choice of roles and projects. “Sometimes, it’s about playing the riskier bets. I am just not waiting for any one thing to break out and change my life. I have never waited for that. I am constantly placing bets, and I know I will also lose, but I just want to leave the house winning. So I’m just playing the long game. Of course, when something doesn’t work out, it obviously feels really bad. All rejection feels very personal. But I’ve been in it long enough to know that there’s always something else waiting. And as long as the process is democratic and I get a shot at it, I’m fine,” she explains.
But is the process always democratic? Kritika admits that it is better than ‘how it used to be’ with casting run more professionally. And she is prepared to wait for the right roles. She expands, “There are filmmakers, and I wait for them, like Nagraj Manjule. I tested for the show twice. He was not convinced the first time, and I completely understand. Even I wouldn’t be, if you told me to play a Parsi character. I’m sure everybody would want to then cast someone closer to it. So I worked on it, and I tested again.”
The 37-year-old admits that this makes her seem more selective, particularly in the eyes of the so-called commercial cinema. But it is something she has made her peace with. Kritika adds, “It becomes slightly more difficult because I have to wait for directors who really go through the process while casting. So, a lot of the probably more commercial stuff may not come my way. But I’m happy because I’m getting to work with filmmakers whose filmography I’m a fan of.”
Matka King releases on Amazon Prime Video on April 17.
Among the mysteries about William Shakespeare’s later life is why he plunged into London’s real estate market for the first time in 1613, three years before his death at the age of 52.
His family lived 100 miles away in Stratford-upon-Avon, and he had rented rooms in several parts of the capital city over the course of his career.
Now, by examining 17th-century property deeds, a scholar has confirmed for the first time the precise location and dimensions of the property he bought by the River Thames.
That has raised intriguing questions of whether the Bard was thinking of spending more time in London, perhaps to add a final act to his illustrious dramatic career, instead of planning retirement in Stratford-upon-Avon.
“This discovery throws into question the narrative that Shakespeare simply retired to Stratford,” said the author of the new research, Lucy Munro, professor of Shakespeare and early modern literature at King’s College London. “It makes us think again about his relationship with London: Why would he want to buy property in London in 1613?”
In or around the same year, Shakespeare coauthored one of his lesser known plays, “The Two Noble Kinsmen” with John Fletcher, and Professor Munro believes it “not inconceivable” that some of it was written at this property.
“One of the reasons I wonder whether he has an eye to using it for himself — at least a bit — is because it’s in the Blackfriars,” she added, referring to a small district on the north of the Thames that included the Blackfriars theater. This was the space used by the King’s Men, the company of actors for whom Shakespeare wrote and performed.
The property was also a short walk across the river from the Globe Theater, which staged his plays then and does so today, having been recreated and reopened in 1997.
The new research has been welcomed by other experts including René Weis, an emeritus professor at University College London and author of “Shakespeare Revealed: A Biography” who said he agreed that “after ‘retiring,’ Shakespeare would have remained actively involved in London life.”
He added: “These exciting documents may not in themselves make the case for Shakespeare-in-London after 1611, but they certainly firm up further what has long been suspected.”
That Shakespeare bought a London home was already well known, but the exact location was never confirmed. In the narrow streets around St Andrew’s Hill, a blue plaque on a white office building states that the playwright “purchased lodgings in the Blackfriars gatehouse located near this site.”
Professor Munro now says she has proved that this is the precise location of Shakespeare’s property rather than an approximate one. She made the discovery while researching the Blackfriars playhouse and working her way through a couple of boxes of property deeds in the London Archives, a free public record collection that is managed by the City of London. The property plan had been found before but had not been connected to Shakespeare, she said.
Toward the end of the 16th century, parish records suggest that Shakespeare rented accommodation in Bishopsgate, in east London, and later, in Southwark on the southern side of the Thames. In 1604 he lodged in Cripplegate just north of Blackfriars.
The property plan of the parish of St Ann Blackfriars in London discovered by Lucy Munro, professor of Shakespeare and early modern literature at King’s College London.Credit…The London Archives, City of London Corporation
The property that Shakespeare bought was destroyed half a century later, in the devastating great fire of London in 1666, which is partly why so little has been known about it.
Shakespeare’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall Nash Barnard, inherited the property but fortuitously sold it in 1665 — a year before the fire.
The plan that Professor Munro rediscovered was drawn up in 1688, during a sale of the plot, and it marks the boundaries that applied before the conflagration. By linking the names on that plan to the 1665 deeds, she pinpointed the site of Shakespeare’s property to the precise building where the plaque hangs. The plan also provides ground floor dimensions.
The structure was on the site of a converted priory and the adjacent building may have been a tavern. Records suggest one likely existed there at least by the 1630s.
The part of the property over the gateway does not appear on the post-fire plan because it had no foundation, but the rest of it measured 45 feet from east to west, 15 feet from north to south at the eastern end and 13 feet at the western end.
The property was substantial enough to be divided into two homes by 1645.
According to Professor Munro, there are conflicting indications as to whether anyone was living in the property when Shakespeare purchased it in 1613, although at the time of his death, a tenant, John Robinson, was recorded as living there.
“We don’t know quite what physical health Shakespeare is in by 1613 but he is obviously pretty active at that point: he’s buying property in London, he writes with John Fletcher.”
Chris Laoutaris, an associate professor at the University of Birmingham’s Shakespeare Institute, believes that the tenant, John Robinson, might have been a printer based on other information he has collected, and that Shakespeare might have been planning to compile his collected works.
“It’s fabulous that we’ve got more detail about the property,” said Dr. Laoutaris, referring to Professor Munro’s findings. He argues in a recent book about Shakespeare that Blackfriars at the time was a creative hub with a prominent library, and that Shakespeare’s texts might have been kept in the local theater.
“Lucy Munro’s findings are significant,” he said, “in that if that property is large and boasts more rooms than we would previously have thought, then there is much more opportunity for this to be both a business investment, to be leased out to a lodger, and also lodgings for himself or a base where he might have continued to work.”
Professor Munro believes that Shakespeare’s two final plays, “The Two Noble Kinsmen” and “Henry VIII” — both written with Fletcher — have not received the credit they deserve because of assumptions “that collaborative writing isn’t as good as solo writing and that late writing isn’t as good as midcareer writing.”
His investment in Blackfriars suggests Shakespeare might have had more such works in mind, she thinks. “We know in retrospect that those are the last two plays that he writes,” she said. “But I don’t know whether he necessarily knows.”
MUMBAI: More than a year after recovering from a urinary infection, Vinod Kambli continues to battle health concerns, though his condition has not worsened. However, the former India batter is still not out of danger.“Ever since he was hospitalised in Thane about 18 months ago, Kambli has had a clot in his brain. His memory is not good. He remembers things and then forgets about them. That’s all due to that clot in his brain. Kambli has given up drinking, but he tends to smoke at times. Smoking is completely forbidden for him, because it puts him at risk of a brain stroke, as per the doctor Aadil Chagla (famous neurosurgeon), who has been monitoring Kambli’s treatment,” his close friend and former first-class umpire Marcus Couto told TOI on Wednesday.
Watch
Bombay Sport Exchange: Munaf Patel on Gautam Gambhir, Virat vs Bumrah & Indian bowling.
“Sometimes, when he steps out of his house, he tends to ask for, and people tend to offer him a smoke. They think that they are offering a smoke to a former India cricket star. However, smoking is extremely harmful for him, particularly for his brain,” Couto added.There have been some positive signs as well. “10 days back, he acted in an advert- after a long, long time- for Dinshaw’s ice-cream. It was shot at the Mahim Juvenile Cricket Ground Shivaji Park. They gave him a role which suited him. I, along with his brother Ricky and former cricketer Viram Dayal visited Kambli at his residence in Jewel Cooperative Society in Bandra last week,” Couto said. “He seemed to be in decent health. He and his family were in good spirits. Kambli now uses a stick to walk around. His son (Cristiano) wants to become a cricketer. I requested Jatin Paranjape to enroll him at his cricket academy, and he immediately agreed. Of course, Jatin won’t charge Kambli’s son anything.”Kambli had sparked concern during a public appearance in December 2024, where he appeared unsteady alongside Sachin Tendulkar. Cricket greats like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev later extended support for his rehabilitation.Despite efforts, including a proposed rehab plan backed by members of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, long-term recovery remains a challenge.
‘Dacoit’ presents a mix of action and emotional drama with decent technical values. While the first Wednesday saw a sharp drop, the film continues to hold attention due to strong lead performances.
‘Dacoit’s narrative follows an angry convict seeking revenge on his ex-girlfriend. It evolves into an emotional journey involving love, betrayal and revenge. Adivi Sesh and Shaneil Deo wrote the story. ‘Dacoit’ continued its theatrical run with a noticeable drop on Wednesday. The Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur starrer collected a worldwide gross of Rs 43.89 crores by the end of day 6 as reported by the Sacnilk website.India net collections stand at Rs 27.05 Cr while India gross reaches Rs 31.49 Cr. Overseas gross added up to Rs 12.40 Cr.
Day 6 collection details of ‘Dacoit’
On day 6, the film added a net of Rs 1.55 Cr in India across 4,185 shows. This marks a 48.3 percent drop from day 5’s Rs 3.00 Cr. According to reports, the film played with lower occupancy on Wednesday.Telugu version contributed Rs 1.05 Cr net at 18.0 percent occupancy from 2,082 shows. Hindi version collected Rs 50 lakhs net at 9.0 percent from 2,103 shows. Overall India net now stands at Rs 27.05 Cr.
Occupancy and show trends for Mrunal Thakur’s film
For Telugu 2D version, overall occupancy on day 6 was 15.23 percent. Morning shows recorded 12.85 percent while afternoon rose to 17.85 percent. Evening and night shows stood at 13.77 percent and 15.62 percent respectively.Hindi 2D version saw overall occupancy of 12.60 percent. Morning shows were low at 4.54 percent. Afternoon, evening and night shows recorded 10.08 percent, 10.23 percent and 16.77 percent.Day 5 collected Rs 3.00 Cr net from 4,250 shows at 21.0 percent occupancy.
Ram Charan’s praise
Actor Ram Charan shared positive feedback on social media. He watched the film and expressed his admiration. Ram Charan wrote, “Watched #Dacoit and thoroughly enjoyed it. @AdiviSesh delivers a solid and memorable performance as Hari. @mrunal0801 is terrific and brings great depth to her role. @anuragkashyap72 Garu and the entire cast stand out with strong performances.#SupriyaYarlagadda Garu & @AnnapurnaStdios have backed this film with absolute conviction and presented it with high technical standards. Congratulations to the entire team (sic).”The film also stars Prakash Raj, Sunil, Atul Kulkarni, Zayn Marie Khan and Kamakshi Bhaskarla in key roles. Anurag Kashyap is part of the cast in a notable supporting part.‘Dacoit’ presents a mix of action and emotional drama with decent technical values.DISCLAIMER: The box office numbers and the data in this article are compiled from public and industry sources. All figures are approximate unless explicitly mentioned, offering a fair representation of the movie’s box office performance. These totals may change as official studio data is updated or as additional international market reports are finalized. This data is provided by us for informational and entertainment purposes only.
MUMBAI/ NEW DELHI: Air India’s mounting losses and operational issues are leading to serious concerns among both its parent groups. Goh Choon Phong, CEO of Singapore Airlines (SIA, which has a 25.1% stake in AI) is in Mumbai and is expected to meet Tata Sons and AI chairman N Chandrasekaran on Thursday.The meeting comes in the backdrop of AI scouting for a new CEO after the resignation of incumbent Campbell Wilson. The airline is also staring at a loss of over Rs 22,500 crore in FY 2026 and has sought fresh fund infusion from Tata and SIA. The Ahmedabad crash last June and the continued closure of Pakistan airspace since Operation Sindoor, followed by US-Iran war since Feb 28, made things worse for the already deep-in-losses Maharaja.AI did not comment on the likely losses for last fiscal and whether it has sought fund infusion from the promoters. While reviving AI, which spent its last few years as a PSU in abject penury till Tata acquired it along with AI Express on Jan 27, 2022, was never expected to be easy, the slow pace of change and mounting losses, have now put the strain on promoters.While SIA is seeing its profits decline due to AI losses, Tata Sons is under pressure over mounting losses of its new unlisted ventures, especially AI and Tata Digital. Addressing their concerns and sending a clear message to AI employees, Chandrasekaran had last week told them to “be precise on costs and remain grounded in the reality of the situation”.People in the know said Tatas knew turning around AI would be tough. That’s why they did not bid for the airline in 2018. The terms changed in 2021 in the second round and they successfully bid for it, with Ajay Singh of struggling-to-survive SpiceJet being the other bidder. “There is serious concern in SIA over both financial and reputational loss that AI is causing. Whether Thursday’s meeting between Choon Phong and Chandra is to decide on the new CEO or the hiccups AI is facing, will be discussed threadbare. There is also talk of SIA planning to pull out of AI but that seems unlikely,” said a person in the know.
Actress Kriti Sanon, who is gearing up for the release of Cocktail 2, has spoken about her preparation for the sequel to the 2012 cult romantic drama and shared that she was on a “very strict diet” and a “consistent workout routine” to prep for the upcoming film.
“Honestly, during Cocktail, it was the only time when I was on a very strict diet and a consistent workout routine. And for the first time, I followed a calorie deficit diet, which had never happened in my life. We were shooting in Italy, in Sicily… and when it comes to food there, it’s mostly pizza, pasta, pizza… all of that. And I was like… ah,” Kriti said in a statement.
Earlier, she had revealed the emotional reason behind choosing the film, sharing, “Tere Ishk Mein was so emotionally draining, it had completely emptied me emotionally. I felt I needed something light and fun, and that’s when Cocktail came my way.”
Highlighting the importance of balance, Kriti had also shared, “I thought, ‘This is it. This is the space I want to be in.’ It’s also nice to play characters that are poles apart, to not get too much of the load on you emotionally, because going back-to-back with deeply layered roles can take a toll on you.”
Kriti shared that she’s looking very different from what she has ever looked and it`s probably the hottest character that I`ve done so far.
“And I think Homi is someone who has great great aesthetic visual sense and he`s just inherently cool and I think he`s brought a cool side to me which I didn`t know I had.”
Cocktail 2 is by filmmaker Homi Adajania. It explores modern relationships amid emotional turmoil. The sequel features new characters facing current challenges while revisiting themes of love, friendship, and heartbreak. This is the first time Rashmika will be seen sharing screen space with Kriti and Shahid.
The film is set to bow in cinemas on June 19, 2026.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
It is never easy to share a roof with a sibling who is as talented as you, if not more so. Most of us have felt that quiet pang of comparison: the teacher asking why you aren’t quite like your brother, or parents, in an unguarded moment, holding up a sibling’s achievement as the standard. In classrooms, at home, in sporting circles, there is always that lingering suggestion: what if the other one had done it better?
Women’s Grand Master Vaishali has lived with that suggestion for most of her life.
For years, the 24-year-old from Chennai has lived in a peculiar kind of eclipse. Despite being one of India’s finest chess minds, she was often introduced to the uninitiated simply as Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa’s sister.
But on a decisive Tuesday in Cyprus, the shadow finally retreated.
By winning the Women’s Candidates 2026, Vaishali became only the second Indian woman after Koneru Humpy in 2011 to qualify for the World Championship match. Later this year, she will face China’s Ju Wenjun for the ultimate title.
Vaishali entered the tournament as a dark horse, the lowest-rated player in the eight-woman field. What followed was a display of nerve as much as skill. In a gruelling 14-round double round-robin, she found another gear late, recovering from a loss in the 12th round and beating Kateryna Lagno with white in the final round to win the tournament by half a point.
It was a victory that showed her toughest race was never just across the board, but against a narrative that had followed her for years.
THE SHADOW
The comparison was always inevitable.
Her younger brother, GM Praggnanandhaa, became a household name when he became the world’s youngest International Master. He then became the second-youngest Grandmaster in history in 2018 at just 12. Vaishali reached that same milestone five years later.
Even within Indian women’s chess, timelines were unforgiving. Koneru Humpy had become a Woman Grandmaster at 15 in 2002. By comparison, Vaishali’s WGM title in 2023, at 21, felt, unfairly, late.
While the spotlight burned brightly on Pragg, Vaishali worked in the softer glow of the background.
Yet, it was actually Vaishali who moved the first pawn in the family.
Her mother, Nagalakshmi, once famously recalled that she enrolled Vaishali in chess classes simply to wean her off television cartoons. A two-year-old Pragg would sit nearby, often pushing the pieces off the board while his sister practiced. Soon, the toddler was no longer disrupting the game. He was mastering it.
Vaishali and Pragg with their father, Rameshbabu (Courtesy: chessvaishali/Instagram)
“They joined us young. At that time, she was the higher-rated player. Pragg was still 1700. She was 1900, something like that. She was the stronger player at that time,” GM Ramesh told IndiaToday.in on Wednesday, April 15 from Chennai.
“Both of them have similarities: both of them work hard, both of them don’t go to school regularly. They have been practising for more than 6-8 hours a day for so many years. Both can get into time trouble. But she is more aggressive. Pragg is more solid, professional. Vaishali is enterprising and aggressive with her approach.
“In between, Pragg overtook Vaishali and became the world’s youngest IM and, in a couple of years, the world’s youngest GM and so on. At that time, she felt a bit jumpy. She felt it.
“Suddenly, the limelight was on him. She felt it was a bit unfair. It did affect her for a couple of years. She overcame that and now they both take pride in each other’s performance,” he said.
Their journeys were intertwined. They were never identical.
R Vaishali with her mother and brother, Pragg, after winning Grand Swiss in 2025 (PTI Photo)
THE BOND
In Cyprus, the story found its most human moment.
It had been a difficult week for Praggnanandhaa. He entered the Open Candidates as one of the favourites, with hopes of setting up an all-Indian World Championship clash against reigning champion D Gukesh later this year. But he lost momentum at the wrong time and finished seventh.
And yet, when it mattered most, he was there.
As Vaishali walked out of the playing hall after the final round, her mother and brother were waiting. In a poignant moment, they embraced her as she emerged as the new challenger for the world title.
Then came a moment that revealed their equation more than any statistic could.
In a conversation with IM Sagar Shah for ChessBase India, Vaishali made sure her brother’s role did not go unnoticed. He tried, as always, to deflect. She did not let him.
“He was very motivating. There were some tense moments in the last few days. He was there to support me. He was also having a tough event. But he was always there to support me, cheer me up. Last night, we discussed a couple of things about what I wanted to do in the last round,” Vaishali said.
YEARS OF WORK
The victory in Cyprus was the outcome of years that rarely looked this certain.
Vaishali has seen ups and downs aplenty in her career, but the road to the Candidates brought clarity. Her win at the Grand Swiss last year, a tournament she was unsure of entering, proved decisive.
“Extremely proud. It has been decades of effort from Vaishali. She has been playing chess for more than 15 years. She is now one step closer to becoming a world champion. Really happy she has come this far,” Ramesh said.
Once she punched her ticket to the Candidates last year, the technical preparation was augmented by a rigorous mental overhaul.
“She had many training camps. We don’t want to reveal her team because the world championships are there. She has been doing yoga, meditation quite regularly for many months now. That’s also calming her nerves. In all these crucial moments, especially to win in the last round, in a must-win situation, is not easy. It was all about training and improving her strength,” Ramesh said.
HOLDING THE LINE
The tournament demanded everything she had built.
Vaishali began on a wobbly note before finding her rhythm in the second half. By Round 12, she was the sole leader, a position she had not expected to occupy.
Then came the setback. A loss with the white pieces to Zhu Jiner threatened to undo her work.
But this time, she held.
“After having a one-point lead, and then losing a game, it would have affected many players. But then she kept her nerves and won the tournament. I am really happy,” Ramesh said.
Sometimes, it came down to something as simple as a WhatsApp message.
“I told her, ‘These things can happen. Try to think of it like you made two draws, instead of thinking you lost today. You are still in the lead with a couple of rounds to go.’ And making two draws is not a bad thing, you are losing the lead,” Ramesh said.
Vaishali reset.
She even found the composure to joke about the setback.
“Having this one-point lead towards the end, I didn’t expect that at all in this tournament. It put pressure on me before playing Zhu Jiner. But after I lost that game, I felt like, ‘Okay, we are back to normal.’ Luckily, we had a rest day after that. It was good for me to reset and plan for the last two rounds,” she said.
TIME FOR YOGA
Part of this reset involved a fundamental lifestyle change. Ramesh insisted on a strict sleep schedule and morning yoga to ensure she didn’t carry “negative baggage” into the next day.
“I have been telling her to sleep early. I told her that even if she loses a game, she has to sleep well. Because, for many players, this is a serious problem, it becomes almost impossible to sleep when you lose. But I suggested that she needed to sleep, even if it’s a painful loss, and move on. And recently, I believe she has been doing that,” Ramesh said.
“Also, she has been waking up early and doing yoga. Because if you don’t sleep well, you wake up late and it’s almost afternoon already. But now she has made it a point she gets up early in the morning and does yoga. This kind of self-discipline is a positive change.
THE OBLIVIOUS TEENAGER
To keep the atmosphere light, the coaches sent 19-year-old GM Pranesh as her second. Pranesh played the role of the oblivious teenager perfectly.
“Having Pranesh as my second was Ramesh sir and Aarthi ma’am’s idea,” Vaishali told ChessBase India.
“He is a nice and fun person to be around. The idea was for him to keep it light because there were a lot of tense and tight moments throughout the competition.
“Whenever I had a tough match and went to his room, he was like, ‘It’s okay akka, don’t worry.’ He was very supportive. We played a lot of table tennis and paddle. Of course, some blitz also.
“He would be waiting for the rest day. After every rest day, he would be like, ‘Oh, when is the next rest day?’.”
MORE THAN A NAME
It takes more than talent to reach the top. It takes time, resilience and the ability to step out of narratives that are written for you before you can write your own.
For Vaishali, that meant growing up alongside brilliance without being defined by it. It meant absorbing comparisons without being consumed by them.
The World Championship match against Ju Wenjun will test her again. But Cyprus has already done something more lasting.
Rameshbabu Vaishali will no longer be introduced as someone else’s sister.
She will be introduced as the challenger for the world title.
Pop star Katy Perry is under investigation in Australia over Ruby Rose‘s allegations of sexual assault, police confirmed on Wednesday.The Victoria Police said in a statement to AFP, “Melbourne sexual offenses and child abuse investigation team (SOCIT) detectives are investigating (an alleged) historical sexual assault that occurred in Melbourne in 2010. Police have been told the incident occurred at a licensed premises in Melbourne’s CBD. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage”.
2010 video of Katy Perry in Melbourne resurfaces
TMZ has since posted a photo and video believed to be from the night of the alleged assault, 16 years ago. As per the report, Katy was all smiles on August 15, 2010, crashing a high school prom at Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt. While there, the singer reportedly grabbed a mic and performed a few songs live for the audience. While it is claimed that Ruby was with her at the time, she is nowhere to be seen in the photos.After the prom, the two reportedly headed over to the Melbourne nightclub Spice Market, the same spot Ruby claims things took a dark turn. “Katy Perry sexual assaulted me at spice market nightclub in Melbourne,” Rose said in a social media post.
Old photos of Katy at Melbourne nightclub resurface
In an unverified social media post, a person shared a photo with Perry, believed to be from the same night. The post read, “I believe @rubyrose. When Katy Perry arrived at my queer party (Grouse) in 2010 I posed for a photo with her. I was a bit taken aback when she rested her hand on the top of my public bone during the photo. Later in the nigh a friend came and complained of being groped… guess who Ruby Rose, I was told, was outside, sick and never came inside. I stand with Ruby.”A redit post also features news clipping from the day featuring the singer in the same outfit and hairstyle. Ruby Rose’s allegations against Katy PerryRose alleged in a series of now-deleted posts on social media that the singer had assaulted her almost two decades ago. Ruby went public on Threads, claiming Katy “rubbed her disgusting v****a on my face.”
Katy Perry denies sexual assault allegations
A representative for Katy Perry denied the claim in a statement, as they said, “The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous reckless lies. Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named”.
Ruby Rose files police report
Though Rose previously said she wasn’t interested in going the legal route, she later confirmed that she had approached the police. Ruby has since said she can’t speak further of the case. “As of this afternoon, I have finalised all of my reports. This means I am no longer able to comment, reports, or talk publicly about any of those cases, or the individuals involved,” she wrote.
