Sourav Ganguly Hosts Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur For Dinner During Metro In Dino Promotions
RAJKUMMAR RAO TO PLAY SOURAV GANGULY IN BIOPIC | 'NOW THAT DADA SAID IT…'
It's finally official, Rajkummar Rao will step into the shoes of cricket legend Sourav Ganguly for his highly awaited biopic! The National Award-winning actor confirmed the news after Ganguly hinted at it earlier. Rajkummar called it a 'huge responsibility' and admitted he's nervous but excited. With the film set to capture Ganguly's iconic journey and the transformation of Indian cricket, fans are in for something unforgettable. From learning Bengali from wife Patralekhaa to prepping for the pitch, Rajkummar is all in
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The Print
17 minutes ago
- The Print
ED takes note of leading dailies for ‘surrogate ads' of illegal betting platforms ‘preying' on users
This and other such apps are not only being endorsed by celebrities—including former cricketers like Shikhar Dhawan and actors like Sonu Sood—but their ads also appear prominently on the front pages of major Indian publications, for which they have been paid more than Rs 50 crore, ThePrint has learnt. Dhawan's team has denied he is associated with the betting app. Once a person scans and clicks the link, they are redirected to '1xBet', a betting platform. New Delhi: A full front-page advertisement in three prominent newspapers urges readers to scan a QR code to join 1XBAT Sporting Lines, a sports merchandise brand allegedly linked to an offshore betting platform. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating several illegal gaming cases, has now taken note of these 'surrogate advertisements'. Thousands of people are falling prey to this misleading promotion daily through these QR codes, a source said. A source familiar with the matter said this practice—promoting betting platforms under the name of sports merchandise brands 1XBAT and 1XBAT Sporting Lines—violates multiple laws and regulations, including the Information Technology Act, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and advisories issued by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). 'There are 22 crore Indian users of various betting apps. 11 crore are regular users. Moreover, by looking at these ads in the papers, many more people are joining these applications and falling prey on a daily basis,' a source said. When the investigators approached the media outlets to ask who were giving these ads, no clear answers were given. 'They said a company based in Switzerland was giving the ads,' the source said. ThePrint reached out to 1XBAT over social media with queries but no response was received. Their website does not mention any email address or details of the company's owners. This report will be updated as and when a response is received. According to ED sources, 1xBet, FairPlay, Parimatch, Lotus365 are heavily promoted by celebrities. For example, 1xBet is promoted by Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Sonu Sood, Suresh Raina, Urvashi Rautela and several social media influencers, despite bans. Also Read: ED makes 9th arrest in probe against betting app Mahadev Online Book 'Rs 27000 crore evaded every year' According to sources in the agency, in just the first three months of 2025, more than 1.6 billion visits happened on illegal betting websites. 'The online betting market in India is now worth over $100 billion, growing 30 percent every year,' a source said. 'As per estimates, top betting apps are evading Rs 27,000 crore in taxes every year.' The officer explained that many apps use the name of 'skill games' to appear legal, which in reality is not the case. The results of these games are not based on skill but purely on luck. 'Fantasy games involve money and rigged algorithms. If money is at stake, it is not a game, it is gambling,' the officer said. 'It is a menace. It is not just an addiction but causes stress, depression and even leads to suicides as it pushes people in debt,' a second officer said. 'In India, thousands including students and housewives have died by suicide due to online betting losses. A PIL says over 1,023 suicides happened in Telangana alone. Poor people suffer the most. They fall into the trap of easy money and lose everything,' the officer explained. The officer added that there have been many instances that came to their notice of school and college children getting involved in these games and losing money just in a bid to 'get rich fast'. According to a second source, dummy accounts were made on the platform by officers probing the cases and details of deposit and withdrawal through mule accounts were identified. The ED has identified several Benami accounts till now and action has been taken. But this is a rampant problem and a challenging one, the source said. 'They use accounts for only a few hours. By the time we identify the VPA handle, call details from NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) and send directions to the Bank; money is already gone,' the source explained. Also Read: As Telangana police crack down on actors promoting betting apps, CM Reddy announces SIT 'Need for regulation' Alerted by the high volume of transactions and the scale of money involved, the Centre is also undertaking a deep look into the multi-billion dollar online gaming industry, red-flagged by investigating agencies for fraud and money laundering. Although several meetings have taken place in this regard, nothing concrete has yet been decided. Sources in the security establishment told ThePrint that various ministries, departments, and agencies were collectively working on a comprehensive report on the extent of growth of the online gaming industry and its national security ramifications to recommend regulations for the industry. The primary aim is to bring the online gaming companies under anti-money laundering laws, subjecting them to stricter compliance and financial scrutiny, to curb unchecked mushrooming of online gaming apps—already under probe—duping users. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Dubai police arrests Mahadev betting app co-owner Ravi Uppal, ED 'starts extradition process'


Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Sardaar Ji 3': After demands for revoking citizenship, Diljit Dosanjh gets support from BJP, DSGMC
Jalandhar: Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh , who has been under fire for his film 'Sardaar Ji 3' starring Pakistan actor Hania Aamir, has gotten support from BJP national spokesperson R P Singh and former DSGMC chief Manjit Singh G K. In a post on his X account on Friday R P Singh described Dosanjh as "a national asset and a global ambassador of Indian culture" as he slammed the Federation of Western India Cine Employees for demanding action against the celebrity. "FWICE's call to revoke his Indian citizenship over an inadvertent and pre-incident film shoot is not only unfair but shockingly disproportionate. The film featuring a Pakistani actress was shot before the Pahalgam attack. If there is anguish, it can be expressed through a boycott or by urging that the film not be screened in India. But attacking Diljit's patriotism and demanding such an extreme step is simply irrational," he wrote. R P Singh pointed out that the Indian cricket team played a match against Pakistan just days before the Pahalgam massacre. "Did FWICE or others object then? TV news channels routinely invite Pakistani guests to boost TRPs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Should those anchors now relinquish their citizenship too? Let's not cheapen nationalism or weaponise patriotism. FWICE should reconsider its stance—such targeting of our own talent only weakens our moral standing," he added. Punjabi actor and BJP culture cell convener Hobby Dhaliwal, too, extended support to Diljit at a press conference at the party's Chandigarh office. Dhaliwal said that Diljit was not just an artist but a globally respected face of Punjabi culture. "At a time of national tension, attempts are being made to defame him with baseless allegations. This is unfortunate and condemnable," he said. "Diljit is the son of this soil. Punjab stands with him—and India too," Dhaliwal said, while being flanked by Punjab BJP media cell in-charge Vineet Joshi. He expressed regret that certain elements were now demanding the cancellation of his citizenship and a ban on his films. He felt the demand was not only unjustified, but politically motivated and entirely baseless. "Every citizen is patriotic, but using this as a pretext to target a single artist is wrong. BJP stands firmly with Diljit Dosanjh," he added. Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Manjit Singh GK too issued a statement in his support and questioned what he called the "selective targeting" of Diljit. He said the way Diljit was being targeted appeared like an "undeclared emergency". "He represented the country and Punjab, and has become an icon," G K said. He also questioned the silence of the present DSGMC leadership. On the other hand, singer Mika Singh came under attack from the X handle @Tractor2twitr_P, which is popular for its stance on pro-farmer issues in Punjab and Haryana. "Weeks before the Uri attack, @MikaSingh flew to Karachi to sing at the wedding of a billionaire who was a close aide of Parvez Musharraf, the mastermind of the Kargil war. Today he is lecturing @diljitdosanjh for acting alongside a Pakistani artist in a film produced, directed, and cast by someone else," read a post on the handle.


India.com
33 minutes ago
- India.com
This movie was rejected by Jeetendra, another superstar did it, became huge blockbuster, earned Rs..., lead actor is...
Far from the typical city sets and bustling studios, a cinematic journey unfolded in the serene outskirts of Nepal. At its center was a beloved megastar, not once or twice, but thrice, portraying three distinct characters that added layers to an already intriguing storyline. This film, blending drama with suspense, kept its narrative close to nature and away from mainstream locations, making it visually and emotionally unique. With the actor's triple avatar stealing the show, it became a talking point among cinephiles. One Of The Finest Experiments In The History Of Indian Cinema: Mahaan Here we are talking about 1983 film, Mahaan, starring the legendary superstar, Amitabh Bachchan. This film is still a topic of discussion among cinema lovers. In this film, Amitabh played the only triple role of his career, which surprised the audience. Mahaan was an action-thriller-comedy film, directed by S. Ramanathan and produced by Satyanarayana and Suryanarayana. It was an official remake of the 1978 Kannada film Shankar Guru, starring legendary actor Late Dr. Rajkumar. The film featured stars like Waheeda Rehman, Zeenat Aman, Late Parveen Babi, Late Ashok Kumar, Late Amjad Khan and Late Kader Khan. But did you know that Amitabh was not the first choice for the makers? Mahaan Initially Offered To Jumping Jack Of Bollywood, Jeetendra Bollywood's 'Jumping Jack,' Jeetendra, was initially offered a triple role for the film, but due to his busy schedule, Amitabh was chosen. The story of the film was a mix of a lawyer's life, crime and family drama. Although some critics criticized it for over-acting and weak direction but, for Amitabh's fans, this film was a unique example of his acting. Mahaan further strengthened Amitabh's star power in that era, and even today it is counted among the memorable films of his career. The Bugdet Of This Experimental Triple Treble Mahaan was made on a budget of only Rs 3 crore, which was a moderate budget for those times. But the film did wonders at the box office and grossed around Rs 8 crore. The film was a golden jubilee hit in South India and achieved silver jubilee status in the rest of India. R.D. Burman's music also added to the popularity of the film, with songs like 'Pyar Mein Dil Pe Maar De Goli', 'Ye Din Toh Aata Hai Ek Din Jawaani Mein' and 'Jidhar Dekhoon Teri Tasveer' still remembered today by retro lovers. Interestingly, a part of the film was shot in Nepal, where a crowd of thousands gathered to see the 'Mahanayak of Indian Cinema.' The beautiful valleys of Nepal made the film more attractive, especially its climax shots.