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Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Inside Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa's adrenaline-filled New Zealand trip with helicopter rides, Māori guides. See pics
Jul 03, 2025 06:48 PM IST Actor couple Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa recently took a vacation filled with 'love, laughter, and a touch of adrenaline'. The couple are exploring the great outdoors of New Zealand, exploring Aotearoa during its autumn season. Photographs from the trip show them soaking in the untouched nature and scenic vistas. (Also Read: 'Finally Rajkummar Rao in a new genre': Fans react to action-packed Maalik trailer, cheer for Prosenjit Chatterjee too) Patralekhaa and Rajkummar Rao riding in a helicopter by Lake Taupō, New Zealand. Rajkummar and Patralekhaa specifically chose New Zealand for its nature and the locals. Art-filled vineyards, helicopter rides and more seem to have featured on their itinerary. They walked hand-in-hand at the installations and majestic windchimes at the Brick Bay Wine and Sculpture Trail just outside of Auckland. In a playful moment, Rajkummar and Patralekhaa even recreated Michelangelo's Creation of Adam on a quirky Covid-era social distancing bench. Patralekhaa and Rajkummar Rao at Brick Bay Wine and Sculpture Trail. The couple also seemed taken by the country's unique golden and crimson-hued foliage, taking a moment to soak in the beauty of the lake. They also visited an ecological site called Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, where native forest thrives behind the longest pest-proof fence. A local Māori guide, Ringi, and a conservationist named Jesse guided them along the way. 'Love, laughter, and a touch of adrenaline — this was truly a date in the sky, New Zealand style; something we can check off our bucket list,' Rajkummar said in a statement. Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. Recent work Rajkummar had a busy 2024 with multiple releases. He started off the year with Srikanth and then starred in Mr and Mrs Mahi, Stree 2, and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video. He also narrated for the films Wild Wild Punjab and Naam. This year, he kicked off the year with Bhool Chuk Maaf and will soon star in Maalik and Toaster. Patralekhaa was seen in Wild Wild Punjab and the Netflix web series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack in 2024. This year, she starred in Phule. She will soon star in Suryast and Raj & DK's web series Gulkanda Tales.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa's autumn escape in New Zealand
Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa are soaking in the unfiltered beauty of Aotearoa New Zealand, swapping studio chaos for crisp air and golden autumn landscapes. Choosing New Zealand for its raw, authentic charm, the couple has been spotted wandering through art-filled vineyards at Brick Bay, where they paused to admire towering wind chimes singing in the breeze. Always up for a playful moment, they even recreated Michelangelo's 'Creation of Adam' on a quirky social distancing bench, adding their signature touch of humour to the trip. Their journey has been as meaningful as it is scenic — from lakeside moments surrounded by fiery autumn foliage to conversations with local Māori guides and conservationists at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. A helicopter ride over Taupō's geothermal wonders capped off the adventure, giving them a fresh perspective of nature's drama from above. 'Love, laughter, and a touch of adrenaline — this was truly a date in the sky, New Zealand style; something we can check off our bucket list,' Rajkummar told Patralekhaa as they touched down.
The National
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
There's a new reason for Scots to visit Naples
The face of Diego Maradona, who secured two other historic championship wins with Napoli, gazes down from murals and giant flags strung over the shaded alleys. But there's another face and name around the city, too. Scotland's Scott McTominay, who joined Napoli last summer, has already become an icon for Neapolitans. His goal that helped the team to its fourth championship has raised him to the saint-like status Maradona enjoys. READ MORE: US enters war with Iran after Donald Trump orders bombing of key nuclear sites McTominay is everywhere in the city now – memorialised in murals, celebrated on T-shirts and modelled into the famous figurines of its Christmas nativity scenes. If you're a fan of the footballer, there's no better place to honour him than in Naples this summer. Sitting at the packed plastic outdoor tables of a trattoria in Naples's historic Quartieri Spagnoli, scooters roaring past beside me, I can see a freshly spray-painted effigy of a noble-looking McTominay on the opposite wall, a seductive Sophia Loren beside him. The grid-plan alleys of the neighbourhood are an open-air gallery of murals, mainly featuring Maradona. Wander the shaded passages and you'll see him in various guises – Christ-like with a crown of thorns, graced with the wings of an angel, and sanctified with a halo. Similar tributes are now being paid to McTominay. Already, a black and white icon of the Scot's face has been inserted in the niche of a deconsecrated votive shrine along Via San Nicola a Nilo. And in an even more blatant statement, a mural on a wall near the San Pietro a Majella music conservatory shows the footballer leaping backwards to kick the ball, substituting the figure of God in the famous Michelangelo painting the Creation of Adam. On the walls of the decadent, crumbling palazzos that line the centro storico neighbourhood you'll see the graffitied phrase 'McFratm' – McTominay's dialectical nickname that roughly translates as 'McBro'. Souvenir stalls also sell flags and scarves with his name, but the most characteristic Neapolitan ode to the player is found on Via San Gregorio Armeno. This narrow alley in the heart of the historic centre is renowned for its workshops producing figurines traditionally used in presepi, or nativity scenes. The quirk here, though, is that Neapolitan nativity scenes are not just populated by Mary, Joseph and other biblical figures. Celebrities, politicians, popes and royalty have long been witnesses to Jesus's birth in Naples. New famous people who are modelled into figurines each year represent a line-up of those the world's been talking about most. Naturally, McTominay has now joined the ranks. Miniature scullptures of sculptures of him, with combed blond hair and a football in his hand, make for the perfect football fan souvenir If you are visiting Naples, when it comes to accommodation, you stay in style like McTominay and his family do at the five-star Romeo Hotel Napoli. Housed inside a Kenzo Tange-designed glass and steel building, the hotel is all sleek ebony panelling, volcanic stone from Mount Vesuvius and textured glass. Despite opening nearly 15 years ago, it still feels very on trend. It is packed with owner and Neapolitan businessman Alfredo Romeo's artworks – from an Andy Warhol of the nearby volcano to Mark Kostabi paintings and Zaha Hadid fireplaces and an eclectic chair collection. The Krug Champagne-branded roof terrace with an infinity pool overlooks the sweeping bay with shadowy Mount Vesuvius behind. Some rooms have panoramic harbour and volcano views, while wellness rooms are fitted with saunas, Turkish baths and jacuzzis. Suites feature opulent marble fireplaces and the Zen Garden suite has a Japanese-inspired outdoor area with an open-air jacuzzi. In the basement, there is a vast, futuristic spa where McTominay might have recovered from his game in the Himalayan salt-walled sauna or beneath the snow cascade in the frigidarium.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rome's top tourist attraction, Sistine Chapel, closes to the public as Vatican prepares for new Pope
Exit tourists. Enter cardinals. The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather for the conclave to elect the next pope after the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at age 88. Francis was buried Saturday after a funeral in St. Peter's Square that gathered world leaders and hundreds of thousands of others, and a nine-day period of mourning is continuing before the conclave can start. But the church is at the same time turning its attention to the next steps. Key is preparing the Sistine Chapel for the red-robed cardinals who will gather at the Vatican in the heart of Rome to choose the next pope in an ancient process fictionalized in the 2024 film 'Conclave.' One key task: installing the chimney where ballots will be burned after votes. Those visitors who managed to enter on Sunday considered themselves lucky, since there is no telling how long the conclave will last, and how long the gem of the Vatican Museums will remain off-limits. 'I think we felt very lucky to be able to be the last group of visitors to come in today," said Sumon Khan, a tourist from the United States. 'You know, our trip would not have been complete without seeing this beautiful place.' According to a schedule determined by church law, the conclave can only begin after the nine-day mourning period. It is expected to start between May 5 and May 10. When it does, the cardinals will enter solemnly to participate in a secretive process said to be guided by the holy spirit that will result in the selection of the next leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic church. The choice will determine whether the next pontiff will continue Francis' reforms, with his focus on the poor and marginalized and the environment, or whether they will choose a pontiff closer in style to conservative predecessors like Benedict XVI focused on doctrine. For inspiration, the cardinals will also have the great beauty of the frescoes painted by Michelangelo and other renowned Renaissance artists. The most recognizable is Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, showing God's outstretched hand imparting the divine spark of life to the first man. The chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV, an art patron who oversaw the construction of the main papal chapel in the 15th century. But it was a later pontiff, Pope Julius II, who commissioned the works by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling depicting scenes from Genesis from 1508 and 1512 and later returned to paint the Last Judgement on one of the walls. When the conclave opens, cardinals will chant the Litany of Saints, the solemn, mystical Gregorian chant imploring the intercession of the saints, as they file into the chapel and take an oath of secrecy. The chapel's thick double doors will close and the master of liturgy will utter the Latin words 'Extra omnes,' meaning 'everyone out.' The secretive process is part of a tradition aimed at preserving the vote from external interference. The world will then wait for a sign that a successor to Francis has been chosen. Black smoke coming from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel will indicate that they haven't achieved the two-thirds majority for a new pope. But when a pope is finally chosen, white smoke will rise and bells will toll.
New Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Vatican closes Sistine Chapel to public, prepares for papal conclave
VATICAN CITY: Exit tourists. Enter cardinals. The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather for the conclave to elect the next pope after the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at age 88. Francis was buried Saturday after a funeral in St. Peter's Square that gathered world leaders and hundreds of thousands of others, and a nine-day period of mourning is continuing before the conclave can start. But the church is at the same time turning its attention to the next steps. Key is preparing the Sistine Chapel for the red-robed cardinals who will gather at the Vatican in the heart of Rome to choose the next pope in an ancient process fictionalized in the 2024 film 'Conclave.' One key task: installing the chimney where ballots will be burned after votes. Those visitors who managed to enter on Sunday considered themselves lucky, since there is no telling how long the conclave will last, and how long the gem of the Vatican Museums will remain off-limits. 'I think we felt very lucky to be able to be the last group of visitors to come in today," said Sumon Khan, a tourist from the United States. 'You know, our trip would not have been complete without seeing this beautiful place.' According to a schedule determined by church law, the conclave can only begin after the nine-day mourning period. It is expected to start between May 5 and May 10. When it does, the cardinals will enter solemnly to participate in a secretive process said to be guided by the holy spirit that will result in the selection of the next leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic church. The choice will determine whether the next pontiff will continue Francis' reforms, with his focus on the poor and marginalized and the environment, or whether they will choose a pontiff closer in style to conservative predecessors like Benedict XVI focused on doctrine. For inspiration, the cardinals will also have the great beauty of the frescoes painted by Michelangelo and other renowned Renaissance artists. The most recognizable is Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, showing God's outstretched hand imparting the divine spark of life to the first man. The chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV, an art patron who oversaw the construction of the main papal chapel in the 15th century. But it was a later pontiff, Pope Julius II, who commissioned the works by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling depicting scenes from Genesis from 1508 and 1512 and later returned to paint the Last Judgement on one of the walls. When the conclave opens, cardinals will chant the Litany of Saints, the solemn, mystical Gregorian chant imploring the intercession of the saints, as they file into the chapel and take an oath of secrecy. The chapel's thick double doors will close and the master of liturgy will utter the Latin words 'Extra omnes,' meaning 'everyone out.' The secretive process is part of a tradition aimed at preserving the vote from external interference. The world will then wait for a sign that a successor to Francis has been chosen. Black smoke coming from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel will indicate that they haven't achieved the two-thirds majority for a new pope. But when a pope is finally chosen, white smoke will rise and bells will toll.
