Latest news with #Lever
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Exclusive: Johny Lever on consciously cutting down on work; here's what he says
Johny Lever Veteran comedian Johny Lever, who has entertained audiences for over four decades, has consciously cut down on work in recent years. The reason, he says, is simple - the lack of strong, inspiring roles. He adds, 'When someone approaches me with a project, I try to see how I can take it a notch higher with my inputs. If the role is not interesting, why would I ruin my name by taking up mediocre work?' 'Comedy pe zyada kaam nahi ho raha hai' Last seen in Housefull 5, Lever observes that comedy is no longer being explored as actively in films. 'Comedy ko kum kar diya hai, uss pe zyada kaam nahi ho raha hai. Comedy has become tough now. People are watching so much comedy in form of reels, toh aur zyada innovative comedy laaye kahan se? Also, we lack good comedy writers. Usually, we improvise and enhance a scene. Legends like Mehmood saab and Kishore Kumar saab would add their own inputs to the script. Hum bhi kar sakte hai par kuch likha toh ho. Kuch dhaancha ho toh uske upar kuch sajayenge na. Dhaancha hi nahi hai toh kya karenge? For now, there's only action in abundance in movies.' 'We used to observe people & imbibe their body language' Lever also feels there are very few actors today who are keen on doing comedy or who can pull it off well. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo He says, 'The thing is, today everybody is trained in a film school. But the theoretical knowledge doesn't work on set. When you are on a set, you have to follow the cues of the team members. We used to observe people and imbibe their body language for our characters. Character ko andar se jeete the. Pagalon ki tarah kaam karte the. ' 'Comedy mera shauk tha aur phir mera profession ban gaya' One of the reasons he supported daughter Jamie Lever's decision to step into comedy is that he didn't receive that kind of support from his own father. 'Whenever I used to go on stage, my dad used to come to hit me. Once, I was performing at the Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai, and he came with a rubber pipe and began chasing me. The audience thought it was part of the act and started laughing and clapping,' he says. On a nostalgic note, he says, 'One day, I shot an ad and was paid Rs 25,000. It was equivalent to dad's provident fund, which he received after 25 years of service. That is when he realised, 'Mera beta kuch kar raha hai.' He would be surprised to see people clap and laugh while watching me perform. It opened his eyes. Comedy mera shauk tha aur phir woh mera profession ban gaya.' 'Comedy is in Jamie's blood' Lever, known for his roles in Baazigar, Koi… Mil Gaya, Awara Paagal Deewana and Golmaal Again, beams with pride when speaking about his daughter Jamie, who has carved a niche in the comedy space. 'See, that's in her blood. Initially, she didn't plan to pursue comedy as a career. She was studying in London. One day she visited a café with her friends where a live stand-up performance was on and she suddenly told her friends, 'Yeh barabar nahi kar raha. He is missing all the punches.' She pointed out where the comedian could have added the punches. Then she called her mom up and said she aspires to do stand-up. Pehle mujhe gussa aa gaya, because I've been through struggles, and I was worried that my daughter would also have to go through that,' he says.
The Advertiser
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Goodwin wants Lever confident for Demons return
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says Saturday's 19-point AFL loss to Gold Coast won't change his plan to get premiership defender Jake Lever back feeling good about his game after a tough 2025. The loss to the Suns was the Demons' fourth in a row and all but extinguished any hope of finals football, leaving them 15th on the ladder and 16 points outside the eight. Lever was one of three players axed by Goodwin for the trip to People First Stadium with the 29-year-old instead lining up for the Casey Demons in their 97-88 loss to the Suns in the VFL. After a season where Lever has already missed eight games with an ankle injury before earning a recall to the AFL team a month ago, Goodwin said his omission was about giving him an opportunity to rediscover his best form. "It's just to get him back feeling good about his footy, back playing where you feel confident about your game," Goodwin said. "Sometimes you can do that at VFL level, and you come back a really much improved and confident player. "He's someone that we value highly. We expect him to come back soon." Regardless of Lever's situation, Goodwin will almost certainly need to change his side for next weekend's trip to Adelaide after losing Blake Howes and Harrison Petty to concussion in the first half of Saturday's game. It's Petty's second concussion of the season after his head collided with Brayden Fiorini's hip while contesting for a loose ball. Suns coach Damien Hardwick, whose primary concern was for Petty, did not however feel that Fiorini had done anything wrong in the incident. "I hope he's (Petty) okay, and I'm sure he will be but we teach our player that technique and look, accidents are going to happen in AFL," Hardwick said. "He (Fiorini) made a play on the ball. I thought he got his hands on the ball at the same time. I don't think he has a case to answer." Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says Saturday's 19-point AFL loss to Gold Coast won't change his plan to get premiership defender Jake Lever back feeling good about his game after a tough 2025. The loss to the Suns was the Demons' fourth in a row and all but extinguished any hope of finals football, leaving them 15th on the ladder and 16 points outside the eight. Lever was one of three players axed by Goodwin for the trip to People First Stadium with the 29-year-old instead lining up for the Casey Demons in their 97-88 loss to the Suns in the VFL. After a season where Lever has already missed eight games with an ankle injury before earning a recall to the AFL team a month ago, Goodwin said his omission was about giving him an opportunity to rediscover his best form. "It's just to get him back feeling good about his footy, back playing where you feel confident about your game," Goodwin said. "Sometimes you can do that at VFL level, and you come back a really much improved and confident player. "He's someone that we value highly. We expect him to come back soon." Regardless of Lever's situation, Goodwin will almost certainly need to change his side for next weekend's trip to Adelaide after losing Blake Howes and Harrison Petty to concussion in the first half of Saturday's game. It's Petty's second concussion of the season after his head collided with Brayden Fiorini's hip while contesting for a loose ball. Suns coach Damien Hardwick, whose primary concern was for Petty, did not however feel that Fiorini had done anything wrong in the incident. "I hope he's (Petty) okay, and I'm sure he will be but we teach our player that technique and look, accidents are going to happen in AFL," Hardwick said. "He (Fiorini) made a play on the ball. I thought he got his hands on the ball at the same time. I don't think he has a case to answer." Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says Saturday's 19-point AFL loss to Gold Coast won't change his plan to get premiership defender Jake Lever back feeling good about his game after a tough 2025. The loss to the Suns was the Demons' fourth in a row and all but extinguished any hope of finals football, leaving them 15th on the ladder and 16 points outside the eight. Lever was one of three players axed by Goodwin for the trip to People First Stadium with the 29-year-old instead lining up for the Casey Demons in their 97-88 loss to the Suns in the VFL. After a season where Lever has already missed eight games with an ankle injury before earning a recall to the AFL team a month ago, Goodwin said his omission was about giving him an opportunity to rediscover his best form. "It's just to get him back feeling good about his footy, back playing where you feel confident about your game," Goodwin said. "Sometimes you can do that at VFL level, and you come back a really much improved and confident player. "He's someone that we value highly. We expect him to come back soon." Regardless of Lever's situation, Goodwin will almost certainly need to change his side for next weekend's trip to Adelaide after losing Blake Howes and Harrison Petty to concussion in the first half of Saturday's game. It's Petty's second concussion of the season after his head collided with Brayden Fiorini's hip while contesting for a loose ball. Suns coach Damien Hardwick, whose primary concern was for Petty, did not however feel that Fiorini had done anything wrong in the incident. "I hope he's (Petty) okay, and I'm sure he will be but we teach our player that technique and look, accidents are going to happen in AFL," Hardwick said. "He (Fiorini) made a play on the ball. I thought he got his hands on the ball at the same time. I don't think he has a case to answer."
Business Wire
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
VONQ Launches CPA+, The World's First Agentic AI Cost-Per-Application Hiring Solution in Partnership with Employ
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- VONQ, a leader in AI-powered talent intelligence, today announced a strategic partnership with Employ to introduce CPA+, a groundbreaking cost-per-application (CPA) hiring model powered by agentic AI to highlight candidates delivered via LinkedIn AI job distribution. United in a shared mission to elevate and accelerate innovation in modern hiring, this new solution harnesses VONQ's advanced agentic AI technology to autonomously review applications, conduct dynamic pre-screening interviews, and review candidates' skills and fit—seamlessly integrated through its Hiring API distribution platform. Rather than automating for speed alone, the solution introduces a high-value screening experience that helps talent acquisition leaders surface the most qualified, high-intent candidates while delivering the best candidate experience. The result is smarter decision making, a better experience for both sides of the hiring process, and a reduction in time-to-hire by up to 90 % ¹. 'This strategic commitment to innovation represents a shift aligning candidate experience and recruiter outcomes. Replacing friction with flow, and complexity with clarity, we've created an AI-powered model that respects the individual behind every application while delivering the speed, structure, and quality recruiters need to hire with confidence. This is the future of performance hiring — made possible with insights from Employ and LinkedIn whose robust and intelligent capabilities helped bring this vision to life.' — Ritu Mohanka, CEO of VONQ Reinforcing Employ's focus on accelerating innovation and keeping pace with the rapid evolution of AI, CPA+ is now exclusively accessible through JazzHR and Lever—two solutions within Employ's intelligent hiring suite. Employ's native Job Board Marketplace—built directly into JazzHR and Lever—empowers customers to boost productivity by sourcing pre-screened candidates synced over from LinkedIn and accessing VONQ's wide-reaching media channel portfolio with ease. The Marketplace is connected to VONQ's HAPI (Hiring API) ecosystem, which brings advanced recruitment technology and media-buying capabilities directly into the workflows of over 40 leading applicant tracking systems. JazzHR and Lever are the first ATSs to roll out CPA+ in collaboration with VONQ. Why CPA+: Solve for Candidate Abandonment Through Innovation Up to 90% ² of candidates abandon job applications before completing them due to frustration caused by long forms, confusing steps, or a lack of feedback. For employers, this results in wasted media budgets, lost time, and missed opportunities to connect with top talent. At the same time, HR teams, particularly those dealing with high volumes of applications, are overwhelmed by incomplete submissions, manual screening, and repetitive admin tasks which slow down decision-making and hiring speed. In order to solve for this and accelerate an innovative solution, CPA+ combines intelligent automation with a thoughtful candidate experience—reducing friction for candidates while delivering pre-screened applications for employers. How CPA+ Works and Why It Outperforms Traditional CPA Models CPA+ stands for Cost-Per-Application Plus—and the 'Plus' makes all the difference. Instead of just an application, recruiters using JazzHR and Lever get fully completed, AI-screened candidate dossiers in under 20 minutes. For a fixed price, CPA+ delivers up to 20 pre-screened, ready-to-review candidates paired with interview transcripts, scores, and ranking in a structured dossier. CPA+ is built to assist—not replace, recruiter decision-making, with transparent candidates rankings and explainable scoring logic. Importantly, recruiters remain fully in control of how candidates are interviewed, assessed, and ultimately hired. All scores and rankings are recommendations—not decisions, meant to support, not substitute, human judgment. That makes it auditable, accountable and aligned with evolving global hiring regulations. Each CPA+ applicant has a unique candidate journey where they are: Guided by VONQ's Agentic AI: An interactive assistant that answers questions, offers guidance, and keeps candidates engaged. Walked through the Process: From form completion to feedback, the AI ensures clarity at every step 24/7. Interviewed Instantly: A six-minute, role-specific screening is conducted within minutes of application. Skill-Based Scored: The system evaluates each candidate across 15 skill dimensions using a skills-based point system offering a fairer alternative to traditional black-box matching models, which often reinforce bias. Delivered in a Clean Dossier: The recruiter receives a structured profile, including responses, interview summaries, and scorecards ready for immediate review. CPA+ is Now Available in JazzHR and Lever CPA+ is now live in JazzHR and Lever with additional Hiring API partners to follow in Europe. This launch is a key step in VONQ's strategy to bring intelligent, performance-based job advertising directly into the platforms hiring teams already use. It allows seamless access to advanced recruiting tools within their existing workflows. 'We are proud to work with LinkedIn and leverage VONQ's CPA+ technology to accelerate the innovation and engineering we've already committed to and provide value to our Jazz and Lever customers,' said Katy Jenkins, Vice President, Product at Employ. 'Through this collaboration, our customers can utilize CPA+ to quickly capture a small number of pre-qualified, ranked candidates through sponsored posting powered by LinkedIn. This feature, combined with Employ's AI Companions, eliminates early screening burdens, accelerating time-to-hire. This offering reflects our focus at Employ to make hiring more intelligent and efficient, while staying grounded in transparency, quality, and real impact.' About VONQ VONQ is a leading recruitment advertising platform, trusted by over 350 global enterprises and staffing agencies - including, Adecco, Software One, PwC, and Randstad - to help businesses connect with top talent. By combining AI-powered job distribution technology, expert recruitment insights, and deep ATS integrations, VONQ delivers over 2 million job postings each month across 5,000+ media channels. The platform enhances visibility and strengthens employer branding while delivering pre-vetted, high-quality candidates directly to the shortlist stage - ensuring faster, more efficient hiring outcomes. VONQ is headquartered in Rotterdam, with offices in Groningen, Düsseldorf, and London. About Employ Employ delivers people-first intelligent hiring solutions that empower companies to overcome their greatest hiring challenges. From startups to Fortune 100 organizations, Employ meets companies where they are—offering tailored solutions that support everything from foundational hiring to advanced talent acquisition strategies. Employ is the only organization to offer companies choice in their hiring technology, providing three unique ATS platforms (JazzHR, Lever and Jobvite) and AI Companions that work alongside you in your hiring journey. Our intelligent hiring suite is trusted by more than 23,000 customers, including e.l.f. Beauty, Pure Barre, Shutterfly, and Spotify. For more information, visit Sources: ¹ Source: 'How AI is Changing Recruitment', Hirevire. ² ' Why Candidates Hate Workday', Simplify.
Courier-Mail
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Kembla preview: Claire Lever's patience pays off with Yes Siree
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. As legendary trainer Bart Cummings once said, 'Patience is the cheapest thing on racing and the least used.' Hawkesbury trainer Claire Lever is one person who follows that ideology with her horses and her latest subject is the three-year-old Yes Siree. From his early days the stable, the gelding showed Lever he was blessed with nice ability and even after he won a Hawkesbury barrier trial last November, she put him away knowing he wasn't ready to take the next step. 'He showed nice ability from the time he came into the stable but he was really slow to mature,' said Claire Lever. 'He kept growing and took a long time to come together to where you want him to be. Trainer Claire Lever with her jockey/husband, Chad. Picture: Bradley Photos The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'He grew more than we expected and took time to mature. 'I know he trialled well last time around but we just wanted to see him develop a bit more so we tipped him out. 'It wasn't until this preparation that he got to where we could do a bit more with him.' Returning for a late autumn and winter campaign, Yes Siree rewarded Lever and his owners with a debut win at Wyong on May 1. 'He trialled well then went to the races and won his first start,' Lever said. 'It probably wasn't an overly strong form race but it was over an unsuitably short distance for him and he did a few things wrong so he's progressing. 'It nice to have a horse in the stable that will keep improving that has been looked after.' That Wyong win came on a Heavy 10 but it was no surprise he handles the conditions so well being a son of Everest winner and Randwick 1200m track record holder Yes Yes Yes from an O'Reilly mare. Yes Siree is looking to make it two from two when he steps out on the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) at Kembla on another heavy track with Grant Buckley to ride. 'It's a heavy track again but the Yes Yes Yes' have won all well on heavy tracks,' she said. 'The fact he ticked that box off, you can go to the races with that little bit more confidence that the track is not going to worry him too much. 'Down the track, I think 1400m will be is best distance but stepping up to 1200 metres this weekend will be good for him.' Four-year-old gelding Casanova has been a model of consistency in his two campaigns for Lever with a win and two placings in the first and he has a win and two placings so far this time in. He is looking to improve on that when he lines up in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) with Lever husband, Chad, to ride. The gelding scored a tough win on his home track in March before a rare blip when well back behind Monkhena there a month later. A drop in grade saw him return his usually form with a third behind Exceedingly Hot at Queanbeyan on May 11. 'He is very honest, he puts himself up on speed or thereabouts and just tries really hard,' Lever said. 'His run at Hawkesbury was out of character but he pulled up okay. 'He bounced back with a better effort last start although it was at Queanbeyan in weaker grade. 'Back to provincial grade, on a nice track and down in weight, I think he will run well again. 'His form on wet tracks in good so I'm going to Kembla confident he will handle the conditions.'
Herald Sun
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Kembla preview: Claire Lever's patience pays off with Yes Siree
As legendary trainer Bart Cummings once said, 'Patience is the cheapest thing on racing and the least used.' Hawkesbury trainer Claire Lever is one person who follows that ideology with her horses and her latest subject is the three-year-old Yes Siree. From his early days the stable, the gelding showed Lever he was blessed with nice ability and even after he won a Hawkesbury barrier trial last November, she put him away knowing he wasn't ready to take the next step. 'He showed nice ability from the time he came into the stable but he was really slow to mature,' said Claire Lever. 'He kept growing and took a long time to come together to where you want him to be. Trainer Claire Lever with her jockey/husband, Chad. Picture: Bradley Photos The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'He grew more than we expected and took time to mature. 'I know he trialled well last time around but we just wanted to see him develop a bit more so we tipped him out. 'It wasn't until this preparation that he got to where we could do a bit more with him.' Returning for a late autumn and winter campaign, Yes Siree rewarded Lever and his owners with a debut win at Wyong on May 1. 'He trialled well then went to the races and won his first start,' Lever said. 'It probably wasn't an overly strong form race but it was over an unsuitably short distance for him and he did a few things wrong so he's progressing. 'It nice to have a horse in the stable that will keep improving that has been looked after.' That Wyong win came on a Heavy 10 but it was no surprise he handles the conditions so well being a son of Everest winner and Randwick 1200m track record holder Yes Yes Yes from an O'Reilly mare. Yes Siree is looking to make it two from two when he steps out on the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) at Kembla on another heavy track with Grant Buckley to ride. 'It's a heavy track again but the Yes Yes Yes' have won all well on heavy tracks,' she said. 'The fact he ticked that box off, you can go to the races with that little bit more confidence that the track is not going to worry him too much. 'Down the track, I think 1400m will be is best distance but stepping up to 1200 metres this weekend will be good for him.' Four-year-old gelding Casanova has been a model of consistency in his two campaigns for Lever with a win and two placings in the first and he has a win and two placings so far this time in. He is looking to improve on that when he lines up in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) with Lever husband, Chad, to ride. The gelding scored a tough win on his home track in March before a rare blip when well back behind Monkhena there a month later. A drop in grade saw him return his usually form with a third behind Exceedingly Hot at Queanbeyan on May 11. 'He is very honest, he puts himself up on speed or thereabouts and just tries really hard,' Lever said. 'His run at Hawkesbury was out of character but he pulled up okay. 'He bounced back with a better effort last start although it was at Queanbeyan in weaker grade. 'Back to provincial grade, on a nice track and down in weight, I think he will run well again. 'His form on wet tracks in good so I'm going to Kembla confident he will handle the conditions.'
