<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50027890.cms" /> 
 We all know the level of friendship that <keyword id="106133" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ranveer-Singh">Ranveer Singh</keyword> and <keyword id="114453" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arjun-Kapoor">Arjun Kapoor</keyword> share. True, they must have known each other since childhood, given that Singh is the maternal cousin of Kapoor’s paternal cousin Sonam, but it was only after starring together in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Box-Office-Gunday-LeavesYou-Clueless-But-Cash-Register-is-Ringing/articleshow/30626422.cms">Gunday</a> which made the whole world take notice of their chemistry. 
 
If a big-budget movie wasn’t enough, both Singh and Kapoor came together for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Did-Ranveer-Singh-and-Arjun-Kapoor-apologize-for-AIB-Roast-at-IIFA/articleshow/47597999.cms">AIB roast</a>, the much controversial show that brought them in news for all the wrong reasons. Hosting <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/What-to-expect-from-Bollywoods-hot-n-happening-Babas-at-IIFA-this-year/articleshow/47501940.cms">IIFA</a> was the next big thing in their plate, and we once again got to see the stirring chemistry they showed off. 
 
However, it’s been quite some time that we haven’t seen the Baba couple together, and the reason is Arjun Kapoor’s disappearance from the country. He is in Argentina, busy hosting the next season of Khatron Ke Khiladi and Insta-blogging his adventures. 
 
Ranveer Singh, on the other hand, is missing his partner in crime so much that he decided to Dubsmash his feelings, and giving him company was another actor of their times, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Guess-who-got-a-letter-and-bouquet-from-Amitabh-Bachchan-once-again/articleshow/47453640.cms">Ayushmann Khurrana</a>. 
 
Here is the video: 
 
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			<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/-zMu8jl89F/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">@arjunkapoor a very special message for you Baba 😥 #BringArjunHome @ayushmannk</a>
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			A video posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on
		<time datetime="2015-12-02T18:45:59+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">
			Dec 2, 2015 at 10:45am PST</time>
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What do you think about this emotional video by one best friend to another? 
 
<a href="http://www.delhidailynews.com/news_image/1396177277ranveer-arjun.jpg">Image source</a>

Ranveer misses Arjun Baba so much he ‘Dubsmash’ed to prove it

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51341344.cms" /> Three Filmfares, five IIFAs, The Times of India's "Most Desirable Woman", Maxim (India)'s "Hot 100", FHM (India)'s "World's Sexiest Woman" and People (India)'s "Most Beautiful Woman", these are just some of the many awards that adorn the walls of <keyword id="598" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Deepika-Padukone">Deepika Padukone</keyword>’s house. Not only this, she has also received two “Indian of the Year” awards by two leading media houses in India, and yet, when she was spotted with World’s Number 1 Tennis star <keyword id="55696" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Novak-Djokovic">Novak Djokovic</keyword>, foreign media had just one thing to say about her, Djokovic’s “female companion”! 
 
Yes, this happened for real. Deepika, who probably knows Djokovic personally, given that she is the daughter of celebrated Indian badminton player Prakash Padukone and has played an exhibition tennis doubles match with Djokovic in 2014's International Premier Tennis League tournament, was with him in a Los Angeles bar called The Nice Guy. It was then that <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3484456/Novak-Djokovic-leaves-Nice-Guy-female-companion.html">DailyMail.Co.Uk</a> decided to label her as his female companion, his impeccably turned-out friend, a leggy brunette, and a pretty lady. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51341375.cms" /> 
 
However, even as they showered praises on her choice of dress and gave a detailed account of the coat and sandals that she was wearing, they forgot to mention one thing, that she is one of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/On-her-30th-birthday-here-are-5-reasons-why-Deepika-Padukone-ruled-our-hearts-in-2015/articleshow/50454380.cms">most celebrated Indian actresses </a>of her times, having delivered three hits just last year, viz <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Piku-To-Be-Promoted-Unusually-Says-Amitabh-Bachchan/articleshow/46354268.cms">Piku</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Tamasha-review-What-works-for-this-different-movie-byImtiaz-Ali/articleshow/49983486.cms">Tamasha </a>and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Bajirao-Mastani-bags-9-awards-at-the-Renault-Sony-Guild-Awards/articleshow/50294468.cms">Bajirao Mastani</a>. 
 
Well, let’s hope that once Deepika completes her ongoing project “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” opposite Vin Diesel, the foreign media gives her the identity that she has worked hard to achieve. 
 
By the way, who all are waiting for her beau <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Special-appearances-a-thing-of-the-past-Ranveer-Singh-findsa-new-way-to-promote-Bajirao-Mastani/articleshow/49948861.cms">Ranveer Singh</a> to give his two cents to the foreign publication? We know we are! 
 
Image sources: <a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2065870/images/o-DEEPIKA-PADUKONE-TIME-OF-INDIA-TWEET-facebook.jpg">1 </a>and <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3484456/Novak-Djokovic-leaves-Nice-Guy-female-companion.html">2</a>

When the foreign media couldn’t recognize Deepika Padukone

<ul><li>With events across the globe getting postponed indefinitely or even cancelled in some cases, the experiential marketing industry is expecting the next few quarters to be very challenging. </li><li>We spoke to a few industry leaders to get a sense of how they feel this pandemic will affect the industry in the coming months, and for everybody the answer is the same, ‘How do you prepare for the unknown?’</li></ul>As the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic with over 125,000 confirmed cases and 4,600 deaths in 114 countries, India has shut down its doors for foreign travellers. Just today the first death from Coronavirus in the country was reported from Karnataka, substantially increasing panic, with the government ordering closure of schools, colleges and multiplexes in cities like Delhi. While the hospitality and the entire service sector is expected to be impacted hard, the events and <keyword id="8901436" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="experiential-industry">experiential industry</keyword> is bracing itself for a few dismal quarters. With events across the globe getting postponed indefinitely or even cancelled in some cases, the experiential industry is expecting the next few quarters to be very challenging. While India has still not been affected as adversely as a few other countries, corporates are taking precautions and limiting their events. If media reports are to be believed, even big tickets events like IPL might have to be held without spectators for the first 15 days, which could affect the industry to a huge extent. AdClub’s Goafest 2020, which is a gathering of all advertising and media stalwarts and is looked forward to every year, is also postponed as several international speakers who were participating in the event have cancelled their trip to India. Facebook’s Global Marketing Summit, which was scheduled on March 9 in San Francisco is cancelled. In such a scenario, the experiential industry, which is all about creating experiences for people in huge gatherings, is obvious to face the brunt of this everyday-unfolding situation. We spoke to a few industry leaders to get a sense of how they feel this pandemic will affect the industry in the coming months, and for everybody the answer is the same, ‘How do you prepare for the unknown?’ <keyword id="8901438" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Event-and-Entertainment-Management-of-India">Event and Entertainment Management of India</keyword> (EEMA), the apex body of the experiential industry in India, recently sent out an advisory to all its members, putting together some protocols for venues that are still hosting events. The industry body set together guidelines around ‘Hygiene and Infection Control at Events’. <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/q-6l4xg6tQjXIU6idIbZsHtd6B7aIUqc5UBJKs8TbNonvq8eBASvk4IUzPK7uSTagWcCSz3xKJx_vs9T8mhNFxHMkCcZ4j2sdfs5kdLZzi07p7wFgUx_ALw2XORvkVEVQiWeMo2M" /> Postponement and cancellation of many events With the government suspending travel visas and the general panic growing with each passing day, brands are refraining from organising events, which will hurt the experiential industry the most. Speaking about how the spread of the virus is already having an effect on the industry, Sabbas Joseph, Co-founder &amp; Director, Wizcraft International said, “The outbreak of the Coronavirus has caught the world of experiential marketing by shock. Multiple global events have been hit -- postponed or simply cancelled: IIFA2020, the Geneva Motor show, ITB-Berlin, the India Today Conclave, the META Awards, IMEX-Frankfurt, the Barcelona Mobile Congress…the list is endless. Additionally, product launches, promotions and activations, business conferences, business travel, MICE, exhibitions, trade shows have been simply put off or cancelled.” Adding to the list of cancelled and postponed events, Deepak Pawar, Managing Director, Midas Next added, “We had a few large events and activations for Colors, Mumbai Indians and IPL, but all of them have been canceled for now. We also had a couple of large exhibitions and conferences planned for the pharma industry and those have been postponed indefinitely. We were organizing an activation for Cadbury catering to tourists across the Himalyan belt. Since tourists are not allowed in India right now, we had to cancel that too. Similarly there was an activation planned for Lifebuoy about hygiene to avoid Coronavirus. Now since schools are also shut down, where will we do those activations?” Anticipating a few dismal quarters While India has yet not been as badly impacted as a few other countries, there are still new cases being detected everyday, with the current count being 62. As a step to contain the future spread of the virus, the government has suspended all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment, project visas until April 15. With it, many foreign nationals or companies that were supposed to come to the country for various events are having to cancel their travel plans. Moreover, the industry was already grappling with the effects of the economic slowdown, which was followed by riots in Delhi. Speaking about how all these factors combined will have a massive impact on the industry, Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts and President, EEMA said, “Since February, we have postponed our festival India by the Bay in Hong Kong, India by the Bosphorus in Turkey, and another event in Morocco. In India, we have just postponed the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META). And everything else we have in the pipeline is getting pushed back. There’s that unknown factor as to what is this going to result in. While there's enough information out there, the fact that the world has reacted in a particular way means that there is more to it than meets the eye. And anyway, the economic slowdown was already impacting the industry. The biggest effect was the Auto Expo. We saw around 50% of Auto Expo disappear and many of the major players did not come, and that's a big thing for most of the event companies. If I were to talk about how the industry will perform, the quarter figures are not out yet and we won't have a sense of it right now. But I am sure both the industry as well as the quarter figures will be dismal.” Agreeing with Roy, <keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, Founder and Managing Director, Geometry Encompass, added, “The worst hit is the experiential business. From large sporting events to film awards, concerts to festivals all have been postponed. With the 14-day quarantine, many international speakers are also cancelling. There is a sense of panic everywhere. In these times take part in spreading information and awareness. Verify your facts. Try work from home and remote working. It’s the best time to test it. Also the only hope is to try digital events and plan for the future, cut back on all expenses. This will impact Q2 and Q3 very badly.” Tackling the crisis by going virtual The experiential business is all about direct-to-consumer engagement. The business thrives on human contact and the assembly of people is an important part of the entire offering. However, whenever a crisis hits, the only way of bouncing back is by thinking out of the box and doing things a little differently. On how brands have been reacting to the entire situation and how that might lead to an overhaul in the way the experiential industry works, Joseph said, “Brands are resetting their plans, expectations, markets, delivery systems, marketing focus and logistics. This will force the experiential industry to change its method of working, composition of team structure, use of technology, data, global resources, innovation and physical space. Collaboration and Innovation are going to be the new drivers of the experiential economy.” Dalveer Singh, Head Experiential Marketing - APAC, GroupM has come up with a plan B for this predicament. His team is trying to figure out if the experience can be digitised through some virtual or augmented reality experience. He says agencies equipped with digital skills can manage to survive else, this unfortunate situation will push them to think how to take experiential beyond mass-gatherings. “One solution can be how much of the experience that we create by being physically there, can be converted into ideas that are virtual or digital. Now that's something which we as a team are planning to do and that is our plan B. Brands wanted to have physical events because virtual does not give the same amount of joy. However, today, in these circumstances, brands will be more open to doing these events digitally because that gives them reach. So marketers will be more receptive to doing things virtually. However, in this whole environment, how many experiential marketing companies are today equipped to shift from physical to digital to virtual? There are a few companies that have those skills. This means it's also an opportunity for companies to get those new skills in,” said Singh. Singh also suggested helping each other in this dismal times, especially the smaller parties and freelancers. “For putting together an experiential marketing piece, we work with a lot of freelancers across different companies. And in this whole game, I think the small agencies and freelancers are the ones who might be affected by the heat because you are the resources for them. So, we need to figure out how to protect these small agencies and freelancers who do not have deep profits and holding capacity when the times are tough,” added Singh. While things don’t look very bright right now, the industry is still hopeful that the festive season will bring about some respite.

Coronavirus scare expected to impact experiential industry hard, Q2 & Q3 might register dismal growth

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47630596.cms" />It is #throwbackthursday, or #tbt, again and Bollywood actress Sonakshi ‘Dabangg’ Sinha has posted a beautiful photo with her friend ‘Cleo’- a horse. 
 
Today, the ‘Lootera’ girl has decided to voice out a concern also, through her photos and a series of tweets, which is banning Jallikattu. 
 
She has urged Union Minister Prakash Javadekar to ban Jallikattu, a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu to celebrate Pongal. 
 
Even though the Supreme Court has banned the sport, it is still practiced in many parts. 
 
Sonakshi loves posting pictures on instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Recently, she created ripples through a number of Dubsmash videos and Salman Khan also made a debut Dubsmash with her. She was also quite active while posting candid moments and photos of IIFA 2015. 
 
Let’s see her five #throwbackthursdays pictures on social networking sites: 
 
 
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		<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/throwbackthursday?src=hash">#throwbackthursday</a> with my beautiful friend Cleo. The best conversations are with those who listen! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/horsewhisperer?src=hash">#horsewhisperer</a> <a href="http://t.co/YOiDKbtMRL">pic.twitter.com/YOiDKbtMRL</a> — <keyword id="62210" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonakshi-Sinha">Sonakshi Sinha</keyword> (@sonakshisinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonakshisinha/status/608919567859994624">June 11, 2015</a></blockquote>
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		Animals are never cruel to animals. Animals dont judge each other. These are all "human" traits. And we think we r superior. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BanJallikattu?src=hash">#BanJallikattu</a>
	— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonakshisinha/status/608890449542037504">June 11, 2015</a></blockquote>
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		<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThrowbackThursday?src=hash">#ThrowbackThursday</a> or lets just say throw wayyyyy way back! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/daddysgirl?src=hash">#daddysgirl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShatruganSinha">@ShatruganSinha</a> <a href="http://t.co/cdjjBWEIaN">pic.twitter.com/cdjjBWEIaN</a>
	— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonakshisinha/status/601281967460495361">May 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
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			<a href="https://instagram.com/p/10GK1sFdAm/" target="_top">#throwbackthursday mini me with walt @disney! Fun times in Florida last year 😊</a>
		
			A photo posted by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona) on
		<time datetime="2015-04-23T10:25:20+00:00">
			Apr 23, 2015 at 3:25am PDT</time>
	
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			<a href="https://instagram.com/p/2p6m86ldBI/" target="_top">#ThrowbackThursday : this was my performance at the O2 in london last year! I love performing on stage, the energy is something else! #stage #performance #fun #madness #energy</a>
		
			A photo posted by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona) on
		<time datetime="2015-05-14T08:03:18+00:00">
			May 14, 2015 at 1:03am PDT</time>
	
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		<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/throwbackthursday?src=hash">#throwbackthursday</a> Im nt upside down, the world is! Waiting on my wrist to get ok so i can do this again! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/handstand?src=hash">#handstand</a> <a href="http://t.co/Hw3mWqlsxZ">pic.twitter.com/Hw3mWqlsxZ</a>
	— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonakshisinha/status/588580771729838080">April 16, 2015</a></blockquote>
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(Image: Indiatimes)

#Throwbackthursday: Sonakshi Sinha posts photo with her friend Cleo!

<ul><li>Recently, <keyword id="6354630" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mark-zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg</keyword>, CEO, Facebook reiterated the importance of India for Facebook in its global scheme of things. </li><li>Over the years, Facebook has been testing and rolling out new features from here. Currently, its testing <keyword id="6662415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="instagram-lite">Instagram Lite</keyword> in India, to make the platform accessible to everyone.</li><li>We spoke to <keyword id="248909" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manish-Chopra">Manish Chopra</keyword>, Director and Head of Partnerships, <keyword id="736869" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook-India">Facebook India</keyword>, to understand the organization’s areas of focus for the next year and how its working on making its offerings more accessible to users and more effective for businesses and advertisers.</li></ul>While the world almost came to a standstill in 2020, owing to the pandemic-induced lockdown, it was digital players like Facebook that kept the world moving, even while people stayed indoors. The pandemic led to people spending more and more time on the internet, and understandably, Facebook saw an increase in the time people were spending on their platform. According to data from eMarketer, in H1 2020, people flocked to Facebook so they could share information and keep in touch with friends and family while staying at home. That led to user increases in nearly every world region. Currently, India has the largest user base of Facebook users. With around 272.2 million users in India in 2020, the country’s user base is expected to swell to 329.1 million by 2024. It therefore shouldn’t come as a surprise that the company is serious about its presence and growth here. During Facebook’s Fuel for India event recently, Mark Zuckerberg reiterated India’s importance in the global scheme of things for Facebook. During the chat, he said that the largest communities for Facebook and WhatsApp are in India and <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword> is also getting there. Facebook has been testing and rolling out new features from here. From the launch of Reels on Instagram, to Watch on Facebook and Payments on WhatsApp, India is playing a crucial role in the way products are being designed for the future. Facebook is currently testing Instagram Lite in India. The app, which is less than 2 MB in size, has been created to bring the core Instagram experience to people currently unfamiliar with the app. The platform is also giving a push to its video offerings, opening up opportunities for advertisers and businesses to get closer to their target audience, virtually. We recently caught up with Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India, to understand the organization’s areas of focus for the next year and how its working on making its offerings more accessible to users and more effective for businesses and advertisers. Excerpts: Q) You're currently testing Instagram Lite in India. What are your plans for taking it to the market? When will you launch it officially? Our research conducted in India to ascertain the attractiveness and comprehension of new products showed that compromised internet experience as a result of low memory phones and heavy-sized apps was a barrier. This set the context for the test of Instagram Lite, and India is a primary test country for it. The Instagram Lite app is created to bring the core Instagram experience to people who do not have an Instagram experience today. The app is made for Android and this new version has improved speed, performance, and responsiveness. The experience is similar to the core Instagram app experience, though there are some features that are not currently supported such as Reels, Shopping and IGTV. The app will be available in Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu. However, we don’t have the timing to share on when the app will be rolled out more broadly. Q) The pandemic led to many behavioural changes among consumers. What were some of the biggest changes you noticed during the past few months, especially in India? In the context of 2020, there’s been a fundamental change in digital consumption, which we’ve witnessed by the engagement we’ve seen on the Facebook family of apps. In many countries hit hardest by the virus, total messaging increased by more than 50% on WhatsApp and Messenger, in March. Similarly, in places hit hardest by the virus, voice and video calling doubled on Messenger and WhatsApp. In India, there was a 60% rise in Instagram Live views in March, on a week-on-week basis. Creators focused on keeping their communities informed and inspired. This began with social messages delivered through challenges like the #SafeHandsChallenge and the use of the ‘Stay Home’ sticker. It went on to keep people inspired, like Deepika Padukone and The Live Laugh Love Foundation released a Guide on Instagram that focussed on mental health. On Facebook, new Groups were formed to help people. These include groups like Mahita Nagaraj’s ‘Caremongers India’, a purely volunteer driven group providing frontline assistance ranging from cooked meals to transportation, to the needy, senior citizens, expecting mothers, and the physically challenged during the lockdown. A bunch of national and regional musicians, such as Armaan Malik and Lisa Mishra, performed in Live music concerts called ‘Live In Your Living Room’ to keep people entertained and people also raised funds for COVID-19 relief efforts through our platforms. We facilitated this with the launch of Facebook Fundraisers, which has an in-live donation option too, using which creators like Varun Purthy and Ashish Chanchalani raised funds as part of Facebook Social for Good Live-athon. The year also offered new opportunities, for instance, with short-form content, offered by new features like Reels. This has helped discover a new generation of influencers who’ve grown exponentially on Instagram. Few creators like Ankush Bahuguna and Sakshi Sindwani have also focussed on breaking stereotypes associated with gender and body types. Q) We saw people warm up to live videos during the pandemic, artists, musicians etc used it extensively to stay connected to their fans. What will your strategy be to make sure that people keep using your live features even once they start going out and once things get back to normal? Our community is at the heart of our platforms. We’re hearing them and constantly innovating. For e.g at the start of the lockdown, we saw the rise in Live’s and need from people to save that content to their IGTV and hence we introduced that feature. Earlier this month, we also launched Live Rooms, which gives people the ability to go live with upto three additional people on Instagram Live. With this feature, creators have more opportunities to have conversations with their communities, and to expand their reach and use cases for Live, such as starting a talk show or a podcast, hosting a jam session or co-creating with other artists, leading to more engaging Q&amp;As with those they’re going Live with, or simply hanging out with friends. This feature first was tested in India with creators, and then India was among the two countries it has launched in, ahead of a global rollout. Even with Instagram Lite, the context for the launch is research done in India, where people mentioned a compromised internet experience, as a result of low memory phones and heavy-sized apps. Hence Instagram Lite is less than 2MB in size and is built to deliver an Instagram experience that remains fast and reliable for more people. Beyond product innovation, we continue to work with public figures, creators, groups and organizations to discover opportunities where our platforms can add value to people’s lives. Q) How are advertisers making the most out of your Social Video offerings? Instagram launched a bunch of branded content updates at the end of November. These include: Branded content tag on Reels and Live - To help increase transparency, the Branded Content tag has launched in Reels, and will begin testing in Live in the coming weeks. New creation flow for Branded content ads - Until today, Branded Content ads could only be created by promoting the existing posts from creators. Instagram is now launching a new workflow where advertisers can create Branded Content ads without the need for creators to post organically on Instagram first. Now brands have more flexibility with fewer constraints when they want to run Branded Content ads. This new process has been designed with creator control in mind - creators can approve and pause any ads published from their handle. Branded Content ads in Stories - Branded Content ads in Stories can now include tappable elements, such as @mentions, location and hashtags. We want brands to have access to organic Stories’ creative that is native and authentic to the Stories experience. Branded Content ads with Product Tags - We’re introducing the ability for businesses to promote branded content posts with product tags. Q) How are you strengthening your offerings for advertisers? How are you making sure they are able to make the most of your video offerings to connect with their audiences? As a company, we are deeply committed to supporting the economic recovery of both small and large businesses, and especially understand the support that small businesses need right now to recover from the crisis. As part of our $100 million global grant program to support small businesses across 30 countries, we recently announced a grant of USD 4.3 million for small businesses in India. More businesses are moving online as a result of the digital acceleration fueled by the pandemic, and we’re keen to make this journey seamless for them through skilling, tools, and customized support. We recently released a local offline to online SMB Guide in Hindi and English that is free and publicly available but we also proactively reached out to 9 million small businesses across the country to ensure that it reaches the businesses that need it the most. We’ve also taken several of our industry-leading digital skilling programs online to ensure seamless learning and support in these times; Our flagship program for skilling small businesses, ‘Boost With Facebook’ is now being delivered in Hindi and English through Facebook Lives. We have video ad solutions for all the distinct ways in which people create, connect with, and consume video. Keeping in mind the increasing time being spent on mobile phones, and the reducing attention spans, we encourage advertisers to make Thumbstoppers - short-form mobile video ads that are built for the mobile, and tell the story effectively in a few seconds. We also have In-Stream ads for videos that are longer than three minutes on Facebook. These ads enable advertisers to tell a more complex story to people who are actively engaged in watching content with sound-on. We’re also focused on developing formats that are interactive and embrace the way people want to consume in feed. That’s why we have ad solutions including Poll ads, Augmented Reality (AR) ads, Instagram poll stickers for Stories ads, and Brand Playables. Interactive Ads enable instant two-way communication and get people involved, which is a natural fit for how people, especially the youth, engage on mobile phones. Q) Facebook has now started actively advertising in India, with the IPL as well as the Diwali ad. Why did you start advertising now, and what will your marketing strategy be going ahead? Consumer marketing is a relatively new strategic area of focus for Facebook and one that will significantly increase our global investment in communicating directly to consumers. Over the past year, our consumer marketing team has been focused on two important things - building trust with people who use our products and services and to build value around each of our apps. We launched the ‘More Together’ campaign for Facebook in India, earlier this year in March as a demonstration of our core belief that people can do more together than alone. Over the past few months, we have seen numerous instances where these stories have played out on our platform, where people can connect and come together to find and offer information, help, and support in the face of these unprecedented times. Many of these stories are on display at our first Facebook Fuel for India annual dialogue event. Q) Going ahead, what will your key focus areas be, to further grow your presence in India? One of our key agendas is to focus on providing social video experiences, through both <keyword id="4243508" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook-watch">Facebook Watch</keyword> and Instagram. Videos now make a third of all posts for Instagram in India, and India is one of the leading markets for Facebook Watch. Our video strategy for India is truly reflective of the width of consumer tastes in the country. We are investing in forging partnerships to bring culturally relevant, of-the-moment videos across sports, entertainment, news and lifestyle like ICC, FilmFare Awards and IIFA Awards to people. Additionally, we are also launching India-first products on Watch in line with the local consumer tastes and content preferences on the platform in response to the growing consumer affinity for video. India was among the first countries where music videos have been launched along with a music destination on Facebook Watch to enable people to view their favorite music videos and come together through music. We’re also listening and taking inspiration from what our community wants - and they’re telling us they want the opportunity to create and watch short-form, edited videos. Keeping that in mind, we launched Reels. The unique part of Reels is a dedicated tab, which allows people to be discovered by Instagram’s large and diverse community. We continue to innovate with IGTV too. This year, we partnered with a set of creators, such as Kusha Kapila, Arjun Kanungo and Shirley Setia for launching their own IGTV shows with original content. Moving forward, we will continue to invest in creating and facilitating active social viewing experiences on our platforms where the consumers can not only watch, but also have an opportunity to comment, like, share groups messages, use reactions and polls, and even hold Watch Parties; making the experience interactive and personalized.

Facebook is strengthening its social video experience for its next phase of growth in India

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/40990274.cms" /> 
 <keyword id="1972" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rani-Mukherjee">Rani Mukherjee</keyword>’s latest release <keyword id="1633187" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mardaani">Mardaani</keyword> is getting rave reviews from critics and masses. The film might have some flaws but Rani’s performance is being hailed as flawless. So, as the actress basks in the glory of her recent success, let’s take a look at films that were a milestone in Rani’s career. 
 
Michelle in <keyword id="6368377" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="black">Black</keyword> 
 
Rani delivered a brilliant act in the role of a visually challenged and hearing impaired Michelle, the protagonist in Black. She gave life to the pathos suffered by a physically handicapped person and immortalized ‘Michelle’ forever in the minds of the audience. Michelle was the most challenging and rewarding role of Rani’s career for which she bagged the most number of awards. 
 
Meera Gaity in No One Killed Jessica 
 
In this film based on the true story of Jessica Lal murder, Rani played the role of a fierce journalist with the F-word on the tip of her tongue. Rani superbly enacted the role of a meticulous journalist, who dared to challenge limits to unearth the real story behind headlines. She won the Filmfare award for the Best Supporting Actress; it came just when the naysayers were contemplating the end of her career. 
 
Rhea in <keyword id="37937" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hum-Tum">Hum Tum</keyword> 
 
This was another sensitive and matured performance from Rani. As Rhea in Hum Tum, she displayed a wide range of emotions as her character matured, from being a bubbly girl to that of a woman, in a span of 9 years. Her restrained persona and natural acting brought the character to life. Another highlight of the movie was her on-screen chemistry with Saif Ali Khan, which set the silversrcreen ablaze. She bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the movie. 
 
Saamiya Siddiqui in <keyword id="495554" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Veer-Zaara">Veer Zaara</keyword> 
 
Despite playing the second lead, Rani Mukherjee left a lasting impression on audiences as Saamiya Siddiqui in Yash Chopra’s magnum opus Veer Zaara. She played an idealist Pakistani lawyer, who fights for an Indian soldier. Rani once again proved that she can bring out the best in any character. No wonder, she walked away with IIFA Award for the Best Supporting Actor – Female for Veer Zaara. 
 
Suhaani in <keyword id="37976" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saathiya">Saathiya</keyword> 
 
It was a girl-next-door character and Rani played it with élan. She was natural and spontaneous while playing a middle class Marathi girl caught in the cobwebs of love, marriage and the humdrum there after. What conflicts, ego hassles, and expectations could do to a marriage was beautifully depicted by Rani and Vivek in the movie. The movie was not only lapped up by the audiences but also won critical accailm. Rani won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for Saathiya.

5 Movies That Define Rani Mukherjee’s Career

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/43409693.cms" /> 
 <keyword id="18941" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Divya-Dutta">Divya Dutta</keyword> is a name that guarantees influential screen presence. Whether she does a major role like she had in the last year’s <keyword id="127336" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhaag-Milkha-Bhaag">Bhaag Milkha Bhaag</keyword>, or a smaller role like the one she did in <keyword id="836746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lootera">Lootera</keyword>, she always win hearts and gets applauded. 
 
Today, as she turns 37, we took a look at the journey of this beautiful and talented actress, and see what we’ve found: 15 facts about Divya Dutta. 
 
1. Divya was single-handedly raised by her mother after the unfortunate death of her father. She was only 7 at that time. 
 
2. Divya has bitter memories of the 1984 riots as she was in Punjab during the insurgency. In one of her interviews for the 2013 film Gippi, she recalled those times when she hid behind her mother's dupatta while praying for her safety. 
 
3. Before coming to Mumbai to follow her dreams, Divya tried her hands at modeling for regional television commercials in Punjab. 
 
4. Divya made her debut with the 1994 movie Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna. She was only 17 at that time. 
 
5. Her first major break was Veergati, a movie where she played the role of Salman Khan’s sister Sandhya. 
 
6. Although she is a Punjabi, her Punjabi cinema debut came years after her first Hindi movie. She played the lead role of Zainab in Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh and her performance was well-received by audience and critics alike. 
 
7. Other than Hindi and Punjabi movies, she has also done a Nepali movie called Basanti and a Malayalam movie called Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. 
 
8. Divya dubbed for Lisa Ray in 2001 movie Kasoor as Ray was not comfortable with Hindi then. 
 
9. She has played important roles in television serials like Shanno Ki Shaadi, Kadam, and Samvidhaan. 
 
10. She has done various ads for prestigious brands like Aashirwad, Dabur, ICICI, Lehar, Sun Feast, and Vasmol. 
 
11. She also works as an anchor and in the past, has anchored several shows like Arey Deewano Mujhe Pehchano, Awaz Punjab Di, Cine Satrangi, and Hum Tum Ek Camare Me Band Hon. 
 
12. Her debut international film was The Last Lear in which she played the role of Ivy, a nurse. The movie also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, and Preity Zinta. 
 
13. She was briefly engaged to Sandeep Shergill, a Lieutenant Commander in Indian Army, but her engagement didn’t last long. 
 
14. For the role of Zaara’s maid and confidante Shabbo in the 2004 movie <keyword id="495554" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Veer-Zaara">Veer Zaara</keyword>, she won the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female and GIFA Best Supporting Actress Award. This role is considered as her breakthrough in mainline cinema. 
 
15. For the role of Milkha Singh’s sister Ishrat Kaur in the 2013 movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, she won Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female, IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Apsara Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. 
 
We wish the talented actress a very happy birthday and a long and healthy life. 
 
Image courtesy Indiatimes

Divya Dutta Trivia: 15 Interesting Lesser-known Facts About Her

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/564a22085afbd322218b456b-800-493/exclusive-after-paris-americans-want-us-to-do-more-to-attack-islamic-state---reuters/ipsos-poll.jpg" alt="General view of the scene with rescue service personnel working near covered bodies outside the Le Carillon restaurant following shooting incidents in Paris, France, November 13, 2015. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer" data-mce-source="Thomson Reuters" data-mce-caption="General view of the scene with rescue service personnel working near covered bodies outside a restaurant following shooting incidents in Paris, France" />Thomson ReutersGeneral view of the scene with rescue service personnel working near covered bodies outside a restaurant following shooting incidents in Paris, France</div></div></div>The world stands in solidarity with France, after a horrifying attack on November 13th that left at least 129 people dead. In the face of so much bloodshed, we must not forget that terrorism cannot be defeated by bombs and bullets alone.Terrorism wins the hearts and minds of potential recruits before those recruits go on to kill and die for their cause. Unless we find a way to stop this recruitment and radicalization, success in the fight against terrorism can never be guaranteed.At times like these, we are liable to fall back on biases, stereotypes and assumptions, rather than what the evidence tells us about why people become violent radicals. After events like the Paris attacks, the hardest questions become the most urgent as well: What factors contribute to the radicalization process? What role does religion really play in that process? And what more can be done to dissuade marginalized or disaffected youth of today from becoming the extremists of tomorrow?Terrorists versus MuslimsEarlier this year, the New York Times published a story titled "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/world/americas/isis-online-recruiting-american.html?_r=0">ISIS and the Lonely American</a>" which offers some interesting answers to these questions, even as it challenges our expectations. Alex, the subject of the story, made "a new group of friends online," a cohort described as "the most attentive she ever had." They were part of the social media presence of Daesh (the more pejorative Arabic term for ISIS) and worked diligently to push her to accept their religion and their ideology - and to join the group in Syria. They told her Islam required it.But when Alex, who was a recent convert to Islam, found a mosque just miles from her home, her online contacts turned sullen. They strongly dissuaded her from visiting the mosque, insisting American Muslims were "persecuted." Under no circumstance, they stressed, could she reveal her new Islamic beliefs to other Muslims.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/564a109a2491f9c22b8b5536-1280-720/isis flag.jpg" alt="ISIS Islamic State" data-mce-source="Nashir" data-mce-caption="An ISIS militant with an ISIS flag." />NashirAn ISIS militant with an ISIS flag.</div></div></div>Alex's experience is similar to many others that Daesh has targeted for recruitment from both within the Muslim world and outside of it. Alex wasn't radicalized inside of a mosque. She was radicalized because she never went to a mosque.Her Daesh recruiters tried to keep her from any mainstream, widely accepted expression of Islam because they feared it might thwart their brainwashing attempts.That's because mainstream Islamic values and the Daesh worldview simply do not match up.This is presumably why time and again, both studies and expert opinion demonstrate that those with a strong understanding of Islam are among the most resistant to radicalization.Former National Security Council Director Quintan Wiktorowicz reached this exact conclusion <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/01/24/133125267/new-terrorism-adviser-takes-a-broad-tent-approach">after interviewing hundreds of Islamists</a> in an attempt to uncover key drivers of radicalization.A <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/aug/20/uksecurity.terrorism1">2008 briefing note on radicalization prepared by MI5's behavioral science unit</a> noted "a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalization" and that many terrorists "lack religious literacy." It should have come as no surprise to find that would-be Daesh recruits Yusuf Sarwar and Mohammed Ahmed purchased books like "<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-05/koran-for-dummies-jihadists-jailed-for-martyrdom-mission">Islam for Dummies</a>" before trying to join the group.These facts point to a simple reality that Daesh routinely exploits. Those with a poor or superficial understanding of Islam can often make good recruiting candidates.That's why the <a href="http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/page/?p_id=52&amp;p_ref=26&amp;lan=en">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),</a> the world's second largest inter-governmental body after the UN with 57 member-states, is in the process of launching an anti-extremism messaging center that connects leading Muslim-world religious scholars with the latest social media tools and strategies.A major Muslim response to DaeshThe Center's first priority is to work to discredit the perceived religious legitimacy that Daesh believes has given it the authority to order and inspire abhorrent acts of violence, like those committed in Paris. If Islam is falsely peddled as the justification for these acts, it must be the Islamic world that corrects this misconception.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/564867bc2491f973008b539f-8688-5792/gettyimages-497162324.jpg" alt="paris" data-mce-source="Getty Images" />Getty ImagesA memorial for victims of the November 13th attacks in Paris.</div></div></div>To this end, the OIC has partnered with its subsidiary organ the <a href="http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/organizations/islamic-fiqh-academy">International Islamic Fiqh Academy</a> (IIFA), a body of senior Islamic scholars from across the world specializing in Islamic jurisprudence and knowledge.As it is, Fiqh (jurisprudence) happens not to be one of Daesh's strong suits. A proper exegesis of the Quran and Hadith (the reports of actions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) for the purpose of inferring a legal injunction is a complex and considered process. Daesh diverges from it constantly.For instance, under normative Islamic practice, a legal judgment cannot be passed without referring to all mention of that issue within religious scripture. An understanding of the conditions of revelation for each verse is also required as some are limited in application to 7th century Arabia, the place and time when these verses were revealed.There is also a tradition of abrogation in Qur'anic exegesis where certain verses overrule others, not to mention centuries of jurisprudential commentary that informs how legal injunctions are applied. The Hadith that Daesh so wantonly cherry-pick to justify their violence relate to hundreds of thousands of reports of varying degrees of reliability, some deemed credible, but others deemed fabrications. Indeed, within certain contexts, learned scholars can use the same methodology and arrive at different but equally valid conclusions - such is the complexity of scriptural exegesis.But the good work of Islamic scholars in highlighting Daesh's failure to conform to basic Islamic legal and moral principles simply hasn't been communicated in ways likely to resonate with those who need to hear this message the most. After all, a body of scholarly work discrediting the religious basis for Daesh's extremism already exists.The Fiqh Academy, for example, has endorsed the <a href="http://www.ammanmessage.com/">Amman Message</a>, which establishes preconditions for Islamic legal rulings and actually forbids apostasy charges, like the ones that Daesh has infamously issued. And a 17-page <a href="http://www.lettertobaghdadi.com/">open letter to al-Baghdadi</a> from 126 Islamic scholars and leaders from across the world refers to religious legal precedent and scripture to meticulously dismantle the authenticity of the "Islamic State."Connecting such religiously authoritative critiques of Daesh with cutting-edge social media strategies offers real scope to disrupt Daesh's online messaging. It could discredit their self-portrayal as an authentic, modern-day Caliphate, something that's central to their appeal in the eyes of impressionable young potential recruits.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56461f4211231419008b4f22-1181-779/isis reach map.jpg" alt="ISIS reach map" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="Attacks across the greater Middle East attributed to ISIS as of mid-2015." />ReutersAttacks across the greater Middle East attributed to ISIS as of mid-2015.</div></div></div>But scholarly messages on religion alone are not enough.Daesh hijacks religion for another dangerous purpose as well: to aggravate sectarian and religious hatred. Here too, religious-based messaging can help counter the sectarian sentiment Daesh both stokes and exploits during the radicalization process.The human narrative can also be of invaluable help. Personal accounts and stories of victims of sectarian and terrorist violence are a uniquely powerful tool for hindering the dehumanization of the "other," making it difficult to color ethnic, religious and sectarian relations in simplistic black-and-white terms.Perversely, the human narrative is among the most powerful tools in Daesh's own PR arsenal. Daesh recruitment videos directed at a particular nation often include recruits from the same communities telling their stories in ways that ordinary people can understand and relate to.Daesh knows the power of humanizing its message. So must any counter-response. That's why the OIC messaging center will ensure the defeat of Daesh's ideology works hand-in-hand with promoting the narratives of the group's victims, as well as those who have become disillusioned with Daesh or have experienced and witnessed the depravities of the group first-hand. The center will build the capacity of civil society voices on social media as well.There are other challenges too. Marginalization and disaffection can create ideal conditions for radicalization to occur. This is in part why Daesh's vision of success is so resonant for some. Wider socio-economic action is undoubtedly needed to address some of these deeper root causes of radicalization. This is all the more reason a better alternative to Daesh's narrative is needed in any counter-messaging strategy.That counter-narrative is something the OIC messaging center, in conjunction with the Islamic Fiqh Academy, will work to formulate and promote. In the present and throughout history, religion has unfortunately been hijacked for violent, perverse ends all over the world. But it has also offered hope, been a source of solace and peace and given those who suffer pain, marginalization and distress the patience to overcome those challenges. The vast majority of the world's believers derive meaning form religion without resorting to anger, hate and violence.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56028c155afbd3343c8b4567-800-535/islams-pilgrims-pray-for-peace-in-muslim-countries-wracked-by-war-2015-9.jpg" alt="A Muslim pilgrim prays on Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the annual haj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Mecca September 23, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood" data-mce-source="Thomson Reuters" data-mce-caption="A Muslim pilgrim prays on Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the annual haj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Mecca " />Thomson ReutersA Muslim pilgrim prays on Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the annual haj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Mecca </div></div></div>It is that message of peace, tolerance and pluralism that the OIC's messaging center will stress through credible, authoritative reading of scripture. It is a far cry from Daesh's narrative of conflict, retribution and immediate gratification, grounded in Deash's dehumanizing of all who do not share their beliefs.The Scope and the ScaleVolume will be a challenge. Daesh disseminates an extraordinary amount of social media content, driven by a vast support network. According to the Brookings Institution, between October and December 2014, there were 46,000 Twitter accounts <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2015/03/isis-twitter-census-berger-morgan/isis_twitter_census_berger_morgan.pdf">supporting Daesh narratives</a>.Any effective response requires a support network of our own. That means engagement with civil society partners already operating in this space. Such a diverse collaboration means there won't be agreement on every issue. But it is precisely this ability to acknowledge difference while uniting against violent extremism that must distinguish the Muslim world from Daesh's narrow, divisive ideology.The very existence, <a href="http://themuslim500.com/the-oic-more-necessary-than-ever">structure and mission of the OIC embodies that principle</a>. Its fifty-seven member-states span four continents, many different types of governments, various ethnicities and sects, and numerous approaches to Islam. It represents the diversity of Muslim life and practice that sectarian extremists like Daesh fear and despise.Whether that diversity survives or fractures depends on the outcome of a battle for hearts and minds that's taking place across social media and in the wider world. In the aftermath of the November 13th attacks on Paris, it is an ideological battle the Muslim world has a unique responsibility to confront, one that requires a pan-Muslim and transnational response.Mr. Amanul Haq is a Director in the Cabinet of the OIC Secretary General and Head of the OIC's Peace, Security and Mediation Unit. Prior to joining the OIC, Mr. Haq served as Consul in the Consulate General of Bangladesh in New York.

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