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Just a few hours from now and a brand new 2014 will be upon us with cheering, partying and celebrations taking place all over the world. But how was the <keyword id="17892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="bollywood-party">Bollywood party</keyword> in the year 2013? How did the <keyword id="1996024" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dream-merchants">dream merchants</keyword> fare, what about <keyword id="1996031" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-office-performance">box office performance</keyword> and most importantly, what was on the platter for the audience? <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> will never be the same again post 2013 – a year that has given the mainstream <keyword id="1996034" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-movie-industry">Indian movie industry</keyword> many reasons to rejoice. 
 
For one, Bollywood has gone big in every sense of the term. Unlike last year when small-budget films managed to make big bucks, 2013 was the year of the biggies and crores of rupees were spent on production and marketing. Movies like <keyword id="24705" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoom-3">Dhoom 3</keyword>, <keyword id="500441" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Krrish-3">Krrish 3</keyword> and <keyword id="227940" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chennai-Express">Chennai Express</keyword> top this trend but others are catching up fast. After all, the savvy audience of today wants big-time <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> that spells perfection and novelty – be it great <keyword id="5210" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Star-cast">star cast</keyword>, exotic <keyword id="6542811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="locations">locations</keyword> or stunning <keyword id="648530" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Special-effects">special effects</keyword>. But all these require big money – a prerequisite for <keyword id="1996041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-office-success">box office success</keyword>. Big-budget movies have not disappointed either and at least nine blockbusters have raced to the coveted <keyword id="925977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rs-100-crore-club">Rs 100 crore club</keyword> in CY2013. 
 Also, in a bid to grab a bigger chunk of the <keyword id="182563" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BO">BO</keyword> pie, Bollywood has pushed global distribution and aggressively targeted as many screens as possible, both in India and abroad. For instance, Dhoom 3 has reportedly grabbed the biggest number of screens this time – around 4,500 in India and 750 screens overseas. The previous record was held by Chennai Express (3,700 screens at home and 700 screens abroad). 
 Bollywood has also witnessed a spate of diverse themes – from <keyword id="6355304" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="action">action</keyword> thrillers like Dhoom 3 and <keyword id="115922" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Race-2">Race 2</keyword> to <keyword id="1996044" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Superhero-movies">superhero movies</keyword> like Krrish 3, from romance-dramas like Chennai Express, <keyword id="1886157" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ram-Leela">Ram-leela</keyword> and <keyword id="791377" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Yeh-Jawaani-Hai-Deewani">Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani</keyword> to <keyword id="145976" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="adult-comedy">adult comedy</keyword> <keyword id="6621270" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Grand-Masti">Grand Masti</keyword> and the impressive <keyword id="394815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="biopic">biopic</keyword> <keyword id="127336" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhaag-Milkha-Bhaag">Bhaag Milkha Bhaag</keyword>. Almost every theme found its niche audience and managed to do big business, which indicate we are maturing as movie-goers. Here’s a quick look at this year’s <keyword id="671120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="bollywood-blockbusters">Bollywood blockbusters</keyword>, their financials and a brief recap of the movies. 
 
Images: Wikipedia, Indiatimes

9 Bollywood Blockbusters
That Entered Rs 100 Crore Club In 2013

Reality is the most coveted theme in Bollywood right now. From churning out biopics to drawing inspiration from real-life incidents, movies are riding the ‘reality’ wave in a bid to rake in big moolah. Although it is not a box office hit, the recently released Gulaab Gang, starring Madhuri Dixit Nene and Juhi Chawla, is said to be inspired by Sampat Pal Devi and her Gulabi Gang, a group of Indian women vigilantes and activists. Another biopic based on Olympic medallist Mary Kom is coming up soon and promises to make waves. But before that, let us take a look at some of the most popular movies inspired by real life. 
 
1. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag One of the biggest hits of 2013 starring <keyword id="5015" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Farhan-Akhtar">Farhan Akhtar</keyword>, this is a biopic of Milkha Singh, the Flying Sikh of India. The flick goes beyond the obvious and highlights the lesser-known facts of the legendary athlete’s life, thus introducing the Indian sports hero to the Gen Y. Farhan is spectacular in his role while Milkha Singh has sold the rights of the movie for Re 1. However, a share of the profits goes to <keyword id="1937557" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Milkha-Singh-Charitable-Trust">Milkha Singh Charitable Trust</keyword>. 
 
2. The Attacks of 26/11 
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, this docudrama is based on the gory Mumbai attacks of 2008. The movie focuses on the series of events that took place on this fateful day. The movie revolves around the terrorist attacks and Ajmal Kasab, the prime radical, who was caught. RGV relies on police statements, eyewitnesses and the court evidence to bring in a pretty close presentation of reality. 
 
3. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara 
A sequel to 2010’s Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, the movie is inspired by the animosity between gangsters Dawood Ibrahim and Chota Rajan. Despite a lot of hype, this gangster saga turned out to be a flop. Akshay Kumar, <keyword id="14676" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Imran-Khan">Imran Khan</keyword> and Sonakshi Sinha played lead roles in the film. 
 
4. The Dirty Picture 
Starring Vidya Balan, this one is a biopic of the southern sex siren, Silk Smitha, and offers a heavy dose of entertainment. Vidya has done an admirable job here and played a perfect seductress. She did her best to get into the skin of the character, which also required her to put on oodles of flab. 
 
5. Special 26 Starring Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher, this film was inspired by a real life incident that took place in Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar in 1987. In the movie, a group on conmen posing as CBI officers executes a daylight income tax raid. The film also stars <keyword id="7637" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Manoj-Bajpayee">Manoj Bajpayee</keyword> and Jimmy Shergill, and has won plenty of critical acclaim. 
 
6. Paan Singh Tomar 
Another gem of a movie starring Irrfan Khan. This is a biopic of an athlete, Paan Singh Tomar, who was employed with the Indian Armed Forces. The film weaves the real life incidents that forced Paan Singh to quit the defence services and his dream of becoming an internationally acclaimed athlete, and take to guns instead. 
 
7. Satyagraha – Democracy Under Fire A political thriller starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor, this flick is loosely based on <keyword id="57766" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Anna-Hazare">Anna Hazare</keyword>’s fight against corruption. While Big B plays the role of Anna, Kareena’s character is inspired by the international journalist, Christian Amanpour. 
 
8. No One Killed Jessica This political crime thriller is a screen adaptation of the much publicised <keyword id="14009" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jessica-Lal">Jessica Lal</keyword> murder case. While Vidya Balan plays Jessica’s elder sister, Rani Mukherjee is the spunky news reporter. The film has been widely appreciated for making the point quite poignantly and has bagged many prestigious awards. 
 
9. Not a Love Story 
This film starring Mahie Gill and Deepak Dobriyal is based on the ghastly murder of Neeraj Grover that led to the arrest of Maria Susairaj and M.L. Jerome. Director Ram Gopal Varma shot the movie in just 20 days at Dheeraj Solitaire building, which is the prime location of the incident. 
 
10. Guru 
It has not been stated officially but Guru, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, takes inspiration from the life and times of India’s celebrated business tycoon, <keyword id="6418409" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Dhirubhai-Ambani">Dhirubhai Ambani</keyword>. It portrays the journey of an ordinary man growing up to become one of the most powerful businessmen, with absolute faith in his dreams. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

10
Bollywood Movies Inspired By Real-life Stories

The Aam Aadmi Party has nominated five persons for <keyword id="48510" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="Orion">Rajya Sabha</keyword> from <keyword id="6354953" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="punjab" source="Orion">Punjab</keyword> where it swept the assembly polls and has formed the government. The five Rajya Sabha MPs include two businessmen, one IIT professor and cricketer <keyword id="368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="harbhajan-singh" source="Orion">Harbhajan Singh</keyword>. While <keyword id="78659" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashok-mittal" source="Orion">Ashok Mittal</keyword> and <keyword id="255145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanjeev-arora" source="Orion">Sanjeev Arora</keyword> are businessmen, former cricketer is Harbhajan Singh. Apart from that, <keyword id="66" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="delhi" source="Orion">Delhi</keyword> MLA <keyword id="6394261" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="raghav-chadha" source="Orion">Raghav Chadha</keyword> and IIT professor <keyword id="348756" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sandeep-pathak" source="Orion">Sandeep Pathak</keyword> have also been nominated for the Rajya Sabha. Ashok K. Mittal is the founder chancellor of the prestigious academic institution, Lovely Professional University (LPU). Hailing from a humble background, Mittal worked his way up to become an accomplished entrepreneur. As a way to serve the society and the state of Punjab, he founded LPU which is one of the largest universities in India today with students from over 50 countries. Sanjeev Arora runs the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust that was established after his parents lost their lives to cancer. But main business is export house. Arora is also on the governing board of Dayanand Medical College &amp; Hospital, Ludhiana, and is also a member of the Apex Council of Punjab Cricket Association. He has been the Secretary of Sutlej Club, Ludhiana, a prime institution of Punjab that provided ample help to the Ludhiana District Administration by donating ambulances, PPE Kits, and other essentials. Raghav Chadha was appointed as the youngest spokesperson of the party and has executed crucial party campaigns in Delhi &amp; Punjab. Chaddha spearheaded the critical water reforms as Delhi Jal Board Vice-Chairman and is one of the architects of the party's resounding victory in Punjab. A graduate from the London School of Economics, Chaddha met <keyword id="260213" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="arvind-kejriwal" source="Orion">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> in 2012, who urged him to get involved in the drafting of the Delhi Lokpal Bill as his first task. In the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly Elections, Chadha registered an emphatic victory as the party's candidate from Rajinder Nagar Assembly Constituency. Harbhajan Singh is India's most successful off-spin bowler who played for the Indian national cricket team between 1998 and 2016. Singh was captain of the Indian Premier League team Mumbai Indians and captained Punjab for the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy season. Under his captaincy, Mumbai won the 2011 Champions League Twenty20. An Arjuna and Padma Shri awardee, Singh has been actively working for the upliftment of disadvantaged children through the Smile Train Foundation and Tera Tera Foundation. Sandeep Pathak is touted as Aam Aadmi Party's Chanakya, responsible for the party's spectacular win in Punjab elections in 2022. Pathak is an IIT-Delhi Associate Professor who joined the party to realize Arvind Kejriwal's dream of a corruption-free India. Pathak received his PhD from the University Of Cambridge, UK in 2011. He has been working behind the scenes for many years and built the entire organization cadre in Punjab. He was the man behind conducting accurate and scientific surveys in the state, selection of candidates, and deciding the entire strategy for the party's resounding victory in Punjab. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/sensex-slightly-down-at-57793-while-nifty-is-trading-almost-flat-at-17000/articleshow/90350690.cms">Sensex slightly down at 57,793, while Nifty is trading almost flat at 17,000</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/ruchi-soya-stock-tanks-after-the-baba-ramdev-backed-company-announces-4300-crore-fpo-at-a-35-discount/articleshow/90351347.cms">Ruchi Soya stock tanks after the Baba Ramdev-backed company announces ₹4,300 crore FPO at a 35% discount</a>

Harbhajan Singh,  Ashok Mittal, Sanjeev Arora, Sandeep Pathak, and Raghav Chadha are AAP's new Rajya Sabha nominees from Punjab

The bitter feud between <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Cyrus+Mistry+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Cyrus Mistry </a>and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Tata+group+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Tata group </a>has been in the headlines for quite sometime. Mistry may now challenge the power of Tata Trusts to influence business decisions at <keyword id="6355725" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Group">Tata Group</keyword>. 
 The trust, which is controlled by <keyword id="6360722" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword>, owns nearly two-third of <keyword id="46894" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Sons">Tata Sons</keyword> and the rest is owned by Mistry family's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Shapoorji+Pallonji+group.+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Shapoorji Pallonji group. </a>This has led to concerns about the governance structure of the trusts. 
 
"A charitable trust is allowed to hold investments but cannot directly be involved in business plans. It is about institutionalising a role and ensuring proper governance. The chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Trusts should be different, so that nobody has unbridled power," an executive close to Mistry told ET. 
 
The trust, however, said that it doesn’t interfere with day to day activities of Tata Sons but need certain information to make sure that the investments are safe. 
 
"We don't interfere with the day-to-day governance of Tata Sons. There is certain information we require from Tata Sons to make sure our investments are safe as it the primary source of our philanthropic operations," said VR Mehta, a trustee on the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. 
 
A few months before Mistry's ouster, directors on the nomination and remuneration committee (NRC) of Tata Sons - Ronen Sen, Vijay Singh and Farida Khambhata - said at a board meeting that it may be desirable to seek legal opinion on the interplay of relevant entities such as Tata Sons, Tata Trusts and group companies. 
 
Mehta also said when Mistry over as the chairman of Tata Sons, a pact was signed between the holding company and the Tata Trusts clarifying the relationship between the two. 
 
However, people close to Mistry have denied the existence of any such agreement. 
 
Public trusts are usually barred from holding shares of commercial business by the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act's 1973 amendment. They are allowed to invest in banks and postal savings accounts and can otherwise lose tax exemptions. 
(image: IndiaTimes)

Cyrus Mistry may drag Tata Trusts to court, challenge its power to influence business decisions

<ul><li>In our latest episode of BTS with Insiders, we got chatting with <keyword id="212001" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Agnello-Dias">Agnello Dias</keyword>, Creative Chairperson, Dentsu Aegis Network India and Co-Founder, Taproot Dentsu and <keyword id="343974" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Santosh-Padhi">Santosh Padhi</keyword>, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu about a few campaigns close to their hearts.</li><li>They took us behind the scenes of popular campaigns like Pepsi's Change the Game and <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>'s Har Ek Friend Zaruri Hota Hai, among others.</li></ul> It was in 2009 that Agnello Dias (Aggie) and Santosh Padhi (Paddy), two people pegged as the hottest creative stars in Indian advertising came together and founded Taproot. Within just a few years of starting the agency, it boasted of an enviable roster of brands it had created campaigns for including <keyword id="54572" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PepsiCo">PepsiCo</keyword>, Airtel and Bennett, Coleman &amp; Company. Three years later, Japanese advertising major Dentsu acquired a majority in the agency. Over the past 11 years, with Aggie and Paddy at the helm of affairs, the agency has come up with some memorable, powerful campaigns that have helped brands tell wonderful, engaging stories. As a part of our latest series, BTS with Insiders, we spoke to the creative duo about some of the most memorable campaigns they have created together. Here are a few of the stories they shared with us. <div type="javascript" title="Facebook" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Pepsi ‘Change the Game’ campaigns We all know about the cola wars of the past when players like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Thums Up would all try to come up with irreverent campaigns, poking fun at each other. In 2011, Pepsi was the official World Cup sponsor. It was a brand that had always stood for irreverence, and everything that was anti-authoritarian and anti-establishment. In the past, it had roasted Coca-Cola when it was the official world cup sponsor with its cheeky, ‘Nothing Official About It’ campaign. So in 2011, when it was the official sponsor, its brief was unique. It wanted to say it is the official sponsor, while also making a statement that it is proudly irreverent. “During the discussion around the campaign, we stumbled upon the insight that the game itself had become far more irreverent than it was say 15-20 years ago,” said Aggie. The agency then decided to manifest this irreverence of the game by depicting a few key shots that the newer breed of cricketers had started playing. “Once we came up with the idea, the client was perceptive enough to see its power straight up,” added Aggie. The agency came up with five films featuring star cricketers and their trademark shots - MS Dhoni’s ‘Helicopter shot’, Virender Sehwag’s ‘Upper cut’, Harbhajan Singh’s ‘doosra’, Kevin Pietersen’s‘Switch hit’ and Tillekratne Dilshan’s ‘Dilscoop’. The campaign went on to become a huge hit, so much so that Pepsi replicated the idea in other markets like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. “It also was a very special campaign for us because it was perhaps for the first time that such a huge brand chose to work with a smaller, independent agency. It totally changed the game for us,” added Paddy with a smile. Airtel’s ‘Har Ek Friend Zaruri Hota Hai’ Before Airtel’s friendship campaign, the brand every year would come up with a campaign that would put out a world philosophy that could be appropriated by mobility, shared Aggie. “That was the time when all brands were trying to build the category, nobody was trying to take each other's market share. The brief given to us that time was that we don't see anything wrong in what we are doing by putting out a life philosophy about how the world is getting more connected except that our tone and manner is making us sound old-fashioned. The brand said that they didn’t want to become younger or exchange market shares. It just wanted to keep its philosophy, while saying it in a younger manner,” he explained. That’s how the agency thought of giving out a philosophy but not from a pulpit. The idea took birth when the agency started discussing about 3 am friends who one could turn to if someone was in trouble. And that’s how the campaign took shape. What also makes the ad memorable is the jingle created by music composer Ram Sampath, who was given the task of creating a song without using any real instrument. All the percussions in the ad come from things one might find in a classroom, including notebooks, dusters and even dustbins. The campaign went on to become a huge hit. <keyword id="6377547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="adidas">Adidas</keyword>’ Odds In wake of the 2016 Paralympic Games, Adidas came up with a unique initiative called ‘Odds’ where para-athletes, primarily blade runners, were given a pair of the same side footwear instead of the usual pair that is sold to consumers. The campaign spoke about the inspirational story of <keyword id="2726242" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Major-DP-Singh">Major DP Singh</keyword>, a Kargil war veteran who lost his leg but not his determination. “We got the insight for the ad from a simple idea. One of the kids at the agency said what if we dedicate 2 left or 2 right shoes to para-athletes? We thought it must already have been done by some brand. We were really surprised to see that it had never been done and its such an injustice on the community that for years they had to buy a pair of shoes from which they could only use 1. So we thought we had to make this larger than life,” shared Paddy. They approached Major DP Singh who agreed to be a part of the campaign and the rest, as they say, is history. Paddy also shared a life lesson that he got from Major Singh. “On the first day of the shoot, we went to the top of a mountain at 4am where he used to practice to capture the early morning sunlight. Since the spot was far from the city, we travelled for an hour. He was an army guy and wanted a proper schedule. We gave him one and told him we will finish the shoot in 2 days. The packup for the first shoot was supposed to happen at 8 or 8:30 which got delayed by an hour or so. By the end of it, he wasn’t happy and went home. And he didn’t come to the second location. When the producer tried to reach out to him he said, ‘Please tell Adidas, Taproot and Paddy that I am done with my shoot.’ We were really shocked as we had a packed schedule. So I went to his house and asked him what happened. So he said, ‘I am an army guy and I follow schedule. If your shoot was getting delayed, someone should have come and informed me. I respect time and if I respect time, you should respect me.’ I apologized and assured him that something like this never happens again. So this wasn’t just a learning for me but for everyone else who was present at the sets that day,” reminiscened Paddy. <keyword id="5709" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai-mirror">Mumbai Mirror</keyword> Mumbai Mirror is a tabloid from the stable of the <keyword id="6356641" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Times-of-India">Times of India</keyword> group, a brand that Taproot had been handling for a while. The brief given to the agency for the campaign was simple, “The client said here are 6 stories we have broken, please showcase these stories. It was from there that we took the leap and said that newspaper is the voice that amplifies the voice of the oppressed. There were stories that would not make it to the national newspaper but its players like Mumbai Mirror that take these smaller oppressed voices and amplifies them,” said Aggie. Those who have watched the campaign know that it makes its point heard loud and clear. The idea was to deliberately make the campaign disturbing. “There have been opinions about why the film was so shrill, it could have been toned down. But in my opinion, when you are taking this stance it can be either disturbing or it can’t be this at all. Then it would just need to be a completely different thought. And that’s why we decided to make it that aggressive,” explained Aggie. Times of India – Farmer Suicide campaign The last campaign that the duo spoke about went on to become one of their most awarded one. Our country is no stranger to the disturbing news of farmer suicides ever year. It’s still an ongoing issue and the agency wanted to bring out the stories of these farmers who simply become a statistics every year. The agency used burnt hay to make portraits some of the farmers who had committed suicide, leaving behind families of 4-6 members. “These paintings were sold and whatever money we made out of, we gave to the family members because once the earning member of the families pass away, the others also die a slow death. This was what we did in the first year. In the second year, TOI got on board the Samaj Seva Charitable Trust. We did a TV commercial and some billboards, as a second leg of the campaign. Because of the simplicity of the campaign, it did really well. It did well for us too as we picked up a lot of awards. It looks like something made out of something but how lovingly you do it and how relevant you are, makes or breaks the campaign,” said Paddy.

BTS with Insiders: The stories behind some of Taproot Dentsu’s most iconic campaigns

<ul><li>Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Saturday announced the creation of an assistance and emergency situation relief fund – <keyword id="8973020" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pmcares">PMCARES</keyword>.</li><li>The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund will go a long way in creating a healthier India, he said on Twitter.</li><li>The prime minister is the chairman of the new public charitable trust, its members include the defence minister (Rajnath Singh), home minister (Amit Shah) and the finance minister (Nirmala Sitaraman).</li></ul>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the creation of an assistance and emergency situation relief fund where people can contribute and help in the government's fight against coronavirus. The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund will go a long way in creating a healthier India, he said on Twitter. "People from all walks of life expressed their desire to donate to India's war against COVID-19," he said, adding the fund has been constituted respecting that spirit. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="74862906" title="Ratan Tata donates ₹500 crore for Covid-19 for testing kits and protective gear for health workers" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

 "It is my appeal to my fellow Indians, kindly contribute to the PM-CARES Fund. This Fund will also cater to similar distressing situations, if they occur in the times ahead," he said. A statement posted on his official website said while the prime minister is the chairman of the new public charitable trust, its members include the defence minister (Rajnath Singh), home minister (Amit Shah) and the finance minister (Nirmala Sitaraman). In India, like the rest of the world, the spread of coronavirus has been alarming and is posing severe health and economic ramifications for our country, it said. The Prime Minister's Office has been receiving spontaneous and innumerable requests for donations to support the government in the wake of this emergency. "Distress situations, whether natural or otherwise, demand expeditious and collective action for alleviating the suffering of those affected, mitigation/control of damage to infrastructure and capacities etc," the statement said. Keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of 'Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund' (PM CARES Fund)' has been set up, it said. "PM Narendra Modi has always believed and shown in actions that public participation is the most effective way to mitigate any issue and this is yet another example. This fund will enable micro-donations as a result of which a large number of people will be able to contribute with smallest of denominations," the statement said. People can visit www.pmindia.gov.in to make contributions using credit and debit cards, UPI, net banking and RTGS or NEFT, it said. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/data-of-coronavirus-patients-state-wise-in-india/articleshow/74669748.cms">Coronavirus cases in India</a>

Narendra Modi announces new fund for people to donate towards govt fight against coronavirus

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In 2006, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil came out to a local newspaper, becoming <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s first openly gay prince.</li><li>He endured years of conversion therapy — including electroshock treatments — and was publicly disowned by his family.</li></ul>Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, the 39th direct descendant of India's Gohil Rajput dynasty, knew he was gay at age 12. But he could only live his truth three decades later.Gohil publicly came out in an interview to a local newspaper in 2006, becoming the first openly gay royal in the country. He was 41 at the time.Until 2018, homosexuality was illegal in India, punishable under Section 377, a colonial-era draconian law that demanded up to life imprisonment for anyone committing sexual acts "against the order of nature." Naturally, Gohil's public unmasking triggered a nation-wide scandal. The entire town of Rajpipla — a formerly princely state located in the western state of Gujarat where his ancestors were kings — turned on him. "The day I came out, my effigies were burnt. There were a lot of protests, people took to the streets and shouted slogans saying that I brought shame and humiliation to the royal family and to the culture of India. There were death-threats and demands that I be stripped off of my title," Gohil told Insider over a phone call from the coastal state of Kerala.His parents, the Maharaja and Maharani of Rajpipla, responded with similar rage. They publicly disowned him as their son and took out advertisements in newspapers announcing that he was cut off as heir due to his involvement in activities "unsuitable to society". <h2>He turned the palace grounds he was once thrown out of into a shelter for the LGBTQ+ community.</h2>Gohil had expected the homophobic uproar. The society he grew up around was strongly conserative, and the country he grew up in didn't legally recognize gay rights. Many around him believed that homosexuality was a mental disorder. At the time, Gohil remembers reporters clamoring to him for a comment on the public rejection. He calmly recounted the answer he gave them, saying, "I don't blame the people who are against me. I blame their ignorance on the subject." Today, at 55, Gohil's stance remains the same. Much of his advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights continues to primarily revolve around decimating the stigma around homosexuality. It's with that approach that he founded Lakshya Trust, a charitable organization with the aim to improve the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Gujarat two decades ago. In 2018, the year that the Supreme Court decriminalized homosexuality in a landmark ruling, Gohil opened up a 15-acre palace grounds to build a shelter for vulnerable members of the community. Ironically, it was the same palace he was thrown out of when he publicly came out years ago. In that sense, a large part of Gohil's crusade for equal rights and dignity of life for the LGBTQ+ community is rooted in his own painful past, which included being forced into a short-lived arranged marriage with a woman (Gohil eventually married his husband in 2013), enduring years of torturous conversion therapy, and suffering in silence.<div type="image" title="Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil" height="1928" width="2571" msid="90942851" hostid="261"></div><h2>After coming out to his family, Gohil was subjected to years of conversion therapy.</h2>Back in 2002, four years before he came out to the world, Gohil came out to his parents, having been attracted to men for years. "They thought it was impossible that I could be gay because my cultural upbringing had been so rich. They had no idea that there's no connection between someone's sexuality and their upbringing," Gohil recounted. The state of denial was followed by his parents insisting on finding a "cure" for his sexuality. In the next four years, Gohil claims that his parents took him to a host of medical practitioners and spiritual guides, "They approached doctors to operate on my brain to make me straight and subjected me to electroshock treatments." When it didn't work out the way they imagined, Gohil was shipped to religious leaders who were ordered to make him "behave normally." None of it worked. But by the time his parents stopped their efforts, Gohil was left traumatized and depressed, often contemplating suicide. In many ways, he says the newspaper interview unshackled him. <h2>Conversion therapy is still not illegal in India. "I have to keep fighting."</h2>Two decades since, conversion therapy is still not outlawed in India (Tamil Nadu is the only state to legally ban the practice last year). Even though there is no proven success rate, it continues to be widely employed to physically and mentally assault the country's queer population, leading to increased depression and death by suicide among LGBTQ+ youth in India. In 2020, a 21-year-old bisexual woman <a href="https://lifestyle.livemint.com/health/wellness/the-pain-and-cruelty-of-conversion-therapy-111634459309525.html">committed</a> suicide after her family subjected her to a harrowing two-month ordeal at de-addiction centers in Kerala in a bid to "cure" her bisexuality. Today, Gohil is at the forefront of the demand for a ban on the unethical practice. In that, he is not just fighting for a ban but is also battling decades of regressive mentality, ignorance, and judgment. "It's important for people like me who have a certain reputation in society to continue the advocacy. We can't just stop because the country repealed Section 377," he said, explaining that a law being passed in India doesn't always mean that people will immediately start accepting or following it."Now we have to fight for issues like same-sex marriage, right to inheritance, right to adoption. It's a never-ending cycle. I have to keep fighting."

India's first openly gay prince endured years of torturous conversion therapy. Now, he's fighting to make the practice illegal.

Chandigarh, Jun 18 () Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday said the state government will soon rationalise the cost of treatment of COVID-19 patients at private facilities in the state and make it affordable. He urged private hospital managements to rise to the occasion and come forward with a rational and reasonable cost of treatment for coronavirus-afflicted patients. "This is an unforeseen and unprecedented situation and everyone, including private hospital managements and promoters, owe a responsibility towards the society," he said. The state health minister hoped private hospitals will not charge COVID-19 patients exorbitantly as has been reported widely in news media. In a statement, he said the government has no intention to make private hospitals suffer any losses, but at the same time it cannot allow the "loot of helpless patients by slapping them bills to the tune of lakhs of rupees for a few days of stay in the hospital". Hoping that the private hospitals will cooperate with the government in this regard, Sidhu said the final decision on fixing the price will be taken in a day or two. The minister referred to a recent announcement by Sri Guru Ram Das Charitable Hospital Trust, Amritsar, whereby it fixed at Rs 50,000 the rate for a seven-day package for twin sharing AC rooms for COVID-19 treatment, while for non-AC rooms it is Rs 35,000 and ventilator charge, if needed, is Rs 6000 per day. Compared to this, some private hospitals were charging as much as Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per day and this is unacceptable, he said. "If one hospital can provide treatment at Rs 50,000 for a week, how can another hospital charge Rs 30,000 for a day?" the health minister posed. VSD CHS NSD

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