Entertainment
Farhan urges sexual harassment victims to open up
Mumbai, Nov 8 (IANS) Multi-talented Bollywood celebrity Farhan Akhtar, who is vocal in his support for gender equality, says there is no point in targeting only the film industry for perpetuating sexual harassment as it exists everywhere. However, he urged the victims to come out and talk about it openly.
Farhan, along with film director Feroz Abbas Khan and Poonam Muttreja of the Population Foundation of India (PFI) were here together on Wednesday as a part of the social campaign ‘Bas Ab Bahut Ho Gaya’ that is organising a concert titled ‘Lalkar’ to address the issue of sexual violence against women.
At a time when several women in Hollywood have come forward to voice their experience with sexual harassment in the field, Bollywood has been fairly quiet about it. People have spoken about the casting couch and some women celebrities joined the #MeToo campaign, but not many men have spoken out and women, especially budding actors, who may have even faced it, fear taking names.
What is Farhan’s opinion on securing women in the industry to share their stories fearlessly?
Farhan, who is also the founder of MARD (Men Against Rape and Discrimination), said: “Wherever there is an industry where the power dynamic is in play — be it corporate, be it film industry, such issues will unfortunately occur. But I think right now, the world over, the environment is such where all the women should feel empowered and secure to come out and share their stories.
“There is a constant dialogue on gender equality, gender discrimination across the globe. I think anyone who has their heart and mind in the right place, will support them.”
Asked if he heard any such stories from the industry people of asking to compromise for getting work in a film, Farhan said: “Well, not from the film industry that anyone has come up to me with such a story, but I do come across some such stories from different industries.
“It is true that such situations of molestation, sexual violence at workplace exist in all industries and it is not unique to one industry.”
What about the sense of insecurity that actors have in naming and shaming people as far as sexual harassment is concerned?
Farhan said: “If that person has come out and spoken about harassment, it doesn’t mean I won’t cast that person in my film. They are two completely different things and they should not be confused together.”
“What we have seen in reverse is that when somebody has come out about people who have harassed them, there has been a reaction to it. Maybe it was not the one that you expect, but there have been reactions. If someone has something to share, this is the perfect platform to come out. You will be doing yourself and others a favour by coming out and speaking.”
Seconding his opinion, Khan said: “There was one maidservant who came out and destroyed an actor’s career (referring to actor Shiney Ahuja). That woman had everything to lose and she still stood up. People from the film industry should come up and speak. But this power should not be limited to the film industry. It should be given to women all across the world.”
Farhan’s MARD started in 2013 and continues to create awareness among youth against violence and discrimination against women.
The concert ‘Lalkar’ is taking place here on November 21. Musicians like Salim-Suleiman, Papon and Prakriti-Sukriti will perform along with Farhan and share their thoughts on the issue of gender discrimination in society.
–IANS
aru/rb/bg
International online casino Casino Days has published a report sharing their internal data on what types and brands of devices are used to play on the platform by users from the South Asian region.
Such aggregate data analyses allow the operator to optimise their website for the brands and models of devices people are actually using.
The insights gained through the research also help Casino Days tailor their services based on the better understanding of their clients and their needs.
Desktops and Tablets Lose the Battle vs Mobile
The primary data samples analysed by Casino Days reveal that mobile connections dominate the market in South Asia and are responsible for a whopping 96.6% of gaming sessions, while computers and tablets have negligible shares of 2.9% and 0.5% respectively.
The authors of the study point out that historically, playing online casino was exclusively done on computers, and attribute thе major shift to mobile that has unfolded over time to the wide spread of cheaper smartphones and mobile data plans in South Asia.
“Some of the reasons behind this massive difference in device type are affordability, technical advantages, as well as cheaper and more obtainable internet plans for mobiles than those for computers,” the researchers comment.
Xiaomi and Vivo Outperform Samsung, Apple Way Down in Rankings
Chinese brands Xiaomi and Vivo were used by 21.9% and 20.79% of Casino Days players from South Asia respectively, and together with the positioned in third place with a 18.1% share South Korean brand Samsung dominate the market among real money gamers in the region.
Cupertino, California-based Apple is way down in seventh with a user share of just 2.29%, overshadowed by Chinese brands Realme (11.43%), OPPO (11.23%), and OnePlus (4.07%).
Huawei is at the very bottom of the chart with a tiny share just below the single percent mark, trailing behind mobile devices by Motorola, Google, and Infinix.
The data on actual phone usage provided by Casino Days, even though limited to the gaming parts of the population of South Asia, paints a different picture from global statistics on smartphone shipments by vendors.
Apple and Samsung have been sharing the worldwide lead for over a decade, while current regional leader Xiaomi secured their third position globally just a couple of years ago.
Striking Android Dominance among South Asian Real Money Gaming Communities
The shifted market share patterns of the world’s top smartphone brands in South Asia observed by the Casino Days research paper reveal a striking dominance of Android devices at the expense of iOS-powered phones.
On the global level, Android enjoys a comfortable lead with a sizable 68.79% share which grows to nearly 79% when we look at the whole continent of Asia. The data on South Asian real money gaming communities suggests that Android’s dominance grows even higher and is north of the 90% mark.
Among the major factors behind these figures, the authors of the study point to the relative affordability of and greater availability of Android devices in the region, especially when manufactured locally in countries like India and Vietnam.
“And, with influencers and tech reviews putting emphasis on Android devices, the choice of mobile phone brand and OS becomes easy; Android has a much wider range of products and caters to the Asian online casino market in ways that Apple can’t due to technical limitations,” the researchers add.
The far better integration achieved by Google Pay compared to its counterpart Apple Pay has also played a crucial role in shaping the existing smartphone market trends.
Content provided by Adverloom
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
