Entertainment
I’ve not struggled in showbiz: Ayesha Jhulka
By Sandeep Sharma
Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Actress Ayesha Jhulka, who is making her Bollywood comeback after seven years with Anil Sharmas “Genius”, says she has survived in the entertainment industry on her own terms and conditions, and never struggled because of work.
Ayesha, 45, is often remembered for her roles in films like “Kurbaan”, “Khiladi”, “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar”, “Waqt Hamara Hai” and “Masoom”. She was last seen in “ADA…A Way of Life” in 2010.
“I have been very lucky that I have not struggled in the industry and never wanted to. So, I didn’t want to be kicked out of the industry. I was a little selfish that way. I wanted to leave it on my own terms, and it is very difficult to say no when you are doing really well,” Ayesha told IANS in an email interview.
“When I got married (to Sameer Vashi), I wanted to lead a civilian’s life and wanted to see the other side of the world. As I started working at a very young age (in 1983), for many years, I just worked.
“After a point I wanted to enjoy my life, I wanted to party with my friends and do lot of things for which I have to thank my husband, who has opened that world for me which I have been enjoying all these years,” she added.
During her break, Ayesha also went through harsh times.
“I was bed-ridden for some time because I had a slip disc problem. Because of that, I had gained a lot of weight which I’m losing now. So, I took a break,” she said.
Why she chose “Genius” for her Bollywood comeback?
Ayesha explained: “I have not been doing much work because I felt something really nice would comes my way. I signed ‘Genius’ out of respect and he (Anil Sharma) really wanted me to do this film. After seven years I have signed a film. We shot in Mauritius and we have few days schedule left which we will shoot in Mumbai.”
She says it was “out of choice” that she didn’t work in films and decided to focus on her personal life.
“I love the film industry and want to do good work that comes my way. I have been getting lots of offers from television but I’m conditioned to doing films — I don’t know how it would be as it is about commitment and I’m a little scared to make that,” she said.
Starting off as a child artiste in the 1983 film “Kaise Kaise Log”, Ayesha said acting was always in her wish list.
“I was a movie buff since my childhood days. My mother used to scold me that there is a particular time to watch TV. But my father is from the Air Force, so I grew up liberally.”
“I think acting came to me naturally as I used to spend a lot time in front of the mirror wrapping my mother’s scarf around me and enacting the scenes from the movies,” she said.
One film, which is close to Ayesha’s heart is “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar”. The movie has completed 25 years since its release in 1992. It also featured superstar Aamir Khan.
“There are so many people, who have told me that — the cycle race, the ragging, the way everyone used to talk, the tendency of people to pull the other person down to be at the top — everything is relatable.”
“It has been happening in the college days and hostels. It is still happening so I think it is a very youth-oriented film. Youngsters still come to me and say that they have watched the film and they loved it. So, I feel really proud that I was a part of this film,” Ayesha said.
“Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar” will be aired on &pictures on January 1, 2018.
(Sandeep Sharma can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
sas/nn/vm
Entertainment
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
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