Entertainment
Kajol in ‘comfort zone’ with ‘Dilwale’
Hyderabad: One of Bollywood’s most loved actresses, Kajol, who will be back on the big screen with “Dilwale”, says she was in a “comfort zone” working with Shah Rukh Khan and director Rohit Shetty, and that she chose the film for its “unpredictable” element.
Asked about what made her say ‘yes’ to the film, considering that she is often quite “choosy” when it comes to selecting her movies, Kajol said: “I wanted to do something which is unpredictable…and this film is definitely not predictable. I wanted to do something that I have not done before and I really liked the role and character in this film.”
The fact that it has Shah Rukh as a co-actor and Rohit Shetty as a director made it her “comfort zone”, she said. “I think that matters a lot. I think that made a difference.”
Kajol spoke during an exclusive media interaction with select scribes at the Ramoji Film City, where the last leg of Rohit Shetty’s directorial is being shot.
Bollywood buffs are looking forward to the film, given Kajol and Shah Rukh’s roaring onscreen chemistry, a proof of which lies in films from “Baazigar” to “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” to “My Name Is Khan”. Together, they have made people believe in the magic of love.
The actress says working with Shah Rukh, who is also one of her closest friends in the industry, is not only a joy, but also a learning process.
Kajol was asked to describe how she and SRK have changed as individuals from the time they worked together in 1993 released film “Baazigar” till now.
A lot, she said.
“I think I have changed for better and we have become better people and better actors today. As far as Shah Rukh is concerned, he is such a technically superior actor. He is one of the best actors we have today.
“Every time I work with him, I learn more and more from him. I learn more from watching him, working with him — whether it is technically or emotionally. Working with him is pleasure, joy and a learning process,” added Kajol, who promises to steal the thunder once again with her onscreen chemistry with the actor in “Dilwale”.
The team’s cast and crew was present here for a meet-and-greet with select media persons, who were given a chance to witness the shooting of the film at Ramoji Film City.
They also gave a sneak peek into what’s in store in “Dilwale”, which is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, via a 20-minute video footage, which suggested that there will be dollops of romance, comedy and action in the upcoming entertainer. Also featuring Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon, “Dilwale” is set to release on December 18.
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.
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