Entertainment
I want to be stereotyped: Arko
By Natalia Ningthoujam
New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Arko Pravo Mukherjee, known for singing and composing soft melodies, says he doesn’t mind people associating him with the genre as he has fun doing it.
Arko was launched by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt in Bollywood with the 2012 movie “Jism 2” in which his compositions like “Yeh jism hai toh kya” and “Abhi abhi” struck the right chord with music lovers.
He went on to debut as a singer in 2016 with the heart-wrenching track “Saathi rey” from “Kapoor & Sons”, a film produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.
Doesn’t he fear that he will get stereotyped, Arko told IANS: “I want to be stereotyped because I have fun doing this. (Asking me to do something else) is like asking Bob Dylan to do a party song.”
His latest non-film song – “Aainda” is again about love.
“I usually make songs and keep them in my bank. Later, I decide which song will suit which film. I made this song. I never thought that I would release it as a single. But then I got an offer from Sony Music and all things fell into place,” he said.
Actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh also featured in the video of “Aainda”. So, is Bollywood the essential ingredient of a hit song?
“We can make non-film songs without Bollywood. But I have been working more in Bollywood for the past five years so, I have made friends. Also, it helps because it is so widespread.
“People from different parts of the country come together in Mumbai to work in Bollywood. So, be it an actor or a technician, you will generally find the standard high,” he added.
The composer agreed that having Riteish on board did help because of his strong fan following.
“It widens the audience and listeners. You are right that Bollywood involvement certainly helps, especially when you are starting off with an original single,” he said.
Earlier this year, he also made his way into the US Billboard Dance Club 50 Charts with his club song “Reeva”.
“The song landing at the Billboard charts was a fluke. In the US, things are very different,” he said.
And so, unlike his most Indian compositions, the international number was a dance number.
“To promote a song in the US… you need massive amount of money which is why signing with a label is a must. However, in club music, it can get across clubs, and if people like it, it will be out there.”
“It is difficult to promote a love song independently in the US,” he said.
Still, that hasn’t discouraged him from making more music for the international audience. When is his next English single coming out?
“It’s all going to happen in 2018. This year you will hear Hindi songs from films or as singles,” he said.
There is a Bengali song coming up too.
“I sang a Bengali song, ‘Maa’ for my mom long time ago. It was not even a commercial song. One Bengali single is coming out in October before Diwali. That is about love,” said Arko, who doesn’t make songs thinking that only he will sing them.
When it comes to films, he says it is not just his decision to rope in another singer for his compositions.
“For any song in films, the producer and director are 100 per cent involved. And if there is a big star, the actor is also involved in such decisions. Karan (Johar) thought that I could sing ‘Saathi rey’ so, I did.
“I never make songs thinking that I am going to sing and no one else,” he added.
(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
nn/nv/vm
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
