Entertainment
Neighbourly culture is gone, laments Salman Khan
By Arundhuti Banerjee
Mumbai, Oct 3 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Salman Khan says the “neighbouring (neighbourly) culture” and the traditional camaraderie and bonding between neighbours in India is now sadly a thing of the past.
The star is back as the host of the 11th edition of the controversial reality TV show “Bigg Boss”, which is themed around neighbours.
Remembering his childhood neighbours, Salman told IANS in an interview here: “When I was growing up, not here in Galaxy (apartments), but before that… there was an exchange of warmth between ‘padosis’ (neighbours).”
“Around 60 families used to stay in that area and people had a connection. Doors were never shut, we used to play around and in the evening, men of the house sat together and conversed. Women of the house used to talk about ‘What is cooked in your house?’ There was an exchange of food… the environment was quite different then,” added the 51-year-old.
Still, the “Dabangg” actor feels fortunate.
“I think I am very lucky because when we shifted to Galaxy, we had the same kind of atmosphere. You know, behind my house, there is a colony called Virendra Colony, where all the boys were growing up together, had the same bonding.
“Though all of them are now working abroad, whenever they come back for festivals or vacation, they come back together. And you know, it’s like that cheerfulness comes along,” he added.
Salman, fondly known as “Bhaijaan”, has inspired many, whether to stay fit or to contribute to society, the way he gets involved in charitable acts.
Asked if such immense popularity brings added advantage to the show “Bigg Boss”, Salman said: “Yes, that definitely works for the show, and Colors (channel) as well. Yes, there is a connection from both sides (fans and Salman) that I cannot deny.
“But I cannot describe what it is. You know, especially among children; I have been observing kids who are maybe not well… or disabled kids, they have a huge affinity towards me. When they wave their hands saying ‘Salman…’ I feel the connection. I love them.”
“Bigg Boss” is one of the reality television shows that have been going on air for long. It’s Salman’s seventh year as its host.
As a host, what are the changes that he has observed so far?
“I think in the last few seasons, people watched the show before participating in it, thinking they know the format of the show. But what they do not understand is whatever strategy they come up with does not work in the house (Bigg Boss House),” said Salman, who has also hosted “Dus Ka Dum”.
(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
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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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