Entertainment
My parents brimmed with pride on watching ‘Padmaavat’: Deepika
Mumbai, Jan 28 (IANS) Actress Deepika Padukone, who faced threats over “Padmaavat”, says she remained confident throughout the row due to the upbringing she got from her parents, who were full of pride after watching the movie.
At a select media meet over a Marwari thali here on Saturday, Deepika looked calm, content and relaxed after the release of “Padmaavat”. She is counting her blessings.
“My parents are immensely proud. I saw that pride on their face. Mom and dad made a video call after their screening finished late at night and I was in my pyjama and going to bed. So for them, they just saw the film and then me… So, their expression was like, ‘Is she our daughter?’ I saw their expression and they were both brimming and glowing with pride,” Deepika said.
The film “Padmaavat” went through a lot of turmoil as Shri Rajput Karni Sena objected to its making and release over alleged misinterpretation of the Rajput community’s history.
However, Deepika exuded confidence at any press conference of public interaction she attended, thereby dealing with the situation gracefully.
Where does she gather the confidence from?
“You know, my parents never once had asked me if they should come and live with me during that whole phase because they were confident about the fact that I can handle this. That is my spirit, that is how we (my sister and I) have been brought up. We have learnt that what is right is right, what is wrong is wrong,” said Deepika, daughter of former badminton player Prakash Padukone.
Deepika plays Rani Padmavati in “Padmaavat”, based on 16th century poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s poem “Padmavat”.
“Playing the character fascinated me about how her personality is very relevant in the present time. She is like me — a strong, intelligent and elegant woman… And when I played her on-screen, I saw a little bit of myself there.
“But her character was so deep, she is a queen who doesn’t speak very much but conveys everything in her way. That was a challenge to play,” she said.
While drawing out the difference between Rani Padmavati and Mastani of “Bajirao Mastani”, Deepika said: “She is not a warrior like Mastani, so she is not picking up the sword and fighting, but her silent strength leads her to the right direction to deal with the toughest situation.
“She is a queen, and under any situation, she never lost her poise, her elegant and calm self. But I feel she is a warrior in her way.”
With “Padmaavat”, Deepika has clocked a trilogy of films with Bhansali after “Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela” and “Bajirao Mastani”.
Not one to usually keep a track of the number game, Deepika said: “This time, I am talking about it because I feel a sense of responsibility. The character Padmavati is so strong and inspirational that it touches your heart.
“When I was working on the film, I did not expect this kind of appreciation. Of course, we knew that it is going to be a very special film as it’s my third film with Sanjay.
“There was an apprehension due to that as well… That how differently he can present me, but now after the release of the film, there is a feeling of sheer blessing. I think I am very fortunate,” said Deepika, who was overwhelmed with joy.
–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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