Entertainment
Nation is obsessed with Big B: R. Balki
Mumbai, Feb 3 (IANS) From his debut film “Cheeni Kum” to his upcoming film “Pad Man”, R. Balki has maintained one common element in all his directorial ventures — and that is the presence of Amitabh Bachchan. The filmmaker says the whole nation is obsessed with the megastar and he is just a part of it.
Balki has explored various sides of Amitabh’s acting talent in all his films — be it through telling a love story between a 64-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman in “Cheeni Kum”, or a tale of a 12-year-old progeria patient in “Paa”, or showing the dark side of showbiz with Big B as a failed actor and drunkard in “Shamitabh”.
Balki got Big B to make cameo appearances in “English Vinglish” and “Ki & Ka” as well.
Asked whether he is obsessed with Big B, Balki told IANS: “I am not obsessed with Amitabh Bachchan… the nation is; I am just a part of the nation.”
He continued: “Let me tell you, even in this film (‘Pad Man’) Mr. Bachchan is playing an important role. Yes, it is a cameo, but once you watch the film, (you) will understand the relevance of his presence in that moment of the story. I know people said that I keep bringing him in my film somewhere, but all those moments are crucial in the story.
“If we talk about ‘Ki & Ka’, the conversation between Mr Bachchan and Jaya ji, was crucial, that is also one side of the main topic of the film, that added a perspective.”
Asked if, given his advertising background, it is easier for him to tell a story that amalgamates the value of brand and entertainment, he shared how the length of the story makes all the difference.
“You might just find an ad film boring if I take 20 seconds extra to tell a story elaborately. On the other hand, there is a time when the audience could find things are happening too fast in a feature film. But that is how it is, depends on the format,” he explained.
Balki expressed his happiness over famous south Indian film composer and musician Illaiyaraja being honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour.
“I think even Bharat Ratna is less to show our respect to his talent. For me, he is not just an incredible musician, he is music. We have spoken after I got to know the news, I am really happy,” said Balki who worked with Ilaiyaraaja in films like “Paa”, “Cheeni Kum”, “Ki & Ka” and “Shamitabh”.
“Pad Man”, a film highlighting awareness on menstrual hygiene, stars Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte. It will release on February 9.
–IANS
aru/sug/sac
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
