Entertainment
Shocking: Actress Diana Penty now open to do these kinds of films
New Delhi: Having done films as different as chalk and cheese, Bollywood actress Diana Penty of “Cocktail” fame says she would love to do a thriller and a “full action film”.
“What excites me the most is choosing films that are completely different from each other, which as an actor gives you something different to play with each time. It urges you to step outside your comfort zone and play characters you have never experienced before, in genres you have never worked on before,” Diana told in an e-mail interview.
“It can be challenging and that is what keeps me motivated as an actor. And while I’m open to all kinds of films and genres, I would love to do a thriller and a full on action film one day,” added the “Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran” actress.
Diana began her modelling career in 2005. She made her acting debut in 2012 with the romantic-comedy film “Cocktail”. She followed it up with films like “Happy Bhag Jayegi” and “Lucknow Central”.
Does she credit her catwalk days to being a successful actor today?
OMG: Bollywood actress Diana Penty ready to do these kinds of films
“Of course, I do. I am where I am today because of my modelling career and that’s something I will always be grateful for. It was through the various magazine covers and TV commercials I was doing at the time that I was spotted and offered my first film, ‘Cocktail’,” she said.
With a surge of content-driven films in Bollywood, Diana said that it’s not only a great time for cinema but also for actresses.
“Content has become king and filmmakers are experimenting with different subjects, but what’s most exciting is that women now have so many more opportunities to play strong and central characters. The best part is that the audience is appreciating and accepting this change with open arms,” she said.
Diana turned showstopper for the label Mishru on Sunday at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019.
Asked if she is fashion conscious in real life, she said: “It depends on what I’m doing and where I’m going. If I’m lounging at home or off to the gym or catching up with friends over coffee, then I would not be bothered really. If I’m dressing for a dinner or a night out or even an event, that is when I enjoy getting my fashion game on.”
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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