Entertainment
This Malayalam actress has opened up about her sexual harassment after five years of the incident
Five years after she was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted, Malayalam actress Bhavana Menon has broken her silence. The actress on Monday shared a statement on her social media and addressed the humiliation that she went through in the last few years post the incident.
“This has not been an easy journey. The journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor. For 5 years now, my name and my identity have been suppressed under the weight of the assault inflicted on me. Though I am not the one who has committed the crime, there have been many attempts to humiliate, silence and isolate me. But at such times I have had some who stepped forward to keep my voice alive,” she wrote on Instagram.
The attack on Menon reportedly took place in 2017 when she was returning to Kochi, Kerala, the southernmost state of India. The actress was returning after a shooting assignment on the outskirts of the city. Her vehicle was allegedly waylaid, and she was abducted by a criminal gang in a closed van. Investigations over the years have named actor, producer Dileep as the mastermind of the case that led to shockwaves in the Malayalam film industry with many actresses speaking out about the misogyny that exists in the Malayalam film industry.
On Sunday, the Crime Branch wing of Kerala Police registered a case against actor Dileep and five others for allegedly threatening investigation officers in the sexual assault case of the actress.
Bhavana’s post came after the particular recent development in the case. In the post, Bhavana stated that she will not give up and will continue fighting.
“Now when I hear so many voices speak up for me I know that I am not alone in this fight for justice. To see justice prevail, to get wrongdoers punished and to ensure no one else goes through such an ordeal again, I shall continue this journey. For all those who are standing with me – a heartfelt thank you for your love,” she concluded.
Many, including actresses like Sobhita Dhulipala, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sonam Kapoor and other social media users lauded Menon for her bravery.
Sharing Bhavana’s post on his Instagram account, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran wrote, “courage”.
“You know who stands tallest? This lady has been steadfast in her fight. #BhavanaMenon you`re a rockstar. More power to you, lady,” a social media user tweeted.
Bhavana is married to producer Naveen.
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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