Entertainment
Fear of failure motivates me to work hard: Alia Bhatt
By Nivedita
New Delhi: At 22, she has turned out to be a bankable actor with films as diverse as “Highway”, “2 States” and “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania”. But getting the limelight at a young age has not made Alia Bhatt ignore the “fear of failure”. The actress says the thought of losing everything makes her put extra effort.
“Fear of failure is a constant thought and I can’t say that I never think about it. Probably I always think about it, that’s why I feel like I will always work harder,” Alia told IANS over the phone from Mumbai.
Nevertheless, the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and yesteryear actress Soni Razdan also believes that “living on the fear of future makes you miss out on the beauty of the present”.
“So more than fearing it, I am just aware that this is what it is right now, but there is something called change which is the only constant and things will keep changing. I have to keep adapting, but nonetheless I have to always work hard and never fail.”
“I can’t forget the fact that hard work, dedication, respect of your fellow co-workers and the people that you interact with and, of course, the warmth and love that you give to them, is most important.”
“And that is something that I will make sure of following thorughout my life,” said the young actress, who made her Bollywood debut in 2012 with Karan Johar’s “Student of the Year” alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan.
From playing a glamorous student in “Student of The Year”, a kidnapped rich girl in “Highway” and an IIM pass-out in “2 States” or an excited bride-to-be in “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania”, Alia is now ready to give competition to other actresses with Shahid Kapoor starrer “Shaandaar”.
Directed by Vikas Bahl, the film is releasing on October 22.
Alia says “Shaandaar” has been a completely different experience.
“I feel like ‘Shaandaar’ is one step into a mad world which I have never been a part of. What set this film apart is the quirky, mad kind of space, which I really like. It has quirky, interesting and a beautiful looking vibe to it, but at the same time the emotions are real,” said Alia.
It’s not just acting that Alia has got expertise in. She has shown her singing prowess too in Varun Dhawan starrer “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania”.
Asked when is she going to sing next, Alia said: “It will happen probably in my films only. I think I will stick to singing for my films only for now.”
Meanwhile, she is not only a favourite of leading filmmakers, but also a popular face in endorsement deals as well.
As the brand ambassador of Garnier PureActive Neem+Tulsi face wash, Alia was spotted enjoying an open-air bus ride atop the Garnier Bandwagon along with 10 lucky Garnier PureActive contest winners and her fans.
It wasn’t the first time that the actress was seen connecting directly with her fans as during one of the promotion of “Shaandaar” she was also spotted wearing a dress which had doodles and sketches sent by her fans printed on it.
She says the fans’ love makes her feel special.
“I don’t believe in avoiding my fans at all. It they are giving me appreciation, I have to be thankful and grateful for that appreciation. Honestly, I want to reach out to them and make them feel special because with their love, they make me feel special everyday,” said Alia.
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.
Content provided by Adverloom