Manipur High Court modifies contentious 2023 order on including Meiteis in Scheduled Tribe list

Arjun Rampal, the handsome hunk of Bollywood, is geared up and excited for his upcoming sports action movie Crakk.

In anticipation of his role, the actor has undergone a remarkable physical transformation, focusing on his fitness regimen and diet. The actor shared his physical fitness routine, which included swimming every day in open waters for his cardiovascular strength and running 10km three times a week. The prep doesn’t stop there.

The actor shared, “For this role, I had to go way lighter and work on my agility. I swam every day in open waters to increase cardiovascular strength. Ran 10K thrice a week and ate clean. I had to make sacrifices to get in shape and tip the scale in my favor. I ate a lot of protein and followed a strictly veg diet thrice a week.”

Opening up about the challenges of filming, the actor said, “While shooting, I suffered from two slip discs, and production kindly paused shoot for 2 weeks so I could recover. I had to be careful but at the same time get stronger to give my best performance. And of course, to keep Vidyut in mind because he’s also very well-built and does an excellent job on himself.”

Arjun frequently shares behind-the-scenes photos and videos from the shoot, providing fans and followers with a glimpse into his preparation for the film.

Crakk is scheduled to hit theatres on February 23, 2024. The film also features Vidyut Jammwal, Amy Jackson, and Nora Fatehi.

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday asked the West Bengal government to rename the lion “Akbar” and lioness “Sita”, whose names caused a controversy after both animals were placed in the same enclosure at the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri.

The court was hearing a petition by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to change the name of the lioness who was recently transferred to West Bengal from Tripura, reported Live Law.

The single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, in an oral direction, asked the state to avoid controversy and consider renaming the animals, 

“Will you name a lion after a Hindu deity, a Muslim prophet or Christian god or freedom fighter or nobel laureate? Generally anyone who is revered or respected by the people of our country?” Justice Bhattacharyya asked.

The Additional Advocate General (AAG), representing West Bengal, told the court that the lions were named in Tripura and the state itself was already considering renaming the lions.

The court also questioned the reasoning behind naming an animal after “a god, mythological hero, freedom fighter, or Nobel laureate” and asked why the state did not challenge the names given by Tripura.

“You are a welfare state and it is a secular state. Why should you draw controversy by naming a lion after Sita and Akbar? This controversy should have been avoided. Not only Sita, but I also don’t support the naming of a lion Akbar. He was a very efficient and noble Mughal emperor. Very successful and secular Mughal emperor. If it is already named, the state authority should shun it and avoid it,” Justice Bhattacharyya said.

During the exchange, Justice Bhattacharyya also asked the AAG whether he had any pets and if they were named after “national heroes”.

The court has directed the petition by Vishwa Hindu Parishad to be reclassified as a public interest litigation (PIL) and redirected it to a regular bench that can hears PILs.