In an exclusive interview to HT City, filmmaker Anuparna Roy talks about becoming the first Indian to win Best Director at Venice International Film Festival.

Anuparna Roy sounds happy, tired, content- a mix of a lot of emotions as she speaks to HT City exclusively after her historic win at the world’s oldest film festival, the Venice International Film Festival. She became the first Indian to lift the Best Director award for her film Songs of Forgotten Trees.

With everyone around telling her about her creating history, she quips, “All these statements are making me humble. I am pretty sure there will be a lot of responsibility after this win. I cannot lie back and enjoy hearing that I have created history. Come on! I am inspired by many other- and better- women filmmakers from within and outside India. It’s not just me, it’s cinema which has created history again. I would love to give the award to cinema, my love for it. I am still a student of cinema, and learning will be my top most priority. It was before, it is now, and it will be in the future.”

Songs of Forgotten Trees was the only Indian selection in the prestigious Orizzonti Competition section at the festival. As she received her award, Annapurna shares that she could only think about her own journey, “I remembered how Anurag (Kashyap, presenter) phrased it to me, that winning an award is not just bringing reputation, but also responsibility to the table, to make more better films, better craft, even when you are uncomfortable. I would love to dedicate this award to all the beautiful women out there, to my Purulia village (in West Bengal) where I was born and brought up. I have seen the women’s lives there. If any of them, after seeing this, can raise their voices, it would be great. It will be sufficient for me to keep myself motivated.”

She emphasises that a film about women and their intimacy had unanimous support from an all-men team of backers, and that was encouraging. “It was definitely tough, but the kind of backing I received set an example for the world. Gender is literally secondary. My whole film was backed by men- Ranjan Singh sir, who said yes when I was just scripting. Bibhanshu Rai has always been there for me, stood like a pillar, Romil Modi sir was there when I just started, then Anurag Kashyap sir was a bonus. Ranjan sir helped me showcase the film to him, Naveen Shetty, the co producer. Vikas Kumar, Sharib Khan the co producers… for a film talking about friendship, outside the film too, the team members were friends and close. This is huge.”

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh and actress Deepika Padukone have also served as brand ambassadors for the denim giant.

After representing French cosmetics brand L’Oreal Paris and Italian luxury fashion house Gucci globally, actress Alia Bhatt has been roped in as the global ambassador for American clothing company Levi’s, she said on Friday.

“Sometimes the most natural fits turn into the most special journeys. Excited to step into this one with Levi’s as their global brand ambassador,” wrote Alia on Instagram.

Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh and actress Deepika Padukone have also served as brand ambassadors for Levi’s. The brand’s roster also boasts global pop icon Beyonce.

The denim giant onboarded Diljit and Deepika as global ambassadors earlier this year.

Alia was appointed as the global ambassador for L’Oreal Paris in September last year. She also became the first Indian global brand ambassador for Gucci in May 2023.

On the work front, Alia, 32, is set to headline YRF Spy Universe’s first female-led film Alpha alongside Munjya actress Sharvari Wagh. The actress also has Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love and War in the pipeline. In Love and War, Alia will share screen space with husband Ranbir Kapoor. Vicky Kaushal and Deepika Padukone will also play key roles in the film.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The visit will include professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, and joint training with Seychelles Defence Forces personnel.

Indian Navy ships INS Tir, INS Shardul, and Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Sarathi, comprising the First Training Squadron (1TS), arrived at Port Victoria, Seychelles, on Monday (September 1, 2025) as part of their long-range training deployment in the South West Indian Ocean Region.

The visiting squadron was accorded a ceremonial welcome by the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) band, underlining the strong maritime partnership between the two nations. The Indian Navy’s ceremonial guard and band were also paraded on board the squadron.

During the port call, Senior Officer 1TS, Captain Tijo K. Joseph, called on key dignitaries of the Seychelles government, senior SDF officials, and the Indian High Commission. The visit will include professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, and joint training with SDF personnel.

To strengthen cultural ties, the programme features yoga sessions, a naval band performance, sports fixtures, and social outreach initiatives.

This marks the third port call by Indian Navy ships to Seychelles in 2025, reflecting New Delhi’s sustained focus on maritime cooperation under its MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision for the Indian Ocean Region.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

A new book, “Vaccine Nation: How Immunization Shaped India”, chronicles India’s transformation from a colonial testing ground in the 19th century to one of the world’s leading vaccine producers and immunisation success stories of the 21st.

Written by environmentalist and author Ameer Shahul and published by Pan Macmillan India, the book aims to offer a comprehensive account of India’s immunisation journey “a story of ambition, sacrifice and the making of a scientific nation”.

From early struggles with cholera and plague to nationwide drives against polio, tuberculosis, and measles and from the establishment of the Serum Institute to the development of Covaxin and Covishield “Vaccine Nation” presents itself as a “saga of resilience, scientific ingenuity and defiance in the face of global pharma monopolies and resource-constrained public health systems”.

“It took four more years of painstaking research – digging through dusty archives, tracking down old journals and newspapers, consulting out-of-print books, scouring through online resources and sitting with the vaccine legends who are still alive – to bring this story to life.

“… As you read, you will find that this is not just a story about vaccines – it is the story of a nation discovering its voice, asserting its autonomy and quietly rewriting the rules of global health,” writes Shahul in the introduction of the book.

Beginning with Waldemar Haffkine’s pioneering work in 1893 creating the world’s first vaccines for cholera and plague the book moves through the contributions of scientists like Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and Sahib Singh Sokhey, highlighting India’s scientific evolution post independence.

It also examines the challenges faced by India in maintaining a humanitarian approach to public health in a world where healthcare is increasingly privatised.

“‘Vaccine Nation’ is an essential reading for: students, researchers, public health professionals, policy makers, and anyone interested in India’s scientific history of and its place in vaccine development at a global level,” said the publisher in a statement.

Shahul’s debut book “Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal” , which chronicled one of India’s most egregious cases of industrial pollution, won the Green Literature Festival Book of the Year award in 2024.

“Vaccine Nation”, priced at ₹999, is currently available for sale across online and offline stores.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

The government said that while the app is currently equipped to translate four languages – Gondi, Bhili, Mundari and Santali.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs on Monday (September 1, 2025) launched the beta version of its Adi Vaani Adivasi language translation application and website at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, with Minister of State Durgadas Uikey saying that it will “help bridge communication gaps for tribal communities in remote areas and empower tribal youth digitally”.

The government, in a statement, called it a “landmark initiative towards inclusive tribal empowerment and linguistic preservation”.

The app, which has been in development for over a year now, has capabilities to translate Adivasi languages to and from Hindi and English. In its first phase, the supported languages include Gondi, Bhili, Mundari, Santali, Kui, and Garo.

The government said that while the app is currently equipped to translate the first four languages, support for Kui and Garo will be added soon.

Officials have said that the app will be available on both the Android and Apple stores soon. In a statement issued on Monday night, Mr. Uikey added that the app will also “support” the Ministry’s Adi Karmayogi initiative to train as many as 20 lakh village-level volunteers and community leaders.

Feedback mechanism

Tribal Affairs Secretary Vibhu Nayar noted that the initiative was “frugal innovation” that was built at “one-tenth” the cost of commercial platforms, adding that this project “integrates cutting-edge technology with authentic linguistic data collected by State Tribal Research Institutes”. He also said that the platform has a built-in feedback mechanism so that it can be improved on the go.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Being the first Indian non-profit to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award is a historic moment for the country, says the founder, adding they are working to share the blueprint beyond India.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, 2025 has been announced for ‘Educate Girls’, an Indian organisation that works to educate unprivileged girls across the country. Educate Girls, also known as Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, is one of the three winners of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award. The other winners are Shaahina Ali of Maldives and Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva of Philippines.

“An Indian organisation whose groundbreaking work in addressing gender injustice in education in India’s most rural and remote areas creates a ripple effect that uplifts families, communities, and entire societies,” said the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announcing the award for Educate Girls.

Acknowledging the award, Gayatri Nair Lobo, CEO of Educate Girls, said the announcement was “historic and humbling”

“Educate Girls is the first Indian organisation to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award. It is absolutely thrilling news for us and this award belongs to our teams across the country — our preraks, our team balika, the government, our donors and partners. But mostly this award belongs to our girls. Our girls who work tirelessly to get education,” said Ms. Lobo in a video statement while congratulating environmental activist Shaahina Ali of Maldives and Fr. Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva of the Philippines, who shot to fame for opposing former President Rodrigo Duterte’s infamous drug war, which led to widespread human rights abuse in his country.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award was started in 1958 to celebrate “greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia”. Since 1958, over 300 achievers and organisations from Asia have received this award.

(With PTI inputs)

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Rs 200cr market in sight as state backs safe, smokeless fireworks unit at Champahati or Maheshtala.

A large section of firecracker manufacturers in Bengal has been planning to set up India’s first factory to produce cold firecrackers with the help of the state government next year.

They said that there was no such unit in the country, as cold fireworks are completely imported from China. Cold firecrackers worth around ₹200 crore are sold annually in India.

“We have already chalked out a plan to set up a factory for cold firecrackers in Bengal. We have discussed it with the principal secretary of the micro, small and medium enterprises department, who has assured us of full support in setting up the country’s first such manufacturing unit,” said Sukdeb Naskar, the general secretary of the All Bengal Trinamool Green Firecrackers Manufacturing Workers’ Union.

Cold fireworks are a type of pyrotechnic display that uses a combination of liquid nitrogen and other chemicals to create a unique visual effect. Unlike traditional firecrackers, cold firecrackers do not produce heat or sound, making them ideal for use in areas where noise and fire hazards may be a concern.

Cold firecrackers are commonly used at indoor parties and cricket grounds, as they pose no risk of fire accidents. The manufacturers said the demand for the cold firecrackers increased significantly because of their “no-risk” and “zero pollution” characteristics.

“We have already contacted LIT University in Nagpur, which has been developing the procedure to produce cold firecrackers with the help of experts from Germany and the UK. They have assured us that they will soon visit the proposed manufacturing site. We also plan to begin training around 250 firework manufacturers in the production of cold firecrackers in January next year,” said Sarkar, claiming that the cold fireworks are the future of the firecracker industry.

A source said the government had advised the firecracker manufacturers to choose either Champahati or Maheshtala in South 24-Parganas for setting up the cold firecracker unit.

The firecracker industry in Bengal has suffered multiple blows in recent years, with several explosions claiming dozens of lives and leaving the government embarrassed. The multiple explosions and loss of lives had raised questions over the government’s supervision of illegal firecracker-producing units.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee also held several meetings to help manufacturers switch to green crackers, ensuring the safety and security of workers and the public.

The government has already constructed several firecracker clusters to help small-scale producers operate in protected areas while following proper norms and regulations. However, hundreds of firecracker manufacturers have complained to the Trinamool-backed union that they were denied licences despite fulfilling all required conditions.

“We praise the state government for its initiative to protect the interests of firecracker manufacturers. There are 1.5 lakh manufacturers in various districts of the state. However, the cold firecracker initiative will greatly improve safety for manufacturers and also help reduce pollution,” said Sakti Pada Mondal, president of the union.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting another part of China for the SCO summit, possibly with the motive of improving relations, but away from the spotlight Rabiul Baksh and Mehernosh Pastakia have been building culinary bridges for a while now.

Beijing is a bustling metropolis with a population of around 22.5 million. Of those, less than a thousand are Indian. Two of them are Rabiul Baksh and Mehernosh Pastakia, who stand out in this crowd because of their culinary adventures. They both own restaurants Beijingers swear by, as do people at the Indian embassy in the city.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit another part of China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, possibly with the motive of improving relations between the two countries, but away from the spotlight, Rabiul and Pastakia have been building bridges between the two sets of cultures for a while now.

Whether he gets the opportunity to cook for Modi this time or not, the current Indian prime minister has already made it to Pastakia’s list. He has had the unique honour of catering food to three Indian prime ministers, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr Manmohan Singh and Modi, as well as former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Not a future that any amount of suan ming (Chinese for fate calculation or fortune telling) could have predicted when 24-year-old Pastakia arrived in Jiang Zemin’s China in 1991.

‘China had just opened its doors’

Pastakia started out as the manager of an Indian restaurant in Beijing. Not long after, he fell in love with Zheng Xiaowen, an accountant who was just starting to pick up English, and life took a wondrous turn.

“I got married in 1997 and then I left my job a year later, and then that year we started our first restaurant, the Taj Pavilion, in Beijing. We opened it at the best location in Beijing at that time, the China World Trade Centre,” Pastakia tells The Telegraph Online.

“There were very few foreigners here at that time. China had just opened its doors to outsiders. The concept of foreign food was not much. Our main clientele was Chinese, of course, and then expats living in China.”

Twenty-seven years on, Pastakia has consolidated three very successful restaurants into one single restaurant. He is also the go-to person when Indian dignitaries arrive in China.

“In my team of workers, we also have a very versatile chef from Calcutta — he does most of the food and of course the team helps him,” he says.

“A restaurant is a home away from home. So, Maharashtrians are going to hold a Ganesh Chaturthi event at our restaurant. Then the Malayali community is going to have their Onam celebration. And then we have Durga Puja celebrations for Bengalis.”

A one-stop shop for all Indians in Beijing. But not just Indians, as Pastakia points out.

The current Taj Pavilion is in one of the oldest hotels in Beijing, Lido.

‘Kosha mangsho like Calcutta’

In a totally different part of the city, Rabiul, a 32-year-old Bengali culinary maestro, is the proud owner of four restaurants. He is the new kid on the block, his energy is infectious, and he speaks at the speed of light.

“My first restaurant, which I opened in 2021, is called ‘Dastaan—Indian cuisine’. It’s my dream come true,” he tells The Telegraph Online. “After two-and-a-half years, I came up with Bollywood Tales, Mumbai Impression and Rabiul’s Kitchen, all in the Chaoyang district of Beijing.”

This remarkable achievement is not just a testament to his talent and hard work — he possibly sleeps even less than the prime minister claims to — but also a reflection of his family’s legacy as culinary ambassadors of Bengal and India.

The journey began 64 years ago, when Rabiul’s grandfather Karim Baksh began cooking for village functions. From these humble beginnings in their village in East Midnapore, the flame was further ignited by Rabiul’s father, Ajimul Baksh, who relocated to Tokyo as a chef in 2007. There’s been no looking back since for the family. An uncle has been running a restaurant in Tokyo for the past 25 years.

“Growing up in an environment filled with the aroma of food, I was destined to be a chef,” Rabiul says. “I love what I do and absolutely adore Beijing. As a proud Bengali, I ensure that you get kosha mangsho just the way you’d want it for a Sunday lunch in Calcutta. It’s not just the Indians; people in China love it too. So do the Europeans. They also pronounce it perfectly.”

Beijingers have taken to the food in a big way, and for long now. After spending six years working in the hospitality industry in various parts of India, Rabiul arrived in Beijing in 2015. Then came life-changing stints in the kitchens of Wyndham Grand Plaza Royal Kaidi and Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing, and within three years, he had opened his first outlet. “I haven’t looked back after that.”

“During Durga Puja and Poila Boishakh, we celebrate with full Bengali meals,” Rabiul, as proud of his roots in Bengal as one can be, says.

Restaurateurs and ambassadors

Pastakia and Rabiul are both busy with their lives and careers and have been warmly accepted by the locals in China. Even though no one mentions a word, the strain in relations between two countries is perhaps not lost on them nor is the opportunity for improved Sino-Indian relations on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

“I might not have the time to watch news all the time, I make sure I listen to a podcast,” Rabiul says. “Here, I am an Indian, a migrant, speaking Bengali in Beijing and proud of it. All migrant workers, at home or abroad, should have the freedom and dignity I have.”

Does he speak Mandarin? “Of course, I have been learning for ten years now,” he says. “And my favorite Chinese dish is ‘酸辣土豆丝’ (suānlà tǔdòusī, or spicy and sour shredded potatoes),” he texts.

For Pastakia, Mandarin comes easily now. He slips into the language as he gives instructions to his driver while we speak over the phone. “It’s very, very natural to walk up to our guests and talk to them in Chinese.”

Sixty-nine years ago, in July 1956, a young diplomat in what was then Peking wrote in his diary (later published as a book) while staying at the Hsin Chiao Hotel meant only for foreigners. “The menu was in Chinese,” he had written. “The waiters did not know English. My Chinese was confined to only thank you, ‘hseai hseai ni’ and sorry, ‘tuai pu chi’.”

The man was Natwar Singh, who would later as Union minister of state for external affairs accompany Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for a historic visit to China in December 1988.

That world changed long back — Hsin Chiao, with its Soviet architecture, is now Novotel Beijing Xinqiao — but in the Beijing of 2025, we have Rabiul and Pastakia bridging gaps with flavours and aromas that mix perfectly with the local flavours and aromas.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

“His term will be for a period of 3 years from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” the notification said.

The government has appointed former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Urjit Patel as new Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund, according to a notification by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet.

“His term will be for a period of 3 years from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” the notification said. He will replace K V Subramanian, whose term was cut short earlier this year.

The decision of ACC surprises many as in December 2018, Patel stepped down as RBI Governor, about nine months ahead of the completion of his three-year term. It was believed that he quit because of a reported major rift between the government and the central bank. It was only the second time since Independence that a sitting RBI Governor quit. The previous one to do so was Sir Benegal Rama Rau, who resigned before his second extended tenure expired due to differences with the then Finance Minister.

While Patel cited ‘personal reasons’ for his decision, the resignation followed feuds between the RBI and the government on a host of issues including those relating to central bank autonomy, transferring RBI’s excess reserves to the government and relaxing the Restrictive Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework for 11 state-owned banks. The government had invoked the never-before-used Section 7 of the RBI Act to seek consultation on some of these issues when it found the RBI top brass not inclined to look into them.

A man of few words, Patel, under whose watch the NDA’s government’s demonetisation exercise was carried out, was elevated as RBI Governor (after Rajan demitted office) on September 4, 2016 after serving as Deputy Governor since January 2013.

Patel served as the 24^th governor of the Reserve Bank of India. During his tenure he was director of Bank for International Settlements and member of the Advisory Board of the Financial Stability Institute. Before his governorship he was the deputy governor in charge of monetary policy and chaired a committee on strengthening monetary policy. From 2013 to 2018 he was principal/deputy in the G-20 and BRICS Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ groups. Earlier, he worked with Reliance Industries and Infrastructure Development Finance Company. He began his career as an economist with the International Monetary Fund. He has been a consultant to the Indian Ministry of Finance, and a non-resident senior fellow of Brookings Institution.

Patel will take the place of K V Subramanian, who had to leave six months before his tenure was to end due to a government order dated April 30, 2025 which stated that “ACC approved termination of Dr Krishnamurthy Subramanian as Executive Director (India) at the International Monetary Fund with immediate effect.”  Subramanian joined the multilateral agency in November 2022.

Although no official reason was given, sources said that his criticism of the IMF’s data mechanism did not go well with the multilateral agency. The agency was also not very happy with his working style. Later, principal opposition party, Congress claimed the Narendra Modi government abruptly terminated Subramanian’s tenure due to “embarrassing details” that had emerged in the public domain and “impropriety” committed by him.

source/content: thehindubusinessline.com (headline edited)