WION's Business Editor Sumit Chaturvedi exclusively spoke to Alexander Klimburg, Head of Centre for Cybersecurity, WEF on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 in Davos.

Looking at $10 trn cybercrime damage every year: Alexander Klimburg, WEF Cybersecurity Head

25-year-old Nikhat Zareen ended Indian boxing's four year wait for a world title by winning the 52kg gold at the World Championships in Istanbul. Zareen's win puts her in contention for a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She told WION Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo that she intends to go down a weight division and compete in the 50kg category.

WION Exclusive: Nikhat Zareen reflects on her World Championship Title

An economic crisis is brewing in Nepal. India's neighbour is currently witnessing massive surge in its import rate and a depleting foreign reserve. WION's Saloni Murarka had an exclusive conversation with Nepalese finance minister Janardan Sharma, who spoke about the current economic situation in the country.

WION Exclusive: Nepal's foreign reserve will only last 6-7 months, says Janardan Sharma

On the May 10 of last year, the first rockets from Gaza were fired towards Israel which lasted 11 days. WION's Jodie Cohen spoke exclusively to ambassador Danny Danon about the way forward and the way forward towards peace in a fraught region.

WION Exclusive: 'Hope to sign a peace deal with the Palestinians', says Danny Danon

The Israeli parliament will open its summer session in less than a week and the fate of Naftali Bennett's coalition government hangs in the balance. Also, Bennett met Islamist Ra'am Party's leader Mansour Abbas for the first time since the coalition government was effectively suspended. WION speaks to Jeremy Saltan, Political Advisor to Israeli PM for more insights.

WION Exclusive: Bennett, Lapid united on Russia-Ukraine war, says Jeremy Saltan

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Igor Polikha, the Ukrainian ambassador to India, has stated that he does not believe a war with Russia is imminent.&nbsp;

When asked about the concerns of Indian parents whose children are studying in Ukraine, he stated that "The situation in Ukraine is not as critical and panicky as some people are trying to make it out to be.I understand that parents are concerned. I don't believe a war is imminent.It is an Indian citizen's right to choose whether to return to India or remain in Ukraine".

In the wake of the 'uncertainties,' India recommended its people, particularly students, to leave Ukraine temporarily and avoid non-essential travel to and within the country.&nbsp; 
 
Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-sign-of-russian-troops-withdrawal-yet-ukraine-president-voldymyr-zelensky-453772" hreflang="en">'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Zelensky</a>

WION's professionalism in providing firsthand coverage of the situation from Kyiv was praised by the ambassador.

He also chastised a portion of the media for sensationalising Russia-Ukraine relations.

He also praised India's leadership for taking a balanced approach.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated today that his country has not seen proof that Russia is withdrawing more troops.

"We don't see any retreat of Russian forces from Ukraine's borders yet," President Voldymyr Zelensky told reporters.

It comes after Russia stated it was drawing out additional troops—this time from the Crimean peninsula.

Earlier today, after declaring that some troops had pulled back, Russia said that military drills in Crimea had ended and troops were returning to their barracks.

Moscow's defence ministry said: "Units of the southern military district, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points."

(With inputs from agencies)

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Igor Polikha, the Ukrainian ambassador to India, has stated that he does not believe a war with Russia is imminent.

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Igor Polikha, the Ukrainian ambassador to India, has stated that he does not believe a war with Russia is imminent. When asked about the concerns of Indian parents whose children are studying in Ukraine, he stated that "The situation in Ukraine is not as critical and panicky as some people are trying to make it out to be.I understand that parents are concerned. I don't believe a war is imminent.It is an Indian citizen's right to choose whether to return to India or remain in Ukraine". In the wake of the 'uncertainties,' India recommended its people, particularly students, to leave Ukraine temporarily and avoid non-essential travel to and within the country. Also read | 'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Zelensky WION's professionalism in providing firsthand coverage of the situation from Kyiv was praised by the ambassador. He also chastised a portion of the media for sensationalising Russia-Ukraine relations. He also praised India's leadership for taking a balanced approach. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated today that his country has not seen proof that Russia is withdrawing more troops. "We don't see any retreat of Russian forces from Ukraine's borders yet," President Voldymyr Zelensky told reporters. It comes after Russia stated it was drawing out additional troops—this time from the Crimean peninsula. Earlier today, after declaring that some troops had pulled back, Russia said that military drills in Crimea had ended and troops were returning to their barracks. Moscow's defence ministry said: "Units of the southern military district, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points." (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | 'Understand parents' concern': Ukrainian envoy assures safety of Indian students

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha has said that the ''situation (in Kyiv) is strenuous but not critical.''

Although Western media houses had claimed that ''war is emminent'' and Russia will invade Ukraine on February 16, Polikha said, ''Our president never confirmed any date for invasion.''

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-sign-of-russian-troops-withdrawal-yet-ukraine-president-voldymyr-zelensky-453772" hreflang="en">'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Zelensky</a>

Lauding WION's professionalism in its direct coverage of the conflict from Kyiv, Polikha slammed a section of media for sensationalising the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. He also appreciated the balanced approach adopted by the Indian government.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-exclusive-should-indian-students-leave-ukraine-453862/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ukraine staged military drills and defiant displays of flag-waving patriotism on Wednesday as Western powers warned Russia is continuing to mass forces for a possible invasion.

The demonstration of Ukrainian firepower contrasted with images on Russian state media that were said to show Moscow's forces bringing an end to a major exercise in occupied Crimea.

On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces, as well as two banks, had been hit by a cyberattack of the kind that US intelligence fears would precede a Russian attack.

"It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polands-minister-przydacz-sees-indias-positive-role-amid-the-ukraine-russia-crisis-453809" hreflang="en">Poland's Minister Przydacz sees India's 'positive' role amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis</a>

The United States and NATO have said Russia was still building up troops around Ukraine on Wednesday despite Moscow's insistence it was pulling back, questioning President Vladimir Putin's stated desire to negotiate a solution to the crisis.

Russia says it never planned to attack Ukraine but wants to lay down "red lines" to prevent its neighbour from joining NATO, which it sees as a threat to its own security.

The Kremlin said Putin was keen to negotiate with the United States, which has offered discussions on arms control and confidence-building measures while ruling out a veto on future NATO membership for Ukraine.

But Russia also said it would be ready to re-route energy exports to other markets if it was hit by sanctions, which Washington and its allies have threatened if it invades Ukraine.

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said sanctions against Russian banks would be "unpleasant" but the state would ensure all deposits with banks and transactions were secured.

"They say we have a financial shield in the form of gold and forex reserves, budget surplus ... low debt," he told reporters.

Russia's huge build-up of troops, missiles and warships around Ukraine, which US intelligence warns could turn quickly into an invasion, is being billed as Europe's worst security crisis since the Cold War.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine be forbidden from pursuing its ambition to join NATO and wants to redraw the security map of eastern Europe, rolling back Western influence.

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha has said that the ''situation (in Kyiv) is strenuous but not critical.

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha has said that the ''situation (in Kyiv) is strenuous but not critical.'' Although Western media houses had claimed that ''war is emminent'' and Russia will invade Ukraine on February 16, Polikha said, ''Our president never confirmed any date for invasion.'' Also read | 'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Zelensky Lauding WION's professionalism in its direct coverage of the conflict from Kyiv, Polikha slammed a section of media for sensationalising the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. He also appreciated the balanced approach adopted by the Indian government. Ukraine staged military drills and defiant displays of flag-waving patriotism on Wednesday as Western powers warned Russia is continuing to mass forces for a possible invasion. The demonstration of Ukrainian firepower contrasted with images on Russian state media that were said to show Moscow's forces bringing an end to a major exercise in occupied Crimea. On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces, as well as two banks, had been hit by a cyberattack of the kind that US intelligence fears would precede a Russian attack. "It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia. Also read | Poland's Minister Przydacz sees India's 'positive' role amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis The United States and NATO have said Russia was still building up troops around Ukraine on Wednesday despite Moscow's insistence it was pulling back, questioning President Vladimir Putin's stated desire to negotiate a solution to the crisis. Russia says it never planned to attack Ukraine but wants to lay down "red lines" to prevent its neighbour from joining NATO, which it sees as a threat to its own security. The Kremlin said Putin was keen to negotiate with the United States, which has offered discussions on arms control and confidence-building measures while ruling out a veto on future NATO membership for Ukraine. But Russia also said it would be ready to re-route energy exports to other markets if it was hit by sanctions, which Washington and its allies have threatened if it invades Ukraine. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said sanctions against Russian banks would be "unpleasant" but the state would ensure all deposits with banks and transactions were secured. "They say we have a financial shield in the form of gold and forex reserves, budget surplus ... low debt," he told reporters. Russia's huge build-up of troops, missiles and warships around Ukraine, which US intelligence warns could turn quickly into an invasion, is being billed as Europe's worst security crisis since the Cold War. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine be forbidden from pursuing its ambition to join NATO and wants to redraw the security map of eastern Europe, rolling back Western influence.

Exclusive: 'Situation is strenuous but not critical,' Ukrainian ambassador to India tells WION

Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz sees India's role positive amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis without taking Moscow's name said, " You have relatively good relations with those countries, as I said, there is a possibility of involvement of India in diplomacy". West is worried over a Russian invasion of Ukraine something that Moscow has been dismissing. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Warsaw, Minister Przydacz, "India is one of the most important actors in the international scene, the biggest democracy". On Poland hosting Ukrainian refugees, minister pointed, "Poland as the neighboring country need to be ready to host possible refugees. As always, we are ready to help those who are in need but hopefully it won't happen." Poland shares border with Ukraine and also Russian territory of Kaliningrad. On Taiwan he said, while his country "sticks to one china policy" at "economical level, we are ready to cooperate with Taipei"

Poland Minister Przydacz sees India's "positive" role amid Ukraine-Russia crisis

Former Manchester United and Tottenham star Dimitar Berbatov left a lasting impression in the Premier League with his supreme talent and unique style of play. WION Sports' Vidur Kathuria spoke to the Former Bulgarian captain on a range of topics, including the recent struggles of his former teams.

WION Exclusive: Dimitar Berbatov on man United's struggles this season

"If we are going to use Chabahar port, the duration of delivery of good from India to Kyrgyzstan will be just two weeks from the current 30 or 45 days using different ports", Envoy of Kyrgyzstan Republic Asein Isaev tells WION's Siddhant Sibbal during an exclusive conservation.

WION Exclusive: Ties with India goes back decades, says Kyrgyzstan's envoy Asein Isaev

WION had an exclusive conversation with one of the living legends of Indian classical music, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who believes in the healing power of music. Popularly known as the 'Sarod Samrat', or 'Sarod Maestro' he humbly calls himself 'Sarod ka ghulam'...which means a slave to the sarod.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan on the power of music

Pakistani actors who feature on Zee5 show Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam speak on playing femme fatale, love for Bollywood and their message for Indian fans.

WION Exclusive: In conversation with the cast of Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has predicted an extremely close battle for the constructors' title in 2022 after running Mercedes close last season. Horner admits that he isn't a fan of sprint races to determine the grid. Horner spoke to Wion Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on his reservations about the format and also spoke candidly on the new generation of F1 drivers.

WION Exclusive: Red Bull's Horner looks ahead to the 2022 F1 season

The 2021 F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi continues to dominate headlines a month before pre-season testing begins. 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton has still not committed to racing in 2022 after the controversial end to last season that saw Max Verstappen win a maiden world title. Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner oversaw Verstappen's title challenge and was closely involved in the final moments of the Abu Dhabi GP. Horner spoke to WION Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on Verstappen's win and also on the Hamilton uncertainty.

WION Exclusive: Red Bull's Horner reflects on Verstappen's F1 triumph

Belarus envoy to India Andrei Rzheussky has dismissed allegations of his country pushing migrants to Poland, Lithuania saying "we did not provoke this crisis". The migrant crisis at the border between Belarus on one side and Poland and 3 Baltic countries Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia on the other side has seen influx of thousands of migrants, most from countries like Iraq. The development has further worsened the already tensed ties between Minsk and its western Neighbours.

Belarus envoy Rzheussky dismisses his country pushing migrants into EU

British spy thriller series ‘Alex Rider’ is back with the second season as it takes forward the story of a teenage spy recruited by a subdivision of MI6 to infiltrate places that they are unable to in order to subvert damage to the security of the nation.

British spy thriller series ‘Alex Rider’ is back with the second season as it takes forward the story of a teenage spy recruited by a subdivision of MI6 to infiltrate places that they are unable to in order to subvert damage to the security of the nation. Based on the novel series of the same name by Anthony Horowitz, the new season of Alex Rider has been receiving an outpour of love, much like when it debuted in 2020. WION exclusively got talking to British-Indian actor Charithra Chandran who plays the role of Sabina Pleasance, an addition to the cast of Alex Rider in season 2. Her Sabina is a confident teen on the show who plays an important part in Alex’s life. In addition to this, Charithra will also be seen in Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’ season 2 as Edwina. Tracking her journey from 'Alex Rider' to 'Bridgerton', British-Indian actress Charithra Chandran spoke about brown skin representation in the world cinema, getting to do what she loves and being raised in a house full of doctors. Here are the excerpts from the conversation: WION: So, I happen to have seen a snippet of season 2 of Alex Rider and I must say it looks amazing. What can you tell me about this exciting journey of yours into the spy world? Charithra Chandran: I play Sabina, who's a notable character in the book series and she is on a holiday with her dad when she meets Alex and she kind of gets caught up in that world. I think what Sabina represents to Alex is his normal life, his non-spy life. As we know, kind of the crux, internally for Alex is the push and pull of the spy life and his normal life. Sabina very much represents the normal side of his life. WION: So, you're not becoming a spy anytime soon. Is it? Charithra Chandran: Oh, maybe you know, that's what happens later on…but right now, yeah, she's kind of like your girl next door. She's very sort of grounded and practical. WION: Not many would be aware but you recently graduated from Oxford and then took up a corporate job. From there to showbiz, how would you like to sum up this eventful one year or so ever since you passed out of college, got a job and then made a switch for an acting career? Charithra Chandran: It’s a really good question. It has both been a whirlwind, but it's also felt very natural. So, you know, there’ll be moments where I sort of catch myself and go, ‘Oh my God, I'm living my dream. I'm having the best time of my life’. But most of the time, it just feels natural. It's like, I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing…what I've always meant to be doing. So just very, very natural. WION: Can you say that you love the camera? Charithra Chandran: I love acting and I love performing in general. I'm very lucky to have been able to do two amazing projects so early on in my career. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alex Rider (@alexridertv) × WION: And we're very excited to see you on both the shows. In fact, I would like to understand since both the shows – Bridgerton and Alex Rider are worlds apart and your characters on both are starkly in contrast to one another, how did you manage to tune in and out of one character for another? Charithra Chandran: The first thing is, and this is regardless of how many things you're doing, I think preparation is key. You've got to be prepared. You need to know your lines. You need to know the content of all the scripts and if you start from a place where you're fully prepared, then it's very easy to transition from one to the other. Secondly, for me, how I get into character is through the costume, hair, and makeup. I find things that I identify with the character. So, on Alex Rider, it was Sabina’s jewellery. On Bridgeton, it was Edwina’s hair. And as soon as that is kind of in place, I can get lost in the character. WION: Very early on in your acting career, you’ve got a chance to work with some of the most prolific actors, names that have a long list of films/shows to their credit. Was there anything on set that you learned or picked up from them? Charithra Chandran: I feel I’m very lucky that in both the shows that I'm in, a lot of the actors have strong theater backgrounds. That training is quite notable when people have that kind of background and it reflects in the way that they operate and approach a script. But ultimately, what I learned from all the amazing actors that I've worked with is that you just need to be prepared. If you know your lines, then you can forget about them in a way and just have a play and be fully reactive and that's where the magic and the spark happens. Also read: Exclusive: Deepak Reddy to WION on his film qualifying for Oscars 2022 WION: What have been your biggest learnings in the last past one year since you joined showbiz? Charithra Chandran: Generally what this has taught me is sometimes you need to bet on yourself, and you need to take a risk. Abandoning a very prestigious and more stable career path in pursuit of my dreams is a big risk, especially with two traditionally academic Indian parents. But it has been the most rewarding experience in my life. I've never been happier. Like, sometimes I have pinch me moments where I can't believe that this is what I get to do every day. So yeah, what I would say is that sometimes you just have to take the risk, because you regret the things you don't do way more than the things that you do. WION: Since you mentioned having been raised by Indian parents and a traditional Indian setup, how do they react to all the fame? Charithra Chandran: They don't care. They're very proud of me. They're excited and happy to see what's happening but they are doctors and their job is significantly more high pressure and important than mine. It's more important to save lives. So, they're proud but they're not affected by it (fame) in any way. WION: We cannot not talk about your Bridgerton role. What can you tell us about Edwina? Charithra Chandran: Edwina Sharma is full of surprises. She epitomises the saying ‘don't judge a book by its cover’. I would say that she's full of surprises and she goes on a huge journey throughout the season. WION: You play younger sister to Simone Ashley's character in Bridgerton season 2, who is the romantic lead on the show. How does it feel to share the screen with someone from a similar origin since you both are of South Asian descent. How does it feel for South Asian origin actors to lead UK/US shows and what does it do for brown representation? Charithra Chandran: I think it's an immense privilege to be able to act with other South Asian actors. I have never taken it for granted. And I am so excited for all the little brown girls and young women to see the both of us on screen. I hope that I can serve as sort of a role model and inspire other South Asian girls to pursue their dreams. WION: Was there something that you and Simone really connected on the set apart from the show? Charithra Chandran: What we connected on was coming into the second season (of Bridgerton), this big hit show, which ended up being so well established. We were both newbies on set, and that's a lot like how our characters feel in the season. So, it kind of was an easy way for us to also connect with our characters. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bridgerton (@bridgertonnetflix) × WION: Do you watch Indian cinema? Do you watch Bollywood? If yes, can you mention anything you’ve seen recently and really liked? Charithra Chandran: I love Bollywood films and music. To be fair, I have not seen anything recently but my favorite male actors are probably Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan and out of the female actors, it has to be Vidya Ballan, Kajol, and Rani Mukherjee. Also read: Top 5 Most Viral Food Trends of 2021: The Year That Was Yearender 2021: Clutter-breaking Indian films/shows that dominated OTT space Alex Rider is currently streaming on SonyLIV. Bridgerton season 2 will release on Netflix in 2022.

Exclusive! From Alex Rider to Bridgerton, Charithra Chandran on doing what she loves, acting

<o:p></o:p>

Tens of thousands of men, women and children have been assembling in Pakistan’s Gwadar for the past one month to protest against the Chinese presence in the country. China is developing the main port and has been calling the shots in infrastructure projects.<o:p></o:p>

For months now, locals have been complaining that Chinese authorities have been assigning the related jobs to outside labour, leaving locals unemployed and struggling to make money.<o:p></o:p>

Angered over this and the 'trawler mafia', Maulana Hidayat, the man leading the Gwadar sit-in and Balochistan General Secretary of Jammat-e-Islami, told WION that this time locals are ready to die for this cause as they believe "it’s better to die once" rather than struggle to survive on a daily basis.<o:p></o:p>

When asked if Prime Minister Imran Khan has reached out to the protestors (as he mentioned in a tweet few hours ago), Hidayat said these protests were not done to make the PM notice it. "Noticing won’t fill the stomach of us poor people. After the notice, I will see, will the government work on the issues after noticing and then we will decide," he said.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-wion-speaks-to-maulana-hidayat-ur-rehman-the-man-leading-gwadar-protests-436784">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-wion-speaks-to-maulana-hidayat-ur-rehman-the-man-leading-gwadar-protests-436784/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He also accused the government of being involved with the 'trawler mafia. “Administration is into taking and giving things from/to the trawler mafia. The government is also involved. I have been protesting for 29 days and the government has failed to remove the trawler mafia. So, this tells me that the trawler mafia is of the administration and government,” Hidayat accused.<o:p></o:p>

This time the locals are ready to continue the protests till their demands are met, especially the ones related to the border and trawler mafia. "This is the hardship of 60 years, people are burning from inside," Hidayat said, speaking on behalf of the protestors. "They are ready to die and lift dead bodies. They won’t anyway get up from here because they are saying they are dying every day. The protestors believe it better to die once. This is the fire inside that is making us."

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/why-are-people-in-pakistans-gwadar-protesting-against-the-chinese-here-is-what-we-know-436605">Why are people in Pakistan's Gwadar protesting against the Chinese? Here is what we know</a></o:p>

He accused the Imran Khan government of neglecting the locals, and instead making rich people richer and letting poor people suffer in their daily hardships. "The regional and central administration doesn't have time to come to us and empathise, and work to alleviate the people's miserable life. Instead, they are indulged in their luxurious and debaucheries. If this is the treatment which we are going to get from the administration, then the lava which is going to erupt in coming times would be unbearable," he warned the Pakistan administration.<o:p></o:p>

"I request the federal and regional administration to take our demands and situation seriously. So far, we have been peaceful and democratic in our protests but in future if this behaviour continues from the administration, the coming face of the protests, inshallah it would so dangerous and horrible, that everything would be set on fire, just like our burning hearts."<o:p></o:p>

Tens of thousands of men, women and children have been assembling in Pakistan’s Gwadar for the past one month to protest against the Chinese presence in the country.

Tens of thousands of men, women and children have been assembling in Pakistan’s Gwadar for the past one month to protest against the Chinese presence in the country. China is developing the main port and has been calling the shots in infrastructure projects. For months now, locals have been complaining that Chinese authorities have been assigning the related jobs to outside labour, leaving locals unemployed and struggling to make money. Angered over this and the 'trawler mafia', Maulana Hidayat, the man leading the Gwadar sit-in and Balochistan General Secretary of Jammat-e-Islami, told WION that this time locals are ready to die for this cause as they believe "it’s better to die once" rather than struggle to survive on a daily basis. When asked if Prime Minister Imran Khan has reached out to the protestors (as he mentioned in a tweet few hours ago), Hidayat said these protests were not done to make the PM notice it. "Noticing won’t fill the stomach of us poor people. After the notice, I will see, will the government work on the issues after noticing and then we will decide," he said. WATCH | He also accused the government of being involved with the 'trawler mafia. “Administration is into taking and giving things from/to the trawler mafia. The government is also involved. I have been protesting for 29 days and the government has failed to remove the trawler mafia. So, this tells me that the trawler mafia is of the administration and government,” Hidayat accused. This time the locals are ready to continue the protests till their demands are met, especially the ones related to the border and trawler mafia. "This is the hardship of 60 years, people are burning from inside," Hidayat said, speaking on behalf of the protestors. "They are ready to die and lift dead bodies. They won’t anyway get up from here because they are saying they are dying every day. The protestors believe it better to die once. This is the fire inside that is making us." Also read | Why are people in Pakistan's Gwadar protesting against the Chinese? Here is what we know He accused the Imran Khan government of neglecting the locals, and instead making rich people richer and letting poor people suffer in their daily hardships. "The regional and central administration doesn't have time to come to us and empathise, and work to alleviate the people's miserable life. Instead, they are indulged in their luxurious and debaucheries. If this is the treatment which we are going to get from the administration, then the lava which is going to erupt in coming times would be unbearable," he warned the Pakistan administration. "I request the federal and regional administration to take our demands and situation seriously. So far, we have been peaceful and democratic in our protests but in future if this behaviour continues from the administration, the coming face of the protests, inshallah it would so dangerous and horrible, that everything would be set on fire, just like our burning hearts."

‘Won’t stop till we get peace’: Maulana Hidayat talks to WION about Gwadar protest

She won her first ever Oscar ('Silver Linings Playbook', 2012) at the ripe age of 25, and yet, meeting celebrities from other verticals leave her 'shocked' and struggling for the right words to 'talk'. That's Jennifer Lawrence for you!

 
The heavily pregnant Hollywood megastar, who will&nbsp;be seen in the forthcoming satire 'Don't Look Up', was part of an exclusive, invite-only global press conference--that WION took part in--with the international media where 305 entertainment reporters from around the world got to hear and witness the stellar star cast speak about their film.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-exclusive-leonardo-dicaprio-jonah-hills-a-genius-would-love-to-work-on-100-more-films-with-him-435164">EXCLUSIVE! Leonardo DiCaprio: Jonah Hill's a genius, would love to work on 100 more films with him</a>

 
During the entire conversation, also comprising Meryl Streep, Tyler Perry with director Adam McKay, Jennifer Lawrence spoke about her notorious wig in the movie (no, she didn't take it home!), her banter with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, among other interesting topics pertaining to the upcoming release.&nbsp;

 
One topic that really got her laughing and blushing was when her now-famous quote--of fangirling hard on Ariana Grande--came up.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-exclusive-money-heist-professor-%C3%81lvaro-morte--on-the-last-day-i-couldnt-stop-myself-from-crying-433599" hreflang="en">Exclusive: 'Money Heist' professor Álvaro Morte- On the last day, I couldn't stop myself from crying</a>

JLaw, as she is popularly known as,&nbsp;revealed to us that her first reaction upon meeting Ariana Grande was: "She is so tiny!" "I mean it (the meeting) was shocking. She's so tiny. And I mean I'm a huge fan of her music and Scott's. It's just like, you know, like overwhelming. 'Cause our worlds don't normally collide. I just felt like a radio contest winner. I just didn't know how to talk to her. So I just, you know, did my best. Yeah, she was terrific," Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the character Dr. Kate Dibiasky in 'Don't Look Up', told us.&nbsp;

For the uninitiated, American music sensation Ariana Grande will be seen playing the role of a pop star, Riley Bina, in the science movie.&nbsp;

 
'Don't Look Up' will start streaming on Netflix from December 24.&nbsp; 
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She won her first ever Oscar ('Silver Linings Playbook', 2012) at the ripe age of 25, and yet, meeting celebrities from other verticals leave her 'shocked' and struggling for the right words to 'talk'.

She won her first ever Oscar ('Silver Linings Playbook', 2012) at the ripe age of 25, and yet, meeting celebrities from other verticals leave her 'shocked' and struggling for the right words to 'talk'. That's Jennifer Lawrence for you! The heavily pregnant Hollywood megastar, who will be seen in the forthcoming satire 'Don't Look Up', was part of an exclusive, invite-only global press conference--that WION took part in--with the international media where 305 entertainment reporters from around the world got to hear and witness the stellar star cast speak about their film. Also read: EXCLUSIVE! Leonardo DiCaprio: Jonah Hill's a genius, would love to work on 100 more films with him During the entire conversation, also comprising Meryl Streep, Tyler Perry with director Adam McKay, Jennifer Lawrence spoke about her notorious wig in the movie (no, she didn't take it home!), her banter with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, among other interesting topics pertaining to the upcoming release. One topic that really got her laughing and blushing was when her now-famous quote--of fangirling hard on Ariana Grande--came up. Also read: Exclusive: 'Money Heist' professor Álvaro Morte- On the last day, I couldn't stop myself from crying JLaw, as she is popularly known as, revealed to us that her first reaction upon meeting Ariana Grande was: "She is so tiny!" "I mean it (the meeting) was shocking. She's so tiny. And I mean I'm a huge fan of her music and Scott's. It's just like, you know, like overwhelming. 'Cause our worlds don't normally collide. I just felt like a radio contest winner. I just didn't know how to talk to her. So I just, you know, did my best. Yeah, she was terrific," Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the character Dr. Kate Dibiasky in 'Don't Look Up', told us. For the uninitiated, American music sensation Ariana Grande will be seen playing the role of a pop star, Riley Bina, in the science movie. 'Don't Look Up' will start streaming on Netflix from December 24.

EXCLUSIVE! Jennifer Lawrence: I felt like a radio contest winner when I met Ariana Grande

To work with Leonardo DiCaprio must be a delightful event in any actor's life. But, to be praised and called a 'friend' for life is a privilege only Jonah Hill enjoys. In an exclusive, invite-only global press conference for the highly anticipated movie 'Don't Look Up'--that WION attended--Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio talked about working with the hilarious actor in multiple movies so far: 'Django Unchained' (2012), 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013), and the upcoming satire 'Don't Look Up', and he&nbsp;had some truly touching words to say about his long-time friend and co-star.&nbsp;

 
When Leo (as he is lovingly called in the community) was asked about having developed a friendship with Hill and if on their third film together, the off-screen chemistry affected the production, he responded saying yes.&nbsp;"That's right, Django (Unchained), too, that's our (second film together). Look,&nbsp;I'll just start right out of the gate and say he is an absolute genius, this young man, this friend of mine. His ability to improvise and take control of a scene and have the narrative be shifted in the most amazing, colorful ways is a sight to witness and something truly remarkable to experience. He's absolutely a genius. Love to work with him on a hundred more films," the 'The Revenant' (2015) star told us.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-exclusive-money-heist-professor-%C3%81lvaro-morte--on-the-last-day-i-couldnt-stop-myself-from-crying-433599">Exclusive: 'Money Heist' professor Álvaro Morte- On the last day, I couldn't stop myself from crying</a>

 
To which, Jonah Hill coyly said, "Thanks, buddy," while the rest of the cast broke into a laughter, before adding, "Well, my time to answer.&nbsp;I agree with what he said (laughs!) Real talk. Like, I've worked with now pretty much all the best actors in the world, a lot of whom are up here right now. And there's been no more loyal friend or anything I've ever made in show business, and then aside from that, put all those feelings aside. The way-what you see when they yell action and what he does, truly-no disrespect to anyone, nothing I've ever seen like it."&nbsp;

 
The attendees, comprising a heavily pregnant Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Tyler Perry with director Adam McKay, appreciated the seemingly genuine love between these two actors and were highly appreciative of what one had to say about the other.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-the-power-of-the-dog-review-benedict-cumberbatchs-a-marvelous-old-lonely-ranch-man-433499">The Power of the Dog review: Benedict Cumberbatch's a marvelous old, lonely ranch man</a>

 
Hill, who plays the character Jason Orlean in the movie, went on to speak about the hilarious scenes they had with one another, explaining, "Look, I don't like nerds, and I have always been harsh in position on it. No dude, he's the best. I mean, I am&nbsp;sitting up here with a lot of other of the best, and I feel that way genuinely. But having made a few movies with Leo and lived with him. But he's the best person. Shuffle that all aside, if I didn't know him and I had to be like what's it like to work with another actor that's like who's the best actor, to me, I'd choose him every time."

 
Visibly flattered by Hill's kind words, the megastar hunched forward and said, calmly, "Thank you, Jonah."

 
"It's true," concluded Hill.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-will-book-review-will-smith-the-superstar-confronts-will-smith-the-coward-432414">'Will' book review: Will Smith, the superstar, confronts Will Smith, the coward</a>

 
'Don't Look Up' will start streaming on Netflix from December 24.&nbsp;

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To work with Leonardo DiCaprio must be a delightful event in any actor's life. But, to be praised and called a 'friend' for life is a privilege only Jonah Hill enjoys.

To work with Leonardo DiCaprio must be a delightful event in any actor's life. But, to be praised and called a 'friend' for life is a privilege only Jonah Hill enjoys. In an exclusive, invite-only global press conference for the highly anticipated movie 'Don't Look Up'--that WION attended--Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio talked about working with the hilarious actor in multiple movies so far: 'Django Unchained' (2012), 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013), and the upcoming satire 'Don't Look Up', and he had some truly touching words to say about his long-time friend and co-star. When Leo (as he is lovingly called in the community) was asked about having developed a friendship with Hill and if on their third film together, the off-screen chemistry affected the production, he responded saying yes. "That's right, Django (Unchained), too, that's our (second film together). Look, I'll just start right out of the gate and say he is an absolute genius, this young man, this friend of mine. His ability to improvise and take control of a scene and have the narrative be shifted in the most amazing, colorful ways is a sight to witness and something truly remarkable to experience. He's absolutely a genius. Love to work with him on a hundred more films," the 'The Revenant' (2015) star told us. Also read: Exclusive: 'Money Heist' professor Álvaro Morte- On the last day, I couldn't stop myself from crying To which, Jonah Hill coyly said, "Thanks, buddy," while the rest of the cast broke into a laughter, before adding, "Well, my time to answer. I agree with what he said (laughs!) Real talk. Like, I've worked with now pretty much all the best actors in the world, a lot of whom are up here right now. And there's been no more loyal friend or anything I've ever made in show business, and then aside from that, put all those feelings aside. The way-what you see when they yell action and what he does, truly-no disrespect to anyone, nothing I've ever seen like it." The attendees, comprising a heavily pregnant Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Tyler Perry with director Adam McKay, appreciated the seemingly genuine love between these two actors and were highly appreciative of what one had to say about the other. Also read: The Power of the Dog review: Benedict Cumberbatch's a marvelous old, lonely ranch man Hill, who plays the character Jason Orlean in the movie, went on to speak about the hilarious scenes they had with one another, explaining, "Look, I don't like nerds, and I have always been harsh in position on it. No dude, he's the best. I mean, I am sitting up here with a lot of other of the best, and I feel that way genuinely. But having made a few movies with Leo and lived with him. But he's the best person. Shuffle that all aside, if I didn't know him and I had to be like what's it like to work with another actor that's like who's the best actor, to me, I'd choose him every time." Visibly flattered by Hill's kind words, the megastar hunched forward and said, calmly, "Thank you, Jonah." "It's true," concluded Hill. Also read: 'Will' book review: Will Smith, the superstar, confronts Will Smith, the coward 'Don't Look Up' will start streaming on Netflix from December 24.

EXCLUSIVE! Leonardo DiCaprio: Jonah Hill's a genius, would love to work on 100 more films with him

West Indies Cricket legend Brian Lara was among the many stars at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. WION Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo caught up with the 'Prince of Trinidad' at the golf event and spoke to him on a number of current issues, including racism in cricket as well as The Ashes.

WION Exclusive: Free-wheeling chat with 'Prince of Trinidad' Brian Lara

European Union's special envoy on Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson who is in Delhi has welcomed the Indian govt's offer to send humanitarian support of 50,000 MT of wheat to the people of Afghanistan. The Indian support comes even as the onset of winters in Afghanistan is worsening the situation in the country for many common Afghans. The country saw a Taliban takeover in the month of August. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Niklasson said," there is a very strong overlap in a way, or a very similar analysis of the situation" by India, EU when it comes to Afghanistan, and both are "looking to see if there are concrete areas where we can work." In Delhi, the EU special envoy met India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and JS PAI JP Singh. Niklasson has come to Delhi from Doha where he had talks with the Taliban delegation led by its Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. One of the key issues raised by the EU during the meet was human rights, women's rights, lack of inclusivity of Taliban-led govt, etc. Asked about if EU plans to recognise the regime, he said, "we are not rushing into recognition, we are not recognizing, we haven't recognized the Taliban regime, the interim govt. We do however see the need to engage with them".

WION Exclusive: EU Special envoy on Afghanistan lauds India's offer of humanitarian support to Kabul

There are very few shows in the current times that enjoy the kind of global success&nbsp;'Money Heist' does. Now, as the show nears its grand finale, the cast got together one last time to talk to the international media--which WION was a part of--and spoke about a wide range of topics: from the raging success of the show to their last day on set.&nbsp;

 
On the topic of how the last day of the shoot went, an emotional Álvaro Morte aka The Professor revealed to us that he couldn't keep it together. "... After five years, I went on set and none&nbsp;of my colleagues were there. And I think that was a little bit disturbing (to me). Because, somehow, I have had this parallel show since my character died. I mean, it was a person that didn't know my character was dead.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-the-power-of-the-dog-review-benedict-cumberbatchs-a-marvelous-old-lonely-ranch-man-433499" hreflang="en">The Power of the Dog review: Benedict Cumberbatch's a marvelous old, lonely ranch man</a>

So imagine how crazy everything is. So, there are people who will start watching it now. But I have to say something. Let me see if I can find the words I had when I got up in the morning, which was that I was calling the&nbsp;house and thinking 'we have to close this, everything has an ending, and I am well balanced to do what I have to do'. And there was a very particular thing I did that, well, I say, I'm growing. I can feel I have matured. But when we finished shooting, I received this letter from the script writers, where, obviously, there was a message&nbsp;emphasizing on what was happening after everything that had already happened (in the show, without giving away spoilers)," said Álvaro Morte about him revisiting the set and feeling different when asked about the last day of the shoot.&nbsp;

 
"Somehow I wasn't able&nbsp;to read it. Six, seven minutes went by,&nbsp;because I couldn't stop myself from crying and then crying some more. And I had the feeling that if I read it, I would make a fool of myself by whining, crying and everything. And I realized, once again, the impact, you know--not just from a professional but also&nbsp;personal standpoint--the show had on my life. I have to tell you this, too, because I mean, we have to open our hearts here. This is a farewell and we&nbsp;probably won't see each other in the years to come. And it's something I realized this morning. I mean, (it's) all together very difficult, to be honest. So I haven't seen you all together for a long time already. I was trying to think about something to guide me because I cannot find the right words to express this," he concluded, still visibly emotional thinking about the last moments on the set of one of the greatest shows to have been created in recent times, 'Money Heist'.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-will-book-review-will-smith-the-superstar-confronts-will-smith-the-coward-432414" hreflang="en">'Will' book review: Will Smith, the superstar, confronts Will Smith, the coward</a>

 
When Alex Pina (creator) was asked about the development of the script and how the show started on an emotional note before graduating to something more complex, this is what he had to say, "Wow... was (it) way more emotional? No. I mean, the first volume was emotional. But the second volume is where we linked everyone together. Also, we went backwards and put all the pieces of the puzzle together. And so we've added some emotional parts to the characters, somehow closing the circle of who those characters are and giving the answers to help understand the whole universe of 'Money Heist'. I think from a narrative perspective, when we started to write this volume, we saw that we have way more things (to cover) and the (amount of) time we had to elaborate on them. And there were some twists and turns that we had&nbsp;to kind of compress from a sentimental standpoint. So this is a very balanced installment and a&nbsp;harder one to write. Well, when we're finished writing the last season, we were exhausted as we did it&nbsp;in record time. And when I was finished with&nbsp;writing, I had my direction. My production director kept saying 'please send&nbsp;me&nbsp;what's already happened'. We hadn't finished and when we did finish&nbsp;I wasn't able to re-read the script. We were so exhausted during the process and in elaborating on all the plot points. But&nbsp;I think it's the most exciting one."

 
Alex Pina also acknowledged the fact that his show has become a global phenomena and revealed that he is mighty impressed to learn that Indians are 'going crazy' over 'Money Heist'. "... The mix of human quality and adrenaline (rush) creates this emotional bond (among viewers) and its massive. It is massively entertaining and the fact that they're watching us in the Philippines and India... They're going crazy in India and their fiction is so different from ours, they're still super hooked to it. It's amazing! (sic)" concluded the creator.

&nbsp;Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-wion-exclusive-carryminati-my-alter-ego-made-me-from-being-invisible-to-widely-recognised-430716" hreflang="en">WION exclusive! CarryMinati: My alter ego made me from being invisible to widely recognised</a>

 
For the global virtual press conference, stars such as Ursula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Esther Acebo, Enrique Arce, Darko Peric, Hovik Keuchkerian, Luka Peros, Belen Cuesta, Najwa Nimri, Alex Pina and Jesus Colmenar were present.&nbsp;

 
'Money Heist' season 5 finale will be streaming on Netflix from December 3.&nbsp;

There are very few shows in the current times that enjoy the kind of global success 'Money Heist' does. Now, as the show nears its grand finale, the cast got together one last time to talk to the international media--which WION was a part of--and spoke about a wide range of topics: from the raging success of the show to their last day on set.

There are very few shows in the current times that enjoy the kind of global success 'Money Heist' does. Now, as the show nears its grand finale, the cast got together one last time to talk to the international media--which WION was a part of--and spoke about a wide range of topics: from the raging success of the show to their last day on set. On the topic of how the last day of the shoot went, an emotional Álvaro Morte aka The Professor revealed to us that he couldn't keep it together. "... After five years, I went on set and none of my colleagues were there. And I think that was a little bit disturbing (to me). Because, somehow, I have had this parallel show since my character died. I mean, it was a person that didn't know my character was dead. Also read: The Power of the Dog review: Benedict Cumberbatch's a marvelous old, lonely ranch man So imagine how crazy everything is. So, there are people who will start watching it now. But I have to say something. Let me see if I can find the words I had when I got up in the morning, which was that I was calling the house and thinking 'we have to close this, everything has an ending, and I am well balanced to do what I have to do'. And there was a very particular thing I did that, well, I say, I'm growing. I can feel I have matured. But when we finished shooting, I received this letter from the script writers, where, obviously, there was a message emphasizing on what was happening after everything that had already happened (in the show, without giving away spoilers)," said Álvaro Morte about him revisiting the set and feeling different when asked about the last day of the shoot. "Somehow I wasn't able to read it. Six, seven minutes went by, because I couldn't stop myself from crying and then crying some more. And I had the feeling that if I read it, I would make a fool of myself by whining, crying and everything. And I realized, once again, the impact, you know--not just from a professional but also personal standpoint--the show had on my life. I have to tell you this, too, because I mean, we have to open our hearts here. This is a farewell and we probably won't see each other in the years to come. And it's something I realized this morning. I mean, (it's) all together very difficult, to be honest. So I haven't seen you all together for a long time already. I was trying to think about something to guide me because I cannot find the right words to express this," he concluded, still visibly emotional thinking about the last moments on the set of one of the greatest shows to have been created in recent times, 'Money Heist'. Also read: 'Will' book review: Will Smith, the superstar, confronts Will Smith, the coward When Alex Pina (creator) was asked about the development of the script and how the show started on an emotional note before graduating to something more complex, this is what he had to say, "Wow... was (it) way more emotional? No. I mean, the first volume was emotional. But the second volume is where we linked everyone together. Also, we went backwards and put all the pieces of the puzzle together. And so we've added some emotional parts to the characters, somehow closing the circle of who those characters are and giving the answers to help understand the whole universe of 'Money Heist'. I think from a narrative perspective, when we started to write this volume, we saw that we have way more things (to cover) and the (amount of) time we had to elaborate on them. And there were some twists and turns that we had to kind of compress from a sentimental standpoint. So this is a very balanced installment and a harder one to write. Well, when we're finished writing the last season, we were exhausted as we did it in record time. And when I was finished with writing, I had my direction. My production director kept saying 'please send me what's already happened'. We hadn't finished and when we did finish I wasn't able to re-read the script. We were so exhausted during the process and in elaborating on all the plot points. But I think it's the most exciting one." Alex Pina also acknowledged the fact that his show has become a global phenomena and revealed that he is mighty impressed to learn that Indians are 'going crazy' over 'Money Heist'. "... The mix of human quality and adrenaline (rush) creates this emotional bond (among viewers) and its massive. It is massively entertaining and the fact that they're watching us in the Philippines and India... They're going crazy in India and their fiction is so different from ours, they're still super hooked to it. It's amazing! (sic)" concluded the creator. Also read: WION exclusive! CarryMinati: My alter ego made me from being invisible to widely recognised For the global virtual press conference, stars such as Ursula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Esther Acebo, Enrique Arce, Darko Peric, Hovik Keuchkerian, Luka Peros, Belen Cuesta, Najwa Nimri, Alex Pina and Jesus Colmenar were present. 'Money Heist' season 5 finale will be streaming on Netflix from December 3.

Exclusive: 'Money Heist' professor Álvaro Morte- On the last day, I couldn't stop myself from crying

Bryson Dechambeau is one of the biggest stars in world golf and his power game has forced other top players to re-evaluate their own technique. The 2020 US Open Champion discussed his unique approach to the sport with WION Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on the sidelines of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

WION Exclusive: Bryson Dechambeau on his revolutionary power game

His videos may have landed him in trouble in the past, but CarryMinati (CM) remains--to this day--one of the most successful content creators India has ever produced.

His videos may have landed him in trouble in the past, but CarryMinati (CM) remains--to this day--one of the most successful content creators India has ever produced. Born as Ajey Nagar, CM thinks his alter ego was a major confidence booster in his life and helped shape his digital career in ways more than one. "It felt amazing to (be) recognised due to the fan appreciation, something like what we see in the superhero films," he says, proudly. All of 22, CarryMinati wants it all: a booming acting career, the gamer's high, giving wings to his musical inclinations and never being irrelevant. In an exclusive interview with WION, the uber successful content creator talks about navigating his awkward teenage years and coming out of his cocoon through CarryMinati, expresses his concerns over people associating virtual harassment culture to his rant videos, and reveals why he will be a gambler for life. Unedited excerpts from our conversation with the digital star: View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝑨𝒋𝒆𝒚 𝑵𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒓 (@carryminati) × You just completed eight years of being this public persona, CarryMinati. You were too young, some may even say just a child, when you were starting out. What has these years taught you? Like Spider man said, "With great power comes great responsibility." While what I do appears to be the most entertaining job on the planet there are a lot of limitations that tag along with the responsibility of being Asia’s number 1 YouTube creator and adds up to the whole pressure. You see it’s not enough to simply generate great content. The audience expects consistency, novelty and frequency if you want to stand out in a crowd. Without these, it’s incredibly easy to slip off the radar and lose favour with the algorithm that gave you your success. The pressure helps me build the best version of myself. Also read: 'Tiger King 2' review: Joe Exotic's life is now a reality show with more drama than the Kardashians How is Ajey Nagar different from his alter ego, CarryMinati? Ajey is a very private, non-controversial and loving person. I enjoy my alone time at home and have a very close-knit circle. My alter ego gives me that driving force to look forward to a new day and be grateful for it. I gained confidence with the CarryMinati moniker as I am an introvert. It felt amazing to go from being invisible to being widely recognised due to the fan appreciation, something like the superhero fictional films. Your brother has ventured into music and you are supporting him like any brother would. What advice did you give him about showbiz? Always believe in your art despite what the world and the naysayers say and never underestimate the power of the hustle, your inner voice and the fans. Wily Frenzy is such an amazing DJ and producer and I feel he has a great future awaiting him. He has a great eye for detail and aesthetics. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝑨𝒋𝒆𝒚 𝑵𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒓 (@carryminati) × You are heavily into gaming, rants, sketches, acting and of course, music. Are you venturing into multiple avenues just to explore or we will see all these versions of you even five years down the line? Age is just a number for me. I feel younger with every passing year. Maybe my style of content creation will change when I’m 30 plus but I’ll continue pursuing content creation because that’s my first love. By the time I’m 40 I may turn into a serial entrepreneur in the gaming industry, you just never know where life takes you! My last video ‘Cancel Culture’ where I tried an English sketch for the first time, got a lot of love from the across the globe audience, I would like to incorporate it more in the coming videos so that my content could appeal to a global audience. I maybe want to get to the point of being the most loved YouTuber and gamer in the world through continued fan support. After the success of ‘Uncanny Roaches’ I also plan to invest in an animated web series with my business partner Deepak Char. With the advent of technology, the exposure to the online world has doubled and today content creators are as important as cricketers and Bollywood stars in the ecosphere. Using profanities has always been a major part of your content, and has always worked for you. What if there’s ever a ban. What’s your alternative? I personally do not support any kind of cyber bullying, trolling, abuse and harassment in any form and I have disclaimers. I do get shocked when people react to my videos as a medium of profanity harassment because that’s a total disrespect to my art. My passion isn’t built on any form of exploitation. There is a hairline difference between roasting and commentary videos. The formats are the same but the nature is completely different. A roast is meant to be silly, ridiculous, hard hitting whereas a commentary is meant to be opinionated, quirky and relatable. I use a character who is frustrated, angry and aggressive to play out my scenes which are pre-recorded shoots and not lives. Yes, roasting is a new concept for a lot of people but I believe it will be full blown in the next decade as sensibilities become more cosmopolitan. You can’t always expect people to say nice things about you, you need to be a sport when the bad things come your way, because everyone will have an opinion that you may not like. I mean I was roasted a hundred times before I even took this profession up seriously and I took all of it in my stride. Stand-up comedy also faced a similar resistance in its formative years till it became a fad. Also read: 'Tick, Tick... Boom!' review: Andrew Garfield's ode to musical genius is heart-wrenching You are never afraid to be emotional in front of your audience. With time, have you been able to take that part of you? Or, that’s just what one gets for being part of the CM brigade? My platform is a place where you can set yourself free and be your most authentic self without being judged most of the time and I think that's the biggest vantage point. Experimental content is the king of new age media today, and the algorithm loves you the most when content speaks to the audience and breaks stereotypes. Also read: WION exclusive! Raftaar: I choose to mentor young rappers as I never had one during my time Acting must have been terrifying for you, given the names involved. Will you ever be Carry, the actor, and no longer Carry, the content creator? Carry is multi-faceted and I like to view life through rose colored glasses. I can multi-task between roles and that’s my pedigree. But my first and last love will be content creation, everything I attempt in between is a gamble. My end goal was to positively impact many lives through my art and passion. Just like other performers I am here to entertain and allow the common man to escape momentarily from the clutches of mundane living. If you look around, notice how cases of stress and depression are constantly on the rise and people have forgotten how to be just content and happy, amongst all these the most fulfilling part is that I can inspire people to live optimistically. I can bring smiles to a million faces without having to actually do this in person and that’s so motivational. I am so grateful to the audience because without them I don’t think it would have been possible. I consider myself lucky and blessed to be in this position where people love me unconditionally. I believe more than the numbers, it’s about the impact you have on so many lives.

WION exclusive! CarryMinati: My alter ego made me from being invisible to widely recognised

Trust us when we say that there are very few people in showbiz half as honest and real as rapper Raftaar, otherwise known as Dilin&nbsp;Nair. The celebrated rapper, who is well-aware of his popularity in India as well as&nbsp;the international music scene, vows to keep it real: famous or not. "If I lie or try to be diplomatic, you will catch me. So, why lie at all?" he reasons.

 
In an exclusive interview with WION, the say-it-as-it-is musician shares his hopes and aspirations for his upcoming birthday (November 16), shares he is not bothered about&nbsp;the so-called diss tracks in India, why he does not want to lend his voice to any celebrity at the moment and reveals&nbsp;the sweetest thing he has done for his mother: act!

 
Unedited excerpts from our conversations from the OG of hip-hop in India. Read on:&nbsp;

 
WION: Your new number, 'Ghana Kasoota', is such a fun and upbeat number. Tell us about the inspiration behind that?

 
RAFTAAR: Yahin tha inspiration (chuckles!) It is the party season, wedding season and the inspiration behind 'Ghana Kasoota' was that everybody gets together, have fun and enjoy after being homebound due to two years of pandemic. I mean people are finally getting out (of their homes). So, bringing people together and letting them enjoy the festive/ party season together is what we were aiming for.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-exclusive-dwayne-johnson--shooting-red-notice-during-covid-19-was-challenging-but-we-rallied-together-428034">Exclusive: Dwayne Johnson- Shooting 'Red Notice' during COVID-19 was challenging, but we rallied together</a>

 
WION: You have an amazing chemistry with TV actor Surbhi Jyoti in the music video. How was it teaming up with someone from a&nbsp;completely different field?

 
RAFTAAR: It was amazing, yaar! I mean I could not tell for a moment that she is a different artist from a different medium. On the set (of the music video), she was very co-operative, very collaborative and very insightful as far as promoting the music video was concerned. She knows many innovative ways of promoting the music video for better reach. She is a really nice individual and I appreciate that about her.&nbsp;

 
WION: Your birthday is just round the corner. Your hopes and aspirations for the &nbsp;coming year?

 
RAFTAAR: My hopes for the coming year are very simple: I don't want to go through (again) what happened in the last two years. I don't want history repeating itself. I want people to be safe, I want people to have a good time with their families. I want us to have a positive life as a community. That'[s what I truly hope for, man. I am really looking forward to rebuild and reconnect.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-exclusive-gal-gadot--i-said-yes-to-red-notice-for-its-ambitious-script-and-dwayne-johnson-427791">Exclusive: Gal Gadot- I said yes to 'Red Notice' for its ambitious script, and Dwayne Johnson!</a>

 
WION: If you could, what advice would you give to your younger self?

 
RAFTAAR: Please don't change anything that you have done so far for anybody (laughs!) Do exactly what you have done so far; know that you have done everything you can, and everything right.&nbsp;

<img alt="cvfgngfbvcxz" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cdcf4eb8-9b98-4d9c-aa28-4b5882ddbca5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/pjimage%20-%202021-11-14T205715.898.jpg" />

 
WION: I was talking to Karma just the other day, and he told me you are more than a mentor: you are like a brother to him. And that's been something that I keep hearing about you. How do you react to the fact that you, while you are on your own path, have inspired so many along the way?

 
RAFTAAR: I feel really nice (knowing this). I feel like I am doing the duty of an elder brother. And I think I am playing that role really well and that makes me a very happy person. That's all I care about. I didn't have a mentor or an elder brother-like figure in my life in the beginning (of my career) and I have always wished I had one. So, why not be one in someone else's life?&nbsp;

 
WION: I have interviewed you in the past, and have always maintained that you are someone who is not afraid to speak his truth. I mean, despite being at the peak of your career, why is being truthful, raw and real about your humble beginnings so important to you?

 
RAFTAAR: I mean it is really important to me when I talk to someone like you because whenever I talk to you (referring to journalists as one unit), you guys say, 'Raftaar, you are at the peak of your career.' And I have been listening to this statement for the last seven years now and I am so glad that this thought about me hasn't changed with time. You interview so many people that if any of the artists lie or try to be 'politically correct'--hain naa, jaise diplomatic types (like those diplomatic types)--you can easily catch it. So, why lie at all?

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-exclusive-ryan-reynolds--red-notice-wanted-dwayne-johnson-gal-gadot-and-my-friendship-to-be-seen-on-screen-427681">Exclusive: Ryan Reynolds- 'Red Notice' wanted Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and my friendship to be seen on screen</a>

 
WION: I know you have touched upon the topic of diss-track culture among Indian rappers in the past. But, despite it being entertaining, sometimes, it does get borderline unpleasant. Do you think attacking one another through music takes away from the seriousness of your music?

 
RAFTAAR: See, to elaborate on this, I will give you a simple example. When tobacco was first introduced, it was promoted by some left and right. It was the only way to feel like a gentleman, at least that's what some thought. No one knew about its drawbacks. Wahin same cheez diss track ke saath India main hua (That's exactly what has happened to diss tracks in India, too). When &nbsp;it came here first, people saw the fun aspect of it only. People saw two artists fighting through tracks and liked it; we have Gladiator (the movie) mindset (laughs!) Historically, people are like that. They enjoy when something new, entertaining and scandalous comes to town. But, now, people have started the bad side of it. Because, through diss tracks, artists say misleading things, use it to their advantage. Now, it has died down. The whole b**chy drama behind the diss-track culture has come down to a great extent. It will soon become a normal part of society. Yes, this is rap, but people have started to understand between what is good and bad (lyrics-wise). Baaki toh koi kuch bhi kar sakta hai. You can't stop people from doing what they want to do. Just that people need to know the difference between right and wrong (kind of diss tracks).&nbsp;

<img alt="xdfhfvczavfvsa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0ae05136-95f5-4b81-bdd5-0122469ba8ed" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/pjimage%20-%202021-11-14T205757.549.jpg" />

 
WION: We all have our dream&nbsp;list, our Before-I-Die-I-Want-To-Do-This list. Who all feature in yours: both from Bollywood and internationally?

 
RAFTAAR: Now, really, honestly, I am looking forward to voicing a cartoon character. No stars, no artists. I want to be the voice for an animated character. Because that world (of cartoons) is directly connected to children and I want to talk to the new generation. So, that, I think, will be a very good break from what I have been doing so far.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-britney-spears-a-long-walk-to-freedom-429069">Opinion | Britney Spears: A long walk to freedom</a>

 
WION: Is anything in the pipeline?

 
RAFTAAR: Yeah, I mean I have just developed a video game with a company. I feel through&nbsp;his I can get there eventually. It's one of the goals now.&nbsp;

 
WION: Also, you are making a brief appearance on an Indian daily soap. How did that gig come along and how are you preparing for that?

 
RAFTAAR: Yeah yeah yeah... Me and Rashmeet (Kaur, singer) are coming on 'Bade Achhe Lagte Hain Season 2'. Mereko unlogo ne dialogues bhi diye hai (They have given me dialogues, too). I was not aware of that and that was the surprise element for me. I play Ram's friend in the cameo, who is the lead character in the show. It is a Karwa Chauth function and we go there to perform and promote the new song. You know, that's the real story behind it but somehow people can mix two different forms of entertainment and make it into one. I don't know who came up with the idea but I was really excited because I like trying out new things. I like to add new feathers to my cap: ki maine yeh &nbsp;bhi kiya, woh bhi kiya (I did this, I did that.) It is one of those&nbsp;things you do for your mother. I was like, 'Mumma, you watch a lot of serials and see now I have acted in one.' It is for my mom.&nbsp;

<img alt="zxvfgnhgbcxcxz" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="45181420-b8e7-4a85-989c-b674429736e3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/pjimage%20-%202021-11-14T200150.239.jpg" />

 
WION: So, somewhere down the line, would you like to play a proper Bollywood hero in a feature film?

 
RAFTAAR: I can say this with conviction that I can play a character role and I can really work on it. It's not like I will just show up on set: I shall take workshops. But, I feel I can definitely do it. So, if somehting comes along, then why not?!

 
WION: Do you have some genuine interest in acting?

 
RAFTAAR: I am an artist and I am always interested in anything artistic. In music videos, we do act. Right?&nbsp;

Check out his latest track here:

&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u0Y3EHuMktE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Trust us when we say that there are very few people in showbiz half as honest and real as rapper Raftaar, otherwise known as Dilin Nair. The celebrated rapper, who is well-aware of his popularity in India as well as the international music scene, vows to keep it real: famous or not.

Trust us when we say that there are very few people in showbiz half as honest and real as rapper Raftaar, otherwise known as Dilin Nair. The celebrated rapper, who is well-aware of his popularity in India as well as the international music scene, vows to keep it real: famous or not. "If I lie or try to be diplomatic, you will catch me. So, why lie at all?" he reasons. In an exclusive interview with WION, the say-it-as-it-is musician shares his hopes and aspirations for his upcoming birthday (November 16), shares he is not bothered about the so-called diss tracks in India, why he does not want to lend his voice to any celebrity at the moment and reveals the sweetest thing he has done for his mother: act! Unedited excerpts from our conversations from the OG of hip-hop in India. Read on: WION: Your new number, 'Ghana Kasoota', is such a fun and upbeat number. Tell us about the inspiration behind that? RAFTAAR: Yahin tha inspiration (chuckles!) It is the party season, wedding season and the inspiration behind 'Ghana Kasoota' was that everybody gets together, have fun and enjoy after being homebound due to two years of pandemic. I mean people are finally getting out (of their homes). So, bringing people together and letting them enjoy the festive/ party season together is what we were aiming for. Also read: Exclusive: Dwayne Johnson- Shooting 'Red Notice' during COVID-19 was challenging, but we rallied together WION: You have an amazing chemistry with TV actor Surbhi Jyoti in the music video. How was it teaming up with someone from a completely different field? RAFTAAR: It was amazing, yaar! I mean I could not tell for a moment that she is a different artist from a different medium. On the set (of the music video), she was very co-operative, very collaborative and very insightful as far as promoting the music video was concerned. She knows many innovative ways of promoting the music video for better reach. She is a really nice individual and I appreciate that about her. WION: Your birthday is just round the corner. Your hopes and aspirations for the coming year? RAFTAAR: My hopes for the coming year are very simple: I don't want to go through (again) what happened in the last two years. I don't want history repeating itself. I want people to be safe, I want people to have a good time with their families. I want us to have a positive life as a community. That'[s what I truly hope for, man. I am really looking forward to rebuild and reconnect. Also read: Exclusive: Gal Gadot- I said yes to 'Red Notice' for its ambitious script, and Dwayne Johnson! WION: If you could, what advice would you give to your younger self? RAFTAAR: Please don't change anything that you have done so far for anybody (laughs!) Do exactly what you have done so far; know that you have done everything you can, and everything right. WION: I was talking to Karma just the other day, and he told me you are more than a mentor: you are like a brother to him. And that's been something that I keep hearing about you. How do you react to the fact that you, while you are on your own path, have inspired so many along the way? RAFTAAR: I feel really nice (knowing this). I feel like I am doing the duty of an elder brother. And I think I am playing that role really well and that makes me a very happy person. That's all I care about. I didn't have a mentor or an elder brother-like figure in my life in the beginning (of my career) and I have always wished I had one. So, why not be one in someone else's life? WION: I have interviewed you in the past, and have always maintained that you are someone who is not afraid to speak his truth. I mean, despite being at the peak of your career, why is being truthful, raw and real about your humble beginnings so important to you? RAFTAAR: I mean it is really important to me when I talk to someone like you because whenever I talk to you (referring to journalists as one unit), you guys say, 'Raftaar, you are at the peak of your career.' And I have been listening to this statement for the last seven years now and I am so glad that this thought about me hasn't changed with time. You interview so many people that if any of the artists lie or try to be 'politically correct'--hain naa, jaise diplomatic types (like those diplomatic types)--you can easily catch it. So, why lie at all? Also read: Exclusive: Ryan Reynolds- 'Red Notice' wanted Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and my friendship to be seen on screen WION: I know you have touched upon the topic of diss-track culture among Indian rappers in the past. But, despite it being entertaining, sometimes, it does get borderline unpleasant. Do you think attacking one another through music takes away from the seriousness of your music? RAFTAAR: See, to elaborate on this, I will give you a simple example. When tobacco was first introduced, it was promoted by some left and right. It was the only way to feel like a gentleman, at least that's what some thought. No one knew about its drawbacks. Wahin same cheez diss track ke saath India main hua (That's exactly what has happened to diss tracks in India, too). When it came here first, people saw the fun aspect of it only. People saw two artists fighting through tracks and liked it; we have Gladiator (the movie) mindset (laughs!) Historically, people are like that. They enjoy when something new, entertaining and scandalous comes to town. But, now, people have started the bad side of it. Because, through diss tracks, artists say misleading things, use it to their advantage. Now, it has died down. The whole b**chy drama behind the diss-track culture has come down to a great extent. It will soon become a normal part of society. Yes, this is rap, but people have started to understand between what is good and bad (lyrics-wise). Baaki toh koi kuch bhi kar sakta hai. You can't stop people from doing what they want to do. Just that people need to know the difference between right and wrong (kind of diss tracks). WION: We all have our dream list, our Before-I-Die-I-Want-To-Do-This list. Who all feature in yours: both from Bollywood and internationally? RAFTAAR: Now, really, honestly, I am looking forward to voicing a cartoon character. No stars, no artists. I want to be the voice for an animated character. Because that world (of cartoons) is directly connected to children and I want to talk to the new generation. So, that, I think, will be a very good break from what I have been doing so far. Also read: Opinion | Britney Spears: A long walk to freedom WION: Is anything in the pipeline? RAFTAAR: Yeah, I mean I have just developed a video game with a company. I feel through his I can get there eventually. It's one of the goals now. WION: Also, you are making a brief appearance on an Indian daily soap. How did that gig come along and how are you preparing for that? RAFTAAR: Yeah yeah yeah... Me and Rashmeet (Kaur, singer) are coming on 'Bade Achhe Lagte Hain Season 2'. Mereko unlogo ne dialogues bhi diye hai (They have given me dialogues, too). I was not aware of that and that was the surprise element for me. I play Ram's friend in the cameo, who is the lead character in the show. It is a Karwa Chauth function and we go there to perform and promote the new song. You know, that's the real story behind it but somehow people can mix two different forms of entertainment and make it into one. I don't know who came up with the idea but I was really excited because I like trying out new things. I like to add new feathers to my cap: ki maine yeh bhi kiya, woh bhi kiya (I did this, I did that.) It is one of those things you do for your mother. I was like, 'Mumma, you watch a lot of serials and see now I have acted in one.' It is for my mom. WION: So, somewhere down the line, would you like to play a proper Bollywood hero in a feature film? RAFTAAR: I can say this with conviction that I can play a character role and I can really work on it. It's not like I will just show up on set: I shall take workshops. But, I feel I can definitely do it. So, if somehting comes along, then why not?! WION: Do you have some genuine interest in acting? RAFTAAR: I am an artist and I am always interested in anything artistic. In music videos, we do act. Right? Check out his latest track here:

WION exclusive! Raftaar: I choose to mentor young rappers as I never had one during my time

The morning after Diwali—same day his hybrid-release movie ‘Red Notice’ released in theatres in some parts of the world—a very handsome Ryan Reynolds sat down for an exclusive, invite-only press conference with the Asian media--which WION was a part of--where he talked about movies and money, humour and heists, and, of course, his co-stars Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot from their latest heist offering, 'Red Notice'.

The morning after Diwali—same day his hybrid-release movie ‘Red Notice’ released in theatres in some parts of the world—a very handsome Ryan Reynolds sat down for an exclusive, invite-only press conference with the Asian media--which WION was a part of--where he talked about movies and money, humour and heists, and, of course, his co-stars Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot from their latest heist offering, 'Red Notice'. In the film, Ryan Reynolds plays a thief; a conman. When a Korean journalist asked him as to how one prepares for a role like that? He simply answered, "When you work in show business in Hollywood, most of what you're doing or most of the people you're around is some kind of con job." “What the platform really wanted to put together here was they wanted Dwayne, Gal and I to have a kind of off screen friendship and camaraderie that is, you know, the exact same thing you're seeing on screen. They want, that's what they were paying for. They wanted that on the big screen and they wanted that to transfer over to 'Red Notice' and be a part of the DNA and fabric of the storytelling. And that's what we were excited to give them. So you know, when if you come to dinner with Dwayne and I, you will see we quite literally talk to each other the way, the way we talk to each other in Red Notice. And it's pretty funny to be around, and it's just kind of the way it's always been for us. So putting up that on the screen was a real pleasure,” Ryan Reynolds told WION exclusively when asked about what prompted him to take up this globe-trotting heist movie. Also read: ‘Red Notice’ review: All for the star power of Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot & Ryan Reynolds “I was most interested in working with my friends, with my pals. I love the fact that I got to just show. I didn't have a lot of.. A lot of the movies I do, I produce and I'm writing on, and there's a lot more responsibility. This one, I got to just kind of jump in the sandbox with some friends. I've known for a long time and have fun. And it's not every day that you get to do that. And sometimes you forget this job is fun, and I never forgot it for a second on the set of 'Red Notice', it was really special,” he added further. When an Indian outlet asked about that one movie of his that he would like to make in Bollywood, Reynolds had this to say, “Oh, boy, I don't know, I don't know if I would pick any one Bollywood film, but I do think that there's something that Bollywood films have that, you know, Hollywood could certainly use more of. And I think that Bollywood is really adept at infusing joy. I mean, real joy into the work. And that's something that, you know, I meant it when, I mentioned it when 'Free Guy' came out that, you know, there are elements that 'Free Guy' was borrowing from Bollywood. And really, that was joy. And, you know, the last several years, certainly over here in North America, have been really challenging for so many people, for so many different reasons. And I wanted to make Free Guy. I produced it. I wrote on it. I started and I nurtured it. I love it. I wanted to make it an antidote to those feelings. I wanted it to feel like joy. And so much of what Bollywood puts up on the screen is infused with that in a very organic and very natural way.” “Free Guy would be a very good one to adapt for Bollywood! I would say 'Deadpool', though, would be a little bit more, a little bit more fun. I think it'd be easier, easier for 'Deadpool' to embrace the Bollywood culture. You know, Guy in Free Guy is an NPC, he's a non playable character. He exists only in the digital world. But 'Deadpool', you know, real flesh and blood. So that would be I think it would be 'Deadpool',” he added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot) × As humour was integral to ‘Red Notice’, an entertainment website asked whether he had improvised his own jokes. To which, Reynolds said, “I improvised a lot of the jokes, yeah. I mean, that's kind of my job. You know, I think it's a little bit of a stretch to say improv or improvise because I write a lot of the jokes, you know, I write eight or nine options for each joke and I leave it to the editor and the director just to decide which ones they feel are suitable for the movie. So I like to give them a whole bunch of options. So yeah, a lot of those little things are just throwaway. You know, you don't even think about them in the moment. Even right now, I don't even know what joke you're talking about. I can imagine I made a hair joke or two about Dwayne's beautiful “baldy-locks”. But yeah, I don't know.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot) × 'Red Notice' streams on Netflix from November 12.

Exclusive: Ryan Reynolds- 'Red Notice' wanted Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and my friendship to be seen on screen

If fame’s money, they would spend it all on issues closest to their bosom. A band born on the streets of Birmingham amid tough times, comprising a bunch of angry, yet, musically inclined young men. Forty-odd years on, it is now safe to say that UB40--founded by&nbsp;Ali Campbell, Jimmy Brown and bassist Earl Falconer, percussionists Yomi Babayemi and Norman Hassan, and then saxophonist Brian Travers and keyboardist Jimmy Lynn, Terence Wilson aka Astro and Robin Campbell--is God in-(multiple)-human-form in the Reggae universe.&nbsp;

 
But, when has global recognition, sold-out concerts and music-chart-topping records prevented them from speaking their hearts out? Never. Not once. “They (youth) can see how capitalism is killing the planet and are fighting for radical change,” points out Jimmy Brown—drummer and founding member—in an exclusive interview with WION, when asked about what’s the band fuming over at the moment.

 
In this interview, Jimmy, who spoke on behalf of his entire gang, talks about a time when they found themselves in the middle of a socio-political upheaval in South Africa, why nobody gets to boss around UB40, and busts the myth that Reggae is only for a select few.&nbsp;

 
Unedited excerpts from our conversation with the legendary Reggae band:&nbsp;

 
WION: ‘Bigga Baggariddim’ is your 20th album and 40 years of being together, more or less—an extraordinary feat to achieve for a band of your stature. What are your fondest memories from those formative years?

 
UB40: As you point out, we’ve been doing this a long time. There are many highs and lows over the decades. Too many to recall, really. But our first chart success in the UK with ‘Food for Thought’ was an exciting time for the band. And our first number one record in the USA, playing a sold-out show in Madison Square Gardens at the same time, that really felt like we had made it on a global scale. Touring Polynesia was like touring in paradise with thousands turning up for shows in places like Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti etc. And our experiences in South Africa after Mandela was released and the cultural boycott was dropped, where we still hold the record for the biggest live show ever, 100,000 (people) over 2 nights. We’re very lucky, we’ve lived the dream.

 
WION: ‘Bigga Baggariddim’ is ‘Baggariddim’ 2.0. What was the thought behind revisiting this 1985 and re-collaborate with the original guest artists from it? Was it pure nostalgia? Or, the need to revisit those bygone years?

 
UB40: Our plan was to make a triple album. Starting with our last release ‘For the Many’—the ‘dub’ version—then Bigga Baggariddim. So this is the final part of that trilogy. And because it was a collaboration with other artists it was sort of ideal for lockdown because we could just send the backing tracks [from ‘For the Many’] around the world digitally, let the artists do their thing, send them back to us and we mixed the results. We weren’t motivated by nostalgia. Even though there are a couple of veterans on the Album like Inner Circle and Winston Francis, and we have a couple of artists from the original Baggariddim from 1986, but we also have some young contemporary artists from Jamaica Like Blvk H3ro and Leno Banton. Reggae has a timeless quality so the old can travel alongside the new without seeming out of place.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-wion-exclusive-bhuvan-bam-%E2%80%98dhindora%E2%80%99-could-have-been-on-any-ott-platform-but-thats-unfair-to-my-viewers-424368" hreflang="en">WION exclusive: Bhuvan Bam: Would've been unfair to release ‘Dhindora’ on OTT</a>

WION: Your long-time guitarist Duncan Campbell recently announced retirement. What does that mean for you as a band, and how has his contribution over the years shaped your music?

 
UB40: Duncan definitely contributed a lot to UB40. He was a really good live performer, and he contributed two songs to ‘For the Many’ [I’m alright Jack and Poor Fool], but UB40 are a bit like a football team. We can change our striker, like we did when Dunc took over from his brother Ali, and fans might not be happy, but when the new striker scores a few goals they will warm to him. Which is what happened when Dunc first joined the band, but once we had done a few gigs and people could see what a good performer he was people accepted him.

 
Nobody really ‘shapes’ the UB40 sound. We don’t have a boss or a band leader that controls all the elements of making music. It just organically grows out of the individual contributions of each band member, and that was true for Dunc too. The individual band members are just cogs in a bigger machine called UB40 that has a life of it’s own.

 
WION: This time you truly went global with your collaborations—with Indian vocalist-producer General Zooz aka Zorawar Shukla and New Zealand-based roots reggae band House of Shem—what prompted you to reach out to these artists? In what ways are this generation’s music different from when you all were just starting out?

 
UB40: When we did the first Baggariddim back in 1986 we used just local Birmingham artists where we all lived. But this time around, because we had so much international success, and had met some great artists along the way, usually performers that had opened for us on a show, as happened with House of Shem, who we loved so much we became good friends over many decades, we wanted to reflect that and give the record an international flavour. And it was the ideal record for lockdown because on line there are no barriers.

 
As far as today’s artists are concerned, there isn’t much advice I can give because it’s a different business to the one when we first started. So much of it has been changed by the growth of technology.

 
WION: Your last album—‘For The Many’ (2019)—was more of a political dialogue, a social commentary. What is the message that you are trying to send out or lesson you are trying to impart through ‘Bigga Baggariddim’?

 
UB40: For The Many was a UB40 original studio album, so because we are all [to a greater or lesser degree] political that is bound to be reflected in the lyrics. But Bigga Baggariddim isn’t a UB album in the same way. All the lyrical content comes from the individual artists that contributed. They had complete freedom to say what they wanted. Some of the tracks are political, but many aren’t. We didn’t control that, so there is no over-arching message from the record. Just a celebration of the diversity of Reggae music.

<img alt="The legendary band UB40" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="604af52a-47d3-4d0c-8360-73d56e2e7e12" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/pjimage%20-%202021-10-28T114241.315.jpg" /> 
WION: The COVID-induced lockdowns around the world meant you couldn’t perform. How does getting back feel after over a year? The fear of the pandemic causing severe harm must be playing at the back of your mind, no?

 
UB40: It was a real culture shock for us to stay at home. We’re a working band, and have been since we started. In 2019 we did over 100 shows in various places like America, Australia, Europe and the UK. Then suddenly we were forced to give up touring. At first it was ok because we all have families, so spending all our time at home wasn’t such a bad thing, but as we went into the second year we started to get itchy feet. Covid has had a devastating effect on the music business. And it’s still unfolding. Cases in the UK have started to get out of control [again], so it’s hard to see quite where then end will be. If there is an end at all. Time will tell.

 
WION: In a country like India, where Reggae is not half as popular as, say, Jamaica, how do you still manage to strike a chord with your fans in this part of the world? The 2017 concert was a hit.

 
UB40: Reggae is international music. Every country has its own reggae culture, some are underground like India, others are mainstream like Polynesia and New Zealand, and Africa loves Reggae too. It’s accessible, inclusive music that can appeal to all generations. And it’s rebel music, too, so it still has appeal for the young, and dub appeals to younger people too. Artists around the world, like the ones we collaborated with for Bigga Baggariddim, will keep the music alive.

 
WION: Right from the name of the band to the last album you had released, your music reflects the pain of the common man. Looking at the current scenario—from bloodshed to natural calamities—if you could, what would be the first thing you would change in the world with your music?

 
UB40: I’m not convinced music is really a good vehicle for change. And sometimes music can be an escape from the chaos. There are soothing qualities to music that can help heal wounds, and a UB40 concert, above all else is just a celebration of being alive and being able to dance and sing.

 
Things feel bad right now, Covid, Trump, and other right-wing crazy men [it’s usually men] are in the ascendency, but it’s always at its worst before things get better. I believe in the youth, who I think have had enough of the rampant inequality and abuse of the planets resources, and have been shut out of wealth while older people protect their accumulated wealth through property ownership. Young people are ‘generation rent’ who pays more in rent than they ever would if they could get a mortgage [which they can’t]. They can see how capitalism is killing the planet and are fighting for radical change. And socialism doesn’t have the same baggage that it has for older people. Young people don’t care about Stalin or McCarthy. They just care about inequality, insecure low-paid work and affordable homes. We are old f*rts now, but our kids carry the flag for revolutionary change that we once carried.

 
So, the first thing I would do is dump capitalism and re-distribute wealth. 
&nbsp;

If fame’s money, they would spend it all on issues closest to their bosom. A band born on the streets of Birmingham amid tough times, comprising a bunch of angry, yet, musically inclined young men.

If fame’s money, they would spend it all on issues closest to their bosom. A band born on the streets of Birmingham amid tough times, comprising a bunch of angry, yet, musically inclined young men. Forty-odd years on, it is now safe to say that UB40--founded by Ali Campbell, Jimmy Brown and bassist Earl Falconer, percussionists Yomi Babayemi and Norman Hassan, and then saxophonist Brian Travers and keyboardist Jimmy Lynn, Terence Wilson aka Astro and Robin Campbell--is God in-(multiple)-human-form in the Reggae universe. But, when has global recognition, sold-out concerts and music-chart-topping records prevented them from speaking their hearts out? Never. Not once. “They (youth) can see how capitalism is killing the planet and are fighting for radical change,” points out Jimmy Brown—drummer and founding member—in an exclusive interview with WION, when asked about what’s the band fuming over at the moment. In this interview, Jimmy, who spoke on behalf of his entire gang, talks about a time when they found themselves in the middle of a socio-political upheaval in South Africa, why nobody gets to boss around UB40, and busts the myth that Reggae is only for a select few. Unedited excerpts from our conversation with the legendary Reggae band: WION: ‘Bigga Baggariddim’ is your 20th album and 40 years of being together, more or less—an extraordinary feat to achieve for a band of your stature. What are your fondest memories from those formative years? UB40: As you point out, we’ve been doing this a long time. There are many highs and lows over the decades. Too many to recall, really. But our first chart success in the UK with ‘Food for Thought’ was an exciting time for the band. And our first number one record in the USA, playing a sold-out show in Madison Square Gardens at the same time, that really felt like we had made it on a global scale. Touring Polynesia was like touring in paradise with thousands turning up for shows in places like Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti etc. And our experiences in South Africa after Mandela was released and the cultural boycott was dropped, where we still hold the record for the biggest live show ever, 100,000 (people) over 2 nights. We’re very lucky, we’ve lived the dream. WION: ‘Bigga Baggariddim’ is ‘Baggariddim’ 2.0. What was the thought behind revisiting this 1985 and re-collaborate with the original guest artists from it? Was it pure nostalgia? Or, the need to revisit those bygone years? UB40: Our plan was to make a triple album. Starting with our last release ‘For the Many’—the ‘dub’ version—then Bigga Baggariddim. So this is the final part of that trilogy. And because it was a collaboration with other artists it was sort of ideal for lockdown because we could just send the backing tracks [from ‘For the Many’] around the world digitally, let the artists do their thing, send them back to us and we mixed the results. We weren’t motivated by nostalgia. Even though there are a couple of veterans on the Album like Inner Circle and Winston Francis, and we have a couple of artists from the original Baggariddim from 1986, but we also have some young contemporary artists from Jamaica Like Blvk H3ro and Leno Banton. Reggae has a timeless quality so the old can travel alongside the new without seeming out of place. Also read: WION exclusive: Bhuvan Bam: Would've been unfair to release ‘Dhindora’ on OTT WION: Your long-time guitarist Duncan Campbell recently announced retirement. What does that mean for you as a band, and how has his contribution over the years shaped your music? UB40: Duncan definitely contributed a lot to UB40. He was a really good live performer, and he contributed two songs to ‘For the Many’ [I’m alright Jack and Poor Fool], but UB40 are a bit like a football team. We can change our striker, like we did when Dunc took over from his brother Ali, and fans might not be happy, but when the new striker scores a few goals they will warm to him. Which is what happened when Dunc first joined the band, but once we had done a few gigs and people could see what a good performer he was people accepted him. Nobody really ‘shapes’ the UB40 sound. We don’t have a boss or a band leader that controls all the elements of making music. It just organically grows out of the individual contributions of each band member, and that was true for Dunc too. The individual band members are just cogs in a bigger machine called UB40 that has a life of it’s own. WION: This time you truly went global with your collaborations—with Indian vocalist-producer General Zooz aka Zorawar Shukla and New Zealand-based roots reggae band House of Shem—what prompted you to reach out to these artists? In what ways are this generation’s music different from when you all were just starting out? UB40: When we did the first Baggariddim back in 1986 we used just local Birmingham artists where we all lived. But this time around, because we had so much international success, and had met some great artists along the way, usually performers that had opened for us on a show, as happened with House of Shem, who we loved so much we became good friends over many decades, we wanted to reflect that and give the record an international flavour. And it was the ideal record for lockdown because on line there are no barriers. As far as today’s artists are concerned, there isn’t much advice I can give because it’s a different business to the one when we first started. So much of it has been changed by the growth of technology. WION: Your last album—‘For The Many’ (2019)—was more of a political dialogue, a social commentary. What is the message that you are trying to send out or lesson you are trying to impart through ‘Bigga Baggariddim’? UB40: For The Many was a UB40 original studio album, so because we are all [to a greater or lesser degree] political that is bound to be reflected in the lyrics. But Bigga Baggariddim isn’t a UB album in the same way. All the lyrical content comes from the individual artists that contributed. They had complete freedom to say what they wanted. Some of the tracks are political, but many aren’t. We didn’t control that, so there is no over-arching message from the record. Just a celebration of the diversity of Reggae music. WION: The COVID-induced lockdowns around the world meant you couldn’t perform. How does getting back feel after over a year? The fear of the pandemic causing severe harm must be playing at the back of your mind, no? UB40: It was a real culture shock for us to stay at home. We’re a working band, and have been since we started. In 2019 we did over 100 shows in various places like America, Australia, Europe and the UK. Then suddenly we were forced to give up touring. At first it was ok because we all have families, so spending all our time at home wasn’t such a bad thing, but as we went into the second year we started to get itchy feet. Covid has had a devastating effect on the music business. And it’s still unfolding. Cases in the UK have started to get out of control [again], so it’s hard to see quite where then end will be. If there is an end at all. Time will tell. WION: In a country like India, where Reggae is not half as popular as, say, Jamaica, how do you still manage to strike a chord with your fans in this part of the world? The 2017 concert was a hit. UB40: Reggae is international music. Every country has its own reggae culture, some are underground like India, others are mainstream like Polynesia and New Zealand, and Africa loves Reggae too. It’s accessible, inclusive music that can appeal to all generations. And it’s rebel music, too, so it still has appeal for the young, and dub appeals to younger people too. Artists around the world, like the ones we collaborated with for Bigga Baggariddim, will keep the music alive. WION: Right from the name of the band to the last album you had released, your music reflects the pain of the common man. Looking at the current scenario—from bloodshed to natural calamities—if you could, what would be the first thing you would change in the world with your music? UB40: I’m not convinced music is really a good vehicle for change. And sometimes music can be an escape from the chaos. There are soothing qualities to music that can help heal wounds, and a UB40 concert, above all else is just a celebration of being alive and being able to dance and sing. Things feel bad right now, Covid, Trump, and other right-wing crazy men [it’s usually men] are in the ascendency, but it’s always at its worst before things get better. I believe in the youth, who I think have had enough of the rampant inequality and abuse of the planets resources, and have been shut out of wealth while older people protect their accumulated wealth through property ownership. Young people are ‘generation rent’ who pays more in rent than they ever would if they could get a mortgage [which they can’t]. They can see how capitalism is killing the planet and are fighting for radical change. And socialism doesn’t have the same baggage that it has for older people. Young people don’t care about Stalin or McCarthy. They just care about inequality, insecure low-paid work and affordable homes. We are old f*rts now, but our kids carry the flag for revolutionary change that we once carried. So, the first thing I would do is dump capitalism and re-distribute wealth.

WION exclusive: UB40: We are old f*rts now, our kids carry the flag for revolutionary change

In a world that is still grappling with sporadic spurts of COVID-19 cases in different parts of the world, resuscitating the tourism industry is not going to be an easy task. Kimarli Fernando, Sri Lanka's Tourism Chairperson tells us how the country intends to attract international tourists while at the same time ensuring that COVID-19 does not rear up its head again on the island nation .

WION Exclusive: Sri Lanka offers the best compact Asian experience, says Kimarli Fernanado

An introverted rapper Karma found solace in music, so, he started writing rap songs. From humble beginnings to now being a well-known rapper in Mumbai's booming rap-and-hip-hop scene, the young musician has come a long way.

 
In this exclusive interview with WION, Karma talks about life struggles inspiring art, his rapport with Raftaar and talks about the 'superpowers' he has. Excerpts:&nbsp;

 
WION: Tell us about your music journey and what influenced your choice to become a rapper.

 
Music journey has been great. I started writing songs in 2011, used to upload videos on YouTube and now , its my fourth year of being a signed artist and thankfully things are good. I used to be a very introvert guy, and I found that music was my medium to express my thoughts out. Hip-hop is a very expressive art form and music gave me the superpowers to convey my message as it is out to the people.&nbsp;

 
WION: Tell us about your latest album 'M. Y. P'-Made you proud' and its key inspirations.

 
'M.Y.P - MADE YOU PROUD', is my debut album, and a very special project to me.&nbsp; 
It's a tribute from my side to my late father and everybody else who supported and believed in me from day one. I took my time to complete the project, The goal was to showcase versatility and that's what I was able to achieve. The features on the album, the producers, the music videos, made it a &nbsp;project full of colours and full of different vibe.

 
WION: How did you cope with the loss of your father at such a young age and how did that influence your choices?

 
It was very sudden and I was 22 at the time, responsibilities came and I was a new guy instantly. This is not something to cope I guess, you just try your best to live alongside the fact that a major part of your life is gone.&nbsp;

 
WION: Did stammering ever pose as a shortcoming for you professionally and how did you make it an advantage for you?

 
Stammering can be a big problem if you want to succeed with an artform like Rap.&nbsp; 
This need proper diction, flows and everything else. The fun part is that I never stammer while rapping thus its was never a problem professionally.&nbsp;

 
WION: Tell us about your mentor Raftaar and some unique experiences you have shared with him.

 
Its always good to have the best people around. Raftaar is more than a mentor, he and I share a very unique bond. The brotherhood grows deeper every time we meet. It's always a good experience working with him. Studio sessions are fun and informative.&nbsp;

 
WION: What is your view on the current hip hop scene in India and how do you see yourself in this scene, in what capacity?

 
Hip-hop scene in India is blooming right now and It's really good to see that.&nbsp;Current hip hop scene is very vast, everyone is making different sounds and everybody is grabbing a different kind of audience. The good part about my music is that it's a common man voice. Everybody relate to it and that is a huge advantage to an artist because in the end you want your music to be receptive by Mass.

An introverted rapper Karma found solace in music, so, he started writing rap songs. From humble beginnings to now being a well-known rapper in Mumbai's booming rap-and-hip-hop scene, the young musician has come a long way.

An introverted rapper Karma found solace in music, so, he started writing rap songs. From humble beginnings to now being a well-known rapper in Mumbai's booming rap-and-hip-hop scene, the young musician has come a long way. In this exclusive interview with WION, Karma talks about life struggles inspiring art, his rapport with Raftaar and talks about the 'superpowers' he has. Excerpts: WION: Tell us about your music journey and what influenced your choice to become a rapper. Music journey has been great. I started writing songs in 2011, used to upload videos on YouTube and now , its my fourth year of being a signed artist and thankfully things are good. I used to be a very introvert guy, and I found that music was my medium to express my thoughts out. Hip-hop is a very expressive art form and music gave me the superpowers to convey my message as it is out to the people. WION: Tell us about your latest album 'M. Y. P'-Made you proud' and its key inspirations. 'M.Y.P - MADE YOU PROUD', is my debut album, and a very special project to me. It's a tribute from my side to my late father and everybody else who supported and believed in me from day one. I took my time to complete the project, The goal was to showcase versatility and that's what I was able to achieve. The features on the album, the producers, the music videos, made it a project full of colours and full of different vibe. WION: How did you cope with the loss of your father at such a young age and how did that influence your choices? It was very sudden and I was 22 at the time, responsibilities came and I was a new guy instantly. This is not something to cope I guess, you just try your best to live alongside the fact that a major part of your life is gone. WION: Did stammering ever pose as a shortcoming for you professionally and how did you make it an advantage for you? Stammering can be a big problem if you want to succeed with an artform like Rap. This need proper diction, flows and everything else. The fun part is that I never stammer while rapping thus its was never a problem professionally. WION: Tell us about your mentor Raftaar and some unique experiences you have shared with him. Its always good to have the best people around. Raftaar is more than a mentor, he and I share a very unique bond. The brotherhood grows deeper every time we meet. It's always a good experience working with him. Studio sessions are fun and informative. WION: What is your view on the current hip hop scene in India and how do you see yourself in this scene, in what capacity? Hip-hop scene in India is blooming right now and It's really good to see that. Current hip hop scene is very vast, everyone is making different sounds and everybody is grabbing a different kind of audience. The good part about my music is that it's a common man voice. Everybody relate to it and that is a huge advantage to an artist because in the end you want your music to be receptive by Mass.

WION exclusive: Rapper Karma: Raftaar is more than a mentor, our brotherhood's ever growing

When she walked into the room for our virtual interview, the first thing we noticed about breakout star Kubbra Sait is her energy—free, easygoing and no-drama plastered all over her face.

When she walked into the room for our virtual interview, the first thing we noticed about breakout star Kubbra Sait is her energy—free, easygoing and no-drama plastered all over her face. “When you are on stage, there are no retakes,” she tells WION, when asked about the difference in approach in West and at home. Kubbra, who became a household name in India for her marvellous character Kuckoo in Emmy-nominated ‘Sacred Games’, has now gone global. In Apple TV’s recently released project ‘Foundation’, the actor plays a crucial role—that of Phara Keaen. Ask her about the back story behind bagging such a grand project and she shares it with the enthusiasm of a child. “I was doing my sales pitch left, right and centre,” she joked, or maybe not. Kubbra Sait has been many people in her brief yet impactful career and she will tell you she’s massively proud of each one of them. In a tete-a-tete with WION, the actor shed light on the topic of age-appropriate roles for women in cinema, the boom of OTT and what it meant for the masses, and why one should not hanker after inclusivity if that doesn’t happen organically. Edited excerpts (for clarity) from our conversation with the actor: WION: Okay, so first of all, tell me how does it feel to be called a global star? KB: Am I a global star yet? If you insist, I'll take it with a pinch of salt. Thank you so much (grins!) WION: So tell us everything about Apple TV's ‘Foundation’. How did it happen? What prompted you to take it up? Tell us everything related to your first global project. KB: It started off in 2019. I was called in for an audition by Tess Joseph and her casting company. I auditioned, and after a couple of attempts, I got the tape, which we nailed. And then I was called to Ireland for a screen test. I think the first time I really felt that I had got this part was when they put me in a silicone meld, and they took my facial, like size and dimensions. But after my test, I was very sweetly told that, you don't have it yet, so you have to wait to hear from us. (I said) I've come (with) this vibe; please don't do this to me just yet. I was, like, you know, my show sacred games was nominated the Emmys, I'm a very good actor, I was doing my sales pitch left, right and centre. All they said is, please focus on your lines and just do this well, and we'll come back to you. I think that was literally the journey, and on the 11th of Jan, I got that proverbial call. I was making my coffee, it was still night in LA. I got a call from my agent saying, well, congratulations, you are Phara Keaen in Foundation. So literally, that was the journey from its inception to me finally going there. And yeah, then the pandemic happened. I shot one scene which is the action scene that you'll see in episode five. That was the first scene we shot, and the next day I got a call saying so we're suspending the production for 15 days. (By) the fifth day of suspension, (it) became an indefinite suspension of the show, and then you're like, oh my god, is this even going to happen? What's going to be the fate of this show? Because you've already built so many mountains and so many castles in the air, you're like, oh my god; this is going to be the greatest thing that I've ever done. And now it's like, nothing's going to happen. Just sit at home and wait. (But) I'm so happy to report back after a year that now the show is successfully complete. The show is successfully doing well. It's on Apple TV plus, and I'm so excited. So that's our journey. WION: Like you mentioned, you joined the cast again after a year. So how did you get back into the skin of your character? Well, that must've required a lot of learning and un-learning on your part? KB: I came back in March, and we were back (to shooting) in September, so six months later, we went back to shoot. But when I went back, I was literally doing lines for the first time because up until this point (it) was just action that we had shot. So the genesis of my character happened during the second schedule, when I went back. And it was just incredible to build from the script and mouth these lines, and make her come alive and make her the fierce. It's just such a juicy character love it. WION: So you have worked in a Bollywood movie, you are a big name in the OTT space (featured in Emmy nominated ‘Sacred Games’), of course, and you have also done an international project. So, what, in your opinion, is the basic difference between these three platforms in terms of the work culture? What did you observe? KB: Eventually, we all are actors, and that is something that we need to first understand before anything else. But what particularly blew my mind is that time is an important factor for everybody there. Time is valued and people are valued. There are no excuses for being late, or not learning your lines, or you will not have an assistant director standing in to like give lines for somebody else. Everybody is there, and everybody is sincerely performing, even if the camera's not on them. Because most of these actors belong to a theatre background, they studied acting, they've done this for a long time. When you are on stage, there are no retakes. We all are in this together, and I thought that, for me it was an incredible learning experience. I say this a lot. And I'm going to say this again, as if I really have no other words. But to be honest, me this was like going to school and getting paid to go to school. WION: In ‘Jawani Jaaneman’, you play a mature character, right? So there was a time in Indian cinema when actresses did not get to play central characters after a certain point in their careers. But I feel that has changed with time. Vidya Balan doing ‘Sherni’ was a classic example of that. So what do you think about the advancement in the depiction of women in cinema? KB: I think it's changed drastically. I think it's been changing over years. You are playing age appropriate roles. Maturity is a state of mind. It's how much you've travelled, how much you've eaten, how much you've seen, and how much you live, and how much you failed. That's what reach reaches maturity, even in that film. So I'm saying that maturity is something that comes to you with experience, and that doesn't mean you need to be old or not. I think, for me it's a very cool character, because (it was) for the first (time) I've ever played a pretty person on screen. So I'm very grateful. It was angst-y, and I wasn't like that loud and bubbly person that I am, I was just like a very, like, simple, grounded, very self assured person. I thought that was just the greatest experience of playing Ria in ‘Jawani Jaaneman’. When you come to Mumbai, you think that I am going to be that quintessential heroine but then you need to have the quintessential hero, and then you need to have that antagonist. So I think that being said, just the scope of stories, you're telling is changing. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kubbra Sait (@kubbrasait) × We just have got so many stories to tell, like today a film like, ‘Pagglait’ gets made, and it’s about a young widow, right? This really, really touched me, like really close to my heart, because my help who lives with me, lost her husband, she's one year older than I. Who talks about these stories, who talks about people like them who can be characters on screen. And for that kind of a story to be told is fantastic. It means we are evolving, because these are real people, somewhere in the real world. So I remember Ruthie and I watched that film together. It's such a beautiful film. It was pretty good. WION: ‘Shang Chi’ released recently. And we are awaiting the release of another diversified movie, ‘Eternals’. With the changing time—now more than ever—there's a lot of conversation around inclusion, especially of Asian actors in Hollywood. So do you think that Indian actors—with so many of you having made it to global cinema—are slowly but surely becoming a part of the whole inclusion narrative? KB: I think it's not to make a statement, but as I said, everybody is evolving, and you need to give that room for evolution. Allow stories to be told. But we are like also in a rush. I'm like, what's the rush? The question is, are people opening their eyes? And are they ready to embrace your individuality? And when you are there on that stage in that room? Do you deliver? And if you do, then you will receive the validation and the gratification, but I don't think we are necessarily waiting for XYZ to come in and say, ‘You are a part of my show, because I want to address inclusivity’. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kubbra Sait (@kubbrasait) × Because let's take Phara Keaen (my character) for example, right? She could have been from anywhere in the world, she just happened to be me, because of my audition. And the makers believed that this character could be authentically from Southeast Asia. So that had nothing to do with me, except for the fact that I worked hard and gave my audition and delivered. But everything else depended on the vision of the makers. And they stood by their vision. And they stood by the fact that this choice is right. It's as simple as that. And I really, really wish that more stories are written and more crossovers happen. I wish that we stopped typecasting a white person to be somebody who is British, and a tyrant. Now they are getting better roles, we are getting better roles, the world has become smaller. OTT has allowed all of us to see the world in a different light. Today you've got Eternals being directed by a female director. So instead of harping on all the things that aren't happening, try to speed up the process towards things that are happening. As you know, a journey that needs to happen is that arc that needs to be explored. Then I think we'll get there together. It's not about throwing in inclusivity for the sake of it, right? It needs to have a narrative; it needs to have a story to be told. And I'm so grateful that my story as Farah in foundation is worth a story being told. That's all that matters to me. And I think if I do something that allows people to see more Indians in that space, very well. At the end of the day, we all are doing great work, and the least we can do is sit in our respective living rooms, have a cup of chai, watch the show, watch the work and celebrate each other. I think if that's what we are doing as a community, we are excelling. As a race, we are excelling, and that's what we should do. Watch the trailer of 'Foundation' here:

WION exclusive: Kubbra Sait: We are rushing representation; it needs to have a narrative

He is, in the true sense of the word, a self-made superstar. What started purely by&nbsp;fluke ended up being a mammoth digital revolution in India:&nbsp;Bhuvan Bam's much loved 'BB Ki Vines'. No, he doesn't want to wait for a comedy special to land on his lap or an OTT executive to take notice of his talent. "We can't wait for any platform to give us an opportunity to create something, we can do it on our own," Bhuvan&nbsp;tells WION in an exclusive interview from his Mumbai den.&nbsp;

Now off to a stupendous start--Bhuvan Bam is the first Indian digital content creator to launch his independent web series, 'Dhindora'--the young content-creating&nbsp;star shares how he has worked 16 hours a day to get each of his 10 characters right, why he would have never taken his firstborn (series) to an OTT platform, and explains that although life has been tough the last few months, yet, he firmly believes in the saying that the show must go on: for the people involved with&nbsp;his work, and for his own sake.&nbsp;

Edited and condensed excerpts from our conversation with the digital star:&nbsp;

WION: First of all, congrats on ‘Dhindora’. I have watched the first four episodes and it is hilarious. So, you are the first content creator to come up with his own web series where you are the heart and soul of it. Tell us what prompted you to take up this project? What was the thought behind this? Tell us everything about ‘Dhindora’.

 
BB: It came from a thought that what if I take these characters out of the room (referring to his YouTube skit, ‘BB Ki Vines’) that I've been shooting for the past five years. What if I show people that now they can see those characters from head-to-toe, and you can see them move, see their legs and you can see them like you see actors in any other movie or a series. So, that's where ‘Dhindora’ idea popped in. There was a story we had in mind and then we started writing it. ‘Dhindora’ was a movie earlier. But then we decided to make it episodic because that's what OTT platforms are doing right now. Eventually, we decided to keep it on YouTube for people to watch. And, that’s the back story of ‘Dhindora’ in a nutshell (chuckles!)

<img alt="Bhuvan Bam plays 10 roles in 'Dhindora'" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9fc71265-e0e2-4711-928b-293a49d83fa1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2%20dhindora.jpg" /> 
WION: So you mentioned OTT platforms, and that’s my follow up question. You have no backing from say a Netflix or an Amazon Prime and you are all on your own. How easy or difficult was it for you to create ‘Dhindora’ all by yourself? What are the challenges you&nbsp;faced along the way? Or, how do you think you are at an advantage by doing this on your own without the backing of any OTT giant?

 
BB: I mean, really, we knew that we had to do this on YouTube. We could have have taken this to any other OTT platform. But, it would have been really unfair to the people who watch my content because this is the first series that we are doing on ‘YouTube’, which involves my universe. So, it would have been, frankly, very unfair to the people you made it for, people who have been watching you for five years on YouTube for free. And then suddenly, you take this big step of taking those characters out from YouTube to some other OTT platform: that would have been pretty unfair for them. So it was a conscious decision to keep the show on YouTube—and for free. We can't wait for any other platform to give us an opportunity to create something, we can do it on our own. And we can do it on YouTube. That was the main idea behind it.

 
WION: From what I understand—based on what I have watched so far—‘Dhindora’ is essentially a satire, a commentary on society, right? Please talk about the underlying themes that you have tried to project in the series, through humour, of course.&nbsp;

 
BB: The theme is, see there's a story that is going on throughout the show. But, apart from that, what this series really stands for is the importance of family, the importance of relationships, and how, when we are 18-19—when we are too young—how we take these relationships for granted. It also is a reflection on how the society’s treatment of you can change with time.

 
WION: I know you have been asked this a lot&nbsp;in the past, but, I still wanted to know now that your skit has taken the form of&nbsp;a full-blown series. How do you manage to&nbsp;get into one character, snap out of it and then take on a completely new role? How do you play so many people all at once?

 
BB: I mean, practically, back to practice (of juggling roles). I've been doing this for five years now. So, I know how to switch between different personalities. But now that we were shooting full length characters—we were showing them move around—we were technically shooting a movie. So I think (there was discomfort) in the initial few days. Gradually, I got a hold of it because they were people who were working on the costume aspect of it, and so on and so forth. The idea was that no characters should look similar to one another. And that's what we tried to do the entire show. See acting is something that I knew I could pull off. But how do we make them look different? How do we make them look convincing? And you keep showing them without losing their originality. How do we make them look different from each other? And that's where I will give to the entire credit to the make-up and costume team. As far as switching between characters is concerned? I don't know. It wasn't tough. But, yes, I was stuck in a loop. Because we had shot for 41 days straight and every day, we used to shoot for 16 hours without fail because&nbsp;I was the only actor on set (laughs!) So in these 41 days, I may have slept two hours or an hour-and-a-half a day. I think we just wanted to do this without thinking of (the end product).

<img alt="jxnlkdmb lghnfdsxzxbn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1f5cd4c-81cd-4466-8a69-91eb7909a420" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1%20dhindora.jpg" /> 
WION: Is ‘Dhindora’ going to be a proper series with maybe a season 2, 3 and 4. What’s the future?

 
BB: Frankly, I don't know what the future is. But, I internally know that there has to be something that should follow up with this (the series). We are working on it. But right now, the main aim is to concentrate on the first season and the upcoming episodes. But, yeah, it is definitely on our mind.

 
WION: The past few months have been extremely difficult for all of us, especially you. I wanted to know from you since you have done so much work—like you mentioned, clocking 16 hours a day, two hours of sleep for 41 days straight. And your personal life had hit all-time low, too. Where do you&nbsp;derive the strength from to keep going, to keep at it: your energy in the face of adversity is truly remarkable.

 
BB: I mean, see the things that affect you personally, you can't let them interfere with your professional life. There are days when you don't feel like working, there are days when you just feel like sleeping. But then, you realize that, ‘okay, there are other people who are attached to the project’. And you can't you can't just stop and lock yourself up (in a room). Aap ke personal life main jo bhi chal rahaan ho, woh&nbsp;aapka problem hai...&nbsp;It's your problem at the end of the day. So keeping professionalism in mind, you need to work for the people who are related to the project, and I'm working alone on this. There are so many people who are earning through this or there are people who will eventually earn money from it. You can't let these things come in the way of your career.

<img alt="Bhuvan Bam has found solace in 'Dhindora'" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f430078b-47e5-456a-83ac-4e3632a43d4b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/3%20dhindora.jpg" /> 
WION: Considering you toiled so hard for&nbsp;this project, was there a sense of solace for you from everything that's been happening in your life: maybe while filming it or by just being on set? Was it some kind of 'comfort zone'?&nbsp;

 
BB: It was (my) comfort zone because I knew what I had to shoot. But, in terms of production, it was a new experience—including me—and for everyone else. Because we haven't shot something like this and probably not many people have done this: to play 10 characters! I was the only actor and it was a learning experience for everyone. And till the 30th day of the shoot, people on the set and our entirecrew was clueless as to what we were shooting. And then when the trailer arrived, everyone realized, ‘Oh, this is what we were shooting’. It was a very tedious shoot. If you think there was only one actor, so I had to act for the character and then I had to go and change for the other actors, which was very tedious and I'm glad (I did that).

 
WION: A lot of digital content creators are going The Netflix-Amazon Prime or Bollywood way. Are you toying with the idea or is something already in the pipeline? What are your thoughts on mainstream acting gigs?

 
BB: I think there’s an idea we have, but it's a far-fetched idea and it will eventually happen. But for now, we need to concentrate on the things that we have and let's finish what we have right now. And then we'll think of something that involves Bollywood or some other OTT platforms.

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He is, in the true sense of the word, a self-made superstar. What started purely by fluke ended up being a mammoth digital revolution in India: Bhuvan Bam's much loved 'BB Ki Vines'.

He is, in the true sense of the word, a self-made superstar. What started purely by fluke ended up being a mammoth digital revolution in India: Bhuvan Bam's much loved 'BB Ki Vines'. No, he doesn't want to wait for a comedy special to land on his lap or an OTT executive to take notice of his talent. "We can't wait for any platform to give us an opportunity to create something, we can do it on our own," Bhuvan tells WION in an exclusive interview from his Mumbai den. Now off to a stupendous start--Bhuvan Bam is the first Indian digital content creator to launch his independent web series, 'Dhindora'--the young content-creating star shares how he has worked 16 hours a day to get each of his 10 characters right, why he would have never taken his firstborn (series) to an OTT platform, and explains that although life has been tough the last few months, yet, he firmly believes in the saying that the show must go on: for the people involved with his work, and for his own sake. Edited and condensed excerpts from our conversation with the digital star: WION: First of all, congrats on ‘Dhindora’. I have watched the first four episodes and it is hilarious. So, you are the first content creator to come up with his own web series where you are the heart and soul of it. Tell us what prompted you to take up this project? What was the thought behind this? Tell us everything about ‘Dhindora’. BB: It came from a thought that what if I take these characters out of the room (referring to his YouTube skit, ‘BB Ki Vines’) that I've been shooting for the past five years. What if I show people that now they can see those characters from head-to-toe, and you can see them move, see their legs and you can see them like you see actors in any other movie or a series. So, that's where ‘Dhindora’ idea popped in. There was a story we had in mind and then we started writing it. ‘Dhindora’ was a movie earlier. But then we decided to make it episodic because that's what OTT platforms are doing right now. Eventually, we decided to keep it on YouTube for people to watch. And, that’s the back story of ‘Dhindora’ in a nutshell (chuckles!) WION: So you mentioned OTT platforms, and that’s my follow up question. You have no backing from say a Netflix or an Amazon Prime and you are all on your own. How easy or difficult was it for you to create ‘Dhindora’ all by yourself? What are the challenges you faced along the way? Or, how do you think you are at an advantage by doing this on your own without the backing of any OTT giant? BB: I mean, really, we knew that we had to do this on YouTube. We could have have taken this to any other OTT platform. But, it would have been really unfair to the people who watch my content because this is the first series that we are doing on ‘YouTube’, which involves my universe. So, it would have been, frankly, very unfair to the people you made it for, people who have been watching you for five years on YouTube for free. And then suddenly, you take this big step of taking those characters out from YouTube to some other OTT platform: that would have been pretty unfair for them. So it was a conscious decision to keep the show on YouTube—and for free. We can't wait for any other platform to give us an opportunity to create something, we can do it on our own. And we can do it on YouTube. That was the main idea behind it. WION: From what I understand—based on what I have watched so far—‘Dhindora’ is essentially a satire, a commentary on society, right? Please talk about the underlying themes that you have tried to project in the series, through humour, of course. BB: The theme is, see there's a story that is going on throughout the show. But, apart from that, what this series really stands for is the importance of family, the importance of relationships, and how, when we are 18-19—when we are too young—how we take these relationships for granted. It also is a reflection on how the society’s treatment of you can change with time. WION: I know you have been asked this a lot in the past, but, I still wanted to know now that your skit has taken the form of a full-blown series. How do you manage to get into one character, snap out of it and then take on a completely new role? How do you play so many people all at once? BB: I mean, practically, back to practice (of juggling roles). I've been doing this for five years now. So, I know how to switch between different personalities. But now that we were shooting full length characters—we were showing them move around—we were technically shooting a movie. So I think (there was discomfort) in the initial few days. Gradually, I got a hold of it because they were people who were working on the costume aspect of it, and so on and so forth. The idea was that no characters should look similar to one another. And that's what we tried to do the entire show. See acting is something that I knew I could pull off. But how do we make them look different? How do we make them look convincing? And you keep showing them without losing their originality. How do we make them look different from each other? And that's where I will give to the entire credit to the make-up and costume team. As far as switching between characters is concerned? I don't know. It wasn't tough. But, yes, I was stuck in a loop. Because we had shot for 41 days straight and every day, we used to shoot for 16 hours without fail because I was the only actor on set (laughs!) So in these 41 days, I may have slept two hours or an hour-and-a-half a day. I think we just wanted to do this without thinking of (the end product). WION: Is ‘Dhindora’ going to be a proper series with maybe a season 2, 3 and 4. What’s the future? BB: Frankly, I don't know what the future is. But, I internally know that there has to be something that should follow up with this (the series). We are working on it. But right now, the main aim is to concentrate on the first season and the upcoming episodes. But, yeah, it is definitely on our mind. WION: The past few months have been extremely difficult for all of us, especially you. I wanted to know from you since you have done so much work—like you mentioned, clocking 16 hours a day, two hours of sleep for 41 days straight. And your personal life had hit all-time low, too. Where do you derive the strength from to keep going, to keep at it: your energy in the face of adversity is truly remarkable. BB: I mean, see the things that affect you personally, you can't let them interfere with your professional life. There are days when you don't feel like working, there are days when you just feel like sleeping. But then, you realize that, ‘okay, there are other people who are attached to the project’. And you can't you can't just stop and lock yourself up (in a room). Aap ke personal life main jo bhi chal rahaan ho, woh aapka problem hai... It's your problem at the end of the day. So keeping professionalism in mind, you need to work for the people who are related to the project, and I'm working alone on this. There are so many people who are earning through this or there are people who will eventually earn money from it. You can't let these things come in the way of your career. WION: Considering you toiled so hard for this project, was there a sense of solace for you from everything that's been happening in your life: maybe while filming it or by just being on set? Was it some kind of 'comfort zone'? BB: It was (my) comfort zone because I knew what I had to shoot. But, in terms of production, it was a new experience—including me—and for everyone else. Because we haven't shot something like this and probably not many people have done this: to play 10 characters! I was the only actor and it was a learning experience for everyone. And till the 30th day of the shoot, people on the set and our entirecrew was clueless as to what we were shooting. And then when the trailer arrived, everyone realized, ‘Oh, this is what we were shooting’. It was a very tedious shoot. If you think there was only one actor, so I had to act for the character and then I had to go and change for the other actors, which was very tedious and I'm glad (I did that). WION: A lot of digital content creators are going The Netflix-Amazon Prime or Bollywood way. Are you toying with the idea or is something already in the pipeline? What are your thoughts on mainstream acting gigs? BB: I think there’s an idea we have, but it's a far-fetched idea and it will eventually happen. But for now, we need to concentrate on the things that we have and let's finish what we have right now. And then we'll think of something that involves Bollywood or some other OTT platforms.

WION exclusive: Bhuvan Bam: ‘Dhindora’ could have been on any OTT platform, but that's unfair to my viewers

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