Ask what is the one thing that makes Khiladi actor Akshay Kumar stand out of his league and we will say there are many. The self-driven man is a powerhouse when it comes to talent and energy.

We have seen him setting pulses racing with his action scenes, we have seen his comic timing and we have seen him cutting a sorry figure too and amazingly, he is equally good in all of them.

This is what makes him a gem among the lot. He is one ‘Kumar’ in Bollywood, who stands tall in the industry ruled prominently by ‘Khans’ and ‘Kapoors’.

Here, while we wish him loads of happiness and good luck on his birthday, we would like to share why he deserves a special place in Bollywood.

1. Akshay is a fitness freak

At the age of 48, you would not know many men who are both fit and kicking. He is one of them! A knower of many martial arts like taekwondo, Goju-ryu karate, aikido and Shaolin Kung-fu, Akshay Kumar aka Rajeev Bhatia has simply no competition when it comes to action.

2. Akshay is a thorough professional

He is widely applauded for his professionalism by his peers. Be it directors, producers, colleagues or fans, they always get to see him at his best. When on the sets, he prefers being professional and behaving sensibly rather than throwing starry tantrums.

3. Akshay makes a great husband

It’s been 15 years since they fell in love but we still see that spark in the marriage of Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna. Though linked with so many actresses before his marriage, once he was taken, he has become a total family man.

4. A doting father too!

We know how protective Akshay is of his kids! He says he wants to give them a normal childhood and hence keeps them away from all the limelight. If this is not all, then the below picture should suffice, where he manages to take time out from his busy schedule just to play with the kids.

5. Energetic and electric

After more than 150 movies, 500 live shows and counting, Akshay Kumar is still going strong. Whether it’s comedy or action, we love him every way, especially for the energy and zeal that he adds to his scenes.

6. True to the nation as well!

It may not be known that Akshay Kumar was the industry’s highest advance taxpayer for six consecutive years. Once, he even paid Rs 19 crore as advance tax payment.

With Singh is Bliing coming up, we wish our Khiladi actor all the luck in life and a wonderful year ahead.

You know you’ve done something right if a theatre full of critics and bloggers are clapping in a few scenes, especially when the said theatre is not Gaiety Galaxy and nor is the movie a Salman Khan starrer releasing on Eid. Brothers is exactly that, an entertaining film based on sibling rivalry. From Mahabharat to Deewar, Indians love good old family drama, and Brothers manages to hit the right notes. It’s rather surprising that the film is a remake of a Hollywood movie –Warrior, because this one has all the makings of a desi tearjerker.

The story is rather simple, two step-brothers face each other in a fight due to circumstances that were never really in their hands. Their father both binds them as well as seperates them due to his issues with alcoholism and his ill-treatment of their mother. The chemistry between Akshay Kumar and Sidharth Malhotra is awesome.

Talking about the heroes of this film, I remembered this thing Priyam (from Team MissMalini) often says about Akshay Kumar, that he’s a “taste the thunder” type of man. I never really got the phrase until I saw him get down and dirty on the streets of Bombay with tattooed arms and six-pack abs. This man can do anything, and by anything I mean, making my jaw drop with some of his stunts in the ring. Giving him great support is Sidharth Malhotra who looks every bit of the ‘bad boy‘ his character Monty is required to be. From his complete badassery (the part where he doesn’t wait for his opponent to signal defeat because he knows he has knocked him out) to his emotional scenes with his father, Sid has done a great job.

Jackie Shroff is aptly cast as Akshay and Sidharth’s troubled father, but I think he could have toned it down a little. Jacqueline Fernandez looks gorgeous and has done a decent job in the few scenes she has. Shefali Shah is brilliant in her cameo. Seriously, why doesn’t this woman do more movies? The supporting cast lead by Kiran Kumar, Ashutosh Rana, Raj Zutshi,Khulbhushan Kharbanda and Kavi Shastri is alright.

The music of Brothers is decent and thankfully no one is lip-syncing, except Kareena Kapoor in an unrequired item number. Bebo looks gorgeous, but her song really makes no difference to the movie. There are the ‘typical‘ emotional scenes the director Karan Malhotra has peppered the film with, some of which, made the audience groan a little. But because of a fantastic confrontation scene between Jackie and Shefali a few minutes before the interval, I forgive him for using the same old tropes Bollywood uses to stir emotions in the audience’s heart.  The fight choreography is intense and as I said before, some of the stunts are jaw-dropping. The action and Akshay are the USPs of the movie, but I’ll give credit to Sidharth for summing up whatBrothers is all about in one line – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham with Mixed Martial Arts.

Don’t miss it!

Rating: ***1/2

Source : Movie Review: Hello Brother(s)!

Your crazy friend visited hills station. He posted video proof on Facebook and you liked it. Your neighbor posted a photo of herself geeked-out as Lady Thor at Comic-Con. Pics on FB or it didn’t happen. Well, by Loki, it did and you shared it.

If you’re like the rest of us, you share your friends' posts often. You like, you comment, you interact like crazy on Facebook, sometimes all day, almost as if it’s a knee-jerk reaction. But you’re not quite sure why.

Why??? Why do you do what you do on Facebook, you complicated lifeforms?     

Well, research predictably suggests that clicking “like,” the superficial currency of online human connection, makes you feel involved. Like you care. And you bet Facebook knows this, and, up until recently, it cashed-in on what you like and more, big-time.

Liking this, that and the other thing on Facebook gives the impression -- to you and to others -- that you’re an attentive, engaged individual. You’re a good person who openly displays empathy toward people in your friend circle, deepening relationships with every like. At least it seems that way in your activity log.

Or maybe you’re just too lazy (admit it) to leave a comment. A “like” does the trick quick, the digital version of an acknowledging nod or a thumbs up. When liking branded content on Facebook Pages, your motivations are probably more self-centered, sometimes scoring you a sweet coupon or decent discount. Selfish? Nah. We just call that smart.

So why else do we like the heck out of pics, pages and status updates? And what compels us to comment? Is there a method to our social media madness? Well, lots of people -- marketers, researchers, psychologists, bloggers, you name it -- seem to think so. There’s no shortage of theories.

Here’s a neat and tidy compilation of them, packed conveniently into another insightful infographic from Entrepreneur contributor and online marketing expert Neil Patel, co-founder and CEO of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics. If you own a business and you’re on Facebook, it’s worth a good look. Even if you don’t, if you simply use Facebook for fun, you won’t want to miss it either.

Read  Original Here: The Psychology Behind Why We Like, Share and Comment on Facebook (Infographic)

Akshay Kumar

Action star Akshay Kumar will once again be seen punching some great packs on-screen. The 47-year-old actor will this time be seen inn a boxing ring and not street-fighting with goons. Akki will play the role of David Fernandes in the film. This is for the first time that Akshay will be seen playing a Christian on-screen. We are ready for some great action!

Sidharth Malhotra

We all have loved him so far as the cute-looking chocolatey hero on-screen. But with 'Brothers' this image of Sid is all set to break. The young actor will be rather seen in the boxing ring, fighting some serious stuff. This film will present Sidharth in a new light. So, all the female fans, keep watching!

Storyline

This film is an official remake of the Hollywood film 'Warrior', which released in 2011. 'Brothers' is based on mixed martial arts form. It has been helmed by Karan Malhotra and for the first time will see two actors Akshay and Sidharth together on-screen as brothers. Do you really need more reasons to watch this film?

Music

The music of 'Brothers' has been composed by Ajay-Atul and is already a hit among viewers. The special song featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan titled 'Mera Naam Mary' is a chartbuster already. The song has Bebo and Sid together for the very first time. It has been sung by Chinmayi Sripada. Also, the recently released song 'Sapna Jahan' by Sonu Nigam and Neeti Mohan is a soulful romantic number featuring Jacqueline Fernandez and Akshay Kumar.

Dharma productions

The film has been backed by a trusted production house. Dharma is known for producing entertainers for their audience. Directed by young filmmaker Punit Malhotra, this Hollywood remake can be expected to fetch great numbers in terms of Box Office success. Starring Akshay, Sidharth, Jackie Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez and Shefali Shah, 'Brothers' is ready to fight it out on silver screens. Book your tickets for this one!

Read Original At : Top 5 reasons to watch akshay kumars brothers

But Abdul Kalam’s light will guide us to his dream destination: India as a knowledge superpower

Bharat has lost a Ratna, but the light from this jewel will guide us towards A P J Abdul Kalam’s dream destination: India as a knowledge superpower, in the first rank of nations. Our scientist-President — and one who was genuinely loved and admired across the masses — never measured success by material possessions.

For him, the counterpoint to poverty was the wealth of knowledge, in both its scientific and spiritual manifestations. As a hero of our defence programme, he shifted horizons; and as a seer of the spirit, he sought to liberate doctrine from the narrow confines of partisan tension to the transcendental space of harmony.

Every great life is a prism, and we bathe in those rays that find their way to us. His profound idealism was secure because it rested on a foundation of realism.

Every child of deprivation is a realist. Poverty does not encourage illusions. Poverty is a terrible inheritance; a child can be defeated even before he or she has begun to dream.

But Kalamji refused to be defeated by circumstances. As a boy, he had to support his studies by earning money as a newspaper vendor; today, page after page of the same newspapers are filled with his obituary notices.

He said that he would not be presumptuous enough to say that his life could be a role model for anybody; but if some poor child living in an obscure and underprivileged social setting found some solace in the way his destiny had been shaped, it could perhaps help such children liberate themselves from the bondage of illusory backwardness and helplessness.

He is my marg darshak, as well as that of every such child.

His character, commitment and inspirational vision shine through his life. He was unencumbered by ego; flattery left him cold.

He was equally at ease before an audience of suave, globe-trotting ministers and a class of young students. The first thing that struck one about him was that, uniquely, he combined the honesty of a child with the energy of a teenager and the maturity of an adult.

He took little from the world, and gave all he could to society. A man of deep faith, he epitomised the three great virtues of our civilisation: dama, self-restraint; dana, sacrifice; and daya, compassion.

But this persona was powered by the fire of endeavour. His vision for the nation was anchored in freedom, development and strength.

Given our history, freedom had a political context of course; but it also included freedom of the mind and expansion of intellectual space. He wanted India to leap out of the underdeveloped trough and eliminate the curse of poverty through inclusive economic growth.

Wisely, he suggested that politicians spend only 30% of their time on politics, and 70% on development; a suggestion which he often followed up by calling in MPs from a state and discussing the socioeconomic issues of their region with them.

The third pillar, strength, was not born of aggression, but of understanding. An insecure nation will rarely discover the route to prosperity. Strength commands respect. His contributions to our nuclear and space achievements have given India the muscle to be confident of her place in the region and the world.

His memory is best honoured by the creation of new institutions that nurture science and technology, and enable us to find a beneficial equation with the awesome power of nature. Too often, greed makes us predators of our environment.

Kalamji saw poetry in a tree, and energy that could be harnessed in water, wind and sun. We should learn to look at our world through his eyes, and with the same missionary zeal.

Human beings can shape their lives through will, persistence, ability and sheer courage. But we have not been given the right to script where we are born, or how and when we die.

However, if Kalamji had been offered an option, this is how he would perhaps have chosen to say goodbye: on his feet, and in front of a classroom of his beloved students.

As a bachelor, he was childless. But that is wrong. He was a father to every Indian child, teaching, cajoling, urging, exciting, clearing darkness wherever he found it with the radiance of his vision and the passion of his involvement.

He saw the future, and showed the way. As I entered the room where his body lay in state yesterday, I noticed the painting at the entrance that depicted a few lines from an inspirational book he wrote for children, Ignited Minds.

The good that he did will not be interred with his bones, because his children will preserve his memory through their lives and work, and gift it to their children.

Ream Original Post At : Bharat has lost its Ratna