April 13, 2026

NEW DELHI: Cancelling confirmed tickets of newly launched Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will be costlier for passengers, according to new norms notified by the Railways. While a 25% deduction will apply if a ticket booked in this premium train is cancelled anytime after purchasing, a 50% charge will be levied if cancellation is done between 72 hours and eight hours before the train’s scheduled departure.There will be no refund, if a ticket is cancelled less than eight hours before scheduled departure, the norms state. This provision has been introduced considering that the Railways has started preparing the reservation chart eight hours before a train’s departure against the earlier norm of four hours.The new cancellation rules for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are significantly different and stricter as compared to other trains, including the operational Vande Bharat chair-car trains. Officials said the norms reduce the time for cancelling tickets and change refund amounts for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains as passengers will be issued only confirmed tickets in these services. There will be no provision for reservation against cancellation tickets, they said.Rules for other trains state that passengers are levied a flat cancellation rate of Rs 240 for first AC, Rs 200 for Tier-2 AC, Rs 180 for Tier-3 AC, Rs 120 for Sleeper and Rs 60 for Second Class, if they cancel tickets anytime before 48 hours prior to a train’s scheduled departure. If anyone cancels a ticket between 48 hours and up to 12 hours before scheduled departure, a 25% cancellation charge is levied, and there is a 50% deduction for tickets cancelled between 12 hours and up to four hours before departure. There is no refund for confirmed tickets in case they are not cancelled or ticket deposit receipt (TDR) not filed online up to four hours before scheduled departure, the rules state.Regarding Vande Bharat Sleeper trains fares, the Railway Board has said the minimum chargeable distance will be 400km and there will be quota only for women, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and those with duty pass. No other reservation will be applicable.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosDefence Minister Rajnath Singh Hails Bhargavastra As India’s First Micro-Missile SystemModi Can Steer India-Canada Trade Forward Despite Nijjar Trial, Canadian JournalistPM Modi Says Bengal Ready To End TMC’s ‘15-Year Mega-Jungleraj’‘He Was Screaming For Help’: SUV Plunges Into Flooded Pit, Techie Dies In NoidaEx-Bangladesh FM Mahmud Slams UNHRC Report On Student Protests, Flags Brutal Attacks On Hindus“Democracy Sliding Into ICU”: Opposition Targets BJP As BMC Polls Trigger Political Storm‘No Vikas Agenda’: PM Modi Targets Congress Over BMC Polls, Warns Of ‘Infiltrators’ At Assam Rally‘Amazing In A Bad Way’: Trump Aide Peter Navarro Targets India Over US Power Costs For AI ServicesHindu Petrol Pump Worker Crushed To Death Over Fuel Payment Dispute In Bangladesh‘Helped Infiltrators For Vote Bank’: PM Modi Slams Congress In Poll-Bound Assam123PhotostoriesMost loved on-screen Hindi television pairs of all time10 most famous soups from around the world7 baby girl names inspired by rivers across India and the worldStep-by-step guide to grow dragon fruit in a balcony garden6 tips to make sweet potato fries at home that actually turn out right‘Aankh Marey’, ‘Dilbar’, ‘Tip Tip Barsa Paani’: Bollywood remade songs that struck the right balance between nostalgia and new-age musicRepublic Day long weekend: 5 national parks for Big Cat sightingsTGIKS: From Virender Sehwag promising a Ferrari to his son if he breaks his record to revelation about Yuvraj Singh owning properties in London and Dubai- Major highlights from the showKriti Sanon, Kartik Aaryan, R Madhavan: Celebrities who left engineering to chase Bollywood dreams5 types of cakes that originated in India123Hot PicksAmrit Bharat ExpressBudget 2026Gold rate todayMumbai mayorVande Bharat sleeperPublic holidays January 2026Bank Holidays JanuaryTop TrendingGracie HuntTravis KelceU19 World CupRyan O’ReillyRoger FedererMaharashtra Civic Poll WinnersChloe KimRoger Federer Net WorthAlex Oxlade and Perrie Edwards Net WorthAndre Agassi and Steffi Graf Net Worth

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NEW DELHI: Cancelling confirmed tickets of newly launched Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will be costlier for passengers, according to new norms notified by the Railways. While a 25% deduction will apply if a ticket booked in this premium train is cancelled anytime after purchasing, a 50% charge will be levied if cancellation is done between 72 hours and eight hours before the train’s scheduled departure.There will be no refund, if a ticket is cancelled less than eight hours before scheduled departure, the norms state. This provision has been introduced considering that the Railways has started preparing the reservation chart eight hours before a train’s departure against the earlier norm of four hours.The new cancellation rules for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are significantly different and stricter as compared to other trains, including the operational Vande Bharat chair-car trains. Officials said the norms reduce the time for cancelling tickets and change refund amounts for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains as passengers will be issued only confirmed tickets in these services. There will be no provision for reservation against cancellation tickets, they said.Rules for other trains state that passengers are levied a flat cancellation rate of Rs 240 for first AC, Rs 200 for Tier-2 AC, Rs 180 for Tier-3 AC, Rs 120 for Sleeper and Rs 60 for Second Class, if they cancel tickets anytime before 48 hours prior to a train’s scheduled departure. If anyone cancels a ticket between 48 hours and up to 12 hours before scheduled departure, a 25% cancellation charge is levied, and there is a 50% deduction for tickets cancelled between 12 hours and up to four hours before departure. There is no refund for confirmed tickets in case they are not cancelled or ticket deposit receipt (TDR) not filed online up to four hours before scheduled departure, the rules state.Regarding Vande Bharat Sleeper trains fares, the Railway Board has said the minimum chargeable distance will be 400km and there will be quota only for women, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and those with duty pass. No other reservation will be applicable.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosDefence Minister Rajnath Singh Hails Bhargavastra As India’s First Micro-Missile SystemModi Can Steer India-Canada Trade Forward Despite Nijjar Trial, Canadian JournalistPM Modi Says Bengal Ready To End TMC’s ‘15-Year Mega-Jungleraj’‘He Was Screaming For Help’: SUV Plunges Into Flooded Pit, Techie Dies In NoidaEx-Bangladesh FM Mahmud Slams UNHRC Report On Student Protests, Flags Brutal Attacks On Hindus“Democracy Sliding Into ICU”: Opposition Targets BJP As BMC Polls Trigger Political Storm‘No Vikas Agenda’: PM Modi Targets Congress Over BMC Polls, Warns Of ‘Infiltrators’ At Assam Rally‘Amazing In A Bad Way’: Trump Aide Peter Navarro Targets India Over US Power Costs For AI ServicesHindu Petrol Pump Worker Crushed To Death Over Fuel Payment Dispute In Bangladesh‘Helped Infiltrators For Vote Bank’: PM Modi Slams Congress In Poll-Bound Assam123PhotostoriesMost loved on-screen Hindi television pairs of all time10 most famous soups from around the world7 baby girl names inspired by rivers across India and the worldStep-by-step guide to grow dragon fruit in a balcony garden6 tips to make sweet potato fries at home that actually turn out right‘Aankh Marey’, ‘Dilbar’, ‘Tip Tip Barsa Paani’: Bollywood remade songs that struck the right balance between nostalgia and new-age musicRepublic Day long weekend: 5 national parks for Big Cat sightingsTGIKS: From Virender Sehwag promising a Ferrari to his son if he breaks his record to revelation about Yuvraj Singh owning properties in London and Dubai- Major highlights from the showKriti Sanon, Kartik Aaryan, R Madhavan: Celebrities who left engineering to chase Bollywood dreams5 types of cakes that originated in India123Hot PicksAmrit Bharat ExpressBudget 2026Gold rate todayMumbai mayorVande Bharat sleeperPublic holidays January 2026Bank Holidays JanuaryTop TrendingGracie HuntTravis KelceU19 World CupRyan O’ReillyRoger FedererMaharashtra Civic Poll WinnersChloe KimRoger Federer Net WorthAlex Oxlade and Perrie Edwards Net WorthAndre Agassi and Steffi Graf Net Worth


Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket cancellation to be costly affair

NEW DELHI: Cancelling confirmed tickets of newly launched Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will be costlier for passengers, according to new norms notified by the Railways. While a 25% deduction will apply if a ticket booked in this premium train is cancelled anytime after purchasing, a 50% charge will be levied if cancellation is done between 72 hours and eight hours before the train’s scheduled departure.There will be no refund, if a ticket is cancelled less than eight hours before scheduled departure, the norms state. This provision has been introduced considering that the Railways has started preparing the reservation chart eight hours before a train’s departure against the earlier norm of four hours.The new cancellation rules for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are significantly different and stricter as compared to other trains, including the operational Vande Bharat chair-car trains. Officials said the norms reduce the time for cancelling tickets and change refund amounts for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains as passengers will be issued only confirmed tickets in these services. There will be no provision for reservation against cancellation tickets, they said.Rules for other trains state that passengers are levied a flat cancellation rate of Rs 240 for first AC, Rs 200 for Tier-2 AC, Rs 180 for Tier-3 AC, Rs 120 for Sleeper and Rs 60 for Second Class, if they cancel tickets anytime before 48 hours prior to a train’s scheduled departure. If anyone cancels a ticket between 48 hours and up to 12 hours before scheduled departure, a 25% cancellation charge is levied, and there is a 50% deduction for tickets cancelled between 12 hours and up to four hours before departure. There is no refund for confirmed tickets in case they are not cancelled or ticket deposit receipt (TDR) not filed online up to four hours before scheduled departure, the rules state.Regarding Vande Bharat Sleeper trains fares, the Railway Board has said the minimum chargeable distance will be 400km and there will be quota only for women, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and those with duty pass. No other reservation will be applicable.



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Asha Bhosle, whose voice foregrounded the rebellious notes of desire and abandon in Hindi film music at a time when such attributes were frowned upon in cinema and society, who overcame the looming shadow of her peerless sister Lata Mangeshkar to become the empress of a versatile music universe, and whose voice is sub-consciously part of every Indian’s emotional archive, passed away on Sunday. She was 92. Asha tai, as she was fondly called, was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Saturday following exhaustion and chest infection. A Dadasaheb Phalke recipient, her career spanned nearly eight decades and more than 11,000 songs; her best rendered under the baton of OP Nayyar and RD Burman. Rollicking duets (especially with Kishore Kumar), bhajans, ghazals, qawwalis, discos, Indi-pop, Bhosle didn’t just sing for every possible genre, she owned them all, enthralling Gen Now and Gen Nehru alike. “All singers are actors. We just act with our voices,” she once said. Her voice was an ideological antonym of her sister’s. At its core, Lata’s voice personified decorum and goodness, attributes tailor-made for decent leading ladies in the 1950s and 60s while Asha’s embodied dissent created space for celluloid social outsiders such as cabaret dancers and gangster’s girls. Nobody also adapted better to the changing trends. And nobody defied age like her. It’s scarcely believable that even in 2026, she collaborated with Gorillaz, a virtual British band. An era has ended. But Asha Bhosle is forever. Avijit Ghosh Asha Bhosle, whose voice foregrounded the rebellious notes of desire and abandon in Hindi film music at a time when such attributes were frowned upon in cinema and society, who overcame the looming shadow of her peerless sister Lata Mangeshkar to become the empress of a versatile music universe, and whose voice is sub-consciously part of every Indian’s emotional archive, passed away on Sunday. She was 92. Asha tai, as she was fondly called, was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Saturday following exhaustion and chest infection. A Dadasaheb Phalke recipient, her career spanned nearly eight decades and more than 11,000 songs; her best rendered under the baton of OP Nayyar and RD Burman. Rollicking duets (especially with Kishore Kumar), bhajans, ghazals, qawwalis, discos, Indi-pop, Bhosle didn’t just sing for every possible genre, she owned them all, enthralling Gen Now and Gen Nehru alike. “All singers are actors. We just act with our voices,” she once said. Her voice was an ideological antonym of her sister’s. At its core, Lata’s voice personified decorum and goodness, attributes tailor-made for decent leading ladies in the 1950s and 60s while Asha’s embodied dissent created space for celluloid social outsiders such as cabaret dancers and gangster’s girls. Nobody also adapted better to the changing trends. And nobody defied age like her. It’s scarcely believable that even in 2026, she collaborated with Gorillaz, a virtual British band. An era has ended. But Asha Bhosle is forever.About the AuthorAvijit GhoshAvijit Ghosh is an associate editor with The Times of India. He is addicted to films, music, cricket and football—and not necessarily in that order. He is the author of Bandicoots in the Moonlight, Cinema Bhojpuri, 40 Retakes, and now, Up Campus, Down Campus, a novel set in 1980s JNU. He tweets from the handle @cinemawaleghoshRead MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh LocationsUAE Visit: Jaishankar Conveys PM Modi’s Thanks, Highlights India’s Role In Regional StabilityMobile Internet Ban Extended After CRPF Firing Shocker That Killed ProtestersSwami Vivekananda’s First-Ever Life-Size Statue Unveiled In Seattle, US‘Had Great Difficulty’: Stranded Indian Fishermen In Iran Return Home Via Armenia‘India Is New Engine Of Globalisation, Becoming Attractive Investment Hub’: Former WEF DirectorJaishankar Meets UAE FM In Abu Dhabi, Discusses West Asia Situation And Strategic Partnership”Don’t Assume It’s Over” Rajnath Cautions On West Asia ConflictJag Vikram Leads Way, First Indian Ship Through Hormuz Post Ceasefire123Photostories8 beautiful baby girls names that mean ‘genius’Best non-American sitcoms of all time: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and more10 dishes that make lentils feel anything but ordinarySaas-bahu relationships on Indian TV that were actually wholesome: Devyani-Simar, Sudha-Parvati and more7 iconic breakfasts people eat around the world5 best fantasy dramas to watch on Hulu: From ‘Outlander’ to ‘Attack on Titan’Life lessons hidden in your favourite TV sitcoms: ‘Friends’, ‘The Office’ and moreMumbai’s top 5 residential buildings redefining luxury and premium livingBefore your blood tests turn abnormal: 6 silent heart warning signs you’re missing, and how to fix them earlyTop temples in India to visit believed to bring wealth and prosperity123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingAndhra Pradesh Girl MurderUS Iran talksMI vs RCB Today IPL MatchBadminton Championships FinalPune tempatureTS Inter 1st 2nd Year Result 2026Asha BhosleSara TendulkarSchool Holidays in AprilAyush Shetty

Asha Bhosle, whose voice foregrounded the rebellious notes of desire and abandon in Hindi film music at a time when such attributes were frowned upon in cinema and society, who overcame the looming shadow of her peerless sister Lata Mangeshkar to become the empress of a versatile music universe, and whose voice is sub-consciously part of every Indian’s emotional archive, passed away on Sunday. She was 92. Asha tai, as she was fondly called, was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Saturday following exhaustion and chest infection. A Dadasaheb Phalke recipient, her career spanned nearly eight decades and more than 11,000 songs; her best rendered under the baton of OP Nayyar and RD Burman. Rollicking duets (especially with Kishore Kumar), bhajans, ghazals, qawwalis, discos, Indi-pop, Bhosle didn’t just sing for every possible genre, she owned them all, enthralling Gen Now and Gen Nehru alike. “All singers are actors. We just act with our voices,” she once said. Her voice was an ideological antonym of her sister’s. At its core, Lata’s voice personified decorum and goodness, attributes tailor-made for decent leading ladies in the 1950s and 60s while Asha’s embodied dissent created space for celluloid social outsiders such as cabaret dancers and gangster’s girls. Nobody also adapted better to the changing trends. And nobody defied age like her. It’s scarcely believable that even in 2026, she collaborated with Gorillaz, a virtual British band. An era has ended. But Asha Bhosle is forever. Avijit Ghosh Asha Bhosle, whose voice foregrounded the rebellious notes of desire and abandon in Hindi film music at a time when such attributes were frowned upon in cinema and society, who overcame the looming shadow of her peerless sister Lata Mangeshkar to become the empress of a versatile music universe, and whose voice is sub-consciously part of every Indian’s emotional archive, passed away on Sunday. She was 92. Asha tai, as she was fondly called, was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Saturday following exhaustion and chest infection. A Dadasaheb Phalke recipient, her career spanned nearly eight decades and more than 11,000 songs; her best rendered under the baton of OP Nayyar and RD Burman. Rollicking duets (especially with Kishore Kumar), bhajans, ghazals, qawwalis, discos, Indi-pop, Bhosle didn’t just sing for every possible genre, she owned them all, enthralling Gen Now and Gen Nehru alike. “All singers are actors. We just act with our voices,” she once said. Her voice was an ideological antonym of her sister’s. At its core, Lata’s voice personified decorum and goodness, attributes tailor-made for decent leading ladies in the 1950s and 60s while Asha’s embodied dissent created space for celluloid social outsiders such as cabaret dancers and gangster’s girls. Nobody also adapted better to the changing trends. And nobody defied age like her. It’s scarcely believable that even in 2026, she collaborated with Gorillaz, a virtual British band. An era has ended. But Asha Bhosle is forever.About the AuthorAvijit GhoshAvijit Ghosh is an associate editor with The Times of India. He is addicted to films, music, cricket and football—and not necessarily in that order. He is the author of Bandicoots in the Moonlight, Cinema Bhojpuri, 40 Retakes, and now, Up Campus, Down Campus, a novel set in 1980s JNU. He tweets from the handle @cinemawaleghoshRead MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh LocationsUAE Visit: Jaishankar Conveys PM Modi’s Thanks, Highlights India’s Role In Regional StabilityMobile Internet Ban Extended After CRPF Firing Shocker That Killed ProtestersSwami Vivekananda’s First-Ever Life-Size Statue Unveiled In Seattle, US‘Had Great Difficulty’: Stranded Indian Fishermen In Iran Return Home Via Armenia‘India Is New Engine Of Globalisation, Becoming Attractive Investment Hub’: Former WEF DirectorJaishankar Meets UAE FM In Abu Dhabi, Discusses West Asia Situation And Strategic Partnership”Don’t Assume It’s Over” Rajnath Cautions On West Asia ConflictJag Vikram Leads Way, First Indian Ship Through Hormuz Post Ceasefire123Photostories8 beautiful baby girls names that mean ‘genius’Best non-American sitcoms of all time: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and more10 dishes that make lentils feel anything but ordinarySaas-bahu relationships on Indian TV that were actually wholesome: Devyani-Simar, Sudha-Parvati and more7 iconic breakfasts people eat around the world5 best fantasy dramas to watch on Hulu: From ‘Outlander’ to ‘Attack on Titan’Life lessons hidden in your favourite TV sitcoms: ‘Friends’, ‘The Office’ and moreMumbai’s top 5 residential buildings redefining luxury and premium livingBefore your blood tests turn abnormal: 6 silent heart warning signs you’re missing, and how to fix them earlyTop temples in India to visit believed to bring wealth and prosperity123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingAndhra Pradesh Girl MurderUS Iran talksMI vs RCB Today IPL MatchBadminton Championships FinalPune tempatureTS Inter 1st 2nd Year Result 2026Asha BhosleSara TendulkarSchool Holidays in AprilAyush Shetty

Vamsikrishna 0
NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi will address eminent personalities and women achievers from different sectors on Monday as he steps up his direct outreach to people to build support for bills proposing the implementation of women’s quota in legislatures from 2029, amid critical voices from the opposition, especially over the likely delimitation exercise. An official statement described the programme as “Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan”, similar to the women’s quota law passed in 2023 named ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’. The bills, which Parliament is expected to take up on April 16 during a special sitting, propose to fix the implementation of the law, which provides for reservation of one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and assemblies, from the 2029 national elections. “The programme will witness participation of eminent personalities and women achievers from diverse fields. It will bring together representatives from different sectors such as govt, academia, science, sports, entrepreneurship, media, social work and culture,” the statement said. With a united opposition in a position to deny govt the two-third majority needed for the passage of the constitutional amendment bill, especially in Lok Sabha, Modi has turned to mobilising public support to raise political cost for his rivals in case they turn against the move. He has spoken about the women’s quota bill in his recent political rallies as well.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh LocationsUAE Visit: Jaishankar Conveys PM Modi’s Thanks, Highlights India’s Role In Regional StabilityMobile Internet Ban Extended After CRPF Firing Shocker That Killed ProtestersSwami Vivekananda’s First-Ever Life-Size Statue Unveiled In Seattle, US‘Had Great Difficulty’: Stranded Indian Fishermen In Iran Return Home Via Armenia‘India Is New Engine Of Globalisation, Becoming Attractive Investment Hub’: Former WEF DirectorJaishankar Meets UAE FM In Abu Dhabi, Discusses West Asia Situation And Strategic Partnership”Don’t Assume It’s Over” Rajnath Cautions On West Asia ConflictJag Vikram Leads Way, First Indian Ship Through Hormuz Post Ceasefire123Photostories8 beautiful baby girls names that mean ‘genius’Best non-American sitcoms of all time: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and more10 dishes that make lentils feel anything but ordinarySaas-bahu relationships on Indian TV that were actually wholesome: Devyani-Simar, Sudha-Parvati and more7 iconic breakfasts people eat around the world5 best fantasy dramas to watch on Hulu: From ‘Outlander’ to ‘Attack on Titan’Life lessons hidden in your favourite TV sitcoms: ‘Friends’, ‘The Office’ and moreMumbai’s top 5 residential buildings redefining luxury and premium livingBefore your blood tests turn abnormal: 6 silent heart warning signs you’re missing, and how to fix them earlyTop temples in India to visit believed to bring wealth and prosperity123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingAndhra Pradesh Girl MurderUS Iran talksMI vs RCB Today IPL MatchBadminton Championships FinalPune tempatureTS Inter 1st 2nd Year Result 2026Asha BhosleSara TendulkarSchool Holidays in AprilAyush Shetty

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi will address eminent personalities and women achievers from different sectors on Monday as he steps up his direct outreach to people to build support for bills proposing the implementation of women’s quota in legislatures from 2029, amid critical voices from the opposition, especially over the likely delimitation exercise. An official statement described the programme as “Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan”, similar to the women’s quota law passed in 2023 named ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’. The bills, which Parliament is expected to take up on April 16 during a special sitting, propose to fix the implementation of the law, which provides for reservation of one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and assemblies, from the 2029 national elections. “The programme will witness participation of eminent personalities and women achievers from diverse fields. It will bring together representatives from different sectors such as govt, academia, science, sports, entrepreneurship, media, social work and culture,” the statement said. With a united opposition in a position to deny govt the two-third majority needed for the passage of the constitutional amendment bill, especially in Lok Sabha, Modi has turned to mobilising public support to raise political cost for his rivals in case they turn against the move. He has spoken about the women’s quota bill in his recent political rallies as well.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh LocationsUAE Visit: Jaishankar Conveys PM Modi’s Thanks, Highlights India’s Role In Regional StabilityMobile Internet Ban Extended After CRPF Firing Shocker That Killed ProtestersSwami Vivekananda’s First-Ever Life-Size Statue Unveiled In Seattle, US‘Had Great Difficulty’: Stranded Indian Fishermen In Iran Return Home Via Armenia‘India Is New Engine Of Globalisation, Becoming Attractive Investment Hub’: Former WEF DirectorJaishankar Meets UAE FM In Abu Dhabi, Discusses West Asia Situation And Strategic Partnership”Don’t Assume It’s Over” Rajnath Cautions On West Asia ConflictJag Vikram Leads Way, First Indian Ship Through Hormuz Post Ceasefire123Photostories8 beautiful baby girls names that mean ‘genius’Best non-American sitcoms of all time: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and more10 dishes that make lentils feel anything but ordinarySaas-bahu relationships on Indian TV that were actually wholesome: Devyani-Simar, Sudha-Parvati and more7 iconic breakfasts people eat around the world5 best fantasy dramas to watch on Hulu: From ‘Outlander’ to ‘Attack on Titan’Life lessons hidden in your favourite TV sitcoms: ‘Friends’, ‘The Office’ and moreMumbai’s top 5 residential buildings redefining luxury and premium livingBefore your blood tests turn abnormal: 6 silent heart warning signs you’re missing, and how to fix them earlyTop temples in India to visit believed to bring wealth and prosperity123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingAndhra Pradesh Girl MurderUS Iran talksMI vs RCB Today IPL MatchBadminton Championships FinalPune tempatureTS Inter 1st 2nd Year Result 2026Asha BhosleSara TendulkarSchool Holidays in AprilAyush Shetty

Vamsikrishna 0
Asha Bhosle was never just a voice; she was a presence – one that entered a moment and made it eternal. Voices fade, but hers has only withdrawn into a deeper chamber of memory, where it will continue to resonate for those who have known longing through song. Each time she sang, something unseen was summoned – an alchemy of sur and soul that refused to belong to time. When I appro-ached her for ‘Umrao Jaan’, with Khayyam shaping the music and Shahryar giving it language, to inhabit the world of Rekha, she sensed immediately that this was not a recording – it was a reckoning. She understood that she would have to travel beyond craft. That she would have to become the voice of a civilisation that once lived in tehzeeb, in restraint, in unspoken ache. She gave Lucknow a permanence that cinema had long denied it. In an industry often without place, she created one. To bring her into Awadh was not direction, it was invocation. The only distant echo was Begum Akhtar. Yet even that was not imitation, but inh-eritance. Both carried that ra-re, unnameable gift – the ability to dissolve and become. She knew this without being told. And she met it with something that cannot be rehearsed – surrender. She did not sing the character; she yielded to it. Such truth is rare in the architecture of commercial Hindi cinema. It is rarer still to be recognised, as it was, at the 29th National Film Awards. (The writer is the director of ‘Umrao Jaan’)End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh LocationsUAE Visit: Jaishankar Conveys PM Modi’s Thanks, Highlights India’s Role In Regional StabilityMobile Internet Ban Extended After CRPF Firing Shocker That Killed ProtestersSwami Vivekananda’s First-Ever Life-Size Statue Unveiled In Seattle, US‘Had Great Difficulty’: Stranded Indian Fishermen In Iran Return Home Via Armenia‘India Is New Engine Of Globalisation, Becoming Attractive Investment Hub’: Former WEF DirectorJaishankar Meets UAE FM In Abu Dhabi, Discusses West Asia Situation And Strategic Partnership”Don’t Assume It’s Over” Rajnath Cautions On West Asia ConflictJag Vikram Leads Way, First Indian Ship Through Hormuz Post Ceasefire123Photostories8 beautiful baby girls names that mean ‘genius’Best non-American sitcoms of all time: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and more10 dishes that make lentils feel anything but ordinarySaas-bahu relationships on Indian TV that were actually wholesome: Devyani-Simar, Sudha-Parvati and more7 iconic breakfasts people eat around the world5 best fantasy dramas to watch on Hulu: From ‘Outlander’ to ‘Attack on Titan’Life lessons hidden in your favourite TV sitcoms: ‘Friends’, ‘The Office’ and moreMumbai’s top 5 residential buildings redefining luxury and premium livingBefore your blood tests turn abnormal: 6 silent heart warning signs you’re missing, and how to fix them earlyTop temples in India to visit believed to bring wealth and prosperity123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingAndhra Pradesh Girl MurderUS Iran talksMI vs RCB Today IPL MatchBadminton Championships FinalPune tempatureTS Inter 1st 2nd Year Result 2026Asha BhosleSara TendulkarSchool Holidays in AprilAyush Shetty

Asha Bhosle was never just a voice; she was a presence – one that entered a moment and made it eternal. Voices fade, but hers has only withdrawn into a deeper chamber of memory, where it will continue to resonate for those who have known longing through song. Each time she sang, something unseen was summoned – an alchemy of sur and soul that refused to belong to time. When I appro-ached her for ‘Umrao Jaan’, with Khayyam shaping the music and Shahryar giving it language, to inhabit the world of Rekha, she sensed immediately that this was not a recording – it was a reckoning. She understood that she would have to travel beyond craft. That she would have to become the voice of a civilisation that once lived in tehzeeb, in restraint, in unspoken ache. She gave Lucknow a permanence that cinema had long denied it. In an industry often without place, she created one. To bring her into Awadh was not direction, it was invocation. The only distant echo was Begum Akhtar. Yet even that was not imitation, but inh-eritance. Both carried that ra-re, unnameable gift – the ability to dissolve and become. She knew this without being told. And she met it with something that cannot be rehearsed – surrender. She did not sing the character; she yielded to it. Such truth is rare in the architecture of commercial Hindi cinema. It is rarer still to be recognised, as it was, at the 29th National Film Awards. (The writer is the director of ‘Umrao Jaan’)End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh LocationsUAE Visit: Jaishankar Conveys PM Modi’s Thanks, Highlights India’s Role In Regional StabilityMobile Internet Ban Extended After CRPF Firing Shocker That Killed ProtestersSwami Vivekananda’s First-Ever Life-Size Statue Unveiled In Seattle, US‘Had Great Difficulty’: Stranded Indian Fishermen In Iran Return Home Via Armenia‘India Is New Engine Of Globalisation, Becoming Attractive Investment Hub’: Former WEF DirectorJaishankar Meets UAE FM In Abu Dhabi, Discusses West Asia Situation And Strategic Partnership”Don’t Assume It’s Over” Rajnath Cautions On West Asia ConflictJag Vikram Leads Way, First Indian Ship Through Hormuz Post Ceasefire123Photostories8 beautiful baby girls names that mean ‘genius’Best non-American sitcoms of all time: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and more10 dishes that make lentils feel anything but ordinarySaas-bahu relationships on Indian TV that were actually wholesome: Devyani-Simar, Sudha-Parvati and more7 iconic breakfasts people eat around the world5 best fantasy dramas to watch on Hulu: From ‘Outlander’ to ‘Attack on Titan’Life lessons hidden in your favourite TV sitcoms: ‘Friends’, ‘The Office’ and moreMumbai’s top 5 residential buildings redefining luxury and premium livingBefore your blood tests turn abnormal: 6 silent heart warning signs you’re missing, and how to fix them earlyTop temples in India to visit believed to bring wealth and prosperity123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingAndhra Pradesh Girl MurderUS Iran talksMI vs RCB Today IPL MatchBadminton Championships FinalPune tempatureTS Inter 1st 2nd Year Result 2026Asha BhosleSara TendulkarSchool Holidays in AprilAyush Shetty

Vamsikrishna 0
Asha Bhosle There are singers who belong to an era, and then there is Asha Bhosle, who treated decades like passing trends she would dip into and then outdo. A vocal sponge, Bhosle was soaking up the pop and jazz greats long before the internet made it easy. “I used to watch Carmen Miranda a lot and try to imitate her style,” she had said in an interview, “like I did later with Shirley Bassey.” Tucked into voluminous saris, the Asha tai who loved dishing out her signature ‘Maa ki Dal’ and jaggery kheer was the same woman who wat-ched Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock three times just to nail the phrasing for ‘Eena Meena Deeka’; who received a letter from the Vatican for her rendition of ‘Ave Maria’; and became the first Indian singer to form a pop group overseas in Britain, the West India Company, in the 1980s. At a time when playback voices in India were still neatly boxed – classical, romantic, devotional – Bhosle was slipping between them. Trained in Hindustani classical music, she said, “If you have the desire and riyaz… you can sing anything.” She wandered into cabaret, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, and global pop long before the industry had quite figured out what to call any of it. The turning point, as many stories go, arrived with the Burmans. S D Burman first showed her how to add her own ‘inputs’ to a track to make it work, but it was with R D Burman it started taking root when the duo would sit up until 4am listening to jazz and rock. When he handed her ‘Aaja Aaja’ for Teesri Manzil, she is said to have balked at its Westernised swagger. This wasn’t a tune you could approach like a ghazal. It needed breathless phrasing and a loose shrug. Ten days of rehearsal later, she owned it so completely that it now sounds like it was always hers. That became a pattern. Whether it was the smokey, rhythmic breathing of ‘Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja’ or the pop-ballad ease of ‘Chura Liya Hai,’ Bhosle could adjust her vocal cords to match every mood. By the 1990s, when ‘crossover’ became a buzzword, she was already living it. “I told my son Anand, I’ve sung in practically every Indian language but I haven’t done English,” she said of her jump into the West India Company. It was a leap into the unknown that would have terrified a lesser artist. “Although the music was ready, there was no fixed tune to sing. I had created my own tune and melody,” she said about merging Indian vocals with Western club rh-ythms and electronic music. This ability to improvise allowed her to record ‘Bow Down Mister’ with Boy George, where Indian devotional strains met synth-heavy pop. It could have been a gimmick. Instead, it sounded like a natural extension of what she had alw-ays done with unaffected ease. At 64, she stepped into the centre of the MTV glare. She teamed up with Code Red for the ballad ‘We Can Make It’ and appeared in a music video, matching the boy band and their R&B groove with her silk sari and alaaps. Soon after, she appeared on ‘The Way You Dream’ with REM’s Michael Stipe for his project ‘1 Giant Leap’, a track that drifted into Hollywood with the 2003 action-comedy film ‘Bulletproof Monk’. Bhosle did not so much cross over from East to West as meet it, on equal terms. Cornershop’s ‘Brimful of Asha’ turned her into a cultural reference point, later remixed by Fatboy Slim. Black Eyed Peas sampled her in ‘Don’t Phunk with My Heart’, tucking her voice into 2000s hip-hop. Sarah Brightman lifted ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai’ into operatic pop. In 2005, the Kronos Quartet built an album around her, ‘You’ve Stolen My Heart’. She recorded the R D Burman classics with such velocity – three to four songs a day – the quartet struggled to keep up. It earned her a Grammy nomination. Even in later years, she seemed game for unlikely pairings, whether it was a duet wi-th cricketer Brett Lee to collaborations with Pakistani pop si-nger Jawad Ahmed that igno-red the politics of the moment. Which brings us to 2026. Bhosle, well into her nineties, recording ‘The Shadowy Light’ from her Pedder Road home for the genre-blurring British virtual band Gorillaz – her voice against a swirl of hip-hop, dub and electronica, with an old harmonium in the mix – in what would be her final collaboration.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh LocationsUAE Visit: Jaishankar Conveys PM Modi’s Thanks, Highlights India’s Role In Regional StabilityMobile Internet Ban Extended After CRPF Firing Shocker That Killed ProtestersSwami Vivekananda’s First-Ever Life-Size Statue Unveiled In Seattle, US‘Had Great Difficulty’: Stranded Indian Fishermen In Iran Return Home Via Armenia‘India Is New Engine Of Globalisation, Becoming Attractive Investment Hub’: Former WEF DirectorJaishankar Meets UAE FM In Abu Dhabi, Discusses West Asia Situation And Strategic Partnership”Don’t Assume It’s Over” Rajnath Cautions On West Asia ConflictJag Vikram Leads Way, First Indian Ship Through Hormuz Post Ceasefire123PhotostoriesBest non-American sitcoms of all time: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and more10 dishes that make lentils feel anything but ordinarySaas-bahu relationships on Indian TV that were actually wholesome: Devyani-Simar, Sudha-Parvati and more7 iconic breakfasts people eat around the world5 best fantasy dramas to watch on Hulu: From ‘Outlander’ to ‘Attack on Titan’Life lessons hidden in your favourite TV sitcoms: ‘Friends’, ‘The Office’ and more4 simple hacks to keep love aliveMumbai’s top 5 residential buildings redefining luxury and premium livingBefore your blood tests turn abnormal: 6 silent heart warning signs you’re missing, and how to fix them earlyTop temples in India to visit believed to bring wealth and prosperity123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingAndhra Pradesh Girl MurderUS Iran talksMI vs RCB Today IPL MatchBadminton Championships FinalPune tempatureTS Inter 1st 2nd Year Result 2026Asha BhosleSara TendulkarSchool Holidays in AprilAyush Shetty

Asha Bhosle There are singers who belong to an era, and then there is Asha Bhosle, who treated decades like passing trends she would dip into and then outdo. A vocal sponge, Bhosle was soaking up the pop and jazz greats long before the internet made it easy. “I used to watch Carmen Miranda a lot and try to imitate her style,” she had said in an interview, “like I did later with Shirley Bassey.” Tucked into voluminous saris, the Asha tai who loved dishing out her signature ‘Maa ki Dal’ and jaggery kheer was the same woman who wat-ched Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock three times just to nail the phrasing for ‘Eena Meena Deeka’; who received a letter from the Vatican for her rendition of ‘Ave Maria’; and became the first Indian singer to form a pop group overseas in Britain, the West India Company, in the 1980s. At a time when playback voices in India were still neatly boxed – classical, romantic, devotional – Bhosle was slipping between them. Trained in Hindustani classical music, she said, “If you have the desire and riyaz… you can sing anything.” She wandered into cabaret, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, and global pop long before the industry had quite figured out what to call any of it. The turning point, as many stories go, arrived with the Burmans. S D Burman first showed her how to add her own ‘inputs’ to a track to make it work, but it was with R D Burman it started taking root when the duo would sit up until 4am listening to jazz and rock. When he handed her ‘Aaja Aaja’ for Teesri Manzil, she is said to have balked at its Westernised swagger. This wasn’t a tune you could approach like a ghazal. It needed breathless phrasing and a loose shrug. Ten days of rehearsal later, she owned it so completely that it now sounds like it was always hers. That became a pattern. Whether it was the smokey, rhythmic breathing of ‘Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja’ or the pop-ballad ease of ‘Chura Liya Hai,’ Bhosle could adjust her vocal cords to match every mood. By the 1990s, when ‘crossover’ became a buzzword, she was already living it. “I told my son Anand, I’ve sung in practically every Indian language but I haven’t done English,” she said of her jump into the West India Company. It was a leap into the unknown that would have terrified a lesser artist. “Although the music was ready, there was no fixed tune to sing. I had created my own tune and melody,” she said about merging Indian vocals with Western club rh-ythms and electronic music. This ability to improvise allowed her to record ‘Bow Down Mister’ with Boy George, where Indian devotional strains met synth-heavy pop. It could have been a gimmick. Instead, it sounded like a natural extension of what she had alw-ays done with unaffected ease. At 64, she stepped into the centre of the MTV glare. She teamed up with Code Red for the ballad ‘We Can Make It’ and appeared in a music video, matching the boy band and their R&B groove with her silk sari and alaaps. Soon after, she appeared on ‘The Way You Dream’ with REM’s Michael Stipe for his project ‘1 Giant Leap’, a track that drifted into Hollywood with the 2003 action-comedy film ‘Bulletproof Monk’. Bhosle did not so much cross over from East to West as meet it, on equal terms. Cornershop’s ‘Brimful of Asha’ turned her into a cultural reference point, later remixed by Fatboy Slim. Black Eyed Peas sampled her in ‘Don’t Phunk with My Heart’, tucking her voice into 2000s hip-hop. Sarah Brightman lifted ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai’ into operatic pop. In 2005, the Kronos Quartet built an album around her, ‘You’ve Stolen My Heart’. She recorded the R D Burman classics with such velocity – three to four songs a day – the quartet struggled to keep up. It earned her a Grammy nomination. Even in later years, she seemed game for unlikely pairings, whether it was a duet wi-th cricketer Brett Lee to collaborations with Pakistani pop si-nger Jawad Ahmed that igno-red the politics of the moment. Which brings us to 2026. Bhosle, well into her nineties, recording ‘The Shadowy Light’ from her Pedder Road home for the genre-blurring British virtual band Gorillaz – her voice against a swirl of hip-hop, dub and electronica, with an old harmonium in the mix – in what would be her final collaboration.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh LocationsUAE Visit: Jaishankar Conveys PM Modi’s Thanks, Highlights India’s Role In Regional StabilityMobile Internet Ban Extended After CRPF Firing Shocker That Killed ProtestersSwami Vivekananda’s First-Ever Life-Size Statue Unveiled In Seattle, US‘Had Great Difficulty’: Stranded Indian Fishermen In Iran Return Home Via Armenia‘India Is New Engine Of Globalisation, Becoming Attractive Investment Hub’: Former WEF DirectorJaishankar Meets UAE FM In Abu Dhabi, Discusses West Asia Situation And Strategic Partnership”Don’t Assume It’s Over” Rajnath Cautions On West Asia ConflictJag Vikram Leads Way, First Indian Ship Through Hormuz Post Ceasefire123PhotostoriesBest non-American sitcoms of all time: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and more10 dishes that make lentils feel anything but ordinarySaas-bahu relationships on Indian TV that were actually wholesome: Devyani-Simar, Sudha-Parvati and more7 iconic breakfasts people eat around the world5 best fantasy dramas to watch on Hulu: From ‘Outlander’ to ‘Attack on Titan’Life lessons hidden in your favourite TV sitcoms: ‘Friends’, ‘The Office’ and more4 simple hacks to keep love aliveMumbai’s top 5 residential buildings redefining luxury and premium livingBefore your blood tests turn abnormal: 6 silent heart warning signs you’re missing, and how to fix them earlyTop temples in India to visit believed to bring wealth and prosperity123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingAndhra Pradesh Girl MurderUS Iran talksMI vs RCB Today IPL MatchBadminton Championships FinalPune tempatureTS Inter 1st 2nd Year Result 2026Asha BhosleSara TendulkarSchool Holidays in AprilAyush Shetty

Vamsikrishna 0