“Content is the key; audience expect high quality”

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif talked about her evolution as an actor at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019. She shared a few experiences on how to have confidence in one and the importance of a family. She also talked about the importance of content and following one’s instincts. She called her dear friend Salman Khan a solid person. 

TAKEAWAYS:

# The film ‘Bharat’ reaffirmed her faith that whatever she does she has to do it from inside.

# Kaif admitted that ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ was a mistake but she thought it would be a little fun. She asserted that if one does not match expectations that is a fall.

# She said one cannot be sensitive and take things personally in case of failures. One has to be strong even if we all are human beings and there are emotions attached with them.

# She said she learned the very first things in film industry that the actors should make assistant directors their friends. She experienced the importance of this friendship during the shooting of a film where the director was not really impressed with her work at first place.

# Kaif said content is a key in the film today in the age of web series. The audience has a lot of exposure today. They expect high quality. The filmmakers have to be on that level of storytelling. The key is to find what suits one.

# She said relationship is the biggest learning. It shows your strength and weakness. She said she is always being a family person. She believes in marriage. She believes that family is unbreakable bond.

# She said one has to be continuously disciplined to be fit. She said she would prefer chicken over pizza. She said one should choose physique which suits him.

# She said acting is a tough job and a lot of hard work is involved in it. One cannot have the option of failure.

# She said she did not believe in arriving in the industry as it is only a journey and not the destination. She, however, said that she enjoyed the process of films after the film ‘Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani’.    

QUOTES:

“We have a responsibility to the audience. Every film is a learning process.”

“Salman Khan is a solid person. He is there when you need him. When he is there he supports you.”

“I have been asking Zoya (Akhtar) to do a sequel of ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’. I think the sequel could be on a balance of work and life. I hope she makes it.”

“I don’t think anyone can say he/she has arrived. It is a journey not a destination. If it is nowhere to go then it is an end. You have to give a lot to yourself.”

For further info and registration, delegates can log on to www.indiatodayconclave.com

“Our leader of the opposition was managed to government”, says Prithviraj Chavan

Mumbai, 21^st September, 2019: Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and Vancit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar discussed the future of opposition parties in Maharashtra at the India Today Conclave Mumbai, 2019. While both Chavan and Ambedkar agreed that the BJP is trying to finish the Opposition Raut claimed that the Shiv Sena’s never attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a candid admission Chavan said that it was a tragic error to make Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil Leader of Opposition and continue him after he failed to attack the government.     

TAKEAWAYS OF THE SESSION:

# Chavan claimed the Congress lost badly in the 2014 Assembly election because the NCP broke their alliance just before the election which left them surprised. The Congress could not get candidates to fight the election. He argued that the Congress has lost the election but the party is not a death bed as it has existence in every villages.

# Ambedkar said why the main stream parties do not allow the down trodden class have their own organization. He rejected the allegation that the VBA led to defeat of Congress-NCP candidates in 8 to 10 Lok Sabha seats.

# Ambedkar also denied the charge that BJP paid for the fare of his helicopter rides. He said common people had given donations to VBA which were deposited in an account of State Bank of India.

# Sanjay Raut claimed that the Shiv Sena never attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said Saamna publishes news items regarding the PM like any other newspaper. Its editorials is always in sync with the party line.

# Chavan came down heavily on Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, then Leader of Opposition who joined the government a couple of months ago. Chavan the party failed to expose the government’s corruption in the Legislative Assembly. Outside the House, the party undertook several agitations.

# Ambedkar said he does not see any difference between BJP and Congress. The BJP is a hard crore Hindutava party whereas the Congress is a soft Hindutva party.

# Ambedkar said he had asked for the seats which the Congress was not going to win. Chavan rejected the claim saying the Congress had offered six seats to the VBA.

# Raut said the Shiv Sena will respond to BJP president Amit Shah on the possible 50:50 seat sharing in Maharashtra only if he comments on it.

QUOTES:

“It was a tragic error to make him (Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil) Leader of Opposition and continue in the post. The Congress paid a heavy price for that. Our LoP was managed.”

●     Prithviraj Chavan, Congress leader

“I wish Prime Minister Narendra Modi could continue in the office for a long time. He is the worst PM in the history of India. He has destroyed fabric, culture and hegemony of India. Religion and caste have become important.”

●     Prakash Ambedkar, president VBA

“Veer Savarkar was the original Hindu Hriday Samrat. After that Balasaheb Thackeray took the place. Narendra Modi is a Hindutva leader. Samrat could be only one. We will contest the next election in name of Uddhav Thackeray as well as Narendra Modi.”

●     Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena leader

For further info and registration, delegates can log on to www.indiatodayconclave.com

Mind Field: The most cutting-edge discoveries about the human brain. And why genome is the new gold

Mumbai, 21^st September, 2019:Dr P MuraliDoraiswamy, author and scientist, discussed the positive effects and flipside of genome sequencing at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019. While talking about the former, he cited how a few months ago a team in California broke the Guinness Book of World Records where in within 24 hours through the process they had managed to treat “unexplained seizures” in a baby. Five gene therapies, he added, are already in place to correct known genetic mutations for a type of cancer and blindness, with at least 800 clinical trials in place. At the same he had ethical reservations too especially with regards to the experiments that were being done on animals such as developing a breed of monkeys.

TAKEWAYS

A future where we use genes instead of drugs

It’s very much a reality. Dr Doraiswamy mentioned a case of the fifth generation of a family using gene editing to fix the inherited illness of dementia.   

Ethical guidelines are the need of the hour

Dr Doraiswamy mentioned how the Chinese have inserted a particular human brain gene into the monkey's and are tracking to see how it is developing. “Many countries are not ready for the implosion of these techniques," he said, later adding that "Technologies are emerging so fast that they are outpacing all regulatory attempts to put a fence around them."  

Practise makes perfect

Psychological research over the last 15 years has revealed that one can train oneself to enter a state of mind called "flow". Certain parts of brain function in a manner that it becomes "a state of effortless perfection". Doraiswamy used it to describe the abilities of Naga Sadhus to perform  superhuman feats without any pain.

The connection between creativity and brain

There’s no full understanding yet into the neuro basis of creativity. "It's almost like when the higher cortex specially on the left side of brain is damaged it seems to release some creative abilities which we have not fully understood." Using Einstein's quote that creativity "comes not from knowledge but from imagination", Doraiswamy stated how studies conducted on Einstein's brain were unsuccessful in their efforts to figure out the reasons behind his genius and creativity.

Technology is both a boon and bane for the brain

Through brain imaging technology the brain can be mapped and one can detect early signs of diseases such as Alzheimer's decades before they happen. With information easily accessible one doesn’t have to memorize as much information, at the same time the addiction to technology means reduced sleep, feeling of missing out and attention spans are dropping. 

QUOTES

If everyone is a blonde, it’s no fun. You need variety.

(On how neuro diversity is needed for healthy functioning of a democracy)

The statement that humans only use 20% or 10% of our brain is a myth. For every different task we probably use a different amount or different types of brain region. This myth is propagated either for movies or for people trying to empty your pockets.  

(Dr Doraiswamy, a huge fan of Star Trek, responding to the suggestion as seen in the film Lucy)

For further info and registration, delegates can log on to www.indiatodayconclave.com    

Karan Johar, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal among the many stars to grace the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019

Mumbai, September 18th, 2019 - The India Today Group is back with its India Today Conclave, Mumbai edition, 2019. The two-day Intelligence Exchange will bring together an inspirational array of celebrities, entrepreneurs, authors, cultural icons, activists, artists and political leaders from across the world.

The conclave is a chance to interact with and meet famous personalities face to face, broadening your mental horizons and to invest in yourself.

The India Today Conclave is known to bring the top leaders on a common platform. Some of the most renowned names from the entertainment industry like Shahid Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif, Ekta Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Karan Johar and Kriti Sanon will be sharing their thoughts on the stage. This year will see Vicky Kaushal who has been riding high with his successes, sharing his thoughts on what brings him Josh in this fraternity. Shahid Kapoor will talk about heroes and anti-heroes. Katrina Kaif will dazzle the stage and share her thoughts on her journey into Bollywood. Ace Director Karan Johar will share his views on how he has been ruling Bollywood. And Television & Film Producer, Ekta Kapoor will talk on interpreting love, desire and ambition in India.

Some of the other interesting sessions will revolve around issues like the $5 trillion goal for the Indian economy, the problems plaguing the MSMEs, the Modi-Shah gamble in Kashmir, rewiring India’s thinking on automation, AI & the workforce, the fascinating way in which sex robots are impacting human sexuality, the role of social media influencers in shaping the psyche of the Indian youth, the latest discoveries about the human brain, first-person stories about teenage depression and more.

When: 20^th & 21^st September 2019, 10 a.m. onwards

Where: Grand Hyatt, Mumbai

For further info and registration, delegates can log on to www.indiatodayconclave.com

The list of other distinguished speakers at the event include

·         Shaktikanta Das, RBI governor

·         Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways

·         Piyush Goyal, the Minister of Commerce & Industries

·         Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State, PMO

·         Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra

·         Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP

·         Swapan Dasgupta, BJP MP

·         Aaditya Thackeray, President, Yuva Sena

·         Yogi Cameron, Ayurvedic and Yoga Therapist

·         Rishad Premji, Chairman WIPRO

·         Adi Godrej, Chairman Godrej Group

·         Dr. Shamika Ravi, member, PM’s Economic Advisory Council

·         Roopa Purushothaman, Chief Economist and Head of Policy Advocacy, Tata Sons Limited

·         Dr. Ritu Dewan, Vice President, Indian Society of Labour Economics

·         Dr. Ian Lipkin, Virologist,  P. Murali Doraiswamy, Scientist

·         Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson, Mpower