Replacements aren’t easy. For Abhishek Nigam, who agreed to step into Sheezan Khan’s shoes to play the new Ali Baba on TV, it was even tougher. Sheezan is currently in judicial custody. He was arrested on December 25 for abetment to suicide of his co-actor Tunisha Sharma. On December 24, the actress reportedly died by suicide in her make-up room on the set of their show Ali Baba: Dastaan-e-Kabul, which has now been renamed Ali Baba Ek Andaaz Andekha — Chapter 2. The unit resumed the shoot five days after the tragic incident and the makers began hunting for a new male lead, which ended with Abhishek. In an exclusive interview with BT, Abhishek speaks about the responsibility on his shoulders, his apprehensions before taking up the show, and the bond he shared with Tunisha, with whom he had worked in a show earlier. Excerpts:
The show has been in the news since the tragic demise of Tunisha and the subsequent arrest of Sheezan. Considering this, did you have any apprehensions about taking up the show?
Of course, there were apprehensions. Even if it is a regular role, one contemplates the pros and cons of the offer. I sought everyone’s advice and realised that I didn’t have any reason to decline the offer. The circumstances have been unfortunate, but we make a show with a lot of love and hard work. Iske peeche ek insaan ka haath nahi hota, bahut logon ki kadi mehnat hoti hai. I went ahead with that emotion. The previous lead couple has done an amazing job. I realised that I would have to put in a lot of hard work while playing this character and I took the plunge with that resolution. I am sure our dedication will pay off.

The unit, which had moved to another location after Tunisha’s demise, returned to the original set a few weeks ago. Were you uncomfortable when you started shooting on January 15?Uncomfortable se zyada, responsibility wala khayaal haavi tha. I was nervous and scared initially because the decision to come on board was made overnight. Whenever I was nervous, the director and the cast encouraged me. Everyone has been supportive, warm and understanding. They didn’t make me feel like a newcomer.

How is the atmosphere on the set now?
While we have to experience the pain, life is also about moving on. Everyone is working hard and trying to keep the atmosphere on the set positive. We are looking at the bigger picture and thinking about the number of people dependent on the show for a living. Of course, mushkil toh hoti hai par usse aagey nikalna hai.

Replacements lead to comparisons. Were you worried about being compared to Sheezan?
Irrespective of the nature of the replacement, comparisons are normal and inevitable. The audience finds it difficult to warm up to a new face. However, if you are diligent and portray the character with conviction, you will strike a chord with the viewer. Our thought process has been to infuse a fresh approach to the show. Though the core emotion has been retained, my character is different from the previous one. It is more energetic and quirkier.

In the past, you have worked with Tunisha in Hero – Gayab Mode On and also with Sheezan in Chandra
Nandini. What was your equation with them?
I worked with Tunisha in Hero – Gayab Mode On and later, in a music video. She was fun-loving and had great energy. I knew her for many years. She was hardworking, talented, a quick learner and easy to work with. I was in shock and disbelief when I heard the news of her untimely demise. It took me a lot of time to come to terms with it. She had a bright future and if she were alive, she would have made it big in the industry. All my memories of Tunisha are of her smiling around me. I had worked with Sheezan long ago. He is also hardworking, focused and dedicated to his craft and fitness.

What do you think of the ongoing case between Tunisha’s mother and Sheezan Khan, who was arrested following a complaint filed by her?
I’d refrain from sharing my opinion, as I don’t want it to affect the case. A lot is going on already. I don’t want to give an opinion that results in something unwanted.

Music composer Ricky Kej, based out of Bengaluru, has won his third Grammy Award for the album ‘Divine Tides’. The US-born musician shared the award with Stewart Copeland, the drummer of the iconic British rock band The Police, who collaborated with Kej on the album.
At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, the duo earned the gramophone trophy in the best immersive audio album winner category. They had won a Grammy in the best new age album category for the same album last year.

“Congrats Best Immersive Audio Album winner – ‘Divine Tides’ Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; @copelandmusic, @rickykej & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers (Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej) #GRAMMYs,” announced the Recording Academy, the organisation behind Grammy Awards, on its official Twitter page.

Other nominees in the category were: Christina Aguilera (‘Aguilera’), The Chainsmokers (‘Memories… Do Not Open), Jane Irabloom (‘Picturing The Invisible- Focus 1), and Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondeheimsolistene (‘Tuvahyun – Beatitudes for a Wounded World’).

‘Divine Tides’ is a nine-song album that aims to deliver the message that “each individual life plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance that serves all equally”.

At the time of his nomination, Kej had said, “It is an absolute honour to be nominated a second time for a Grammy Award for our album ‘Divine Tides’. Although my music is cross-cultural, it has always had strong Indian roots and I am extremely proud that Indian music has been recognized and shortlisted for this prestigious award by The Recording Academy. This nomination encourages me further and solidifies my belief to continue making music that can inspire positive social impact.”

Ricky is the youngest person from India to have won a Grammy Award, and only the 4th Indian. Kej took home his first Grammy in the best new age album category for ‘Winds of Samsara’ back in 2015.

Meanwhile, Stewart Copeland is a 5-time Grammy Award-winning American musician and composer. He is the founder and drummer of the British rock group ‘The Police’ who have sold over 75 million albums worldwide.
As part of his work with The Police, Copeland has won five Grammys. With Kej as collaborator, this is his second award.

NEW DELHI: India are looking to a new generation of talented young cricketers led by teenage batter Shafali Verma to propel them to a first Women’s T20 World Cup title this month.
Long-serving skipper Mithali Raj and record-breaking fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, trailblazers for women’s cricket in India, both retired last year.
New captain Harmanpreet Kaur said both players are still on hand to give advice, but it is time to look forward.
“Whenever we need they are always available to us, that’s what you expect from senior players,” the 33-year-old told a recent press conference.
“Nobody can fill their places, but the young girls who are getting the chances are doing well.”

One of the players who has grabbed her chance is Verma, an attacking opening batter who led India to victory in the inaugural U19 T20 World Cup in South Africa last month.
The 19-year-old will be back on familiar ground for the T20 World Cup, which is again in South Africa.
It starts on February 10 and India are chasing a breakthrough first title, having been runners-up behind hosts Australia in the last edition, in 2020.
Their first match is against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 12 in Cape Town.
Verma made her international debut at the age of just 15 and was in the team that reached the T20 World Cup final in 2020.

She also played in the one-day World Cup and was a member of the Indian side which took silver at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The youngster looks up to big-hitting England batsman Liam Livingstone for inspiration and considers Indian great Sachin Tendulkar a role model.
After captaining India to victory in the U19 World Cup, Verma said: “This is just the beginning.”
“When I entered the Under-19s, I only focused on winning the Under-19 Cup and we have won that today,” ESPNCricinfo quoted her as saying.
“I will look to take this winning confidence with me and win the senior World Cup.”

Besides Verma, the India team also includes Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh.
The women’s game is making inroads in the cricket-mad country, with the inaugural Women’s Premier League set for March, ahead of the men’s IPL.
Last month, India’s cricket board auctioned off five women’s IPL teams for $572.5 million.
The new generation “are ready to be the representatives of the modern generation of women’s cricketers”, cricket journalist Sharda Ugra told AFP.

“The women’s IPL is going to start and they are the perfect representation of the kind of Indian women cricketers that belong to the T20 generation.
“They have the right mindset and they are very, very talented.”

American rapper and songwriter, Cardi B owned the red carpet at Grammy Awards 2023 yet again, as she walked in a gorgeous electric blue gown. The gorgeous dress had pleated structural elements that flowed and ebbed from her shoulders, over her waist, and to the top of her head. The distinctive dress had a big train and a sleek skirt as well. Cardi is seemingly fond of Gupta’s designs and was spotted wearing one of his creations earlier too for her music video ‘No Love’.

In the music video, Cardi B represented the element of ‘air’ in Gupta’s Amorphous Shapeshifter Sculptural Outfit, which was a never-ending field of poppies. Her celestial avatar in the video was brought to life by the brand’s native sculpting method, which morphed into infinite shapes.

For the Grammys, Cardi B picked a couture gown with Gupta’s distinctive shimmering sequin embellishments and architectural cascades forming a headpiece, obtrusive shoulder covers, and emphasising her waist to portray the element of air yet again. The headgear became a talking point of the evening as it gave out a very Indian vibe, that of a ‘ghoonghat’ or traditional Indian veil.
A fan on Twitter explained the dress as, “Serving sapphire origami waves.”
Though the singer was not nominated at this year’s Grammys, she did give away an award and owned the red carpet like nobody.

Cardi B is known for her unique sense of style and her bold fashion choices. She often wears bright colours, statement pieces, and designer items. Her style is often described as edgy and daring. She has been seen wearing looks from luxury brands like Gucci and Balenciaga, as well as other high-end streetwear brands like Off-White and Yeezy. But till date, she has made maximum news for her red carpet looks which are bold and edgy.

BENGALURU: Tanya Hemanth of Karnataka clinched the women’s singles title at the Iran Fajr International Challenge badminton tournament in Tehran on Sunday but had to put on a headscarf before collecting her gold medal.
Second seed Tanya, 19, who trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, had the measure of defending champion and compatriot Tasnim Mir in 30 minutes.
The Bengaluru girl cruised in the first game, weathered a little resistance from the top seed in the second before registering a 21-7, 21-11 win. Apparently, the organisers asked Tanya to wear a headscarf at the medal ceremony, which was one of the event’s conventions. The practice was prevalent last year as well when Tasnim won the crown.
Badminton sources told TOI that the organisers had made it clear that headscarves were mandatory for women medal winners although the tournament prospectus made no mention of a podium dress code.
“The prospectus talked about the clothing rules in the Badminton World Federation’s competition regulations, which is mostly common in tournaments around the world. While we knew that headscarves were a must when women stepped out in Tehran, there was no particular mention about their use during the tournament,” the sources said.
Women shuttlers faced no such restrictions during their matches — leggings or headscarves — but no male spectator was allowed to watch them play.
A sticker at the entrance, which said ‘no men allowed’, didn’t discriminate between a woman player’s coach or her parent. Both were barred from entering the stadium if they were male.
Interestingly, the tournament had mixed doubles on their menu, reportedly for the first time, in which 10 pairs from around the world took part.
“The women’s schedule was in the morning and the men’s in the afternoon. Only female spectators were allowed to watch the women’s matches. Also, match officials were all women in women’s matches. Male parents who accompanied their daughters to this meet didn’t get to watch a single match. It was only during mixed doubles that men and women players were seen together on the court,” the sources said.
Incidentally, 13 Indian women shuttlers were in the fray along with one pair in doubles.
Results: Final: 2-Tanya Hemanth (Ind) bt 1-Tasnim Mir (Ind) 21-7, 21-11; Semis: bt 10-Stephanie Widjaja (Ina) 22-20, 22-20.

Indian policy makers and regulators stepped in over the weekend to calm frayed nerves over concerns the turmoil surrounding billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate would spill over into the local economy and affect global investor sentiment toward the country.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yet to comment publicly on the saga, officials from his administration said Indian regulators were independent and competent to deal with the fallout. The Securities and Exchange Board of India said it was committed to ensure market integrity. The central bank has assured that banks are within limits on their exposure to the Adani group.
The market value of Adani’s empire has slumped by almost half since the release of a scathing report by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research on Jan. 24, accusing it of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The group has repeatedly denied Hindenburg’s allegations of corporate wrongdoing and threatened legal action.
The tumult has become a national issue, with lawmakers disrupting parliament to demand answers as Adani’s interests often intertwine with the India’s growth plans. The main opposition party ramped up the pressure on Modi over his silence and planned a nationwide protest on Monday to highlight the risk to small investors.
Most Adani Group dollar bonds rose Monday, with Adani Green Energy Ltd.’s 2024 $750 million note leading the advance, climbing 1.2 cents on the dollar to 72.4 cents as of 10:02 a.m. in Hong Kong. Moves Monday add to gains last week for several of the group’s debt securities, but prices for the notes are still down by about 8 cents to 23 cents on the dollar since Hindenburg Research’s initial report.
Bankers and industrialists also shared their view on the impact on India. Asia’s wealthiest financier Uday Kotak said while he doesn’t see systemic risks to India’s financial system from “recent events,” the country’s large corporates rely on global sources for debt and equity financing, and local underwriting and capacity building needs to improve.
Billionaire businessman Anand Mahindra said “never, ever bet against India” amid questions if current challenges in the business sector will trip the nation’s ambitions to be a global economic force.
As the saga enters its third week, investors are bracing for further volatility and the focus is increasingly turning to how Adani Group will manage to finance its debt obligations.
The rout in company shares has cost India its place among the world’s five biggest stock markets, while the rupee is the worst performing emerging Asian currency this year. Foreigners have pulled out $3.8 billion from the nation’s equities in 2023, the most among emerging Asian markets.
New Delhi is rushing to limit the blow.
Indian regulators “will do their job” in dealing with the allegations against the Adani Group, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Saturday. The recent market turbulence won’t impact the nation’s economic fundamentals, she said. Trade Minister Piyush Goyal echoed similar sentiment, saying Indian financial markets were among the most-respected and well-regulated in the world.
Concerns over how the Adani Group will manage its various debt obligations have increased after Adani Enterprises Ltd. pulled the plug on a record $2.5 billion follow-on share sale, citing the need to protect its investors’ interests.
It has also shelved a plan to raise as much as 10 billion rupees ($122 million) via its first-ever public sale of bonds, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.
S&P Global Ratings cut its outlook on Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd. and Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd. to negative. “There is a risk that investor concerns about the group’s governance disclosures are larger than what we have currently factored into ratings,” the ratings company said in a statement.
There are also risks that new investigations and negative market sentiment may lead to increased cost of capital and reduce funding access for rated entities, it said.

ANKARA: A 7.8 magnitude earthquake has shaken central Turkey.
It was centered 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A strong 6.7 temblor rumbled later.
Details on potential damage or casualties from the quake early Monday were not immediately available.

ONGC is willing to join hands with any party who can help us monetise discoveries quickly and enhance recovery in all areas, while stake in deep-sea blocks will depend on partners bringing high-end technology and de-risking, chairman Arun Kumar Singh tells TOI.
ONGC has been at the receiving end for not moving fast to raise production. How do you plan to change that?
Globally, large discoveries are happening in deep-sea. Our deep-water is not well explored. We are hoping for major deep-water findings soon. We have to be very aggressive in making discoveries. So, we have to ramp up exploration and collaboration. Make decisions fast, explore more and collaborate in all the areas where there is more potential such as the deep-sea in eastern offshore. Second, since (oil) prices are good we have to bring into production our discoveries quickly, either ourselves or through a private partner. Some may also involve foreign partners, based on commercial perspectives such as large capex or high-end technology. This has to be done in the country’s interest. Third, we have to focus on how to maximise production (from existing fields) through collaboration. Globally oil recovery is 30% or more. It is around 26-27% in our case. It is only for difficult deep-water fields that technology experts can help us in the process. Essentially, you bring in anything that could add to the oil recovery process.

Does collaboration mean offering stake in fields?
Talking about a stake in collaboration phase is a far-off question. In cases of some difficult terrains, why not. But then the party has to de-risk us and bring capex, provided it knows better than us. The important thing is we are willing to collaborate and are looking at the India Energy Week as a platform for forging relations.
Is the proposal to offer stake to private entity in Mumbai High still on the table?
Technologically, ONGC is strong in shallow waters. We know Mumbai High like the back of our hands. But if a party can add value to our business (in any field) they are welcome.
There is a fear that private partners will flog the ageing fields to quickly maximising return on investment at the cost of their long-term health…
The focus is to enhance the percentage of recovery and not increasing the rate of production in one year or so. We are talking, say, over 10-15 years. ONGC has to work in the national interest, unlike others who have only commercial interests. We have to figure out ways that cater to the national interest and that is one reason we are looking at collaboration and partnerships in difficult fields.
Last year, ONGC was asked to hive off technical & field services into SBU (special business unit). Is the proposal still on?
What will be the SBU’s goal? SBU cannot be formed until all resources are embedded in it strategically or else business won’t run effectively. ONGC activities have multidisciplinary interdependence. All functional directors are involved in drilling of each single well. It means you are functional at the board level but multifunctional at the delivery level. We need to have 100% control over all resources and functions.
Will the windfall gains tax impact ONGC’s capex plan?
The additional duty has lowered our net realisation from crude and prices. But ONGC will continue to invest around Rs 30,000 crore annually in development and redevelopment of fields.
What is the status of the proposed gas subsidiary?
The Kirit Parikh committee report (on gas pricing) says explicitly that the market will get deregulated in January 2026. Our reading says that the need for a subsidiary will not exist if the government accepts the report. You create a subsidiary only if you see great gains. Subsidiaries bring their own problems.
What is ONGC’s transition roadmap? Will this segment see higher capex allocation going forward?
ONGC is aligning its business values with the government’s thrust on transition. We are pursuing opportunities in a gamut of areas, ranging from geothermal energy, green hydrogen and ammonia, offshore wind to carbon capture. We have enabling MoUs and will give capex push wherever needed.