Sidharth Shukla wins 'Bigg Boss 13'
Mumbai: Actor Sidharth Shukla on Sunday beat nemesis Asim Riaz to emerge as the winner of reality show "Bigg Boss" Season 13. Shukla is best known for TV shows "Balika Vadhu" and "Dil Se Dil Tak".
He made his Bollywood debut in 2014 with "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania", which starred Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in the lead.
Throughout "Bigg Boss 13", the actor stayed in news for his aggressive behaviour towards fellow contestants. His rivalry with Asim was one of the biggest talking points of the Colors TV show and many fans expected the final competition to be between them.
Besides Sidharth and Asim, four other finalists of the show were Shehnaaz Gill (Sana), Rashami Desai, Aarti Singh and Paras Chhabra.
Shehnaaz, who was known for her closeness to Sidharth, was the second runners up while Rashami came fourth. Paras, hailed as a gamer on "Bigg Boss", was the first to leave the house during the finale as he took Rs 10 lakh prize money that the show offered the six finalists.
Then, Aarti's mother came inside the house to take her out with her. Asim, Sana, Rashami and Aarti have won themselves tickets to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, as announced by the show's host Salman Khan.
The finale saw performances by all the couples, who hit headlines on the show, including Sidharth-Shehnaaz, Asim-Himanshi Khurana and Sidharth-Rashami.
All the finalists had their families and former contestants cheering them.
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Lenskart apologises after online backlash, releases new style guide welcoming religious symbols
New Delhi (PTI): Following massive online backlash over a purported internal grooming document, eyewear retailer Lenskart has issued a public apology and released a standardised 'In-Store Style Guide' that allows employees to wear religious and cultural symbols at work.
In a statement on X, the company said it is making its guidelines public and transparent to address the concerns of its customers and community.
The new policy "explicitly and unambiguously" welcomes all symbols of faith carried by team members, including the bindi, tilak, sindoor, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada, hijab, and turban.
"If any version of our workplace communication caused hurt or made any of our team members feel that their faith was unwelcome here, we are deeply sorry. That is not who Lenskart is, and it is not who we will ever be," the company said.
This comes following a controversy that erupted earlier this week when a document, alleged to be Lenskart's employee grooming policy, went viral on social media. Netizens pointed out that the policy restricted employees from wearing certain religious markers, particularly the bindi and tilak, sparking outrage and calls for a boycott.
Addressing the uproar a few days ago, Lenskart founder Peyush Bansal had stepped in to clarify that the viral document was an "outdated version" and did not reflect the company's current stance.
"I want to speak directly that this document does not reflect our present guidelines. Our policy has no restrictions on any form of religious expression, including bindi and tilak," Bansal had stated, apologising for the confusion and concern the situation had caused.
Building on Bansal's earlier clarification, Lenskart's latest statement emphasised the company's homegrown roots, noting that its 2,400-plus stores are run by people who bring their beliefs and traditions to work every day.
"Lenskart was built in Bharat, by Indians, for Indians... That is not something we will ever ask anyone to leave at the door," the statement read.
The retailer has now committed to ensuring that every future policy, training material, and communication carrying the Lenskart name will reflect inclusive values.
"We will do better. And we will keep earning your trust," the company said.
