EC appoints Maithili Thakur as Bihar's state icon
Patna (PTI): Folk singer Maithili Thakur was on Monday appointed the state icon for Bihar by the Election Commission.
Thakur, trained in Indian classical and folk music, was recently selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of the Sangeet Natak Akademi for her contribution to the folk music of Bihar for 2021.
"The ECI has approved the proposal of appointment of Maithili Thakur, folk singer as State Icon of Bihar", the letter sent to the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar by the poll panel said.
The singer will create awareness among the voters for their participation in the electoral process, a senior official of the state election commission said.
The singer's father, Ramesh Thakur, told PTI, "We are grateful to the EC and the Bihar government. At the same time, this recognition will give her (Maithili) more impetus to spread Bihar's folk music across continents and generate awareness about the importance of participating in the electoral process".
Maithili, born in Bihar's Madhubani district, along with her two brothers, were trained by their grandfather and father in folk, Hindustani classical music, harmonium and tabla.
She has rendered traditional folk songs of Bihar in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Hindi.
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Kunal Kamra shares screenshot of 'Bigg Boss' offer, says 'much rather check into mental hospital'
New Delhi: Comedian Kunal Kamra says he was approached to feature on the upcoming season of the popular reality series Bigg Boss, an offer he turned down.
The comic on his Instagram Story on Tuesday shared a screenshot of his purported WhatsApp conversation with someone who claimed to be "handling the casting for this season of Bigg Boss".
According to the screenshot shared by Kamra, the casting professional said the comic's name came up as someone they might find interesting.
"I know it might not have been on your radar, but honestly, it's such a mad platform to show your real vibe and win over a massive audience. What do you think? Should we talk about it?" the person wrote in the text.
In his response, the comedian said: "I would much rather check into a mental hospital..." It's unclear whether Kamra, who is facing multiple FIRs for his comments, was offered the 19th season of Bigg Boss or the season four of its OTT version.
In 2023, there were reports that Kamra was in talks to join Bigg Boss OTT 2.
The comedian, known for his anti-establishment views, is embroiled in a controversy over his 'traitor' jibe against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in his latest stand-up show "Naya Bharat" which premiered on his YouTube channel last month.
On Monday, Kamra wrote an open letter online ticketing platform BookMyShow requesting it to either not delist him or to hand over the contact information of audience members he has earned through his solo shows over the years.
Earlier this week, the comedian also moved the Bombay High Court, seeking to quash an FIR lodged against him by the city police for his alleged remarks against Shinde, with the Madras High Court extending his interim anticipatory bail in relation to the case till April 17.
Kamra also claimed he has been receiving death threats after the show and hence, requested the police to question him via video conference.
