India's Dhanush wins air rifle gold, Murtaza settles for silver in Deaflympics
New Delhi (PTI): Shooter Dhanush Srikanth continued to excel and evolve on the global stage, winning the men's 10m air rifle gold medal to open India's account in the Deaflympics in Tokyo on Sunday.
The 23-year-old, who made his Deaflympic debut at the age of 19 in 2022 in Caxias Do Sul (Brazil) and immediately made a huge statement by winning two gold, came up with another superb performance by setting the Deaf Final World Record of 252.2 on way to the top-podium spot.
Compatriot Mohammed Murtaza Vania finished with a score of 250.1 in the final to take the silver medal while South Korea's Baek Seunghak settled for bronze with a score of 223.6.
The champion shooter, who trains in Hyderabad, qualified for the finals in first position with a score of 630.6 - a Deaflympic record - while Murtaza (626.3) was a distant second.
In the final, Dhanush, who is a national camper based in the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) at the Karni Singh Ranges in Delhi, broke both the Deaflympics and Deaf Final World Record to add a second men's 10m air rifle Deaflympics gold to his name.
During the 2022 Deaflympics in Caxias Do Sul he had won both the individual and mixed team gold.
The marksman, competing in an international competition after more than a year - he last took part at the World Deaf Shooting Championship in 2024 at Hanover winning three gold medals - will aim for a fourth career Deaflympics gold medal when he pairs with Mahit Sandhu on Monday in the 10m air rifle mixed team event.
Sandhu, 20, clinched the silver medal in women's 10m air rifle with a score of 250.5. Compatriot Komal Waghmare (228.3) took the bronze, while Ukraine's Lydkova Violeta bagged the gold with a world record score of 252.4.
Sandhu qualified in second place for the eight-shooter final, tallying 623.4, while Waghmare (622.0) was third.
"Dhanush sounded quite confident yesterday when I spoke to him," said his mother Asha Srikanth from Hyderabad.
"His ranking has been fluctuating since December last year when he competed in the National Shooting Championships, but the performance will give him a lot of encouragement," said Asha about her son, who had risen to No.1 in the country after clinching silver at the Nationals.
Deaf shooters compete with normal athletes in the Nationals and also get selected for national camps and international competitions based on their rankings.
"Dhanush last competed at the Deaf Championships in Hanover last year. His ranking has fluctuated after December 2024, which is the reason he could not make it to the World Cups, Asian Championships and other competitions," said Asha.
"But he is back in the top 10 in India, which is good," she said.
The marksman, who was born with a congenital hearing impairment, has undergone two cochlear implants.
"He is a cochlear implant child, had two surgeries at the age of one year and then at nine. He can't speak, he just speaks a few words, and most of it (explanation) is through actions," said Dhanush's mother.
"He hears through his machine, otherwise he manages."
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Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol unveil ‘DDLJ’ sculpture at London’s Leicester Square
London (PTI): Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol huddled under an umbrella on a rainy Thursday in London to unveil their bronze likeness from an iconic ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ scene.
The sculpture of the duo joins Leicester Square’s ‘Scenes in the Square’ trail depicting memorable shots from some of the world’s most famous films, with ‘DDLJ’ marking a Bollywood first and the 30th anniversary of the 1995 box-office hit. It is in this popular London square that SRK as Raj and Kajol as Simran first cross paths unknowingly.
“DDLJ was made with a pure heart. We wanted to tell a story about love, how it can bridge barriers and how the world would be a better place if it had a lot of love in it, and I think this is why 'DDLJ' has had a lasting impact for over 30 years now," said Khan.
“Personally, 'DDLJ' is part of my identity, and it is humbling to see film, and Kajol and me, receiving so much love since it was released,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the Heart of London Business Alliance, behind the cinematic trail at Leicester Square, for celebrating ‘DDLJ’ and “immortalising” its lead stars.
“Seeing ‘DDLJ’ become the first Indian film to be honoured in the iconic Scenes in the Square trail is an emotional moment and has brought back so many memories.
"I feel immense pride knowing the film has been embraced around the world, and I want to share this moment with the entire cast and crew of ‘DDLJ’, my friend and director Aditya Chopra and the Yash Raj Films family. This is a moment I will never forget,” added Khan.
Kajol, joined by her daughter Nysa and son Yug, posed with Khan in front of the statue as she braved the rain in a green saree.
“It’s incredible to see ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ continue to receive so much love, even 30 years later. Watching the statue being unveiled in London felt like reliving a piece of our history - a story that has truly travelled across generations,” said Kajol.
“Seeing it find its rightful place in Leicester Square, a location of such enormous significance to ‘DDLJ’, makes this moment even more special. For the film to be honoured in this way in the UK – the first Indian film to receive such recognition – is something that will forever stay in the hearts and minds of all the ‘DDLJ’ fans across the world,” she said.
Their statue, captured in a dancing pose from the hit song ‘Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna’, joins the likes of Harry Potter, Bridget Jones, Mary Poppins, and Batman in what is dubbed as an ever-growing celebration of movie magic in a square packed with multiplex cinema screens.
“When ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, DDLJ, was released 30 years ago, the film became a defining moment for Indian cinema and changed the face of the industry, capturing the hearts of everyone who saw it all over the globe," said Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films.
“We’re thrilled to be the first Indian film to be represented in ‘Scenes in the Square’. It also marks 30 years of DDLJ, a film that has spread love and joy globally, and shows the cultural impact it has had in UK.
“We are honoured that our superstars and our film are being recognised on the world stage alongside the Hollywood elite, from Gene Kelly to Laurel & Hardy to Harry Potter. This statue will be a great way to express the international appeal of Indian movies and build bridges amongst communities through cinema,” he said.
Since its release in 1995, ‘DDLJ’ has become the longest-running film in Hindi cinema history.
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive at Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “We’re proud to welcome global megastars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol to our Scenes in the Square trail.
"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a cinematic phenomenon that has shaped generations, and London’s first tribute to Indian cinema honours a story whose magic continues to captivate audiences worldwide.”
It is a particularly special year for the film, with a musical based on the romance playing to packed houses at Manchester’s Opera House earlier this year. Aditya Chopra reprised his role as director of the English language stage production, ‘Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’, which revolved around the love story of Simran and Roger.
The script was a nod to the original as it followed Simran as a young British Indian woman who finds herself engaged to a family friend in India in an arranged marriage. However, the plot thickens when she falls in love with a British man named Roger.
