Herpetologists have discovered and described a new species of lizard belonging to the genus Acanthosaura. These animals inhabit the mountain forests located in western Thailand.
The new species differs from its closest relatives by several characteristics: it is smaller, has a low crest present on both the nape and the back, and possesses specific coloring features.
The discoverers decided to name this lizard Acanthosaura syrax. This name was given in memory of the dragoness Syrax, who appears in the series 'House of the Dragon' and is the dragon of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. Information about the study was officially published in the scientific journal ZooKeys.
79 years have passed since India gained independence, and great enthusiasm prevails across the country during the celebration of the 80th Independence Day. Many Bollywood celebrities plan to fly the tricolor in front of their homes on this special day. In this regard, we present a special story related to actors who appeared in Bollywood after India's independence.
Over the last hundred years, Bollywood has gifted numerous actors who left an indelible mark by playing villainous roles. However, few know about the artist who first played the role of a villain after India's independence. At that time, this distinguished figure was considered a stroke of luck for many directors, as his participation guaranteed the film's success. His name was Hiralal Thakur; he successfully developed his career from silent films to sound films.
Before entering the film industry, Hiralal Thakur participated in the fight for India's freedom alongside the great hero Bhagat Singh. He was only 14 years old when he joined the Congress, after which he connected with Bhagat Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai. Before the fight against the British expulsion, he showed a great interest in cinema and had been engaged in acting since childhood. Therefore, he began his cinematic journey in 1928 in Shankaradeva Arya's film 'Daughters of Today.'
It is said that this film marked the beginning of Pakistani cinema. After this, Hiralal appeared in the film 'Safdar Jung', released in 1930, which became a box office hit and significantly increased his fame as an actor. Before gaining independence in 1947, Hiralal acted in about 19-20 films, in which he specifically played villains. During that period, filmmakers began considering him their lucky charm, as any film in which he appeared as a villain achieved commercial success.
Hiralal Thakur was born in Lahore in 1912, which is now in Pakistan. In 1947, India was divided into two parts, and he left Lahore, arriving in India via Calcutta, and then settled there with his wife Darpan Rani. In 1951, he participated in the Bollywood film 'Badal', where he played the role of a villain. This was his first villain role after India's independence. After this, Hiralal worked in many Hindi films that became hits.
Throughout his career, which lasted over five decades, he acted in more than one hundred and fifty films, most of which were box office successes. Hiralal and his wife Darpan Rani had six children: five sons and one daughter. His last film was 'Kaalia' with Amitabh Bachchan in 1981, after which he passed away. It is noteworthy that the actor, who performed such iconic roles in cinema and worked in the industry for 50 years, had to die in poverty because Hiralal had no money in his final moments.
Exactly 19 years ago, there was a battle in the cinema box office between films featuring Imran Hashmi and Sunny Deol, which competed with family drama pictures. At that time, Sunny's film was more successful. However, the situation has changed now, as 'Avaropan 2' faced a new Sunny Deol film, 'Bantwara 1947', which caused a real buzz at the box office.
Before the release of 'Avaropan 2', it already showed confidence, as ticket sales exceeded expectations, making it a strong contender for a successful start. In fact, Imran Hashmi's film collected significantly more tickets than Sunny Deol's 'Bantwara 1947.'
According to a report by Sakanelec, Imran Hashmi's film started with a net revenue of 21 million rupees on the first day, which was the highest opening in the actor's more than twenty-year career. On Sunday, 'Avaropan 2' collected 27.20 million rupees globally with an attendance of 45%, indicating the strong influence of nostalgia among viewers.
Meanwhile, the film 'Bantwara 1947' showed much modest results: its net collection was only 5.75 million rupees. With an attendance of 15%, the film collected 8.34 million rupees globally. After the successful return of 'Gadar 2', 'Bantwara 1947' became Sunny Deol's first film to have the weakest box office start.
The high interest in 'Avaropan 2' is evident from social media activity, where cinemas remain almost full. Viewers are actively enjoying every scene of Imran Hashmi's film, confirmed by the popularity of reels on Instagram, indicating that the excitement around 'Avaropan' is not waning.
Despite this, 'Bantwara 1947' is also receiving some positive feedback on X, where users praise the emotional plot. However, the film is receiving mixed reactions. To compete with 'Avaropan 2' at the box office, Sunny Deol's film needs to demonstrate its potential, otherwise its earnings may begin to decline in the coming days.
The international film tour and event promoting Chinese cinema, titled 'Reel China,' has opened in Bishkek. On Wednesday, the film tour presented to the audience of Bishkek a diverse collection of Chinese films.
