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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

Articles Written By IANS News

Vijay Varma: My role in 'Baaghi 3' will surprise viewers
2288 days ago
Bollywood

Vijay Varma: My role in 'Baaghi 3' will surprise viewers

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Actor Vijay Varma, who rose to fame with 'Gully Boy' last year, claims his multilayered character in his upcoming film 'Baaghi 3' will leave the audience surprised.## Opening up on his character in the film starring Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor, Varma said: "My character is shown as the one who helps Tiger Shroff to reunite with his brother. He's a very interesting character, with various layers that would leave the audience surprised."## "I am thrilled to be a part of this popular franchise and working with such talented people. With ‘Baaghi 3', I have tried my hands at something new, and fans have never really seen me doing such a role. I'm quite confident about my part because it is really crucial in the film," added the actor.## Varma further revealed that he had to undergo workshops in order to perfect his body language for the role.## "The process to get into the skin of my character was different than usual since the character is in a different space. Once again it's something I haven't attempted before. Since my character is a multilayered one, to get into the skin I attended workshops to get the body language and diction correct. The reading session helped to improvise for the role," Varma said.## Asked if we will see him packing some punches, "Baaghi 3" being an action film, the actor replied: "Not really!" He added: "But my character has its own beauty and uniqueness to it, which will leave the viewers fully entertained. He adds to the madness and leaves you liking him much more at the end of the movie."## Directed by Ahmed Khan, "Baaghi 3" is scheduled to hit the theatres on March 6.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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COVID-19 scare: B'wood plays 'wait and watch'; stars cancel multi-city tours
2288 days ago
Bollywood

COVID-19 scare: B'wood plays 'wait and watch'; stars cancel multi-city tours

New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Films are being delayed, stars are skipping multi-city tours, there are appeals to postpone big franchises and tours are being rescheduled. These are some of the coronavirus scare effects, with the deadly virus fast turning into a potential threat for showbiz the world over.## With the global film industry facing losses of over $5 billion, will the coronavirus scare have a trickle-down effect on India as well, particularly Bollywood?## The anxiety around the outbreak is growing with people deciding to stay away from places of large public gathering. This makes cinema halls and lives show arenas a natural target. In India, does it signal a slump for the entertainment industry?## Bollywood has decided to wait and watch on stalling release of films, although our stars are significantly canceling multi-city promotional tours.## "It is not a very aggravated situation in India right now, but people are getting the jitters. I am sure it will be controlled soon. If it spreads further, it will affect collections and cinemas. I think at the moment distributors and producers must be thinking of insuring their films. If we talk about moviegoing, I think the effect is coming in gradually because people will have reservations about going out," trade analyst Rajesh Thadani told IANS.## Globally so far, a total of 90,893 cases of COVID-19 infections and 3,110 deaths, mostly in China, have been reported. In India, at least 25 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported until Wednesday.## Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor's "Baaghi 3" is slated to hit the theatres on March 6, and its box office performance will give a glimpse of how the moviegoing audience is reacting to the outbreak in India.## The season is crucial for Bollywood after all, with several biggies lined up. The fear of coronavirus could ruin box office takings of Irrfan Khan's "Angrezi Medium" (March 13), Akshay Kumar's "Sooryavanshi" (March 24), Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor's "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar" (March 20) and the Ranveer Singh-starrer "83" (April 10).## Other big films slated in the first quarter include the Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer "Gulabo Sitabo", Varun Dhawan-Sara Ali Khan's "Coolie No.1", Salman Khan's action drama "Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai", Akshay Kumar's "Laxmmi Bomb", "Bunty Aur Babli 2" and Kangana Ranaut's "Thalaivi".## "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Gunjan Saxena", "Roohi Afzana", "Ludo" and "Chehre" are also lined up in the first half.## Bollywood might be waiting to understand the impact of the virus outbreak on its business, but stars are not taking a chance. Many have been skipping travel to multiple cities for the promotion of their films -- a reason why the "Baaghi 3" team and the "Angrezi Medium" cast probably skipped coming to Delhi.## "There is nothing to panic as of now. People are vigilant because no one wants to take a risk. Having said that, I don't think as of now it is on the level where the entertainment industry will be affected. It is a little too far for anyone to get scared thinking about its effect on the entertainment industry. It has impacted internationally and scared away people across the globe," trade expert Girish Johar told IANS.## "There are big blockbusters slated for release in the upcoming months and we are hopeful that the situation will improve over a course of time, allowing consumers to visit their favorite cinemas. At this point all our focus is on taking preventive measures and offering a clean and disinfected environment," said Devang Sampat, CEO at Cinepolis India.## Cinema halls insist they are working towards giving audiences a safe environment.## Raj Kumar Mehrotra, general manager at Delite Cinema, told IANS: "There is no impact at the moment but if it spreads then it will have an impact. We are taking precautionary measures to ensure safety."## "We are on an alert and keeping a close watch on the situation. Routine facility management protocol ensures all our cinema premises are up to appropriate hygiene standards. We are working promptly towards creating ample awareness amongst our teams with regards to the symptoms and precautionary measures to deal with coronavirus," read an official statement by INOX.## According to hollywoodreporter.com, analysts believe COVID-19 could already result in a loss of at least $5 billion from diminished box office revenue and impacted production. It has started having an impact on moviegoing worldwide, particularly in China, South Korea, Italy, and even Japan.## Earlier this week, James Bond fans came together to urge the makers to delay the release of the upcoming film of the franchise, "No Time To Die". It is scheduled to release in April. Disney is also likely to delay the release of its live-action "Mulan" remake in China.## Along with Bond, "Black Widow", "Wonder Woman", "F9: The Fast Saga" and "Top Gun: Maverick" is the most speculated films coming from Hollywood in the first half of 2020.## Box office slowdown can mean more profit for streaming platforms, and it will be interesting to witness how they seize the moment.## At a time Hollywood is taking serious note of coronavirus and a shadow of doubt having fallen on major sporting events such as Tokyo Olympics and Euro football, even Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have declared they will stay away from Holi Milan parties. Bollywood, it seems, is yet to understand the gravity of the situation.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Honey Singh: Won't pen songs on booze if govt stops licensing wine shops
2288 days ago
Bollywood

Honey Singh: Won't pen songs on booze if govt stops licensing wine shops

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Pop star-composer Yo Yo Honey Singh, often accused of promoting alcoholism through outrageous lyrics, says alcohol is an important aspect of partying and celebrating and adds that the day the government stops giving license to open wine and liquor shops, he will end reference to alcohol in his songs.## Honey Singh was interacting with the media at the launch of his new song "Loca". Like many of his past hits, "Loca", too, starts with a mention of alcohol.## Mention also came up with reports that the singer, at the peak of his career a few years back, had to enter rehab owing to alcoholism.## "I never went to rehab. I know that there are a lot of reports that are circulating around me and my life. I don't drink now," countered Honey Singh, adding: "Whenever you party then alcohol is the biggest reason to do so. You can't avoid that. In fact, our governments give license to open wine shops and liquor shops. The day they stop doing that, we will also put an end to mention alcohol in our songs."## Yo-Yo Honey Singh has often landed in controversy due to outrageous lyrics in his songs, with court cases being filed against him.## Does he exercise caution now, while writing a song? "I try to write lyrics as per my understanding, but if someone suggests me write easy lyrics then I do that, too," the singer replied.## Yo-Yo Honey Singh's new song "Loca" has garnered over 18 million views on YouTube since its release. The song is officially available on T-Series' YouTube channel.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Tamannaah's trek: 15 years and going strong
2288 days ago
Tollywood

Tamannaah's trek: 15 years and going strong

Chennai, March 4 (IANS) Southern superstar Tamannaah made her debut exactly 15 years ago on this day, with the Hindi film 'Chand Sa Roshan Chehra'. The film tanked but the 15-year-old Tamannaah would go on to make her debut in the South Indian industry later the same year with the Telugu film 'Sri'. The audience loved the budding teenager's innocence and charm, and there has been no looking back since.## Over the last decade and a half, she has scored several hits and memorable performances. However, her real turning point had happened in 2007. With releases such as "Happy Days" in Telugu and ''Kallori'' in Tamil, Tamannaah managed to acquire a distinct vibe as a star and as an actress. Appearing as a college student in both films, she chose the route of being a performance-oriented stars who had no qualms donning a no make-up look. It was then that the audience realised the fresh-faced Tamannaah was here to stay and slay!## After her first few films, Tamannaah went on to star as the fun-yet-sensible female lead in films such as "Kick" and "Ayaan". With her spunk and striking smile, she made her mark by starring in films including "Kanden Kadhalai", "Paiyaa", "Thillalangadi", "Siruthai". Her popularity in Telugu and Tamil won her films opposite A-list stars such as Jr. NTR, Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan, Prabhas, Ajith and Vijay.## Tamannaah did make an attempt to shift to Bollywood with films such as "Himmatwala" opposite Ajay Devgn and "Entertainment" opposite Akshay Kumar, but the Mumbai born actress of Sindhi-descent found more quality and content down South. The decision to work in South Indian films paved way for something more significant.## The biggest film in Tamannaah's career came through director SS Rajamouli, by way of the epic "Baahubali" franchise (2015 and 2017). A two-part series featured Tamannaah as Avanthika, a warrior princess who charmed everyone with her fierce moves. The film won her new fans all over India, and also a huge band of loyalists in faraway Japan. Last year, she went on to appear in another period drama, "Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy" opposite Chiranjeevi.## Tamannaah isn't just known for her vivacious energy. She is also popular for her killer dance moves. It is no wonder that she has appeared in special songs in blockbuster films such as "Alludu Seenu", "Speedunnodu", "Jaguar", "K.G.F" and "Sarileru Neekevvaru". Her dance moves have also led her to take part in the Magenta Riddim challenge, where she danced to DJ Snake's viral track.## A look at her career-graph tells you that she has worked with the biggest of stars and the best of directors. Fans and those in the film industry say that her knack to learn regional languages with ease, her willingness to work hard and shoot in a professional manner, make her one of South Indian cinema's most sought-after and richest actors. In a world where new faces are launched every Friday, it is quite an accomplishment to complete 15 years.## Tamannaah will soon be seen in the Hindi film "Bole Chudiyan" opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the Telugu film "Seetimaarr" opposite Gopichand.## For more and latest news about Tollywood, stay tuned with us.

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When 'Ramayan' cast was approached for sensuous shoots
2288 days ago
TV

When 'Ramayan' cast was approached for sensuous shoots

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Actor Arun Govil, who became a national icon in the eighties playing Ram in the eighties serial 'Ramayan', recalled there was a time when the cast of the series was approached for sensuous photoshoots! ## "While we were shooting for 'Ramayan', a lot of renowned magazines approached me and the other cast members to do sensuous photoshoots for them. They were so desperate that they were ready to pay hefty amounts of money for it. But none of us accepted their offers and we believed that our audiences' look up to and rest their faith in us. We could never take the chance of breaking their trust for money," said Arun. ## He opened up about this and working on Ramanand Sagar's hit TV serial of the eighties during "The Kapil Sharma Show". The actor was joined by his "Ramayan" co-stars Deepika Chikhalia, Sunil Lahri along with producer Subhash Sagar. ## The episode will be aired this weekend on Sony Entertainment Television. ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.

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Manushi Chhillar: I've always been interested in history
2288 days ago
Bollywood

Manushi Chhillar: I've always been interested in history

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar, who is all set to make her acting debut opposite Akshay Kumar in 'Prithviraj', says she has always been interested in history.## "While growing up, I was really interested in history, the tales of grand kingdoms and larger than life historical heroes. I had always been fascinated with the story of Prithviraj and Sanyogita and life came to a full circle for me when I was offered this film," Manushi said.## Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, "Prithviraj" is based on the life and heroism of the king Prithviraj Chauhan. It stars Akshay in the title role while Manushi plays Sanyogita, the love of his life.## "When I was given the narration of the film, I had a smile on my face thinking that I'm listening to a story that I had been most interested in reading in school. Prithviraj and Sanyogita is a fascinating story and a beautiful chapter in the history of India and I'm blessed and fortunate to have got the opportunity to bring Princess Sanyogita's story to life," she added.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Tahira Kashyap feeling anxious over coronavirus
2288 days ago
Bollywood

Tahira Kashyap feeling anxious over coronavirus

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Filmmaker Tahira Kashyap is worried after seeing the increase in the number of people infected by a coronavirus in India.## She recently took to Instagram and posted a selfie in which she is seen wearing a mask.## "Trip to Delhi... as I entered the airport I saw everyone wearing masks. The sight in itself started giving me anxiety. How are we living? What's happening to my earth? I literally had to call up a friend and get comforted as the anxiety was becoming a sort of panic attack.## "Not seeing faces, not seeing people smile or talk, one sneeze or sniff and people become wary, the sight is really disturbing. This on one side and riots on the other...collective prayers can work is all I know, is all I can hope for," Tahira said.## To lighten up the mood, she humorously mentioned the mask as a piece of fashion accessory.## "On a lighter note these masks are going to be the next Louis Vuitton, mine is a limited edition with intricate convolutions!! I am so fashionable that even with the mask on I am giving my left profile??#traveldairies #travelfears," Tahira added.## According to the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, there are at least 25 positive cases of COVID-19 in India at present.##

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Alia, Katrina, Anushka come together for Irrfan's film
2288 days ago
Bollywood

Alia, Katrina, Anushka come together for Irrfan's film

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Bollywood's leading ladies including Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt and Anushka Sharma have got together for a special song 'Kudi nu nachne de' of Irrfan Khan's film 'Angrezi Medium'.## Irrfan is undergoing treatment and is unavailable for promotions. Now, actresses have joined forces to make a music video on a song which celebrates womanhood.## Talking about the video, Alia said: "I love the lyrics and while listening to it, it made me want to fly, made me want to dance... that's how meaningful it is. It's a really cool song."## The film's director, Homi Adajania is overwhelmed with the gesture. He said: "The 'Angrezi Medium' journey has been unlike anything I've experienced. It's been made with so much love and positivity and this video takes the spirit ahead…It's a glimpse of what love and positivity look like… These are beautiful people who gave us time with little notice, selflessly pitched in and I love them for this."## "Kudi nu nachne de" was sung by Vishal Dadlani, and speaks for equality and respecting a person's wishes.## Katrina said: "Irrfan and Homi are two of my most favorite people, so when he called me there was no question of me not stepping in. I feel that when we can be there for someone, we should. That's how it should be in our industry."## About the song, Anushka shared: "When Homi sent me the song, it was on a loop and it still is. This song is going to make everyone super happy."## An emotional Janhvi Kapoor added: "Irrfan sir has given all of us so much and we want to see him back soon and in the best health possible."## In the film, Irrfan plays a single father who is willing to go to bizarre lengths to make his daughter's dream come true.## Actress Ananya Panday feels the song "is going to be an anthem for all the girls".## To this, Kiara Advani added: "It's every single girl's inner voice that says - Let us just be, let us just have fun."## "Angrezi Medium", revolves around a beautiful relationship between a single doting father, Irrfan and his daughter Radhika Madan. "Angrezi Medium" also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Tripathi, Deepak Dobriyal, Ranvir Shorey and others. The film is presented by Jio studios and Prem Vijan.## Producer Dinesh Vijan said: "It's not just the industry, gestures like this make the world a better place… I hope it encourages more of us to support and be there for each other."## Jio Studios and Prem Vijan present Dinesh Vijan's "Angrezi Medium", a Maddock Films production. It is slated to release on March 13.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Drink orange juice to cut obesity risk and better heart health
2288 days ago
Lifestyle

Drink orange juice to cut obesity risk and better heart health

Toronto, March 4 (IANS) Want to live a healthy and long life? Please take note. Researchers have found that drinking two-and-a-half glasses of orange juice a day could reverse obesity and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.## According to the findings, published in the Journal of Lipid Research, the researchers are studying a molecule found in sweet oranges and tangerines called nobiletin, which they have shown to drastically reduce obesity and reverse its negative side-effects.## "We went on to show that we can also intervene with nobiletin. We've shown that in mice that already have all the negative symptoms of obesity, we can use nobelitin to reverse those symptoms, and even start to regress plaque build-up in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis," said study researcher Murray Huff from Western University in Canada.## The research team demonstrated that mice fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet that was also given nobiletin were noticeably leaner and had reduced levels of insulin resistance and blood fats compared to mice that were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet alone.## However, they still haven't been able to pinpoint exactly how nobiletin works.## According to the study, the researchers hypothesized that the molecule was likely acting on the pathway that regulates how fat is handled in the body.## Called AMP Kinase, this regulator turns on the machinery in the body that burns fats to create energy, and it also blocks the manufacture of fats.## However, when the researchers studied nobiletin's effects on mice that had been genetically modified to remove AMP Kinase, the effects were the same.## "This result told us that nobiletin is not acting on AMP Kinase, and is bypassing this major regulator of how fat is used in the body. What it still leaves us with is the question - how is nobiletin doing this?" Huff said.## According to the researchers, this result is still clinically important because it shows that nobiletin won't interfere with other drugs that act on the AMP Kinase system.## The current therapeutics for diabetes like metformin, for example, work through this pathway, the researchers said.## The next step is to move these studies into humans to determine if nobiletin has the same positive metabolic effects in human trials.## "Obesity and its resulting metabolic syndromes are a huge burden to our health care system, and we have very few interventions that have been shown to work effectively, we need to continue this emphasis on the discovery of new therapeutics," Huff concluded.##

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Dave Bautista in awe of child co-actor
2288 days ago
Hollywood

Dave Bautista in awe of child co-actor

Los Angeles, March 4 (IANS) Actor-wrestler Dave Bautista has formed a special bond with child actress Chloe Coleman. He says she is a bright light and he is in awe of her. Bautista worked with Coleman in the action-comedy 'My Spy'.## "Chloe is special in so many ways, she is a bright light, and I'm in awe of her. She really loves acting and it comes across in so many ways. You can't learn what she does; it's instinctual," Bautista said.## "My Spy" is about a hardened CIA operative and his unlikely 9-year-old sidekick. It is directed by Peter Segal and also stars Ken Jeong, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Nikki Hahn, and Devere Rogers.## In the film, Bautista is a hardened CIA operative, who is demoted following a botched operation. He is given a last chance to keep his job with a mission to go undercover and surveil a family. But their daughter (Coleman) blows his cover by discovering the hidden cameras. She then asks him to teach her how to be a spy.## The film is being brought to India by PVR Pictures. It will release on March 13.## Talking about her bond with Bautista, Coleman said: "When I was introduced to Dave, I was thinking, Oh my god, he's a giant! But I quickly pulled it together. We started chatting and got to know each other pretty fast and became good friends. Dave is like a big teddy bear who can play a really nice guy as easily as he can a tough guy."## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Kiara Advani's clone is the new TikTok rage
2288 days ago
Bollywood

Kiara Advani's clone is the new TikTok rage

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) A TikTok user named Kalpana Sharma has been winning new fans on the social media app simply by cloning Bollywood actress Kiara Advani. ## Among Kalpana's 'talents' is recreating dialogues that Kiara's protagonist Preeti mouthed in the 2019 blockbuster "Kabir Singh". ## While Kiara continues to go from strength to strength in Bollywood with her last year's consecutive hits "Kabir Singh" and "Good Newwz", Kalpana is winning new fans on social media by simply being a lookalike of the actress and copying her dialogues and mannerisms. ## Kalpana in fact is one of many social media sensations who have become a rage just by cloning big Bollywood stars. Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Tiger Shroff, Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, and Karisma Kapoor are some stars who have lookalikes aping them on various social media outlets, particularly TikTok. ## In fact, Katrina Kaif's clone, Alina Rai, has become so popular that she has lately even got a break in showbiz. She recently featured in a Punjabi pop music video. Some stars like Aishwarya have multiple clones on TikTok. ## A few actresses who are no more -- like Sridevi and Madhubala -- have TikTok doppelgangers, too. While on Kiara, she will soon be seen in the Netflix film "Guilty". This year, she has an impressive line-up of feature films. She will be seen alongside Akshay Kumar in the horror-comedy "Laxmmi Bomb", will star in the heroine-centric project "Indoo Ki Jawaani", and co-star with Sidharth Malhotra in the biopic "Shershaah", before teaming up with Kartik Aaryan in the horror-comedy "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2". ## Clearly, that should keep Kalpana busy with a whole lot of 'inspiration' in 2020! ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Brad Pitt made Jennifer Aniston say yes to 'Friends' reunion
2288 days ago
Hollywood

Brad Pitt made Jennifer Aniston say yes to 'Friends' reunion

Los Angeles, March 4 (IANS) Hollywood star Brad Pitt reportedly made the much-awaited 'Friends' reunion possible by encouraging his former wife, and one of the show's lead actresses, Jennifer Aniston to say 'yes' to it.## Aniston is believed to have taken advice from Pitt after being reluctant to return alongside her "Friends" co-stars, reports mirror.co.uk.## "After reuniting with Brad on her birthday last year, she asked him for advice. He said he thought it would be a great idea to honor their success and that fans still hold the show in such high regard," a source told Closer Magazine.## The source then explained to the publication that Pitt, who once had a cameo in the popular sitcom, advised her that it was the right time for her to agree with.## "He told her it feels like the right time to get back together and encouraged her change of heart. He advised her to say ‘yes' when everyone got together in October to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary," said the source.## The show's actors -- Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry -- who are rumored to take home 2 million pounds (Rs 18,75,75,107.38 approximately) each for their appearance, confirmed a comeback on February 21. They will be coming together for an untitled, unscripted reunion special that will celebrate the series, which ran from September 1994 to May 2004.## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

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