Manoj Bajpayee has revealed that he has considered quitting acting several times over the past decade, admitting that the emotional burden of playing complex characters often leaves a lasting impact on him. During a recent conversation, the actor also opened up about ageing, mortality and the sacrifices that come in the pursuit of success.

‘For about 10 years I was feeling like quitting my job’

Speaking about his relationship with acting, Manoj admitted that the thought of leaving this profession came to his mind again and again.He told Ranveer Allahabadia, “To tell you the truth, for almost 10 years now and then I feel like leaving. But sometimes a role comes, then I leave.”The actor stressed that he did not want to continue working under compulsion. “I don’t want to do acting as a compulsion that I have to take food and bread at home. I want to act. If there is a character, it will be a lot of fun to play it.”Interestingly, Bajpayee revealed that after years of playing intense, psychologically demanding roles, he is now gravitating towards lighter, commercial entertainers.He said, “Nowadays, I feel like doing commercial films… tremendous slapstick comedy, nonsense comedy. Do a little village-van pe nacho. Ghar se koi tyari karke aana hai. Just say goodbye to the family and have a good time on the set,” he said, calling it an “escape” from the kind of work he has been doing.

‘Black characters have an impact’

Bajpayee admitted that some darkness from films like Gali Guliyan, Aligarh and Bhonsle still remained within him.He said, “Sometimes I feel the darkness that I feel mentally. Sometimes I know exactly where it’s coming from. Comes from the streets, comes from Aligarh, comes from Bhonsle.”The actor said that such roles often lead to intense mood swings and emotional exhaustion, making spirituality an important foundation in his life.

‘You are heading towards your grave’

The conversation later turned philosophical as Bajpayee reflected on aging and death.He said, “Whether I look forward to it or not, I have to come to terms with the one thing that is constantly changing. Life. You are headed toward your grave, toward your funeral pyre.”The actor said that aging has become increasingly noticeable in everyday life.He shared, “All the cells in my body are aging. I feel it when I go up the stairs, I feel it when I go down the stairs.”According to Bajpayee, death is an inevitability that people should learn to accept rather than fear.“That you have to go. That has to go. What is there to think about that? You must know it and try to adjust to it.”

Looking back at the cost of success

Bajpayee also reflected on the sacrifices he made while pursuing his ambitions, particularly the time he spent with his parents.When asked if the struggle was worth it, he said, “Materially, yes,” he said, “but I lost a lot of things.”The actor recalled spending most of his life away from home – first in boarding school, then in Delhi and later in Mumbai, which created distance between him and his parents.He said, “Sometimes I feel, man, I wish I could have had some more time with my dad. We could have understood each other better. Yes, with my mother we could have sorted out our personal issues.”Although he acknowledged that success gave him the freedom to choose his work, he admitted that not every sacrifice seemed worthwhile in hindsight.Bajpayee said, “After materialistic fulfillment, when you look back, it seems that everything was not worth it.”

Tamil Nadu to publish registry of 41,000 clinical establishmentEmpowering patients to verify credentialsChennai: The Tamil Nadu state health department will release a gazetted list of over 40,000 clinical establishments registered under its authority – a significant step towards transparency in a sector that has long operated with limited public oversight.The list will include a wide range of health care facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, counseling clinics and clinical laboratories in allopathy, Indian medicine and homeopathy, which are registered with the health department under the Clinical Establishments Act. “This list created by the department is creating a legally recognised, publicly accessible record that patients can consult before seeking medical care,” said a senior official of the Directorate of Medical Services.Under the Clinical Establishment Act, all such institutions are required to obtain registration and renew it once every five years. Registration ensures that clinical establishments meet basic standards for location, staff, equipment, records, cleanliness and safety. It is required to maintain medical records as per the rules, display certificates and properly report changes such as ownership transfer or closure. “The department is now making the renewal process completely online. We will eliminate the paper-heavy process and reduce chances of delays or lapses in compliance,” the official said.Ten days ago, Health Minister KG Arun Raj had told reporters that around 8,000 applications from private hospitals and other clinical establishments for licenses were pending with the department. He had given instructions to issue temporary certificate immediately as soon as the necessary details are uploaded online and then to issue permanent certificate after comprehensive inspection. “We are doing this now. This is to ensure that no hospital operates without a license. The temporary license is given on the basis of self-declaration,” the official said.Health advocates say the registry will be a powerful reference point for patients, especially in small towns and peri-urban areas where unregulated clinics are common.

Rohan Sharma along with his associates had committed the robbery.

LUCKNOW: The heist in which a professional photographer was lured with a fake birthday-party assignment and made away with expensive camera equipment was allegedly an inside job by his own assistant photography colleague, who according to the police conspired to make quick money and rescue the mortgaged camera due to financial crisis.The crime came to light on Tuesday when photographer-cum-videographer Ashok Yadav, a resident of Ranikheda village under Mal police station area, lodged a complaint at Itaunja police station.He alleged that he was approached by unknown persons for photography and videography coverage of the birthday celebrations and asked to reach near Neelansh Water Park Road around 9.30 pm on Monday.On reaching the spot, four men on two motorcycles allegedly stopped their vehicle, threatened them and fled with professional equipment including six cameras, seven lenses, two gimbals and a mobile phone. The value of the stolen gear is estimated to be around Rs 15 lakh.Assistant Commissioner of Police (BKT) Vikas Pandey, who supervised the investigation, said police cracked the case within a few hours using technical surveillance, local intelligence and interrogation of suspects.Pandey said, “During preliminary interrogation, it emerged that the victim’s photography assistant Rohan Sharma had conspired with his associates to commit the robbery. Rohan was aware of the expensive equipment carried by Ashok and knew his activities and agenda.”According to the ACP, Sharma had worked with Yadav on photography assignments and was also employed at a stationery shop owned by the victim. Financial difficulties allegedly led him to plan the crime.“The accused had mortgaged his own camera, which was worth around Rs 8 lakh, and was unable to rescue it. He allegedly planned the robbery after seeing that the victim had many new and expensive gadgets. They believed the equipment could be sold quickly for substantial profits,” Pandey said.Police arrested three accused Rohan Sharma, Ramanuj Mishra and Vipin Mishra and recovered the entire stolen property. The fourth accused Vivek is still absconding. Raids are being conducted to catch him.Police found that the conspirators had faked the birthday-party booking to lure the photographer to a secluded place. Rohan allegedly passed on details of the assignment, route and equipment to his associates who carried out the robbery.ACP Pandey said that the victim started suspecting Rohan’s involvement soon after the robbery.During the incident on the night of 1 June, the assailants who stopped his vehicle reportedly held Rohan at gunpoint, but did not harm him, instead instructing him to hand over all the photography equipment (which only he was aware of being carried by him).The victim also observed that Rohan appeared unusually calm and was behaving as if he was familiar with the attackers, raising suspicions that he had prior knowledge of the crime.

Kolkata/Howrah: Arrests, FIRs, resignations and administrative upheavals in several municipal corporations and municipalities in Bengal have raised concerns over the functioning of civic bodies and delivery of services.This tension is most evident in the Trinamool Congress-run KMC, where the civic board has become almost “defunct” due to the Mayor-in-Council not holding meetings. The crisis began with the resignation of Borough IX president Deblina Biswas, and intensified after Sushant Ghosh and Arup Chakraborty stepped down as Borough President (Borough XII) and KMC Accounts Committee member, respectively.The situation worsened on Tuesday when MMIC Tarak Singh, in-charge of KMC’s sewerage and drainage, resigned and submitted his letter to Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smita Pandey. Although as per KMC rules the MMIC has to send a resignation letter to the mayor, Singh said the municipal commissioner had asked him to reconsider before the monsoon. Singh alleged that he could not work independently and said he was “feeling bad” for failing to take “effective” steps ahead of the rainy season.Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh said the KMC health department needs a comprehensive pre-monsoon plan to deal with dengue and malaria. At the ward level, councilors have largely stopped working, alleging that they are not being “helped” by the civic authorities. A senior Trinamool functionary said many councilors have been kept indoors due to fear of arrest, adding that the arrest of city president Sudip Poli and councilor Sachin Singh has “sent a message to others”. FIRs have been lodged against at least six other councilors – Baiswanor Chattopadhyay (Ward 91), Mala Roy (Ward 88), Sushant Ghosh (Ward 108), Shanti Ranjan Kundu (Ward 32), Jui Biswas (Ward 81) and Ashutosh Das (Ward 35).In Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC), legal cases have entangled councilors and civic officials. Four out of 41 councilors have been arrested on charges including extortion and threats. An MMIC and his wife, a former MLA, have secured interim protection from arrest till June 19. The husband and brother-in-law of another MMIC – a former councilor in Baguiati area – have also been arrested.Monthly MMIC and board meetings of BMC have not been held since the formation of the new BJP government in the state. Bidhannagar MLA Sharadwat Mukherjee described the situation as “missing (missing) councillor”.South Dum Dum Municipality has not seen resignations, but civic functioning has been jolted by the death of councilor and chairman-in-council member Sanjay Das, who was found hanging in his apartment on May 23. Two other councilors – Mrinmoy Das and former chairman-in-council member Partha Verma – were recently arrested on charges of extortion, assault and criminal intimidation.In North Dum Dum Municipality, civic services were disrupted after hundreds of temporary employees staged a week-long protest demanding equal pay for equal work, timely salaries and regular EPF deposits.Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), the state’s second largest civic body, continues without an elected board. The last elections were held in 2013 and the term of the board ended in 2018. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari appointed a chief administrator to oversee both the HMC and Bally Municipality, which is also without an elected civic body since 2018.Residents of Howrah and Bally have repeatedly complained of inadequate civic services, alleging that the prolonged absence of elected representatives has weakened accountability and affected service delivery.The disruption is most visible in Barrackpore Industrial Area, where civic boards have collapsed due to mass resignations in Bhatpara, Kanchrapara, Halisahar, Garulia and North Barrackpore. About 115 councilors including five municipality presidents have resigned.

Air India building at Nariman Point in Mumbai

Mumbai: Three years after the plan was approved by the Cabinet, the state government on Tuesday took over the Air India building at Nariman Point.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Presided over the deed of surrender between the state Public Works Department and Air India Assets Holding Limited, which owns the building.“This will not only save rent but will also bring together offices,” Fadnavis told TOI. In 2023, the state cabinet had approved a plan to purchase the Air India building to expand the ministry and create state government offices there.The cabinet had decided to waive off all unearned income, transfer charges and other penalties of Air India so that the state government can take possession of the building soon.The state government paid Rs 1,601 crore for the building. The acquisition will provide 46,470 square meters of space for government offices in the 22-storey building.Officials said the state government would save about Rs 200 crore in annual rent if all the offices currently located in private buildings are shifted to the Air India building.Officials said it would take more than six months to make the building usable. The lifts are not working and a lot of interior work needs to be done. Even the central air conditioning system is not working as the building is more than 50 years old.The building opened on June 1, 1970. Designed by Manhattan-based architect John Burgi, it was one of the first centrally air-conditioned skyscrapers in India. The 23-storey tall building had six state-of-the-art elevators with piped music and was the first building in India to install escalators, which took customers from the street to the main booking office.Initially topped by an illuminated metal centaur (Air India’s trademark logo chosen by founder JRD Tata), the building stood as an unmistakable centerpiece of the Marine Drive skyline. It housed the famous Air India Art Collection, which was carefully curated over decades. The building was the target of a series of bombings on March 12, 1993, when a car bomb detonated in the basement garage.In 2022, Fadnavis, who was then the Deputy Chief Minister, met the then Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia And urged them to give priority to the state government for the building. apart from the state government reserve Bank of India (RBI) was said to be in a race to buy the building.Fadnavis had said that the state government was facing shortage of space for government offices in the ministry and annexe buildings. He said, “Met Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in New Delhi and requested to give the Air India building in Mumbai to the state government. At present, even with the ministry and an auxiliary building, the space for government offices is inadequate, hence this building was demanded. We had made this proposal when I was the chief minister.” But in the meantime that proposal was withdrawn. After this we corresponded again. At present, both the Reserve Bank and the Maharashtra government have demanded this space,” Fadnavis had said in a tweet.Officials said the state had leased the sea-facing property to Air India in 1970 for a 99-year tenure. Officials said that as per land transfer rules, the state revenue department was entitled to charge transfer fee (or unearned income) during transfer of lease, which would have been about one-eighth of the market value.“Air India had then also sought exemption from this payment as a special case, which was approved,” an official said.

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi reviewed preparations for the second anniversary celebrations of his government in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

Bhubaneswar: President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi Will attend an event together for the first time Odisha To mark the celebration of two years of the Mohan Charan Majhi-led BJP government in the state. A government official said that on June 20, President Murmu and PM Modi are going to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of several important projects for Odisha at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district.Majhi, who completed two years in office on June 12, chaired a high-level preparatory meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan for the successful implementation of the anniversary programme, which will culminate in a huge public meeting to be addressed by the President and the Prime Minister.The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure security arrangements at the venue, facilities for the general public attending the meeting and adequate parking arrangements. Since both President Murmu and PM Modi will attend the event, the CM stressed the need to organize the event smoothly and directed officials to pay special attention to it.Mayurbhanj MP Naba Charan Majhi said the President will be on a two-day visit to her hometown Rairangpur from June 19, while the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit on June 20.Sources said he would inaugurate a stadium in Rairangpur and several other projects for the state besides projects for Paharpur, Murmu’s in-laws’ village. The dignitaries will also flag off the new Puri-Koraput train via Sambalpur and inaugurate several upgraded railway stations as Amritbharat stations in different parts of the state.From Odisha, PM Modi will fly to Kolkata to lead the major national function international yoga day President Murmu is likely to return to Delhi on June 21.It may be mentioned here that the Prime Minister had also attended the first anniversary celebrations of the Majhi government in Bhubaneswar on June 20 last year and inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth over Rs 18,600 crore. This will be Modi’s eighth visit to Odisha in two years and his first visit this year after the formation of the BJP government in Odisha.

Patna: : Bihar The solar energy journey is no longer limited to home rooftops. Across the state, government buildings, irrigation networks, reservoirs and public infrastructure are being converted to sources of clean energy, marking a decisive shift away from reliance on fossil fuels.At the heart of this transformation is the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Mission, under which Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA) has already equipped more than 12,800 government buildings with solar energy. Through the first two phases of its grid-connected rooftop programme, the state has created approximately 115 MW of decentralized solar capacity, reducing the burden on the conventional thermal power grid while reducing the cost of electricity for public institutions.More importantly, the initiative has transformed from a project to a policy. Incorporating renewable energy into Bihar’s future development model, solar infrastructure is now mandatory for all new government buildings. About Rs 575 crore was invested in the first two phases.The next phase promises to be even more ambitious. according to Rahul KumarDirector of BREDA and Managing Director of NBPDCL, the state aims to install 500 MW of rooftop solar capacity on government buildings through the Renewable Energy Services Company (RESCO) model. The objective is clear – to achieve almost complete solar coverage of public infrastructure within the next five years and establish a strong foundation for Bihar’s clean-energy ambitions by 2030.The scale of progress is already visible. Patna leads the state with 1,701 solar-powered government buildings, followed by Purnia with 1,635 and Rohtas with 1,056. Together, they explain how public infrastructure is becoming a key driver of Bihar’s renewable energy transition.Yet Bihar’s solar strategy extends far beyond rooftops. Unlike states like Rajasthan and Gujarat, Bihar faces a unique challenge – the lack of large tracts of barren land suitable for utility-scale solar projects. As a result, the state has adopted a diversified approach, identifying suitable locations in districts such as Aurangabad, Banka, Jamui and Gaya for large-scale establishments.The proposed 150 MW solar park in Aurangabad is a major milestone. Spread over 500 acres and costing about Rs 1,000 crore, the project will include battery storage capable of storing up to 20% of the electricity generated, helping address the intermittent nature of solar power.At the same time, the major Kajra solar project in Lakhisarai has come into operational mode. 185 MW of solar capacity supported by battery storage has already been added in the first phase, slated for February 2026. The second phase, to be completed by January 2027, will further strengthen the project and increase storage capacities.Recognizing the limitations of land availability, Bihar is also exploiting its water resources. A 10 MW floating solar project at Phulwariya Dam in Nawada is nearing completion, based on earlier floating installations in Darbhanga and Supaul. Such projects maximize energy production without competing for agricultural land.The state is also investing in long-term energy storage as well. The two proposed pumped storage projects in Nawada, with a combined capacity of 2,120 MW and an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore, are currently under survey.Along with these efforts, Bihar is pursuing feeder-level solarization under the PM-KUSUM scheme. Power purchase agreements for 456 MW across 175 solar plants have already been signed, the initiative aims to shift agricultural irrigation systems towards dedicated solar power.Together, these projects reveal a larger vision. Bihar is not just adding renewable energy capacity; It is redesigning its energy architecture. Combining rooftop solar, utility-scale projects, floating plants, battery storage and agricultural solarization, the state is building a diverse and resilient clean-energy ecosystem capable of fueling sustainable growth for decades to come.