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The Poco F2 is coming. Or so goes the impression. This is what some of the new rumors and leaks are suggesting. Earlier the talk was that Xiaomi will discontinue Poco brand now that it has the Redmi K20 phones—top-end hardware at affordable prices—in the market. But recently Xiaomi India Head of Marketing Anuj Sharma denied that Poco brand is going to be discontinued. In an interview earlier this week Sharma confirmed that the Poco brand would not be discontinued. Sharma didn't confirm the existence of the Poco F2 but this statement itself hinted that the Poco F2 was real.

But yet, there is a lot of confusion around the Poco F2. Rumours of the Poco F2 started as soon as Qualcomm announced its latest flagship processor -- Snapdragon 855 -- back in December last year. Back then, rumours and leaks suggested that the Poco F2 would follow the same strategy as the Poco F1. This means the phone would come with the latest flagship processor aka Snapdragon 855. Amidst all these rumours Xiaomi launched the Redmi K20 Pro with Snapdragon 855 in China. That sort of ended rumours about the Poco F2.

The Redmi K20 Pro was launched in China in May. Soon after that rumors started pouring in that Redmi K20 Pro would come to India as rebranded Poco F2. But that didn't happen. The Redmi K20 Pro retains its name in India.

The Redmi K20 Pro was launched in India on July 17 and days after the launch several research analysts started predicting that the Poco brand would be discontinued in India. Analysts said that after the Redmi K20 Pro the Poco F2 doesn't make sense. This came as a disappointment for the Poco fans and the consumers eagerly waiting for the Poco F2.

Sharma, however, rubbished these reports and said that Poco would continue to make smartphones and will not be discontinued. In the interview, Sharma said, "India Poco has its own team, it's not managed by Xiaomi India. Xiaomi manages Mi & Redmi series Poco was made to remain independent. Poco uses Xiaomi's services like logistics, support etc. Poco has its own product strategy. Right now Poco is too small & their focus is still on Poco F1."

When will Poco F2 launch

All we know for now is that the Poco F2 is real. It will likely come but the launch timeline is a mystery. Last year the Poco F1 was launched in the month of August and before the launch of Redmi K20 Pro it was expected that this year too a new Poco phone would come in August. But that's not happening any more. As Sharma notes in the interview, Poco is currently concentrating on Poco F1 and improving it as a product. This means the Poco F2 may take a while before it comes into the market. There are chances that Xiaomi may launch the Poco F2 later in the year or postpone the launch to next year.

What we know about Poco F2

The Poco F2 is expected to be an upgraded version of the Poco F1. Obviously. Some rumors suggest that the Poco F2 will be powered by Snapdragon 855. But now that the Redmi K20 Pro comes with the same flagship processor it is highly unlikely that the Poco F2 will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC. So the latest rumors are that the Poco F2 will come with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus. Some other rumors and leaks suggest that Poco F2 will come with AMOLED panel, waterdrop notch and higher screen-to-body-ratio than the Poco F1.

(India Today)

Bhuwan Chand—the first officially recognized Nepali feature film actress—dons the producer’s hat this time to bring Saino into the Nepali film industry. Although it takes its name from the classic Bhuwan KC-Danny Denzongpa-Tripti Nadkar starrer Nepali movie from 1987, this Saino has an independently created plot, and is nowhere close to becoming a ‘super hit’ like the former one.

Chand’s Saino, a social drama based in a hilly village near Kathmandu, revolves around a young couple Raj (Raj Kumar) and Anu (Miruna Magar). The two are in love with each other and want to get married, but the girl’s father and her cousin Maite (Roydeep Shrestha) oppose the union. In fact, Maite wants to marry Anu; both are from the Lama culture, where a guy has the right to court the daughter of his maternal uncle. So Maite tries to woo Anu, but because she snubs his advances, he plans to kidnap and marry her forcefully—another privilege his culture entitles him to. (Interestingly, the custom in which a man can kidnap and marry his cousin is still prevalent in some parts of Nepal and a few elected representatives from those areas spoke this week in the parliament about banning it.)

What follows is a long ordeal of escaping and hiding for both the lead characters. The film’s story is pivoted in such a way that it does not stick to the predictable nature of stereotypical Kollywood plots where a young couple elopes together when their union is not accepted by their families and society. The film has its own twists and turns and also tries to touch the issue of human trafficking. But this is where the film falls flat. In what is probably an effort to make a movie carrying a strong social message, the filmmakers have only managed to address the issues superficially, while there is no notable lesson the audience can take home. With a runtime of 1 hr 54 mins, the film becomes tedious to watch.

A legend in her own right, Chand also appears in a supporting role as Raj’s widowed mother. Most of the young characters in the film are newcomers, except for Radha (Nita Dhungana), who adds another love triangle to the story as she pursues Raj romantically. Performance wise, Raj Kumar’s debut as Raj is rather forgettable. He looks quite uncomfortable on screen at times and is not at all convincing as a passionate lover. Miruna, on the other hand, plays a village girl with considerable ease and her NRN status (she was born in Hong Kong) doesn’t affect her character at all. She plays Anu quite convincingly, more so than many actresses born and bred in Kathmandu who fail to enact the ‘rural’ character when needed.

Nita, with all her previous experiences in Kollywood, doesn’t add a strong work experience to her resume with this film. She does attempt to fit into her character as a dance instructor and Raj’s old friend who is head-over-heels for him. But besides showing off her dancing skills, she doesn’t do much to make the audience like her. The film would have been unbearable if these central characters were forced on the screen throughout its entire length, but the filmmakers have smartly given some screen time to a number of supporting characters to avoid the disaster.

Comic relief in Saino is minimal but clean (non-sleazy), and the comeback of legendary actors Madan Das Shrestha and Basundhara Bhusal elevates the film’s status as a whole. The veteran actors play a landlord couple and provide a much-needed break from the film’s mediocrity with their mature acting.

Who should watch it:

Saino is a below par production in terms of storytelling and acting. The plot, which again could have been its strength, becomes its weakness as the filmmakers attempt desperately to appeal to the audience’s sense of sympathy. But the movie is not entirely unwatchable. The supporting actors make it more bearable than it may sound in the review. And since there were no new releases this weekend, a Nepali film lover might want to watch this to support the industry.

Rating: 2 stars

Run time: 1 hr 54 mins

Cast: Nita Dhungana, Miruna Magar, Raj Kumar

Director: Ramesh Thapa

Genre: Drama

 Be the part of the community music experience at Nasa: Chuka, Mangalbazar, where the ancient Malla regime used to practice and observe music and dance.

 With the intent of empowering women entrepreneurs with the Teej Mela, around 125+ exhibitors and 50,000+ visitors are expected in the mega event. It will see participation from industries like banking, insurance, jewelry, clothing, automobile, consumer electronics, food, and education, among others

 Resonance of Roots is a group of eight musicians from different backgrounds and musical influences. Blending western and eastern musical influences, the group compose their music by brainstorming their ideas based on research into different ethnic communities.

Q. Three words to describe yourself?

A. Empathetic. Thoughtful. Direct

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Q. How would you describe a perfect day?

A. A day when my family is proud of me, work gets done, creative ideas flow, pay-day, puppies.

Q. What does your cheat-diet look like?

A. I don’t eat rice so, “dui thaal bhaat”, mom made.

Q. One word to describe the modeling industry today?

A. Fun.

Q. What’s your hidden talent?

A. I make portraits.

Q. How would you describe style in a sentence?

A. Something that makes you feel good and different and is fun when showing it off.

Q. Which animal would you prefer as your pet?

A. When I adopt, they become family, I don’t call them pets. Dogs, because they’re familiar with human emotions.

Q. What is your alternate career choice?

A. Writer/Director.

Q. Your female celebrity crush?

      A. Lisa Haydon.

Chiltang is a beautiful destination only 22 km south-west of Kathmandu in Makwanpur district. Hiking to Chitlang is an opportunity to experience ancient cultures and serene natural beauty. There is a village in Chitlang where Tamang, Magar, Chhetri, Bramin, Newar and Gurung all together, allowing you to experience their unique customs and beliefs. Villagers lack many basic amenities so you visiting will help improve their lives as well. Don’t miss the pear gardens and the famous cheese factory there. The natural beauty and old temples of Chitlang will definitely refresh your mind. If you walk from Thankot, it takes around five hours to reach Chitlang.