<h2>Dog Day Afternoon</h2>
Raveena Tandon brings a whole new meaning to &lsquo;silent support&rsquo; at a special book reading for tots on June 8. While championing our furry friends, the actor playfully calls for a little hush from the crowd &mdash; proving that when it comes to animal welfare, actions (and a gentle shhh!) speak louder than words
<h2>Ageing In Reverse</h2>
&ldquo;Birthday calories don&rsquo;t count, right?&rdquo; Shilpa Shetty asked on her June 8 milestone, as a massive mango milk cake marked the occasion. They clearly don&rsquo;t count for Shilpa, who is launching high-end restaurants, enjoying legendary Sunday binges, killing it at yoga, staying super fit, and quite literally ageing in reverse.&nbsp;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Shilpa-uc_e.jpg" alt="Shilpa Shetty" width="1280" height="720" /> Shilpa Shetty
Seriously, someone check her birth certificate, because the math is simply not mathing. After a wild, headline-grabbing getaway in Montenegro for her 40th and a sun-soaked European extravaganza in Croatia to mark 50, the eternal stunner decided to dial back the chaos this year. Instead of renting out an entire Mediterranean island, she spent this birthday enjoying a quiet, intimate family celebration with husband Raj Kundra and their adorable tots, Viaan and Samisha.
But don&rsquo;t let the low-key vibes fool you &mdash; whether she&rsquo;s hosting a massive bash or having a cosy night in, Shilpa is still living rent-free at the top of the fitness food chain. While the rest of us look at a slice of cake and gain two kilos, this woman is out here eating mango milk cake and keeping her abs intact. Teach us your ways, queen!
<h2>Of Cakes And Kaftans</h2>
Also digging into a gluttony of cakes on her June 9 birthday was Sonam Kapoor, whose celebratory brunch on Tuesday didn&rsquo;t just happen &mdash; it luxuriated. The brief? Italian Riviera meets Mumbai penthouse. We&rsquo;re talking tables overflowing with lemons and florals, while the menu boasted an iconic mix of pizza, pasta, and the obligatory kale salad for the weight watchers (bless them).
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Sonam-ix_e.jpg" alt="Anshula Kapoor and birthday belle Sonam" width="1280" height="720" /> Anshula Kapoor and birthday belle Sonam
When pastry queen Pooja Dhingra is on your ride-or-die list, an abundance of sweet treats is legally required. Cutting into the sugar rush was the ultimate fashion clan: Rhea and Karan Boolani, Masaba Gupta, cousins Arjun and Anshula Kapoor, Mohit Marwah, and designer duo Kunal Rawal and Arpita Mehta. The chocolate chip cookies and artisanal cheese were a talking point, but what&rsquo;s a Sonam soiree without style?
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Cake_e.jpg" alt="A glimpse at the gluttony of cakes" width="1280" height="720" /> A glimpse at the gluttony of cakes
Naturally, the birthday girl served &mdash; anchoring the entire high-calorie affair in a stunning kaftan worn with Dolce &amp; Gabbana earrings. Because why just eat cake when you can look like a million bucks doing it?
<h2>From No. 42 To Windsor Castle</h2>
Between the absolute frenzy of the IPL finale and the high-octane madness of Monaco, I&rsquo;ve let a spectacular moment slip by without mention &mdash; but better late than never. Meera Syal, who we know and love from The Kumars at No. 42, made her way to Windsor Castle on June 2, and returned with a title.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Meera-Syal_e.jpg" alt="Meera Syal" width="1280" height="720" /> Meera Syal
The comedian, singer, actress, and Bombay Dreams co-author is now a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire &mdash; an honour awarded to her by King Charles III for her immense services to literature, drama, and charity. In true British fashion, Meera&rsquo;s first thought on the day of her official investiture was that the rain held off. Then, she says, &ldquo;We got a ride in a Windsor Golf Buggy and I took along a pic of ma and pa because they&rsquo;re the main reason I got from Wolverhampton wench to Windsor Dame.&rdquo;
Looking every bit the part in a bespoke ensemble by Mumbai-based designer extraordinaire Payal Khandwala, Meera upped the ante with Amrapali jewels &mdash; but who needs bling when you have legacy? Shine on, Dame Syal.
<h2>Opening New Gates</h2>
Leave it to Bill Gates to &lsquo;see&rsquo; that sometimes the most profound solutions hide in plain sight. A chance recommendation from a mutual friend led the billionaire philanthropist to Bengaluru-based Dr Anand Sivaraman earlier this year, and what followed is the kind of intervention that quietly rewrites the script on global health.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Bill-Gates-a_e.jpg" alt="Bill Gates" width="1280" height="720" /> Bill Gates
With a fresh grant from the Gates Foundation that has only just become official, Sivaraman&rsquo;s Remidio is advancing its Oculomics platform, which uses retinal imaging and AI to detect signs of systemic disease. It is a brilliant bit of clinical pragmatism: the retina is the only place where blood vessels can be observed directly without an invasive procedure. For conditions like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes &mdash; which quietly fuel a heartbreaking share of the world&rsquo;s 2 million annual stillbirths &mdash; the eye leaves an unmistakable signature.
In low- and middle-income regions, sophisticated labs are a luxury few pregnant women can reach. This AI-driven technology bypasses that infrastructure entirely. A frontline healthcare worker can snap a retinal image in seconds, catching life-threatening complications where they matter most: at the point of care. &ldquo;When we see something clever like this, it&rsquo;s exactly in line with what our biggest goal is, and that&rsquo;s to save lives,&rdquo; says Gates.
A masterful collision of empathy and Indian tech, this collaboration proves that saving lives doesn&rsquo;t always require reinventing the wheel &mdash; sometimes, it just takes looking at the problem through a completely different lens.

The chocolate chip cookies and artisanal cheese were a talking point, but what's a Sonam soiree without style?

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The chocolate chip cookies and artisanal cheese were a talking point, but what’s a Sonam soiree without style?

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Dog Day Afternoon

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