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Action packed Friday nights on Star Movies this April
MUMBAI: With Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, Friday nights are going to get action packed week after week during this April with Star Movie’s Friday Night Premiere.
After the Oscar Fever and Made in India festivals, Star Movies is all set to take its viewers on a roller coaster ride this April with the premier of the latest award winning and box office hits like- The Pianist, Road to Perdition, The Ring, Jeepers Creepers and Bullet-proof Monk.
With some of the best performances by some of Hollywood’s great stars, the premiere is kick starting with The Pianist, on Friday 2 April at 9.00 pm. The film is an adaptation of the autobiography of Wladyslaw Szpilman, the renowned Polish composer and pianist, was made by the acclaimed director Roman Polanski and was the winner of three Oscars.
The next blockbuster on the track is Road to Perdition to be aired on 9 April, starring two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks along with Paul Newman and Jude Law. Directed by Oscar winning director of American Beauty Sam Mendes, the film is set in the depression-era Chicago where hit man Michael O’Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is known to his friends and enemies alike as the ‘Angel of Death’, a person who is uncompromising in his work but at the same time devoted to his private life. But when these two worlds collide, taking the lives of his wife and his younger son, O’Sullivan embarks on a startling journey of revenge.
The next on 16 April at 9.00 pm is The Ring, a suspense thriller starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson, the lead actor of Gurinder Chadha’s forthcoming Bride & Prejudice. Directed by Gore Verbinski, this film is a remake of one of Japan’s biggest box office hits.
That’s not all. Another film in the horror-suspense genre Jeepers Creepers awaits on 23 April. The film is about a group of unsuspecting teens from college across the US, encounters a supernatural creature, hell bent on killing them. In their attempt to escape, this fast paced thriller fills one with heart-stopping jolts and mind-bending twists.
The month ends with the action packed Bulletproof Monk starring Chow Yun-Fat and Seann William Scott to be aired on 30 April. The story is about a mysterious monk who has for 60 years protected an ancient scroll that holds the key to unlimited power. But when a streetwise punk saves him from capture, the monk thinks that he has found a replacement protector for the scroll.
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Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
