PioTV: Bollywood to Hollywood

Director Jagmohan Mundhra

2008-03-05T02:11:00.000-08:00

Jagmohan Mundhra followed a long road in Hollywood and then to Bollywood but finally achieved his quest to make meaningful movies. Mundhra told PIO TV he likes to inspire audiences to re-evaluate society’s position on controversial subjects. Born and brought up in Calcutta, India, Jag was first inspired by the legendary director Guru Dutt. But, like an obedient Indian son first fulfilled his family’s wishes and studied business. Coming to America culminated in achieving a Ph.D in marketing, specifically films. He taught at California State University Northridge in Los Angeles and dove head on into learning filmmaking. He set up the first Indian film theater in Los Angeles, then sold it to raise money for his first film “SURAAG” with Shabana Azmi. He followed it up with “KAMLA” that got Jag Mundhra some International press. The next movie “BAWANDAR” got him international acclaim and screened at various festival including the London Film Festival. Jag’s credible film-making aroused the interest of internationally acclaimed actress Aishwarya Rai and he went on to make “PROVOKED.” PIO TV sat down with Jag Mundhra to discuss his latest film, “SHOOT ON SIGHT” with Naseeruddin Shah. Jag smiles and adds that his plan is to simply continue his prolific career as a filmmaker making thought provoking films.

Director Jagmohan Mundhra

2008-03-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

Sexy Lass Mallika Sherawat

2008-02-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

Something happened with our sexy lass Mallika Sherawat. If you recall, Mallika was also a member of the cast of “Aapka Surur’, the first film by Himesh Reshmia and Hansika Motwani. The days when Mallika was quite annoyed with 15-year-old Hansika who not only addressed the sex siren as ‘aunty, but also teased her making all sorts of faces. Now it wouldn’t be wrong to say that influenced by Hansika, Mallika has applied all the tricks with her co-stars in the forthcoming film ‘Man Gaye Mughal-E-Azam’. Especially, Mallika used to make faces and tease K K Menon when he would be busy with the shooting. Even the director of the film Sanjay Chhel, has accepted this fact and said that Yes, it is true that Mallika was up to such pranks on the sets. Whenever she used to come on the sets, Mallika used to bow and do salaam to all present much like Anarkali. Even Paresh Rawal used to company Mallika in teasing and annoying everyone present on the sets. So after listening all this we would just like to say Man gaye Mallika.

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Bollywood Legend Continues to Charm

2008-02-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

The very beautiful and gorgeous Rekha stepped out on Friday night after a self-imposed hiatus from the public eye, in true divaesque style. Dressed in black, boots et al, she could very well launch a thousand ships of her own, a la Helen of Troy! As she stepped on stage to receive an award celebrating her beauty, she elicited a thunderous applause from the guests present. But naturally, she’s Rekha... the one and only. And one of the guests, excited on seeing her, said something aloud which she didn’t quite catch and she asked him to repeat what he’d said. To which he said, Good Evening and Rekha laughed throatily and said in her trademark sensuous voice, Oh I heard beautiful. You know, I am always being asked how is it that I am so beautiful. I owe it all to my Amma, my mother, and it is thanks to the genes I inherited from her, that I am beautiful if at all. But more than that, I feel that the values that she brought me up with which I follow till date are what make me truly beautiful. There, she just told everyone her best kept secret or did she? I want to be alone is essentially Hollywood’s most glamourous legend, Greta Garbo’s line, and Rekha has been adhering to that in her life too. But we wish not. She’s a Re’ of light.

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Watch Bollywood Movies Free: Kshatriya

2008-02-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

In order to get rain for the arid region in Rajasthan, India, two royal families, from Mirtagarh and Surjangarh, have come together with their warriors, and fought with each other annually, with the winner getting the honor to sacrifice a baby buffalo. When England returned Jaswant Singh comes home with his caucasian wife, he is appalled at the slaughter and warlike conditions. But fate binds him that he is also to continue the family tradition, and as a result his wife leaves him. Years later, children from both these royal families return from England, and are friends with each other. Vinay is friendly with Vikram, and wants to wed Neelima. Will these young people succeed in stopping this bloodshed, and put an end to this rivalry, or will they also be fated to continue this deadly tradition.

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Tanisha Makes Her Debut

2008-01-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actress Tanisha is making her debut in Telugu. Sources close to the unit informed us that she has signed NTR starrer Kantri. The film has Hansika Motwani as the female lead while Tanisha steps in as the second lead opposite NTR.
Earlier Jiah Khan and Riya Sen were considered for this role. Produced by Ashwini Dutt and directed by Meher Ramesh, the film has already completed 50 percent of shoot. Tanisha is Kajol's sister and is better known for her dare bare attitude. She had acted in Hindi films like Neil 'n' Nikki and also did Unnale Unnale a Tamil film which was later dubbed into Telugu as Nee Valle Nee Valle with debutant Vinay.

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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: On Demand

2008-01-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas aims at culminating the success and knowledge of the overseas Indian community and integrating their experience into India's global development process. PBD celebrates and recognizes the contributions of this 35 million strong community and utilizes PBD as a means to bring the community together under an umbrella of forward thinking and discussion. For the first time this landmark event was made available via live webcast on pioTV.Com to the whole of the overseas community and is now being made available free On Demand. Click here to watch this historic event and take part in the flourishing of India.

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Dia Mirza: More Than Meets the Eye

2008-01-24T12:28:00.000-08:00

Dia Mirza has always believed in doing more than what her profession demands and keeps abreast with political and world issues by reading extensively. Hence she is always around whenever you need a celebrity speaker to talk on issues like social or political.

There’s so much you can achieve as an actor, but there’s a lot to grow and gain as a person. So whenever Dia Mirza is not shooting, she likes to learn a skill she’s not equipped with. She recently enrolled herself in a pottery class and very soon mastered the art. Dia is currently taking cooking classes and wants to be an accomplished chef, so what if her culinary skills will only be tested by a selected few. Wonder if now on she will also be taking charge of the dinner table at Sanjay Gupta’s place besides hosting his parties for him.

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American Masala: Review

2008-01-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

AMERICAN MASALA

Suvir

With Raquel Pelzel

Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers

The title “American Masala” may sound oxymoronic, for one does not associate American food with spice. But Suvir Saran, in his brilliant and inspiring book, “American Masala”, has nullified the concept that masala cannot be part of American cuisine. In his unique recipes, ranging from tingling sauces and chutneys through mouth-watering desserts, he has integrated American classics with the bouquet of flavors represented by Indian spices, providing just the ticket for some adventurous meal-times in any kitchen.

Saran, originally from Delhi, has been an American resident for almost twenty years. He is co-executive chef at the restaurant, Devi, which offers him the perfect setting for adding a new twist to familiar dishes.

“Masala” is a catch-all Indian word for spices; you could have masala ‘chai’ or tea or have masala chicken. What makes each dish unique is the combination of spices. But, beyond being spices used in cooking, masala is also, as he says, “the spice of life, the excitement and vibrancy that come from stimulating conversation and a house full of friends and family.”

Indian masalas have immigrated to other countries over time, absorbing local flavors and contributing to local foods in the process, adding yet another layer to the already rich and flamboyant taste of Indian spices. The resulting flavors are as exotic and as varied as the countless Indian dishes themselves.

Using basic ingredients that can be found in any Indian kitchen, such as cumin seed, garam masala, turmeric, mustard seeds, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, curry leaves, fenugreek, etc., Saran suggests innovative and interesting ways to enrich basic American dishes. Adding cumin, coriander and tamarind along with garam masala to a meatloaf, for instance, gives it a flavor you would never associate with a meatloaf. Or again, adding just honey, cumin seed and garam masala to chicken wings gives them a new zesty taste, truly “pack(ing) in spices, heat and sweetness.” Yet again, he transforms basic macaroni and cheese into a near gourmet dish with the addition of Dijon mustard and pepper flakes.

Joy, truly, springs from every recipe. Here is obviously someone who loves to experiment with flavor, who is not scared to venture into bold techniques when playing with spices – adding a pinch of this and a dash of that to bring out the best in any dish. He is like an artist who, working on a broad canvas, splashes color with brilliant mastery to create vivid and striking art.

Saran draws from many flavors of the world to enrich his recipes – Middle Eastern, Mexican, Italian, American and, of course, Indian. Simple touches like adding black pepper to a fruit cobbler or saffron to a leg of leg transform the essence of the dishes. Not restricting himself to any one type of food, he creates a diversity which represents the diversity one faces in any metropolitan city like New York. For food, like culture, is an ever-changing fact of life and becomes richer for easily adapting to other tastes and palates.

Even for the seasoned cook, particularly the seasoned Indian cook, there are variations offered for traditional items, such as okra used to make a salad or eggplants cooked with tamarind to create a scintillating taste with Abha aunty’s recipe for sweet-and-sour eggplant.

I enjoyed the fact that Saran provides some background on each of his 125 recipes; this little touch brings the master chef into your kitchen and you really get a sense of him being there chatting with you as you cook any one of his recipes. This book is truly an invitation to roll up your sleeves and to have a lot of fun while you cook up a storm! Truly, a must in every kitchen!

~Harshi Gill

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Miss Universe Sushmita Sen

2008-01-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

Don’t get on the wrong side of this former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen won’t tolerate nonsense. PIO TV has learned that she quickly returned a large amount of advance when the producer changed her role in the movie. Recently, she returned the advance money or signing amount of Rupees 2.1 million to producer Vijay Galani. The reason behind it is that she was not provided the bounded script of the movie on time as promised. Not only was she outraged at the producer going back on his word, she was also shocked that the role outlined in the piece of paper was entirely different from the director's description of it earlier.

So, by returning the signing amount, she wanted to wash her hands off the movie. A month has passed since she has returned the cheque, but Vijay Galani Moviez has not yet deposited it in the bank. The story does not end there.

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Bollywood Hottie Amna Shariff opposite Aftab

2008-01-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Anuj Saxena's production house Maverick, which is presenting the Sushmita Sen, Fardeen Khan and Shah Rukh Khan starrer DULHA MIL GAYA, is going to launch television actress Aamna Shariff in Bollywood.
The favorite bahu of Indian Television show Kahin to Hoga, Kashish aka Aamna Shariff is making her bollywood debut this year. The film is titled ALOO CHAAT, in which Aftab Shivdasani is going to play a solo male actor opposite her. Robby Garewal, who had directed MERA PEHLA PEHLA PYAAR, is directing the film. It will go on floors in mid-February in a start-to-finish schedule. This is Maverick's first independent production.

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Hooray fo Booze!

2008-01-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

Cobra beer founder Lord Karan Bilimoria was honored by Pravasi Bharatiya Samman during Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008. He was one of the 12 recipients of the award presented by President Pratibha Patil at the valedictory session of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008, the annual conclave of the Indian Diaspora. The award citation described Bilimoria as an active overseas Indian with ongoing links and contribution to India. Bilimoria represents the London borough of Hounslow in the British Parliament and among many other positions, serves as the Chancellor of the Thames Valley University. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008 was webcast Live and Exclusive by PIO TV for free across 97 countries for 35 million People of Indian Origin.

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Manisha Koirala's shocking comeback

2008-01-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

Now this one would go down as one of the most shocking comebacks of not just the current year but for a much longer time period. The actress is Nepali bombshell Manisha koirala.
Imagine a top actress from the past returning to celluloid after a hiatus and let aside any hype or hoopla, there is not enough the slightest hint of awareness created amongst the audience. To top it, the film even has the actress playing the central protagonist in the title role.
Well, the film in question is Tulsi - Mathru Devo Bhava, the film is releasing this Friday on 18th January and the actress is, hold your breath, none other than Manisha Koirala.
Yes, that's right. 3 years after she was last seen as a lead actress in Mumbai Express (2005), Manisha Koirala is returning as a leading lady in Tulsi - Mathru Devo Bhava. In between she was seen as a supporting actress in films like Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story (2005), Anjaane - The Unknown (2005), Darwaza Bandh Rakho (2006) and Anwar (2007) but each of them met with a disastrous fate at the box office.
Now even Manisha returns with Tulsi - Mathru Devo Bhava this Friday, there are as good as minimal chances for the film to fare any better since as it is clearly suffering from poor marketing, patchy promotion and haphazard release. What a pity because the film has none other than Irrfan Khan as Manisha's on-screen husband.

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The secrets behind Jodhaa Akbar’s repeated delays

2008-01-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

Ashutosh Gowarikar is known for his creative eye and dedicative mind. When it comes to his films he never compromises on quality. Was that a reason for the delay in the release of his mega budget movie Jodhaa Akbar? Let’s find out in this story. The film was supposed to release in October last year. UTV then shifted the release to January 25, 2008 to coincide with the release date of their biggest hit Rang De Basanti. Now the film is again postponed to 15, February citing Ashutosh’s back problem as the reason for the delay in the post production work, but there’s more to it. It is believed that Ashutosh Gowariker had a tough time to get a producer for this movie because of his huge 40 crore budget. Before UTV, Ashutosh approached some big production houses, but nothing materialized as none were ready to finance a whopping 40 crore film that time, especially after the debacle of Ashutosh’s last movie Swades. Eventually he decided to approach UTV. Rumour has it that initially UTV seemed to have some differences with Ashutosh as their last collaboration Swades failed at the box office. Somehow Ashutosh managed to convince them but apparently the film went over-budget. Now the big question is will the delay come in the way of the film’s success at the box office?

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Shilpa Shetty Reveals her Body

2008-01-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

Shilpa Shetty the actress who has always been termed 'the best bod in Bollywood’ has now released a special edition of a DVD called 'Shilpa's Yoga' targeted at the European market.
Here, Shilpa reveals her fitness secrets to create a lean and toned body while retaining all the feminine curves. Shilpa is the sexiest yogi the world has ever seen. In 'Shilpa's Yoga' she demonstrates simple techniques against the stunning coastal backdrop of Kerala. She explains how to transform mind, body and soul, with unique ways to build stamina and get revitalized, while discovering inner peace.
With careful and precise instructions, the DVD demonstrates specific sequences that enhance concentration, agility and flexibility. The workout aims not only to strengthen and tone, but also to heal. 'Shilpa's Yoga' is designed to help improve posture through a series of calming poses which focus on slow movement and breathing control. It outlines various benefits of yoga, including stress and tension release, increased energy and vitality, weight loss, improved circulation and digestion, and comes with a free audio-CD of chill out ambient music to help unwind and relax after practicing the yoga techniques.

Live Webcast of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on pioTV.Com

2008-01-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

Stay Connected, Keep Informed, Watch Live, Watch Free

Pravasi Bharatya Divas Live on www.piotv.com January 8th and 9th

January 9th, 1915 marked the return of India's most renowned Pravasi (Overseas Indian), Mahatma Gandhi, to the country to then enter the struggle for Independence. In recognition of Gandhi and the immeasurable contributions since ofnearly 35 million People of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non Resident Indians (NRIs) that live overseas today, the Government of India celebrates Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD). Launched in 2003,PBD is celebrated annually to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the Indian Diaspora worldwide.

This year pioTV has been given the honor and privilege to broadcast this highly anticipated two day event live on our platform pioTV.com and IndiaTVLive.com. Watch the live coverage for free January 8th and 9th on www.piotv.com

Women Oriented Films

2007-12-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

After a short hiatus, Madhur Bhandarkar is now back to the studios. After 3 critically acclaimed and commercial successful women oriented films, the National award winning filmmaker is gearing up to make his 4th women oriented movie ‘Fashion And giving three consecutive hit ‘Chandani Bar’, ‘Corporate’ and ‘Signal’, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar is now set for his forth movie titled ‘Fashion’. The final countdown has just started, only recently when Madhur had a long session with Priyanka Chopra who will be the lead actress this time. The shooting of this movie will start from this month. Madhur is busy with the writers and meeting with lead actors and explaining them their roles. Madhur is also conducting workshops for Priyanka, Kangana and other actors . They are being trained by leading fashion designers. The actresses are learning various tricks of the fashion world like catwalk, style and other stuff. According to Madhur, the movie will be as real as it can get with the fashion world. The movie is likely to be shoot in Paris and Dubai besides Mumbai.

Aishwarya in a Mini Skirt and Puffed Blouse

2007-12-11T10:34:00.001-08:00

Aishwarya Rai, last seen lighting up the screens in Dhoom II and Guru, is all set to do that again in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodha Akbar pairing with her Dhoom star Hrithik Roshan. This period film, shot on a large canvas is due to hit the screens on 25 January 2008. Meanwhile, the Bachchan bahu is busy shooting for Ram Gopal Varma’s sequel to his last hit Sarkar titled Sarkar Raj. Adding spice to the story, Aishwarya is playing Abhishek’s reel-life wife as well. The last time the two were seen together was in the film Guru. What is more piquant about this movie is that Ash will be seen wearing mini skirts and puffed blouses. Sources say her looks bear strong resemblance to the Enron girl Rebecca Mark. The story, this time, has the Nandigram issue as the backdrop and is expected to hit the screens in April 2008.

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Bollywood Beauty Bipasha on a Bed of Roses

2007-12-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Bipasha Basu may not be exactly getting $0.225 million for her much-hyped performance, as a part of the New Year's evening bash at a suburban five-star hotel. The actress, who is one of the highest paid Bollywood performers at the New Year celebrations this year, may not be going home with that whopping amount after all. Apparently, the actress will be paid a lump sum amount close to Rs 7.5 million , and the rest will be in kind.

Talking about the services, the actress has demanded free memberships at the gymnasium, pool, and the relaxation area. Starting January 2008, the actress will avail special discounts at all restaurants, suites and discotheque of the hotel. Bipasha will also get a special bedding package - mattress topper made of the best material, three different sets of pillows and duvet, which will ensure that Bipasha stays warm and comfortable. Bips have made the exception of working on the New Year's Eve, but she will have new bedding package for her bedroom.

Who's Crazy About Bollywood Hottie Madhuri?

2007-11-28T15:19:00.000-08:00

Kunal Kapoor is so excited about his role in Aaja Nachle that he just can’t find words to describe it. The actor has performed with none other than Madhuri Dixit for the first time and he just can’t stop raving about her.

"I had great fun shooting for Aaja Nachle. I hope that it will translate itself on-screen. I worked with Madhuri for the first time. What was more interesting was watching her perform. Every time she was performing a scene we all used to sit on the sets watching her and when the shot was over we would all clap. She thought we were all crazy," shares Kunal.

Was performing a role , which is in contrast to his nature difficult? "Surprisingly, it wasn’t difficult for me," he says. "My character is cool and calm, but maybe the aggressiveness of my childhood must have been lurking somewhere and it has come out in my role," says Kunal. He admits to be a huge fan of Madhuri. This is Kunal’s second film with Konkona after Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. This is Kunal’s second film under the Yash Raj Banner. When asked if he is concentrating on bigger banners now that his career has taken off, Kunal replies, "Not necessarily. I like to work with good directors and would love to do films, which people will watch on a larger scale. I want to work with the right people and if their films reach out to a wider audience then why not." Kunal is also doing a cameo in Shyam Benegal’s Mahadev.

Triplets: I want my Kid to be a Director

2007-11-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

Life couldn’t have been more fulfilling for choreographer-turned-director Farha Khan. Riding high on the success of Om Shanti Om, she is eagerly awaiting the birth of her triplets, in two months from now. Fagged out at times, but mostly upbeat, Farah says, “Since the time I conceived, my babies have been accompanying me everywhere including the post production work. So it’s but natural that films will be seeped into their blood.” The mum-to-be goes on to express her ardent wish, “I hope at least one of them becomes a film director.” Till then of course, Farah is busy reading more scripts for her next film. At 42, when most women pull away from an active working life, Farah is raring to go. Farah has no regrets whatsoever. She married Shirish Kunder who is younger than her by eight years. “There’s no formula to a successful marriage. I am glad I married someone younger and yes, even though there’s an age gap there’s no scope for insecurity. I don’t have illusions that Shirish married a beauty because I am not one. In fact, when he proposed, he was clear that only if I intend to have his babies, he would marry me. He may be eight years younger, but I am the kid in this relationship,” she explains.

India Beats Pakistan!

2007-11-26T10:35:00.000-08:00

Anil Kumble's tenure as India captain got off to a perfect start at his happy hunting ground as the hosts thumped Pakistan by six wickets in the first Test to go 1-0 up in the three-match cricket series in the Capital. Kumble's tryst with Ferozeshah Kotla continued unabated and the Man of the Match award came as the icing on the cake for the veteran leg-spinner, who claimed seven wickets in the match, besides scoring a defiant 24 runs in the first innings. Needing 32 for a facile win, India completed the formalities in little over half an hour 32 minutes to be precise to score the required runs in 6.2 overs and record their seventh consecutive Test win at Kotla. Sachin Tendulkar 56 not out scored the winning run in style, rocking to his back foot to cut Danish Kaneria past the point fielder for a scorching boundary. Trying to pull Shoaib Akhtar, Ganguly offering a swirling catch to Sohail Tanvir at fine leg to leave without adding to his overnight score. Ganguly's 48 came off 64 balls in two hours, during which he hit eight boundaries. Tendulkar, however, provided the reason for celebration for the sparse Kotla crowd by notching up his 46th Test fifty via a full-blooded cut off Kaneria. Both the teams now move to Kolkata for the second Test, which gets underway on 30th November.

Miss Bollywood Shilpa Shetty

2007-11-21T11:46:00.000-08:00

Tickets for the final show of Shilpa Shetty's debut musical in London Miss Bollywood are almost sold out. Shilpa Shetty has said that the response to her debut musical Miss Bollywood has been "fantastic" and tickets for the final show at the Royal Albert Hall in London on December 12 has almost been sold out. "It is truly my privilege and a great platform to showcase India's culture," Shetty told newsmen on Tuesday night. In the musical, Shilpa Shetty leads a performing group of over 40 leading dancers from Bollywood and beyond. Miss Bollywood is set against the backdrop of London as the city prepares for the 2012 Olympics. It follows the story of 'Maya' -- performed by Shilpa Shetty -- a classically trained dancer and choreographer who recently arrived from India to set up a dance academy in a soon to be demolished East London building. It is a concoction of riveting dance sequences, showcasing a combination of eclectic dance forms taken from the east and west of India. "Miss Bollywood will appeal not only to fans of Bollywood films and their super catchy hit songs but also to the mainstream audiences for high energy dance or musical theatre. Extravaganza is the right description." Farhath Hussain, producer, promoter and organizer of the musical said he planned to take the musical to Australia, USA and Dubai in due course.

Sush and Shah Rukh Khan Sizzle

2007-11-20T14:05:00.001-08:00

After "Main Hoon Na" the unanimous opinion was Shah Rukh Khan and Sushmita Sen made a sizzling pair. They are coming together once again in "Dulha Mil Gaya". The SRK makes a special appearance opposite Sushmita Sen. “That has been organized completely by producer Vivek Vaswani. It has got nothing to do with me. It's a romantic comedy. "The actually reason I'm doing it is the director Mudassar Aziz. He wrote the songs of 'Zindaggi Rocks'. I feel he has tremendous potential. When I heard the script I just fell for it," said the sizzling actress. This is not for the first time that the actress is working with a debutant director. In addition, Sushmita has agreed to do another film with comedy king David Dhawan. This is her third film with the Salman Khan-Dhawan team after super hits "Biwi No 1" and "Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya?" About Salman, she says that she loves working with him. “We've such a beautiful equation. He's one hero who doesn't let me feel my height. On the contrary whenever I kick off my high heels he asks me to put them on. It's not hard to see why he's so loved”, says Sushmita Sen.

Lost to Them

2007-11-20T10:09:00.000-08:00

The Destiny They Could Not Avoid
From a young age, Yash Kaushal had heard stories of the beautiful silver beaches and lush forests of East Africa. Leaving India behind and postponing his arranged marriage, he departs from Bombay in search of adventure and intrigue. Unlike many of the young Indian men who find their way to Africa's shores in the early 1920s, Yash is of a privileged family. Eventually, he settles in Kenya and raises his family there. Among his children is the beautiful Selina, who against all tradition falls in love with the handsome, green-eyed Englishman Dirk Willers.

Set against the backdrop of a country striving toward independence, Lost is a captivating epic of one family's struggle against racial discrimination, and one woman's quest toward happiness. Will Selina be able to break the ties of her society, her culture, and all that she had been taught to believe in? Will she be strong enough to stand by her love?

ISRO Plans to Send Spacecraft

2007-11-19T10:33:00.000-08:00

The Indian Space Research Organization is evaluating the feasibility of undertaking a manned space flight and is expected to submit a project report to the government by March 2008. The space agency, which has also drawn up plans to send a spacecraft to Mars and have flyby missions to comets and asteroids over the next five years, is also set to revamp the transponders on its communication satellites to 500 from the current 175, to meet the growing demand in the various sectors. Meanwhile, the Centre has proposed to more than double the plan outlay of Isro to Rs 273 billion to enable it achieve its ambitious programmes including facilitating tele-medicine and tele-education services. The Eleventh Plan has identified building capabilities in space communications and navigation, developing navigational satellite systems, research in satellite communications and self sustenance of INSAT or G -SAT systems as major areas of focus. The Isro is expected to operationalise the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, capable of putting four tonne satellites in orbit and develop technologies to recover spacecraft after completion of missions. India’s maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-I will take to the skies on April 9, 2008 and Isro has already begun finalising details for a second lunar mission with a possible launch in the next three years. India is also developing its own version of the Global Positioning System by launching seven satellites in the next six years. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), expected to be functional by 2012, will be used for surveying, telecommunications, transport, identifying disaster areas and public safety among others.

Sonali comes across real life in her role

2007-11-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

Sonali Kulkarni, who is playing the role of a TV reporter in her ‘Mohandas’ got the taste of reel life in real life.

While shooting for her film ‘Mohandas’, Sonali goes to a coal mine for an investigative story. The scene requires her to interview Sharbani Mukherjee about her plight in a rice field. According to the script Sonali was to interview Sharbani and while the interview is on, some people from town charge towards them. They force Sonali to abandon the interview and leave from the place.

The movie’s director Mazhar Kamran says, "We had chosen one particular field for our shot. We had also taken due permission for it. However, when we started the shoot, one of the owners of this field came rushing in and asked us to leave. I very patiently told him that we had taken prior permission and also paid for it. Still he kept insisting and started shouting and ordering us to scram. When I offered to pay more money, he just flipped and began abusing also. It was exactly the way we wanted our shoot to be." This proved a blessing in disguise for the director and a great experience for actor Sonali.

Aishwarya Rai Pregnant!?

2007-11-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

Bollywood star couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai offered prayers at a dargah in Andhra Pradesh. They were accompanied by Jaya Bachchan and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who also visited and prayed at the Ameen Peer dargah - also known as 'Pedda dargah' - in Kadapa.
All of them reached the town in a helicopter from Bangalore at around 0900 hours, police said. The visit to the dargah has sparked rumours of Aishwarya’s pregnancy. Abhishek and Aishwarya, who got married in April this year, offered a 'Chadar' and conducted special prayers at the dargah, which is believed to have been established by a spiritual leader belonging to the clan of Prophet Mohammad.
A large number of Bachchan fans and curious onlookers gathered at the dargah to have a glimpse of the star couple. Amar Singh's family and the Bachchans later left for Bangalore after spending about three hours at the dargah. The Pedda (big) Dargah is visited by a number of Bollywood personalities and politicians. Music director A R Rahman is a frequent visitor to the dargah.

Rani bonds with Rakhi Sawant

2007-11-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

Everyone who has seen Rani Mukherjee give a smashing performance as a saucy tart in Saawariya is commenting on the similarities between Rani's and Rakhi Sawant’s speech patterns and body language. The decision to incorporate elements of Rakhi Sawant’s personality into the character was taken on the day Rakhi, who's a huge fan of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s work, was invited on the sets of Saawariya when Rani was shooting. That's when Sanjay Leela Bhansali heard Rakhi speak and decided to incorporate her cute and wonky way of speaking the English language into Rani's character. In fact, Rakhi who saw the ‘tribute’ at the film's premiere caught on immediately and was quite tickled by the way Rani had adopted Rakhi's speech patterns. "I wasn't aware of the similarities. I'm a big Sanjay Leela Bhansali fan and I adore Rani. Yes, he had invited me to the sets. He made me feel very special. When I watched him shoot with Rani I became an even bigger fan of Sanjayji. Even a walk-on part in his film is invaluable." said Rakhi Sawant.

"Saawariya"

2007-11-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the name itself epitomizes the pinnacle of immaculate style in modern Indian cinema with an unparallel exuberance that one can anticipate on big screen. Besides his immaculately pristine visual perception, his films have always been high on emotional quotient and have often forayed into human relationships with great emotional depth in a backdrop of aesthetically sketched out cultural embellishments. Exotic and platonic to the core, ‘Saawariya’ foretells the tale of two lovers in a backdrop of larger than life scintillating surroundings. It has been set in a palette of blues and greens in all its frames and scenes with the reflection of the shades on the paved floors, pavements, streets, bars and rooftops in making it a desired dream world to aspire. Like all his previous visual spectacles, it’s a story of a lonesome man who fades away in the moonlight on the deserted streets that reflect the poetry in motion. Despite all its lavish spectacles in all frames, Bhansali dares pitch in a realistically painful and sad love story to conservative Indian audiences with two unknown faces in author backed lead roles. Bhansali being an ardent “literature aficionado” inspires this four nights love saga from the famous works of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s short story - “White Nights”. After ‘Devdas’ (inspired from Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s famous novel “Devdas”) and ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ (inspired from Bernard Shaw’s “Candida”), this stunning sentimental is a great inspirational lift from Fyodor.
Commercially speaking, Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’ will be opening to modest houses as compared to SRK’s ‘Om Shanti Om’ but will positively be going up in coming weekends. It’s likely to be one of the biggest grosser of this year but will have to battle out for supremacy at the box office with ‘Om Shanti Om’. All credits to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his cast and crew for showcasing their consistency and precision in conceiving another visual spectacle with an unconventional theme! After soulfully conceived ‘Black’, this film promises to be another winner in all segments of cinema, so have a nice weekend with a film that boasts high standards of quality work in Indian cinema. Great Job!!! Ends…

Oh Maria, Says Karan!

2007-11-15T18:37:00.000-08:00

Karan Johar, whose celebrity conversations on television over "Koffee" are famous, was buried in books yesterday morning while on a flight to Dubai. The filmmaker and chat show host was studying Russian tennis champion Maria Sharapova! The reason? He is doing an interview with her for his show. Karan, who was in Dubai only last week to shoot with Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, was invited for the formal launch of a Dubai lifestyle project yesterday which was done by the celebrated player and style icon.
Part of the launch programme included dinner with Sharapova, to which five lucky winners were invited, and an interaction between the Indian filmmaker and Russian tennis ace. Sharapova’s involvement in the lifesyle project is because her alma mater, the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, is a partner in Dubai to set up its first branch outside the US. “I’ve been asked to do a one-on-one with Sharapova,” revealed Karan who also admitted that he was not much of a sports enthusiast. “In spite of my impossible schedules, I readily agreed. She is a sports legend, after all.”

Sachin Declines

2007-11-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Indian master blaster cricketer Sachin Tendulkar turned down the offer to become the captain of India's Test cricket team just two days before his appointment was to be formally announced. The veteran batsman, who had initially agreed to take over the mantle after Rahul Dravid stepped down, has informed the Indian Cricket Board President Sharad Pawar and national selectors about his decision. The veteran batsman, who had initially agreed to take over the mantle after Rahul Dravid stepped down, has informed the Board President Sharad Pawar and national selectors about his decision. Confirming the report, the board said that Sachin had told Pawar to look towards younger players. In a letter written to Sharad Pawar and national selection team, Sachin didn’t disclose the reason but says that he does not want to be the Test captain at this stage. The selectors will meet on Thursday to announce team for the remaining three one-dayers against Pakistan and also the new Test captain. With Tendulkar now out of the equation the 26-year-old Dhoni, who has been impressive in the Twenty20 and ODIs, appears to also take up the responsibilities in the longer of version of the game. however, on the other hand former India coach Greg Chappell feels Mahendra Singh Dhoni, front-runner to become the Test captain after Sachin Tendulkar turned down the offer, needs at least another year to be ready to take up the responsibility.
Chappell said Dhoni was still learning by leading the team in the ODIs and Twenty20 and would be ready for Test captaincy in next 12 months.While former skipper Ravi shastri says, Mahendra Singh Dhoni may have impressed with his leadership skills in the one-dayers but burdening him with the Test captaincy would be asking for too much from the youngster. Dhoni had proved his mettle as skipper but it was not the right time to anoint him Test captain. It will put him under a lot of pressure. In future he may do it but not at this moment.

Sania Aims to Crack Top 20

2007-11-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

After a season that saw more highs than lows, Sania Mirza has set herself an ambitious target. In her sixth year on the WTA senior circuit the Indian poster girl, who is currently ranked 32, wants to crack the top-20. Sania Mirza, who parted ways with South African trainer Heath Mathew ahead of the US hard court season, said that she was zeroing in on a few names as a permanent travelling coach. "My game will not be affected with the frequent change of coaches. As of now, I have not decided about filling the vacancy. I have a few names in mind. I will disclose them at the right time." The 2007 season, punctuated by frequent injuries, was bittersweet for Sania. She breached the top-30 for the first time with successful runs on the US hard-court circuit and cut short her season after re occurrence of her injuries. The 20-year-old will start her 2008 campaign at the Hopman Cup in Perth where she and Rohan Bopanna have a direct entry for their good show this year. Sania said doing well at the mixed doubles challenge in January is her immediate goal. Four doubles titles came her way this season with victories at Morocco with Vania King of the US, Cincinnati with Bethanie Mattek of the US, Stanford with Shahar Peer of Israel and New Haven with Mara Santangelo of Spain. Sania, who ended the year with a 32-11 record in doubles, however says singles is her priority. Sania reached her only singles final of 2007 at Stanford in July. She had some notable wins over Martina Hingis, Dinara Safina and Patty Schnyder. Her best Grand Slam result for the year was a third round spot at the US Open in August - eventually losing to good friend and on court nemesis Anna Chakvetadze.

India Seek Reforms

2007-11-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

Pressing for time-bound reforms in international financial institutions, India has warned that their "credibility" would be adversely affected if developing nations are not given an "effective voice" in the functioning of these bodies. While developing countries have made significant efforts towards good governance and domestic resource mobilization, the support by the international community has lagged far behind, Member of Parliament Sachin Pilot said addressing the economic and financial committee of the United Nations General Assembly. There was a need for "time-bound" action to restructure international financial institutions to give adequate representations to the developing world or else the "legitimacy and credibility" of these bodies will be adversely affected.Demanding that the developed nations fulfill their commitments regarding financial aid to the developing nations, Pilot rejected the contention that private sector investments are panacea for lack of development.He particularly mentioned "trade distorting" agricultural subsidies by the rich and limited access to the developing countries in the markets of developed States.Private sector, cannot replace public sector investments in infrastructure development and in sustaining equitable and inclusive growth.Besides, public sector investment is particularly important in social sector and human resource development.

Tanishaa Visits Street Kids

2007-11-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

The street urchins hanging around South Mumbai’s Azad Maidan could not have asked for anything as glamorous as Bollywood actress Tanishaa. But there they were begging from office-goers for a few coins to buy their vada pav breakfast, when her car drew up and she spilled out dressed in a pretty pink halter top and white capris. Tanishaa, came with packets of biscuits and other food that she proceeded to distribute among the grubby hands that reached out to her.
Among the kids, Rabi and Jhelur Kumar, who are nine and eight respectively, were humming Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa umindful of the fact that the actress has nothing to do with this Himesh Reshammiya number. Watching them tear into the biscuits, Tanishaa said, “It’s heart wrenching to see street urchins malnourished while kids from privileged families have to be put on special diets!”She forgets though that she herself was a pampered girl at home many years ago. But now, Tanishaa proudly said that privileged position had been occupied by her lovable niece Nysa — elder sister Kajol and Ajay Devgan’s daughter. “It’s a great feeling to be an aunt. Meanwhile, the street kids danced in a circle around her. One shy 12-year-old boy commented, “Jahan mulgi, wahin hum ,” catching Tanisha’s attention. She giggled, “Aisa comment karega toh tumko koi ladki nahin mileage .”