Category: Entertainment

Two-time Academy Award^® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Andy Schocken bring their acclaimed documentary SONG OF LAHORE to U.S. audiences this Friday, May 20 with a release that includes theaters in New York and Los Angeles plus national availability on DVD, VOD and Digital HD at the same time.

Song of Lahore, the latest feature-length documentary from filmmakers Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness – 2015 Academy Award winner for Best Short Documentary) and Andy Schocken (The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner), follows the members of Pakistan’s Sachal Jazz Ensemble, a group of master musicians who find international recognition after decades of opposition from dictators and religious extremists. The ancient city of Lahore was once the center of Pakistan’s thriving film-music recording industry, but that came to an end in the late 1970s under the Islamist rule of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Under the conservative regime, instrumental music was repressed, and entire families of musicians lost their livelihood.  Music came to be seen as a dishonorable profession, and they found themselves quietly continuing the centuries-old practice of passing down ancient musical traditions from one generation to the next behind closed doors.

As government opposition to music eased in the 1990s and 2000s, businessman Izzat Majeed founded the Sachal Studios Orchestra.  He encouraged the group to combine classical Pakistani instruments and techniques with the American jazz he had fallen in love with in the 1950s. Their innovative versions of jazz standards, most notably Dave Brubeck’s iconic “Take Five,” made the orchestra a surprise Internet phenomenon, earning international acclaim and an invitation to perform at Lincoln Center with jazz great Wynton Marsalis and his band. Obaid-Chinoy and Schocken follow the ensemble on an inspiring journey as they struggle to adapt to the unfamiliar strictures of Western music and restore Pakistan’s venerable musical traditions.

The co-directors sat down for this exclusive interview to discuss their new film which features the music of The Sachal Ensemble of Pakistan and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and examines the lives and the cultural heritage of Pakistan’s classical musicians as they prepare for a concert in New York City. Interview with SONG OF LAHORE co-directors SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY and ANDY SCHOCKEN:

Q: Was music ever banned in Pakistan? 

A: Music was never banned outright, but when General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq took power in 1977 he put in place restrictions on broadcasting non-religious music and dancing. Nightclubs and alcohol were banned, and Zia took steps to shut down the Pakistani film industry, a source of employment for many musicians. At the same time, a more hardline interpretation of Islam became ascendant. As a result, non-religious classical music declined dramatically and musicians lost their former standing culturally, economically and socially. However, even in this oppressive environment, a nascent pop industry grew as a form of protest against Zia’s conservative policies.

Q: After Zia’s reign ended, why did traditional musicians like the members of the Sachal Ensemble still struggle to find work?

A: After Benazir Bhutto took power in 1988, official opposition to non-religious music was overturned. And starting in 1999, under Pervez Musharraf, steps were taken to rebuild the music and film industries. Music grew in popularity, concerts were once again common, and shows on television and radio flourished. However, much of the music that became popular at this time was Western-oriented rock and pop. Opportunities for classical musicians were rare, so many traditional artists had to leave the profession and find work elsewhere.

Q: What are the threats faced by musicians in Pakistan today?

A: After the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the U.S. military engagement in the region, the situation changed again. The Taliban banned instrumental music and dancing in Afghanistan, and as their influence later crossed into Pakistan, similar efforts were made in areas under their control or sympathetic to their strain of Islam. When fundamentalist religious parties came to power in the Khyber-Paktunkhwa region of Pakistan, they banned public concerts, hundreds of music shops were burned, and a number of musicians and dancers were killed. Many musicians fled the region.

Q: What is the situation like for musicians in Lahore?

A: The situation in Pakistan differs widely from region to region. Lahore experiences limited influence from the Taliban, though hundreds have been killed in terrorist attacks there in recent years. There have been some efforts by outsiders to spread anti-music messages in the city, and there have been some personal attacks on musicians. There are fundamentalist agitators who rally opposition to musicians, claiming that music is sinful. As described in the film, the son of guitarist Asad Ali was attacked and had his keyboard smashed. In 2008 bombs were set off at Lahore’s Alhamra Cultural Center during a musical performance by folk musician Arieb Azhar. Because of security concerns it is rare for concerts to be held publicly. Instead, performances are typically held in private hotels or venues with security guards.

Q: Why does flutist Baqir Abbas speak of having to hide the fact that he and his brother are musicians?

A: In many strata of Pakistani society, instrumental musicians are not seen as respectable. Despite the long tradition of music in Islamic society, conservative Muslims consider instrumental music to be obscene. Musicians are often referred to in derogatory terms, and musical families often hide the fact that they’re musicians, so as not to invite opposition or dishonor. Hence, in the film, we see Baqir Abbas playing the flute with his brother in a soundproof room, so as to not bring dishonor to the family.

SONG OF LAHORE

Release date: May 20 (select theaters, DVD, VOD, Digital HD)

Directors: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy & Andy Schocken

Music: The Sachal Jazz Ensemble and The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Rating: PG

Runtime: 82 minutes

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reMlqvb_WAA

Official Site: www.songoflahoremovie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/songoflahore

Twitter: https://twitter.com/songoflahore

Bollywood star Celina Jaitly, who speaks on behalf of LGBT people in India and all over the world, was honored with the Harvey Milk Foundation’s Lilla Watson Global Champion Medal at the gala co-presented by the Harvey Milk Foundation and The Pride Center at Equality Park on May 13th.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized with this medal from the Harvey Milk Foundation,” said Jaitly. “In spite of the huge strides being made in the U.S. and in many other countries, far too many LGBT people still suffer rejection, harassment and discrimination. In 76 countries – including, my own, India – the law treats gay people as criminals, reinforcing stigma and leaving people vulnerable to blackmail and imprisonment. The work we are doing through the United Nations Free & Equal global campaign is raising awareness and challenging prejudice. It’s a chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with LGBT friends and allies around the world and demand equal rights, respect and recognition. I like to think that Harvey Milk himself would have heartily approved.”

Jaitly, who is an official Champion of the United Nations Free & Equal Campaign, was honored for her advocacy and support for the LGBT rights movement in India. A former Miss India winner and Miss Universe runner-up, she is one of the most visible advocates against the criminalization of same-sex relationships in the world’s largest democracy.

Jaitly wrote recently: “In spite of the huge strides being made in the U.S. and in many other countries, far too many LGBT people still suffer rejection, harassment and discrimination. In 76 countries – including, my own, India – the law treats gay people as criminals, reinforcing stigma and leaving people vulnerable to blackmail and imprisonment. The work we are doing through the United Nations Free & Equal global campaign is raising awareness and challenging prejudice. It’s a chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with LGBT friends and allies around the world and demand equal rights, respect and recognition. I like to think that Harvey Milk himself would have heartily approved.”

“Celina Jaitly is one in a million — a huge Bollywood star and a leading light in the global movement for LGBT equality,” Charles Radcliffe, chief, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement. “A stalwart ally of the LGBT community in India for more than a decade, she is, today, playing a central role in UN efforts to fight homophobia and transphobia, globally.”

“Celina Jaitly is an incredible champion of human rights, not just in India, but globally, through her unwavering support of the UN Free & Equal Campaign,” added Stuart Milk, co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation and a global human rights advocate. “She is guided by passion, committed to hard work, aided by grace, and the belief that our shared journey is enriched, and not weakened, by our diversity. We are honored that she is traveling halfway across the globe to join us.”

Mallika Sherawat, a 39-year-old actress from India has been featured in the United Nations’ short video “Impossible Choices,” released on April 28. Sherawat joins a group of celebrities like Daniel Craig, Forest Whitaker, Alfre Woodard, Yara Shahidi and Rosario Dawson, promoting the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, to be held from May 23-24. The Summit is a call to action by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to reduce human loss and suffering from crises by setting an agenda to make humanitarian action fit for the challenges the world currently faces and will face in the future.

Impossible choices are being made every single day by the more than 125 million people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance around the globe. To spark action ahead of the first-ever World Humanitarian summit, the United Nations (UN) has launched a global, interactive digital experience that aims to inspire commitment to meaningful change in the name of humanity. The digital challenge at ImpossibleChoices.org features a three-minute, online journey based on real experiences people in crises often face. At the end of the online experience, users can share results across their respective social platforms and call upon global leadership to attend the Summit, and take bold action.

Touching on the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development, the celebrities say in the video: “Our global leaders will be asked to make commitments to end the crisis, to put humanity first. Let us commit to end hunger for those in need, to empower youth impacted by conflict, to ensure displaced children still receive an education, to resolve conflict through dialogue and reconciliation rather than violence and revenge, to eliminate the threat of mines and explosive hazards, and to make sure no parent or child has to make an impossible choice.”

Sherawat, along with actress Catarina Furtado, hip hop artist Big Sean, Princess Haya bint al Hussein, Dawson and Craig, go on to jointly say in the video, “If we actually want to make things better, then the choice is clear: We urge our global leaders to show up and take bold action.”

“Arguably one of the most powerful tools at our disposal today is social media — it can give a voice to the voiceless, create instant awareness and drive change in ways never before seen around the world,” said Stephen O’Brien, UN Humanitarian Chief. “With Impossible Choices, we are calling upon the digitally-connected to help create a movement towards showing world leaders that the world is looking to them to make bold decisions and act for the good of humanity.”

In an effort to ensure the campaign maintains the most authentic possible voice, the UN has also appointed 20 Champions for Humanity, a group of influential individuals — from CEOs to photographers, philanthropists to entertainers — to kick-off the Impossible Choices campaign and gather support from within their networks.

The video ends with a plea to petition world leaders to attend the Summit. “Millions are counting on us. Go to ImpossibleChoices.org to tell your leaders to be there and put humanity first,” the celebs urge. For more information about the World Humanitarian Summit, please visit: www.worldhumanitariansummit.org.

New York –April 12, 2016 – The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) has announced the full lineup for its 16th year of celebrating independent, art house, alternate, and diaspora films from/about/connected to the Indian subcontinent (May 7 – May 14). Dedicated to bringing these films to a New York audience, the festival will feature 40 screenings (35 narrative, 5 documentary) –all seen for the first time in New York City. In addition, the festival will also feature five programs of short films.

The festival highlights various cinemas of India’s different regions. All the films are subtitled in English and some of the languages this year include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telegu, Assamese, Haryanavi and Urdu.  This year’s festival will feature a couple of sidebars –NFDC restored first films of filmmakers and a three-generations sidebar, films of Bimal Roy, Basu Bhattacharya and Aditya Bhattacharya.

The festival’s film lineup includes 2016 National Award winners A FAR AFTERNOON, BIRDS WITH LARGE WINGS and THE RIVER OF FABLES (KOTHANODI). THE RIVER OF FABLES is an Assamese language feature film written and directed by Bhaskar Hazarika and stars Seema Biswas and Adil Hussain. The story of the film is based on folktales from Assam, India.

“We are thrilled to be able to share these films with the New York audience,” states Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF festival director. “Three of the feature films are National Award winners. And out of the nearly 40 shorts we are showing this year, there are two National Award winners: FAMOUS IN AHMEDABAD and DAARVATHA.”

Straight from the Sundance Film Festival, BRAHMAN NAMAN is a true Indian teenage comedy. It is funny, touching and will be universal in its appeal. It is about the exhilaration and confusion of being 17 – the pleasure of being in a gang, breaking the rules, acting big, falling in love – coming of age.

From the Tamil films, CRIME IN PUNISHMENT is the latest film from NYIFF alum and 2015 NYIFF award winner M. Manikandan.  FOR THE LOVE OF A MAN is a documentary film that explores the popularity of the Tamil Superstar Rajinikanth.

GOOD OL’ BOY is the feel-good, coming-of-age story of Smith, a 10-year-old boy from India growing up in Small Town, America in 1979.  This Diaspora film features actors Samrat Chakrabarti (Midnight’s Children, The Waiting City) and Poorna Jagannathan (Delhi Belly, Nirbhaya). Bengali master, Soumitra Chatterjee starrer PEACE HAVEN is the story of three septuagenarian friends who embark on a journey to build their very own mortuary.

Multiple award winner and fresh from the international film festival circuit PARCHED is a story about women set in the heart of parched rural landscape of Gujarat, India. It traces the bittersweet tale of four ordinary women Rani, Lajjo, Bijli and Janaki. We see them unapologetically talk about men, sex and life as they struggle with their individual boundaries to face their demons and stage their own personal wars.

In an era when Bollywood music ruled the Indian households and when Ghazal as a genre was limited to only the connoisseurs, Jagjit Singh made Ghazals a necessity of every music lover’s collection.  KAAGAZ KI KASHTI traces the life journey of a down-to-earth, small-town boy, who made it big by breaking through the norms and the Ghazal scenario, by texturing   traditional Ghazal singing with western instrumentation and making it simple and hummable, enticing new listeners into becoming Ghazal fans.

“The 2016 festival features a wide array of films from all over the South Asian diaspora,” states IAAC founder Aroon Shivdasani. This year our films reflect the reality of India, dealing both with LGBT issues that have surfaced in the supreme court and on the streets, as well as strong feminist films dealing with female infanticide, child marriage, domestic abuse, trafficking and several other key issues that affect women in a world that still leans towards chauvinism.”

Tickets can be purchased at the festival’s website: Full line up Schedule with films synopsis: URL: http://www.iaac.us/NYIFF2016/schedule.htm

Chicago IL: Starz Entertainment, SAHIL, and LA TAN presented the legendary and highly  acclaimed Bollywood singers, Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik, on April 8th, 2016, from 8:30 PM onwards, at Sears Center Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy, Hoffman Estate, IL. A band of twenty fine musicians, who were flown in from India, added great value to the musical extravaganza. The Emcee Ravi Raj Kandle, integrated various graphics on the fly with live camera feed of the concert to the venue’s two 15 ft x28 ft media screens.

It was a night of high-voltage entertainment, glitz, and glamour, all rolled into. The red carpet entrance and stunning stage set added to the high impact making ambience of the venue. The vibrant concert proved to be a treat for music lovers of all ages in Chicago. They were clapping, singing, dancing, and enjoying throughout the concert.

Kumar Sanu kick started the scintillating evening with a number of chartbusters which included: “Dheeray dheeray se merizindagi main aana”, “Do dil mil rahe haimagar chupke chupke”, “Yeh kaali kaali aankhe, ye gore goregaal”, etc. After a huge round of applause, he moved on to such saccharine-sweet romantic compositions  as “Bas ek sanamchahiye ashique ke liye”, “Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga”, etc.

Alka Yagnik, who is called the nightingale of India, set the stage on fire by giving a power- packed rendition of her all-time hits, including “Tum pas aaye yun muskuraye tum ne na jane kyssapne dikhai”, “Akele hai to kya gham hai”, “Lal dupatta urgaya teri hawa ke jhoke se”,”Tum aai to aaya yaad gali mai aajchand nikla”,”Tip tip barsa pani pani mai aag lagai”,” Bole churiya bole kangna”, “Ek, do, teen, char, panch, che, sath, aath, nau, das giara, bara, tera”. She garnered huge admiration of the audience for her electrifying performance. Jassi Parmar and Vinita Gulabani, who are well-known in the music circuits in Chicago, gave in to the spell of the musical evening, and danced energetically to the fast tunes of quite a few of Alka Yagnik’s renditions.

Finally, the highly sought-after moment arrived which every single person sitting in the Auditorium was eagerly waiting for, that is, the rare opportunity to enjoy the duets of Kumar Sanuand Alka Yagnik. Both of them rendered the everlasting melodies and immortal rock songs from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’sand mesmerized the audience. As expected, they created magic with their timeless songs and took the listeners down memory lane. Some of the evergreen classics that they sang included:“Tere mare milan ki ye raina”, “Chura ke dil mera goriyachali”, “Zara tasweer say tu nikal ke samme aa merimahbooba”. “Tumhe dekha to ye jana sanam pyar hota haideewana sanam”, “Sarki jo sarke woh dheera dheera”, “Meradil bhi kitna pagal hai ke pyar tum hi se kerta hai”, and many more.

The audience was literally blown away with the dazzling display of the musical talent of Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik and their gifted versatility as natural performers. Two popular singers from Chicago, Chetan Laxman Rana and Anuradha Gosh, also enthralled the audience by singing select solos and duets.

Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik expressed their heart-felt gratitude for the love they received from the people of Chicago and promised to come back again for another live concert. “Our concerts are being organized in several cities across the USA

“Our commitment to entertain music lovers will continue unabated. Many more high-profile events, aimed at bringing qualitatively-rich entertainment, are in the pipeline such as Dream Team on August 19, 2016 at Sears Center Arena”, said Bhavesh Patel and Babubhai Patel from SAHIL, Nick Patel and Mayur from LA TAN, Savi Singh from Starz Entertainment, and Dr. Manish Pandya of AV Masti Inc unanimously.

New York, NY: The Man Who Knew Infinity, a new movie depicting the improbable true story of a unique genius, Srinavasa Ramanujan, whose pivotal theories propelled him from obscurity into a world in the midst of war, and how he fought tirelessly to show the world the genius of his mind, will be shown during the New York Indian Film Festival planned for next month here in the New York City.

The New York Indian Film Festival was the first festival in the United States devoted to Indian films and has grown to be the largest and most influential, helping to set up several other Indian Film festivals in the US. Claus Mueller speaks with the New York Film Festival Executive Director Aroon Shivdasani on the progress story and the problems encountered.

There will be a post-screening discussion with Director Matt Brown, Executive Producer Annie Pressman, Executive Producer Swati Bhise, Lead Actor Devika Bhise, Nobel Laureate Manjul Bhargava immediately following the screening. The screening of this film has been made possible by Executive Producer Swati Bhise.

Colonial India, 1913. Srinavasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel) is a 25-year-old shipping clerk and self-taught genius, who failed out of college due to his near-obsessive, solitary study of mathematics. Determined to pursue his passion despite rejection and derision from his peers, Ramanujan writes a letter to G. H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons), an eminent British mathematics professor at Trinity College, Cambridge. Hardy recognizes the originality and brilliance of Ramanujan’s raw talent and despite the skepticism of his colleagues, undertakes bringing him to Cambridge so that his theories can be explored.

Ramanujan leaves his family, his community, and his beloved young bride, Janaki (Devika Bhisé), to travel across the world to England. There, he finds understanding and a deep connection with his sophisticated and eccentric mentor(Jeremy Irons). Under Hardy’s guidance, Ramanujan’s work evolves in ways that will revolutionize mathematics and transform how scientists explain the world. Hardy fights tirelessly to get Ramanujan the recognition and respect that he deserves but in reality he is as much an outcast in the traditional culture of Cambridge as he was among his peers in India. But Ramanujan fights illness and intense homesickness to formally prove his theorems so that his work will finally be seen and believed by a mathematical establishment that is not prepared for his unconventional methods.
As other specialty or niche festivals, the NYIFF has a unique programming profile devoted to features, documentaries and shorts made in the Indian Diaspora, or by Indian independent film makers. Its goal is to foster an understanding of India and its culture and to contribute to improving US Indian relations. The festival is attracting a growing number of Americans. Individuals of Indian ancestry account for 60%of the audience. That group encompasses about 700.000 persons in the tristate area.  53 films were screened in 2015, and this year’s edition will show 79 films and added two more screening days.

Aroon Shivdasani, the festival’s driving spirit and its executive director, says, “We started this film festival in 2001 because we wanted to showcase Indian Independent and Diaspora films in the US -something that had not been done before. Less than two decades ago, nobody knew about real Indian Cinema in North America. We are the oldest Indian film festival in the US – older than any of the other Indian film festivals that have now cropped up all over the country, like those in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, and many others. We started as an Indian Diaspora film festival screening films made by Indians living all over the world – outside India.”

Celebrating its 16th anniversary from May 7-14, 2016, the New York Indian Film Festival was the first festival in the United States devoted to Indian films and has grown to be the largest and most influential, helping to set up several other Indian Film festivals in the US. It is part of a comprehensive program in the arts offered by the New York based Indo-American Arts Council.

BY Asian Media USA ©

Chicago IL: Nik Joshi of Shy Entertainment and Manish Pandya of AV Masti Inc, with National Promoters Prria Haider and PurooKaul, presented a high-voltage musical concert with Bollywood’s music composers and singers, Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, and songstress Neeti Mohan, as the star attraction on Sunday-March 27th, 2016, at Copernicus Theater, 5216 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630. The high profile event was attended by over 2,000 music lovers from different walks of life.

The Bollywood dynamic duo, Vishal-Shekhar, with several big hit under their belt, captured the hearts of the young generation by singing the most contemporary and popular songs, which included “Bachna ai haseeno”, Ek mai aur ek tu”, “Aa milja haste haste salaam namaste”, “Meri umar ke nowjawano”, etc. The audience was literally blown away with their gifted versatility as natural performers. They garnered huge admiration of the audience for their electrifying performance.

This was followed by a wave of soulful and most haunting melodies of the yesteryears by Vishal and Shehkar, which included “Lag ja gale ke phir a haseen raat ho na ho”, “Choudween ka chand ho ya aaftab ho”, “Pyar huwa ikraar hua hai”, “Mera juta hai japani”, “Kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisaar”, “Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko”, “Roop tera mastana pyar mera deewane”, etc. These all time hits not only uplifted the mood of the audience but also ignited the air with the magic of intense romance.

Neeti Mohan did a fabulous job by rendering the hit tracks of Bollywood and made the evening an occasion to remember forever.  She sang such chartbusters as “Jeeya jeeya re”, “ban ke titli ura hai kai door”, Tu hogai one to two”, etc. After a huge round of applause, she moved on to such saccharine-sweet romantic composition as “Jata kaha hai deewane sab kuch yaha hai sanam”, “Sapna jaha dastak na de”, “Manwa lage lage re”, “Har kisi ko nahi milta yaha pyar zindagi main”, “Agi bari bersi khatak gaya se”. etc.

Vishal and Neeti stole the thunder by singing- “Tang Tang”. Vishal picked up his guitar and played it while singing the song and mesmerized the audience. Visha, Shekhar, and Neeti established a live contact with the audience. They took selfies and shook hands with as many members of the audience as possible.

The glittering lights and thundering sound system provided foot-tapping experience to the audience. The magic of the electrifying music, both the timeless classics and the contemporary hits, was so powerful that many members of the audience, irrespective of age and gender, danced endlessly matching the beats of the captivating songs. The sizzling evening started with a tremendous opening performance by a team of dancers from Shingari’s School of Rhythm showcasing various themes of Indian dance forms. The event concluded with a standing ovation by the audience for Vishal, Shekhar, and Neeti. The event Emcee was none other than the gorgeous Ms. India-America, Priya Patel, who added great value to the event by her professional compeering.

Nalini Malani from India was among the three artists honored by The Asia Society as artists, art collectors, art dealers, and members of the Hong Kong business community packed the Conrad Hotel at the kick off Art Basel Hong Kong, a week of major art events in the city. Cai Guo-Qiang and Yoshitomo Nara, were the other two artists to be honored, as Asia Society Vice President for Global Arts & Cultural Programs Boon Hui Tan put it, “touching our souls.”

The artists — giants in contemporary Asian art — were named “Asia Arts Game Changers” at Asia Society’s 2016 Asia Arts Awards for their transformative‎ work in the field. All three artists have been showcased, often early in their careers, by Asia Society. Nara, whose fanciful — and sometimes unsettling — illustrations of children were recognized for being “the mirror image of ourselves,” has had major shows at Asia Society Museum in New York (Nobody’s Fool, 2010) and at Asia Society Hong Kong (Life is Only One: Yoshitomo Nara, 2015).

Malani, a “champion of the marginalized,” had her work shown at Asia Society Museum in New York as a part of Traditions/Tensions: Contemporary Art in Asia (1996) and in the one-person exhibition Transgressions(2014). Cai Guo-Qiang’s solo exhibition An Explosion Event: Light Show Over Central Park‎ was on view at Asia Society Museum, New York, in 2003. His work was also featured in the Society’s groundbreaking 1998 exhibition Inside Out: New Chinese Art.

Guests at the Hong Kong event, which included Asia Society’s global board of trustees, also bid on works of contemporary Asian art, donated by the artists themselves to benefit Asia Society’s work. A standout was the painting Noble’s Virtue by Chinese icon Pan Gongkai, who was also on hand for the event.

‎“Artists often feel isolated and uncertain,” said Ca‎i, who thanked Asia Society for its long-time support and inspiration, and said the honor “will encourage me to be more courageous in my work.”

Beyond the celebration of today’s contemporary stars, the evening’s main theme was Asia Society’s role as a standard bearer for new artists. Said Cai, “Wherever Asia Society goes, Asia follows.”

(Los Angeles, CA – March 18, 2016) After 22 sold-out screenings at mainstream and South Asian film festivals around North America in 2015 and multiple audience and jury awards under its belt, the smart, witty, coming-of-age comedy feature, “Miss India America,” will have a special, red-carpet screening, followed by a Q&A with the cast/team, in Los Angeles on March 24th. The limited theatrical release will take place at theaters in Washington, D.C., Chicago and San Jose starting on Friday, March 25th, for a one-week run. Following the theatrical release, the movie will be available on the following broadband platforms starting Tuesday, April 5th: Amazon, GooglePlay, iTunes, Vimeo, Vudu, Xfinity and Sling.

The brainchild of husband/wife creative team Ravi Kapoor (director/co-writer) and Meera Simhan (actor/co-writer), the cross-cultural comedy is set against the backdrop of the Indian beauty pageant world in Los Angeles. Inspired by Simhan’s one-woman-show of the same title, “Miss India America” stars Texas native Tiya Sircar (The Internship, 17 Again, Vampire Diaries) andHannah Simone (of Fox television series New Girl fame), along with a supporting cast of talented actors, including Kosha Patel, Satya Bhabha, Cas Anwar, Rizwan Manji, Anjali Bhimani and Bernard White. Produced byMegha Kadakia and Saurabh Kikani and distributed by MarVista Entertainment, the feature film “establishes an authentic tone that pays respect to Indian cultural norms, while poking gentle fun at these traditions,” raves The Hollywood Reporter.

New York, NY: Pia Padukone’s new book, “The Fasces of Strangers” will have a launch event planned for March 30@7pm at the Barnes and Noble on Upper West Side at 2289 Broadway (Between 82/83 Streets) in New York City.

The highly acclaimed author of Where Earth Meets Water, Pia Padukone returns with an arresting exploration of family and culture. When native New Yorker Nicholas Grand applies for an international student exchange program, he thinks it’s an opportunity to broaden his horizons and meet some interesting people. He never imagines that a single year would have repercussions that would follow him throughout his lifetime.

Nicholas is sent to Estonia, where he meets shy, sensitive Paavo, his beautiful sister, Mari, and their gruff father, Leo—a family grappling with the challenges of life in a small country struggling to assert its post-Soviet identity. Nicholas sets off on an unforgettable journey through a foreign landscape that ultimately teaches him that some bonds can never be broken.

Bridging two uniquely captivating cities, The Faces of Strangers traces the intertwined lives of two seemingly symmetrical families from extraordinarily different worlds. This compelling odyssey through friendship and self-discovery illuminates the universality of how deeply we are defined by our connections with others.

Growing up in New York City has its privileges, which certainly helped shape Pia’s life. Her future in writing was cemented early, at age 12 when she won the Barnard College Young Women’s Writing Award – long before she was eligible to enter (at age 18).

Pia derives much literary inspiration from the world around her – witnessing interactions while running in Central Park, overhearing delicious snippets of gossip in waiting rooms, as well as those ever-engaging exchanges on the subway. All these combined with her fascination with her parents’ past lives in India before they settled in New York were the impetus behind Where Earth Meets Water.

During her years in London, Pia wrote for Star News and the London desk of the Associated Press, covering many high-profile stories including the protests against the Iraq War. She wrote press kits and position papers for a Member of Parliament representing Birmingham. Pia and her husband Rohit maintain a reading and eating blog, Two Admirable Pleasures, which combines their two loves: the written word and the recipes that are inspired by them.

Pia is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School and the London School of Economics. She entered the professional writing world as a copywriter in pharmaceutical advertising. Pia was a finalist for Seventeen Magazine’s fiction writing award and more recently a winner of the Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest.

Indian American model and television personality Padma Lakshmi has written a revealing autobiography, which includes intimate details of her failed marriage to celebrated author Salman Rushdie. Laxmi, 45, one of the judges on the television show “Top Chef,” chronicles details of her relationship with the Mumbai-born Booker Prize-winning author in her memoir “Love, Loss and What We Ate.” “I just wanted my own identity. I was making the transition out of one stage of my life and into another. But in order to do that, it required that I wasn’t everywhere that he (Rushdie) needed me to be,” she told People magazine.

“Love, Loss And What We Ate,” a memoir by Padma Lakshmi, who became a celebrity in her own right since she divorced Rushdie in 2007 after a three-year marriage, was quoted in the media saying the memoir started off as a book about health and healthy eating using her own life as an example, instead ended up as a reflection on “love and heartbreak” – spanning her tumultuous affair and marriage to Rushdie, the painful break up, to finding love again with billionaire Teddy Forstmann, who died three years ago.

A vivid memoir of food and family, survival and triumph, Love, Loss, and What We Ate traces the arc of Padma Lakshmi’s unlikely path from an immigrant childhood to a complicated life in front of the camera. Long before Padma Lakshmi ever stepped onto a television set, she learned that how we eat is an extension of how we love, how we comfort, how we forge a sense of home—and how we taste the world as we navigate our way through it. Shuttling between continents as a child, she lived a life of dislocation that would become habit as an adult, never quite at home in the world. And yet, through all her travels, her favorite food remained the simple rice she first ate sitting on the cool floor of her grandmother’s kitchen in South India.

Poignant and surprising, Love, Loss, and What We Ate is Lakshmi’s extraordinary account of her journey from that humble kitchen, ruled by ferocious and unforgettable women, to the judges’ table of Top Chef and beyond. It chronicles the fierce devotion of the remarkable people who shaped her along the way, from her headstrong mother who flouted conservative Indian convention to make a life in New York, to her Brahmin grandfather—a brilliant engineer with an irrepressible sweet tooth—to the man seemingly wrong for her in every way who proved to be her truest ally. A memoir rich with sensual prose and punctuated with evocative recipes, it is alive with the scents, tastes, and textures of a life that spans complex geographies both internal and external.

The memoir also details her relationship and bitter split with venture capitalist Adam Dell, who is the father of her daughter that she conceived when she was still with Forstmann. All this, of course, is not very new as the tabloids over the years had several exposes on the three-way relationship. What’s new, steamy and dark in the memoir is all about the author of “The Moor’s Last Sigh” and “The Satanic Verses.”

The Indian-American model and the host of the popular Top Chef was 28 when she started an affair with the married 51-year-old writer. A report in the Daily News said “the pair first met in 1999 at a party. On their first real date — Rushdie initially wooed her by phone since she lived in Los Angeles — the pair fell into bed.” The report quotes her memoir saying, “at 3 a.m., I woke with a start. I’m naked in a married man’s bed.”

The two married after Rushdie divorced his third wife. While their early years were full of passion (Lakshmi, reportedly, alludes to great sex and great food) things began to sour as she focused on her career, a report in the People magazine said. “I just wanted my own identity,” the report quotes her saying. “I was making the transition out of one stage of my life and into another. But in order to do that, it required that I wasn’t everywhere that he (Rushdie) needed me to be.”

Gleaning from the reports, their relationship strained at two levels – professional and personal. Lakshmi bitches about how Rushdie had to be consoled each year when he didn’t win a Nobel Prize, even as she describes how disappointed she was at his disinterest in her career and success.

At the personal level, things had deteriorated when Lakshmi could not keep up with Rushdie’s sexual demands because of a condition that was much later diagnosed as endometriosis, which caused chronic pain. “It’s not that I didn’t want to be there for him, but something was very deeply wrong … And I didn’t understand it. And that caused a whole lot of misunderstanding,” Lakshmi says in her memoir.mAccording to the Telegraph, Lakshmi accuses Rushdie of describing her as “a bad investment” after she refused his sexual advances, and paints him as a cold and heartless husband.

The last straw was when after one five-hour surgery, Lakshmi returns home “with stitches in four major organs and stents in both kidneys. Rushdie left the next day for a trip.” “The show must go on, after all,” he apparently told Lakshmi, on his way out the door. Next time she stepped out of the house, Lakshmi went to see a divorce lawyer. She writes about how at first their marriage was blissful, and Rushdie used to make breakfast for her every morning. But the book then goes on to paint a portrait of a demanding husband in need of constant attention. Lakshmi claims Rushdie was insensitive to a medical condition. Lakshmi later divorced Rushdie in 2007 and went on to become involved with Ted Forstmann, the billionaire chief executive of sports and artist management company IMG, who died in 2011 at age 71. She has a six-year-old daughter with venture capitalist Adam Dell.

New York-based Rushdie, 68, has not responded to his ex-wife’s claims so far. Shortly after his marriage to Lakshmi ended, Rushdie had said, “It’s strange, given that I’ve been married four times, but I actually don’t think marriage is necessary.” “Girls like it, especially if they’ve never been married before. It’s the dress. Girls want a wedding; they don’t want a marriage. If only you could have weddings without marriages,” Rushdie had said. Love, Loss, and What We Ate is an intimate and unexpected story of food and family—both the ones we are born to and the ones we create—and their enduring legacies.

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has confirmed that she has given up her ‘Miss’ tag by marrying her American beau Gene Goodenough. The dimpled beauty made the announcement on her official social media pages, just days after news of her secret wedding in Los Angeles surfaced.

“I was holding on the ‘Miss Tag’ rather seriously till now, until I met someone ‘Goodenough’ to give it up for. So now I join the Married Club folks. “Thank you all for your good wishes and for all your love. Love you all. Ting! Let the Goodenough jokes begin,” Preity wrote.

Last year, there were reports that she will be marrying Goodenough in January, and then around Valentine’s Day. But back then, she had declined the reports, saying that she is fed up with all the speculation about her personal life.

But the virtual world went into a tizzy earlier this week over news of the “Kal Ho Naa Ho” actress’ wedding as veteran actor Kabir Bedi congratulated her.

Preity’s close friends, fashion designer and stylist Surily Goel and Sussanne Khan were also reportedly a part of the celebrations. Online memes surrounding Preity and her husband began in no time once the news of their wedding news spread.

A user posted: “Finally #PreityZinta married a Goodenough Gene!”, while another shared: “Actress Preity Zinta gets married to Gene Goodenough – so will she now have the epic name, Preity Goodenough?”. But as one can make out from her latest social media post, Preity has taken them all in the right stride.

Bollywood actress Nimrat Kaur will soon be jetting off to Vancouver, Canada, to shoot for India American filmmaker Manoj Night Shyamalan’s TV series, “Wayward Pines,” and hopes to have a lot “fun” with the show’s foreign cast.

The actress, who garnered applause for her role as a Pakistani ISI agent on Showtime’s political thriller series, “Homeland,” will be adding a mysterious twist to “Wayward Pines” as an architect. She said details of her role in the psychological thriller will be unraveled gradually.

“I’m playing the part of a girl called Rebecca, who’s an architect and it’s very mysterious, and you know like cards that unfold episode after episode and towards the end of the season, you realize who she really is and what her role is in the world they live in,” Kaur said in a statement.

She said the team will start filming very soon. “I will be joining them soon in three-four days at most. It should be fun. We will be filming in Vancouver and maybe little bit in Los Angeles, so I am going to be stationed out there.”

The “Airlift” actress will be paired with actor Jason Patric in the series, which is based on the “Wayward Pines’” novels by Blake Crouch and developed for television by Chad Hodge. The first season of the series is currently being aired on FX in India.

The series stars Matt Dillon as Ethan Burke, a U.S. Secret Service agent investigating the disappearance of two fellow agents in the mysterious small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho.

All praise for her co-stars Jason Patric and Djimon Hounsou, Kaur is already in prep mode for her part – and that too via Skype! “I actually Skyped with M. Night Shyamalan about a week ago and we had a really lovely chat about what season two is going to be about. He wanted me to watch it and then kind of discuss my character little better in depth but I have not come along to doing that yet.

“He is super excited about the season two and he’s like we are moving up a notch with how we are presenting the season two.” Kaur’s body of work might not be very elaborate, but her credibility shines through her work in films such as “Airlift” and “The Lunchbox.” And now with “Wayward Pines,” the actress is eager to explore a new arena.

“Well I am super excited because this is a genre that I have never worked in before and also found this premise very exciting.”

“I have to say that I haven’t watched the first season yet. I have had my hands full so haven’t gotten down to watching it, but I have heard incredible things about it. I have heard that it’s really cool and it had people hooked right up till the end,” she said.

Though not winning any wards, India was represented at the annual Oscar  by Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra who is on an upward trajectory in Hollywood with her lead role as a rookie FBI agent in the series, Quantico. She appeared on the red carpet in a languorous, body hugging, shoulder less white embroidered dress with a trail, created by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad and featured in his Spring-Summer 2016 collection.

Actress Priyanka Chopra, who chose a Lebanese designer’s pristine white ensemble for her Academy Awards appearance, says she wanted to turn up at the gala in a pretty, feminine and a “very classic” gown. The “Quantico” star was one of the presenters at the 88th Academy Awards — which took place here on Sunday — where she looked stunning in a structured cage bustier mermaid dress in white silk tulle adorned with 3D shimmering climbing flowers. The dress was a creation by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad.

“I can’t be told what to wear. So, when I told Sophia I was like… It has to be a moment… the outfit. That I definitely want. It’s one of the biggest red carpets in the world. It’s super long so, I want to be comfortable for sure. And something that lasts the whole evening…you know it’s not ripping,” she told eonline.com. Comparing the Hollywood awards to Bollywood, she said “It’s similar– like Bollywood. It’s just giganomous. It doesn’t end.” During the awards, the camera rested several times over Chopra as it panned the crowd at the Dolby Theater.

British-Indian director Asif Kapadia, won the Oscar in the Best Feature Documentary “Amy” about jazz singing sensation Amy Winehouse who suffered from drug addiction and died from accidental alcohol poisoning in 2011. Thanking sponsors and supporters while accepting the Oscar, Kapadia lashed out at critics including Winehouse’s family. “Really, this film is all about Amy. This is all about showing the world who she really was, not her tabloid persona — the lovely girl, the unbelievable soul, funny, intelligent, witty, someone special, someone who needed looking after,” Kapadia said. Winehouse’s father Mitch Winehouse called it “a negative, spiteful and misleading portrayal.”

Pakistani documentary film-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won her second Oscar for Short Documentary, this time for The Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, dealing with honor killing in Pakistan. Chinoy, who splits home between Canada and Pakistan, was called the “Pride of Pakistan,” by that country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. And U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry who was in Pakistan when the film won the award praised the documentary for changing the language around honor killing. “This is what happens when determined women get together,” Chinoy said accepting the award, adding, “This week the Pakistani prime minister has said that he will change the law on honour killing after watching this film. That is the power of film.”

She later told CBC News that living in Canada and Pakistan and going back and forth had taught her “that you need to strive to make Pakistan a better place,” and indicated her life was at risk when making the film.

Keralite Sajan Skaria, a character supervisor worked on the animated film, “Inside Out” which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. A graduate in computer science from the National Institute of Technology Kozhikode, Skaria is with the famed Pixar Animation Studio, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Company, and was present at the 88th Academy Awards, Indo Asian News Service reported.

Mindy Kaling, Indian-American comedian and creator of the popular series The Mindy Project, did the voice-over for one of the characters of “Inside Out.” Kaling walked the red carpet looking stunning in a black tight-fitting long gown by Elizabeth Kennedy, with a bright navy blue trail much like a Cinderella ball gown. Funny as usual, Kaling joked about the time it took her to dress for the event. “I’m very low-maintenance. No, actually, I’ve been doing this for 72 hours,” said the off-beat actress who is universally loved by fans for her candid portrayal of Hollywood behind the camera.

British-Indian actor Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 1 and 2, was a presenter; Another British-Indian actor famous for his role in My Beautiful Launderette and Gandhi, who appeared in Indian films like Shatranj ke Khiladi, was among those remembered in the “In Memorium” reel for those who lost their lives in 2015.

New York: Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) has planned to organize its annual Spring Festival Celebrations on March 26 at Hotel Hilton, Huntington, NY. In his address to the community leaders at the kick-off meeting held recently, Naveen C Shah said, “RANA has proven that we can celebrate all our festivals on one common platform. We want to continue this practice this year by organizing the Spring Festivals Celebration.”

The 2016 Spring Festival Celebration includes a Fashion Show event showcasing the attire of different states from India by top fashion designers, a segment on Wedding Day Attire by community members and cultural performances. This will be followed by a Kavi Sammelan featuring renowned poets and satirists from India, emceed by Shailesh Lodha. Over 1000 people are expected to attend the event.

“We expect people from all communities – Rajasthanis, Gujaratis, Punjabis and all other Indian communities to attend the day’s events and partake of the celebrations. RANA aims at bringing about harmony and celebrating the festivals of India jointly with other communities to foster the spirit of brotherhood and comradeship,” said Shah.

RANA has previously successfully organized Rajasthan Mahotsav – Festival of Festivals 2015 under the leadership of President Naveen C Shah, which saw participation from over 3000 attendees, complete with a grand parade featuring elephants, horses and camels to various dance & musical performances showcasing the variety and depth of Indian culture.

The Deepavali celebrations in November 2015 was another monumental sensation with over 600 people packing the Grand Ballroom at the Long Island Marriott and were entertained by the sensational music trio from India – Dhwani.

Tickets cost only $75 each and include lunch, afternoon tea & snacks, dinner and entrance to the fashion show, cultural entertainment, kavi sammelan & exhibitions area. For more information, visit website www.ranausa.org

Long Island, NY: Anu Jain was the only Indian American artist, who had showcased two of her paintings, “Freedom-the Beauty of Life” in oil on canvas and the other, “Jesus” at the Fine Art and Photography Exhibition on March 2nd at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive Legislative Building in Mineola, New York. The contest was part of the National Women’s Heritage Month celebrations organized by Comptroller George Maragos, Nassau County on Long Island, NY.

Anu’s creations at the exhibition got accolades and recognition from not only fellow artists and organizers but from a large number of guests from Indian-American community, which included community leaders, prominent businessmen and leading media personalities.

As part of The exhibition’s title “Truth & Beauty” was inspired, probably, by the famous English poet John Keats’ Ode on a Grecian Urn’ wherein the poet says: ‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty, —that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

Fifty-five distinguished female artists and photographers participated. The paintings at the Exhibition were done in both water color and oil and included portraits and landscape. Anu Jain, as other artists, took in a stride the challenge of entering the world of art in a large format that expressed the feminine spirit- a moment in the life of a woman- Past, Present and Future – with one dominant figure as the main focus.

Many of the pieces of artwork presented depicted a global outlook on women’s issues and concern in a realistic style while others were Semi-abstract and symbolic, inviting the viewers to add their own interpretation.

The panel of judges included professors of art from finest local universities as well as renowned award winning artists and photographers. The invited judges included Robert Carter, Notable Artist; Emi Gomez, LIU Post Department of Art Professor; Kellyann Monaghan, Adelphi Professor; Gabriel Marques, Notable Artist; Catherine White, Renown Artist; and Xio Xiomaro, Notable International Photographer. The curators included Carla Hall D’Ambra and Minna Dun. The event was attended by over 200 guests, including Dilip Chauhan, Director, South East and Asian Affairs in the office of Nassau County Comptroller.

Asif Kapadia, an Indo-British director, is all set to capture the life trajectory of popular icon, the Argentinian soccer player Diego Maradona. Kapadia won an Oscar last month for chronicling Amy Winehouse’s life journey, and scoring an Oscar for it,

The feature documentary, “Maradona,” will look closely into the sportsman’s wildly celebrated time at Italian club Napoli, with the help of hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage taken from his personal archive, according to a report in Hollywood Reporter. Speaking about the project, Kapadia said he had long been a fan of Maradona, and had wanted to make a film about the man even before he started the documentary, “Senna.”

“I was taken by his character, his genius, honesty, passion, humor and vulnerability,” the report quoted him as saying. “I was fascinated by his journey, wherever he went there were moments of incredible brilliance and drama, he was a leader, taking his teams to the very top, but also many lows in his career. He was always the little guy fighting against the system, against the wealthy, the powerful and he was willing to do anything, to use all of his cunning and intelligence to win.”

After “Amy” and “Senna,” Kapadia is reteaming with James Gay-Rees and Chris King on the film whose global sales rights have been picked up by British sales and distribution company Altitude. Joining them as a producer is Paul Martin (“Ronaldo”). Alongside “Maradona,” Kapadia and his team are also prepping a documentary on the British rock group Oasis.

The Cinequest Film Festival 2016, which will run from March 1- March 13 in San Jose, Calif., will present a line-up of Indian cinema, offering three examples of the current state of Indian film art. The films that will be showcased are: Director Selvamani Selvaraj’s debut film “Nila”; first-time director Atul Taishete’s “Vartak Nagar-A Story of Four Crows”; and “The Last Smile.”

“Nila,”which will see its North American premiere at the festival, deftly explores the murky realm of deceptive desire and the damaging consequences resulting from a passionate, but misguided pursuit of love, according to a press release.

“Vartak Nagar-A Story of Four Crows,” starring actor Jimmy Shergil, merges an emotionally stirring coming-of-age tale with real life drama. The premise of the film is: In 1982, the innocence of four boyhood friends is abruptly shattered during the Bombay Mill Strike and the encompassing violence imperils their lives. But through the combined forces of brotherhood, love, and the resilience of the human spirit, the boys not only survive, they thrive, according to the release.

“The Last Smile” is described as a film where an Indian American father suddenly loses his son under mysterious circumstances and simply wants to know what happened. But his pursuit of the truth plunges him into the corrupt and shady underworld of the unregulated dietary supplements business, a thriving $37 billion industry, the release said. Inspired by a true story, this drama exposes the greed-driven practices that prey on human vanity, gullibility, and the American obsession with the “quick fix.” Both “Vartak Nagar-A Story of Four Crows” and “The Last Smile” will have their world premiere at the festival.

Indian actress Priyanka Chopra is out to put India on the global map again. She is on board to play the villain in the upcoming “Baywatch” movie, based on the hugely popular 1990s TV series, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson announced via an online video.

“She’s one of the biggest stars in the world… the beautiful Priyanka Chopra, welcome to ‘Baywatch’,” Johnson said in a video posted on Instagram. He is seen in the frame with the former beauty queen against seaside and excitement seems to be at its peak.

Priyanka, who has found international popularity after playing the lead role in American show “Quantico”, shared on social media: “And it’s time to tell you all officially! Baywatch it is! Being bad is what I do best!!! You better watch out!”

Her debut film in Bollywood, “Aitraaz”, in fact featured her in a negative role. In “Baywatch”, she will be seen essaying Victoria Leeds, said a report by people.com.

In an Instagram post to welcome Priyanka, Johnson wrote: “She’s one of the biggest stars in the world. Insanely talented, relentlessly smokin’ and extremely dangerous – perfect for ‘Baywatch’. Welcome Priyanka Chopra to our bad a** and incredibly dysfunctional family.”

One of the most watched TV shows globally, “Baywatch”, was about the Los Angeles county lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles, California. It starred David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson among others. Priyanka will begin shooting for the movie version of the show with its cast and crew next week.

Messages congratulating the actress, who was named to receive the Padma Shri honour from the Indian government last month, poured in from her friends in Bollywood. “Dostana” director Tarun Mansukhani, who made Priyanka act in a golden swimsuit for a scene in Miami, wrote to her: “You’re the only one who can make a red swimsuit sexier than a gold one!!! Way to go Priyanka Chopra!!!”

A new trip to India from the London-based travel company Wild Frontiers is inspired by the Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling’s famous collection of stories. The trip is in commemoration of a new adaptation of the 1967 Walt Disney Pictures animated film based on the stories and opening in theaters on April 15. Called the Jungle Book Tour, the 12-day itinerary takes travelers to Tadoba and Kanha National Parks, two of India’s most famous tiger reserves, where they take part in twice-daily game drives in search of tigers, leopards and other wildlife, and Satpura National Park for walking safaris. These rich landscapes, according to the Wild Frontiers founder Jonny Bealby, gave Mr. Kipling the inspiration for the characters in his stories such as the “man cub” Mowgli, the fearsome tiger Shere Khan and Toomai of the elephants. The itinerary also includes a stop in Bhopal to see the renowned Bhimbetka cave paintings. The tour includes most meals, accommodations, transfers, entrance fees to parks and guided excursions. The cost is $4,250 a person. Departure is Oct. 18.

Actress Sunny Leone’s message to youngsters who have not smoked till now and are thinking about it is to avoid picking up the cigarette. “For the youngsters out there, if you haven’t started smoking yet or are thinking about it, don’t pick up that first cigarette. It’s not worth it in the long run, and it’s not cool. If you want to try, just think twice before trying it,” said Leone at the launch of a special anti-smoking advertisement featuring her and “Tanu Weds Manu” actor Deepak Dobriyal.

“Smoking is bad for your health. This is something very close to my heart; my father passed away from cancer from smoking cigarettes,” she said. “I want people to stop smoking, and live a happier, healthier life. Unfortunately, you can’t force anybody, but you can tell people not to smoke around them. Maybe if the government, restaurant owners say that they don’t want smoke inside their buildings, then that would be the first step,” she added.

The informative advertisement titled “No Smoking #11minutes,” which also stars actor Alok Nath, has been directed by “Hawaizaada” director Vibhu Puri. The concept revolves around Dobriyal’s character, who is on his deathbed, and his near and dear ones trying to identify and fulfill his last wish of meeting up with Leone’s character, which creates a humorous climax.

About her own experiences of smoking, Leone mentioned about her first time: “It was gross, disgusting. It never has been for me, and it’ll continue to be that way.”

She also said, “I’ve been lucky; my co-stars that smoke cigarettes always are very respectful and say, ‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ I tell them it’s fine if they go a bit far. I personally don’t like second-hand smoke; it is as deadly as smoking a cigarette.” The “#11minutes” refers to the amount of life which apparently gets cut down with each cigarette.

Bollywood star Preity Zinta’s wedding to American beau Gene Goodenough, is planned to be held this month, there is some news that the couple will actually tie the knot in Los Angeles in spring (March-April) with only close friends and family flying down. Goodenough is a financial analyst and met Zinta during one of her U.S. trips.

According to media reports, the white wedding will, however, be followed by a proper and ostentatious Rajput wedding in Mumbai. This grand celebration will have the film industry in attendance, as Zinta has developed a lot of goodwill in the industry. The bubbly and forthright actress, who has always stood up for her convictions and principles, has barely been seen in the millennium’s second decade because of her other priorities.

She was last seen in her home production “Ishqk in Paris” in 2013, followed by a cameo in “Happy Ending.” Though closest to Salman Khan among the ruling stars, Zinta has worked with every A-lister and a lot of heroines, and is on great terms with all of them as well as top filmmakers.

Zinta is said to auction off her wedding pictures for charities that she supports, including for educating children and for old-age homes. Zinta and Goodenough want to help society even with this happy occasion in their lives. While this move is a first among Indian stars, Hollywood couples like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin have reportedly done it before overseas.

Sonika Vaid, 20, from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, is being touted as an early favorite to win the last season of American Idol, after just one soulful rendition which wowed the judges on the show. Vaid impressed the judges – Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr – with her beautiful cover of ‘Look at Me’, the hit by former Idol winner Carrie Underwood, reported The National.

Sonika Vaid, a sophomore at William Smith College in New York, who grew up in Weston, Massachusetts, advanced to the top 10 of the reality competition American Idol, wowing judges on the way. Vaid was one of the 10 singers who advanced last week from the 14 who were left to participate for the cut-off voting stage.

“This is one of the only times this particular season that I saw somebody that I actually think can win this thing,” said Connick. “You sang beautifully. Perfect performance. I was totally engaged. Terrific job.” Lopez also congratulated Vaid, saying: “I love it, I love it a lot.” Urban added: “How beautiful that you just let it go, too? You didn’t stack it with a bunch of clever runs. You just sang.”

Vaid’s strong performance of “I Surrender” by Celine Dion got a standing ovation from judge Jennifer Lopez. She had also performed superbly “Bring Me to Life” by Evanesence. Vaid sang the Celine Dion classic, “I Surrender” for the first time for Idol audiences and on the American Idol stage. The song showed off Vaid’s powerful and commanding voice as well as her contemporary yet classic singing style, reported Romper.

“The song highlighted what a vocal powerhouse Vaid truly could be, while also offering audience members a glimpse as to what she would be like as a performer if voted into the Top 10. The performance showed off a true star quality to the 20-year-old from Massachusetts that viewers of the show had never seen in Vaid before. In other words, she killed her performance — and that is putting it lightly. Judging from the reactions of the judges and Twitter, everyone else seemed to agree” Romper noted.

The performance started off slow, with Vaid’s vocals accompanied only by a piano. When the backing band kicked in with the chorus of the song, Vaid’s voice truly began to shine. “I said your voice was from God in the (video) package. Its so true,” Lopez said. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten goosies on my face. That was the first time!” Lopez added, referring to the goose bumps Vaid’s voice gave Lopez from her performance of the song. “The way your voice sits in the music is so out of this world,” Lopez continued. “It is insane! So beautiful!”

The rest of the judging panel, comprised of Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban resisted the urge to speak about the performance due to the show’s timing, but you could tell they were dying to comment on the stellar performance, said media reports. “You know, you sang beautifully. That was a perfect performance. . . . That’s a pure, God-given voice,” Connick Jr. said. Fans of Vaid and viewers at home seemed to agree with Lopez’s comments, taking to Twitter to praise the performance.

“The first time I remember singing was when I was 3 at my sister’s first birthday,” said Vaid, a summer resident of Martha’s Vineyard, and a 2013 graduate of Weston High School.  The first season of “American Idol” aired when she was about 5 years old. “I was an on-and-off ‘Idol’ fan growing up,” she said. “I thought, ‘This is the last [season]. This is the last opportunity I’ll get” to try out.

Singing for judges and an audience and millions of at-home viewers is “an out-of-body experience. It’s beyond me,” said Vaid, who “hated the thought of singing” in public as a little kid. A pianist since age 4, she loved that “I could hide my face behind the piano. Then in ninth grade, there was a talent show. My friends wanted me to sign up, and I was like, ‘No. I don’t want to do that.’ I was so shy,” she recalled. Vaid got up the gumption, sang “Believe in Me” by Demi Lovato in front of the whole school, then promptly ran out into the hallway and “started freaking out,” said the Globe report. Vaid won.

Vaid’s parents, Kuldip and Ananya, were born in India and moved to the US as kids. Vaid, the oldest of four children, said her “entire family is musical . . . except for my dad.” “The sayonara season of American Idol has only just begun, but we may already have a winner,” The Boston Globe reported.

American Idol’s latest season is its 15th and final edition. Since its premiere in 2002, only two contestants of South Asian origin have reached the final 12 stage of the competition: Sanjaya Malakar, who finished seventh during season six, and Anoop Desai, who placed sixth during season eight.

Indian American mega producer Jeff Bhasker, who is one of the hottest pop and hip-hop and in-demand producers in the American music industry, walked away with a Grammy in the ‘Producer of the Year’ (Non-Classical) category during the 58th edition of the coveted awards held Feb. 15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

One of the biggest hits of 2015, “Uptown Funk,” featuring artist Bruno Mars, which Bhasker co-produced in conjunction with Mark Ronson, also won the ‘Record of the Year’ award. The prolific producer behind much of Kanye West’s “808s & Heartbreak” was bestowed the ‘Producer of the Year’ honor for helming songs such as Elle’s King’s “Aint’s Gonna Drown and “Last Damn Night,” Mikky Ekko’s “Burning Doves” and Cam’s “Runaway Train,” among others.

Bhasker, the son of an Indian American physician and a piano-playing American mother, has created breakaway hits for artists such as Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, Snoop Lion, the Rolling Stones, Blige, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z and Drake.

“Amy,” the documentary by Indo-British filmmaker Asif Kapadia about the life of late pop star Amy Winehouse, won a Grammy Award in the ‘Best Music Film’ category. Kapadia also secured a British Academy Film and Television Award, or BAFTA, for “Amy,” in the ‘Best Documentary’ category during a glittering ceremony held Feb. 14 at the Royal Opera House in London, England.

At the Grammy Awards, “Amy” beat out “The Wall,” “Sonic Highways,” “What Happened, Miss Simone?” and “Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown.” For the BAFTA, Kapadia’s “Amy” was up against “Cartel Land,” “He Named Me Malala,” “Listen to me Marlon” and “Sherpa.”

Paying tribute to one of the biggest music icons in British history, Kapadia said onstage during BAFTA: “We really fell in love with her when making the film. And our aim and mission was really to try and tell the truth about her. To show the world what an amazing person she was, how intelligent, how witty, how beautiful she was, before it all kind of got out of control and went a bit crazy.”

Kapadia has won the BAFTA honor twice in the past. In 2012, he picked up a BAFTA for “Senna” and in 2003 for “The Warrior.” The documentary uses previously unseen footage of the “Back to Black” star who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011, at the age of 27. Winehouse’s family initially endorsed the project but later disassociated itself from the film.

The biggest night of the year in music also secured a win for world renowned Indian American alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, who featured in the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, “The Afro Latin Jazz Suite,” which snagged the top honor in the ‘Best Instrumental Composition’ category.

Acclaimed sitarist Anoushka Shankar, who presented at the 58th annual Grammy Awards, said she had “fun” being backstage with the people she admires. Anoushka was also nominated for an award in the Best World Music Album category for her solo album “Home” but she couldn’t grab the coveted trophy. This was the fifth time that Anoushka was nominated for the Grammy Awards.  She lost out to Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo.   “I teased Angelique to stop beating me in that category! She’s an amazing artist and woman and deserves every win though,” Anoushka sportingly said about her defeat.

Shankar praised Indo-British filmmaker Asif Kapadia for winning Best Music Film award for “Amy”, a documentary on the life of late singer Amy Winehouse.  “Oh, without doubt he deserved that win. ‘Amy’ is an incredible documentary into the life of a unique artist and the trials of an addict. Recovery is something very close to my heart for personal reasons and therefore, the film impacted me greatly,” she said.

NAMAM Excellence Award Night Show has been planned for Saturday, March 19th at 5.00 pm in Edison, New Jersey. “As all you know NAMAM is a leading Cultural organization engaged in various community outreach programs and activities in the Tri-state area,” said Madhavan B Nair, NAMAM Chairman.

“The opportunity to attend this function can open to the door to meet many individuals that have played an important role in the development of our community,” Nair said. “It is an opportunity to introduce you and create a vast profile within the Indian and American community as well. It will be an honor for us if you could attend this function. We are looking forward to hearing from you with a positive response soon.”

Over the last 7 years, this vibrant organization has been successfully conducting cultural, educational and charitable programs, with the participation from various Indian communities in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. NAMAM has established a tradition of celebrating its annual day by presenting its Excellence Awards at a magnificent Banquet that is attended by many. NAMAM Excellence Awards are given to 6 extremely accomplished individuals from various fields who have made significant contributions to the society.
In addition to the cultural events we will be providing Ethnic Indian Food as Banquet .We will also have a variety of entertainments preceding the business meeting. We expect the attendance this year to be the highest ever; in the area of 900 participants and 7 award Winners We will be glad to reserve seats for you all. Please let us know the availability. The focus of the business meeting is to help and rebuild a strong Indian American community strength in Tristate area with help of all professional and cultural associations and with fellow politicians.

NAMAM is an Indian cultural organization that was formed in the United States in 2010. Under the strong and inspiring leadership of Mr. Madhavan B. Nair, the founder and president of NAMAM, a team of enthusiastic people with unswerving dedication has transformed the organization into a platform for families to come together and experience a wonderful sense of belonging and oneness. Though, primarily an association of the Nair families in the US, NAMAM functions as a juncture of like-minded individuals across the community to engage in social and cultural activities.

NAMAM has been reaching out to the community with varied cultural programs, social gatherings and humanitarian aid efforts. It is our priority to pass a deep awareness about the rich heritage, unique customs and eclectic culture of Kerala to the younger generation in the us, so that they can appreciate and take pride in their genealogy. For more information, please visit:www.namam.org

The New York Indian Film Festival, the oldest, most prestigious South Asian Film Festival in North America has been scheduled from May 7-14, 2016, a press release said. NYIFF screens feature films, documentaries and shorts by filmmakers with a heritage in the Indian Sub-Continent for a week in New York City.  Premiere screenings on four screens the entire week, Industry Panels, Post-screening discussions, Special Events, Retrospectives, Award Ceremony, networking with directors and cast, Galas, cocktail parties, red carpets, packed theatres and amazing media attention.  NYIFF 2016 Opening Night on May 7 and the Closing Night on May 14 will be presented at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts, while the rest of the festival May 8-14 will be presented at the Village East Cinemas, NYC.

We are so proud of our award-­-winning filmmakers and ALL the filmmakers who have showcased quality, independent cinema at our festival over the past week,” said Aroon Shivdasani, NYIFF Director. “The response from the community has been phenomenal, and we hope NYIFF continues to make a mark on the New York independent film circuit.”

Of the 50 features, documentaries and short films showcased at the 15th edition of the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), jury members gravitated toward awarding movies like LABOUR OF LOVE, MARGARITA WITH A STRAW, HARAAMKHOR, KAAKA MUTTAI and DAUGTHERS OF MOTHER INDIA. The longest-running, most prestigious South Asian film festival in the Untied States was attended by Indian film industry glitterati such as Kalki Koechlin, Vishal Bhardwaj, Hansal Mehta, Shonali Bose, Anant Mahadevan, Mohan Agashe, L. Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sharat Katariya and Vibha Bakshi, just to name a few. Young, up-and-coming filmmakers also showcased their films at the festival: the likes of Samrat Chakrabarti, Jaydeep Sarkar, Anshuman Jha, Abhay Kumar, Manu Warrier, Shlok Sharma, Manoj Nitharwal and Ravi Kapoor. In addition to screenings, the festival boasted a week of special events, industry panels and networking parties.

The Indo-American Arts Council is a registered 501(c) 3 not-for-profit, secular service and resource arts organization charged with the mission of promoting and building the awareness, creation, production, exhibition, publication and performance of Indian and cross-cultural art forms in North America. The IAAC supports all artistic disciplines in the classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to work with artists and arts organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists and arts organizations from India to exhibit, perform and produce their works here.

The New York Indian Film Festival (originally the IAAC Film Festival) opened their doors in 2001 following the devastation of the September 11attacks on New York City. This festival creates an awareness and better understanding of the people and stories from the Indian Diaspora by bringing the most acclaimed feature films, documentaries, and shorts from that region to America’s biggest and most remarkable city. Merchant-Ivory’s Shakespearewalla was the festival’s Opening Night, while Mira Nair’s ‘Monsoon Wedding’ closed IAAC’s first film festival before its worldwide theatrical release.

Since then, the festival has provided first-looks at many acclaimed films, including Deepa Mehta’s Oscar-nominated ‘Water,’ and ‘Midnight’s Children’, Nair’s ‘The Namesake,’ and ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ and the New York Premiere of Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ which won eight Oscars including Best Picture.

Some of the artists who support the festival include Mira Nair, Salman Rushdie, Madhur Jaffrey, Padma Lakshmi, Shabana Azmi, Rishi Kapoor & Neetu Singh Kapoor, Shashi Tharoor, Sarita Chaudhury, Sakina Jaffrey, Anurag Kashyap, Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam, Aparna Sen, the late filmmakers Ismail Merchant and Rituparno Ghosh. NYIFF’s 15th anniversary will include premiere film screenings, discussions, industry panels, nightly networking parties, special events, an awards ceremony, and red carpet galas. The festival will run May 4th to 9th at a variety of prestigious New York City venues, including the Skirball Center for Performing Arts, the Paris Theatre and the Village East Cinemas. For the latest news, updates and information about The 15th Annual New York Indian Film Festival, presented by The Indo-American Arts Council, please visit www.iaac.us

Nandita Shenoy’s “Washer/Dryer,” a new comedy play that examines the pressures of modern-day marriage against the backdrop of New York City, opened in Beckett Theater in Manhattan Feb. 2 and will run till Feb. 20. Nandita Shenoy is a writer-actor from Buffalo, and now living in New York City.

The play, which recently held its world premier in Los Angeles, revolves around the obstacles of wedded bliss of Sonya (Shenoy) and Michael (Johnny Wu) who are just married because Shenoy did not mention to Michael that her co-op apartment is single-occupancy and so he can’t legally live there, but she refuses to give it up because of the washer and dryer that came with the place.
They realize that there’s nothing like a hostile co-op board to wreck a honeymoon. The apartment is tidy, but friends, family and co-op rules are a mess.

When the tyrannical co-op board president, Wendee (Annie McNamara), starts sniffing around, Sonya denies being married, saying Michael is her “best gay boyfriend,” according to a New York Times report. This lie will sow much confusion when it reaches Michael’s imperious mother, Dr. Lee (Jade Wu).

Presented by Ma-Yi Theater Company at the Beckett Theater at Theater Row, “Washer/Dryer” is “only partly in keeping with Ma-Yi’s mission of producing “new and innovative” work by Asian-American playwrights, the report noted.

“After a week of packed houses in previews, not to mention a blizzard, I am about to open my first Off-Broadway show which I wrote and in which I star. I am over the moon with delight on arriving at this point in my journey. Three years after first writing it, “Washer/Dryer” has finally arrived in New York where it seemed always to belong,” Shenoy writes on her website.

Papa CJ, one of India’s leading stand-up comedian and a pioneer of the ‘Stand-up’ movement in India, has been invited to perform at Carolines on Broadway, New York’s premier stand-up comedy nightclub.

Papa CJ who is bringing his acclaimed new show Naked will perform for two nights – on Feb 10 and 11. ‘Naked’ is the first ever show from an Indian comedian to be invited to premiere at the prestigious Soho Theatre in London. It was also the first show by an Indian comedian to be invited to premiere at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The show also represented India at the Shared History Festival in South Africa where it received standing ovations at every show.

Papa CJ has won awards for both Asia’s and India’s ‘Best Stand-up Comedian’. Forbes Magazine called him ‘the global face of Indian stand-up’ and Toastmaster International called him one of the most influential comedians around the world. He has performed over 2000 shows in 19 countries.

His work has been broadcast on NBC, BBC, Comedy Central, Showtime, MTV, Paramount, The Comedy Channel, ITV and a host of other international networks. He taped a Showtime USA Stand-up Comedy Special with Russell Peters in Amsterdam and in the American TV show Last Comic Standing, and was adjudged one of the top ten acts from over 3000 contestants across the world. Papa CJ also holds an MBA degree from the University of Oxford and has worked as a motivational speaker and executive coach.

SAN LEANDRO, CA:  Indian American songwriter-producer Savan Kotecha’s song in the film “Fifty Shades of Grey,” has been nominated for the Grammy award in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category. The 58th annual Grammys will be presented live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 15^th.

The Texas native, who now has plenty of musical success stories, began pursuing songwriting as a career when he was a teenager. “My earliest memory of a song is Diana Ross’ ‘Upside Down’ that my dad would listen to,” Kotecha recalled. “Also buying my first 12 inch vinyl, which was the ‘Thriller’ single I got from Kmart.”

The budding songwriter got a break in 1999 at the age of 21, when music publishing giant BMG took a chance on him and sent him to Sweden. It was also in Sweden that Kotecha was lucky enough to team up with star songwriter Max Martin, whose work with the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Pink, N Sync, Taylor Swift and Britney Spears has had an influence over global pop that can’t be overstated.

Kotecha’s name might not sound very familiar, but the gazillion amazing pop tunes that he has written for the who’s who of the industry most definitely will. One of those ultra-catchy numbers is “What Makes You Beautiful,” which launched the band One Direction into stardom. Since then, Kotecha has penned several songs for the English-Irish pop band, including “One Thing,” “Live While We’re Young,” “I Wish” and “Kiss You.”

Kotecha has written Platinum-selling hit songs for artists like Justin Bieber (“Beauty and a Beat”), Christina Aguilera, Maroon 5 (“One More Night”), Britney Spears (“If U Seek Amy”), Usher (“Scream,” “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love”), Demi Lovato, Celine Dion, Westlife and many others — including most notably the pop music phenomenon One Direction, the British boy band whose 2011 debut album, “Up All Night,” sold more than 4.5 million copies. They are embarking on a world tour this year.

Kotecha first popped up on this writer’s radar as a songwriter and vocal coach for One Direction, for whom he is credited as a writer on such songs as “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Up All Night,” “One Thing,” “I Wish” and “Save You Tonight.”

When 1D’s second album, “Take Me Home,” was released in 2012, it topped the charts in more than 35 countries, and was the fourth best-selling album of 2012, selling 4.4 million units. Kotecha is credited as a writer on that album’s singles “Live While We’re Young” (which went Platinum and became YouTube’s most-viewed video debut ever), “Kiss You,” “Last First Kiss,” “Heart Attack,” “Change My Mind” and “Back for You.” Their latest album, “Midnight Memories,” features another Kotecha composition, “Happily.” Kotecha even appears in a scene in the band’s 2013 3D concert movie “One Direction: This Is Us.”

“It’s been an amazing year, and I feel really lucky that a number of my songs have connected with the public,” Kotecha said. “The Golden Globe nomination is especially exciting as it’s outside the music business and something new. Every year I can continue to do what I love, (which) is a blessing.”

Kotecha shares a co-writing credit with Martin on “Love Me Like You Do,” along with Tove Nilsson, Ali Payami and Ilya Salmanzadeh. Talking about his musical collaborations, Kotecha said that he feels “confident” working with artists as big as Maroon 5 and Usher, but when it’s not a super star act, it’s hard to tell what will work, he said.

Born to Indian immigrant parents, Kotecha admits that he is just not into Bollywood music but nevertheless doesn’t rule out the possibility of a future collaboration. “But I’m very interested in one day finding the right project to fuse the world I’m in into the Bollywood world,” he said. Having already worked with the best in the industry, Kotecha now has other plans.

“I feel now I’ve worked with most of the people I could’ve ever dreamed to work with,” he said. “Now it’s just about continuing those relationships and finding new artists who are the next big thing.”

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — Indian American musician-composer Chitravina N. Ravikiran set a new record of sorts in world music during his recent trip to Chennai in January. There, Ravikiran set a composing record by setting music to 1330 Tirukkural verses in 16 hours. To put things in perspective, this is comparable to completing a 26-mile marathon in barely 15 minutes, according to a report on PRNewswire. Tirukkural, composed by Tamil philosopher Tiruvalluvar during the 2nd-4th Century BC as couplets, are replete with themes ranging from moral codes of conduct to romance.

While there have been a few attempts to set them to music, Ravikiran’s 16-hour feat is unprecedented in world music. A project of this magnitude in any type, style and language would normally require several weeks to months for even the most creative composers at an average of eight to ten minutes per verse, the release said.

“To me, it is not just a record but more of a miracle, which cannot be measured in human terms. To be honest, I don’t even know if I can take credit for this! Things just flowed automatically,” said Ravikiran, speaking to the media at the end of the final session.

Massachusetts-based Indian American singer Sonika Vaid has secured a place in the Top 24 of the farewell season of “American Idol.” “Sonika! Welcome to the top 24!” exclaimed “American Idol” judge Jennifer Lopez on the Feb. 4 episode of the show.

The 51 remaining singers gave one final performance for the judges during the last night of Hollywood Week following which the Top 24 were chosen.

Twenty-year-old Vaid rendered a cover version of the classic pop number, “I Surrender” by Celine Dion, during the last night of Hollywood Week. Though Vaid has garnered praise for the originality in her voice, the judges felt she still needed to work on her performance skill.

“You gave a great performance yesterday vocally,” Lopez said. “But we worry in that there’s just something missing in your performance. There’s something that needs to come alive, and that’s what we argued over.”

“So after much debate, we decided that we would like you to be part of the Top 24, and maybe work on that part of things because of that amazing voice you have.”

“Oh, my God, I’m so excited, I can’t believe this!” said an ecstatic Vaid on the show. The competition continues next week, which will see the remaining singers perform in groups of 12. Six former “Idols” will perform duets with them.

Palo Alto, California; January 24, 2016: The vibrant cultural experience of the Indian state of Kerala captured the imagination of corporate leaders attending a “Kerala Evening” in Silicon Valley, which is home to the world’s top technology companies.

Kathakali and Kalaripayattu performers enthralled a packed venue of the event organized by Kerala Tourism in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) and US-India Business Council on Thursday in Palo Alto, California.

“It is a significant day in the history of our state’s tourism sector,” said Kerala tourism minister AP Anilkumar.  “The United States is a key market for Kerala Tourism. In-bound tourism from America to Kerala has grown about 40 per cent in the past two years,” he said.

“Our first-ever corporate meet in the Silicon Valley is a crucial step to further increase those numbers.” The executives of over 50 companies in Silicon Valley attended the corporate meet addressed by Kerala tourism principal secretary G Kamala Vardhana Rao.

Tourist arrivals from the US have registered a 39.24 per cent growth during 2012-14. In 2014, the number of American tourists who visited Kerala was 76,616 compared to 55,741 in 2011, according to a media release

Kerala Tourism event was intended to introduce Kerala as a tourist destination and also to portray the state as an investor-friendly destination to the companies in the Silicon Valley.

On behalf of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Rao also presented the various investment opportunities available in the state. Rao invited the technology community in California to come visit the state as well as invest in Kerala’s progress.

“Kerala is growing as a destination for corporate leaders and executives around the world because of its beautiful as well as peaceful locations to talk and do business. There is no better place than Kerala for the Silicon Valley executives to come and relax and even work,” Rao said. “With a large concentration of highly qualified software professionals and entrepreneurs, Kerala is an ideal destination for investment by the Silicon Valley companies,” he added.

New York, NY: January 24, 2016:  Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has been nominated at the 8th Annual Shorty Awards in the Actress category. Priyanka, who has nearly 31 million followers across various social media platforms, is nominated alongside actresses like Amandla Stenberg, Cara Delevingne, Elizabeth Banks, Gabourey Sidibe, Kerry Washington, Maisie Williams, Olivia Wilde, Reese Witherspoon, Taraji P. Henson, Uzo Aduba and Zendaya at the Shorty Awards under the Arts and Entertainment categories, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

A former beauty queen, Priyanka won the Favourite Actress in A New TV Series award at the 42nd People’s Choice Awards for her role in American TV thriller series Quantico earlier this month. The Shorty Awards honour the best of social media by recognising the influencers, brands and organisations on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, Vine and Periscope.

In the Actor category for the awards, Ansel Elgort, Dwayne Johnson, Jared Leto, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Matt McGorry, Michael B Jordan, Nathan Fillion, Ryan Reynolds, Taye Diggs, Tom Hanks and Zac Efron have been nominated.

For the Celebrity category, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Caitlyn Jenner, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Fallon, Kim Kardashian, Miss Piggy, RiFF RAFF, RuPaul, Ryan Seacrest, Snoop Dogg, Tavi Gevinson and Weird Al have been lined up.

For Singer award, among the nominees are Adele, Alicia Keys, Diplo, Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Pearl Jam Pharrell Williams, Ryan Adams and St. Vincent for Musician award and Demi Lovato, Ellie Goulding, FKA twigs, Rihanna, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift.

Founded and produced by Sawhorse Media, the Shorty Awards will be held in April and will be available via live stream at ShortyAwards.com. Finalists in each category – recognising content for sports, journalism, fashion, humor and more – are determined by rankings from The Real Time Academy, as well as votes from fans via social media.

Tamil-Hindi actor Dhansuh is all set to make his Hollywood debut with Uma Thurman starrer film “The Extraordinary Journey of The Fakir.” Directed by Iranian-French director Marjane Satrapi, the film also stars Alexandra Daddario, “Captain Phillips,” actor Barkhad Abdi and Laurent Lafitte, reported Variety. The film also stars “Kill Bill” actress Uma Thurman.

Dhanush is a popular actor in India, and he has worked in both Bollywood and the southern film industry. His last Hindi release was “Shamitabh” in which he starred with Indian cinematic icon Amitabh Bachchan. “The Extraordinary Journey of The Fakir”, directed by Iranian-French director Marjane Satrapi, will also see “Bandit Queen” actress Seema Biswas, reports variety.com.

Apart from them, the film, which will be shot in Paris, Rome, Jodhpur and Casablanca, will also feature Alexandra Daddario, Barkhad Abdi and Laurent Lafitte. The film will mark the most ambitious project undertaken by Satrapi, who earlier helmed films like “Persepolis” and “Chicken With Plums”. Satrapi made her English language debut with “The Voices” starring Ryan Reynolds.

“The Extraordinary Journey of The Fakir” is a comedy adventure tale based on Romain Puertolas’s bestselling debut novel “The Extraordinary Journey of The Fakir Who Got Trapped In An Ikea Wardrobe” which came out in 2014 and has been translated into 35 languages.

The novel relates the pilgrimage of a con man from India to an IKEA in Paris which turns into a philosophical odyssey. The film will follow his journey from New Delhi to Paris where he falls in love with a woman and accidentally gets deported along with a band of African refugees to the far corners of Europe against his will.

“It’s a story about love, magic and adventure and it takes place across three continents. I’m drawn to fantasy stories and I love creating worlds that don’t exist, imagining things in bigger and more beautiful ways,” Satrapi said. The shooting of the film will begin in June.

Netflix Inc’s global expansion is set to reach movie-mad India, industry executives said, where high-speed Internet connectivity is rapidly spreading among a vast population used to paying pennies for their latest Bollywood fix.

Slowing growth at home in the United States has put pressure on video-streaming service Netflix to grow internationally and India, where a fifth of the country’s 1.3 billion people are online, is widely seen as a likely next step in Asia.

Netflix declined to comment on its plans but industry executives told Reuters they expect an India announcement as early as this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where co-founder and Chief Executive Reed Hastings is scheduled to talk about the company’s international expansion. “Netflix is entering India at the right time,” said analyst Tarun Pathak at Counterpoint Technology Research.

Most Indian Internet users go online via smartphones, which are increasingly capable of connecting to the latest, fourth-generation network (4G) which cuts streaming times considerably.

“We expect at least one in two mobile devices sold this year to be 4G equipped,” Pathak said. The challenge is convincing Indians to spend, analysts said. Netflix’s average revenue per user (ARPU) in the third quarter was $25.29 in the United States and $21.59 abroad.

In India, where a movie can cost 29 rupees (44 cents) and monthly subscriptions are as little as 200 rupees, analysts expect ARPUs to be a fraction of that.

With most Indians getting online with smartphones, a telecom partner could speed Netflix’s market entry a year after Hotstar – from Twenty-First Century Fox Inc controlled Star Network – and three years after Singapore-based Spuul.

Netflix paired with SoftBank Group Corp for its Japan launch, piggybacking on the one of the country’s mobile network providers for its first foray in Asia in September.

Netflix’s U.S.-listed Indian rival Eros International PLC announced a partnership on Monday with Idea Cellular Ltd, the country’s third-biggest mobile carrier with 167 million subscribers.

For telecoms companies, streaming services increase data consumption which is more lucrative than telephone calls. Moreover, movie subscriber numbers are widely expected to jump with the large scale introduction of 4G services, led by the Jio network of Reliance Industries Ltd. But in price-sensitive India, reaching new customers with big-budget content is likely to prove far easier than fending off the appeal of cheap, easily available pirated copies.

“In India our biggest worry is not Netflix,” said Michael Smith, chief technology officer at startup Hooq, backed by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, Time Warner Inc and Sony Corp.

“It’s the 20 cent copy of a movie that has just been released.”

Bollywood actress and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra made India proud yet again by winning a People’s Choice Award for her international debut as FBI agent Alex Parish in American TV thriller series “Quantico”. She is said to be the first South Asian actress to win the honor.

Priyanka was named the Favorite Actress in a New TV series at the gala on the night of Jan. 6
Ecstatic with the victory, she said: “I’d like to thank everyone who voted for ‘Quantico’. It is my first year in the US, and to come to another country and actually get this kind of acceptance is I guess what America is all about.

“So, thank you for accepting me, thank you to my mom, my manager, the cast and crew, the writer, ABC…everyone. I’m really overwhelmed.” The 33-year-old star was given the trophy by Hollywood action star Vin Diesel, who also gave a touching tribute to his late “Fast and Furious” co-star Paul Walker by singing the song “See you again” during the course of the show.

“Furious 7″, Walker’s last film before he passed away in November 2013 in a car accident, was named the Favorite Movie and the Favorite Action Movie at People’s Choice Awards 2016.

Other Hollywood celebrities who received awards at the ceremony held here at the Microsoft Theater were Ellen DeGeneres, Sandra Bullock, Chris Hemsworth, Johnny Depp and Meghan Trainor. Hosted by Jane Lynch, the gala honored the best in movies, TV and music, on the basis of public voting.

Melissa McCarthy, Taylor Swift and Ellen DeGeneres were some of the other winners. While McCarthy won the Favorite Comedic Movie Actress and Favorite Comedic TV Actress awards, DeGeneres took home the trophies for Favorite Daytime TV Host and Favorite Humanitarian.

The Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Pop artist awards were given to Swift. In the movies section, Channing Tatum was chosen as the Favorite Movie Actor, while Bullock was announced as the Favorite Movie Actress. The Favorite Action Movie Actor award was taken by Chris Hemsworth and Shailene Woodley was honored as the Favorite Action Movie Actress award.

Other winners included the Favorite Comedic Movie award to “Pitch Perfect 2”, Favorite Comedic Movie Actor to Kevin Hart, Favorite Dramatic Movie to “The Martian”, Favorite Dramatic Movie Actor to Johnny Depp, Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress to Dakota Johnson, Favorite Family Movie to “Minons” and Favorite Thriller Movie to “Taken 3”.

On the small screen, the Favorite TV Show award was given to “The Big Bang Theory”, which was even named the Favorite Network TV Comedy trophy. The awards for Favorite Dramatic TV Actor and Actress were given to Taylor Kinney and Ellen Pompeo.

“Homeland”, which featured Bollywood actress Nimrat Kaur, won the Favorite Premium Cable TV Show.

Other winners in the television category included Jim Parsons as Favorite Comedic TV Actor, “Grey’s Anatomy” as Favorite Network TV Drama, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” as Favorite Cable TV Comedy, “Pretty Little Liars” as Favorite Cable TV Drama, Kevin Hart and Sasha Alexander as Favorite Cable TV Actor and Actress, Dwayne Johnson and Kristen Bell as Favourite Premium Cable TV Actor and Actress among others.

Meanwhile, in music categories, singer Ed Sheeran was given the award for Favorite Male Artist, American girl group Fifth Harmony was chosen as Favorite Group and singer Shawn Mendes was given the Favourite Breakout Artist award.

The Favourite Male and Female Country Artist awards went to Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood. Singers Nicki Mnaj and Meghan Trainor were given the awards for Favorite Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Album respectively. And Justin Bieber’s hit single “What do you mean?” was announced as this year’s Favourite Single. Madonna was announced as the Favourite Music Icon.

Amongst other popular categories, Britney Spears was named as Favorite Social Media Celebrity; the Favourite Social Media Star award was taken by Matt Bellassai; Candy Crush Saga was picked as the Favourite Mobile Game, Super Smash Bros was named as Favorite Video Game and Connor Franta called the Favorite YouTube Star.

Apart from that, the People’s Choice Awards 2016 also featured some power-packed performances by Jane Lynch, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Jason Derulo, Jordan Smith and David Foster.

“I feel whatever we shot for ‘Mastizaade’ is not wrong and I am not worried about people’s reaction towards me,” Sunny Leone, an Indo-Canadian adult film star, who will soon be seen in sex comedy film “Mastizaade”, said. According to her, the film director made her feel so comfortable that she never felt “wrong” shooting for the movie. “Every actor and actress have their own dos and don’ts and in this film (‘Mastizaade’), there were lots of don’t but me and Milap Zaveri (the director of the film) sat together and decided what we can do. He made me so comfortable.

“I want to tell this to everyone that Mastizaade is not a sex comedy, it’s an adult comedy for adults. As far as the censor board is concerned… the board is doing their job and it’s our job to push boundaries and create something different,” the actress told the media.

Co-produced by Pritish Nandy and Rangita Pritish Nandy, “Mastizaade” will release on January 29. The film also features Tusshar Kapoor and Vir Das, among others. Sunny feels that people have different perceptions about her but she never took it seriously.

“If people think I can do anything onscreen then that’s a natural thing for them to think. I can’t do anything about that. As an actor when you start putting limitations, you don’t have an open mind to explore.”

“Every actor and actress have their own dos and don’ts and in this film (‘Mastizaade’), there were lots of don’t but me and Milap Zaveri (the director of the film) sat together and decided what we can do. He made me so comfortable.  “I feel whatever we shot for ‘Mastizaade’ is not wrong and I am not worried about people’s reaction towards me,” she added.

Asia Society is presenting the New York premiere of Invocation, Pakistani-born jazz guitarist Rez Abbasi’s quintet featuring pianist Vijay Iyer, saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, Johannes Weidenmueller (acoustic bass), Dan Weiss (drums), and Elizabeth Means (cello). In this special performance, the group unveils a new project that explores Carnatic classical music from Southern India through the idiom of jazz.

Titled Unfiltered Universe, this is the final installment in a trilogy that puts a jazz lens on the musical traditions of South Asia. Their 2009 debut, Things To Come, employed Hindustani North Indian music and featured Indian vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia. DownBeat magazine chose the album as one of the decade’s best. Suno Suno was released in 2012. Featuring compositions that were influenced by Abbasi’s long time love of Pakistani Qawwali music, it also received many accolades.

Abbasi is one of the foremost guitar players in modern jazz, and was recently cited as one of the “best guitarists” inDown Beat magazine’s International Critics Poll. A product of the Manhattan School of Music, he made a pilgrimage to India early in his career to study with tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha, father of Zakir Hussain. Abbasi — along with Iyer and Mahanthappa — is one of a trio of jazz musicians who are forging distinctly South Asian-inflected voices on the contemporary scene.

These talented composer/musicians have worked together for years, playing in each others ensembles and building a musical community. Asia Society has a long-term commitment to the creative work of these musicians. Starting with Asia Society’s commissioning of Vijay Iyer’s In What Language (with Mike Ladd) in 2003, and continuing with the commission of Kinsmen in 2006, Asia Society has presented ensembles lead by these three artists over the ensuing decade.

The mission of Invocation’s music, Abbasi declares, is “to create a global-based music steeped in jazz. This tradition follows in the footsteps of some of the greatest jazz musicians. Coltrane, Ellington, and Gillespie all immersed themselves in music from around the world.”

This performance of Rez Abbasi’s Invocation, presented in collaboration with Duke Performances and Walker Art Center, is supported by the Presenter Consortium for Jazz, a program of Chamber Music America funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Dr. Amit Majmudar, a nuclear radiologist from Dublin, Ohio, was last week named Ohio’s first poet laureate, a year after legislation creating the position of the state’s official poet was passed.

Gov. John R. Kasich named Majmudar, a medical doctor who serves as a diagnostic and nuclear radiologist, the poet laureate. Dec. 17 following recommendation for the position by the Ohio Poet Laureate Selection Committee that conducted an extensive statewide nomination and review process.

Throughout his medical career, Majmudar, 36, has nurtured his writing as a poet, novelist and essayist. He has published two novels, Partitions in 2009 and The Abundance in 2011. His poetry has appeared in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The Atlantic Monthly, Poetry Magazine, The Antioch Review and The Best of the Best American Poetry 1988-2012.

His essays and literary criticism have appeared in a number of publications as well, including the New York Times, The Kenyon Review and Poetry Daily. “Our first poet laureate will bring a unique perspective to this new role and is a powerful example to our young people that regardless of what career path they choose to pursue, they always can tap into their other passions,” Kasich said in a press statement.

During his two-year term, beginning January 1, 2016, Majmudar said he intends to bring an “interdisciplinary approach” to promoting poetry by establishing a link with the existing, thriving Ohio arts community. According to a governor’s office press release, another important component of his outreach will be engaging Ohio high school students through a variety of means to encourage the future of poetry in Ohio.

In 2011, his poetry collection “Heaven and Earth” was named winner of the Donald Justice Prize, a national poetry award presented by the Iris N. Spencer Poetry Awards. His next collection of poems, “Dothead,” will be published in March by Alfred A. Knopf.

Majmudar is a graduate of Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine and received his bachelor’s degree in natural sciences from the University of Akron. He currently works for Radiology Inc. in Columbus. According to Poetry Foundation, an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture, in his precise, often formally driven poems, Majmudar explores themes of identity, history, spiritual faith, and mortality.

In an interview with the Kenyon Review, the foundation said, Majmudar stated that his credo comes from Eliot, quoting the Upanishads in his notes to ‘What the Thunder Said’: Da, dayadhvam, damyata. Give, sympathize, control.

“That is both the art of life and the art of poetry. It seems fitting to me that they should be identical,” he said. Noting Majmudar’s “expressive grasp of familial, religious, and cultural tensions and allegiances” in a review of Heaven and Earth for Verse Wisconsin, poet Zara Raab praised his ability to compose poems that “reveal tenderness in their humanity and the precision of a surgeon in their details.” Son of immigrants from India, Majmudar was born in New York and grew up in Greater Cleveland.

Chicago IL: “The Hyderabad Film Industry, even though only about 10 years old, has churned out a series of comedy blockbusters and gained popularity not only in Andhra Pradesh and different parts of India but also among the large Diaspora in the Middle-East and the US, thanks to the Internet and DVDs”, said Mast Ali, a. k. a. Saleem Pheku, the king of comedy, who acted in over 20 high impact making films in different languages and brought laurels to Hyderabad, at a Press Conference held on December 23, 2015,: 5.30 PM at Mysore Woodlands, Devon Ave, Chicago. The Press Conference was attended by a huge number of representatives from the Print, Electronic, and Internet Media.

“Our films entertained their audiences thoroughly, irrespective of their linguistic backgrounds, as the Hyderabadi Urdu, the lingua franca of the streets of Hyderabad, which is a unique mix of Urdu, Hindi, Telugu, and some Marathi, is widely understood across the Indian Subcontinent, including in Pakistan”, added Mast Ali.

Mast Ali said that the Hyderabad Film Industry is currently in the growth mode and, hence, there is a great demand for story writers, lyricists, singers, etc. “Currently, we are caught up in all the departments of film making. Once the demand for different professionals is met, we can focus on our core job of acting and on producing high-quality films according to the felt needs of our audience, across the globe”, he added.

“It is a matter of gratification that the Hyderabad Film Industry is currently undergoing a metamorphosis; it is no longer confining itself to making small budget films for its niche market. Instead, it is focusing on producing typical Bollywood films, which are rich in terms of exquisite quality, pan-India appeal, and high-end technology”, said Aziz Naser, a. k. a. Jahangeer, another equally popular and powerful star.

“It is a moment of pride that Dawat-e-Ishque’, a landmark Bollywood-type movie of the Hyderabad Film Industry, is being released by Rajshree Productions under its banner, with a big bang”, said Syed Hussain, Director of the film.

“The release of our film by Rajshree Productions, which has produced a number of blockbusters in India, will take the Hyderabadi cinema up a notch like never before and catapult it into the higher echelons of film appreciation, added Hussain, with a sense of accomplishment.

Feroz Khan, who has essayed a negative role in “Dawat-e-Ishque” said that Hyderabadi cinema has come to attain the status of a genre unto itself, not just considering the typical lingo of the City of Pearls, but even given the culture and traditions of the Deccan.

“Our films, which deliberately shun vulgarity and item songs, considering the culture of Hyderabad, focus mainly on delivering authentic entertainment for the entire family”, he added.

“The stars of Hyderabad Film Industry will present a 90-minute Comedy Show, a charity-oriented event, on December 29th, 2015, 8:00 PM onwards at Northshore Banquet Hall, Devon, Chicago. The Show, comprising a unique combination of funny gags, mimicry, stand-ups, etc. will be laced with typical Hyderabadi-style comedy”, said Mast Ali and Aziz Naser.

“The Show will be our tribute to the worth-emulating success of people of Hyderabad in the US. Hyderabad has been the capital of comedy for decades and we hope that the Show will be instrumental in further improving the relations among the people of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka”, they added.

“On the occasion of the Show, the trailer of the upcoming Hyderabadi film, ‘Dawat-e-Ishque’, produced by an Australian-based duo, Samiullah Fayyaz and Syed Waseem Yaba, which features Mast Ali, Aziz Naser, and Adanan Sajid Khan a. k. a. Gullu Dada, and three beautiful leading ladies, Kavya, Madhavi, and Manisha,  will be released”, said Syed Hussain, Director of the film.

Mast Ali, Aziz Naser, Syed Hussain, Farhan Khan, and their team, including Layeeque Ahmed, Shoukat, and Keerthi thanked Iftekhar Shareef, a prominent Businessman and Community leader, for sponsoring the Comedy Show and helping them out in a variety of ways in Chicago as well as in Hyderabad.  Iftekhar Shreef requested all the Indian Americans belonging to the Indian Subcontinent in general and Telengana State in particular to attend the Comedy Show, in large numbers.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (MET), one of the world’s largest and finest art museums, is exhibiting “Encountering Vishnu: The Lion Avatar in Indian Temple Drama” till June five next.

“Dramas presented during religious festivals in southern India are an important aspect of popular Hindu celebration. This exhibition highlights five rare wooden sculptural masks that represent a largely unrecorded category of late medieval Indian devotional art”, MET announcement says. Artifacts shown go as far back as 5th century.

Exhibits include sculptures of Narasimhas in sandstone and wood, Hiranyakashipu in wood, Prahalada in wood, Ganesha in wood, Vishnu in bronze, standing Vishnu in copper, Vishnu rescuing Gajendra in stone, Vishnu slaying Hiranyakashipu in stone, standing four-armed Vishnu in terracotta, Yoga Narasimha in copper alloy; besides Vaikuntha Vishnu mask in bronze. In addition, there are paintings of Narasimha, Bhima, Krishna, Putana, Rama-Sita-Lakshmana, Matsya Avatara, Balaskandha, Assembly of Rama, Vishnu-Garuda Wahan, Shri Sheshanarayana and Hiranyaksha.

Commending MET for Lord Vishnu exhibition, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged other major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d’Orsay of Paris, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.

Collections of MET, founded 1870 and whose mission includes “to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas”; include over two million works of art spanning 5,000 years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. It has the largest assemblage of musical instruments outside Europe and its Costume Institute’s collection is over 35,000. It also undertakes traveling exhibitions, conservation, excavations, etc. Thomas P. Campbell, Daniel H. Weiss and Daniel Brodsky are Director, President and Trustees Chairman of the Museum respectively.

An exhibition of rare and masterful drawings “Drawn from Courtly India” created between 1500s and 1800s, shows Krishna dancing atop many-headed Kaliya demon and six naginis (Kaliya’s part-human part-snake wives); Krishna and the gopis shelter from the rain; festive image of the birth of Krishna; walking Vaishnava disciples; Devi and the Shakti forces attack Nishumbha, Shumbha, and their army; battle scene with demons; etc.

Commending PMA for showcasing drawings about Lord Krishna and other Hinduism subjects, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d’Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.

PMA is also organizing yoga party to “Celebrate the Holidays” on December 30; involving yoga through meditative exercises, yoga postures, and breathing techniques.  Calling it a “peaceful stretch”, PMA is also making “Henna tattoos” available at this event.

PMA, which began as a legacy of the great Centennial Exhibition of 1876, claims to have “world-renowned collection” and to inspire the visitors “to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone”. Timothy Rub, Gail Harrity and Constance H. Williams are Director, President and Trustees Chair respectively of the Museum; while Ainsley M. Cameron is the Curator of this exhibition.

Lord Krishna is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu and subject of major Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord) and Bhagavad-Purana. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Last week, Mindy guest starred on ABC’s The Muppets on the episode titled Single All the Way,” where she attempted to sing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” with Miss Piggy and the rest of The Muppets crew.

Kaling, who guest starred on the episode titled “Single All the Way,” clearly needed a tune up during her holiday duet, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” with Miss Piggy.

In an effort to get Kaling to not sing on the show, Gonzo pitched an idea for a comedy sketch: an idea for a skit spoofing “The Bachelorette,” where she would choose between elves to date. Kaling nonetheless decided to sing.

When the band found her pitchy performance difficult to handle, Mindy said of the band, “I think they are bad. They couldn’t follow me. People who work with me tell me all the time that I am amazing.”

So Kermit the Frog figured out a solution to this by surrounding her with all of the other Muppets, and their voices helped hide any sour notes. Watch Mindy Kaling singing on “The Muppets”

Directed by Ram Madhvani with casts Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, and Yogendra Tiku, the film, Neerja will open across the United states on February 16, 2016. ‘Neerja’ is a biopic and a cinematic representation of the dramatic events that unfolded on September 5th, 1986 when Pan Am Flight 73 from Bombay to New York was hijacked in transit at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi by Palestinian extremists from Abu Nidal’s terrorist outfit. This is the story of Neerja Bhanot, a 22 year old part time model, who was the head purser on the flight.

Neerja had escaped an abusive marriage at a very young age and as a life change, decided to become an air hostess, subsequently impressing everyone so much that they made her a purser. Throughout the horrifying situation, Neerja didn’t succumb to her fears and instead she fought her personal demons from the past and from the minute the plane was hijacked, through the terrifying 17 hours to the grueling end, she used her courage, wits and compassion to make sure that the passengers were protected, going as far as to hiding the passports of the American passengers. Through her swift thinking and brave actions, she managed to save the lives of 359 passengers and crew on board out of 379, all at the cost of her own life.

Neerja was hailed internationally as ‘the heroine of the hijack’ and posthumously became the youngest recipient of India’s highest civilian honor for bravery, the Ashoka Chakra, and was bestowed the Flight Safety Foundation Heroism award by the United States, Tamgha–e-Insaaniyat (awarded for showing incredible human kindness) by Pakistan, Justice for Crimes Award by United States Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia, Special Courage Award by the U.S. government and the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry’s Award. This is a portrayal of Neerja’s strength, courage and sacrifice and an attempt to bring before the world this lesser known Indian hero’s story, so that she becomes an example and inspiration to young girls all over for generations to come.

The trailer for the real-life thriller NEERJA has just made its world premiere giving the first look at Sonam Kapoor tackling her most challenging role ever.  Also starring Shabana Azmi, the film brings to the big screen the true story of young Pan Am crew member Neerja Bhanot whose swift thinking and brave actions helped save the lives of 359 passengers and crew, all at the cost of her own life. NEERJA releases in theaters on February 19.

The brand new theatrical trailer can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUZrQwVEk_s

Aditya Sood, an Indian American producer’s near-future space film, “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon, is the inaugural recipient of the Sloan Science in Cinema Prize, celebrating the depiction of science in a narrative feature film. The San Francisco Film Society announced the news Dec. 14.

Presented in partnership between the Film Society and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the award kicks off a new initiative celebrating the achievement in rendering the worlds of science and technology through the language of films, according to a press release.

The Film Society and the Sloan Foundation presented the award Dec. 13 at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, at a private event for SFFS members and invited guests from the Bay Area science, technology and education communities.

At the event, Indian American producer of “The Martian” Aditya Sood; Andy Weir, author of the novel on which the film was based; and Christopher McKay, planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, participated in an in-depth discussion of the science behind the story and its journey to the big screen. Moderated by Film Society executive director Noah Cowan, the onstage conversation featured clips from the film and special behind-the-scenes content.

“There is no better film this year to receive the inaugural Sloan Science in Cinema Prize than ‘The Martian,’ which expresses the power and importance of modern science with incredible intelligence, wit and humor,” Cowan said in a press release. “It is a story that is both fantastically imaginative and absolutely grounded in reality, and has inspired countless readers and filmgoers with its brilliant approach to the realities of space exploration that we are sure to face in the near future. We are immensely grateful to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for partnering with us on this new initiative, and look forward to continuing this celebration of the intersection of science and cinema together.”

“We are delighted to award the first SFFS / Sloan Science in Cinema Prize to ‘The Martian,’ a realistic and exhilarating tale about the challenges and rewards of human exploration on Mars,” added Doron Weber, vice president and program director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “Combining humor, suspense, adventure and wonderful characterization with scientific accuracy, the film dramatizes how human resourcefulness and cooperation allied with deep scientific and engineering know-how can spell the difference between life and death for an individual and for national and international efforts to explore the frontiers of space and knowledge.”

Chicago IL: Many Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachan, Aishwarya Rai Bachan, Priyanka Chopra, Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu, Om Puri, Mallika Sherawat, etc. have already made their mark globally. They have gained wide recognition for their performances and it would not be long before they play main leads in the Hollywood cinema”, said Neetu Chandra and Tarun Mullick, the lead actors in the newest primetime Hollywood Sitcom, in their interactive session held on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at Mysore woodlands, 2548 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL with a large number of representatives from Print, Electronic, and Internet Media in Chicago. Bhavesh Patel of SAHIL, who is considered to be one of the heavyweights in Chicago’s entertainment industry, was also present at the event.

Neetu Chandra congratulated Tarun Mullick, Executive Producer on 10 productions, for his pioneering role not only in bringing to light South Asians in the Hollywood but also in ensuring that their contributions as a society are expressed and embraced.

Neetu Chandra and Tarun Mullick told that their hilarious comedy Sitcom has been filmed in Chicago over the past several weeks and will continue next year. “Even though it is a typical Hollywood production, it would be a vehicle for showcasing the Indian culture too”, they added unanimously.

“Even though my role in the Sitcom is quite challenging in terms of content and style, I look forward to doing an action movie too in the Hollywood considering my strong credentials in martial arts”, said Neetu Chandra and added that, despite her strengths in English language, she is taking classes in order to acquire and fine tune the typical American English.

Neetu Chandra said that in Bollywood the widespread perception is that one should either belong to a filmy family or have a Godfather for his entry into the movies; whereas in the Hollywood, talent alone holds the key not only for the initial entry but also for subsequent success in different departments of film making, including acting.

“No one in the Hollywood bothered to enquire about my nationality, religion, family background, and other demographics; instead, they focused on the body of my work, talent, attitude, and inherent potential and evaluated them in a scientific, objective, and professional fashion, and had no hesitation in welcoming me on board with open arms”, said Neetu Chandra.

Neetu Chandra said that she was greatly impressed by Hollywood’s strong discipline in all spheres of movie making, professional attitude in the conceptualization and execution of projects, deep commitment for quality, and utmost respect for timelines. Neetu Chandra had great praise for the people of the US for their warmth, friendliness, sense of dignity, positive attitude even in a negative situation, and peaceful coexistence despite the diversity of population, in terms of such parameters as religion, language, race, etc.

“Many a time, I seriously consider settling down in Chicago considering its unique culture which presents a rare mix of modernity and tradition. While its hip and happening profile brings in its wake multiple opportunities for continuous learning, it remains to be extremely soothing, calm, and quite”, added Neetu Chandra.

Neetu Chandra applauded the integration of Indian-Americans into the US way of life, while maintaining the unique identity of their own culture and heritage. “Their stupendous success in contributing to the vibrant growth of both the US and Indian economies is a source of inspiration for me and it is my keen desire to emulate them in my professional and personal life”, she added. Neetu Chandra appreciated the efforts of the US in further enriching the unity among different sections of society in view of the fact that conflict anywhere is a danger to peace everywhere.

Neetu Chandra called upon girls to come forward and take a lion’s share of career opportunities on the domestic as well as global fronts. She underscored the need for teaching martial arts to them as a part of the curriculum at the school level in order to empower them to defend themselves effectively.  Neetu Chandra and Tarun Mullick said that they are currently acting in a number of good movies. “Our decision to join a movie is solely based on the nature and quality of the script. A good script, rather than a great star, alone is a guarantee of a movie’s success”, they opined.

Neetu Chandra is the first Bollywood actress from India to hit mainstream American television for prime time ever. Similarly, Tarun Mullick is the first ever India-American to produce and be the lead actor on an American Sitcom. “The interactive session proved to be a worth-remembering event for us as we rarely come across persons like Neetu Chandra, who possess the lethal combination of gorgeous beauty, hourglass figure, and extraordinary brain”, opined many a media representative unanimously.

Priyanka Chopra has been voted as the ‘Sexiest Asian Woman’ for the year 2015 by a London-based weekly, Eastern Eye. The newspaper has released a list of ’50 Sexiest Asian Women’ and has placed the Indian actress on the top. Chopra has been a sensational performer in the India film industry and has won many awards as well. The actress is also acting as a lead role in an American television series named Quantico, which has brought her further into the international limelight.

The singer and actress, 33, came out on top following millions of votes pouring in from across the globe on social media for the 2015 edition of the popular ‘50 Sexiest Asian Women’ poll conducted by London-based weekly newspaper Eastern Eye.

“Now that’s a title I’m happy to hold on to. I’m bringing sexy back! A big thank you to everyone who’s voted for me. Thank you also to ‘Eastern Eye’ for making me feel ‘sexy’; well, at least for another year. A piece of advice to the ladies – it’s all in the mind. Remember, sexy is as sexy does,” said Chopra.

This is the third time in the past four years that Chopra, who has been making waves with her role as an FBI recruit in American television thriller “Quantico,” topped the list. The win rounds off a dream year for the former Miss World, which includes winning all-around praise for her 2014 film “Mary Kom” and 2015 box-office hit “Dil Dhadakne Do.”

In July 2014, UK-based magazine FHM voted Indian actress Deepika Padukone as the sexiest woman in the world. On receiving the award, Deepika had said that her physical appearance had little to do with the award and it was her work that led to this achievement.

“Priyanka Chopra is doing India proud on the global stage and winning loads of admirers. This was illustrated by the largest-ever number of votes by non-Asians that she received from all over the world. “She is clearly building bridges internationally through her art and will continue to do so in the coming years. And by excelling in TV, film and music, the multi-talented actress has shown just how far hard work can take you,” said Asjad Nazir, ‘Eastern Eye’ entertainment editor and founder of the list.

The mass interest in the list, now in its 12th year, was such that it was trending on Twitter across India and Pakistan during the voting process. Popular television actress Sanaya Irani rose one place from last year to come in second, and fellow small screen star Drashti Dhami took the third spot.

A-list Bollywood actresses Deepika Padukone (4) and Katrina Kaif (5) completed the top 5. Others in the top 10 are Nia Sharma (6), Kareena Kapoor Khan (7), Gauahar Khan (8), Sonam Kapoor (9) and the highest placed Pakistani, Mahira Khan (10). The highest placed newcomer in this year’s list is young Indian television actress Niti Taylor (15).

The highest placed British woman is once again TV actress Jasmin Walia (28) and Canadian actress Hannah Simone (35), a newcomer in the list, is the highest-placed North American. Madhuri Dixit, 48, is the oldest lady in the 2015 countdown ranked 44th, and 20-year-old actress Radhika Madan is the youngest, ranked 24th.

Others on the 2015 list include Shraddha Kapoor (19), Bipasha Basu (25), Alia Bhatt (27), Parineeti Chopra (33), Mehreen Syed (38) and Kanika Kapoor (48). The complete ‘50 Sexiest Asian Women’ 2015 list, which is compiled from votes on social media, will be published in ‘Eastern Eye’ Dec. 11.

Priyanka Chopra was born 18th July 1982 to the family of Capt. Dr. Ashok Chopra and Dr. Madhu Chopra. She had a very varied upbringing. She started her education at La Martinière Girls College in Lucknow as a resident student; a short stay at Maria Goretti College in Bareilly prepared her for further studies in the USA. Having completed tenth grade in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, she decided to become a software Engineer or a Criminal Psychologist.

She enjoys Indian music and dance; flair for writing poetry and short stories; reading, especially biographies; and has worked for a lot of social-welfare programs. She is the only Indian in the USA to have been selected at the state level for the National Opus Honor Choir, extensive charity work back in India and the USA, and joined the CAF and CII in their literacy program and is their ambassador. Member of the support group for the Thalassemic children in U.P., India, participated in the adult education awareness program with the non-governmental organizations in the peripheral areas of Bareilly, joined the Indian Government-sponsored Polio Eradication Program as a volunteer. Raised funds for the destitute in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, by participating in a church program.

Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum and research complex headquartered in Washington DC, is showing an exhibition titled ” Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas .” This long-term rotating exhibition showcases the extraordinary range of South Asian and Himalayan art, including sublimely beautiful Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, and Islamic objects, as well as masterpieces of Mughal and Rajput paintings and lavishly decorated court arts and daggers made for the Mughal emperors. Divided into several sections, the Buddhist art charts the emergence of the Buddha image in India and its transmission throughout Asia. It includes Budhhist images from Nepal, Tibet, Southeast Asia, and China. Also on view are several Rajput paintings on the theme of love, which demonstrate the bold colors and rhythmic compositions of the Hindu court. Late 19th- to early 20th-century examples of exquisitely crafted gold jewelry complete the exhibition.

Also on display is an online exhibition, “Devi: The Great Goddess” displayed by its Freer Gallery of Art, which talks about various aspects of Devi, manifestations of Devi, cosmic force, creation, woman saints, etc. It depicts images of Bhadrakali, Lakshmi, Parvati, Markama, Durga, Chamunda, Kali, Sarasvati, Ganga, Vasudhara, Ambika, Radha, Sita, Mariamman, Varahi, Saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Saint Andal, etc.

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian consists of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities. It has nearly 138 million collections and gets over 28 million visitors (besides over 175 million online visitors) annually. Dr. David J. Skorton is the Secretary.

Sharjah Art Foundation has announced the March Meeting 2016 (MM 2016) and an Open Call welcoming proposals for presentations and case studies relevant to this year’s topic. Now in its 9th edition, March Meeting 2016: Education, Engagement and Participation will take place March 12–13 during a programme of events and exhibition openings fromMarch 11–15.

Over the past two decades, institutions, initiatives, curators and artists have increasingly prioritised their relationship with audiences and communities. The two-day March Meeting will bring together local, regional and international practitioners to explore issues, concerns and initiatives surrounding this work in a series of programmed keynote talks, case studies and panel discussions, as well as through informal conversations shared over the two-day convening.

Do it [bil’Arabi] is a new iteration of the ongoing publication and exhibition originally conceived by Hans Ulrich Obrist in 1993. For this project Sharjah Art Foundation has commissioned more than 60 artists to write instructions that can be used by anyone to create works of art. At Sharjah Art Foundation, instructions will be realised in collaboration with schools, universities and communities for the exhibition and through Open Day workshops, activations and performances scheduled throughout the duration of the show.

The do it [bil’Arabi] Arabic and English publication will include artist instructions, as well as essays that contextualise the project. This publication will serve as the basis for a coordinated series of do it exhibitions and events with institutions across the Arab world, including Townhouse, Cairo; Darat al Funun, Amman (September 2016); Dar Al-Ma’Mûn, Marrakech; Riwaq Biennale, Palestine; Al Riwaq, Manama; as well as with partners in Beirut, Jeddah and Kuwait. These events are scheduled to take place in 2016 and 2017.

This exhibition is organised by Sharjah Art Foundation and co-curated by Sharjah Art Foundation Director Hoor Al Qasimi and Serpentine Gallery co-Director Hans Ulrich Obrist.

1980–­Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates, (February 20–May 14, 2016) commissioned by the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation for The National Pavilion United Arab Emirates at the 56th Venice Biennale. The exhibition was conceived by curator Hoor Al Qasimi as a retrospective of contemporary art exhibitions in the country over the last 40 years. Through an unprecedented grouping of over 100 works by fifteen artists structured to create dialogues between artists and across practices, the exhibition reflects the diversity and the history of the art scene in the UAE.

The 2016 March Meeting Week Program  from March 11–15, 2016 with performances by Taro Shinoda and Uriel Barthélémi has been developed from conversations during Sharjah Biennial 12 where both artists created new works, this collaborative performance will take place in the Sharjah desert.

The Time is Out of Joint from March 12–June 12, 2016 is curated by Tarek Abou El Fetouh. The Time is Out of Joint is a project developed as a continuation of the exhibition for Home Works 6, Beirut, in 2013. Building on Ibn Arabi’s concept of time as a fluid place and place as a frozen time, the project examines our current and future locations and conditions. It confuses different times, places, cities and artistic events that took place in the past or will take time in the future.

It reenacts two key exhibitions that took place at transitional moments in history and completes them with a look into the future. It summons ‘the first Arab Artist Biennial’ in Baghdad in 1974, and ‘China Avant-garde Exhibition’ in Beijing in 1989 and the future Jogja Equator Conference in 2022, questioning constraints of time and place by suggesting leaps among those different places and times, and among basic laws that have governed and continue to govern thoughts.

Simone Fattal from March 12–June 12, 2016 is curated by Sharjah Art Foundation Director Hoor Al Qasimi, Simone Fattal’s solo exhibition highlights recent works created between 2006 and 2013, including sculptures, non-figurative, simple formations made of clay, as well as works centred around textual compositions. Also included are some of the artist’s ‘Warrior’ sculptures, large standing figures that are representative of those continuously withstanding war and struggle.

Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige from March 12–June 12, 2016, showcases works by Lebanese artists and filmmakers Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige offers an insight into the ensemble of their artistic and cinematic projects from the late 1990s to the present day and includes new commissions. This exhibition is a collaboration with Jeu de Paume, Paris; Haus der Kunst, Munich; and IVAM, Valencia

Farideh Lashai from March 12–June 12, 2016, is a retrospective exhibition will include painting and moving image works by the late Iranian artist Farideh Lashai. Lashai was an influential artist whose stop motion animation works often referenced iconic works of art, literature and film while commenting on political and social conditions in Iran. For more information, visit http://www.sharjahart.org.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City presented the Ramayana (Ram-Leela) in its 708 seat state of the art theater as part of Diwali celebrations last month with a few new attractions which left the audience mesmerized. According to the Museum authorities, the number of visitors to the event was a little over 3,500.

The performance in English was backed by great music and dances where Americans and Indians came together and showcased an extravaganza of a multicultural theatrical show. The show performed by the East-West School of Dance, choreographed and directed by Satyr Narayan Charka and hosted by The Multicultural Audience Development Initiative Advisory Committee, is one of the prized presentations at the Metropolitan Museum.

Tirlok Malik, a pioneer of films about Indian-American immigrant themes and a New York Emmy Award nominee, has been playing the role of Bharat (Lord Rama’s brother) in this multicultural performance. “It was an honor for me to play the part of Bharat at the prestigious Metropolitan Museum under the direction of Pt. S.N. Charka,” said Tirlok Malik.

Tirlok Malik has recently launched www.nritvfilmclub.com which is the first ever streaming website of Indian American movies. Donna Williams, Chief Audience Development Officer of the Met thanked the audience for celebrating Diwali at the Met. Lal Motwani who is on Metropolitan Museum of Art Multicultural Advisory Committee has been associated with organizing the event since it was introduced in the year 2008.

The Ramayana is a Sanskrit epic consisting of 24,000 verses in seven books. Its original version is attributed to the poet-sage Valmiki (ca. 400 B.C.). The epic is an endearing classic tale of love, romance, human frailty, and righteousness; it recounts the adventures of Rama, his wife Sita, his brother Lakshmana, and his staunch ally and devotee Hanuman, who are pitted against the forces of Ravana, the evil king of the island Lanka. This narrative, which has a happy ending, provides a philosophical platform for examining the nature of morality, kingship, and divinity in Indian society that endures to this day.

Since his movie debut in 2008 in “Slumdog Millionaire” the 25-year-old Dev Patel has been picked to play the role of the Math genius Ramanujam in a new film on the life of the Indian legendary. Patel’s latest film “The Man Who Knew Infinity“, based on the life of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, was screened at the International Film Festival of India in Goa last month.

In a phone interview with Reuters, Patel spoke about his role in the film, how “Slumdog Millionaire” changed his life and why he wishes people were color blind. He said, “It’s interesting because there is no real footage or sound clippings of him. So, the element of mimicry is not there. In a way, that’s quite freeing for a performer. We did do research though, and I read the book that the film is based on. I worked on my accent a lot and the main thing was to get the restraint and resilience that he had about him. He probably experienced a great deal of prejudice, especially in Cambridge. I wanted to capture that.”

As per Patel, the director had the script with him for nine years. I worked on it as well with him. We worked on trying to flesh out the two characters. The masses wouldn’t really connect with the complex mathematics of it all, so the idea was to bring the humans behind the maths forward. And two very different human beings: man from middle-class India – a poor clerk, and one of the greatest mathematicians in Britain who was an emotionally stunted human being and had to care for this young man. It was two worlds colliding together. Jeremy (Irons) attached himself to the film after I did, and the rest of the cast just fell in place.

The Young Patel, who had shot to fame, with his role in Slum Dog Millionaire, says, “It did make my career, there’s no two ways about it. It put me on the map and opened the doors to India for the West. Now there is a renewed interest in India and story-telling from here in the West. I am one of the actors who have been able to enjoy the benefits of that.”

The 25 year-old says, “I have come to embrace my heritage and I feel lucky that it has given me such a uniqueness in the industry. I feel lucky that I can bring stories from culture to the world. On the other hand, sometimes you wish people could be colour blind and you could be play an average Joe, no matter what his name is. That is changing though, slowly.

“Hollywood is becoming very diverse. At the end of the day, most of the time, the best actor will get the job. My focus is on not forcing people to cast me because I am brown … but because I am talented.” According to Dev, “There are already so many amazing actors in Bollywood, and I don’t think they are starving for talent there. I don’t know if I quite pass the muster there or not.”

(Dallas, TX – December 3, 2015) The 2nd annual DFW South Asian Film Festival kicks off its programming from February 19th to 21st, 2016, at locations in downtown Dallas and Plano. The opening night film, Miss India America, will screen on Friday, Feb. 19th at the Hoglund Foundation Theater of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by a red carpet and cocktail reception at the T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall (4th floor of the Perot Museum). The rest of the specially-curated line-up will be showcased at the Angelika Film Center in Plano (Shops at Legacy) on Feb. 20th and 21st, followed by panel discussions with attending filmmakers, after-parties and networking events, all taking place in Plano.

JINGO Media, a Dallas and NYC-based, public relations and events management boutique firm, produces the annual festival of South Asian independent cinema in North Texas. The second iteration of the festival boasts more than a dozen curated shorts, documentaries and feature films that focus on issues affecting the South Asian (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) sub-continent, as well as explore the lives and stories of the South Asian Diaspora in the United States.

“In our second year, we are stepping up our game,” said JINGO Media Principal/CEO Jitin Hingorani. “Our team of curators has spent the year traveling to other South Asian film festivals around the world, including Toronto, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Goa, India, to secure the most meaningful and relevant programming for North Texas audiences. We are certain that our community will leave these films entertained, elated and educated.”

The festival’s opening night film is the Texas premiere of wife/husband creative team Meera Simhan (actor/co-writer) and Ravi Kapoor’s (director/co-writer) award-winning, cross-cultural comedy Miss India America. Set against the backdrop of the Indian beauty pageant world in Los Angeles, the film stars Texas native Tiya Sircar and Hannah Simone (of television series New Girl fame), along with a supporting cast of talented South Asian actors. Produced by Megha Kadakia and Saurabh Kikani, the film “establishes an authentic tone that pays respect to Indian cultural norms, while poking gentle fun at these traditions,” raves The Hollywood Reporter.

In addition to the opening night, centerpiece and closing night films, the festival will also showcase thought-provoking, edgy shorts and docs, along with women’s programming, men’s programming, LGBT programming and family programming. “All-access” festival passes, which provide admission to all of the films, networking events and after parties, are currently available on www.dfwsaff.com for the early-bird price of $125 before January 15th, after which the price increases to $150. Individual screenings are $15 per person, but limited tickets will be available at the theater. Every week starting in December, ONE film from the line-up will be revealed on the festival’s Facebook page and the entire festival lineup will be available by mid-January on the festival’s web site.

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s family entertainer “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo” has left behind the lifetime collection of Aamir Khan’s “3 idiots” by registering Rs. 203.53 crore in India. According to a statement from the film’s makers, after achieving the milestone of entering the Rs. 200-crore club, the Hindi version of “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo” has now surpassed the lifetime earnings of “3 Idiots” of Rs. 202 crore by earning Rs. 203.53 crore.

“Prem Ratan Dhan Payo,” which marks the actor’s reunion with his “Maine Pyar Kiya” and “Hum Saath-Saath Hain” director Sooraj Barjatya after 16 years, was Salman Khan’s Diwali treat for his fans. And it has turned out to be sparkling and crackling.

Released Nov. 12, “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo” features the “Dabangg” star in two avatars in a story about a royal family.

The film, also starring Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Swara Bhaskar, Armaan Kohli and Neil Nitin Mukesh, narrates the story of a how a man with a simple upbringing gets a royal family together.

Salman Khan has a double role — as a prince and as a jovial peace-making person.

“Prem Ratan Dhan Payo” earned Rs. 201.52 until Nov. 25 and another Rs. 2.01 Nov. 26, beating the lifetime collection of “3 Idiots.

“3 Idiots,” directed by Rajkumar Hirani, tackled the issues of the prevailing education system. It narrated the story of three engineering students, and infused it with humor and romance.

2015 has turned out to be a bonanza for Salman Khan, courtesy of “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” and “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.”

“X: Past is Present,” a Bollywood film that focuses on the complexities and ways to decipher a man-woman relationship starring a San Francisco-based Indian American actress/model, Richa Shukla, premiered in the Bay Area on November 20 at the Cine Grand Theater in Fremont and Serra Theaters in Milpitas.

The film, which is helmed by 11 filmmakers, narrates 11 different genre subplots, all of which add to the main story that unfolds one night. Shukla essays the character of Sanjana, whose favorite game in the film is playing hard-to-get.

Rajat Kapoor plays the protagonist in the film, which was released in theaters across India Nov. 20.  Other important roles are performed by Huma Qureshi, Swara Bhaskar, Ria Sen, Radhika Apte and Anshuman Jha. Shot in multiple locations, including San Francisco, London, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, “X: Past is Present” premiered at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York last year.

Actress Priyanka Chopra, who has made a splash in the U.S., with her successful debut on television as Alex Parrish in ABC’s FBI drama “Quantico” this season, finds herself on the cover of India’s coveted India Today magazine.

Priyanka, who has appeared on almost every Indian magazine cover by now, is thrilled about her first India Today outing. “This was one cover I always wanted t be on! Thank you @IndiaToday,” wrote Priyanka on Twitter. The actress, photographed on the sets of “Quantico,” is seen in an orange prisoner outfit with handcuffs. And even in this avatar, she looks extremely desirable as always.

After receiving great reviews for her performance on the show that boasts of some of the best ratings for a new network show this season, Priyanka is becoming a household name here. Priyanka’s acceptance (as the first Indian to play the lead on an American drama) in the mainstream is surely a milestone for Indians in American pop culture. So it is great to see her accomplishments being appreciated back home in India.

“Americans have long considered Indians efficient, practical, loyal, wise, good at following through and even better at making money. But never associated them with machismo, heroism or chutzpah. Priyanka’s character is an American citizen with an Indian back story. She is a desi, but she is Alex Parrish, not Anjali Parashar.

She is in the FBI, where she’s a field agent, not an analyst. Alex is sensual, promiscuous, street-smart, and she can kick ass. Each one of those traits is new for an Indian in mainstream American pop culture,” writes India Today. The article offers an insight into Priyanka’s journey to becoming a network star with “Quantico” and why it is significant.

Mona Bhalla, a well-known singer, both in India and the US, and Mrs. India Illinois 2015, released her debut music video, “Kudi Bindaas”, with a big bang on her birthday. A large number of music lovers, including prominent community leaders, from different walks of life, attended the event.

The video, with cinematography by Tyler Furlan Film, Music by Suniel and Zohaib Khawar, lyrics by Zohaib Khawar and   Thakur, and dancers from Chicago Adaa, has been produced by Art Spot Chicago (ASC).  The video, which has its own original storyline, meaningful lyrics, and scintillating music, appeals to both youngsters and seniors alike.  The video includes, in addition to prominent leaders, actors, and supporters, a few of Mona’s family and friends who have dreams they are trying to fulfill.

At the launch event, Mona performed, along with her three beautiful daughters, Manpreet Bhalla, Simran Bhalla, and Kiran Bhalla. The exciting dance performance literally set the stage on fire. The audience swayed to the magical beats of the music band. Quite a few of them gave in to the musical mood of the evening,  joined Mona on the stage, matched her dancing skills, step for step, and provided a great foot tapping time for one and all.

“The video, which has been shot at a number of picturesque locations, with beautiful girls and handsome boys dancing to the catchy tune, is a captivating treat to both eyes and ears”, said Tyler Furlan, Tyler Furlan Film.

“Mona’s youthful voice, which comes as a breath of fresh air, and her electrifying performance, infuse the video with enough energy not only to force the listeners into tapping their feet but also to get up and dance. Kudi Bindaas is, therefore, not a one-time watch; it has got a huge repeat value”, said Zohaib Khawar.

“Kudi Bindaas” means a girl who does not worry about trivial things. She, instead, focuses on living life to the fullest and helping others. This is the personality profile of Mona and I want all girls to chase their dreams as she did”, said Fahad Zuberi, CEO, ASC.

Mona opines that music for the sake of music alone is devoid of soul and substance. “When coupled with a message, which addresses a pressing social issue, it proves to be a double delight for the heart and soul of listeners and creates a lasting impact on them”, Mona added.

“Unlike run-of-the-mill videos, which focus solely on singing and dancing, Kudi Bindaas is aimed at not only providing huge entertainment but also spreading awareness about issues that have been adversely affecting the lives of women, across the globe, such as rape, domestic abuse, save-a-girl-child, etc.”, Mona said. “A music video, which has got the potential to go viral on the internet, is a powerful tool for creating such awareness”, she added.

“The response to the video has been tremendous and listeners are not only enjoying the music but also appreciating the message behind it”, Mona said with a sense of accomplishment.  The video is not the end of the road for me; I plan to take this initiative to its logical conclusion by establishing a Foundation, equipped with the requisite human, physical, and financial resources, in order to spread the message as extensively as possible and to make a real difference to society by alleviating the lot of victims of discrimination against women”, said Mona while explaining her future plans.

“I will continue to volunteer and be part of different organizations with a view to not only enriching the cultural fabric of the society but also creating wider awareness about all socially-relevant issues, especially those that relate to women”, Mona added. “Being a married woman, with multifarious responsibilities of running the household, pursuing my passion for music was a challenging task”, Mona said.

However, Mona gives full credit to her family, which has been honored this year as the model family by Asian Chronicle, USA, for their encouragement at different stages of the conceptualization and execution of the music video.

“Performing in music concerts, at frequent intervals, involving, many a time, extensive travel, calls for multiple sacrifices on the home front. And touching the commanding heights of music would not have possible without the proactive support of my husband, Manjeet Singh Bhalla and daughters”, said Mona with a sense of gratitude.

“Men can play a significant role  in empowering women in entering the world of work, achieving the cherished goals related to their careers, contributing their mite to the process of creating wealth, and living life queen-size”, opined Mona.

Mona called upon men to extend all possible help to women folk in order to ensure that they succeed in realizing their inherent potential to the fullest extent, which brings in its wake multiple beneficial outcomes not only for the family but also for the society at large.

Trained in classical music and a graduate in Microbiology, Mona Bhalla started performing on stage at a tender age of five. Mona was one of the few newlywed brides who actually sang and performed at her own marriage receptions, both in India and the US. Mona has several fan pages with over 500,000 followers.  Her main page Kudi Bindaas – Quotes Live Life to the Fullest” has 225,000 fans. Mona can be followed on Facebook Page and the music video can be viewed at www.monabhalla.com, Youtube Channel, iTunes, and most other popular avenues.