Category: Entertainment

The story of Rama—the Ramayana—one of the great epics of South Asia literature, has captured the imagination of Indian artists for centuries. The Ramayana is an endearing tale of love, 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 Lanka. The elderly king Dasharatha, ruler of Ayodhya, his mind corrupted by one of his jealous wives, makes the fateful decision to banish his son Rama, forbidding the prince to enter a city for fourteen years. Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana embark on their forest exile, but their melancholy yet peaceful existence is thrown into chaos by the abduction of Sita by the demon Ravana. Much of the story involves Rama’s search for Sita and the ensuing conflict with the forces of Lanka, which ends in Ravana’s death, the rescuing of Sita, and the triumphant return of the virtuous couple to the throne. The narrative provides a philosophical platform for examining the nature of morality, kingship, and divinity in Indian society to this day.

This classic tale of the triumph of good over evil is ascribed to the father of Sanskrit poetry, Valmiki (ca. 400 B.C.), and has existed in roughly its present form since about the first century B.C., which makes it almost contemporaneous with the other great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. The Ramayana came to consist of twenty-four thousand verses in five principal books, later expanded to seven, each rich in imagery upon which Indian artists could draw. It found its fullest expression in the lavishly illustrated manuscripts commissioned in the court ateliers of Rajasthan, western India, and the Punjab Hills in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Scenes from the Ramayana first appeared at Deogarh, in north India, in the mid-fifth century. These temple sculptures are the earliest depictions of the avatars, or divine appearances, of Vishnu, among whom the most popular proved to be Rama.

Celebrating this great epic, especially during the festive season of Diwali, the The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), NYC arranged to stage this great epic at the Museum last week. Bottom of Form

Tirlok Malik, a pioneer of films about Indian-American immigrant themes and a New York Emmy Award nominee, played the role of Bharat (Lord Rama’s brother) in Ramayana. More than 700 seats, a state of the art theater packed with multicultural audiences enjoyed the performance of Ramayana.  The event was a full house. To a standing ovation, the show was performed by the East-West School of Dance, choreographed and directed by Satya Narayana Charka.

The performance in English language was backed by great music and dance. The cast was also multicultural consisting of Americans and Indians. The show was hosted by The Multicultural Audience Development Initiative Advisory Committee with special thanks to advisory committee member.

In addition, Lal K. Motwani, the former president of NFIA and the president of AGSA, was an integral part of bringing the show to the audiences. Donna Williams, Chief Audience Development Officer of the Met thanked the audience to celebrate Diwali at the Met.

Tirlok Malik said, “It was an honor for me to play the part of Bharat at the prestigious MET under the direction of Pt. S.N. Charka.” Recently Tirlok Malik has launched www.nritvfilmclub.com which is the first ever streaming website of Indian American movies.

Author/singer-songwriter and “booktrack” innovator Tanuja Desai Hidier was recently named the recipient of the 2015 South Asia Book Award for her novel “Bombay Blues.” The award-winning sequel to “Born Confused,” crossover/adult novel “Bombay Blues” sees heroine Dimple Lala journey from New York to India.

Set against the backdrop of Mumbai’s contemporary indie music and arts scene, “Bombay Blues” continues to explore everything this diasporic generation faces today with a heady mix of uncertainty and determination, despair and inspiration, haunting loss and revelatory love… as the metropolis of her motherland becomes Dimple’s challenging muse and partner on a journey into the unmapped — and unexpected, said a press release.

Tanuja Desai Hidier is an author/singer-songwriter born and raised in the USA and now based in London. Her first novel,Born Confused – the first-ever South Asian American coming of age novel, was named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults and became a landmark work. USA Today commended it as “compelling and witty, gives voice to a new generation of Americans, a rare and daring portrayal.” In starred reviews, Publishers Weekly praised it as “absorbing and intoxicating, sure to leave a lasting impression,” and Kirkus Reviews called it “a breathtaking experience.”

 Set in the context of New York City’s bhangra/underground club scene during the summer aspiring photographer Dimple Lala turns seventeen (and a summer of South Asian subculture’s rise into and intersect with the USA mainstream), Born Confused — hailed by Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone as one of the best YA novels of all time (on lists including such classics as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, and Little Women) — gave voice to a new multicultural generation. Bombay Blues—the sequel, but also standalone novel—sees heroine Dimple Lala journey from NYC to India. Tanuja has also innovated the ‘booktrack’. The music video for “Heptanesia” from her album Bombay Spleen (original songs based on Bombay Blues) is currently airing on MTV Indies in India. Read more about Tanuja on her website.

Hidier grew up in Wilbraham, Mass., and moved to New York City after attending Brown University. During her NYC years, the Indian American author worked jobs as a copy editor, magazine writer/editor, interned at the Paris Review, was a hostess at a Tex Mex restaurant, worked as a secretary in the Whitney Museum’s Film & Video Department, and wrote and directed the award-winning short film “The Test.” Hidier is also the recipient of the James Jones First Novel Fellowship, and the London Writers/Waterstones Award. Her short stories have been included in numerous anthologies.

Indo-Canadian stand-up comedian Russell Peters has been roped in as the new host of the Web series, “Speakeasy,” on the popular men’s portal, Mademan.com, which will premiere Nov.16.

Mademan is a top online destination for men, which features daily articles ranging from the latest in fashion, food and drinks, entertainment, tech and gear, sports and much more.

The comedian announced the news on Twitter Nov. 10, along with a link to the trailer for the new season and a message reading: “Check out my new show ‘Speakeasy’ at mademan.com.”

The show, which invites celebrities for a chat over a drink, was previously helmed by comedian, writer and actor Paul F. Tompkins, and has a huge cult following.

Tompkins is slated to appear as a guest in the show, during which he will officially pass the baton to the new host.

Guests for this season include actor Michael Shannon of “Boardwalk Empire” fame, Constance Wu from “Fresh Off the Boat” and comedian Anthony Jeselnik. Peters, who is considered as one of the funniest comedians in the world, recently made it to the list of Forbes’ highest paid comedians. Peters earned $19 million to be tied for the fourth position with Jeff Dunham.

(Flushing, N.Y.) – On Saturday, November 21st, Flushing Town Hall will celebrate the Festival of Lights this November with its first-ever Diwali Festival, featuring internationally renowned musicians and dancers from India, workshops, a fashion show, traditional foods, and family-friendly activities.

The Diwali Festival is supported by New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mayor Bill de Blasio; The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; Con Edison; The New York Community Bank Foundation, and Flushing Bank.

The three-hour celebration features master artists: Abha Roy, teaching Kathak, Indian classical dance from northern India; Naren Budhakkar, performing on tabla drums; Indrajit Roy-Chowhury playing the sitar; Rohan Misra playing the sarangi; and, Falu vocalizing Hindustani classics. Additionally, there will be handmade jewelry from Rajni Anaarita for sale, and a guest speaker, Dr. Suman Bhatnagar from Unicef.

The event runs from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Flushing Town Hall, located at 137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, Queens. Tickets – $20/$15 Members/$10 Students & Children –are available at www.flushingtownhall.org. Additionally, Flushing Town Hall’s two matinee performances for school students on November 23rd have sold out!

Diwali, or Deepavali, comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “row of lights.” It is a day of solidarity, where the soft light of diyas – or oil-wick candles – illuminate streets and homes, banishing the darkness of ignorance and suffering. Diwali began as a part of an ancient harvest festival, which celebrated the fertility of the earth and prosperity of the new harvest. Though Diwali has taken on a significant meaning in Hinduism, in India, it is still celebrated by all groups regardless of religious affiliation as a time of renewal and growth.

“Diwali is a festive time of gift-giving, charity and sharing in feasts with loved ones,” said Ellen Kodadek, Executive and Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall. “By hosting this event, we hope to celebrate this season and provide audiences with an experience to fill all senses: musical performances, classical dance, traditional food, henna painting, fashion and more. I fully expect this Festival to become a new and vibrant tradition.”

“Audiences will learn Kathak dance steps with Abha Roy, the director of Srijan Dance Center and a Teaching Artist at Flushing Town Hall,” added Gabrielle M. Hamilton, Director of Education and Public Programs at Flushing Town Hall, noted that Flushing Town Hall is launching the Festival to celebrate the growing Indian community in Queens, and New York City.

“The idea actually originated when our Teaching Artist, Abha Roy, invited me to the Rangmanch Pravesh (graduation concert or dance debut of a Kathak dancer) of her student Sarika Persaud at the Flushing Hindu Temple,” said Ms. Hamilton, who also is a folklorist and educator. “I was blown-away by the expert musicians and dancers on stage, and immediately afterwards, I encouraged Abha to bring these great artists to the larger community of Queens. In fact, many of the same musicians and dancers from the Rangmanch Pravesh will perform at our Diwali Festival.”

Abha Roy has blazed a trail of her own in the sphere of Kathak, a classic northern Indian dance form. Abha started her career as a classical dancer in 1984, completing her diploma in Kathak under the guidance of late great Guru Kundan Lal Gangani. She attained professional precision under the training of Pt. Durgalal when she completed her specialization in Kathak Kendra, New Delhi.  She has served on the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, dancing Kathak around the world as commissioned representative of Indian dance.  Abha has conducted workshops and classes for New York City schools, universities, libraries and museums since 1992 and is the founding director of Srijan Dance Center.

Sarika Persaud is a senior student of Abha’s. She has been learning Kathak for 13 years. Sarika had her rangmanch pravesh, or professional debut, in October 2014. She is currently a doctoral student in the Clinical-School Child Psychology program at Pace University.

Amanjeet Kaur has been learning Kathak under the guidance of Abha for 11 years. Since beginning at the age of 11, she has advanced in ability learning Kathak and is now on her way to mastering intricate footwork, technical compositions, and contemporary dance pieces. She has performed both classical and fusion pieces, gained experience in folk dance, collaborated with live musicians, and performed thumris, taranas, tihais, and gatas.

Dr. Santa Nandi started her training in Indian classical dance at a very young age, and has attended undergraduate and medical schools as well as dance classes at the same time. She has been completely comfortable practicing medicine as her profession, while passionately pursuing dance performances.

Falu is internationally recognized for her rare ability to seamlessly blend a signature modern inventive style with a formidable Indian classically shaped vocal talent. In her early years in Bombay, Falu (aka Falguni Shah) was trained rigorously in the Jaipur musical tradition and the Benares style of Thumrie. She later continued studying under the late Sarangi/vocal master Ustad Sultan Khan, and continues to study with the legendary Smt. Kishori Amonkar (Jaipur style).

Naren Budhakar is a versatile tabla player with high aesthetic sense. He has worked with various prominent vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers of Indian classical music tradition. He also has contributed his table to varied musical genres, including pop, rock, Irish Celtic, and jazz. He has played at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center, Metropolitan Museum, Getty Museum, Indian Ambassador’s residence, the U.S. Open National Tennis Center, and Carnegie Hall, as well as abroad, including in France, Czech Republic and Scandinavia.

Indrajit Roy-Chowdhury is a disciple of the sitar master Pandit Subroto Roy-Chowdhury. Groomed in the Veen-kar style of the Senia Gharana, which maintains the Dhrupadi origins of Indian classical music, Indrajit strives to innovate while keeping a firm connection with the past. Indrajit has received the Bennenson Award for the Arts to further his study of Indian classical music. Since then, he has taken the profession of a full-time sitarist and has performed on stages across the world, including at such prestigious venues as Gyan Mancha, Hammerstein Ballroom, and the Kennedy Center.

Rohan Misra is the son and disciple of the great sarangi virtuoso Pandit Ramesh Misra. Rohan started earning the sarangi from this father at the age of six. He also learned the piano, clarinet, and table. His exposure to music since childhood influenced him to play an Indian instrument and become the ninth generation in his family to play sarangi. He has performed across the country, including at Carnegie Hall, Columbia University, MIT, and the Smithsonian.

The mission of Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts (FCCA) is to present multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens, New York and New York City, New York, in order to foster mutual appreciation.  As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts.  As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve as stewards of Flushing Town Hall, restoring, managing and programming the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FCCA celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance.  We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists.  We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world, and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.

For Tickets & More info, visit: www.flushingtownhall.org

Whether you are already a fan of spectacular Bollywood musicals, or interested in finding out why Bollywood entertainment is beloved by millions and millions of people in India and beyond, “Spirit of India” is for you.

“Spirit of India” features an ensemble of 17 accomplished musicians, dancers, and performers who whisk the audience away on a cultural adventure that takes them across India, from the culturally-rich region of Rajasthan to the bustling, cosmopolitan city of Mumbai. The country’s movements, rhythms, and artistic expressions – both traditional and modern – are all on beautiful display in this thrilling show.

The Bollywood Masala Orchestra and Dancers of India have already had people on their feet, clapping and dancing, all across the world as they bring Indian music, dance, and culture to a wide international audience. Come to The Palace Theatre in Stamford, CT this week on Tuesday, November 17 at 8pm and experience the “Spirit of India” for yourself!
Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n987vGBZYds

Voting begins today at http://vote.peopleschoice.com, Facebook and mobile applications, and will end at 11:59 p.m EST Dec. 3. Winners will be revealed during the live broadcast of the 42nd People’s Choice Awards from the Microsoft Theater L.A. Live, Jan. 6, 2016 on the CBS Television Network

The Art@Telangana coffee table book is being released at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City at 6:30 pm on November 9^th. The book features over 152 artists from the Telangana State of India.   Speakers include Deepanjana Klein, the International Head of the Department for South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art at Christie’s; Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Consul General of India; BV Papa Rao, former Home Secretary of Assam (India) and Founding Trustee of Art@Telangana; and Rasika Reddy, artist and Trustee of the Rubin Museum of Art.

Complimentary copies of the book will be available and there will be a selection of Telangana art on display. Telangana art reflects the rich multicultural background of the region, having been part of the Muslim Nizam-ruled State of Hyderabad before being merged into post-colonial independent India. The Art@Telangana Trust collated information about a wide range of artists, both established and new. The content writer of the book, Anand Gadapa, and one of the artists, Laxman Aelay, will also be in attendance.

The book was originally released in the city of Hyderabad, as a capstone event of a weeklong workshop in which 50 Telangana artists painted and donated their paintings to the Trust. There was a similar workshop in Tokyo involving Japanese and Telangana artists, prior to the release of the book in Tokyo. The NYC event is hosted by Vikram Akula, Ravi Reddy, Rasika Reddy, and Prashant Mitta.

Art@Telangana is a not-for-profit Trust whose mission is to promote art and artists from the Telangana region.  The Trust organizes art workshops, camps, exhibitions, and publications.

The Rubin Museum of Art is an arts and cultural hub in NYC’s vibrant Chelsea neighborhood that inspires visitors to make connections between contemporary life and the art and ideas of the Himalayas, India, and neighboring regions. With a diverse array of thought-provoking exhibitions and programs—including films, concerts, and on-stage conversations—the Rubin provides immersive experiences that encourage personal discoveries and spark new ways of seeing the world. Emphasizing cross-cultural connections, the Rubin is a space to contemplate ideas that extend across history and span human cultures.

TO RSVP for the event, please email shabri_mitta@yahoo.com or call 518.542.4230.

NBC is working on a new Indian American-themed family comedy, “I Love Lakshmi,” a production of Universal Television and Jason Bateman’s label, Aggregate Films, reports Deadline Hollywood.

Co-written by Muffy Bolding and Doug Prochilo, the project is inspired by Prochilo’s real-life experience of marrying into Universal Television president Bela Bajaria’s Indian American family, according to the report.

The series will follow the trials and tribulation of new parents Danny and Lakshmi as they endure Lakshmi’s own meddlesome immigrant parents whose version of the American dream never included a Danny.

“I Love Lakshmi” isn’t the only Indian American-themed sitcom in the works at NBC. The network has already bought the pilot episode of “Pre-Madonna,” a comedy about a Chicago teenager, Sarita Gupta, entering high school in 1983 and navigating the painful and hilarious path of finding out who she really is.  Produced by Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions and Universal TV, the series is written by filmmaker Nisha Ganatra of “Transparent” fame and draws inspiration from Ganatra’s adolescence.

October 19, 2015 – Art Jameel, in partnership with Edge of Arabia and the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the UN, has announced a multi-faceted initiative at the United Nations Headquarters In New York. OUR MOTHER’S HOUSE aims to draw attention to the urgent issue of cultural heritage protection, while advancing the equal representation of women in the Middle East.

The launch of this long-term program will include an art exhibition (16 – 27 November) of two commissioned murals that celebrate the hundreds-year old tradition of house-painting by skilled female artisans from the village of Rijal Alma in Saudi Arabia. The installation also includes a presentation to highlight Saudi Arabia’s bid to recognize this historic village as an official UNESCO World Heritage site.

Organized in collaboration with multiple sectors of the United Nations, the launch event features a reception and dedicated panel discussion on Friday 20 November, organized by The Middle East Institute (Washington D.C.) and highlighting the crucial role Asiri women artists have played in the composition and archiving of their local history. OUR MOTHER’S HOUSE celebrates the creativity and determination of women artists who play an extraordinary role in preserving the cultural identity of their communities.

OUR MOTHERS’ HOUSE features artwork by woman artisans in the Asir region located in the Southwest of Saudi Arabia, home to one of the country’s most prominent cultural and archeological sites. The artisans of Asir are an example of the endangered role of women within rural areas of contemporary Saudi society; traditionally at the forefront of recording and sharing histories, in one generation women in remote regions of Saudi Arabia have been marginalized within their communities.

OUR MOTHERS’ HOUSE seeks to promote artistic production, as well as gender equality and the empowerment of women in the Middle East, core missions of Art Jameel and Edge of Arabia. Program advisers include three Saudi artists: Arwa Alnaemi, whose work often explores the relationship of women to larger Saudi Society; Ahmed Mater, best known for his explorations of the Islamic culture and trends of consumerism and transformation in the region; and Fatimah Jaber, an Asiri house painter and founder of Fatimah Museum in Abha, Additional support is provided by Ali Moghawi, an Asiri cultural historian and member of the Rijal Alma UNESCO World Heritage Bid.

Our Mothers’ House: Cultural Preservation and the Empowerment of Women Artists in Southern Saudi Arabia is sponsored by the Permanent Mission of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UN, organized by Art Jameel, produced by Edge of Arabia and supported by The Middle East Institute in Washington DC.

Art Jameel, one of Community Jameel’s Initiatives, fosters and promotes contemporary art and creative entrepreneurship across the MENAT region. In partnership with arts organizations worldwide, Art Jameel is developing two arts centres and cultural exchange programmes to encourage networking and knowledge sharing.

Art Jameel is the founding partner of Edge of Arabia, The Crossway Foundation, Jeddah Art Week, and The Archive. Community Jameel was established in 2003 to promote positive social change, and has been undertaking this through the establishment of long-term partnerships with international institutions, and the creation of initiatives in the fields of Job Creation, Global Poverty Alleviation, Arts & Culture, Education & Training, Health & Social, and Food & Water Security. More information on Community Jameel’s considerable set of initiatives can be found online at www.cjameel.org.

Edge of Arabia is an independent, non-profit arts initiative, which connects artists and cultural communities between the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region, Europe and United States. It is the vision of a group of British and Saudi artists who met in the mountains of South-West Saudi Arabia in 2003 and shared a common desire “to empower and mobilize artists on the periphery of the international art world and outside of the mainstream.” More information can be found online at www.edgeofarabia.com.

The 2015-2016 season begins with the Brooklyn Raga Massive Crossover, an exciting concert featuring gifted up-and-comers from the worlds of Classical Indian Music and Fusion Jazz. Dedicated to showcasing a diverse array of Indian classical music, BRM believes in expanding the audience for Indian music by breaking conventions – as one’ll see in this Crossover musical event on Oct 25th.

The BRM Crossover will feature several extraordinary artists, including the versatile classical Indian musician Arun Ramamurthy, who makes soulful sounds with the Carnatic violin. Arun specializes in Carnatic music, while also pushing the boundaries of the form through genre-bending projects, including his own jazz trio and his Carnatic Sundays concert series in New York City’s West Village.

Also headlining the concert is Jay Gandhi, a devoted teacher and performer who has captivated audiences around the globe with his mastery of the bansuri flute, using it to make sounds that are at turns haunting and thrilling. Trained under bansuri masters, Jay’s musical interests span the Indian sub-continent, reaching across the African diaspora and into the American classical and jazz traditions.

Outstanding jazz stylings will certainly be in the spotlight for this event, as we welcome artists like New York-based upright and electric bassist/composer Michael Gam, who is well-versed in both cutting-edge modern jazz and Indian classical music. With his group the Om Gam Ensemble, Michael is experienced in creating East-meets-West sounds.

The concert will also boast the talents of accomplished musicians such as jazz percussionist Sameer Gupta on tabla and drums; composer and jazz virtuoso Sharik Hasan on piano; and emerging jazz and Hindustani musician Pawan Benjamin on saxophone.

The Brooklyn Raga Massive Crossover event is presented by the Namaskaar Foundation – World on Stage in partnership with the ICC Greenwich. With our mission to promote, preserve, and raise awareness of the traditional performing arts and culture of India and beyond, Namaskaar Foundation is passionate about presenting the next generation of exceptional artists.

To see these brilliant young superstars-in-the-making as they play a dazzling program of Indian classical music and jazz fusion, catch them on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 5pm at Cole Auditorium at Greenwich Library (101 W. Putnam Ave.) in Greenwich, CT. Buy now online at www.palacestamford.org

With a live performance, a load of stars, 14 feature films and eight shorts that appeal to every taste, this year’s 3rd i Film Festival is bringing the best of South Asian entertainment to San Francisco’s New People Cinema Oct. 22 to 25 — except for Oct. 24 screenings, which will be held at the Castro Theatre — before heading to CineArts at Palo Alto Square in Palo Alto, Calif., Nov. 1.

The festival begins with a solo screening of “Jai Ho,” a documentary on Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” composer A.R. Rahman, followed by a Skype Q&A session with the filmmaker, Umesh Aggarwal.

On Oct. 23 at 7:15 p.m., festivalgoers will be treated to a live performance of “Me, My Mom, and Sharmila,” a story about a mother and daughter’s attempt to connect over their shared love of Bollywood film star Sharmila Tagore, followed by a Q&A session with the Pakistani American writer-performer Fawzia Mirza.

Mirza can also be seen in two of the eight shorts — “Reclaiming Pakistan,” a documentary on civil rights activist Mohammad Jibran Nasir and the organization Pakistan for All, and “The First Session,” a comedic LGBT film about two women on their first date/psychiatric appointment — spotlighted in “Coast to Coast: Mumbai to the Mission” Oct. 25 at 5 p.m.

After Mirza’s life performance, Cannes Film Festival Palme D’Or winner “Dheepan,” from French director Jacques Audiard, will reveal the struggle of a former soldier, young woman and little girl from Sri Lanka to adapt to the Parisian suburbs at 9:15 p.m.

Renowned Indian films “Haider,” “Kaaka Muttai,” “Tigers” and “PK” will take over the Castro Theatre, which will include a Q&A with the real-life subjects behind the story of “Tigers” after the screening at 6:30 p.m. and a special reception with food and drinks at 8 p.m.

Based on a true story of a Pakistani salesman who challenges the system after discovering the baby formula he is selling has devastating effects, Oscar-winning director Danis Tanovic’s “Tigers” stars Bollywood star Emraan Hashmi and National Award-winning actress Geetanjali Thapa.

An even bigger star can be seen at 9 p.m. in the final film of the evening, “PK,” starring Aamir Khan as the titular PK, an inquisitive alien who lands on Earth and begins shaking up society.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s “Haider,” screening at 1 p.m., is a Bollywood adaptation of the Shakespearean classic “Hamlet,” while “Kaaka Muttai,” screening at 4:15 p.m., is the heartwarming tale of two young brothers from the slums seeking their first taste of pizza.

The final day of the San Francisco stretch of the festival will begin with the Bay Area premiere of director Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Labor of Love,” which won “Best Debut Director” at the Venice Film Festival, at 1 p.m. The film with no spoken dialogue follows the lives of an ordinary couple in Calcutta whose competing work schedules keep them apart.

“Labor of Love” will be followed by director Prasanna Vithanage’s Sri Lankan documentary “Silence in the Courts,” documenting the quest two women’s quest for justice after being raped by the court judge presiding over their husbands’ cases, at 3 p.m.

“Punching at the Sun” director Tanuj Chopra’s work-in-progress comedy “[Brown Girl Stoner Film]” about a Ph.D. student whose fiancé wants her to deliver a bag of marijuana will end the San Francisco leg of the festival at 7 p.m. after “Coast to Coast: Mumbai to the Mission” at 5 p.m.

Vithanage and Chopra will hold Q&A sessions following their respective screenings, as well several Bay Area filmmakers featured in “Coast to Coast: Mumbai to the Mission.”

The Palo Alto rendition of the 3rd i Film Festival will begin with two documentaries and panel discussions on The Partition and gender equality.

Mara Ahmed’s “A Thin Wall” recounts the 1947 Partition that displaced 14 million people and cost more than 2 million people their lives. The screening at noon will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker organized by the 1947 Partition Archive.

Bay Area-based filmmaker Nyna Pais Caputi’s “Petals in the Dust,” a documentary exploring female infanticide and gender violence, will screen at 2:45 p.m. Caputi will be available for a Q&A afterward as well.

Those unable to catch “Jai Ho” the first time around will be able to catch it again at its 5:15 p.m. Palo Alto screening before the digitally-restored cult classic “Om Dar-B-Dar” from Kamal Swaroop, which tells the story of a young boy named Om interested in religion and magic, concludes the festival with a 7:15 p.m. screening.

Actor Sonu Sood will be sharing screen space with action star Jackie Chan in the upcoming Hollywood film “Kung Fu Yoga,” directed by Stanley Tong. “Kung Fu Yoga,” an out-and-out action movie, will be shot in Dubai, Beijing and India. Congratulating Sood for his new venture, his “Happy New Year” director Farah Khan tweeted, “So happy for Jackie Chan who is starring with my friend @SonuSood in ‘Kung fu yoga’!! Truly Karate meets parathe!!”

The “Dabangg” actor, who is a fitness freak, replied, “Hahaha Farah. Don’t be surprised if he gets addicted to paranthe… Then you have to make for us. Get ready.” Sood started his career in movies with Tamil film “Kallazhagar,” followed by his debut in Bollywood as Bhagat Singh in “Shaheed-E-Azam,” which released in 2002 with two other movies on the freedom fighter “23rd March 1931: Shaheed” and “The Legend of Bhagat Singh.” The “Gabbar Is Back” star earned recognition as Abhishek Bachchan’s brother in Mani Ratnam’s “Yuva” in 2004 and in “Aashiq Banaya Aapne” in 2005.

Cut Cultures, a cross-cultural artistic expedition launched by Edge of Arabia in partnership with Art Jameel, celebrates the completion of the first year of its groundbreaking three-year road trip across the United States. Bringing together artists from the Middle East and local communities throughout America, to date, CULTURUNNERS has traveled over 12,000 miles and passed through 24 states across America. Along the way, CULTURUNNERS has hosted dozens of community events and spontaneous encounters in search of interconnected histories and common concerns across arguably the most contested ideological border of our time.

In September 2014, CULTURUNNERS set out from The Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas in a 34ft 1999 Gulf Stream RV. Over the course of the following year, over 50 artists and curators from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Turkey, Bahrain, Kuwait, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco and the United States participated inCULTURUNNERS talks, workshops and exhibitions at partner institutions across the country.

CULTURUNNERS first stop was at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, followed by the Middle East Institute in Washington DC where Saudi artist Sarah Abu Abdullah and Edge of Arabia co-founder, Stephen Stapleton,participated in a passionate discussion about the (Soft) Power of Arts in a Changing Middle East.

In October 2014 CULTURUNNERS arrived at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge MA, where Azra Akšamija, Associate Professor at MIT’s program in Art, Culture & Technology, and Edge of Arabia hosted a weeklong gathering of international artists and scientists to discuss alternative lines of communication between the Middle East and United States. Participants included artists Ahmed Mater (Saudi Arabia), Arwa Al Naemi (Saudi Arabia), and Lara Baladi (Egypt), as well as Smithsonian Institute curator Carol Huh.

While at MIT, the CULTURUNNERS RV was transformed into a mobile artists’ studio and broadcast vehicle ready for its first stop in 2015 – The Armory Show in New York.

CULTURUNNERS participation at The Armory Show, New York’s leading contemporary and modern art fair, featured 16 artists using custom-built technologies to map, archive, and amplify stories and voices from the MENAM (Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean) section of the fair and related communities across New York. Artists made use of the CULTURUNNERS’ RV’s new state-of-the-art digital studio to start broadcasting artists’ ‘Dispatches’ viaCULTURUNNERS’ new interactive website.

Highlights included: performances by Darvish Fakhr (Iran), who used a customised, motorized longboard (long skateboard) / Persian Carpet to travel through the fair dressed as a traditional Dervish. The week also marked the launch of CULTURUNNERS broadcast channel with a performance and short film exploring Little Syria and featuring artist-in-residence at the Queens Museum, Brian Zegeer (United States). The film was directed by Jeddah-based filmmaker, Husam Al Sayed (Saudi Arabia), and with an original score by Dubai-based composer and founding member of Analog Room, SALAR (Iran). Both Sayed and SALAR were recipients of Art Jameel’s first residency program with The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts.

After further events in New York at Columbia University and Williamsburg, CULTURUNNERS headed west into the heartland of America, with artists including Yazan Khalili (Palestine), Anne Senstad (Norway) and John Mireles(United States).

Khalili directed the RV to US towns in Illinois, Ohio and Indiana named Palestine. Khalili has long been intrigued by what the name of an ancient place suggests to the New World and how this name is being preserved in contemporary American politics. Senstad meanwhile, set out to learn Arabic and Farsi calligraphy on board the shaky RV. Guided remotely by a Master Calligrapher based in Tehran, Senstad used the project as way to connect encounters with ordinary people in the US with this art form from the Islamic world.

In July 2015, CULTURUNNERS presented a weeklong community program in Detroit, featuring exhibitions, talks and performances organized by New York-based Iranian curators, Lila Nazemian and Ava Ansari. CULTURUNNERS invited artists, Peyman Shafieezadeh (Iran), traveling to the U.S. for the first time, and Sara Ouhaddou (Morrocco) to produce new bodies of site-specific work which were exhibited at Redbull House of Arts and installed on the RV and streets in Downtown Detroit.

Next to join CULTURUNNERS was Bahrain-based Saudi artist, Faisal Samra, who travelled across six states from Chicago, IL to Denver, CO. In August 2015, Samra was joined by U.S. artist Matthew Mazzotta, for a special collaboration that culminated in a community event at the The Union for Contemporary Art in Omaha, Nebraska.  At the heart of Samra’s journey was a series of encounters with artists and activists of the Oglala Lakota Nation in South Dakota. Based at the site of the battle of Wounded Knee, Samra worked with Lakota singer, Leon Grass and his family to explore common concerns facing tribal communities in North America and Southern Arabia.

Iraqi brother artists Sami and Halim Al Karim met CULTURUNNERS in Denver before the RV headed west to meet with Sara Ouhaddou in San Diego. The journey culminated in a community celebration and outdoor exhibition in Logan Heights, San Diego, featuring large-scale photographs from John Mireles’ Neighbors project (which he began in Detroit) and an installation inside the RV by Sara Ouhaddou. Ouhaddou, in the US for the first time as part of Art Jameel’s residency program at ISCP in New York, exhibited a specially commissioned textile made in collaboration with Moroccan artisans.

In January 2016, CULTURUNNERS will embark on the second phase of its on-going grassroots tour, inviting selected artists, writers and cultural practitioners to take part in an expanded East / West cultural expedition. From Makkah to Minnesota, Damascus to Detroit, CULTURUNNERS has identified 10 pioneering artists that will be joining the tour during its second year.

Our 2015-2016 season begins with the Brooklyn Raga Massive Crossover, an exciting concert featuring gifted up-and-comers from the worlds of Classical Indian Music and Fusion Jazz. Dedicated to showcasing a diverse array of Indian classical music, BRM believes in expanding the audience for Indian music by breaking conventions – as you’ll see in this Crossover musical event on Oct 25th.

The BRM Crossover will feature several extraordinary artists, including the versatile classical Indian musician Arun Ramamurthy, who makes soulful sounds with the Carnatic violin. Arun specializes in Carnatic music, while also pushing the boundaries of the form through genre-bending projects, including his own jazz trio and his Carnatic Sundays concert series in New York City’s West Village.

Also headlining the concert is Jay Gandhi, a devoted teacher and performer who has captivated audiences around the globe with his mastery of the bansuri flute, using it to make sounds that are at turns haunting and thrilling. Trained under bansuri masters, Jay’s musical interests span the Indian sub-continent, reaching across the African diaspora and into the American classical and jazz traditions.

Outstanding jazz stylings will certainly be in the spotlight for this event, as we welcome artists like New York-based upright and electric bassist/composer Michael Gam, who is well-versed in both cutting-edge modern jazz and Indian classical music. With his group the Om Gam Ensemble, Michael is experienced in creating East-meets-West sounds.

The concert will also boast the talents of accomplished musicians such as jazz percussionist Sameer Gupta on tabla and drums; composer and jazz virtuoso Sharik Hasan on piano; and emerging jazz and Hindustani musician Pawan Benjamin on saxophone.

The Brooklyn Raga Massive Crossover event is presented by the Namaskaar Foundation – World on Stage in partnership with the ICC Greenwich. With our mission to promote, preserve, and raise awareness of the traditional performing arts and culture of India and beyond, Namaskaar Foundation is passionate about presenting the next generation of exceptional artists.

To see these brilliant young superstars-in-the-making as they play a dazzling program of Indian classical music and jazz fusion, catch them on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 5pm at Cole Auditorium at Greenwich Library (101 W. Putnam Ave.) in Greenwich, CT. Buy now online at www.palacestamford.org

“Kadambari,” a Bengali film centered around Kadambari Devi, sister-in-law of Rabindranath Tagore with whom he is supposed to have had a close personal relationship and who eventually committed suicide, won the Best Film award at the 4th Washington, D.C., South Asian Film Festival. The film was directed by the National Award-winning filmmaker Suman Ghosh.

Chaitanya Tamhane won the Best Director award for ‘Court’, a Hindi and Marathi film, which is India’s official entry to the upcoming Academy Awards. Some of the biggest and most famous names in South Asian Independent Cinema lent glitter to the Sept. 25-27 festival of alternative cinema screening 14 features, ten short films and one documentary from India, Pakistan, the United States and Canada.

Award winners: Best Film – Kadambari, Best Story – Rough Book, Best Director – Chaitanya Tamhane (Court), Best Actor – Kishor Kadam (Partu), Best Actress – Konkona Sen Sharma (Kadambari), and Best Short Film – Bonjour ji. The audience rated “Partu” as the Best Film and “Billu’s Flight” as the Best Short Film.

Aparna Sen received the Special Achievement Award, while Huma Beg from Pakistan (Veils and Walls) got the Special Appreciation Award Documentary. Sarmad Khoosat received the Special Award for Contribution to Pakistan TV and Films.

A number of directors, including Sen and Ghosh, attended the festival. Another notable presence was popular Bollywood and Bengali actress Riya Sen. Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam inaugurated the festival saying this year’s theme, “Art and culture transcend boundaries” reflects a reality.

“This is so even though we live in a deeply divided world. These are unsettling times-wars, refugees, terrorism, hate crimes of all types, and boundary disputes. Events such as these dominate the headlines daily,” he said.

“Yet, art and culture elevate and unite all of us. Whether it is a young boy in Afghanistan, or an old woman in Zimbabwe, there is not a soul that doesn’t enjoy a good movie, or a lovely piece of music. “The fact that we have with us today some of the finest collection of talents from India and Pakistan under one roof is proof that art and culture indeed transcend all the boundaries.”

Marketing is a big challenge for indie films as well, he said facing what he called the “curse of Bollywood” – extravagant, studio-backed and star-studded films from Bollywood.

In order to succeed, indie films from India, in their quiet way, must overcome this stereotype and sea of noise, Islam said. “This year there was more awareness about the film festival here in the U.S. and in South Asian countries,” said DCSAFF Executive Director Manoj Singh, noting more non-South Asians came to see the movies.

“Saari Raat”, Sen’s film adaptation of Bengali playwright Badal Sircar’s drama, was the opening film. There were three films from South Asian Americans: “Partu”, a film by Nitin Adsul; “Miss India America” by Ravi Kapoor; and “For Here or To Go” by Rucha Humnabadkar.

The festival also featured two Pakistani films, “Manto” and “Shah” based on the lives of short-story writer Sadat Hassan Manto and Pakistani boxer Hussain Shah, who won the bronze medal at 1988 Summer Olympics. Islam and his wife Debbie Driesman also hosted a dinner for the visiting artists at their home Norton Manor. Promoting art and culture is one of the missions of the Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman Foundation.

Anthea Bhargava, an Indian American producer won her first Emmy Award for “Outstanding Reality-Competition Program” as part of the production team responsible for the reality singing competition, “The Voice,” at the 67th Annual Emmy Awards in Los Angeles Sept. 20.

Bhargava beat out the production team of Indian American model and television personality Padma Lakshmi’s reality cooking show “Top Chef,” which was nominated in the same category.

The 37-year-old line producer of “The Voice” was also a production manager for the 45th and 46th annual Grammy Awards before becoming an associate producer for the 47th edition of the show, and has worked as a production manager, associate producer and line producer on several other award shows, including the BET Awards and Latin Grammy Awards, according to IMDB.

ABC Network released the first eight minutes of its much-anticipated FBI drama “Quantico,” starring Priyanka Chopra as FBI agent Alex Parrish, this week. Priyanka Chopra, the ‘Mary Kom’ star is shooting for the ABC Network show ‘Quantico’ in New York City. For Priyanka, the Quantico pilot is her first assignment in the US after she spent the past few years trying to foray into the American showbiz industry. Earlier, she had cut three singles – In My City, Exotic and I Can’t Make You Love Me – for the international music market, but none of them managed to set the global charts on fire. She now hopes Quantico is a success, and her role is noticed, if her international ambition is to get a push.

Quantico revolves around a bunch of young FBI recruits, each one of whom has a secret behind joining the bureau. The show will narrate their adventures and experiences as they train on Quantico base in Virginia, even as secrets of their past start emerging.  One of the trainees will subsequently even turn out to be a sleeper terrorist who played a role in 9/11.

The show opens with Priyanka lying at the site of a terrorist attack in New York City (note how the first shot of the show is of Priyanka’s ‘Om’ bracelet) and goes back to the time when each of the agents – played by Priyanka, Johanna Braddy, Jake Mc Laughlin, Yasmine Al Massri, Tate Ellington and Brian J Smith – are on their way to FBI training base in Quantico.

Priyanka is effortlessly good from the word go. Apart from the fact that she looks hot from the very first shot, she pulls you in with her nuanced acting. Yes, we can say that just from watching the first eight minutes!

The opening is thrilling and slick, hooks you instantly. If you watch these first eight minutes, you are bound to watch the whole episode, and then comeback to it the next week, as you will be left wanting for more. Priyanka is effortlessly good from the word go. Apart from the fact that she looks hot from the very first shot, she pulls you in with her nuanced acting. Yes, we can say that just from watching the first eight minutes!

The opening is thrilling and slick, hooks you instantly. If you watch these first eight minutes, you are bound to watch the whole episode, and then comeback to it the next week, as you will be left wanting for more. This sneak preview of “Quantico” gets our thumbs up.

An evening of Kuchipudi dance organized by Sriranga Dance Academy at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago on Saturday, September 12th 2015 was a visual treat for those who had gathered. ‘ Dancing Tales from India’ , a Kuchipudi dance feature conceptualized and choreographed by the renowned Kuchipudi danseuse Vyjayanthi Kashi knit in a series of short yet interesting stories glorifying Indian culture. This was presented by Vyjayanthi Kashi, her daughter & disciple Prateeksha Kashi and Srivani Vokkarane, Artistic director of Sriranga Dance Academy.

The invocation item itself was a winning one. ‘Deham – Body the temple’, presented by the mother-daughter duo laid emphasis on the spiritual aspects of dance and a dancer. The importance of every part of the body known as the Anga of a dancer, the emotions and the energies that need to be prevalent in a dancer were intelligently conveyed through the dance language. The majesty of Lord Shiva’s tandava got manifested through Vyjayanthi’s powerful movements. On the contrary the lasya or delicate aspects of Goddess Gowri were gracefully exhibited by Prateeksha .Also seen was Vyjayanthi’s philosophical introspection into famous verse ‘Deham Devalaya Proktam’ reached beyond just an outer description of the lines.

Next came in the finest presentation on the five elements titled ‘Shrushti- the creation’. A short and crisp description of the five elements intertwined with musical notations,rhythmic segments with rare syllables like Hum, Vam, and Rum threw light on the choreographer’s creative abilities. All the three dancers on stage brought alive the five elements through their technique and body language.

Ramayana Shabdam, a traditional item of the Kuchipudi repertoire was well executed by Srivani Vokkarane, disciple of Vyjayanthi Kashi. Her neat presentation of this piece reflected the years of training that has gone in. Apart from being a good organizer, she proved her mettle as a danseuse too.

Prateeksha Kashi chose for her solo piece ‘Shankara Srigiri’, a composition of the celebrated poet Swati Tirunal. The item was an elaborative description of the vigorous dance of Shankara. Prateeksha executed the item with vigor and perfection. In spite of the song being fast paced, the dancer’s technique was crisp with well-balanced poses and dynamism in covering the stage. The choreography by Guru Vyjayanthi Kashi was commendable.

The different tales that the dancers narrated during the course of the event was an ecstasy to behold. The evening concluded with a story unheard and unsung; thestory of the ugly hunched woman Kubje, a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna. Kubje also known as Trivakra was employed by the wicked king Kamsa to prepare fragrance as she had magic in her hands. Disfigured, disheartened and dejected Kubje was looked down upon by the people of Mathura and wondered what she ever did to receive such a treatment. But it was her untiring love and faith which brought Krishna to Mathura to transform her.With her versatile capabilities Vyjayanthi proved her ability as a dancer and an actress conveying a gamut of emotions. The three dancers got together to create magic on stage justifying the roles they chose to play.

The highlight of the evening with Srivani honoring her Guru with the ‘VyjayanthiVibhooshithe’ Award for her outstanding contribution to the field of dance. This was handed over to Guru Vyjayanthi Kashi by Dr Saradapurna Sonty,  & Dr. Sriram Sonty , Founderof Sri Annamacharya Project of North America(SAPNA) .It was indeed a memorable evening!

Photographs and Press release by: Asian Media USA

Millions across the globe have been inspired by 97-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch – World War II French Resistance fighter, model, actress, film producer, wine connoisseur, ballroom dancer, and yoga master. Named “Oldest Yoga Teacher” by Guinness World Records in 2012, Tao exemplifies her mantra: There Is Nothing You Cannot Do.

Dancing Light: The Spiritual Side of Being Through the Eyes of a Modern Yoga Master is an inspirational autobiography that shows us what is possible–that we each can live to our Highest Potential by inhaling life, exhaling strife and dancing to our own rhythm. Through Tao’s reflections, we are given the gift of insights from almost a century of wisdom that can be applied to our modern-day challenges. We learn about her deep connection with nature and “secrets” to vitality while taking a soulful odyssey of love and loss, hope and joy, and ultimately the triumph of resilience.

Tao’s life has been a journey within to answer the age-old questions, “Who am I?,” “Why am I here?,” “What is my Truth?” Born during World War I, she grew up in the disquiet of the world not a cloistered spiritual sanctuary. Called the real “Forrest Gump,” Tao participated in historic events most of us only read about from marching with Mahatma Gandhi in the 1930 Salt March and helping her aunt hide Polish Jews in cement wine vats to performing nightly during the Nazi bombing Blitz when “all of London was on fire.”

She worked with the French Resistance for General Charles de Gaulle during World War II helping Jews hiding in the caves under Paris escape the Germans and cross over to safety. After the war, she modeled for famous couture houses such as Jean Dessès, Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin, Marcel Rochas, Jean Patou and Elsa Schiaparelli. Later, she was under contract with MGM surrounded by the excesses of high society in old-time Hollywood going to parties with the Barrymores. She greatly admired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and even participated in the March on Washington and later went to Dr. King’s funeral.

Tao helped to lay the groundwork for TV in India and was early in international film distribution. She brokered and introduced new wine producers in Napa Valley to the European wine industry elite for quality products and was later a co-founder of the American Wine Society. Tao has personal stories on icons such as Ernest Hemingway, General Charles de Gaulle, Prime Minister Nehru, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Wilding, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marcel Marceau, Burgess Meredith, Debbie Reynolds, Burt Lancaster, Cesar Romero, Vincent Price, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Joan Crawford, Quentin Reynolds, Sir Noel Peirce Coward, Ezra Stone, Joan Davis, Jim Backus, Lucille Lortel, Errol Flynn, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Katherine Dunham, Ilka Chase, Sol Siegel, Jack Cummings, Robert Mondavi, Dr. Welthy Fisher, Jack LaLanne, and others. Tao still has pay stubs from Coco Chanel, her W2 from the William Morris Agency, residual checks from MGM, pictures with Bob Hope – many of these mementos are featured in the book.

Yet, ALL of this is simply the backdrop for a very human search for the spiritual side of being. As Tao got more into the sex-obsessed material world of modeling and acting, she needed to find balance and come back to her spiritual core. She had to learn to be in the world but not of the world. She witnessed the hate of pre-civil rights era and the prosecution of Cold War Communist fever in America. She saw that the Jewish people had to seek refuge by creating their own clubs in Hollywood and there were even disagreements amongst the Christian denominations. She was saddened by the crackdown in Tibet and on the practice of Buddhism. She wondered how she could go beyond all of this exclusion and discord and get to the Truth.

In Dancing Light, we gain wisdom from Tao’s many teachers – from her uncle Vital Porchon to the teachings of revered spiritual figures Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda who is credited with bringing yoga to the West. We are privy to Tao’s personal experiences with legendary leader Mahatma Gandhi and the iconic Transcendental Meditation founder The Maharishi who taught meditation to The Beatles and spurred a worldwide movement. We learn from Swami Prabhavananda of the Vedanta Society, Mataji Indra Devi, metaphysics teacher Dr. Roman Ostoja, and two of the most acclaimed yoga masters, B.K.S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois. We see how Tao assimilates all of these layers of study and influence to form her own philosophy of Oneness. Tao has since trained and certified over 1,600 yoga teachers and has shared her light at various forums from the Newark Peace Education Summit with His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama to teaching yoga at the Pentagon and doing a TEDx talk at Columbia University.

At the age of 87, Tao became a ballroom dancer and has since won over 700 First Place Awards with dance partners that are thirty years her junior. Tao believes that life is a dance of Eternal Energy. Sometimes we weave in and out of consciousness. That’s the dance – back and forth, up and down, sometimes spinning around, always looking to come back to center. That’s our journey–the search for how to be present with the wonders of life and maintain harmony of mind, body and spirit. In many ways, Dancing Light is a modern Autobiography of a Yogi–a manifesto for a new generation of light seekers taking us on a search for peace, the Oneness behind everything and your exceptional profound Self.

Bollywood singer Arijit Singh made a stopover in Trenton, New Jersey, earlier this month as part of his North American musical tour. Singh, who would be holding concerts in Illinois, Texas and California, among other states, performed at Sun National Bank Center, Trenton Sept. 12. About 5,000 people, including music aficionados, turned up for the concert, according to organizers. Singh belted out some of his hit numbers like ‘Mein Tenu Samjhawaan ki,’ ‘Kabira,’ and ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani,’ among others.

The laugh-out-loud real life romantic comedy MEET THE PATELS releases in theaters this Friday, September 11, in New York City (AMC Empire 25 and Angelika), Chicago (AMC South Barrington and Music Box), and Los Angeles (Landmark) after winning awards and much praise at film festivals around the world. Winner of the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival, MTP releases in many additional cities nationwide on September 18.

The brother-sister director team of Ravi Patel and Geeta Patel sat down to talk about their award-winning film in this new interview.

Q:How long have the two of you been interested in filmmaking?

Geeta: I’ve always been interesting in storytelling. That’s where my heart has been and will always be. As for filmmaking, I’ve been working in the field for 14 years.

Ravi: Well, less than 14 years! Geez Geeta, you’re old. Hahaha. I’ve been interested in filmmaking since I got to LA, maybe 10 years ago?

Q:Can you tell us where the idea for MEET THE PATELS came from and how you went about getting the project off the ground?

Geeta: We made MEET THE PATELS as a coping mechanism for something every human being suffers from: Family.

Ravi: I was working in comedy and doing a hosting gig at an Indian Lawyers Convention. I ran out of material, so I started talking about my mom trying to set me up with Indian girls with the same last name as me: Patel. Patels marry Patels in our culture. It’s so weird, and yet so normal in my world.

Geeta: And mine. The point is, the crowd was laughing like CRAZY…

Ravi: I had made people laugh before, but this was different. I had never seen an audience so emotional and engaged in a way that was deeply personal. This was a cathartic laugh that reached down deep into parts of their body they hadn’t even heard of.

Geeta: Afterwards, people came up to Ravi and asked him to write a book, do a comedy tour, anything.

Ravi: And then I was like, wait a minute! When does any Indian Lawyer need another Indian Lawyer? Like, you’re sitting in court and you’re like, “Excuse me judge, I need to get another Indian Lawyer on this case, I’ll be right back…” No! This convention was a total façade. I asked the crowd, “Who here is single?” They all raised their hands.

Geeta: A few months later, we were in India on vacation and Ravi was babbling on about making some kind of Morgan Spurlock-like documentary about the internal pressure of first-generation Indians to marry within their own culture. I was like NO WAY IN HELL. I had just spent 7 years making a documentary about a war zone and I had no car, no money, and no bowel movements.

Ravi: Geeta was trying to teach herself how to use a camera (which she never learned, as you can see in the film) and so she was filming our family trip. I had just broken up with my “secret white girlfriend” that Mom and Dad knew nothing about. They were trying to set me up with Patel girls in India…

Geeta: Thank God, they had given up on me…

Ravi: Anyway, we showed PBS our footage and they loved it

Q:So many South Asians can relate to this story. What kind of audience reactions have you been getting from your film festival screenings?

Geeta: The screenings have been sold-out across the world for a year! South Asians have loved it and seen it more than once, bringing their families and friends along. Even audiences in India love it. It’s been a great surprise, and a great experience. Our aunties and uncles all love it too, and that was a great relief!

Q:Is there anything you’d like audiences to take away from this film in terms of relationships and marriage?

Geeta: We want everyone to remember how great it is to be part of a family, to love, and to be loved. We want everyone to remember that sometimes it takes more love than we ever imagined in order to get through a difficult conflict in the family.

Ravi: We want everyone who is searching for love to feel like they are not alone! Being single and South Asian is sad, scary, stressful– and hilarious.

Q:How challenging was it to direct the two people who raised you since you were kids?

Ravi: It was easy because mom and dad had no faith in our ability as filmmakers and didn’t take it seriously that we were filming.

Geeta: One day, we said, “Hey, we finished the film! You want to see it?” And they were like, “What film?”

Get the latest updates on the release of MEET THE PATELS here – www.MeetThePatelsFilm.com.

“On Golden Years” by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik, portraying the complex emotions which come at the time of retirement for immigrants from India, has premiered in the American capital. Through various characters, who are residents of an Indian retirement community, the film deals with conflicts such as India versus America, contentedness versus regrets and places to retire.

The story about the retirement of the American Dream, as Malik puts it, was shot at the only Indian retirement community in the U.S., Shantiniketan in Tavares, Florida. A romantic emotional comedy, “On Golden Years” in English language, is made for NRIs and an international audience. It runs for 85 minutes.

The Washington premiere of the film last week was attended by many cast and crew members, including Noor Naghmi, a Pakistani American actor, along with 300 invited guests. The film stars Ranjit Chowdhry, who was also the lead of “Lonely In America”, Jyoti Singh, Reeves Lehmann, Shetal Shah, Tirlok Malik, Shruti Tewari, Farokh Daruwala, Indu Gajwani, and Indrajit S. Saluja.

There are some new talents making their debut in the film. Tirlok Malik has also launched www.nritvfilmclub.com, which is the first ever streaming of Indian American movies. The purpose of the website is also promoting new talents. “On Golden Years” is written and directed by Tirlok Malik. The idea of the story is inspired from the book “Seeking Roots” by Iggy Ignatius, who is the producer and co-director of the film.

Veteran singer Asha Bhosle, joioned her millions of admirers around the world in celebrating her 82nd birthday, during a tour to New York here last week. Bhosle, who is here for a performance, has thanked well-wishers for their greetings on her 82nd birthday. “Thank you to all my well wishers for birthday greetings… Just arrived in NYC. Thank you once again for your love and kind wishes. Looking forward to performing in New Jersey on 13 September,” the singer tweeted.

Bhosle, who has been singing for past six decades, also thanked her elder sister ‘Melody Queen’ Lata Mangeshkar for her “invaluable” guidance. “Didi’s ashirvad (blessing) is always with me, but this time it’s special since I’m far away on tour in USA, and her support and guidance is invaluable,” Bhosle posted on twitter.

The singer, who began her playback singing career in the shadow of Mangeshkar in the late ‘40s, has collaborated with music directors such as O.P. Nayyar, Sachin Dev Burman, R.D. Burman, Khayyam and Bappi Lahiri.

She gave Hindi cinema some of its most memorable songs, including “Jhumka Gira Re,” “Raat Akeli Hain,” “Aaja Aaja,” “Dum Maro Dum,” “Dil Cheez Kya Hain,” among others. The singer has also worked with younger music directors like A.R. Rahman and Anu Malik in the ‘90s for films like “Baazigar,” “Rangeela” and “Taal.”

Celebrities like former Australian cricketer Brett Lee, Raveena Tandon and Mika Singh wished Bhosle a happy birthday on Twitter. “A big happy birthday to the lovely @ashabhosle I hope you have a wonderful birthday,” posted Lee, who recorded a song, “Haan Main Tumhara Hoon,” with the singer in 2006.

Tandon said, “Wishing @ashabhosle, whom I’ve idolized grown up with her songs, a very happy birthday! May she continue to enchant/enthrall us forever.” “Happy birthday to the living legend @ashabhosle ji.. God bless you,” Mika wrote

Dr. L. Subramaniam, India’s acclaimed violinist, composer and conductor and Sri Chinmoy Centre International together offered a free Manhattan concert in tribute to Sri Chinmoy at the Baruch Performing Arts Center here last weekend. Performing with Dr. Subramaniam was his wife Kavita Krishnamurthy Subramaniam. Kavita is a much recorded, platinum playback artist, often referred to as the “Melody Queen” of India. She said, “a few years ago I met Sri Chinmoy in New York and the happiest moment in my life is when Sri Chinmoy blessed me.” Their Daughter, Bindu Subramaniam, and son, Ambi Subramaniam, also performed.

L. Subramaniam has earned international respect and acclaim for his virtuosic techniques and distinctive style. Dr. Subramaniam met with and performed for Sri Chinmoy on a number of occasions, and the two greatly admired and respected one another. At present Dr. Subramaniam and his family are on a North America Concert Tour.

Sri Chinmoy prolifically expressed his spiritual life through music, poetry and the visual arts. Born in Bengal, India in 1931, he made his home in New York in 1964. During his frequent travels worldwide, Sri Chinmoy emphasized the importance of meditation, music and inner peace. Upon hearing about an exhibition of Sri Chinmoy’s “Paintings for World-Harmony” at the United Nations in 2008, L. Subramaniam commented,

“I am delighted to know that Sri Chinmoy’s paintings are being exhibited at the UN. Sri Chinmoy himself was an embodiment of peace and harmony and it is a fitting tribute to such a realized soul.”

The previous day on August 28 another free concert took place at the same location. Russia’s popular and leading star Boris (Purushottama) Grebenshikov was outstanding. He offered a special song to honour Sri Chinmoy. Audience not only enjoyed Krishna Das’s Kirtan but participated and sang with him. Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers brought with them heavenly joy. Other Sri Chinmoy international groups brought peace and happiness through their meditative music. Additional information can be found at www.Songsofthesoul.com

Earning a prestigious Critics Pick from the New York Times, the acclaimed new comedy LEARNING TO DRIVE is now playing in New York and Los Angeles and will release this Friday, August 28, in San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston. By Labor Day weekend, the award-winning film starring Sir Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, and Sarita Choudhury will be playing in most major cities nationwide.

Sir Ben Kingsley has won an Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA, two Golden Globes and countless other awards in his career and now takes on the role of New York City driving instructor Darwan in his latest film LEARNING TO DRIVE. Kingsley sat down to talk about his new film in this exclusive interview below:

Q: What was it about this story that made you want to be a part of it?

A: So, there are certain scripts that I come across that have what I would call a universality in that they do examine and reflect with great accuracy what I call patterns of human behavior, or “the human dance.”  And when I come across a script that has this so beautifully observed, I’m immediately intrigued.  Also, I think part of the enjoyment of the film for the audience is that it will have an immediate resonance because of modern day New York and the world that we live in.

Q: When someone asks you what you’re working on, what is the quick description that you give about this film?

A: What we have is two individuals that probably are unlikely to meet.  In everyday circumstances.  Coming from very different backgrounds, very different cultures.  But intellectually equal.  What I’m saying is that they’re both intelligent, and curious.  And by a series of accidents, this — these unlikely people are – and don’t forget, a car is a very small space, so it’s almost an intimate space, but then again, it doesn’t become sexually intimate or romantically intimate.  But it becomes a friendship without which their lives would not be complete, so it is a film that explores two people, thrown together in the most unlikely circumstances who both gain enormously from that accident of coming together.

Q: What does Teacher learn from Student in this story?

A: I think that ideally there is always a flow.  I’m often asked, “what do you think the actors learn from you when they’re working from you?”  Learn from me.  And I say, “That’s not the point.  The point is, that the acting arena is very democratic, and that you stand a chance, if you are alert as an actor, of learning a great deal from the other, simply by being alert to the other.”  I think that life can be a continuous learning process, if you are alert to the other.  If you are not alert, you’ll miss out on an enormous amount of life’s riches, the information that is coming at you every day.  In that sense, of course, in the relationship between Patricia Clarkson’s character and mine, there is so much reciprocation, the one learns from the other.  Actually there is quite a lovely scene in the film, where I ask her what to do.  It’s a very vulnerable moment, and therefore is a perfect example of what you were, you know, interested in, and there it is, in the film.  That he faces her and asks her what to do, how can I talk to her?  There are many beautiful moments like that where you do see that, my goodness, this is a completely balanced friendship.

Q: What kind of preparation did you do to play this character?

A: I think that when you are blessed with a universal theme, the way that the writer and director and actors introduce this theme would not be making a film about a ferryman.  It would be making a film about a modern, New York taxi driver/driving instructor, and a very modern woman as his student and his passenger. I think you really convey the essence of a story by being specific.  Not by being splurgy, generalized, universal.  So, the specificity of him being a Sikh, and that silhouette is extraordinary, it’s instantly recognizable, has been confused for all sorts of, you know, ridiculous and tragic reasons.  Tragic reasons.  Consequences.  Being acquainted with India and her history, I did whilst filming Gandhi have a Sikh bodyguard-driver.  I spent months with this man.  And, on the toughest day of shooting of Gandhi, “tough” as in “exquisite,” but “tough” as in “hard” as well, we were driving away from this enormous crowd. After nine hours of utterly exhausting, extraordinary filming, and I saw the back of his head, and his turban, driving me in his Ambassador, sitting behind him, and he said, and he looked in his mirror, rearview mirror, and he just said, “Well done, sir.”  And I thought, there he is.  There he is.

Q: You’ve worked with Patricia Clarkson before.  What was it like working with her on this film?

A: I think that the essential thing in the two performances guided by the brilliant Isabel Coixet, and filmed beautifully too, and she operates her own camera, is that Darwan Singh and Patricia – Wendy – do need to stay in their own bubble.  That is to say they have to remain utterly themselves, throughout the film.  Then, as in any scientific sense, you get a flow of electricity between a positive and a negative.  And, once they become neutralized, then the flow doesn’t happen.  So, this is good for any young actor listening to me, stay inside the silhouette of your character.  Then things will flow.  If you move out of that silhouette, and compromise it in some sense, there won’t be any flow.  So I stayed within Darwan’s silhouette for most of the shooting, on set, and she remained very much in Wendy’s silhouette for most of the shooting.  And, it was a wonderful experience, and I saw her recently in Elephant Man on the London stage.  And as I looked at her I thought, that’s my leading lady in my film.  And I felt very proud of her.

Q: There is some subtle humor in this character.  How did you approach that?

A: I think Darwan Singh is what I would call a very rounded personality.  Don’t forget – he’s a university professor.  And to have a career as a university professor, facing students every day, you have to have a sense of humor.  You have to infuse your lectures, your teaching process, with that wit.  It’s wit.  That’s what it is.  And I think he was born with it.  I think it’s in his DNA.  I think it’s in his family structure.  I think it’s in the way he thinks and debates about things, a sense of irony.  A beautifully balanced, rounded personality.  And, so, I think that that always should be a natural ingredient in any well-rounded character that I’m invited to play.  It’s there, you know? For LEARNING TO DRIVE showtimes, trailer, and film info visit:

http://www.fandango.com/learningtodrive_182794/movieoverview

Anupam Kher , the acclaimed Indian actor, has been named an advocate for the United Nations’ campaign on  gender equality . The 60-year-old “Saaransh” star will collaborate with the world body to call on men and boys to stand up against inequalities against women and girls, thereby ending the discrimination and violence against them.

Kher was pinned as a “HeForShe” Champion by UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri at a ceremony here at the world headquarters of the United Nations on August 18th. The Kashmiri actor said he was honored to be named a HeForShe advocate and voiced his full support for the organization’s efforts to achieve gender equality.

“Most importantly, you have to start the change at home. You have to know how to treat your daughter, and it should not be different from the way you treat your son,” Kher told PTI. He termed the mindset of equating masculinity with overpowering or oppressing women as “ridiculous.”

“Weak men show their masculinity to women. A powerful and strong man will never do that; he will allow the women to be powerful,” he said. Kher added that men in India grow up feeling superior to women. The actor, however, feels that change is gradually taking place in India in the way women are treated but said there is still a long way to go.  “There is a beginning. Things are changing in India, but the change is very silent; it doesn’t happen overnight. In a society like India, change takes a little time,” he said.

Kher also underscored the importance of making people sensitive to gender issues. He voiced hope in the young generation of India, which he said are forward-looking and have grown up in a free India without any colonial hangovers.

“I have great faith in the younger generation. I have great hope for India because of the younger generation,” he said, adding that the youth will ensure a bright future for the country. The “Baby” actor said the opportunity to work with the UN will now enable him to work “officially” on issues that he has been working on “unofficially.”

Puri said UN Women is keen to work with Kher, because, as a renowned actor, filmmaker, motivational speaker and philanthropist, he can play a key role in challenging gender stereotypes, harmful practices, discriminatory social norms and traditions, and structural values that perpetuate gender inequality and violence against women not only in India but across the world.

Kher, who has worked on over 100 plays and nearly 450 films, has been pinned to acknowledge his tremendous contribution and continuing work towards gender equality. In addition to his work in films, Kher has been deeply involved in philanthropy and has established The Anupam Kher Foundation to spread education among less privileged children and provide palliative care to people with life-limiting diseases. He has been awarded the Dalai Lama Award for his work with underprivileged children. “HeForShe” is a global movement that calls upon men and boys to stand up against inequalities faced by women and girls. More than 400,000 men have already signed on as champions.

Houston’s aspiring Carnatic music enthusiasts had a great opportunity to participate in a week-long music camp during August 3 to 8 at Ashtalakshmi Temple. Krishna Gana Sudha Music Academy that organized this camp has built its reputation in Greater Houston, primarily due to the dedication of its director Vidushy Rajarajeswary Bhat. Over a period of the past 12 years, she has established an admirable history of training (Carnatic style of music) hundreds of children. Both as a performer and as a teacher, Rajarajeswari Bhat has earned the respect from connoisseurs of Carnatic music nationwide.

In a magnified class room style of teaching, the camp created an atmosphere completely consumed by art, with over 60 aspiring youth and adults representing their families. Students at various levels of learning remained captivated throughout the long hours, as the curriculum included the discussions of numerous interesting aspects of music. While Rajarajeswari Bhat steered major part of the teaching, Vidwan Erode Nagaraj conducted several sessions of lessons on the importance of ‘ laya’ in music. Several invited musicians like Padma Saranathan, K.P. Nandini and Murali Parthasarathy contributed much to enhance the interest of each student by offering renditions highlighting various aspects of Carnatic music system.

Krishna Gana Sudha Academy is considered as the forerunner of a singularly successful music school for its curriculum that merges ancient traditions of teaching with the need of youngsters growing up in US families. The music camp predominantly followed the regular class curriculum; In addition, it facilitated opportunities for self-assessment, self-reliance, team work, interaction between the students of different levels, presentation before the peers etc. Evidence of accomplishment gained by regular practice, as expressed in short presentations by senior students in the camp inspired attentive beginners.

The divine ambience of Ashta Lakshmi Temple was an ideal setting for teaching and learning Indian classical music. Although it is understandable that in a camp like this, one could expect to have only a glimpse at the wide ocean of music, I noticed the progressive increase in the curiosity and passion in several children as the days progressed. During repeated singing of selected well known compositions in certain ragas, the basic notes in them intrigued several of the students.

This camp also promoted creative challenge to understand the basis of raga classification and the ways to identify the ragas based on the notes. In one of the exercises, the students were taught to create a swarajathi in the raga of their choice. Such a challenges and quiz made the camp extremely interesting to most students.

The concerts rendered by the guest artistes were scholarly and informative. All participants had much to take home when they dispersed reluctantly. By entrusting senior aspiring musicians to assist to teach beginner level students in classes of smaller sizes, the time during the camp was well utilized.

The camp was attractive to most students since it promoted confidence of their ability. A wide range of planned activities like Yoga exercise ( instructed by Poornima Bhat) , group practice, snack breaks etc. created a joyful time. In every aspect of the camp, including the curriculum, one could notice professionalism, passion and experience in conducting such instructional workshops.

‘NAATYOPASANA’ – Worship through Dance, was presented by Pallavi Kumar, artistic director and her ensemble of Laasika School of Dance, at JCC Kaplan Theatre, on August 15th 2015. The show commenced on a traditional note with Prayer song followed by Pushpanjali, a floral tribute dedicated to Lord Siva and was exuberantly presented in the style of Bharathanatyam that perfectly set the tone for an alluring two hour long recital.

Pushpanjali was performed by a group of six year olds six year olds: Anuhya Juturi, Ayushi Aggrawal, Priyanka Bhavani, Shruthi Ezhilarasan & Tejaswi Sriram. It was followed by ‘Naandhi Stuthi’, an invocation enthusiastically performed by Himahasini Jammli, Jiya Jacob, Netra Tallavajhula & Simran Binnani.

The audience was enthralled with Alarippu, traditional piece from repertoire of Bharathanatyam. It was a pleasure to watch ‘Ramayana Shabdam’ , depicting tale of Lord Rama from his birth to donning of the Royal mantle at Ayodya in the style of Kuchipudi performed by Divya Aaloori, Kimeera Paladugu , Praharsha Sista & Sameera Goddanti. ‘Jathiswaram’, a pure rhythmic piece interspersed with Jathis and Swaras was strikingly performed by Anuhya Juturi & Ayushi Aggrawal. The next item, a Tamil folklore song in praise of Lord Muruga was equally delightful. ‘Shiva Stuthi’ presented by Anuhya Juturi, Ayushi Aggrawal & Haripriya Mallidi grabbed the attention of the audience with striking poses of Lord Siva as he performs his vigorous dance of joy with goddess Parvathi.

Finer aspects of brisk footwork in exhilarating piece ‘Thillana’ was neatly displayed by Nivedita Ramgopal & Priyanka Shastri that marked the end of students performances. The show continued with Pallavi Kumar’s performances: ‘Tarangam’ hallmark of kuchipudi recital, elaborating stories of Lord Krishna’s prank of emptying pot of milk and lifting the Govardhana Hill. Tarangam created an electrifying finale with the footwork on the rim of the brass plate which was dealt with commendable efficiency.

“… in ’48 I came out with five paintings, which was the turning point in my life. I deliberately picked up two or three periods of Indian history. One was the classical period of the Guptas, the very sensuous form of the female body. Next was the Basohli period, the strong colors of the Basohli miniatures. The last was the folk element. With these three combined, and using colors very boldly as I did with cinema hoardings, I went to town. That was the breaking point … to come out of the influence of the British academic painting and the Bengal Revivalist School.”

Aicon Gallery, New York presents Husain at Hundred, an extensive retrospective of India’s most iconic Modern painter, M. F. Husain, in honor of what would be the artist’s 100th birthday this year, featuring landmark masterworks on canvas from every decade of Husain’s career. The exhibition traces the growth and advancement of the artist’s unique figurative style, as well as his pioneering and ever-evolved merging of Western Modernist techniques with themes from India’s epic historical and mythological texts, along with its ongoing struggle for an independent modern identity and stability in a post-colonial world.We are also honored to host a discussion with Sumathi Ramaswamy, Professor of History & International Comparative Studies at Duke University, concerning Colonialism and Independence in Husain’s art during the Opening Reception.

Long considered a pioneer of Modern Indian art, Husain initially made a living as a billboard painter and children’s furniture designer, painting at first in his spare time until joining the Bombay Progressive Artist’s Group (PAG) in 1947. His background in billboard painting gave rise to two pivotal aspects of Husain’s future practice: first, an understanding of how to communicate visually with the ‘everyman’ of India; and second, a strong appreciation for the high drama of Bollywood. The PAG grew to be the most influential group of Modern artists in India, seeking new forms of expression to capture and convey India’s complex past, along with its emerging post-colonial future. The fusion of Indian subject matter with Post-Impressionist colors, Cubist forms and Expressionist gestures forged a synthesis between early European modernist techniques and the ever-shifting cultural and historical identities of India.

Since his beginnings in the 1940s, Husain sought to radically redefine and redirect the course of Indian painting, paving the way for Modern Indian art’s now recognized presence on the international stage. In the 1950s and 1960s, Husain began moving away from heavily gestural and thick impasto techniques, simplifying and stripping his subjects of overt detail through confident but visceral line-work. A master of radiant and saturated colors paired with earthen tonalities, Husain’s use of color became a distinguishing element of his style, but one he would leave and revisit continually throughout his career. Gradually drawn to the expression of inner feelings and emotions through color and brushstroke, he moved away from representations of reality, into abstraction and expressionism, to become the prolific artist known as the “Picasso of India” (Forbes Magazine).

His odyssey to find the most immediately communicative elements of painting drew him to the residual remains of Cubism, earning him an invitation in 1971 to exhibit alongside Pablo Picasso for the Sao Paulo Biennial. He was later awarded the Padma Bhusan in 1973. Thus, a rising star by the early 1970s, Husain reached a level international prestige unparalleled by any other Indian artist of his time. Husain himself became a legend in his lifetime – an imposingly tall, bearded, and perpetually barefoot man with a shock of white hair, often brandishing an oversized paintbrush – who elevated himself from the ordinary man to a distinctive icon.

Entering into the  1980s and  1990s , Husain painted his country with the eye of a man who knew his subject uncomfortably well; he knew India’s insecurities, blemishes and inner turmoil. Beyond the controversy that eventually led him into exile, he was above all an artist radically and permanently redefining Indian art, while remaining unafraid to confront the growing social and political issues of his country’s transformations. Regardless of these conflicts, Husain won the Padma Vibhusan in 1991. Between 1990and 2006, his paintings increasingly stirred resentment from Hindu nationalist groups, who campaigned against Husain’s religious paintings of the 1970s. By 2007, charged with hundreds of suits citing indecent portrayals of Hindu deities, Husain’s past obscenities warranted his arrest. Husain lived in self-imposed exile from 2006 until his death in 2011.

In addition to his prolific output of canvases and drawings, Husain was also well known for the many series of limited edition prints, serigraphs and silkscreens he produced in collaboration with his most active patrons. Two important projects in particular, one withChester and Davida Herwitz in the U.S. and another with Anil Relia in Ahmedabad, brought Husain’s iconic style and most popular themes such as the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the artist’s impressions of Mother Teresa to a wider audience than ever before. In addition to the canvases, the current exhibition features a select set of large format serigraph scrolls from Husain’s collaboration with Relia, drawn from his well-known Mother Theresa and Horses series, being shown for the first time in the United States.

Husain, both the artist and the iconoclast, was known for his boldness; he never shied away from expressions of critiques of modern India, which helped lay the foundations for the pervading themes of Modern and Contemporary Indian art to this day. The artist consistently explored the blending of folk, religious, political and mythological subject matter to create unprecedentedly unique, vibrant and sometimes controversial works. His endless quest for his cultural roots and willingness to absorb diverse influences from both the Eastern and Western art historical canons made M. F. Husain arguably the most prolific and recognizable figure of Modern Indian art, and an artist long overdue for a serious reevaluation on an international scale.

Chicago IL: Over 200 people gathered to witness talent of Illinois area with outstanding performances of talent by youth. Association of Indians in America, Inc. Illinois Chapter proudly organized ‘Group Dance Competition 2015 – Youth Talent Show on Sunday – August 2, 2015 at Hinsdale Community House, 415W. 8th street, Hinsdale, IL 60521 from 4:00pm to 7pm. This was a unique performance by the best in the Indian community. High voltage dance performances were presented by 7 top teams from Illinois which was appreciated by more than 200 strong cheering spectators.

Shri Nakul Singh Chand, Midwest Manager for Air India, Neil Patel, Medstar Lab, Judges Chandra Dash, Sonal Patel and Sujata Sharma and Lions District Governor were invited guest.

The program opened with National Anthems of US and India sung by Anil Sharma. Dr. Ghanshyam Pandey introduced Salil Mishra, President, AIA Illinois, who in his welcome remarks said AIA has always endeavored to put the youth at the forefront and tried to achieve the objectives of the association by implementing its strategies. He thanked the Board for its support and welcomed all those present and also applauded the efforts put in by the youth.

Dr. Ghanshyam Pandey, Chairman, Board of Trustees, said AIA has always put special emphasis on youth programs from the beginning of its inception and has organized youth programs every year. Dr. Pandey gave a brief of the functioning of AIA in Illinois and complemented Salil Mishra, Beena Patel, Santosh Pandey, Sujata Sharma, Jignesh Jagaria and Anil Sharma for bringing in their expertise and resources to the organization and making the programs of the AIA a success.

Santosh Pandey, Treasurer, AIA conducted the program and did an excellent job as a Master of Ceremony. Thirteen groups participated in the youth talent competition – Bollywood Medley by Tarang, Andaz-E-Mughal by Anila Sinha Foundation, dances by Sonia’s Dance Rhythm, Rang Dini by Anila Sinha Foundation, Odissi by Utkalaa Center for Dance, Bollywood dance by Bollywood Thumkas, dances by Narthana Dance Academy and Aham Brahmasmi by Nartan Dance Academy. In between Suraj Patnaik, Lisa Mishra and Anil Sharma entertained the audience with their sweet rendition of classical, English and Bollywood songs.

At the end competition winners were announced by Dr. Pandey and Beena Patel invited all the participating groups on stage and commended their performances and said it was difficult for the judges to decide who the best is. The winners were: 1 st. Odissi by Utkalaa Dance Center, 2 nd. Bollywood Medley by Tarang and 3 rd. classical dance by Narthana. The winners as well as all participants were given certificates by the dignitaries on the stage.

Each group performed with their unique style and rhythm. The dance competition consisting of Odissi, Bharat Natyam, Kathak, Bollywood and fusion dance truly represented India. The quality and performance of each and every group was  commendable which the audience appreciated with cheers and applauses.

The 1st. Prize $750 went to Odissi Group from Utkalaa Dance Center ( performers: Sunamika Panigrahy, Brinda Gupta and Sabrina Khuntia),  2nd Prize $500 to Bollywood Medley by Tarang (performers: Rhea Shrivastava, Kanika Punhani, Ragini Sharma, Aashna Shah, Shristi Paul, Vasudha Pandey)  and 3rd. Prize $300 to Narthana Dance Institute (performers: Anusha Naidu and Laxmi Lalasa).

The Association of Indians in America (AIA) Illinois Chapter Executive Committee comprises of President Salil Mishra; Chairman Board of Trustees Dr. Ghanshyam Pandey; Vice Presidents Beena Patel and Shaheen Sayeed; Secretary Jignesh Jagaria; Treasurer Santosh Pandey; Committee Members- Anil Sharma, Lucy Pandey, Sujata Sharma, Om Dhingra, Vinod Bansal, Prem Mehrotra, Manoranjan Mishra, Ashish Sen, and Nand Kapoor.

The Association of Indians in America (AIA) is the oldest national association of Asian Indians in America. It was founded on August 20, 1967 after the United States Congress passed the Immigration Act during 1965-66, repealing the Asian Exclusion Act of 1917. The Constitution of the AIA was adopted in 1970 and was incorporated in 1971. AIA obtained the IRS exempt status in 1973. AIA is the grass root national organization of Asian Immigrants in the United States, fostered on the democratic principles of “one member one vote”, with chapters and membership spread across the United States of America. AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Commitment. Sponsors were Millennium Bank, Air India, Jignesh Jagaria, General Energy Corp, Anil Sharma (Insurance World Agency), Patel Brothers and Medstar Lab. The vote of thanks was proposed by Beena Patel who thanked the Dance Gurus for continuing dance education to our children and parents and keeping our culture alive for years to come by instilling traditional values in them.

Washington, DC – August 15, 2015:  India’s 69th Independence Day was celebrated in Washington DC today on August 15, 2015 at Embassy Residence. Ambassador Arun K. Singh unfurled the National Flag. National Anthem was sung by all. Thereafter, Ambassador addressed the guests and read out President’s Independence Day Address to the Nation.

Over 350 community members attended the Independence Day celebrations. The celebrations were concluded with a brief cultural programme of patriotic songs in different Indian languages.

The Indian community celebrated India’s Independence Day with Ambassador Arun K. Singh unfurling the national flag and a cultural program of patriotic songs in different Indian languages. The ambassador addressed the guests and read out the president’s Independence Day address to the nation.

In his own message on the occasion, Singh thanked the Indian nationals and the Indian American community for their “dynamic, substantial and continuous contribution to strengthening the relationship between the largest democracy and the oldest democracy. Hailed as the defining partnership of the 21st century in the world, India and the U.S. are enhancing their relationship not only at the bilateral level, but also at the regional and global levels,” he said. “People-to-people contact is one of the strongest pillars of this growing relationship.”

NEW YORK:  An Indian-American classical dancer is set to perform at a concert in California this weekend to raise funds for a high-poverty elementary school, a media report said. Sharanya Balaji, a 16-year-old senior from Harker school, said she wants to help the Grant Elementary School which lacks basic education facilities, mercurynews.com reported.

“It was shocking to me. Arts education was not there. I really wanted to do something that also meant something to me and that I could continue into the future,” Balaji said. “There are so many ways to raise a well-rounded child, and the arts are one of them,” Grant Elementary Principal Paulette Zades said, adding that “We can give them academics all day, but they need both sides of it.” Ms Balaji will perform at Los Altos high school in California. She has won many competitions all over the world, including a junior division prize at the prestigious Cleveland Thyagaraja festival in April this year. She has been dancing professionally since she was 12 and has raised funds for the school earlier also.

Victoria and Albert Museum (V&AM) in London, which claims to be “world’s greatest museum of art and design”, will be showcasing Lord Vishnu avatars on silk in its Fabric of India exhibition from October three to January 10.

Dated around 1570, this display will include a Hindu narrative cloth in silk lampas weave, depicting avatars of Lord Vishnu. It will be “the first exhibition to fully explore the incomparably rich world of handmade textiles from India”, presenting about 200 objects made by hand, including sacred temple hangings and some expressing religious devotion and examining how fabrics were used in spiritual life. “Sacred fabrics created for temples and shrines would employ the best of available materials and highest levels of craftsmanship,” Museum release says.

Commending V&AM for plans to exhibit Lord Vishnu, 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.

Some fragments of Indian fabric dating back as far as the 3rd century will be on display in this exhibition curated by Rosemary Crill and Divia Patel and designed by Gitta Geschwendtner, which will form part of V&AM’s India Festival.

Martin Roth and Paul Ruddock are Director and Board of Trustees Chairman respectively of V&AM, which claims to have “unrivalled collections of contemporary and historic art and design”.

Priyanka Chopra’s American TV debut with ABC Network’s “Quantico,” an FBI drama, has been creating waves not only among the Bollywood superstar’s fans but also Indian entertainers in the U.S.

Apart from the fact that Priyanka is the first Indian actress to star as the main lead on an American TV show, it is also the first time that an Indian actress has been promoted as the face of a show.  Indians in the entertainment business know that Priyanka’s TV outing is surely a big deal.

“Big Bang Theory” star Kunal Nayyar expressed that on Twitter recently, when he wished Priyanka luck for her TV outing. “@priyankachopra good luck on Quantico. Lovely to see dilli and mumbaiyyas working it across the globe:)” he wrote. Priyanka thanked Kunal for the wishes and complimented him on his show. “Thank u @kunalnayyar love ur show!” she wrote.

After spotting Priyanka’s “Quantico” hoardings, which are now all over in big cities, Youtube sensation Lilly Singh aka Superwoman, who recently received an Emmy nomination, congratulated Priyanka for breaking barriers by starring as the main protagonist on an American show. “Get it girl @priyankachopra #breakingbarriers,” tweeted Lilly.

Considering that Lilly has done a parody of Priyanka’s single featuring Pitbull, “Exotic,” in the past, Priyanka replied saying she couldn’t wait for Lily’s take on her show. “Thank u hon!! Can’t wait for ur take on Quantico next!!” wrote Priyanka. “You know it,” tweeted Lilly to that. So we should surely expect a “Quantico” parody from her soon!

It’s lovely to see the mutual admiration among desi entertainers, isn’t it? “Quantico” premieres on ABC Sept. 27, 10/9 C.

Set to be released on September 11, “The Visit” is an intimate family drama tucked inside a horror picture, the New York Times reported. Written, produced and directed by Shyamalan, the $5-million film is about two teenagers visiting their oddly behaving grandparents who scratch the walls at night and have a weird secret in the shed, among other places. After the failure of “Lady in the Water”, “The Happening”, “The Last Airbender” and “After Earth” at the box office, the “The Sixth Sense” fame director is looking forward to repeat his success story with “The Visit”.

The film has been an unexpected hit with audiences in sneak-peek screenings. It was lauded at the Comic-Con International held in San Diego in July. “I admit that I was skeptical going in,” an attendee said, adding, “But it was one of the best horror movies I have ever seen. And it was funny.

“M. Night Shyamalan’s best film in a very, very, VERY long time,” William Bibbiani, a critic at CraveOnline, wrote on Twitter after attending a screening of the movie last month. After four flops in a row, Shyamlan became a part of the team behind “Wayward Pines,” a mystery series on television and gathered much praise.

“Because there are fewer resources in television, I learned how much fat I had on me, how many puffed-up bad habits,” Shyamalan was quoted as saying. “There was this great feeling of slowly shedding the fat,” he added.

Rapper Nicki Minaj’s wax work at Madame Tussauds has been groped by visitors so many times that it would now be remodeled. The museum called the visitors’ inappropriate behavior “unfortunate”. The figure, which displays a scantily-clad Minaj, was made based on the rapper’s music video for “Anaconda”.

One visitor posed with her tongue about to lick the figure’s derriere, reports aceshowbiz.com. “Madame Tussauds attractions are interactive, immersive experiences, and our visitors are generally respectful towards the wax figures,” the museum said in a statement.

“It is unfortunate that this visitor decided to behave so inappropriately and we apologize for any offense this has caused,” the statement added. The museum is also tightening security around the figure.

“We do have staff monitoring guest behavior in the attraction and do our utmost to ensure our wax figures are treated respectfully, but on this occasion clearly one of of our hosts was not present,” the statement continued.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (ISGM) in Boston is currently exhibiting artwork titled “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”, which uses Hindu bindis as a signature element. Created by artist-in-residence England-born Bharti Kher for the Museum’s façade, it reflects on maritime travel, and uses bindis as a central motif “to map demographic movement in an abstract way”; and shall be displayed till January next.

Commending ISGM for exhibiting art centered around a Hindu symbol, 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), Art Institute of Chicago, 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.

Bindi (also known by tika, tilak, pundra and other names), also sometimes referred as “third eye” and flame, is an auspicious Hindu symbol, and is also used for meditative purposes. ISGM, designed as a work of art in totality, provides an unusual backdrop for the viewing of art. It contains works by Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler and Sargent. Anne Hawley is the Director.

Indian-Canadian comedienne Lilly Singh has earned a nomination in the “2015 Teen Choice Awards” to be held in Los Angeles on August 16, a media report said.

Lilly Singh, 26, popularly known by her YouTube username “Superwoman”, was nominated in “Choice YouTuber” and “Choice Web Star: Comedy” categories, US-based Celebuzz website said on Wednesday.

“HOLY BUCKETS OF AWESOME SAUCE! We have been nominated for TWO #TeenChoice awards! You can vote on FB,” Lilly Singh wrote in a Twitter post.

Lilly Singh is also a motivational speaker. She is particularly known for her satirical takes on everyday life.

Born in Ontario to Malwinder and Sukhwinder Singh, she is known among her fans for uploading videos on YouTube every Monday and Thursday.

Lilly Singh has admitted to struggling with depression and unhappiness before she started her YouTube stint.

Later, she began creating YouTube videos to self-medicate and feel happier.

“One of the reasons she decided to pursue a career as a YouTuber is because there was a lack of representation of women on the internet from the South Asian community,” the report said.

She has gained popularity for her satirical takes on themes like “How Girls Get Ready”, “Types of Kids at School” and “Girls On Their Periods”.

In addition to making YouTube videos, she has a website under the name “Unicorn Island” which sells merchandise based on her YouTube persona.

She has also been featured in many songs, such as “Hipshaker”, alongside Jassi Sidhu.

Last year, she performed the rap part of the song “Mauj Ki Malharein”, which featured in the Bollywood film “Gulaab Gang”.

Popular Indian actor  Hrithik Roshan  and Oscar-winning composer  A.R. Rahman are joining hands with renowned British filmmaker Richard Curtis to raise awareness about the United Nation’s sustainable development goals, which will be adopted in September 2015.

Curtis aims to harness the power of radio and will work with global popup radio station Radio Everyone to get the goals to seven billion people in the seven days after 193 world leaders at the UN adopt the series of ambitious goals to end extreme poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change for everyone by 2030.

In this ambitious project, Curtis aims to bring on board 17 global celebrities to say the 17 goals and “get the message out.” Rahman and Roshan, two of the most popular and followed Indian celebrities, will join hands with Curtis in his initiative.

The “Global Goals” campaign will use radio, the world’s most accessible medium, to shine a spotlight on the sustainable development goals, which are “the most important to-do list in history for people and the planet,” a statement said.

As part of the campaign, Rahman; Nigerian hip hop recording artist Ice Prince; and English singer-songwriter, musician Peter Gabriel, along with global communicators, will support Radio Everyone in reaching as many of the world’s seven billion people in a week.

On the global goals, Curtis said, “It is an ambitious plan for an ambitious generation. It will be the first generation to end extreme poverty, the most determined generation to end inequality and the last generation to be threatened by climate change. This should unite people.”

Curtis added that India is “absolutely crucial” in the success of the project and of the development goals. Radio Everyone will also take highlights from the Global Citizen Festival to be held at Central Park here in September and share them with their global partners in the weekfollowing the adoption of the goals.

New York: Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray is among the 16 global thinkers whose portraits have been displayed here at the UN art exhibition titled The Transformative Power of Art. They have been recognized for contributing to the common good of humanity.

“Today, the urgency of placing people at the centre of everything we do is both a challenge and a miracle of human creativity that can be translated into a common language of artistic inspiration as our fragile Mother Earth faces the devastating consequences of climate change, a defining challenge of our time,” Ugandan Sam Kutesa, who currently holds the rotational presidency of the UN General Assembly, said in a statement published on the official website.

Satyajit Ray, an Indian filmmaker and among the dozen or so great masters of world cinema, is known for his humanistic approach to cinema. He made his films in Bengali, a language spoken in the eastern state of India – West Bengal. And yet, his films are of universal interest. They are about things that make up the human race – relationships, emotions, struggle, conflicts, joys and sorrows.

Satyajit Ray, the master storyteller, has left a cinematic heritage that belongs as much to India as to the world. His films demonstrate a remarkable humanism, elaborate observation and subtle handling of characters and situations. The cinema of Satyajit Ray is a rare blend of intellect and emotions. He is controlled, precise, meticulous, and yet, evokes deep emotional response from the audience. His films depict a fine sensitivity without using melodrama or dramatic excesses. He evolved a cinematic style that is almost invisible. He strongly believed – “The best technique is the one that’s not noticeable”.

Though initially inspired by the neo-realist tradition, his cinema belongs not to a specific category or style but a timeless meta-genre of a style of story telling that touches the audience in some way. His films belong to a meta-genre that includes the works of Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Chaplin, David Lean, Federico Fellini, Fritz Lang, John Ford, Ingmar Bergman, Jean Renoir, Luis Bunuel, Yasujiro Ozu, Ritwik Ghatak and Robert Bresson. All very different in style and content, and yet creators of cinema that is timeless and universal.

Satyajit Ray’s films are both cinematic and literary at the same time; using a simple narrative, usually in a classical format, but greatly detailed and operating at many levels of interpretation.  His first film, Pather Panchali (Song of the little road, 1955) established his reputation as a major film director, winning numerous awards including Best Human Document, Cannes, 1956 and Best Film, Vancouver, 1958. It is the first film of a trilogy – The Apu Trilogy – a three-part tale of a boy’s life from birth through manhood. The other two films of this trilogy are Aparajito (The Unvanquished, 1956) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu, 1959).

His later films include Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958),  Devi  (The Goddess, 1960),  Teen Kanya  (Two Daughters, 1961), Charulata (The Lonely Wife, 1964), Nayak (The Hero, 1966), Asani Sanket(Distant Thunder, 1973), Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977), Ghare Baire (The Home and the World, 1984), Ganashatru (An Enemy Of The People, 1989) and Shakha Prashakha (Branches Of The Tree, 1991). Agantuk (The Stranger, 1991) was his last film.  Ray directly controlled many aspects of filmmaking. He wrote all the screenplays of his films, many of which were based on his own stories.

He designed the sets and costumes, operated the camera since Charulata (1964), he composed the music for all his films since 1961 and designed the publicity posters for his new releases.
In addition to filmmaking, Ray was a composer, a writer and a graphic designer. He even designed a new typeface. In 1961, he revived and continued to publish the Bengali children’s magazine “Sandesh”, which was founded by his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray .

In 1978, the organizing committee of the Berlin Film Festival ranked him as one of the three all-time best directors. In 1992, Satyajit Ray received the honorary Academy Award ©A.M.P.A.S. ® – Lifetime Achievement – “In recognition of his rare mastery of the art of motion pictures and for his profound humanitarian outlook, which has had an indelible influence on filmmakers and audiences throughout the world.” Other honors include “Lègion d’Honneur”, France and “Bharatratna” (Jewel of India).

The portraits are meant to project the power of generosity that touches the human heart and conscience. The men and women who are represented never lost sight of the most vulnerable.

The exhibition, which takes place under the United Nations ‘2015: Time for Global Action’ campaign, is primarily destined to raise awareness about climate change and our fragile ecosystems.

The portraits are meant to project the power of generosity that touches the human heart and conscience. The men and women who are represented never lost sight of the most vulnerable. Apart from Ray, the list includes Pierre-Claver Akendengué (Gabon), Maya Angelou (US), Joan Baez (US), Audrey Hepburn (Britain), Vassily Kandinsky (Russia), Umm Kulthum (Egypt), Gong Li (China), Miriam Makeba (South Africa), Edgar Morin (France), Fatemeh Motamed-Arya (Iran), Okot p’Bitek (Uganda), Sebastião Salgado (Brazil), Wole Soyinka (Nigeria), Ngugi Wa Thiong’o (Kenya), and Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan).

‘The Transformative Power of Art’ is open to all in the Visitor’s concourse at United Nations Headquarters here. The sculptures that are exhibited are made of natural elements provided by nature’s bounty from all parts of the world. They bear testimony to nature’s resilience in the face of man-made challenges. The sculptures are like totems, silent performers, and reminders of the perils facing Mother Earth and humankind.

The 16 accompanying portraits represent people from all continents who, during their lifetime, contributed to the common good of humanity in one way or another and have transformed the way we think. The objective of the exhibition is to demonstrate that art creates bridges where politics divide. It was designed with the conviction that artistic impulse always carries seeds of redemption.

The star-studded VIP fashion, beauty and entertainment gala extravaganza, Miss India America 2015, will see the crowning of Mr. & Miss India America and the honoring of those that have excelled in entertainment during The Elite Awards, to be held Aug. 8 at the LAX Renaissance hotel here.

The year marks the 23rd anniversary of the beauty pageant, founded in 1992 by Jinder Chohan, which has gone on to become an international event. Mr. & Miss India America 2015 is presented by South Asia Magazine, Wells Fargo and JINmodels.com.

Celebrity red carpet arrivals begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner (catered by Ashoka the Great Indian restaurant), and a show and celebration party with a DJ. The Mr. & Miss India America pageant promises to be an amazing cultural experience with glamour and entertainment displaying Indian beauty and talent on a mainstream platform, said a press release. “Bollywood filmmaker Anil Sharma of hit films ‘Gadar,’ ‘Veer’ and ‘Apne’ will be one of the official judges at the Mr. & Miss India America competition,” Chohan declared in the press release.

“We are also honored to have Hollywood producer Sunil Perkash, of hits ‘Salt’ with Angelina Jolie and ‘Premonition’ with Sandra Bullock, joining us at our pageant.” The Elite Awards 2015 will honor top Hollywood producers Randall Emmett and Adi Shankar.

Emmett’s blockbuster hits include “2 Guns” with Denzel Washington, “Empire State” with Liam Hemsworth, “Escape Plan” with Sylvester Stallone, and “16 Blocks” with Bruce Willis, amongst others; while Shankar’s blockbusters include “Lone Survivor” with Mark Wahlberg, “Killing Them Softly” with Brad Pit, “Broken City” with Russell, and “The Grey” with Liam Neeson.  The Elite Awards honor those that have excelled in the entertainment industry and have inspired others.

Many of the pageant’s past winners are making it in Hollywood, such as Melanie Kannokada, a former Miss India America, who can be seen on HBO’s “The Brink” and on the new CBS television series, “Code Black” in September. Nishi Munshi, former Miss India California, can be seen on CW’s “The Originals,” and Hasan Minaj, former Mr. India California, is a regular on “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart.

The evening will also feature prominent personalities from all over the world walking down the red carpet. Tickets to the pageant can be purchased by logging on to http://www.southasiainc.com/ and clicking on tickets, or by calling Jinder Chohan at (310) 994-9500.