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King Khan, Kareena win ‘Apsara’ awardsFiled Under: Aaja Nachle, Bollywood, Men, Movies, Music, Om Shanthi Om, Pictures, Shah Rukh Khan, TV, lyrics

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan received the best actor award for his recital in the Yash Raj Films’ super hit film “Chak De! India”.

Film and Television Producers’ Guild of India (FTPGI) honoured veteran Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra with its top award for “outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema”.

Kareena Kapoor walked away with the best actress trophy for  the film “Jab We Met” at a scintillating presentation ceremony at the MMRDA Ground in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in northwest Mumbai Sunday.
FTPGI hosts its own award ceremony to honour Indian artistes as well as creative and technical personalities from the film industry every year. 
The trophies are known as “Apsara” awards. 
While “Chak De! India” was chosen the best movie of 2007, its director Shimit Amin bagged the trophy for the best director. 
A Pakistani television channel, ARY Gold, also honoured actor Hrithik Roshan as the Best Male Style Icon of the year at the ceremony.
Katrina Kaif bagged the Best Female Style Icon ARY Gold trophy. 
Akshay Kumar, who churned out the maximum number of hits last year, was adjudged the “Entertainer of the Year” by the FTPGI jury. 
NDTV Imagine honoured Deepika Pudokone and Ranbir Kapoor as the year’s best new faces, respectively.
Salman Khan and Govinda received the hit pair NDTV Imagine trophy for their breezy performances in producer Sohail Khan’s hit movie last year, “Partner”.
Salman Khan, Bipasha Basu, Kareena and Riteish Deshmukh performed on the stage. The awards presentation ceremony was put together by Wizcraft.

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Reminiscences of an old gallantry award winnerFiled Under: Images, India, Indians, Interviews

He won gallantry award from Pandit Jawarhal Lal Nehru at the age of 14, but now at the age of 64, he lives the life of an unsung hero in the by-lanes of Chandi Chowk, Old Delhi, India

• An icon at the age of 14 and an insignificant person at 64. This is Harish Chander Mehra, the first gallantry award winner who now lives unsung in the bylanes of Katra Neel in Chandni Chowk. 
• The honour was bestowed on him in 1958 by then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, whose life he had saved. Still then, the awards are now given to children annually on Indian Republic Day and they pass through Rajpath, near India Gate, sitting on an elephant.
• The reminiscences are stamped in Mehra’s heart and the pain of having been elapsed once the short dalliance with famous person’s status died.

• Recollecting the incident Mehra quoted “On October 2, 1957 evening, during the Ram Lila celebrations in Old Delhi’s Ramlila Ground, Nehru along with his daughter, Indira Gandhi and some foreign delegates was watching the fireworks that preceded the function. Suddenly, some sparks fell on the tent in which they were sitting and it caught fire.”
• The congested place had people running haphazardly to accumulate their lives. Mehra, then a boy scout, was standing at the entrance hall of the pergola. He entered the flaming tent and ran near Nehru and instantaneously pulled him in the direction of the dais. In a fraction of seconds, he climbed on to one of the poles, pulled out the scouts’ knife and cut off the burning tent. In the scuffle, Mehra’s hands got rigorously blistered and he gone unconscious.
• Mehra was presented with a certificate on the nexdt morning by Minister Jagjivanram. After three months, while studying in Class 8, his Principal, Tej Bhan Sethi entered the classroom and took the dazed child to the string of media persons and photographers waiting for him on the school grounds.
• In the same year,The following year, a special programme was organised to honour Mehra and he was presented the Gallantry Award by Nehru at Teen Murti Bhawan.

“Nehru had said that I needed no introduction, as he was himself an eyewitness to the whole account. He said it would be better if we could have more children of undoubted courage,” says the shuddering Mehra.

• Newspapers published Mehra’s profiles and interviews. A documentary film was made followed by an invitation to participate in the Republic Day parade held on January 26, 1959. A civilian boy was made to lead the parade for the first time. Five years later, due to economic crisis, Mehra had to quit studies. He took up a job as Lower Divisions Clerk in Union Public Service Commission.
• After few years he was transferred to the Controller of Publications with no incentive and promotion. He retired from there on February 27, 2004.Apart from the populace in close proximity to him, no one ever since remembered Mehra. Every year, Mehra sits with his three sons and four grandchildren to gaze at the Republic Day parade on TV. The award winning children surpass all the way through Rajpath, memoirs draw closer once again for Mr Mehra.

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King of Jungle knocks down and severely injures Keralalite TrainerFiled Under: Desi General, desi

An unfortunately managed photo-shoot at the Bowmanville Zoo, Toronto to erect circulation by presenting how bizarre ancient Indian martial arts can be, turned out to be very fatal for Indian Martial Art Trainer Gitanjali of Kerala .

Kerala - India

The Indian trainer was knocked over by a lion during the photo shoot at the Zoo . She broke  four ribs and a bloodied lung.

“To be honest, the sensation I have is a great deal of gratitude to be alive,� Gitanjali Kolanad said the bedridden trainer.

Since the commencement, the 180 kilogram beast proved mischievous and not completely in command of of its two minders.

Kolanad, 54, practices the ancient, and perceptibly feeble, Indian martial art of Kalaripayat, formed after the actions of such animals as the lion, elephant, wild boar and peacock. The magazine opted she pose with a lion. Next time, she might just tell them where to get off, and choose a peacock instead!

A video of the session shows Leo first knocking over editor Sonia Verma. She picks herself up and smiles. He next paws the legs of photographer Richard Lautens. Off-camera, he also took a swipe at the legs of art director Spencer Wynn.

The 3-year-old lion was two-faced in close proximity when an unmindful Kolanad was reaching into her actions. Still imperfect to leap, the animal jumped up and fell on her, knocking the breath out of her, injuring her left lung and infringing four left ribs.

It was not an assail, the witnesses said. The lion’s mouth was not open and Kolanad was not dented. The Bowmanville Zoo had no comment on the incident.

Focus is key in Kalaripayat, which bases its movements on the graceful control of animals. It’s a constant lesson in focal point. When you lose your focus, you instantaneously get hit.

In the video, one attendant kicks the otherwise obedient beast in the neck while the other pulls on Leo’s chain. The lion takes a second, abortive attack at Kolanad as she lies breathless, before he is escorted out the door.

Incapable to work for the past month and still in pain, Kolanad said she feels on the road to recovery.

This shows that there are no limits to human stupidity like performing before a  dangerous beast at the cost of one’s life!!!

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Hijack the movie: Revisiting KandaharFiled Under: Bollywood, Box Office, Hijack

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A new Bollywood film about a plane hijacking involving a separatist militant outfit echoes the real life hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999.

But “Hijack”, directed by Kunal Shivdasani, will focus on a rescue operation conducted by lead actor Shiney Ahuja inside the aircraft — something that did not happen in the Kandahar case.

“It may seem similar to that of the Kandahar hijacking case but ‘Hijack’ is a purely fictional film,” Shivdasani told Reuters.

“We are not pointing fingers at the Kandahar hijackers or which group was responsible behind the incident.”

Five armed men hijacked the Airbus A-300 carrying 189 passengers and crew between Kathmandu and New Delhi on Christmas Eve in 1999. The plane touched down in western India, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates before landing in Kandahar in Afghanistan.

The hijackers killed one passenger early in the week-long stand-off, but the remaining passengers and crew walked free after India released three Kashmir separatist militants from jail.

India said the hijackers, who were never caught, were all Pakistani and accused Pakistan’s government of complicity in the hijacking, charges it denied.

British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, one of the freed militants, was later convicted and sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for his role in the murder in 2002 of Daniel Pearl, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

“My film is thoroughly commercial and if people come to watch my film due to similarity of the film’s plot to that of Kandahar incident, (it’s) good for us,” Shivdasani said.

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Amul Star Voice of India, Chotte Ustad, Star PlusFiled Under: Amul SVOI, Amul Star Voice of India, Star Plus, Star Voice Of India

Only three contestants were left for the final up till yesterday for the Amul Star Voice of India, Chotte Ustad.

But during the latest non-telecast shoot, Prakriti Giri has been eliminated from Amul Star Voice of India-Chhote Ustaad.  Everyone first deliberated that this 12-year-old girl from Darjeeling would tag along the route of Indian Idol 3 winner Prashant Tamang as she continued her balanced scramble in the show, making it to the top five. But dissimilar to Prashant, Prakriti failed to grasp enough votes from the audience which would have saved her from the elimination round. The elimination episode is yet to be telecast and will be aired this Friday.

While liked by the judges, Prakriti faced callous opponents in the form of Aishwarya from Ahmedabad and Anvesha Dutta from Kolkata. In all the voting episodes, Prakriti managed to confine sufficient amount of votes to stay in the battle. She also made a record of sorts by securing the highest number of votes in all the episodes.

Nevertheless, last week, Aishwarya beat her to the top smudge with the uppermost number of votes.   I see Aishwarya as queen of the show.  She knows how to catch the fancy of the crowd as she is a unadorned superb singer in accurate sagacity and consider it is all about promotion. If one is not marketing the capacity then I am afraid one might gap at the rear. Full marks to the Hon’ble judges, as they have made their target clear to all of us. Now Anwesha have to substantiate herself to choose the popular song. But in spite of all the dramas and political views, it is better if she  ponder on her singing only. Adesh precisely said; mike & camera don’t lie & of course when Pritam said, Anwesha is Anwesha. I think it means Anwesha is a brand and a class apart.

Not only India but the total world is behind you to witness the historic moment when history will be created on the Small screen as our Anwesha will be crowned Chhote Ustaad on 5th April ’08.

I am sorry, Aishwariya, I don’t see you in the crowning glory. You lack behind something, which is beyond me and my Team to articulate. Actually we see Anwesha as a full package. She has unfussiness, beauty, exquisiteness, traits, endowment, down to earth outlook, tremendous throw of voice, appropriateness of  her voice to many heroines and above all stupendous singing capabilities.
May I take this opportunity to request you all to kindly support Anwesha whole heartedly by sending maximum number of votes to her so as to enabling her winning this competition. 
It becomes incumbent upon us to back and support right talent and that is only ANWESHA.

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Deepika Padukone very candid on the Kapoor familyFiled Under: Bollywood, Box Office

When Deepika Padukone met her idol, Rishi Kapoor not as a fan but Rishi’s son’s girlfriend she was flabbergasted and said “It’s amazing. But in his younger days my dad (badminton champ Prakash Padukone) was often told that he resembled Rishi Uncle. I grew up as his big fan, have seen Karz and Kabhi Kabhie number of times. When Ranbir took me to meet his parents, I was re-living my childhood images of the most compatible couple I’ve ever seen on screen.”
Even the Kapoors has welcomed their would be daughter in law that’s why Deepika feels “Rishi Uncle is so warm. As for Neetu Aunty, she has an aura of natural grace and charm about her. She’s very poised and articulate. I’ve met her more than I’ve met Uncle. Me and Rishi uncle are going to be working toge

ther. We had a reading together recently. He’s so passionate about cinema. I’ve so much to learn from him.” 

Deepika cannot go on without appreciating the Kapoors, she has lot of regard to both of them which is apparent from her statement which says “Both Ranbir and his sister Ridhima have been brought up with the right values. They come from such an illustrious family. And yet they’re so down-to-earth. I see many similarities between their upbringing and mine. Though both Ranbir and I were exposed to celebrity situations from childhood, our parents have made sure we’re firmly rooted to reality.”
When asked about their marriage, Deepika expressed that “we’re both very comfortable in our relationship. Now that we’ve come out in the open about our relationship, our parents are very happy. Beyond that it’s too early to talk about marriage.”
About her affair with Yuvraj and on the impressionable comment made by Yuvraj, Deepika says confidently that “I really don’t think she said anything against me. If she had a grudge she’d call me up and talk to me. I always say that no outside source can know what kind of a relationship two people share. I spoke to her after the statements attributed to her came out. I’ve always shared a fantastic rapport with her. She’s a wonderful and strong person. I’ve learnt a lot from her. As a woman and mother, I look up to Yuvraaj’s mother. She’s a multi-tasking mother. She has single-handedly brought up her two children. Yuvraaj is doing extremely well for himself. And his younger brother who has just started out is also doing very well himself. I wish the family all the best.”

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King Khan’s Cricket TeamFiled Under: Cricket

King Khan today launched his cricket team under the banner Knightriders in Kolkatta. The name of the site is www.kolkataknightriders.com/home.html. The team activities and actions are towards sports strength and courage of children and youth of the country. The joint owners of the team are the great SRK and actress Juhi Chawla and her business mind husband Jay Mehta.

Sourav Ganguli has been named as the Captain along with tough players like Shoiab Akthar and Ricky Ponting.  John Bucanen will be the coach of the team.

The theme song for the team has been composed by multitalented Vishal-Shekhar and the song has been sung by Vishal.  The jingle for the song is something like Korbo,lodbo,jeethore in Bangla.  More songs will be composed by Pritam and to be sung by Usha Uthup the Kolkata much-loved.

The official clothes has been sponsored by Belmonte, designed flamboyant  Manish Malhotra.  The colour of the T-shirt is gold and black, SRK feels gold is lucky for him.  SRK himself has chosen Jersey No.12 and says he will be the waterman for the team in an athletic spirit.

A golden helmet as musket of the team, enclosed in glass was offered to Saurav and certain other members of the organisation.

SRK also unveiled the team’s logo Hoog-lee shown as a cartoon character, the surprise members’ name will be announced later.

SRK disclosed that he does not anything much about cricket on a funny message. He stated that a sum of INR 80,000/- crores will be the expected  annual turnover, out of which 80% money will be dispersed to the players.

Sony Max will be official broadcaster of the matches which will begin from March 18 onwards.

Well whatever King Khan does, he steals the thunder as ever. Good luck King Khan!

No
Name
Age
Nationality
Playing role
Batting Style
Bowling/Fielding
Bidding Price

1
Sourav Ganguly (Captain)
35

Batsman
LHB
Right-arm medium
Icon Player

2
Ishant Sharma
19

Bowler
RHB
Right-arm fast
US$ 950,000

3
Chris Gayle
28

All-rounder
LHB
Right-arm off spin
US$ 950,000

4
Brendon McCullum
26

Batsman/WK
RHB
Wicket-keeper
US$ 700,000

5
David Hussey
30

Batsman
RHB
Right-arm off spin
US$ 675,000

6
Shoaib Akhtar
32

Bowler
RHB
Right-arm fast
US$ 450,000

7
Murali Kartik
31

Bowler
LHB
Left-arm orthodox spin
US$ 425,000

8
Ricky Ponting
33

Batsman
RHB
Right-arm medium
US$ 400,000

9
Ajit Agarkar
30

All-rounder
RHB
Right-arm fast-medium
US$ 350,000

10
Umar Gul
24

Bowler
RHB
Right-arm fast-medium
US$ 150,000

11
Tatenda Taibu
24

Batsman/WK
RHB
Wicket-keeper
US$ 125,000

12
Salman Butt
23

Batsman
LHB
Right-arm off spin

US$ 100,000

13
Mohammad Hafeez
27

All-rounder
RHB
Right-arm off spin
US$ 100,000

Front Office:

• Owners - Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, & Jai Mehta
• CEO - TBA
• President - TBA

Coaches:

• Head Coach - John Buchanan
• Assistant Head Coach -
• Physiotherapist - Andrew Leipus^[5]
• Physical Trainer - Adrian Le Roux^[6]

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Zeenat Aman and Raj Babbar coming together againFiled Under: Bollywood, Box Office, Movies

Zeenat Aman, yesteryear glamour doll has signed together with Raj Babbar in “Dil to Diwana Hai” and says that it would be motivating to work with him again.

Incidentally, Zeenat is an ex-Miss India and Raj Babbar, these days is in the politics.

They were seen together for the first time in “Insaaf Ka Tarazu”, in which Zeenat played a model and Raj Babbar a rapist. To be produced by D.S. Productions, the film is being directed actor Raja Bundela.

“When Raja Bundela approached me for this role I just thought that it would certainly be interesting to work with Raj Babbar again,” said Zeenat  who is in mid fifties now.

Apart from these two seasoned actors, there are two newcomers in the film — Aamir Khan’s brother Hyder Ali and popular Tamil and Telugu actress Sadaa.

Zeenat plays Hyder’s mother and Raj Babbar will be seen as Sadaa’s father. “Dil to Diwana Hai”, explores the changing mentality of the new generation, their attitude towards family values, traditions and the requirements of a bridge that can hold them between ethics and modern culture.

The shoot of the film will start in May,2008

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King Khan and Ash come together for movieFiled Under: Aishwaria Rai Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan

Sharukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai are getting together to act again after a long period of gap.  This couple could not come togther after Devdas was due to the fact that Sallu bhai was very possessive of Aish.

Salman Khan had made this very clear on the sets of CHALTE CHALTE (2003), in which Ash was to act opposite Sharukh, but then due to a fight on the sets between Sallu and Sharukh, Ash could not star, and later Rani was chosen.

But at present everything is over between the old lovebirds. Today Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is enjoying the triumph of her first post marriage release, JODHAA AKBAR. She is also known to be “The first fully active actress after marriage!�

The onscreen chemistry between SRK and Aish are noticeable, there is no two opinion about it. The fact that their pairing in films like, JOSH (2000),  MOHABBATEIN (2000)  and  DEVDAS (2002) proved to be a big knock , cannot be shorn of.

The general view was that Aishwarya when Josh was released, Aish shared a better chemistry with SRK (who played her brother in the film) than with her love significance, Chandrachur Singh. Ash and Sharukh have that kind of appearance, which draws people to their films. Till today, their item number, ‘Ishq Kameena’ from SHAKTI -THE POWER (2002) is amazing.

Bachchan Bahu was asked if she was ready to work with Sharukh, she said that she is ready to work with him, provided that there is a proposal worthy of her consideration.

That is a statement worth to be listened by filmmakers.

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