THEY are hep and happening. Queens of the soap and role models to millions of young girls. Over the past more than a year, the small picture tube has been virtually invaded by a new set of young ladies who are setting new fashion styles and social trends.
These young new divas have not just elbowed out the well-known ones but have made them look like the generation past. Much of the credit must go to, who else? Ekta Kapoor, who has introduced a slew of new ladies who have cast a spell on the Indian audience. Stars who were nobodies till a year or so ago but are top of the pops today.
The good wife is always in a designer saree, complete with sindoor and mangalsutra. But the fiance can wear jeans and a sleeveless or noodles top. At least that is what the small screen seems to be preaching.
1.Shweta Tiwari
She is leading the band is who has attained heady stardom with her role in Kasautii Zindagi Kay. I would say she is bold, good looking ,tall and has immense screen presence. She can dance well and act too and her dialogue deliverance is quite spontaneous. She has all qualities for the leading heroine in Hindi films.
2. Prachi Desai
If purity needed a synonym in today’s Indian television industry, Prachi Desai would be the top challenger. The 17-year-old actress did wonders with her portrayal of Bani in Kasamh Se and is the undisputed number one actress of 2007. Not only did she elevate the character to a new level, but she also became one of the most popular faces in the industry. Desai is Ekta Kapoor’s latest blue-eyed-girl and there is a lot more expected from her in the years to come.
3. Divyanaga
She is a beauty, pretty and lovely in herself, although I am not watching any of her serials but in between when IÂ see her in Saas Bahu aur Sajish, I have become a fan of her. Recently she won best actress award. She embodies innocence in her looks.
4.Pravina
I dont know her off screen name, but she does a fabulous job in Baa Bahu aur Baby. Rcently her character has been killed in the serial, hope she will get resurrection soon. She is witty and her screen presence is immense and colossal.
5.Lubna
She is the Hema Malini look alike of Baa Bahu aur baby. Somehow even when she does overacting, it is not irritating and the way she portrays the character as the eldest bahu she is marvellous.
6.Richa Gujarati
She used to be the bahu of Babhi, recently has character has been given to somebody else. I always used to feel this girl has immense potential, and that has been materialised, it is learnt that she has signed a film with Abjieet Sawant, the Indian Idol. She performs has role quite candidly.
7.Panchi Vohra
She became a bahu very recently in kayamat, but from the very beginning, I had predicted that she will be the Rani Mukherjee of TV and that has really happened. She is sober, beautiful and with no ommps. Very simple and very innocent. 8.Pallavi
This dark girl fares well in Karam Apna Apna. She fully justifies with her role as a daughter from a lower middle class family , but now a bahu of a very rich family.
9.Sangeeta Ghosh
This lady has vivacious screen presence and recently we saw her in Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand which won her a instant fame.
10.Kavita Nagpal
She plays Rakesh Bedis wife in Office Office. Although she is very plump and old enough for the role she play, but still I like the way she enacts her role. She is simply superb. Readers now you give your choice of bahus in the TV and let us see which bahu wins the most of the vote.
Anwesha Duttagupta, the contestant in Chhote Ustaad from Kolkata has won many hearts through her soulful singing. Even after coming in the scaryland repeatedly, this girl made sure to make it to the finals through her talent. She won the hearts of everyone on the show with her sweet smile and her melodious singing. A very down to earth girl she is sure to create waves in the music industry is what most music lovers feel.
How has your journey been through Chhote Ustaad?
It has been a great experience. I have learnt a lot apart from the competition. And I enjoyed a lot with all my friends. And most importantly, I got to learn a lot from two very important people Anand Sharma and Anuj Kapoor, who help us train and give us a lot of technical tips.
How do you feel reaching the finals?
I am quite excited about being in the finals. I am workinhg really hard and we will try and give our best so that the finale is a rocking show.
Were you sure of coming this far?
I wouldn’t say that I was over-confident of making it big here, at the same time I was sure that I had it in me to move on in the competition. My mother had always told me to take it one step at a time. And that’s what I did, I started out slowly by thinking that I just hope I reach the top 11 first. Doing so, I have finally reached the finals.
How are you preparing for the finals?
Preparation is going on pretty strong. We are concentrating a lot more on the performance and our singing. Along with the tension of being in the finals, there is also a lot of excitement. We are working very hard to make sure the finale is a good show.
Among the three judges, who is ur favorite?
All three of them are equally nice. They have all been very caring towards us throughout the competition. They have always made their decisions unanimously and their comments usually don’t vary. All three are the best in their own style and genre.
In the usual format of such shows except for the finals, all the ronds are done in the studio. How do you feel going through this changed format? Which format do you feel is better?
Well when it is a live performance, we have to practice a lot more than for a recorded performance. There is a lot of stress and tension associated with a live performance. In fact I was present for the grand finale of Star Voice of India and I saw that there were a lot of rehearsals held. I have never thought on the lines of which format is better. Both the formats are good in their own way.
Who among you two have the best chance to win?
Umm… what can I say about that? Both of us are working very hard and will give our best. Winning or losing is a part of any competition. All I can say is that after coming to this platform, we have received equal adulation and blessings and I don’t think winning or losing really matters, after reaching to this level.
Any incident that touched you and you would be taking with you after the show gets over?
Yeah I do have a special memory. When the Star Voice of India finale was going on, Lata Mangeshkar had come as the celebrity judge on the show and I was quite excited to meet her. I went up to her and received her blessings too.
Future plans after this show?
After Chhote Ustaad, I hope to become a successful playback singer. Hopefully as I grow I become a versatile singer, that’s all is what I wish for.
Actresses you would love to do playback singing for?
I would like to do playback singing for all the actresses.
Yet another awards ceremony this one being help this year April 26th or something right? here are the nominations and most of use know who all are gonna win..but ssshh act surprised ok?
Best Film
Chak De! India - Aditya Chopra, Yash Raj Films Guru - Mani Ratnam, G. Srinivasan Jab We Met - Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Pvt. Ltd. Life in a Metro - Ronnie Screwvalla, UTV Motion Pictures Om Shanti Om - Shah Rukh Khan, Red Chillies Entertainment Taare Zameen Par - Aamir Khan, Aamir Khan Productions
Best Director
Aamir Khan – Taare Zameen Par Anurag Basu - Life in a Metro Farah Khan - Om Shanti Om Imtiaz Ali - Jab We Met Mani Ratnam - Guru Shamit Amin - Chak De! India
Best Actor (Male)
Abhishek Bachchan - Guru Akshay Kumar - Namastey London Amitabh Bachchan - Cheeni Kum Shah Rukh Khan - Chak De! India Shah Rukh Khan - Om Shanti Om Shahid Kapur - Jab We Met
Best Actor (Female)
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan- Guru Deepika Padukone - Om Shanti Om Kareena Kapoor - Jab We Met Katrina Kaif - Namaste London Tabu - Cheeni Kum Vidya Balan - Bhool Bhulaiyya
Most Popular Track Of The Year
Barso Re - Guru Dard-E-Disco- Om Shanti Om Do You Wanna Partner - Partner Hare Ram Hare Krishna - Bhool Bhulaiya In Dino - Life In A Metro Mauja Hi Mauja - Jab We Met
Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male)
Aamir Khan - Taare Zameen Par Bobby Deol - Naqaab Irrfan Khan Life In A.. Metro Mithun Chakraborty - Guru Shreyas Talpade - Om Shanti Om
Arjun Rampal - Om Shanti Om Neil Nitin Mukesh - Johnny Gaddar Pawan Malhotra - Black Friday Shilpa Shukla - Chak De! India Viveik Oberoi - Shootout At Lokhandwala
Most Popular Track Of The Year
Barso Re - Guru Dard-E-Disco- Om Shanti Om Do You Wanna Partner - Partner Hare Ram Hare Krishna - Bhool Bhulaiya In Dino - Life In A Metro Mauja Hi Mauja - Jab We Met
Best Playback Singer (Male)
KK - Aankhon Mein Teri (Om Shanti Om) Shaan - Jab Se Tere Naina (Saawariya) Soham - In Dino (Life In A.. Metro) Sukhwinder Singh, Salim Merchant & Marianna D’Cruz - Kuchh Kariye (Chak De India) Sonu Nigam - Main Agar Kahoon (Om Shanti Om)
Best Playback Singer (Female)
Mahalaxmi Iyer - Bolna Halke (Jhoom Barabar Jhoom) Mahalaxmi Iyer - Salaam-e-Ishq (Salaam-e-Ishq) Shreya Ghosal - Barso Re Megha (Guru) Shreya Ghosal - Yeh Ishq Haaye (Jab We Met) Sunidhi Chauhan - Sajnaji Vaari Vaari (Honeymoon Travels P Ltd)
Best Lyrics
Gulzar - Tere Bina (Guru) Javed Akhtar - Main Agar Kahoon (Om Shanti Om) Prasoon Joshi - Maa (Taare Zameen Par) Sameer - Jab Se Tere Naina (Saawariya) Sayeed Quadri - In Dino (Life In A.. Metro)
Best Music
A R Rahman - Guru Pritam - Life in a Metro Pritam, Sandesh Shandilya - Jab We Met Sajid-Wajid - Partner Vishal-Shekhar - Om Shanti Om
Most Promising Debut Director
Aamir Khan - Taare Zameen Par Feroz Abbas Khan - Gandhi My Father R Balakrishna - Cheeni Kum Reema Kagti - Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd Sajid Khan - Heyy Babyy
Most Promising Debut (Male)
Himesh Reshammiya - Aap Ka Suroor Neil Nitin Mukesh - Johnny Gaddar Ranbir Kapoor - Saawariya
Most Promising Debut (Female)
Deepika Padukone - Om Shanti Om Jiah Khan - Nishabd Sonam Kapoor - Saawariya
Madhuri Dixit is to emerge with the Bachchans during the North American leg of The Unforgettable Tour that kicks off at The Rogers Centre in Toronto on July 18, 2008.
“For Madhuri, it’d be the easiest thing in the world for her to join the concerts in the US as she is based there,” revealed a close friend of the Bachchans .
Besides the Bachchans (Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai) other Bollywood faculty that will be a part of the whole expedition includes Bipasha Basu, Ritesh Deshmukh and the duo of Vishal-Shekhar.
Regardless of plunging the tour as a brain child of Amitabh Bachchan, Wizcraft, which is supervising the the tour, is not ready to jeopardy relying on just the Bachchans, Bipasha and Ritesh to drag in the crowds, sentient of their boundaries as live entertainers.
Other Bollywood stars who have been roped in to dapper up the tour contribution at other chosen places include Kareena’s beaus, Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan(past and present..lol..)
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.
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.
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 .
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!!!
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.
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.
Aamir Khan must be repenting about his slip of tongue, for making a comment against the King Khan, SRK. Aamir Khan of late remarked that SRK was next to him by No.2, hence he got a clever and sharp reaction from the King Khan himself, who described it as a great compliment.Â
When the Badshah was asked about his opinion, to be categorized as number two, SRK whispered: I just want to tell you, Aamir is a dear friend of mine and I consider it a compliment for him, oops sorry, compliment for me, that was a genuine slip of tongue. It is indeed a great compliment that he at least considers me second to him.â€Â
King Khan also exposed that he can’t say anything against Aamir as he doesn’t want to upset his wife Gauri Khan , who is a great fan of Aamir, “I and Aamir are completely opposite persons. He is an intelligent, intellectual person whereas I am more of an instinctive man. He does more of the thinking and I do more of the acting.â€Â
SRK also made known that since both of them are ‘Khans’ they have great regard for each other, “We are very good friends and we both have a good sense of humour. I know his jokes and he knows mine. And, he is hundred per cent No. 1.â€Â
The King Khan ended it up on a humorous note and said, “I said I love K-K-K-K-K-Kiran and he really loves K-K-K-K-K-Kiran.â€
That’s the way, King Khan, as a down to earth person, you have shown Amir his line of attack and that too in a supple way.
