Oct 31st: All routes lead to NCPA, courtesy, International Animation Day

International Animation Day celebrations are back with a bang!

Organized by ASIFA India, the India leg of International Animation Day (IAD) is scheduled for 31st October at NCPA in Mumbai. Apart from Mumbai, the organizers have planned to take the festival to other cities as well including Hyderabad, Pune, Bengaluru and Indore.

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Saraswati Balgam, President, ASIFA India, shared, “This year, we have some really interesting sessions lined up along with a power packed set of speakers, master classes, creative activities with a lot fun and frolic filled in it,”

To brief about some of the session, the list include: ‘Creating an effective story and how to pitch it by Max Howard’; ‘Acting for animators by Ed Hooks’; ‘Making of Alpha and Omega by Crest Animation’ and ‘Shelley’s Eye Candy’, amongst several other interesting sessions.

“In addition to the sessions, we would also have interactive acting and drawing sessions, face painting, tattoo artist, caricature artists and also the Best of IAD 2010 films will be showcased,” added Saraswati.

The ASIFA India Awards of Excellence will be an added highlight which audience can look forward to. The Awards to Excellence, is an annual awards ceremony to recognize and celebrate the best in Indian animation. There is a national call for entries where animation films for both student and professional categories are solicited. The submissions are then judged by a distinguished panel of artists and they selected the films worthy of the ‘ASIFA India Award of Excellence’ trophy.

Another important announcement to be made at IAD 2010 would be the formation of ASIFA India sub-chapters. These sub-chapters would be formed in Hyderabad, Pune, Indore and Bangalore. William Dennis, The President Emeritus of ASIFA India and Executive Director of ASIFA International would be present in all these cities to formally announce them as sub-chapters.

25 suspects arrested in Gilgit, arms recovered

Staff Report

GILGIT: Police has arrested twenty five terrorists and recovered heavy arms from their custody during an ongoing operation in different areas of Gilgit, said sources on Saturday.

Security agencies have arrested four more suspects during their raid in different areas of Gilgit.

At least 25 terrorists have been arrested during the 3-day operation.

“The operation will continue till the end of terrorists and restoration of government writ,” said Deputy Commissioner Gigit, Asad Zamin.

He said that the people who are backing militants will also be barred in jails.

Normal life in Gilgit has remained severely disturbed for the past few days due to an upsurge of sectarian violence. Rival groups traded heavy fire on Wednesday while some houses in the town were also torched. The arson and exchange of fire was reportedly sparked by

Country on high alert after Peshawar attack

Staff Report

LAHORE: Security has been put on high alert across the country after today’s militant attack on army offices in Peshawar.

In Lahore, security has been beefed up at all sensitive locations, including diplomatic missions. Police have started snap checking and security has been heightened at the city’s entry and exit points.

Similarly, security has been put on red alert in other cities as well. SAMAA

Portia Bad Girls Club

Portia Bad Girls Club Season 4 Episode 4, After Portia’s troubled home life breaks her down, a personal jab from Natalie leads to a jaw-dropping confrontation that no one will ever forget.

Portia’s rocky home life continues to take its toll on her, leading her to violently snap when Natalie takes things one step too far. Annie tries to break out of her pattern of dating married men during a hilarious night of speed dating. Watch The Bad Girls Club every Tuesday at 10/9C.

Noor Jehan’s 9th Death Anniversary Today

KARACHI : Noor Jehan’s 9th Death Anniversary Today, The ninth death anniversary of Melody Queen, Noor Jehan, is being observed on Wednesday.

The legendary singer died on December 23, 2000, in Karachi after protracted illness at the age of 74.

Various private TV channels and radio stations will telecast special programmes in her remembrance and air her famous songs. While various organisations have also planned to observe the death anniversary of Madam Noor Jehan in different cities as well as in Karachi.

Born as Allah Wasai on September 21, 1926, in a modest musician family, Noor Jehan had started her musical career from Calcutta at the age of nine as a singer child star.

Noor Jehan, also known as Malika-e-Tarrannum (Queen of Melody) in Pakistan, started sung more than 30,000 songs in Pakistani and Indian films. She made her debut from a Punjabi film “Sheila” produced by Krishna Dev Mehra. Her scores of songs, in both Urdu and Punjabi, made her a popular singer of the 20th century in the sub-continent.

She was introduced in films by Krishna Dev Mehra in a film titled “Sheila.” But she became popular from the film “Gul-e-Bakauli” in 1938 which was directed by Dalsukh Pancholi.

Noori, as she was called as a child, became famous overnight with her first film song “Shaala Jawanian Manen” in the movie “Gul-e-Bakauli,” which was composed by late Master Ghulam Haider, who hailed from Lahore.

It was her great success that her voice was so much popular in both Urdu and Punjabi songs and after dominating in Urdu singing she took Punjabi music to new heights. Her voice made Punjabi language very popular and attractive overseas. She gave new meanings and approach to Punjabi songs.