Priyanka Chopra to speak at MTV’s Youth Marketing Forum

Youth Icon and one of India’s leading actors, Priyanka Chopra, will be speaking at the MTV Youth Marketing Forum on ‘The Age of Sinnocence and Cinema’ scheduled on the April 29, 2011 in Mumbai at ‘The Comedy Store’ – Palladium.

Priyanka Chopra, a prodigious performer who has entertained millions with her histrionics over the years, is truly a perfect blend of beauty and intellect. At the Youth Marketing Forum, Priyanka Chopra will share her views on the evolution of Indian Cinema and its depiction of youth culture in films over the years. Her own journey, being a case in point…from being a beauty pageant winner to carving a niche for herself in Bollywood with fan following worldwide.

Titled ”MTV Age of Sinnocence’ the day-long event will engage a colossal convergence of thoughts, experience and ideas.

‘TMK’ & ‘TKS’ will open in U.K. & U.S. before India release

All eyes are on the two major releases this Christmas – TEES MAAR KHAN and TOONPUR KA SUPERRHERO. The Christmas weekend, over the years, has yielded excellent returns [2007: TAARE ZAMEEN PAR and WELCOME; 2008: GHAJINI; 2009: 3 IDIOTS] and one expects a repeat of previous years’ performance, this year. Though the Christmas weekend is of immense significance in India, it’s considered the most lucrative period worldwide, since the world is in a celebratory mood, enjoying Christmas and New Year festivities [the holiday period is spread over two weekends].

In view of the fact that film business shoots up during Christmas and New Year weekends, the distributors of both, TEES MAAR KHAN [UTV] and TOONPUR KA SUPERRHERO [Eros], have decided to release the films worldwide two days before they hit the screens in India. While the two films will open on 24 December [Friday] in India, they will be released in U.S. and U.K. on 22 December [Wednesday], while Middle East will open on 23 December [Thursday] to capitalize on the festive period. Rest of the world [including India] will open on 24 December [Friday]. Fingers crossed!

Barbara Walters Interview with Oprah

Barbara Walters Interview with Oprah: Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman in entertainment, but watching her Barbara Walters interview, she almost seems accessible, like a person you might want to be your best friend. And for 25 years, for many women, she was just that. Next spring that all ends.

It is impossible (unless you are a male), to really dislike Oprah. You can dislike her influence over women or think her new age power is weird, but watching her, it is impossible to deny her sincerity and her heart.

As a person who has watched her show only a handful of times, I still find her fascinating. Here is a woman who was born in a home in Missisippi where she had no running water who is now worth $2.7 billion.

Her topics were often female-centric over the years, the books she chose for her book club almost all the kind of books women wanted to read more than men and sometimes that got her ridiculed. But to those snobs one might say: $2.7 billion, in your faces!

The Babs interview did not reveal any major secrets, but it did give insight into Oprah’s own thoughts on leaving and the future.

Subhash Ghai advices youngsters to drop western clothes

Shocking it may sound; but then, a fact is a fact! We are talking about the ‘only-second-to-the-original-showman’ Subhash Ghai. Till date, all of his films were as filmy and as larger than life with a strong thread of modernity. But that seems to be like a thing of the past now! The reason? Well, Ghai now is of the opinion that he wants youngsters to shun Western Culture and avoid jeans.
Subhash Ghai told this as he was addressing the audience who were present at the India premiere of his Bengali film Nauka Dubi at IFFI 2010. Ghai strongly felt that he youngsters today should shed their western faces and ‘masks’ that they are wearing and should become more Indian! He did make it a point to say that over the years, commerciality had virtually taken over technology and art. He also added that the cinema was a great way to incorporate national character in youngsters. And that not just independent or rich cinema, even in an out and out commercial film, here are four-five things which can make someone like a rickshawala stop to think and change his perception about issues.
To a spellbound audience, he duly credited the legendary Ritwik Ghatak (who was his teacher at FTII) for having taught him that being open to all kinds of cinema was important.

Hrithik makes cameo in Main Krishna Hoon

It’s called “The jungle”, “dog-eat-dog world”, “rat race” and what not. The truth is Bollywood is all this and yet it is also a world where goodwill, hard-work and sincerity is something that has its value. Shows in the way Hrithik Roshan, who has quite a bit of clout in the industry, has gone out of his way for his spot boy Nandan Mahato.

Nandan who has produced few Bhojpuri films is making his first Hindi film Main Krishna Hoon, a 3-D animation-cum-live action film. And none other than Hrithik has given him the green signal. Nandan started out in the industry as Juhi Chawla’s spot boy, but after she got married, Nandan joined Hrithik’s staff and was with him for almost 10 years starting from Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai.

Therefore when he wanted to make a Hindi film, he approached Roshan Jr. who was more than encouraging. Hrithik even flew down to Hyderabad to shoot for the film and didn’t even think of charging Mahato for it. Not only Hrithik but even Juhi has shot for the film. Katrina Kaif’s hairdresser Pomilla, who is the co-producer of the film, has even managed to get Katrina to do an appearance.

So much for the starry tantrums that we keep hearing about Bollywood stars, Katrina, Juhi and Hrithik have decided to be part of this film only because of the sincerity and goodwill that Nandan and Pomilla have earned over the years.

Wasim Akram in all-time World XI

KARACHI: Sachin Tendulkar is the only current player in ESPNcricinfo’s all-time Test World XI, which is dominated by Australians and West Indians, reflecting their pre-eminence in Test cricket over the years.

Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Wasim Akram were the other players from the last two decades to make it to the XI, which featured seven players who made their debuts after 1970.

Four Australians, three West Indians, two Englishmen, an Indian and a Pakistani make up the XI.

Three players were unanimous choices, figuring in the first XIs of each of the 12 members of the jury (each juror was asked to pick a first XI and a second) – Don Bradman, Garry Sobers and Shane Warne, each of whom got the maximum points possible in the exercise, 60. Tendulkar followed with 51 points.

Perhaps the biggest surprise the XI threw up was the gap between Warne

Faisal Shahzad sentenced to life in prison

A Pakistani-born US citizen who tried to set off a car bomb in New York’s Times Square was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday.
Faisal Shahzad, 31, pleaded guilty in June to a failed May 1 bombing in Midtown Manhattan. He said he received bomb-making training from the Pakistani Taliban Group, called Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and that the group had funded the bomb plot.
The son of a retired Pakistani air force marshal, Shahzad grew up mostly in a secular upper-middle-class neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. He first came to the United States as a teenager in 1998 to study and, over the years, attained some of the trappings of what many in the United States consider a successful life two university degrees, a wife and two small children, a house in the suburbs, a job as a junior financial analyst, credit cards and an SUV.
Over the years, American military presence in Muslim countries, the plight of Palestinians and perceived insults by Westerners toward Islam apparently began weighing on Shahzad and he was becoming more extreme, according to published reports.

Ravi Kishan on brand endorsement spree

Ravi Kishan is someone who started of his ‘filmi safar’ in Bollywood with the Kajol-starrer Udhar Ki Zindagi. Since then, he has done a number of films in Bollywood over the years, but it was the Bhojpuri film industry where Ravi became not just a star, but a superstar!

Well, even in mainstream Hindi films, he has done movies that have earned him his place under the Bollywood sun. And now it seems that Ravi is all set to give the Bollywood brand ambassadors a run for their money, as he has been chosen as the brand ambassador for not just one, but four FMCG giants! The brands which have signed him as the brand ambassador include Dabur Chyawanprash, Airtel, Parle Monaco and Marico Thanda Tel.

This man surely seems to have all the ‘Luck’ in the world. We are sure that Ravi Kishan will surely agree with us!

"These are all fabricated lies" – Katrina on her spat with Akshay

When Katrina Kaif woke up on Tuesday morning, she wouldn’t have imagined a tabloid headline to be screaming about her spat with Akshay Kumar, her co-star in many films and the partner-in-crime for her upcoming release Tees Maar Khan. As per the report, the lead actors had a verbal fight due to date issues. While Akshay and Farah Khan (director of Tees Maar Khan) wanted her to shoot for the special ‘qawalli’ ASAP, Katrina wanted to hold on for a while since her dates were already allocated to Yash Raj Films for her Imran Khan starrer.

Known for her professionalism over the years, Katrina was surprised to find herself in this imbroglio when she least expected that to be coming to her. In fact no sooner did the report come out, the makers were quick to come to her defence and screamed the slogan of ‘all izz well’.

Akshay commented that “Katrina and I go back a long way and she is a dear friend of mine and has always been there. I would like to clarify that she is one of the most professional stars we have and she and I are amused with these reports since there is absolutely no truth to them.” On the other hand Farah Khan too spoke up – “There is absolutely no problem between any of us. Katrina is a wonderful girl and very professional. She has done a great job in Tees Maar Khan.”

While her team is standing behind her like a rock, what does the young woman in question has to say about it?

“Well, what more should I say? I guess Akshay and Farah have already stated the facts”, sighs Katrina who has worked with the actor in De Dana Dan, Blue, Singh Is Kinng, Welcome, Namastey London and Humko Deewana Kar Gaye.

On being further prodded, she adds, “See, these stories are malicious. These are all fabricated lies. Akshay and I share a wonderful equation so the entire talk about us getting into an argument just doesn’t make any sense. Also, how I wish that people find out truth instead of fabricating stories.”

Perhaps all of this is due to the fact that Tees Maar Khan is staying in news for all the right reasons till date and hence some negativity was always round the corner.

“We have been really blessed with this film. The whole experience has been amazing so I guess it’s hard for people to believe”, Katrina brings on a smile here before smiling off.

"These are all fabricated lies" – Katrina on her spat with Akshay

When Katrina Kaif woke up on Tuesday morning, she wouldn’t have imagined a tabloid headline to be screaming about her spat with Akshay Kumar, her co-star in many films and the partner-in-crime for her upcoming release Tees Maar Khan. As per the report, the lead actors had a verbal fight due to date issues. While Akshay and Farah Khan (director of Tees Maar Khan) wanted her to shoot for the special ‘qawalli’ ASAP, Katrina wanted to hold on for a while since her dates were already allocated to Yash Raj Films for her Imran Khan starrer.

Known for her professionalism over the years, Katrina was surprised to find herself in this imbroglio when she least expected that to be coming to her. In fact no sooner did the report come out, the makers were quick to come to her defence and screamed the slogan of ‘all izz well’.

Akshay commented that “Katrina and I go back a long way and she is a dear friend of mine and has always been there. I would like to clarify that she is one of the most professional stars we have and she and I are amused with these reports since there is absolutely no truth to them.” On the other hand Farah Khan too spoke up – “There is absolutely no problem between any of us. Katrina is a wonderful girl and very professional. She has done a great job in Tees Maar Khan.”

While her team is standing behind her like a rock, what does the young woman in question has to say about it?

“Well, what more should I say? I guess Akshay and Farah have already stated the facts”, sighs Katrina who has worked with the actor in De Dana Dan, Blue, Singh Is Kinng, Welcome, Namastey London and Humko Deewana Kar Gaye.

On being further prodded, she adds, “See, these stories are malicious. These are all fabricated lies. Akshay and I share a wonderful equation so the entire talk about us getting into an argument just doesn’t make any sense. Also, how I wish that people find out truth instead of fabricating stories.”

Perhaps all of this is due to the fact that Tees Maar Khan is staying in news for all the right reasons till date and hence some negativity was always round the corner.

“We have been really blessed with this film. The whole experience has been amazing so I guess it’s hard for people to believe”, Katrina brings on a smile here before smiling off.

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