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Ila Arun's play shows clash of old, new sensibilities

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Actress-singer Ila Arun’s play “Namaste”, staged here, showcases the conflict arising out of the clash between old and new world values, traditions and customs.

The play was staged at Kamani Auditorium here Wednesday. It was presented by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), the women's wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry and MTS India.

Packed with comedy and contemplative twists, the play uses Krishna Janamashtami as a backdrop to discuss sensitive issues without offending sensibilities.

Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi appreciated FLO President Neeta Boochra for promoting creative arts and bringing together a thought-provoking play depicting the value system of the society.

The play is an attempt to highlight "that even during the battle of old world and new world values, one must not lose perspective and the fact that by understanding each other everyone can find a middle path leading to resolution of such conflicts," said Ila.

“For all existence of mankind, there have been conflicting views about existence of god, about culture, values and traditions and this conflict is more prominent today than ever. One often sees that old world values and beliefs find little acceptance from the newer generation.

“This conflict often leads to unwanted scenarios where acceptance of one’s belief matters more than anything else," she added.

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Mini Bindra launches 'A Rendezvous with Pakistan'

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'A Rendezvous from Pakistan', designer Mini Bindra's latest collection under her Rubaaiyat label, fuses traditional Indian needlework such as the Lucknowi chikankari, ari and zari embroidery with Benarasi brocade and block prints.

The ensembles comprise subtle designs and delicate screen prints, embroideries and embellishments. The line is available in white, nude, beige, ochre, wheat, tan and fawn with flamboyant motifs, said a statament.

The collection from the house of Rubaaiyat highlights creative and innovative prints.
Bindra has made sure to use lively designs and vibrant colour themes on materials such as cotton and karandi to raw silk and chiffon with embroidery Patti and panel.

“This collection is synonymous to versatility that every woman will love to flaunt this season. Overall, the collection by Rubaaiyat is an eclectic mix of history and tradition with vivacious designs and a touch of ethnicity,” Bindra said in a statement.

The range is available at the designer's store at price tags that vary from Rs.50,000 to Rs.150,000.

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I was scared to experiment with my hair: Parineeti Chopra

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Changing looks and hairstyles are almost a tradition for film actors, but Parineeti Chopra reveals that she was always hesitant about doing anything to her luscious locks.

She has impressed many with her acting capabilities, but not many know that the "Hasee Toh Phasee" fame actress, who is also the face of haircare brand Pantene, had the same hairstyle for years before she stepped into the film world.

"I always wanted to experiment with my hair, but I was scared. Then I joined the film industry and I had to change my looks for my roles. I tried many products, some promised zero damage in one wash, others had shiny packaging and big price tags..." she said in a statement.

Now, the young and versatile talent, who used to study in London and even worked at Yash Raj Films (YRF), says that she makes sure to try new hairstyles with each film.

"I experiment with a new look for each film - be it short hair for 'Hasee Toh Phasee' or coloured hair for 'Kill Dill'...I'm always pushing myself to take up different roles, new ways to seep into the character and this often requires me to change my look from film to film.

"Putting my hair through the various chemical and heat treatments would always leave my hair rough and dry and every month I would find myself running to the salon to chop off split ends," added Parineeti, who believes using products of the haircare brand she endorses, have helped her.

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Imam Siddique excited about Bollywood debut

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Imam Siddique, best remembered for his appearance in reality show "Bigg Boss 6", is making his Bollywood debut with a film titled "Hotel Beautifool". He is happy with the project as he says he was never expecting a big glossy launch by a big banner.

"'Hotel Beautifool' is my debut film and I am more than happy to be part of this film," Imam told IANS.

"I always knew that Bollywood, which is being run as a family enterprise, is designed for their own kind. They always like to promote their own kids and I knew that this is not going to happen with me.

"I was not looking to be launched by Yash Raj Films or whatever. I was looking to be launched in a film by a producer and director who believe in me as a talent and who believe I could add a little bit creative value to a film," he added.

In "Big Boss", Imam was noticed for his weird antics and temper.

Now in his debut film, being directed by debutant director Sameer Iqbal Patel, he will be seen essaying a policeman. Imam assures that he will be seen in his same avatar that he was loved for in "Bigg Boss".

"My portrayal in 'Big Boss' is exactly the character that Sameer wanted me to play in this film, so it worked well. A lot of other people are hesitant to cast me because they are under the impression that that's how I am. But that's not true. I am certainly not like that 24/7," he said.

The first schedule of the film has already been shot. Its second schedule will soon begin in Goa soon.

Apart from Imam, the film will also feature Johnny Lever, Alisha Farrer, Rohit Khurana, Shanti, Jia Sharma and Brijendra Kala.

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It's all about trust: Vikram Bhatt on directing Bipasha

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Bipasha Basu's career wasn't going great guns when Vikram Bhatt cast her for his new movie "Creature 3D". But the director, who has earlier worked with her on "Raaz", says it's all a matter of trust.

Both celebrities are currently busy promoting "Creature 3D".

Asked if he was sceptical about casting Bipasha due to her box office debacles, Bhatt said: "I don't think that way. Even after the debacle of (my directorial) 'Dangerous Ishhq', Bipasha agreed to work with me. So, it's all about trust. She had faith in the story."

"She has done a fabulous job in the film," assured the director.

Bhatt, who has made horror films in the past, says he had been wondering what to make next. That's when he thought about making "Creature 3D", which involves a creature inspired by Indian mythology.

"It's a very unusual film. I hope such films get appreciated by the audience," he said.

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Hrithik Roshan launches RADO Diamaster collection over a fantastic cocktail evening

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Rado celebrated the launch of the Rado DiaMaster collection, and its latest advertising campaign, featuring brand ambassadors superstars Hrithik Roshan and Lisa Ray, in New Delhi.

The mini-film captures the innovative design and effortless style of the versatile DiaMaster collection while showcasing the characteristic durability of Rado’s high-tech ceramic watches.

During the event cutting edge technology and design of the DiaMaster family was brought to life magnificently by aerial dancers that enthralled Rado’s guests. The act culminated in the screening of the new commercial and a theatrical entry by Hrithik.

The evening hosted by Rado CEO, Matthias Breschan and Vidushi and Rima Mehra had guests captured all evening with an augmented reality zone to try on a Rado timepiece virtually.

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CBFC chairperson worried over lyrics of songs

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Leela Samson, chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, is upset over the content of songs in present day cinema. She believes that lyricists, who wrote "brilliant" songs in past, need to stand up and protest.

"The songs are full of innuendos and they get away with really dirty stuff. Don't ask me about them. Ask the really brilliant poets who earlier wrote songs. Where are they now? Why are they not protesting against these indecent songs," Samson said.

"For us women in the censor board, specially in the age group of 40 to 60, it is very hurtful to hear what is being heard in our films. I am worried for our children and for ourselves," she added.

Condemning the lyrics, she said the situation needs to be controlled before it worsens.

"Why don't respected scriptwriters and song writers shout from rooftops that the dialogues and lyrics today are unacceptable? It's very sad. Perhaps the current situation has to be gone through, so we can have a more responsible and mature society.

"The moral and aesthetic change has to come from the top. The change has to be widespread," she said.

CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It regulates the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952.

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'Raja Natwarlal' - dapper caper (IANS Movie Review, Rating - ***)

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Film: "Raja Natwarlal"; Actors: Emraan Hashmi, Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay Menon and Humaima Malick; Director: Kunal Deshmukh; Rating: ***

"Tu apna kiss karta rahe," Paresh Rawal sarcastically scoffs at the 'serial kisser' Emraan Hashmi after he catches him necking Pakistani actress Humaima in a lift in Cape Town.

These inhouse jokes, I tell you! They are the life and death of a certain kind of cinema where the script has to be far clever than the audience. In "Raja Natwarlal", a con caper with a lot going for it at least on paper, Emraan has little to do that could catapult him to the next level of his career. He swings along in the low tide of this film's too-clever-for-its-own-good plot, happy to play the "lovable" (giggle!) con-man who chances on a scam much bigger than he had bargained for.

The film is essentially a cat-and-mouse chase between Emraan's Natwarlal accompanied by a wry rogue named Yogi (Paresh rawal, giving a terrific shape to his ill-defined role) and a business tycoon in Cape Town named Vardha (Kay Kay Menon) whose passion for cricket makes him a sitting duck for a cricket scam masterminded by the aforementioned con persons who, like the script, is not half as clever as he's like to believe.

Hence, entire banks and automobiles are sham-constructed within hours to dupe the kingpin villain.

Watching Kay Kay fall into the facile boobytraps laid down by Emraan, Paresh and their accomplices we soon know why a fool and his money are parted before we can say 'Subrato Roy'.

Like a woman during her time of the month, the script here has its good and bad moments. While the basic premise of getting the better of a powerful adversary works, some of the individual components in the plot such as the pre-climactic set-up where Kay Kay Menon's character is properly had, makes us wonder how a man who has accumulated billions can be so dumb.

Love does it to a lot of smart people. Here it is cricket. Director Kunal Deshmukh had earlier described the complex affinity between cricket and avarice in "Jannat". To its credit, it must be said that "Raja Natwarlal" is a far more tightly-wound and original idea that flounders only when the characters try to act smarter than the script allows them to.

The narrative never slumps in its interest-level, though a lot of times the material doesn't permit the characters to rise above the limitations imposed on the material by the caper genre. Every character must perforce wear many masks. Nothing is what it seems. Everyone has a wink and smirk hidden under the sleep surface. And every character is finally in it for money.

You may not be convinced by some of the more steep twists and turns in the plot. But the actors go a long way in concealing the inconsistencies in the storytelling. While Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay Menon and Deepak Tijori (in an endearing cameo) add to the dapper caper's watchability-level, engaging actors like Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub (as a meandering assassin) and Sumeet Nijawan (the latter brilliant as a corrupt cop) are wasted in underwritten parts.

Humaima Malick wears outrageously low-cut ghagras in her dance-bar numbers, with expressions to match. Is this really the actress who wowed us in Shoaib Mansoor's "Bol"?

Sassy and slick, "Raja Natwarwal" is a con caper done up in playful shades and mischievous flavour. It's enjoyable while it lasts. But you don't come away with anything besides the feeling that the material should have carried for heft. If only everyone was not busy being someone they are not.

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'Mary Kom' is tax free in Maharashtra

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National Award winning actress Priyanka Chopra's much-awaited movie "Mary Kom", the story of a determined girl who makes it big in the world of boxing, has been declared tax free in Maharashtra a week before its scheduled release date.

"Yay! #MaryKom declared tax free in Maharashtra a week before release! Amazing!! #Sept5," Priyanka posted on Twitter.

The movie is a biopic on the five-time World Champion boxer M.C. Mary Kom. It is slated to release on Teacher's Day Sep 5.

Omung Kumar, who is making his directorial debut with the movie, confirmed the news to IANS via sms, while Ajit Andhare, chief operating officer of the film's co-producers Viacom18 Motion Pictures thanked the Maharashtra government for the support.

“'Mary Kom' celebrates a national hero, who as we speak is still competing to bring laurels to the country (she will be competing at the Asian Games). We are grateful to the government of Maharashtra for lending their support to the film," Andhare said.

"They also supported 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' and now this exemption right from release day will allow large segments of society to experience the spirit of magnificent Mary,” he added.

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Ganpati Bappa Morya - B-Town chants on Ganesh Chaturthi

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On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi Friday, a string of celebrities including Akshay Kumar and Priyanka have wished that the lord brings love and peace in everyone's lives.

The celebrities took to Twitter to share their wishes. Here's what they had to say:

Akshay Kumar: Loud music, traffic jams but no complaints as the Lord makes way into our hearts once again. Praying that He removes all obstacles in our and our dear ones' lives! #GanpatiBappaMorya

Tusshar Kapoor: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! May he give us the strength, like every year, to fight our inner demons and external battles till he comes back again!

Vivek Oberoi: Ganpati Bappa Moriya! May we all be blessed by the divine. Enjoy the modaks and puranpolis.

Mugdha Godse: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! May Lord Ganesha bestow you with eternal bliss, peace and contentment.

Shabana Azmi: Miss being in Mumbai for Ganesh Chaturthi. My sis in law Tanve brings Ganpati home and watching her kids excitement reminds me of my own. As children Baba n I would be taken 2 all d sarvajanik pandals in Girgaum bcoz we lived in Khetwadi. Wonderful memories...Ganpati Baba Morya.

Bipasha Basu: Wishing everyone a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Ganpati Bappa Morya.

Soha Ali Khan: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all - a time for auspicious beginnings, creative inspiration and forgiveness! Be the change!

Priyanka Chopra: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to everyone. May Ganpati bappa bless us with peace and happiness...here's to new beginnings.

Shraddha Kapoor: Here he is again after a year away! #GanpatiBappaMorya #BestFestival Wishing you all a Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Rohit Roy: Every year Bappa comes into our homes and infuses so much hope, will n enthusiasm. May He bless each n every one of us. Ganpati bappa morya ... May Vignaharta remove all ur obstacles n make u happy n content. Have a blessed year.

Kunal Kemmu: Ganpati Bappa moriya! Wishing all of you a happy Ganesh Chaturthi.

Anupam Kher: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all. Love, Peace & Happiness always.

Emraan Hashmi: Happy Ganesh Chathurti! Raja aaj aa raha hai!

Shreya Ghoshal: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!!! Ganapati Bappa Morya!!! Missing all the mumbai festivities! Craving for the Modak.

Sridevi: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. May this day bring prosperity, good luck and happiness to your lives. Ganapati Bappa Morya!

Manish Paul: Good morning people!!! Happy ganesh chaturthi to all...May lord ganesha bless us all always...GANPATI BAPPA MORYA!!!

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Lata Mangeshkar award for Krishna Kalle

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Playback singer Krishna Kalle has been named for the 'Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement' instituted by the Maharashtra government.

Besides, the state government also announced the 'Vithabai Narayangaonkar Lifetime Achievement Award' to Dhule's noted 'tamasha' artiste Bhimrao Totaram Gopal, alias Bhibhau Sangvikar.

Both the awards by the state culture department carry a cash reward of Rs.5,00,000, a citation, a trophy and a shawl.

Krishna Kalle started her singing career with All India Radio in 1960 and later sang over 200 Bollywood songs, 100 Marathi movie songs, 100 bhajans, ghazals and devotional songs, according to a statement.

In 1957, she was honoured with national level youth singing awards by India's first president Rajendra Prasad and first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The following year, she bagged the All India Sugam Sangeet Award first prize, K.L. Sehgal Memorial's Golden Voice Award and many others.

Some other personalities who bagged the 'Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement' include: late Manna Dey, Anil Biswas, Sudhir Phadke, Khayyam, Mahendra Kapoor, Suman Kalyanpur, Sulochana Chavan, Kalyanji (Shah), Manik Verma and Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

Bhibhau Sangvikar has carried forward the tradition of 'tamasha' folk dance and music through the Bhikha Bhima Sangvikar Loknatya Tamasha Mandal for the past 42 years.

He also helped construct a school and a temple in his native Shirpur in Dhule district.

Prior to Sangvikar, some other recipients of the 'Vithabai Narayangaonkar Lifetime Achievement Award' include: Kantabai Satarkar, Vasant Avsarikar, Sulochana Nalawade, Haribhau Bade, Mangal Bansode and Prabha Shivanekar.

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'Crossing Bridges' small film with a big heart (IANS Movie Review of Arunachalee feature film - Rating: ***)

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Film: "Crossing Bridges"; Cast: Anshu Jamsenpa, Phuntsu Krime; Director: Sange Dorjee Thinkdok; Rating: ***

For a very long time nothing seems to be happening in "Crossing Bridges". We see the urbanised Tashi (Anshu Jamsenpa) return to his unspoilt untouched village in Arunachal Pradesh. Tashi hasn't been home for seven-eight years. He is lost. He is disoriented. He crosses bridges over pristine rivers with a tourist's wobbliness. The camera holds steady, though.

An inner inertia grips the village life of this disturbingly tranquil study of the prodigal son's journey home, his initial wariness about a culture that he has abandoned for the city life, and finally... well, we all know where the protagonist's return to his roots is leading. 'Swades', anyone?

"Crossing Bridges" is not a film that promises excitement. It enters the lives of the villagers with no expectations of drama or devastating revelations. These are people who will live and die hugging the status quo close to their bosom.

This is the only life they know. It is not an exciting life for them and it is certainly not exciting for the audience to watch.

So what weds our senses to these unexciting people?

It's that supreme serenity, the splendid synthesis of ambiance and mood that qualifies and eventually absorbs our interest. These dull lives are unique in their absolute lack of affectations.

Director Thongdok searches out no emotional highs and lows in the narrative. The closest we come to humour is when Tashi buys a battery-operated television set (there is electricity in the village, but only for an hour in the morning and another hour in the night) to while away his time, and it's his father who stays glued to the goings on.

Even here there is only a hint of a smile.

"Crossing Bridges" is a work that revels in placidity. There are no passionate passages or intimate interludes. But there is an abundance of spontaneous warmth in the way Tashi learns to empathise with his roots, the way he wins over little bewildered students by showing them Charlie Chaplin on his laptop... There is a very predictable romance too. But this flimsy concession to filminess is allowed.

The breathtaking natural beauty of the Arunachal village dominates the proceedings, signalling silently the insignificant existence of the people who live in the shadows of the towering mountains.

The beauty of the small film with a big heart lies in its simple unassuming narration. There is no effort to court a stylised vision.

Pooja Gupte's camera shuns conceit completely. We see the world that Tashi returns to as it is. Unchanging. Unspoilt.

"Crossing Bridges" is the 'Swades' of the North East. In one warmly evocative sequence, Tashi and his father are shown quietly watching Ashutosh Gowariker's 'Swades'. These are people whose lives run on a track parallel to the world created by cinema. And when the two worlds meet they barely acknowledge one another.

The film's spoken language is Sherdukpen.

But it could have been anything. These simple folk speak the language of the heart.

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Mumbai film fest faces fund crunch, organisers hopeful

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The future of the 16th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival, one of the country's key international movie extravaganzas, seems bleak due to lack of sponsors and funds. However, organisers are hoping to bail it out and said the final call will be taken Monday.

The festival, organised by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), is scheduled to take place Oct 14-21.

With the end of a five-year long partnership with Anil Ambani's Reliance Entertainment, the organisers are now on the lookout for a title sponsor and additional funds.

"It's very easy to say the festival may not happen, but we're trying our best to make it possible. We do not have a title sponsor as of now but we are meeting potential sponsors and also trying to garner support and funds via social media," Srinivasan Narayanan, Mumbai Film Festival director, told IANS.

He said the "final call" about the fest will be taken Monday evening.

A Facebook post disclosing "an uncomfortable truth for #cinema-lovers in#Mumbai" brought the uncertainty over this year's event to the fore.

The message read: "The Mumbai Film Festival...faces a skip this year due to lack of sponsors. Organising a film fest doesn't happen in small change, and MAMI requires roughly Rs.5 crore to put up a great show. This also means that if just 5,000 cinema lovers contribute Rs.10,000 each, the target can be achieved.

"#Shame, for five crores is probably a weekday's collection of a masala film. #SaveMAMI, do share this message!"

With hashtags such as #SaveMAMI and #SaveMFF, the fate of the fest is much-talked about on social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

Narayanan said if Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan show their support by even tweeting in favour of the fest, "MAMI festival will be funded like anything else".

The team is also seeking state funding apart from the Rs.10 lakh support and other permissions they get from the Maharashtra government.

The Mumbai Film Festival has, over the years, brought in big names to the country. Just last year, Oscar winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi and noted French filmmaker Costa Gavras, visited the event and shared their expertise with the audience.

Narayanan said Reliance Entertainment had invested over Rs.22 crore over their five year contract and took the festival to new heights.

"We are very grateful to them," he said, adding that MAMI officials are now meeting industrialists to make the fest see the light of the day, however, support from any film actor or filmmaker is yet to come their way.

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South Korean band N-Sonic set to woo Delhiites

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Popular South Korean band N-Sonic is set to give its maiden performance in the country as part of the K-POP India festival 2014 finale here Saturday.

The all boys K-POP band consisting of J. Heart, Sihoo, Byeol, Minkee, Black J and Zion, is all set to make the crowd sway when they belt out their hit numbers at the finale at Siri Fort Auditorium here.

Although K-POP comprises all genres of "popular music" within South Korea, the term is more often used to describe a modern form of South Korean pop music covering mostly dance-pop, pop ballad, electronic, rock, hip-hop and more.

K-POP India sensation focuses on finding new talents and the band members are part of the jury. They will judge participants from the capital, Chennai, Dimapur and Mumbai.

Greeted with garlands, after short performances by some of the finalists of the competition, they gave a glimpse of their singing and dancing talent at the Korean Cultural Centre Friday.

K-POP India festival is in its third edition. Divided into song and dance categories, the winners of the Indian edition will get a chance to visit Korea and represent India in the globally popular K-POP Festivals -- K-POP World Festival 2014, to be held in October and Incheon Korea Music Wave 2014, which will take place Sep 17 in Incheon Metropolitan City.

The Indian winner from dance category will have to compete with winners from other countries in Incheon K-POP Festival and the winner from song category will get to compete with winners in K-POP World Festival to be held in Changwon, South Korea for the K-POP 2014 title.

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Korean pop music catches on in India

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If South Korean pop star Psy hit the right chord with "Gangnam Style", now N-Sonic, a band from the country which is here for a music fest, is wowing Indian music lovers.

Music enthusiasts not only love grooving to their songs like "Crazy" and "Run & Run", they also sport tees with the band members - J. Heart, Sihoo, Byeol, Minkee, Black J or Zion - photos imprinted on them.

One of the fans, dressed in an N-Sonic t-shirt and a pair of jeans, said that she got "addicted" to K-POP after being introduced by one of her friends.

"I love music. A few months back one of my friends made me listen to South Korean band SHINee's songs. I couldn't understand the lyrics, but I found the melody very catchy and then I got hooked to the genre of music.

"Most of my friends back home and in Manipur and Mizoram also love Korean pop," said the 20-something girl from Nagaland.

N-Sonic is in town for the third edition of K-POP India festival, which is becoming bigger with each passing year. They will judge the competition and even perform at the finale being organised at the Siri Fort Auditorium Saturday.

K-POP, a modern form of South Korean pop music that includes dance-pop, pop ballad, electronic, rock and hip-hop, has reached India after winning a fan following in China and Japan.

From the 37 entries in the maiden year, this year the fest has received almost 130 entries, while the number of followers of the Korean music genre seems to be just multiplying.

And it's not just the northeast that has come under the spell of the genre. The fest sees participants from Chennai, Mumbai and the capital.

"Many Indian people are liking our music. The number of fans is growing rapidly. Earlier, people saw it as just a hobby, but now it's more professional. Maybe in the next three to five years, the whole country will know about our music," Kim Kum-pyoung, director, Korean Cultural Centre, told IANS.

"Indians are looking for something new. Something that is not western or Bollywood and they are liking this Asian style of pop music," he added.

Presented by the Korean Cultural Centre, the festival is co-organised by Korea Tourism Organization.

"We have invited N-Sonic for the first time to India to be a part of the Indian edition of the festival. But I hope we get more demand for such acts and accordingly we will plan concerts in the country," said Kum-pyoung.

Kum-pyoung says that the song and dance festival is a way to bring Korean culture to Indians.

"The K-POP craze can be witnessed in China and Japan too. We would like to invite participants from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal as well if they are interested and hold a South Asian competition," he said.

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Discovery to launch 100 TV shows in last quarter

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Broadcaster Discovery will launch over 100 multi-genre series in India, catering to the interests of children, youth, men and women, through its 11 networks in the last quarter of 2014, an official said Friday.

Discovery's current portfolio in India includes 11 channels, which are Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, ID, TLC, Discovery Kids, Discovery Science, Discovery Tamil, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD World, TLC HD World and Animal Planet HD World.

"We have tripled our networks in India in the last five years. Today, we operate in six unique genres through our robust portfolio of 11 networks reaching a cumulative 240 million homes in five languages," Rahul Johri, executive vice president and general manager - South Asia and head of Revenue, Pan-Regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said in a statement.

Now, the plan is to go on an expansion drive with new offerings in terms of new shows in categories ranging from adventure, survival, cuisine, travel, space, gadgets, natural history, fashion, pets, auto, engineering and reality.

The shows are scheduled to air starting September to December.

"We will continue to strengthen our leadership and make investments in content, communication and availability across all our networks and deliver an unmatched experience to millions of viewers across urban and rural India," he added.

Among three India productions, set to be beamed on Discovery Channel includes "Revealed: Rann Of Kutch", will showcase the region's geology, history, culture, people and wildlife.

Another show "Revealed: World's Biggest Election" will be a start-to-finish account of the logistical feat of putting together the world's largest election.

Also, lesser known facets of India's cultural practices, living traditions, art forms and natural phenomena will be captured in "India Living Traditions".

Discovery Kids, along with leading filmmaker Ketan Mehta, will present an animation-based series "Kisna" in October.

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No one else can play the role: Paresh Rawal on Modi biopic

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Versatile actor Paresh Rawal, who will soon start shooting for a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says he is the right choice to play the role of the politician.

"I am confident about the film and no one else can play Narendra Modi other than me. He is in a different league altogether and I am more than excited to play the role. I am not allowed to talk much about the film but, yes, I will start shooting soon for this film," said Paresh.

Meanwhile, the actor was seen in "Raja Natwarlal". Directed by Kunal Deshmukh, the film, which also stars Emraan Hashmu and Humaima Mallick, among others, came out Friday.

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Don't compromise on quality: Alia Bhatt on beauty products

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Smart, cute, funky, elegant and traditional - Alia Bhatt, who carries different looks with aplomb on and off screen, says an important beauty tip for the youth is to ensure the quality of the products they buy.

"Quality of any cosmetic product is extremely important. Good brands always make sure that they provide the best quality to their consumers. One should never compromise on quality especially when it comes to any skincare or make-up product," Alia told IANS in a recent interview from Mumbai.

Alia is particular about the products she uses, and she makes sure her bag always has at least five of her beauty essentials. What do they include?

"Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm, perfume, cream, kohl and my hair brush," she said.

Just last month, the 21-year-old kept busy one afternoon doling out tips on beauty trends via online instant messaging and video chat platform Google Hangout as part of her endorsement of make-up brand Maybelline New York.

Alia, who is also the ambassador of haircare brand Garnier Fructis, is now also offering hairstyling tips to her fans through MTV's digital show "Philips MTV The Look", which offers a plethora of hair-do ideas to make people's locks look good.

In the show, the "Highway" star will be seen sharing some of her favourite styles, tips and tricks to create interesting hairdos along with video jockeys Bani and Gaelyn on the web-based show.

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Abhinaya excited to be launched by Balki in 'Shamitabh'

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Southern actress Abhinaya is excited after landing her Bollywood debut role in R. Balakrishnan aka Balki's upcoming film "Shamitabh".

"Shamitabh" also features megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Akshara Haasan.

"She is extremely excited. Needless to say director Balki reserves space for the right talent in all his films, and it is indeed a pride to be introduced by him in Hindi," Abhinaya's father Anand said in a statement.

"There are a few other offers (for her) in the pipeline and her zeal to make it big against odds will guide her," he added.

Abhinaya will soon go on the sets of "Shamitabh".

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Maybe I'll go bald for a film: Priyanka Chopra

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Priyanka Chopra, who has managed to pull off different looks in her over decade-long movie career, has sported a bald look for her forthcoming film "Mary Kom". The actress, who didn't actually shave off her head, says she may considering going bald if an entire film requires her to do so.

For "Mary Kom", which releases Sep 5, the requirement was only for a scene.

"It was just about one scene in 'Mary Kom', so it was not required for me to go bald. Then who would have shot the rest of the film? But if a film requires for me to go bald entirely, maybe I will do it. But just for one or two scenes, I can't go bald," Priyanka said here.

"Mary Kom" is a biopic on boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom, who fought all odds to pursue her passion.

Talking about the film, which marks the directorial debut of Omung Kumar, Priyanka said: "When Omung came me to me with this film, I was quite sure I want to do it. I knew Omung for many years and besides this film was being made (co-produced) by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

"There was a comfort zone and Omung and Sanjay gave me confidence. It's an incredible story," she said.

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