Actress Radhika Apte, who is a passionate dancer and a graduate from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, is planning to organise a summer camp for dance enthusiasts here.

The actress, who has acted in movies like “Shor in the City”, “Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!” and is now gearing up for “Badlapur”, hopes to bring down faculty members from the foreign university for the two-week camp.

However, the dates for the event are not locked in yet, but it is expected to happen in April next year.

"I think India and Bollywood has great potential to adapt to new forms of dance. Getting the Trinity faculty to India is a passionate project for me and I am finally seeing it happen in 2015. Also talks for the sponsorship are currently underway," she said in a statement.

Dance lovers will also get a chance to take formal dancing lessons from award winning Israeli choreographer Hagit Yakira along with three other faculty members of the college.

Apart from this, there will also be a special batch for the back-up dancers of Bollywood in the camp.

On the 92nd birthday of legendary actor Dilip Kumar Thursday, filmmaker Subhash Ghai has set up a 'Dilip Kumar Scholarship’ at his Whistling Woods International Film School.

As a mark of respect for the living legend, with whom he worked in blockbusters like “Vidhaata” and “Saudagar”, Ghai instituted a scholarship after the actor’s name to help any talent who applies to study at the filmmaker’s school in Mumbai. The student will be trained for free for two years.

“Dilip sahab taught me to bring dignity to this profession of cinema and to bring a change in cinema culture of India by setting up a creative brainstorming campus where we produce innovating skills and great story tellers,” Ghai said in a statement.

“This changed my life and I put all my health and wealth in setting up Whistling Woods, which is a world brand today for its quality education. So there is a legend behind Whistling Woods and I'm glad that my daughter came up with an idea to institute a scholarship after Dilip Kumar who also inaugurated Whistling Woods in 2006 with 80 students,” he added.

His daughter Meghna Ghai said they have been providing scholarships since the last five years, but it is the first time that they have instituted one after a personal name.

“Dilip Kumar brings dignity to our scholarship itself,” she added.

In times when promoting young and creative talent is becoming vital for the Indian fashion industry, e-commerce website Myntra has come up with Myntra Fashion Incubator (MFI), a one-year programme via which it will train and support 11 new faces under its first batch of Designer In Residence (DIR) platform.

As part of DIR, Myntra will provide the selected candidates necessary design and work infrastructure, capital support and mentorship from a team of acclaimed designers. The programme would cover essentials like branding, consumer behaviour, product design and development, pricing, inventory planning, retailing and financial planning.

The final names under MFI program included Metallurgy by Advaeita Mathur, The Lokal South Kallection by Darshana Sukumar, Ek Karkhana by Preeti Wanchoo, Picnic by Harleen Kaur, ex.pression.ist n by Mohammed Javed Khan, Tortus by Raghav Sethi, ASA by Shreya Oza, The Ink Bucket by Vidhi Khandelwal, Vaishvik by Rajesh Maratha, Anwar Khan by Anwar Khan and MAD on FAD by Priyanka Kumar.

Close to 30 applicants were asked to present their creative and scalable business ideas to the jury, and 11 of them made it to the final list thanks to the jury panel, which included some popular names like Wendell Rodricks and Rina Dhaka from the fashion world, experts in the retail industry and members of Myntra's leadership team.

The jurors were bowled over by the confidence and creativity that the youngsters exhibited while representing their brand and ideologies.

Rodricks told IANS: "I'm very happy with this initiative because I I truly believe in next generation. I interacted with every designer and they are great. We need to understand that we were also new when we started, so let them get a chance and let's see how they grow."

He has a word of advise for the designers.

"With a corporate backing like Myntra, I think it will help the young designers to flourish in days to come, but they have to understand one thing that one can't be commercial and creative at the same time."

Designer Rahul Khanna of the famous duo Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, said he was on the lookout for someone who can play with fabrics and textures.

"For me, a garment's finishing and someone having a clear idea about their brand is very important," Khanna told IANS before the final round.

The 11 students will be the part of the first of the incubator program, and they will occupy the design space inside the Myntra campus by Jan 15, 2015. Eventurally, they will work full-time on their brand.

Sharing how Myntra came up with the programme and how it will be involved with these students inside the campus, Abhishek Verma, senior vice president, Myntra Fashion Brands, told IANS: "We got to know that there are lot of young names who have great business and I know that fashion is a tough business and risky too, so we thought there is demand and supply of talent.

"We have created a brand which is doing very well for us and hence it almost felt natural for us to do this as a step to promote young names."

The idea is to play the role of a mentor and infrastructure provider with no interference in creativity, said Verma.

Apart from training, MFI will also provide these candidates an opportunity to showcase their brands at various platforms as well as to be retail their creations on Myntra.com. Also, after completing one season, they can also pitch their fashion designs to MFI advisory board for investments to scale their business.

Film: "Badlapur Boys"; Cast: Shashank Udapurkar, Nishshan, Puja Gupta, Mazhar Khan, Annu Kapoor, Anupam Maanav, Saranya Mohan, Kishori Shahane and Aman Verma; Director: Shailesh Verma; Rating; ***1/2

They are a bunch of losers. And the film doesn't hesitate in portraying the losers in the most unflattering light. The charm lies not in the sophistication of presentation(of which there is nil), but in the way the people in this small-village big-hearted film respond to their rural environment.

When the villagers' plea for a water dam falls on deaf ears, the hero's father immolates himself, leaving behind a son Vijay (newcomer Nishan) who would henceforth be called 'paagal baap ka beta'.

Remember that other towering Vijay in "Deewaar" seething and simmering with that tattoo 'mera baap chor hai'?

This Vijay is far milder, almost a lamb. The film reveals a remarkably gentle and guileless soul. Vijay and his kabaddi-playing friends seem to stuck in a time-warp in their village in Uttar Pradesh. They live, talk and respond to the changes in the outside world with a disarming disregard for progress.

Interestingly, the romance that grows between Vijay and Sapna (Saranya Mohan), who has played the same role earlier in the Tamil and Telugu versions of the story, is set in an annual village mela where they see each other, fall in love without exchanging words and then separate without exchanging names, let alone numbers.

Does the phone even exist in this archaic world? "Badlapur Boys" takes us to a rural setting that barely exists any more. But exist, it does, though I don't see audience identifying with the characters and their uncomplicated personal and social needs -- water in the village, victory in a kabaddi match and another meeting with the girl that the hero sees at the 'mela'.

The last, never happens. The film comes to a rather unexpected finale. Like a good match of kabaddi, the plot stays a step or two ahead of us. There's never a dull moment here.

"Badlapur Boys" mixes the newly-revived thrill of the game of kabaddi with an old fashioned melodramatic plot. The authentic locations and a deep affinity with the grassroot level add to the rugged sporting spirit.

Ishaan in the lead is a change from the over-muscled under-talented newcomers who have come in lately. The rest of the cast knows what to do -- not get caught hamming!

Narendra Modi has sent out birthday wishes in Tamil to cinestar Rajinikant, who turned 64 Friday. The prime minister wished the "legendary" artist a long life.

Modi took to Twitter to reach out to the cinema czar on the special day, when his film "Lingaa" also hit the screen.

"On his birthday, I extend greetings to the legendary Rajinikanth ji. May he remain in the best of health and have a long life. @superstarrajini," read the post on the Twitter handle @narendramodi.

A similar message was later posted in Tamil.

Most of Rajinikanth's films have not only had successful innings at the box office, but they have also left indelible impressions on his fans' mind. Be it his 'Mind it' dialogue or his iconic style of using his glares - the 'Thalaivaa' has managed to create trends galore throughout his career.

Giving a treat to his fans, Rajinikanth is out with his film "Lingaa" on his birthday, which has been released after facing plagiarism charges. The movie also stars Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha.

If one took inspiration from industrial junk and organic life, another used designs to depict ancient India's contribution to the world in various fields - 11 young and budding designers impressed industry experts here as part of the Myntra Fashion Incubator (MFI) programme.

Young, confident and raring to go, the finalists of the programme, which offers them necessary design and work infrastructure, capital support and mentorship from a team of acclaimed designers, stood out for their out-of-the box thinking, "smart" and "creative" brand names and unique inspirations.

For brand Metallurgy, Advaeita Mathur took inspiration from the industrial junk and organic life. The principle behind the brand is to balance futuristic designs and technology along with its craftsmanship while allowing one to take inspiration from natural surroundings. The creations comprise smart neckpieces and hand accessories.

"Minimalism and austerity" are the core strength of the brand, said Mathur, who was among the favourites of the jury in the final round of the MFI, which is e-commerce website Myntra's one-year programme via which it will train and support 11 new faces under its first batch of Designer In Residence (DIR) platform.

The students will be part of the first incubator programme and will occupy the design space inside the Myntra campus by Jan 15, 2015 to work full-time on their brand.

Apart from Mathur, the finalists in the MFI program include The Lokal South Kallection by Darshana Sukumar, Ek Karkhana by Preeti Wanchoo, Picnic by Harleen Kaur, ex.pression.ist n by Mohammed Javed Khan, Tortus by Raghav Sethi, ASA by Shreya Oza, The Ink Bucket by Vidhi Khandelwal, Vaishvik by Rajesh Maratha, Anwar Khan by Anwar Khan and MAD on FAD by Priyanka Kumar.

The Lokal South Kallection by Sukumar impressed the judges, especially Wendell Rodricks, who not only expressed his interest towards the smart play of prints and colours, but also offered personal mentorship to young designer in future. The USP of Sukumar's brand is an amalgamation of aesthetic clean lines and modern designs with fun and quirky colour bursts of prints on dresses and separates.

"The Lokal South Kallection mixes catwalk inspiration with the culture of Kerala detailing for a truly unique style. Each print and each garment holds on to a character from the local south family," said the designer while briefing the judges about the brand.

Picnic by Kaur too grabbed eyeballs for presenting a collection that focuses on the "innocence of childhood", while Javed Khan's brand ex.pression.ist n takes inspiration from "expressions", with clothes that are simple, artistic, vintage and genderless and this is what the judges liked about the brand.

"The brand finds inspiration and comfort from old treasures and celebrates aged, decayed and time-worn imperfections. Garments are cut to fit in certain mood and brings out the individuality in a person," said Javed Khan, who plans to foray into the lifestyle space in days to come.

The Ink Bucket by Khandelwal took points for its unique handcrafted appeal on funky handbags, while brand Anwar Khan by Khan appealed many for giving an option of affordable designer clothing to the Indians as the designer feels that "Indians today are more attracted towards designer wear but can't afford them."

The highpoint was Rajesh Maratha's Vaishvik designs.

"Vaishvik is a lifestyle brand showcasing ancient India's contribution to the world in various fields such as science, management, war, dynasties, spirituality and mythology," said the designer, who used some lines by Indian philosopher Chanakya on t-shirts.

An engineer by profession, he aims to spread awareness about the specific contributions of ancient India to the world and to preserve its legacy with his brand and his efforts got appreciation from judges too.

Rodricks apart, the jurors included designers like Rina Dhaka, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna to industry officials like Anant Daga, CEO, TCNS Clothing company, Sandeep Mukim, CEO, Proline India Ltd, and Simeran Bhasin, CMO, Wildcraft.

They had a common message for the budding talent: "Your brands have a huge scope in the market. So, stay focussed."

Film: "Lingaa"; Cast: Rajinikanth, Sonakshi Sinha, Anushka Shetty, K. Vishwanath, Jagapathi Babu, Vijayakumar, Radha Ravi, Santhanam, Karunakaran and Dev Gill; Director: K.S. Ravi Kumar; Rating: ***

In one of the scenes in "Lingaa", Rajinikanth is seen reading Joseph Campbell's "The Hero with A Thousand Faces'. The camera zooms in on the book's title from different angles to emphasise that it was included for a very strong reason. According to director Ravi Kumar, his hero is Rajinikanth, and his thousand faces are that of a collector, a king, a civil engineer, a patriot, a socially responsible citizen, a leader, a communist, and finally, a common man. Rajini proves he could be anybody on screen. He could go from a king to a pauper in a scene and audiences won't mind it because he's the hero with a thousand faces.

All that you want in a Rajinikanth film is packed in abundance in "Lingaa", which doesn't disappoint his legions of fans. From his signature walk to bizarre stunts to philosophical touch in dialogues to his reluctance towards politics but interest in serving people -- every scene illuminates with Rajini's presence. In another scene, Rajinikanth jumps off a mountain on his sports bike to land on a hot air balloon (reminds you of the scene from Jackie Chan's "Armour of God"). Any other actor in his shoes would've been subjected to ridicule and mockery.

"Lingaa" is a social period drama that unfolds in the pre-independence era. It follows the story of Raja Lingeshwaran (Rajinikanth), a collector during the British regime, who becomes instrumental in the construction of a dam in a village called Solaiyur. In the process, he loses everything but not his self respect and will power. When a group of villagers ask Lingeshwaran why he threw away a king's life for the villagers, he replies that a person with a happy heart will remain happy forever.

The film is filled with such quintessential Rajinikanth dialogues, included in the story at the right junctures to give his fans an adequate dose of inspiration along with entertainment.

It's always advisable to watch a Rajinikanth film with least expectations and that's very much applicable to "Lingaa" as well. While it's wonderful to see the superstar do what he's best at in a live action film (after the disastrous "Kochadaiiyaan"), the wafer thin story of "Lingaa" is a letdown. The story gives us a flashback of several of Rajini's own films and the most evident of all is "Sivaji".

"Lingaa", which released on the superstar's 64th birthday, desperately tries to hide his age, and it succeeds at that. Rajini hasn't looked so dashing in ages, and the swagger with which he carries his role, is a treat to watch. One of the best examples is the age-defying stunt sequence (choreographed by Lee Whittaker) atop a moving train. If you're wondering how could he possibly pull it off (even with the help of VFX), you should remember it's also one of his thousand faces.

If there's one thing that really bothers in "Lingaa", it is its running time. Agreed it's a Rajinikanth film and that it comes probably once in a few years, so it shouldn't be a problem to sit through three hours. But it seriously isn't easy after getting used to shorter Tamil films in the last few months. Another area of concern is A.R Rahman's music, which doesn't quite touch the bar he had set with his previous collaborations with the superstar.

Both Sonakshi and Anushka don't have much to contribute. The former has a lengthier role, yet there isn't much scope for performance.

"Lingaa" gives Rajinikanth a ticket to entertain his fans and he doesn't let them down.

Ace cricketer Virender Sehwag will donate blankets and auction his sweater as part of his association with 'Daryadili', an endeavour to support the underprivileged battling cold weather in the country.

Sehwag has joined hands with radio station 92.7 BIG FM and NGO Goonj for the fourth edition of 'Daryadili'.

The cricketer, who was recently left out of the 30-member squad of probables for the 2015 One-Day International World Cup, is happy to "utilise" his time for a good cause.

"We look after people in our own house, but not those who are on the road... So, I thought I should get involved in such an initiative," he said.

"On behalf of my Sehwag International School, we will give at least 100 blankets and do as much as we can," said Sehwag, who also handed over blankets to a few underprivileged people at the media conference here.

He also promised to give away one of his sweaters for auction.

"The auction is not for money. The one who gives maximum number of clothes will get the sweater," he said.

He will also create awareness by featuring in one of the shows of the radio station.

Celebrities like Farah Khan, Shaan, Smriti Irani and Chetan Bhagat have also supported the campaign.

Talking about the initiative, Anshu Gupta, founder director of Goonj, said: "People die because of natural disasters like earthquake and flood, but through this campaign, we want to tell the masses that people also die because they don’t have clothes to wear during the winter season.

"If all of us give even a little bit, such deaths can be prevented to some extent."

He wants more people to contribute to the cause, but also shared that “torn or oversized clothes” won’t be considered.

BIG FM has provided a viable platform for people who wish to help the needy.

"We're carrying out the campaign in north India and down south. We understand that woollen clothes are not required there (south India). So, we are going to help them by giving stationery, toys and more,” Manisha Tripathi, national product head, 92.7 BIG FM, told IANS.

The trailer of "Dolly Ki Doli" was unveiled by the film's actress Sonam Kapoor on the occasion of its producers Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan's wedding anniversary Friday.

Arbaaz said he's extremely proud of the movie as it's "well made".

"I'm happy with the star cast of the film and Sonam has done a fabulous job in it. It's a film with different concept and it has a unique story. It's a light-hearted comedy film," Arbaaz told reporters here.

Sonam says she was thrilled to be part of the entertainer.

"I was extremely happy to be part of Arbaaz's film. It's a commercial film and I'm glad to be part of it," she said.

Directed by Abhishek Dogra, the film also features Rajkummar Rao.

Friday the 12th turned out to be a double bonanza for the fans of Tamil movie superstar Rajinikanth across the globe. They not only celebrated the 64th birthday of their silver screen hero, but also enjoyed his new release "Lingaa".

Incidentally, this is the first time Rajinikanth's movie has released on his birthday.

Fans thronged movie theatres here from the wee hours where "Lingaa", starring their hero Rajinikanth was released. The scene outside the theatres where the movie is being shown, was chaotic.

The frenzied fans burst firecrackers, offered milk to Rajinikanth's cut outs and held special prayers in temples. Fans sported dark t-shirts with photographs of their 'Thalaivaa' on it.

According to Sivaraman, a Rajinikanth fan, this Friday is Diwali for the fans.

At several places, fans celebrated their hero's birthday by cutting cakes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the earliest to wish Rajinikanth on his birthday through a tweet. Several other noted personalities from the movie and political world also greeted Rajinikanth.

A bus conductor in Karnataka had come from Belgaum to the actor's residence to wish him on his birthday.

Prior to his entry into the movie world, Rajinikanth himself was a bus conductor in Bangalore.

However, for the birthday boy it was quiet togetherness at his home. He also visited a theatre for a special screening of his movie.

According to Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya, the movie "Lingaa" is really good and her father is excited about it.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt says moviegoers want "brave" audiovisual content, and Vishesh Films's next production "Khamoshiyan" caters to that demand.

The makers of "Khamoshiyan" have been using the digital platform to promote their bold supernatural erotica to the fullest. An uncensored version of the “Khamoshiyan” trailer has been released online.

"The archaic moral values that exist in the analogue corridors are being blown to pieces in cyber space. We live in a brave new world and the consumer out there is crying for brave new audiovisual content. ‘Khamoshiyan’ has delivered that,” Bhatt said in a statement.

Directed by debutant Karan Darra, “Khamoshiyan” stars Ali Fazal, Gurmeet Choudhary and Sapna Pabbi.

"The digital space is an all accepting one -- it gives us the liberty to experiment with all kinds of content without any imposed restrictions, have a direct channel of communication with our audience to get a true barometer of what works and what doesn’t.

“We wanted fans to see the theatrical trailer in its entirety -- devoid of any censorship, thus communicating the very essence of the film. The internet allows that, and we are keen to gauge the feedback of fans on it,” said Shikha Kapur, chief marketing officer, Fox Star Studios.

The movie releases Jan 30, 2015.

Actor Ajay Devgn enjoys a massive fan following but the actor says he is a big fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who he feels has a "clear agenda" in bringing about "change" in the country.

"I met Mr. Narendra Modi in Gujarat, where I have a solar project. Since that moment, I'm his fan," the actor said during a session of Agenda Aaj Tak here.

Ajay is one star from the bevy of celebrities who stood by the political icon before the Modi wave swept India.

"I think Modi has a clear agenda. I have supported him and it will continue to happen. I think change is underway.

"Change is not a magic wand. it will take some time for the things to change. I believe the intentions are right, but I can't say about what's in store for future," Ajay said.

On the professional front, the actor, who is married to actress Kajol, says he is trying to cut the budget of his next directorial "Shivaay", but in vain.

"The script is not allowing us to cut down the expenses. Hence, the cost is running high," said Ajay, who's also acting in the movie as well as producing it.

Actor Ajay Devgn, who has been lauded equally for his intense dramatic roles as for his comical avatar, feels the reason why movies like "Zakhm" and "The Legend of Bhagat Singh" aren't made anymore is due to the commercial nature of cinema and risk involved with big budget movies.

Ajay, who has shown his comical as well as intense avatar in a bevy of films over his career, is now a film producer, and he is readying to direct his new film "Shivaay" too.

One thing he has noticed over the years is that filmmakers today are hesitant to take chances.

"I think filmmakers are not in the zone of writing such scripts (as 'Zakhm' and '...Bhagat Singh). They have talent, but they don't want to use it. Cinema has become commercial with big budget movies and risk (has increased). So, filmmakers don't want to take risks," the actor said at a session of Agenda Aaj Tak here Friday.

Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, "Zakhm" was released in 1998 and "The Legend Of Bhagat Singh", helmed by Rajkumar Santoshi hit the screens in 2002.

"I've not heard of any script like 'Zakhm’ and ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ for over a decade now. In fact, I've not even seen movies like them on screen. It's sad that people don’t make such movies now.

“I've not heard of any script for which I have instantly said 'yes' without thinking of the profit or the business that film will garner. ‘Zakhm’ was one such film (it was an exception).

"I remember when Mahesh Bhatt called me for the role... I was taking a shower, but he narrated a portion of the story to me and I said 'yes'. It just took me five minutes," he recollected.

After his recent "Action Jackson" fared averagely at the box office, the actor is gearing up for "Shivaay".

Anurag Kashyap’s latest film ‘Ugly’ is set to release on December 26, 2014. This highly anticipated film has been doing the rounds of film festivals for a while now where it has been received immensely well.

The Director also re-joined Twitter to make this announcement. He will reconnect with his fans and speak about ‘Ugly’ through his new handle @anuragkashyap72.
Speaking about the film, he said, “Ugly is my most accomplished film as a Director, and I am happy that it’s now releasing in India.”

Critics have termed the film as a “black diamond which should not go unnoticed”. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the film’s release in India, having heard raving reviews for the film. As per the Director, Ugly is an emotional drama masked under an edgy thriller. The film has a slew of characters and the story grapples back and forth in time to dig into their lives and what follows is an endless series of blame game and one-upmanship. The film stars Ronit Roy, Tejasvini Kolhapure, Rahul Bhatt, Vineet Singh, Girish Kulkarni, Siddhant Kapoor & Surveen Chawla. The movie has been produced by Phantom Films and Dar Motion Pictures Ltd.

The spirit of the Kochi Muziris Biennale (KMB) was at its peak Friday evening when amid heavy showers, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy officially inaugurated the 108-day long festival.

Muziris Biennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art held in Kochi, Kerala.

The evening began with a two-hour traditional ensemble featuring 305 artistes playing ethnic drums, cymbals, pipes and horns. In the middle of their performance it began to drizzle, which was followed by a slow and continuous rain. Yet the guests remained seated and watched the performance under umbrellas.

However, when the chief minister along with a few other dignitaries arrived, heavy showers lashed the venue, but they all chose to speak about the second edition of the art festival, braving the rain.

"Kerala has of late become a major gateway of arts for the whole world," said Chandy.

"Each artwork at the biennale is a wonder in itself," he added.

The chief minister also said that the state government was considering giving the KMB grants more than the Rs.2 crore which they had provided for in this edition.

Kerala Culture Minister K.C.Joseph ended the ceremony on a lighter note saying "we began with rain, will will end with a thunder".

Titled "Whorled Explorations", this edition has been curated by Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallt who has delved with the theme of astronomical spaces and maritime history of the port city to merge its historical past with a mystical future.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is ready to launch its online entrance ticket booking to the Taj Mahal from Christmas day.

Tourism personnel in Agra have welcomed the long pending initiative which hoteliers think will curb unauthorised entry, fake ticket selling and other dubious means to gain entry to the world heritage monument.

"The long queues at the booking windows will disappear as advance booking of e-tickets would be available online. The tourists will come armed with identity proof and printout of the tickets," tourist guide Ved Gautam said.

Reselling of tickets has been a issue for the past several years but interest groups in the form of black marketeers were thwarting attempts to introduce the e-ticketing facility. But now the union culture and tourism ministry has given the green signal to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (ICRTC) which in collaboration with the national institute of smart governance, will operate and monitor the response beginning Dec 25, the birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Taj Mahal was visited by close to six million tourists in 2013. This year there has been a slight fall in the arrivals, according to industry sources. "But once air traffic increases, as it is most likely to after the announcement by the state government to reduce VAT on aviation fuel in Agra from 22 to just 4 percent, the number of tourists will rise," said Rajiv Tiwari, president of the Federation of Travel Agents Associations.

ASI officials said the e-tickets would be covered with security features including a bar code. The ASI director general Rakesh Tiwari who visited the Taj Mahal Wednesday held meetings with officials and gave the go ahead signal.

After the one-month trial stint at the Taj Mahal, similar facilities would be available for other monuments as well. ASI staffers are being trained and bar code scanners would be installed at the gates, ASI chief in Agra N.K. Pathak said.

The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) is also studying the carrying capacity of the fragile 17th century monument. Experts say that in the coming months, a limit would be fixed on the number of visitors to the Taj. "This will help save the Taj Mahal from the ever-increasing human load, which adds to the pollution level," said Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society.

The Taj is India's pride and every effort should be made to ensure its safety and maintenance. "The pressure of humans has continued to increase each year, which can pose a problem. More alarming is the state of the polluted Yamuna river which runs without water for most of the year. This issue has to be addressed urgently as water in the river is a necessity for the survival of the Mughal monument," R. Nath, eminent Mughal historian told IANS over the phone.

Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor's film “Dhanak” has been invited for the Generation Kplus programme of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival 2015. It will also have its world premiere at the festival.

Shot in the bylanes of Rajasthan, the film revolves around the a little girl Pari's endeavour towards getting his brother's eyesight back.

They set out on a journey where they encounter myriad colours of life to meet superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who on a poster promised his viewers “new eyes”.

The complete details of the Generation programme, which focuses on films around young people who come out of situations that threaten their existence, will be announced in mid January next year.

Exhilarated by the news, Kukunoor took to micro-blogging website Twitter to share his happiness over the film getting an international platform.

"Thrilled to announce that my new film Dhanak @dhanakthefilm is head to the Berlin Film Festival. Feb 2015!!!

"Dhanak's @dhanakthefilm magical journey begins in Berlin. Let us celebrate @ManMundra @elaheh”p!" posted Kukunoor.

Actor Rannvijay Singh, who worked in Kukunoor's 2011 film "Mod", also congratulated the director.

"Congratularions sirr! @nkukunoor: Thrilled to announce that my new film Dhanak @dhanakthefilm is head to the Berlin Film Festival. Feb 2015!" the actor tweeted.

The festival will open Feb 5.

Actor Rajpal Yadav, whose recent release "Bhopal - A Prayer For Rain" is doing well at the box office, says that the film's success has opened Hollywood's doors for him.

"I will continue doing projects in Bollywood. I do not mind straddling multiple industries but I will do all good films that come my way. The success of 'Bhopal - A Prayer For Rain' has opened doors for Hollywood films for me," said the actor.

Directed by Ravi Kumar, the film also features Hollywood names Mischa Barton and Martin Sheen as well as Indian-American actor Kal Penn.

Tannishtha Chatterjee too joined the cast of the film, that is based on true events of 1984 when a toxic gas leak from the Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide plant in the Madhya Pradesh capital killed and maimed thousands of people.

Rajpal has reportedly been approached for several Hollywood films but he is not ready to talk about it currently.

"There are Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA) that prevent me from talking about them at the moment, but you will hear from the producers and the studios very soon," he said.

Talking about his projects back home, he is busy with Telugu film "Kick 2", the Kannada-Hindi flick "Amma" and three Hindi films including "Welcome Back", "Bankey Ki Crazy Baraat" and "Thoda Lutf Thoda Ishq".

Girish Malik’s National Award winning film “Jal” has found a place in the Oscar contenders of 2014 in two categories -- Best Picture and Best Original Score.

The film, which has the backdrop of water scarcity and tells the story of Bakka, a person gifted with a special ability to find water in the desert, features in the reminder list of productions eligible for the 87th Academy Awards.

This apart, the film’s screenplay has also been invited to the Oscar Library for their permanent core collection.

“'Jal' is in the race as one of the Oscar contenders in two most prestigious categories - Best Picture and Best Original Score alongside path-breaking films like 'Interstellar', 'Exodus', '300 Rise of Empire' and other Hollywood biggies,” Puneet Singh, director of One World Films Pvt Ltd, the film's production banner, told IANS.

The film features Purab Kohli, Kirti Kulhari and Tannishtha Chatterjee in prominent roles.

Malik, who stepped behind the camera for the first time with the film, says that it is wonderful to get noticed on such a huge platform.

“'Jal' has been shortlisted as one of the Oscar contenders in the mainstream Best Picture category and not the Best Foreign Language film category, which means it will be competing with the Hollywood biggies to find a space for itself and hopefully get noticed on this stupendous platform.

“It was a tremendous struggle to make this film and I am happy and thankful that it’s being noticed on the biggest platform for cinema," he said.

The music and background score for the film has been composed by Sonu Nigam and Bickram Ghosh.

The other Indian film nominated for the Best Original score is "Kochadaiiyaan", which has compositions by A.R. Rahman.

The double Oscar winner is also nominated for two more of his Hollywood projects -- “Million Dollar Arm” and “The Hundred-Foot Journey”.

The final nomination list will be announced Jan 15, 2015, while the presentation ceremony will be held Feb 22, 2015 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday paid tribute to globally renowned yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar on his birth anniversary.

"My tributes to B.K.S. Iyengar on his birth anniversary. His contribution in taking yoga across the world is monumental," he said in a tweet.

Iyengar, who founded the 'Iyengar Yoga', was born Dec 14, 1918 in Bellur in Karnataka. He died Aug 20, 2014 in Pune.