The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) has roped in some of the country's top designers like Anamika Khanna, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Rohit Bal to give an impetus to Khadi through a mega event in Ahmedabad Saturday.

FDCI, India's apex fashion body, has associated with the Gujarat State Khadi and Village Industries Board (GSKVIB) to organise the fashion show -- 'From Huts to the High-Street' -- where the designers will showcase their high-end twist to the hand-spun fabric, popularised by Mahatma Gandhi.

"We are honoured to associate with the Gujarat State Khadi and Village Industries Board in support of Khadi in India. What makes this association special is that Khadi, which is ideal for Indian weather, will be brought to the forefront," FDCI president Sunil Sethi said in a statement.

Sethi, who is thankful to Jai Shroff, CEO, United Phosphorous Limited, for helping them make the event a reality, hopes the efforts will urge people to "have at least one Khadi piece in our wardrobe, which will in turn help weavers".

The show will be held at the Sardar Patel National Memorial in Ahmedabad in the presence of prominent industrialists, textile aficionados, senior level bureaucrats, members of the film industry and students, who will come out in support of the organic wonder.

Not only this, the show will also see a special performance by Samandar Khan, renowned Manganiyar vocalist from Barmer, Rajasthan, who will customise the music to the theme of the show.

An official of GSKVIB is appreciative of the efforts being taken to sustain Khadi.

"Gandhiji was a passionate champion of a life pattern based on three cardinal principles -- simplicity, slowness and smallness. Khadi embodies these values and I'm thrilled to be part of this vision of making Khadi a part of every Indian household," said O. Ravi (IAS), member secretary-GSKVIB (Government of Gujarat).

Chef Vikas Khanna has joined Frankly.me -- a platform for celeb-fan interaction.

Frankly.me, funded by Matrix Partners, will bring fans and foodies closer to the chef by giving them an opportunity to connect and express their feelings and even ask him about anything.

One can connect with him through the website or application available on Android and iOS platforms. Users and fans can type in and post questions on the platform. Khanna will then reply or answer the questions through video selfies.

"It is an absolute pleasure to have masterchef Vikas Khanna on board with us at Frankly.me. Frankly is not just a mobile app where people ask questions to public figures and celebrities who then answer them back in video selfies.

"But, the idea is to expand the horizon of conversations that people take part in throughout their lifetime,” Nikunj Jain, CEO and founder, Frankly.me, said in a statement.

TV show "Code Red", which aims to discuss veiled issues of the society, was launched here on an inspiring note with a panel discussion involving women like actress Tisca Chopra and social activist Kiran Bedi, who've made a mark in their own fields.

Instead of indulging in ever-lasting debate over social menaces, the launch event of the Colors show saw the panelists discuss ways to overcome issues like suicide, violence against women and various psychological disorders, which the show will eventually highlight, starting Jan 19.

The show makers chose Hindu College as the panel discussion venue Tuesday, so that the youth could be a part of the discussion and help bring a change.

Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly, lawyer Rita Kumar and senior journalist Nalini Singh were part of the discussion.

The panel also outlined a set of basic steps that people can follow in order to do make themselves heard and urged people to break their silence by promoting the Twitter hashtag #KhamoshiTodo.

Bedi emphasised that the apprehension over opening up in front of parents is not limited to women, but men also face the same doubts.

"It happens with a guy too, he is not able to speak in front of his parents. So it's only about self confidence which comes from upbringing," she said.

Meanwhile, Tisca, who is gearing up for her next "Rahasya", feels friends act as 'support system' to help one overcome all forms of exploitation.

"I think friends are a very critical support system and one should not keep the suffering inside. When it comes out, there has got to be a solution that listeners can provide," Tisca said.

The college's auditorium was packed and buzzing with students with myriad queries and views, setting the stage right for the motive of "Code Red" -- to initiate healthy discussion.

"Code Red" will have six episodes, which will be presented in three prominent themes each week -- Umeed, Awaaz and Chakravyuh.

Umeed will focus on stories about people who are one the verge of ending their lives; Awaaz will talk about violence against women and children and Chakravyuh will show various forms of entrapment-physical and psychological.

Each theme of the show will be brought to life by a different production house, while actress Sakshi Tanwar will play narrator.

Actors Manish Chaudhari, in the role of an NGO representative and Yash Sinha as a crime reporter, will also take viewers through various instances.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, an active blogger and user of different social networks, has been named the Social Media Person of the Year, by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

The event is still due to happen in the capital, but since Big B won't be able to make it there, he was honoured in advance by by a representative of the body.

He received the award here Tuesday.

“There is an association of social media for India the IAMAI...and they reward me with the ‘Social Media Person of the Year’ award and it is time really to reward the Ef (Extended Family) for this... you are the ones that have made it possible for me to be given this recognition,” the 72-year-old posted on his blog srbachchan.tumblr.com.

The senior Bachchan posted a photograph in which he's seen receiving the trophy.

“The ceremony is in Delhi, and since I cannot be there, they came over to present it to me and (they will) play a video of it at the function to be held in a few days,” he added.

Big B makes the most of social media to communicate with his fans and well-wishers. The legendary film personality has over 12.5 million followers on Twitter and more than 18,857,196 likes on his Facebook page.

Actor Rajkummar Rao is comfortable experimenting with different roles, but he has his reservations about taking up a sex comedy at this juncture.

From films like "Love, Sex Aur Dhokha", "Ragini MMS", "Shaitan" and "Shahid", Rajkummar has gone on to feature in movies like "Kai Po Che", "Queen", "Citylights" and now the forthcoming "Dolly Ki Doli".

Asked if he's ready to do a sex comedy, he said: "I'm not comfortable doing a sex comedy, but if there is a script that would match my sensibilities, I would like to do it. I'm always in search of good scripts."

"Dolly Ki Doli" is a woman-centric movie, starring Sonam Kapoor. And Rajkummar finds nothing wrong being a part of it.

"I don't think there is anything wrong in doing women-oriented films. I did 'Citylights' and in between, if you get good scripts, I think one must do them. The script of 'Dolly Ki Doli' was great and my character in this film is very different," he said.

Directed by Abhishek Dogra, the film is produced by Arbaaz Khan and is releasing Jan 23.

Vishesh Films’ has taken rights of song "Aayega aane wala" from classic suspense thriller "Mahal" for their forthcoming supernatural erotica "Khamoshiyan".

The movie has been produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt under their Vishesh Films banner. Mahesh says that the track will act as an important aspect in the movie and will increase the anticipation factor.

“'Aayega aane wala' plays at a very crucial juncture in the film 'Khamoshiyan'. It is such an iconic song and we wanted to use the song to heighten the mood of supernatural in the film,” Mahesh said in a statement.

Directed by Kamal Amrohi, 1949 movie "Mahal" saw the original track picturised on actors Ashok Kumar and Madhubala, and it was sung by melody queen Lata Mangeshkar.

Television actor Gurmeet Choudhary, who is making a transition from the small screen to silver screen with the movie, had earlier mentioned that the erotic love triangle "Khamoshiyan" is quite similar to 1949 suspense thriller "Mahal".

"Khamoshiyan" also features Ali Fazal and Sapna Pabbi. The film will hit the screens Jan 30.

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput-starrer upcoming crime thriller “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!” will now hit the screens April 3, a week before its initial release date, Yash Raj Films (YRF) announced Wednesday.

Directed by Dibakar Banerjee, the film, based on the detective character Byomkesh Bakshi created by Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, was previously slated to release April 10.

The film will also see actors Anand Tiwari, Swastika Mukherjee and Divya Menon in pivotal roles.

After "Besharam" failed to evoke a positive response, Pallavi Sharda is confident that her new movie "Hawaizaada" will help her prove her worth as a versatile actress.

In "Hawaizaada", Pallavi stars as Ayushmann Khurrana's on screen love interest.

And while she doesn't want to call "Hawaizaada" a "new start", she feels that after "Besharam", "I got another chance to show that I can play these kind of roles too".

"I believe I'm a versatile actor. I hope people would love my work. 'Hawaizaada' is mostly based on Ayushmann (Khurrana) and Mithun-da's (Mithun Chakraborty) story, my love story...so, I just hope people like my part of the story," Pallavi said.

Directed by Vibhu Puri, “Hawaizaada” revolves around an Indian scientist Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, who is credited with having constructed India's first unmanned plane.

The film is set to hit the screens Jan 30.

Actress Shruti Haasan, who is gearing up for the release of six films -- four in Bollywood and one each in Tamil and Telugu this year - says she is excited about her sister Akshara Haasan's debut film "Shamitabh".

"I like the 'Shamitabh' trailer very much. I am very excited for the whole team, especially for my sister (Akshara). (I'm) Very proud of her and I wish the whole team all the best," Shruti said.

Directed by R. Balki, "Shamitabh" also stars southern star Dhanush, veteran Bollywood actress Rekha and megastar Amitabh Bachcan in key roles. The film is set to release Feb 6.

Actor Anupam Kher, who is working with filmmaker Sanjay Gupta after almost two decades in “Jazbaa”, is confident that the movie, an adaptation of Korean film "Seven Days", will turn out to be a treat for Indian audiences.

Anupam and Sanjay had earlier worked together in 1995 for the film “Ram Shastra”.

While present at a script reading session of “Jazbaa” with the entire cast here Tuesday, Anupam was asked to share his thoughts about the project, which also has Aishwarya Rai, Shabana Azmi, Siddhanth Kapoor and Atul Kulkarni in key roles.

“I'm looking forward to work in 'Jazbaa' and with Sanjay Gupta after 18 years and of course with Aishwarya. With Irffan, I'll be working strangely for the first time. I'm looking forward to this film as it has an amazing script,” Anupam said.

On being asked about reuniting with Sanjay after a long gap, Anupam said: “I like his movies, I like the way he directs, he is a very stylish director and this time he has chosen a script which is based on Korean film. I've seen that Korean film and I think it's going to be fantastic.”

Actor Abhimanyu Singh, who has bagged a challenging role with Vikram in Tamil movie "10 Enradhukulla", says the latter is devoid of any starry tantrums despite his superstar status.

"I can't begin to tell you what a pleasure it was to work with Vikram. He is such a brilliant actor and so hassle-free. I've worked with actors with not even an iota of his talent who gave me hell," Abhimanyu said.

Having starred in Ram Gopal Varma's "Rakta Charitra" and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela", Abhimanyu also has a role in Sanjay Gupta's ambitious project "Jazbaa".

Though not allowed to comment much on his role in "Jazbaa", the actor, who is currently shooting in Bhuj for a Gujarati film directed by Vijay Giri, said: "It's a character-based film. And I play a character who goes through many changes. He starts off one way and ends up in another. It's a challenging role."

Debutante film maker Sanjay Amar's "19th January", will see veteran and acclaimed actress Deepti Naval in the role of a Kashmiri Muslim.

"I'm glad Deepti Naval is part of this project. She is known for her content-driven films and she said 'yes' to this film only because of the content. In the film, she will be seen as a Kashmiri Muslim lady who seems to be very confused. The whole story revolves around her," Amar told IANS.

The director says the actress has worked hard on the movie, and she was able to pick up the nuances of a Kashmiri character very well.

"19th January" is based on the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in early 1990.

The film is to be jointly produced by Deepmala Tanwar, Mumtaz Ahmad and Sanjay Amar under the banner of Blueberry Entertainment in association with Amar Chand Motion Pictures.

Amar says the film was shot in Kashmir, and that was quite a challenge.

"It is a huge task for any filmmaker to shoot the film in Kashmir. We faced a lot of problems, but we managed to shoot the film in some locations of Kashmir. The best part of this film is that 90 percent of the entire cast belongs to Kashmir."

Goa is all set to witness the first edition of Gionee Smartphones India Beach Fashion Week (IBFW) 2015, a three-day event dedicated to resort, swim, beach and cruise clothing along with a day dedicated to destination bridal wear. It will begin Feb 5.

"Our core team has pooled their vast experience and talent into the conception of IBFW. We endeavour to create a platform where designers can showcase their collections exclusively for beach/cruise wear and destination bride, for which there is a great demand, but remains unexplored," said IBFW co-founder and chief creative officer Pallav Ojha.

The plans are much bigger for the event.

"This is a very unique property and we want to take this international to various beach and destination wedding destinations as we go along. For now, I invite you to come experience and enjoy art, culture and the Goan hospitality at IBFW 2015," said the event's co-founder Amyn Manji.

Conceptualised and owned by UVAR Global, the event will witness the showcasing of over 30 designers, more than 50 pop-up shops, foot-tapping live music and three luxe post show parties. It will be held at Shrem Resorts, Novotel at Candolim beach.

The pop-up shops will allow visitors to browse and buy the designer wear and accessories, while the post show parties will give them a chance to relax and shake a leg to the latest in world music.

Well known Indian designer-duo Falguni and Shane Peacock will be the grand finale designers.

Film: "Sharaafat Gayi Tel Lene"; Cast: Zayed Khan, Rannvijay Singh, Anupam Kher, Tena Desae, Talia Bentson; Director: Gurmmeet Singh; Rating: ***

You might think there is nothing funny about a working-class Delhite counting pennies and scrounging on the butter on his bread(literally) suddenly coming into underworld money in his bank account.

Think again! Humour often hides in the unlikeliest of nooks and the crummiest of corners. 'Sharaafat ....' is a hard word to describe and an even harder concept to follow. Walking the straight path at a time when corruption is a way of life is like trying to balance an uncut pumpkin on your head while crossing the road at the traffic signal when there is a green light.

Meet the nerdy Prithvi Khurana(Zayed Khan) and his sloppy room mate Sam(Rannvijay). Theirs would have been the routine life of two unremarkable never-beens if it wasn't for the windfall in Prithvi's ATM account.

The sequence in the ATM booth where Prithvi suddenly discovers he is millionaire is shot with a gusto that underlines the disguised materialism of the Indian working class.

The satirical screenplay(Rajesh Chawla, Gurmmeet Singh) has plenty of twists and turns that keep us engaged as we are taken skipping hopping and gamboling into the second-half. The narrative,though leisurely in place never allows itself to be bogged down by self-importance.

There is a casual air to the proceedings even as the two protagonists get progressively deeper into the self-created mess.Delhi the city that hosted the humorous ode to hectic horniness "Delhi Belly", gets a bit of a makeover in director Gurmmeet Singh's film. "Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene" conveys an equal measure of Capital chaos and comic capitalism without the vulgarity of "Delhi Belly".

Gurmmeet Singh had earlier courted quirkiness in "What The Fish" where the concept of Dimple Kapadia's well-appointed residence being taken over by various eccentric characters generated some humour. In "Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene" the voice of Dawood (yes, the voice plays a pivotal part) plays the same part as the residence in "What The Fish".

Zayed Khan as the nerdy Delhite keeps the performance bridled and likeable. He deserves better. Rannvijay as the Insignificant Other is delightfully droll. "Sharaafat..." as a concept of proper conduct never seemed more like sharaarat, as the con game is played through the streets of Delhi.

The film takes on the theme of greed and covetousness and turns it into a pleasant satire. A saucy comedy about a commoner's brush with the "D" gang, this is an original smile-inducing romp into the realm of comedy where errors define the mood, and the characters are not as interesting as the situations that the script tries to create for them.

This is certainly funnier film than any other comedy this week.

"Scary is the new sexy," says actress Bipasha Basu ahead of the release of "Alone", but Bollywood trade experts believe filmmakers have for long entertained viewers with 'horrex', an amalgamation of horror and sex.

The "Raaz" and "Ragini MMS" franchises, "1920", "Haunted - 3D" and now "Alone" are a case in point.

"Alone" is not the first time that Bipasha has got up, close and personal with an actor on screen for a horror movie. She did it in "Raaz", but she's uninhibited in admitting that "Alone", releasing Friday, is her boldest ever work.

Whether it'll work for the film or not is yet to be seen, but a combination of intimate scenes and horror adds an intriguing touch to a horror film, says Bhushan Patel, who has directed "Alone", about conjoined twins who had promised to be together and how the death of one sister leads to a series of chilling incidents.

"Sex and scares have always gone hand in hand in films. It is an integral part of the genre. If you see old English films like 'Dracula', they all had their share of sex (scenes)," Patel told IANS.

Patel, who has directed films like "1920: Evil Returns" and "Ragini MMS 2" as well, says 'horrex' works like "magic" on the screen.

Tanuj Garg, former CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures which has produced films like "Krishna Cottage" and "Ragini MMS", says infusing horror with erotica grabs more eyeballs.

"When you add erotica into horror, it becomes more appealing and exciting. The formula has worked on a large scale. I think just erotica or horror by itself wouldn't have garnered that much fascination as the combination has," Garg told IANS.

Just a cursory glance at films of late 1980s like "Veerana", "Purani Haveli" and "Bandh Darwaza", will prove that some thrills with titillating scenes can add some frills to a movie.

Patel says the inclusion of veiled issues like sex has always managed to capture attention.

"The fascination continues as it is the dark side. The dark side is interesting and alluring. Sex is a taboo and often scares people. People are indulging in it every day and so what's wrong in showing it and talking about it?" Patel asked.

No matter how they defend the use of sex, makers of such movies have faced flak over making sex as the driving force of a film with no storyline.

Garg pointed out that the content in Bollywood films is well within limits thanks to the strictness of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

"I don't think we can cheat anyone by using sex as a driving force due to restrictions in terms of how much the censor will allow. So one has to balance the two elements," Garg noted.

Echoing this, Patel said: "Sex is a tool in horror films to take the story forward. I don't think sex is used unjustifiably."

Hence the staple ingredients of a Bollywood horror film: some spooky noises, a dark ambiance, a woman in distress, a hero, evil spirits, lovemaking scenes and sensual songs.

Distributor Rajesh Thadani held a different point of view and said that horror films have been reduced to sleaze fests to ensure success.

"It is the easiest way to make a successful film. The collections of these films is also decent," Thadani told IANS.

Adding to that, trade expert Vinod Mirani said: "Films, especially of the horror genre, in India are getting poorer in content."

"Horror films lack in content and they try to make it up with sound effects, loud background music, low light choreography and, in desperation, sex," Mirani told IANS.

It's needless to say that movies like "Haunted - 3D", "Raaz 3" and "Ragini MMS 2" were given 'A' certificate, making it open only to adult audiences. But the makers have no qualms as their target itself is adults only!

Talented siblings Shakti Mohan and Neeti Mohan were felicitated here for for being the Best Dancer Performer - Female and Best Singer/Performer at the LIVE Quotient Awards 2015.

The awards, powered by Oman Tourism with support from title sponsor Kamdhenu Steel, celebrated and acknowledged the best talent in the live entertainment industry, at an event held Wednesday.

The musical extravaganza witnessed prominent celebrities from the Indian musical fraternity being honoured.

Amongst the winners in various categories were Richa Sharma, Mini Mathur (Best Anchor-Female), Terence Lewis (Best Dance Performer-Male), Raell Padamsee (Best Theatre Act), Sivamani (Best Instrumental Act), Indian Ocean (Best Band), Nucleya (Best DJ), DJ Suketu (Best DJ), DJ Barkha Kaul (Best DJ) and more.

Popular singer Adnan Sami was present too at the event, which also featured performances by new and established artists. Akhil Banga, a new face in the Punjabi pop category sung the opening act at the gala evening, while the young sitar talent Azeem Ahmed Alvi brought down the curtains with his performance.

Hosted by popular comedian Papa CJ and Danish Sait, a Bangalore-based radio personality, the show also saw performances by singer Richa Sharma and Paras Nath, a flautist from Mumbai.

Vishal Nagdev, business head and founder - EVENTFAQS Media Pvt Ltd, said: “While there are a plethora of film, music and television awards, the biggest entertainment section -- live, has been completely ignored.

"Given our body of work in promoting live talent pan India, we consider the live performing artist community as our most important stakeholder. LQA is our effort in celebrating their talent and excellence and propagating live entertainment further."

Actor Dhanush, who is married to superstar Rajinikanth's daughter Aishwarya, says he is still trying to impress his wife.

Asked how he managed to impress the superstar and his daughter, Dhanush said: "To impress Rajinikanth, you just have to be honest and simple, and I am still trying to impress Aishwarya."

However, Dhanush says his wife is proud that he has a huge fan following.

"She is very happy and she is very proud...," he said.

Dhanush, who will be next seen sharing screen-space with Amitabh Bachchan in "Shamitabh", says it was a learning experience to work with the megastar.

"We firstly met in an award function and ater that we met on sets. He made me very comfortable. It was a great adventure and learning experience working with him," he said.

Directed by R. Balki "Shamitabh" also features Akshara Haasan.

Actress-producer Preity Zinta is upset as she won’t get the chance to fly kites this month!

“Bummed out that I'm gonna miss flying kites this jan. Used2 love it! Isn't it a dream2 cut some1else's Kite with ur deadly Manjha right?,” Preity tweeted Thursday.

The actress, who uses the digital platform to connect with her fans, was last seen in the 2014 release “Happy Ending”.

BJP MP and veteran actress Hema Malini says she will be always grateful to the country’s film industry.

Hema was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement award by superstar Shah Rukh Khan at 21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards here Wednesday night and the actress got emotional.

“Looking bk over the years, it is the film industry which has given me name & fame here & all over the world & sustains it even today,” she tweeted Thursday.

“I can never forget the warmth of this film industry where I grew up & spent the best years of my life - I have a lot to be grateful for!,” the 66-year-old added.

The “Dream Girl” star made her acting debut with "Sapno Ka Saudagar" in 1968. She will be soon seen in “Sholay” fame director Ramesh Sippy’s “Shimla Mirch”.

Her lively stage presence makes Richa Sharma a much sought after live performer when it comes to musical extravaganzas in the country. While the songstress has recorded a number of songs in studios for Bollywood, she says her love for the stage is eternal.

She was in Gurgaon Wednesday to receive a special award at the LIVE Quotient Awards 2015, organised by EVENTFAQS. She left the audience delighted with her performance and songs too.

Talking about her "fantabulous journey of 20 years", she said in a statement: "Today I feel that it’s just the beginning. I'm enjoying every single bit of music around me.

"I would like to thank the entertainment industry, my family, my fellow artists and the live entertainment industry for being around as a pillar for me. Before any prefix tag on me, I have been a live performer, and stage is and will always be my first love.”

Richa has come a long way since the time when her singing was confined to devotional songs. Although she used to sing as a child, her work as a playback singer was noticed immensely when she sang the club song "Mahi ve" from the film "Kaante" in 2002.

The singer, who has to her credit hit numbers like "Ni main samajh gayi", "Billo rani", "Sajda" and "Zor ka jhatka", was born and brought up in Haryana. She learnt the art of singing bhajans from her father Pandit Daya Shankar Upadhyaya and mother Manorma Devi.