Ace designer JJ Valaya turned a fashion platform into a cultural cauldron by infusing elements of Russia and India into his collection 'The Bolshoi Bazaar', which he showcased at the Amazon India Fashion Week here.

Popular singers and brothers Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan added the star quotient at Valaya's show.

The collection gave subtle hints of its influence from Russia, staying true to Indian traditional roots.

“The collection is Indian, but with a kiss of Russia, and that is because I was not trying to make a Russian statement. I love India, but I also like other cultures, so inspirations for the collection are from all over Russia, put together with India,” Valaya told reporters post his show on Wednesday.

The collection has been created using signature weaves, crepes, voils, georgette and other fine fabrics with techniques like digital printing, applique and Valaya's signature embroideries.

Valaya narrated a colour story in a very lucid manner with one colour gradually making way for a new shade to rule the runway. It all started with pastel shades, which moved on to antique, metallic and neutral tones with dabbles of green, blue and orange.

There were capes, saris, dresses, skirts, jackets and anarkalis teamed with churidars giving a modern yet distinct Indian look to the ensembles.

Male models looked dapper and suave in jackets and suits in bright hues from the collection.

Another highlight of the collection was the use of head gear. The designer noted that it was to add a “fun” factor on the runway.

“I feel we should also have some fun on the ramp. The czar and czarina from Russia are known for elaborate headgear, so we wanted to include it in our collection,” he said.

Apart from Amaan and Ayaan, artist Samar Singh Jodha also walked on the ramp.

Talking about calling his friend for the show, Valaya, one of the pioneering fashion designers in the country, said: “I have a quirky habit of getting my friends walk the ramp. It has happened a couple of seasons back and I did it again with nine super cool people. I can tell you that they were nervous as hell but walked with confidence."

Valaya also noted that the collection is not couture. He said: “We will have a completely different spin with the collection when the time comes."

Along with the Valaya collection, Kindle Voyage was also unveiled at the fashion show. The designer roped in children from different age group to sum up the show with the new Kindle, making the aura of the show lively.

The first day of fashion gala on Wednesday, which is being held at Pragati Maidan, also saw designers like Rajesh Pratap Singh, Anju Modi and Kavita Bhartia showcase their autumn and winter collection at the opening day of the bi-annual event.

A prince, princess, magnificent castles, swans and a ship emerging out of turbulent waves - the words may seem to pop out of a fairytale, but these are some of the elements that designer Anju Modi used to showcase her collection 'How to write a fairy tale' at the Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) here.

She created an enchanting world on the ramp.

“The theme is a fairytale land, which is full of hope. We wake up everyday with a hope... so the aim was to capture that emotion and celebrate life,” Modi told IANS at a press briefing post her show here on Wednesday.

As the show started, the audience was transported to an different world with background music of flowing water and chiming of bells, which acted as a time machine.

With a splash of red, blue and other pastel shades, the collection consists of gowns, saris, dresses, drapes, capes and long flowing suits. In menswear, suits and jackets rule the line.

Another pattern of significance in Modi's collection was black and white stripes.

Modi used motifs from the fantasy land like swans, castle and umbrella to add to the vibe of her collection. She also gave sari a 'fairytale twist' with a cape with red flowers on it. A cape with wings and castle embroidered on it also made an appearance at her show.

Talking about motifs, she said: “We have used so many elements like enchanted castles, owls, pirate ships, umbrellas, waves and dolphins. We read about these elements in stories books, and the collection is about going back to the books."

The designer also noted that she has used colours to give a feel of the fairyland, which was full of “beautiful colours and reminds us of all the beautiful stories”.

But what caught the attention was innovative and quirky accessories -- be it shoes with wings, castle-shaped belts or tiaras with wings.

“The shoes with wings are also designed by me. With the belts and a tiara with wings, which narrates the feelings of a princess who knows a Prince Charming is waiting at the castle - 'she gets wings'. So the whole idea is to sell fashion,” she said.

Modi has used “handloom, wool and hand printed prints” for the collection.

Every fabric draped, every line sketched, every muse revered paid an ode to a fairytale.

On the whole, the collection sketched a pretty story of mingling of fabric with soft colours in a lucid and subtle way.

Being held at Pragati Maidan, the first day of the fashion week, that is celebrating its 25th anniversary, was opened by ace designer Rajesh Pratap Singh with aplomb.

Actress Shazahn Padamsee, who will be seen in a prominent role in "Solid Patels", says she loves the comedy genre even though it is tough. Off-screen too, she enjoys her share of humour by playing pranks on the film's team.

"An actor's on screen persona has to be an extension of one's real life persona. I like comedy, and I think it's one of the most difficult thing to do on screen... so jokes, laughs keeps you positive and in mode.

"I love playing pranks on the team of 'Solid Patels'. The energy of the team is so positive that it is fun to have fun with them," Shazahn told IANS.

In the film, she portrays the role of a Gujarati girl. She says she has worked hard to perfect her diction, body language, dialect and comic timing.

"Solid Patels" director Saurabh Varma knew Shazahn was the right choice for the film, courtesy her pranks.

Varma said: "When an actress plays a prank on the director during shoot, you know you have made the right choice for a comedy movie. She loves playing pranks! Someday, I am going to have a panic attack because of her.

"Her comic timing is brilliant and so organic. Shazahn is a fun girl to work with, she is always smiling, playing jokes, keeping it light and positive," he added.

"Solid Patels", produced by Krian Media, also features Shiv Pandit, Ali Asgar and Kettan Singh among others. It will release on April 24.

Eddie Hall, Britain's strongest man and an ardent fan of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, is seeking a role in Indian films.

Eddie, the four-time winner of strongest man title in Britain, is polishing his acting skills to test waters in Bollywood as a baddy. He was named as World’s Strongest Man in Australia after he set a new deadlift world record of 462 kg in the presence of none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. The ‘Terminator’ star is organising another event for Eddie in the US.

“I like two things from India - curries and Hindi movies,” Eddie told Asian Lite magazine. “When I was a kid I was amazed by the way Bachchan and other stars smashing the baddies on big screen. I thought these stars are martial arts experts like Bruce Lee.”

Eddie, fondly called ‘Gentle Giant’ for his soft mannerism outside the arena, is eagerly waiting for an opportunity to visit India and meet his icon.

The Stoke-on-Trent-born wrestler is also keen to get a role in superstar Aamir Khan’s forthcoming movie “Dangal”, which is rumoured to be based on a wrestler.

"I like to be a winner," Eddie added. "But I am ready to be defeated by the stars of Bollywood, if it provides entertainment to billions."

Eddie, 6’3” tall, is also willing to challenge Indian pahalwans (strongmen) in Britain or on their home turf. Mo Chaudhry, one of the richest British-Asian businessman in England, is offering a cash reward for the winner.

Mo, owner of Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent, Britain's most popular aqua park, has turned his sights to making Eddie a global celebrity after agreeing to a deal to become his agent. The owner of the M Club gym chain will handle all commercial activities so the Newcastle-under-Lyme 27-year-old can concentrate on becoming the World’s Strongest Man, having won the British title four times.

An amateur power-lifter in his youth, Mo is determined to help the 27-stone strongman achieve his goals of breaking into the top three this year - after finishing sixth in his debut competition last year - and winning the title in 2016.

“When I saw Eddie training at M Club it brought back some happy memories,” Mo told Asian Lite.

“My father Iqbal was a strongman in Pakistan when I was young and was a local hero, and I was a weightlifter at university, winning a silver medal in the Student Olympics in 1982 and bronze in 1983. So I can appreciate what Eddie has to go through to prepare for competition and also how the winners are revered around the world.

“Ultimately I’d like to create an Asia’s strongest man competition, as strongman contests in the subcontinent have huge potential, but first I want to help Eddie achieve his ambitions.

“By taking commercial negotiations out of his hands, I can leave him to concentrate on his training.

I am very passionate about promoting unique local talent and helping it to reach its full potential, and this partnership enables me to do that and hopefully put the area on the map.”

Eddie said: “My food bill is large as I need to consume 7,000-10,000 calories a day, and more than 10,000 a day during competitions.

“The agreement with Mo has already helped to generate TV and commercial opportunities. It’s great to have such a driven guy looking after my best interests, as now I can fully concentrate on becoming the World’s Strongest Man.”

Film and TV Producers Guild of India President Mukesh Bhatt says that rather than focussing on Indian cinema's 50-plus stars, the need is to create a new breed of talent and promote it.

He asserts that the film industry is not creating future wealth.

"We have got the biggest stars today... they are 50 plus and singing romantic songs. We have to bring young stars. We need to create young talent and promote it," Bhatt said here Wednesday at the Ficci Frames 2015 conclave.

"We need to create future wealth but we are not creating that," he added.

Although he is not against the star system that rakes in the moolah at the Bollywood box office, he is all for new talent.

"We have stars and it is very good. They give us Rs.200 crore, Rs.300 crore and more... but we need to have a second line. A new breed of actors should come up," said Bhatt, known to promote young and new talent through his banner Vishesh Films.

"How is it going to happen? We have to do it," he said.

Kattassery Joseph Yesudas, the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and seven-time National award winner, who has recorded over 50,000 songs till date, recently recorded a Hindi song after almost two decades.

The renowned singer has lent his voice for Praveen Morchhale’s internationally acclaimed Barefoot to Goa and the debutant director is naturally elated having roped in the maestro for his film. And while Yesudas is known to have recorded as many as 16 songs in a day, for the song Naina Do Nyare in this film, the singer took nearly four hours to record it, as he wanted the song to turn out perfect.

Everyone who’ve heard the song vouch that the lyrics of the song in his voice makes it even more beautiful and nostalgic. The film revolves around the relationship of a grandmother and her two grandchildren and the song fits in perfectly with the theme, reveals an insider.

Film: "Barkhaa"; Cast: Sara Loren, Taha Shah, Puneet Issar, Priyanshu Chatterjee; Director: Shadaab Mirza; Rating: ***

Pakeezah goes to the beer bar. Or some such tagline would serve this fairly watchable melodrama's purposes.

Melodrama as a genre in Indian cinema has gone out of vogue. Debutant director Shadaab Mirza weaves an emotional yarn about a girl's journey from the pristine Himachal hinterland into a beer bar run by an incredibly benign South Indian man who could be one of those caring madams in the films about fallen women set in kothas.

To his credit, the director doesn't over-romanticise the bar girl Barkhaa's tumultuous life story, at least not initially when she is shown to be quite a tease.

The scenes showing the rich pampered lawyer's besotted son Jatin (Taha Shah, stiff and not just in the upper-lip) frequenting the bar to dart lovelorn looks at his object of adoration are met with a disarming mix of amusement and annoyance by Barkhaa.

The scenes featuring the mismatched couple's tragic game of seduction in the bar are effective in putting across a sense of incredulity about the cruel jokes played by destiny specially in movies about... well, the cruel jokes played by destiny.

A large part of the film's effectiveness depends on lead actress Sara Loren, who is emotively motivated, understands the camera and the power of heightened emotions expressed on screen, and is powerfully empowered to convey a wealth of emotions through her eyes and voice.

But the film's finest performances comes from Ashiesh Roy as the level headed unbelievably kind bar owner. Roy imparts a natural ease to his over-sweetened part in a film where everybody strains to make an impact.

Regrettably, Loren's strong performance is saddled with bizarre coincidences and unconvincing twists and turns in the narration which plot to diminish her screen presence.

The story tends to veer dangerously close to the theatrical, specially after mid-point when the proceedings begin to veer absurdly close to the outrageous.

Yet, there is a semblance of sincerity in the way the life of bar dancer is humanised without making her look angelic.

The film refuses to glamorise and caricaturise the bar dancer the way Farah Khan did in "Happy New Year".

At the same time, the narrative won't tolerate a bar dancer being dubbed a prostitute.

There's a moment of terrific awakening where Ashiesh Roy's bar owner's character lashes out at someone who tries to buy the heroine's sexual favours for a night.

Eventually Barkhaa's world begins to fall apart. The same, unfortunately is true of the film.

But in taking the life of a tawaif from out of the ornate kotha into the harsh glare of the beer bar, "Barkhaa" succeeds in portraying a cinematic journey worth undertaking.

There is also a reformist zeal in the script that B.R. Chopra would have approved of in the way the film's hero insists on marrying a bar girl who is a mother of a little girl.

If only real life had such solutions to offer distressed women and victims of social hypocrisy.

"Barkhaa" rains down a rhapsody of drama and romance. A heart-warming at times, touching tale of an innocent girl's journey into the world of deceit, compromise and corruption, it echoes Raj Kapoor's "Ram Teri Ganga Maili" and Kamal Amrohi's "Pakeezah" in the way the respectable genteel upper class is shown to exploit women of meagre means.

Sara Loren is no Meena Kumari. But she kills the part much better than Mandakini in Raj Kapoor's fevered fable.

Breasts are left behind. This Ganga is not maili. Just maligned.

A lover of history, actor Sushant Singh Rajput will on Friday make his trip to the capital more fruitful by visiting the Old Delhi Railyway Station to promote his forthcoming movie "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!".

Sushant, who will be accompanied by the film's director Dibakar Banerjee, enjoys reading history and he likes to visit places of historical importance and other landmarks in the cities that he visits.

"He is excited to visit the Old Delhi Railway Station," a source said.

While he was supposed to attend a history lecture at University of Delhi on Thursday, he was unable to do so due to a strike there.

Incidentally, in "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!", Sushant plays a history student.

He was at the ongoing Amazon India Fashion Week on Thursday to launch NOIR 43, a fashion line inspired by the crime drama, which is set in Kolkata in the year 1943.

The film is slated to release on April 3.

Indian filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra's maiden Hollywood movie "Broken Horses" will not just have a novel version, but a mobile and computer game as well.

The game will be launched in Los Angeles around the film's release on April 10. The game is devised in such a way that will communicate the storyline of the movie through the eyes of the two brothers who will team up to save the day, said a statement.

The recently released trailer of "Broken Horses", launched by Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, is creating buzz globally for movie-goers.

Set in the shadows of US-Mexico border gang wars, "Broken Horses" is a thriller about bonds of brotherhood, laws of loyalty and futility of violence. The film has been co-written by Chopra and Abhijat Joshi and is based on an original story by Chopra.

The film's principal cast features Vincent D'Onofrio, Anton Yelchin, Chris Marquette and Maria Valverde.

It will be distributed and marketed by Fox Star Studios in India.

Weaving a story around Nepal's tradition of worshiping female energy and tranquility, designer Samant Chauhan brought his collection “Rajputana Kumari” on the runway of the ongoing Amazon India Fashion Week with a subtle use of white hues.

Shades of white are often termed as restrictive when it comes to experimenting in the world of fashion designing, but Chauhan presented the whole story of womanhood by playing with the colour with just a hint of red.

“Nepal is the inspiration behind my collection,” Chauhan told reporters post his show on Thursday.

The show introduced Chauhan's muse with a video clip, which captured the life of Nepal within its by-lanes, mountains and temples.

The designer showcased his range at the second day of the five-day fashion gala, which is being held at Pragati Maidan here. The collection represents purity and divine energy embodying 16 forms of “Kumari” including Sandhya, Sarasvati, Tridhamurti and Kalika among others.

Staying true to the theme of the autumn-winter edition of the bi-annual event, the ramp was given a natural touch with twigs and plants, which exuded an autumn feel. Instrumental and bird chirping music added a magical touch to the ambience.

With Nepal was Chauhan's inspiration, the show was started with chants of “Namaste”, which introduced a girl child in a Nepali outfit on the runway with a female and male model, and continue to spin magic through his ensemble with heavy golden and embroidery work and using silk to tell the tale of Nepal.

Each outfit from the collection was an example of creativity blended with innovation. Chauhan's favourite silk, cotton fabric, velvets, satin fabric helped make the range opulent with heavy golden embroidery, and shiny 'zari' work.

A deep colour range with hint on whites added a touch of purity along with use of metal tones and luminous marble white.

Actress Nora Fatehi, who has worked in films such as "Roar: The Tigers of Sunderbans" and "Crazy Cukkad Family", has been signed for a special song in S.S. Rajamouli's magnum opus "Baahubali".

"Impressed with her work in 'Temper', Rajamouli has roped her in for a special number in 'Baahubali'. She's currently rehearsing for the song in the city. The team is expected to shoot soon," a source told IANS.

Without revealing exact information about the song, Nora posted on her Twitter page that she's shooting for a song here.

"Finally back again in #hyderabad!! Let the dancing begin!! #newfilm #newsong #excited #tollywood (sic)," Nora tweeted Thursday.

Nora's item song in Jr. NTR-starrer Telugu actioner "Temper" was a hit.

"Baahubali", which is touted to be the most expensive Telugu film, is gearing up for release in May.

The film's story is about the fight for a kingdom between two brothers.

The movie features an ensemble cast of Prabhas Varma, Rana Daggubati, Tamannah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, Sudeep, Sathyaraj, Nasser, Ramya Krishnan, Adivi Sesh and Charandeep.

It was time for the darker shades of winter to take over the ramp of the Amazon India Fashion Week here, with designers Malini Ramani and Rina Dhaka taking to the stage to present their collections with a recurring naturalistic theme, tying them up together.

The two designers had their shows scheduled back-to-back on the second day Thursday of the five-day fashion gala at Pragati Maidan here. And both presented a visual treat to the fashion enthusiasts at the event.

There was a good chunk of romanticism with hues of beige, plum and a dash of blue.

Ramani's collection 'Free Spirit' mainly trailed into the darker realms of winter while playing with colours like black (which dominated the range), olive green, red and golden. The collection can be defined by long skirts with side thigh high slits, ankle length skirt with slits, asymmetrical cuts with embellishments, motifs and zardozi work.

Some dresses from her collection outshined the rest with an extraordinary shine oozing out of them -- be it the outfit with sequins, printed trousers, cape with flower motifs or half sleeves jacket exuding a 'cow-boy' feel.

Whereas Dhaka's collection is all about classic checks, stripes, spider weaves, leaves and ikat like patterns. The collection boasts of box-like asymmetrical designs all caught in embroideries.

“It (collection) is the use of linear movements from a straight line to a way of light. I have tried to make it as simple. We also went into stories with plants or with some of the cut-works, formats or spider-like things,” Dhaka told reporters at the press briefing post her show.

Dhaka's range is all about layering with an element of abstract and a surprise factor in each outfit. Be it giving a 3D effect through a garment, shadow effect dress or geometric embroidered linear dress.

From the colour palette, she has imbued shades of nude, blue, charcoal black and plum with fabrics like lace, cotton, stretchy fabric, velvet, satin with handwork, cut-work, patch work.

It's not only dark shades for Dhaka. There is also a burst of colours like pink, purple and red in her line. Dhaka also noted that for 2015 she is planning to make “ready to wear” collection.

The ensemble was complemented with a gothic look, created with smoky eyes and umkept plaits. Funky accessories like big nose rings, chunky neck pieces, bracelets, fur, headgear and scarves also added spunk to the collection.

Popular names like Ambika Pillai and Carol Gracias were also spotted cheering for the designers. Designer Tarun Tahiliani also greeted Dhaka after the show, calling her his “Julia Roberts”.

Ironically, while Dhaka thanked media for taking out time and coming out to support the fashion industry, Ramani skipped the press briefing session post her show.

Meanwhile, Pearl Academy, one of the key sponsors of the fashion week, launched UG and PG courses in Fashion & Lifestyle E-Commerce (FLE) and Indian Couture (IC) on day two. Designers like Samant Chauhan and Hemant-Nandita duo also showcased their collection on day two.

Designer duo Abraham & Thakore's (A&T) showcase of their autumn-winter 2015 range at Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) was all about recycling material in a contemporary way. Old saris and fabrics were layered and hand-stitched together to make something afresh.

Aptly titled 'Old & New', their line encompassed the kurta to the shirt to the dress; from the Nehru jacket, the salwar and the skirt.

The duo worked extensively with Kantha, also known as Sujani, a type of embroidery from West Bengal and Odisha, for their range, which was showcased on the second day of ongoing fashion gala at Pragati Maidan.

A highpoint of the show was how they used old saris and fabrics that were layered and hand-stitched together to make new fabrics.

"The collection was inspired by Kantha because kantha was the original recycle fabric of India and we are doing it here much before it became fashionable," David Abraham of the duo told IANS.

"Using old tone saris and using them together to make new clothes is what we did. So that's the inspiration behind the collection... using rampant waste, cut pieces and sourced from all over. We have used unusual materials that have never been used and incorporated all this in the collection," he added.

The designer duo also looked at other forms of recycling -- for instance, they have created sequins for evening wear from discarded hospital X-rays and film.

"We source antique recycled brocade borders and ribbons. Snaps, hooks and studs have been converted into decorative ornaments," said Abraham.

The garments were made from fabrics as diverse as cotton, wool, nylon and polyester. Some are recycled and many are collected from varied sources. The colour palette varied from white, ivory, ecru, charcoal, slate, black, brown, purple and more.

Actor Ram Pothineni, who is busy shooting for Telugu romantic-comedy "Pandaga Chesko", has signed two yet-untitled projects in the language.

He plans to complete both these films this year.

"Ram has signed two new projects with directors Srinivas Reddy and Kishore Tirumala respectively. As soon as he's done with 'Pandaga Cheskoa', he'll start working on one of the two projects," a close source to Ram told IANS.

While debutant Srinivas Reddy's directorial will feature Aisha Sharma opposite Ram; Malayalam actress Keerthi Suresh has been finalised for the other film with director Kishore.

"Both Aisha and Keerthi were recently signed on for the projects," he said.

David Abraham of brand Abraham & Thakore (A&T), whose designs have been acquired by Victoria & Albert Museum in London for its permanent collection, says he has no qualms if a local shopkeeper imitates his designs as he feels that's how fashion will move on.

Abraham is also happy that the concept of fashion weeks in the country has exploded and moved away from just being restricted to the elite class.

"I feel that the whole fashion week concept has just exploded in India. Initially, it was exotic and very rare... which appealed to few elite people, who bought trousseau and couture. Now, fashion is what everyone wears on streets," he told IANS at the ongoing Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW).

"People are buying clothes online, department stores, social medias. Fashion has become accessible now and touches all young people," he added.

Asked if fashion has become a mass market nowadays, he said: "If we talk about fashion as a mass market, designers and designer stores are creating a sensibility and style which creates impact on commoners. Anywhere in the world the designers who showcase are not easy to buy as they are quite expensive."

Of late, many designers are finding replicas of their designs amongst the local shopkeepers, who make the same designs at a low cost. But Abraham finds nothing wrong in it.

"That happens everywhere in the world and I feel that's how the fashion will move on. I think it's very positive. To be trendier, you have to follow something and I feel imitation is one word and inspiration is another.

"I will be happy if someone imitate what we do. It won't affect business as we as designer brand know how to bring the best. We have the skill and the way we do it is not possible for the mass market. Our collection can't be mass market," said Abraham.

A&T, known for fashion and accessories as well as textile products for the home, was initially established by David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore, graduates of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad who were later joined by Kevin Nigli, a design graduate of NIFT New Delhi.

In late 2002, the first A&T shop was opened in New Delhi and since then, there has been no looking back. Their fashion and home textile collections were part of prestigious trade salons in Paris, namely Tranoi and Scenes D'Interieur at Maison & Objet.

The duo don't showcase their lines in every season of fashion weeks.

"For a show, we can only do that once in a year. We can't do it twice a year because we send about four months developing our collection. We do regular and commercial collections, but designing for the stall or for hanger, is a different exercise," he told IANS.

Any message for aspiring designers?

"I think they are fantastic. They are the best thing that has happened to the Indian fashion industry in three to four years," he said, and appreciates designs of Paromita Banerjee and CellDSGN.

Fashionara.com, a women's e-fashion mall, announced its entry into home furnishing market with the launch of 36 brands across seven new categories on Friday.

The website has added close to 7,500 new products to its Home Fashion catalogue and plans to increase this to 20,000 in the next three to four months.

Some of the brands that the website has on board include Mesleep, Swayam, Portico New York, Bombay Dyeing, Tangerine, Stellar Home USA, Corelle and Skipper furnishings. The current offerings are replete with a wide range of products across categories like apparel, accessories, innerwear and cosmetics, read a statement.

"We are very excited to enter the Home Fashion category. Home Fashion is a segment that is growing extremely fast. It is a perfect fit for us as most of our customers are between 25 and 35 years of age, with many in the process of setting up their first independent homes," Arun Sirdeshmukh, co-founder and CEO, Fashionara, said in a statement.

"Our homes are an extension of our personalities, and we at Fashionara aim to offer a curated and really stylish collection of Home Fashion that goes with the eclectic taste of our customers. By putting our F.Lea Market products side by side with the top brands, we are merging contemporary with chic here," Sirdeshmukh added.

In the second half of 2014, the company had introduced F.Lea Bazaar, where it enabled selected sellers from flea markets across the country, to retail their products on its portal.

Filmmaker Abhik Bhanu has roped in debutante music director Rimi Dhar for his film "Gun Pe Done", and he says he knows he has taken a risk.

"The film's music is very peppy, edgy and soulful, just like the movie and upcoming music director Rimi Dhar. It's her debut. I know I'm taking a chance here, but trust me, she will surprise everyone," Bhanu told IANS.

Dhar says her tunes are adept with the 'Bollywood masala'.

"Director Abhik Bhanu has a dynamic quality of narrating the story and scenes really well, which helped us in the songs too. The music of the film is very Bollywood, totally 'masala'. Fun songs, reflecting the soul and meaning of the movie -- guns, girls, bullets...total thrill ride, so you will hear gun shots, pure rowdy essence and foot tapping numbers," she said.

"Gun Pe Done", which is based on the hooch nexus, stars Jimmy Shergill, Tara Alisha Berry, Sanjay Mishra and Vijay Raaz.

Dhar says there are three distinct songs in the film.

"First is the title track, and along with that there's an item number 'Girlfriend', picturised on Tara Alisha Berry and sung by Shalmali Kholgade. And 'Channa', which is a romantic track."

"Gun Pe Done" is produced by Asif Kazi and Manoj Menon under the banner Pioneer Films and Entertainment LLP.

Actor Abhay Deol says he is choosy about his films and tries to pick original and out-of-the box scripts. But he says it is tough.

"I have always been choosy and try to do stuff which is original and out of (unique from) regular formula films," the actor said here on Thursday at a dance show.

"It is tough to do such films nowadays, but I am trying. Let's see what happens," he added.

Abhay was seen in last year's release "One By Two", which bombed at the box office.

Praveen Morchhale, who is gearing up with his debut venture "Barefoot To Goa", says he managed to rope in legendary singer K.J. Yesudas, to sing a song in his film. The filmmaker says the singer found it "soulful".

Morchhale told IANS: "Yesudas is very choosy. He probably doesn't like the latest songs, but when we approached him with our song, we waited for some time. Then we thought he would not be interested.

"But later, his manager called us and said he would like to record for this song as the song was very soulful and meaningful. Then we went to Chennai to record the song with him."

While Yesudas is known to have recorded as many as 16 songs in a day, for the song "Naina do nyare" in "Barefoot To Goa", the singer took nearly four hours to record as he wanted it to turn out perfect.

"He is the most humble and calm person I have ever come across. He recorded the song in four hours and we are thankful to him," Morchhale said.

"Barefoot To Goa" revolves around the relationship of a grandmother and her two grandchildren. The film features Sonu Chourasia, Ajay Chourey and Farrukh Jaffar among others. The film is slated for release on April 10.

It was a show unique in its own way as some of the known stylists, designers and editors of fashion magazines turned models for brand 11.11/eleven.eleven at the ongoing Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW). Designer Shani Himanshu and Mia Morikawa feel that they cater to the common man and hence this different presentation.

"We design for people like them hence rather than having an imaginary person in mind, we thought of these people. We usually don't know models so it was fun to have this show," Himanshu told IANS post the show.

Added Morikawa: "They are the kind of the people who have their own identity so it was not difficult at all to work with them. Also our designs are for common people hence it would be great if get someone like them who inspire many commoners."

The designer duo represented their autumn/winter theme on the third day of fashion gala that started Wednesday at Pragati Maidan here.

Some of the faces who walked for them were Lauren Massoulier, Rashmi Kaleka, Elton Fernandez, Rakesh Thakore, Divya Singh, Asit Bhat, Jeet Thayil, Nitin Chauhan, Malika Verma, Ameet Sikka alone with designers themselves who represented their own range on ramp.

There were sari pants, Egyptian cotton shirts teamed well with high-waisted black silk trousers, short kimono coat, mini short dress, summer jackets, trousers in cotton linen - all dyed in natural indigo, long kimonos, parsi jackets and many more.

There was also heavy display of bandhini and miniature tie dye on clothes along with block printing.

"We have used our signature textile: a selection of fine silks vegetable dyed and hand-painted contrasted with our anchor handlooms rustic khadi denim and khadi kala cotton," said the designers, who shared their show with another designer label titled Eka.

Titled "seekers-keepers", the collection draws inspiration from within.

"I sought stories from my friends, across the world... small villages, big cities, travellers, gatherers, socialites, writers, readers, homemakers, a few very popular & others- loners, some giving up on all accumulate knowledge, some still on a learning curve, but all of them holding on to some smaller experiences, stories that made them," said designer Rina Singh

Wrapped in pearly off-whites and rustic tones, the collection works with materials like wool, silk, linen, treated-boiled merinos, chambray herringbone, thick jacquard in merino wool and chunky basket weaves, block printed pattern overlay checks and stripes combine to create a story of the collection.