Actress Parineeti Chopra is ecstatic with the response to her latest film "Shuddh Desi Romance" and says she knew it would work ever since she read the script.

Produced under the Yash Raj Films (YRF) banner, the movie that also stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Vaani Kapoor is directed by Maneesh Sharma.

"When I read the script I was sure that this is going to be a very entertaining film. I was happy that Maneesh and Adi (Aditya Chopra from YRF) offered me this film because after 'Ishaqzaade' I wanted to do something different and 'Shuddh Desi Romance' clicked," Parineeti said here at a Nivea event.

"It has released and people are liking it, the reviews are good and all the performances and Jaideep (Sahni, scriptwriter) and Maneesh's work is being appreciated. When there are a lot of messages and missed calls on your phone, you like it. So, I am very happy," added the 24-year-old.

When reminded about the movie's negative reviews, Parineeti defended her stand and said: "Reviews are always mixed, you never have unanimous reviews of any film. Every critic is a different person and their sensibilities and tastes are different."

Bollywood actor Sunny Deol has been approached for a guest appearance in TV show "Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon ki Mallika".

The show will see actress Mallika Sherawat's journey as she selects her partner from 30 suitors vying for her attention.

Other than Sunny, no other celebrity will be coming on the show as of now, says Ajit Thakur who is the general manager of Life Ok- the channel that will air the show.

"We are not looking for any more celebrities. I have met Sunny Deol and he has been approached as a guest on the show. We needed a real man on the show. Other than this, no one else is required," he said.

Based on the theme of love, the show will go on air Oct 7.

Urging the people to be safe and responsible, Bollywood celebrities like Farhan Akhtar, Shilpa Shetty and Sachin Pilgaonkar said that it is important to ensure safety and be self-reliant but people also need to cooperate and help police in that.

The actors were present at a programme organised by the Mumbai police Saturday to create awareness among the Ganesh mandals about the safety and security during the ten-day Ganesh festival, which started Monday.

"If we will also help the police, then nobody will get any chance to do bad or something evil. There are such nuisance elements in every society. But to stand against them, don't depend on police only, instead get along with the police and help," Sachin Pilagaonkar told reporters here.

"When you will do this, nobody will dare to think or do anything," he said.

Farhan feels that Ganesh Chaturthi "is an occassion of happiness" and one should enjoy it.

"Now police is doing its work but we should also do whatever we can. We should always keep the city safe not just because its Ganesh Chaturthi," he added.

Shilpa recommended women to be "self-reliant" and "be aware of surroundings".

"Be aware of your surroundings and I think it is very important to be a responsible citizen in times like this. It's very important to be self-reliant," Shilpa said.

"Obviously police is there to help but I think every woman should be confident and not get afraid in such situations," she added.

Designer couple Richa and Ratnesh, owners of accessory brand January.ROSE, says the scope of such products is great in India.

“The accessory industry is very clearly demarcated into brands, imports from China and unorganised Indian industry," Richa told IANS.

Added Ratnesh: "The scope really is great when you see the rise of modern woman with an Indian taste and global exposure, who has the power and intent to try new products and looks and accessorize attires in new ways."

They have a month-old store in the capital. It offers quirky laptop sleeves, satchel bags with Kutch embroidery and much more.

“We have been exporting footwear for almost ten years now to countries like Europe, Bangladesh and the US. The retail outlet is an extension of our export unit, Flamingo Design. Everything from designing to manufacturing is done in-house. We have plans to start online selling in the next six to eight months," said Richa.

The price of the products starts from Rs.3,000 onwards.

The designer duo also suggests that for working women, instead of carrying plain boring laptop bags, opt for more colourful or printed ones.

"They can also carry convertible sling bags, which can be used with the sling through the day, and for night dinners one can remove the sling and use it as a clutch. Colour block your attire by wearing funky unusual solid colour basic ballerinas. Go in for more wedge heels, which are comfortable during the day and also look chic for dinner parties,” said Ratnesh.

Veteran filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao, actor G. Krishna, actress-filmmaker Vijaya Nirmala and actor Ali will be honoured with actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) lifetime achievement Swarna Kankan award here Sep 22.

Six others from different walks of lives will also have the award bestowed upon them by ANR.

"Ten prominent personalities from different professions have been chosen for this award. The awards will be presented to the awardees in a grand function on Sep 22. It will be a star-studded event," a member of the organising committee told IANS.

Other six awardees include NRI community leader Prasad Thotakura, filmmaker R. Narayana Murthy, former Andhra Pradesh High Court lawyer Yellam Raju Gopalakrishna Murthy, writer C. Ananda Ramam, CEO of SVBC television channel P. Madhusudhana Rao, and TV anchor MKR Asha Latha.

At the award function, hit songs from ANR's films will be performed by a live orchestra. A special souvenir tracking the career of ANR will also be release at the function, which will take place at Ravindra Bharati.

US Electro House DJ-Producer Steve Aoki will perform at the second edition of Sound Awake music festival that will take place here Dec 1.

Aoki founded his own label, Dim Mak Records, in 1996 and has given hit albums like "Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles", and most recently "Wonderland".

Sound Awake, a bi-annual Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival, provides a platform for performances by some of the popular national and international artists and seeks to redefine the genre.

There will be four stages with a DNA live stage, an Indi stage as well as two separate stages for The Ministry of Sound and HedKandi.

The DNA live stage will feature the top headlining artists while the Indi stage will feature top DJs from India.

The stage of Ministry of Sound, known as one of the world’s largest dance music brands, will feature the top resident DJs of its clubs around the world. Some of the names include Shane Kehoe, Tim Cullen and Patrick Hagenaar.

The HedKandi stage will feature artists like Chris Frater, Joelle Atkins, Dan Van alongside percussionists Aimee Jay and Roxy.P on saxophone.

Tata Sky, one of the leading direct-to-home service provider in the country, Monday announced the addition of a fresh set of Malayalam channels to its offering. Superstar Mohanlal has been roped in as its brand ambassador.

A total of 19 Malayalam channels, amongst the highest by any DTH player in the country, are now available on Tata Sky.

Vikram Mehra, chief commercial officer, Tata Sky, said the inclusion of the Malayalam channels reconfirms the brand's commitment to customers and also highlights the significance of Kerala as one of the key markets in the country.

"We welcome Mohanlal to the Tata Sky family. We are proud to be associated with a personality who professionally and personally, exhibits our brand values of high quality, innovation and integrity. We are hence keen to feature this phenomenal star in a high-decibel multimedia ad campaign," said Mehra.

Mohanlal said he is delighted to be associated with Tata Sky, a brand that has redefined excellence in home entertainment.

Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat, who will soon be seen on TV reality show "Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika", says she is open to do a fiction show as well, provided she gets a good role.

"If I get a good role, I am open to it (fiction shows on TV)," Mallika said on the launch of her TV debut, which is being shot at the Fatehgarh Fort here.

"Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika", through which the actress will search for a soulmate, will air on Life OK starting Oct 7.

Mallika, who has featured in movies like "Pyaar Ke Side Effects" and "Murder", feels that she has done enough films in her over a decade of association with filmdom.

"If I get a good offer (on TV), then I will take it up. I have done enough films. How many of them have interesting roles? I hardly get any interesting roles as I have a glamorous image," she said.

"In five years, I get one 'Dirty Politics'. Other than that I get films like 'Welcome' and 'Hisss'," she said.

Besides TV, the actress is also keen to be a part of theatre.

"I would love to be a part of theatre. Theatre is any actor's dream," she said.

Renowned for his prowess in acting and elocution, veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee will soon be seen in a new role, unveiling a collection of his sketches, doodles and paintings at an exhibition.

"Forms Within", an exhibition of artworks by the actor in his inimitable style will showcase sketches and doodles that Chatterjee has been doing on the sidelines for around five decades.

The display, beginning here Sep 12, will include sketches of Chatterjee's characters - the actor's visualisations of the characters in his films.

Chatterjee is famed for portraying ace detective Feluda based on Satyajit Ray's "Feluda" series. Other cinematic milestones include "Apur Sansar","Aparajito", "Charulata", "Aranyer Din Ratri" and "Ashani Sanket".

Watercolour paintings, some with a bit of his poetry on one side, are also part of the exhibition. A website and a book of his paintings will also be launched during the inauguration.

Curated by Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya and scheduled to be inaugurated by filmmaker Mrinal Sen at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the exhibition will conclude Sep 18.

The Delhi High Court Monday restrained the makers of Bollywood film "Grand Masti" from showing the name and banner of ICICI bank on its plea alleging that no prior permission was taken from it.

In an ex-parte order restraining the movie makers from showing any name or banner of the bank till further orders, Justice M.L. Mehta also issued notice to the director and producer of the movie.

"Grand Masti" is a sequel to the 2004 hit film "Masti" featuring Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, and Aftab Shivdasani. Directed by Indra Kumar, the film is scheduled to be released Sep 13.

Senior advocate Sanjay Jain, appearing for ICICI bank, said the film's trailer has been showing the bank and its staff in poor light when a bank robbery incident takes place.

The ICICI bank has its registered trade mark and the film makers have not taken permission from the bank to display its banner, he said, adding that the video clips are very much clear that the manner in which the name of the bank was shown would damage its reputation.

Removal of objectionable visuals from the film was also sought.

Kolkata-based Mithu Chakraborty, a housewife and a mother of two, surprised herself by winning reality show "Dance India Dance Super Moms". Now she hopes to hone her skills further, and gradually impart dance training to kids who can't afford it.

The 34-year-old had trained in Bharatnatyam briefly in her younger days, but being on a reality show platform gave Mithu a chance to try out different dance forms.

Now she is yearning to learn more.

"Due to the show, I got to learn so many different dance forms and I want to learn more. I also want to teach kids the various forms of dancing. So, I will try to get some sort of training and teach those people who can't afford training," Mithu told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

Mithu is glad that her family, especially her husband, was supportive of her desire to compete at a national platform.

"I had to gather a lot of courage to ask my husband if I can participate in the show, but to my surprise, he agreed in one go. I never thought he will say 'yes' and I really thank him for supporting me so much."

"If he wouldn't have been there, these four months (on the show) would have been really difficult for me," she added.

In fact, she says, "Every housewife must go out and do whatever they want to do because if you do something with a pure heart, it will always give you good results."

As part of her victory on the show, Chakraborty took home the "DID Super Moms" trophy and a cheque of Rs.10 lakh.

She credits her two sons for making her journey in the competition easy.

"These four months were really difficult for me. Every now and then I used to think what my kids are doing, what my husband is doing. But, hats off to my boys. I just can't imagine that they lived alone without me and they took care of everything in my absence.

"I got strength from them, I just thought if they can do so much, why can't I?"

"DID Super Moms" was judged by choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan and choreographer Marzi Pestonji.

Kareena Kapoor has featured on the cover of the movie magazine Filmfare almost 20 times, and she has also won six Filmfare awards - but she says any association with the brand is never enough.

Kareena also graces the cover of the latest edition of the magazine.

"I would like to thank the entire team of Filmfare for having me on this reinvented Filmfare cover for 19th or 20th time. But it's just never enough," the 32-year-old said here at the launch of the new magazine.

"It's never enough to be on a Filmfare cover and it's never enough to have Filmfare awards. There are two things that every (Indian) actor or actress wants," she added.

The new Filmfare packs in fashion, lifestyle and luxury besides the routine film news, gossip and interviews.

Kareena hopes to feature on many more Filmfare covers, even when she is 60.

"I hope I can always be on the Filmfare cover, even when I am 60 with all my wrinkles, hopefully no botox! I would still want to be on the Filmfare cover like I was when I was a six-year-old child," Kareena said.

The actress' next film is the Karan Johar production "Gori Tere Pyaar Mein".

In 2000, when megastar Amitabh Bachchan "stepped down" to TV with "Kaun Banega Crorepati", little did many know of its domino effect. He marked an epochal change in the Indian TV industry, which is now witnessing a barrage of Hindi movie actors and directors stepping into not just reality shows but fiction shows too.

"Time was when you weren't happening on Page 3 you weren't happening in city. Today you aren't on reality show, you aren't happening in showbiz" - a pertinent thought by noted film critic Bhawana Somaaya indeed.

Her words, shared on a social networking platform, resonate with the current scene on Indian TV.

Amitabh continues to mesmerise as the host of "Kaun Banega Crorepati", currently in its seventh edition, while Salman Khan will soon be back on the tube as the host of "Bigg Boss 7".

There's also Vinay Pathak, who will host reality show "Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai", Naseeruddin Shah, who will be a narrator on "Nazar Ya Nazariya", and, yes, Mallika Sherawat, who brings to India its own version of "The Bachelor".

The Bollywood quotient on the fiction space on TV was lying low for a few years, but with the desi adaptation of popular American series "24", which features the likes of Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Tisca Chopra and Shabana Azmi, and another show featuring Amitabh, the "filmy fever" on TV seems to be getting hotter and hotter.

For the channels and makers, getting film stars on board is a well-thought out decision of a show's requirement.

Bollywood director Abhinay Deo, who is helming the desi "24" for Colors, says the scale of the show deserves cinestars and it was vital to give it the right cast.

"Film actors help a show get good TRPs (television rating points) and it also helps a progressive programme like '24' to get more eyeballs. The casting (for the show) has been done very carefully and all actors fit the characters they are playing," Deo told IANS.

Ajit Thakur, general manager of Life OK, which will telecast Mallika Sherawat's search for a soulmate through "Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika", says this "crossover" is healthy for the business of the film and TV industries.

"Big Bollywood stars are understanding the reach of TV and, for TV, big stars also help in getting higher viewership. But just getting a film star doesn't guarantee success. There has to be the right match; otherwise it is better not to have a star," Thakur told IANS on the sidelines of the launch of the show in Udaipur's Fatehgarh Fort.

In the 1990s, actors like Om Puri and Naseeruddin played the lead roles in successful serials "Kakaji Kahin" and "Mirza Ghalib" for Doordarshan, while Bollywood's Dreamgirl Hema Malini featured in the successful dance-based show "Nupur".

Hema tried to revive the trend with "Kamini Damini" in 2004 and Karisma Kapoor gave TV fiction a shot with "Karishma - The Miracles of Destiny" in 2003, but in vain.

However, the non-fiction content has seen several stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Sharmila Tagore, Shilpa Shetty, Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt and Neha Dhupia on board.

Now, the TV industry awaits to see how fiction works for film stars. "24" will go on air in October, and the Amitabh-starrer is due to be aired on Sony Entertainment Channel in January.

"Short-term commitment" being a high priority for TV actors, they avoid signing a permanent stay on daily shows. Also, a balance between TV and film projects is essential for them.

Actress Tisca Chopra, who has worked in films like "Taare Zameen Par" and "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji", says she agreed to "24" as it has a limited number of episodes.

"'24' is a short-term commitment. I'll be back to films after this. If you notice, there are so many film actors in '24' and hardly any TV actors. This is because it is a short-term commitment. Had this been a daily soap, I would not have been interested," Tisca said.

Vinay Pathak, who's had a brush with TV in the past, says he doesn't mind juggling his time between the small and big screens as long as the project is interesting.

"I started with TV and now I am coming back to it after six years. I didn't find anything interesting in between. It's all about juggling your time," he said, adding that he is also open to a fiction show.

Goa is a permanent venue for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) only for "namesake", a senior official in-charge of organising India's biggest international film fest has said.

Goa's status as a "permanent venue" for the IFFI also is farcical, the official claimed, pointing out the festival is hosted here only after an annual contract is drawn up with the central government.

"There is no sense of permanence about Goa as a venue," Vishnu Wagh, vice-chairman of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), a state government agency in-charge of organising the logistics for festival, told reporters here.

"Goa is a permanent venue only for namesake. In reality, a contract is drawn up with the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) every year to host it here," Wagh said.

The DFF, which functions under the aegis of the union Information and Broadcasting ministry, is the core agency which conducts the IFFI. While the DFF is in charge of all the key chores like film selection, choosing invitees and the overall flow of the festival, the ESG's responsibilities are more or less "blue collar", like handling logistics and event organising, et al.

One of the major reasons for ESG's annual diatribe against the DFF is the fact that the state government shells out most of the funds required to host the festival, but most critical decision-making still rests with the DFF.

Wagh says that the Goa government shells out nearly 85 per cent of the Rs.15 crore to Rs.17 crore annually spent on hosting the festival.

"We spend 85 per cent of the total revenues incurred towards hosting the festival. We should have more say in the organisation," Wagh said.

The official, who is also a legislator of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that the concept of an annual contract between the ESG and the DFF should be scrapped if Goa was to be called a permanent venue for the IFFI.

"Why not have a five-year contract instead of going through this unnecessary procedure every year?" Wagh asked.

The official also said that the Goa government was contemplating to host an independent film festival in addition to the IFFI.

"We have already received a proposal from noted Marathi film personalities Kiran Shantaram and Sudhir Nandgaonkar for hosting an independent film festival. We are considering it," Wagh said.

After years of alternating between Mumbai and Delhi, Goa was finally chosen as a permanent venue for the IFFI in 2004 and the 2013 festival would be the 10th anniversary of the festival in Goa.

American fashion designer Jeremy Scott is likely to make his maiden India visit in 2014 as part of his association with global sportwear brand adidas Originals.

Scott has been associated with the brand since 2003, and their collaboration represents a perfect intersection of high fashion and sport.

The dates for his visit are not yet finalised. However, IANS has been informed that adidas Originals will promote its fall-winter 2013 in October, while Scott will be brought down to the county next year.

Scott was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, for fashion design. He started his career in the late 1990s showing in Paris Fashion Week.

In an ongoing partnership with adidas Originals, Scott continues to design unisex apparel and footwear, which are marked by the use of bright prints and unexpected shapes. Scott's fall-winter 2013 collection for the brand is a fusion of neon colours, metallic materials and reinterpreted prints from the past, used on some of adidas' signature styles.

The range features ladies' satin buster, unisex down puffer jacket and a reversible floral print bomber along with sneakers that have been jazzed up woth a little sparkle, with lame (a type of fabric) used on the ladies wedge shoe.

The collection is priced between Rs. 5,999 and Rs. 19,999.

Before actress Mallika Sherawat was finalised as the face of "The Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika", channel officials were sampling other eligible bachelors like filmmakers Karan Johar and Ekta Kapoor.

The show, which will go on air Oct 7 on Life OK, now stars Mallika, and she will find a soulmate for herself from amongst 30 suitors.

"We thought about Karan Johar, we also thought about Ekta (Kapoor). She has one of the most interesting stories. But Mallika was also right on top of our list," Ajit Thakur, general manager, Life OK, said during an interaction.

Thakur said the idea was to zero in on a celebrity who was desirable and was willing to share his or her past with the audience. Was Mallika more than willing to do so?

"Intially, she was hesitant as, at the end of it, she still belongs to a conservative India. She was concerned about whether she would really find the right guy and if the audience will accept her," said Thakur.

The 36-year-old's "struggle" in the film industry will be unravelled in the show gradually.

"She will unravel her back story in the show. She is completely self-made. In Hollywood, she has done a film and a TV series. From Rohtak to Hollywood is a big thing. This is what we will unravel in the show. It will be very inspirational," he said.

Mallika has featured in films like "Murder", "Pyaar Ke Side Effects" and "Hisss". She has also featured alongside international star Jackie Chan in "The Myth", and currently awaits the release of the movie "Politics of Love".

Ritesh Batra's The Lunchbox continues to wow the world and if reactions to the film from the Telluride Film Festival is anything to go by, the Irrfan Khan-Nimrat Kaur-Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer is being looked upon as an Oscar favourite by some of the most respected names in Hollywood.

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker and activist Michael Moore tweeted that The Lunchbox was one of his favourite films at Telluride. Bestselling author Salman Rushdie tweeted: "I loved The Lunchbox, big hit at Telluride Film Festival, best Indian film in a long time. Strong foreign film Oscar contender, in my view."

Eminent film critic A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote in his Telluride piece: "The Lunchbox (is) the deft and charming first feature by Ritesh Batra. He uses Mumbai’s lunch-delivery system — which transports thousands of meals every day from kitchens to offices — as the background for a quasi-romantic fable...."

The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg wrote: "The film features cute humor and fetishizes food in a way that will send you out of the theater rushing for the nearest restaurant." He also predicted that The Lunchbox is one of the front runners in the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars.

The Lunchbox releases in India on 20th September, 2013.

Actor-singer Ayushmann Khurrana, who took the music world by storm with his soft Punjabi romantic song "Paani da rang" in his acting debut "Vicky Donor", is now set to launch a single. But he rues how independent music still has to struggle to get support.

He is ready to release his own independent song "O heeriye" under the Yash Raj Music label.

"I think with independent music, it's difficult to grab more eyeballs in our country. You hardly get any support from music channels or radio stations. It is not even supported by the narrative of any film," Ayushmann told IANS.

After the success of "Paani da rang", the 28-year-old sang two more songs -- "Tu hi tu" and "Saddi gali" -- for his second Bollywood film "Nautanki Saala".

The video jockey-turned-actor accepts that being a known face helped his music gain recognition.

"I wouldn' t have got that support if I was not an actor or if my previous songs were not big hits. I think in India, cricket and cinema are two big entities and if you do something good in these two, then you are revered and you get this public support," Ayushmann told IANS.

"O heeriye", a soft Punjabi rock track is on similar lines as his earlier hits "Paani da rang" and "Saddi gali", but Ayushmann says it has completely different emotions attached to it.

"It is different than the other two as far as the lyrics are concerned because 'Paani da rang' and 'Saddi gali' were more emotional. They were also in the heartbreak zone, but this one is quite happy. It's when you see a girl for the first time and fall in love and get into a steady relationship," he explained.

Asked if he plans to launch his own music album anytime soon, he said: "I think it's slightly difficult and impractical because I have other projects. I had a gap of 10 days, so I could come up with this song."

After being a video jockey, an actor, a singer and assistant director, Ayushmann seems quite content with his choice of career and feels artists should experience everything in the film industry.

"One should be a part of everything in filmmaking. I also assisted Shoojit Sircar in 'Hamara Bajaj'. So I think it's just about being a part of the whole filmmaking process - music, production or anything. I think you should enjoy being in the industry and honour it. It's great that I got the opportunity," he said.

He clarified that being multi-talented was never his intention.

"I think it's great if you have multiple talents. Although there was no intention to be multi-talented. I think even if you have one talent and you are giving your best to that, that is enough," he said.

) Actress-producer Ameesha Patel, who has wrapped up the first schedule of her debut production venture "Desi Magic", reveals that the second schedule will begin in Patiala.

"The first schedule of 'Desi Magic' has been finished and now within two days we will be leaving for Patiala for a 15-day shoot of the film," Ameesha told reporters here Monday during a Ganpati puja.

"Desi Magic" is being directed by Mehul Atha and features Ameesha in a double role. Slated to release next year, it also features Zayed Khan and Lilette Dubey.

Two Brothers, an event that combined music, song and conversation, was organised here to celebrate the creative genius of of late music maestro Bhupen Hazarika and his late singer-composer-brother Jayanta.

The event, organised Monday by the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES), Guwahati, in collaboration with the India International Centre and OIL India Limited, was hosted by Sanjoy Hazarika of C-NES.

While showcasing the extraordinary range of their creativity over several decades, the programme, which was held a day after Bhupen Hazarika's birth anniversary, also witnessed performances by Jayanta's son, Mayukh and his wife Laili with musicians from the capital. Sunita Bhuyan, a known violinist from Mumbai, presented some of the brothers' compositions.

Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi, a long-time companion of the Dadasaheb Phalke award winner Bhupen Hazarika, was also present at the event.

Bhupen Hazarika was an established singer, lyricist, filmmaker and one of India's best-known balladeers who had composed soulful music for films like "Rudaali", "Saaz" and "Gajagamini".

His brother Jayanta is remembered for songs like "Aagoli botahe kopale kolore paat" and "Krishna chura".