"Model of the Fortnight" now changed to "Model of the Week"..

Hardly did we announce that we at FILMS & TV WORLD are starting a new column "Model of the Fortnight" to be uploaded every alternate Friday as a new release, we received loads of response to our announcement. Naturally looking at the huge response, we decided to change it to "Model of the Week", so that we can give more space and mileage to models keen to use this platform to enhance their career,” said Sudeep Das, the creative brain who germed this idea.

This Novel idea really hit the readers and the models alike and we received a terrific response. At the same time, it also caught the attention of all the nitty and gritty that keep on surfing sites to just pick up an idea floated elsewhere and then straight pass it on as their own. Naturally we were not astonished (rather we were wondering) when we found that people running their personal blogsites simply and plainly copied this concept floated on this site. One such blog owner not only straight picked up this idea of this new column "Model of the Fortnight" but even had the cheek to chose to upload it on the same day - Friday as we announced as well mentions that this idea was going on around in their heads for a couple of months. And mind it, when actually this was announced a week back at our end. So much in the name of creativity. Wonder, if they can’t coin and originate a fresh new idea, they better change their service providers and get sum fresh idea..

However, keeping in tune with our fresh concept of Friday deliveries, we are going a bit step further now and will be unleashing a new model every Friday as a new release in "Model of the Week" page. Male as well as Female stand a chance to be featured every Friday and be the star of the site for a whole one week, before they are shifted to the archive section.

This week's Male model is "Raj Kalsi" from New Delhi. A new Model on the Block, Raj is interested in acting, modelling (Ramp & Print) as well as TVCs. Making his runway debut on the ramp, he has made quite the impact in a short time. To soon make an acting debut in a short film by Eon Films, it does seem he may leave a long lasting impact there too...  

Sangita Sonali who features as our Female Model in the same section is a model cum actress and her debut film in Bengali "Bidehir Khonje Rabindranath" is due for release this coming friday. At present shooting for "Strings of Passion" in Hindi as one of the leads, she is the one to watch out for as she belongs to the intense school of acting on the lines of the Late Smita Patil or the latest Chitrangada Singh. We at FTV wish both Raj & Sangita all the best..

In case you would like to be featured on this page or try your luck being a “Model of the week” in our series, mail your portfolios with your contact details on filmsntv@gmail.com. And ya, no need to get disappointed if you don't find your self in the coming week. Who knows, it might be your turn next... Cheers!!

Eon Films’ SAAWARIYA I LOVE YOU running to packed houses in Mumbai

Eon Films much awaited Bhojpuri family entertainer SAAWARIYA I LOVE YOU that was released this friday in Cinema Halls in Mumbai has seen packed shows this weekend.  Running at Super, Sheetal, Payal and Palace cinemas, this Bhojpuri entertainer is presented by Mohan Das under the banner of Eon Films and co-produced by Sudeep Das. After enthralling audiences in Bihar, the flavour of the season is working well in Mumbai circuit too as Bhojpuri audience’s heartthrob Vinnay Anand and Rani Chatterjee are once again seen in pivotal roles in this movie.

Produced by Shambhu Pandey under the banner of Shambhu Pandey Productions, this film has all the ingredients of a complete entertainer with 11 songs, 7 fight sequences, romance, family drama and rib-tickling comedy set on a lavish scale. The film has good romantic songs penned by Pyarelal Yadav, Phanindra Rao and Arvind Tiwari which is put to music by Aman Shlok.

If Seema Singh’s colourful performance will enthrall the audience in her glamorous and intense sexciting item number, Mandira’s racy mujra in kathak style will make the audiences remember their lost loved ones. To add opulence and grandeur to the Mujra as was in the days of the rajahs and maharajas, the producers have spent lavishly to film this mujra aesthetically on a well designed haveli which will remind the Bhojpuri audiences of Bollywood mujras a-la Pakeezah style. It is sure to set new standards of film entertainment in Bhojpuri industry as the songs are efficiently captured in a brilliant framework by ace cameraman Pramod Pandey.

Directed by Rampal Singh with a supporting cast that includes Divya Dwivedi, Gorav Ghai, Deepak Dubey, Neeraj Bharadwaj, Mehnaz Shroff and Aly Khan, Saawariya I Love You promises to be a movie experience that will bring the issue of widow remarriage once again to the fore. Containing every ingredient that sets it apart from conventional Bhojpuri Films, Saawariya I Love You is an electrifying story of a woman caught in a web of situations - a plot that has electrifying disclosures at every turn - is fast paced, and not at all superficial in its treatment with exceptionally skilful, high tension, gripping emotional drama with a profound moral debate at its heart.

Will the 5th Season of KBC be a success?

With so much money being pumped into reality shows, can KBC - the Indian answer to the UK game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” be left behind. No way!! Not atleast after it spurned an oscar winning saga “Slumdog Millionnaire”. It seems Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is all set to once again host the next and fifth season of the popular and hit reality game show `Kaun Banega Crorepati`. Twitting on the micro-blogging site Twitter yesterday, Bachchan said that he is "Preparing now for KBC next season starting I think in a few months... creative and promo discussions today ... very interesting." 

The show that was first aired in 2000 went on to become the rage of the nation when Amitabh Bachchan made his debut on Indian television. He subsequently did the second season only to be replaced by superstar Shah Rukh Khan and later bringing in the Big B for the show`s fourth season again. 

However, what remains to be seen is whether the fifth show does garner some good trp’s as the last show was a big disappointment for the viewers. Or maybe, its time for us to look beyond the stereotyped realities and embrace new shows that can offer some wholesome entertainment for the entire family.

The rise of the North East : Imphal gets its first short film fest..

The Manipur and Action for Social Advancement (ASA) is all set to organize the First ever Imphal International Short Film Festival 2011 from 9-13 October 2011 in Imphal, Manipur. With plans to screen around 100 short films from within and outside India, ASA is inviting interested filmmakers to send their entries for the festival.

Submissions are open to all language films of all genres (fiction, animation, documentary, experimental, music video or other) from any nation of the world. However, all non-English foreign films / regional Indian films must have English sub-titles. Ideally, the short films should have been produced between the periods (September 2009 till August 2011) and should not exceed beyond 30 minutes duration. 

For equality of opportunities, whatever formats the original film is shot at (film, analogical video, digital video, animation), all the films will be evaluated in the same standard digital format. Along with the film, three stills of the film and a 60 second promo of the film should be sent for promotional activities.

The festival will showcase the world’s best contemporary short films in this north east part of the region and has decided on 9 different categories including Best Short Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Musical Score and Three Special Mention (Critic Choice) films under which the short films will be awarded. Its heartening to inform all our readers, friends and well wishers that "Films & TV World" is the "Media Partner" to this First Imphal Short films Festival 2011.

For more details, log on to www.imphalfilmfestival.org or contact us through email at imphalfilmfestival@gmail.com

Passion for fashion in the couture capital of the East...

Fashion was in the air as India’s eastern metropolis was treated to some magnificent new creations from leading designers coupled with showcasing of exquisite and spectacular jewellery at Kolkata Couture & Lifestyle Fashion Week (KCLFW). The event was presented by Gitanjali Jewellers and was held at "The Park" between 14-17 April 11, bringing some of the best names in fashion together on a single platform.

The four-day Kolkata Couture and Lifestyle Fashion Week (KCLFW) which ended on April 17, KCLFW kicked off in a grand style each day with marvelous designs featuring a blend of Indian and Western styles that enhance and accentuate the beauty of the wearer. Top-notch designers like James Ferreira, Lina Tipnis, Zubair Kirmani, Archana Kochhar, Babita Malkani, Rohit Verma, Sulakshana Mong, Pradeep Agarwal, Anita Dongre, Paras Shalini and others showcased their collection in the second edition of the fashion extravaganza. City-based designers like Shruti Sancheti and Kishan Bagri also joined in to give the collections a local flavour.

Gracing the occasion on all four days from across the country, it was also the sparklers from leading diamond and gold jewellery brands Nakshatra, Gili, Asmi, D’damas and Sangini, that took the entire event to a different level altogether. Excitement reached fever pitch after every show with celebrities from Bollywood as well as Tollywood like Zarine Khan, Raima Sen, June Malia, Locket Chatterjee and others walking the ramp as show stoppers for some of the leading fashion designers.

Kingfisher Ultra had set up the Kingfisher Ultra Lounge at the fashion week where fashion met business. In between the shows, it was the Kingfisher Ultra Lounge that kept buzzing all night long, providing the much needed refreshment to an otherwise hectic day for designers, models, fashion lovers and fashionistas alike.

From golden bodies to a bevy of models in bridal attire or royal saga, in all it was a glittering week which left Fashion aficiandos and viewers wanting more and paving way for the third season next year of glamour and Glitz.

Kolkata Correspondent 

Pavitra Rishta to make a lot of “Shor in the City”

Pavitra Rishta that completed a glorious run of 500 episodes on Zee TV recently and has consistently topped the TRP game on Indian television, is all set to make a big “Shor in the City”. Going by the trend these days to bring in characters for promotion of films into serials (a trend started by the Dabangg starrer Salman Khan to be later followed by No On Killed Jessica), Tusshar Kapoor will be meeting Manav and Kalpana in a Maha Episode this week. Albeit, Tusshar will be featuring as his character Tilak from the film “Shor in the City” in the serial that releases on 28th April 2011. 

The film is majorly focused on Tusshar Kapoor who is playing the lead role in this soon to be released thriller. The cast also includes Nikhil Dwivedi, Radhika Apte and Preeti Desai along with Alok Chaturvedi, Sudhir Chowdhary, Pitabash Tripathy and Sendhil Ramamurthy. Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, the brother sister duo came up with this idea as this movie is very important for the career of Tusshar Kapoor as he has till now failed to prove himself as solo hero beyond the success of his first movie with Kareena Kapoor Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai.

The show produced by his sister Ekta Kapoor tells the heartwarming story of a lower middle-class Maharashtrian family staying in a suburban chawl of Mumbai has laid claim to hearts of viewers and critics alike. In times when shows swing up and down on popularity charts on a weekly basis and fade into oblivion without as much as making a mark, Pavitra Rishta has ruled the roost at 9 PM across all GEC's, making actors Sushant Rajput and Ankita Lokhande who essay the roles of lead protagonists Manav and Archana the most sought-after dinner table companions on the tube!

So, what is it that sets Pavitra Rishta apart from the clutter of mediocrity on Indian television? "It's beauty lies in its simplicity," says Mr. Sukesh Motwani, Fiction Programming- Head, Zee TV. "There is no melodrama, no excess negativity, just a simple yet inspiring story of struggle and love. If the characters are relatable, the casting is impeccable. Apart from Manav-Archana, Usha Nadkarni and Savita Prabhune as their mothers add an extremely realistic touch."

Renowned film, stage and television actor Moin Akhtar passes away...

Moin Akhtar

Renowned film, stage and television actor Moin Akhtar died yesterday after a massive heart attack at the age of 61. Moin who was under treatment at Combined Military Hospital in Malir Cantonment leaves behind a widow, three daughters and two sons.

Akhtar who had recently been working on a new show “Dolly ki Baraat” was born in December 24 1950. A comedian, impersonator and host, Akhtar worked on hundreds of Pakistani TV dramas, films and stage shows. Fluent in several languages including English, Moin Akhtar performed dozens of stage shows for Urdu-speaking communities all over the world. In recognition of his services in the field of performing art, he was awarded the President’s pride of performance and Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, one of Pakistan’s highest national awards.

Proud to be an INDIAN - Ashish Rampal..

Ashish Rampal

From being in business to directing short films and commercials to having worked as an Associate Creative Director for the popular television series “Mrs & Mr Sharma Allahabadwale” on SAB TV, Ashish Rampal has done it all. In a straight face-to-face interview with Soham, Editor - Films & TV World, Ashish Rampal bares his heart out and discusses his start in the industry, the making of his projects, his dream directors, etc.

Films & TV: From business to film making. What ignited your passion for film making?

Ashish Rampal: I'm mainly from a business background. I left it all to enter this field as I always had the passion for filmmaking but never gave it a serious thought. The filmmaking course at Institute of Moving Images gave me a direction and confidence to pursue filmmaking as a career, especially the guidance of Pankaj Roy, my mentor.

Films & TV: Your first film “Kismat” - How did it come about? What was the inspiration behind the film?

Ashish Rampal: I shot my first short film “Kismat” which was made while doing my course at Institute of Moving images. Although it was a class assignment I wanted to stand apart, make it different. Hence, thought of the non-linear pattern that goes well with a simple story told in a not so simpler manner. Moreover, in short films, story and style of narration matters more than characterization which works well with the feature format. Though it was a class assignment (as I said earlier) I did train and mentor my actors who were new to give me the right shots that I wanted. And I am happy that the result did show in the final product.

Films & TV: Looking back, if you were to make a change in the way you approached this film what would it be?

Ashish Rampal: Personally I wouldn’t like to change, though now if I have to redo the script, I may come out in an entire new way. That’s coz you grow after each film. You learn everyday and you keep on incorporating them in your style of filmmaking. However, when I made that film I did a satisfying job according to the knowledge I had then. So no regrets.

Films & TV: What’s your favourite part of the filmmaking process?

Ashish Rampal: Ideating & directing it creatively.

Films & TV: How did you develop your unique cinematic aesthetic?

Ashish Rampal: Film making is a learning process and you keep doing it everyday. You see a lot of emotions, colours, styles in day to day walks of life and being a creative guy, it is retained somewhere at the back of your mind. In my case, I use them to film my characters. Also by watching world cinema and seeing the way how great filmmakers use different ways to depict emotion in their films, my cinematic aesthetics have developed sharply, I can say.

Films & TV: How do you decide on the music?

Ashish Rampal: Depending on the requirements of the film, I got my music specially composed according to the theme and mood. Also it becomes imperative in case you want your film to be showcased at short film festivals around the globe. Many festivals have guidelines and those include having original story to music to everything. That’s where you can go wrong if you have taken ready scores.

Films & TV: When you’re editing, are you quite ruthless with the material?

Ashish Rampal: Not really. My ratio of Ok take to NG is 1:2 max.So for a 10 min film I’d have Footage of 20 mins max.I don’t believe in wasting stock while shooting. I do take additional shots if required but mostly to the point.

Films & TV: From your first shorts to your first commercial venture – an ad film or the like, how long was the wait?

Ashish Rampal: My 1st commercial venture took about a long 6 months wait, although each of my work has been appreciated and acknowledged right from first short film - to the recent. The best achievement of mine so far is the screening of my short film "Proud to be an INDIAN" in Italy. This is really a feather on my cap and that too in a very short duration.

Films & TV: Do you believe that films can bring about social change, or even affect the society?

Ashish Rampal: Normally films are made from pure entertainment point of view. But sometimes, we can do more. Whether it's a little documentary making you aware about a new topic, or offering you hope – quite a few film makers like to highlight an issue. Take the case of “Rang de Basanti” which had such an impact on people and especially the silent candle protest scene. Such scenes are replicated quite often and we got to see even when the Jessica Lal case was on or during the recent Anna Hazare support campaign. Occasionally, such films can have an important and influential effect on you.

Films & TV: What were your reactions when you dint make it to the winning list in Gorbaschow Pure Shots contest?

Ashish Rampal: Winning or losing is part of every game. But the losing part according to me would have been had I thought about the same and not taken part in the contest. I believe in “Do your best” policy. Yeah, you can say I was a tad disappointed, but it’s a part of life - our job is to continue taking efforts and making films.

Films & TV: What do awards mean to you?

Ashish Rampal: It does mean a lot to many people including me. But in short, I would want to sum up as “Appreciation for the work done and confidence booster for the work to be done ahead.”

Films & TV: “Accept that you're not always right” - A great director once said this. How do you react to criticisms?

Ashish Rampal: Any constructive criticism is always welcome. But it has to be healthy.

Films & TV: You have also been associated with a teleserial.

Ashish Rampal: I have worked as an Associate Creative Director for the show Mrs & Mr Sharma Allahabadwale.

Films & TV: Lately a couple of young filmmakers coming from ad and TV background say that "film school is a waste, don't go to film school". What do you feel about that?

Ashish Rampal: To each his own. For me my film making institute ignited the spark in me to be a film-maker. A film school is required to polish your techniques and skills.

Films & TV: Some of the director’s you admire?

Ashish Rampal: I really admire and worship Vishal Bhardwaj ji and Anurag Kashyap as i'm really fond of the DARK genre. My aim is to make a film on their school of thoughts someday.

Films & TV: What's next?

Ashish Rampal: A Short film…”Love story”

Bachhar sesher jhara pata bollo ure ese

Ekti bachhar periya gelo hawar sathe bhese.

Natun bachhar asche,  take jotno kore rekho

Swapna gulo satyi kore khub bhalo theko...

Shubho Noboborsho to all our readers...

You need a school to hone your skills, says “Strings of Passion” actress Shirin Guha..

Shirin (Swatchatoa Guha) who embarked on a journey as an actress with Sanghamitra Chaudhuri’s Hindi feature film “Strings of Passion” is one lucky girl who got the role on a platter. However, that doesn’t mean that she dint have to struggle for making a niche or gather her foothold in this industry. According to this fiery actress, “Not everybody can be a Rabindranath Tagore and hence you need a school to hone your skills.” Shirin’s educational background thus has been completely acting oriented which is quite uncommon in this field, especially in the television industry where good looks are your entry tickets. Shirin in this case, is a 1st class hons grad  in drama from Rabindra Bharti University, after which she attended  a workshop in NSD only to later pursue her  post  graduation diploma in acting from FTII. Apart from acting and writing she also got herself trained in filmy fights, thang ta and dance, as she doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned on her way to success. Here’s presenting a feisty tete-a-tete with Soham, Editor of Films & TV World.

Films & TV World: Please tell us about yourself.

Shirin: Haahahaha I think this is the toughest question in this whole world! Well, I m born and brought up in a typical middleclass Bengali family in Kolkata. My father is an actor and my mom is a home maker. Ours is a typical joint family and have my younger brother and my grandfather and grand mother all staying together… I grew up in a joint family background. Right since childhood, I was lured into a world books, got an atmosphere where I could nurture my other talents including dance, painting, recitation etc… And I was always surrounded by friends everywhere. The best part is my parents never stopped me from pursuing anything that I really wanted to indulge in. So after 12th, when I decided a career of acting, my dad rather educated me on that front and asked me to educate myself through a proper training…At the same time, he also asked me to experience the journey of making an actor. If today I am here, it all for my family’s tremendous support.

At the same time, on my professional front I am thankful to Sanghamitraji who offered me the role of Julie in this film "Strings of Passion" that we shot in Kolkata in February. The second schedule will be happening in May. 

Films & TV World: Something about this film that is strange as well as beautiful?
Shirin: The beautiful part is that I was offered the role of Julie that I am essaying - I came to know later on that it was originally offered to Rituparna Sengupta, who couldn't take it up for whatever reasons. But I feel lucky enough to have been chosen for a role that too of someone who is not only revered upon by me but is also a National Award winning actress. My co-actor in this film is Shubh Mukherjee who has done Aasma and the recently released Nakshatra alongwith Girish Nagpal, Trishaan and Sangita. I also feel honoured to debut in a film where I also get to share screen space with a renowned stalwart like Zeenat Aman (For me, she will always be the original Dum Maro Dum girl) and Raj Zutshi ji. 

Shubh Mukherjee, Zeenat Aman and Shirin...

The strange part is that I have scenes with nearly all the actors starring in this film, except for Girish Nagpal whose character commits suicide due to a strange incident that mars everyones life. My character is brought into his part of the story after his demise. Like me, even he too is debuting in this film along with Trishaan and Sangita. Though he is a wonderful actor, I missed the opportunity to work with him in this film.

Films & TV World: What made you chose acting as a career instead of something different?

Shirin: I remember when I was in the 4th grade, my English teacher asked us to write an essay on “your ambition” and I wrote that I wish to be a good human being and as a profession I chose to be an actor. You can say it’s a genetic thing as my parents were from the same creative field. Actually I am a very expressive person and I love to connect with people and lives, so I believe acting is the best professional choice for me. Acting was something I was very sure and sincere about, right from very beginning. It just did not happen to me one fine morning or I developed the craving to be in the limelight. I feel the arena of acting has a huge responsibility and cannot be taken frivolously.

Films & TV World: What do you think of today’s' trends in an “Actor's area of work”

Shirin: Nowadays a lot of new fresh faces are being launched in the market. Not only new actors but also new directors are coming up. The Bengali as well as Mumbai film industry is flooded with fresh blood, and the best part is that both the directors and the producers are giving chance to the new comers. People are taking chances and have become brave enough to experiment with new fresh ideas of film making. So as new comers, we should have the ability to return the money that is being invested on us. We should set high standards of work ethics to deliver good product, as bar of competition and challenge are being raised every second. So we have to be prepared for every type of challenge that is thrown on us!

Films & TV World: Who is your inspiration / role model?

Shirin: My first inspiration ofcourse is my father, and also all my veteran acting seniors from FTII like Jaya Bhaduri (nee Bachchan), Shabana Azmi, Naseer sir, Om Puri ji, Mithun da and many more. Even I want to be a part of the glorious history of my country’s film industry.

Films & TV World: What are your best skills? What is your major weakness?

Shirin: I think the unique combo of workaholic with a complete family person is my best skill and my major weakness is trusting people easily…

Shirin utilising her time for reading in between shots..

Films & TV World: How is it going from a total unknown to fast becoming a celebrity - being covered in news and all. Has it changed the fabric of your daily life?

Shirin: Not at all. I am absolutely taking it like shifting to a new locality. People will watch u from their windows and balconies. They will come to your house too, to welcome you as you are a new neighbour! Now whatever you do your neighbours will know. Sometime they may appreciate sometime they will criticize. You have to be ready for it. But ya, one pressure has suddenly surfaced nowadays in my life, i.e. “responsibility”. If media is covering me, people automatically will start expecting much more from me. But I am enjoying that hard work in disguise of pressure!

Films & TV World: Where do you see yourself / your work in next 3 years from now?

Shirin: In next 3 years I would love to see myself as an established actor in the industry, whom people love and respect.

Films & TV World: Tell us more about your typical day. What do you do when you are not shooting / or not auditioning?

Shirin: My typical day starts with workouts, then watching films and films… At times I watch 3 to 4 movies in a day… Im an absolute a film buff. My day is incomplete without 3 things - reading, writing and watching films. Sometimes I try my hand on cooking as well. I love to make continental dishes & bake cakes! And ya, I’m a bigg bigg biggg foodie!! So sometime when I feel very bored or I’m upset, I order a pizza and sit in front of my laptop with an English comedy!!! That’s absolutely a party time for me .. I also Love to décorate my room and also enjoy my household works like brooming, cleaning, washing clothes etc…I love to concentrate on my job instead of hanging around without any reason!!! I even love to spend my time with dogs!!! I am a dog lover.

Films & TV World: What's been your most memorable moment, as an actress, so far?

Shirin: In my final year exam of graduation I acted in a play named “Chandragupta” as “Helen”. The external judge didn’t like the play much, but he liked my work and he told my director friend that “your actress was the savior of your play”. He even told me separately “never give up your acting”…I can’t remember his face or his name but I will never forget his words…his words ring still work in my ears like a magic mantra in times of crisis. Another memorable moment was when I got the chance into FTII - I was in tears. Its altogether a different experience when you crack the deal only by talent and hard work…

Films & TV World: What's harder, pretending to be normal or pretending to be an actress?

Shirin: (Lol) I think pretending to acually live life, is itself not easy.

Films & TV World: If you didn't become an actress, what everyday occupation would you have liked?

Shirin: I just cannot be anything else but an actor. I am destined to become an actress. Either film or theatre, but I would definitely earn my living by acting - it cannot be anything else. Acting is the only thing that I believe I can do with all my heart and soul.

Films & TV World: One thing that you would like to change from your past

Shirin: Sometime I feel I would like to change but then I think that why should I? We should not forget or ignore our past. Our past is basically the primary steps taken to lead our present and walk gloriously into the future.

Shirin & Trishaan on location

Films & TV World: What vehicle would you like to buy after you hit it big or got that first big ‘paycheck’?

Shirin: Let me first have my “big paycheck” !!! Actually I am not into vehicles, I would rather prefer to invest in property.. Home Shanti Home!!! ;)

Films & TV World: What’s in your personal DVD collection? What is your favourite movie?

Shirin: I love to collect old movies as well as new movies, but in my collection I have films of Satyajit Ray to Ingmar Bergman to Abbas Kiaroatami, Kislowsky, Pedro Almodovar, Majid Majidi to David

Dhawan, Aparna Sen, Tapan Sinha, Budhhadeb Dasgupta, Mrinal Sen, Rituparno Ghosh…ufff my mouth is aching !!! I believe this space is too small to tell about my collection of films.

Films & TV World: If you could be any video game character, who would you be and why?

Shirin: I don’t like video games at all. I prefer books /family or pets to spend time with

Films & TV World: What’s harder: College/ High school dating or dating now as a celeb?

Shirin: First of all I don’t think I’ m a celeb yet. I think for me it will take time to believe that I am a “celeb”. And if u ask about what’s harder then I would say that life in general is not easy. Whatever it may be, it was hard when I was in high school or colllege and its not easy yet.

Mohan Das, Shirin, Girish Nagpal & Trishaan

Films & TV World: What is your favorite holiday spot / food / gadget?

Shirin: It’s an absolute pleasure to announce that I LUV GOAAAA!!!! That’s my fave holiday destination till date and I LUV PIZZAAA!!!!! And I love my laptop, ipod nano etc..

Films & TV World: Last book you read? Last movie you have seen?

Shirin: Last Book I read was Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment and recently saw Memories in March.

Films & TV World: Tell us one thing about yourself that no one knows?

Shirin: I can do very good mimicry...

Films & TV World: Sum yourself up in three words

Shirin: Good, Bad and Ugly!!!! ;)

Today, being Bengali New Year, we all at Films & TV World take the opportunity to wish her "Shubho Noboborsho" and pray that may she excel and shine brightly on the horizons of acting..

Rajeev Khandelwal to host Sacch Ka Saamna - Season 2

Come June / July and it will be the season for reality shows. Right from the 4th season of Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi to the 3rd season of India’s Got talent to others, all are queued up to go bang bang same time. As if all this competition wasn’t enough, Star Plus will be hosting the 2nd season of “The Moment of Truth”. Yeah you guessed it right. Sacch Ka Saamna - Season 2.

Sacch Ka Saamna, which has been in news ever since its inception for its controversial nature, is believed to be once again on air from June end / July start as confirmed from sources. The producers have already roped in contestants from various walks of life and the initial round-up happened just yesterday at Film City, Goregaon, Mumbai. The 2nd season of the show (goes without saying) will be hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal who had earlier not agreed to host an extension to season one. But perhaps looking at his film career which is going nowhere just like his film title “Peter Gaya Kaam Se”, this was an opportunity that Rajeev dare refuse.

Sacch Ka Saamna is based on the same format as “The Moment of Truth” and works on the same original format owned by Howard Schultz of Lighthearted Entertainment. Prior to appearing on the actual show, contestants are asked 50 questions while being hooked up to a polygraph machine. The biological indicators of the contestant, such as pulse rate, blood pressure, etc. are measured and used by the polygraph to decide whether the answer is true or not. The contestant is not aware of the results of the polygraph for his or her answers. During the actual show, the contestant is asked 21 of the same questions again. If the contestant answers honestly, he or she moves on to the next question; however, should a contestant lie in his or her answer, or simply refuse to answer a question after it has been asked, the game ends and the contestant loses all their prize money.

There are six levels of prize money in the game. The first level consists of six questions, and answering all of them truthfully will win the contestant Rs. 100,000 of prize money. The next level has five questions and the prize money goes up to Rs. 500,000. The third, fourth and fifth levels consist of four, three and two questions respectively, with the prize money being Rs. 1,000,000, Rs. 2,500,000 and Rs. 5,000,000 respectively. The final level has only one question, with the truthful answer fetching the maximum prize money of Rs. 10,000,000 (one crore).

However, the questions become increasingly personal and potentially embarrassing in nature as the stakes get higher. The contestants are usually accompanied by close family members or friends, who are seated beside them and the host. Several of the questions tend to be related to the relationship between them and their acquaintances present there. Next to the guests is a buzzer, which they can use to override a question which they feel is better left unanswered. In that case, the contestant will be asked an alternate question which may be easier or tougher than the question it replaced. The buzzer can only be used once during the game. The series also requires contestants to sign an agreement that they will accept the conclusions drawn by the polygraph examiner. So get ready for another season of Sacch ka Saamna soon.

Oh Kheta di mehak,

Oh jhumara da nachna,

Bada yaad aunda hai,

Tere naal manaya hoeya har saal yaad aunda hai

Dil karda hai tere kol aake

Vaisakhi da anand lelaan

Ki karan kam di majburi,

Phir vi dost tu mere dil vich rehnda hain...
Happy Baisakhi 2 all our readers and well wishers!!

Vijender Singh to enter 'Roadies' this Saturday..

Besides boxing and acting, Olympic Medalist Boxing champion Vijender Singh has a keen interest in biking. Yes, he is crazy about bikes. And these days he is riding his friends Harley Davidson and has plans to own one soon. No wonder that the channel and the organizers of MTV Hero Honda "Roadies" lay their sights on this Bhiwani boxer. Yeah, Vijender Singh who won bronzes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games and a gold at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games is all set to pack a deadly punch as he enters MTV Hero Honda "Roadies" this Saturday.

The episode that will be aired this Saturday gets more interesting as the contestants of the adventure reality show face "the hurricane from Haryana" to move ahead in the competition. The task - Hell in a Cell - will require the contestants to survive three rounds of the fight to survive. Apart from Roadies, these days Vijender is also very busy with his boxing practice session as he will be leaving for Australia to participate in the Arafura Games which will be held from 7th - 15th May. Apart from all this, Vijender is soon planning to open his own academy in Gurgaon. He was recently spotted at the Ansals Institute of Technology delivering lecture to the students at the campus. He stressed, "I am planning to set up my own academy and want to popularize my game among the younger generation." We wish him all the success. 

Khatron Ke Khiladi 4 contestants introduced in a grand style…

After confirming Akshay Kumar as the host and the anchor to the 4th Season of Khatron Ke Khiladi – Fear Factor, all the thirteen pairs of contestants were introduced in a grand show. The first episode of “Khatron Ke Khiladi” that is scheduled to be aired on July 21, 2008 on Colors channel, will be shot from 18th April in Cape Town, South Africa and is going to be more dangerous and thrilling as Khiladi Kumar will give some very daunting tasks to the contestants.

While the thirteen female candidates include out of league film actresses like Aarti Chhabria, Kashmera Shah, and the like; the show other candidates include television personalities, veejays, and  models like Smita Bansal, Aashka Goradia, Sambhavna Seth, Mauli Dave, Anjum Chopra, VJ Bani, Mia Uyeda, Alesia Raut and Diandra Soares. The scene stealer of this show remains the one-minute-to-fame model Poonam Pandey, who sensationalized the nation with her bold dialogue (and it was just a dialogue) of going bare if the India team wins the world cup. However, the surprise package this season among female contestants is Dina Singh (better known as Vindoo Singh’s wife and Dara Singh’s Daughter in law) who have started showing up on all sorts of shows these days - right from “Maa Exchange” to a cookery show on a new food channel “Food Food”.

Ahran Chaudhary with Diandra Soares

Speaking about the male contestants, this time the organizers didn’t go out much hunting for real hunks and just got contented with signing in majority of the Glad Rags contestants from the past 2/3 years. The thirteen male contestants include Glad Rags 2010 Manhunt winner Ahran Chaudhary along with Shashwat Sweth, Dhaval Thakur, Sunit Bhatia, Sangram Singh, Amit Mehra, Sumit Suri, Dhiraj Amonkar, Praveen Jain, Khalid Chowdhary, Saurabh Roy and Pramod Dahiya. India’s biggest looser winner Sandeep Sachdev who was not seen after the show is also one of the contestants.

According to Colors head of programming Ashvini Yardi, "This season of Khatron Ke Khiladi is going to be way more torturous and dangerous than all the earlier ones... hence the very fitting name Torchaar. We're looking at 13 jodis this season who will be participating in the show and undertaking some of the most physically and mentally challenging tasks ever set on the show. What's going to be of utmost importance this season; along with being able to perform under extreme pressure and dangerous conditions; is the ability of the participants to work together as a team. These 13 pairs can expect to face their worst nightmares as they set foot in the beautiful locales of South Africa. And the participants are going to have to not just build a rapport with their partners, but will have to have enough blind faith and trust in them as well while performing the stunts on the show. Here's wishing them all the luck and hoping to see some brilliant action on the show."

Poonam Pandey

Endemol India MD Deepak Dhar said, "We constantly strive to bring innovative content to our viewers. Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi is one of our biggest properties and we are excited to present a renewed fourth season. Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi has always kept the viewers at the edge with its death defying stunts and this time with an integrated partnership with Thums-up, we are confident that it is going to be country's most watched show."

The introduction show of the thirteen pairs of contestants, took off on an action packed note with all the 13 pairs walking the ramp as the host for the evening Shabbir Ahluwalia kept the crowd in splits with his witty punch lines. However, the host of this season Khiladi (Akshay) Kumar kept away from this introduction party. No doubt that the winner of this novel drama and adventure integrated show will receive a fantastic cash prize but the icing on the cake this time is an unbeatable opportunity to act with Akshay in a promising ad. No guesses that the ad will be for the sponsors of the show - Thums Up.

(Corrigendum: We did mention in our earlier news article that Gladrags Contestant Arnav Singh is one of the contestants to this show. It seems that the information we received was just a rumour. We regret for the same)

Gautam Rode and Meiyang Chang to host India's Got Talent Season 3. Promos start today on Colors..

Once again, Colors TV has announced its next season of India's Got Talent - Season 3 after the huge popularity of Season 1 and Season 2. The Show is again looking for some real talent from every nook and corner of India and is all set to find true talent from the grass roots of India. This time “Agyaat” lead Gautam Rode is hosting the show with “Badmaash Company” actor-singer-dancer-anchor Meiyang Chang who is riding high on the success of his recent victory in Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa.

Meiyang Chang

Though there were rumours that Chang might be offered to host a reality show on Sony Television as he happens to be their blue eyed boy, Chang refutes all rumours. But it goes to say that his winning performance on Jhalak happened more cos he was the face of the channel as he is not only a former participant of Sony TV's "Indian Idol" but also went on to host two seasons of the popular singing talent hunt show, before bagging a Yash Raj Films' project "Badmaash Company" alongside Shahid Kapoor. His winning the channel's dance reality show "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4” was quite talked as he was pitted against good dancers like Sushant Singh Rajput and Yana Gupta but then being the face of the channel and that he was a non-dancer who transformed into a dancer went in his favour. However, it’s also strange that he is hosting a show on rival channel “Colors”.

Gautam Rode

Chang will be supported in this show by the handsome Gautam Rode who started his acting career in Bollywood with the film Annarth opposite Preeti Jhangiani, only later to also dabble with Television. Gautam's most memorable roles in television have been in Baa Bahoo Aur Baby and in the kid's adventure TV program Lucky. In Baa Bahu Aur Baby Rode played an NRI whom Baby falls in love with, and in Lucky he played the title character, a young con who runs a fake antique shop in Chor Bazaar. Gautam was also seen in a first of a kind 16-episodic story for the acclaimed horror show Aahat, titled Maut Ka Khel, which featured 16 popular faces of the Hindi Television Industry. He made his Bollywood comeback in 2009 with Ram Gopal Verma's horror flick titled Agyaat in which he received noteworthy reviews praising his performance.