A gruesome murder that left nine kids with special needs orphaned!

On the upcoming episode of Oprah Winfrey Show on BIG CBS LOVE, Oprah visited the Billings’ Florida home to find out how Ashley is looking after her adopted siblings after her parents were massacred way back in 2009. Melanie and Bud were raising nine children with special needs when they were gunned down while they were sleeping. They were innocent victims of a methodical murder plot. They weren't the only ones at home that night…nine adopted children with special needs, members of the Billings’ large, loving family, were sleeping nearby.

Before July 2009, Melanie and Bud were best known in Pensacola, Florida, as a generous, good-hearted couple who opened their home to children with severe disabilities. Now, their tragic deaths haunt the community and the children they left behind.

After her parents were found dead, Ashley and her husband of two years, Blue Markham, took over parenting duties for her nine adopted siblings, which fulfills a promise Ashley says, she made to her mother years ago.

In just a few months, Ashley and Blue have adapted to their new routines. Ashley wakes up before dawn to care for each child before heading to her full-time job. All nine children require specialized medical care. Emma, the baby of the family, has Down syndrome and must be fed through a feeding tube. Katie and Nicholas take seizure medication, while Ricky takes an anti-psychotic medicine, which helps with his behavioral problems.

Investigations are on, and some arrests, but Ashley is still searching for answers. She says why someone would want to kill her parents. "They were good people. They did wonderful things."

Stay tuned to Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday September 26th at 8.00 pm on BIG CBS LOVE as Oprah looks back at the murders of Melanie and Bud Billings, a Florida couple, who adopted children with special needs.

Katrina to play Aamir’s love interest in Dhoom 3 : Back in Action

After an extensive hunt for a new face for the leading lady for Dhoom:3, which included international aspirants as well, Yash Raj Films is now pleased to announce and confirm that Katrina Kaif will play this role. The Director, Vijay Krishna Acharya (Victor), along with Aditya Chopra, has made this choice after considerable deliberations. 

When asked on the selection process, Victor said: “After almost a year of searching for a new face for Dhoom 3, we were still unable to find the perfect debutant to play the lead role. We even reached out to international talent but were still unable to find someone who stood out. Both Adi and I really wanted to be sure that the person we chose would be perfect for the role. Once we decided to go with a known face and not pursue the new-comer route, Katrina was the obvious choice for all of us. She is someone who we all know will bring tremendous enthusiasm and commitment to the film. The first time pairing of Aamir with Katrina will also certainly add value.”

Produced by Aditya Chopra, Dhoom:3 is written and directed by Victor, who had also written Dhoom & Dhoom:2. Apart from Aamir Khan, who plays the anti-hero in the film, both Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will continue in their now iconic roles of Jai Dixit and Ali. The film will begin shooting end of this year and is slated for a 2012 Christmas release. 

A sad “Mausam” at home: Sonam Kapoor’s granddad Surinder Kapoor passes away

Producer Surinder Kapoor, father of actors Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor and producer Boney Kapoor, passed away in Mumbai yesterday, September 24. It seems that Surinder Kapoor had gone for a walk in the evening. He came back, drank a glass of water and while he was untying the laces of his shoes, he suffered a heart attack and died on the spot.

Starting off as a secretary to yesteryear actress Geeta Bali, Surinder Kapoor also assisted K Asif in Mughal-E-Azam. He went on later to produce Tarzan Comes to Delhi, Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati, Shehzada. Ponga Pandit, Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, Hum Paanch, Woh Saat Din, Thanedarni, Loafer, Judaai, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai No Entry and Pukar. He also produced and directed Bhooka Sher in 2001. He was the president of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India from 1995 to 2001 and was also felicitated with the L.V. Prasad Phalke Award in 2009.

Ghazal King Jagjit Singh suffers brain haemorrhage, critical

Renowned ghazal singer Jagjit Singh suffered brain haemorrhage yesterday and is in a critical state, said doctors attending to him Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai. A life-saving surgery was performed on him, according to hospital sources.

A representative of the concert “Fever Entertainment” which was organizing the ‘Fever unplugged concert’ told news agencies that owing to the sudden hospitalization of Jagjit Singh, singer Hariharan performed in his place. The ghazal maestro was to perform at this concert with fellow Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali.

Born in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, the connoisseur of Ghazals who was popularly known as "The Ghazal King" gained acclaim together with his wife, another renowned Indian ghazal singer Chitra Singh, in the 1970s and 1980s, as the first ever successful duo act (husband-wife) in the history of recorded Indian music.

He has also sung for popular movies like Arth, Saath Saath, Prem Geet, Dushmun, Sarfarosh, Tarqeeb and many others. His popular ghazals include: Tumko dekha toh ye khayal aaya; Chitthi na koi sandesh; Hoshwalo ko khabar kya Zindagi kya cheez hai; Honton se chhoo lo tum, mera geet amar kar do; zindagi kisi aur ki, mere naam ka koi aur hai; Apni marzi se kahan apne safar ke hum hain; Wo jo hum mein tumme qaraar tha; Patta-patta boota-boota haal hamaara jaane hai; etc.

Shriya Sharan in Nitin Manmohan’s Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai

Produced by Nitin Manmohan under the banner of One Up Entertainment Pvt Ltd, film Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai - a satirical comedy is 40% complete. The film is being shot extensively in old Bhopal.

Directed by Rumy Jafry, GGCMH is co-produced by Sangeeta Ahir, Prakash Chandnani, it is written by Momukshu Mudgal and has music by Anu Malik. Akshaye Khanna is paired this time with two lovely ladies - Shriya Saran and Mughda Godse who will be sharing screen space together along with Annu Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Akhilendra Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Ashok Samarth, Shashi Ranjan, Amit Mistry, Arun Verma etc. Associate Producer is Kaleem Khan, Executive Producer is Nitin Dara and Production Executive is Prachi Manmohan. Camera work is by Gururaj Jois, editor is A. Muthu and Art direction is by Jayant Deshmukh.

The Tiger, Nawab of Pataudi and Father of Saif Ali Khan passes away

Former Indian cricket captain and father of Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan - Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi passed away this evening.  The former Indian cricket captain “Pataudi” was suffering from severe lung infection and was put on very high level of oxygen support requiring intermittent Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BIPAP). After investigations, he was found to be suffering from interstitial lung disease, a condition in which the passage of oxygen to the two lungs is less than normal.

Smashing six centuries and 16 fifties in his career, Pataudi was regarded as one of the finest Indian captains. He played 46 Tests for the country, scoring 2793 runs for an average of 34.91 with an unbeaten 203 being his highest score. We deeply mourn the loss. May god rest his soul in peace..

Can Polygamy be an alternative lifestyle? Watch out on Oprah Winfrey Show

In tomorrow’s episode on Oprah Winfrey Show, September 19, at 8.00 pm on BIG CBS LOVE, Oprah meets a happily married man Kody, who is a polygamist-- instead of having one loving wife, he has four!

Kody Brown seems to have it all! He's a happily married father with 16 children and a good job and a reality television series called Sister Wives. According to Kody, “if you're good with one marriage, they figure you'll be good with two. I hope they think I'll be good with four."

For the past 20 years, Kody has been legally married to his first wife, Meri. After they said "I do," Meri introduced her husband to Janelle, a woman who's lived as Kody's second wife for 17 years. Christine, Kody's third wife, has been part of the family for 16 years, and Robyn, his fourth wife, joined the family just five months ago. For 16 years, Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine and their 13 children lived together as one big polygamist family. Then, in 2010, they added Robyn, Kody's fourth wife, and her three children to the mix.

Until September 2011, when reality series Sister Wives with the Brown family members came on air, only family members, close friends and a few co-workers knew about the Brown family's alternative lifestyle. Now, millions of people are paying attention...including the local police department.

Janelle also points out to Oprah that she and her sister wives were never forced into plural marriage. "We've all chosen this life," she says. "We are free to choose it." Polygamists Meri, Janelle and Christine Brown, stars of the reality TV show Sister Wives, explain why it's important for their husband, Kody, to have loving relationships with each of them; their bonds with each other and why they decided to do the reality show.

Stay tuned to catch with this happy family on Oprah Winfrey Show, on Monday, September 19, at 8.00 pm on BIG CBS LOVE.

Agneepath to now release on Republic Day

The all new 'Agneepath' which was planned for a Jan 13, 2012 release will now be released on January  26, 2010. This was decided as one of Aamir Khan’s film will be delayed and won’t release on the scheduled date. And with a four day holiday over the weekend, there could have been no better date to release this film. Looking at Bodyguard’s success which released on id and ganapati and have seen a resounding success, naturally Filmmaker Karan Johar is all looking forward to a super hit Agneepath.

Karan's 'Agneepath', a remake of Amitabh Bachchan starrer, is a tribute to his father, filmmaker Yash Johar's 1990 cult film of the same name. Directed by debutant Karan Malhotra, the action-drama will see Hrithik Roshan essaying the iconic character of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan and Sanjay Dutt will be seen as Kancha Cheena. However, this new Agneepath is very different from the original and have some major changes, like the role played by Rishi Kapoor. Coincidentally, Mithun Chakraborty’s role in the original has perhaps made way for the role by Rishi and Rishi has never played so black as in this film. All in all, its worth watching out for going by the promos atleast.

John, Ranbir, Abhay, Shahid or Siddhartha: Who will win India’s Sexiest Bachelor?

India’s Sexiest Bachelor, the show that brought India’s 10 most eligible men to compete against each other on one platform has reached its final stage. The journey that started with India’s top ten sexy single men has now reached to a stage where one out of top five will be voted as India’s Sexiest Bachelor on Saturday September 10th on BIG CBS PRIME.

The show brought the audience closer to their favourite bachelors. The close and personal encounters with the stars gave the fans an opportunity to know the stars better thus making it easier for them to vote. Finally, the top 5 contestants were revealed last week. They are; the hunk – John Abraham, blue eyed boy – Ranbir Kapoor, versatile actor - Abhay Deol, chocolate boy - Shahid Kapoor and Junior Mallya – Siddhartha.

The show revealed some deep secrets, some memorable moments they’ve had with fans and above all the little known facts about the stars. Some flashing moments that comes to mind in the show were, one of the hottest actors in Bollywood, John Abraham, sharing some of his secret tips to charm a woman; Siddhartha Mallya on how any confident girl can walk up to him and talk to him and Preeti Desai backed her friend Abhay Deol saying that he is the sexiest for her on the list.

After all that was said and done, the big question still remains. Who will be India’s Sexiest Bachelor? Watch out as the five top contenders’ battle for the grand title. The big moment is here; stay tuned to India’s Sexiest Bachelor on September 10th, 10pm exclusively on BIG CBS PRIME.

‘Malegaon ka Superman’ dies after last wish is fulfilled

After seeing a specially arranged premiere of his own film with producer Sunil Bohra and Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Actor Shafique Shaikh, who is seen fighting against the `tobacco villain` in the low-budget film `Malegaon ka Superman`, died of cancer in his hometown.

Shafique, whose last wish was to see the release of `Malegaon ka Superman` before his death, passed away yesterday morning after attending the specially-arranged premiere of his movie on Tuesday evening.

The 25-year-old actor Shafique, a class-VII dropout, was an essential part of the thriving low-budget film industry in the powerloom town of Malegaon, some 250 kms away from Mumbai. He had acted in various films made in Malegaon like `Khandesh To Goa`, `Khandesh Ki Baraat`, `Khandesh Ka Qarazdar Master`, `Malegaon Ki Lagaan` and `Khandesh Ka Doctor`, among others. It might be interesting to note that the Malegaon film industry produces low-budget films and spoofs of famous Bollywood and Hollywood movies.

Shafique who is survived by his wife and two daughters, was diagnosed with cancer last year and was treated at Tata Memorial Hospital here earlier.

Will John Abraham vroom away with the title of India’s Sexiest Bachelor?

Known for the immense love for bikes, the cool & sexy John Abraham treats his bikes as his babies. Often late at night, this biker boy is seen speeding with his machine on the streets of Bandra, in Mumbai.

India’s Sexiest Bachelor on BIG CBS PRIME brings in to limelight the attachment John has with his bikes, the Yamaha R1 1000cc and a V-MAX 1700 cc. He is so possessive of his bikes that sources even say that his ex-love, Bipasha Basu was not allowed to even ride as a pillion behind him! Well, that can’t be true of gentleman John!

John Abraham has an in-depth, extensive knowledge about the engines, and perhaps even more than some of the mechanics themselves. The 'Dhoom' gangster has even recorded the sound of his Yamaha R1 and stored it as his ringtone for everyone to hear.

Speaking about his V-Max, John reckons it to be very complex and that only a professional biker will understand the mechanism. His biking passion has let handsome John record the sound of his Yamaha R1 and store it as his ringtone. John is so passionate about the V-Max that he said, “Anybody who rides the V-Max will only change the V-Max, if he has only to buy a new V-Max."

And finally on his BABIES, he says, “They’re the most powerful machines in the country...in the world, because they belong to me!"

Will John Abraham vroom away with the title of India’s Sexiest Bachelor? Tune in to the Grand Finale of India’s Sexiest Bachelor on 10th September, 10pm, exclusively on BIG CBS PRIME

Greatest American Dog, an amazing canine reality show on BIG CBS LOVE

Reality shows are the order of the day. Another reality show, but with a difference! This one is with dogs and their owners. Bull dog, Terrier, Boxer, Labrador, Retriever…more are all here to participate in the first of its kind Canine Reality Show Greatest American Dog .BIG CBS LOVE brings to all dog lovers & animal lovers this dog-eat-dog reality series where 12 dog owners and their pets live in quarters and participate as they compete to see who is the best and the grand prize. The show will have competitors from pageants and from people who have trained their dogs at home. Dogs and their owners will have to survive 40 days of incredible challenges to be named the Greatest American Dog.

Professionally and home-trained dogs will compete against each other for the title. Casting calls for dogs and owners were open to any form of dog talent. Thus agility dogs, talking dogs, hunters, obedience dogs, and musical dogs were all invited to the calls. With such a wide casting call for the Greatest American Dog, all dog owners  made sure they lined up for the show. The challenge is overseen by a panel of three stern judges. At the end of each episode, one pair is sent packing.

The participants will compete against each other in a variety of training challenges, provided by the show that will focus on the abilities of the trainer to ready the dog for each competition. According to a critic,” The dog-and-owner interplay ranges from awesome and comic to the cringe-worthy.”

The final three are challenged in everything they have learned at the Canine Academy. Who will be the Greatest American Dog? Stay tuned to watch this amazing canine reality show Greatest American Dog every Monday at 8pm only on BIG CBS LOVE.

A Mother’s extraordinary Love: Surrogate mother to her daughter’s child!

Sara and Bill with Kris

It is said that the moment a child is born, the mother is also born. On the upcoming episode of Oprah Winfrey Show, the world will be a witness to a miracle shared by a woman who gave birth to her grandson.

Sara and Bill were over the moon and overjoyed when they got married. Soon after a fairytale wedding, they wanted to start a new family. Little did they know that their dreams of having a complete family would soon be shattered?

Even after trying several times and taking several medications Sara was unable to conceive. It was Sara’s mother, Kris 61, who took the decision of being surrogate mother to her daughter and son-in law’s child. She shared a letter with Oprah which she wrote to her daughter, “Somehow beyond all reason and rational action, I want to share a wish with you aloud. My wish is that I could carry your baby.”

Kris conceived soon. Six months into the pregnancy, Kris temporarily left her husband of 37 years in Virginia and moved to Chicago to spend more time with Sara and Bill. "We could have found medical support in the Washington, D.C., area, but I wanted the baby to be at home before he was born too," Kris tells Oprah.

Although getting pregnant wasn't difficult, Kris found being pregnant exponentially harder than she remembered. "I was nauseated all the time, so it was hard," she says. "I was really tired." When Oprah asked her if she felt conscious about what people would think, Kris said, "I think the lucky part was I wasn't at home. People in Chicago didn't know me." After nine months Kris delivered a healthy boy after undergoing 30 hours of labour and C-section surgery. Sara and Bill shared their feelings on the new parenthood with Oprah and said, “we are so ecstatic to get to be parents now that we find it all wonderful."

While this story may seem a miracle out in the west, here back home in India this is a story which had done the rounds even 5 years back when a woman from gujrat became the surrogate mother to her daughters child. But yeah, here it is termed as one out of necessity and was not glorified on Television though. However, it really needs the guts to do something extraordinary. Hence we recommend you to watch the story of this extraordinary mother and her love on the upcoming episode of Oprah Winfrey Show, on 2st September, 2011 at 9:00 PM only on BIG CBS LOVE.