BIG Star Entertainment Awards unveils its starry list of nominees…

After the phenomenal success of the first leg of the BIG Star Entertainment Awards last year which rated a phenomenal record breaking 5.78 TVR on new year’s eve, the powerhouses, Reliance Broadcast Network through its intellectual property division BIG Live and Star India come together once again to bring in the 2nd leg of the first award function of this season! 

The nominations for the same were released. Bodyguard, Rockstar, Ra. One strong contenders across categories Introduces new category to honor actors in a Social role - Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan & Rani Mukherjee among the finalists

With categories covering films, television, music, dance and sports, the entertainment awards promise to offer the most dhamakedar welcome to the New Year, exclusively on Star Plus on the night of December 31st.

With exciting categories ranging from the most entertaining actor in an action role, to the most entertaining film – romantic, action and comic, to the most entertaining singer, the most entertaining song to the most entertaining dancer… and more, this is one award which will see India vote for their most favorite entertainers, making it truly a people’s choice award.

This will be an ode to the explosive entertainers of the country, the awards bring together the BIG entertainer amongst entertainers! And so, it will be the people of India spread across the Hindi belt who will choose their biggest entertainers amongst Bodyguard, Rockstar, Ra. One, Singham, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Dirty Picture, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, 7 Khoon Maaf, Ready and more… The night will also unveil India’s true BIG Star Most Entertaining Actress in a leading role as audiences choose from Kareena Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Rani Mukherjee.

The Big Star Entertaining Actor in a Leading Role category will see the likes of Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgun, Ranbir Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar contending for the coveted title. Melody queens Shreya Ghosal who has been nominated for her chartbusters Teri Meri and Ooh La La will compete with Hamsika Iyer of Chammak Challo for the Best Singer (Female) category. In the reckoning for an award in the Big Star Most Entertaining Director category are Abhinay Deo (Delhi Belly), Imtiaz Ali (Rockstar), Milan Luthria (The Dirty Picture), Rohit Shetty (Singham) and Zoya Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara). 

The Television and Sports categories look equally exciting with names like Dilip Joshi (Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chasma), Ram Kapoor (Bade Aache Lagte Hain),Sakshi Tanwar (Bade Aache Lagte Hain), Disha Vakani (Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chasma) and more.

Another interesting aspect of the Awards are the unique categories it covers. Be it honoring entertainers from theatre, hosts / jury members from TV shows or sportspersons these awards cover them all.

And finally a new award category, for India to decide on the BIG Star Most Entertaining Actor in a Social Role - Male and female who has entertained them the most! This category has nominees like Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpai, Rahul Bose, Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjii, Kalki Kochin, Nandita Das to name a few. 

Tarun Katial, CEO-Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said, “The Big Star Entertainment Awards will showcase a spectacle that comprises stunning performances by the biggest stars from Indian entertainers. The nominees for the Big Star Entertainment Awards 2011 represent the best work of the year and the celebration of these worthy nominees and the revelation of the winners will undoubtedly create another magical milestone on scale, performance and presentation. We will through this and each of our entertainers ensure the best entertainment offerings from our stable.”

Audiences can vote for their favourite entertainers through www.facebook.com/BSEA2011 and/or  sms 55454.

The evening promises to have all the oomph, glitz and glamour as the people of India select their biggest entertainers ever. Watch this space for more on the BIG Star Entertainment Awards. 

Kalpana Pandit at American India Foundation Gala that honored AR Rahman and Quincy Jones

American India Foundation Southern California celebrated its Annual Gala at the Fairmont Hotel in Los Angeles. The event honored AR Rahman and Quincy Jones and was attended by many well known Indian community leaders from many different backgrounds. Kalpana Pandit, actress and producer who's first home production from "House of Pandit"- Hindi Feature film " Jaanleva 555" is set to hit the screens in 2012, and Marianne Colin of Glue LLC who is representing "Jaanleva 555" in Hollywood, was the guest of Radhika and Ravi Achar who have been long time supporters of AIF.

The glittering evening was graced by multiple Indian stalwarts in an evening filled with gaiety. Sunidhi Chauhan enthralled the guests with her inimitable voice and style.

The AIF, which was founded at the initiative of President Clinton in 2001, is a leading development organisation focused on helping those in India and is a trusted bridge for Americans to channel their philantropy towards India.

Cell 18 and Host Rahul Mahajan to find the "Perfect Bachelor" on ETV Marathi

Basking on the success of Ya Valnavaar and Aflatoon on ETV Marathi, Cell 18, India leading creative production house has announced its new show Perfect Bachelor on ETV Marathi. It will be a reality show which will hunt down Maharashtra’s most eligible bachelor based on good looks and talent.

The show will be hosted by Bigg Boss fame Rahul Mahajan who himself had in the past undergone the same kinda popular reality Swayamvar and is now keenly hosting one on similar lines. Rahul has also judged a kid comedy reality show ‘Chote Miyan’ on a leading Hindi GEC in the past.

The show will have twelve contenders vying for the position of Perfect Bachelor. The candidates will be made to live in a large house and will be given tasks to perform on which they will be judged. Four girls will also live with them in the same house. Each girl will embody different qualities that make up attractive women. These four girls will live in a huge room close to the boys’ dormitory.

Elaborating on the concept of the show Zubin Driver, Group Creative Director, Network 18 Group & CEO, Cell 18 said, “Ever since Cell18 entered in television production we have constantly tried to offer viewers newer concepts which have never been brought to Marathi television before. As a reality show format, there is no similar show thus far in India similar to Perfect Bachelor. The show relies on allowing audiences to vote for the most eligible bachelor. I am confident that audiences will be engaged with Perfect Bachelor.”

Commenting on Rahul Mahajan as host of the show, Mr. Driver further added, “Rahul is well known face on television and blends well with the concept of the show. He is an ideal choice for us as the audiences like him and connect to him easily.”

Cell 18 has approached names like Neha Pendse, Sai Lokur and Shruti Marathe as judges for the show. The show has been adopted by the Cell18 team and will be supervised by Harish Tiwari & Zubin Driver. Perfect Bachelor is expected to go on air by end of December and will be a bi-weekly show.

BIG CBS Prime premieres a brand new comedy starring Kevin ‘Johnny Drama’ Dillon

BIG CBS Prime the first premium English general entertainment television channel, from the BIG CBS bouquet, premiers a hilarious American sitcom ‘How to be a Gentleman’, from 25th November, at 8.30 pm. Created by lead actor David Hornsby, the series is an adaptation of the nonfiction etiquette book of the same name by John Bridges.

Two former high school classmates, an uptight columnist (Hornsby) and his more freewheeling, Iraq war veteran, trainer (as well as a former high school bully) (Kevin Dillon),  renew a friendship that never really existed before.

Inspired by the book this series follows an unlikely friendship between Andrew Carlson (David Hornsby), a traditional, refined columnist to an etiquette magazine, and Bert Lansing (Kevin Dillon), a reformed ‘bad boy’ whom Andrew knew in the past, and who has inherited a fitness center. Loud and sloppy Bert is meshed with Andrew, a print dinosaur, who finds himself with a new boss his son's age forcing him to go down-market. As he describes it, the mag's new goal is to reach "men in their 30s who act like they're 15." Or in the case of "Gentleman" creator-star David Hornsby, write like it. Bert is hired as Andrew's life coach to get him learning how to be more of a man rather than the gentleman he has always been. Their differences are great fodder for comical situations, as they renew a friendship that never really existed.

Although Andrew's and Bert's views are different, they wind up finding out that they are more similar than they thought. The show is written and produced by David Hornsby ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"), Adam Chase ("Friends") comes How To Be a Gentleman, a comedy in which two worlds collide to find common ground.

Watch out for this smashing new comedy that premieres on Friday nights at 8.30 pm only on BIG CBS Prime.

Sonakshi Sinha lauds Dirty Vidya as the only hero amongst all heroines

Whoever said that there is insane amount of competitiveness in Bollywood should see India’s Glam Diva contender Sonakshi Sinha. Even though Vidya Balan is one of the contenders on BIG CBS Love’s India’s Glam Diva along with Sonakshi, nothing stops the Dabangg girl from appreciating what is she believes is the best. The Dirty Picture, starring Vidya Balan, released in the theatres around the country yesterday, 2nd December. The actress’s work was not only appreciated by the critics but also with by Sonakshi Sinha.

Sonakshi was so pleased with her senior’s work in the film that this new entrant in Bollywood tweeted out saying, “Amongst us heroines, Vidya Balan is the only hero! Congratulations #thedirtypicture for a phenomenal start! Can NOT wait to watch it.”

Wonder what the other actresses on India’s Glam Diva have to say about this? Watch leading ladies of Bollywood battle for the viewers’ votes to be crowned as India’s Glam Diva, only on BIG CBS Love.