Hrithik-Sussanne divorce case: Rumours on 400 cr alimony rubbished

The shocking and much talked about split of Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Roshan has picked up heat again with rife rumours of a 400 cr alimony being involved. Trashing the false reports, Hrithik tweeted on the topic and said, "Fabricated news articles. Demeaning my loved ones. Testing my patience."

The news doing the rounds claimed that Sussanne Roshan has apparently demanded for a stupendous amount of Rs.400 crores as alimony from Hrithik Roshan. However, official sources clarify that there is no truth to the reports and It is absolutely fabricated. A friend close to the couple confirms, "Finance and money has so far not even been a topic of discussion between Hrithik and Sussanne. They have even left it out of court because it does not hold importance to them. Hrithik being the person he is, would do anything to ensure that his family is happy and well looked after. Sussanne too is an independent working girl who has her own business.Any talk of money or dispute over settlement is ridiculous and fabricated”.

Mary Kom’s first song ‘Ziddi Dil’ out NOW!

The much awaited moment for all music lovers and movie buffs is here. The first song titled ‘Ziddi Dil’ from Priyanka Chopra’s upcoming film ‘Mary Kom’ has been released. With lyrics like ‘Bas khud ki hi sunta baatein yeh, Dil yeh ziddi hai’, this maiden track catches the essence of the dedication depicted in the movie for boxing. The video for the song features the National award winning actress Priyanka Chopra as she seamlessly portrays the role of the determined boxer, MC Mary Kom.

Watch the journey of the World Champion boxer as she fights against all odds to pursue her dream of becoming the best. The song is an inspiration for all and aptly depicts the never-say-die spirit of MC Mary Kom.

‘Ziddi Dil’ has been sung by singer Vishal Dadlani and been composed by Shashi Suman. The lyrics to this fast paced, upbeat number have been penned by Prashant Ingole.  The song has been creating a huge buzz in the industry since the announcement of its release. The film itself, has been receiving praise for its power packed trailer that was launched earlier this month.

‘Mary Kom’, the film is about the Indian Boxer and Olympic Bronze medallist MC Mary Kom, her life, struggles, family and her perseverance to be the best. Priyanka Chopra stars as Mary Kom along with Darshan Kumaar, Sunil Thapa, Shishir Sharma and American actor Zachary Coffin.

‘Mary Kom’ is directed by Omung Kumar, and produced is by Viacom18 Motion Pictures & Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film is scheduled for release on September 5th, 2014.

View the motivational song here and watch the brand new video for exciting glimpses of Priyanka Chopra as the gritty Mary Kom.

UTV Movies International reaches out to Canadian movie enthusiasts through Asian Television Network

UTV Movies International, the 24 hour Hindi movie destination providing an instant dose of movie entertainment for viewers, is now distributed in Canada by one of the largest licensed television broadcasters - Asian Television Network (ATN). The channel, which draws audiences together to share in the universal passion for Bollywood, is available across key leading platforms in Canada, starting with the launch on Bell Fibe from July 17, 2014.

“UTV Movies has been consistently engaging with audiences in India and internationally. With the UTV Movies International channel launch in Canada, we are further expanding our footprint in the international markets and are extremely excited to work with Canada’s largest television broadcaster – Asian Television Network. Canada is a very important market for us as it has a large South Asian diaspora who are looking for fresh and distinctive Hindi movie content,” said Nikhil Gandhi, Vice President - Revenue, Media Networks, Disney India.

“We are very pleased to be associated with UTV Movies International,” said Dr. Shan Chandrasekar, President and CEO of ATN. “Bollywood is one of the most loved genres in the country and the audiences here have a special connect with Hindi films. ATN has been responsible in bringing a range of specialty channels to the diverse audiences in Canada and UTV Movies International is a great addition to our network.” he added.

Over the past 5 years, UTV Movies International has addressed the viewer’s approach of looking to television for uninhibited entertainment, instantly gratifying them with a direct experience of the spirit of Bollywood. The channel, currently present in 26 countries, has been engaging with audiences in key regions such as USA, Middle East & Africa along with countries such as Nepal, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. UTV Movies International also has a presence in the United Kingdom under the name of UMP Movies.

Nicolai Friedrich enthrals the audience with his outstanding performance: Leaves Tisca Chopra impressed

Ashvin Gidwani Productions’ talent and world renowned German mentalist Nicolai Friedrich successfully mesmerized the audience with his fantastic performance on Sunday 27th July 2014. The St. Andrews Auditorium was echoing with constant laughter that erupted from the rapt audience during the show. The show saw the presence of a number of celebrated personalities like actress Tisca Chopra, television actress Narayani Shashtri and Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) Chairman Vineet Jain.

Nicolai’s tricks and Mental Magic had the audience stunned in their seats with each of them trying to figure out the secret behind his tricks. As he performed each part of his illusion the atmosphere in the auditorium went from silence to the thundering of claps as he finished his unique act.

Mentalist Nicolai Friedrich who has earlier performed at the same venue and received a huge response said prior to the show, “I hope a full house tonight at St Andrews and looking forward to the show.”

Post the show, Tisca Chopra was seen impressed with Nicolai and expressed her excitement saying, “Simply out of the world. I can’t believe what I have just seen! I wish I could learn some of the tricks it would be really useful, specially reading peoples mind!”

RWITC Chairman Vineet Jain was not left behind, he complimented the mentalist exclaiming, “It was outstanding, it’s a miracle what he does. Very very enjoyable!”

They were also seen blissfully posing with Nicolai after the show and seemed thrilled with the whole experience.

The audience attended the show as sceptics but as the show ended they were left completely in awe of Nicolai. Fans clamoured and clicked pictures with the master mentalist. Nicolai was seen surrounded by a large number of people who wanted to speak to him and the mentalist seemed happy with all the attention. Nicolai along with Ashvin Gidwani Productions hopes to keep entertaining his fans and trying to reach out to as many people as possible with his exceptional gift

When fairytales come true! Kunal Jaisingh to romance Namita Dubey in Yeh Hai Aashiqui

Love often sneaks in through a door that one thinks is not open. Something similar happens with Princejeet Singh, the charming and handsome teen sensation of Chandigarh. While running away from his fans, Prince accidently bumps into Srineeta, a young girl who unlike others is not star-struck by him. Srineeta comes to Prince’s rescue and gives him shelter as he is struggling to hide from his fans and media - who are just hovering outside his house. Soon friendship develops between the two, which eventually blossoms into love. But Prince is in the dilemma, whether to listen to his heart and be with Srineeta, or continue being in a fake relationship for the sake for his career.

Television actor Kunal Jaisingh will be seen as the male protagonist - Princejeet Singh. While talking about the show, and his character, Kunal said, “It was an amazing experience working with bindass. Yeh Hai Aashiqui has a wonderful and unique concept which always showcases unconventional love stories. The story of this particular episodic was so fresh and college based that it intrigued me to take up the show. I am portraying the character of Prince, a young and charming teen sensation who is always chased by girls.  But then he meets Srineeta and from there a love- hate relationship starts between the two.”

The charming actor will be seen romancing Namita Dubey and will be hosted by popular television actor Rithvik Dhanjani, who will take the viewers through the entire story. Watch this amazing love story unfold on ‘Yeh Hai Aashiqui’, this Friday 1st August, 2014, at 7pm only on bindass!

Dharma Productions pioneers movie watching on Facebook

Dharma Productions has entertained generations of movie goers and now they bring home the movies!  The production house is now the first Indian production house to enable Facebook fans to watch movies on one of world’s biggest social networking platform, Facebook.

A total of 15 films are now available as a part of the first phase launch including blockbuster Dharma movies such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Student of the Year, Agneepath, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. These films will be available for viewing in India and additional 150+ countries including US, UK, Canada Australia.

With a significant fan community online, Dharma Productions looks forward to engaging with its 2 crore plus followers. Aware of internet reach and with 1.28 billion active Facebook users, this could be considered as a big leap towards popularizing Indian cinema and entertaining more and more people across the globe.

Deepika Padukone goes on a World Tour with the cast of Happy New Year

Deepika Padukone is all set to go on her first world tour ever, for her upcoming film ‘Happy New Year’ this September. Directed by Farah Khan, the film, which stars the industry’s biggest names, is now in news for its unique promotional and marketing strategies. As a part of their innovative promotional idea, Deepika Padukone will be touring the United States of America and Canada for the ‘SLAM’ musical concert. The actress will be on tour along with her hit film co-star, Shahrukh Khan and the rest of the ‘Happy New Year’ cast.

With ‘Happy New Year’, Deepika hopes to deliver another entertainer for her fans this year. This is the actress’ third film with superstar Shahrukh Khan. The film is produced by Gauri Khan under the banner Red Chillies Entertainment and distributed worldwide by Yash Raj Films.

The first ever amalgamation of Art, Fashion and Bollywood: Presenting Singapore Indian Icons of the Year 2014

The first ever Singapore Indian Icons of the Year 2014 is all set to have glitz, glamour and artistry, congregate in the Lion City - Singapore. For the first time ever, Art, Fashion and Bollywood – the three pillars of entertainment of India’s upper crust will converge, leading all ritzy roads to St. Regis, Singapore on August 24th, to raise a toast and celebrate diverse Indian talent spread across the globe. Christened ‘Camera Catwalk Canvas - Showcasing the Creative Essence of India’, the event is being organized by Act for Hope, an initiative by Prerna Jhunjhunwala and Aashna Chopra, and will be hosted by the gorgeous Mandira Bedi.

The categories of Camera, Catwalk and Canvas will see a voting process come into play, so that audiences can vote for their favorites. The nominees will be selected by an eminent jury who will shortlist the best of the best from across Bollywood, Fashion and Art respectively, post which nominees opens to audiences across the world for voting. While a large part of the voting will be done digitally, Act for Hope has tied up with India’s No. 1 FM network 92.7 BIG FM to extend voting through the very powerful medium of radio, in India.

The Singapore Indian Icons of the Year 2014 will showcase the stunning high fashion couture by India’s leading fashion designer, Gaurav Gupta and Anamika Khanna, presented by Outback Steak House. Top artists like Kumari Nahappan and Vibhor Sogani, known for their contributions to Art across Europe, US and Asia also come together to showcase the rich artistic and cultural landscape of contemporary India.  With the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Farhan Akhtar, Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor expected to lead the nominations list for their splendid body of work in 2013-14, Bollywood is expected to be there in full attendance. Coming on board as partners is Yes Bank and Outback, who will present the Yes Bank Singapore Bollywood Icon of the Year Award and Outback Fashion icon of the year respectively to the winners.

A special highlight of the evening will see the first ever unique live auction, which will allow bidders a life-time experience which range, a lunch session with ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala or an expert training session on the pitch with cricketer Sourav Ganguly, or a bid for the extremely gorgeous Sabyasachi sari worn Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan at Cannes or for the exceptional art works of leading artists like T. Vaikuntham, Paresh Maity, Jogen Chowdhary, Kumari Nahappan and Vibhor Sogani.

Speaking on the occasion, Prerna Jhunjhunwala, Founder, Art for Hope says, “India’s upper-crust has a penchant for all things fine and hence the idea of bringing together the best of ‘Camera Catwalk and Canvas’ for those who live life with panache! It is our endeavor to recognize the extremely talented Indians that the world is proud of. We look forward to engaging and honoring talent in the times to come, as we celebrate India!” Along with a multi-media marketing plan for the event, along with its telecast on Zee Singapore, the event already has partners in Yes Bank and Outback Steak House.

Act for Hope brings together distinguished people from various backgrounds who unite over a shared enthusiasm for fine art, film and fashion, aiming to weave in Indian culture with the Southeast Asian diaspora. This glamorous platform will also be used to raise awareness about social causes that need attention and help garner support for them.

The first song ‘Ziddi Dil’ from Mary Kom to release tomorrow on YouTube! Get ready to be floored!

‘Ziddi Dil’ the first song from Priyanka Chopra’s upcoming film ‘Mary Kom’ is all set to release on Thursday the 31st of July 2014. The Music launch for ‘Mary Kom’ will take place on Wednesday, the 6th of August 2014. The music will be launched at a grand event by the gorgeous Priyanka Chopra along with Director Omung Kumar, Producers Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the COO of Viacom18 Motion Pictures - Ajit Andhare.

‘Ziddi Dil’ talks about the never say die spirit of ‘Mary Kom’ that she displays during her journey of being a World Champion boxer. The industry is buzzing with excitement for this song and music lovers are eagerly waiting for it to release.

'Mary Kom', is about the Indian Boxer and Olympic medallist MC Mary Kom, her life, struggles, family and her perseverance to be the best. 'Mary Kom’ is directed by Omung Kumar, and produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Bhansali Productions. The film is scheduled to release on September 5th, 2014.

eNatya Sanhita, an online one-act playwriting competition receives fabulous response from India and overseas

eNatya Sanhita, an online one-act playwriting competition has received a wonderful response. Till now it has received 82 entries of which 72 entries qualified. The entries received are 23 in Marathi, 23 in English, 15 in Hindi and 11 in Gujarati. They have come from Mumbai, Kalyan, Pune, Nagpur, Vadodara, Ahemdabad, Agra, Secundrabad, Delhi and from other parts of India.

Such is the popularity of this contest that eNatya Sanhita also received international entries from Mauritius, Australia, Budapest and London. One of the highlights of eNatya Sanhita was that the competition was open to all nationalities and age was no bar.

eNatya Sanhita was launched with a vision to not only encourage writing of one-act plays but to also make the selected new and original scripts available online.  The winning scripts will be announced on 23rd August, 2014. They will be published as an ebook on swiftboox.com and will be available for free and can be easily downloaded on your devices.

B - Town praises PC’s Mary Kom trailer

Mary Kom is an upcoming 2014 Indian biographical sports drama film directed by Omung Kumar and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Based on a story and screenplay written by Saiwyn Quadras, Rob Miller of ReelSports, the sports action director for Chak De! India and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, coordinated the sports action sequences for the film.

Based on the life of the Indian boxer Mary Kom, the film stars Priyanka Chopra in the lead. Minakkshi Kalitaa, Shishir Sharma and Zachary Coffin also star. While the first look of the movie grabbed not only eyeballs but also garnered a lot of praises for the title star amongst the Bollywood fraternity. However it remains to be seen whether Mary Kom will be released in Mary Kom’s own state Manipur and in particular Imphal which has a total ban on Hindi films by the militant outfits for the last 2 decades.

While the movie will be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2014, it is scheduled for a worldwide September 5th release. Meanwhile, here's a first look of Mary Kom...

COOL IS HOT says Saif Ali Khan, the new brand ambassador for Denver Deoderant

Denver, a leading Brand in the space of Deodorant and Personal Care Products for Men has appointed Saif Ali Khan as its brand ambassador. Considering Saif’s carefully cultivated image of being a super dude because of his ability to ‘be cool during the hottest situations’, the brand creator, Vanesa Care found him to be the perfect personification of Denver’s brand proposition – ‘cool is hot’.

Mr. Saurabh Gupta, Director, Vanesa Care said, “By taking the cowboy route in our earlier advertising, we had already carved a unique, ‘rugged yet suave’ niche for Denver over the years. With Saif, we plan to take DENVER the next level, connecting the target group with their subliminal aspiration to be hot, because they are cool”.

As a real Cool-Hot male icon, Saif is a trend-setter and appeals to the young genre across the board. His style, charisma and attitude are perfectly reflected in new advertising approach; in Saif’s own words, “I am very particular about both the brand as well as the big advertising idea that I associate with. I loved the macho fragrances of Denver and was very excited to be associated with a brand storyline that portrays a protagonist who is ‘cool, gutsy, completely self assured and supremely confident of his magnetic appeal to the opposite sex. The shoot was challenging, yet great fun!”

Vanesa Care, the manufacturer of Denver is a fully integrated manufacturing company with a dynamic mix of R&D, manufacturing, marketing and retailing. The company has cutting-edge, world class infrastructure and produces a wide range of quality Deodorant Perfume Sprays and other Personal Care Products for men.

A judicious mix of proprietary fragrance formulations based on consumer preferences, along with aggressive marketing and cut-through-the clutter communication has made Denver a top draw with the ambitious male youth of the country.

Sandesh Gour to feature in "Graveyard" - a chilling episode on Life OK's Savdhan India

Same like Crime Patrol on Sony TV, Savdhan India on Life OK is very popular for bringing unusual real life cases. This time Life OK will be featuring an unusual story titled Graveyard from where a lot of dead bodies go missing. The story goes as this: Kamran after the death of his father would get very emotional and disturbed. On and off, he comes to the graveyard to spend time with his dad’s grave. However, one fine day he is shocked to not find his father’s grave there. The mystery in the story will intensify with Kamran going on a search to find his dad’s dead body. He would also lodge a complaint with the police, and would directly blame Siddiqui, the manager of the graveyard of committing the crime.

Sandesh Gour who was recently in the news for his portrayal of a Kashmiri Pandit guy in the short film Muafinaama will be seen essaying the role of Kamran. Himayat Ali will be playing the role of the manager in charge of the graveyard while Additi Gupta will be playing the role of Sana, the daughter of the manager. This is Sandesh’s first portrayal of a very emotional Muslim character who has just lost his father. 

Talking about the episode that will be on air soon, Sandesh said, “This story depicts a conflict between two Muslim families. He has just lost his father and to add to his loss, his father’s body goes missing. The episode will be full of twists and turns and the climax will be much unexpected.”

About his co-actor Himayat Ali, Sandesh says; “He is playing a very shady yet a very positive character, that of the manager of a graveyard. Though he would be doing an illegal side business to give his kids a better living, he is not be involved in the missing dead bodies case. However, his daughter would believe that her father is involved and gets him arrested. The story is very touching and gripping.” 

Paramount Pictures releases Shell Shocked for their action packed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

A brand new music video from Paramount Pictures upcoming release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is now online. The song is called “Shell Shocked” by music artists Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign feat. Kill The Noise & Madsonik (seriously Where is Vanilla Ice?!)

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman’s, the film stars Megan Fox, Alan Ritchson, Pete Ploszek, Jeremy Howard, Noel Fisher, Danny Woodburn, and William Fichtner, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, named after four Renaissance artists, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu. From their home in the storm sewers of New York City, they battle petty criminals, evil overlords, mutated animals, and alien invaders while attempting to remain isolated from society.

A tribute to Salman Khan’s Kick by Aditya Narayan

Aditya Narayan has given a gift to his Bollywood super hero Salman Khan for Eid. In collaboration with Culture Machine - a digital video entertainment company for the internet generation, Aditya Narayan has released a cover version of the song Jumne Ki Raat from the movie Kick as a tribute to Salman Khan and the movie on this auspicious occasion. This peppy number with funky beats and Aditya’s vocals is his way of wishing everyone Eid Mubarak.

Ranbir to become brand ambassador of Saavn and host a musical evening?

Taking a breather from his shoot for Jagga Jaasoos and prep for his football team, Ranbir is believed to be adding another aspect of interaction with audiences, this time via music.

In collaboration with the international online music streaming portal Saavn, RK is believed to be hosting an evening celebrating the magic of music. It will be a first of its kind association between RK and Saavn and the evening is said to mark the onset of their musical journey together. India’s top music industry executives and influencers are believed to be in attendance, along with a special musical guest performer.

Says an insider source, “Coming from an illustrious film banner and background known extensively for their incredible music, RK's all set to take his love and understanding for music to the next level and unravel a new dimension via his association with Saavn, the future of the digital music experience. He's believed to be taking keen interest in every aspect of this musical evening and consulting with the core team at Saavn to ensure the evening etches itself in the memory of attendees and becomes a milestone.”

While no official confirmation came in from any of the parties, is this the start of a new long term association for Ranbir and Saavn? Let's hope so... 

Big Magic weaves its magic through festivities of Eid and Teej

Big Magic, India’s one stop destination for Humor, is all set to celebrate the auspicious festivals of Eid and Teej on the channel’s hit property, Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal. The special will see the royal family participate in various rituals of both festivals along with some interesting twists and a gripping storyline that aims to further engage the viewers. The special festive dual episodes will air on BIG MAGIC from 29th July 2014.

On the first special festive episode, we see the royal family eagerly waiting to celebrate Eid. As a festive offer, Akbar, who has lately been in a melancholy mood and is contemplating becoming a hermit, proposes that the person, who can impress him, will get to enjoy the delicious Shahi Shewaiyan with him on the occasion of Eid. Everyone starts preparing in order to be the lucky one; while someone tries to make the king laugh, the other plans a play. Unimpressed with the play, Akbar chooses the funny act but that is not the end. As always, the witty Birbal steps in and not only takes the cake but also makes the king aware of his responsibilities.

In the next episode we see the palace caught up in the celebrations of Teej. Raani Sahiba along with the royal family is preparing for the festivities and to make it even more special, her sister Bhavani, a very spiritual and powerful woman joins the celebrations. Bhawani, comes from the Raani’s maika with many presents. In order to make sure that that the Raani’s fast is successful; Bhavani gets possessed by mata and indicates the person who can create hurdles in the process of fasting. What ensues is an exciting episode.

Talking about the special telecast, Uditanshu Mehta, Creative Director said, “We at BIG MAGIC are always striving to create content that is not just relatable for the viewers but also incites a sense of belonging for them. With innovative concepts, interesting cameos and storyline that keep the watchers hooked, we aim to provide the audience with engaging content that ensures their loyalty to the channel. Festivals and occasions are a great opportunity for special integrations into the show and always add to the storyline. With the episodes showing Akbar celebrating Eid and Raani Sahiba celebrating Teej, we hope to cater to the entertainment needs of a large audience base and continue to do so in the future as well.”

An additional bonus for the fans of Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal is the special cameo by renowned actress Sudha Chandran who will be making an appearance onthe Teej special as Raani Sahiba’s sister.

Eid Mubarak to all friends, readers, well wishers...

Cinestaan Entertainment launched: Signs a three film agreement with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Cinestaan Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. unveiled its plans to produce films and shall soon foray into television and internet services. Rohit Khattar is Founder and Chairman of Cinestaan and Anand Mahindra is a major investor. Cinestaan's first subsidiary, the Cinestaan Film Company is delighted to announce its foray into film production with a three film agreement with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s ROMP Pictures.

Rohit Khattar, Founder Chairman says, “I am delighted to announce the launch of Cinestaan Entertainment in partnership with Anand Mahindra. We share a common vision and similar tastes in story telling which shall, we hope, manifest in some good films. Cinestaan is committed to preserving the rich legacy of our cinema heritage for which we are working on several initiatives including an oral histories television project that shall celebrate the memories and contributions of our screen legends.

To begin our film slate with a prodigal talent like Rakeysh Mehra is an incredible high and we are excited about developing these films with him.  Cinestaan shall announce some more projects soon."

Cinestaan Film Company’s first film as a co-production with ROMP Pictures will be the Rakeysh Mehra directed ‘Mirziya'. The second film ‘FanneyKhan’, is an official remake of an Oscar Nominated film to be directed by Nitin Kakkar, the National Award Winner for Best Film “Filmistan” in 2013. The third film (yet untitled) shall again be directed by Rakeysh Mehra.

Thespo 16 “Plug-In to the Tamasha” orientation meeting at Kolkata!

The third orientation meeting of the 16th season of Thespo attracted theatre lovers from across the city of joy, Kolkata on 27th July, 2014 at the Dew Drop Dance Studio. The orientation meeting was organized as the initial phase of Thespo 16’s journey to interact with budding and potential participants. The Orientation Meetings are a point of contact as well as a roadmap to the annual journey of the buzzing affair.

Titled  Thespo 16 “Plug-In to the Tamasha”, the  event started with a workshop on “Building a Character” by Quasar Thakore Padamsee.  The workshop intended to serve as a catalyst building individual skills that theatre enthusiast can use in their everyday life situations. It was an additional inspiring hands-on learning experience for the participants. The event then proceeded by the opening song followed by screening of the Thespo AV. Followed by this the plans for Thespo 16 were introduced to the attendees during the meeting.

Quasar Thakore Padamsee, Artistic Director, QTP which manages Thespo says, “We are extremely excited about Thespo 16. The turnout has been amazing and we are looking forward to some excellent talent coming up this year. We are scheduled to head around more cities in the country for more orientations, so that we can spread the Thespo message to the rest of India.”

Thespo invites anyone and everyone who is below the age of 25 years and has an inclination for Theatre and also those who are willing to showcase their talent either through Acting, Direction, Music, Writing, Designing, Photography, or any other theatre related activity.

The orientation meets helps to share information about Thespo, its past activities, brief people on how they can participate in the movement and what’s lined up for Thespo 16. It draws attention to the wide range of activities being conducted so that interested youngsters can maximize their participation in Thespo by either staging a play or participating in a short performance, a Mime, Poetry Reading or Monologues. One can even attend workshops, design posters, write articles for the Thespo Magazine or join the organizing team.

Thespo, which is a grand platform for young performing artists, witnesses a flock of people each year from different cities and cultures having one thing in common - love for theatre! A thrilling atmosphere where nascent actors, dancers, musicians and writers gel with people having similar passion; it’s a perfect place for the youth looking forward to enhance their talent, share their ideas and of course get noticed!

Writers, Directors, Actors, Musicians, College Students, Youth Theatre Groups, Professional Theatre Groups, Journalists, Theatre Lovers, Thespo Alumni and Friends of Thespo (FOT), the gates are open for all to come and find out how you can be a part of the next generation of theatre-wallahs.

The Thespo 16 Orientation Meeting will be held at seven cities across India which are Mumbai, Nagpur, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Delhi (in order).

For more information, visit www.thespo.org

Fifty Shades Of Grey trailer goes viral: Already rakes up over a million views on YouTube

The much awaited trailer of the movie adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey that was released on July 24 has created a stir world over. By now, the trailer has already raked up over a million views on YouTube. The movie, which features Jamie Dornan in the role of Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, will release on the Valentine of 2015.  

In fact, people are looking forward to see hot and steamy actions in the movie adaptation of E L James' erotic novel of the same name. No wonder when you have Calvin Klein model Jamie Dornan in the role of Christian Grey, audiences are expecting Fifty Shades to be more "filthier" than the book with a large amount of explicit action shown in the film.

How the movie will fare up and how much controversy its gonna create when released in India (with our moral brigade) needs to be seen. Till then, enjoy the trailor.

"With my camera, I try and look at the world differently, see beyond what is normal, what is standard and what is expected," says Seema Thakur..

We had done this interview of Seema Thakur - One of New Delhi’s leading women fashion photographer on April 1st, 2011. As an ode to Fashion Photography and to the spirit of Indian Women, we are re-posting this interview. 

Seema Thakur

Seema Thakur is one of New Delhi’s leading women fashion photographer. I saw her work for the first time – a model’s folio and was really taken in by the sharp details. Looking at the finished results I was amazed at the spontaneity and superb technical quality of the images - Using the same basic lighting set up - a studio flash and softbox. I later got to know her through Facebook and we kept constantly interacting at times while also combing through her vast body of work. It was during such occasions that I began to trace the outlines of the woman behind the camera and found that Thakur’s work is dominated by a strong creative yet colourful vision that manages to be both empathetic and investigative at the same time. Naturally, I wanted to know more about this woman photographer and asked her for an interview. She gracefully acceded to my request and I was fortunate to catch her between whirlwind encounters for an unexpectedly candid phone interview. 

Films & TV: How long have you been a fashion photographer and how did you get into it?

Seema Thakur: I started Fashion Photography in 2008,. Earlier I used to do Photography as a hobby but later took it full time and made it my profession. It might sound a bit strange that at one point, I was myself the muse of the photographer as I was in modeling. It was during such assignments incidentally one of the photographers from the industry remarked that Fashion photography is not everyone's cup of tea and is not an easy task that every body can do. I have never let a challenge just pass through. I took this challenge seriously and lo, here in no time I shifted from nature photography to fashion photography. Speaking of training, you can say I am a self-taught photographer as I never did any course in photography - leave alone fashion photography where the muse has to look outstandingly brilliant. But I had that strong determination and I persisted in this field. However, I also wont deny the fact that fashion photography came easier to me because of my earlier modeling experience. Its also strange that a photographer who herself has not undergone any formal teachings, today teach photography and take workshop on weekends.

 

Films & TV: What sparked your interest in photography?  What was the first photograph that you remember making an impression on you?

Seema Thakur: I was a Model and Actress earlier and was working since childhood as a theater artist. I basically belong to Solan a small Town in Himachal Pradesh where I was always surrounded by nature and wildlife. The natural setting of the beauty of Solan and other places always mesmerized me and I wanted to showcase and share this beauty to the world. But I was not financially strong enough to purchase even the basic camera. After working a long time in the media field, I purchased my first Point and Shoot camera – Yashica MD-35F and that’s how I embarked onto my journey of photography. After that, there was no limit to clicking. The first photograph that I remember clicking was of Shimla - Kufri mountains covered with snow. The view was not only wonderful but mesmerizing and I still vividly remember that view which I captured on my camera for posteriority.

Films & TV: Was it challenging to find your niche in the industry after you started off on your own?

Creative concept shoot

Seema Thakur: I started as a Hobby photographer because I loved capturing moments. But for never did it cross my mind that one day I would be making a career in Photography. However, as soon as I started doing photography I realized that I always kept searching for not only challenges but also wanted to deliver the best. I do agree that photography is a challenging job but at times when you don’t get the right settings and the mood, it does affect. However, I always enjoy doing my work and its core to my heart also. Im very thankful to Arpit Gupta ji (Advertising Photographer) and R. K. Paul  saab (Photographic Society of America) who have given me the correct guidance and the boost that propelled my career.

Films & TV: What attracted you to fashion photography?
Seema Thakur: While working as a Model with different photographers, I realised that the photographs they clicked sometimes were not upto the mark or according to the theme and concept. Also, in fashion photography you need to have a good knowledge about styling, the make-up and a good fashion sense which I found were lacking sometimes. I also kept wondering that had I been a photographer I could have done the same job in a different and dedicated way as I always keep thinking of new concepts in every shoot of mine.

Films & TV: How important is the role of a make up artist when it comes to fashion photography?

Seema Thakur: Make-up plays an important role when it comes to Fashion photography. As the role of the make-up artist is to make the models face look good and correct the imperfection that the models face has because presentation is much more important so u present them beautifully.

Fashion

Films & TV: What role does styling play in making a good portfolio?

Seema Thakur: Styling also make an important role to the photograph as styling means to re-arrange the things (outfits, dress, props) beautifully in which it should depict a Fashion Statement.  

Films & TV: What types of fashion assignment do you enjoy most and why?

Seema Thakur: I enjoy working with the team and mostly which depicts Creativity, Glamour and Fine-art style because I love colors. I try creating an environment accordingly and work to give my shots a different take each time. As far as possible, every time I visualize and try creating an image and capture it onto camera for posteriority.

Films & TV: What are the special qualities required of a fashion photographer?

Shot the way its seen here and is not edited

Seema Thakur: Fashion is not constant - it keeps changing. So it becomes imperative of a Fashion Photographer to keep oneself updated with the new changes around and adapt it well. A good fashion photographer should not get stuck to one thing or idea, but rather be like the deep sea diver where the fashion photographer can go deep and come out with new concepts and ideas. Also, what works in the west might not work in the east and vice versa. So one should also not blindly borrow a concept and straight make it work her. Rather, they can borrow ideas and adapt and indianise it according to the requirements, the culture and the mind set prevailing in this society.

Films & TV: Which was your first commercial break?

Seema Thakur: My first commercial break I distinctly remember was when I was hired to do a catalogue shoot of "Little Tomato". This was done with International Child Models and that was a real task getting the best out of them – one of my best jobs that I really enjoyed working with. One thing then led to another and later I shot with many with International models for quite a lot of different brands.

Films & TV: How much work do you do in the studio as compared to on location? Which do you prefer and why?

Seema Thakur: I regularly shoot on studio and sometimes on Location, as u can say that we shoot 60% on studio and 40% on Location, Both have different advantages. Whenever there is a requirement and where you want to give the feeling of the ambience than we shoot on location- be it outdoor or indoor. And in Studio you are more comfotable and in a controllable environment but in Location things may be not in your reach.

Fashion redefined

Films & TV: How much does location and light influence each other?

Seema Thakur: Location and Light both are important in the photograph. You can give them different moods, feelings, theme or concept. It is more about Visual Communication.

Films & TV: Do you prefer the artistic or the commercial aspect of fashion photography, and how do you try to achieve their unity?

Seema Thakur: Well it depends on the concept and situation that I want to achieve. Mostly I prefer the artistic aspect rather than commercial but being in a field that’s more commerce oriented, I have to see the commercial aspect as well. However for my artistic talents, I shoot stuff that are non paying and those are purely artistic jobs and not for any clients.

Films & TV: Do you feel that your identity changes when you lift the camera to your eye? Do you act differently?

Seema Thakur: I feel proud when I lift up my Gear and get ready to execute the shoot. As for change of identity, I always act the same as I am with or without my camera, but others might see me differently. However, when I am with my camera, I try and look at the world differently, see beyond what is normal, what is standard and what is expected.

Films & TV: Are your shoots spontaneous or well planned?

Seema Thakur: Some of my shoots are spontaneous as I always keep cool myself and once you know that what you are going to shoot than it is much easier. At other times and in some circumstances when the shoot is more crucial, I tend to be more careful and plan accordingly.

Radhika Bridal wear

Films & TV: Who is the most famous model you took pictures off, and who is the most exceptional one?

Seema Thakur: There are many whom I have worked with. Some of the renowned names include Anjali Arora (Contestant-Pantaloon Femina Miss India 2011), Rohit Arora (Gladrags Man Hunt contestant), Priya Sharma (South Indian Actress), Elite Models - Karan Singh, Sunny and Rohit Raj, Rodhika (Ramp Model ), Gaurav Nanda (Bollywood Actor), Silkina Kaur (Miss Punjaban - Perfect Bride) acted in Zee TV in ' Yahaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli', Purnima, Neha and Vikas (Dadagiri), Vriti Khanna (Axe your Ex), Tanya (Print Model), Chitra VJ (FM Rainbow), Deepika Saxena (Print Model), Himanshu Gandhi (Ibibo- Ihunk Model of the month- Feb), Abhishek Anand - upcoming Bollywood Actor are some of them which I have shot till now. All my models are very really good and they all know want kind of shots I want and they act quickly as we have a good rapport and tunning with them.

  

Just Naturally...

Films & TV: Who are your favourite photographers? Whose works have influenced you most?

Seema Thakur: Some of my favourite photographers are R.K. Paul (Photographic Society of America), Chandrakant Shah (Artistic photographer), Daboo Ratnani (Bollywood photographer), Vikram Bawa (Celebrity photographer), Atul Kasbekar (Commercial Photographer), Arpit Gupta (Advertising photographer), Simon Gerzina (Fashion photographer-USA), Nagender Chikara (Documentary Photographer), Suvo Das (Dada) and many more. They all have different style of work and I am greatly inspired by them.

Films & TV: What do you wish you’d known about the profession before you entered it?

Seema Thakur: Though I am a self taught photographer, sometimes I feel that things would have been much better had I had some formal training and worked with some renowned fashion gurus. But I have no qualms about it. I entered this profession with two basics - Dedication and Justice towards my work.

Films & TV: What sort of equipment and software do you use?

Seema Thakur: I use Canon Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera and 5D mark II a 21 Mega  pixel DSLR and they are my favorites. There are many image editing softwares available and as everyone is aware of, Photoshop is comonly used for Image Editing. 

Films & TV: What is your opinion on post-processing, especially enhancing pictures?

Seema Thakur: I feel Every DSLR image needs to be post processed according to the requirement of the shoot. Enhancing the picture is much more important. In earlier days during the times of film photography, the shoot negatives were sent for developing and then prints were made out of it. And in glamour field, before the prints were delivered, the transparencies were sent to touch up artists who worked on those to make it even better as well enhance the quality of the images. These days due to the advent of technology, the same are done at Digital post-processing studios by means of Image editing Software.   

Beatuy of eyes..

Films & TV: What advice would you give to people who would like to become successful fashion photographers?

Seema Thakur: As I was told initially in the beginning that being a Fashion photographer is not everyone's cup of tea. Same I would like to highlight and tell people wanting to enter in this field. But at the same time, I would like to say that "Impossible is only a word." The rules can be changed provided you have the penchant for it. I would ask all those interested to make a career in fashion photography to  not only Observe, Think, Study the compostion, but also to have a Good Fashion Sense, Know about styling techniques,  know more about good corrective lighting, and overall you should be a good artist and open minded And overall a good human Being as  that is what is going to reflect in your images. 

Beauty shots...

Films & TV: What books do you recommend to people hoping to learn more about photography?

Seema Thakur: Well there are many photography books available in the store but in my knowledge It all depends whether one wants to read about advanced photography or the basics. If one is keen to learn more about advanced things, I would highly recommend Billy Pegram.

Films & TV: What are your strong points and what is your weakest point?

Seema Thakur: My strong point is that I never give-up in any circumstances - once I am challenged - I prove to be the BEST. But by heart I am very sensitive and a simple person.

Films & TV: Three words that best describe you.

Seema Thakur: Joyful, Versatile and Sensitive... these best describe me as a person.

Ya, even we too agree with Seema. She's a real gem of a lady - a sensitive simple person and down to earth. We wish her all the best in all her endeavors.