Forevermark & Chintamanis unveil a spectacular diamond jewellery range

Aditi Rao Hydari dazzles at the Chintamanis Flagship Store adorned In Forevermark Diamonds

Forevermark - the world’s leading diamond brand celebrated the launch of a fascinating diamond jewellery collection in association with Chintamani’s - one of the most renowned and trusted jewellers in the city. The spectacular range of jewellery designed by Chintamani’s and crafted with Forevermark diamonds was unveiled by actress Aditi Rao Hydari.

The collection showcased at the event included classic jewellery pieces of intricately designed cocktail rings, earrings, cuffs, bracelets and necklaces crafted in Forevermark diamonds. The petite Bollywood diva - Aditi Rao Hydari looked picture perfect adorned in beautiful Forevermark diamond jewellery. Engrossed in browsing the meticulously crafted elegant range showcased at the store, her love for diamonds was apparent.

 “I love diamonds, I love their sparkle, their elegance and the sophistication that they add to your persona while wearing them. No matter what the occasion when you’re wearing diamond they give you an innate sense of confidence and when you’re wearing Forevermark diamonds, that feelings just strengthens. The collection showcased here today is spectacular timeless and very versatile. I think every woman should own Forevermark diamond jewellery that she can call her very own.” Said Aditi Rao Hydari

Sachin Jain, President - Forevermark said, “Forevermark stands for integrity, commitment and a promise that it is pure and responsibly sourced. The new range by Chintamanis is indeed a delight as it is crafted keeping in mind the taste and the preferences of the modern woman where less is more. The collection exquisitely brings out the beauty of the Forevermark diamonds and adapts itself to the many moods of a woman.”

Mr. Chintamani Kaigaonkar, Owner, Chintamanis said, “We at Chintamanis truly appreciate the promise of Forevermark as do our customers. The new collection launched today is an extension of that promise.   Every piece of jewellery at Chintamanis’ displays superior craftsmanship through aesthetic detailing and beauty of design, with an assurance of purity and exclusivity that evokes a sense of immense joy and pride.”

Forevermark is the diamond brand from De Beers Group of Companies. Each Forevermark diamond is inscribed with a promise; a promise that it is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced Forevermark only partners with authorised Forevermark jewellers, who are selected not only as leaders in their field, but also as those who meet the brands particularly stringent requirements of business, social and environmental integrity. Chintamanis is reputed and is known for their beautiful and popular designs both in contemporary and traditional jewellery. 

A Different Love Story - Doyita - makes it to Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival

Flagged off by National award winning filmmaker Sai Paranjpye and actor and United Nations Equality champion Celina Jaitly, the 6th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival took off on Wednesday May 27, 2015. South Asia’s biggest and India’s only mainstream LGBT film festival, the festival’s theme this year is “Reaching Out, Touching hearts”, and will screen 180 films from 44 countries. And one among them is >>DOYITA (THE LOVERS)<< produced by A Perfectly Insane Entertainment and Eon Films and directed by Arpan Roy.

This is the first time that Arpan Roy’s film have been chosen to be showcased at the festival. Doyita (The Lovers) is based on a true incident about a guy named Rohit Chauhan from Kolkata. It’s a different love story between 2 guys - Rohit and Ronnie who somehow managed to stand against the stereotypical Indian orthodox society to find true love in each other’s arms. They live in a completely different world of their own, where love knows no bounds. But the fact that their relationship doesn’t have a social identity bothers Rohit and as a consequence he wants to get hitched socially to Ronnie. But Ronnie opposes him everytime as he is scared of the social stigma attached to such an announcement. Meanwhile, Rohit bumps into a woman who discloses she is Ronnie’s married wife. Does their love survive or Rohit takes some drastic steps is the essence of Doyita.

Arpan Roy

When asked how easy or difficult was it to make a film on a subject that’s gay and Arpan says, “The problem with Indian indie film-makers is that they don’t get the support and trust that they need to make a film on such a subject due to social apathy. I had pitched this subject to many producers but nobody wanted to get involved as our Indian society is still under the typical mindset that restricts and discourages homosexuality openly and blatantly. We had no other option than to move on and make the film with our own funds. The other deterring factor was midway through the film, one of the lead actors left us. But we still managed to hold hands till the end and overcome all the barriers coming our way. And our perseverance paid off and here we are today at Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival - one of the Top 5 LGBT Film Festivals in the World.”

Arpan who named his production company - A Perfectly Insane Entertainment later joined hands with Eon Films to complete the project and is now all set to take the film to various film festivals across the globe. "It is indeed a proud moment that our film is showcased in the competitive category. Whether we are able to get the winning trophy or not is another matter altogether. But it is indeed incredible that we are a part of Kashish that in the last 6 years has become such a huge force that coalesces so many people into one iconic event," added Mohan Das of Eon Films. “Yes, it gives us immense pleasure and inexplicable satisfaction to see this film getting such a huge platform as Kashish when it had to undergo such struggle during its making. This makes my belief a bit more stronger - No matter what, never give up on your dreams. If you have dreamt it, achieve it,” added Arpan.

Doyita will be screened this Sunday 31st May, 2015 at the 6th edition of Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival @ 12:30 pm  at Liberty Cinema, Mumbai.

Sai Paranjpye and Celina Jaitly flag off Kashish 2015

6th edition of South Asia’s biggest LGBT film festival to screen 180 films from 44 countries... 

National award winning filmmaker Sai Paranjpye and actor and United Nations Equality champion Celina Jaitly on Wednesday May 27, 2015, flagged off the 6th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival – South Asia’s biggest and India’s only mainstream LGBT film festival. The festival’s theme this year is “Reaching Out, Touching hearts”, and will be held at three venues in South Mumbai – the iconic art deco Liberty Cinema and Alliance Francaise de Bombay at New Marine Lines and Max Mueller Bhavan at Kala Ghoda. The festival, held between May 27-31, 2015, will screen 180 films from 44 countries.

“What KASHISH stands for is something close to my heart. And that is – Freedom to Express,” said Sai Paranjpye, who lit the ceremonial lamp to declare the film festival open. “At a time when freedom of speech and expression is largely stifled, it is important that a festival like KASHISH stands up and makes a point of being out, open and driving home a message of equality and dignity, for everyone. It doesn’t matter what one’s sexuality is, what one’s religion, caste, ethnicity, age is, it is important that all of us have the right to being free citizens of this country and have the same rights as everyone, not just in India but in every country. We may all not be born equal, but everyone has a right to be treated equally,” added the filmmaker.

Celina Jaitly said that she had been associated with KASHISH since its debut in 2010 as its festival ambassador. “It is amazing how KASHISH has grown over the last six years firmly establishing itself as festival that champions the cause of equal rights,” said Celina Jaitly, who released the festival catalogue.

"It is indeed a proud moment that we are able to bring together yet another edition of KASHISH, sixth year in succession,’’ said Sridhar Rangayan, Festival Director. “Every year hundreds of people all over the world come together to make this festival happen - filmmakers, producers, distributors, sponsors, organizations, numerous individuals - everyone who believe that KASHISH is a powerful vehicle for upholding equality and dignity. It is indeed incredible that KASHISH has become this huge force that coalesces so many people into one iconic event,” added Rangayan.

KASHISH 2015 is organized by Solaris Pictures, and co organized by The Humsafar Trust (HST). “KASHISH has over the last six years managed to become the face of the LGBT community of Mumbai, along with the pride march,” said Ashok Row Kavi, chairman and founder of HST. “It is one of the first events organized by the community that has managed to mainstream the issues of LGBT persons.”

An eminent jury panel comprising filmmakers Anubhav Sinha and Chitra Palekar, national award winning filmmaker Aamir Bashir, columnist Malavika Sangghvi and popular television actor Meghna Malik will judge the winners in the seven film competition categories.

Acclaimed filmmaker Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares has sponsored cash prizes for the three top competition categories at KASHISH – Rs 30,000 for the Best Narrative Feature Film, Rs 20,000 for the Best Indian Narrative Short film and Rs 20,000 for the Best Performance in a Lead Role. Wadia Movietone has instituted a cash award of Rs 15,000 for the Riyad Wadia Award for the Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker. Pond 5 will sponsor a cash prize of Rs 20,000 for the Best Documentary Feature. The other categories are Best Documentary Short and Best International Narrative Short film.

The festival is supported by MAC, IBM, Project Diva and Pehchan. A portion of the funds required for organizing the festival was crowdfunded.

‘Bhanwarey’ completes first schedule in Mumbai. Next in Delhi and Chandigarh

Shaurya Singh’s upcoming Hindi feature film ‘Bhanwarey’ recently completed its first schedule in Mumbai. Written and directed by Shaurya Singh who is also acting in it, Bhanwarey is set in the late 90’s in Delhi and revolves around three friends and their struggle of survival in a shoddy apartment.  It is also the story of their daily problems and how they accidentally get involved in wrong doings to solve them and eventually get trapped in the hands of law and a couple of gangster groups.

Shaurya Singh who hails from Delhi started his career as a short film maker. Despite acting being his first love, he started creating short films for the film festival circuit across India and also received awards and accolades for his work. Two years ago, Shaurya shifted base to Mumbai after being selected to play a major role of Raja Todarmal in Balaji Telefilms epic saga Jodha Akbar. Widely praised for his acting abilities, Shaurya who has a penchant for writing started scripting this feature film while working in Jodha Akbar. As soon as the arrangements were made Shaurya started working towards his dream of making a feature film with able collaboration from Mohan Das of Eon Films.

Speaking about the film, Shaurya says, “The film is a comedy of errors featuring a series of comic twist, as the three guys embark on a series of misadventures in the old part of Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. With a very strong message for the youth and presented in a light manner with witty and catchy dialogues, the audience can relate with the characters well as the theme of the movie is pretty generic and based on the daily lives in the 90s.”

Comedy is a very tricky genre of film to get right. However, with splendid performances by Shaurya Singh, Karan Thakur and Jashan Singh Kohli, the film will keep the audience in splits with an endless string of gags, but without focusing on the raunchier side of things. Jashan Singh Kohli who has been doing a lot of television and is currently seen in Big Magic’s “Total Nadaniyaan” is playing one of the lead characters. “I heard the storyline and gave an instant approval. I am really happy that I am a part of ‘Bhanwarey’. It is going to be an amazing film with great potential,” he quipped.

“We are by far the silliest, craziest people in this cast because we really don’t have any limit as to what we do,” echoed Karan Thakur with contagious excitement. “Our varied antics will bring the zany Delhite way of life alive,” added Karan who was seen in “Bhagyavidhata”, “Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha” and other serials. He is now doing “Badi Door Se Aaye Hai” on Sony Television.

Under the aegis of Sudha Creations & Eon Films, the shoot of "Bhanwarey" has already commenced in mayanagri Mumbai and first schedule is complete. The second schedule is slated to start in the forthcoming week and will be shot in Mumbai, Delhi and Chandigarh.

Learn. Move. Unite to Dance With Madhuri 2.0

RnM Moving Pictures Ltd., a media and content company focusing on creating and disseminating superior content across all platforms and genres today announced the launch of ‘Dance with Madhuri’ (DWM) – Version 2.0. It is the world's first celebrity backed online, gamified dance initiative that allows you to learn in a fun and social manner. It also encourages users to stay fit and unite with the world anywhere, anytime and on any platform.  Madhuri Dixit joined by her husband Dr. Shriram Nene, Saroj Khan, Terence Lewis and Leena Mogre, introduced the Learn Move Unite philosophy adopted by the upgraded version of DWM. ‘Dance with Madhuri’ is an e-learning platform that allows people to easily Learn to Dance, Move to stay fit and seamlessly Unite and connect with the world to create a marketplace for their skills.  The access to website is free for the users and thereby giving everyone a chance to learn, move and unite.

‘Dance with Madhuri’ was built and nurtured as a lifelong dream of Madhuri Dixit - Nene, to teach the world to dance and synchronize everyone's step while bringing together people from around the world.  It was the vision and support of her husband Dr. Shriram Nene whose technical expertise helped make this dream a reality. Today this dream has garnered over 2 lakh followers from more than 200 countries. Encouraged by the love and support of her fans and lovers of dance across the world, DMW has now collaborated with the best dancing talent in India, the best technology providers in Robosoft, and the best production houses like BBC and 120MC to take the portal to the next level.

Talking about the launch of ‘Dance with Madhuri’ – Version 2.0, Madhuri Dixit-Nene said, ”It has been very humbling to see how fans and dance enthusiasts have accepted our online dance offering. I am amazed by the talent we are discovering and nurturing on the platform. It is clear that everyone has a spark of genius. The key is giving everyone access.  It’s been an exciting journey and I am glad that I am being able to share the joy of dancing with lakhs of dance enthusiasts across the world. With growing number of the users, we were encouraged to scale up the content and have now introduced more dance forms, and introduced new gurus to offer a more robust learning experience. At the same time, we have introduced new ways to use dance to stay fit with dancercise, body conditioning, dance pilates, dance yoga, tabata and more.  People can learn dance and stay fit by accessing the DWM any time anywhere on any platform.”

People, irrespective of gender, age, location, background can learn to dance from the dance diva, herself, as well as a host of renowned gurus and choreographers in all genres.  There are lesson that have been crafted with great attention to detail by gurus like Pt. Birju Maharaj, Saroj ji, Terrence Lewis, Remo D’Souza and a host of renowned choreographers from all the popular dance shows. There are now over 93 classes, 50+ hours of content and 1800 lessons.

Dr. Shriram Nene, with a very experienced in-house team and Robosoft, a world class Indian software company, have designed the e-learning platform, fitness portal and social network called ‘Dance with Madhuri’.  He stated that, “the beauty of the dance initiative is that you can learn dancing at your own convenience in your own comfort zone without having to physically go to a studio. Instead of replacing physical academies, it actually allows dance institutes to scale and reach out to their users and build passion.  It’s an exciting time for media and content as the world is getting smaller. The wonders of modern technology are offering numerous options to connect with audiences. Through this online dance academy we are able to reach a large number of people and create a global village for culture.”

Besides learning, the Move section in the app encourages users to dance to stay fit. Exercises range from simple stretching to the intense Tabata – from Beginner to Advanced level.  You can burn 400 calories in 15 minutes and have great fun in the process. The Unite section is a community bound by passion for dance, it allows the users to exhibit their talents by uploading their videos, progress and much more. Users can not only discuss but also interact with each other and find jobs, registered institutes and events in their area.

Simply said, it allows you to dance as if no one is watching, anytime, anywhere and with anyone.  To get started, log on to:  DanceWithMadhuri.com

Sushant Singh Rajput determined to Get It Right

The actor in association with Fluence includes his fans on his digital fitness journey #tilligetitright

Sushant Singh Rajput is an actor known for his single minded determination who seeks to achieve perfection in everything he does.  Currently, Sushant’s energies are focused on reaching his definitive fitness levels. To achieve this he has set out on a journey on YouTube #tilligetright; training with several fitness experts to get to his personal best.  Sushant has partnered with Fluence - India’s leading celebrity digital network to help create unique content to amplify online.

Sushant’s purpose in pursuing this digital initiative is not just to get fit himself but to also encourage as many people as he can in joining him on this journey. “Your body is a reflection of the choices you make. My choice is a healthy and fit lifestyle. Working out, whether dance, freestyle, functional or sports has always been an important part of my life. It’s this choice of life which helped me realize the campaign #TillIGetItRight. It is an attempt to reach my fitness goals as well as motivate the youngsters to stay fit. Together with the help of my fitness training team, we have come up with a  regiment to inspire many to join me in this goal. On my YouTube channel my fans will see me experimenting with various forms of exercise and routines till I get it right.”, commented Sushant Singh Rajput.

“Celebrities have a major role in inspiring the youth of today. With, social media the gap has been bridged between the celebrities and their fans. So, when Sushant (@itsSSR) shared his idea of #TillIGetItRight with us, we thought it would be a great idea to amplify this fitness journey with his fans using innovative content on social media that will connect the right chords”, said  Ashish Joshi, VP Digital & Business Head – Fluence.

Each video in the series will showcase Sushant's high intensity training and vigorous functional workouts shot outdoor at various locations. The first video in the series which will release today, 20th May, 2015 on YouTube will be about a high intensity functional training program targeting Sushant’s strength, core flexibility, agility and stability. The weekly six day workout program will start every morning with  a 45 minute cardio session followed by functional training and will include 2 days of high intensity obstacle training to achieve better muscular balance and joint stability. To maximise the impact of the workout Sushant will also be following a diet plan with 6 meals a day ; protein rich with the protein: carbs: fat ratio being 60:20:20 distributed throughout the day to better activate metabolism and support muscular hypertrophy.

Catch the first video of Sushant’s #tilligetitright campaign exclusively here..

Delhi celebrates the Traditional Kheyal Gayeki from Punjab

A two-day festival of traditional Punjabi music opened today in the national capital, putting the spotlight on the beautiful Kheyal Gayeki tradition of Punjab that has enchanted lovers of Hindustani Classical music.

If one talks about the cultural heritage of Punjab, the mellifluous kheyal ‘bandishes’ (Compositions) cannot be left out from the discourse. In fact, this is a genre of ‘Gayeki’ which has enriched the Hindustani Classical music for more than two centuries now.

Punjabi Academy, Govt. of Delhi, Department of Art, Culture & Languages, Govt. of Delhi; has brought together renowned artists of this genre for two days on the 21st of May, Thursday and 22nd May, Friday at the India International Centre.

Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Manish Sisodia inaugurated the festival. While Shri Sisodia was the Chief Guest; Shri Jetinder Singh Tomar, Hon’ble Minister for Law & Justice; Tourism; Gurdwara Elections and Art, Culture & Languages, Govt. of Delhi was the Guest of Honour.

The Festival began with a performance of Bhai Balwant Singh Namdhari who rendered kheyal gayeki with tabla mridang in the traditional style of Punjab. His performance was followed by Sh. Raza Ali Khan who sang the traditional Punjabi Kheyal bandishes.

Before the advent of Kheyal, there were four famous Gharanas of Dhrupad singing in the Punjab, Talwandi, Haryana, Sham Chaurasi and Kapurthala. Kheyal Gayeki emerged as the next stage of evolution in the history of Hindustani music as the strict discipline of earlier days gave way to greater expansiveness and liberty of expression in the musical firmament. The process of this evolution had started with the creative endeavors of Amir Khusroe in the 12th century and completed itself under the vibrant outpourings of Niamat Khan Sadarang and Ferozkhan Adaran who gave the Kheyal style its present stamp.

Kheyal Gayeki remained confined to Delhi for some time, and it was only later during the 19th century that the new style reached the Punjab. From Delhi, it was first taken to Gwalior where Haddu Khan and Hassu Khan laid the foundation of the Gwalior Gharana of Kheyal singing. Banne Khan Nangliwale learnt from them and went to Punjab and taught stalwarts such as Pyare Khan, Umaid Ali Khan and Mubarak Ali Khan. Meanwhile, “Jamail” Ali Bakshi and “Kaptaan” Fateh Ali of Patiala became Shagirds of Tanras Khan of Delhi who had also learnt from Haddu-Hassu Khan of Gwalior, and from Mubarak Ali of Jaipur (son of Bare Mohd Khan). They founded the Patiala Gharana of Music, from which flows an important line of Kheyal Gayeki of the Punjab. This genre of gayeki further evolved over the 20th century and adopted new ways of rendition and musical instruments.

“As you are aware the Punjab has always been renowned for its beautiful “Bandishes” which have enriched the repertoire of Hindustani Classical Music. Punjabi is the only other language, apart from Braj Bhasha, in which Kheyal Bandishes have been written over the centuries. Shah Sada Rang and Ada Rang, creators of the Kheyal style of Hindustani Classical Music, have also composed some beautiful Bandishes in Punjab which will be presented in this Festival. Over the last two centuries, Hindustani Musicians whether from the Punjab or elsewhere, have sung these Punjabi Kheyal compositions. It is our effort through this Festival to revive an interest in them by encouraging their research and presentation. ,” says Ms. Geetanjali Gupta, Secretery, Art, Culture & Languages, Government of Delhi.

The second day of the festival will have Qutubi Qawwal from the Dargah presenting the Sufi Qawwali from Punjab and Pandit Yashpaul rendering the Punjabi Kheyal Bandishes.

“Through this annual festival, our effort is to revive interest and attract youngsters to this beautiful form of classical vocal music. We also want to encourage research and presentation in the art form that is an intrinsic part of our composite culture,” says Shri Jawahar Dhawan, Secretary, Punjabi Academy. 

Fitness Tips with Gul Panag at the Sofitel Mumbai BKC

Sofitel Mumbai BKC hosted an afternoon with Fitness expert Gul Panag. Announcing the launch of her first venture - FirstRun App, as the co-founder of MobieFit. The actress displayed the features via a live-demo at the hotel’s fitness center- So FIT.

FirstRun is the debut product of MobieFit, a company founded by Gourav Jaswal and is the first mobile app designed to make runners out of those who’ve never run before in their lives. An active fitness junkie, Gul Panag strutted towards the treadmill and geared up for the first workout with the App. With features like Treadmill to Personal Trainer, an In - App music player to training for a set time, the Mobile App is created for beginners and Gul guidance tips complimented the make impeccably.

Gul Panag, “I wish I had access to this kind of technology when I started running. If I had the support of a fantastic app like FirstRun, I would have definitely struggled less to run my first 3 miles. Over the years, I have seen how important it is to bring fitness into our lives. I have witnessed first-hand the positive transformation it has brought in those close to me.”

Chef Indrajit Saha, Sofitel Mumbai BKC, “The De-Light menu is designed by some of the best Chefs of Sofitel Luxury Hotels and serves up dishes for guests that not only embrace flavour but innovation as well. We are happy to be a part of an association that promotes a balanced diet along with a regular workout and would like to wish FirstRun much success for this endeavour.”

A special De-Light menu was organized at Sofitel Mumbai BKC to encourage the novice athlete. A gastronomic adventure in healthy eating, this low-calorie menu is also a part of Sofitel’s international menu and is available all across the globe.  De-Light reflects the unique skills of Sofitel Chefs’ innovative array of well-balanced meals to help guests meet their lifestyle goals in delicious style. The De-Light menu items like Roasted Red Pepper Shots (33 Calories), Vietnamese Spring Rolls (81 Calories), Low carb Mini Veggie Pizza (96 Calories), Strawberry and Lemon Panna Cotta  (133 Calories) and more, place an emphasis on freshness and highlight the relationship between food and well-being .

Saqib shines in viral video for change

In the middle of all the big films creating noise out there, a short film has been winning hearts and making a change on the web. The short is for the Green Batti Project, "India's largest one on one mentoring program that provide children from under resourced communities with a friend, constructive critic and a positive adult role model". Saqib Saleem who wants to always associate himself with meaningful projects that can make a difference to society plays the mentor in the film, directed by Varun Lalwani, who was the chief assistant director to Farah Khan for Happy New Year. The short has already gone viral with Bollywood celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra lauding the effort .

You can view the video here..

A riveting Rajasthan-based thriller “Rourav” to kick off shoot in August

Tentatively titled ‘Rourav’, the unconventional thriller sees Ali Fazal, Richa Chadda and Kay Kay Menon in lead roles 

Bollywood is set to experience a whiff of fresh air with producer duo Virendra K. Arora and Arjun N. Kapoor adding a Rajasthan-based thriller to their new and exciting film lineup for the year.

The film tentatively titled as ‘Rourav’ will see Kay Kay Menon, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal in lead roles and will be co-produced by Mahesh Bhupathi (Big Daddy Productions). Richa and Ali were last seen together in Fukrey’s ensemble cast. All the three artistes are known for their originality and unusual appeal among the masses.

This August, the film’s cast and crew will set off for Rajasthan to capture the desert land from a whole new perspective. Indian film-makers have often showcased Rajasthan’s royal and palatial side. Determined to portray Rajasthan from a new lens and bring out its rare, atypical side on to the silver screen, the producers are currently fine-tuning the minute nuances of the film. “This thriller is about a never-seen-before interplay of human emotions. It treads Rajasthan’s uneven terrain and traces its pensive yet powerful side on a deep emotional level. We are pooling in industry’s best possible talent to create something that has never been explored by Indian Cinema,” says Arjun N Kapoor.

This is Virendra K. Arora and Arjun N Kapoor’s second film going floors and an iconic one with a cast as rare as the film’s subject. Pushing their boundaries with every new venture they undertake, the producers have some more avant-garde film work up their sleeve. Set for a Bollywood breakthrough of its kind, the producers have their first film venture and this year’s biggest family entertainer ‘Abhi Nahin Toh Kabhi Nahin’ hit the shooting floors in the last week of May.

“It’s an action-packed year for us. With this exciting Rajasthan-based thriller, we plan to portray some extraordinary cinematic moments and leave a memorable mark on every film lover’s heart,” adds Virendra K. Arora.

Aishwarya definitely owned the red carpet as she posed with confidence and style

The former Miss World, who completes 14 years representing L’Oreal at Cannes, has always stunned us with her red carpet looks. This year, Aishwarya has walked the red carpet from May 17th and May 20th; and chair the AMfar gala on May 21st.

Before her red carpet appearance, Aishwarya also attended the Variety and UN Women's panel discussion,during the 68th international film festival on May 16 on gender equality in a floral Sabyasachi creation along with other panelists including Salma Hayek, Elisabeth Karlsen, Christine Vauchon and Parker Posey.

For her first red carpet appearance at Cannes 2015, Aishwarya opted for a teal Elie Saab gown where she looked stunning and was termed the Green Goddess by the media here. The Bollywood beauty, who is the face of the international cosmetic brand, L’Oreal Paris, also showcased the first look of her forthcoming film ' Jazbaa'.

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked fabulous in a maroon strapless Oscar de la Renta gown that she wore for the unveiling of her comeback movie Jazbaa. This was Aishwarya's second outing at this year's Cannes.

The former beauty queen wore Stella McCartney separates - white blouse with matching cigarette pants and heels for photo ops and interviews. The cherry red lip colour was a beautiful contrast.

SmallBigIdea comes on the streets and converses with people for the Chutzpah Awards!

TheSmallBigIdea, which handles the social media mandate for &pictures, took to the streets of Mumbai to converse with people on Chutzpah! It is the world television premiere of the movie ‘Haider’ and &pictures is honouring all those cheeky Indians and audacious Events of the past year at the Chutzpah Awards!

Haider had created a furore in the country with its bold story and sensational dialogues. It also gave us Indians a word which became famous even before we knew what it meant! So, the best thing which could strike the right cord with the audience was the Street Interviews or Vox Pop as it is popularly known.

“The word ‘Chutzpah’ was an important element in the movie promotions when it was launched. We kept that at the core and evolved the ‘Chutzpah Awards’ from it. The nominations are totally crowdsourced and so will be the winners.” said Harikrishnan Pillai, Co-founder, TheSmallBigIdea.

The street interviews not only created an interest amongst them for the movie Haider, in which this particular word has been used, but also made them participate more actively in the nominations of the Chutzpah Awards!

TheSmallBigIdea conceptualized, executed & filmed the activity which has captured the imagination of people on the internet. The 4 minute long film is a stack of funny, mind-tickling conversations with the people we met on streets of Mumbai! It is a sure-shot entertainer and you won’t be able to hold back your laughter.

TheSmallBigIdea is a marketing consultancy started by 2 ex-consumer marketers Harikrishnan Pillai & Manish Solanki. They specialize in integration of traditional marketing initiatives with digital/social media activities, providing a 360 degree solution.

You can watch it here...

Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2015 to Reach out, Touch hearts

Anubhav Sinha, Aamir Bashir, Chitra Palekar, Meghna Malik, Malavika Sangghvi and Sridhar Rangayan announce South Asia’s and India’s biggest LGBT film festival 

Noted filmmakers Anubhav Sinha and Chitra Palekar, national award winning filmmaker and actor Amir Bashir, actor Meghna Malik, columnist Malavika Sangghvi and festival director Sridhar Rangayan today announced the sixth edition of Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival - South Asia’s biggest and India’s only mainstream LGBT film festival. The festival - that will screen 180 films from 44 countries - will be held between May 27-31, 2015 at three venues in South Mumbai – the iconic Liberty Cinema and Alliance Française de Bombay at New Marine Lines and Max Mueller Bhavan at Kalaghoda.

Anubhav Sinha, Aamir Bashir, Chitra Palekar, Meghna Malik and Malavika Sangghvi are part of the eminent jury that will judge the films in the seven competition categories at Kashish 2015. “I am so happy to be associated with Kashish Film Festival. Looking forward to a lot of exciting films from around the world,” said Anubhav Sinha, director of blockbusters like Ra One and Tum Bin.

Actor and filmmaker Aamir Bashir, whose film Harud won the National Award said: “With the LGBT community under siege by a colonial law, it is nothing short of heroic that Kashish has persisted and persevered and is growing each year as a festival. I am honoured and privileged to be a part of it as a member of the jury.”

Filmmaker Chitra Palekar said that since its debut in 2010, Kashish had created a special place for itself. “Kashish not only brings wonderfully different films to the film lovers of Mumbai, but also creates awareness in the mainstream society about the various concerns of the queer community,” she said.

Actor Meghna Malik, well known for her role as Ammaji in the television serial Na Aana Is Des Laado, too reflected on the growth of the festival. “In times when our government, our leaders and we as people at large are confused and struggling with the existence of LGBT community, Kashish gives a platform to the community to express themselves through films. They have been doing it successfully past six years and it's only growing leaps and bounds each year. It's a brave and massive effort. My best wishes are with the team and as juror I am looking forward to some very exciting films.”

“It is with great pleasure that I have accepted Kashish 's request to be on this years' film jury for the festivals' competitive section, which receives entries from all over the world. I look forward to watching some great cinema over the next week,” said columnist Malavika Sangghvi.

“We are indeed delighted to announce the 6th edition of Kashish MIQFF. The festival is no more a LGBT event, but an annual event in Mumbai’s cultural calendar that cuts across barriers of age, class, gender and sexuality. This year the festival promises to be bigger than ever with a range of events that could be of interest to everyone. Pride comes in seven colours of the rainbow, and all of them coalesce to form Kashish”, said festival director Sridhar Rangayan

Acclaimed filmmaker Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares has sponsored cash prizes for the three top competition categories at Kashish - Rs 30,000 for the Best Narrative Feature Film, Rs 20,000 for the Best Indian Narrative Short film and Rs 20,000 for the Best Performance in a Lead Role. Wadia Movietone has instituted a cash award of Rs 15,000 for the Riyad Wadia Award for the Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker. The other competition categories are Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short and Best International Narrative Short film.

The festival is organized by Solaris Pictures and co-organised by the Humsafar Trust.

“In the last six years Kashish has done a journey that been full of challenges but despite all odds it has grown and has become an annual event that every LGBTQ individual will be proud of and Humsafar Trust as co-organizers feel privileged that we have been part of this journey,” said Vivek Anand, CEO of The Humsafar Trust.

The 6th edition of Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival will be held from 27th to 31st 2015 at Liberty Cinema, May 28th to 30th 2015 at Alliance Française de Bombay and May 29th to 30th 2015 at Max Mueller Bhavan. The theme for this year’s festival is "Reaching Out, Touching Hearts".

Voted as one of the Top 5 LGBT Film Festival in the World, Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is South Asia's biggest queer film festival and the only LGBT film festival in India to be held in a mainstream theater. Founded in 2010, Kashish is held over 5 days at three venues. The festival this year will be held at Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française and Max Mueller Bhavan in South Mumbai. It is the first Indian LGBT festival to be held with approval by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India.

To know more about registration, please visit www.mumbaiqueerfest.com

Director Rupesh Paul spotted with a semi-nude French Actress at Cannes Festival!

The actress stunned onlookers and Rupesh after going topless and asking for a role in his movie

Kamasutra 3D director was in for a shock during his recent visit to Cannes. While promoting his two upcoming movie projects, >>The Monk Who Fucked a Limousine aka India's Daughter<< and >>The Memoirs of an Indian Geisha<<, he bumped into a topless French actress. The actress is huge fan of his, and in pursuit of a role in his movie, she stripped down. Thereby, leaving the onlookers with less to imagination!

As per the sources, the actress named Aurore Nouailhas was enchanted by the director's earlier endeavour Kamasutra 3D. In an exigency of gaining recognition in the eyes of the director, she shed her inhibitions in front of everyone, right in the heart of the Festival venue! 

The director, who was already preoccupied with the promotion of his movie projects, was left stunned. The entire Cannes was left staggering as it was the busiest hour!

She expressed her desire to work in his movie and gave him her business, and insisted on a photograph. Rupesh asked her to put on her clothes, but by then the security staff had arrived, who escorted her out of the premises.

Meanwhile, Rupesh`s The Monk Who Fucked A Limousine aka India`s Daughter was well received by the audiences and became an instant hit with the masses, with hundreds of the attendees clicking selfies with the movie`s standee.

The movie based on the documentary India`s Daughter with a huge twist created shock waves because of its sensationalism. It was pre-sold in almost 18 territories and is the only Indian production with these many sales!

‘Runway’ launches its poster in style at JD Annual Design Awards 2015

Saurabbh Roy, Mr. Chandrakant Dalal, Aakriti Anand Singh, Mr. R C Dalal & Mohan Das

~ Saurabbh Roy, Aakriti Anand Singh and Mudassir Zafar walk the ramp at JD Annual Awards as crowds cheered on ~ 

Saurabbh Roy, Aakriti Anand Singh and Mudassir Zafar’s upcoming film ‘Runway’ launched its poster in an upscale event today at the JD Annual Awards function held at St. Andrew’s auditorium, Bandra, Mumbai. Actors Saurabbh Roy, Aakriti Anand Singh and Mudassir Zafar walked the ramp and brought the night to life as the crowds cheered them on.

The poster was launched amidst much fanfare with the first exclusive glimpse in the presence of the actors and the director Mr. Mohan Das who gave their best wishes to Mr. RC Dalal, Executive Director and Ms. Rupal Dalal, Director of JD Institute of Fashion Technology for the JD Annual Design Awards.

Speaking about the film, director Mohan Das who recently won Best Director Award for his docufeature “Pragaash” said “It’s never been done any earlier: 12 guys - 1 aim - the Supermodel title... They all look the same yet come from different worlds and all are craving it more badly than the other. The story is about how all these Models crave to get closer to the coveted title to have a new kind of life and a brand new dream. Right from buttering to bringing in political contacts to doing the un-thought of - all are ready to aim for the coveted title...”

“A Hindi Bollywood thriller film set against the backdrop of the pageant industry, RUNWAY goes through 21 cities, 16 states and countless models at auditions - with the count filtering down from 12 finalists to 6 probables. And one among them is a tall, dark, handsome, Casanova who’s fresh, manly, muscular, organic, universal, sexy and rugged - he has all the definite characteristics that one looks for in a supermodel. Will he win the title and walk away with the prize? Or will it be one of the others? Only time will tell. But there is another who will go to any extent to be the winner... so what if it means eliminating someone through hired killers,” he added.

Saurabbh Roy who is playing one of the lead characters said,” I heard the storyline and gave an instant approval. I am really happy that I am a part of ‘Runway’. It is going to be an amazing film with great potential.”

JD Annual Design Awards is the perfect platform for the students to showcase their inherent talent .The institute with an expertise of 26 years is renowned in the industry for its quality of education and training and has proved its worth time and again. Wishing all the JEDIIANS, a very bright creative future ahead, Mohan Das and the entire team of Runway conveyed their Best Wishes to all graduating designers at JD Annual Design Awards 2015.

Mr. RC Dalal , Executive Director of JD Institute of Fashion Technology who was present at the occasion said, “Saurabbh Roy who has also walked the ramp earlier for JD and had also promoted his movie >>Luv… Phir Kabhie<< at JD Annual Awards is once again here to announce his next movie Runway based on the struggles of the models, their aspirations as well as their ultimate focus and aim. We wish him and the film – All the best.”

To be directed by Mohan Das, Runway starring Saurabbh Roy, Aakriti Anand Singh and Mudassir Zafar in lead roles is set to go on floors soon.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wins the title of 'Forever Desirable Women'

According to a recent survey conducted by a leading daily, former beauty queen Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won the special list for women who remain 'Forever Desirable'. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is the first women to enter this super special 'Forever Desirable' club. Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who will soon be seen in Jazbaa, has topped the special list of the Forever desirable women of 2014.

According to this survey in a leading newspaper, this timeless beauty got the maximum number of votes. These are women who could've easily topped this list several times over the last few years, given how desirable they are. With plenty of contenders clamoring to be a part of this most desirable league year after year, a separate list will only make room for more new entrants.

The actress, who has the huge fan follower all over the world, won the poll as the  most desirable women's list in 2012 and 2013 also. Ashwariya Rai has Jazbaa this year to be realease and also she will be sharing screen space with Anushaka Sharma in Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Anupam Kher ups cash prize for awards at KASHISH 2015

Cash prizes worth Rs 70,000 by Actor Prepares at South Asia’s biggest and India's only mainstream LGBTQ film festival, Best Actor award to carry cash prize this year

With the objective of recognizing excellence in cinema, National award winning actor Anupam Kher and his acting school `Actor Prepares' will sponsor the top prizes at the sixth edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival this year. Anupam Kher announced that this year a cash prize of Rs 20,000 will be awarded to the winner in the Best Performance in a Leading Role category, in addition to Rs 30,000 to the Best Narrative Feature Film Award and Rs 20,000 to the Best Indian Short Film respectively at South Asia's biggest and India’s only mainstream lesbian, gay and transgender film festival. This is the third year in a row that the actor’s institute is sponsoring cash prizes for the winners.

"Actor Prepares is proud to support KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Over the last six years, KASHISH has become one of the prestigious cultural events in Mumbai. Indie film makers struggle to find resources and finances, but despite these obvious handicaps have been making good films. Actor Prepares by sponsoring cash awards for the filmmakers and the actors hope to encourage the next generation of filmmakers, who are making films on a community that is marginalized. At Actor Prepares our mission is to identify and groom new talent and encouraging the emerging filmmakers takes this forward by furthering the cause of good cinema,’’ said Anupam Kher.

Festival director Sridhar Rangayan welcomed the internationally acclaimed actor’s continued support to the festival, especially the new cash prize for the winner of the best actor award. “We are truly overwhelmed by Mr. Anupam Kher’s support to the festival and the cause of films that push boundaries. As an actor he has not been afraid to take up challenging roles in films and he has underlined his commitment to support actors who dare to take up roles that go against the stereotypes”, said Rangayan adding, “Mr. Anupam Kher’s thrust towards excellence in cinema is indeed gratifying.”

KASHISH 2015 will be held between May 27 - May 31, 2015, at the iconic Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française de Bombay (AFB) and Max Mueller Bhavan. KASHISH this year promises to be bigger and grander, with a lineup of around 180 films from 44 countries. An eminent jury comprising actors and directors will judge the winners in the festival’s seven competition categories – Best Narrative Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Documentary Short Film, Best International Narrative Short Film, Best Indian Narrative Short Film, Best Performance in a Lead Role and Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker which carries a cash award of Rs.15,000 sponsored by Wadia Movietone.

The 6th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival will be held from 27th to 31st 2015 at Liberty Cinema, May 28th to 30th 2015 at Alliance Française de Bombay and May 29th to 30th 2015 at Max Mueller Bhavan. The theme for this year’s festival is `Reaching Out, Touching Hearts’. Online Delegate registrations have opened on the festival website www.mumbaiqueerfest.com

Voted as one of the Top 5 LGBT Film Festival in the World, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is South Asia's biggest queer film festival and the only LGBT film festival in India to be held in a mainstream theater.

Founded in 2010, KASHISH is held over 5 days at two venues. The festival this year will be held at Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française and Max Mueller Bhavan in South Mumbai. It is the first Indian LGBTQ festival to be held with approval by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India.KASHISH is organized by Solaris Pictures. Co-organizer is The Humsafar Trust.

When love betrays, friendship prevails

Today's episode of >>Emotional Atyachaar<< tells the story of a boy who learns the bitter truth about his relation... 

Doubts and suspicion often ruin a smooth relationship, but sometimes they even reveal some heart breaking but eye opening realities. The upcoming episode of Emotional Atyachaar will showcase the story of a young lad Dhvanil, who learns a bitter truth about his girlfriend Shirin with the help of his friends.

Dhvanil, a simple and good looking guy is living his life to the fullest. He has the best of both worlds as he not only has a good social life but also a healthy love life with a beautiful girl, Shirin. But one fine day Dhvanil’s life witnesses an unexpected turn when he takes a drunk Shirin to his house. Shirin tells him to leave the house soon or else Dhvanil will see them together. This makes him a little suspicious and he starts doubting Shirin’s loyalty. He takes the help of his best friend, Jennifer to unravel the truth.

Was Dhvanil’s beloved Shirin actually two timing him? Was she loyal to Dhwanil and all this just a miscommunication? To find out, tune into Emotional Atyachaar, today 1st May, 2015 at 7pm on bindass!​

Cinepolis Viviana tops the Avengers chart across India

Becomes the #1 theatre in terms of nett collection over the 1st weekend for Avengers: Age of Ultron 

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron has netted Rs 35.74 crore in its opening weekend, becoming the second-highest collection at the Indian box office this year.  Cinepolis Viviana, the second biggest megaplex by Cinepolis in India with 14 screens has reported a contribution of more than 1% total nett collections in the opening weekend.  Cinepolis observes that the movie in 4DX has been well received by the audience with the occupancy reaching around 95%+ during the weekend.

Mr. Devang Sampat, Business Head- Strategy, said “Hollywood has seen tremendous growth in India and we have seen franchise movies get excellent openings, but this year with Fast & Furious 7 and Avengers: Age of Ultron has been exceptional.  We were amazed to witness a great response at Viviana over the weekend, when it netted the highest collection for a single cinema in India. Its censor U/A made it available for family to bring Children which we consider one big advantage for a great response.

All eyes are now on the lifetime collection that Avengers will make in India and whether it will be able beat F7’s record in the country. Cinepolis is expecting the movie to set new benchmark in footfalls and net collections in India.

Cinépolis India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cinépolis and is the 1st international exhibitor in India. The company started its operations in India in 2009 at Amritsar and won the ‘Most Admired Retail Launch’ award in 2010 followed by the ‘Most Admired Retailer of the Year - Innovative Retail Concept’ award in 2011 at the prestigious India Retail Forum. Cinepolis currently operates 193 screens in India. The company has aggressive plans of rolling out 400 screens by 2017. Cinépolis Viviana is the second biggest megaplex in India with 14 screens. This megaplex is the most technologically-advanced cinema with six concepts under one roof viz. Cinépolis VIP, IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Atmos, RealD 3D and 4K projection system.

Own the “Freedom Edition” of >>The Interview<< on Blu-ray and DVD

Collectible Blu-ray loaded with 90 Minutes of bonus features, including 14 deleted scenes, a gag reel and more

From the writers of Superbad and Pineapple Express, and the directors of This Is The End, the new film The Interview arrives on “Freedom Edition” collectible Blu-ray and DVD from ‘Home Entertainment Services by Sony DADC’.  The action-comedy stars Academy Award nominee James Franco (Best Actor, 127 Hours, 2010) as a celebrity talk show host and Seth Rogen (Neighbors) as his producer longing to make the jump to serious news.  After snagging an exclusive in-person interview with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un (Randall Park, “Fresh off the Boat”), the unlikely pair are recruited by a covert CIA agent (Lizzy Caplan, “Masters of Sex”) to embark on a mission to take out the reclusive dictator.

The “Freedom Edition” Blu-ray disc comes packed with 90 minutes of bonus feature content, including 14 deleted scenes, multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes, a seven-minute blooper reel that shows the outrageous gags and goofs from the set, as well as three “line-o-ramas” (where cast shot several alternate takes of jokes during filming). Also included on both Blu-ray and DVD are The Discovery Channel TV special “Naked and Afraid,” starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, as well as commentary by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

The Interview is about Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) who run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show “Skylark Tonight.”  When they discover that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the most unlikely candidates, to ‘take out’ Kim Jong-un. The film is directed by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg from a screenplay by Dan Sterling and a story by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Dan Sterling.

DVD and Blu-ray Bonus Features include:

• “Naked and Afraid” – Discovery Channel TV special featuring Seth Rogen and James Franco
• Feature Audio Commentary with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

“Freedom Edition” Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Features also include:

• Gag Reel
• Deleted, Extended and Alternate Scenes
• Featurettes:
• “Directors of This Movie” – Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg comment on directing the film together
• “Puppy Power” – Cast and Crew profess their love for the King Charles Spaniel puppy
• “Here Kitty Kitty” – Seth Rogen breaks down the experience of  working with a real tiger
• “Joking Around” – The producers discuss the process of creating jokes on set
• “Spies Among Us” – Hear from each of the cast members about their experience on the film
• “Randall Park Audition Tape” – Randall Park table read audition video
• “Dating a Dictator” – An authoritative touch on a convincing dating profile video
• “Getting Into Character” – A look at Randall Park’s transformation  into looking the part of a dictator
• Line-o-Ramas (short collections of alternate shots of jokes on set)