All efforts on to acquire Gandhi letter
Music wafts through sultry German vineyards
Berlin : As the sightseeing boats slide along the Rhine, snatches of music may come down to them through the green vineyards on hot, sultry evenings this summer.
International film festival begins in Kashmir with “Little Terrorist”
Srinagar : The first international film festival to be held in the terrorism-hit Kashmir Valley began here Wednesday. Over 40 documentary films are being screened during the two-day festival.
Himesh Reshammiya prays at Ajmer Dargah
Jaipur : Covered in a burqa to hide his identity, popular Bollywood singer Himesh Reshammiya visited Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's Dargah in Ajmer.
Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan wows US business; gets standing ovation
Washington : Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Ayaan and Amaan enthralled captains of Indian and US industry gathered here for the Global India Summit with a virtuoso performance.
Agra Gharana tradition on verge of extinction
Agra : The Agra Gharana, one of the major streams of Hindustani classical music, is on the verge of extinction in the place of its birth. There are few patrons and the number of practitioners of this great musical tradition is dwindling.
Top Mideast, Arab musicians set for Cairo musical dialogue
Cairo : Surrounded by a panoramic view of the ancient monuments of Cairo and Salah Eddin citadel, seven top oriental musicians are due to engage in a three-day musical dialogue July 6.
Top Mideast, Arab musicians set for Cairo musical dialogue
Cairo : Surrounded by a panoramic view of the ancient monuments of Cairo and Salah Eddin citadel, seven top oriental musicians are due to engage in a three-day musical dialogue July 6.
Top Mideast, Arab musicians set for Cairo musical dialogue
Cairo : Surrounded by a panoramic view of the ancient monuments of Cairo and Salah Eddin citadel, seven top oriental musicians are due to engage in a three-day musical dialogue July 6.
Ramachandra Guha, Khaled Hosseini outsell others
New Delhi : Readers continue to be fascinated by Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and Ramachandra Guha's "India After Gandhi", with both books outperforming others in the best-selling fiction and non-fiction lists yet again.
International Urdu Conference held in Chicago
By Mohammed Ayub Ali Khan, Special to TwoCircles.Net
Chicago, IL : "Urdu is a language of unity and brotherhood and negates the theory of clash of civilizations. Efforts should be made to propagate its message of amity and inclusiveness in order to defeat the divisive forces," said renowned critic, linguist and Urdu scholar Dr.Gopi Chand Narang. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the fourth International Urdu Conference in Chicago on Friday, June 22.
Nepal’s heritage sites out of danger: Unesco
Kathmandu : Seven historic destinations in Kathmandu, popular with art lovers, tourists and pilgrims but thought to have been under threat of destruction, are out of danger now, the Unesco has certified.
Amin Jaffer named director of Asian art
London : Christie's International, the world's leading art business, announced Monday the appointment of Amin Jaffer, an expert on furniture in early colonial India, as its international director of Asian art.
Puppet show, music give message – ‘say no to drugs’
New Delhi : A colourful puppet show, narration of real life experiences of the fight against drug addiction and some soulful music were part of events here Monday on the eve of the International Day Against Drug Abuse.
Calligraphy: art works from the heart
By Nigar Ataulla
Quiet by-lanes and creaky cycle rickshaws, little tea shops and steep stairways dot the town of Deoband in western Uttar Pradesh.
Radcliffe will be sensible with money
London : "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe says he will be sensible with the money he makes and won't buy unnecessary things.
Single organisation favoured for Malayalam film industry
Thiruvananthapuram : Thespian Malayalam actor Thilakan favours one common organisation for all the people associated with the Malayalam film industry to end its problems.
Wannabe innovator? Dig into these success stories
Book: "How Innovators Connect"; Authors: Rohit Agarwal and Patricia Brown; Publishers: Himalaya Publishing House; Price: Rs.950
Where lovers come to pay their annual homage
Sriganganagar : Every year in June, lovers from all over India congregate in a sleepy village along the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan in memory of the legendary lovers Laila and Majnu.
Ambika Soni roots for Taj via SMS
New Delhi : Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni Friday cast her vote to include the 17th century architectural wonder Taj Mahal in the coveted list of 'New Seven Wonders of the World', saying it would "boost tourism" in India.
London to host three-month India festival
London : Come July and London will turn into a mini India with a three-month festival that will showcase India's popular culture, arts and cuisine.
MP CM releases book ‘Akhbaron mein 1857’
Potter first edition fetches magical price
London : A rare first edition copy of the first Harry Potter novel, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", was sold for 7,200 pounds ($14,200) at an auction in Britain.
Ramachandra Guha, Khaled Hosseini reader favourites of the week
New Delhi : Ramachandra Guha's "India after Gandhi" continues its uninterrupted run of the non-fiction bestseller list while Khaled Hosseni's novel "A Thousand Splendid Sons" seems to be as popular as his earlier "The Kite Runner".
Picasso works stolen from diplomat’s home in Austria
Vienna : A pencil drawing by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso valued at some $250,000 was stolen in Austria from the private collection of a Russian diplomat, Spanish news agency EFE said quoting the police.
Actress Vani Tripathi turns to politics
New Delhi : Popular television actress Vani Tripathi has taken to politics seriously and has become the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) youth wing. The TV star believes she had the "courage" to join the political system instead of just being a critic.
A.R. Rahman’s music for ‘Lord of the Rings’ panned
London : The "Lord of the Rings" musical, widely considered the most expensive production in the history of West End theater with part of the music scored by Indian maestro A.R. Rahman, opened here Tuesday evening to mixed reviews that ranged from confusion to dazzling excitement.
Rig Veda picked for UN register of world memory
New Delhi : Rare manuscripts of the Rig Veda dating back to 1500 B.C. are among 38 items of documentary heritage of exceptional value that have been added to a 'Memory of the World Register', a key United Nations agency said Wednesday.
India, China sign Cultural Exchange Programme
New Delhi : Adding another dimension to their burgeoning ties, India and China Wednesday signed a two-year Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) under which artists and officials will exchange visits.
Senior diplomat Chinmaya Gharekhan is new IGNCA head
New Delhi : Senior diplomat Chinmaya Gharekhan has been elected president of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) - the country's premier body for propagating its cultural heritage.
French government honours King Khan
New Delhi : Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has been awarded the Officier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government for his prolific career and contribution to the development of Indo-French cooperation in the field of cinema.
A.R. Rahman’s laptop with ‘Lord of the Rings’ music missing
London : A laptop containing new compositions of popular Indian music composer A.R. Rahman is part of a bag that went missing when he arrived here Monday night for the theatrical version of "Lord of the Rings" scheduled for Tuesday night.
Malayalam film technicians call for indefinite strike
Thiruvananthapuram : The Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) Tuesday staged a one-day strike demanding a pay hike, but later decided to continue it indefinitely.
Indian women artists’ works on Poland tour
Warsaw : An exhibition of paintings by well-known Indian women artists, including Illoosh Ahluwalia, Natasha Parinja, Anita Tanwar and Kakoli Sen are on display in Warsaw after having toured several Polish towns.
Orissa sand artist campaigns for the Taj in Berlin
Bhubaneswar : Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik has created a replica of the Taj Mahal in Berlin hoping that publicity will help in the inclusion of the 17th century monument in the new list of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Indian-origin journalist’s book on Iraq wins British prize
London : A book by Indian-origin journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran, setting out new details of the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority's government of Iraq, has won the Samuel Johnson non-fiction prize worth 30,000 pounds.
Khayyam angry with Gautam Ghose
Mumbai : Music maestro Khayyam is upset with filmmaker Gautam Ghose for eliminating his music from "Yatra".
Big B’s baritone to add glitz to Rajasthan sound and light show
Jaipur : Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is expected to lend his voice for a sound and light show at the majestic Amber fort here, a bid by the Rajasthan government to further boost tourism in the state.
Rahman’s New York concert wows audience
New York : Music composer and singer A.R. Rahman's concert here enthralled an 11,000-strong crowd, the audience swaying and dancing to popular numbers like "Chaiyya Chaiyya".
Munich filmfest celebrates silver jubilee
Munich : Munich's Filmfest Muenchen 2007 celebrates its 25th anniversary later this week with a mixed bag of feature films, glamour and experiments, with the accent on the international including independent movies from Asia and Latin America.
Mr. Bean’s merchandise to hit Indian markets
Thiruvananthapuram : Merchandise related to popular film and television character Mr. Bean will soon be available in the South Asian markets, including India.
Eunuchs gather to wash sins in Orissa festival
Sambalpur (Orissa) : Hundreds of eunuchs have arrived in Orissa's Sambalpur town to dance in a three-day festival that begins Monday, hoping to wash off their sins.
Delhi boy Prashant smiles his way to small screen fame
New Delhi : Once a charted accountant and now a television actor, Delhi boy Prashant Chawla is one happy guy with his role in Zee TV's "Teen Bahuraaniyan" gaining huge popularity.
Book calls for ‘religious disarmament’ on conversions
New Delhi : Religious conversion is a complex and emotionally charged issue but fundamentalists of all hues exploit it, liberals confuse it and many do not comprehend what the fuss is about, says a new book.
Celebrating daddy dearest on Father’s Day
New Delhi : They sweat it out everyday at work to give you the best of everything. They might not be very expressive but when they hold your hand to jump over the puddle or take you in their arms when you cry, you know how much they care. For the first man in your life who you truly love, Father's Day Sunday was the perfect occasion to express how much they mean to you.
Delhi boy Prashant smiles his way to small screen fame
New Delhi : Once a charted accountant and now a television actor, Delhi boy Prashant Chawla is one happy guy with his role in Zee TV's "Teen Bahuraaniyan" gaining huge popularity.
Understanding the minds of Indian shoppers
Book: "IT Happened In India"; Author: Kishore Biyani with Dipayan Baishya; Publisher: Rupa & Co; Price: Rs.99
Ramchandra Guha, Khaled Hosseini rule bestseller list
New Delhi : "India After Gandhi" by Ramchandra Guha is non-fiction favourite and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini, whose "The Kite Runner" was a runaway hit, is the top fiction seller this week.
At top expo, artist mourns Beijing’s lost character
Kassel (Germany) : A leading Chinese artist, Lu Hao, has taken his criticism of international architecture to the Documenta art show in Germany with a huge installation that highlights the soulless appearance of modern office buildings.
Celebrated Bengali poet crosses language barrier
Kolkata : "Pagli Tomar Sange" (Crazy woman with you), a collection of poems that fetched celebrated Bengali poet Joy Goswami the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2001, is set to reach global readers thanks to its English translation.
Knighthood for Rushdie, another India-born to be honoured
London : Celebrated India-born author Salman Rushdie, whose "Midnight's Children" won the Booker Prize, will be knighted while Indian-origin rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti also figures in the Queen's honours list this year.
Airtel launches exotic Tibetan ring tones
Shimla : Bharti Airtel has launched exotic Tibetan hello tunes and ring tones for its customers across India.
Fresh scripts fail to make cash counters ring in 2007
By Prithwish Ganguly
IANSNew Delhi : Bollywood's hope of recreating last year's box office successes has taken a big blow in 2007, with collections of only $5.8 million in the first six months compared to $135 million in 2006.
Ismail offends another legendary composer
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : Ismail Durbar has done it again. He has ended up insulting one more legend of the music world on Zee TV's talent hunt show "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa".
Popular talent show to train budding singers at ‘gurukul’
New Delhi : Popular talent show "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" will train 40 singers selected from four locations of India at a gurukul in their new television series "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Academy".
And now 24-hour TV channel on real estate
Bangalore : The Rs.44-billion realty-cum-property developer firm Alliance Group is set to launch next month a 24-hour TV channel dedicated to real estate, a top company official said Thursday.
India, Pakistan are two nations with single heart: Pakistani comedian
By Shweta Thakur
IANS
New Delhi : Pakistani funny bone and "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge" artiste Kashif Khan, who has caught the fancy of millions of Indians, feels that crossover artistes are helping India and Pakistan to come closer.
Ambika Soni opens ‘Dreams in Italy’ exhibition
New Delhi : Tourism Minister Ambika Soni Tuesday inaugurated here an exhibition of 72 paintings by the Hungarian mother-daughter duo of Elizabeth Sass Brunner and Elizabeth Brunner done in Italy in the last century.
Gulzar takes his poems to Japan
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : Gulzar, the poet-extraordinaire, has just returned from a 12-day tour of Japan and says he recited his poems on Iraq and Afghanistan there that were specially translated into Japanese.
Indian cinema inching closer to finding global script
By Priyanka Khanna
IANSNew Delhi : Even as the who's who of Hindi film industry basked under the glare of global media in Yorkshire at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony, back home a couple of low-budget films, "Swami" and "Dharm" that can raise the profile of Indian films internationally, released without fanfare.
Tony Blair makes movie debut
London : British Prime Minister Tony Blair made his movie debut with a short film, directed by Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, to promote climate change awareness.
West Bengal to find export markets for handicrafts
Kolkata : The West Bengal government is commissioning studies to find out if handicrafts from the state will have a market in the US, Britain and Germany. Several Bengal artisans are also to take part in international exhibitions in Belgium, France and Spain after their successful participation earlier in Milan and Barcelona.
One year after launch, Lok Sabha TV losing its way
By Faraz Ahmad
IANSNew Delhi : Nearly a year after its launch, Lok Sabha TV (LSTV), touted as a "milestone for Indian democracy", has lost its way somewhere in the thicket of mushrooming television channels with most cable operators refusing to show it on the plea there is "no demand".
Amitabh, Yash and Shabana awarded honorary doctorates at Leeds
By Prasun Sonwalkar
IANSLeeds : Indian film veterans Amitabh Bachchan, Yash Chopra and Shabana Azmi were awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Leeds Metropolitan University here Saturday morning.
Oxfam links up with IIFA to fight poverty
By Prasun Sonwalkar
IANSLeeds : Using the power of Indian cinema to remove poverty and suffering around the world, Oxfam, a leading charity organization, has emerged as one of the key partners of the ongoing International India Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend.
IIFA: Cricket, cinema ignite emotions at Headingley
By Prasun Sonwalkar
IANSLeeds : Two of India's greatest passions - cricket and cinema - came together at the historic Headingley stadium Friday and ignited the emotions of thousands of people from the Indian sub-continent who enjoyed every moment of the IIFA Celebrity Cricket Match.
Satyajit Ray inspires BAFTA-IIFA Workshop attendees
Leeds : As a part of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend, a workshop was organised at the National Media Museum in Bradford Friday, which focussed on the legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
“Urdu represents India’s composite culture”
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Bangalore : Urdu is most often considered the language of Muslims. But the participants at the all-India conference of State Urdu academies, organised by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) say no to this erroneous concept. To call Urdu the language of Muslims is to deny its roots in the composite culture of India, they said.
Darjeeling boy in Indian Idol becomes new Nepali icon
Kathmandu : A 22-year-old policeman from Darjeeling, who is one of the contestants in the popular "Indian Idol" show hosted by Sony television channel, has become the new icon for the Nepalese diaspora with Indian viewers of Nepalese origin whipping up a campaign to boost his chances.
Tyeb trumps Saffronart auction with $987,000
Mumbai : Mumbai-based artist Tyeb Mehta's work Kali sold for a hefty $987,000 at the Saffrontart Online Auction of modern Indian artworks.
Kapil, Abhishek to star in IIFA cricket tie in Leeds
By Prasun Sonwalkar
IANSLeeds : Two of India's greatest passions, cricket and cinema, will come together when former players Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin will join actors Abhishek Bachchan and Suneil Shetty to take on a star-studded Yorkshire XI at the Headingley stadium here Friday.
Heritage of four Indian towns among 100 most endangered
By Ashish Mehta
IANSNew Delhi : The cultural and architectural heritage of four Indian towns now figure on a list of the 100 most endangered sites in the world.
Let’s save mushairas from being an industry
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter Â
Deoband : Concerned Urdu poets have raised their voice against the rising trend of charging exorbitant fee for reciting ghazals by the poets who participate in all India mushairas.
‘India After Gandhi’, ‘On Chesil Beach’ top bestseller lists
New Delhi : Ramachandra Guha's "India After Gandhi" once again tops the non-fiction bestseller list while British author Ian McEwan's close look at a just married couple in "On Chesil Beach" is the fiction favourite this week.
ITC launches Miss Players fashion brand
New Delhi : Apparel major ITC Lifestyle Retailing Wednesday launched its Miss Players line of trendy fashion wear targeting "the vivacious young woman between 18-25 years".
‘Dharm’ puts spotlight on religious fanatics
New Delhi : Journalist-turned-director Bhavana Talwar's directorial debut "Dharm" that releases Friday focuses on religious fanaticism and caste conflicts in India.
Reference book on Sree Narayana Guru is ready
Thiruvananthapuram : Billed as the most exhaustive reference work on great social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, Kerala's leading media house Kerala Kaumudi is releasing Kerala Kaumudi Sree Narayana Directory next week.
Indian American among top woman composers in the US
New York : An Indian American music composer has become an inspiration for a whole new generation of American composers by being ranked among the top 15 women composers in the US.
Sudarsan to build Taj replica in Berlin
Puri (Orissa) : Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik Sunday said he will create a replica of Taj Mahal at Berlin International Sand Sculpture Championship - a festival to be held from June 14-21.
Indian cine buffs to savour Israeli movies
New Delhi : Indian moviegoers will have an opportunity to enjoy eight top Israeli films during a four-day Israeli film festival, which begins in the Indian capital Monday.
BAFTA to honour Amitabh Bachchan
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : India's biggest entertainer Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured this month by British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) in London with a retrospective of his films.
Pakistani singers distressed over vegetarian food in Mumbai
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : Five Pakistani contestants taking part in India's music talent-hunt show "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007" are fed up with the vegetarian food being served to them at their temporary residence in Mumbai. Culinary setbacks notwithstanding, the Pakistanis are having a blast in India.
Get draped in elegant, flowing linen this summer
By Prithwish Ganguly
IANSNew Delhi : Indian fashion designers are experimenting with traditional linen this summer and say its neutral palette will not only beat the heat but also make heads turn with its subdued yet elegant look.
Development for some is loss of livelihood for others: Filmmaker
New Delhi : What goes by the name of development for some may be a loss of livelihood for others, filmmaker Paranjoy Guha Thakurta says.
Bollywood’s not making a mark globally: Ronnie Screwvala
By Prithwish Ganguly
IANSNew Delhi : Ronnie Screwvala, CEO of India's top production company UTV, feels Bollywood is failing to attract global audience due to its mammoth runtime, technological drawbacks and scripts that lack sensibility.
Miss Tibet event in October
Dharamsala : The Miss Tibet 2007 beauty contest will be held here Oct 12-14 this year.
Dhaka holds exhibition, talk on Ramkinkar Baij
Dhaka : Art enthusiasts in the Bangladesh capital were treated to the works of legendary Indian artist Ramkinkar Baij, with an expert saying his paintings and sculptures were a confluence of Eastern and Western aesthetic ideas.
Saavn, Joost join hands to provide Bollywood hits in US
By Arun Kumar
IANSWashington : Saavn, a New York-based media company offering South Asian content, has joined hands with Joost, a broadcast-quality internet television service, to make hit Bollywood music and movies more accessible to fans in America.
Himani Kapoor hurt in a car accident
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : Himani Kapoor, the hostess of Zee TV's music show "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa", lost consciousness when a bus hit her parked car.
Top authors of the week – Ramchandra Guha, Mohsin Hamid
New Delhi : Ramachandra Guha's "India After Gandhi" continues to attract readers this week while Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" is back as number one fiction seller.
Tehelka to auction Indian art in London
New Delhi : India's political newspaper Tehelka will promote, preview and auction Indian art at a summit it will host in London next week to explain the growing economic and social importance of India.
Queer fest, celebrating alternative sexuality
New Delhi : An unwaxed pair of hands adorned with silver bangles holding a man in an embrace, two girls with their lips locked - these were just some raw emotions on display Tuesday at a photo exhibition here, part of the Queer Fest that celebrates alternative sexuality.
Palador brings “Paranoid Park” to India
Theatre lovers queue up for NSD’s drama festival
Shakespeare’s ‘Tempest’ to be staged in Beijing
Beijing : William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" will be staged at Beijing Capital Theater from June 21 to 24 to mark the theatre's 100th anniversary.
Sheen having second thoughts about 9/11 documentary
New York : Actor Charlie Sheen is backing out from supporting the 9/11 documentary "Loose Change" which says that the World Trade Center terrorist attacks was a part of a secret US government conspiracy.
Miss Kazakhstan defends ‘Borat’
Shimla summer festival from June 2
Shimla : Music, songs and a beauty pageant will be the highlights of this year's five-day Shimla summer festival set to begin June 2.
Channel 4 to telecast rare Diana crash images
London : Britain's Channel 4 is embroiled in a row over it's plans to screen graphic images of the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
Lata may make international debut
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : After reigning as the queen of Bollywood playback singing for more than 60 years, Lata Mangeshkar may finally make her international debut.
Irrfan Khan, India’s true international star
By Arpana
IANSNew Delhi : Talent unlimited... that's perhaps the apt way to describe the critically acclaimed Irrfan Khan. He is the first Indian actor to receive 'the much wanted' attention while walking the red carpet with Hollywood celebrities Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.
A guzzling guide for budding entrepreneurs
By Nayanima Basu
IANSBook: Bottled for Business: The Less Gassy Guide To Entrepreneurship; Author: Karan Bilimoria with Steve Coomber; Publisher: Wiley India Pvt. Ltd.; Price: Rs.299
South Asian art fest to be held in Canada
Toronto : An Indo-Canadian cultural group will hold an international art festival next month in Mississauga to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of Canada.
Sokourov’s Alexandria: A war film without war
By Andrew McCathie
DPA
Cannes : Despite the bloody conflicts grinding on in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world, war has not featured prominently at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Check objectionable images on TV, says court
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Friday asked the government to evolve a mechanism to check television channels showing objectionable images.
Iqbal Khan signs first non-Balaji serial
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : After a long break, TV star Iqbal Khan is ready to grace the small screen as an air force officer in a new soap to be aired on STAR One from July.
Indian art sale slumps at Sotheby’s
London : Indian art sale slumped at Sotheby's where more than 38 works were withdrawn in the 166 lots of contemporary art. Those works called off included the cover Gaitonde and the Tyeb Mehta as also Raza, Husain, Anjolie Ela Menon and others as the works went unsold.
‘Mighty Heart’ Irrfan on cloud nine
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : The screening of Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart" at Cannes Film Festival was an emotional experience for Irrfan Khan who plays the head of a Pakistani counter-terrorism unit in the film.
No pressure from BJP over Smriti, says Ekta
By Subhash K Jha
IANSMumbai : Televison producer Ekta Kapoor is rubbishing rumours of being pressured by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) to continue Smriti Irani's tenure as Tulsi on "Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thii", saying the party is too big to indulge in such trivial issues.
Indian filmmaker wins case against New York administration
New York : Filmmakers using hand-held equipment while shooting in New York will no longer be required to obtain permits under a deal reached with Indian filmmaker Rakesh Sharma, who was detained by police two years ago.
Film about poisoned Russian spy to premiere at Cannes
Moscow : A documentary about former Russian secret agent Alexander Litvinenko, poisoned in London at the end of last year, will be premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, the director of the film Andrei Nekrasov has said.
Ramchandra Guha, Ian McEwan rule the bestseller lists
New Delhi : Ramachandra Guha's treatise on "India After Gandhi" and British author Ian McEwan's latest "On Chesil Beach" are the reader favourites this week in the non-fiction and fiction categories, respectively.
Twist and Shout in Beatles’ T-shirt line
New Delhi : Rejoice all you Beatles' fans! The Fabulous Four are yours for the asking on a newly launched T-shirt line for men and women.
Fashion show campaigns for ‘cool’ cotton
Kolkata : A unique fashion show here showcased only pristine cotton creations - a strong endorsement for the natural fabric as a cool choice for making a style statement in the scorching Indian summer.
Bollywood makes Hindi popular among Australian students
Sydney : Bollywood has made the Hindi language course offered by the University of Sydney's Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) quite popular among Australian students.
Agra boy scales musical heights to enter Limca records
Sanjay Gupta planning unusual premiere for ‘Shootout…’
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : Producer Sanjay Gupta has taken the entire cast and crew of his "Shootout At Lokhandwala" on a road trip to Pune to promote the film and a grand bash has been planned for the premier there Thursday.
And now Charlie Chaplin in Bhojpuri
By Imran Khan
IANSPatna : Charlie Chaplin is all set to go Bhojpuri to tickle funny bones in rural Bihar. A Bhojpuri version of "Charlie Chaplin" is on the anvil to entertain millions.
Documenta art-expo catalogue is top secret
Kassel (Germany) : Sleuths have so far managed to crack about one third of the secret catalogue for the world's leading contemporary-art expo, Documenta 12, which opens next month.
Raza tops London art auction, Husain goes for less
London : Paris-based painter Syed Haider Raza's work 'La Terre' trumped a Christie's Indian Art auction here, fetching 720,000 pounds ($1.4 million), as M.F. Husain watched an older work fetch a fifth less.
TV18, Viacom join hands to launch entertainment channels
New Delhi : TV18, one of India's leading media firms, Tuesday announced its strategic tie-up with US-based Viacom Inc. to launch entertainment channels.
Patnaik to participate in Berlin sand sculpture championship
Bhubaneswar : Orissa-based sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik has been selected to participate in the Berlin International Sand Sculpture Championship this year for the fourth time in a row.
Raza tops Christies’ Indian art auction with $1.4 mn
London : Famed artist Syed Haider Raza's 1985 work "La Terre" trumped the Christie's Modern and Contemporary Indian Art Auction here, fetching 720,000 pounds ($1.4 million).
Muslim towns of medieval era discovered in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa : Some three medieval Muslim towns, now ruins, have been discovered in north Ethiopia's Amhara State.
The angst of war – through words and verse of Syrian writers
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed
IANS
New Delhi : Four Syrian writers are here to give an impetus to cultural and literary exchanges between India and the Arab countries.
INTACH’s first seminar in Mizoram draws huge response
By Sangzuala Hmar
IANSAizawl : A two-day seminar on protecting the tradition of the northeast and sectors suffering from neglect saw many speakers from the political class and artists debate fervently on what ails the region.
Why don’t more Indian films do well globally?
Cannes : The big cultural movie gap between India's vast film market and the rest of the world acts inhibits the nation's films from conquering new territory in global markets, a forum at the Cannes Film Festival was told Sunday.
Controversial film on 1984 Delhi riots set for US release
By Arun Kumar
IANSWashington : Writer-director Shonali Bose says her award-winning Indian film "Amu" brings to light what she calls the "suppressed history of genocide" after the 1984 assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Freedom of expression vs people’s sentiments in art
By Azera Rahman
IANS
New Delhi : Whether it's the Vadodara issue of a fine arts student getting arrested for painting allegedly obscene pictures of gods or noted artist M.F. Husain getting slapped with court cases time and again over the same issue, art has become a sensitive issue these days. One never knows when the stroke of a brush may prick the sentiments of a section of people.
‘Shrek the Third’ tops US box office, sets new record
Los Angeles : DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek the Third" debuted at the number-one spot at the US box office this weekend, raking in some $122 million over the three-day period and setting a new opening record for an animated film.
Chinese director’s ‘Blind Mountain’ screens at Cannes
By Pauline Dugler
DPA
Cannes : Chinese director Li Yang's hard-hitting "Mang Shan" (Blind Mountain) movie about the trade in buying wives in China was screened at the 60th Cannes Film Festival Sunday, bringing two levels of Chinese society into sharp contrast.
Indian filmmakers seek answers to lack of global acclaim
Cannes : The big cultural movie gap between India's vast film market and the rest of the world acts to hinder the nation's independent films from conquering new territory in global markets, a forum at the Cannes Film Festival was told Sunday.
Comic lovers remember Herge, creator of Tintin and Snowy
Brussels : When the Belgian cartoonist known as Herge died in March 1983, not even Fanny, his widow, thought the extraordinary success of "The Adventures of Tintin" would live on.
‘Shootout At Lokhandwala’ passed without cuts
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : Producer Sanjay Gupta was in for a real surprise when his upcoming cops-and-gangster drama "Shootout At Lokhandwala" was cleared by the censor board without any cuts.
Google to digitise 800,000 books at Mysore varsity
By Prashant K. Nanda
IANSNew Delhi : At least 800,000 books and manuscripts, including India's first political treaties the "Arthasastra" written in the 4th century B.C. by Kautilya, that are lying in Mysore University in Karnataka, will be digitised by Google, the world's leading Internet search engine.
Tyeb Mehta to trump Saffronart auction
By Uma Nair
IANS
Mumbai : The Saffronart summer online auction of modern Indian art works, featuring 130 works by 41 artists, will take place June 6-7. And the most prominent among them is Tyeb Mehta's "Kali" estimated at a hefty $875,000-$1.1 million (Rs.35 million-Rs.45 million).
Moore returns to Cannes with scathing look at healthcare
By Andrew McCathie
DPA
Cannes : The larger-than-life figure of US filmmaker Michael Moore jetted into Cannes this week stirring up the film festival with a screening Saturday of his latest polemic - a scathing look at the US health service.
India section kicks off at Cannes
Cannes : The India Focus section at the Cannes film festival kicked off to a bright start here with a top festival official describing it as a "treasure trove of cultural diversity, democracy and modernity in the new India".
Style your hair by putting it on fire
Mansoor of Bhopal performs unique feat of scissoring with fire, enters Limca Book of Records
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
A tribute to the living legends of India
New Delhi : No loud pre-event performances, no unnecessary delays and winding speeches. The Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremony by Legends of India, a society which works to promote Indian art and artistes, was a simple and elegant occasion amongst the who's who of the capital.
Move to stop Bollywood-Hollywood piracy
By Arun Kumar
IANS
Washington : The US-India Business Council (USIBC) has asked the Indian arm of Ernst & Young to study how entertainment and media piracy hurts India as part of its "Bollywood-Hollywood" anti-piracy initiative.
Thriller ‘Zodiac’ tells story of people’s obsession
By Andrew McCathie
DPA
Cannes : American director David Fincher's "Zodiac", screened at the Cannes Film Festival and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, is a movie about obsession.
Bhavna Talwar’s ‘Dharm’ goes to Cannes
By Arpana
IANSNew Delhi : When a journalist decides to make a film, it has to be different, close to reality and an eye opener. That's exactly what scribe-turned-director Bhavna Talwar tries to achieve with her debut movie "Dharm" which will be premiered at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.
wait to be known as my son’s father: Naseeruddin Shah
Mohsin Hamid continues to be fiction favourite
ASI seeks High Court help to protect Sher Shah’s tomb
New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India has moved to Patna High Court to protect Tomb of Sher Shah in Sasaram.
The tomb that is part of the heritage site is encroached by unauthorized and illegal constructions. The ASI moved the court to remove these illegal constructions.
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कहीं बामियान न हो जाये खजà¥?राहोÂ
नासिरूदà¥?दीन हैदर खॉंÂ
Indian Inc leaders to head for Cannes
New Delhi : Captains of the Indian industry are all set to head for the Cannes Film Festival beginning this week to promote the country's entertainment industry and explore business opportunities.