Will AKFPL & TUMBHI's “Shorts” be able to cut an image with the audiences?

A unique partnership between India’s leading production house, AKFPL, Tumbhi and India’s largest multiplex chain, PVR Cinemas, Shorts is produced by Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga, who are forerunners in this changing scenario in Indian film industry. This is in a way introducing accolade winning Short Films in a feature format to the Indian theatres bringing together critically acclaimed actors such as Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadda, Vineet Singh, Shweta Tripathi among others. The 5 films include Sujata, Epilogue, Audacity, Mehfuz and Shor.

SUJATA by Shlok Sharma has Huma Qureshi, Shweta Tripathi, Satya Anand & Aditya Kumar in pivotal roles. Sujata is a riveting tale of a young girl, who is struggling to come out of the clutches of her tormenting cousin brother. At a very young age, she is forced to live with her cousin and his family. Herein, begins a life of incessant harassment by her cousin brother. Even as an adult she lives in the shadow of fear. For years, she changes addresses and identities in the hope of finding freedom; but each time he hunts her down. Neither the police, nor the NGOs are able to help her. Pushed to a corner, she decides to take the extreme step.

EPILOGUE by Siddharth Gupt has the talented Richa Chaddha pitted against Arjun Shrivastav. It’s a story of a relationship that has already fallen apart and is just about to snap. It describes the love and intimacy, the entangling of two lives and the completely symbiotic nature of a couple. It also reflects the possessiveness, the control isolation, depression and desperation that a relationship can lead to, representing a cycle that needs to be broken in order to keep sane.

AUDACITY by Anirban Roy has Preeti Singh, Sankar Debnath and Kanchan Mullick. A thirteen-year-old girl has her first real confrontation with authority when her father forbids her to play the American dance music she loves. When she decides to take revenge, the situation escalates to become a neighbourhood scandal. A dark comedy about parental authority, teenage rebellion, curry, whiskey, and house music.

MEHFUZ by Rohit Pandey has Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Aditi Khanna in an ambiguous space and time. The city has turned mad, as violence has taken its toll. But, far away in the sounds of silence at the border of the town, a man takes care of all the death around. He drags away this usual routine with every passing night. One night, he notices a strange woman wandering on empty streets. As her behavior changes, so does his journey.

SHOR by Neeraj Ghaywan has Vineet Singh and Ratnabali Bhattacharjee as Lallan and Meena, a couple from Banaras, who are consumed by their pursuit to survive in the city of  Mumbai. Meena takes up a job in a sewing factory. One day over a phone call, they find each other while embracing death, divorce and redemption. It takes the darkest hour of our life, the fear of death, to regain our consciousness back in to life.  To find the beauty that is lost in our relentless angst towards an unyielding life.

Though the format has been seen quite often in recent times, what needs to be seen is how the audience will be accepting it. Maybe after Bombay Talkies, this might also have a few takers given a talented and known starcast including Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi and Richa Chadda. But without known faces will the shorts be able to pull in the audience is one big question. And not all experiments are really gonna work just because they come from the Anurag Kashyap stable. Had that been the case, his “The Last Act” wouldn’t have had done the vanishing act. Only time will tell in this case too.

Thrill, Excitement and Mind Blowing stunts on Fear Factor

Remember Gabbar Singh’s dialogue in the Bollywood blockbuster ‘Sholay’, “Jo dar gaya, Samjho mar gaya”? The unforgettable dialogue has found a real-life persona on BIG RTL Thrill’s Fear Factor. The show which is an adrenalin pumping reality show with mind-blowing action and death-defying stunts will add fear, adventure, extraordinary stunts all at one platform. This week’s special theme, ‘Extreme Edge’ will make the contestants shiver as they will have to experience the terror of height, wind and water. It will play an host to a whole lot of astounding stunts that will send chills down your spine, and leave you gasping for more.

Danger is very real. But fear is a choice. You don't climb mountains without being fit; you don't face fear without being prepared. This challenging show is about coming to terms with one’s deepest fears. In each of the pulse-racing episodes, these real people compete against themselves and challenge each other in the hope of winning. This week the participants will have to do heart-pounding stunts as Fear Factor brings the adrenaline rush of the special theme episode to end with a resounding bang. Bearing fear will be tough weather the contestants are crossing platforms or clinging to net the sea… it is not going to be an easy task. Helicopter will hover over lake; each contestant will have to balance them on a surfboard attached on the platform of the flying helicopter. What could be better than watching people face in an extraordinary situations and gut-wrenching dares?

Not yet freaked out? Get an extra dose of fear only on Fear Factor this Saturday and Sunday at 10 pm on BIG RTL Thrill. It’s all about experiencing entertainment all together at different level on BIG RTL Thrill.

Get ready for riotous laughter and entertainment with BIG RTL Thrill 's new game show ‘Hole in the Wall’

If daily soaps and saas-bahu sagas are not your thing and you have seen every movie that TV has to offer, then BIG RTL Thrill has something just for you. Bringing the entertainment back into television is BIG RTL Thrill, the action entertainment destination for men launching the latest season of exciting game show, ‘Hole in the Wall’! Starting July 1, watch contestants of all shapes and sizes jump, dive and squeeze their way through an oncoming motorized wall to avoid getting tossed in the water.

During each 30 minute episode of Hole in the Wall, the task at hand gets tougher with the wall shapes getting harder and looming faster, as the stakes increases. The show will feature two teams with three contestants each, dressed in quirky colorful costumes with cushioned gears ready to face the wall and take on the opposing team in this watery battle. As the moving wall speeds towards the waiting team players, they are required to align themselves according to the shape in the approaching wall, all in seven seconds or be ready to take the plunge! The game requires quick thinking and clever teamwork to keep dry and score higher points. The show promises to engage the viewers with the hilarious antics of its participants.

Get ready to soak up the fun with ‘Hole in the Wall’ every Monday to Friday at 8:30 pm as the channel will be airing all new episodes of the fun game show starting July 1 only on BIG RTL Thrill.

Ismail Darbar is back with a bang with Gurudakshina - a musical extravaganza

The films music has several moods and pathos which are complimented by lyrics of the veteran Nida Fazli. The songs are currently being recorded in Mumbai and Music Director Ismail Darbar is keeping no stone unturned to get the best from all his singers in order to record a perfect score for the film. Says, Director Kiran Phadnis, "Having soulful and good music for our film was crucial for more than one reason - these days much before the release of the film, its the music that garners attention and creates the required hype for the film and in our case the music for Gurudakshina is not just an element but a significant part of the film and we could think of non other then Ismailji, as he is a proved genius in musicals be it Devdas or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Gururdakshina is a maiden venture film by Moonwalk Production headed by Ayush Phadnis and  first time director and cinema enthusiast Kiran Phadnis. The movie stars talent houses from all parts of India be it the lead actors Rajeev Pillai & S Sreesanth in special appearance (cricketer), Girish Karnad or Roopa Ganguly. The film has already gathered national headlines as it was to be the debut film for the cricketer who got caught in unfortunate controversies - in lines to the character he plays in the film.

The movie is about how a Gururji brings up a young orphan boy at his ashram and recognizes and understands his passion for dance, art and talent in him. The movie is very dramatic and has an emotional background. The film will be shot in Kolkata and Sikkim.

South Super star Rajeev Pillai, Rajesh Shringapore, Girish Karnad, Roopa Ganguly and Sulagna Panigre. Music of the film is given by Ismail Darbar, Lyricist is Nida Fazli, background music by Shom Dasgupta, Choreographer Sukalyan and songs have been sung by Sukhwinder Singh, Shaan, Benny Dayal, Shalmali Kholgade & DOP Jeremy Reagan (New Zealand).

Arzan Khambatta’s Life-Sized sculptures ‘Majja Ni Life’ & ‘Jaman Jalso’ unveiled at VR Surat

VR Surat marked the opening of its first 50 stores by unveiling two larger-than-life art installations by Arzan Khambatta at Magdalla Plaza, the city’s favourite community destination. ‘Majja Ni Life’ and ‘Jaman Jalso’, the life-sized sculptures in metal, have been inspired by the Surti love of shopping and picnics. Yazdi Karanjia, noted theatre personality and VR Surat’s Cultural Ambassador, graced the occasion.

“Art in public spaces should be simple and playful. Both ‘Majja Ni Life’ and ‘Jaman Jalso’ are fun sculptures, with a sense of movement to them. They capture everyday family scenes, such as shopping and going on picnics, adding to the visual character of VR Surat,” said Arzan Khambatta.

Sumi Gupta, Director, Virtuous Retail, said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Arzan Khambatta as we continue to be inspired by Surat’s vibrant culture and rich heritage. What makes this partnership even more special is Arzan’s familial connection with Navsari – Surat’s twin city.”

Added Anupam Yog, Marketing Director, Virtuous Retail, “It is wonderful to have Yazdi-bhai Karanjia join us on this special milestone for VR Surat. Following the resounding response to the Dumas Art Project, we remain committed to expanding Surat’s cultural capital while bringing the best lifestyle brands to the city.”

The brands that have opened doors at VR Surat during its first phase are: 109F, Allen Solly, AND, Ayesha, Bagzone, Barsita Lavazza, Calvin Klein, Chemistry, Chini Thai, Color Bar, Dosa Plaza, FAB INDIA, Faces Canada, Falafel Lovers, Flying Rani, Foresight Opticals, French Connection (FCUK), Global Desi, Hidesign, Jack n Jones, Jashn, Kailash Parbat, Kraus Jeans, Laari Company, Lee, Mid day Munchies, Mothercare, Nike, Noodle Town, NOSH, O2 Spa, Olive Groove, Only, Parcos, Pepe Jeans, PUMA, Shoppers Stop, SPYKAR, Streat, Sub Station, Sunglass Hut, Swarovski, The Fruit Tree, United Colors of Benetton, Vero Moda, Wills Lifestyle, and Woodland.

New face of the 15th Edition of the Mumbai Film Festival unveiled

The 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival; the premier film festival of the country organized by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), will sport a new look. Just as the ever evolving art and industry of cinema, Mumbai’s most eagerly awaited cultural event has grown in both size and power over the years. To represent this fact and the strong association with the most important centre of the Indian film industry, the festival has created a new visual identity.

The icon is a contemporary and edgy interpretation of the city’s iconic monument, the Gateway of India and is a carefully crafted homage to Mumbai’s art deco era of talkies. The new identity is fluid with a dazzling array of colours, each one representing a particular category at the festival while at the same time reflecting the diverse cultural mosaic of the financial capital of India. The logo by which the festival will be known is a rendition of the coveted Golden Gateway Award, the premier award recognizing the best film at the festival, to give it a familiar albeit modern feel.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shyam Benegal, Filmmaker and Chairman of MAMI, said, “This year we have an exciting new logo that incorporates both the city of Mumbai and the iconic gateway of India."

Commenting on the new logo, Festival Director Mr. Srinivasan Narayanan said, “The festival has evolved into one of the most important film festivals in this part of the world, showcasing the best cinema from all over the globe. The new logo stands for the dynamic and fluid integration of the iconic with progress and evolution which I cannot wait to share with the world.”

The 15th Mumbai Film Festival will take place from the 17^th – 24, October 2013.

The 15th Mumbai Film Festival, a Reliance Entertainment initiative is organized by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) - a body comprised of Indian film industry stalwarts, which was founded in 1997 by late filmmaker Shri Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Noted filmmaker Shri Shyam Benegal heads the body that consists of film directors including: Sudhir Mishra, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, renowned actresses Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan, actor-director Amol Palekar and Farhan Akhtar and Lyricist, writer, lyricist, writer and director Amit Khanna.

An Oscar and an entry at Cannes is Nihal's dream

Basically into acting, 26 year old Nihal Kiran Dalwai has assisted quite a few directors in short and feature films. He is now set to directing and act in a short film called "Gangster Pinto". Recently he has also acted in a short film called "Friday the 6th" as the lead, directed by Shubh Malhotra.

About Nihal Kiran Dalwai

He just loves world cinema and Bollywood. He has done plays with theatre groups such as Shabd and Yatri. He has done acting workshops with many great actors. He loves reading books and movies excite him. He is currently working on short film called "Gangster Pinto", which is targeted at international film festivals. He is acting, writing and directing this short film. He has also signed a movie called "Call Back" as a lead actor, where he is playing the role of a serial killer. The film which is in Hindi and Telugu language is quite different from run of the mill movies. At the same time, he is working on another Bollywood movie directed by a independent film maker. This movie is inspired by Tamil super hit movie "Pizza". He tells he is always excited about doing good movies with mind blowing scripts and intelligent directors. Anyways this guy is in no hurry. He knows his moves well and has a sharp sense of choosing good scripts.

How did he land the role in Friday the 6th

He met Shubh Malhotra of Chai Koffi Films while doing a course on writing and direction. Eventually they got along well. Shubh wanted to make a short movie and they used to interact a lot. Also, he was helping her in the production as well. As she knew he was an actor too, so she asked him to do the lead as well. “Right since my childhood Bollywood has fascinated me. Now I like world cinema too. Short films are made all over the world in almost all countries. Even the production cost is less and you can yet experiment with a variety of subjects. This is the one nice way how I can reach the people all over world. Many short films also reach the Oscars and Cannes. Someday I want to be there in Cannes and want to get an Oscar for my short movie,” Says Nihal.

What made him turn Director for Gangster Pinto

He kept going to different film festivals and that gave him a kick.  It was here that he came across short films that were crisp, well done and touching a variety of subjects, emotions and even the dark alleys. It was at such fests when he saw the best unfold without having to go through the rigmarole of songs and dance and found his true calling. “It was at these film festivals that I fell in love with short films. Now, I just love short films and given the variety, they can be quick and interesting too. After doing a course in direction and script writing, it was but natural to drift towards film making. I am a dreamer and always think of imaginary things. This makes me a good storyteller too. At the same time I’m an actor as well. Combining all together, I can only say that this is my all time passion,” adds Nihal.

He says "Short Films" are a big market these days

“Short films have a great future in India. Yes, definitely they have a great potential in India but is still to be untapped. I feel in India this market has not been explored so much. Because Indians know only the big film format - be it Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood and other regional industry films. Normal people are not even aware what a short movie is. There are some groups like Shamiana, who are promoting short movies, which is a great step towards this. Even many big directors in Bollywood like Anurag Kashyap, Bejoy Nambiar, Anurag Basu, Dibakar Bannerji, Zoya Akhtar etc have done short movies and many are still making. Slowly I feel it will come into the main stream, but it might take time,” concluded Nihal.

Here’s Films & TV World wishing “Best of Luck” to this upcoming actor.

Sonakshi Sinha & Ranveer Singh visit sets of Emotional Atyachar to promote Lootera

Emotional Atyachaar is India’s most talked about reality show in which a person who doubts his/her boyfriend’s/girlfriend’s loyalty, can ask for a loyalty test on him/her. The person checking his/her partner’s loyalty is referred to as the lead, while the person on whom the loyalty test is being performed is called the suspect. The crew members follow him/her and also ask another boy/girl to act as if he/she is intimate with him/her. These are caught on camera and shown to the lead. Emotional Atyachaar brings a chapter every weekend as an eye opener to all those who trust ‘blindly’!

Recently Sonakshi Sinha & Ranveer Singh came on sets of Emotional Atyachar to promote their upcoming movie Lootera which is releasing on July 5th. Of all reality shows, Emotional Atyachar was also chosen to promote not only for its huge TRP ratings and being one of the favourite shows amongst the youth, but cos the movie’s heroine Pakhi also undergoes Emotional Atyachar at the hands of the hero Varun Shrivastav.

Lootera is based in the year 1953 in remote Bengal. A visiting archaeologist called Varun Shrivastav comes to the village of Manikpur in West Bengal to excavate the temple grounds of the local Zamindar. With knowledge and experience beyond his young demeanour, Varun greatly impresses the Zamindar and his family. Especially Pakhi, the Zamindar's feisty and only daughter, who finds herself irrevocably drawn towards him. But Varun isn’t all he seems on the surface. 

And as the simmering attraction between him and Pakhi leads to a tender and deep love, he is forced to choose between her and his past. Making his choice, Varun disappears. Pakhi struggles to move on with her life, determined to forget him and their relationship. Until one day, when he returns under the most extraordinary circumstances.

What happens when the mask falls off and the real identity of Varun Shrivastav is revealed? Will Pakhi get Varun Shrivastava? The future of Pakhi and Varun Shrivastava will unfold only on July 5th in the theatres. But to catch this special episode, tune-in on Emotional Atyachaar only on bindass!

BIG CBS Love takes viewers ‘UNDER THE DOME’ based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel

BIG CBS Love, India’s number one English GEC amongst elite urban Indian audiences, is all set to participate in a global television event with the launch of a brand-new show, ‘Under The Dome’. The 13-episode series, based on author Stephen King’s best-selling novel of the same name, will launch simultaneously in several countries within the week. Featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment like Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Colin Ford and Brit Robertson among others the show has been produced by CBS Television Studios in association with popular Hollywood director Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television. ‘Under The Dome’ will premier in India, exclusively on BIG CBS Love starting 28th June, 2013, every Friday at 10pm.

A serialized drama packed with thrill and excitement, Under The Dome is the story of a small town that is suddenly and unexplainably sealed off from the rest of the world as an enormous transparent dome descends on it. In the tale that ensues, the town’s inhabitants face issues like surviving in the post-apocalyptic condition in the town while trying to understand what the dome is, how it got there and how long it would take to go away. The show brings together four of the biggest names in international entertainment including not only novel’s author Stephen King but also executive producers Neal Baer and Brian K Vaughan who have previously worked on shows like Lost, ER and Law and Order: SVU, and director of the pilot episode Niels Arden Oplev who has also directed the original Swedish adaptation of the critically acclaimed movie Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. In India, Under the Dome will be promoted extensively using on-ground activations, digital innovations, print media and OOH bringing into play the media muscle of Reliance Broadcast Network and external media.

Mr. Anand Chakravarthy, Business Head - BIG CBS Network, said “’Under The Dome’ is undoubtedly the biggest global television event this year and we are excited to be airing the show on BIG CBS LOVE concurrent to its US telecast. Based on the un-put-downable book by Stephen King, ‘Under the Dome’ on television has the makings of a blockbuster television show. There is already great anticipation for the show around the world and across social media platforms everywhere. Another world class television show from CBS that will give audiences in India an exclusive and amazing entertainment treat.”

Under the Dome is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Amblin Television. Steven Spielberg, Stephen King, Neal Baer, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Stacey Snider, Jack Bender and Brian K. Vaughan, who wrote the television adaptation, will serve as executive producers.  

This move ensures the best programming mix to its audiences, as BIG CBS Love gears for phase II of digitization, with Reliance Broadcast Network’s recently launched consumer awareness campaign ‘Choose Your Set Top Box Wisely’. After an extremely successful roll-out of the campaign across the 4 metros, it now extends across 38 cities in DAS phase II. The campaign has been designed to empower consumers with information on digitization. Simultaneously, it also offers distribution partners an excellent opportunity to strengthen brand equity. The campaign will see an extensive multi-media marketing push with the help of RBNL’S marketing muscle and expertise and will be promoted across the platforms of television, radio, cinemas, digital, outdoor, on ground and road shows.

Triple Dose of stunts on Fear Factor : Fear takes the form of handcuffs this week

Danger was always on the menu of Fear Factor, but what you've seen till date was just a glimpse of the danger that these intense stunts involve. This week’s episode on BIG RTL Thrill’s Fear Factor will witness contestants experiencing a high dose of Fear - something that they have never experienced before. As the theme suggests, the contestants will be handcuffed. But the activity that follows is bound to leave the contestants shivering… With a will of steel and a hard attitude, the contestants will keep you on the edge of your seat with adrenaline pumping action with unimaginable stunts.

Fear Factor constantly strives to bring higher levels of daredevil acts beyond the human grasp. Be it Insect ingestion and digestion or grueling tasks like rescuing your partner, contestants’ never say die attitude will be challenged again. This week, the show promises a high voltage of action thrills and excitement as the stunts get three times more challenging and so does the danger level. This week’s rugged tasks will be crazier than ever, as contestants’ patience will be tested as they are handcuffed while dealing with various obstacles and hurdles that promises to make their journey to freedom that much more difficult. If you are claustrophobic and have a problem with putting your head into things, then this week’s stunts is bound to up that nervous energy keeping your eyes glued to your television sets to figure what comes next!

Hold on to dear life as Fear Factor will take the viewers on a roller coaster ride of extreme stunts, galloping emotions and never seen before action. Fear Factor is a triple dose of everything from action to stunts. Will the contestants kick off with a bang? Will they prove their mettle? To find out, tune into Fear Factor, this Friday at 9:00 PM

Mumbai Women’s International Film Festival launches this October

Love for films. Short Films. Documentary Films. Public Service Announcement. Feature Films. Female Filmmakers…‘Spotlight on Women’! A short compilation of the new vogue in town the Mumbai Women’s International Film Festival (MWIFF) 2013! An Oculus Creations presentation, MWIFF 2013 is where you want to be!

With 7 different categories to choose from, including participation and viewing experience, MWIFF comes to hometown ‘Mumbai’ in the month of October 2013. May it be the love for films or ‘Cinema’ as they say it, both behind the camera as the ‘makers’ or the ‘creators’ as well as in front of the camera as the ‘watchers’ or even the critiquing ‘spectators’, MWIFF has everything in its bag for a great show with a distinctive twist of having maximum women filmmakers on board! Not only celebrating film and art but celebrating the hard work of women!

The four categories for under the ‘Competition Section’ has Short-Film, Documentary Film which has films having at least one female in either Direction, Cinematography, Editor, Screenplay and Story, with a time limit of 45 minutes and 60 minutes respectively. The third category is where they give you a chance to have your own adaptation on our theme “social cause of women”, in which entries are acceptable from both Men as well as Women, providing the time limit to be within 5 minutes and strictly going with the theme only; this category is what they call the ‘HER’ Film! Our fourth category is the Feature Film in which the film has to have the Director as a female and a running time of minimum 70 minutes at the least!

‘Women’ forms a key role in this festival, and so in the Non-Competition Section, they present films, all having Women as the directors of Feature Films, divided in 3 categories, World Cinebusters, where MWIFF will present films of women filmmakers, both full length feature film and full length documentary film, that have either won or been nominated in any major film festivals around the globe. Second category is the World Panorama where films made by women; remarkable both on critique level as well as commercial level have been accepted and left a mark on the silver screen; we invite those films on our ‘Pink’ screen of MWIFF 2013, to have chance to watch them one-more-time.

The last category stands, however a little unique where they give a chance to women-directed films to be ‘premiered’ at MWIFF 2013; films which have not been shown or screened anywhere, films that will be watched for the first-time ever as a grand opening on this platform with a global audience! This section, however, mainly aims at invited films but women filmmakers are welcomed if we have missed out on you!

So, this is what MWIFF will have for their film-loving audience, but if you are keen for the entertainment factor that they offer, get connected with them at www.mwiff.com where you will be surprised to discover many wild surprises! MWIFF promises a fun, film and frolic packed show of 5 days with a main motive- ‘Spotlight on Women’!

Is today’s genX driving in the wrong lane? Lost in love - Jiah Khan..

The sensitivity and love doesn't exist now in most people amongst today’s genX especially... Everything is limited to "fun" and "time pass"... Is today’s genX driving in the wrong lane? This is one major question that keeps arising in the minds as we reproduce the text from actress Jiah Khan's suicide letter allegedly addressed to Suraj Pancholi. This letter was shared to the media by Jiah's mother through their publicists.... Excerpts..

"I don't know how to say this to you but I might as well now as I have nothing to lose. I've already lost everything. If you're reading this I might have already left or about to leave. I am broken inside. You may not have known this but you affected me deeply to a point where I lost myself in loving you. Yet you tortured me everyday. These days I see no light I wake up not wanting to wake up. There was a time I saw my life with you, a future with you. But you shattered my dreams. I feel dead inside. I've never given so much of myself to someone or cared so much. You returned my love with cheating and lies. It didn't matter how many gifts I gave you or how beautiful I looked for you. I was scared of getting pregnant but I gave myself completely the pain you have caused me everyday has destroyed every bit of me, destroyed my soul. I can't eat or sleep or think or function. I am running away from everything. The career is not even worth it anymore.

When I first met you I was driven, ambitious and disciplined. Then I fell for you, a love I thought would bring out the best in me. I don't know why destiny brought us together. After all the pain, the rape, the abuse, the torture I have seen previously I didn't deserve this. I didn't see any love or commitment from you. I just became increasingly scared that you would hurt me mentally or physically. Your life was about partying and women. Mine was you and my work. If I stay here I will crave you and miss you. So I am kissing my 10-year career and dreams goodbye. I never told you but I received a message about you. About you cheating on me. I chose to ignore it, decided to trust you. You embarrassed me. I never went out, I never went with anyone else. I am a loyal person. I never met anyone with Karthik. I just wanted you to feel how you make me feel constantly. No other woman will give you as much as I did or love you as much as I did. I can write that in my blood. Things were looking up for me here, but is it worth it when you constantly feel the pain of heartbreak when the person you love wants to abuse you or threatens to hit you or cheats on you telling other girls they are beautiful or throws you out of their house when you have no where to go and you've come to them out of love or when they lie to your face or they make you chase after them in their car. Or disrespects their family. You never even met my sister. I bought your sister presents. You tore my soul. I have no reason to breathe anymore. All I wanted was love. I did everything for you. I was working for us. But you were never my partner. My future is destroyed my happiness snatched away from me. I always wished the best for you, was ready to invest what little money I had in your betterment. You never appreciated my love, Kicked me in the face. I have no confidence or self esteem left, whatever talent whatever ambition you took it all away. You destroyed my life. It hurt me so much that I waited for you for ten days and you didn't bother buying me something.

The Goa trip was my birthday present but even after you cheated I still spent on you. I aborted our baby when it hurt me deeply. You destroyed my Christmas and my birthday dinner when I came back. When I tried my hardest to make your birthday special. You chose to be away from me on Valentines Day. You promised me once we made it to one year we would get engaged. All you want in life is partying, your women and your selfish motives. All I wanted was you and my happiness you took both away from me. I spent money on you selflessly you would throw in my face. When I would cry for you. I have nothing left in this world to live for after this. I wish you had loved me like I loved you. I dreamt of our future. I dreamt of our success. I leave this place with nothing but broken dreams and empty promises. All I want now is to go to sleep and never wake up again. I am nothing. I had everything. I felt so alone even while with you. You made me feel alone and vulnerable. I am so much more than this."

The original letter is produced here...

Bollywood biggies including Naseeruddin Shah, Zeenat Aman, Nawazuddin Siddique and Manjot Singh in short films @ LISFF 2013

Short films these days have been very much in the media with the release of Bombay Talkies that clubbed 4 short films together and released it as a feature film. This initiative got a good thumb up from the audiences and the critics alike. Close on the heels comes another news that Deepika Padukone and Arjun Kapoor will soon be seen in a Konkani-English short film, directed by Homi Adajania and produced by Saif Ali Khan’s Illuminati Films. With main stream Bollywood actors showing a keenness to do short films, it’s a clear indication that short films are soon going to be the next big thing in recent times.

With a theme line Lets go BIG with shorts, LISFF is also ‘going and growing’ a bit big with short films from around the globe. It has not only received globally awarded films, but also has received a prestigious entry of the Oscar award winning film ‘Curfew’ by Shawn Christensen. To add to its status, LISFF has also received Cannes entry films including ‘The Plan’ by Vivek Sharma, ‘Ria’ by Abhishek Talukdar and ‘Mombatti’ by Puneet Prakash and National Award winner “Timbaktu” that tops the list.

However, the icing on the cake are short films from India that have popular Bollywood actors including Naseeruddin Shah, Nawazuddin Siddique, Zeenat Aman, Manjot Singh and the like in short films. While versatile actor Naseeruddin Shah will be seen in “Goonj - the empty call” a documentary by Adhiraj Bose on Charas cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, Nawazuddin Siddique will be seen in Sriram Dalton’s short fiction “OP stop smelling your socks.” While Bollywood’s diva Zeenat Aman will be seen in a Male Rape drama “Breaking the Silence” by Sanghamitra Chaudhuri, Manjot Singh who is coming the soon to be released ‘Fukrey’ will be seen in Gagan Puri’s “The Dream”. A few of the telly stars are also to be seen in some thought provoking films. While Vibha who has acted in popular serials including 'Balika Vadhu' will be seen in Sanjeev Nanda’s “Shyamli - Ek Pratha”, Anubhav Krishna Srivastava who’s playing Sachin in Balaji Telefilms ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will be seen in Souvik Gupta’s “Stranger”, mentioned Mahua Mazumdar, Festival Coordinator.

“We are also going to initiate talks with Sudhir Mishraji if we can get his acclaimed ‘Kirchiyaan’ to be screened at our festival. Kirchiyaan that stars Chitrangada Singh, Sushant Singh, Vipin Sharma, Manu Rishi and others is a real time story about how a bizarre incident in a Chhattarpur farm changes the lives of many people. How the past comes back to redeem itself, how lives get shattered and cleaned up in just 15 minutes and how life offers a sudden opportunity to make it large… in just one moment,” added Mahua.

Serving as Madhya Pradesh’s only short film festival, the Lakecity International Short Film Festival (LISFF) 2013 is founded to showcase MP as a leader in contemporary filmmaking, and aims to exhibit the most captivating and innovative short content. Slated to be the biggest event in the Heart of Incredible India in Bhopal - LISFF 2013 is a four day festival from August 29th to September 1st, 2013.

Breaking all stereotypes, LISFF’s mission is to present quality films from around the world as well as support, recognize and honor indie film makers. These films will be organized thematically, in hopes of representing the full range of the human experience as reflected by our chosen filmmakers. LISFF will also be a vital showcase for indie film makers as the festival is also introducing the PSA Films Category in addition to its competitive sections.

In the centenary year of Indian cinema, the four day festival will see people of various communities thronging the venue to enjoy the short films from countries like Spain, Italy, UK, USA, Russia, Bangladesh, Iran, Poland in English and the country’s own languages. Indian regional language films like Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, and in all South Indian languages will be showcased.

The festival, which is open to filmmakers of all ages, showcases both amateur and professional small movies on any subject and in any style. Films of all different genres under 30 minutes in length and family friendly are accepted as submissions for the festival. They include action movies, animations, fantasy, drama, science fiction, comedy, cartoons, documentaries and experimental movies.

Organized by Eon Films in conjunction with O.M. Filmz and coordinated by Aura Events, Codes & Pixels as well as Olivine Ventures, the festival has awards in more than 19 categories. LISFF is also introducing Audience Polls for the People’s Choice Awards as well as Critics Award that will be decided by the critics. In both cases, the winners will take home a statuette of the festival’s mascot.

Interested filmmakers may have their questions asked by contacting organizers at info@lisff.com or log on to www.lisff.com for more details.

Abhishek Bachchan attends the Iconic event as Al Pacino as thrills audience

Hollywood screen legend Al Pacino lit up the London Palladium stage as he thrilled a captivated audience with his critically acclaimed one-man show ‘An Evening With Pacino’ on the 2nd June 2013.

The Oscar-winning actor brought his celebrated show for its European premiere to the iconic world-famous London Palladium. The one-off performance provided a special opportunity for fans of the silver screen legend to see and interact with their hero up close. 

'An Evening with Pacino' explored the myriad highlights of one of the most celebrated careers in acting history, from his time off-Broadway in the 1960s right up to the present day, with the actor himself in intimate theatre surroundings. The evening included an on-stage interview projected on a state-of-the-art large screen, bringing the action closer to the audience. The show also gave the public a rare chance to speak directly to Al Pacino in a Question & Answer session.

Speaking about the event, Al Pacino said: “I love being on the stage, it’s a big passion of mine. It was a privilege to perform in London at the Palladium after so many years. I loved the live element of the event and being so close to my fans in the UK. The last time I was here was for the docu-drama ‘Wilde Salome’. It’s always great to be back.”

The sell-out show was organised by Sterling 2 Ent, a multi-entertainment and film investment and production vehicle founded by Teji Singh and managed by CEO and MD Natasha Mudhar. The event’s title sponsor was DVK, a global private equity and commodity trading company founded by Deepak Kuntawala.

Amid a star-studded auditorium including Bollywood superstar Abhishek Bachchan, Al Pacino, the force behind such cinematic classics as The Godfather, Scent Of A Woman and Carlito’s Way, took to the stage to reminisce about his illustrious career and to re-enact scenes from his most famous works.

One of the very few actors to have won the Triple Crown in acting (Oscar, Emmy and Tony Awards), winning his first Tony in 1969 for Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie, Al Pacino won worldwide acclaim for his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, which also gave him the first of his eight Academy Award nominations. An enduring and highly regarded acting career has followed, with standout performances in Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Scarface, Sea of Love, Glengarry Glen Ross, Heat, Donnie Brasco, and Scent Of A Woman, for which he won the Best Actor Award at the 1992 Oscars.

An Evening with Pacino marked a fitting accolade to showcase the incredible life and career of one of the world’s most respected, talented and loved film and theatre actors.

Ahmedabad welcomes Amrita Rao as she indulges in the delights of “Stars in your City”

This week in Parachute Advansed Tender Coconut Hair Oil Presents Star in Your City, UTV Stars brings the girl next door – Amrita Rao, to her favourite City of Ahmedabad! This talented actress will also be seen visiting five of her ardent fans, while she indulges in the offering of Ahmedabad.

Amrita visited Gujarat’s most famous Induben Khakra workshop and tried her hand at devising the perfect Khakra. She was not only overwhelmed, but she also greatly inspired, as she interacted with the women working there. She re-lived her moments from the shoot of ‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’ as she honed her pottery skills at a pottery workshop. It’s very difficult to resist shopping when visiting the law garden and Ratanpole market, and this is exactly what happened with Amrita. She literally shopped till she dropped, with traditional wear, bags and jewelry completing her shopping list.

When in Gujarat, one cannot miss out on the Gujarati Thali that is offered, Amrita gorged on the delectable savories served in the thali along with Aamras and white gud. While she indulged in the city delights, there was more for her lucky fans, her day ended with a visit to one of her fans family. Amrita tried her hands on Kite Flying for the first time at her fan’s residence.

To see more of Amrita Roa’s endeavors in Ahmedabad, log on to STARS IN YOUR CITY on Sunday 9thJune, 2013 at 7:00pm only on UTV STARS

MICTA (Marathi Cinema & Theatre) to conduct first ever Marathi International awards at Switzerland

MICTA will be conducting the first ever Marathi International awards, this time at the dream destination of Switzerland in September. Celebrating it’s 4th year, the promoter of MICTA renowned filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar held a press conference recently in Mumbai to announce this new destination and also launched the new logo of MICTA.

MICTA, the initiative to establish Marathi Cinema and Theatre worldwide, has been well received by Maharashtrians as well as non Maharashtrians in different parts of the country as well over the globe. Having successfully celebrated this extravaganza for past few years - first in Dubai, then London and last year in Singapore, this time the award function goes to Switzerland with many new exciting things to do on the list.

Switzerland, the dream destination of every person that is opening the doors for such a big Marathi International award in their country is in itself a big achievement. And the Swiss Tourism Board will be the key travel associate for MICTA this year.

While sharing this new development with media friends, Mahesh Manjrekar said, “I want this medium to reach out to the maximum people. All the energy comes from my team of MICTA and each and every person work dedicatedly for the perfect execution of the awards.”

MICTA takes 300 and more artists to the foreign land every year where they perform and participate in different activities organized by the committee. And this number has been constantly increasing. This time MICTA hopes to take 350 to 400 people from India and the travel partner for this giant event is Veenatai Patil’s new travel company “Veena Patil Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.”

Conveying her happiness at being given such a great honour of arranging the travel requirements, Veenatai Patil said, “We thank Maheshjii for showing trust on our work and we hope that we will be able to make the trip most enjoyable and comfortable for everyone.”

Meanwhile, it was also announced that Maharastra Kalanidhi will be the presenters of MICTA 2013. Maharastra Kalanidhi, an initiative spear headed by Mr. Nitesh Rane will be the great association of this year. “Mahesh Manjrekar who started the MICTA has done an great phenomenal work for the whole Marathi Fraternity, it is our privilege to be a part of it and we will give support to this noble initiative in every possible way said, Mr. Nitish Rane

The function was attended by Jayant Mhaiskar, Kiran Shantaram, Nitesh Rane, Sushant Shelar, Anant Panshikar, Chandrakant Kulkarni along with stars like Priya bapat kamat, Sai Tamhankar, Neha Pendse, Amruta Khanvilkar, Kranti Redkar. Umesh Kamat, Sunil Barve, Vijay Kadam, Ankush Choudhary, Upendra Limaye, Vaibhav Mangle, Mahesh Kothare, Sanjay Jadhav etc.