Troubled Pakistan cheers World Cup victory

Troubled but cricket-crazy Pakistan celebrated on June 22 victory in the Twenty20 World Cup 3-½ months after an attack on the Sri Lankan team appeared to drive a nail into the coffin of Pakistani cricket

"It's time to cheer," said Sajid Bhanji, a dealer at stock brokers Arif Habib Ltd in Karachi.

His comments were echoed by the market, with the benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange 100shared index up 0.66 percent.

"We've had bad news all around for quite some time now and this victory has definitely resulted in a feel-good effect," said Bhanji.

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Vijay Iyer back in New York, after a string of successes

Vijay Iyer, composer in Downbeat magazine's international critics' poll for 2006 and 2007, returned to New York on June 19, trailing a string of national and international successes

He has had a busy year so far, his last appearance in New York being the concert with sitarist Shujaat Khan, percussionist Karsh Kale and electric bassist Jonathan Moran at the Lincoln Center Opening Nights festival March 7.

The June 19 concert was at V Harlem's newest spot, Medium M, with Marcus Gilmore and Stephan Crump.

The trio toured Europe in February, played numerous U.S venues in the winter and spring and recorded a new album titled "Historicity."

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Passing of a legend in the world of theater, left politics

Numerous have been the tributes in Indian media to theater titan Habib Tanvir, who died in Bhopal this month at 85, but they err in failing to mention his American connection.This is in keeping with the partisanship over Tanvir, with rightist ultras tarring him as anti Hindu, and leftists portraying him as anti-American.

The Communist Party of India- Marxist has passed a resolution mourning his death, while a Congress Party legislator, Arif Aqueel, has demanded the country's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, be posthumously conferred on him.

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party government recently locked him out of Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal's famed arts complex where Tanvir was director of Rangmandal repertory theater.

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Bollywood on the Hudson

Millions of moviegoers in India recognize the neon signs of Times Square as easily as the Taj Mahal, due to the growing popularity of "Bollywood" movies shot in the United States, particularly in New York.

By making movies in one of the world's most expensive cities, producers risk big losses but can score big rewards by appealing to India's fascination with foreign worlds.

Despite its high costs, New York, more than any city outside India, offers easy access to resources such as Indian extras, trained Indian dancers and Indian production teams, say experts on Bollywood, the $2 billion-a-year industry known for movies featuring elaborate music, costumes and sets.

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Dhoni apologizes to India fans, promises to bounce back

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni apologized to the thousands of disappointed fans who watched their side exit the Twenty20 World Cup at Lord's on June 14 and promised to make amends in the West Indies next year.

The defending champions were eliminated after they lost by three runs to England in their Super Eight clash on June 14. They also lost to West Indies on June 12.

"We are sorry for what happened but we can say we gave our best," Dhoni told a news conference. "I think we have the guys who can handle the pressure, it was a day when nothing really worked for us."

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Yankee Stadium's first wedding

The new and classier Yankee Stadium will host its first wedding – that of Mike Rajendran and Joanna Rothschild on Aug. 21.

The two avid baseball fans began planning the event as the stadium was going to have its grand opening this April, the New York Daily News reports.

They plan to have 300 guests and will say their vows on the concourse overlooking the homeplate the paper said. Rajendran is a technology specialist and Rothschild has a clothes design and manufacturing company. Both live in Hartsdale in Westchester County Founder of Our Love Yoga, Rothschild, who teaches yoga, says on her Web site,

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Pakistan is at the peak of depression: Imran Khan

The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, the only cancer hospital in Lahore, founded by former Pakistani cricket star Imran Khan, treats thousands of cancer patients each year at a whopping budget of $30 million.

Seventy percent of these patients are financially supported by Khan's foundation.

Fundraising for this hospital which has ambitious plans of building a new hospital to accommodate more patients, is an integral part of Khan's greater plan.

The United States is a major venue for Khan's fundraising efforts.

The Pakistani Americans living in the U.S., particularly in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, have been consistent in raising huge sums to support Khan's hospital

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‘Jodhaa Akbar' dominates International Indian Film Academy awards, wins 6 trophies

Epic film "Jodhaa Akbar" scooped top honors at a star-studded ceremony in the Chinese gambling haven of Macau June 13.

Some of Indian cinema's biggest names, including Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan, graced the green carpet, as thousands of fans screamed and jostled for autographs at the annual IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) awards.

The night's big winner in an awards ceremony replete with circus performers, fireworks and high-octane Bollywood dance routines was "Jodhaa Akbar," about the 16th-century Mughal emperor who married a Hindu princess.

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Filmmaker documents plight of H4 visa spouses

There is a very poignant scene in the documentary film "Hearts Suspended" where the person holding the camera tracks a man, who makes a seemingly quick and uncaring exit through the door as she says, "We have to talk."

Meghna Damani was talking to her husband and it was a scene from real life. In her debut film, Damani says, ironically, independence was the first thing she lost when she came to the land of the free – she was issued an H4 visa that did not permit her to work, and she was solely dependent on her husband.

With delays, rejections, firings and so many other issues confronting Indian immigrants, it seems the plight of H4 visa-holders has taken a backseat. At least that is what Damani, a New York/New Jersey based documentary filmmaker, feels.

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Nritya Dhoom ‘09 in New Jersey

The Sudhamini Dance Academy in Edison, N.J., promises a "visual feast" at its Nritya Dhoom ‘09 celebration slated for June 27. The ninth annual recital, which will be held at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, N.J., is a ceremony for graduating seniors and "an exhilarating show" of Odissi and Bollywood-style dance, a press statement said.

Founded in 1985, the Sudhamini Dance Academy is devoted to the Odissi tradition of classical Indian dance.

Founder and artistic director Sudha Grover has given innumerable performances in India and the United States. For the past several years, the academy has had several of its graduating seniors perform their "manch pravesh," or the traditional ceremony that indicates a student has amassed enough skill to perform on stage.

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Vijay Mallya wants Formula One team body to reinstate Force India

Force India have been suspended by the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) for breaking ranks and unconditionally entering next year's championship, owner Vijay Mallya said on June 7.

The Indian drinks and aviation tycoon told Reuters he had asked FOTA to reinstate his team but would not lose any sleep if they did not.

Mallya said he had been obliged to submit an unconditional entry, unlike the FOTA teams' conditional ones, because otherwise he would have been in breach of banking covenants.

"Basically Formula One, like the case of any other business, relies on its bankers to provide ongoing working capital support," he said.

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Paes and Dlouhy win men's doubles

Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy captured their first men's doubles title as a pairing at the French Open on June 6.

The Indo-Czech duo beat South African Wesley Moodieand Dick Norman of Belgium 3-6 6-3 6-2. While Dlouhy lifted his first major men's doubles title, Paes took his total to five.

"We started one year ago today so this is a very special day for us and I would like to thank Lukas," said the 35-year old Paes, who was cheered on by his former mixed doubles partner Martina Navratilova.

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World Science Festival features Indian students and musicians

The World Science Festival promises something for everyone, lining up at least six Nobel laureates, award-winning authors, researchers, policy makers, actors and even musicians. Scheduled for June 10-14 in New York City, the science extravaganza includes many Indian participants.

The program "Pioneers in Science" features high school students Shreya Amin and Aneela Gillani, who will question a Nobel laureate and a marine biologist, respectively.

It will be held at 4 p.m. June 11 at Tishman Auditorium at the New School.

Amin, a senior at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, will interview Nobel laureate Harold Varmus, who is co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

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Jeev Milkha Singh still trails Olympic dad in popularity ratings

Jeev Milkha Singh has claimed a host of international victories and risen to number 39 in the world rankings but he says he is still behind his father in the Indian popularity stakes.

Milkha Singh is a former Olympic sprinter and better known in his homeland than his golfing son.

"Wherever we walk he always jokes with me especially at the airports or train stations," Jeev told reporters after a second round 69 earned a tie for the lead with Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera on eight-under 136 at the European Open on Friday.

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Danny Boyle wants to make another film in Mumbai

British filmmaker Danny Boyle's love for India and Mumbai. But the filmmaker hasn't had enough of the city or this country.

Boyle told reporters on "S May 27 he would love to make more films in India and was in fact in talks with filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Shekhar Kapur. He didn't give any details but he did mention how much he loved working in Mumbai.

"Slumdog" producer Christian Colson was a little more forthcoming, saying a couple of projects were being discussed and Boyle was keen to direct them.

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Australian Prime Minister condemns attacks on Indian students

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on June 1 condemned a series of attacks on Indian students as calls mounted for a wider probe into the country's international student sector.

Indian students say the attacks in Melbourne, which have left one student with serious injuries after being stabbed with a screwdriver, are racially motivated.

Police say the incidents are both racial and part of a wider increase in opportunistic crimes.

The attacks escalated into a diplomatic issue on May 29, with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing concern during a phone call with Rudd.

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Anupam Kher thrilled about role in Woody Allen film

He has effortlessly straddled art house and mainstream cinema in India for 25 years, and now actor Anupam Kher is going to Hollywood to work with American director Woody Allen, a filmmaker he has always admired.

Kher, 54, made a memorable Bollywood debut with "Saaransh" in 1984, earning critical acclaim for playing a 65-year old while still a young man.

Twenty-five years later, he's a familiar sight in Indian movies and has also acted in British productions like the 2002 film "Bend it like Beckham".

By bagging a role in Allen's next project, Kher has joined other Indian actors -- Aishwarya Rai, Irrfan Khan, Om Puri and Freida Pinto -- who have made a mark in Hollywood.

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Documentaries explore Buddhist sites of Indian Asia

It took Fa Xian 14 years (from 399 AD to 413 AD) to visit some of the sacred sites of Buddhism in India. Now thanks to the documentary series on Buddhism being screened at the Rubin Museum of Art May 13 July 8, New Yorkers can retrace the great Chinese pilgrim's footsteps with no greater effort than a subway ride to 14th Street and a four-block walk.

The opening film, titled "The Untold Story of Buddhism," was by eminent photographer and art historian Benoy K. Behl.

An alumnus of St. Stephen's College in Delhi and the National Film Institute at Pune, Behl has perhaps visited more Buddhist sites than any other traveler in history.More importantly, he has made photographs of cave art in almost little or no light.

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Symonds leads Deccan Chargers to Indian Premier League title

Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds led the Deccan Chargers to a six run victory over the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 final at the Wanderers on May 24.

Symonds, who has not been included in the Australia team to defend the Ashes in England this year, boosted the Chargers' innings with 33 from 21 balls.

A South Africa one-day opener Herschelle Gibbs batted through the innings to score 53 not out in the Chargers' 143 for six.

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