'Slumdog Millionaire', a tribute to Mumbai, wins top award

Slumdog Millionaire,' a tribute to Mumbai and a story about a dream, won the top award at the Toronto Film Festival on September 13, ending a low-key event where many studios kept their best movies away.

The winning film, directed by Britain's Danny Boyle, opens in select U.S. theaters on November 28.

It tells of a teenager from the Indian slums who wins a chance of becoming a millionaire in a television game show.

The film received an enthusiastic reception from the Toronto audience, and actress Freida Pinto accepted the Cadillac People's Choice Award on Boyle's behalf.

"There are a lot of firsts for me in this," she said. "It's my first premiere, my first time dealing with the press, and now it's my first award.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Chelsea gallery hosting Krishna Reddy exhibit

Thomas Erben Gallery of Chelsea, New York, which recently held an exhibition in Mumbai, is hosting a retrospective of printmaker Kirshna Reddy (Sepember. 17 - November 1), showcasing works by the Andhra-born New York artist from the 1950's through the early 1980's.

Celebrated artist, wandering scholar, innovator and experimenter, 83-year-old Krishna Reddy is a pivotal figure in India's artistic path through Modernism. After completing his studies under Nandalal Bose at Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan in 1947, Reddy taught art at Kalakshetra in Madras for three years. Going abroad in 1951, he attended Slade School of Fine Arts, London, with Henry Moore, for two years.

After Slade he moved to the continent where he furthered his contact with European Modernism, studying sculpture with Ossip Zadkine in Paris (1952-55) and with Mario Marini in Milan (1956-57). Also in Paris, he studied engraving (1953-55) with S.W.Hayter at Atelier 17, which he later joined, becoming a professor and associate director in 1965. In 1977 Reddy moved to New York to teach at New York University where he established the print department and presently is Professor Emeritus in Art.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Verizon launches 'Bollypop Video Dance Competition'

A spiring dancers can enter 'Bollypop,' an online dance competition sponsored by Verizon to help showcase the growing amount of Bollywood movies and music videos the company offers its FiOS TV and V CAST customers.

The Bollypop (www.verizon.com/bollypop) contest is open to all U.S. residents and is maintained by Saavn, the largest digital distributor of South Asian movies, music videos, audio tracks and ringtones. Contest entrants can be either individuals or dance troupes (maximum of four performers) and must submit a video of any dance moves to one of 11 Bollywood songs.

The video with the most votes will win the grand prize, which includes airfare, hotel and transportation to Mumbai, and an appearance in a Bollywood film. Additionally, the grand prize winner or winners will get a three-day trip to New York City to attend a celebration in their honor.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Air India extends summer sale, introduces winter fares

Air India announced on June 23 that due to the popularity of it's ‘One Price India' summer and fall sale fares, it is extending the booking deadline for these fares, which are available from July through October 2008, until July 15.

The carrier has also announced new winter season sale fares at similar savings for travel from November 2008 through March 2009.

The deadline for purchasing winter sale fare tickets is also July 15.

These special economy class fares are available from New York's JFK International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport to Mumbai, Delhi, as well as to the over 40 other cities in India served by the carrier.

Based on date of departure, all fares are set as follows: $727 roundtrip: Departure Jul. 14 - Jul. 31; $622 roundtrip: Departure Aug. 1 - Aug. 18, Departure Sept. 19 - Oct. 31; $572 roundtrip: Departure Aug. 19 - Sept. 18; $704 roundtrip: Departure Nov. 1 - Nov. 30, 2008, Departures Dec. 24, 2008 - Jan. 15, 2009; $912 roundtrip: Departure Dec. 1 - Dec. 12, 2008; $1,068 roundtrip: Departure Dec. 13 - Dec. 23, 2008; $549 roundtrip: Departure Jan. 16 - Mar. 31, 2009.

All ‘One Price India' sale fares apply to any of Air India's direct and non-stop flights to India departing New York Sunday through Thursday, and returning Monday through Friday.

Weekend departures are also available for an additional $50, based on a round trip purchase.

They include flights on Friday and Saturday to India, and Saturday and Sunday from India.

The minimum stay is the first Sunday after arrival, and the maximum stay is up to six months.

Fare conditions are that sale fare tickets must be purchased by July 15.

Travel must be on Air India operated flights from New York City, including ‘Indian Airlines' designated flights within India.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Exhibitions of Indian real estate properties by ‘Buy Indian Properties'

CineMaya Media Group, Inc.'s new marketing service ‘Buy Indian Properties' held its first series of exhibitions featuring some of India's best real estate offerings to Indian property buyers in the U.S. and Canada.

The exhibitions were held at Toronto's International Center on May 31 and June 1, Houston's Stafford Center for the Performing Arts and Convention Center on June 4 and June 5, and the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center on June 7 and June 8.

Exhibitors included TATA Housing, Lodha Group, Hiranandani Developers, Sheth Developers, Arihant, Sternon, Venus Infrastructure, HSBC Bank, ICICI Bank NRI Services, and Allcheckdeals.com. The exhibitors showcased real estate developments in premier locations in New Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and several other cities across India. The event was supported by Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industries (MCHI) a member of The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI).

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Frenzied welcome for wrestler - ‘We want Khali - We want Khali'

After two hours of swaying to thumping Bollywood neo-folk music and listening to stock stage jokes, the fans grew impatient and began chanting for the star of the evening to show up. "We want Khali! We want Khali!"

And when the Goliath-size professional wrestler of that name appeared on stage in a blue cotton shirt, jeans and ponytail, thousands of hands thrust cellphone cameras into the air to capture the image.

"Khali, we love you," screamed men and women alike. "The Khali bomb!" yelled a male voice. Little boys tried to climb over barricades to get closer to the stage, on a college campus.

In India, public adulation and hysteria like this is usually reserved for stars of cricket or Bollywood. But Khali has earned his frenzied fame by becoming the Indian icon of American TV wrestling.

He is the first man from this country to rise high in the American gladiatorial adventure of World Wrestling Entertainment, winning the world heavy weight championship in July 2007.

The square-jawed wrestler weighs 420 pounds, is 7 feet 3 inches tall and measures 63 inches around the chest. He also goes by the names the Great Khali and Mahabali-Khali Khali Who Has Great Strength. The Mahabali title is often applied to the Hindu monkey headed god Hanuman.

Last month, Khali returned to India for a month long vacation. Thousands of fans were waiting with marigold garlands at the New Delhi airport when he landed. Since then, it's been one fanatical welcome/near-stampede after another.

Khali has kept a back-to-back schedule, meeting reporters, schoolchildren, slum-dwellers, politicians, and some of those Bollywood stars and cricketers.

"He is our own Rocky Balboa. From zero to hero," said Darshan Rewar, a 22-year-old engi neering graduate who arrived with his family three hours before the scheduled time of Khali's public appearance at the Mumbai college campus.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the wPaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Air India announces ‘One Price India' sale fares through October

A ir India is offering its ‘One Price India' sale fare for the summer for Economy Class passengers traveling from New York's JFK International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport to Mumbai, Delhi and to over 40 other cities in India served by the carrier. Fares are set at $549 round trip for departures from August 19 to September 18, $599 from Aug. 1 to Aug. 18 and Sept. 19 to October 31, $704 from July 14 to July 31, and $808 from June 1 to June 12.

The ‘One Price India' fares apply to any of Air India's direct and non-stop flights to India departing New York Sunday through Thursday, and returning Monday through Friday. Weekend departures are also available for an additional $50, based on a round-trip purchase. They include flights on Friday and Saturday to India, and Saturday and Sunday from India. The minimum stay is the first Sunday after arrival, and the maximum stay is up to six months.

To read the full article, click here....
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com