2009-03-29
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Refuses to be Immortalized as Barbie
March 28 2009 12:25 PST
By: Mufsin Mahbub
It looks like Barbie won't be going Bollywood this time around due to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's busy schedule.
The 35-year-old actress talked with Barbie's manufacturer Mattel, who came up with the idea to give the iconic doll a Bollywood makeover. But the deal didn't take place.
Ever since Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won the Miss World title in 1994, Mattel had made several attempts to make a celebrity doll modeled after the attractive Indian beauty. The problem was that she never got any time off to make an effort, due to her busy schedule shooting for upcoming projects.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was approached again by Mattel during Barbie's 50th Anniversary to appear decorated as a celebrity Barbie.
'Mattel was keen to have the actress walk the ramp on Lakme Fashion Week 'Barbie dolled up' in a winning design as Single Likeness Barbie, which would be unveiled and auctioned for a charity of her choice,' said a statement issued by Aishwarya's spokesperson.
However, the actress got out due to her prior commitments that she did not want to cause trouble to the film-makers she was working with by taking time out for the event.
Aishwarya has been busy working on future films like Mani Ratnam's "Raavan" which also has her husband Abhishek Bachchan in the lead. She is also set to appear in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next venture opposite Hrithik Roshan as well as working with director Vipul Shah in the film "Action Replay" opposite Akshay Kumar. Two other projects include a film produced by Farhan Akhtar and Vishal Bharadwaj's next movie.
So we ask you, our readers, is Aishwarya still is a good choice to become a Barbie doll? If not, do you know any other actress who might have what it takes to become the "Bollywood Barbie"? Give us your thoughts on it.
Aa Dekhen Zara Movie Review
March 28 2009 23:50 PST
The Story:
This film is about a young freelance photographer named Ray Acharya (Neil Nitin Mukesh) who's down on his luck. His grandfather has just passed away and Ray is having a hard time finding work. Luckily, his grandfather leaves him a camera and pocket watch that Ray originally assumes are items just like any other. He quickly learns the camera has a special power that allows the photographer to see ahead in the future for any picture they take.
Neil Nitin Mukesh as Ray Acharya
Bipasha Basu as Simi
Rahul Devas as Captain
Cast:
Neil Nitin Mukesh as Ray Acharya
Rahul Devas Captain
Sophie Choudry as Bindiya Avasthi
Crew:
Distributor: Eros Pictures
Production House: Eros International
Director: Jehangir Surti
Story & Screenplay: Sheershak Anand & Shantanu Ray
Choreography: Ahmed Khan
Lyrics: Pritam
What Works:
Although the movie is fairly predictable, it still manages to have an interesting take that never bores the audience. It is pretty interesting right from the beginning and definitely keeps the attention of the viewer the entire time. The characters are pretty believable, which makes it easier to look past the flaws.
What Doesn't Work:
This movie isn't original. It takes themes and ideas from hundreds of other sci-fi, action, and romance movies and comes up with 'Aa Dekhen Zara'. The predictability is there from the beginning which takes away from the twist or surprise the writers were hoping for.
The Soundtrack:
The film's soundtrack is really great. It's almost difficult to find something to hate about it. Each song expresses a modern genre with the traditional Hindi lyrics. There's a lot of dance music in this movie which is different and cool.
Slated Or Rated?
Rated! This movie is purely for fun. Don't go expecting too much, in fact don't go with any ideas or thoughts of how it's going to be. This is a movie that's packed with just the right amount of action and romance to be a good date movie.
3 1/2 out of 5
Critic: Phylis J. Iqbal
RATE:
(3.0)
Anoop Desai Closer To Becoming the Next American Idol
March 27 2009 15:35 PST
By: Alex Gonzales
In week 3 of the American Idol competition, Michael Sarver was the unlucky contestant whose time finally ran out. This week was Motown Week as contestants got to sing over old original Motown tracks. Our boy Anoop Desai once again was on the judges' good side as he sang "Ooh Baby Baby." Personally I found the performance to be pretty boring, but he can sing. The judges echoed my sentiment, especially Simon Cowell who said Anoop Dog looked half asleep up there, though he did say this was his second straight good performance. The judges all taught him to look at the bigger picture in terms of showmanship, because as Simon Cowell aptly put it, "We would have to sign you as a recording artist." Anoop's been great at taking criticism well so we hope next week he puts it all together and makes himself the clear front runner.
The big surprise of the night came from Matt Giraud inexplicably being placed in the bottom 3 alongside Sarver and Scott Macintyre. If there was ever going to be a time for the judges to unanimously save a singer, it might have had to be done last night if Giraud was the bottom vote getter. Scott Macintyre should have had fewer votes than him. His song selection has been blasé and compared to the other male singers in the competition, now with Sarver out, he has to be at the bottom of the list. I just hope people don't keep him around just because he happens to be blind. America's a sucker for a sob story, but it's American Idol, not the Make A Wish Foundation. So far, the voting has been good, so fans, keep it up.
Michael Sarver definitely got criticized harshly by the judges. He sang "Ain't Too Proud Too Beg" and even Paula Abdul had to say his performance reminded him of a Las Vegas lounge act. Simon Cowell said he had no chance of winning the competition and you could tell that Sarver knew he was resigned to his fate. He started giving his farewell address saying had a blast and he had fun up there. He knew the writing was on the wall. Good thing the fans knew too.
This week, Stevie Wonder stopped by amongst the gross product placement by Ford to deliver a medley of his hits. Next week, reigning Idol champion David Cook and Lady GaGa will perform on the stage.
So what do you think American Idol will have in store next week? Do you think Anoop Desai can keep up his good singing or will he fall back into the bottom 3 again? Drop us a comment and let us know what you think.
RATE:
(4.2)
The Bhangra Circuit: Ten years of Bhangra Fusion
March 27 2009 22:20 PST
by: Dr. Sahib
Bhangra Fusion is one of the hottest and longest running Bhangra competitions in the US. On March 28th, 2009, ten Bhangra teams from across North America are taking the Motor City by storm for the 10th consecutive year.
So what makes Bhangra Fusion different than other Bhangra competitions?
"Definitely the 'fusion' aspect," says Rahul Kataria, captain of the Northwestern University Bhangra team, one of the ten groups competing at Bhangra Fusion this Saturday. "What I like most about the competition is that the rules and the judges allow us quite a bit of leeway in terms how we interpret traditional Bhangra. We know the traditional stuff, but it's about how well we can balance it with new and interesting ideas."
Bobby Singh of Hype Productions, the organizers of the competition, believes that the evolution of Bhangra dance styles has been made clear to him over the past 10 years at Bhangra Fusion. "Ten years ago, we used to dance to songs we happened to hear at weddings; as long as we put our hands in the air, it was Bhangra. But now, Bhangra is more mainstream. Kids grew up watching these competitions and learning what Bhangra really is."
Sumjit Bajwa, captain of Michigan State University's Bhangra team (the only all-girls team at this year's show), has been attending Bhangra Fusion since she was 16 years old. "Since 2002, every team has brought something different at Fusion. Each year, I've walked out with a new idea and something we can incorporate into our dances in the future."
Kataria adds, "We know there are gonna be Desis and non-Desis at the show, so we remix our songs, come up with creative formations, and really try and please everyone."
Whether you are a fan of traditional Bhangra or the Fusion styles, Bhangra Fusion promises to satisfy any audience. Keep it locked on The Desi Hits Bhangra Circuit for more updates on Bhangra Fusion, including exclusive photos and video from the show!
RATE:
(3.4)
Epic Records Artist Bamboo Shoots to Tour India
March 27 2009 13:55 PST
Bamboo Shoots take things back to their "motherland". The New York based
electronic/alternative band created a fan base in the U.S. by touring extensively and signing to
a major label with Epic Records and now they want to create a worldwide craze over
themselves.
Epic Records just announced that Bamboo Shoots will be touring India from April 2nd to the 15th.
The band's debut album which was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads has an Indian
influence which can be seen particularly at their shows. The tour will include stops in Mumbai,
Delhi, Pune, Kolkata and Bangalore. The boys will be certain to video blog the entire
experience.
The band members who have been friends for a long time include Avir Mitra, Karl Sukhia, Shiv
Puri, Ankur Patel and Ahmed Mahmoud. Although most of the members were born and raised
in the United States, the Indian media has taken a liking to the boys. They were interviewed by
Rolling Stone India, Vogue India, and CNN India. Bamboo Shoots' hope is probably that they will
start to gain exposure and fans in India.
Bamboo Shoots talent has caused them to win MTVU's Best Music On-Campus "Artist of the
Year" contest which is when they were subsequently signed to Epic Records. They also had the
opportunity to perform on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien.' Their debut album, entitled
'Armour,' will be released later this year.
So what do our readers think about Bamboo Shoots coming to India? How do you think India will
take to the electronic/alternative band with funky beats and cool lyrics? Would any of our
readers want to go see the band live? We want to know what you think about the band, their
music, and their plan to tour India.
RATE:
(4.8)
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