Amir Khan to Take a Small Break from Boxing

March 26 2009 17:20 PST

Well, fresh off of his victory over Marco Antonio Barrera, British Desi boxer Amir Khan is ready to take a break and fall back. He was going to spar with current Ring Magazine #1 Pound for Pound boxer in the world Manny Pacquiao. He is going to heal up from his fight following doctor's orders and just not do anything for month before revving up for his next bout in June.

Even if he did decide to spar with Pacquiao or Pacquiao's opponent, fellow Brit Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan doesn't see how useful the sparring match would be.

"My style is completely different to Ricky's, so I can't see myself being any help to Manny - even if I did spar with him," Khan said. "I don't see myself in the ring with him anyway because they've just taken the stitches out of my eye. The doctor says I need a few weeks not doing anything or being hit because it could open up again."

Amir Khan attributes the lack of need in fighting Pacquiao to a contrast in styles that would only give Khan more knowledge down the line.

"Now, even if I did spar with Manny, it'll help me more than it will help him," Khan said. "I've got a fast, moving style whereas Ricky's a bit more flat footed. He walks forward, is more of a pressure fighter and hits a lot harder. I think it's pointless for Manny to spar with me because I've got a completely different style to Ricky."

The Urdu fighter is torn choosing between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton as he is friends with both. Khan has become good friends with Pacquiao since joining up with trainer Freddie Roach, who will be in the Filipino's corner when he faces Hatton at the MGM Grand. While he doesn't share trainers with Hatton, they are both from England, so there's a national pride there that he is cognizant of. Either way, Khan believes the fight which will take place May 2 in Las Vegas will be a memorable one.

"It's a 50-50 fight," Khan said. They're both explosive and it just depends who's better on the night. When it's a massive occasion they both always perform. I'm just going to be sat supporting both fighters. I'm looking forward to enjoying a night of boxing as I'm normally in there fighting myself. It's going to be a bit of a change for me and I'm ready to enjoy a good fight."

While Amir Khan's match against Marco Antonio Barrera was highly anticipated, it will not be as hyped up as the Pacquiao /Hatton match as some circles believe that the winner of that bout will fight the currently retired former light heavyweight champion of the world Floyd Mayweather Jr. Amir Khan believes Floyd's as good as any fighter ever to wear the gloves inside the ring.

"Floyd's a great fighter. He's not had too many wars and he's still got a lot left in the tank," Khan said. "If you've got someone like him fighting the winner of Hatton-Pacquiao, it's going to be a massive, explosive clash."

What do you guys think about this? Do you think he should help out his buddies in preparation for a match? Do you think he's doing the right thing by taking a break? Drop us a comment with your thoughts below.

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(5.0) 85

Masala Bhangra Workout hits NY's Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

March 26 2009 17:15 PST

Everyone's looking for a way to get into shape and lose weight. Well what's the latest in looking sexy? Bhangra of course! Yes that's right; the Desi dance is taking North America by storm and whipping them into shape. The Masala Bhangra Workout which was started by Sarina Jain is a series of dance movements that are recognized as a certified fitness program.

Bhangra is the hottest thing right now thanks to the movie 'Slumdog Millionaire', the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger, and of course Britney Spears. But Sarina Jain has been on this movement from the beginning. She put out her first instructional video back in 1999. You may have heard of the dance fitness guru who brings the Bollywood moves you love into a workout that you can easily do.

Well the world famous Alvin Ailey Dance Theater has invited the hot Bhangra babe to teach students a thing or two in New York City as they sweat away the pounds. The 'Masala Bhangra Workout' Queen-Sarina Jain herself will be teaching the moves this Saturday night (or March 28th for those of you that need dates) during an Ailey Extension in NYC. There will even be a henna tattoo artist and percussionist to liven things up.

Sarina Jain says of her workout "People fall in love with the beat of Bhangra, the music combined with its sensuous, vigorous movements recreates the excitement that an occasion is being celebrated. People have so much fun; they don't realize they are getting an awesome cardiovascular and muscle-strengthening workout."

So we want to know what you think about the 'Masala Bhangra Workout'. Do you think that it's an effective workout to lose weight? Would you want to try out the workout to get into shape or just to learn some hot moves for the dance floor? Give us your thoughts on Sarina Jain's 'Masala Bhangra Workout.'

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(5.0) 85

Rihanna's New Tattoo

March 26 2009 16:40 PST

by: Marcus Beasley

Well I'm going to assume that Rihanna's body has recovered from her one on one slugfest with Chris Brown because she now has a new tattoo, which makes it tattoo number four. Her new tattoo provided by tattoo artist Bang Bang is that of a gun, which is located on her ribcage. The tattoo was originally supposed to be on her upper arms, but this would have pissed off the people at Cover Girl because it goes against the contract.

I'm not sure why she did this. Maybe she should have tattooed the face of Rocky Balboa on there, to you know symbolize that she can take a punch. Another tattoo suggestion would be a T-bone steak or a Ziploc bag full of ice. Because just in case Mr. Brown decides to knock her senseless again she has an instant reminder of what to slap on her face (sorry I couldn't help it) to keep the swelling down. Or maybe, considering Chris Brown got tattoos of stars on the back of his head to match Rihanna's, maybe he can get one too to add to his burgeoning collection of ink.

But another reason for the tattoo might be for a different reason. Maybe it's some kind of physical shopping list. Maybe she already bought a gun and is using this to tell the public. Who knows maybe if Chris Brown decides to go Ike Turner on her again Rihanna will have a surprise for him. One thing's for sure if Rihanna shows up one day sporting a stun gun and samurai sword tattoo then we'll know she's packing some serious firepower, though I must say her tattoo of a 007 James Bond looking pistol is not nearly as egregious as one would have thought upon hearing the news.

I do hope that if those tattoos do rear their heads that Chris Brown takes the hint, because if he doesn't the world will be short one R&B singer. The only question is will Rihanna finish him fast or make him suffer? Well what does everybody think of Rihanna's new tattoo? Does it add some more sex appeal, does it give her more street cred or is this some kind of cry for help or attention? Let us know in a comment below.

Shahrukh Khan Resumes Work After Surgery

March 26 2009 15:40 PST

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan's fans were saddened to hear that their favorite actor had to go under the knife for surgery on an injured shoulder. Perhaps the worst part was that it was being reported that SRK would be out of commission for at least 3 months according to doctor's orders. Well it looks like that isn't stopping the King Khan from staying away from his passion for his craft. Just a month after he went in for surgery Shahrukh Khan resumed filming for Karan Johar's 'My Name is Khan' co-starring Kajol.

There's no denying it's hard to keep Shahrukh away from movie sets as he went through a similar situation when he filmed 'Kal Ho Na Ho' shortly after having surgery. This time around Shahrukh's arm is in a sling (which he wore to the Filmfare awards recently) while he fully recovers and has been busy with IPL dealings and again went against his doctor's advice as he returned to Bollywood.

For all those die hard Shahrukh Khan fans out there that are worried about the star over-working his freshly operated shoulder, don't worry too much because we hear he's been shooting simple scenes that require minimal physical movement. Plus, since the shoulder isn't healed completely, Shahrukh is taking pain killers and taking exercise breaks in between. Ouch! Still sounds mighty painful to us!

While he's still shooting for 'My Name is Khan,' he is ruling out doing any stunts for the next six months because doctors have told him it will take four months to fully heal and the two month leeway is to see how slow or fast it actually heals.

So we want to know what you guys think. Is Shahrukh Khan returning to work to soon? Or are you happy he's continuing to shoot for 'My Name is Khan'? Drop us a comment with your thoughts!

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(4.9) 83

Kanye West, It's Time For You to Tap India

March 26 2009 15:05 PST

By Alex Gonzalez

Kanye West, you are probably one of the most high profile artists in music today, let alone hip-hop. From your amazing beats to your trendy fashion sense you have captivated the globe. There are some people out there that might not like hip-hop, but love you as an artist. You're a big fan of challenges, Kanye. How about this for a challenge: conquer India. While hip-hop has definitely become a global phenomenon going 30 years strong, India is still developing their identity when it comes to rap. You got your artists here and there who pop up that they like, but Kanye, you have everything in your power to become the most popular artist in the world's largest democracy.

Let's just start off with your beats. You produced a big portion of Jay-Z's 2001 classic 'The Blueprint.' That album to a lot of US fans was the soundtrack of the fall of 2001 and they credit your soulful sample heavy beats. Fast forward 8 years later to your latest opus, '808s And Heartbreak', now your beats are tailor made for the clubs. That's not a bad thing though, Kanye. India loves those up-tempo drum heavy beats. You said on your hit single "Jesus Walks," that you hope the next time you're in the club everybody's screaming out "Jesus Walks." Well, they're definitely yelling out now, "How could you be so heartless?!" vocoder not included. Maybe you should make a club visit so you can see that for yourself.

Next up, Kanye West, is your performances. They're so "out there" yet India hasn't had a chance to personally see what the fuss is about. Your Glow in the Dark Tour show was like a trip to outer space. For that hour and a half or so, when you perform, everyone is in your world. How about the thought of getting a billion people to be in your world? Yeah, that would be pretty crowded, but you get mad when award show voters don't give you awards. I'm sure a billion people singing your praises would be a cool thing to experience right? I can see it now. You, in Mumbai, by yourself, on stage, and thousands of people in the crowd wearing your venetian blind shades. Then, when you go off on your regular rants about what is on your mind like how you do on your blog, you'll have India co-signing you. Talk about strength in numbers!

Lastly, your fashion sense is like how your rate your swagger: on a hundred, thousand, trillion. India has their own bit of swagger, but sometimes it comes in the form of sarees and sherwanis. The Indian youth is definitely more in touch with the Western fashion trends though, and you can make your style the predominant choice there. Think about it, 'Ye. Kids can go to school wearing Louis Vuitton backpacks to go with the new Louis Vuitton sneakers and the fancy sweater to boot (well, maybe not the sweater, India can get really hot, you know). In Indian barbershops, they can say "I want the Kanye haircut" and point to the shag haircut you had recently. Your fashion sense is the stuff Bollywood movies should be made out of. While nobody can duplicate what you do, it sure would be cool to know hundreds of millions of people are trying to replicate it.

Kanye West, do not pass up this opportunity to make your presence felt more than it already is in India. With a country still looking to figure out who their rap heroes should be, put your name in the ring and do what you have to do to make yourself the prominent figure out there. Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent have made names for themselves in India, but you've beaten 50 Cent before, so that shouldn't be too big of a problem. There's a billion people there so even if you impact 10% of the population, that's 100 million new Kanye West fans. India's waiting for you man. Take advantage before these new hip-hop fans out there find another rap hero.

So what do you think Kanye needs to do to get India more into hip-hop? Is Kanye West a good ambassador of hip-hop? Let us know what you think.

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(3.5) 60

Prachi Desai to Star Alongside Emraan Hashmi

March 26 2009 14:55 PST

She's the pretty girl who took her career from the small screen with the television serial 'Kasam Se' to the silver screen with 'Rock On!!!' and now Prachi Desai has signed on to star in yet another Bollywood film! This time around she'll be starring opposite serial kisser Emraan Hashmi in a film titled, 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai.' We hear the film is based on the life of old-time don, Haji Mustan.

Prachi was quoted as saying, "Yes it's true that I have signed Balaji's film 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai.' I can't tell details about my character but its going to be a different character over all. I'm paired opposite Emraan Hashmi. He is one of the most successful actors and the music of all his films have always been appreciated by all. I'm hoping that even this film will also be a hit. Besides me and Emraan, there will also be Kangana Ranaut and Ajay Devgan."

Just based on the star cast, we can already tell this is going to be a powerhouse performance film as all the actors are known for their strong past performances. Except Prachi who played a more mellow role in 'Rock On!!!' Shooting for the film will start soon and will take place mostly in Mumbai.
'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai' isn't the only film Prachi is working on. Her next film to be released is 'Life Partner' which was actually supposed to hit theatres in May but got delayed due to the theatre strikes.

So what do you think of the Emraan-Prachi pairing? Do you think Prachi will be showing more of a glamorous side or do you think she'll stick to her good girl image? Drop us a comment with your thoughts!

New York Times writes up a Bollywood Playlist

March 25 2009 19:50 PST

After finishing up her latest book about India "In the Land of no Right Angles," Daphne Beal decided to offer some insight on South Asian Music. In a blog for the New York Times, Beal is giving the world a taste of India. Beal shows off 10 songs that she considers "happy, hyper, get-up-and-dance numbers spanning the last half century."

The first two on her list are composed by Oscar award winning artist A.R. Rahman. "Dil Se" comes in at number one while "Chaiyya Chaiyya" comes in at number two. When the BBC conducted a popularity poll, "Chaiyya Chaiyya" was in the top ten in 155 countries.At number three is "Aap Jaise Koi" from the film "Qurbani." It was composed by Biddu who also composed hits over in the West like "Kung Fu Fighting" and "Ring my Bell." Number four belongs to "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" from the 1966 film "Gumnaam."

The Bhangra DJ trio of RDB takes the number five spot with "Aloo Chaat." DesiHits did a review of the song, check it out here. At number six is "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" with that signature line, "Hello Mister how do you do?" The psychedelic jam "Dum Maro Dum" from the 1970 film "Hare Rama Hare Krishna takes the seven spot. With the "Hare Krishna Hare Ram" chanting plus the voice of Asha Bholse, this was one trippy song.

Number eight belongs to "Kokku Para Para" from the Tamil Nadu film "Chandramukhi." At number nine is "Rang Rang" from the film "Bollywood Hollywood." Finally, number 10 goes to Bally Sagoo. His hit "Aaga Nachle" rounds out the list, and for good reason. If you're looking for a happy, hyper, and get up to dance song, "Aaja Nachle" is what you want. The songs title, meaning "Come Dance" was featured in the Indie film "Monsoon Wedding." Now that you see the list, what do you think about it? Think Beal did a good job or could the list be better. DesiHits wants to know who would you have on your Top 10 Desi dance list?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is Bollywood Barbie

March 25 2009 18:15 PST

Oh my, Barbie's going Bollywood! From Sexy songstress Nicole Scherizinger to pop princess Britney Spears it seems like everybody wants a piece of Bollywood. And Barbie maker Mattel wants in on the action.

The latest Barbie will be modeled after Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Rai has appeared in countless Bollywood films and has crossed over to Hollywood. She has appeared in past films as "Bride and Prejudice" and "The Pink Panther 2." Aishwarya will find herself among other celebs like Beyonce Knowles and Diana Ross.

The Barbie will be outfitted with a wardrobe from Indian designers and probably have Rai's signature green eyes, though nothing is finalized yet. Since winning the Miss World contest back in 1994 there has been no slowing down the Bollywood beauty. Aside from her film success, she's been the face of L'Oreal cosmetics and has married into Bollywood royalty through Abhishek Bachchan.

If everything works out, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be the first Indian actress to have a Barbie doll modeled after her. So do our readers like the idea of a 'Bollywood Barbie?' If so, do you think that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was the perfect choice for the doll in the Indian market? Give us your thoughts on the new doll and what you think about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the choice.

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(4.1) 70

Deepika Padukone Guest Judge on Shahrukh Khan's 'Knight and Angels'

March 25 2009 16:00 PST

Since appearing in 'Om Shanti Om', the only time Deepika Padukone and Shahrukh Khan have been together again on screen was briefly in the movie 'Billu'. Well apparently the friendship the sexy actress has with Shahrukh Khan was enough to convince her to be on his show 'Knight and Angels'. Since the premiere of the show, guest judges including Anoushka Sharma, Malaika Arora Khan, Minisha Lamba, and Lara Dutta have made an appearance. So it's no surprise that producer Shahrukh Khan would choose Deepika Padukone for one of the episodes.

This Saturday's episode will feature the 'Chandani Chowk to China' star, Deepika who just so happened to be a hit on 'Knight and Angels'. For those of you not in the know, 'Knight and Angels' is a one of a kind reality show that hunts for cheerleaders for IPL on DTV Imagine. Deepika Padukone gave the angel contestants a run for their money as she danced with them to music from 'Billu'. She also strut her stuff with contemporary dance expert Shiamak Davar to the song 'Dhoom Machale Dhoom' and even got the host of the show Purab Kohli to join in.

Deepika Padukone was kind and charming, but also tough on the contestants. Judge and dance choreographer, Shaimak Davar was quick to point out the faults in their performances, but also demonstrated the correct steps. Cricketer and judge, Sourav Ganguly was cheerful as usual. Red Chillies Idiot Box creative head Pranjal Khandhdiya said of the show, "Knight and Angels is moving towards the finals. Deepika Padukone charmed everyone with her vibrant presence and Shaimak Davar performing with Deepika and angel contestants made the episode a visual treat".

Well we have a sneak peek in pictures of all the fun that happened with Deepika Padukone as a guest judge. To get you ready for this week's show, we've included the pictures of the show and Deepika Padukone in her sexy teal dress. Let us know what you think about the show and Deepika Padukone's ensemble.

Cheerleaders welcome Deepika Padukone to the show!

Deepika Padukone and Sourav Ganguly

Deepika Padukone was a hard judge to please.

Shaimak Davar shows everyone how it's done.