A few good men: Even as Lage Raho Munnabhai celebrates its 100 days at the theatres, the countdown for the other Vinod Chopra Films biggie, Eklavya –The Royal Guard, has begun. Slated to release on February 16, the dramatic thriller is directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra (left) himself. A story of deceit, revenge, drama and action set in present-day India, Eklavya stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Jackie Shroff, Vidya Balan, Boman Irani, Jimmy Sheirgill, Raima Sen and Sharmila Tagore.

After the buzz around India sending Rang De Basanti to the Oscars and Lage Raho Munnabhai entered into the competition directly, now comes the real encouraging news. On Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a list of 56 songs eligible for the original song category for the 79th Academy Awards next year and three of them are A. R. Rahman compositions.

Water’s Chan chan (Sukhvinder Singh and Sadhna Sargam) and Rang De Basanti’s Khalbali (Rahman and Aslam) and Luka chhupi (Lata Mangeshkar and Rahman) are among the 56 songs up for the original song Oscar. Other biggies include The book I write from Stranger Than Fiction and You know my name from Casino Royale.

On January 16, the Academy will screen clips featuring each of the 56 songs, in random order, for voting members of the music branch in Beverly Hills and New York City. Following the screenings, members will vote to determine which three, four or five songs become nominees in the category.

To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original, and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits.

The final nominations for the Oscars will be announced on January 23.

Back to Sherlock

This December, join The History Channel as it traces the adventures of the revered detective Sherlock Holmes and his trusty aid and companion Dr John Watson through its exciting series The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes. Indian viewers get a chance to see Jeremy Brett’s flamboyantly brilliant interpretation of Sherlock Holmes in the classic series, premiering on Tuesday at 9 pm.

A faithful adaptation of the original stories, the series brings alive mysteries such as A Solitary Cyclist, The Speckled Band and The Naval Treaty amongst others. Commenting on the new series, Joy Bhattacharjya, senior vice-president, programming, The History Channel, says: “Sherlock Holmes has always enjoyed universal appeal. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is one of the most successful drama series and such programmes are in keeping with our strategy of broad-basing the channel to widen its appeal for all viewers.”

After the premiere this Tuesday, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes will air every Tuesday night at 9 pm.

INOX awarded

INOX Leisure Ltd, the company behind the two popular city plexes at Forum and City Centre, has won the TAAL Multiplexer 2006 award for its contributions to the multiplex industry. TAAL is an international convention and trade show on the Infrastructure of Entertainment.

Commenting on the award, Alok Tandon, COO of INOX Leisure Ltd, said: “Our mission is to create India ’s largest network of world class multiplex theatres across all the leading towns and cities of India and such awards only encourage us more.”

Tribal tourism

Discovery Channel has produced a four-part programme on Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh: The Tribal Planet will uncover the “mystical, traditional and spectacular” region.

Talking about the programme, Deepak Shourie of Discovery Networks India, said: “The series explores the state’s unexplored attractions and will serve as a gateway for eco and ethno-tourists from across India.” Chief minister of Chhattisgarh, Raman Singh, added: “The state is endowed with a rich cultural heritage and attractive natural diversity. Discovery Channel has been an ideal partner for us to showcase Chhattisgarh’s tourism potential.”

Providing a holistic view of the state, the programme will cover Raipur, Kawardha, Bhoramdev, Kumhapura, Jagdalpur, Sirpur, Turturiya, Kanger National Park, Tirathgarh and Chitrakoot waterfalls and Bastar tribes.

The final two episodes of Chhattisgarh: The Tribal Planet will air on Discovery Channel this Saturday and Sunday at 10 pm.