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The bombs were picked up from across the country ? eight each from Calcutta, Dubai, London, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. And boy, did they burst with a bang in Mumbai!
Fourteen girls had made it to the stage on the night of the grand finale. On the judge?s panel were Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Saroj Khan and Zayed Khan. The finalists were judged over two rounds. First up was a property round, where they were given a chair or a stick and had to perform around the property. In the next round, the contestant had to synchronise her movements along with a dance troupe. The grand party ended with the music release of Musafir. Despite sizzling performances all around, it was Dubai that stole the show.
Tatsiana from the shoppers? paradise was chosen to be the dancing partner of the deadly Dutt (Sanjay, of course) in Musafir. The first runner-up was Lirisa from Dubai. India edged in with Anisha from New Delhi in the third spot.
There were performances by Sanjay Dutt, Sameera Reddy and Koena Mitra, the stars of the film, to add to the excitement of the night, attended also by Malaika Arora, Ken Ghosh, Musafir director Sanjay Gupta and Anil Kapoor.
With Czech-born Yana Gupta convincing babujis to go real slow, all eyes are now on Tatsiana, the 24-year-old, born in Belarus. With a diploma in classical dance from Belarus University under her belt, she promises to be an exotic import as well. Her winning act will be there on view on Zee Music on October 23 at 8.30 pm when the grand finale of the Musafir Item Bomb hunt will be telecast.
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He?s not a good king ruling over his adoring subjects in Camelot. Nor is his queen Guinevere the love of his life. King Arthur was actually a Roman commander who was more at war with his conscience than his enemies.
In the Jerry Bruckheimer film of the same name, directed by Antoine Fuqua of Training Day fame, the international cast comprises relative unknowns, apart from the lovely Kiera Knightley.
There has been a lot of talk about the story, a departure from the famous legend of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. The reviews have been mixed, but you can now catch it on the big screen in town.
Arthur, or, according to scriptwriter David Franzoni, Roman commander Lucius Artorius Castus, comes to England on the orders of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, at a time when the empire is crumbling around 450 AD. Franzoni claims to have got the information on a trip to the library, from a student?s paper which mentioned Castus as the possible precursor to the Arthurian legend.
He ends up a Christian and, with the help of Merlin, Guinevere, their armies and his pagan Sarmatian knights (the Round Table), the half-British half-Roman commander fights for one last mission before returning home.
The brooding Arthur is played by 39-year-old Clive Owen, who had never ridden a horse before filming began in Ireland last year. While he admitted to not identifying with the character of King Arthur, he added that the non-traditional nature of the role meant more freedom to act and interpret.
On the official website of the film, Knightley says the character of Guinevere would ?terrify me?. The ?tough-as-nails? (as described by Bruckheimer) gal-turned-Machiavellian queen, who bent it like Beckham some time back, says of Guinevere: ?She?s no damsel in distress.?
The Pujas are here and can the small screen odes to the Devi be far behind? Local channels are desperate to outdo each other with their Puja offerings. Here?s what some Bangla channels are dishing out during the days of the Devi: Alpha Bangla is not only airing special programmes but has even changed its logo for the Pujas, with the word Bangla written in Bengali. Saat Sakal in the morning on Alpha finds Durga and her family on the sets, sharing their experience at various pandals. Sharadiya Katha and Gaan feature eminent personalities and singers bringing the Pujas alive with memories and music. Regular shows such as Dhanni Meye and Haun Maun Khaun also sport a special Puja look. The couch potato?s favourite, Puja Parikrama, goes on air at 11 pm, every night.
The highlight on Tara is the telefilm bouquet. Based on stories by Nabanita Dev Sen, Nimai Bhattacharya and others, four Puja films were aired on the four days. Boithaki adda with personalities from different fields and a look at Pujas in other countries (Pujoy Ghuri Bidesh) are the other festive features. Tara also visits traditional family Pujas and offers recipes to match the festive flavour.
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| Michael Moore: Bush basher |
It?s won its share of awards, done the rounds of international film festivals and had enough hype to last a long time in public memory. If your ears are ringing with the words 9/11, then it?s time to check out Michael Moore?s Fahrenheit 9/11, playing in city theatres now.
He has been described as a rabid anti-Republican, a hero of democracy and everything in between. But there?s no denying that with just 10 days to go for the US elections, it?s time for a recap of US politics and the chain of events leading up to some of the most momentous events in American history, Michael Moore style.
Conspiracy theory, paranoid delusion or plain old truth backed by hard evidence, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a walk through the murky world of American power games and international terrorism a la Al Qaeda.
Starring George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden, the links between the Bush and the bin Laden families and the influence of Saudi money is guaranteed to keep your eyes wide open.
