New dance comedy show Break The Floorboards touring

29/04/2013 By Leave a Comment

Break the FloorboardFrom 3rd May to 22nd June, Break The Floorboards, a brand new comedy dance drama from Rifco Arts will be touring the UK. The drama fuses Bollywood and Street dancing, and tells the story of a teenaged boy called Zain who wants to be a dancer, but must overcome many obstacles before he can achieve his dream. The things holding him back include a disapproving family, peer pressure, two left feet and an impending fascist march. But luckily, a chance meeting with a young dancer called Sophie who helps him on his journey, gives him hope that maybe he can achieve his Bollywood dream afterall.

Daniel Uppal, star of BBC One’s DanceX, Thriller Live and a number of mainstream music videos, will play Zain. Nathan Clarke will be playing Adil, Zain’s disgruntled older brother, and the character of Sophie will be played by Carrie Baxter.

Break The Floorboards is being directed by Pravesh Kumar, Artistic Director of Rifco Arts and the talent behind their numerous hit shows (Britain’s Got Bhangra, The Deranged Marriage, Where’s My Desi Soulmate?). It’s written by broadcaster, journalist, writer and performer Yasmeen Khan. The production is choreographed by Andy Kumar (Rifco Arts Creative Associate and Bollywood film Choreographer) and Associate Choreographer Maria Swainson(Flashdance the Musical, Daddy Cool, Emeli Sande, Labrinth, The Saturdays). The set design has been done by Libby Watson (A Fine Bright Day Today, The Deranged Marriage) with lighting design by Mark Dymock. The composer is Sumeet Chopra who composed the popular score for Britain’s Got Bhangra.

The dates and venues of the tour are:

Watford Palace Theatre 3 – 11 May

Warwick Arts Centre 21 – 25 May

Oxford Playhouse 30 May – 1 June

Oldham Coliseum Theatre 4 – 8 June

Key Theatre, Peterborough 11 – 15 June

Theatre Royal Windsor 18 – 22 June

Watch the video below to take a peak behind the scenes of Break The Floorboards, hear the cast and crew talking about the show, and see some of the preparations and rehearsals in action.

 

For more information on how to book, go to www.rifcoarts.com.

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New Indian fast food franchise, Spice 2 Go to create 30 jobs in Swansea

19/11/2012 By Leave a Comment

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30 new jobs in Swansea have recently been announced by Spice 2 Go.

Spice 2 Go is the UK’s first Indian fast food chain providing customers with a fresh new take on the curry! Starting with its flagship store in Swansea Bay, Spice 2 Go will redefine the Indian takeaway industry with consistently high quality Indian dishes prepared to fine ingredients and expert menus. Spice 2 Go Swansea Bay store will boast sleek interiors and professional staff trained in delivering excellent customer service so your Indian fast food experience is unlike any other.

Spice 2 Go Swansea Bay will not only serve mouthwatering dishes for eat-in and collection in store but will also provide customers with an efficient home delivery system. Customers can order their favourite Spice 2 Go dishes from an user-friendly online ordering system with home delivery orders being brought to your door by uniformed staff in branded Spice 2 Go vehicles.

Get ready to experience the curry like never before! With Spice 2 Go Swansea Bay, customers can count on high quality and delicious curry at home or in store.

Useful links:
Spice 2 Go website
Spice 2 Go Swansea facebook page
apply for a job at Spice 2 Go

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Spice 2 Go to introduce bhangra music for in-store operations

13/10/2012 By 1 Comment

Britain’s first Indian fast food chain, Spice 2 Go, is already creating a media storm even before its first store has opened its doors! Recently, Spice 2 Go executives have announced a brand new concept to promote staff productivity within an enjoyable work climate – when staff performance exceeds the company targets, Spice 2 Go stores will be filled with fun-filled bhangra music to celebrate staff efficiency.

This is an innovative way to incentivise staff and make them feel rewarded and the decision to include this process in stores have been met with appreciation from the franchise community. Spice 2 Go will unveil a unique bhangra music library exclusive to Spice 2 Go stores which will be the foundation for this exciting staff performance booster.

To explain this company policy further, when Spice 2 Go staff overachieve on their targets, an automated system will blare bhangra music across the stores. This is a moment for staff to let loose and enjoy with a few authentic bhangra dance moves – surely an entertaining treat for the customers!

This is just another unique and distinctly different move by Spice 2 Go who are already creating waves with their revolutionary franchise product. As the pioneers of Britain’s first Indian fast food chain, Spice 2 Go stores across the country will offer Indian cuisine enthusiasts the opportunity to tuck into a mouth-watering curry in one of the swanky stores or make use of takeaway collection. Spice 2 Go curries will also also available for home delivery – while you relax in your house, you can now access a lip smacking curry delivered to your door by uniformed staff in Spice 2 Go branded vehicles!

As Spice 2 Go prepares to launch its first store, Britain’s curry-loving population is eagerly awaiting this unique concept that will transform the Indian takeaway experience in the UK. Say goodbye to substandard curries and get ready to taste consistently good curries across the UK from Spice 2 Go stores.

You can find out more about Spice 2 Go on www.spice2go.com

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Aishwarya Rai weight loss in new campaign under fire

13/08/2012 By 3 Comments

She is often known as the most beautiful woman in the world but lately she’s faced some harsh critique regarding her appearance. Indian beauty Aishwarya Rai was rebuked by her fans and media critics when she failed to lose those extra pounds weeks after giving birth to her first child. She’s on the receiving end for her weight issues again! Only this time it is towards her weight loss, deemed incredible by many.

Aishwarya Rai, former Miss World and the Bollywood actress, unleashed a barrage of criticism after she was spotted at the Cannes Film Festival in May earlier this year with a double chin. Fans were furious, demanding Rai uphold her duty as a star and maintain a slim figure. While one said: “She is a Bollywood actress and it is her duty to look good and fit,” the other commented: “She needs to learn from people like Victoria Beckham who are back to size zero weeks after their delivery.”

Married to one of India’s most eligible bachelors, the Aishwarya Rai-Abhishek Bachchan made headlines across the world. Eight months after giving birth to baby Aaradhya, Rai is back to her slender self as she exudes confidence and glamour in her new project – a print advert for a national jewellers. However, instead of positive feedback for her weight loss, the actress’ new advert has caused fresh controversy. Rai now faces new rumours that allege that her photographs have been enhanced in post production.

B-wood website Bollywoodlife.com wrote: “We can’t figure out if she’s really lost weight or if the pictures are heavily Photoshopped. The ad has been shot aesthetically, which gives an impression that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is floating in golden-hued water. The actress was last spotted with baby Aaradhya in June this year, and it’s quite surprising that she has got back to her lean self within a matter of two months, or as we said before – the images might be a result of heavy editing.”

However, the director of photography for the shoot has denied any such allegation. Kiran Deohans, who shot the advertising material, said: “Coming back post-delivery after months and shooting for this commercial, Aishwarya is still the same. She is a true professional and has the same passion for work.

“As the director of photography, I felt she is the most beautiful woman I ever worked with. She always had that sparkling glow on her face earlier and even after pregnancy.”

Rai’s international fame and stunning good looks mean that she will always be on the receiving end of controversy. Here’s hoping the new working mum can look past the rumour mills and concentrate on her assignments!

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Sherlyn Chopra becomes Playboy’s first Indian cover girl

26/07/2012 By Leave a Comment

Bollywood starlet Sherlyn Chopra is set to create history when she appears as the first Indian woman to be featured in the November issue of Playboy. The 28-year-old actress, who has played bit parts in a variety of forgettable Bollywood films, is the reason behind a media storm where many accuse her for shaming the country by appearing naked in the adult magazine.

Chopra has revealed that she wrote to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner asking to be featured in his magazine and had to work hard in order to land the gig. Although apprehensive at first, she is ecstatic to be first Indian woman to be featured on the cover of this internationally-recognised brand. She told BBC Hindi: “It is not an easy task to be nude in front of the camera and look good at the same time.”

Her controversial move has left India stunned as it struggles to come to terms that an Indian woman would be publicly flaunting her ‘modesty’ to an international audience. While some have reacted negatively on microblogging website Twitter, there are those who see this bold move as positive both for Chopra and brand India.

One Twitter user commented: “She’s not hot, she’s repulsive”, while media commentator Gayatri Sankar said: “At a time when innocent women across the nation from Gujarat to Guwahati have been subjected to sexual abuse and humiliation, one wonders if Sherlyn Chopra’s pictures wound a woman’s integrity.”

However, there are those who see this move as progressive and honest and applaud Chopra for making a distinctive if controversial career choice. Journalist Rajyasree Sen wrote in her opinion piece on a national news publication: “Sherlyn, the nation is proud.”

However, all the attention does not seem to affect Chopra who is proud of her Playboy gig: “I have become the first Indian to pose naked for Playboy and nobody can take away that achievement from me.”

Whatever her reasons, her latest role has brought Chopra plenty of media attention – and that’s even before her photos debut on the world market. Having created history, once can only expect Chopra to go from strength to strength.

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Kareena set to sizzle in Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’

11/06/2012 By Leave a Comment

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor is set to sizzle on the silver screen once again in a song from her upcoming film ‘Heroine’. The actress, known for burning up the screen in item numbers like Chamak Challo from Ra.One and Bebo from Don, claims that her latest item song Halkat Jawani is her raunchiest performance yet.

Kareena, who garnered significant media attention when she dropped to a size zero, is reported to have followed a stringent diet and workout regime to get the perfect body. The first look from the song has the Bollywood beauty showing off her curves in the first of her two items songs for the Madhur Bhandarkar film.

Sporting a Manish Malhotra look in a pink sari, a black choli and bindi, Kapoor looks every bit the ravishing beauty. “This is the raunchiest number I have ever done. There’s so much exposure,” Kareena told newspapers in India. “I have always done classy songs. This song has more mass appeal.”

The five-day shoot from Halkat Jawani was choreographed by contemporary Bollywood dance guru, Ganesh Acharya. The song has been scored by music directors Salim-Suleman with vocals by Sunidhi Chauhan.

During the shoot, Kareena received several visitors on the set, including former Miss World Priyanka Chopra, film maker Karan Johar and item queen Malaika Arora Khan.

‘Heroine’ follows the life of actress Mahi Arora, whose career is on the decline. The film also features actors Arjun Rampal, Randeep Hooda and Rakesh Bapat. The film, initially scheduled to release a week earlier, will now launch on September 21 to coincide with Kareena’s birthday. However, this also means that ‘Heroine’ will now compete with two other heavy weight women-centred films set to release the same weekend – Sridevi’s comeback film ‘English Vinglish’ and the Preity Zinta starrer ‘Ishkq in Paris’.

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Leading Bollywood ladies take centrestage as 2012 prepares for women-centric films

30/05/2012 By Leave a Comment

Following the success of Vidya Balan starrer Kahaani and The Dirty Picture, Bollywood has been hit with a wave of female-centric films. 2012 will see a star-studded line up of top Bollywood actresses embark on films with women as central protagonists. Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Sridevi, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee and Farah Khan will all compete for box office numbers as fans are treated to a range of entertaining and thought-provoking releases.

Choreographer-turned-filmmaker Farah Khan is making her acting debut opposite comic stalwart Boman Irani in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-produced Shirin Farhan Ki Toh Nikal Padi. The eagerly-anticipated romantic comedy has already created quite a stir with film pundits classing it as the mother of all comic spoofs.

“I was quite conscious about turning a heroine with Shirin Farhad….,” says Farah. “After all, how can you have someone who is fat and in her 40s as the leading lady? However Sanjay trusted in me. In fact I was so nervous about even seeing the rushes of the film. All my apprehensions vanished when Sanjay gave me a nod of approval.”

Other big-budget films in the pipeline include Jism 2 introducing Canadian adult-film actress Sunny Leone and Kaam-The Unofficial Story starring dusky beauty Chitrangda Singh. Both films are slotted to release on the same day along side the Sanjay Bhansali production.

Another film fans are keenly looking forward to is Sridevi-starrer English Vinglish. Sridevi, who is making a celluloid comeback after a 14-year sabbatical, will see the R Balki production release in three languages – Hindi, Tamil and Telegu. The actress, often recognised as one of the best actresses of Indian cinema, plays the role of a housewife who enrols for an English speaking course in order to please her husband and family.

So keep your eyes peeled for a season of absolute Bollywood dhamaka!

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Shilpa Shetty still to decide on name for her baby boy

24/05/2012 By Leave a Comment

After giving birth to a bouncing baby boy only a few days ago on Monday May 21st, it’s not surprising that Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is yet to decide on a name for her little bundle of joy; although the proud parents have come up with a couple of nicknames including “Baby K” and “Little Raj” to tide them over while they consider his official name.

 

Speaking for the first time since the birth of his son, delighted dad Raj Kundra revealed that he and Shilpa will choose a name using the alphabet chosen by his mother-in-law, Sunanda Shetty, who is very knowledgeable on the art of astrology and numerology. The 36-year-old businessman said he and his wife of three years will choose a name once Sunanda has decided on the baby boy’s alphabet.

 

As for the celebrations to mark the birth of the yet-to-be-named Baby Kundra, businessman Raj says the couple will plan a celebration once Shilpa and their new addition are discharged from hospital.

 

While the Big Brother winner and Bollywood actress is still recovering following the birth of her first baby earlier this week, Shilpa Shetty couldn’t resist posting a short statement via her Twitter account, clearly expressing her delight following the birth for her baby boy. The actress wrote, “Ecstatic is an understatement” to describe her reaction to becoming a mother for the first time.

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Bollywood to get its own Walk of Fame

27/03/2012 By Leave a Comment

Bollywood is set to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood by launching its very own Walk of Fame to honour the biggest names in the Indian movie industry. The UTV Stars’ Walk of the Stars will be officially launched tomorrow by leading Bollywood actress, Kareena Kapoor.

The new Walk of the Stars at Bandra’s Bandstand Promenade will allow tourists and Mumabi residents alike to view the sea-facing street lined with paving stones bearing the hand prints of famous Bollywood stars for free.

In addition to the pavement slabs featuring the handprints from the biggest names in the Indian Movie business, the Walk of the Stars will also pay homage to those with legendary status in Bollywood. The life size statues will be made of brass and set on benches up and down the special Mumbai street. Actor and presenter, Amitabh Bachchan, Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna are all believed to be in line to have a special brass statue made in their image and placed on the Walk of the Stars.

The Kapoor family are believed to me amongst the first to get their hands printed on special paving slabs to line the new Walk of Stars, with Kareena Kapoor expected to officially open the exciting new attractions in Mumbai tomorrow.

The UTV Stars’ Walk of Fame has taken 18 months to create, with TV channel, UTV, only revealing their plans for the creation of the 1.2 mile long walk of fame 5 months ago.

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Bollywood’s Kareena Kapoor plans to marry by the end of 2012

16/03/2012 By Leave a Comment

Leading Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor has revealed she plans to marry her partner of 5 years by the end of the year, ending speculation that she and fellow actor Saif Ali Khan were planning to tie the knot this month.

It had been widely reported that Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan would get married in March after the release of their movie, Agent Vinod, which stars both actors and is produced by Khan. However the 31-year-old Bollywood beauty has poured cold over this theory, revealing in a recent interview that she won’t be getting hitched any time soon due to work commitments.

Kareena Kapoor is currently filming Madhur’s Bhandarkar’s Heroine and so her time is taken up with shooting, meaning there’s no way she’ll be walking down the aisle in March. Speaking about her current film role in Heroine, the actress hinted that her character is particularly complex and is something of a challenge to portray, a challenge nonetheless that Kapoor is delighted to take on and prove her skills as an actress.

Speaking during a recent visit to Mumbai for the India Today Conclave, Kareena Kapoor revealed she and Saif Ali Khan will finally get married, “hopefully by the end of the year…” before adding that she and Khan, who’ve been dating since 2007, won’t be naming the date officially due to movie commitments.

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