Bollywood plans day long strike to protest over new tax proposal

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Bollywood will come to a standstill on February 23rd as the industry is planning a complete shutdown to protest over new government proposals to levy a new service tax on the film making industry. Those who oppose the proposal say the extra tax will have a negative effect on Indian film makers, squeezing film budgets even further.

The Bollywood strike will take place on February 23rd for the entire day, although the strike could be extended if there’s enough support for the cause. The Film Federation of India (FFI) declared the nationwide shut down, while the industry is waiting to see if the Film Producers Guild will join the strike, which would provide a big boost to the cause.

However not everyone supports the strike, filmmaker Retan Jain is one in particular who insists that the strike will only succeed in losing money for the Indian film industry. Jain believes that the best way to tackle the central government proposal to impose another tax on movies made in India is to call a meeting with the finance ministry to address the proposal head on.

Other well known faces in Bollywood support the strike whole heartedly, including Ramesh Sippy who is calling for indefinite strike to ensure the protest does not go unnoticed. Sippy believes the tax would mean an extra burden on the Indian film industry which is already the subject of heavy taxes.

Do you support the strike? Or do you think the Bollywood movie industry should pay more in tax? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

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Singer Diljit Dosanjh’s single 15 Saal causes women’s rights protest

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Rating: 6.0/10 (6 votes cast)

The singer Diljit Dosanjh is no stranger to controversy however his latest single which was leaked online, 15 Saal, is proving particularly contentious as a women’s rights group staged a march to the performer’s home to protest over the message the singer is portraying in his single.

Diljit’s new single, 15 Saal, which means 15 years in Punjabi, discusses the loss of innocence in young women and how modern teenage girls are more likely than ever to grow up too quickly and get involved in drink, drugs and boys at a young age.

While Diljit fans believe the singer has a valid point to make about the way society is changing and how this is having a negative effect in young women, others believe the Punjabi singer is portraying teenage girls in a derogatory light, which has lead to the recent protest at Diljit Dosanjh’s home.

The women’s group acting under the banner, Istri Jagriti Manch, marched to the Punjabi singer’s home last month and gathered outside the property to hold a rally. The women were protesting over Diljit’s use of indecent language and remarks towards females in his music. A member of the singer songwriter’s family came out to apologise to the women’s group.

The 28-year-old’s volatile relationship with the public started last year when the singer fell on stage. The incident was recorded by a member of the audience who posted the clip online. However the situation soured after Diljit retaliated by posting a reply to the clip in his own YouTube video in which he slams the people who posted his on stage fall, verbally attacking them through a song. This caused a major backlash with new videos being posted daily blasting the singer for his actions.

As a result, the release of Diljit’s single, 15 Saal and album Urban Pendu were both cancelled. However the single was leaked online and the album has now being prepared for release later in 2012.

Have you heard the leaked single 15 Saal? Do you find the song’s message offensive or do you think Diljit has a valid point to make? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

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Rating: 6.0/10 (6 votes cast)

Boxer Amir Khan’s wedding news

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Rating: 7.3/10 (18 votes cast)

British Pakistani boxing champion, Amir Khan, celebrated this engagement to New York born Faryal Makhdoom last weekend with a star studded party held at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton. 1,000 family and friends, including fellow sports stars Rio Ferdinand and Ricky Hatton, attended the glamorous party which is reported to have cost the young boxer £150,000.

The happy couple revealed their plans to marry at the beginning of the year, sealing their engagement with a ring exchanging ceremony on Sunday. Amir presented his wife-to-be with a dazzling platinum band set with three diamonds which is believed to have cost £100,000, while 20-year-old Faryal gave the sportsman a stylish platinum ring which must have impressed the 25-year-old as he later tweeted that “loved” the ring she’d chosen for him.

It’s understood that Amir’s bride-to-be will move from her native New York to live with the boxer in his hometown of Bolton after their marriage. Faryal’s family flew over from the States especially for the engagement party and presented the couple with a luxury BMW car as a gift to mark the happy occasion.

While Farayl was born and raised in New York, much of her extended family still live in Pakistan and the student describes herself as having being brought up with traditional Pakistani values.

No wedding date has been set yet, although the big day is expected to take place in Khan’s hometown of Bolton.

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Tribute to DJ Unkz to be released by Kudos Music

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Rating: 9.7/10 (6 votes cast)

The team behind Kudos Music and E3UK Records have come together to pay their respects to the loss of their beloved DJ Unkz. With the anniversary of his passing approaching on the 15th of February 2012, the best way and most fitting tribute was for a moving tribute track to be released in his name. DJ Unkz aka Unkar Singh was a significant member of the Kudos Music roadshow.

“sunna sunna lagda eh, sanu tere bina jag saara. Satho tu taan vichr gaya teri yaad nahi vichri yaara”.

Appropriately the brother he has left behind, DJ Aman produces the track in his memory. He has coupled delicate music and a strong sense of feeling to work alongside vocalist Dev Dhillon. Dev Dhillon emotionally showcases his immaculate vocals which are sure to bring tears to anyone who has lost a friend, relative or colleague.

The track will see its release via iTunes on the 1st anniversary of DJ Unkz’s passing on the 15th of February 2012, in conjunction with a music video with special appearances from his musical contemporaries and friends.

DJ Unkz – Always in our Hearts

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Shah Rukh Khan in alleged punch-up with Farah Khan’s husband

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Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan found himself in a spot of bother last night according to recent media reports as the actor is believed to have got into a scuffle Farah Khan’s husband, Shirish Kunder.

Shah Rukh Khan was seen arriving at the Aurus restaurant in Mumbai late last night accompanied by three bodyguards. Eyewitnesses described SRK as looking inebriated when he arrived at the party which was hosted by Sanjay Dutt to celebrate the success of his recent movie, Agneepath.

There is some confusion over how and why the argument broke out between Shah Rukh Khan and film maker Shirish Kunder. Some reports suggest Kunder had been following the actor around all night which had annoyed SRK, while other sources have reported seeing Bollywood superstar approaching Kunder and starting a fight, believed to have been caused by a derogatory comment he made on Twitter about Shah Rukh’s movie Ra. One.

The host of the party, Sanjay Dutt and also Baba Dewan who owns the restaurant, intervened after the scrap broke out between the pair, with the two men stepping in to break SRK and Kunder apart to prevent the fight getting out of hand.

The Bollywood actor and the film maker have a difficult history as Kunder’s wife, Farah Khan, was a close friend of Shah Rukh Khan and had directed him in a number of movies including Main Hoon Wa and others. However their friendship deteriorated after Farah cast Akshay Kumar in Tees Maar Khan, it’s believed the duo no longer speak as a result.

Farah wasn’t present at the party, however she had plenty to say on the matter this morning as she issued a statement which read,

“Shah Rukh has always told me that physical abuse is the worst way to sort out a problem, and that it means the person who’s hitting has either a personal or professional crisis going on. It saddens me to see him doing the same.”

There’s been no word from Shah Rukh Khan on the matter, although Farah Khan also said that she and her husband have no intention to charges against the actor.

 

 

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Oprah Winfrey visits the Bachchan family during visit to India

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Rating: 7.5/10 (11 votes cast)

Oprah Winfrey was given a very warm welcome during her first visit to India this week by one of the most famous Bollywood families. Head of the Bachchan clan, Amitabh Bachchan, even turned into a personal chauffeur for the famous TV host, getting behind the wheel of his white Rolls Royce to drive Oprah Winfrey to a Mumbai party held in her honour.

The veteran TV presenter was photographed arriving at the star studded party in Mumbai in the back of the stunning Rolls Royce driven by Amitabh. Oprah Winfrey was wearing an orange sari with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan seated next to her in the luxury car for company. Actor and Aishwarya’s husband, Abhishek, was seated in the front seat alongside his father.

New parents Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also had a special visitor to their home this week as the US chat show host visited the couple’s home, spending more than an hour at the Bachchan residence where she is believed to have met the couple’s two-month-old daughter, nicknamed Beti B.

Bollywood star, Amitabh Bachchan, tweeted about Oprah Winfrey’s visit to all of his Twitter followers as he wrote, “The gracious Oprah Winfrey visits our home, to meet us and bless the baby..warm hearted, endearing .. drive her to party in her honor,”

Oprah Winfrey will be attending the Jaipur Literature Festival during her visit to India, and is also planning to carry out filming for her new TV show, Next Chapter, while in the country.

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Garry Sandhu confirms deportation in official statement

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Rating: 7.7/10 (97 votes cast)
Garry Sandhu

The rising Asian music star, Garry Sandhu, has lost his battle with UK immigration officials and has confirmed that he will be deported back to India tomorrow. The singer made the announcement on his Facebook page today, with many of his 14,000 rushing to comment on the status update and offer their support.

The award winning music star’s future in the UK has been hanging in the balance since his arrest on October 27th 2011 by UK Border Agency after he was suspected of breaking UK immigration law. It later transpired that Garry Sandhu had remained in the UK after his visa had run out, which lead the authorities to track him down and ask questions about the legitimacy of his residency in the UK.

Despite being detained in an immigration detention centre since his arrest, aside from a brief period before Christmas when he was released on bail, Garry has kept his fans up to date on his situation through his social media page.

Close friend and fellow music star Roach Killa posted a statement on Garry’s behalf in the wake of his arrest last year, with Garry Sandhu taking to his Facebook page himself today to break the news of his imminent deportation. In the status update, the vocalist writes defiantly, “To my haters, you will never stop me making music wherever I am in the world.”

The news of Garry Sandhu’s deportation will come as quite a blow for the Asian music fans as the singer was seen as one of the big stars of tomorrow on the UK bhangra scene with Garry scooping two of the top trophies at the 2011 Brit Asia Music Awards including Best Newcomer and Best Male Act.

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Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit Nene to get her own waxwork at Madame Tussauds

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Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit Nene has been confirmed as the next Indian film star to have a waxwork created in her image in a statement released by the world famous waxwork model attraction, Madame Tussauds.

The award winning actress will join the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Salman Khan, Hrithiki Roshan and Kareena Kapoor who already have waxwork lookalikes of themselves featured at Madame Tussauds in the Bollywood film star area.

The waxwork of the 44-year-old actress will take approximately 4 months to complete and is expected to be ready to be unveiled by March 2012. While a great deal of secrecy often surrounds the creation of the wax models by the renowned attraction, Madhuri confirmed the news herself this week on Twitter after Madame Tussauds made an official announcement.

The waxwork of the Tezaab actress will reportedly be draped with a sari created by the well known designer Manish Malhotra, although the designer would not confirm which sari had been chosen for the special purpose. The mother-of-two has already undergone initial sittings for the sculptors creating the waxwork, although it will be several weeks before the work is complete.

Are you excited at the prospect of a waxwork model of Bollywood and Hindi cinema star Madhuri Dixit? Which Bollywood star would you next like to see created as a waxwork? Let us know your opinions in the comment box below.

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Lady Gaga sets her sights on Bollywood

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Pop sensation Lady Gaga has professed her love for all things Indian and has even admitted that she’d love to take on a role in the a Bollywood movie should the right opportunity come along.

The Born this Way hitmaker performed in India for the very first time last year at a special event in New Delhi. Performing in the country obviously had a big affect on the superstar as she was quick to jump on her Twitter page after the gig to tweet, “Screw Hollywood – It’s all about Bollywood.”

Speaking in a recent interview with a UK tabloid newspaper, the New York born singer described how she’d become fascinated with Indian culture, dance and clothing since her visit and how she found the experience very inspiring. The pop star also revealed that she’d seen a Bollywood show during a recent visit to Paris and that this had fuelled her interest in Indian culture further.

It seems Gaga has even been approached by Bollywood producers with potential roles, however the singer revealed that none of the parts had been quite right for her so she is yet to take on a Bollywood movie role, however she admitted this is something she would like to achieve in the future.

Lady Gaga also unveiled plans to perform a free concert for her fans in India on her next visit to the country spelling further good news for Asian fans of the star.

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Asian wedding coach hire deals offered by Coach Broker for the New Year

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If you’re planning your Asian or Indian wedding for the coming year, then you need to get in touch with Coach Broker right away for the latest deals on coach and minibus rental for your big day. As part of their annual New Year’s sale, Coach Broker have slashed their prices on coach and minibus hire rates with low cost deals available for clients looking to book a vehicle for their Asian or Indian wedding taking place in 2012.

Coach Broker are nationwide operators so regardless of where you’re planning to get married in the UK, trust Coach Broker to transport you and your guests in comfort and style. Whether you’re getting wed in Birmingham or Newcastle, Cardiff or London, Manchester or Glasgow, Liverpool or Norfolk, Plymouth or Coventry, Coach Broker can provide you with a wedding day transportation service in any part of the country.

Whether you need to transport your wedding guests between your ceremony and reception venue, or if you require luxury coach hire to ensure your bridal party travel in style on your big day, or perhaps you need to hire a minibus for an airport transfer as you prepare to jet off on your honeymoon, whatever your coach or minibus hire requirements, Coach Broker will tailor your wedding transport service to ensure all of your needs are met.

With access to the largest fleet of minibuses and coaches in the UK, you won’t find a wider range of vehicles for Asian and Indian group wedding transportation with any other UK provider. Choose from large capacity vehicles such as the 80-seater double-decker coaches to standard size vehicles like the 42-seater and 50-seater coach to 8-seater and 25-seater minibuses plus executive style coaches with onboard WC facilities, reclining seats and plasma screens plus many, many more fantastic vehicles when you travel with Coach Broker on your wedding day.

Extra discounts are also available on multiple coach hire bookings for Asian and Indian weddings so get in touch with Coach Broker today to request your free quote for coach rental for your big day in 2012.

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