Fashion based on tradition, not fantasy

It wasn't coincidence that Sampa Das, Shamlu Dudeja, Darshan Shah and Chitra Sirkar were all there at Ritu Kumar's show at KFW2. These fashion divas have, in their own way, breathed new life into Indian textile traditions by the magic touch of the wonder word, designer. Within days of the fashionista at ITC Sonar, Khadi and Village Industries Commission brought ramp stars and artisans together at Milon Mela to popularize handloom-based textiles. Long before that, all tradition-inspired apparel creators of Kolkata had put their best foot forward. Consequence? A noted industrialist's Puja gift to Tollywood's Who's Who is fashioned by these ladies. After all, the feast of colours and unstitched yarns that have outlived centuries are still to die for. Sialkuchi muga was going extinct when Sampa's boutique put the lustre back in insipid' Assam silk. Today, her vibrant saris, mekhlas, kurtas and gowns are things to feast your eyes on. And the exquisite dhol-beli or lokka payra? They bring to the discerning traditionalist jewellery that's a feat to own even in Guwahati. No easy task, this. Despite its long life and golden sheen, muga had to be given the protection granted to Geographical Indicators. And then, Sampa must frequent old families, museums and archives to retrieve ancient designs, sit with weavers and guide their palettes to rework lost beauties. Fashion should not be fantasy but based on tradition, she believes. "Ironically, these time-consuming art cannot be mass produced. Perforce they are exclusive." At Artisana, it was tough to take the eyes off Phulia taant! In the days of yore, Phulia came nowhere in the hierarchy that accorded pride of place to Dhakai Jamdani, Baluchari, Tangail and Santipuri: Dhanekhali trailed after them, Phulia wasn't around. After Partition, the Santipuri weavers were rehabilitated in the little hamlet of Bengal and today Phulia is giving textile capitals like Gadwal, Kalakshetra and Sambalpur a run for their money. "Their enterprise was remarkable," says Ruby Pal Chaudhuri of Crafts Council. They're using a range of technology, from Bhagalpuri twill to khes type of finish, creating double layers and grafting sequins, to give the six-yard wonder a sexy appeal that's drawing the younger generation. "Youngsters are returning to sari for its own sake, for they're realising it isn't just a dress, it's a culture," she adds. Not for nothing is Shamlu Dudeja dubbed a "kantha revivalist". She redesigned the stitches associated with old sarees and harnessed chiffons and silks besides her imagination and hundreds of needy hands to craft dresses, scarves, handbags, bedspreads and wall hangings that now have buyers in France, Italy, Sydney and Silicon Valley. With the arrival of Sravasti, poetry became fashionable in more ways than one. "Inspired by Jibanananda Das's Banalata Sen, Sravasti expressed my desire to weave poetry into everyday life," explains Keya Chaitali Dasgupta. Sarees, kurtas, Tees, for children, men and women she turns them into canvas to showcase everything from Tagore's doodles to Sukumar Ray's limericks. Warli painting, Madhubani motifs, Bankura horses, tie-n-dye, appliqu? all is grist for her creative mill. This "Padda Poshaker Pashra" found takers in UK and USA, but was lapped up more readily by those who don't know Subhash Mukherjee from Saratchandra: copycats are flooding Gariahat and Shyambazar. In a country where "copyright" mostly means right to copy, these women must contend with those who buy from Burrabazar and sell from butiks' without any creative intervention. "The role of the designer is extremely important," says Ritu Kumar. "For, unlike couture' in the West, fashion' and tradition' are interlinked in India." The line between art and craft have always been thin here, "but the catalyst fashion designer has to make it right for the age and carry on customizing", the fashion diva explains. Take note. For, no one will want craft if it stands still like uniform.

Chandan butt naked for Mahanagar@Kolkata!

While the adulation hasn’t stopped pouring in, Chandan Roy Sanyal has already okayed his next project. And that’s what is bringing him to Kolkata tonight.

Lest people assume that Chandan has agreed to work in Tollywood because of Suman Mukhopadhyay’s Mahanagar@Kolkata is in Bengali, the actor says, “It’s only because of the script that I wanted to do this film. Moreover, I also watched Lalda’s (Suman) Herbert. What a film! I had only heard about Herbert but when I watched it recently, I was completely bowled over by the movie. Shooting for my portions will begin on October 17 and continue till the 25th.” Chandan is playing an MBA who works in a multinational company.

A hyper sensitive guy, Chandan’s character is also suicide prone. Incidentally, Mahanagar@Kolkata will see Chandan going nude too. Ask Suman whether this is a first in Bengali cinema and he says, “There are some semi-nude scenes with Chandan at the end of the film. He hallucinates regarding his death and his marriage with Rituparna. Most of the scenes will have Chandan stripping down to his jocks. There is one nude shot of Chandan’s posterior too. I don’t know whether such a shot is a first of its kind in Bengali cinema or not but fact is that such a scene is required for my film. The nudity has been mentioned in the script that I sent across to Chandan.”
Meanwhile, Chandan is happy to be in Kolkata on the eve of the Pujas. “As a matter of fact, I have never been in Kolkata during any Durga Puja. It’s always been a Delhi Puja for me. I have purposely kept my Kolkata visit just on the eve of the Durga Pujas to get a flavour of how things are during Panchami.” Thoughts, of course, flood his mind now of the Pujas during his childhood when celebration meant having and serving khichudi bhog at the parar pandal, staging plays and also flirting with girls. “Pandal er pechhone giye modh khawar se ki odbhut ekta uttyejona. Du dhakna modh khelei ulte pore jetam,” he says, adding that things are bound to be very different now. “Neither will I have to steal a drink behind pandals nor would I want to indulge in that kind of a revelry. Ronida (Rajatava Dutta) has told me that he’d be going to inaugurate some Pujas. I might just go along with him. But all that only after I am through with my look test and meetings with Lalda.”

My only target now is Kollywood : Ajmal

And he will be back in Chennai in time to promote his latest flick, Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru (T4) with newcomer Rupa Manjeri, directed by debutante Nandhini.

“I take a flight to Kerala whenever I can,” says Ajmal. “I love spending time with my family. Since it’s festival time here, it’s a lot of fun.”
So, what does he do when he is in his hometown? “It’s the usual meet-and-greet routine, but this time around, I was busy judging contestants at the Miss South India contest,” he grins, “I was modelling before I started my career as an actor. So, it is easy to judge these contests.”

Ajmal is all geared up to promote his first project as a solo hero. “It’s a different experience,” he reminisces, “In Anjaathey, I had to prove my potential despite sharing screen space with established actors like Narain and Prassanna. In TN 07 AL 4777, I had Pasupathi for company. In T4, I play the solo male lead. And this is a perfect opportunity to establish myself as a bankable actor.”
He says the entire unit of T4, right from Nandhini to Rupa to Mouli, including the crew members, was thoroughly supportive. “If I wanted a retake, Nandhini wouldn’t sigh and the crew didn’t create a fuss,” he says.

So, what’s T4 all about? “T4 is a romantic comedy. In this film, Rupa and I work in the same office. We are best buddies, but still, we can’t stand each other. After canning every scene, Nandhini would almost roll on the floor laughing! Do I need to say more?”
Ask him how he landed this role and Ajmal says, “Nandhini had seen my Malayalam movie, Pranayakalam and liked what she saw. Her conviction only became stronger after seeing Anjaathey.” The actor goes on to add that the onscreen chemistry between Rupa and him was perfect. “We became great friends on the first day itself. As a result, it was easier for us to do scenes together. I think sharing a superb off-screen relationship is important for a sparkling on-screen chemistry.”

The actor vehemently denies having done any homework for this role. “I always thought shooting for movies was serious business. But, I enjoyed myself thoroughly while doing this film. It’s probably because of the genre of the movie,” he says.
Ajmal’s next will be Kathirvel with Sunaina. “It’s an action film directed by Venkat, an associate of Saran. We still have to shoot a song and a sequence. The film might take another 20 days to wrap up.”

Satisfied and happy with Kollywood, the actor says that he is not looking to dabble in other languages. “Even though I’m getting offers from Mollywood and Tollywood, I haven’t signed any films there. My only target now is the Kollywood industry — I have my eyes set on it. And I want to see myself as a saleable actor in the Tamil industry,” he signs off on a positive note.

Baanam

Debutant director Chaitanya deserves kudos for dishing out an intense cop film to give Tollywood’s latest debutants a clear edge over the rest. Rohit Narra in a scene from Baanam Interestingly, the director equates the upright work of a police officer with an idealistic Naxal when it comes to cleansing society. Film: Baanam Cast: Rohit Narra, Vedika, Sayaji Shinde Director: Chaitanya Dantaloori Critic’s Rating: Debutant actor Rohit Narra is impressive in an understated performance. Tamil actress Vedika who makes a comeback in the film, plays the innocent village belle with an effortless ease. The film is about an aspiring cop who is forced to take on the might of a local goon before he dons the khakee. The director adds a new shade to his cop story by blending the angle of an idealistic Naxal (Sayaji Shinde) who surrenders to the cops so that he can be with his son (Rohit). However, the director’s unnecessarily promotes vigilantism which could have been avoided. Nevertheless, the filmmaker gives the audience a taste of meaningful cinema without so-called commercial ingredients. Rohit gives an intense performance. Sayaji Shinde and Ranadheer are commendable. Director Chaitanya sustains the intense mood with a taut screenplay. Anil Bhandari’s camera work is good. And Manisharma’s score melodious.

Allu Arjun's 'Akrandana'

In 'Aakrandana', director Sukumar and Allu Arjun join hands again to make a masala entertainer. The film is being produced by Dil Raju and Aditya Babu under the banner of Sri Venkataramana Creations. According to reports, the film is a murder mystery. But it will have all the elements of a typical Tollywood masala. Kajal Aggarwal is paired opposite Arjun while Navadeep and Shraddha Arya play important roles; Tamil hero Arya plays the villain. Gundu Hanumanta Rao, Jenny, Tilak, Vinod, Junior Relangi, M Shyamsundar and Annapurna are among the cast. Devi Sri Prasad scores the music.

From Tollywood to Tamil cinema

Producer Aditya Ram, who gave rise to many an eyebrow by commencing 10 movies on a single day in Tollywood, will shortly be churning out movies in Tamil.

Before that, he is expecting the release of his movie 'Ek Niranjan', starring Prabhas and Kangana Ranaut. Directed by Puri Jagannath, major portion of the movie was shot in a huge set erected in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

Adhitya Ram says, "It (sets) was erected on eight acres of land. It comprises over 80 streets, clock tower, huge temples and a gambling den".

"It took over three months for us to get the sets ready. Several production houses have approached me to shoot their films in that set," he adds.

"We also shot some scenes in Bangkok and Pattaya, Thailand. Stuntmen from Europe were utilised for the climax," according to Aditya Ram.

I’ve got to live up to huge expectations: Naga

It’s son-rise time in Tollywood. A fortnight after his debut in Hyderabad tinseltown, Naga Chaitanya seems relaxed and in a peaceful frame of HEIR APPARENT: Actor Naga Chaitanya strikes a pose exclusively for Hyderabad Times. mind. His maiden film has received ‘mixed’ response all over the state and the young actor says he’s glad that the film has “struck a chord with youngsters.” For him, “academics is important” and is glad that his debut film portrayed the same message. “I want to do sensible films,” he avers. Was this why the star son refused Kotha Bangaru Lokam? And isn’t his first screen outing Josh, inspired by his father’s (Nagarjuna) Shiva? “I don’t think Josh was inspired by any film. Any similarities between the two films are coincidental.” Chaitanya sounds excited about working with maestro A R Rahman for his second film being directed by Gautham Menon. “Of course it’s like a dream come true for me. My second film is also an original and not a remake of any film,” he points out firmly. For someone who has films in his bloodline and hails from one the most noted film families of Tollywood, is that a boon or a bane? “Oh, it is a boon to have a lineage like mine. Of course there’s additional responsibility and I have to live up to expectations all the time, but that’s fine with me,” says Chaitanya. A trained actor, Chaitanya did a course at New York Film Academy and learnt dancing to “master the basics”. And hey, if you thought this 22-year-old is anything like the rebel student he plays in his film, then think again. Chaitanya, a commerce grad claims he did have his “share of fun” but was never “irresponsible.” In fact, he’s disciplined enough not to party “too much” and chills out only at “select affairs.” And his passions are simple: watching movies, listening to music and working out, just like any other Gen I professional.

Birthday Suite: Kareena Kapoor

In Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor is the synonym of Endurance. With the burden of a mighty surname to live up to, Bebo has earned stardom the hard way, to establish herself as one of the top actresses of Bollywood.

This Kapoor scion has seen both the peaks and abysses of Fame, and is one of the very few stars of her generation who can also Act!

Here is a pictorial tribute to Kareena Kapoor, on the occasion of her 29th Birthday, Click On...

Source: India Syndicate

Lara Dutta goes bold and wild

State-owned MMTC, the country's largest importer of gold, has roped in Bollywood stars Lara Dutta and Salman Khan for promoting its 25th edition of gems and jewellery show opening here tomorrow.

Also Read Related Stories News Now - ICE to sell 5% stake each to IDFC, Kribhco - Sical gets shareholders' nod to invest Rs 368 crore - Mixed bag for Kolkata Fashion Week II - What makes eBay India tick? - SCCL granted powers of miniratna PSU - Seven of top-10 firms gain Rs 51,000 cr in August While the show, exhibiting and selling the hallmarked gold and diamond jewellery would be inaugurated by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, the film stars would do their promotional act on Wednesday. "Khan will launch gold coins manufactured by MMTC which will be marketed by Shuddi, its retailing joint venture with Gitanjali," company's Chief General Manager, Precious Metals, Preeti Kaur said. Dutta, who is playing lead female role in film 'Blue' directed by Anthony D’Souza, was also involved in the Suddhi brand of diamond and gold jewellery launched this year. The gems and jewellery industry, which has witnessed downturn in the global market, is hoping for reversal of fortunes in the domestic market in the ensuing festival season. MMTC imports about 100 tonnes gold per annum into the country for resale to the jewellers.

Flights and Sounds Summer Finale to Feature Bollywood and Easy Star All-Stars at...

Get ready to step into the world of glitz and glamour of Bollywood, made popular by the movie "Slum Dog Millionaire."    Dance and enjoy the soul of reggae with the Great Park's reggae fest featuring Easy Star All-Stars.  It's all happening at the Flights and Sounds of Summer dance and concert series season finale this weekend at the Orange County Great Park.  Start your weekend fun at the Orange County Great Park Friday, September 25th, with an incredible Bollywood  blowout at 8:00 p.m.  A special night of fun with exuberant Bollywood dance demonstrations, step-by-step instructions and simple choreography for all to follow, a party atmosphere and, of course, those irresistible dance rhythms.  Comedians Matt Balaker and Aristotle Athiras will open the evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Great Park Comedy Corner.   The weekend fun continues Saturday, September 26th with Easy Star All-Stars.  The Easy Star All-Stars are the very soul of reggae.  Almost anybody can sing along to their favorite tunes, but only an artist can take something familiar and make it entirely their own, exploring the heart of the work and taking it to a new and different place. That's what you'll hear on the "Lonely Hearts" tour, plus Easy Star originals in our reggae fest conclusion to the summer concert series  The Comedy Corner features Patrick Keane who appeared on the Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Kristian Vallee who appeared on Comedy Central and the Tonight Show will kick off the evening at 7:00 p.m.  "The Great Park summer dance and concert performance season finale winds up a simply incredible dance and concert series," said Larry Agran, Chair of the Orange County Great Park Corporation.  "We look forward to more fun family activities happening this fall with Movie on the Lawn and the Great Park Pumpkin Harvest coming up in October."  Evening events begin at 7:00 p.m. with shows by local stand-up comics at the Great Park Comedy Corner.  Dances and concerts begin at 8:00 p.m.  Admission is free. Parking is $8.00.  Refreshments will be available at the Hangar Cafe, which opens at 6:00 p.m. on performance nights.  The Hangar Cafe features a vegetarian menu of fresh salads and sandwiches, delicious snacks and desserts, and beer, wine, and soft drinks presented by award-winning Avanti Cafe.    The Orange County Great Park is located off the 5 Freeway and Sand Canyon in Irvine.  For more information, please visit to www.ocgp.org.    SOURCE  Orange County Great Park Corporation

GV Prakash for Bollywood?

Young and talented G V Prakash Kumar is one of the upcoming music composers. He is the nephew of none other than the great A R Rahman.

According to sources, GV seems to be getting popular in the Hindi circuit. The buzz is that producers from Bollywood have been approaching GV with some offers.

However it is still not sure if GV has accepted those offers. Looks like, he is following the path of Devi Sri Prasad.

Currently, Prakash has been roped in to compose the tunes for the new movie that has Yasho Sagar in the lead and he is also excited about the offers in Bollywood.

Let’s wait and see how this shapes up.

Modern Bollywood music is lifeless:Asha Bhosle

The Queen of Bollywood playback music, Asha Bhosle, who began her career in 1943, does not want to cut any more "albums of Bollywood film music" after more than six decades. "Film songs do not make sense any more because the television channels in the country do not want to show anything else barring Bollywood music. I want to make meaningful Indian music," she said. "Bollywood film music has become modern over the years with the inroads of technology," said Asha, who was in Delhi to inaugurate a three-day concert 'A Life in Melody: A 100-Minute Tribute to Vilayat Khan'. "Playback singing in Bollywood is not the same any more. Music has changed over the years. The new technology is very modern and sophisticated, but it has taken jaan (life) and atma (soul) out of music. There is no spirit in Bollywood music any more and it is this rooh (spirit) I am seeking in music now," the musician said. "One can sing out of rhythm and out of tune; women can sing in an octave lower than that of men and male playback singers can have a high-pitch baritone. The machines can always fix that. The new Bollywood music is raucous and I don't like it. The dil ke gaane (songs of the heart) have disappeared," said Asha, who turned 76 this month. "Of course, today we still have great lyricists and composers like Gulzar and Sameer. Very few new musicians are good. I think Preetam, Monty, Shankar Mahadevan, Shankar-Eshaan-Loy and AR Rahman are making quality music. But there are many others, who are also doing well” said Asha.

Bollywood’s ‘shirtless wonder’ Salman Khan strips… again!

When it comes to stripping off his shirt and flaunting his buffed-up abs, Salman Khan, the shirtless wonder, needs little encouragement. The trendsetter, who made going topless a fad statement for his contemporaries to follow, left the audience awe-struck as he treated them to a visual treat on his money-minting show ‘Dus Ka Dum’.

Flashing his toned up bod, the suave actor gave into the endless pleas of his fans and the team of the flick ‘Do Knot disturb’ on the show. Looking stunning as ever, the actor took off his shirt to flash his toned up avatar. Needless to say, the act left the ladies breathless and guys envious. Story goes that Sallu, who had called upon the team of ‘Do Knot Distrub’, had a blast during the shoot of the episode. During the shoot, good pals Govinda, Riteish Deshmukh and David Dhawan, encouraged the actor to go shirtless. Obliging their plea, the actor shyly took off his shirt and grooved to the song that started it all. Dancing to ‘O Jaane Jaana’... in his topless avatar, the actor did a strip-tease, winning huge applause from the audience.

Bollywood stars delight cancer-affected kids on Cancer Rose Day

On the occasion of National Cancer Rose Day, Bollywood actors Sunil Shetty, Mahima Chaudhary and Shreyas Talpade spent time with cancer afflicted children here on Monday. Cancer Patients Aid Association along with Pawan Hans, the Government of India owned helicopter company, had organised this special event for children. Children were delighted to find the Bollywood actors among them. "If being an actor and human being, we can bring happiness to someone even for two minutes, I feel very happy and blessed that God has given me an opportunity that I can spend time with someone. When you see kids smiling, you feel great," said Shreyas Talpade, Bollywood actor. The popular actors also signed autographs among for the children on this occasion, as everyone wanted to remember that he or she actually spent time with film actors. On this day, in Mumbai alone about 5,000 cancer patients are greeted with roses by the general public, film stars at 33 different cancer treatment centres and in hospital wards.

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan celebrates Eid in Mumbai

Mumbai, : Bollywood actor Aamir Khan on Monday celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr in Mumbai with his family and friends.

“Well, on the occasion of Eid, I will stay with my family, my mom and the friends who are here to meet me,” Aamir Khan said.

During the holy month of Ramadan, devout Muslims stay on fast from dusk to dawn. They don’t even drink water during the day.

At the end of Ramadan or month of fasting, Muslims hold a joyous three-day celebration called Eid-ul-Fitr.

Eid-ul-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month, which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. It is a time to give charity, and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy.

Bollywood stars join in Rocky S ‘vintage vampire wedding’ at Fashion Week

MUMBAI - Bollywood actor John Abraham, wearing a vintage inspired suit and a sinister look appeared every bit the vampire groom, as he walked the ramp for ace designer Rocky S on the third day of the Mumbai Fashion Week, last evening. The Rocky S collection was inspired by gothic, vintage and vampire themes. It featured an interesting use of black and grey with maroon, wine, purple and metallic colours. To add to the look were silver chains worn around the neck and on coats. Renowned model Carol Gracias in a stunning black frilled gown walked the ramp while a doting Bipasha Basu was one of the illustrious front row guests. With dresses and suits in velvet, tweed, felt and gabardine, with lace and brocade trimmings, and a touch of bling, the collection was dark yet opulent. Bollywood actress Dia Mirza, one of the guests at the show, was all praise for the designer, who is also a close friend of hers. “I think the one thing that makes him distinctive from every other designer is the fact that when he designs garments for women, they are feminine and chic. But they are strong, when he designs garments for men,” said Dia Mirza. Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif, who has been sporting Rocky’s designs in films and otherwise, was also present at the show. “He has been with me since the last five years, in everything that I have done. He understands me the best,’ she Katrina Kaif.

View: Bollywood is valid cinema

One of India's most revered artists has delivered the ultimate putdown to its prolific film industry. In an interview M F Husain, responsible for the controversial Madhuri Dixit paintings, has called the films produced by the Hindi film industry no better than nautanki (street theatre). Husain is entitled to his opinion, of course. But we do think he is being unduly harsh on the popular Hindi film industry. Bollywood is an incredibly successful film industry, one that outsells even Hollywood in terms of ticket sales. It has its own aesthetic and it would be wrong to judge popular Hindi cinema by international conventions. The song and dance routine might seem ridiculous to western audiences, but it appeals to the millions of Indians for whom the movie is made. Indeed, even cinema-goers abroad have learnt to appreciate Bollywood for what it is overblown sets, larger-than-life characters, strong dose of sentiment et al. To equate good cinema with so-called meaningful cinema is to miss the wood for the trees. Just because a movie is unconventional doesn't mean it is also good. A 'serious' theme doesn't excuse bad production values, acting or direction. A typical Bollywood production can be enormous fun, from its catchy songs to the attractive leads and slickly edited action sequences. And Hindi film stars can emote with the best of them when given the chance and the script to do so. Contrary to what Husain seems to believe, a film being entertaining and making lots of money at the box office doesn't make it an artistic abomination. Husain's own experience with film-making has been less than successful, a good example that 'offbeat' doesn't translate into cinematic excellence. Husain has also erroneously accused Bollywood of not having any influence on Indian culture. Whether it is short-term fashion trends ranging from Sadhana's famous hairstyle to Deepika Padukone's look in Love Aaj Kal, or more lasting effects on language and even wedding rituals, Bollywood not only reflects the Indian experience but also shapes it in many ways. Counterview: It churns out bilge

Robin Williams to play Susan Boyle in Hollywood biopic?

Internet rumours are rife that Oscar winning Hollywood funny man Robin Williams is in the firing line to play Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle, in a blockbuster movie about her phenomenal rise to fame.

Irish bookmakers Paddy Power are offering 8/1 that the Mrs Doubtfire actor will be hitting the big screen as SuBo, after he told the Daily Telegraph that he had been approached to play the role.

And punters are clearly in agreement that Williams could pull it off. Over £1000 has already been wagered on him landing the role.

Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for Paddy Power said; "As crazy as it might sound we think Robin Williams would do a fantastic job playing Susan Boyle.

"He already has experience with the Scottish accent and wearing women’s clothes from his stint as Mrs.Doubtfire and we can really picture him as SuBo!"

Other actors in the running to play SuBo include Bette Midler at 5/1, Helena Bonham Carter at 14/1 and super fan Demi Moore at 20/1!

Should stilettos be banned!

When a woman in stilettos, with tight calves and legs that look long and sleek, walks past, few men can go by without giving her that second Stilettos in office (Getty Images) look. And, there are fewer women who can resist a pair of high-heels when they see one. Heels are known to accentuate a woman’s natural curves, but in the UK, all this will have to take a walk if a trade union, which has demanded that stilettos be banned in the workplace, has its way. According to the motion that was filed, ‘high heels may look glamorous on Hollywood catwalks but are completely inappropriate for the day-to-day working environment. Women should wear “sensible shoes” at work’. But women are holding tightly onto their Louboutins and won’t give them up in a hurry. “It must be a man, or a woman who hates how other women look in heels, who is responsible for this move,” says Georgina Pinto, a corporate trainer. “Ban it because it’s too distracting to men?” chips in actress Anupama of Pokkisham fame. “It’s probably a party pooper who came up with this idea. High heels are definitely a boon to most women. They add to a woman’s stature, give her a beautiful gait and it’s the most fashionable way to kick out all the rubbish from one’s life,” she adds. “There’s no fashion without high-heels. If it were to be banned, I’m sure women would protest like never before,” says Bangalore-based model Sonam Varma. The move seems to have earned the wrath of women who believe that a lot many other things need to be first got rid off before doing away with stilettos. “Surely we can interfere with people’s lives more than then we are already doing. Let’s ban neck ties, they restrict the air flow around the neck,” Sonam says. “Perhaps Peeping Toms should be banned in the workplace,” says Georgina, “There’s nothing more irritating than a colleague looking over my shoulder.” “Irritating ring tones would be on top of my list of things to be banned,” says Anupama. “What irks me the most is when someone’s phone goes off in a cinema hall.” Nancy Wells, an expat model in the city, can’t stand catcalls. “Whistling for a superstar is fine, but catcalls from guys when a good-looking woman walks by gets on my nerves,” she says. The fashion police seem to have daggers drawn over stilettos but women won’t go down without a fight. marcus.clay@timesgroup.com

East West Releases Details on Hollywood Strings

East West has announced that Hollywood Strings, their new string library featuring divisi strings via mic placement, will be released on January 12, 2010. Demos are scheduled to be online before December 12, 2009. The company has said there will be no price reductions, special offers, or sale prices available for HOLLYWOOD STRINGS for at least one year after release. Hollywood Strings is in two versions, Diamond and Gold. Hollywood Strings Diamond ships on an internal hard drive with a list price of US$1,695. Based on the exchange rate as of September 17, 2009, HS Diamond will cost approximately 1151 Euros and 1028 British pounds. According to a post by Doug Rogers on the Soundsonline forum, the current library size is 643GB but is being reduced pending on implementing new features in PLAY. Orders for HS Diamond received after the release date are made to order and shipped on completion of duplication. HS Diamond includes five (5) user controllable mic positions, both 44.1kHz 24-bit and 16-bit samples, and all the previously announced articulations including muted, divisi (via microphone not separate ensemble recordings), and legato. Hollywood Strings Gold ships on double-sided DVDs, approximately 60-70GB, with a list price of $1195. HS Gold includes one mic position, 44.1 kHz 16-bit samples, and all the articulations except for divisi, bow-change, legato and muted strings. Based on the exchange rate as of September 17, 2009, HS Gold will cost approximately 812 Euros and 724 British pounds. Please note that the exchange rates change daily and therefore these rates projected by Film Music Magazine are projections based on the September 17, 2009 date. FMM readers can check the current exchange rates at this site. See photos of the Hollywood Strings recording session here.

Classic children's books we'd like to see receive the Hollywood treatment

Classic children's books we'd like to see receive the Hollywood treatment by Keith Staskiewicz Categories: Classic Novels, Dave Eggers, Film Adaptations This weekend saw the release, and box-office success, of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, an animated adaptation of the much-beloved children’s book about precipitation alla Bolognese. You may wonder how they managed an entire feature-length film out of this straightforward and pretty slender storybook. Well, in a way, they didn’t. The filmmakers have padded out the story to include an absent-minded inventor whose experiments lead to the titular weather patterns, his love interest, a perky weather girl, a maniacal machine bent on destruction, and Mr. T as a cop. Next month we’ll get the arrival of Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are, based on Maurice Sendak’s 1963 classic, in which Jonze and his co-screenwriter, McSweeney’s man Dave Eggers, have similarly fleshed out the original’s sparse plot in order to turn its less than 350 (by my count) words into a staggering work of adapted genius. (Eggers’ own novelized version, The Wild Things, will be released to accompany the film.) It also seems inevitable that there’ll be at least a few changes in Wes Anderson’s slightly-taxidermied take on Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, set for a November release. Inspired by these substantial acts of adaptation, we’ve compiled some as-of-yet untouched classics of children’s lit that we think might be fun to see on the big screen, with a few necessary adjustments of course. The Giving Tree: Shel Silverstein’s timeless tale of arboreal largesse relocated to Central Park and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as the eponymous tree and Abigail Breslin as a neglected Upper East Side child who takes its gifts for granted. It‘s a gut-wrenching, and Oscar-worthy, tale of unrequited love and betrayal, with the greatest performance as an immobile log since Keanu Reeves’ last film. Sample Dialogue: “All you ever do it take, take, take! What about my feelings? What about my needs?” Goodnight, Moon: The source material consists nearly exclusively of scenes of a young boy saying goodnight to various things in and around his bedroom. Director Michael Bay hopes to maintain the original’s basic structure while replacing “saying goodnight to” with “exploding into an infernal fireball” and “a young boy” with “Will Smith.” Also, the Moon killed Smith’s family and he’s out for revenge. Sample Dialogue: “Say goodnight, Moon.” *EXPLOSION* Green Eggs and Ham: The car of a notoriously irascible food critic (Bradley Cooper) breaks down in a small rural burg while he’s on his way to an awards ceremony in his honor. He soon finds that the only place in town to eat is the local diner, where a quirky fun-loving waitress Samantha Iams (Anna Faris) serves up her famous green eggs and ham along with a side of loveable antics. While he initially declines to try anything but coffee and toast, she refuses to take no for an answer and they both soon realize that the quickest way to a man’s heart really is through his stomach. Sample Dialogue: “I realized something, Sam. Eggs are a lot like people. They’re fragile and if you’re not careful with them, they can break so easily. I think that’s why I acted like I did. I was afraid of breaking. But not anymore” Heather Has Two Mommies: Charlize Theron and Kate Winslet play a couple who hope to adopt a young girl named Heather, and who are unwittingly thrust into the limelight when the agency’s denial of their application hits the media. They battle against bigotry and bureaucracy in their fight for the right to start a family of their own. Sample Dialogue: “No, your Honor, I don’t think it matters one bit whether Heather has a mommy and a daddy or whether Heather has two mommies. Not when there’s love involved.” What do you guys think? Have any other classics you’d like to see?

Planet Rugby

Hollywood hoping for Bokbuster

IT’LL be interesting to see how Hollywood “does rugby”, when a movie called Invictus comes out at the beginning of December.

It tells the story of the relationship between Nelson Mandela and the South African captain Francois Pienaar during the 1995 World Cup which the ’Boks won.

Few will forget that seminal moment in the country’s history of Mandela, dressed in a Springbok jersey, presenting the William Webb Ellis trophy to Pienaar.

Morgan Freeman (Mandela) and Matt Damon (Pienaar) are the leading lads, while Clint Eastwood – son Scott is also in the film – directed. The project is an adaptation of John Carlin’s book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela And The Game That Made A Nation. Damon prepared by training with a local rugby side.

The name Invictus refers to a poem by William Earnest Henley that was often recited by Mandela. The film has already been tipped for an Academy award.

Wilkinson gets tea with a kick

“I WAS busy trying to tell him (the referee) that I was waiting for the kicking tee but my pronunciation was marginally out because I was, in fact, telling him that I wanted a cup of tea.” – Toulon outhalf Jonny Wilkinson experiences a few issues with the language barrier in France’s Top 14.

“They haven’t built any statues for critics or wannabes yet.” – All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen borrows from former American Football coach Vince Lombardi to deal with critics of New Zealand’s lineout showing.

“After the All Blacks scored (Ma’a Nonu’s try) we rolled over and that was disappointing. The margins are small in Test rugby and as we alluded to prior to the game. You have to earn your stripes in every outing – we were looking for the next job when the first job hadn’t been done.” – Coach Robbie Deans can’t hide his frustration after watching his Wallbies side hammered by the All Blacks.

Dubai done good

BRIAN O’Driscoll, who will be in contention for a place in Leinster’s plans next weekend for the first time this season, paid a flying visit to take possession of his home on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.

Speaking of the development, O’Driscoll said: “It’s spectacular; having visited two years ago when it was still under construction you can’t get a real feeling from plans, but I think the finish is incredible, and am looking forward to spending time here.”

Deans must get hard, says Farr Jones

AUSTRALIA copped a great deal of flack, to use the local idiom, after their insipid performance in losing 33-6 to New Zealand in Wellington at the weekend. It came from all quarters, including the 1991 World Cup winning Wallabies captain Nick Farr Jones.

The former scrumhalf told Sky Sport: “This sets us back. Maybe this is the awakening that has to happen. Maybe it’s time he (coach Robbie Deans) reads the riot act.

“This might be the wake-up call where he basically says ‘enough is enough. You’ve got to perform, you’re professional players, we expect you to perform.’ How can [the Wallabies] not get up, they haven’t won here in (eight) years – it beats me. I think Robbie has got to get hard.”

Stade continue Top 14 recovery

STADE FRANÇAIS, who are in Ulster’s pool in the Heineken Cup, continued their remarkable climb up the French Top 14 Championship with a 20-6 victory over Bourgoin, continuing the unbeaten start to the new coaching regime under Jacques Delmas and Didier Faugeron.

The decision to sack the previous coaching axis of Australian Ewen McKenzie and former French international wing Christophe Dominici looks thoroughly vindicated as Stade have climbed from the relegation zone, where they started before last weekend’s game, to fourth in the table: that situation would change slightly after yesterday’s games.

The Parisian club had tries from Mirco Bergamasco, Julien Arias and replacement centre Mathieu Bastareaud. Brive, who are alongside the European champions Leinster, London Irish and the Scarlets, succumbed to a 15-12 defeat at home to Biarritz in a match without a try. Brive have now lost four of their opening seven matches in the French championship, not including a 9-9 draw with local rivals Clermont.

Charlize Theron Thanks Her Mother For Her Hollywood Career

Hollywood actress Charlize Theron has thanked her mother for encouraging her to become an actress. The ‘Monster’ star revealed that she wanted to become a ballet dancer but her accident left her devastated.

The Academy Award-winning actress met with an accident when she was 19-year old which shattered her dream of becoming a ballet dancer.

Now, the Hollywood beauty has expressed her pain and cited that it was her mother who supported her and suggested her to become a Hollywood actress.

Charlize Theron said, "I remember at night, at like two in the morning, with my mom in the City in a basement on, like, 21st Street, crying my eyes out and eating four pints of ice cream because I couldn’t dance anymore, and my mom saying ‘Well, why don’t you try acting?’ I mean... because of some crazy moment at 2am with Haagen-Dazs, I’m standing on a red carpet today.”

Talking about her future plans the ‘The Cider House Rules’ actress said that she doesnot plan anything in advance.

The actress said, "I try to live every day like tomorrow might not come. Not that I succeed at that every day, but I try to think that way and not too far ahead.”

Jack Kirby's family wants a piece of the pie in Marvels' Hollywood success

Jack Kirby's family wants a piece of the pie in Marvels' Hollywood success September 21, 2009 | 8:19 am Ben Fritz has a story in today's Los Angeles Times business section on the heirs of the late, great Jack Kirby looking for a legal avenue to profit from the many characters that he created, which have become lucrative Hollywood properties. Walt Disney Co. may not get full ownership of many of Marvel Entertainment's most famous superheroes if new copyright claims by the family of the late artist Jack Kirby have merit. Four children of Kirby, who co-created a number of Marvel's best-known superheroes in the 1960s including the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Thor and the Hulk, have served 45 "notices of termination" to Marvel, Disney, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. The notices seek to regain copyright control of certain characters. Disney this month agreed to buy Marvel for $4 billion. Sony owns the movie rights to Spider-Man, Fox to the Fantastic Four and X-Men; Paramount and Universal have distribution rights for certain Marvel-produced films. The notices were sent Wednesday. The children of Kirby, who died in 1994, are being represented by Los Angeles law firm Toberoff & Associates, which has represented the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel in a similar claim against Warner Bros. Kirby served as artist and co-plotter with writer Stan Lee on most of the characters in question. Whereas Lee has been a public face of the company for decades, Kirby is less known. That's in part because Kirby left to work for competitor DC Comics in 1970... THERE'S MORE, READ THE REST -- Ben Fritz RECENT AND RELATED Mickey Mouse mutants? Reaction to the Disney-Marvel deal Leterrier's dream: An 'Avengers' epic told in four films over one summer Marvel is on a mission in Hollywood Hammer time: Chris Hemsworth ready for "Thor" Mark Valley: I've been wearing Captain America costume on weekends CREDIT: Jack Kirby self-portrait, Marvel.

Hollywood: Heidi Klum, Neil Patrick Harris, Mad Men, 30 Rock

‘Men’ and ‘Rock’ Remain Emmy Kings. The 2009 Emmys were a lot like 2008’s, as both ‘Mad Men’ and ‘30 Rock’ repeated their wins in the show’s top series categories while several individual actors also won back-to-back trophies. ‘Men’ continues its hot streak of being the “it” show by winning for best drama series despite being on cable network AMC, while Tina Fey’s ‘Rock’ added another accolade with its best comedy series win, with Fey thanking NBC for “keeping us on the air even though we are so much more expensive than a talk show.” -popeater Emmy Awards get boost from Neil Patrick Harris. In his third awards show gig in the past year, demonstrated yet again that he’s the perfect man for the gig. The star of “How I Met Your Mother” did a standout job — starting with the hilarious opening number, during which he showed his musical talent, and continuing with his mock outrage over losing to Jon Cryer. Harris was affable, charming and simultaneously self-deprecating and comically self-aggrandizing. -reuters.com Heidi Klum Makes Way for Babies. Nominee Heidi Klum offered her best advice for dressing for two: “I think the bigger you get, in the end it’s better to go smaller,” she told E! News’ Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet. Klum worked out the fashion, but said she hadn’t found a baby name yet, but “maybe if we win, it will be Emmy!” she laughed. -eonline.com

From Borders to Hollywood: a comic book's story

The Boys Are Back' Ceaseless deaths of the famous mark summer `09 From Borders to Hollywood: a comic book's story `Chance of Meatballs' tops weekend box-office John Travolta may testify at Bahamas trial Michael Moore screening 'Capitalism' in Mich. Nigerian officials: 'District 9' not welcome here Michael Moore screening 'Capitalism' in Mich. town 'Precious' snags audience choice award at TIFF New era for Disney as studio chief steps down The Informant!' Jennifer's Body' Love Happens' What's opening in theaters next week Showmanship Moore's top commodity in `Capitalism' Police arrest suspect in Lohan burglary Bright Star' Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' Love Happens' Phil Lord is eating up the praise for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' ORLANDO, Fla. - Like a lot of young men, Robert Venditti went to college with big dreams. "I was going to be the next Hemingway," he says. As he earned his BA from the University of Florida and a masters from the University of Central Florida, he figured out "you can't just graduate from college and apply for a job as a fiction writer." Law school was out. He had a taste of that in a summer job "and realized it wasn't the life for me." But there was that part-time job, the one that started in South Florida and moved to Altamonte Springs and then Winter Park, Fla., as he attended grad school. He worked at Borders Books, and that changed his life. That's when Venditti first picked up a comic book. "I thought, like a lot of people, that comics were just a juvenile medium," Venditti, 35, says from his home in Atlanta. "But my buddy Marques Robinson got me to read 'Astro City: The Confessor.' The complexity of the ideas, the characters, the way the visuals help tell the story, really appealed to me. I started researching comics, trying to figure out how you got to write for them." He figured it out, all right. In 2003, Venditti's comic-book series "The Surrogates" hit stores. Entertainment Weekly called this tale of people who live vicarious lives through their artificial (and artificially gorgeous) "surrogates" "a resplendently grimy commentary" on our times. Friday, Venditti's success could reach a whole new level as "Surrogates," a thriller starring Bruce Willis based on Venditti's book (with artist Brett Weldele) hits theaters. It's a comic-book writer's - any writer's - version of winning the Lotto. "The minute I heard Bruce Willis was cast was the first moment I allowed myself to hope that this might actually get turned into a movie," Venditti says with a laugh. "A producer who had just hung out his shingle called me up (Max Handelman). He shopped it around, ran into a studio guy who had just seen 'Sin City' and wanted 'something edgy, comic-booky' like that. So Mandeville Films got involved, then Jonathan Mostow (director of "U-571," "Terminator 3"), with screenwriters from "Terminator 3." "I've been involved, at least in the loop," he says. "I looked at it from the perspective that these other people were creative minds in their own right. If they're inspired by something I did to bring their own creativity to it, I'm taking that as a compliment and letting them do what they want. They were staying true to the themes and adding their own ideas and plot lines and characters. You know they're going to add explosions. That's Hollywood." Venditti's Borders-to-Hollywood story should be an inspiration to anyone hoping to break into comics. He worked his way in the door with a tape gun. "I'd moved to Atlanta, transferred to a Borders up here, and I'd heard of this comic-book company, Top Shelf Productions, that was having a rough patch," he says. He offered to come in and use his expertise packing books as a volunteer. A few months of that and he showed the company his idea for a comic, one inspired by Indra Sinha's book, "The Cybergypsies," which he had read in grad school at UCF. "Sinha studied people addicted to the Internet. Obsession with alternate reality was causing divorces, people were losing their jobs. By 2002, all these 'extreme makeovers' were all over the media. What if there was a technology that allowed people to fulfill that basic human need to be someone other than yourself? What would that world look like?" With the huge fanbase for the online alternate-persona game "Second Life" and James Cameron's film "Avatar" hotly anticipated this fall, Venditti seems ahead of the curve. "That's just another happy accident," he says. "That idea is just out there now." His "Surrogates" was such a success that he just released a prequel - "Flesh & Bone." He has another comic, "The Homeland Directive," in the works, and is adapting the novels of Percy Jackson ("The Lightning Thief") into a comic. If he hasn't given up his Hemingway dreams, Venditti does sound very much like a man who is sold on his new medium: "Great novelists like Michael Chabon ("Wonder Boys") and Jonathan Lethem ("The Fortress of Solitude") are crossing over into graphic novels." His ambition may have been to be "the new Hemingway." But in a world where "Sin City" and "Watchmen" are classics, Venditti has found a reality that allows him to realize that ambition - in books where pictures help tell the story.

Mallika Sherawat conquers Hollywood again in a yellow dress

Mumbai: Mallika’s love-affair with Hollywood is going great-guns. There is something about the hot actress that endears her with ‘Videshi’ counterparts in Hollywood. According to latest news, when Mallika Sherawat arrived as a special guest at the Montblanc / UNICEF charity event held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles donning a colorful new dress designed by Max Azria of fashion house BCBG, the guests were completely bowled over by her charms. Legendary English actor Michael York, host of the event, actor Billy Zane of ‘Titanic’ fame and his date the Princess of Congo, Lord and Lady Hayes, among others were completely taken in by her beauty. When a photographer complimented the actress saying, "Everyone is talking about you", Mallika replied graciously - "Anything to bring attention to a good cause." Well, we can just say that contrary to our expectations, Mallika is making us proud indeed!

350 men guard Julia Roberts

Almost 350 security men, bulletproof cars and a chopper too - that's what it takes to secure Hollywood star Julia Roberts, who is here with her

Julia Roberts More Pics

three children to shoot for the movie "Eat, Pray, Love".

"There are more than 100 policemen outside the Ashram Hari Mandir and almost equal number inside the premises, both uniformed and in civilian disguise. Nobody can breach this cover and no outsider is allowed to enter the ashram, no matter whosoever he or she is. We have strict instructions," a Haryana police official told IANS, requesting anonymity.

The actress, who arrived here Thursday, is staying at the Pataudi Palace with her three children, their nannies and other cast and crew members.

"The organisers have hired more than 100 burly bouncers and security guards from Delhi that includes close to 40 gunmen (besides the police protection)," the officer said.

Sources also said that the 41-year-old star has three bulletproof cars with jet-black window panes for her personal use, while a chopper has also been noticed invigilating the village.

Eid feast brightens city platter

After offering ‘namaz’ at various mosques, the devout wished family and friends on the happy occasion, exchanging gifts and relishing ‘sewayian’ along with them.

As month of Ramadan came to an end, members of Muslim community celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday, marking the day with prayers and colourful festivities“After an entire month of fasting, Eid is the perfect occasion to celebrate with family and friends,” said Abdul Kadir, a city resident. Addressing devotees at Jail road near Jama Masjid, Shai Imam Maulana Habbeeb-Ur-Rehman said Muslims had made enormous sacrifices for the unity and integrity of India and would always work for strengthening communal harmony in the country. “Eid stands for the universal message of unity and so people must try to live with others in peace and harmony,” he added. He also highlighted the struggle that India had to undergo to free itself from Britishers, who had used divide-and-rule policy.

The minister for jail, tourism and cultural affairs, Hira Singh Gabria extended heartiest congratulations on the eve of Id-ul-Fitr and exhorted the participants to pledge for strengthening mutual brotherhood in the society, which was the real message of all religions. “The traditional bond of brotherhood between Sikhs and Muslims go back to the time of gurus. For instance, take the case of Bhai Mardana and Guru Nanak Dev and fifth guru, Guru Guru Arjan Dev, who got the foundation brick of Harmandir Sahib laid from Sain Mian Mir.”