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Mumbai, Jan 17 (IANS) International talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, who is in India to shoot for her new show, is all praise for Bollywood celebrities after meeting them at a party hosted in her honour by socialite Parmeshwar Godrej.

“Was so great meeting you and all the beautiful Bollywooders. Directors, poets, screenwriters, what a nite!” the 57-year-old wrote on her Twitter page.

On her maidan visit to India, Winfrey got a warm welcome from Indian socialites and Bollywood celebrities like megastar Amitabh Bachchan, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and Aishwarya Rai at the party.

The guest list also included filmmakers Ashutosh Gowariker and Rajkumar Hirani, actors Anupam Kher, his son Sikander Kher, Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty with husband Raj Kundra, Abhay Deol with actress-girlfriend Preeti Desai, Lara Dutta, Dino Morea, Sameera Reddy, Kalki Koechlin, Kangna Ranaut, Anil Kapoor and Imran Khan.

Before going for the party, Winfrey went to the Bachchan residence Jalsa to meet Abhishek and Aishwarya’s two-month-old daughter, nicknamed Beti B.

Oprah is in India to shoot for her new show “Next Chapter”, which will see her travelling around the world and interviewing celebrities. She is scheduled to attend the forthcoming Jaipur Literature Festival.

Mumbai, Jan 15 (IANS) Bollywood actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Shabana Azmi cheered to support the physically challenged participants and senior citizens as the Wheelchair Event and the Senior Citizens‘ Run was flagged off here Sunday during the ninth edition of Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2012.

As many as 1,800 people participated in the Senior Citizens’ Run and 200 in the Wheelchair Event which started from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) in south Mumbai and will culminate after covering a distance of 4.3 km near Metro Cinema.

Twenty five differently-abled students of the School for the Education of the Crippled (SEC) caught attention of many as they participated in the Wheelchair Event despite various physical disabilities including cerebral palsy and congenital defects.

Aged between 12 and 15 years, the students were accompanied by alumni and staff members to raise awareness about the treatment of the physically challenged in the city.

Actors Anil Kapoor and Gulshan Grover were all cheers for the participants of the Senior Citizens’ Run. Tina Ambani, who promotes the cause of better lifestyle for senior citizens through her magazine Harmony, also cheered for the elderly.

Mumbai, Jan 13 (IANS) First Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif‘s look inspired a fashion Barbie doll and now heartthrob Hrithik Roshan is likely to walk the ramp for Mattel Toys.

Katrina had walked the ramp in 2009 for Barbie and Mattel has now roped in Hrithik as the brand ambassador for racing game Hot Wheels Team Xtreme. He is likely to walk the ramp at the India Kids Fashion Week, starting Jan 17, in a collection designed by Narendra Kumar.

Kumar has a tie-up with Hot Wheels Team Xtreme: Buckle Up and his collection targeting boys across all ages will be showcased on the inaugural day.

India Kids Fashion Week is the first such dedicated to children. The three-day event will see Indian and international designers exploring the relatively untouched territory of children’s lines by displaying apparel, toys, accessories and a lot more.

New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who says marketing has become an indispensable part of filmmaking because of the rising ticket prices, used the best marketing strategy to promote his ‘RA.One’, but feels he could have made the sci-fi superhero movie in a better way.

‘I think it’s very, very important in entertainment to get into merchandising, to get into gaming and be on the net… we cannot negate that any more, whatever the level of film you are making,’ Shah Rukh, who was honoured at the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2011 with the title of Creative Entrepreneur of The Year in Mumbai, said in a tete-a-tete with the channel.

SRK, known for coining some of the best marketing strategies to sell his films, associated with over 50 brands for his mega-production ‘RA.One’. However, he received mixed reaction for the movie, which was directed by Anubhav Sinha.

‘It’s very important because a film like ‘RA.One’ lends itself a little more, it’s for children, it’s superhero and stuff. I wish I had made it a little better because people started jumping on my back, ‘Itna market kiya aur aisa picture banaya tumne (You marketed it so much, and made a film like this)’, So, I got a little waylaid on that,’ he added.

The movie, a sci-fi project, had a production cost of Rs.150 crore, and according to reports, his tie-ups to market the film were worth Rs.52 crore. Shah Rukh, a graduate in Economics, feels it’s important to look at films as a product nowadays.

‘I think you really need to take films and think of it as a product and put it across, and inform everyone what this product is because it is very expensive to go and buy the ticket.

‘You know it’s Rs.500-Rs.700, so you need to tell the customer this is what it is going to be. The more the channels you can inform on, I think more you are right about your product,’ said Shah Rukh, who had begun promoting ‘RA.One’ months before its release.

With ‘RA.One’, King Khan also brought into spotlight the importance of technology in taking Indian cinema global.

‘To be really honest, even to the other producers and myself, I tell them put it (money) into the film, because I truly believe the technology and you know the way Indian films look… it’s very important to go to the next level in terms of technology, otherwise we will lose.

‘…the danger is not that we are going to crossover or not, the danger is whether we are going to lose the Indian audience for the Indian films. We are the only country in the world which still has regional audiences, so to say. Otherwise Hollywood has taken over everywhere, and the only way we can make sure that we continue to have youngsters like our films is increasing our technology.

‘Otherwise 10 years from now there will be no Hindi films and I say that with utmost sadness. I really feel that if we don’t push it a little more in terms of marketing and technology, we will not have Hindi films,’ added the 46-year-old.

The event, which took place in Mumbai Saturday, will go on air Jan 14 on NDTV Profit.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) Former Miss India International Esha Gupta, who is still to make her Bollywood debut with ‘Jannat 2′, has reportedly bagged an endorsement deal with the international cosmetic giant, Maybelline.

She was signed barely two weeks back as the face of the brand that previously had actress Deepika Padukone on board, a source close to the model-turned-actress told IANS adding that she will soon be flying to New York to shoot the first campaign.

As the new face of the brand, Esha will head to New York to shoot a highly stylised campaign, said the source.

According to the source, the brand is going all out for this campaign. They have roped in international stylists and production teams to shoot the campaign.

Esha, who won the Miss India International title in 2007, is currently in the capital shooting for her movie and has given the brand a total of 10 days to shoot the campaign.

Mumbai, Jan 8 (IANS) Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray Sunday trained his guns on Team Anna members Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, terming them ‘a bunch of worthless, selfish persons’.

He also hit out at ailing social crusader Anna Hazare, raising questions on the source of finances for his ‘five-star, corporate’ hunger strike agitation in recent months, in an interview in Saamna, the party mouthpiece.

‘They go on hunger strikes for flimsy reasons, demand this and force to do that … This is nothing but a ‘political rape’. What is going on in this country,’ Thackeray demanded.

Attacking Hazare, Thackeray wanted to know ‘What happened to the much-tom-tommed ‘Lokpal Bill’? Does the country really need it, and will it serve any purpose?

‘It will end up in vicious circles, committees will be appointed for committees, corrupt would probe the corrupt, and in the process, the common man will continue to suffer,’ he pointed out.

Referring to Team Anna members, the Sena chief said that they have been cheating the government and it has been proved by the recent Shanti Bhushan episode.

‘They wear ‘I Am Anna’ caps, but they are headless…’ he remarked sarcastically on Team Anna.

Terming their acts as nothing but ‘a Bollywood filmy drama’, Thackeray questioned Team Anna members’ credentials in carrying on the anti-corruption agitation.

All this is going on because the central government is ‘weak and lame’ – ‘Who are (P.) Chidambaram or (A.K.) Antony? Do they deserve to occupy such high posts? It has happened because of using influence,’ he declared.

Thackeray said that these days it has become the ‘fashion’ of some people to go on hunger strikes and emerge ‘healthier’ from the exercise. ‘Is anybody bothered about the forced hunger that the (malnourished) infants in the state have to undergo?’

The interview comes ahead of Thackeray’s 86th birthday scheduled to be celebrated Jan 23, barely a fortnight before crucial civic elections across Maharashtra.

New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit, well-known for her natural acting talent and graceful dancing, is the latest Indian film star to join the A-list line up at London’s Madame Tussauds.

The 44-year-old has already posed in Mumbai for sculptors from the musuem and is expected to unveil her likeness in London in March, according the website of the famed wax musuem. It will cost 150,000 pounds to create and will take a team of sculptors, hair, makeup and wardrobe experts four months to create.

‘The decision to include Madhuri is set to delight Bollywood fans around the world as we are constantly inundated with requests to feature Madhuri. Her figure will make a stunning new addition to our Bollywood area which continues to grow in popularity every year,’ read the statement.

‘With so many awards to her name and a career spanning over 25 years she undoubtedly deserves her place here and we expect huge interest in the figure when she takes up residence next year!’ the statement further added.

Madhuri is remembered for her performances in ‘Tezaab’, ‘Ram Lakhan‘, ‘Sajan’, ‘Beta’, ‘Dil’, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun!’, ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’ and ‘Devdas’. She tied the knot in 2002 with Shriram Madhav Nene, a doctor based out in Denver, US. Post-marriage, Madhuri featured worked in ‘Aaja Nachle’ because she got busy with family and children.

But now she is in Mumbai for good, and excited about the idea of being waxed!

‘I am really thrilled I am going to be included at Madame Tussauds. It’s a real mark of achievement and to be recognised for one’s art and work. It’s also wonderful to be following in the footsteps of other Bollywood stars and some of my personal heroes!’ said Madhuri in the statement.

To ensure authenticity, Madhuri will be closely involved in the creation process, collaborating with the Madame Tussauds team to agree the pose and even donating a Manish Malhotra sari for her figure to wear. Her hair will flow loosely over her shoulders, styled to show off her long tresses to full effect.

Madhuri’s wax figure will join those of five big names from Indian cinema – Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu chose to step into the New Year by expressing gratitude to her friends, family, staff and fans for standing by her always.

‘Want to begin the Year 2012 by thanking all of you for the love and support over the years! You all are the reason I am ‘Bipasha Basu’. Can’t thank you all enough!’ Bipasha posted on her Twitter page.

‘Gratitude is the biggest virtue! Am also grateful to have the most amazing family and solid friends who make me who I am. Love them the most ever,’ she added.

In 2011, the actress parted ways with John Abraham, whom she was dating since eight years. She also bagged her first international project ‘Singularity’, and is now looking forward to her multi-starrer project ‘Players’, releasing Friday.

Bipasha also thanked her team who work with her ‘day and night’.

‘I thank Pasha, my assistant, and Madhu, my hairstylist, they are my extended family! Can’t function without them! Am very blessed to be me! It’s a happy new year already for me!’ she wrote.

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Neil, a big fan of his mom

If actor Neil Nitin Mukesh had his way, he would want to be reborn as the son only of Nitin and Nishi Mukesh.

‘It’s my maa’s happy birthday! I am truly blessed to be born as her son. I pray to god that all my lives I be born as her son only!’ tweeted Neil, grandson of legendary singer Mukesh.

‘The finest parents. And I’m not just saying it they are so emotional loving and caring. Proud to be their son. They have taught me great values and a lot of respect and how to truly love,’ added the actor who began his Bollywood stint with ‘Johnny Gaddaar’ in 2007.

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Anything for friendship, says Asin

‘Friendship is like a see-saw. You don’t mind going down to see your friend rise’ — and that’s an adage that actress Asin Thottumkal seems to truly believe in.

While solving a fight between two friends for an episode of UTV Stars’ ‘Superstar Santa’, Asin revealed how her close-knit gang of girls gets insecure sometimes due to her success in Bollywood.

The ‘Ghajini’ actress has a group of six to seven female friends, who are like daughters to her parents. As much as they are all close to each other, they get insecure that she can’t meet them as often as they like due to her film commitments.

There have also been times when this has led to misunderstandings amongst them, but Asin says she has always made it a point to clarify the matter before it got out of hand.

She even admitted that she says ‘sorry’ though it may not be her fault, and that she she will continue to do so forever.

The episode of ‘Superstar Santa’, featuring Asin, will air Sunday.

New Delhi, Jan. 1: The Bhagvad Gita may have been at the centre of a court case in Russia but the holy book has long ceased to be part of judicial proceedings in the land of its conception.

In India, courts have done away with the practice of having witnesses take oath by the Gita or any other sacred text before giving evidence, contrary to what is depicted in movies.

“That’s all Bollywood,” says lawyer Santosh Paul who began his practice in Bombay High Court before shifting to Delhi High Court. “I haven’t seen this happening in my lifetime.”

A Siberian court had last week rejected a petition to ban a commentary on the Gita in the Russian Federation. In India, there was a time when witnesses did have to swear by the sacred book of his or her religion. It was supposed to make them speak nothing but the whole truth.

The practice had later formalised into a system in the Mughal era, with Hindus swearing by the holy water of the Ganga or the Bhagvad Gita, and Muslims by the Quran.

The tradition continued well into the British era as India’s colonial rulers were cautious about disrupting established traditions. “It’s an old, imperial thing. It was assumed that a person who swore by the Gita or the Quran would speak the truth,” senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan said.

But that ended in 1840, when the imperial rulers tried to introduce a more uniform system of taking oath in the name of God.

A law was enacted to abolish these forms of oath in trial courts and enabled Hindus and Muslims to give evidence on “solemn affirmation”. This act was extended in 1863 to the high courts. The Indian Oaths Act, 1873, consolidated this position.

Some imperial-era courts, such as Bombay High Court, however, had rules that permitted non-Hindus and non-Muslims to take oath by their own religious books till 1957.

A Christian had to swear by the New Testament, a Jew by the Hebrew Testament and a Parsi by the open Zend-Avesta with his shoes on. A Hindu or a Muslim could just solemnly affirm their statements in the presence of Almighty God.

This practice of non-Hindus and non-Muslims swearing by the religious books of their religion, however, ended in 1969. After the Law Commission, in its 28th report, suggested a revamp in the Indian Oaths Act, 1873, a law was passed introducing a uniform system of taking oath all over the country.

Under the 1969 law, which is still in force, witnesses can swear by a universal god without referring in any way to any particular religious denomination.

“I do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that what I shall state shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” was the format prescribed.

No child under 12 needed to take such an oath. The only possible remnant of the Gita now in Indian courts is a Sanskrit inscription atop the Supreme Court building inaugurated in 1952.

It says “Yato Dharmahstato Jayah”, which loosely translated means victory lies with those on the side of dharma, the lines attributed to Gandhari in the Mahabharata.

In the epic, Duryodhana and her other sons were so desperate to win the war against the Pandavas that they sought Gandhari’s blessings on every single day of the 18-day war.

But Gandhari was careful to hedge her blessings with: “Let victory lie with dharma.” The Pandavas won the war.

“Now, inside courts, the Constitution is the only holy book,” a senior lawyer said.

2012 could be another atrophied year for India due to mediocre leaders without a cogent vision for the country. A country of 1.2 billion people, with boundless resources and energy, may again fail to meet the basic needs of its common citizens.

The government will be haunted by unaccounted monies in foreign banks. 2012 could see the names of some account holders tumble out of the closets. The revelations could spark unprecedented anger and violence.

The year will belong to Anna Hazare, who has become the voice of the frustrated. Urban India will organise to demand enhanced governance, infrastructure and inflation management.

With the elections looming in 2014, most political, economic and even civic decisions will be impacted by electoral consideration. Expect populist measures to entice minority groups to garner captive votes.

Over the years, the Congress party has little agenda left in it. It has become a family business of a dynasty. In a country riddled with massive illiteracy and ignorance, old brands matter. The Nehru-Indira Gandhi brand name is one of the oldest ubiquitous brands, even in rural markets. There is a major change though. Now, people expect brands to deliver.

The BJP will continue to be languid. It is has too many over-anxious prime ministerial candidates. It is devoid of dedicated senior workers, a vision and programme.

The state elections in 2012 in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Manipur will bring out the worst in local politicians with baseless accusations flying at will. Sit back and enjoy the circus.

India’s over-marketed growth story will be dented. Growth rates of 8 to 9 per cent could decline to five per cent due to delayed reforms and the impact of global recession. Global GDP growth rates will decline to 3.5 per cent, the US will dither towards another recession, and Euro will be turbulent due to imbalances and quarrels in Europe. In a global economy, India cannot be immune from these trends.

Harvests of wheat and onions could improve, but prices of food will yet rise by 6 to 10 per cent due to machinations of politicians who are hand in glove with middlemen. Mis-management of stocks and wastages will also aggravate prices. Despite RBI efforts, inflation could hover around 9 to 12 per cent.

Basic items such as rice, onions and tomatoes may cost more. India’s highly publicised middle classes will feel the heat. Their living standards will decline. Many will eliminate restaurants and fruits alike from their lives. FDI in retail could have ensured higher supplies and stable prices. However, a feeble government could not douse rabble-rousers.

Industrialists and businessmen will fume at the incompetence of political leaders and policy vacuums. Industrial growth rates and exports could stagnate. China will continue to outshine India in manufacturing quality products.

Hopes for better healthcare will be belied. Most Indians pay one-third of their incomes as taxes throughout their lives. Yet, they receive no health benefits, food coupons, unemployment insurance or old age pensions as they get older.

The dastardly 26/11 bombings in Mumbai should have goaded us into providing a steel framework security system along our coasts and in our cities. But terrorists’ attacks have continued.

Infrastructure like roads, bridges, fly-overs, airports, railway stations will continue to crumble due to overloading, and inferior quality materials. Slums like Dharawi will continue to proliferate and shame the country. Budgets for infrastructure reconstruction will continue to be siphoned off into private pockets. We are one of the filthiest countries in the world, without adequate public toilets.

Mobile phones will penetrate deeper into the villages. Indians are hungry to learn and grow. They will embrace the iPad, Facebook and miscellaneous electronic toys avidly. Rural markets will grow, albeit slowly.

Many bright young Indians will seek to migrate to the US and Europe despite the recession. They will see beyond the recession in the West.

Bollywood will continue to dish out escapist fare. Flying villains, salacious dance item numbers, digitally overblown muscles and bodies of heroes will provide escapist tales to millions, whose daily lives are sheer drudgery.

Sachin Tendulkar’s centuries will delight us. Younger stars like Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina will also electrify. Players of tennis, hockey, football, and chess will wait for iconic glory when their games become national passions.

We will continue to be a coarse society. We will barge into lifts without waiting for those inside to exit, we will spit on walls, always be late for appointments, blare car-horns at will and neglect the old and ailing. We will also be fiercely competitive and jealous of our neighbours and friends.

Thus, 2012 may not see any giant leaps. Millions of Indians toil daily, struggling to improve their lives in the villages and urban ghettos. Their enterprise and entrepreneurship will keep India sailing. So, Indians will sweat through another tough year.

(29.12.2011 – Rajendra K. Aneja, who lives in Dubai, has worked as MD in Unilever businesses in Asia, Latin America and Africa. He can be contacted at rajuaneja@hotmail.com).