MUMBAI: Forget all saas bahu drama and watch the real life bonding between the yesteryear Superstar Rajesh Khanna & his damaad Akshay Kumar at Zee TV?s Action Replayy Dhinchak Diwali special which will be aired on October 31. In a unique promotional activity for his upcoming film release, director of Action Replay Vipul Shah joined hands with Zee TV to celebrate a Retro Diwali. Besides performing to some hit songs, Akshay also felicitated his father-in-law?s contribution to the silver screen in the good old seventies. Their interaction was truly a historic one.

Akshay comes on stage a bit nostalgic and nervous as he speaks about his first memories about Rajesh Khanna. He says, ?I am thankful to this man for not just giving me my life, but also my wife.? He went on to narrate an incident during his childhood where he had often witnessed at Carter Road when girls of all ages rushed and fawned over the legendary superstar each time he passed by turning his white coloured Impala pink from all the lipstick kisses they left on his car. Akshay spoke of how he saw the impact of stardom watching the renowned actor who is today his father-in-law.

All praise & blessings for his son-in-law, Rajesh said ?Today girls fall at my son-in-laws feet but don?t tell my daughter that? and added with a glint in his eye ?She is the jealous sort and uski jalne ki boo Carter Road tak pahunchegi.?

Rajesh Khanna then proceeded to delight the audience with sheroshayari and naach gaana that included the his famous signature dance steps. Anchor Manish Paul and his son-in-law Akshay also joined the veteran actor in shaking a leg. Celebrity guest Zeenat Aman also joined them on stage for an impromptu jig.

Watch the positivity and mutual admiration between two Superstars from two different eras on the special Action Replayy Dhinchak Diwali episode only on October 31, 2010 from 7 pm onwards on Zee TV.

MUMBAI: The Bollywood Insider Planet Bollywood will now sport a new look. Star Breakups, Star Secrets, Star Bloopers, Scandals, Bollywood News. Gossip, Gupshup, Masala and more will now be a daily affair on zoOm. What?s more, the show will now be presented in a fresh, pacy, format to keep the viewers asking for more.

Omar Qureshi, Editor-in-Chief, zoOm Television says ?At zoOm, we strongly believe in innovating and reinventing ourselves to engage and enthrall our audiences & therefore our most popular programme, Planet Bollywood will sport a new avatar. It connects because it simply gives the Bollywood fan a chance to get up close and personal with their favourite stars on a daily basis.?

The entertainment news on Planet Bollywood is unmatched in the Indian Television space with fresh content daily. It has always given the viewer scoops and breaking news on Bollywood since inception. All this & much more in terms of special programming is exactly how we have engaged our viewers on the channel.

So tune in to enjoy Planet Bollywood in an all new version from Monday to Sunday starting 18th October only on zoOm ? 100% Bollywood.
 

MUMBAI: Atul Kulkarni has been nominated for ?Best Actor? at the prestigious ?Asia Pacific Screen Awards?. After its domestic success, the international audiences, too, have woken up to the socially relevant Marathi film ?Natarang? produced by Zee Talkies. Naseeruddin Shah was one of the few Indian actors previously nominated for his performance in ?A Wednesday? in 2008.

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) also labeled by a few as ?The Oscars of the East? recognizes the cinematic brilliance and cultural diversity of the vast Asia-Pacific region. Established in 2007, it brings together in an exclusive alliance, Paris-based UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations. In total, APSA represents four billion people; 60 percent of the global population; 70 countries; one third of the earth; and half the world?s film output. The awards aims at demonstrating a rich cultural diversity by acclaiming films representing their individuality.

The winners are determined by the ?International Jury of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards? who will assemble on Australia?s Gold Coast on November 22 to initiate deliberations. The ceremony is being held on December 2, 2010 and will be chaired by film critic and historian, Adrienne Mc Kibbins, and includes Australia?s film critic Russell Edwards amongst others.

Atul Kulkarni has serious competition amongst Australia?s veteran actor Tony Barry and Chen Daoming from China, to name a few.

This nomination closely follows on the lines of the ?Special Mention? at the Munich Film Festival in Germany.
?Natarang? is also to be awarded the National Award for ?Best Film in Marathi? on the 22nd of October 2010 at New Delhi .

MUMBAI: Dish TV ? India?s largest direct-to-home company, today launched a mega 100% cash back festive offer for its customers. Starting October 18th, all costumers, who buy a new Dish TV connection at Rs. 990, will get Dish TV kit and assured gift of 100% cash back offer of Rs. 990. This makes the price of Dish TV connection virtually nil. It is a limited period offer valid till15th Nov. 2010.

Commenting on the offer, Salil Kapoor, COO, Dish TV said, ?Being the pioneer and market leader Dish TV was the first to bring Set Top Box free offer, followed by Recharge free offer and now we are joining in the celebrations and giving customers an opportunity to rejoice in the festive season with a 100% cash back offer. Consumer sentiments are buoyant during the festive season and they tend to splurge more on consumer electronics; Dish TV plans to cash on this opportunity with attractive consumer promotion offer. Our aim is to provide the consumers with the best of home entertainment and convenience through great value propositions?.

To ensure that the customer enjoys the perfect HD experience during the festive season, Dish TV has introduced attractive bundle promotion offer, Pay 2990 & get 2 Months Platinum + HD Box + 990 Cash Back.

There would be a 360 degree communication campaign that includes television commercial, print advertisements, online promotion, out-of-home and shop-front activities. The installation charge of Rs 200 is payable extra.
 

NEW DELHI: Avian Media, a specialist communication consultancy, announced the appointment of Girish Huria as their Chief Operating Officer. In his new role he will be responsible for aligning and strengthening the firms operations and also drive growth and profitability of the firm.

Girish has over 13 years of experience, which includes leading several corporate and brand reputation programmes. His expertise also lie in financial, employee and crisis communications. Having moved from auditing books of accounts to communications, Girish enjoys working with clients across diverse sectors.

"We are delighted that someone of Girish‘s calibre has joined the team as we move into an exciting new chapter where we aim to touch new horizons and further strengthen our foothold in the industry." said Mr. Nitin Mantri, Chief Executive Officer of Avian Media. "Girish not only has experience of working across many sectors, he comes to Avian with very strong foundation in strategy and planning" he further added.

Prior to joining Avian Media, Girish was Managing Partner, Genesis Burson-Marsteller and was one of the region head leading the North and East Markets, where he was responsible for the growth and profitability of the region. At Genesis B-M, Girish was instrumental in leading campaigns for General Electric, Pepsi Brands, Ford Motors and Vodafone besides several others in the BFSI, Aviation, Consulting and Telecom space.

Commenting on his appointment, Girish Huria, COO, Avian Media, said, "I am delighted to be given an opportunity to work with Avian Media, especially at such an exciting time when the company is growing rapidly. I look forward to an exciting journey - managing and strategising across a diverse set of clients and overseeing a bright young team. It will be my endeavour to contribute towards planning on various accounts and add more respected brands to the existing Avian client portfolio."

Given his hunger to learn and grow, Girish has been part of several learning sessions including courses run by WPP. He is also the only Indian PR professional to successfully complete the ICCO training on ‘Negotiation Skills‘ for which he was awarded the Certificate of Merit.

Prior to joining Genesis Burson-Marsteller, Girish worked with a Chartered Accountancy firm in Mumbai, where he was involved in Statutory / Internal Audits of Corporate and Banks. Girish is a Post Graduate in Business Administration.
 
 

MUMBAI: Ever wondered what a superstar does when away from the glitterati of the Bollywood world? Are they like one of us or something out of the world? The level of inquisitiveness would definitely reach a different height when it?s about the most desirable women in Asia- Priyanka Chopra, one certainly would be very curious to know what this sensational diva would do when the Lights and Camera Action goes off! It is one of those rare chances when the stars get down to earth and mingle with their fans! Priyanka?s fans now have a reason to rejoice for UTV Interactive is all set to showcase another avatar of their favorite star!

The Bollywood diva has recently signed an agreement with UTV Interactive to launch her voice blogs, voice chats and an official YouTube channel where the fans will now be allowed take a sneak peek into her life! Moving a step closer from her reel to real life, Priyanka now has newer avenues of interaction with her fans through mobile and web. In a constant endeavor to reach out to millions of her fans via innovative yet accessible communication channels, Priyanka has started her voice blogs on her life behind the camera lens, giving her fans an exclusive insights of her life just by dialing ­­­­*5111* from their personal phones. The actress will also be launched on voice chats, a first-of-its-kind application developed by UTV Interactive, where fans will get an opportunity to personally talk with the star on their mobile.

Associating with the most popular online video-site in the world?YouTube, UTV Interactive has also launched a dedicated video channel for the actress through her very own web destination, www.youtube.com/priyankachopra, offering fans an opportunity to get up close and personal through some interesting and exciting video content. The channel currently has videos of some chirpy moments from Priyanka?s personal life where she loves to click pictures, expressing her love for clean blue oceans or never saying to her fans for picture to being a complete coffee addict, these videos basically showcase the real side to the glamorous diva!

?It‘s all about making and maintaining a human connection. I have been blessed with a very interactive fan base spread across the world. I‘m very excited to extend that touch point today with the launch of my voice blog, voice chat and official YouTube channel. These are very innovative, unexplored platforms and I‘m looking forward to connecting with everyone and welcoming them into my world, sharing my private self with them!? said Priyanka, speaking about her new digital destinations launched today.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Manish Agarwal, CEO, Interactive- UTV, said,? We at UTV interactive believe in creating innovative & exclusive digital content for millions of digital savvy Indians. India being a celebrity crazy nation, celebrity based content would be a very unique offering to Indians across the globe, and an offering with a huge untapped potential. We are partnering exclusively with some of the most desired and popular celebrities across all the regions to create interesting and original content across the web and the mobile. Priyanka Chopra, one of the most sought after Bollywood actresses today, and one of the most tech savvy celebrities around, is the ideal partner for UTV Interactive to take the celebrities-based digital platform forward. We will be working closely with Priyanka Chopra to create new products and today we have launched her voice blog and her official channel on YouTube so as to allow her to come closer to her legions of fans. We are very excited at the opportunity presented by the imminent launch of 3G services and we will be working with Priyanka Chopra to launch video chat and video blog services very soon. We are confident of a fantastic response from day one given the promise of interactivity with Priyanka Chopra and the opportunity to consumer never before seen or heard content.?

UTV Interactive recently announced their foray into aggregating celebrities across the mobile and web. Offering millions of fans an access and interactivity to their favourite stars, UTV is conceptualizing and monetizing the digital persona of celebrities across various touch points. Fans can now get a first hand experience of their stars through voice blogs on the mobile, interactive voice chats, web destinations and more. Going beyond just images and wallpapers, UTV Interactive has also had its recent foray in merchandising, web applications, celebrity-based games and event properties.