MUMBAI: Programming on MAX gets larger than life as the channel celebrates Big B?s Birthday. Amitabh Bachchan completes 40 glorious years in Bollywood and also celebrates his birthday on October 11. As a part of the special programming initiative ?AB Tak Bachchan?, MAX the Premium Movies and Events channel will present a five movie vertical stack of Bachchan blockbusters, back-to-back, on 11th October.

MAX will mark the superstar?s birthday celebration with hand-picked titles starting with Mahaan at 8am followed by Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Namak Halaal, Don and Cheeni Kum, while Bollywood glitterati Ram Gopal Verma, Ravi Chopra, ADESH Srivastav, Sudesh Bhosle, REITESH DESHMUKH and VIDYA BALAN would join MAX to wish the living legend on-air.

Sneha Rajani, Executive Vice President & Business Head, MAX said, ?Ab Tak Bachchan is one of our key properties and this year we have aligned all our efforts to celebrate Big B?s Birthday full throttle. We have drawn up a 360 degree marketing plan to reach out to our viewers and Bachchan fans as this year Amitabh Bachchan also completes a landmark of 40 years in the industry. MAX has always dished out high octane entertainment so this occasion will definitely live upto MAX?s brand commitment. On that note, on behalf of team MAX, I would like to extend our best wishes to the living legend on his birthday.?

MUMBAI: 50000 entries?more than 30000 kids interviewed??.. 5 weeks of gruelling auditions in 9 cities?and finally 12 had made it to the coveted stage of Zee TV‘s ‘Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L‘il Champs‘. The competition is not yet over but the five finalists have already become play back singers. Shreyasi, Hemant, Prateeksha, Yatharth and Swarit all have rendered their voices for the forthcoming movie ‘ Bal Ganesha ‘ - the music release of the same was done on the coveted stage of Saregamapa. The movie will release on 23rd October‘2009.

The show that has been a rage amongst music lovers not only in India but around the globe is being judged by none other than the melody queen Alka Yagnik, the ever vibrant Abhijeet Bhattacharya. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa‘ has proved its popularity in every season and continues to grow further.

MUMBAI: Omar Qureshi gives his take on the latest releases lined up for the week. Acid Factory, the much awaited action thriller with an impressive star cast from the likes of Fardeen Khan, Dino Morea, Diya Mirza, Manoj Bajpai, Aftab Shivdasani, Irrfan Khan and Danny Denzongpa. The movie promises a thrilling experience and is based on the story of a group of people whose sense of past has vanished in a haze. They have woken up from a coma like sleep only to discover that reality might just be a figment of their imagination. Their sense of right and wrong is convoluted by their state of complete distrust of the other and their sense of self righteousness.

On Hollywood?s latest releases is Surrogates by Jonathan Mostow, starring the impeccable Bruce Willis. The movie is based on an FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigating the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves?fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles.

Next is The Duchess directed by Saul Dibb, starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. The movie is based on the story of an extraordinary woman who rose to fame by staying true to her passions in a world of protocol, gossip and social rules and paid the price. Long before the concept existed, the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightley), was the original ?It Girl.? Like her direct ancestor Princess Diana, she was ravishing, glamorous and adored by an entire country. Determined to be a player in the wider affairs of the world, she proved that she could out-gamble, out-drink and outwit most of the aristocratic men who surrounded her. She helped usher in sweeping changes to England as a leader of the forward-thinking Whig Party. But even as her power and popularity grew, she was haunted by the fact that the only man in England she seemingly could not seduce was her very own husband, the Duke (Ralph Fiennes).
From Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), comes Taking Woodstock, a new comedy inspired by the true story of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin) and his family, who inadvertently played a pivotal role in making the famed Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the happening that it was.

The Time Traveller?s Wife based on the story of a Chicago librarian who suffers from a rare genetic disorder that sends him hurtling through time whenever he is under extreme duress; despite the fact that he vanishes at inordinately frequent and lengthy intervals, he attempts to build a stable future with the beautiful young heiress he loves. Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams stars in this dramatic fantasy directed by Robert Schwentke and is based on the best-selling book by author Audrey Niffenegger.

Tune in to ?The ZoOm Review Show? to find out which movie deserves a watch and which movie is worth a skip this Friday, October 09, 2009, 7:30pm only on ZoOm.

MUMBAI

: Today Zee TV, the number one television network in the South Asian entertainment space, has announced it is teaming up with non-profit organizers at several major U.S. cities to support this year‘s Diwali Mela celebration. The first of the events takes place in Arlington, Texas, at Dallas Cowboys‘ new stadium, on October 4th, 2009. The Diwali Mela in Arlington is hosted by the Dallas-Fort Worth Indian Cultural Society, and organizers expect a record turnout this year with more than 100,000 people in attendance.

Among this year‘s highlights at the 4th Annual Diwali event in Arlington is a performance by Bollywood singer Kailash Kher with his full orchestra, elephant and camel rides, a special kids corner with bounce houses, magicians, train rides, puppet shows, a petting zoo, laser light show, and a special production of ‘Ram Leela‘ with a cast of 200+ performers. For more details about the event, you can visit: http://www.dfwdiwalimela.com/.

"We are very enthusiastic about sponsoring the upcoming Diwali Melas, and look forward to working with the Dallas-Fort Worth Indian Cultural Society for the largest kick-off event ever organized in the United States," said Vibha Chopra, Head of Marketing of Zee TV USA.

In addition to the Dallas-Fort Worth Diwali event, Zee is working alongside Rajsun Megastar Entertainment and helping to promote "Dandiya Festival with Falguni Pathak" in top U.S. cities including Chicago (IL), Charoltte (NC), Atlanta (GA), and Edison (NJ), all in celebration of Navratri, Durga Puja and Diwali during the month of October 2009.

Falguni Pathak, often referred as the "Dandiya Queen" for the thrilling Dandiya experiences she provides to her audience, is an MTV award winner and well-known folk singer not just in India, but all over the world.

The event in New Jersey takes place in Edison at the New Jersey Expo Hall October 2nd and 3rd, in Charlotte, October 9th, in Chicago, October 10th and October 11th in Atlanta.

Zee TV‘s tie-up with DFWICS and Rajsun Megastar Entertainment are part of the company‘s ongoing charitable partnership program, in which Zee strives to make a difference in the lives of U.S. residents of South Asian decent. Zee continually brings the best in South Asian entertainment to homes across America and is striving to connect with their viewers at events such as the Diwali celebrations coming up in major cities in the US.

Whether in the comfort of their homes or among thousands at events, Zee wishes all their viewers a very happy and safe festive season.

MUMBAI: The Essar Group today announced the appointment of Shivnath Thukral as its Group President ? Corporate Branding & Strategic Initiatives, effective October 12, 2009.

Shivnath holds a Masters Degree in Economics from Delhi School of Economics, and also has a Master?s Degree in Media from the U.S. He was with NDTV previously where he served for 14 years in different capacities, the last as Group Business Editor and Advisor ? Strategy.

Speaking on his new appointment, Mr. Shashi Ruia said: ?Shivnath has a rich experience of analyzing Indian businesses, financial markets and economic affairs. He also brings to the table international experience of engaging with global thinkers, economists and CEOs. His skills and expertise will be invaluable in strategically reaching out to appropriately position the Essar Brand with its various stake holders whilst articulating and helping Essar?s journey from being a domestic manufacturing company to being a respected global entrepreneur.?

With operations in five continents, Essar has made several global acquisitions and alliances in the last few years. It has launched a refreshed brand identity and vision that is in keeping with its changing profile. Shivnath?s inclusion in its senior leadership team will add great value to the transformational process the Group is going through currently.

The Group has inducted some world-class talent to join its senior management to drive its global growth strategy. Most recent among them is Malay Mukherjee, a member of the Arcelor Mittal Group Management Board, who has joined as CEO for Essar Steel Business.

MUMBAI: DQ Entertainment had instituted The Lifetime Achievement Award last year at the Cannes Film Festival "MIPCOM 2008" to be presented annually to artists who during their lifetime have made creative contribution of outstanding significance to entertainment that goes beyond cultural, linguistic and other boundaries. The recipient of the award is selected by an eminent jury comprising leading broadcasters, producers & senior journalists from the media & entertainment industry.

The 2008 DQE Lifetime Achievement Award was posthumously awarded to Rene Goscinny in recognition of his contribution towards children entertainment. Rene Goscinny is the creator of characters like ‘Le Petit Nicolas‘ ‘Asterix‘ and ‘Lucky Luke‘. Anne Goscinny - Daughter of the late Rene Goscinny, received the award on his behalf.

The 2009 DQE Lifetime Achievement Award has been awarded to J.K. Rowling for her outstanding contribution towards children entertainment. J.K Rowling is the author and creator of the Harry Potter fantasy series. The esteemed jury were almost unanimous in their choice of J.K. Rowling - who has inspired the minds of millions of people around the world, and has given rise to a whole new generation of young readers. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention; won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies and a string of films have been produced based on the series.

The award ceremony was held at Hotel Martinez at Cannes on 4th Oct, which was star-studded with Industry peers from ZDF, Classic Media, Nickelodeon, American Greetings, Marvel, M6 France, BBC, Disney, Mike Young Productions, Gruppo Alcuni, Turner Asia, France 3, Moonscoop, Method Animation, TF1 and a host of others.

Mr. Josh Berger, President and MD Warner Brothers Entertainment UK received the Award on behalf of J.K. Rowling.