MUMBAI: As May comes to an end, Star World turns up the heat with two ogle-worthy specials! Tune in to Miss USA 2007 this Saturday, May 26th at 9 pm and watch American beauties sashay their way into the judges‘ hearts ad they compete for the coveted title.On Tuesday, May 29th at 6 30 am, watch the world‘s most glamorous goddesses steal the spotlight on Star World with the live telecast of Miss UNIVERSE 2007.

MISS USA 2007

Hosted by talk-show veteran Nancy O‘Dell, the Miss USA 2007 airs on STAR WORLD on Saturday, May 26th at 9pm.

From the swimsuit parade to the interview section and evening-gown segment, the 51 contestants will be doing their best to exhibit poise under pressure. The leggy lovelies will parade before a panel of celebrity judges that includes talk-show host Jerry Springer, Blow Out star Jonathan Antin, E! News co-host Giuliana De Pandi, NFL star Vince Young, and former Miss Teen USA Vanessa Minnillo.

Held at LA‘s famed Kodak Theatre, this year‘s pageant also marks the end of the scandal-scarred reign of Tara Conner. In the last 12 months, Miss USA 2006 has been a tabloid target after it was revealed that she had spent more time partying than performing good deeds and was admitted to a rehab clinic. Once she passes her tarnished crown to her successor, Miss USA 2007 will then step onto the international stage to compete in Miss Universe 2007.

On May 26th at 9pm, share the excitement and behind-the-scenes drama as 51 dazzling divas take to the stage in the hope of being named Miss USA 2007!

Miss USA 2007 premieres Sat (May 26) at 9pm.
Encore Telecasts air Sun at 1.30am & 7am and Mon at 1pm

MISS UNIVERSE 2007 Live on STAR WORLD

On Tuesday, May 29th at 6 30 am, the world‘s most glamorous goddesses steal the spotlight on Star World with the live telecast of Miss Universe 2007.

Held at the National Auditorium in Mexico, over 70 beauty queens from around the globe will parade their assets and display their charms before a panel of celebrity judges. Viewed in 170 countries, the two-hour spectacular is recognized as the world‘s most prestigious beauty pageant. Last year, millions of viewers saw Puerto Rican beauty Zuleyka Rivera crowned Miss Universe 2006.

While the contestants represent the epitome of beauty and grace, they also reflect the missions and goals of women worldwide. This year‘s winner, for example, will travel the world to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS.

Tune in on Tuesday, May 29th at 6 30 am for the live telecast of the world‘s most anticipated beauty pageant, Miss Universe 2007.

Miss Universe 2007 premieres Tuesday (May 29th) at 6 30 am (Live), 8pm (Primetime Encore Telecast)
Encore Telecasts air Wed at 1.30am & Sun at 3 pm

So don‘t forget to tune in to the most prestigious beauty pageants only on Star World!

MUMBAI:Two big talents. Two potential superstars. Who will take home the one coveted title? Be among the first to find out when STAR WORLD brings you the American Idol Season Finale LIVE on 24th May at 8 p.m.

Held at LA‘s famed Kodak Theater, the two-hour finale is expected to produce one of the closest results in Idol‘s six-year history. In one corner is Jordin Sparks, the teen chanteuse who outlasted early frontrunners like Melinda Doolittle and Lakisha Jones. As she prepares to belt it out one last time on the Idol stage, will the voters continue to stick with her? Or will Blake Lewis, the show‘s hippest-ever finalist, beatbox his way into Idol glory?

While Sparks and Lewis go head to head, fans can also look forward to seeing this year‘s top 12 reunite for the last time. From the controversial Sanjaya Malakar, to big-voiced diva Lakisha Jones and fan favorite Melinda Doolittle, this season will be remembered for its eclectic mix of colourful contestants.

As well as crowning pop‘s new idol, Thursday‘s finale will also reveal the winner of the American Idol Songwriting Competition. For the first time ever, aspiring songwriters from around the nation were invited to submit a song that captured the spirit of American Idol. Once viewers have voted for their favourite tune, the winning song will be performed by this year‘s Idol champ.

Who will strike a chord with viewers? Which finalist - Blake Lewis or Jordin Sparks - will be in tune with American tastes? On 24th May at 8 pm, be among the first to find out who is pop‘s newest superstar as STAR WORLD brings you the LIVE telecast of the American Idol Season Finale!

MUMBAI: She?s a one-woman army. She?s single handedly revolutionized Indian television? They don?t call her the queen of prime time for absolutely nothing! She?s combated cricket, game shows, reality shows and always emerged victorious! Karan?s first guest this week is none other than Ekta Kapoor! Joining her are her favorite men and television?s blue-eyed boys? Ram Kapoor, Ronit Roy and Hiten Tejwani! Watch the people who have captured the hearts of millions of people in the country only on Koffee with Karan, this Sunday, May 27th at 9. 30 p.m. on Star One and at 9 p.m. on Star World.

In this very exciting episode, watch Ekta talk about the winning streak which she has always possessed since she was a child- from a desire to win dance competitions at birthday parties to being numero uno in her field. She discusses the twists and turns, generation leaps, murders and comebacks, which are created in shows to combat competition! She also clears all speculation on her relationship with Smriti Irani and Rajeev Khandelwal! On the other hand, her favorite men- Ram, Ronit and Hiten talk about the warm bond they share with Ekta and how they deal with her temperamental nature. They admit on the show that they owe their success to her, along with hundreds of other actors who are now millionaires thanks to her! Also, watch an entertaining vox-pop in which the aam junta and members of the Balaji fraternity choose the perfect husband for Ekta. Who is the favorite contender? Is it Jai Walia, Rahul Bajaj, Karan Virani, Mihir Virani or Sujal? Or even better? is it Karan Johar!

That?s not all, the tables turn this time round! In the much awaited rapid fire round, Karan hands the reigns to Ram, Ronit and Hiten who quiz Ekta on her likes and dislikes! Which Bollywood couple would win in Nach Baliye and who would lose? Who is the ?Amitabh Bachchan? of television? Who is the Ekta Kapoor of Bollywood? Who is the most over-rated actor on television? The one actor, whom she discovered, she is proud of? What is Ba?s real age? Is it 100+, 200+ or more than that? Does Ekta succeed in winning the hamper? Watch out in this week?s exciting episode of Koffee with Karan.

Excerpts from the interview:

Karan: Look at you? looking all glamorous! I look at you like this and get the visual of the same little podgy girl. Look at me talking, I was double your size then, dancing in Abhishek?s birthday party in a silver dress?you looked like a silver ball? like a silver disco ball.

Ekta: (Laughing) Disco Rani!

Karan: And you were doing this little disco step and I remember you crying because you came third!

Ekta: I came third and they gave the first prize to Adi and I wanted that prize.

Karan: Now, it?s a lesser-known fact that Aditya Chopra won over Hrithik Roshan in the dance competition. Hrithik came second and Aditya Chopra came first and you came third and I remember you bawling and then Adi very magnanimously gave you the crown and made you get the first prize!

Ekta: I think it was in his genes to be extremely gentlemanly.

Karan: Now when I look at you I think life has taken a complete circle with him doing so well and you doing so well!

Ekta: I hope in the future also he gives me something generously. (Laughs)

Karan: But really today you are the queen of prime time. Two years ago I told you the same thing. Two years later you?re even beyond that. How does it feel to be the numero uno in your field?

Ekta: You know what? It has been the same! There was a sense of complacency, which had come into the medium a couple of months ago when there was no competition and we were doing well. But now suddenly with Zee coming up, it?s becoming tougher to be on the top. But the fun, the aggression, and the competition that TV has now?it?s only going to get better and more fun!

Karan: Ram, she has had a problem with you earlier during your bout with Ghar Ek Mandir

Ram: Yeah! I have to say I was a very different person at that point of time. She gives all the credit to my wife for changing me and I have to agree with her because my first innings in television was more of discovery. I was deciding where I want to be.

Ekta: And you know what happened? I didn?t know at that point of time that Gautami and he were seeing each other and I bitched him out to Gautami only!

Karan: Ronit? you are the blue eyed boy of Balaji. You are practically in every show. With grey hair in some, without grey hair in the other! You play all kinds of ages, stages, rages, everything?How is it working with Ekta?

Ronit: You know there was a point in my life where there was a lot of alcoholism. One evening, this friend of mine called Raj, who was looking after my work, he came back home after meeting a producer. I asked him, ?What did he say?? so he went and he fixed me a drink and said, ?Let it go, we just had a chat!? so I said, ?No, tell me! I am a big boy, I can handle it!? He said, ?You know Ronit? You are done! He said why should I take Ronit when I can cast any junior artist with more talent and less money!? and I thought, ?Yeah man! Maybe I am done!? and then Ekta came along and Balaji came along and I said to myself, ?No! I?m not!? At that point of time, Karan, I really did not know which way to go so that?s why I always thank her. She has brought a dead actor, a dead human being? she has resurrected me!

Karan: Hiten, you are a young boy today. You are in your early 30?s but you are playing what? a 50 year old man in one show and who knows with another leap you will be 80 soon but you have the love and the regard of millions of people at such a young age. How does it feel?

Hiten: It feels very nice. I never thought of it! I always wanted to be somebody somewhere and suddenly one day everything happened and it?s all her (Ekta) doing!

So, don?t forget to tune in as Karan chats with Ekta Kapoor with her favorite leading men- Ram Kapoor, Ronit Roy and Hiten Tejwani on Koffee with Karan this Sunday, May 27th at 9 30 p.m. on Star One and at 9 p.m. on Star World

MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel today announced that it has crossed the 40 million-mobile customer milestone.According to the Wireless Intelligence, it has become the first Indian mobile service provider and the tenth in the world to join a global list of telecom operators with more than 40 million mobile customers from a single country. This figure was reached in 12 years, making it one of the fastest companies to make it to the list.

Bharti Airtel president for mobile services Sanjay Kapoor said, "This is indeed a remarkable achievement not only for us at Airtel, but also for the country as it clearly underscores the coming of age of Indian companies in the international telecom arena."

The company‘s overall wireless market share increased to over 23.2 percent as of April 2007 from 20.4 percent as reported in FY 06. The company plans to aggressively roll out more than 30,000 cell sites in FY08 to increase its population coverage to 70 percent.

MUMBAI: After the entertaining and heartwarming audition episodes of the third season of Indian Idol, the Theatre Round began with 123 participants who were selected from nearly 25,000 who auditioned from all over India and overseas. The journey of these 123 excited youngsters (some of whom are visiting Mumbai for the first time) began with the Theatre Round in last week‘s episode held at the prestigious NCPA theatre. The task of short-listing the 123 contestants to 66 (in round one, held on May 19 th) was tough. Normally the number is 60, but because of the excellent talent this year, the number has been increased to 66!

This Friday, the episode (25th May, 2007) will showcase great singing, some fresh talent and the viewers will get to see bonding and friendship that makes Indian Idol so special to all. As we move on to the next level in the theatre round the competition only gets tougher! The contestants will be divided into groups of twos and threes and synchronisation with each other and the musicians will be their real test. This will be an acid test for the contestants as most of them will be performing with the musicians for the first time. As the 66 participants prepare for the duet round the air is filled with emotion and suspense, anxiety and fear. While all the participants have found their comfort zone to practice their duet, there are a few others who cannot find the right nook to practice.

Some interesting moments from the episode?

Hum saath saath nahi gayenge?? Richa from Amritsar and her partner, the cool cop from Kolkata, Prashant, have a major showdown. Richa first refuses to practice in her room (as her roommate is already there), then she point blank refuses to go to Prashant‘s room (as she says she won‘t go to other people‘s rooms!) and finally when they compromise and reach Prashant‘s room, she decides to practice with Prashant‘s roommate and not Prashant! Tough times ahead for Richa and Prashant. Will the two actually sing together in the duet round?

Time waits for no man or woman? Once again Uma from Delhi (in the 1st Theatre Round she was late due to her exams) and Maya from Chennai (she said it was not her fault!) are late. Even after being late and almost out of the show in the first Theatre Round they are late once again. What would be the reason this time? Have they not learnt their lesson? In spite of judge Annu telling them that this is serious and they must not be late again?they have done it again. Will the two make headway this time around?

Is participant ko gussa kyun aata hai? Suhit Gosain from Bhopal and Charu Semwal from Delhi is one of the singing jodis for the 2nd Theatre Round . While they bonded brilliantly and practiced the song in perfect rhythm back stage, on stage, the nervous Charu simply forgot her lines. Suhit tried his best and failed?but once they were out of the theatre an angry and disappointed Suhit blamed Charu for the lost opportunity. The episode got ugly when Suhit started raising his voice. They signed a peace treaty only after anchor-cum-friend Mini intervened and cooled down the two. We know you are here to win, but remember losers are also winners, in their own right! You both have made it to the top 123 and that it is a big win. What say?

Singing can make your knees go weak ?Saswata Bhattacharjee from Kolkata was all excited to be in Mumbai for the Theatre Round. A professional singer he came to conquer his dreams in the ‘city of dreams‘. Unfortunately while he was singing, before the judges, he forgot his lines. It is only human, but the goof up shattered Saswata and the youngster fainted on the stage. Exhaustion, excitement or disappointment?it was not Saswata‘s day. Don‘t lose heart there‘s always another chance!

Jodi hamari? Meiyang Chang from Kolkata and Aisha Sayed from Mumbai came, sang and conquered the judges!. They made for one of the most popular singing pair of this season. Also, very popular and an instant hit with the judges were Harshida from London and her partner Padmanav from Delhi. They were so perfect with their rhythm, in sync with each other while singing and were voted the ‘cutest jodi of Indian Idol‘.

Watch the 2nd Theatre Round on Friday 25th May at 9.00 p.m. for some great singing and some tearful heartbreaks. The stage gets tough and judging tougher. Stay tuned to Sony Entertainment Television for moments that you will cherish forever.

Stay tuned to Indian Idol every Friday and Saturday at 9.00 p.m. only on Sony Entertainment Television.

MUMBAI: Zoom in association with Coca-Cola is launching ‘Coca Cola Speed Jamming‘ This contest follows the theme ‘Sabka Thanda Ek‘ Coca-Cola and aims to hunt a cool couple.

Coca-Cola Speed Jamming Contest is the perfect place to find the perfect patner. Auditions for the nation‘s best couple will be held at 5 cities - Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. Starting with Delhi and Chandigarh, followed by Bangalore and the Mumbai and Pune the selection will take place with first round of auditions and then the regional rounds before coming to the city of dreams, Mumbai for the finals. Contestants will be judged not only by experts on overall appeal, attitude, sense of humour and presence of mind but also by each other through a rapid fire interactive session. Coca Cola Speed Jamming is a platform to walk away with new friends and a chance to win gifts such as bikes and a dinner with Hrithik Roshan.

The Coca-Cola Speed Jamming contest gives an opportunity to interact with fellow coke pals and earn Coke points and crowns to make it to the popularity list.
Interested aspirants can apply at the following:

Mumbai:-

Audition: 2 June

Venue: Planet M, The Times of India Bldg, Ground Floor, D. N. Road, Mumbai - 400 001
Planet M, Shoppers Stop, 4th floor, S. V Road, Andheri - (W), Mumbai - 400 058

Regional: 3 June

Venue: Squeeze, 15 Khar Road, Mumbai-4000052.