MUMBAI: Los Angeles-based media mogul and Hollywood.tv CEO and founder Sheeraz Hasan has been named 'Hollywood Ambassador to Bollywood' by the Bollywood Group.

The Bollywood Group is the presenter of the annual Bollywood Awards, which are scheduled to be held on 30 April at the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Hasan's appointment will be formally presented at the awards.

Hasan is no stranger to such accolades, having founded his company - Tinseltown Entertainment, Inc - on the premise of building a bridge between Hollywood and Bollywood, the two largest film industries in the world.

Last year, at the 2004 Bollywood Awards, his efforts were rewarded when he was given the prestigious 'American Dream' Award, in recognition of his accomplishments in the entertainment industry.

Since then, his journey has brought him full circle, from reporting on the headlines to making them himself. He has bagged scores of awards for his successful media ventures, and his highly anticipated autobiography will be released this summer.

His appointment as ambassador illustrates just how far he has come, from arriving in America two years ago with nothing to becoming one of the shining stars of the international entertainment industry.

"Being appointed ambassador is not something I take lightly. I am, of course, honoured and grateful that I was chosen. I think I am in a unique position to represent Hollywood in Bollywood and elsewhere in South Asia, being myself a South-Asian who has achieved success here.

"This is the most competitive business environment in the world, by any measure, and I think both industries could learn a great deal from each other. The opportunities for artistic and business growth are very exciting," said Hasan.

The Bollywood Awards will be telecast to an audience of over 250 million people worldwide.