As a part of the initiatives planned for the Elle Breast Cancer Campaign, beStylish earlier this month launched an ultra-stylish range of pink footwear – the ‘Pink Ribbon Collection’. 15% of its sales will be directed to the Elle Breast Cancer Campaign. A cheque amounting to Rs. 1,00,000 raised till date from the ‘Pink Ribbon Collection’ was presented this afternoon; for the Ogaan Cancer Foundation by Shailen Amin, CEO, beStylish.com and Shilpa Shetty Kundra.

Hosted by the two founders of bestylish.com- Shailen Amin, CEO, beStylish.com and Abhishek Lal, Director Merchandise, the event was also generously supported by Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Gul Panag, Dia Mirza, Chitrangada Singh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Malaika Arora Khan, Milind Soman, Minissha Lamba, Dino Morea, Chetan Bhagat, Narendra Kumar Ahmed among others. Each guest presented their personal message to spread awareness for Breast Cancer; at the brunch.

Commenting on the initiative, Shailen Amin, CEO, Bestylish.com said, “It is tough to ignore the statistics that one in 30 women in urban India runs the risk of developing breast cancer. This brunch with Mumbai’s influencers has been designed to aid greater awareness for both breast cancer and timely testing. We hope that our multiple initiatives to support the Elle Breast cancer campaign will help spread awareness for the cause and make an impact on thousands of women in India. At beStylish.com, every October will be a ‘Pink’ October”.

“The Ogaan Cancer Foundation has always adhered to a simple philosophy: one cause, one message – breast cancer awareness and education. Over the years, that philosophy has become a mantra for our many partners and has had an impact we never dreamed possible, touching the lives of tens of thousands of supporters nationwide. We appreciate the initiatives undertaken by BeStylish to help us with our cause.”

Bestylish.com thanks Pernod Ricard India, Suryagarh-Jaisalmer, Baby Cakes, Ambika Pillai and Chambor for their support to the cause.

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We have pictures galore of the fabulous event! Check them out!

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The three young fashion icons from the Karan Johar directed movie set to hit the theatres on 19th October were present and seen endorsing the caps, T-shirts and the mugs from the movie with Yebhi and SOTY branding. They spoke about the movie, fashion, Yebhi.com and the association at the unveiling. The stars talked about their shopping experience and some of the unique features of Yebhi.com like ‘Try and Buy’, ‘Yebhi Champs’ and ‘Social shopping’ plus much more!

Speaking about the association Mr Manmohan Agarwal, CEO of Big Show Bazaar Pvt Ltd (Brand Owner – Yebhi.com) said, “We are extremely pleased to associate with ‘Student of the Year’ from the production powerhouse – Dharma Productions. ‘Student of the Year’ features the young and vibrant cast of Alia, Sidharth and Varun represents our consumers who are smart, fashionable and demand nothing less than the very best of quality, style, variety and service. The movie is a style guide to the next generation of consumers and Yebhi.com is the online shopping portal of the next generation. The reach and influence of this film will help us raise the fashion quotient across the country.”

Ms Tanaaz Bhatia, Managing Director – Bottomline Media the company responsible for setting up the association between the two said, “Student of the Year and Yebhi.com are a perfect match. They both have immense appeal for youth of the country and are defining the smart, stylish and fashionable future of the country.”

A Dharma production spokesperson said – “We are thrilled to partner with Yebhi.com, their excellence in retail, their understanding of their consumers and their philosophy of relentless pursuit of distinction runs parallel to our very own philosophy and work in cinema. The ‘Student of the Year’ is the story of the highly competitive, smart and fashionable youth of the country. We believe it is an ideal alliance to help our fans get the look of the movie, through the neomodern shopping medium – Yebhi.com.”

The young actors set the stage on fire as they grooved to the upbeat Disco Song from the film. The crowd present in the mall was pleasantly surprised as they enthusiastically cheered and danced along with the trio. The response from the crowd in the mall was spectacular as they excitedly clicked pictures while the stars politely posed for their fans.

Check out this fun video to see the casts moves!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f1kkXib4UA

Check out these cool shots from the fun event!

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Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha enthralled the audience with her high-energy act to her latest hit songs like ‘Go Go Govinda’, ‘Chinta Ta’ (along with Mika) and her upcoming movie ‘Son of Sardar’. The surprise in the act was co-star and Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn who joined her on-stage to groove on the title track of ‘Son of Sardar’. A special award honoring ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ went to Smt. Girija Devi (Indian Classical singer) while the ‘Global Indian Musician Award’ was bestowed upon music legend Pt. Jasraj.

Rockstar walked away with 6 GIMA Awards leading in the Film category, there was a tie between Alka Yagnik & Babul Supriyo (Mone-Rob) and Sarvani Sen & Kaushiki Desikan (Yatra 2) for the Best Folk Album in the Non-film Category. Noted musician Dr. L Subramanium received the Best Carnatic Classical Album Instrumental in the Non Film Category.
GiMA 2012 saw a total number of 10 awards being given out in the Film Category while 12 awards in the Non-film category.

On the special tribute given at the 3rd Chevrolet Star GIMA Awards, AR Rahman said, “I was hinted out about the tribute but I did not realize that this will create such a big nostalgia. I have learnt a lot from all these singers who have touched my heart today. I still remember the day of my first concert in 1996 when most of the singers who sang today, came to watch me. I really thank GIMA for this. I am truly touched.”

Check out the full list of winners and images from the event below!

Non-Film Music

Best Music Debut – Gulraj Singh – Music Director – Ganaraj Adhiraj

Best Pop Album – Papon for The Story So Far

Best Rock Album – Advaita for The Silent Sea

Best Pop/Rock Single – Bickram Ghosh feat various artists for Vande Mataram

Best Devotional Album – Shri Jagjit Singh for Nivedan

Best Ghazal Album – Shri Jagjit Singh and Gulzar for Tere Bayaan Ghalib

Best Folk Album – Alka Yagnik and Babul Supriyo for Mone Robe

Best Fusion Album – Karsh Kale for Cinema

Best Hindustani Classical Album – Vocal – Ustad Rashid Khan for Classical Wonders of India

Best Hindustani Classical Album – Instrumental – Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia for Flute Diety

Best Carnatic Classical Album – Instrumental – Dr. L Subramaniam for Innovations

Best Carnatic Classical Album – Vocal – Sanjay Subrahmanyan for Ellam Sivan Seyal

Film Music

Best Engineer – Film Album – Hentry Kuruvilla, PA Deepak, S.Sivakumar, TR Krishna Chetan – Rockstar

Best Music Arranger & Programmer – Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy for Senorita – Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Best Background Score – A.R. Rahman for Rockstar

Best Music Debut – Singer Ayushmann Khurrana for Paani da rang – Vicky Donor

Best Playback Singer -Female – Nandini Srikar for Bhare Naina – Ra.One

Best Playback Singer – Male – A.R. Rahman Mohit Chauhan & Javed Ali for Kun Faya Kun – Rockstar and A.R. Rahman & Mohit Chauahn for Nadaan Parinde – Rockstar

Best Lyricist – Irshad Kamil for Nadaan Parinde – Rockstar

Best Music Director – A.R. Rahman for Rockstar

Best Film Song – Chammak Challo – Ra.One

Best Film Album – A.R. Rahman for Rockstar

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The film has been programmed for the City to City section with an aim to bring global cities to Toronto audiences, where the focus will be on Mumbai this year.

Produced by Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap, Peddlers has definitely been creating an impact with the buzz around it in India and in the international festival circuits. Speaking about the film, Guneet Monga says, “TIFF is among world’s top movie events, and is a gateway for international films into the North American region. We are very proud and honoured to have not one, but four of our films including Peddlers at the festival this year. Eros International saw the potential in the film the moment they saw it and decided to back it up.”

Interestingly, Peddlers is Vasan’s directorial debut. Prior to Peddlers, Vasan has assisted Kashyap on Dev D, That Girl In Yellow Boots among others and partnered with him as the Associate Director of Michael Winterbottom’s Trishna, which was filmed in India. Talking about his first film,  director Vasan Bala says, “It’s great that the film has been selected at Toronto after Cannes. Since the French press sighted a very American independent influence on the film, I am quite curious how it will be received here”.

About Peddlers:

Director & Screenwriter  – Vasan Bala

Producers  – Guneet Monga & Anurag Kashyap

Distributor / Partner – Eros International [India]

Music Composer – Karan Kulkarni

Language – Hindi

Duration – 116 Minutes

Cast – Gulshan Devaiah, Siddharth Menon, Nimrat Kaur, Kriti Malhotra

Cannes Festival Selection – Selected for the International Critics Week and in competition for the Camera do’r Awards and

Cannes International Film Festival, 2012

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The concept is simple: time-limited films, simple concepts, limited budgets and small crews. The result despite all these constraints can be some amazing films, that even the greatest of filmmakers can be in awe of. India too has a growing movement of short filmmaking, with the international ’48 Hour Film Competition’ now also taking place in Delhi and Mumbai. Increasingly big name filmmakers are supporting short films, with an aim of nurturing talent and giving short films a greater audience.

Large Short Films is a brand new initiative sponsored by Royal Stag Mega Movies and supported by notable filmmakers Anurag Kashyup, Sudhir Mishra and Chakri Toleti. The aim is to put short filmmakers on the same platform as big feature length filmmakers, to give them the recognition and exposure that they deserve. In this growing digital age where information consumption needs to be short and tailored, short films are a creative step forward, with their ability to go viral and international much quicker than conventional films.

Here’s what Anurag had to say: “Short films are more interesting than a feature film according to me because, now- a- days it gets connected to you very easily. You can even watch them on your phone, youtube, laptop in your daily chores.”

Sudhir Mishra added: “To make a short film is far more difficult than to make a feature film. Because it’s a really difficult task to incorporate all the aspects in that span of a time.”

Whilst Chakri Toleti also shared: “Things are changing. I am getting to watch more good short films on the internet, youtube etc. The Pixar is coming up with great short films.”

The first major project to look out for from Large Short Films is ’12.12.12′. It will be India’s first and largest Collaborative Feature Film, featuring 12 directors competitively selected from 12 different cities from across India, who will be tasked to make a 10 minute short film each, delivering 12 short films in total. The films will then be joined to make one 120 minute feature film which will be released on 12.12.12. An amazingly ambitious and innovative adventure, which will certainly be a unique visual experience for viewers.

To catch more information or to even be a part of this amazing new initiative, check out www.LargeShortFilms.com for more information.

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A group of 20 instructors from SDIPA (Shiamak Davar institute for the Performing Arts) participated in this dance act setting the mood for the much awaited Step Up blockbuster. It was choreographed by mentor Shiamak Davar himself.

Shiamak Davar elaborated, “Hip hop is already a big hit as a dance form among the youth in India. The idea was to highlight this style in a larger than life outdoor performance. The dance routine encapsulated the flavour of the movie while reinterpreting Hip Hop with Shabop’s characteristic new age moves.”

“We were keen on getting our upcoming film Step Up Revolution the kind of platform it deserves and reach out to its target audience using its principle theme of dance. Shabop’s performance was a unique way to create the right momentum for the film’s India release,” revealed Kamal Gianchandani, President, PVR Pictures.

The dance performance saw a horde of spectators across all ages cheering Shabop as they gyrated to peppy numbers from the film. They also were lucky enough to get to learn a step or two from the Shabop crew as they took the crowds through some of the dance steps from the film. Directed by Scott Speer, Step Up Revolution stars Kathryn McCormick of So You Think You Can Dance fame alongwith Ryan Guzman, Misha Gabriel, Peter Gallagher and Steven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bisWdTqLiFg

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To this end, modern yet classically trained singing sensations Roop Kumar Rathod and Sunali Rathod (the voices behind many contemporary hits from Bollywood blockbusters to Ghazals and Sufi songs) will showcase the incredible vocal talents of legends Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Talat Mahmood and Noor Jehan in what promises to be a musical masterpiece.

The husband and wife duo will travel with eight carefully selected musicians to Birmingham, Leicester and London, taking UK audience on a trip down memory lane in an evening of unforgettable timeless melodies from yesteryear in addition to Roop’s own hits from Bollywood.

According to Roop and Sunali, “We are thrilled that Saregama Events are doing this. We are completing 100 years of Indian cinema next year, but if we try to count the names and pay homage to all those responsible it will take another 100 years. So in our own innovative style, we will sing not only our own popular numbers but also gems from the Golden era of cinema.”

With a fan following of millions around the globe, the likes of Rafi, Lata, Talat and Noor need little introduction. Nevertheless, Saregama recognizes the importance of showcasing India’s classic singers and songs.

“Celebrating the Legends is our grandest project to date and we don’t mind being loud and proud about it. We will be honoring some of the sub continent’s finest singers and their landmark songs. Roop and Sunali are classically trained musicians and yet commercially successful therefore are the most appropriate choice to pay tribute to these great artists, made especially poignant in the lead up to the 100^th anniversary. Roop’s silken voice is perfect to do justice to greats like Rafi and Talat, but with a new spin to it, while Sunali’s versatile vocals will evoke memories of Lata and Noor at their peak.” – Amarpal Singh Gaind (Saregama Head of Operations- Europe)

Wednesday – 05th September 2012
Venue - Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Time – 7:30pm
Tickets: £20 - £65
Box Office: 0121 345 0603
Online Booking: www.thsh.co.uk

Friday – 07th September 2012
Venue - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Time – 7:30pm
Tickets: £20 - £65
Box Office: 0116 233 3111
Online Booking: www.demontforthall.co.uk

Saturday – 08th September 2012
Venue - HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London
Time – 7:00pm
Tickets: £25 - £75
Box Office: 0843 221 0100/ 0844 844 4748
Online Booking: www.hmvapollo.com , www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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“Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely different from what it was even a few years ago. The rise of independent cinema has shifted the terrain, probing into previously taboo subjects and adopted styles that were earlier unpalatable to the Indian audience,” said Bailey. “Mumbai’s film industry is going through a significant change and a strong group of new filmmakers has emerged. They’re representing the evolution of their city in an interesting way. Toronto audiences are in for a treat this fall.”

And, indeed, they are in for a treat, with a slate of films that includes a couple of World Premieres, North American Premieres, and one Canadian Premiere:

The Bright Day – Mohit Takalkar – World Premiere

Yearning for meaning in his life, a coddled young man abandons his girlfriend and family to set out on a spiritual quest across India. Shot with sophisticated DSLR cameras and reflecting a new passion for personal filmmaking, The Bright Day finds images to chart a soul’s progress.

Gangs of Wasseypur – Part One – Anurag Kashyap – North American Premiere

Part One of Anurag Kashyap’s decade-spanning gangster epic chronicles the bloody turf war between two competing criminal families during the tumultuous era of Indian independence and industrialization. Starring Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadda and Reema Sen.

Gangs of Wasseypur – Part Two – Anurag Kashyap – North American Premiere

Part Two of Anurag Kashyap’s stylish Indian gangster epic amps up the adrenaline as the irresistibly amoral criminal clans of Wasseypur careen towards their bloody date with destiny. Starring Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadda and Reema Sen.

Ishaqzaade – Habib Faisal – Canadian Premiere

A love story set amidst political violence in northern India, this romance follows Hindu Parma (Arjun Kapoor) and Muslim Zoya (Parineeti Chopra) as they try to escape the restrictive demands of their families. Better known for glossy entertainments, Bollywood’s Yash Raj studio delivers a surprisingly gritty reflection of the new India.

Miss Lovely – Ashim Ahluwalia – North American Premiere
Set in the lower depths of Bombay’s C-grade film industry, Miss Lovely follows the devastating story of two brothers who produce sex-horror films in the mid-1980s. The film gets under the skin of the Bollywood underground — an audacious cinema with wild cinemascope compositions, lurid art direction, rollicking background soundtracks, and gut-wrenching melodrama. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Niharika Singh and Anil George.

Mumbai’s King: Manjeet Singh – World Premiere
Rahul roams the streets with his balloon-seller friend Arbaaz. These two kids escape the grim realities of their lives by gambling, roasting stolen potatoes, stealing an auto rickshaw for a joyride, and chasing girls. But soon Rahul has to “take care” of his violent father, who has forced him to live on streets. Starring Rahul Bairagi, Arbaaz Khan and Tejas Parvatkar.

Peddlers Vasan Bala- North American Premiere

The lives of a rookie cop, a streetwise orphan and a beautiful young ex-teacher collide explosively in the drug underworld of Mumbai in this edgy, powerhouse thriller that exemplifies the verve and excitement of India’s new independent cinema. Starring Gulshan Devaiah and Siddharth Mennon.

Shahid – Hansal Mehta – World Premiere

Shahid is the remarkable true story of slain human rights activist and lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was killed in 2010 by unidentified assailants in his office. From attempting to become a terrorist, to being wrongly imprisoned under a draconian anti-terrorism law, to becoming a champion of human rights (particularly of the Muslim minorities in India), Shahid traces the inspiring personal journey of a boy who became an unlikely messiah for human rights, while following the rise of communal violence in India. This story of an impoverished Muslim struggling to come to terms with injustice and inequality, whilerising above his circumstances is an inspiring testament to the human spirit. Starring Raj Kumar, Prabhleen Sandhu and Baljinder Kaur.

Shanghai – Dibakar Banerjee – North American Premiere

From the director of Love Sex aur Dhoka comes a searing political drama. Abhay Deol plays an investigator seeking the cause behind the assassination of a firebrand politician, complicated by the actions of the politician’s lover, played by Kalki Koechlin.

Ship of Theseus Anand Gandhi – World Premiere

In the first feature film from acclaimed Indian playwright Anand Gandhi, three disparate people — a devout monk stricken by illness, a blind woman whose sight is suddenly restored, and a stockbroker who sets out to combat the illegal international trade in human organs — are linked by an unknown connection as they follow their individual paths through the kaleidoscopic streets of Mumbai.

The 37th Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2012.

Tickets to screenings for this programme will be available for individual purchase as well as through the City to City Package, which includes all 10 screenings for $156, or $100 for students and seniors. Purchase Festival ticket packages online 24 hours a day at tiff.net/festival, by phone Monday to Friday from 10am to 7pm ET at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.

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The stately Mr Bachchan took hold of the lit torch from his predecessor at 10.57am. After a gentlemanly handshake, he began by walking with the iconic symbol. Mr Bachchan quickly picked up pace as he jogged the 0.17 mile route from Southwark along Peckham Road and Bellenden Road, all the while waving and smiling at the hundreds of adoring fans who had lined the streets to see their idol. As his relay neared its end, he handed the flame to the next participant.

In conversation with BollySpice reporter Sunny Malik, the 69-year-old actor speaks about his experience of carrying the Olympic torch and much more.

How did this all come about that you were making history in London by being the first Indian film fraternity member to carry the Olympic torch?
Oh gosh, you give me so much importance.

You are important.
I had an invitation from the Lord Sebastian Coe who heads the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He extended this very kind invitation to me. He asked me whether I would be interested in running with the Olympic torch and I took it on. It has been a great honour and is a privilege. That’s why I am here.

Karan Johar was invited by Visit Britain to the opening ceremony of the London Olympics 2012 and you were invited to carry the Olympic torch. Does this show that Britain is embracing the Indian culture and the Indian film industry?
I have always believed cinema in India has been a great binding force, bringing communities together. It maybe reflects the importance that Indian cinema is having, beyond Indian shows. It was an entity that was somehow looked down upon for many years, cynically looked upon with a lot of criticism. But I think, over the years it has become a parallel culture. As a celebrity sometimes, what you say and what you do catches the attention of more people. I guess, this would be one of those moments.

A.R. Rahman has also composed a track for the opening ceremony.
I am very happy that A.R. Rahman has composed music for the ceremony. We are all great fans of his music. The recognition he has received in the last few years is phenomenal. He has always been very deserving of such recognition. I am very happy that Organising Committee has chosen him to contribute his music to the event.

It was a proud moment for Indians all over the world that you were carrying the Olympic torch on the streets of London.
It was a proud moment for me as well that they invited me to do the honour and gave me the chance to participate in such a historic event. It has been a wonderful experience and I never ever imagined that I would be part of this.

There were of course, fans from all over the UK who came to see you. How did it feel when you were running carrying the torch and hearing screaming fans around you?
I was worried if I will be able to cover the three-hundred metres, to be honest (laughs). But really, it was a privilege to carry this prestigious torch which really represents the entire Olympic movement.

You also have a Hollywood film coming up called The Great Gatsby. Tell us something about your character and experience of working with actors from Hollywood.
I am not playing an Indian character. The role came to me from the director Baz Luhrman. He was visiting India on a tourist visit. He dropped into the office and we chatted, nothing about films though. Then, a couple of years later, he called me and said that I am making this film and would like you to play a small role in it. He said that he just that I should do it. It is a blink and miss role. It has huge international stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton. The experience was wonderful.

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