Tag: Mumbai

Emirates Invites Travellers to Explore Dubai

Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines is inviting passengers from India to visit its home city by announcing a range of fares. The return economy class fare including taxes from Chennai to Dubai is INR 19,869. The fares are valid for sale and travel until 31st March 2014.

The fares are on offer from all 10 Emirates gateways: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata and have been specially designed to give travellers from India the chance to experience Emirates’ award-winning product and service and the airline’s home city at an even more attractive price.

An added benefit is that until 7th October 2013 Indian nationals can apply for a Dubai “Express Tourist Visa” at the cost of the “Normal Tourist Visa” for only Rs 5150, a saving of 25% from the normal price.

“We are extremely pleased to give our passengers across India the opportunity to experience Emirates’ renowned product and service at even better value for money”, said, Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Vice President India and Nepal. “As the fares are valid until March it allows people to plan their trip and visit our home city when they wish. With so much to see and do in Dubai there is always a reason to visit and there are plenty of upcoming attractions in the coming months.”

Emirates offers many features on its flight to and from India which have been specially tailored for its passengers from India. The award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice offers up to 1500 channels and includes programming in Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali, Tamil, Telegu, Gujurati, Punjabi and Urdu. Some highlights onboard this month include:

30 Hindi movies including 4 New Movies in Sept- Go Goa Gone, Shootout at Wadala, Race 2, Jolly LLB

     *   4 Kannada movies including Bheema Theeradalli
     *   4 Marathi movies including Premachi Goshta
     *   6 Malayalam movies including Businessman
     *   6 Tamil movies including Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga
     *   4 Telegu movies including Mr. Nookaiah
     *   4 Gujariti movies including Ver Ni Vasulat – Ek aag
*   A large selection of TV channels including dedicated channels to Bollywood Pop     Videos, Hindi Classic Songs, Comedy and many more.
*   Hours of dedicated music & audio channels featuring today’s most popular including:
     *   The soundtrack to Chennai Express (movie soundtrack)
     *   Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (movie soundtrack)
In addition the airline offers three regional menus onboard designed to cater to the Indian palate and a generous baggage allowance of 30 kilogrammes in Economy Class, rising to 40kgs in Business Class and 50kgs in First Class.

Once in Dubai, there are many activities to keep visitors entertained. The Dubai International Film Festival in December features many movies from Bollywood. The ever-popular Dubai Shopping Festival will start in January and the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature follows in March.
Dubai is also home to a number of world-famous sites and attractions for visitors to enjoy. From experiencing skiing indoors on year-round snow, experience the view from the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, a walk around the gold and spice souks or enjoying the world-class shopping and hotels; Dubai has so much to offer.

September 23, 2013
‘Water’ to be the opening film at 4th Jagran Film Festival

The 4th edition of the Jagran Film Festival, Mumbai 2013 will begin with the film Water and will be screened on 24 September at Fun Republic in Andheri, Mumbai. Water is a 120 minute feature film born out of a unique Israeli-Palestinian cinematic cooperation. Produced by the Film and Television department of the Tel Aviv University in association with Tu Vas Voir, the project Water is made in HD, colour. Yael Perlov had initiated this project and is also the artistic director of Water. Its original version is in Arabic, Hebrew, and English.

Taking complete artistic freedom, in 2012, a small group of Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers directed a feature film that explored a strong unifying subject – Water. Besides being a highly poetic and pastoral subject, Water is also a very political and violent subject with respect to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Water is about two conflicting populations, which couldn’t overcome the prejudice and political intimidations, but ultimately finds a platform for a unique collaboration, in the form of this feature film. This is one of the reasons why Water is so special.

Cinema always has the ability to penetrate forbidden zones and Water exemplifies that. It has made all of us realise that we all yearn for a solution to this long-going on conflict. Several Directors have interpreted this subject in their own creative way, which together has given shape to Water.

The film, a unique piece of art has been screened at various international film festivals, Venice International Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Mostra International de Cine de Sa? Paulo, Brazil, Stockholm International Film Festival, Swedenand many others. This is the Asian Premiere of the film.

September 22, 2013
Jury for Jagran Film Festival Mumbai 2013 announced

MUMBAI: Ahead of the fourth edition of Jagran Film Festival Mumbai 2013, the jury for the event has been announced. For the film festival which commences from 24 September, the jury members for the ‘Indian Showcase’ (feature in competition) section include film maker Basu Chatterjee, actress, film director and producer Aditi Ninad Deshpande, cinematographer Raamachandraah, film editor Suresh Pai and the current commander-in-chief of Indian theatre Feroz Abbas Khan.

The event which will be held at Fun Republic cinema in Andheri west, Mumbai, will see more than 20 feature films, made in Indian regional languages, including Hindi blockbusters compete with each other in this category. The section also encourages debut directors to showcase their work in front of a global audience and compete with some of the bests, at both national and international level, in the industry.

Apart from Indian showcase section, where India’s best feature films are competing with each other, the festival has also organised a competition for short films. Under the section ‘Jagran Shorts’ more than 35 short films made in various Indian regional as well as international languages are going to compete with each other. These short films will be judged by a panel of eminent jury including French actress Dorothy Briere, film director N Chandra and Rajshri Media managing director and CEO Rajjat A Barjatya.

September 21, 2013
Niranjan Hiranandani to take over as Chairman of Priyadarshni Academy on 19 september 2013

MUMBAI: Mr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Founder & MD Hiranandani Constructions, will take over Chairmanship of Priyadarshni Academy, one of the most prominent NGOs in Mumbai, effective September 19, 2013.

Mr. Nanik Rupani, its Founder, and Chairman for the past 29 years will be its Chairman Emeritus, devoting more time to publishing books containing ancient Indian wisdom, in order to reach an international audience. This has been his passion for some time.

Priyadarshni Academy, a non-profit, socio-cultural and educational non-governmental organization was set up in 1985. The Academy believes that service to mankind is the best work of life and has successfully met its goals consistently since its inception. It provides educational assistance to deserving and needy students, promotes opportunities to talented artistes in the fields of classical music and dance, and encourages literary activities in a few regional languages.

Under Mr. Nanik Rupani’s Chairmanship, the Academy’s Biennial Global Awards Function has become a very significant event which puts India on the map of the world as it honors national and global dignitaries for their outstanding contribution to society.

Mr. Hiranandani is currently the Academy’s Vice Chairman and has been rendering a very vital role in all its activities and achievements.

Managing Director of the Hiranandani Group of Companies, the Group is today considered as a producer of best quality housing and commercial premises in the country. Apart from construction, the group has diversified into education, horticulture, hospitality, entertainment and retail. It has forayed into the Healthcare sector with the Dr. L.H. Hiranandani Super Specialty Hospital at Powai.

The transformation of a barren land in Powai from a lonely hillside quarry with about 20 trees to one that is bustling with activity, with over 200 acres of greenery, as well as top-of-the-line commercial, residential, recreational and educational facilities is something the city of Mumbai cherishes. The Group has gone international with 23 Marina – a 395m high 90 storied neo-lifestyle residential tower coming up in the upscale Marina region of Dubai.

Mr. Hiranandani completed his schooling from Campion School, Mumbai and graduated with a B. Com. (Hons.) with a distinction of standing Second in Mumbai University. He completed his F.C.A. from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Mr. Hiranandani is actively associated with and holds key positions in various government bodies, social institutions, and schools and colleges.

Some of his past achievements include drafting the State Policy for Slum Rehabilitation in Mumbai designed to improve the well being of over 6 million slum inhabitants; acting as a trustee for the creation of Nathdwara Township as a heritage destination; serving on the board of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), an organization which distributes US$3 billion per annum to help fund the building of housing for low income families; acting as an adviser to the Government of India on housing and habitat policy for over a decade and was also the President of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC).

He is currently the President of the Hyderabad Sind National Collegiate Board (HSNC Board) managing of 17 colleges and 10 schools in the city of Mumbai. He is serving as Chairman of Housing Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC).
Leadership, brilliance, ‘untiring zest for excellence’ and ‘down-to-earth’ are words that come to mind when one comes face-to-face with Mr. Hiranandani. He will assuredly bring in new thinking and experience into the Academy.

September 18, 2013
Oye! 104.8 FM resounds to Ganpati Bappa Morya

NEW DELHI: Oye! 104.8 FM Sabse Filmi has set the tone for the Ganesh Chaturti Celebrations by both on air and on ground activities that celebrate the festive spirit. Oye FM has its presence at two of the biggest and richest Pandals in Mumbai, Lalbaugcha Raja, Parel and GSB Ram Mandir, Wadala to reach out to the lakhs celebrating the festival. The station is doing Live Aarti from the Pandals along with interactions with the visitors and taking their song requests on air. A lot of listeners on Oye! FM who were winners on on-air contests got a chance to get exclusive access to the special Morning Aarti without waiting in queue.

In a special initiative around Ganesh Chaturti, Oye FM is taking song requests from listeners and a few selected songs will be made into a special music album called Oye! All Time Sabse Filmi. The music album will be created and retailed across the county by Sony DADC.

‘Aapke Ghar – Mumbai ki Aarti’ is another initiative by Oye! FM where the spirit of the festival was taken to homes of listeners, where an Oye! FM RJ celebrated the festival and gifted a box of sweets/gift hamper to the winning family. In addition the RJs performed a special edition of the Aarti at the Oye! studio for the betterment of the City of Mumbai.

For a social cause, OYE! 104.8 FM has tied up with United Way Mumbai, an independent body which focuses on cleanliness in the city by educating and assisting BMC in running the program. The station is promoting responsible Ganpati celebrations and proper disposal of the waste during the festival like garlands, fruits etc. The representatives of United Way Mumbai have been coming to the Oye FM studio to discuss the hazards of pollution post ‘visarjan’. OYE! 104.8 FM will also be part of the clean up drive on 19th September at Juhu beach and will join hands with Untied Way Mumbai volunteers to keep the beaches of the city clean.
To give the Filmi touch to Ganesh Chaturti, Oye! FM RJs in Mumbai will also be visiting the homes of the Bollywood Stars and celebrate the festival with them in their own way. Oye! FM has been part of evening aartis of celebs like Vivek Oberoi, Shilpa Shetty, Anil Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh to name a few. In addition a lot of celebs including, Amrita Rao, Isha Koppikar, Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chauhan and Gurudas Kamat have already been part of Oye FM celebrations at the Pandals

September 17, 2013
15th Mumbai Festival to host ‘Music Composers Lab’

MUMBAI:The 15th Mumbai Film Festival is doing all that it can to woo its audiences. The festival will be a host to the launch of India’s first ‘music composer’s lab’ and will be held at the Yash Raj Film Studios located in Andheri, Mumbai.

The lab will be presented by UK’s Bohemia Junction and Abbey Road Studios in association with PRS for music, UK and will take place from 21- 23 October.

The lab will offer a unique opportunity to emerging Indian composers to interact with successful professionals in the field of music and to get a better understanding of what lies at the heart of a music score in the arena of moving image.

Over two days, six composers will attend the Mumbai ‘composers lab’ to meet and interact with professional composers and a team of music and film industry specialists, from the UK and India, who will share their knowledge and expertise with them. The composers will also be advised about many aspects of music and the industry. The lab is an initiative to provide a hub for like-minded emerging film composers to network with each other, as well as with industry professionals, to learn new skills in the realms of film scoring.

The two-day film scoring sessions will be followed with an interview and audience Q & A with award-winning British composer Ilan Eshkeri and a with the lab’s creative advisors on 23 October at 1pm at metro cinema.

Special guest Ilan Eshkeri, best-known for his film scores of 47 Ronin, Coriolanus, Stardust, The Young Victoria and Kick-Ass, as well as his collaborations with Coldplay, Annie Lennox and Take That, will lead the creative team of composers that will be announced shortly.

Applications for young composers to take part in the workshop open today (17 September) and will close on Monday, 7 October.

September 17, 2013
DHL Global Forwarding announces appointment of new CEO in India

MUMBAI: DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist within Deutsche Post DHL, announces the appointment of Samar Nath as Chief Executive Officer and Country Manager for its Indian operations, effective September 10, 2013.

Having served for more than 15 years with various organizations, Samar Nath brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position. Prior to this appointment, he has worked as Executive Vice President and Managing Director for India & South Asia at CEVA Logistics and Managing Director for India & South Asia at APL Logistics.

“Samar is well-known for his visionary leadership in the field of logistics. I look forward to his expertise in further consolidating DHL’s business as the leading logistics company in India.” said Kelvin Leung, CEO, Asia Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding. “At the epicenter of the rapidly growing Asia Pacific region, India is of strategic importance to DHL’s global forwarding operations. Samar’s appointment will help drive us towards our goal of continuously outgrowing the market and setting new standards of excellence for our customers”, he added.

In his previous roles, Samar has an impressive track record in leading companies through various growth stages with a strong proficiency in business development, establishing startups and business integration.

Samar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and an Executive MBA in Marketing Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, University of Mumbai. He will be based at the company’s corporate office in Mumbai.

September 16, 2013
Converging guest experiences from across the web onto Facebook via a dynamic cover photo

MUMBAI: “The challenge we have been trying to address through social media is not to get a higher fan or follower count. That’s easy. But, to get a relevant fan base & thus, drive ROI which frankly is pretty tough – One needs to keep optimizing with content, media, campaigns etc”-said Saurabh Parmar from Brandlogist the marketing consultancy managing Sahara Star’, the 5 star hotel in Mumbai.

Thus, when they reached the benchmark of 1 lakh facebook fans & 1000 twitter followers for Sahara Star, instead of focusing on a gimmicky campaign they continued their focus on relevancy & ROI.

One big challenge which any hospitality brand today faces is that guests are sharing their experiences across the web- tripadvisor, blogs, forums, twitter etc & as a brand you would want that all these get aggregated in an interesting way onto your primary platform which is usually Facebook. Especially for a luxury brand these are strong drivers of consumer interest.

To address this Brandlogist, designed a Facebook cover photo which got updated with a new review from across the web after every like. So, a user may tweet something on twitter today about the brand & the people on the Facebook page see his/her experience in their newsfeed via a cover photo.

September 16, 2013
Indian cinema has always showered me with immense love; sometimes even beyond my expectations : Amitabh Bachchan

MUMBAI, September 13, 2013: In a candid conversation with Mohinder Walia, MD, Mumbai Media City at the Convention Keynote of IBC 2013 (International Broadcasting Convention)in Amsterdam, Amitabh Bachchan’s opening line on his relationship with Indian Cinema created tremendous buzz, reaffirming what can only be described as “the power of his super stardom” and the humility that he accepts it with.

Amitabh Bachchan, the greatest legend of Indian Cinema, was felicitated with the Judges’ Prize in addition to speaking on 100 Years of Indian Cinema: Creative Evolution and Global Markets. Mohinder Walia hosted the conversation and shared insights on the Indian Film Industry along with Amitabh Bachchan.

Mohinder Walia, said, “The Indian Film Industry today sees over 1,000 films released each year. According to a just released industry report, the Indian media and entertainment market is set to grow at 18% in five years. Globally, there is a lot more interest in Indian Films. Having the iconic Amitabh Bachchan at the IBC 2013 adds perspective on what the Industry can offer the world”.

September 14, 2013
Akshay Kumar in Neeraj Pandey’s next

The actor-director combo of Akshay Kumar and Neeraj Pandey was last seen in Special 26 which turned out to be one of the biggest hits of 2013. Now the two are set to make a comeback in yet another project.

The untitled film is supposed to be based on another real life incident just like their previous venture which was based on the 1987 robbery wherein con-artists posing as CBI officers conducted a raid in a popular jewellery retail chain in Mumbai.

While the rest of the cast and crew are yet to be finalised, the film is slated to go on floor in 2014.

Pandey’s best works include a drama-thriller based movie A Wednesday, for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director. His work on the film was highly praised by audiences as well as critics.

September 13, 2013