ITV

Tag: Smriti Irani

  • A blockbuster evening marks 21 years of ‘Aap Ki Adalat’

    A blockbuster evening marks 21 years of ‘Aap Ki Adalat’

    MUMBAI: India’s longest running television show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ saw a gathering of icons including those from politics, sports, business and spirituality who came together to celebrate the 21 years of the show, with Rajat Sharma.

     

    The attendee list sported names like President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Narendra Modi, Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Smriti Irani, Venkaiah Naidu, Suresh Prabhu, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Javadekar, Ram Vilas Paswan, Dharmendra Pradhan, Rajyavardhan Rathore and Najma Heptullah. BJP president Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and former LS Speaker P A Sangma also attended the event. Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, and Harish Rawat were also present.

     

    The three Khans of Bollywood, Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir, along with others like Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Hema Malini, Anupam Kher, Sonakshi Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha, Rani Mukerji and cricketer Gautam Gambhir also attended the celebration.

     

    PM Narendra Modi talking on what makes Aap Ki Adalat so distinct and unfading observed, “In the 21 years of this show, nobody has been forced to reply, Rajat knows the art of extracting a reply through his sweet questioning. Another big quality of Rajat is that he uses his tongue sparingly in his show, but he uses his heart to the fullest. A clever mind works behind this.”

     

    Anil Ambani, Gautam Adani, Hari Bharatia and Raj Kumar Dhoot were among the business tycoons who were present at the occasion. Other personalities who attended included noted Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali, Himesh Reshmiyya, Udit Narayan, Anu Malik, advertising guru and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, Rakhi Sawant, Dr. Naresh Trehan, Daler Mehdi, Sakshi Maharaj, Yogi Adityanath, Raju Srivastav, Shashi Sinha, and social activist Kiran Bedi.

     

    Senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Sachin Pilot, Janardan Dwivedi, Salman Khurshid, Jagdish Tytler, Vijay Bahuguna, Rita Bahuguna, Renuka Chaudhary, Sushil Shinde, R K Dhawan, Dr. Karan Singh, JDU chief Sharad Yadav, RLD chief Ajit Singh, Amar Singh and Jaya Bachchan were also present at the event.

     

    India TV chairman and editor in chief Rajat Sharma commented, “I am short of words to express how overwhelmed and humbled I feel right now. Over the last two decades I was simply focusing on doing my job right, I never expected the amount of affection and respect showered upon me by all including country’s topmost icons.”

     

    “I am more than grateful to all and mostly to my viewers who have backed me all through as their advocate while I tried to amplify their voice with who mattered,” he added.

     

    Speaking on the success of the mega event, India TV MD and CEO Ritu Dhawan observed, “When we first thought of marking the occasion, we always knew that this is going to be an industry benchmark, however I have no doubt now that our expectations have been hugely exceeded. This has been a truly superlative success & people will remember this for a very long time.”

     

    Star Plus has also decided to be part of the celebrations. The event will be simulcast on both the channels – India TV and Star Plus on 7 December at 10 pm. Cineyug, a premier event management companies managed the show that was hosted by singer Sonu Nigam.

  • Star India’s Uday Shankar’s Paley parley with Bobby Ghosh

    Star India’s Uday Shankar’s Paley parley with Bobby Ghosh

    MUMBAI: Did you know that Star Plus’ most talked about social show Satyamev Jayate (SMJ) may have never happened?

     

    Well, Star India CEO Uday Shankar shared nuggets such as these during his one-on-one with Time International editor Aparisim Bobby Ghosh in front of the Paley Media Council – an exclusive, invitation-only membership community for entertainment, media and technology industry executives and provides an independent forum for top industry leaders – at its media centre in New York on 30 May.

     

    Shankar addressed various topics like – the Star India Network’s – led by Star Plus – focus on women, the journey of its social cause show Satyamev Jayate and the evolution of Star India.

     

    He began by saying, “We were not okay with bringing the American culture concept into India and so decided to create Indian content for Indian people.”

     

    “Even though our pedigree is News Corporation and 21st Century Fox now, it was very clear that we were not bringing in American culture into India,” he added. Star India completely indigenised the content, because according to them, it was the only way. “Somebody had to own and so it was owned by the parent company, while we were told to go and create a business that was the right business for the Indian people and Indian society,” he said.

     

    Shankar further went on to say that his bosses always encouraged him to pursue the agenda of challenging the status quo. “We address whatever is not right in the country, whatever needs to change for people in the country. We at Star have never thought of going and telling people what they should be doing next. Our job is to focus the spotlight on what we believe needs to be questioned and what needs to be observed closely and questioned. And that’s where we leave it. That’s exactly what we have done with our content. Whether it’s our entertainment content, dramas, reality shows or finally SMJ.”

     

    “When I told my CFO that I was planning to do a show such as SMJ, he looked at me as though I was going totally out of line,” Shankar told the French bearded-bald-headed Ghosh. “I called up James Murdoch and told him about the risk associated with SMJ because of the investment and he told me ‘we would live.’ I needed his blessings to go ahead with it.”

     

    Shankar informed Ghosh that he had met up with Aamir Khan to understand how they could use the power of television and work together to improve society after he did 3 Idiots. “It took two years of his team and our team working together to come up with Satyamev Jayate,” he said. “We thought of taking all the challenging issues like female feticide, and so on a Sunday morning. That was a challenge – to get viewers on-board to watch the show at that time slot. It was of a duration of an hour and a half to do a very, very deep dive into some of the very unpleasant parts of Indian life. Everything about the show suggests that it shouldn’t work. Aamir and I spent a lot of time discussing this and finally we concluded that we are not going to pull our punches neither in the creative expression nor in the format.”

     

    Shankar thought the brand had to mature and take a big leap. And that big leap came with SMJ.

     

    “Satyamev Jayate was the beginning of a journey. In the journey of our purpose we wanted the brand to carry, it had matured to a level where we wanted to make that one big leap and tell people that ok we have been looking intently to implementing stories and characters and we have been giving you messages, subtle messages. India was ready, our viewers were ready and internally Star as a company was ready to take the leap and that’s how came SMJ where we decided that sharply we will, in each episode, focus on some of the things that must change in the country while all other kinds of economic and social changes keep happening. I wouldn’t say that we have taken our corporate social responsibility seriously. At Star, we have now gone a step ahead and we believe that all content that we create is corporate social responsibility,” he said.

     

    Shankar narrated that he had had a meeting with the Minister for Corporate Affairs when the new Companies Act in India was being drafted. “They needed inputs. They were saying that a certain fix percentage of profits should go towards CSR and I said well I am fine to do that, but you must make a note that all media content if it goes on-air is towards corporate social responsibility. If it’s not, then we as media community have failed.”

     

    Shankar told Ghosh that SMJ has had its impact on Indian society. “The sex ratio in India has been under pressure and declining. The gap between female and male kids has been rising. For the first time in 40 years, in the state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is, it was reversed by a factor of 24 for each thousand. The state health minister publicly went and acknowledged that every single policy and intervention remained the same. The only external stimulus that had come in was SMJ’s episode on female foeticide and he said his officers felt that it was SMJ that gave women the confidence to resist abortion.”

     

    Shankar opined that the SMJ episode on drugs led to three or four governments passing legislations and orders to make sure government hospitals only supply generic drugs. “We are still fighting with the pharmaceutical industry on that episode where we said that labeling of drugs was just an exercise to raise drug prices. If generic drugs were sold and encouraged by governments then prices would come down substantially,” he said.

     

    Then he disclosed that four states have gone and set up fast track courts for rape victims following an episode which highlighted and demanded the need for this. “We wanted fast track courts,” said Shankar, “because the Indian judicial system can sometimes be very slow and rape victims were struggling with the time it took to get justice. And we got a response from some state governments.”

     

    He pointed out that it was strange that while initially there was a lot of interest in the region for SMJ after it was aired, its format has so far been licensed to a production house in China.

     

    On the programming front Shankar revealed that Star does do a lot of market research, but it is not a market research driven company, he explained to Ghosh.  “I see Star as a company which is very focused on observing society and whatever is happening. So if a political movement is going on, if there are concerns that are being expressed informally, then often times the research insights do not really capture them. But we also try and anticipate. We are at a level where we try and stay ahead of those concerns, so meaning that when you are in the business of media, you should be shaping the concerns, you should be voicing and helping people connect their dots to themselves and whether these are dots of aspirations or these are dots of concerns that are holding their aspirations.”

     

    He further stated that, television, print, and media in general are heavily encouraging, motivating and proselytizing agencies. He believes that the new Modi-led government is very focused and has the highest representation of women ministers, compared to any government since independence and that is a good thing. “30 per cent of the cabinet ministers are women, so we think this by itself should give an impetus to the whole process of change. Television I think can do a great deal, more than it is doing even now,” he ended.

  • Information and Broadcasting: An uphill journey all the way

    Information and Broadcasting: An uphill journey all the way

    NEW DELHI:  For any person who takes over the mantle of the information & broadcasting ministry (MIB), the handling of the portfolio will be full of potholes created by his or her predecessors, primarily because of the failure to take strong decisions.

     

    By some mischance or deliberate choice, the MIB has remained without a working head since Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi was forced to leave because of sickness. While Ambika Soni did her best to put into operation plans worked out by the ministry’s bureaucrats or the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), both she and her successor Manish Tewari remained primarily spokespersons of the ruling party.

     

    Perhaps this was not entirely their fault, but that of the party which failed to realise that the ‘Information’ portfolio does not imply giving party inputs or the media which insisted on only raising party issues whenever these two met the members of the fourth estate.

     

    There is also no gainsaying that the lower priority given to the MIB – from a full-fledged minister with assisting ministers of state to a single minister of state with independent charge – also contributed to this.     

     

    With the new government in place, the speculation about who the new minister will be and what expectations can be had will be of considerable interest.

     

    If the government decides to hand over the portfolio to someone who takes interest in the information and broadcasting sector, then the choice zeroes down to a handful of names. But it is clear that politicians of the standing of Sushma Swaraj or Arun Jaitley who have held this portfolio earlier will not go back to it, and Shatrughan Sinha who has earlier served in the government as minister in-charge of two ministries will agree only if made a full-fledged minister and the chances are that he will want a more important portfolio than the MIB.

     

    Consequently, the choice falls upon someone like Smriti Irani, unless the Bharatiya Janata Party picks on someone from its allies.

     

    I&B MINISTRY

     

    It would help the government if the decisions being taken by the MIB are transparent, and the concerned officials are easily accessible to the media which represents the aspirations of the people.

     

    While it is true that senior ministry officials are generally reluctant to speak during a session of Parliament, there is no reason for their not doing so at other times.

     

    Perhaps the secretary of the ministry should designate certain officers to be available to the media at certain hours every day, on phone, if not in person.

     

     

    PRASAR BHARATI

     

    Notwithstanding who will hold the portfolio, it is clear that it will be no less than being at the edge of the twin-edged sword. Interestingly, one of these two edges was conceived by the erstwhile Jana Sangh (now BJP) which was then part of Janata Party and L K Advani at the head of this MIB.

     

    Even as B S Lalli was removed from the post of CEO of Prasar Bharati under a cloud of corruption and mismanagement, his successor Jawhar Sircar has taken up cudgels against the ministry on the ground that the public service broadcaster is an autonomous body.

     

    On the other hand, the government feels that since it pays the salaries, has waived spectrum fee and given other concessions, and has initiated the laying down of rules and regulations regarding employees, it cannot be wished away and has to have a say in the working of the pubcaster.

     

    The new incumbent in the ministry will therefore have to work out certain ground rules within the ambit of the Prasar Bharati Act 1990 drawing clear lines about its role. Clearly, autonomy does not mean freedom to do anything, but at the same time lays certain constitutional norms or reasonable restrictions.

     

    In the light of Article 19(1)(a) about freedom of speech and expression, it becomes abundantly clear that the government should not have any control over the content broadcast by All India Radio or telecast by Doordarshan unless this violates the Reasonable Restrictions laid in the Constitution or the Codes under the Prasar Bharati Act or the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995. But it may be difficult to stop the government being the financing agency from interfering in the management of the pubcaster.

     

    In view of this, it is also clear that the spending of the budget laid aside by the ministry for content creation should be left to DD and AIR without day-to-day monitoring by the ministry.

     

    Furthermore, there has to be greater transparency and quicker decision-making both by the government and by AIR and more particularly Doordarshan about the programmes it wants to commission or broadcast. It is understood that some proposals from independent producers have been pending in DD for almost a decade.   

     

    The Sam Pitroda Committee on Prasar Bharati is generally repetitive of the provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act, but may help to speed up some processes. The new Minister will therefore have to immediately hold wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders and take action on the report.

     

    There is little doubt that DD and AIR are today broadcasting programmes that no private operator dares to do because of the loss of eyeballs (TRPs).

     

    DOORDARSHAN

     

    While Doordarshan has made appreciable progress in terms of popularity in semi-urban or urban areas even as it holds the top spot in rural India, there is urgent need to take steps to market the channel even better. While its programmes have become entertaining even as they serve the public by sending out direct or indirect messages, the general perception is to the contrary.

     

    DD also needs to bring certain channels that are only known in certain regions to the national level. These include DD Bharati, DD Urdu, DD Kashir, and the DD channels in the north east. Greater facility for dubbing popular serials in Hindi would help in this effort.

     

    AIR

     

    The audio wing of Prasar Bharati has been treated in a somewhat step-motherly fashion since DD began to grow. There is urgent need to reverse that by getting more people to tune in to radio just the way they tune in to DD.

     

    This can clearly be done by bringing All India Radio’s National channel and the popular Vividh Bharati channel onto the FM networks so that it is heard in the same way as private FM channels or FM Gold and FM Rainbow.

     

    AIR has already spent crores of rupees on creating the basic infrastructure for Digital Radio Mondiale, which can make medium-wave or short wave programmes accessible to listeners. The only lacunae appear to be the absence of reasonably priced receivers, and the reluctance of the present Prasar Bharati CEO to the growth of this medium.

     

    While manufacturers have come forward to produce reasonably priced receivers for use on mobiles, cars or at home, the Government is pushing ahead its programme for the third phase of FM Radio expansion and this is the right time to pursue as DRM sets are also FM compatible. 

     

    TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA

     

    Of late, far too many cases have been going to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) with relation to broadcasting but the problem has been complicated further by the judgment of the Supreme Court that TRAI regulations should not be adjudicated upon by TDSAT.

     

    Clearly, there is need for TRAI to pay greater heed to its regulations relating to the broadcasting and cable sectors. But since its primary objective has always been telecom, the government will have to consider whether there is need for a separate Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI), something which has been tossed around for the past 15 years.

     

    Allegations are that broadcasters tend to get the TRAI’s hearing more. But in recent times it has been reaching out to more and more cable TV operators when they come up with a logical discussion and argument flow. Perhaps a new BRAI – also provided for in the proposed Broadcast Services Bill – with clearer objectives may help overcome not only the prejudices that are alleged against TRAI.

     

    The new body could also look at the high taxation down the line – from that levied on manufacturers, broadcasters, cable and other service operators like DTH and HITS, and the consumers (viewers).

     

    BARC

     

    The Broadcast Audience Research Council aimed at replacing the outdated present TAM system needs to be expedited.  This may also help the broadcasting industry overcome the hurdles created by the 12-minute ad cap since it will bring in greater transparency.

     

    SELF-REGULATION

     

    Self-regulation is healthy as the TV channels will accept decisions of their own ilk more easily than those dictated by the government. It seems to be working well, and it’s best left like that. Content regulation is any way the MIB’s domain, and it can step in and bang its fist on the table if things get out of hand.

    One option being mentioned is that the Inter-Ministerial Committee of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry be vested with greater powers and also made more broad-based with representatives of more ministries, while permitting some civil society intellectuals apart from representatives of News Broadcasting Services Authority (NBSA), the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) or the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) as ex-officio members.

     

    Furthermore, all the decisions taken by the NBSA, BCCC or ASCI should be finally whetted by the IMC before being made public. The primary purpose of this move would be to ensure that even channels that are not members of these bodies can be covered if the directive comes from the Ministry’s IMC.

     

    DIGITAL ACCESS SYSTEM

     

    There is little doubt that the experience of the first two phases of DAS has shown that around 30-40 per cent of the cities covered are still broadcasting on analogue mode. Clearly, there has to be re-think not only on whether the next two phases should be combined (as planned by the outgoing government) or relaxed into more phases with a greater time span, and on whether the regulations drawn up by TRAI in this regard need to be looked at again, since both the consumers and the cable operators appear unhappy.

     

    DAVP

     

    Presently, the DAVP gives advertisements to help small and medium newspapers or to propagandize the programmes of the government. It has also introduced short films for television channels or cinema houses, but the rates it pays to the media have remained almost static, since the increases are more symbolic than actual whenever a new advertising policy is announced. It may be worthwhile for the government to consult all stakeholders including the Press Council, ASCI, Indian Broadcasting Foundation, News Broadcasters Association, the Film Federation of India and other film bodies before bringing out the next advertising policy. The recent move by the Supreme Court of setting up a three-member panel to discuss what constitutes advertising and propaganda will be helpful.

     

    FM BROADCASTING

     

    The initiative to allow transmission of AIR news on private FM radio on a as-is-where-is basis is a welcome move, but guidelines can be drawn up to permit discussions on entertainment or sports etc. by the channels themselves.

     

    Even as the process of the third phase has begun, it should be ensured that while on the one hand it is expedited, and on the other it does not clash with the DRM programme since that would force viewers to buy two different receiver sets.

     

    Undoubtedly, the third phase will help cover almost the entire country, but it has to be ensured that once the auctions are over, the procedures for clearing the channels should not only be speedy, but the annual fee should be affordable.

     

    COMMUNITY RADIO

     

    While the pace of the growth of community radio has not been good, the new programmes to provide finance to prospective entrepreneurs may help.  The introduction of awards for Community Radio has been a welcome step.

     

    Similarly, All India Radio programmes can be made available either free of cost or on a barter basis to channels that make good programmes.

     

    FILM INDUSTRY

     

    Although the film industry was given the status of an industry, little else was done to follow this up with positive action. And although it is one of the highest taxed industries in the country, the government has paid little heed to help filmmakers come up with original work. For this reason, the studio system that ruled the industry till the late fifties appears to be coming back with large corporate producers funding and producing films and independent filmmakers still facing an uphill task to find funds.

     

    The National Film Development Corporation though led by a dynamic leader Nina Lath Gupta has been constrained by a crunch in funds from the MIB. Gupta totally restructure and reinvented NFDC a few years ago until some distrust from the MIB saw funds drying up last year. It needs to have more money at its disposal, and it should be allowed to live up to its mandate of encouraging independent film makers and build a pipeline of more films every year.

     

    To overcome Manish Tewari’s view that the Films Division (FD) has outlived its existence, it would be a good idea to convert the FD into both a production body for its own producers and a funding body for independent documentary, animation and short films.  The government has to implement the decision of the Apex Court given almost two decades earlier that film magazines of the FD have to be compulsorily exhibited in cinema houses.

     

    But perhaps the most important problem is the high taxation by the government which still treats cinema as a service industry under the Shops and Establishment Act which treats lotteries on the same footing. Lower taxes – and abolition of entertainment tax – will not only help filmmakers, but also bring in more entrepreneurs to build cinema houses which have depleted to just around 10,000 for a country which has a population that is much larger.  

     

    FILM CENSORSHIP

     

    The Film Certification Guidelines under the Cinematograph Act 1952 were last amended in December 1991. If films have become more lax in showing violence or sex-oriented scenes, it is because society all around has changed and so have the members of the Central Board of Film Certification. It is therefore necessary for the new Minister to ensure that the guidelines reflect the level of acceptance of certain norms in society that were a taboo two or three decades earlier.

     

    Phew! Undoubtedly, all this presents a daunting task for the government. But good governance is known by what it does, not by what it claims it will do.

  • Aaj Tak announces 2nd Edition of Agenda

    Aaj Tak announces 2nd Edition of Agenda

    MUMBAI: Aaj Tak, the leading News Channel for 13 straight years, announced the 2nd Edition of Hindi Heartland Summit Agenda Aaj Tak. The event, scheduled to be held on 4th & 5th December in New Delhi will debate, discuss and ideate with the newsmakers of the country.

    In line with the last year, this year will bring the most powerful personalities and thought leaders together for setting a vision for 2014. The platform will delve into all aspects that occupy national attention and will be celebrating thought leadership across varied subjects.

    The day will also glitter with the two King Khans from Bollywood – Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan. Living Music legends like Ghulam Ali, Sonu Niigam, Kavita Krishnamurthy who have inspired generations will also be seen gracing the conclave. To add to the cheer, the top ambassadors of comedy Kapil Sharma and Sunil Grover (Gutthi) and the one and only desi girl- Priyanka Chopra will be spreading their charm.

    It will be interesting to see Malika-e-Parliament from Pakistan Hina Rabbani Khar participate at the award winning conclave. Innumerable political heavy weights – Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Digvijay Singh, Smriti Irani, Jairam Ramesh, Brinda Karat, Rajnath Singh, Jairam Ramesh, RPN Singh, Ajay Maken, Kamal Nath, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rashid Alvi, Pravin Togadia and Shahnawaz Hussain will add to the stature of this unmatched platform.

    The Only Mahamanch of its kind in Hindi will also see Anna Hazare and Swami Ramdev thus making the occasion complete with Debate, Laughter, Music and most of all thoughts from leaders that can potentially change our country.

    Agenda AajTak had recently won the India Television Academy award as the best TV event of the year.

    Commenting on the initiative, Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, India Today Group said, “It is a matter of great pride for all of us to announce the second edition of Agenda Aaj Tak. As the nation exercises its right to Vote , it’s an apt time and platform to discuss the future of the country, ….esp as seen by the Hindi heartland’s most prominent personalities.”
    For further information please contact: Ketchum Sampark Public Relations

  • Divine predictions ’08

    Divine predictions ’08

    As they bid goodbye to 2007, our telly stars look forward to the New Year with great hope and expectation.

    But what’s in store for them in 2008? Neha Maheshwari got into intuitive mode trying to foresee whether the constellations will keep shining for our telly stars. For this purpose, we consulted noted Tarot card reader Dr Soniyaa P Bhaagiyaa.

    Here Dr Bhaagiyaa offers predictions for 2008 of different stars and channels through Tarot card reading and she also comes up with advice for the stars through her Goddess Guidance Cards.

    The results are as interesting as expected. So have fun reading them.

     

    Ekta Kapoor

    Year 2008 for her: It is going to be a good year professionally. There are bright chances of her getting married this coming year.

    As a producer: She will do well as a producer in 2008. She will hit the mark again. She might have to travel abroad for shoots.

    Bollywood: Tarot card suggests she leave everything in the hands of destiny. She may not receive the needful help from the people as expected. She is going to learn many lessons. For 2008, Bollywood is not going to be fruitful.

    The K-factor: There is a possibility that she will get rid of her favourite K-letter. She will resort to some other alphabet but will always take support of the letter K.

    Guidance card for 2008: Universe suggests Ekta create a connection with the divine different from what she has followed thus far. We advice her to visit some prayer place and make changes in her altar. She needs to check out what she needs to add to and minus from her altar. She needs to focus on the spirituality also, along with her professional life.
     

    Rajiv Khandelwal

    Bollywood: His movies will do good business overall. He will be getting some more opportunities. There is an advice card for him that reveals that if he takes risks he will be successful. He is in to manage lots of things this year.

    Television: His television career will be good and it is going to be a new beginning for him. But he needs to manage many things.

    Patch up with Ekta Kapoor: Yes there are bright chances of a patch up between the two and tarot also says that there are chances of him doing a Balaji serial.

    Guidance card for 2008: You are taken care of for your today and tomorrows by the universe so don’t worry.
     

    Smriti Irani

    2008 for her: It is going to be a mixed year. There will be ups and downs but as the year ends, it is going to be happy.

    As a producer: There will be many projects and she will be doing a lot of juggling. She will be trying to manage two different projects at a time but eventually she will be able to manage. Professionally she would struggle a bit managing too many projects. She would also try to expand herself.

    Advice card for her indicates that she should try to strike a balance as far as her professional life and production house is concerned. At the end, her professional life will be managed and it will do well.

    As an actor: Her acting career will be really good. She will also do some other projects. Overall it is going to be a good year for her.

    Bollywood aspirations: She might go there with the help of old acquaintances who will help her in the project.

    Guidance card for 2008: Universe suggests she spend some time near water. She needs to recharge her batteries. A break is advised to her as she has been under a lot of pressure off late. We suggest she go for a good holiday near an ocean or lake.
     

    Rakhi Sawant

    Controversies in 2008: Yes, she will remain among the controversies and thus in the news. But she will remain in control. She will be happy with the way she has led her life so far.

    Relationship with boyfriend Abhishek: The relationship is not going to be very exciting the coming year. Both of them will have disappointments in regards of not being given importance. The relationship will face emotional trauma and they will not take any risk in terms of both their relationship and professional life. There will be confusion in their relationship. The task for them is to choose between establishment of their careers or relationship.

    Guidance card for 2008: There is no need to hurry or force things to happen. She should take things easy. The guidance card suggests she believe in the process of the universe.
     

    Shweta Tiwari:

    2008 for her: Professionally, it is going to be a mixed year for Shweta Tiwari. There will be a lot of confusion and delays in projects. But 2008 is going to make her come across absolutely new beginnings. Personally the cards suggest she go for some past life regression. She has tried hard on her relationship but cards reveal her getting divorced the coming year. Justice will be done. Her Bhojpuri films will be successful. Her expectations will be fulfilled.

    Guidance card for 2008: She is just getting started so universe suggests she have patience and not give up easily.
     

    Iqbal Khan

    2008 for him: Iqbal Khan will be emotionally content this year. He should not lose control over his emotions. There will be a lot of competition and in turn he will try to prove himself but there is no need to. He needs to put his foot down wherever he is correct. But there is no need to prove his talent as 2008 is going to be a fulfilled year. There are bright chances that he will become a proud father.

    Bollywood: He has bright chances of his entering Bollywood.

    Patch up with Ekta Kapoor: Tarot card for him does indicate chances of having a patch up with Ekta Kapoor. But as far as acting in Ekta’s production house is concerned chances are very less and it may not happen.

    The advice card for him says that he should not look at emotional loss happened in the past but should grab the opportunity.

    Guidance card for 2008: This is the transforming time for him. He will be experiencing many changes and the universe suggests he accept those changes and go with the flow. He is advised to trust the universe.
     

    Prachi Desai

    2008 for her: Professionally, it is a mixed year for her. Whatever she has worked hard on this year will help her in the coming year. It is going to be a creative year for her.

    Her movie Rock On: Her expectations with the movies are running too high which is not good. It will only do ok business. She needs to balance her act. Destiny is going to support her throughout.

    She will get more offers from Bollywood but she is going to be very choosy and cautious.

    Quitting Television: There are 50-50 chances of her quitting the world of television. She will be very calculative and thus will face a lot of stress. 2008 can be rightly said as Dilemma Year for her as she will be in jeopardy deciding whether or not to quit television.

    Guidance card for 2008: The guidance card suggests she trust the universe.
     

    Ronit Roy

    Television career in 2008: It is going to be a mixed year for Ronit Roy. He will have the support of his luck and some mystical and unknown things. We suggest he go for some past life regression. He needs to be careful of his friends and enemies.

    Guidance card for 2008: The universe suggests he love himself. He needs to work out his relationships with the females around. He needs to respect the females.

    He also needs to check his relations with his mother. He should be non-judgmental about himself and others as well. He needs to focus on the love and light that is within everyone.
     
    This would again be a non-fiction year on television. So we have lots more reality shows lined up.
    _____****_____
     

    Star Plus: Compared to 2007, the coming year is not as good. But by year-end, it will turn out to be better. There will be a new beginnings in the year-end. In the process of proving themselves due to competition they may lose out on quality. They should not compromise with quality while competing. They will be taxing themselves uselessly. There will be let downs. They should maintain the values they believe in. They need to maintain their already established goodwill. They need to stay off temptations a bit.

    Advice for 2008: They are advised to have patience and not to worry as everything is working for them beautifully. But they are advised not to compromise with quality to get the needful results.
     

    Zee: It is going to be a mixed year for Zee TV. They would face certain losses but at the same time there will be several opportunities popping up. They need to handle the tough situations with lots of patience. There will be new opportunities for Zee in 2008. Zee is expected to have some changes at the authority level. This is time for learning lessons which will lead to the improvement in future. If they think of producing mythological serials luck will support them and such shows will be successful.

    Advice for 2008: If they work on projects related to children, it will be very good for them. They should work on some projects that can help children in their welfare and development.
     

    Sony: There are close to 100 percent chances that Sony channel will get sold. Though it might pull the financial year but after that it will come to an end.

    Advice for 2008: The guidance card says that your independence is the foundation of your strength and success. Tie-ups create unnecessary problems. If they try independently it would be good for them. But now the chances of them surviving after the mid-2008 are negligible.
     
     

    Amongst the newly launched channels: NDTV Imagine is expected to shine.
     
     

    (For the uninitiated, Dr Soniyaa P Bhaagiyaa is a reputed versatile Integrated Therapist who practices a variety of sciences. She has been practicing Tarot card reading for the last five years at her clinic in Mumbai. She is also a vastu expert, hypnotherapist, and practices aura healing, chakra guidance and tea leaf predictions).

  • Catch Smriti Irani on ‘The Great Indian Laughter Champions Dwitya’ this Friday night at 9

    MUMBAI: Jokes, one-liners, satires, rib tickling comedy and much more… get ready as The Great Indian Laughter Champions ‘Dwitiya’ gears up for some entertainment with none other than Television’s most popular face – Smriti Irani.

    Watch Smriti as she gears up to leave behind the tears and share a few jokes with our laughter champions. And of course watch Sidhu executing his ‘shayris’ to charge up the atmosphere!

    The Great Indian Laughter Champions ‘Dwitiya’ will take millions of Indians to towering heights of frenzy and sheer delight! Watch them as they take over as the stand-up hosts bringing a fresh dose of laughter this Friday, January 12 , 2006 at 9:00 pm.

    So its time to cure your weeknight blues as Star One brings your dose of Vitamin ‘C’ (comedy) with The Great Indian Laughter Champions ‘Dwitiya’, every Friday at 9:00 p.m.

  • D Shivanandan & Dr. Satyapal Singh on Sanskar TV

    D Shivanandan & Dr. Satyapal Singh Explain true application of spirituality on Sanskar TV Sunday September 10, 2006

     

    Mumbai September 6, 2006: ‘Spirituality And Management’, one of the most talked about property on Sanskar TV, deals with spiritualism in work place and its application in our day to day dealing. It offers an insight into the minds of top management heads and their approach towards life, its pitfalls and their own struggle to achieve the heights in life.

    This weekend ‘Spirituality And Management’ on Sanskar TV is bringing two personalities from police force to give their viewpoint on spirituality and its positive influence on management of policing.

     

    D. Shivanandan, Commissioner of Police, Thane gives a talk to the youth on spirituality on Sunday 10th September 2006 and talks about the purpose of life, the yardstick to measure success and failures. He also explores his fascination for the Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar, whose teachings are more than a thousand years old, yet stand valid for the youth even today.

    Seven Minute long capsule of D. Shivanandan’s talk will air on Sanskar TV five times starting with 7.25 AM , 1.25 PM , 2.50PM , 4.30 PM, 9.00 PM and last capsule will telecast at 12.00 in the night.

     

    Dr. Satyapal Singh, former Jt. Commissioner of Police (crime), now special I.G. Konkan Range, is the guest speaker on regular show ‘Spirituality And Management’ on Sunday September 10, at 01. 40 pm on Sanskar TV

    Dr. Satyapal Singh will talk about leadership, aspects of management, spiritual need of the organizations, the purpose of life and what should be the motivation for the youth- money, fame or mere service to the society.

    Through their fulfilling and accomplishing experience with life and police force, they reveal the value of positive thinking and gains through correct application of Karm Yog.

     

    So tune in to Sanskar TV on Sunday September 10, 2006 and embrace spirituality as religion.

     

    Some of the administrative heads to appear and educate the populace about the relationship and dependency between spiritualism and administration are Vithal Kamat – CMD The orchid and Deena Mehta, a Chartered Accountant and MBA, Ram Jethmalani, Smriti Irani, Niranjan Hiranandani, Narendra Modi, Suresh Kotak……..

     

    Sanskar TV is a spirituality channel that imparts insight into humanity and goodwill. It is a free to air channel on Thaicom – 3.

     

    Media Contact
    Neelam Gupta – 98200 70564
    Vedika Tripathi – 98703 32920
    nr2image@gmail.com

  • Ekta Kapoor launches talent hunt for ‘Kyunki…’ cast

    Ekta Kapoor launches talent hunt for ‘Kyunki…’ cast

    MUMBAI: Indian television’s most successful television soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is set for a 20-year leap and the next generation of actors will be chosen from a talent hunt.

    Walk-in auditions have been planned in three northern cities: New Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla and the hunt will kick start on 29 April.

    The leap makes way for a host of new characters to make their appearance on the small screen. The Ekta Kapoor headed creative team of Kyunki…. is stepping out of Mumbai to search for these new faces, informs an official release.

    “The highlight of this talent hunt is the search for “Krishnatulsi” who takes over the mantle of Tulsi from Smriti Irani as she takes over the mantle of Baa,” says Balaji Telefilms creative director Ekta Kapoor.

    “We are always on the look out for fresh talent but this time around it is very special. We are looking for the next generation of the Virani family. We started Kyunki… five years back with a large part of the cast selected from the masses and most of them, today, are well established artists with their own fan following. It therefore makes complete sense for us to go back to the masses to look for the next generation of the Virani family,” says Kapoor.

    The dates for audition in each city are:

    New Delhi — 29 and 30 April at Marwah Studio Noida.
    Shimla — 1 May at Chaura Maidan College.
    Chandigarh — 2 May at Dev Samaj College for Girls.

    The auditions are open to professional actors, models, theatre artists and the general public in the 18 to 25 years age group. Good diction, brilliant attitude and acting skills are factors critical in being short-listed, states the release.