Says Ajoykaant Ruia, chairman of the R S Ruia Trust, “As part of our on-going charitable activities we have envisaged the Living with Dignity program which includes financial and other donations in kind like utility items, clothes, books and shoes to orphanages in Mumbai. Besides the field work, a social networking campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/living.with.dignity is also online to create awareness about the need to support orphans and street kids who are our future. We are thankful for the support we have received from certain Bollywood personalities as well as our sponsors for this activity.”

Dj Jenny D said it was her proud privilege to be associated with this project. “There are hundreds of street kids in cities like Mumbai who do not have a decent roof over their heads, nor do they have opportunities for education and vocational training to make them self-sufficient. I am glad that the R S Ruia Trust has begun this activity which will probably help several hundred street kids in Mumbai. I hope more Bollywood stars get involved in this project and invite all my friends from the film industry to join me in morally supporting this project.”

If sources are to be be believed, Mumbai-based, 50-plus architect and graphics designer Shasshikant Bhomavat is penning down his memoaires. While this may not interest most people at first, the important issue that will probably make the whole of India take notice is the fact that Shasshi Bhomavat was the walking partner of none other than India’s biggest and richest entrepreneur and industrialist the late Dhirubhai Ambani.

While no further information was available and Shasshi Bhomavat remained unreachable, it seems that Dhirubhai Ambani and Shasshi Bhomavat used to take a morning walk almost every day from Haji Ali to Worli. According to our sources, Shasshi writes in his book which is co-authored by an ex- senior business journalist with the Economic Times, “From 1982-1984 DA and I used to have a morning walk at Worli sea face, but the reality was that he used to walk  and I used to jog. Imagine his speed of walking while I was jogging he was ahead of me. And he used to cover the entire stretch of Worli seaface about 3 times,” Shasshi writes in his book. Shasshi used to run an advertising company with his office at Nariman Point in South Mumbai and Dhirubhai Ambani owned Mudra – now one of the biggest ad agencies and media setups in India. Apparently, Dhirubhai who was quite friendly with Shasshi, used to ask himi for info on the ad-industry in Mumbai and even offered him an opportunity to head Mudra at that time.

During this brisk daily walk, Dhirubhai did share a lot of family secrets including the lives and careers of his two sons. At times, he even vented out his frustration telling personal family secrets to Shasshikant Bhomavat. More details are not available at this stage but the book is supposed to be about 250-odd very informative pages and pregnant with top-secret family information including the Ambani brothers “friendships” with Bollywood personalities and actresses. We were not able to validate all the information but we tried to get in touch with Dj Jenny D who is working on an audio-visual project with Shasshi Bhomavat. When we asked her about this book, the otherwise outspoken and brash Dj Jenny D quipped, “I know that Shasshi is working on such a book but I have no more details as I am on a totally different project.” She refused to answer any further questions on the subject.

Another walking partner whom we managed to contact said that Dhirubhai was quite candid about his sons transgressions if we may call them so and shared a lot of intimate family issues with his 2-3 good friends. It seems that the entire Bollywood were friends with the young Ambani brothers  and they were the darlings of the ladies. We will have to wait and watch till the book comes out to bring you more details. And given the fact that the Ambanis’ are fiercely guarded about their personal lives it remains to be seen if the book is even allowed to be distributed in India. We just hope it doesn’t meet the fate that The Polyester Prince by Hamish MacDonald did?

While we have the names of the so-called cheer-leaders or actresses who added the glamour component to the IPL parties, we will refrain from mentioning them and wait for the Income Tax department to spell it out. CNN IBN, Headlines Today and Times Now reported on Thursday that the IT department is investigating and looking into the monies paid to cheer leaders and others who added the glam component. The IT sleuths want to know who hired them, who paid them and how much was paid to them and for what kind of services. It has also come out that many of them were paid huge amounts in cash – something that a body like the IPL should have never done.

According to Flynn Remedios, author of the yet-to-be published IPLgate – the mother of all Indian cricket scams, Apparently, it transpires that certain “cheer leaders” and glam dolls or sex dolls were paid far more than what any one would have paid a cheer leader. What the IT is now trying to find out is what other services were provided by the so-called cheer leaders and glam dolls for the exorbitant payments doled out to them by a very generous IPL. Or did the glam dolls substantially hike up the financial valuations of the IPL and its teams and how did they? Will somebody please tell the poor Indian cricket enthusiast?

By Ashwin Salian – Global Entertainment News Network

Mumbai-based 21-year-old model Sneha Chopra was today (April 20, 2010) selected as the face of the Ms Bikini India International 2010 Reality Show and Pageant.

Sneha Chopra was selected from a short-list of about 150 candidates, informed a spokesperson. She will host the Reality Show associated with the Ms Bikini India International pageant wherein 20 semi-finalists will be locked up for 45 days in a secluded resort on a deserted island. She will be paid a princely sum for a year long assignment which will put her into the big league.

According to sources, about 1500 candidates were auditioned for the coveted position. Sneha Chopra will model for the print, outdoor and television advertisements associated with the event, said Flynn Remedios, organizer of Ms Bikini India International.

Auditions for the event scheduled to be held in August 2010 in Goa have already begun and semi-final rounds for selection of the zonal candidates will be held at four locations – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta and Bangalore in June 2010.

“A special feature of this year’s event is the change in contest rules – the Ms Bikini India International Reality Show and Pageant is open to all Indian origin girls between 18 to 25 years from all over the world. There will be an online event called Ms Bikini Online as well as a sub event for international contestants titled Ms Bikini International,” explained Flynn Remedios of Futuristic Media Network, organizers of the pageant.

By Sameera Sheikh -  Futuristic Media Network

As if the controversy surrounding Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik weren’t enough, some new, very damaging facts have begun to emerge. According a report by Futuristic Media Network – India’s largest content syndication network of freelance writers, journalists and contributors – it is possible that the couple got secretly married last year or in the beginning of this year (2010) in Dubai.

Says Flynn Remedios, editor-in-chief of Futuristic Media Network, “We have enough inputs from various sources to prove that the some sort of marriage did take place earlier between Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik. One of our senior citizen journalists from Hyderabad has sent us a news report which claims that Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik secretly tied the knot in Dubai sometime last year. While the exact date, time and venue of the secret wedding ceremony is not known, several independent sources close to Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik, their families, relatives and even professional colleagues and team mates have verified on condition of anonymity that the couple indeed did get married and have been living together occasionally as husband and wife. The public wedding scheduled for April 15 is merely to give their already existent live-in relationship social sanction through the act of marriage. We have recorded statements and audio recordings of interviews conducted by our network of freelance reporters in Hyderabad, Dubai and Pakistan and are verifying the interviews before we release the transcripts to the media in general.”

Flynn Remedios has also claimed that according to inputs from his reporters, Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik have been living together whenever they have travelled to the Middle East or other parts of the World. “The very fact that Sania Mirza’s family and relatives were comfortable with the duo staying together at her home in Hyderabad, when her house was under seige by the media 24×7 shows that her family knew about the secret pact. Unfortunately for them, the ghost of Shoaib’s past with Ayesha made things messy.”

There have been several media reports about the so-called marriage. We now know for certain that Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik have been fooling the press and media and the Indian people at large all along. They had cemented their relationship even before the ghost of Shoaib’s earlier “marriage” with Ayesha Siddique began singing. What was remaining was just the reception, asserted Remedios, claiming that several important people in Hyderabad, Dubai, Pakistan and the rest of India, including politicians are in the know of this fact.

The expose` assumes importance in the light of a fatwa issued by some religious scholars. The elders issued a fatwa or religious edict against their living and mingling freely even before the marriage is solemnised. The Sunni Ulema Board, a group of religious scholars, said both the sportspersons were bringing disrepute to Islam and Muslim community through their actions. The board issued a ‘fatwa’ terming their actions haram (forbidden) and asked Muslims to stay away from the April 15 marriage. “The kind of actions the two are indulging in like living together and addressing the media together are haram in Islam,” said Moulana Haseebul Hasan Siddiqui, a religious scholar.

Shoaib has been staying at Sania’s residence in Hyderabad for more than a week and television pictures showed them dancing and doing physical exercises together.

Meanwhile in an open letter and an online petition to Sania Mirza published on http://ghotala.wordpress.com and released to the media last Monday morning, Mumbai-based actresses Neelakshi Singh, Anaya Das and about 100-odd youth have urged Sania Mirza not to marry Shoaib Malik for blatantly lying to the media and the Indian people. The online petition and campaign on http://ghotala.wordpress.com, Facebook and the internet has garnered over 10,000 signatures in one week with about 70 per cent of the signatories claiming that they would not like Sania Mirza to represent India any more. According to Neelakshi Singh, architect of the online petition, “Sania Mirza supported Shoaib Malik knowing very well that he was lying earlier. Instead, she should have refused to comment unless the allegations were cleared.”

OPEN LETTER & ONLINE PETITION TO SANIA MIRZA FROM NEELAKSHI SINGH, ANAYA DAS & 100 OTHER YOUTH

5^th April, 2010

Dear Sania Mirza, 

We Neelakshi Singh (26)  and Anaya Das (21) of Mumbai through this open letter urge you NOT  to rush into marriage with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik unless and until all the issues surrounding the controversy around Shoaib Malik’s alleged marriage to Ayesha (as reported by the Media) are sorted out, or until Shoaib Malik has a convincing and clear explanation to the entire issue.

Dear Sania, you are a role model for thousands of young girls and youth in India. Several hundred young, budding sportspersons in India look up to you for encouragement and support. In the light of the FIR registered against Shoaib Malik by the Hyderabad police on the complaint filed by the father of Ayesha, (a woman who has openly claimed that she was married to Shoaib Malik and even got pregnant while she was with him), it is important for you to refrain from tying the knot in a hurry. While we understand that marriage is a personal issue for you, much is expected from you Sania Mirza by the youth of India. Given the fact that the aggrieved person in this matter is another young lady of almost your age from your own home town, you must make your position crystal clear on this issue.

We urge the youth of India to express their opinion by leaving their comments in the comments section. Please reply “YES” if you feel that Sania Mirza can go ahead with her marriage to Shoaib Malik or “NO” if you feel that she should wait till the issues are sorted out. Please feel free to specify why you think so.

Regards,

sd/-

Neelakshi Singh, Anaya Das & 100 other signatories

By Megha Dsouza – Futuristic Media Network 

With the fast-growing mobile phone market in India, Purple Fire Films has announced special content products for mobile phone users including films and music videos specially purposed and customized for mobile phone viewing. According to Flynn Remedios, Executive Producer for Purple Fire Films, the Mumbai-based production house has planned to produce over 50 music videos and about 10 films for the mobile market during 2010 itself. Company sources said that the films will be of 30 to 50 minute duration, while the remix and original music videos would range from 4 to 6 minutes each. “We have done extensive research on the subject. Mobile content users or viewers have an attention span of not more than 5 to 20 minutes at a stretch. Our products will keep in mind this factor,” said Remedios. 

“In addition to mobile films and music videos, we will produce music videos and films completely shot with high-end mobile phones from start to finish. The first-cut or rough edit of our first mobile remix music video starring Tamil actress Neelakshi Singh has been released on You Tube. This is just a test case and is based on remix editions of three popular Bollywood numbers. Two more such mobile music videos are in the pipeline and will be released in April 2010. The salient feature of this product is that it has been wholly shot with a high-end mobile phone,” explained Flynn Remedios. 

The company also plans to produce “A-rated” mobile music videos and films for a mature audience and the international market. Says Remedios, “If Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms known for its family soaps and saas-bahu content can start producing spicy adult fare like Love, Sex and Dhokha, Purple Fire Films sees a tremendous market for such similar content specially produced for mobile phone viewing.” 

Sources elaborated that Purple Fire Films is hedging its bets on the mobile content market and is expecting a distribution and marketing tie-up with a big Indian player in the coming weeks. “We are talking to several content providers for a distribution and marketing tie-up for our products and hope to make an announcement soon,” said Remedios, refusing to mention any numbers or names. 

The company plans to generate revenue through in-film and in-video subtle adverts and logo placements, say sources. Download costs or charges would be kept to the minimum to encourage even low ARPU users to download and use these products. 

P.S.: The first-cut or rough edit of Neelakshi Singh’s remix music video fully shot by a high end cell phone only can be found at:

http://futuristicmedianetwork.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/neelakshi-singhs-remix-music-video-shot-for-mobile-phone-viewers/

This is the first cut or rough cut of Tamil actress Neelakshi Singh’s remix music video which will be specially customised and purposed for mobile phone viewing. The .3gp and .avi files will be made available after the final edit. 

The beta web version of the remix music video directed by Flynn Remedios and produced by Purple Fire Films for free distribution can be viewed below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loGTRc64_E4]

After the turn of south actress Khushboo, it’s the turn of Mumbai girls Anaya Das and Neelakshi Singh to face the ire of the moral police down south. While shooting for a film in Cochin which involved some lesbian and kissing scenes, some locals intervened and disrupted the shoot, shouting slogans and pelting the sets with stones. While the issue probably got sorted out for the Production House, much more was in store for the artistes. 

Meanwhile, Neelakshi Singh who returned to her home town Mumbai registered a complaint with the Versova Police Station after she got a spate of threatening calls for her comments on the virginity issue and her support of Khushboo. 

According to Flynn Remedios, publicist for Red Ruby Films the shooting was disrupted for about three hours on Thursday. The production managed to convince the troublemakers and the shooting resumed after a long lunch and tea break. However, when Neelakshi Singh returned to Mumbai, she was harassed by threatening and hate calls. She initially ignored the phone calls, but when one caller threatened her and her family with dire consequences, she approached the Versova Police Station in suburban Mumbai on Sunday and registered a complaint (NC No 717 u/s 506 IPC).

On Thursday, at a press interaction, Neelakshi Singh had supported actress Khushboo saying that men should not expect their wives to be virgins in the 21^st century and if they expected their wives to stay celibate till marriage they should do the same and lead from the front. “Men should not preach to their wives about celibacy and virginity when they themselves lead colorful lives before marriage and indulge in bachelor parties which are nothing short of carnal orgies,” said Neelakshi to a cable channel in Cochin. Neelakshi’s comments were immediately reported by the local regional press and cable channels.

Mumbai girls Neelakshi Singh and Anaya Das were shooting for the film Jhansi Ki Rani – The Great Escape. The film based on the British version of the historic tale of the Jhansi Ki Rani is controversial in nature but is based on authentic records by a British historian as mentioned in his books. The film produced by the Cochin-based Red Ruby Films is being made in Tamil, but will be dubbed in about four additional languages including Hindi, Bengali and English.

After the turn of south actress Khushboo, it’s the turn of Mumbai girls Anaya Das and Neelakshi Singh to face the ire of the moral police down south. While shooting for a film in Cochin which involved some lesbian and kissing scenes, some locals intervened and disrupted the shoot, shouting slogans and pelting the sets with stones.

According to Flynn Remedios, publicist for Red Ruby Films the shooting was disrupted for about three hours on Thursday. The production managed to convince the troublemakers and the shooting resumed after a long lunch and tea break.

Earlier in the day at a press interaction, Neelakshi Singh had supported actress Khushboo saying that men should not expect their wives to be virgins in the 21^st century and if they expected their wives to stay celibate till marriage they should do the same and lead from the front. “Men should not preach to their wives about celibacy and virginity when they themselves lead colorful lives before marriage and indulge in bachelor parties which are nothing short of carnal orgies,” said Neelakshi to a cable channel in Cochin. Neelakshi’s comments were immediately reported by the local regional press and cable channels.

Mumbai girls Neelakshi Singh and Anaya Das were shooting for the film Jhansi Ki Rani – The Great Escape. The film based on the British version of the historic tale of the Jhansi Ki Rani is controversial in nature but is based on authentic records by a British historian as mentioned in his books. The film produced by the Cochin-based Red Ruby Films is being made in Tamil, but will be dubbed in about four additional languages including Hindi, Bengali and English.