Mumbai, India, Dubai Parks and Resorts, the Middle East's largest integrated theme park destination, celebrates the opening of Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, following the opening of LEGOLAND® Dubai and Riverland ™ Dubai two weeks ago.

 

Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, is a first-of-its-kind theme park that showcases rides and attractions based on some of Bollywood's biggest blockbusters. The park opened with a ceremony that included various live entertainment shows performed by the talented Bollywood artists and dancers.

 

Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi, CEO of DXB Entertainments PJSC, the owner of Dubai Parks and Resorts said: "Following the successful opening and commencement of operations at LEGOLAND® Dubai and Riverland™ Dubai, we are very excited and eager to witness our guests' reactions when they experience Bollywood Parks™ Dubai. We celebrated the opening of the first Bollywood inspired theme park in the world, and we're confident that it will appeal to a large segment of fans due to its popularity in the region".

 

"We're extremely proud to see this magnificent entertainment destination revealed to the world after 3 years of hard work and perseverance. Dubai Parks and Resorts is paving the way for future entertainment destinations, and shall forever change the face of family tourism and entertainment in the region" he added.

 

Bollywood Parks™ Dubai will recreate the Bollywood experience through themed attractions and rides spread across five zones: Bollywood Boulevard, Mumbai Chowk, Rustic Ravine, Royal Plaza and Bollywood Film Studios. Visitors will experience bold action, colourful story-telling and captivating dance sequences inspired by nine popular films: Rock On!!, Don, Lagaan, Sholay, Dabangg, Mughal-e-Azam, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, RA.One and Krrish. Bollywood Parks™ Dubai's flagship offering is the 850-seater Rajmahal Theatre that will be home to a separately ticketed Broadway-style, Bollywood -themed show. During the day, the park will have up to 20 live shows across five stages: Rock On!!, Crossroads, Mumbai Express, Rangmanch and Stars on Steps.

 

The park will also offer six themed restaurants that capture India's mouth-watering culinary offerings and eight retail outlets stocking quintessential filmy fare.

 

Dubai Parks and Resorts comprises three theme parks: Bollywood Parks™ Dubai a first-of-its-kind theme park that will showcase rides and attraction based on some of Bollywood's biggest blockbusters. MOTIONGATE™ Dubai – a unique theme park showcasing some of Hollywood's most beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Studios and Lionsgate as well as the region's first LEGOLAND® Park and a LEGOLAND® Water Park. The entire destination is connected by Riverland™ Dubai – a retail and dining destination at the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts that is free for all to enjoy, and guests can stay at the Lapita™ Hotel, a Polynesian themed family hotel part of the Marriott Autograph® Collection. Expected to open in late 2019, Six Flags Dubai will be the destination's fourth theme park and the region's first Six Flags theme park.

By #AzharKhan

Karishma Kapoor Pledges For Road Safety In India

 

_~ Launches Season 3 of the USL-Diageo Road to Safety initiative _~

 

Mumbai, United Spirits Limited (USL), a Diageo Group Company, today announced the launch of Season 3 of its Road to Safety initiative with Bollywood actor - Karisma Kapoor pledging her support for the cause of road safety in India. As part of the launch was a special panel discussion on 'Road Safety: New Challenges and the Road Ahead' attended by Suhel Seth – CEO, Counselage India, Shaina NC – Spokesperson BJP, Abanti Sankaranarayanan - Chief Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer, USL, Seji Cherian - CEO, Save Life Foundation, Dr. Shankar Vishwanath - Hon'ble advisor, Mumbai Traffic Police, and Dr. Sanjay Oak – Ex Dean, KEM Hospital, sharing their insights and solutions for issues affecting road safety in India.

 

With over 1,45,000 fatalities a year, India accounts for 12.5% of global road accidents. Launched in 2014, USL-Diageo's signature intervention, 'Road to Safety' endeavours to bring a collective consciousness around responsible drinking and road safety through various touch-points of television, radio and social media , encouraging citizens, especially the Indian youth to 'Never Drink and Drive.'

 

This campaign also includes working with law enforcement agencies and government bodies to provide capacity-building training to India's traffic police officials and educating commercial drivers and university students on the perils of drunk driving.

 

Speaking about this initiative, Abanti Sankaranarayanan, Chief Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer, USL, said "At USL, we believe that alcohol, when consumed in moderation and responsibly can be part of a normal lifestyle. We also recognize that excessive and harmful consumption of alcohol can lead to problems for individuals and society. Research shows that drunk driving is a major concern in India, which led us to launch the Road To Safety initiative. In the last 3 years, through strategic partnerships with not-for-profit organisations, governments, media and civil society, this program has created significant awareness of the problem and its potential solutions. We are committed to play our role to reduce drunk driving and the harmful consumption of alcohol."

 

Supporting the initiative, Karisma Kapoor, Bollywood Celebrity said, "Road Safety is a growing concern and I believe that road safety measures need to be taken seriously. As a mother, whenever my children head out and are on the road, I'm always concerned that someone else might be careless. I strongly urge everyone to Never Drink and Drive and support the Designated Driver concept by USL-Diageo."

 

In Season 3, citizens will be encouraged to celebrate responsibly by nominating a 'Designated Driver' during social occasions and celebrations, inspiring them to play a crucial role in road safety in India.

 

Till date, the 'Road to Safety' programme has:

•          Covered 22 states and 53 cities in India

•          Trained 4000 police officials on traffic regulations, enforcement of drunken driving offences; types and correct usage of breath alcohol analysers.

•          Donated high quality breath alcohol analyzers to police departments of several states

•          Taught 6000 university students about the perils of drunk drinking and underage drinking

•          Educated 5000 drivers of commercial vehicles (school buses, auto rickshaws, trucks and buses) on the dangers of drunk driving

•          Received over 3,00,000 pledges to "Never Drink & Drive' from people from all walks of life through the social media and on-ground activations.

 

About United Spirits Limited –

United Spirits Limited (USL) is a subsidiary of Diageo plc which is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. In 2013-14, Diageo plc acquired a 54.8% shareholding in United Spirits making India one of its largest markets.

 

The organization prides itself on innovative products that have made a mark on the world stage by regularly winning accolades and awards from international juries. USL exports its products to over 37 countries across the globe.

 

Headquartered in Bengaluru, USL has a strong global footprint supported by a committed team of 5000+ employees dedicated to fulfilling the company's mission of becoming the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer goods company in India. The company has a strong distribution network and point of sale coverage and is represented in 81000 outlets across India. It has over 74 manufacturing facilities across 23 states and 3 union territories in India. 

 

By #AzharKhan

'Positive Health Heroes' shine bright at the 10^th edition of Dr Batra's™ Positive Health awards

Deepa Malik the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in Paralympic Games 2016 wins Dr Batra's™ People Choice Awards

 

Mumbai – India, The 10^th year of Bajaj V presents Dr Batra's™ Positive Health Award, held this evening at NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai, celebrated high achievers who have not only displayed outstanding courage but have positively contributed back to society. The award ceremony was attended by Bollywood diva Sonakshi Sinha who awarded these real life heroes on their achievements.

 

A befitting tribute to the 10th anniversary of Dr Batra's Positive Health Award 2016 was the announcement of 'People's Choice Awards' won by Deepa Malik, first Indian woman to win a silver medal in Paralympic Games at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the shot put category. The awardees of Dr Batra's Positive Health Award 2016, included:

·         Prerna Agarwal: a young girl who was diagnosed with glaucoma when she a 5 months old infant and lost her vision when she was just 10 months old. Today, Prerna has braved all odds and has gone on to be one of India's singing sensations.

·         Rekha Kumari:  a charismatic woman who has struck with polio at the age of 2 that made it impossible for her to walk normally. However, she did not let physical disability stop her. Today, Rekha is a key campaigner for 'World We Want' and convener of the 'National Forum of Children with Disabilities'.

·         Sai Prasad: An energetic young boy was born with an additional growth in his spinal cord. On the 13th day of his birth, the doctors conducted an operation which was successful but unfortunately resulted in him losing complete sensation in the lower half of his body. From being denied admission in schools to going on to become an MBA from Indian School of Business and working as a risk consultant in US, he has done it all. Today, Sai is India's first skydiver to have his name registered in the Limca Book of Records for being the first Indian with disability to skydive from 14,000 feet.

·         Dhaval K: A young 14 year old boy who accidently touched a high tension electrical wire and lost both his arms. This young boy did not lose hope and with the help of his mother learned to write by fixing a pen in the stub of his arm. He soon discovered his flair for painting and is now a renowned artist.

·         Mahantesh Mali infected by the deadly disease himself, Mahantesh too it on him to resolve and serve the children who were infected and affected by AIDs and HIV. Today, he runs Spandana (a network of support organisations) and a Belgaum-based hostel for children living with HIV

·         Deepa Malik – Life took a twist for Deepa Malik when a spinal tumor made walking impossible, 16 years ago. She took to sports at the age of 36 and since then there was no looking back. She has represented our country in various International Championships and is the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in Paralympic Games 2016

 

Speaking on the awards Dr Mukesh Batra, Founder, Dr Batra's™ Group of Companies said "Dr Batra's™ Positive Health Awards was instituted 10 years ago with a sole objective to salute and honour achievers who have done exceptional work in their lives leaving behind their medical condition. We wanted the awards to inspire and aspire all those who are suffering from various illnesses and motivate them to live a fruitful life. Today we are proud that these awards have inspired so many of us to overcome difficulties and move forward in life. "

 

Speaking on the awards Bollywood diva Sonakshi Sinha said, "Firstly, I want to salute these amazing individuals who have led their lives as examples for all of us to follow. I would also like to congratulate Dr Mukesh Batra and Dr Akshay Batra for establishing such a unique event that is bound to inspire and change the way one looks at life. I am truly privileged to be standing amongst the real heroes who make a difference."

 

The awards function also witnessed a spectacular live performance by Ability Unlimited, a therapeutic dance theater on Wheelchairs in India and a choir by Victoria Memorial School for the Blind.

By #AzharKhan

 

Bollywood personality, Amrita Rao, encourages 250 underprivileged children

 

Having no bounds to the enthusiasm Ms Amrita Rao said, "I am delighted to be a part of Umang. It fills my heart to see such amazing talent and enthusiasm in these kids. They are not underprivileged, they are gifted. I appreciate the spectacular work of the entire team of Khel Khel Mein for bringing such happiness through education in their lives."

Ms. Samina Khorakiwala, CEO - Khel Khel Mein, said "Khel Khel Mein aims for a child's physical, psychological and social well-being through fun and learning. It feels proud to see these children learn and spread the seven peace human values through fun and play –Gratitude, Forgiveness, Love, Humility, Giving, Patience and Truth. We will continue doing our best towards the blooming future of our society."

Khel Khel Mein – an initiative by Wockhardt Foundation is run under the aegis of Ms. Samina Khorakiwala, CEO – Khel Khel Mein.  These centres are essentially toy libraries where underprivileged children engage in edu-recreational play within a semi-structured programme based on sound values.

The teachers were recognized and awarded for several categories such as - outstanding teachers, creative teachers, pro-active teachers for their noble contribution towards development of underprivileged children through the year. The football trainer and the choreographer were also felicitated by the Chief Guests.

Khel Khel Mein today runs 26 Edu Recreational Centres and toy libraries for the underprivileged children in the slums of Mumbai (15 toy libraries), Delhi NCR (4 toy libraries) and Aurangabad (7 toy libraries)

By #AzharKhan

Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor have a blast on The Kapil Sharma Show

 

Sony Entertainment Television's The Kapil Sharma Show is known for bringing out a lot of laughter and it was as hilarious as always when the energetic Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor visited the set to promote their upcoming film. Interestingly, when Kapil quizzed the duo on their off screen chemistry, the duo's unexpected revelation had the audience in splits.

 

Vaani revealed that Ranveer used to rag her which eventually led to fight. It used to happen on a daily basis. Although, these revelations only generated a lot of laughter, Kapil too enjoyed the company of the lively onscreen couple.

 

And if this wasn't enough, when Kapil asked Vaani on how she landed in entertainment industry, Vaani admitted that she had given an audition in which she danced for continuously 3 hours.   Ranveer even went on to say that he was the first person to whom casting director Shanoo Sharma showed Vaani's first audition video and he asked Shanoo to cast Vaani as he knew she was going to be a big star one day.

 

To catch all the fun, watch The Kapil Sharma Show, Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm only on Sony Entertainment Television!

By #AzharKhan

 

 

The afternoon session at NCPA saw a staged reading of extracts, followed by a Q&A with the shortlisted writers for the Theatre Group's Sultan Padamsee Awards. Revived after a long break, the award was presented for the first time at the Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest.

 

After going through 64 entries from across the world, the first prize was a tie between authors Vineet Bhalla for 'A Farming Story' and Ramneek Singh for 'Parvati's Dark Children'. The award was presented by Theatre Director, Alyquee Padamsee. The runner up was author Faezeh Jalali for 'Shikhandi: A story of the in-betweens'. The winners were given cash prizes of Rs. 3 lakhs. Farrokh Mehta, from the panel of judges, said "Choosing the winner was quite a task for the judges!"

 

In other sessions at NCPA, noted historian John Horne, gave a straight talk to the audience about the changing face of war in the twentieth century.

Meanwhile a session was taking place titled 'Naam ke Vaaste', comprising Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha, Narendra Jadhav, poet and professor at TISS Ashwani Kumar, and Professor at JNU Nivedita Menon on the panel. Chaired by Founder Editor of The Wire, Sidharth Bhatia, he set the ball rolling by asking Dr. Jadhav about the Private Member's Bill he is planning to move in the Rajya Sabha to eliminate the use of surnames in an attempt to move towards a casteless society. While there was a vigorous discussion on whether the removal of surnames could erase caste consciousness, the panellists all concurred that the national debate that would ensue if such a bill was considered, would be extremely significant. 

 

Poet Ashwini Kumar made a plea for the democratisation and secularisation of surnames; he and Dr. Jadhav both described how poets and social reformers in the past had often dropped their surnames. Professor Menon explained the context of how surnames originally came into being.

The panel also discussed issues of identity and empowerment that goes with names and surnames, with a growing sphere of people embracing their previously lower caste names with pride, asserting that they are as good as anyone else. It was agreed by all members of the panel that a tremendous mindset shift needs to take place, but the trend towards change is definable and should be further stimulated.

 

At Prithvi Theatre, the session 'Chairman Maa' had Margaret Alva, once India's youngest Rajya Sabha MP, activist and actor Shabana Azmi, and Burmese writer Ma Thida, recount stories of women politicians in South Asia and discuss why more women are not actively encouraged in politics.

A parallel session at Prithvi Theatre traced a headmaster's story in 'Bringing up a Generation'. The panel for the session was made up of writer Devpriya Lahiri, actor Gul Panag and CEO of Fox Star Studios Vijay Singh, and chaired by Managing Director of UTI Asset Management Co. Ltd. Leo Puri. The discussion centred around Mr. Lahiri's experiences as headmaster of Lawrence School, Lovedale and the challenges he faced on a daily basis. Mr. Lahiri said that the education system in India should encourage students more to explore than to merely learn.

 

By Azhar Khan

When Law meets Sport!!

This mix of diverse talent heralds a new wave in the education space, as these new-age educators are delivering a perfect cover drive with the meticulous precision of a legal mind!

 

 An interesting development in the education space, is the coming together of two experienced and award-winning educators, who are passionate about Professional Development for teachers and Parenting Workshops. Their educational management company KA EduAssociates, endeavours to provide quality teaching-enhancement programs, which is the need of the hour. Gitika Kishanchandani and Fatima Agarkar as Co-Founders, have the biggest fans in their respective spouses, Satish Kishanchandani, Co-founder,DSK Legal and Ajit Agarkar, Ex- International Cricketer and presently a Golfer in corporate tournaments, who find themselves in a unique collaboration, as they combine their individual specializations of Law and Sport! 

by Azhar Khan

 

Film Dear Zindagi party...

Photo by: Azhar Khan 

Chinese smartphone company Vivo is set to launch its selfie-focused Vivo V5 smartphone in India. The smartphone is expected to be accompanied by its larger variant -Vivo V5 Plus - as well. The biggest highlight of the smartphones is pegged to be a 20-megapixel front camera that comes with Moonlight flash support for enhanced low-light photography.

There are no official details on pricing and availability at the moment; however leaks suggest that the Vivo V5 will be priced in the Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 range. The larger Plus variant will presumably be a little more expensive than the base variant.

Just ahead of the launch, most of the specifications of the Vivo V5 were also leaked. While there is no clarity on what the Vivo V5 Plus will bring to the table, apart from the larger form factor, the base variant is expected to feature a 5.5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) display. It will be powered by a 1.8GHz octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage while support expandable storage via microSD card (of up to 128GB).

The Vivo V5 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the company's FuntouchOS 2.0 on top. As mentioned, the biggest highlight of the Vivo V5 smartphone is said to be the 20-megapixel front-facing camera which will come with Moonlight flash. At the back, the handset is likely to pack a 13-megapixel sensor.

The V5 is expected to supports dual-SIM and come with standard connectivity options including LTE. It is likely backed by a 3000mAh non-removable battery. It is said to measure 153.8x75.5x7.5mm and weigh 154 grams. Just like most of the previous Vivo phones, the latest smartphone is also likely to offer HiFi audio output.

Photo by : Azhar Khan

Dia Mirza and Kunal Kapoor appreciate Amin Rozani Spartan Pokers Charitable work

Amin Rozani, The Managing Director of Spartan Poker, is one of the most influential and unmissable personalities of the Indian Poker industry today! It seems that this mathematical mind set Rozani as India's best Poker Consultant. His involvement in the Poker business has covered all aspects from running Poker rooms, being a part of online Poker websites, heading the biggest Poker room in the country & now making it available online too. 
"Online Poker in this country is here to stay. One can easily see the upward trajectory this industry is on since it began 5-6 years ago and I don't believe this will ever go down," said Rozani.  

This gentleman has a soft heart and believes in giving back to the society. "Many of our events prize money has been matched and donated for a good cause to the NGO's in India. We will continue to do whatever we can to make it a better place for as many souls we can possibly touch and help" Amin speaks humbly on this. 

Dia Mirza on his charitable front stated my heartfelt gratitude to each one at Spartans from Genesis to have given live to critically ill underprivileged children.

Kunal Kapoor stated It is heart warming of Spartan Poker to contribute for the betterment of unprivileged children" Said Actor Kunal Kapoor on Spartan Poker contribution to Ketto Foundation.

By : Azhar Khan  

Actor Anil Kapoor & MD Sunil Manglunia unveil the new "imarble" collection from Qutone.

Anil Kapoor commented on the demonetisation after effects and said, "There is lot of stress that people right now in India are going through but this is temporary and will iron out issues like corruption in the long term for India" but what is important is Companies like Qutone who firmly believe in "Make in India" initiative will be the ones who will actually make the difference."

Dynamic Actor Anil Kapoor unveils New Range "imarble" from Qutone 

Qutone one of the most popular brand in the tile industry, does it once again. The company launches a new range of their product "imarble"  by "Global Brand Ambassador" Actor Anil Kapoor with  Mr.Manoj Agarwal – C.M.D, Qutone and Mr. Sunil Manglunia, M.D. Qutone along with all the esteemed Directors were completely elated and proud to be unveiling this new collection  at Acetech 2016.

Qutone with its innovative designs and technology has won the award for Best Design.  The company  manufactures the product line at Asia's first of its kind, state-of-the-art plant using European technology based at Gujarat. 

Mr. Manoj Agarwal – C.M.D., Qutone expressed his exhilaration and said,  "Qutone has done us all proud not only in India but across international seas too and it is a great feeling of pride to be touching newer skies with our product offerings in the form of innovative product solutions combined with world best technology and creating masterpieces with the "Make in India" label.

Mr.Sunil Manglunia – Managing Director, Qutone added, "Qutone has attitude, style and exuberance and we found synonymous traits in the evergreen Anil Kapoor and it is very exciting moment to be unveiling "imarble" here in Mumbai.

Actor Anil Kapoor says " I am extremely happy to be associated with Qutone, I have personally visited Qutone's Delhi and Ahmedabad outfits and am overwhelmed with the products the Brand is offering."

 

The entire range of "imarble" was interestingly showcased with their USP being their size of 8 ft. (height) X 4 ft. (width).

Some of the salient feature of "imarble" are:

·      The range is easy on maintenance and hence easy to use. All products have zero resin filled patches with smooth finish.                                                    

·      The collection is very sturdy and is recommended for high traffic areas.

·      The slabs are magnificently huge in size and reduce any possibility of wastage while installation.

·      The mammoth size adds grandeur to any surface application and the extremely lightweight products make it an ideal choice for kitchen counter tops, floors, wall claddings amongst others.

·      All the slabs have water absorption of less than 0.03%, ensuring the surface remains 100% moisture free, evading the growth of bacteria & fungus.

By : Azhar Khan

VIVEK MISHRA OF BIG BOSS 7 FAME & DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD RECIPIENT FELICITATED WITH BHARAT NIRMAN AWARD
 
"I believes that an individual can make faster growth, if first he develops his own natural attributes and qualities, and then imbibes those of others which can suitably be added to his own" says Vivek Mishra Of Big Boss7 fame & Dada Saheb Phalke Award recipient who was felicitated with Bharat Nirman Award from Chief Imam of India Dr . Umer Ahmed Ilyasi
 
Recipient of Bharat Nirman Award, Vivek Mishra says "I thank Bharat Nirman Foundation for honoring me with this prestigious award. While it is most gratifying to be recognized for the efforts to help the community, quite honestly, it is the very community who deserve all the accolades for giving me a chance to contribute"

Bharat Nirman Awards is regarded as one of the most prestigious award in India for the contributions to the society in different fields. Bharat Nirman Awards was established in 1980 to honour those who have excelled in their sphere of Activities & Career and has conducted over 160th conclaves. Some of the inspiring past recipients of this prestigious award are Javed Akhtar, Shahnaz Husain, Kiran Bedi, Padma Vibhushan Birju Maharaj, Padmavibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh , Nafisa Ali, Chetan Bhagat and Geeta Chandra, to name a few.

By : Azhar Khan