After the security issues, IPL chief Lalit Modi along with other members of the committee had to decide on a venue, England and South Africa being the shortlisted options. The alternative host for the IPL series will be South Africa, with the tournament to begin on 17 April till 24 th May.
The matches are to be staged in the following six centres, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.
South Africa has been chosen over London due to various reasons. The inclement weather of Britain was one of the factors. The readiness of the South Africa for 2010 Football World Cup also helped them score over the Britain. The security issues and the lack of government assurance to guarantee safely due to the national elections happening at the same time made Lalit Modi reconsider the venues for the IPL match. Television timings due to the lesser difference in the time zones and the lesser cost in hosting the match made South Africa a more attractive option. The broadcasting rights are more complicated in Britain than in South Africa.
After all, TV rights, weather and cost effectiveness made South Africa a better choice. Indeed, a smart move!
Apr 10, 2009
IPL 2009 Moved to SA !!!!
May 15, 2008
Indian Premier League (IPL)
The BCCI launched the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the lines of football’s English Premier League and the National Basketball League (NBA) of the US.
The IPL is a professional Twenty20 cricket league created and promoted by the BCCI and backed by the ICC. The Twenty20 league is set to debut in April 2008, with eight teams comprising a minimum of 16 players each. The league will last for 44 days and will involve 59 matches.
The IPL works on a franchise-system based on the American style of hiring players and transfers. These franchises were put for auction, where the highest bidder won the rights to own the team, representing each city.
The auction for the same took place on January 24, 2008 and the total base price for the auction was $400 million. The auction went on to fetch $723.59 million.
The Mumbai franchise owned by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was the most expensive franchise - fetching $111.9 million closely followed by Vijay Mallya’s United Breweries which paid $111.6 million for the Bangalore franchise .
Media house Deccan Chronicle won the Hyderabad chapter of the IPL for $107 million, while India Cements’ Chennai franchise cost $91 million.
Bollywood also made its presence felt with two of its leading stars bagging the ownership of their respective teams - Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla’s Red Chillies Entertainment buying out Kolkata for $75.09, while Preity Zinta and her beau Ness Wadia bought the Mohali team for $76 million.
GMR , the infrastructure development group which who are involved in a project for revamping the Delhi airport, bagged the ownership of the Delhi team for $84 million and the Emerging Media , consisting of its CEO Fraser Castellino, Manoj Badale and Lachlan Murdoch and other investors won the rights for the Jaipur franczhise for $67 million.
The grand finale of the first Indian Premier League(IPL) between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai SuperKings turned out to be an absolute nail-biter. In a last ball humdinger finish at DY Patil Stadium, Rajasthan Royals emerged winners by overcoming tough fight by Superkings. The victory materialized on account of good team work and exceptional all round performance by Yusuf Pathan.
Batting first Chennai Superkings made a cautious start scoring at 6-7 runs per over. When it was the time to press the accelerator for Chennai, Shane Warne introduced Yusuf Pathan and he answered the captain’s call by taking 3 wickets. Later with some big shots and handy contribution from skipper Dhoni, Chennai managed to reach a competitive score of 163.
Chasing 164 to win Rajasthan didn’t got off to a good start and lost 3 wickets with less than 50 runs on board. Then, Watson and Yusuf stabilized the innings keeping the target at a striking distance. When Murali came on to bowl Yusuf tried to cut loose. He got a life initially when Suresh Raina dropped a difficult catch. Making most of his good-fortune, he struck two sixes by executing his trademark shot. Just when the victory was looking obvious for Rajasthan, Chennai striked back with 3 quick wickets, which included a brilliant direct-hit run-out of Yusuf Pathan by Suresh Raina.
Shane Warne and Sohail Tanveer kept themselves cool and dealt with the remaining runs in singles and doubles. Finally it came down to 1 run required of final ball ! Facing the decider ball, Tanveer pierced the packed infield to score the winning run. Finally, the best and consistent team won the championship.
From Chennai’s perspective, the team had put cent percent effort, ignoring a few errors in batting, bowling and fielding. They made Rajasthan to earn their victory. In the end, it was nice to see the Superkings team in a huddle and getting addressed by Dhoni. A very rare behaviour from the losing finalist.
The match was followed by presentation ceremony in which aparts from winners trophy a lot of awards were given away.Under-19 successful player: Shreevats Goswami(Royal Challengers)Orange Cap: Shaun MarshPurple Cap: Sohail TanveerFair Play Award: Chennai SuperKingsMan of the Series: Shaun Watson (for all round peformance, 472 runs, 17 wickets)
Aug 26, 2007
AAG---Ram Gopal verma or Nisha Kothari??!!
AAG---Ram Gopal verma or Nisha Kothari??!!
New Bollywood hottie Nisha Kothari is all set to win hearts with her bindas portrayal of Ghungroo in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. She speaks to NT about her character, shedding clothes and romance.After creating a sensation in Tollywood, sexy Nisha Kothari went ahead and became Ram Gopal Varma's favourite heroine, replacing the oomphy Urmila Matondkar. And now she is playing the new Basanti aka Ghungroo in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, in which macho man Ajay Devgan stars opposite her.Talking about the character of Ghungroo she says, "It's a very peppy character. She is a tapori who puffs beedi (hopelessly imitating her favourite actor Rajnikanth), drives an autorickshaw (called Laila) and looks after her parents. People are bound to compare this character with Basanti played by Hemaji in Sholay, but though both have the same flavour-- they are entirely different in attitude and have been treated differently. I am sure people will love me and my character."
Just a few flicks old, Nisha has had the opportunity to work with stars like Sushmita Sen, Ajay Devgan and Emraan Hashmi. She says, "There was a time when I would dream of working with these stars and today I am sharing the screen space with them. It is like a dream come true. The best part is that these senior actors make the newcomer feel so comfortable on the sets that you feel you have been working for ages with them."
Citing an example she says, "While shooting for this film, RGV suddenly asked me to puff beedi Rajnikanth style. Though I had practised the style quite a few times, I panicked and looked at Ajay Devgan. He realised that I was scared and quietly winked at me and smiled, which meant 'just do it'. The shot I gave then was perfect."
Ask her what all she does, when she is not working and pat comes the reply, "I either play video games, work out or catch up with my sleep. I don't party at all. I am a traditional person and like to maintain a low profile. I have a long way to go and I am concentrating only on my work."But somehow this 'traditional' talk does not gel well with the speed with which she sheds clothes on screen and does passionate scenes with co-actors like Ajay Devgan. She calmly explains, "I have a beautiful body and can carry any outfit with grace. If I reveal or do intimate scenes that's only because I am convinced the role needs it. The director has to convince me that the scene is required and I know that I look sexy and not vulgar donning a short skirt or hot pants. Had I been doing anything unethical, my parents would have objected to it, instead they are quite supportive."
Not many know that the girl loves to dance. "You just have to put on the music and I can break into a jig. I love to dance and sometimes when I am feeling low, I put on soft music and dance," says she and signs off.
Ramu's Story:
Ram Gopal Varma is livid with reports linking him with Nisha Kothari who is playing Basanti in his much talked about movie “Aag”, a remake of “Sholay”, and also featuring in his forthcoming “Darling”. He insists he hasn’t seen her in the last two months.Some reports say that Varma is so possessive about Nisha that he insists on picking her up from her home and dropping her back.“Only god and the creators of these fictional tales know when and where I’m picking up Nisha and where I am taking her. Honestly, when I get into the car I’ve no clue about my whereabouts. How will I escort anyone else when I don’t know my way around Mumbai?”
Aug 25, 2007
Movie Review :Chak De!!!
Hollywood has had its fair share of sport themed films from Escape of Victory, Chariots of Fire, A League of their own to The Longest Yard, Coach Carter and Any Given Sunday. But same was never the case in our country. Of course there was Iqbal and partly the period piece Lagaan (which cashed
Shah Rukh plays Kabir Khan, a dedicated Indian hockey player, whose one mistake of missing out on a vital penalty shot in a final world cup match against Pakistan costs him his career and his honour. He is accused of being a traitor and is forced out of the game. He emerges seven years later, asking for an opportunity to coach the Indian female hockey team, which in actuality is not a team but a group of scattered aimless girls, who are in the game just for the sake of it. Nobody is willing to give them and the team any attention. From there on begins the fight of Kabir, how he instills team spirit, dedication and love for the game in the girls and transforms them into world champions capable of performing miracles.Though its a lesser known fact that the character that SRK plays in the movie is actually influenced by a real life story of Mir Ranjan Negi who was a hockey player in the indian hockey team..though there have been changes made that were required for the film.
Shah Rukh Khan has moved away from his typical image yet again after Swades. He breathes life into the character and fits the role to a t. It's a treat to watch the Baadshah do something so drastically different, in the process successfully convincing the viewers. The perfect casting in the film is a big plus point, without which the film would have never looked real. The girls essaying the roles of hockey players from various states are ideally cast and play their parts well.Vidya Malvade is the only known face here, thanks to her modeling background and her debut film Inteha. She doesn't disappoint but there are others who get equal attention too. Especially Sagarika Ghatge who plays Preeti Sabharwal and the girls playing the political Vindya, the 'Punjabi kudi' Balbir and the pint sized Haryani tom boy (the latter two make more of an impact because of the comic scenes involved).The hockey matches have been filmed on a grand scale in Australia and look very authentic and commendable (which is not very usual in Hindi cinema).Writer Jaideep Sahni proves his mettle yet again after films like Company and Khosla Ka Ghosla. Though his story and screen play has some typical filmi moments (can't really do without in a Bollywood film) it's quite convincing. Another good thing is that the film is not too long, just about two hours or so. The dialogues are pretty good and the girls talking in their various languages and accents make the situations genuine. Music is alright and understandably so since there is not much requirement of the same here.
Chak De India is a sincere effort and it is really nice to see such well-made experimental films being tried. One hitch could be the film might not appeal to the lovers of typical Bollywood masala potboilers and can remained confined in the niche audience category, being appreciated by people who have it in them to praise such novel efforts.
Movie Review :HEYY BABY!!!
heyyy baby!!!!
When one sits on the fence and analyzes movies, passing scathing and acidic comments on all and sundry, be it films or those associated with it, the same people you'd targeted are bound to examine your film with a magnifying glass, when they get an opportunity.Sajid Khan is known for his funny-n-witty repartees and in his first major project Heyy Babyy, he not only merges funny situations and emotional moments with aplomb, but also makes a compelling, wholesome film.Being a first time director he not only had the capability of pullin the crowd with his hilarious promos but also have given the audience a respite from the filthy and double meaning poor jokes that is being thrown at them now and then.Heyy Babyy is not completely Three Men And A Baby. Sure, you draw parallels since both Three Men And A Baby and Heyy Babyy revolve around a trio of confirmed bachelors who unexpectedly discover the joys of fatherhood when a baby is left at their doorstep, but the similarities end there. In fact, the promos in this case don't open the cards completely. There's more to this film than masti-mazaak and the three men chasing girls of all shapes and sizes.
Heyy Babyy also works because the script is believable and the journey from Scene A to Z is well structured. Of course, there're minor aberrations, but the finale packs in a solid punch.Sajid Khan is a skilled storyteller. Although he's known for impromptu, funny one-liners, it's the handling of the emotional moments in the enterprise that catches you by complete surprise. Note another aspect where a director makes all the difference: Akshay, Fardeen and Ritesh have been a part of comic capers in the past, but after having watched this trio in Heyy Babyy, not once do you feel that they're repeating themselves.
Heyy Babyy promises entertainment unlimited and delivers it with aplomb. Do carry your kerchief along. It makes you laugh, it makes you moist-eyed. This Babyy rocks!Three bachelors -- Aroush [Akshay Kumar], Tanmay [Ritesh Deshmukh] and Ali [Fardeen Khan] -- are having the time of their lives in Sydney. They flirt around, sleep around and have numerous 'gorgeous' conquests to their credit.They suddenly find their dating and mating rituals irreparably destroyed when a dimpled little roommate lands up on their doorstep. Aroush, Tanmay and Ali know a thing or two about women, but when it comes to babies, they're total zeroes and this bouncing bundle of joy is anything but joyous. But then Angel works her charm and before long, the three lecherous bachelors have been transformed into loving, caring fathers.But beautiful Esha [Vidya Balan] will have none of it. She has known heart break once and will do anything to avenge that betrayal. And if it means breaking the hearts of three men who've finally discovered they possess one, then too bad!Sajid Khan wastes no time and comes to the point [the bachelors finding an abandoned baby at their doorstep] at the very start, immediately after their frivolous attitude is exposed in the title track. The sequences with the baby are entertaining, but it's the turning point -- when the baby gets critically ill and the guys realize their folly -- that's amaster stroke from the writing and execution point of view. The viewer is in for another surprise at the interval point. It takes the story to another high altogether.
The second half starts off well, but loses its shine partly as Fardeen and Ritesh go to lengths to get the baby back. The sequence in the car [Fardeen] is hilarious, but not the entire track. The sequences in Wonderland and also when Akshay and Ritesh disguise themselves as Arabs in a restaurant fall flat. Fortunately, Heyy Babyy picks up in the penultimate reels again. The last few minutes make you forget the deficiencies as it races towards a fulfilling finale.The writing [screenplay: Sajid Khan, Milap Zaveri] hits a high note in the first hour, but should've been as cohesive in the second hour as well. Yet, there are moments in this hour that you carry home. Dialogues [Milap Zaveri] are simple; they don't get flowery at any point. Cinematography [Himman Dhamija] is of superior quality. The stunning locales of Sydney look equally striking on screen.Musically [Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy], it's a hit score. A mix of peppy and melodious numbers, the ones that stand out are the title track [with an array of actresses making fleeting appearances] and 'Mast Kalandar' [SRK rocks].
Akshay is in terrific form. This role offers him ample scope to go beyond the comic roles he specializes in. Sure, he makes you laugh, but he also makes you moist-eyed when he pines for his baby. One performance that should find a prominent place in his impressive repertoire.Fardeen springs a surprise. He hasn't worked in as many comic capers, but handles his part confidently. Ritesh is dependable yet again. The youngster is so comfortable in light roles that even if he sleepwalks, he'd make you giggle. His usage of Marathi in a kiddie party will be greeted with cheers.Vidya Balan is superb. Not only does she look bewitching, but also enacts her part with amazing ease. A highly competent actress, she's got all it takes to reach the top slot. Boman Irani doesn't get much footage, but makes his presence felt in the introductory sequence mainly. The baby is simply adorable.On the whole, Heyy Babyy is an entertainer that has something for everyone. At the box-office, it has the potential to rock big time. The fantastic opening of the film has only proved sone pe suhaaga… when all is said and done you guys should grabthe tickets and catch the movie...after all its Sajid khan who will have the last laugh!!!!
Rock the Party-Bangalore
For all the people who are new to the city (Bangalore) here is a piece of information thats gonna change your otherwise Dull Weekends into Rocking Party time. This is a City to which people are attracted bcoz of its nightlife and enthusiasm of people to enjoy life KING SIZE. Even after working late hours and students who slog through the week , these places come as a Boon.
Upbeat
Dublin
Library Bar
Aug 21, 2007
Bangla Band
A Bangla band is any (modern) musical band that performs solely or mainly in the Bengali language and which uses Western principles of music. Mohiner Ghoraguli is widely credited with being the first Bangla Band, though it did not achieve wide recognition in its time. Later, as Western influences became more widespread, the Bangla band became popular with young people during the 1980s and 1990s, both in India and Bangladesh, and has since become entrenched in modern Bengali culture.Bangla bands use a wide variety of styles such as rock, pop, hard rock, heavy metal,grunge, folk, and fusion. Their music is influenced both by popular American music as well as traditional Bengali folk music(Baul).
In the late eighties or early nineties, the average Bengali youth was restless with the farcical socio - political system, the apprehensions of globalization and a sense of alienation.Every initiation, most certainly, is derived from a need - a need to improve the existing state. We were no exception !!! Circa 1990, the music scene in Bengal was a complete contrast to the present one. We had to satisfy ourselves by taking pride in the music composed much before we were born. The youth was unable to identify with the contemporary music of the time and we also experienced the same emotions.Moreover, the average Bengali was not used to the idea of Bangla rock. A very small percentage of the mass would listen to rock music which was essentially in the English language. There was also a severe lack of identification with the local music culture which was only doing English rock music. This led to a sense of dissatisfaction, leaving the youth disoriented and confused.
Some hope had to germinate...
There went the Bangla Rockbaji in full swing ... Cactus , Chandrabindoo, Bhoomi, Parashpathar, Crosswindz, Fossils...and many many more. They gave the bong youth an essense of DEEP PURPLE, PINK FLOYD, LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN in their own language.
Did we choose the time or did time choose us? - Cactus (the Bangle Band)
Popular Bangla Bands:
Mohiner Ghuraguli: "Moheener ghoragulo ghash khae Kartik'er jyotsna'r prantorey "
Established in the 1970s, it was one of the pioneers of rock music in the Bengali language, and although it failed to make much of an impact at the time, its music has since gained a wide following in modern-day West Bengal and Bangladesh.Moheener Ghoraguli (or Mohiner Ghoraguli) was formed by a group of Kolkata musicians led by Gautam Chattopadhyay towards the end of 1974. Initially, they called themselves 'Saptarshi', and after dilly-dallying with various names including 'Teerandaz', 'Nogor Shongkeerton' finally settled on the name 'Moheener Ghoraguli' proposed by Ranjon Ghoshal. The name was borrowed from a poem 'Ghora' by Jibanananda Das.
The Work:
1.Shongbigno Pakhikul O Kolkata Bishayak (1977)
2.Ajaana UDonto bostu ba Aw-Oo-Baw (1978)
3.Drishyomaan Moheener Ghoraguli (1978)
4.Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore (1995)
5.Jhora Somoyer Gaan (1996)
6.Maya (1997)
7.Khyapar Gaan (1999)
8.Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore extended CD re-release (1999)
Band members :
Original lineup:
Gautam Chattopadhyay (Manik a.k.a. Moni-da to his younger siblings) - voice, lead guitar, saxophone, lyrics
Abraham Mazumdar - piano, violin
Pradip "Bula" Chattopadhyay - bass guitar, flute
Ranjon Ghoshal - lyrics, emcee, visuals, media relations
Biswanath "Bishu" Chattopadhyay - drums, bass violin
Tapas "Bapi" Das - voice, guitar
Tapesh "Bhanu" Bandopadhyay - voice, guitar (till 1978)
Later Members:
Raja Banerjee - Guitar (1978 onwards)
In 2006, the original Moheener Ghoraguli song Prithibi ta naki was remade as Bheegi Bheegi by the music-director Pritam Chakrabarty for the Hindi film Gangster which went on to become a chartbuster. The song was sung by Bangladeshi singer James of Nagar Baul fame. Prithibi ta naki was sung by Bonnie who is a founder member of Oikyotaan, a baul fusion band based in Chennai.
Fossils:
Fossils is one of the most popular bangla bands. Fossils music is a blend of blues, hard rock and alternative music.Fossils claim to have been deeply influenced by blues, grunge, hard rock, post-punk etc[1]. This pro rock rock outfit has three albums under its belt from Asha Audio.Their singles Hasnuhana,Ekla Ghar and Bishakta Manush from their first album catapulted them into success.Their famous songs among others also include Aro Ekbar,Bicycle Chor and Acid.
The Work:
1. Fossils (2002)
2. Fossils 2 (2004)
3. Mission F (2006)
Band members :
Bubun: Drums and Percussions
Partha Bose: Lead Guitars
Rupam Islam([2]): Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Songwriter and Composer
Chandra Biswas: Bass, Backing Vocals
Deep Ghosh: Rhythm Guitars, Backing Vocals
Past members:
Alan: Lead GuitarsStephen: DrumsIndra: Keyboards
Parikshit was their previous manager. Now the band is managed by Rupam and Deep.
