MUMBAI: South Indian televison?s popular reality show ?Idea Star Singer:Season 4?to find the most talented young singer,is celebrating the completion of 250 episodes. Popular Film star Dilip was the chief guest for the special event . Veteran Play back Singer P.Jayachandran , Asianet?s Senior Vice President(Programmes) R.Sreekandan Nair, Idea Sr.Manager Sasidharan Nair , Jury members Sarath, K.S.Chithra , M.G.Sreekumar etc were some of the special dignitaries who attended the ceremony.

P.Jayachandran was felicitated( Gurupooja) by Dilip and the contestants of Idea Star Singer:Season 4, for his outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema.

Viewers from all over the world tune in to watch the show that has seen some of the best musical talents in Kerala,wherein contestants battle it out for the top slot. Film stars , musicians and celebrities from various walks of life will appear as special guests in every episode of the show.

The 150th episode celebrations will be a m?lange of glamour, music and showmanship. The contestants showed their multi talented skills by performing dance, skits, acrobatic performances and needless to say rendered melodious , fast and peppy numbers specially for their dear viewers.

Other Cine/TV Stars such as Sarayu Mohan, Kavitha Nair, Aswathy, Binda, Archana , Mythili and other comedy artistes from TV/ Film industry , along with acrobatic magical performance by Magician Samraj also entertained the viewers.
Asianet is all set to telecast the 250th episode celebrations of ?Idea Star Singer ? Season 4 in four parts,ie.on May 6th & 7th and May 10th & May 11th 2010 at 8.30 PM IST ( 20.30 Hrs ).
 

MUMBAI: To celebrate the creativity, animation, visual effects and short films made by the next generation of creative minds and talent in India; Frameboxx, India‘s leading Animation and Visual Effects training studios today announced the second edition of FrameFlixx awards at the preview held at Pixion Preview Theater, Pali Naka, Bandra, Mumbai.

These awards aim at creating a convergence platform for the Indian animation and visual effects industry to come together under one roof and encourage students. This is a perfect platform for recognizing creative minds as these awards are absolutely unbiased and fair and are voted by spectators and the exceptional jury at the preview event itself.

The preview saw participation from animation, visual effects and short films made by the institute‘s students from all across India. Present on the occasion were Rajesh Turakhia, Managing Director, Frameboxx Animation & Visual Effects, Naveen Gupta, Executive Director & CEO, Frameboxx Animation & Visual Effects along with several industry stalwarts.

Speaking about the awards Mr Gupta said, ?The students today are the driving force of the Indian animation revolution. FrameFlixx provides a platform to the students to showcase their creativity to its best.?

The jury for the award constitutes of eminent names like Mr Sanjay Gadhvi, Director of movie ?Dhoom 1 & 2?, Mr A.K Madhavan - Crest Animations studios, Mr Arvind Kumar - AAA Digital Imaging, Mr Biju Dhanapalan - Fable Farm, Mr Biren Ghose - Paprikaas, Mr Japeth - Frameboxx, Mr Pankaj Khandpur - Tata Elxsi, Mr Nilesh Sardesai - Prana Studios, Ms Shelley - Dreamworks Animation, Ms Sesha Prasad - Rhythm and Hues, Mr Kireet Khurana - Climb Media Pvt Ltd, Mr Merzin Tavaria - Prime Focus, Mr Vaibhav Kumaresh - Vaibhav Studios, Mr Yunus Bukhari - Artery VFX, Mr. Sanjay Gadhvi and Mr Vivek Ram.

Mr Turakhia said, ?The aim of this preview is not only to promote these films, but also to give an unbiased evaluation by the animation professionals. The winners of these prestigious awards will then be felicitated in a gala ceremony later this month in Goa.?

The first FrameFlixx Awards received more than 300 entries for animation, visual effects and short films made by the students from all across India which were judged by a panel comprising of animation industry experts. Commenting on the previous success Mr Gupta added, ?The first edition of Frameflixx Awards was a resounding success and had an extensive participation from student animators, visual effects artists and film makers from across the country. FrameFlixx had been a unique initiative of Frameboxx to recognize the best creative talent in our country.?

MUMBAI: The TAM ratings for Week 18 are out and so is the verdict on which of the 3 dance reality shows launched simultaneously on Zee TV, Star Plus & Colors will captivate the audience?s attention! With a phenomenal rating of 6.7 TVR for its very first audition episode, Zee TV?s Surf Excel DID L?il Masters has left competing shows Chak Dhoom Dhoom & Zara Nachke Dikha panting for breath at 4.4 TVR and 2.4 TVR respectively. The exceptional rating of 6.7 TVR for the pilot episode of the dance reality show makes it the BIGGEST TV show opening of the year!

And the good news for Zee TV doesn?t end here. For the third consecutive week, Zee TV?s Jhansi Ki Rani reigns supreme on the weekday 8 PM slot with a consistently high rating of 4.2 TVR, towering over Colors? Balika Vadhu which stands at a dismal 3.3 TVR and Behnein on Star Plus at a measly 2.5 TVR.

Speaking on the grand opening, Mr. Nitin Vaidya, Business Head, ZEE TV & COO- ZEEL said, ?We are overwhelmed by the roaring response our viewers have given to the very first episode of DID L?il Masters. After 2 immensely successful seasons of Lux Dance India Dance, our dance platform has evolved to attain a cult following across the country. Since we were extremely confident about DID Li?l Masters and had full conviction in its format, we decided to keep out of the marketing clutter generated by the competition. Instead, we leveraged on the equity of the brand and just let our content do the talking. After all, one cannot go wrong with superlative talent hand-picked from every nook and corner of the country, judges and mentors who are adept at extracting the best from the kids and anchors who set just the right mood for the audience to relish the show.?

After clinching ?Best Entertainer of the Year, Television? award at the prestigious FICCI Frames earlier this year, ?Jhansi Ki Rani? is on a roll with a consistently upward-moving graph of viewership figures. Jhansi Ki Rani, as a show, has several factors going for it. Sharp-featured Ulka Gupta is impressive as the strong, feisty, spirited Manu who will grow up to be the one woman who epitomizes the strength of an Indian woman. Manu has fast become a role model for scores of young girls across the country, inspiring them to stand up for themselves and fight injustice. Add to that the research that has gone into recreating an era bygone, the authenticity retained by the story, the apt casting of all characters, the sheer opulence of the sets coupled with superlative production values and you have a riveting show that families across the country get instantly hooked onto!
 

MUMBAI: Catch all the action and gastronomic drama as Indian culinary experts from eminent hotels like Taj Gateway, ITC, Metropolitan and Oriental, are taken to culture rich Singapore for an enriching culinary exchange with the Lion city?s master Chefs. Don?t miss the Indian Chefs as they immerse themselves in rich Singaporean fusion cuisine, interact, exchange ideas and discover secrets about unique spices, flavours and aromas from Singapore?s culinary masters.

Tune into the appetizing episode of ?Gourmet Getaway to Singapore? exclusively on NDTV Good Times, as top Chefs from India embark on a gastronomical journey of discovery in a unique Culinary Exchange mentored by Singapore?s master Chefs! Watch popular anchor and Chef, Aditya Bal as he follows the Indian chefs on this culinary extravaganza and eats his way in an extraordinary line up of local delicacies including Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan and Eurasian cuisine.

For those who love cooking, don?t miss the recipes of exotic Singaporean dishes infused with Indian flavours like the kokam fish head curry, laksa leaf dum biryani, balachan prawn chawl and vegetable satay with coconut vermicelli prepared by the Indian chefs. Embark on an appetizing voyage to premium restaurants like True Blue, Wild Rocket and Iggys in Singapore and witness a m?lange of flavours from around the globe that truly distinguishes Singapore as the food capital of Asia!

Date: Sunday, 9th May ?10

Time: 10 PM

Repeats: Tuesday, 11th May ?10, 7 PM

Thursday, 13th May?10, 7 AM

Saturday, 15th May?10, 2:30 PM
 

MUMBAI: Weber Shandwick was today named global agency of the year - for the second year in a row - by The Holmes Report, one of the leading public relations industry newsletters. The firm will be honored on May 11th in New York City at the annual U.S. SABRE Awards, sponsored by The Holmes Report.

In bestowing this repeat honor on Weber Shandwick, The Holmes Report cited the growth of the firm‘s global clients in helping to outperform its multinational peers despite tough economic conditions, strong new business wins, a global leadership team second to none, commitment to quality and record number of award wins - making them "the world‘s most awarded agency last year."

"To receive this recognition two years in a row from The Holmes Report is testament to the strength and positive momentum of our global network," said Harris Diamond, CEO, Weber Shandwick. "Every one of our associates recognizes that without the trust and partnership of our clients this recognition would not be possible. My thanks to our talented team of professionals whose dedication, expertise, creativity and commitment to delivering world-class client service have made us number one again."

This award continues to build on Weber Shandwick‘s recent recognitions, which includes the PRWeek Global Agency Report Card gold medal, Advertising Age‘s A-List and Agency of the Decade, CR Magazine‘s Top Corporate Responsibility Advisory Firm, Large PR Agency of the Year by Bulldog Reporter, being named "International Consultancy of the Year" at both the PRWeek Awards and the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) Awards, "Agency of the Year" at the European Excellence Awards, and receiving an inaugural Cannes Lion award.
 

MUMBAI: Starting from Monday, May 3rd Amrita TV?s State Award winning news reality show Best Citizen Journalist-3 will take the field for the 3rd year in a row, to begin its vigil against crime and injustice.

Every weekday from Monday to Thursday at 11.00 pm, 16 Citizen Journalist contestants will fan out over the State in a determined bid to highlight social issues, chase after misdemeanors, nose out corruption and track down crime.

The competitors whose pre-condition to selection is that they should not have any academic credentials in journalism or experience in reporting but must possess a nose for news, have in common a steadfast resolve to reveal flagrant transgressions of justice .

The background of the participants picked from different age groups and professions present an interesting mix, from degree students wishing to bring criminals to book, advocates with the urge to defend the downtrodden and retired professionals who would like to work for the oppressed.

Mounting a ceaseless surveillance for any wrongdoing and keeping a sharp lookout for stories and scandals, the reports they file in will be assessed for its newsworthiness and social relevance by a distinguished panel consisting of Mr.Sasikumar, Chairman of Asian College of Journalism and Mr. M.G. Radhakrishnan, India Today Special Correspondent.

The initial episodes of the show will be in the nature of a ?curtain raiser? highlighting the best of the previous 2 series of Best Citizen Journalist, which pioneered the TV journalism reality show genre.

From May 3rd ,as these zealous foot soldiers of Justice charge headlong against violations of law and present exposes that rip the mask off unholy nexuses, sensational scoops of corruption in high places and exclusives on scandals and undetected crimes, Keralites will have a taste once again - of the awesome power of citizen journalism.