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‘Smile Pinki’, the tale of an UP girl and her fight against the social stigma of a cleft-lip, won the Oscar award for Best Documentary (Short). Directed by Emmy-award winning Megan Mylan, the film was shot in Mirzapur and Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh, reports PTI. Elated at the victory, Mylan thanked the eight-year- old girl, who could not smile due to her cleft-lip and was teased as “othkatti’ (one with a cut lip) for letting her tell her story. “Thank you Pinki. Thank you for letting me tell your incredible story,” said Mylan while accepting the Oscar. Pinki then underwent a simple surgery with the help of social workers that almost changed her life. Mylan also thanked the NGO Smile Train, which funded the surgery and Pinki’s Los Angeles trip to attend the Oscars. Mylan also thanked Dr Subodh K Singh, who performed the surgery. ‘Smile Pinki’ edged past ‘The Final Inch’, which was also shot in India and documents the struggle of polio workers as they travel from village to village to a...

Tamizh Thaai vaazuthu the offcial prayer hymn of Tamilnadu State Government will be given an universal appeal by Oscar Winner A R Rahman said five times national winner Vairamuthu. He would be writing the lyrics, he revealed. The need for such a new hymn was felt when the duo attended a function in Malaysia organized by the Tamil residents and a different version of the hymn was played. “It is then that I felt that we should a Tamizh Thaai vaazhthu with an universal appeal for all Tamils across the globe and Rahman agreed to compose the tune, “ said Vairamuthu. The hymn is based on the orginal verses written by Sundaram Pillai. Rahman had earlier given Vande Mataram a new look. Vairamuthu said that Rahman has brought focus on Tamil filmdom by winning the Oscars. The lyricist teaming up with Rahman and Manirathinam have all been hits and also bagged the national awards.

Oscar winner A R Rahman dedicated the golden statuettes he won for his score in "Slumdog Millionaire" to Indian artistes. He humbly said that "I am a representative of these artistes" and added, "it is an award for Indian artistes and their aspirations " said the young Rahman at a press-meet held here. He also expressed the hope that Indian cinema would win more accolades at the Oscars in future. Rahman leaves Hollywood awe-struck Rahman became the first Indian to win two Oscars -- Original Score and Original Song ('Jai ho') -- for his music in the Danny Boyle-directed movie, which bagged eight honours at the 81st Academy Awards on Monday. Asked about criticism from some quarters that his musical score such as 'Jai ho' was not among his best, he said it was up to "individual sensibilities". The songs in fact "matched the Western abilities" and was even seen as the "best" in those standards, he said. Rahman shru...

After rubbing shoulders with Hollywood's bigwigs at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, the child actors of multi-Oscar winning 'Slumdog Millionaire' spent a day at Disneyland, the numero uno destination for kids across the world. Slumdog's Jamals - Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Tanay Hermant Chheda, Salims - Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail Sheik and Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwalan and Latikas - Rubiana Ali and Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar lived the dream of every child as they visited Universal Studios and Disneyland in California. Apart from getting pictures clicked with iconic Disney stars, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the children enjoyed rides and movie making action at the studios. During their four-day long stay in the US, it has been a whirlwind trip for the children, two of whom - Ali and Ismail - live in Mumbai's slums. The group is scheduled to return home today, where celebrations are being planned for the movie's Oscar wins, the NBC Universal reported. The 'Slumdog...

The US President, Barack Obama, wants to watch Slumdog Millionaire, the White House has said. "I don't know if he has seen Slumdog Millionaire. I know he wants to," White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, told reporters during the course of his daily press briefing. Slumdog Millionaire, the exhilarating rags-to-riches fairy tale set in Mumbai, swept the Oscars with eight awards including the best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, with A R Rahman becoming the only Indian to bag two Oscars for the best score and original song.

Los Angeles (Agencies): Slumdog Millionaire swept the Oscars here on Sunday as it bagged eight awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Orginal score. The Mozart of Madras, A.R. Rahman bagged two of the coveted statuettes for Original Score and Best Song for Jai Ho, penned by Gulzar. Slumdog... also won best adapted screenplay, best cinematography, best sound mixing and best film editing awards. India's Resul Pokutty, who won the best sound mixing Oscar for Slumdog... along with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke, dedicated the award for the country. Rahman dedicates Oscars to god, mother Ella pughalum iraivanuke (All glory and fame is to god)" was how music maestro A.R. Rahman reacted to his double-Oscar feat. Besides god, the 'Mozart of Madras' also dedicated his Oscars to his "loving" mother Kareema Begum, who was seated among the audience at the Kodak Theatre. Rahman has always dedicated his awards to them. "I always had a choice between love an...

Raj TV Channel the second largest Tamil satellite television company - is foraying into the Kannada language now. The company enters market with music and a news channel. “The Kannada music channel will go on air next month while the Kannada news channel will be launched only in April,” channel’s director M. Ravindran said. The channel will go in for the launch of Malayalam and Telugu. The company has been postponing the decision of launching its Telugu channel and suddenly it had decided to launch Kannada channel first. It will also be the third Kannada music channel after SS Music and U2 from the Sun TV Network. Last year, the company had announced a Rs.4-crore investment for the four music channels, with an expected revenue of Rs.5 million per month from its advertisement He also said Raj TV’s Telugu entertainment channel, Vissa, will be re-launched with new programmes and game shows. Though the Tamil satellite channel market is buzzing with the launch of two comedy channels (Adith...

'Slumdog Millionaire' star Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail arrives at the international airport terminal in Mumbai on Friday on their way to the Oscars. Ismail played young Salim, the brother of the main character Jamal, in the Oscar-nominated film. The child stars of the film will take their first airplane trip when they attend the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday. ( Courtesy: AP )

Superstar's super duper hit movie 'Baasha', which has become a phenomenon on its own right, is all set to be re-released soon. Directed by Suresh Krishna, the movie featuring Rajnikanth, Nagma, Raghuvaran and Janakaraj was one of the movies which made Rajini the most powerful star of South India. The blockbuster movie will storm the theaters on February 27 and will be distributed by OK Films. It may be recalled that Rajini's film is being re-released after a long gap. The advent of satellite channels has almost ruined the culture of re-release, which was once a craze among audience. The movies of yersteryears' heroes like MGR and Svaji were received with much eager when they were released for the second or third time. Let us see if Baasha could recreate the same magic it created during its release in the nineties and who can forget the silver jubilee function.

" I am not a competent person to indulge in politics" said Kamal Hassan to a group of journalists and added " Karunanidhi, MGR and Jayalalithaa were joined in politics after they had a training and experience in their political areana". Kamal Hassan is all set to play Naseeruddin Shah's role in 'A Wednesday' which will be remade in Tamil and Telugu. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal will enact Anupam Kher's character in the bilingual film. Both the versions will be produced by Kamal himself and would be directed by Chakri, a US-based filmmaker and a good friend of the actor. The actor was at the FICCI Frames convention to speak on 'Focus South'. He said he and Mohanlal wanted to work with each other for a long time. Kamal said there was nothing wrong in remaking a good idea. "I had remade Govind Nihalani's 'Drohakaal' in Tamil a few years ago," he said adding the film will go on floors very soon. Kamal said he had liked '...

Production : Image Creations Story, screenplay and direction : Susindhran Camera : J Lakshman Music : V Selvaganesh Dialogues : Bhaskar Sakthi Editing: Mu Kasi Viswanathan Art : G C Anandan P R O : Nikkil Cast : Vishnu, Vairavan, Nithin, Sundar, Appu Kutti, Suri, Pandi, Kishore, Saranya Mohan, Janaki and others Vennilla Kabbadi Kuzhu has been engraved around Kabadi, a gallant sport in rural Tamilnadu. Mari ( Vishnu), Ayyappan ( Vairavan), Sekar (Nithin), Murthy (Sundar), Appu Kutty, Subramani ( Suryi) and Pandi are the seven youths who belong to a Kabadi team. But they are always the losers. The story is set in a village near Pazhani. It revolves around a group of seven rustic youths, passionate about the game of 'Kabadi. During the temple festival the neighboring village team is invited for a match. But the match ends up in a feud.This team earns the wrath of the villagers. This team goes to ...

Production: Vasan Visual Ventures Story, screenplay and direction: Bala Music: Ilayaraja Camera: Arthur A Wilson Dialogues: Jayamohan Art: P Krishnamurthy Lyrics: Vaali, Ilayaraja Editing: Suresh Urs Stunts: Super Subbarayan PRO: Nikil Cast: Arya, Pooja, Rajendran, Bharathi, Singam Puli, Keerthana,Alagzhan Tamil Mani, Kovai Krishnamurthy and others Alazgan Tamil Mani goes with his daughter Bharathi in search of his son in Kasi whom he had abandoned fourteen years back on the advice of the astrologers. There is son Arya appears as incarnation of God. Alazgan Tamil Mani begs his son's Master (Guru) to send back his son with him. The mater tells Arya that he is not bound to have any attachments with anybody and for the time being asks him to accompany his father. Arya who comes back with his father to his native place wants to be in seclusion. He even avoids speaking with his...

Ace director K.Balachander who is come to known through his stage plays, is again entering to enact stage plays.After a thirty years of gap, the KB is once again switching over to stage plays and is going to inaugurate a new play Pournami with Delhi Ganesh, Fathima Babu and Renuka. The play is likely to be inaugurated on April 18 at a grand function either at the Chennai Music Academy or in the Mylapore Fine Arts Club. It is to be remembered that Malayalam Super Star Mohanlal has been doing stage plays which bring a lot of people drawn towards watching the stage plays. When the time for electronic media preventing the general public in entering local sabhas to watch stage plays, the sudden change in the attitude of the ace director, KB to enact stage plays will revive the habit of watching the stage plays as was done some twenty years ago by the general public. A versatile scriptwriter, a prolific director and shrewd producer, Balachander has to his credit over 100 films and had shaped...

By Mrs.Karpagam Thyagarajan Sun TV Network has launched its new comedy channel ``Adithya`` from February 8th. Many wondered whether the channel would create an impact on the minds of the viewers who used to wish run after tv serials and some films which are shown in the Sun TV Channel. As expected the new channel has become a pet for many who delve into various difficult problems and pathos. With the arrival of the new comedy channel Sun TV Network that originally began as a Tamil satellite channel has now expanded with other channels in other languages including Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. The channels offered are SunTV, KTV, Sun Music, Sun News, Chutti TV, SuryaTV, GeminiTV, Teja News, Gemini News, Gemini Music, Gemini Cable Vision, UdayaTV, Udaya Movies, Udaya News, etc. The share value of the company had gone up Rs 6, or 3.71%, to end at Rs 167.55. The total volume of shares traded was 126,461 at the BSE on last Wednesday, said an official of the channel.

Soon Namitha will be seen on a reality show called Boys Vs Girls. The programme will be aired on the Vijaya TV channel. It is likely that Namitha would be appearing in the show with actor Srikanth. Namitha is one actress who has been daring enough to dabble into TV despite having a roaring career as a leading lady in films, one wonders why is willing to do TV, in the prime of her career as an actress? The apparent prime reason is that she is being paid a bomb of a price for this show and she is likely to make more money that doing a film, and the second reason is that Namitha looks at TV as a very good second career and she has plans to dabble into it full time in the following years.It is to be remembered that this actress was the highest paid Tamil television star when she was one of the judges in the dance programme Maanadu Mayiladu on Kalaignar TV. After the programme became popular she quit, because she felt that the price was not right! Now after a year, Nami baby is making a c...

(By n.thyagarajan) Chennai Super Kings, a reality show which had tie up with Star Vijay will be launched from February 21st on wards. As part of its recruitment drive of persons ages ranging from 8-12 years, the recruitment drive auditions will be taking place in Chennai, Coimbatore and Trichy. Those who win in the auditions will be considered as the Chennai Super Kings, never mind if they win even in Coimbatore and Trichy. CSK Cheerleaders, a 10 episode series, will test a number of boys and girls on their dancing skills. The teams contesting in the grand finale will get to perform to the beats of the drummer Sivamani. The show launches on February 2, airing every Friday at 10 pm. "This is the first time that a Tamil GEC has tied-up with a sporting event like the IPL. It is a great strategy to capitalize on the brand and generate viewership." says Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India. "These two shows will portray the aspirations of kids and their passion for the game. The new...