Director Jagmohan Mundhra

Jagmohan Mundhra followed a long road in Hollywood and then to Bollywood but finally achieved his quest to make meaningful movies. Mundhra told PIO TV he likes to inspire audiences to re-evaluate society’s position on controversial subjects. Born and brought up in Calcutta, India, Jag was first inspired by the legendary director Guru Dutt. But, like an obedient Indian son first fulfilled his family’s wishes and studied business. Coming to America culminated in achieving a Ph.D in marketing, specifically films. He taught at California State University Northridge in Los Angeles and dove head on into learning filmmaking. He set up the first Indian film theater in Los Angeles, then sold it to raise money for his first film “SURAAG” with Shabana Azmi. He followed it up with “KAMLA” that got Jag Mundhra some International press. The next movie “BAWANDAR” got him international acclaim and screened at various festival including the London Film Festival. Jag’s credible film-making aroused the interest of internationally acclaimed actress Aishwarya Rai and he went on to make “PROVOKED.” PIO TV sat down with Jag Mundhra to discuss his latest film, “SHOOT ON SIGHT” with Naseeruddin Shah. Jag smiles and adds that his plan is to simply continue his prolific career as a filmmaker making thought provoking films.

Director Jagmohan Mundhra

Jagmohan Mundhra followed a long road in Hollywood and then to Bollywood but finally achieved his quest to make meaningful movies. Mundhra told PIO TV he likes to inspire audiences to re-evaluate society’s position on controversial subjects. Born and brought up in Calcutta, India, Jag was first inspired by the legendary director Guru Dutt. But, like an obedient Indian son first fulfilled his family’s wishes and studied business. Coming to America culminated in achieving a Ph.D in marketing, specifically films. He taught at California State University Northridge in Los Angeles and dove head on into learning filmmaking. He set up the first Indian film theater in Los Angeles, then sold it to raise money for his first film “SURAAG” with Shabana Azmi. He followed it up with “KAMLA” that got Jag Mundhra some International press. The next movie “BAWANDAR” got him international acclaim and screened at various festival including the London Film Festival. Jag’s credible film-making aroused the interest of internationally acclaimed actress Aishwarya Rai and he went on to make “PROVOKED.” PIO TV sat down with Jag Mundhra to discuss his latest film, “SHOOT ON SIGHT” with Naseeruddin Shah. Jag smiles and adds that his plan is to simply continue his prolific career as a filmmaker making thought provoking films.

Sexy Lass Mallika Sherawat

Something happened with our sexy lass Mallika Sherawat. If you recall, Mallika was also a member of the cast of “Aapka Surur’, the first film by Himesh Reshmia and Hansika Motwani. The days when Mallika was quite annoyed with 15-year-old Hansika who not only addressed the sex siren as ‘aunty, but also teased her making all sorts of faces. Now it wouldn’t be wrong to say that influenced by Hansika, Mallika has applied all the tricks with her co-stars in the forthcoming film ‘Man Gaye Mughal-E-Azam’. Especially, Mallika used to make faces and tease K K Menon when he would be busy with the shooting. Even the director of the film Sanjay Chhel, has accepted this fact and said that Yes, it is true that Mallika was up to such pranks on the sets. Whenever she used to come on the sets, Mallika used to bow and do salaam to all present much like Anarkali. Even Paresh Rawal used to company Mallika in teasing and annoying everyone present on the sets. So after listening all this we would just like to say Man gaye Mallika.

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Bollywood Legend Continues to Charm

The very beautiful and gorgeous Rekha stepped out on Friday night after a self-imposed hiatus from the public eye, in true divaesque style. Dressed in black, boots et al, she could very well launch a thousand ships of her own, a la Helen of Troy! As she stepped on stage to receive an award celebrating her beauty, she elicited a thunderous applause from the guests present. But naturally, she’s Rekha... the one and only. And one of the guests, excited on seeing her, said something aloud which she didn’t quite catch and she asked him to repeat what he’d said. To which he said, Good Evening and Rekha laughed throatily and said in her trademark sensuous voice, Oh I heard beautiful. You know, I am always being asked how is it that I am so beautiful. I owe it all to my Amma, my mother, and it is thanks to the genes I inherited from her, that I am beautiful if at all. But more than that, I feel that the values that she brought me up with which I follow till date are what make me truly beautiful. There, she just told everyone her best kept secret or did she? I want to be alone is essentially Hollywood’s most glamourous legend, Greta Garbo’s line, and Rekha has been adhering to that in her life too. But we wish not. She’s a Re’ of light.

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Watch Bollywood Movies Free: Kshatriya

In order to get rain for the arid region in Rajasthan, India, two royal families, from Mirtagarh and Surjangarh, have come together with their warriors, and fought with each other annually, with the winner getting the honor to sacrifice a baby buffalo. When England returned Jaswant Singh comes home with his caucasian wife, he is appalled at the slaughter and warlike conditions. But fate binds him that he is also to continue the family tradition, and as a result his wife leaves him. Years later, children from both these royal families return from England, and are friends with each other. Vinay is friendly with Vikram, and wants to wed Neelima. Will these young people succeed in stopping this bloodshed, and put an end to this rivalry, or will they also be fated to continue this deadly tradition.

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Tanisha Makes Her Debut

Bollywood actress Tanisha is making her debut in Telugu. Sources close to the unit informed us that she has signed NTR starrer Kantri. The film has Hansika Motwani as the female lead while Tanisha steps in as the second lead opposite NTR.
Earlier Jiah Khan and Riya Sen were considered for this role. Produced by Ashwini Dutt and directed by Meher Ramesh, the film has already completed 50 percent of shoot. Tanisha is Kajol's sister and is better known for her dare bare attitude. She had acted in Hindi films like Neil 'n' Nikki and also did Unnale Unnale a Tamil film which was later dubbed into Telugu as Nee Valle Nee Valle with debutant Vinay.

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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: On Demand

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas aims at culminating the success and knowledge of the overseas Indian community and integrating their experience into India's global development process. PBD celebrates and recognizes the contributions of this 35 million strong community and utilizes PBD as a means to bring the community together under an umbrella of forward thinking and discussion. For the first time this landmark event was made available via live webcast on pioTV.Com to the whole of the overseas community and is now being made available free On Demand. Click here to watch this historic event and take part in the flourishing of India.

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Dia Mirza: More Than Meets the Eye

Dia Mirza has always believed in doing more than what her profession demands and keeps abreast with political and world issues by reading extensively. Hence she is always around whenever you need a celebrity speaker to talk on issues like social or political.

There’s so much you can achieve as an actor, but there’s a lot to grow and gain as a person. So whenever Dia Mirza is not shooting, she likes to learn a skill she’s not equipped with. She recently enrolled herself in a pottery class and very soon mastered the art. Dia is currently taking cooking classes and wants to be an accomplished chef, so what if her culinary skills will only be tested by a selected few. Wonder if now on she will also be taking charge of the dinner table at Sanjay Gupta’s place besides hosting his parties for him.

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American Masala: Review

AMERICAN MASALA

By

Suvir

With Raquel Pelzel

Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers

The title “American Masala” may sound oxymoronic, for one does not associate American food with spice. But Suvir Saran, in his brilliant and inspiring book, “American Masala”, has nullified the concept that masala cannot be part of American cuisine. In his unique recipes, ranging from tingling sauces and chutneys through mouth-watering desserts, he has integrated American classics with the bouquet of flavors represented by Indian spices, providing just the ticket for some adventurous meal-times in any kitchen.

Saran, originally from Delhi, has been an American resident for almost twenty years. He is co-executive chef at the restaurant, Devi, which offers him the perfect setting for adding a new twist to familiar dishes.

“Masala” is a catch-all Indian word for spices; you could have masala ‘chai’ or tea or have masala chicken. What makes each dish unique is the combination of spices. But, beyond being spices used in cooking, masala is also, as he says, “the spice of life, the excitement and vibrancy that come from stimulating conversation and a house full of friends and family.”

Indian masalas have immigrated to other countries over time, absorbing local flavors and contributing to local foods in the process, adding yet another layer to the already rich and flamboyant taste of Indian spices. The resulting flavors are as exotic and as varied as the countless Indian dishes themselves.

Using basic ingredients that can be found in any Indian kitchen, such as cumin seed, garam masala, turmeric, mustard seeds, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, curry leaves, fenugreek, etc., Saran suggests innovative and interesting ways to enrich basic American dishes. Adding cumin, coriander and tamarind along with garam masala to a meatloaf, for instance, gives it a flavor you would never associate with a meatloaf. Or again, adding just honey, cumin seed and garam masala to chicken wings gives them a new zesty taste, truly “pack(ing) in spices, heat and sweetness.” Yet again, he transforms basic macaroni and cheese into a near gourmet dish with the addition of Dijon mustard and pepper flakes.

Joy, truly, springs from every recipe. Here is obviously someone who loves to experiment with flavor, who is not scared to venture into bold techniques when playing with spices – adding a pinch of this and a dash of that to bring out the best in any dish. He is like an artist who, working on a broad canvas, splashes color with brilliant mastery to create vivid and striking art.

Saran draws from many flavors of the world to enrich his recipes – Middle Eastern, Mexican, Italian, American and, of course, Indian. Simple touches like adding black pepper to a fruit cobbler or saffron to a leg of leg transform the essence of the dishes. Not restricting himself to any one type of food, he creates a diversity which represents the diversity one faces in any metropolitan city like New York. For food, like culture, is an ever-changing fact of life and becomes richer for easily adapting to other tastes and palates.

Even for the seasoned cook, particularly the seasoned Indian cook, there are variations offered for traditional items, such as okra used to make a salad or eggplants cooked with tamarind to create a scintillating taste with Abha aunty’s recipe for sweet-and-sour eggplant.

I enjoyed the fact that Saran provides some background on each of his 125 recipes; this little touch brings the master chef into your kitchen and you really get a sense of him being there chatting with you as you cook any one of his recipes. This book is truly an invitation to roll up your sleeves and to have a lot of fun while you cook up a storm! Truly, a must in every kitchen!

~Harshi Gill

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Miss Universe Sushmita Sen

Don’t get on the wrong side of this former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen won’t tolerate nonsense. PIO TV has learned that she quickly returned a large amount of advance when the producer changed her role in the movie. Recently, she returned the advance money or signing amount of Rupees 2.1 million to producer Vijay Galani. The reason behind it is that she was not provided the bounded script of the movie on time as promised. Not only was she outraged at the producer going back on his word, she was also shocked that the role outlined in the piece of paper was entirely different from the director's description of it earlier.

So, by returning the signing amount, she wanted to wash her hands off the movie. A month has passed since she has returned the cheque, but Vijay Galani Moviez has not yet deposited it in the bank. The story does not end there.

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Bollywood Hottie Amna Shariff opposite Aftab

Anuj Saxena's production house Maverick, which is presenting the Sushmita Sen, Fardeen Khan and Shah Rukh Khan starrer DULHA MIL GAYA, is going to launch television actress Aamna Shariff in Bollywood.
The favorite bahu of Indian Television show Kahin to Hoga, Kashish aka Aamna Shariff is making her bollywood debut this year. The film is titled ALOO CHAAT, in which Aftab Shivdasani is going to play a solo male actor opposite her. Robby Garewal, who had directed MERA PEHLA PEHLA PYAAR, is directing the film. It will go on floors in mid-February in a start-to-finish schedule. This is Maverick's first independent production.

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Hooray fo Booze!

Cobra beer founder Lord Karan Bilimoria was honored by Pravasi Bharatiya Samman during Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008. He was one of the 12 recipients of the award presented by President Pratibha Patil at the valedictory session of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008, the annual conclave of the Indian Diaspora. The award citation described Bilimoria as an active overseas Indian with ongoing links and contribution to India. Bilimoria represents the London borough of Hounslow in the British Parliament and among many other positions, serves as the Chancellor of the Thames Valley University. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008 was webcast Live and Exclusive by PIO TV for free across 97 countries for 35 million People of Indian Origin.

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Manisha Koirala's shocking comeback

Now this one would go down as one of the most shocking comebacks of not just the current year but for a much longer time period. The actress is Nepali bombshell Manisha koirala.
Imagine a top actress from the past returning to celluloid after a hiatus and let aside any hype or hoopla, there is not enough the slightest hint of awareness created amongst the audience. To top it, the film even has the actress playing the central protagonist in the title role.
Well, the film in question is Tulsi - Mathru Devo Bhava, the film is releasing this Friday on 18th January and the actress is, hold your breath, none other than Manisha Koirala.
Yes, that's right. 3 years after she was last seen as a lead actress in Mumbai Express (2005), Manisha Koirala is returning as a leading lady in Tulsi - Mathru Devo Bhava. In between she was seen as a supporting actress in films like Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story (2005), Anjaane - The Unknown (2005), Darwaza Bandh Rakho (2006) and Anwar (2007) but each of them met with a disastrous fate at the box office.
Now even Manisha returns with Tulsi - Mathru Devo Bhava this Friday, there are as good as minimal chances for the film to fare any better since as it is clearly suffering from poor marketing, patchy promotion and haphazard release. What a pity because the film has none other than Irrfan Khan as Manisha's on-screen husband.

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The secrets behind Jodhaa Akbar’s repeated delays

Ashutosh Gowarikar is known for his creative eye and dedicative mind. When it comes to his films he never compromises on quality. Was that a reason for the delay in the release of his mega budget movie Jodhaa Akbar? Let’s find out in this story. The film was supposed to release in October last year. UTV then shifted the release to January 25, 2008 to coincide with the release date of their biggest hit Rang De Basanti. Now the film is again postponed to 15, February citing Ashutosh’s back problem as the reason for the delay in the post production work, but there’s more to it. It is believed that Ashutosh Gowariker had a tough time to get a producer for this movie because of his huge 40 crore budget. Before UTV, Ashutosh approached some big production houses, but nothing materialized as none were ready to finance a whopping 40 crore film that time, especially after the debacle of Ashutosh’s last movie Swades. Eventually he decided to approach UTV. Rumour has it that initially UTV seemed to have some differences with Ashutosh as their last collaboration Swades failed at the box office. Somehow Ashutosh managed to convince them but apparently the film went over-budget. Now the big question is will the delay come in the way of the film’s success at the box office?

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Shilpa Shetty Reveals her Body

Shilpa Shetty the actress who has always been termed 'the best bod in Bollywood’ has now released a special edition of a DVD called 'Shilpa's Yoga' targeted at the European market.
Here, Shilpa reveals her fitness secrets to create a lean and toned body while retaining all the feminine curves. Shilpa is the sexiest yogi the world has ever seen. In 'Shilpa's Yoga' she demonstrates simple techniques against the stunning coastal backdrop of Kerala. She explains how to transform mind, body and soul, with unique ways to build stamina and get revitalized, while discovering inner peace.
With careful and precise instructions, the DVD demonstrates specific sequences that enhance concentration, agility and flexibility. The workout aims not only to strengthen and tone, but also to heal. 'Shilpa's Yoga' is designed to help improve posture through a series of calming poses which focus on slow movement and breathing control. It outlines various benefits of yoga, including stress and tension release, increased energy and vitality, weight loss, improved circulation and digestion, and comes with a free audio-CD of chill out ambient music to help unwind and relax after practicing the yoga techniques.

Live Webcast of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on pioTV.Com

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Pravasi Bharatya Divas Live on www.piotv.com January 8th and 9th

January 9th, 1915 marked the return of India's most renowned Pravasi (Overseas Indian), Mahatma Gandhi, to the country to then enter the struggle for Independence. In recognition of Gandhi and the immeasurable contributions since ofnearly 35 million People of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non Resident Indians (NRIs) that live overseas today, the Government of India celebrates Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD). Launched in 2003,PBD is celebrated annually to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the Indian Diaspora worldwide.

This year pioTV has been given the honor and privilege to broadcast this highly anticipated two day event live on our platform pioTV.com and IndiaTVLive.com. Watch the live coverage for free January 8th and 9th on www.piotv.com