Details of the Press Conference held by Shahid Rafi (Son of Late Mohammad Rafi)

26th Sept:Mumbai

Those Present at the Press Conference from Left to Right

Sameer Sidiqqui - Family Friend and a film Producer (Halla Bol)

Mr. Shahid Rafi- Son of Late Mohammad Rafi

Rashid (Family Friend)

Sujata- Biographer & Researcher

The controversial argument started with the film Maya during the recording of the song Tasveer Tere Dil Mein (1961).After a span of 6 yrs Lataji & Mohammad Rafi starting singing together in "Dil Pukaare" (Jewel thief) 1967

A day after Lata Mangeshkar's interview to this newspaper titled "I am far from perfect - I have a fierce temper" dated September 25, 2012, where the songstress recalled her fight with (late) Mohd Rafi over royalty rights and said she later got a written apology from him, Rafi's son Shahid Rafi has come out in strong protest, alleging she is lying and maligning his father's name, especially now when neither Rafi nor composer Jaikishen are alive to defend themselves.
"At a meeting attended by prominent singers and musicians, Rafi Saab stood up and said, 'Main aaj se Lata ke saath nahin gaoonga'. I retorted, 'Rafi Saab, ek minute. Aap nahin gaayenge mere saath yeh galat baat hai. Main aapke saath nahin gaoongee'. I stormed out and called my composers there and then and informed them to rope in another singer if it was a duet with Rafi Saab." Asked about their patch-up, she had said, "Composer Jaikishen took the initiative. I asked him to get a written apology from Rafi Saab. I got the letter and ended the cold war. But whenever I'd see him, the hurt would return."

Shahid Rafi, explaining their side of the story, says "The controversy went on for a while. Lataji and some other singers were looking for royalty, saying they should get a cut from the producer, director etc. My dad wasn't very keen on that. He was this humble, soft spoken, amazingly generous person. His stand was, 'Our job is to sing and we get money for that. There is no point in getting greedy'. Hence, they had a fight and he decided to stop singing any duet with her."
Questioning Lataji's claim that his dad had given her a written apology, he adds, "If that is the case, let her show the letter. My father passed away about 25 years ago, and now she is talking about this letter? People keep valuable documents for even fifty years. Why hasn't she retained the paper which would give her dignity?"

Shahid's version of the patch-up is rather different. He says after his dad stopped singing with Lataji, he continued getting offers for duets and opted to sing with another brilliant singer, Suman Kalyanpur. At this point, Lataji started feeling insecure and approached composer Jaikishan to make peace between them. "When Jaikishan approached my father and requested him to make amends with Lataji, he immediately agreed because he wasn't the kind to hold on to grudges. But there is no way he would have apologised to her because he always stood by his principles. Why didn't she bring up this issue when he was alive?" Shahid says, adding, "I don't have to give any further justification about my dad's reputation. Even today, my dad has more followers than Lataji."

Tamil actress Kausalya turns Swami Nithyananda’s disciple!

Bollywood actors Vivek Oberoi and Juhi Chawla follow him and his teachings. Tamil actress Ranjithacontinues to be his disciple. And while his detractors remain flummoxed over Swami Nithyananda’s constantly rising popularity despite controversies, the self-styled godman has a new disciple in another Tamil actress Kausalya.

Kausalya, who played lead roles in famous Kollywood films like Sollamale, Vaanathaippola and Priyamudan, and later turned into a character artist with Vijay’s movies Thirumalai and Santhosh Subramaniam, recently joined the spiritual leader’s ashram as a disciple.

Apparently, Kausalya was bothered by a severe back pain over the last couple of years. She is said to have tried various treatments, before her friend suggested she try the healing therapies at Nithyananda’s ashram.

“Swami Nithyananda is a well-known healer and an enlightened personality. His aura and knowledge is abounding. But just as controversies follow Brand Nithyananda in the media; glamour comes marching and rallying behind him,” remarked his publicist Dale Bhagwagar.

“However, inspite of the constant media speculations and controversy overdose, Swami Nithyananda remains almost unaffected and always smiling,” he pointed out and added, “Nothing is able to scar his mind or persona, and his legion of followers keeps growing.”

Sachiin Joshi celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi with gusto and grandeur!

While many in Bollywood are bhakths of Lord Ganesha, you might not be knowing that Aazaan star Sachiin Joshi is a hardcore one.

Fascinated by the forms of Ganpati Bappa since his childhood, Sachiin has been a firm believer in Ganeshji’s blessings. This year, along with his friends and family, he traveled to his hometown Pune for the immersion.

“Sachiin and his family have been celebrating the ritual of Ganesh Chaturthi since years with a lot of gusto and grandeur, and this year, it just got better” said the actor’s publicist Dale Bhagwagar. “He participated in a five-hour long super-energetic procession after the pooja and aarti,” he informed.

What’s more! The actor had specially called for Nasik dhol along with another band that took turns to perform a mix of traditional and Bollywood numbers.

This built the tempo and momentum right up to the immersion, while he and his friends danced with great frenzy. To add to this, was a dazzling display of fireworks.

Nearly 400 people gathered to join this celebration, followed by traditional dinner after the immersion.

Khana with Nana!

"When I will walk out of this room, I will worry if the jalebis in front of me will get wasted. That is the way I have been brought up. We come from a lower middle class family,where jalebis were a luxury. That is why we find joys in the simplest of things." This comes from Nana Patekar who just, minutes ago, had shared Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal moments with media.

Nana spoke of how he loved the film as "it is made from the heart and I enjoyed every moment of the shoot..:" Producer Shailendra Singh of Percept Pictures and co-actor Madhhurima shared the dais with Nana Patekar as they went back in time, talking about the making of the film and the moments that would always remain fresh in their hearts. All in all, kamaal dhamaal moments with Nana that one would always cherish and make you malamaal!

Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal releases on September 28.

DISCOVER THE LESSER KNOWN FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR WITH ANIMAL PLANET'S RENOWNED PRESENTER NIGEL MARVEN

Zoologist, wildlife adventurer, filmmaker and television presenter Nigel Marven has travelled corners of earth in search of animals, observing their behaviour in their natural habitats. This October, Animal Planet brings viewers closer to the natural world with Nigel Marven Month, a selection of wildlife programmes in which Nigel encounters some of the world’s most interesting and sometimes misunderstood creatures. Dedicating the full month to Nigel Marven, Animal Planet will bring his captivating journeys every night at 9 pm.

Come along on an adventure with Nigel Marven as he journeys into the animal kingdom to track down and interact with some of its most fascinating stars. From the slithery serpents and brazen bullsharks to ferocious fish and mischievous meerkats, Nigel gets up close and personal with these amazing animals to better understand their behaviour.

Kicking off the Nigel Marven Month line-up is spectacular series Untamed China which sees Nigel explore one of the largest and most diverse countries in the world. He unveils creatures, scenery and customs never seen on our television screens before. On this incredible journey, Nigel crosses China’s great deserts and encounters sand swimming snakes and the rare Bactrian camel. In its steamy jungles, he comes face-to-face with China’s largest lizard and the world’s biggest species of moth and in Sichuan’s Heavenly Mountains he tracks down one of China’s most captivating wild animals; the red panda and gets up close and personal with giant panda cubs at Chengdu’s world famous breeding centre.

Further, in the episodes of Jaguar Adventure, Animal Planet follows Nigel Marven to the Pantanal in Brazil, the world’s biggest wetland and home to the planet’s largest population of jaguars – the least known of the big cats. During his journey, he wrestles with caiman and anacondas, swims with capybara and giant otters, and realises his childhood dream of meeting jaguars in the wild. Comparatively little is known about the jaguar because they are notoriously difficult to film. With their brilliantly effective camouflage, they blend into the foliage.

During the month long journey, viewers can catch Anacondas with Nigel Marven, which sees the intrepid zoologist going in search of the world’s most massive snake in the jungles of South America. In Meerkats With Nigel Marven, which features never-seen-before footage on meerkat behaviour, Nigel observes these darlings of the animal kingdom for a whole year and discovers that there is a different – perhaps darker – side to these cuddly creatures. Travelling through the scenic waterways of South America, Nigel goes on a Piranha Adventure and uncovers the truth behind the infamous fish’s fearsome reputation. Finally, Nigel visits South Africa and India for Rhino Adventure to explore five species of majestic rhino which exist on the planet today.

The Nigel Marven Month programming line-up includes Nigel’s visits to India. To track down the one horned Asian rhino, Nigel travels to Kaziranga, Assam. With its armour-like hide and one horn, the Asian rhino really is a throwback to prehistoric times. Nigel also visits the Bandhavgarh Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to catch glimpses of the most majestic and charismatic of all the predators – Bengal Tiger. Bandhavgarh covers a 150 square miles and is home to highest density of tigers.

About Animal Planet
Animal Planet is the world’s only brand that immerses viewers in emotional, engaging and passionate content devoted to animals – from wildlife to pets. Animal Planet connects humans and animals with rich, deep content and offers animal lovers access to entertainment, information and enrichment via multiple platforms including television, online and merchandising extensions. Animal Planet is available to 369 million cumulative subscribers worldwide. Animal Planet launched in Asia Pacific in 1998 and is currently distributed to more than 167 million subscribers in 29 countries and territories in the region. For more information, visit Animal Planet at www.animalplanetasia.com.

For more information, please contact:

Angika Sharma Nupur Bhardwaj
Discovery Networks Asia Pacific LINOpinion –The Lintas PR Division
T: +91 9873178646 T: +91 9818166416
angika_sharma@@discovery.com nupur.bhardwaj@loweandpartners.com