THE PIANO GUYS Release THEir NEW Music VidEO “DON’T YOU WORRY CHILD (KHUSHNUMA)” FEATURING INDIAN VOCALIST SHWETA SUBRAM

Known For Their Innovative Self-Made YouTube Videos, The Piano Guys Have Amassed

Over 248 Million Views  

New album – The Piano Guys 2 – Available Now 

Utah’s favorite dads, The Piano Guys, release their latest self-made music video “Don’t You Worry Child (Khushnuma)” featuring Indian vocalist Shweta Subram.  Filmed in “Little Sahara,” a desert sand dune in central Utah known for its soft white sand and a beautiful Indian temple, this new video tells the story of two different worlds uniting through music. Check it out here: (include link) 

The Piano Guys love incorporating ethnicity into their arrangements.  It keeps their music fresh, opens their style to new influences, and shows their appreciation and respect for other cultures.   For this video, The Piano Guys chose to record “Don’t You Worry Child (Khushnuma)” in an Indian style featuring Shweta. “Her voice depicts an Indian classical vibe while still being completely accessible,” says Steven Sharpe Nelson.  Shweta was also involved in selecting Hindi lyrics from a traditional Hindi prayer for the arrangement.  The alternative title “Khushnuma” means “happiness” and “no worries.” 

In writing the music for the song, The Piano Guys studied traditional Indian instruments.  “We worked at recreating qualities of the pungi flute, the pitched tabla drum, and the sitar with steel, wood, carbon fiber, and electric cellos,” says Steven.  “We added piano licks that were inspired by both the traditional Indian scale and the Western Classical style – blending the two, as we like to do in our music. Shweta’s vocals completed the song, giving the whole arrangement an authenticity and refined beauty.”  

The Piano Guys started making music videos together for fun and their “hobby” turned into a worldwide phenomenon when their self-made YouTube videos amassed millions and millions of views (over 248 million to date). Signed to Sony Masterworks’ imprint label Portrait, The Piano Guys released their second album The Piano Guys 2 on May 7^th, 2013. 

The Piano Guys 2 features their unique take on music from Pachelbel to The Turtles to Bruno Mars. Also available is the Deluxe version which includes the CD plus the 11 corresponding music videos – available for the first time on DVD! The album is comprised of imaginative mash-ups and arrangements that made their last album so successful, plus a few original recordings including the previously unreleased song “Berlin” as well as “Waterfall,” creating an incomparable style that appeals to audiences from all walks of life and across generations. 

For more information on The Piano Guys and tour dates visit www.ThePianoGuys.com.

Asia’s first Mega Cultural Celebration “Maharashtra Tourism- Diwali at Times Square” in NY, USA

Maharashtra Tourism Aims to promote the rich heritage and culture in the US

Times Square, one of the most significant landmarks of the world, will wear the decor of Diwali as Maharashtra Tourism is going to host a mega cultural festival to attract global tourists. This is for the first time when an Asian Indian cultural show will be at display at the world’s ultimate entertainment zone, Times Square in New York city of United States of America. This would also provide an opportunity for the regional and national artists to showcase their talent at such a global platform being provided by Maharashtra Tourism.

Maharashtra Tourism is aggressively promoting the state across the globe and is planning to attract foreign tourists by way of promoting it before Diwali at Times Square on 22nd September 2013. “Maharashtra Tourism- Diwali at Times Square” event is titled by Maharashtra Tourism, organized by Event Guru, conceptualized by ASB Communications and presented by Air India.  

All communities including, Western and Asian will join this extravaganza. It will showcase the rich culture, heritage and diversity of India at the ‘Center of Universe’. Maharashtra Tourism has taken a big leap as a title sponsor with the aim to promote rich and diverse culture of Maharashtra.  More than 100,000 Asians will participate in the event from tri-state and neighbouring states.  More than 350,000 tourists flock Times Square on daily basis. It would be a major promotional campaign in September to attract foreign tourists to Maharashtra during the festival of lights as Diwali falls in November and tourists can plan their visit accordingly.

Shri Chhagan Bhujbal, Honorable Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, said that, “Maharashtra Tourism is gratified to participate in this historic occasion. Maharashtra has the kind of tourist destinations which every international tourist will fall in love with. We have pristine beaches, best of hill stations, festivals, culture and cuisine. With this event at Times Square, we will be able to gain attention of the world and surely, Maharashtra will be established in the international tourism map.”

The event will be publicized on digital, TV radio print media platforms in USA. The concert will display an orchestrated laser light show and fireworks on big screens, creating a unique visual experience. There will be a Cultural Festival with offerings of Indian food, dance performances, Diya/ Rangoli paintings, arts and crafts, fashion show, photo booths with ethnic outfits, celebrity autograph/photo booth, Dahi Handi/Mallkhamb and a lot more. The grand event will also have a performance – ‘Light Up Times Square’, a concert showcasing performances by some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. A film on Maharashtra tourist destinations by MTDC will be relayed on big screens around  Times Square. Sari draping lessons, Heena (Mehendi) designs and putting up Gudis will be additional attractions during the event.

The glamorous fashion alley of Times Square will be saffronised with the visitors wearing traditional Kolhapuri turbans and pointed moustaches which will be distributed to the audience to recreate Maharashtrian village side- effect. Bhangda, Dandiya and bollywood dances with traditional drums will mesmerize the global tourists flocking around Times Square. This gala event will give all authentic performances by the artist from remote landscape of Maharashtra’s soil.

Times Square is a major commercial intersection and a neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Times Square, also fondly referred as "The Crossroads of the World", "The Center of the Universe" and the "The Great White Way" – is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.

Erotic drama B.A.PASS gets rave reviews

 Ajay Bahl's erotic drama B.A. PASS starring Shilpa Shukla and Shadab Kamal
is continuing to impress one and all. The lucky ones who have seen the Neo
Noir film can't stop raving about it.
Says noted film director Vishal Bharadwaj, 'Well crafted..Beautifully
shot..Very brave and genuine performance by Shilpa Shukla."
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt declares, "B.A.PASS is Outstanding! Raw! Human!
Truthful! Ajay Bahl outdistances his contemporaries by miles in his debut
film."
Film critic and journalist, Subhash K Jha, says, "A stark and brutal saga
of seduction & betrayal... B.A.PASS is a rare work of cinema which explores
the dark regions of the human mind in a language that is cinematic in the
purest sense... don't miss this exceptional gripping thriller."
Renowned Bengali filmmaker Bhuddhadeb Dasgupta pronounces, "A remarkable
debut...Very good performances...Technically outstanding... A must watch
film!'
Celebrated film critic and filmmaker Khalid Mohamed states, "The most
audacious film I have seen in years, visceral, brutally real, B.A.PASS blew
me away!"
Based on Mohan Sikka's short story 'The Railway Aunty', B.A.PASS has been
screened at many prestigious film festivals including Montreal World Film
Festival, New York Indian Film Festival, ImagineIndia Spain, Jeonju- South
Korea etc. It won the best film and best actor awards at Osian Cinefan film
festival and was also voted best film by the French audience in the South
Asian Alternative Film Festival in Paris earlier this year. Till date,
B.A.PASS won four awards and five nominations.
The entire list of awards and nominations of the film are as follows:
Awards:
1) Best film in the Indian Competition at Osian's Cinefan, New Delhi
2) Best Actor at Osian's Cinefan, New Delhi
3) Audience choice award FFAST Paris
4) Best supporting actor at New Jersey South Asian Film Festival
Nominations:
1) Golden Zenith for first features world competition at Montreal world
film festival
2) Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay at New York Indian
Film Festival
B.A. PASS is all set to hit theaters on August 2nd.
To download images for press release click on following link:
http://bit.ly/13rIgwN

John Abraham gets lean for Madras Cafe.

Bollywood’s quintessential poster boy ,John Abraham, known for his ripped and chiseled body will now be seen sporting a leaner frame, to get into the skin of his character, essaying the role of special agent, against an indo-country backdrop in Viacom Motion Pictures,JA Entertainment and Rising Sun Film’s political thriller,Madras Cafe.

Since the actor had to play an intelligence officer,sporting a body which was more real and naturally lean as opposed to a bulked-up body,John adopted a special diet and fitness routine to look the part. 

Says director Shoojit Sircar, “ Yes audiences will see a leaner John Abraham since I didn’t want him to particularly stand out in a crowd , he needed to look like one of them.Hats off to his dedication since he worked really hard on his physique for the film”. 

Talking about the warm equation he shares with his film’s lead,adds the director, “John and I are good friends…We have similar vision when it comes to films and are planning a few more together – We do not interfere in each other’s space and enjoy working together”. 

Says producer and actor John Abraham, “Madras Cafe has been my dream project and we've been in discussions for years over the subject – We’ve worked extremely hard on the film and are satisfied with the outcome – What I can assure you is audiences will be talking about the film even after they've stepped out of the theater..it is a high-on-content, thought provoking film”.

Presented by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and  JA Entertainment and produced by Rising Sun Films and JA Entertainment , Madras Cafe ,directed by Shoojit Sircar is scheduled to release 23rd August 2013.

THE SMURFSTM TO DANCE TO INDIAN TUNE

Sony Music to release the official soundtrack featuring India’s viral sensation Adhi along with the popular Indian Idol Junior singers!

 Mumbai, 31^st July 2013: India has some new Men in Blue in town and they are going to be singing their way to the top of the charts! Sony Pictures’ much awaited THE SMURFS^TM 2 will have an Indian song called “Na Na Na (Nice v/s Naughty)” in keeping with the theme of the new movie. To be released by Sony Music, the song features Chennai-based viral sensation Adhi of HipHop Tamizha (pronounced “Tamila”) whose hit “Club le Mabbu le” has garnered over 2.1 million views on YouTube. Keeping in mind the Smurfs’ huge appeal with kids, Adhi will be joined by the top nine contestants of Sony Entertainment Television’s popular primetime show Indian Idol Junior.

They join an illustrious group of top international artistes. The film’s international soundtrack features Britney Spears’ hit “Ooh La La”. Other major international artists that have shown some Smurf love include Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Smurfy” (a remake of their classic “I’m Too Sexy” and LMFAO’s “I’m Vexy and I Know It” (remake of their super-hit “I’m Sexy and I Know It”).

Sony Music will make the song available across all digital platforms.

THE SMURFS^TM 2 is in cinemas on 2^nd August in 3D. It will be released in English and Hindi.

In this sequel to Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live action/animated family blockbuster comedy The Smurfs™, the evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants, and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world’s greatest sorcerer. It’s up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties Vexy and Hackus or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue? The film is directed by Raja Gosnell and produced by Jordan Kerner.  The screenplay is by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss and Jay Scherick & David Ronn and Karey Kirkpatrick with a story by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss & Jay Scherick & David Ronn, Based on the Characters and Works of Peyo.

About the Smurfs

The story of the Smurfs – a property created by Peyo – started in 1958 with the creation of comic books which were later brought to both the big and small screen. Over the years, the little blue characters haven’t just limited themselves to the page and the screen. They have inspired records and CDs that have sold millions of copies, entire collections of figurines and toys, and many more products. In all, more than 3,000 derived products have been produced and leading brands and companies have spread their messages worldwide with the help of the Smurfs. A multitude of new projects appear regularly, thus making the success of the Smurfs planetary! 

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.  

About Sony Pictures Animation

Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. The studio is following its worldwide comedy hits – the 2012 monster hit comedy Hotel Transylvania, the 2011 hybrid live action/animated blockbuster The Smurfs, and the 2009 mouth-watering Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – with The Smurfs 2 in July 2013, and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 in September 2013. Sony Pictures Animation, in conjunction with Aardman Animations, has produced two critically acclaimed feature films: the CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas; and the Academy Award® nominated stop-frame animated high-seas adventure, The Pirates! Band of Misfits. In 2007, Surf’s Up also received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The division, whose first feature film Open Season led to a very successful movie franchise, turned 10 in 2012. Sony Pictures Animation is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions.