Priyanka Chopra records an emotional number 'Baba' for Ventilator

Priyanka Chopra’s fans have a reason to rejoice! India's first truly global superstar has recorded a promotional track in Marathi for her debut Marathi venture ‘Ventilator’ produced by her production house, Purple Pebble Pictures, written and directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and presented by Zee Studios.

Besides singing the soul-stirring number Baba, dedicated to her late father Dr Ashok Chopra, the international icon will also feature in the promotional track which was shot in New York recently where she's currently shooting Quantico 2. Director Rajesh Mapuskar, along with the team of the family entertainer, flew to New York to shoot the video, conceptualized and directed by Ms Maheep Dhillon with an American crew.

Priyanka says, “From the minute, I heard the song ‘Baba’, I loved it. It’s so powerful and moving...capturing the relationship between a father and his son. When the music directors Rohan and Rohan suggested that I sing a female version of this, I was apprehensive and torn between my love for the song and nervousness of singing it in Marathi. But I’m so glad I did finally sing it because it was a fun, enriching, terrifying, and amazing experience for me and I can’t wait to do it all over again! I hope I’ve been able to do justice to this beautiful song… forgive me if there are any mistakes… I sang it with all my heart."

Ventilator is a fun family fiesta featuring a sterling ensemble cast including veteran Marathi film and theatre actors, and the promotional track will stay true to its theme. Rajesh strongly believes that Priyanka’s debut Marathi song, Baba will be one of the major highlights of Ventilator.

"When music composers Rohan Rohan came to me with a very simple, warm composition - Baba - I never thought it would travel across continents to get completed. It's recorded in the ultimate city of the US, New York. Thank you Priyanka for your initiative to make the Baba song sound so wonderful,” adds Rajesh Mapuskar.

Produced by Purple Pebble Pictures and presented by Zee Studios and directed by Rajesh Mapuskar, Ventilator is scheduled to release on November 4, 2016.

Indian Kabbadi Team on the sets of The Kapil Sharma Show (in pics)

First Ever Online Singing Competition In History Of India

Sakha Cultural Society, in association with Rachnashala,  has organized the first ever Online Singing Competition in the history of India from Nov 2 to Nov 18, 2016. The competition is being organized in three 3 age Categories, Cat 1 upto 14 years, Cat 2 above 14 to 60 years & Cat 3 above 60 years. The competition is in two phases & only for non-professionals.                          Speaking on the occasion Mr Amarjit Singh Kohli, Chairman of Sakha Cultural Society who is also the executive producer of forthcoming feature film “30 Minutes”said all details, rules etc about Competition are available on its website www.sakhaculturalsociety.org . He said, in the normal TV singing competitions a singer has to personally appear for preliminary competitions which are held only in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow etc & singers from smaller cities have to come to big cities for participation. Villagers can hardly participate in it. Mr Amarjit Singh Kohli said thanks to the Govt of India’s initiative of Digital India vide which high speed internet is being provided in villages, now even persons in rural areas can also participate in Online Singing Competition.  He explained that in Phase 1 singers cannot use any instrument. This makes village-singers at par with big-city singers as many villagers do not have the facility of instruments. Secondly, in TV Competitions, singers have to manage voting from audience to qualify for higher grades. But in this Online Competition a singer’s voice is evaluated on the basis of its quality and merit alone. The system itself is fool-proof and it is neither possible for singers to use pressure or influence the judges, nor it is possible for judges to give favours to singers, because the singer will never know who the judge is, and the judge will not know who the singer was.

Mr Narinder Singh, President Rachnashala said that in phase 1, singers have to sing only one song of the forthcoming Hindi feature film “30 Minutes” which is being released all over India on Friday, the 11^th Nov, 2016. The actual songs and their lyrics are available on website www.sakhaculturalsociety.org . A singer has to first simply listen to original songs & then practise it and then upload it. We will then send the song to various judges who will be eminent persons from the field of music. The judges will select only 100 singers who will qualify for phase 2. In phase 2, singers can select any song, film or non-film, folk etc in any language and also use any instrument. These will be again sent to judges & finally only 30 singers will be selected. They will be invited to sing, one by one, in our show on a TV Channel called “Live Studio” which is beginning in January, 2017. Singer’s recordings and names will be forwarded to various TV Channels, Audio Music Companies, Internet Channels and top Event Management Companies & they may get chance as playback singers if their song catches the imagination of any producer or music director.

Padmabhushan classical singer Dr Shanno Khurana felt that the concept of the Online Music Competition is so simple, fair and fool-proof that it is bound to meet unprecedented success. Ms Shikha Vohra Biswas, daughter of well-known music director Anil Biswas who is founder of cultural organisation Sangeet Smriti, wondered why this concept did not strike the minds of established film producers. Anuja Sinha, who has got a break as playback singer in this film, said that she struggled for 28 years before she got a chance in playback singing. She said Online Music Competition removes many layers between aspiring singers and music directors & it will be easier for singers to get chance in playback singing.

MAX 2 Highlights and Listings- 3rd- 15th November, 2016

THU	2016-11-03	8:00:00 PM	ELAAN-E-JUNG
FRI	2016-11-04	8:00:00 PM	DACAIT
SAT	2016-11-05	7:00:00 PM	TIRANGAA
SUN	2016-11-06	7:00:00 PM	HERO HIRALAL
MON	2016-11-07	8:00:00 PM	KAALIA
TUE	2016-11-08	8:00:00 PM	ARPAN
WED	2016-11-09	8:00:00 PM	KAHO NAA... PYAAR HAI
THU	2016-11-10	8:00:00 PM	NAAM
FRI	2016-11-11	8:00:00 PM	MUJRIM
SAT	2016-11-12	7:00:00 PM	EK DUUJE KE LIYE
SUN	2016-11-13	7:00:00 PM	SOHNI MAHIWAL
MON	2016-11-14	8:00:00 PM	RAJA KI AAYEGI BAARAAT
TUE	2016-11-15	8:00:00 PM	EK JAAN HAIN HUM

DINESH PATEL – FROM COUTURE CONFECTION, LONDON TO MASTERCHEF INDIA, SEASON 5, 2016

Dinesh Patel with an effervescence attitude of a baker and a persona of an entrepreneur, marks his journey from the patisseries of London to an internationally acclaimed culinary show ‘Masterchef India’, Season 5, 2016. Seeking inspiration from his grandmother’s cooking skills has enabled him to develop a strong zest towards cooking. At a young age of just twenty one, Dinesh has been making higher benchmarks with each dish that he makes.

Whilst studying, Dinesh opened his first business in cakes and sugar craft and found that his passion lays in patisserie. Post Dinesh’s graduation, he launched a patisserie in the British capital, London named, Couture Confection. This place is an artisanal patisserie where grand, attention grabbing, personality filled cakes and confections are a way of life. Couture Confection aims to provide products that not only look amazing but taste amazing too, specializing in Eastern fusion flavours. The patisserie has always aimed to cater specifically to its client’s needs. Into all of their creations they infuse in the memories and moments in life that their clients want their guests to feel, whether that is a chocolate bar purchased from a late night store one cold, rainy, winters night, or a dessert they tried on a remote island in some sunny location.

With dreams of bringing his London based patisserie to India soon, Dinesh stepped into one of the finest cooking reality television shows, Masterchef India – being grounded to his India roots. Aspiring chefs and food lovers from various parts of India showcase their culinary skills in front of esteemed judges to win the title of being the ultimate Masterchef of the country. Dinesh’s cooking is a reflection of himself, the way he is fused with an Indian heritage and western influence; which is the best fusion of both the worlds.

Dinesh Patel, who is excelling on the show’s current season feels incredibly privileged to return to his home country and to be a part of such a huge platform.