Mukkti, Sahakari Bhandar & Reliance team up to pledge mukkti from plastic

With the motto to get rid of plastic use and a bid to save our environment, social activist Smita Thackeray of Mukkti Foundation inaugurated Rebot, an automated plastic recycling machine at Mukkti Foundation in Andheri West. Corporator Devendra Bala Amberkar also attended the inaugural event. With the tagline, ‘Paryavaran Bachao – Plastic Se Mukkti Pao’, Smita Thackeray averred, “the safety of the environment is the need of the hour and this is just a small step towards it. There are many more to come!”

In today’s date, approximately 72 million tonnes of hazardous waste is generated annually, requiring, at the current rate, one square kilometer additional landfill space each year to accommodate this waste. Thirty million tonnes of this waste takes hundreds of years to breakdown. Not being able to contain the said waste, we can already see that the plastics have started to enter our food chain.

To curb this damage, “an automated PET bottle recycling machine, Rebot, allows the user to insert a bottle in the bottle insertion slot, following which the machine will crush the bottle. Furthermore, the user will get an option to choose a reward coupon or to donate to the cause. The crushed plastic is then recycled by us to make by-products, thereby reducing landfill usage and increasing the recycling rate,” concluded Smita Thackeray. Previously, similar machines were inaugurated by Nita Ambani and Aaditya Thackeray.

More power to such initiatives!

Aaditya Thackeray inaugurates Hridaynath Mangeshkar and family's restaurant Sarjaa; restaurant to serve a special handcrafted menu dedicated to Lata Mangeshkar

It’s a known fact that the mellifluous Mangeshkar family is no stranger to restaurateurship! Following Sarjaa’s launch and grand success at Pune’s very own Aundh in 1996, Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar and the Mangeshkar family recently gifted Pune with yet another restaurant named Sarjaa – Restaurant and Bar in Wakad, Pune. While Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated the restaurant, the ceremonial grandeur was attended by the who’s who of the Marathi cultural universe including singers Usha Mangeshkar, Roopkumar Rathod, Sunali Rathod, Reewa Rathod and Saleel Kulkarni among other celebrities and dignitaries.

An excited Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar proudly chuckled, “Gavaiye khavaiye hote hai…,” literally paraphrasing to musicians are either gourmet chefs or they generally love to eat or feed!

Delighted by the idea, a relative avers, “Baba himself is a controlled eater but he understands peoples’ palettes. He lives to make people eat, and that makes him a great host.” Adds Hridaynath Mangeshkar, “It is an extremely exhilarating feeling to feed people food they relish. Sarjaa is all about all that savoury goodness followed by a dessert-y goodness!”

Famous for their delectable Indian, Oriental and Chinese cuisines, Sarjaa in Wakad is all set to surprise Lata didi’s fans! With a special menu dedicated to the legendary songstress, exclusive to Wakad, a special thali will be offered in vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian options.  

Sarjaa, meaning the rising sun in Marathi, christened by Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar herself, the restaurant is adorned by rare memorabilia of the Mangeshkar family for the fans to see, spicing up the décor and the lively ambience! With 440 regale dining seats unfurled over an expansive 12,000 square feet property in the prime locale of Wakad makes Sarjaa Restaurant & Bar a wholesome yet familial atmosphere. Not just that, there is also a lavish banquet space for those in need to luxe-up their celebrations.

Lyrical Czar Gulzar Launches Reewa Rathod’s First Solo Album, ‘Saaya Tere Ishq Ka’

Known for critically acclaimed hits like ‘Maula’ (One Above), featuring Gulzar in 2018 and ‘Saanwal’ with music produced by Ustad Zakir Hussain and Michael Mennart in 2019, musician-singer-pianist Reewa Rathod is back with her debut solo album titled ‘Saaya Tere Ishq Ka’. The icing on the cake is that the lyrics of the same album are written by Gulzar himself! Speaking about the same Reewa said, "Gulzar Sahab has taught me to follow my heart, to believe in myself, and with 'Saaya Tere Ishq Ka', I have learnt to overcome all my fears".

With Dhrupad exponent Late Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod as her grandfather, Roopkumar Rathod - Sunali Rathod as parents, and music director Shravan Rathod (of Nadeem-Shravan) as uncle, music flows through the Rathod family veins. Reewa Rathod started training under Miss Shanti Seldon for western classical piano at the tender age of 6 followed by training for Carnatic classical musical under the acclaimed guru TS Balamani. She has trained for Hindustani classical vocal under the duoyance of Benaras Gharana, Pandit Rajan & Sajan Mishra. She has also learned finer nuances of music under Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar and her father Roopkumar Rathod.

Proud parents Roopkumar Rathod and Sunali Rathod could not contain their excitement! “We feel blessed knowing that our little angel Reewa’s first solo album is being written by the living legend Gulzar Sahab,” the musical couple enthused, with Roopkumar Rathod adding further, "the focus and dedication that she is putting in her songs is commendable. I am very happy for what she has attained until now. This time there is a great responsibility on her shoulders as Gulzar Sahab's name is involved and I am sure she will be able to pull it off successfully."

'Saaya Tere Ishq Ka' – the title track, is mixed and mastered by American producer-engineer-mixer Brian Malouf, who has also worked with international artistes such as Michael Jackson, Queen, Madonna, Pearl Jam and Stevie Wonder. The title track is a combination of traditional jazz and modern pop wrapped in gorgeous vocals. DJ Ravin has also mixed and mastered a track in the album. Apart from Brian and DJ Ravin, acclaimed musicians like Kalyan Baruah and Dhruv Ghanekar have also contributed immensely to the production of this album.

Besides Gulzar and Reewa Rathod, proud parents Roopkumar Rathod & Sunali Rathod, Gauri Yadwadkar of Times Music, Ajay Harinath Singh of Darwin Platform, video director Madhur Shroff, musician Kalyan Baruah and filmmaker Anusha Srinivasan Iyer also graced the grand launch held at Hotel Sahara Star. “‘Saaya Tere Ishq Ka’ means the world to me as I discovered a new me in the making of the song. The music is straight from the heart, and I have tried to keep it as raw as possible. I have put every ounce of my energy into it, and there are no gimmicks. Words aren’t enough to thank Gulzar Sahab and I am highly indebted to him for believing in me. He is the backbone and the power behind this entire project,” Reewa signed off.

Sung by Reewa Rathod, set to lyrics by Gulzar, yours is to watch out for ‘Saaya Tere Ishq Ka’ releasing on Times Music.

Saroj Khan, brand ambassador - Cine Dancers Association, addresses media on Ganesh Acharya's formation of a parallel dance association

Bollywood’s oldest association for dancers the Cine Dancers Association (CDA) and the newly formed All India Film Television Events Dancers Association (AIFTEDA) have been at the loggerheads for few months now. Since senior choreographer Ganesh Acharya formed AIFTEDA in spite of CDA’s existence, both the associations have been criticising each other.

 Veteran choreographer Saroj Khan has been appointed as the brand ambassador of CDA whereas Ganesh Acharya serves as the general secretary of IFTCA (indian film and television choreographer association)and acharya is taking advantage of his post and instigating other choreographers to use AIFTEDA members not CDA.According to the senior members of CDA, Ganesh Acharya who once said that he would support CDA all his life, suddenly opened AIFTEDA.

Some dancers from CDA have also alleged that there is pressure from the rival association, and whoever are joining AIFTEDA have been asked to sign an affidavit agreeing to whatever payment given by Ganesh Acharya. Acharya can be seen explaining why this new association was needed in some videos on YouTube.

When asked about the controversy, veteran choreographer and the brand ambassador of CDA Saroj Khan said, “Ganesh Acharya and his father were also part of Cine Dancers Association then why the attempts of breaking the association are being made? It will affect the livelihood of so many workers.” When asked about the show Ganesh Acharya is planning to do with Bollywood stars and its funds to be used for AIFTEDA members’ welfare, Saroj Khan said, “I was called for an Iftca meeting after I became CDA Brand Ambassador. In the meeting I said that why the show’s money is going to your foundation and not CDA which is the oldest association of dancers?”

CDA has previously questioned how the money generated from the star-studded event will be monitored. CDA has a proper wage chart that is honoured by all producers and dancers are paid INR 4500 per shift. The CDA is fully functional, the dancers are getting paid on time and all their issues are getting addressed by CDA.

CDA Brand Ambassador Saroj Khan addressed the media along with Zahid Sheikh - President, CDA, Ravi Kanwar - General Secretary, CDA, Janet Nazareth and Varsha Kapkar, Committee Members, CDA on Ganesh Acharya's formation of a parallel dance association about the Ganesh Acharya and AIFTEDA controversy in a press conference at a suburban location.

Lalit Pandit inaugurates India Art Festival 2020

The 10th Mumbai Edition of India Art Festival (IAF) at the Nehru Centre, Worli, continues to grow in scale, bringing cutting-edge contemporary art to the metrop with over 45 art galleries and over 500 artists across countries taking part in the exhibition. With yet another successful year, the India Art Festival is presenting all forms of artistic expressions including paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, textiles, installations and offers an insight into current art trends from India and Asian countries. There are a total 150 booths, spread on the ground and second floor, Discovery of India Art Building, Nehru Centre, Worli. The inaugural ceremony of the festival was a star-studded affair, that saw celebrities of the likes of Ravi Dubey, Nandish Singh Sandhu, Preeti Jhangiani, Dilip Joshi, Lalit Pandit, Sonalika Pradhan, Ivanka Das and Abhinav Gautam among many others. Rajendra – Founder and MD of India Art Festival, played the perfect host!

Yours is to check the India Art Festival that is on till 12th January, 2020, at Nehru Centre, Worli, daily 11 am to 7:30pm.

RAVI DUBEY, NANDISH SINGH SANDHU, PREETI JHANGIANI, DILIP JOSHI, LALIT PANDIT, SONALIKA PRADHAN, IVANKA DAS, ABHINAV GAUTAM & OTHERS GRACE INDIA ART FESTIVAL 2020 INAUGURATION

The 10th Mumbai Edition of India Art Festival (IAF) at the Nehru Centre, Worli, continues to grow in scale, bringing cutting-edge contemporary art to the metrop with over 45 art galleries and over 500 artists across countries taking part in the exhibition. With yet another successful year, the India Art Festival is presenting all forms of artistic expressions including paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, textiles, installations and offers an insight into current art trends from India and Asian countries. There are a total 150 booths, spread on the ground and second floor, Discovery of India Art Building, Nehru Centre, Worli. The inaugural ceremony of the festival was a star-studded affair, that saw celebrities of the likes of Ravi Dubey, Nandish Singh Sandhu, Preeti Jhangiani, Dilip Joshi, Lalit Pandit, Sonalika Pradhan, Ivanka Das and Abhinav Gautam among many others. Rajendra – Founder and MD of India Art Festival, played the perfect host!

Yours is to check the India Art Festival that is on till 12th January, 2020, at Nehru Centre, Worli, daily 11 am to 7:30pm.

Veteran Writer Rakesh Bharti, original writer and right holder of Laxmi Agarwal’s lifestory, moves HC against 'Chhapaak' in copyright violation case

Veteran writer Rakesh Bharti has approached the Bombay High Court against Deepika Padukone-starrer "Chhapaak", claiming he originally penned an acid attack survivor's story on which the film is based.

 The petitioner, Rakesh Bharti, has sought that he should be given credit as one of the writers of the film.

 The suit filed by Bharti claimed that he had conceived an idea/script for a movie, tentatively titled 'Black Day', and got it registered with the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) in February 2015.

 Bharti said since then he has been working on the script and approaching several artists and producers, including Fox Star Studio, for narration.

 "However, the project could not commence due to unavoidable circumstances. The plaintiff had narrated the idea to Fox Star Studio, which is the production house for 'Chhapaak'," the plea said.

Bharti's advocate Ashok Saraogi said the plaintiff later came to know that an identical film is being produced by the defendants (Fox Star Studio and others) and directed by Meghna Gulzar.

 Bharti submitted complaints to the producers but did not get any reply following which he approached the high court.

 In his plea, Bharti has sought that he be given credit as one of the writers of the movie 'Chhapaak' and the film's release be stayed until due credit is given to him.

 He has also sought for an expert to be appointed to compare his script and that of 'Chhapaak'.

 Saraogi said the plea will be heard by a vacation bench of the high court on January 7.

 'Chhapaak', based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, stars Deepika Padukone and Vikrant Massey. It is slated for release on January 10, 2020.

Sudesh Bhosale Wins Big At India Voice Fest

Veteran playback singer and acclaimed voice actor Sudesh Bhosale’s contribution to the world of music is not unknown. However, few know that his mastery in voice acting has earned him accolades and appreciation from the industry.

Recently, Sudesh Bhosale was felicitated by the India Voice Fest for his exemplary contribution to the craft of voice acting. Held at Rangsharda auditorium in Bandra in its second edition, India Voice Fest  is backed by an association of all-India voice artists, dubbing artists in radio, films or TV who help those ‘behind the curtain’ per se.

“Often, some actors do not do their own dubbings. We voice the actors,” says Sudesh Bhosale, adding that “Amol Sen, Harish Bhimani were part of the jury that chose me this year for my contribution to the world of dubbing and voice artistry.”

On receiving this honour, Sudesh Bhosale shared, “It felt really good. I met senior artists as well as artists from the young generation.” With the youth present at the felicitation wanting his advice, he averred, “Don’t just stick to behind-the-curtain work. Try coming out to the front. Don’t always remain behind the camera. You will earn your name, fame as well as make more money.”

Not everyone is aware that after veteran actor Sanjeev Kumar’s sudden demise, it was Sudesh Bhosale who saved the day! He dubbed 5 films of the late actor. And that’s not all! He also dubbed Anil Kapoor’s voice in Tezaab. Apart from Sanjeev Kumar and Anil Kapoor, the versatile singer often dubs for Amitabh Bachchan in regional languages.

More power to voice artists and Sudesh Bhosale.

ET Rising Indian Anusha Srinivasan Iyer Wins Big At Perfect Achievers Award 2019

Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, a Writer-Director-Media Strategist, TEDx Speaker, Life Coach, Social Entrepreneur, Gender-Animal and Environment Activist won big at the Perfect Achievers Award of 2019, a one of a kind award function recognizing and empowering women. Held at Country Club, Andheri, the pageant where 15 finalists from all over India, was organized by Gurubhai Thakkar, Dr. Khooshi Gurubhai and Dr. Geet S Thakkar. The other winners included Aalisha Panwar, Angela Krislinzki, Aasiya Kazi, Chahatt Khanna, Mohit Malhotra, Karan Sharma, Dilip Sen, Vaishnavi Macdonald, Sonalika Pradhan, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Shrusti Maheshwari, Sonali Gupta, Sangeeta Kapur, Feroz Khan, Paras Madan, Himanshu Shukla, Jhyothi Tommaar, Bhakti Rathod, Jeet Soni, Amita Choksi, Golden Guyys Sunny Waghchoure-Sanjay Gujar, Preeti Soni, Kiran Golani of the Super Women Group and MLA Dr Bharati Lavekar.