Meena Kumari

Meena Kumari born Mahjabeen Bano, is still considered as one of the best Indian movie actress.  She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema. During a career spanning 30 years from her childhood to her death, she starred in more than ninety films, many of which have achieved classic and cult status today. Her performances have been praised and reminisced throughout the years.Her best-known roles, were as Chhoti Bahu, in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962). Kumari is often cited by media and literary sources as "The Tragedy Queen", both for her frequent portrayal of sorrowful and dramatic roles in her films and her real-life story. As Mahjabeen embarked on her acting career at the age of 7, she was renamed Baby Meena. Farzand-e-Watan or Leatherface (1939) was her first movie, which was directed for Prakash Studios by Vijay Bhatt. She became practically the sole breadwinner of her family during the 1940s. Her early adult acting, under the name Meena Kumari, was mainly in mythological movies like Veer Ghatotkach (1949), Shri Ganesh Mahima (1950), and fantasy movies like Alladin and The Wonderful Lamp (1952). Meena Kumari gained fame with her role as a heroine in Vijay Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952). She became the first actress to win the Filmfare Best Actress Award in 1953 for this performance. Meena Kumari highly successfully played the roles of a suffering woman in Parineeta (1953), Daera (1953), Ek Hi Raasta (1956), Sharda(1957), and Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960). Though she cultivated the image of a tragedienne, she also performed commendably in a few light-hearted movies like Azaad (1955), Miss Mary (1957), Shararat (1959), and Kohinoor (1960). She was a born jewel..

We remember her still greatly..
- An article by vishAwish.com

Anand Bakshi

Anand Bakshi was a popular Indian poet and lyricist.  Anand Bakshi was born in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, in 1920. His ancestors were from Kurree, near Rawalpindi, and had origins in Kashmir. Bakshi's family migrated to India (Lucknow) on 2 October 1947, in the aftermath of the partition, when he was 27 years old. Before he established himself as a lyrics writer for Hindi film songs, he served for 2 years in the Royal Indian Navy, (Karachi) and after partition he served 6 years in the Indian Army, based at Jabalpur, with The Corps of Signals, and later with the E.M.E., Infantry.  While in the Army, The Corps of Signals, he wrote an "Aim in Life" for himself. – “Every one in this world, rich or poor should have a definite aim in life. A man without any fixed purpose in life is like a ship without rudder, at the mercy of the winds, powerless to control its course. So a person having no aim in life has nothing by which to guide his actions, or regulate his conduct.

Sad at his leaving dis world...
- An article by vishAwish.com

Utpal Dutt

Utpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre. His plays became apt vehicle of the expression for his Marxist ideologies, visible in socio-political plays like, Kallol (1965), Manusher Adhikar, Louha Manob (1964), Tiner Toloar and Maha-Bidroha. He also acted over 100 Bengaliand Hindi films in his career spanning 40 years, and remains most known for his roles in films like Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (1969),Satyajit Ray’s Agantuk (1991), Gautam Ghose’s Padma Nadir Majhi (1993) and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's breezy comedies such as Gol Maal(1980) and Rang Birangi (1983). He received National Film Award for Best Actor in 1970 and three Filmfare Best Comedian Awards. In 1990, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Theatre, awarded him its highest award the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to theatre. As a teenager in the 1940s, he developed his passion and craft in English theatre, which resulted in the establishment of 'The Shakespeareans', in 1947. Dutt was also an extremely famous comic actor in Hindi cinema, though he acted only in a handful of Hindi cinemas. He acted in the comedy movies, most notable ones being Guddi,Gol Maal, Naram Garam, Rang Birangi and Shaukeen. He received Filmfare Best Comedian Award for Golmaal, Naram Garam and Rang Birangi. In Bengali cinema, he appeared inBhuvan Shome for which he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor, Ek Adhuri Kahani and Chorus, all by Mrinal Sen; Agantuk, Jana Aranya, Joy Baba Felunath and Hirak Rajar Deshe, by Satyajit Ray; Paar and Padma Nadir Majhi, by Gautam Ghose; Bombay Talkie, The Guru, and Shakespeare Wallah, by James Ivory; Jukti Takko Aar Gappo, by Ritwik Ghatak; Guddi, [(Gol Maal)], [(Kotwal Saab)] by Hrishikesh Mukherjee; Shaukeen, "[( Priyatama)]", "[(Hamari Bahu Alka)] directed by Basu Chatterjee and Amanush & "[(Anand Ashram)], "[(Barsat Ki Ek Raat)]" by Shakti Samanta.  He balanced successful parallel careers as an extremely serious theatre playwright and director in Bengal alongside doing hilariously comic roles in Hindi cinema. He is the greatest dramatist in progressive Bengali theatre of 20th century.

We still miss him..
- An article by vishAwish.com

Chitrangada Singh

Chitrangada Singh Randhawa is best known for starring in the 2005 film, Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi. She is married to Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa. She is married to Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa.  As a girl, she was known for looking like the late actress Smita Patil.   She received training in Kathak and enjoyed acting. She began her career in Delhi as a model before making the transition to the silver screen. She also performed as lead model in the video of Hit music album by Altaf Raja "Tum To Thehre Pardesi". After completing her education, she entered modeling, where her ad credits include ICICI bank and Alukkas Jewellery, and gradually shifting to music videos, she performed inGulzar's "Sunset Point".   She took a break from acting from 2005 to 2008. In 2008, she made her comeback with the leading role opposite Sanjay Suri in the director Onir's romantic-comedy, Sorry Bhai!  In Sudhir Mishra's movie Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), Chitrangada played the role of an aspiring singer from Delhi who goes to Mumbai to get fame and money. She then starred in Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz, where she played the role of an economics teacher opposite Akshay Kumar.Chitrangada is brand ambassador for Airtel, Parachute,Puma, Borges Olive Oil, Garnier, Aliva Crackers, Taj Mahal Tea and Joyalukkas Jewellers.

We wish her a very happy birthday..!!

Ram Charan Teja

Ram Charan Teja is an Indian film actor from Telugu Cinema. Born to Telugu actorChiranjeevi, he made his debut as lead actor with the film Chirutha in 2007. He currently serves on the board of directors for MAA TV. He was the brand ambassador for Pepsi and Airtel in Andhra Pradesh for sometime. Now he is the brand ambassador for Tata DoCoMo for Andhra region. He did his schooling in Chennai and Ooty and in Hyderabad Public School in Andhra Pradesh. Teja is engaged to his long time girlfriend, Upasna Kamineni. She is the vice-president of Apollo Charity and chief editor of B Positive magazine. The event took place in Hyderabad on December 1, 2011. Teja made his film debut in 2007 with Chirutha, which was directed by Puri Jagannadh. His performance received Filmfare Best Male Debut (South) and Nandi Special Jury Award for the role. His second film was S. S. Rajamouli's Magadheera (2009), The film received 6 South Indian Filmfare awards including the Filmfare Best Actor Award and Nandi Special Jury Award for Teja. After Magadheera, Charan appeared in the romantic Orange. The film was directed by Bommarillu Bhaskar and produced by Nagendra Babu. He is currently has many projects still on line like yevadu, zanjeer remake, an untitled V.V. Vinayak movie. He has achieved a lot compared to any actor in his beginning days.. We are proud to have him.. We wish him all the best for his future.. n hope he continues to bring Lawrence to the telugu industry..

A very happy birthday..!!

World Theatre Day

Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance. Elements of design and stagecraft are used to enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the experience. Modern Western theatre derives in large measure from ancient Greek drama, from which it borrows technical terminology, classification into genres, and many of its themes, stock characters, and plot elements. Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance.[28] The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action", which is derived from "to do". The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts, unlike other forms of literature, is directly influenced by this collaborative production and collective reception. Theatre Communications Group (TCG), which serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute (ITI-US), invites all theatres, individual artists, institutions and audiences to celebrate World Theatre Day on March 27, 2012. Award-winning actor, director and producer, John Malkovich, has written this year's annual International Message.

- An article by vishAwish.com

Acharya Kuber Nath Rai

Acharya Kuber Nath Rai  was a writer and scholar of Hindi Literature and Sanskrit.  He was born in Matsa village, Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh in a Brahmin of bhumihar Brahmin clan family. He got his education from Banaras Hindu University and Calcutta University.  From 1958 to 1986 he was in Nalbari College, Assam as a Lecturer in English Department. From 1986 to 1995 he was in Swami Sahajanand Saraswati PG College, Ghazipur, UP as a Principal. He got the Moorti Devi award from Bharatiya Jnanpith and many awards from UP,WB and Assam Government. Kuber Nath Rai is one of the writers who dedicated themselves entirely to the form of essay-writing.His collections of essays Gandha Madan, Priya neel-kanti, Ras Aakhetak, Vishad Yog, Nishad Bansuri, Parna mukut have enormously enriched the form of essay. A scholar of Indian culture and western literature, he was proud of Indian heritage. His love for natural beauty and Indian folk literatures and preference for agricultural society over the age of machines, his romantic outlook, aesthetic sensibility, his keen eye on contemporary reality and classical style place him very high among contemporary essayists in Hindi.

We still remember him.. n always will..

Farooq Sheikh

Farooq Sheikh an Indian actor, philanthropist and a popular television presenter is best known for his films during the 1970s and 1980s. His major contribution was in Parallel Cinema or the New Indian Cinema. He has worked with directors like Satyajit Ray, Muzaffar Ali, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Ketan Mehta.He has acted in many serials and shows on television and performed on stage in famous productions such as Tumhari Amrita (1992), alongside Shabana Azmi, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, and presented the TV show, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai (Season 1).He won the 2010 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Lahore. His family were Zamindaris, and he grew up in luxurious surroundings. He was the eldest of five children. In his early days, he was active in theatre. His first major film role was in the 1973 film Garam Hawa. He went onto act in several notable films such as Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), Noorie (1979), Chashme Buddoor (1981) and Kissi Se Na Kehna (1983). Shaikh is married to Rupa Jain, whom he courted for nine years before tying the knot. He has two daughters: Shaista , Sanaa.

We wish him a very happy birthday..!!

Emraan Hashmi 24-March

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Hashmi was born to Anwar Hashmi and Maherah Hashmi.After briefly changing his first name to Farhan , he decided to keep his original name.
Hashmi entered in Bollywood at the age of 18, as an assistant director on Raaz. Hashmi made his film debut in 2003 with the film,Footpath, which did not do well at the box office. He and co-star Mallika Sherawat shot to fame with the thriller, Murder (2004), which went on to become a super hit at the box office. In 2005, he appeared in several films such as Zeher, Aashiq Banaya Apne and Kalyug, which did moderately well at the box office. In 2006, his film, Gangster was a megahit, In 2007, Hashmi had three back to back releases;Good Boy Bad Boy, The Train and Awarapan.

In 2008, Hashmi's first release, Jannat had a 100% opening making it a critical and commercial success. His first release in 2009,Raaz – The Mystery Continues, opened well and became the first box office success of the year. His second film of the year, Tum Mile, opened to mixed reviews and was rated a box office failure. In 2010, he appeared in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, which opened to positive reviews and was declared a hit at the box office. In 2011, he starred in Mohit Suri's Murder 2, a sequel to the 2004 thriller Murder. The film opened well and was declared a blockbuster. His latest film The Dirty Picture was released on December 2, 2011.The film received positive reviews from crictics and was declared Blockbuster by Box Office India by end of its 4th week.

Hashmi is working on multiple films such as Shanghai, Jannat 2, Raaz 3 and Play. The actor is commonly called as the "Serial Kisser" in the Hindi film industry.^[

 

Shaheed Divas 23-March

ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ was an Indian freedom fighter, considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement. He is often referred to as Shaheed Bhagat Singh (the word shaheed means "martyr").
Born to a Jatt Sikh family which had earlier been involved in revolutionary activities against the British Raj in India, Singh, as a teenager, had studied European revolutionary movements and was attracted to anarchism and communism.He became involved in numerous revolutionary organizations. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) and became one of its leaders, converting it to the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). Singh gained support when he underwent a 64-day fast in jail, demanding equal rights for Indian and British political prisoners. He was hanged for shooting a police officer in response to the killing of veteran freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai. His legacy prompted youth in India to begin fighting for Indian independence and also increased the rise of socialism in India.

When one hears/reads these lines, the one name that comes to everyone’s mind is that of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. On the fateful day of March 23, 1931 Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore, with fellow revolutionaries Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Read more: http://www.unp.me/f4/tribute-to-bhagat-singh-23rd-march-1931-a-73532/#ixzz1pp1VRwkP

The Hindu New Year 23-March

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India's cultural diversities are of eccentric proportions — even when it comes to counting days. Just imagine people in different part of the country using 30 different date systems! With so many different calendars, one might land up having a couple of new year celebrations every month!

Until 1957, when the government decided to put an end to this colossal confusion, about 30 different calendars were being used for arriving at the dates of various religious festivals among Hindus, Buddhist and Jains. These calendars were mostly based on the astronomical practices of local priests and "kalnirnayaks" or calendar makers. In addition, the Muslims followed the Islamic calendar, and the Gregorian calendar was used for administrative purposes by the government.

India's National Calendar
The current national calendar of India was set up in 1957 by the Calendar Reform Committee that formalized a lunisolar calendar in which leap years coincide with those of the Gregorian calendar, and the months are named after the traditional Indian months . This reformed Indian calendar began with Saka Era, Chaitra 1, 1879, which corresponds to March 22, 1957.

Epochs and Eras
In the Indian civil calendar, the initial epoch is the Saka Era, a traditional era of Indian chronology that is said to have begun with King Salivahana's accession to the throne, and is also the reference for most astronomical works in Sanskrit literature written after 500 AD. In the Saka calendar, the year 2002 AD is 1925.

The other popular epoch is the Vikram era that is believed to have begun with the coronation of King Vikramaditya. The year 2002 AD corresponds to 2060 in this system.

However, the Hindu religious theory of eras divides time in four "yugs" or "yugas" (ages): Satya Yug, Treta Yug, Dwapar Yug and Kali Yug. We live in the Kali Yug that is believed to have begun with the death of Krishna, which corresponds to the midnight between February 17 and 18, 3102 B.C.

The Panchang
The Hindu calendar is called the "panchang" (or "panchanga" or "Panjika"). It is a vital part of the lives of Hindus, for it is indispensable in calculating the dates of festivals, and auspicious times and days for performing various rituals. The Hindu calendar was initially based on the movements of the moon and allusions to such calendars can be found in the Rig Veda, dating back to the second millennium B.C. In the first few centuries A.D., Babylonian and Greek astronomical ideas reformed the Indian calendar systems, and since then both solar and lunar movements were considered in calculating dates. However, most religious festivals and auspicious occasions are still decided on the basis of lunar movements.

The Lunar Year
According to the Hindu calendar, a lunar year consists of 12 months. A lunar month has two fortnights, and begins with the new moon called "amavasya". The lunar days are called "tithis". Each month has 30 tithis, which may vary from 20 - 27 hours. During the waxing phases, tithis are called "shukla" or the bright phase — the auspicious fortnight, beginning with the full moon night called "purnima". Tithis for the waning phases are called "krishna" or the dark phase, which is regarded as the inauspicious fortnight.

 

A.K. Gopalan 22-March

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Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan (Malayalam: ആയില്യത്ത് കുറ്റ്യാറി ഗോപാലന്‍ ‍), 1 October 1904 to March 22, 1977, popularly known as A. K. Gopalan or AKG, was an Indian communist leader and first leader of opposition of India..He was born on 1 October 1904 in Kannur District of Northern Kerala and educated in Tellichery. By the time he became a teacher, India's independence movement was becoming energized by Mahatma Gandhi. Gopalan took part in the Khilafat Movement which prompted a marked change in his outlook, transforming him into a dedicated fulltime social and political worker.

In 1927 he joined the Indian National Congress and began playing an active role in the Khadi Movement and the upliftment of Harijans. He was arrested for participating in the salt satyagraha in 1930.

While in prison he got acquainted with communism and became a member of the Congress Socialist Party and later the Communist Party of India when it finally took shape in Kerala in 1939. He led the hunger march from Malabar region to Madras in 1937 and the Malabar Jatha in support of the movement for responsible government in Travancore.

The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 prompted an upsurge in activism against British domination, and Gopalan was again arrested. But in 1942 he escaped from prison and remained at large till the end of the war in 1945. He was arrested again shortly after the end of the war and was still behind bars when India became independent on August 15, 1947. He was released a few weeks later. Thereafter he was a member of Lok Sabha for 5 consecutive terms till his death on March 22, 1977 and became the first leader of opposition in the parliament of India.

During the Sino-Indian war in 1962, AKG along with other Indian communists like E.M.S. took an impartial view and requested both nations to discuss and settle matter peacefully. The official leadership of the party at that time denounced this and supported India Government. Many leaders of the left group were arrested with the support of the leadership of the party. When the party leadership blocked the publication of an article written by then General Secretary, EMS condemning government on attacking the left leaders in the party using the cover of the war, he himself quit the post and supported the left group. AKG was part of left group and faced disciplinary action by the party leadership dominated by the right. During this time a newspaper published a letter alleged written by rightist leaders S.A Dange to the British during the freedom struggle. In this letter he promised to keep away from freedom struggle if granted bail. This was used by the left group to beat the right. When the demand of the left to set up a party level inquiry about the alleged letter of S.A Dange was rejected in the National Council of CPI the left group walked away and formed a new Party.

AKG joined the new break away faction , which later came to be known as Communist Party of India ( Marxist). He also wrote extensively. His autobiography In the Cause of the People has been translated into many languages. His other works include For Land, Around the World, Work in Parliament, and Collected Speeches, all in Malayalam.

 

Rani Mukerji 21-March

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Mukerji comes from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father, Ram Mukherjee, is a retired director and one of the founders of "Filmalaya Studios". Her mother, Krishna Mukherjee, was a playback singer. Her brother, Raj Mukherjee is a film producer, now turned director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, was a Bengali-film actress and her cousin, Kajol, is a Bollywood actress.

Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer, and began learning the dance in tenth grade. Mukerji studied at Maneckjee Cooper High School in Juhu, and later enrolled at Mithibai College in Mumbai.

While in school at the age of 14, Mukerji did a cameo role in her father's Bengali film Biyar Phool (1992). In 1994, Salim Akhtar, a family friend, offered her a film called Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1994) but her father was against it as she was too young. Mukerji turned down the offer and Urmila Matondkar was cast instead.

Two years later, Salim Akhtar came up with another offer and insisted on her playing the protagonist of Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat (1997). After a long discussion with her father, she agreed to do the film. When the film was unsuccessful at the box office, Mukerji returned to college to complete her education.

Sharman Joshi 17-March

I come from a family of Gujrati Theatre and Film personalities and started my career on stage

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and have done many professional plays. I was fortunate in the early years to have a guide, mentor, teacher and above all my guru in Mahendra Joshi who shared with me the intricacies, fundamental principles and disciplines of my craft.

My debut in films was with Vinay Shukla’s “Godmother” that released in 1999. I had been recommended by theatre stalwart Satyadev Dubey to Vinay Shukla who was looking for a young actor to play Shabana Azmi’s son Karsan.

This was followed by movies like Style, Kaha Ho Tum, Xcuse Me , Shaadi no 1, Rang De Basanti, Golmaal, Metro, Raqeeb, Dhol, , Hello, Sorry Bhai, 3 Idiots, Toh Baat Pakki and Allah Ke Bandey.

I have enjoyed being a part of all my movies and regret none. I have given a part of myself in them and I have learnt so much from each one of them.

I have also been a part of some advertising campaigns like 7 Up, Kara Skin Wipes, Airtel, Nokia, and Perk and have even hosted a TV show as well called Poker Face. Each one of my experiences and all the wonderful people that I have met I cherish.

My forthcoming movie “Ferrari Ki Sawaari” is slated for release in the summers this year and it’s been a dream working with this unit and it’s a special movie for each one of us.

As a person I love to travel, watch movies, read and play sports.
- Sharman Joshi (http://sharmanjoshi.com)

Facebook "An Addictive tool"

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Facebook has become a very famous social networking service which was launched in February
2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook Inc. As of February 2012, Facebook has more than 845 million active users. It is one of the platforms where people from different places n different interests get to interact n knw people.. It develops our social skills. The name of the service stems from the colloquial name for the book given to students at the start of the academic year by some university administrations in the United States to help students get to know each other. Facebook allows any users who declare themselves to be at least 13 years old to become registered users of the site. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes.The Web site's membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in theBoston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities before opening to high school students, and eventually to anyone aged 13 and over. Facebook can also be accessed by mobiles where an official Facebook application is available for the operating systems Android, iOS, and webOS. Nokia and Research In Motion both provide Facebook applications for their own mobile devices. More than 425 million active users access Facebook through mobile devices across 200 mobile operators in 60 countries.
Since April 2011 Facebook users have had the ability to make live voice calls via Facebook Chat, allowing users to chat with others from all over the world. This feature, which is provided free through T-Mobile's new Bobsled service, lets the user add voice to the current Facebook Chat as well as leave voice messages on Facebook. On July 6, 2011, Facebook launched its video calling services using Skype as its technology partner. It allows one to one calling using a Skype Rest API. On September 14, 2011, Facebook launched a Subscribe button. The feature allows for users to follow public updates, and these are the people most often broadcasting their ideas. There were major modifications that the site released on September 22, 2011. As reported by TechCrunch on February 15th 2012, Facebook is introducing ‘Verified Account’ concept like that of Twitter & Google+. Though as of 3rd March 2012, verified accounts don’t get any badges or denotations, but such accounts will get more priority in ‘Subscription Suggestions’ of Facebook on March 6, 2012, Facebook officially launched its Messenger for Windows.
The success of facebook has been a really great achievement.. Each day a lot of people get logged in to Fb (as it is now called) and d success of facebook has created a great history.
Hope d wonderful site keeps on creating more history in days coming.

Ila Arun 15-March

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TEN years ago, she was known as the choli girl. Music composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal had got this little known folk singer from Rajasthan to record for a Subhash Ghai film, Khalnayak. The controversial number, choli ke peechey kya hai made Ila Arun an instant hit.

Thereafter, she came out with about a dozen chart-busters such as Bicchuda, Nigodi and Banjaran. She also made occasional appearances on the screen and sang for some potboilers like Lamhe, Dalal, Mohabbat ki Arzoo and Batwara. And then there was lull.

Ila Arun now stages a comeback with her new album Haule Haule — a path-breaking effort in Indian folk music that draws upon the genius of south Indian music composer, Karthik Raja. The latter is the son of the legendary Illayaraja.

My last four albums were composed by Lalit Sen," informs the singer"This is the first time I have worked with a south Indian composer who is amazingly in total grips with the nuances of north Indian folk traditions. For me, the experience was like a pilgrimage-cum-voyage of discovery!"

Karthik's magic is evident from the opening bars of the title track,haule haule and sets the pace for remaining numbers beginning withO mere bairagi bhanware. At present, this mellifluous long song is ruling the air waves in almost every countdown show from Bombay.

"But his tour de force is an adaptation of a Bhutanese folk song, meetho laage, " Ila points out. "He has gone even beyond the beauty of the original. The song makes an amazing amalgam of the musical styles of Bhutan, Tamil Nadu and my home state, Rajasthan."

Born and brought up in the state capital of Jaipur, Ila moved to Delhi to join the National School of Drama as an acting student in the mid-seventies. Her contemporaries were Neena Gupta, Aneeta Kanwar and Rakesh Pandey who took to films and later migrated to television.

Ila however, stuck to the Delhi stage and in the time, came to be known as a "singing actress". But her biggest achievements lay in popularising the tunes of Rajasthani nomads — the banjarans. Even today, in her colourful ghagra choliswith mirrorwork and junk jewellery from top to toes, Ila is identified more as abanjaran than a city dweller.

"I used to take the bus from Delhi during week-ends to visit my parents in Jaipur," recalls Ila. "That was when I did all my research on Rajasthani folk. I used to spend hours outside the tents of those nomads listening to their songs and recording them."

Bombay happened when her cousin, Lalit Sen migrated to join uncle Jatin Sen as a music composing duo for Hindi films. By then, Ila's brothers Piyush and Prasun Pandey had also moved to the city to chase their dreams in advertising.

"Initially I could feel the resistance to my songs because I did not sound like Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle," narrates Ila. "Right then, I had decided not to be a copycat like the other female singers of the time. I figured out that if I had to make a name for myself, it would be on the strength of my own voice."

It was a hard decision to take because the coarse, rustic voice was scarcely suited to playback. She herself admits that no heroine would have wanted to be heard in a hoarse voice. So when the choli number from Khalnayak became a hit, she was most surprised.

"The thing about us Indians is that we haven't got over our herd mentality," she explains. "I was amazed at the number of sound-alikes who came up after me and all of them were getting opportunities for playback singing. Anyway, by then, I had already started recording for non-film albums."

Ila attributes her success to the way she has been able to integrate modern techno music with folk melody. "People accuse me of compromising the essence of folk tunes," she clarifies. "I say nothing in the songs has been tampered with. It is only the packaging that is different."

She picks up a song, lalua lalua sab koi pukare from her latest album. A patriotic number addressed to Indians settled abroad to return to their homeland, it is composed of calypso beats and alaaps to create a feel of the traditional and modern.

"Such numbers are very popular abroad," she points out. "So in every album, I make it a point to carry a message for the Indian immigrants, saying that their country needs them back. But would you believe it, my biggest fans are not foreigners or NRIs, but the humble nomads of the Rajasthan desert!"

— Maharaja Features

Aamir Khan 14-March

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Aamir khan was born on March 14 1965 in Holy Family Hospital in Bandra, Mumbai in India in a conservative Muslim family which has been part of Hindi Film Industry for a long time. Aamir first came on screen as a child artist in his Uncle Nasir Hussain's production Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), it was not a real part just a blink and miss appearance in the title song of the film. He again appeared as a child artist in the film Madhoshi (1974). Much later he appeared in the art film Holi (1984)along with his friend and later his director Ashutosh Gowariker, the film also starred Naseeruddin Shah. Subsequently he went on to become the state tennis champion of Maharashtra. Sometime before his debut film Aamir fell in love with a girl in his neighborhood Reena. Since she belonged to a Hindu family and he from devout Muslim family, they faced opposition and therefore they married secretly, later they revealed it to the world after his debut movie as lead Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak(QSQT) as a leading man was released in 1988, the film was a run away success and he achieved instant stardom (the film is now considered a classic of Hindi Cinema)and not only that the film was successful in turning the tide away from action centric violent films to family oriented romantic musical dramas in Hindi Cinema, the luminous example of which are MPK (1989), HAHK (1994) and DDLJ (1995). In his second film Raakh (a small, art film) he did a complete opposite role from the lover boy of his first film, his breakthrough performance in this film bagged him the National Film Award of Special Jury. Afterwards he signed a few not so good films which failed at the box office. In the year 1990 he delivered the biggest grosser of the year in the form of Dil and since then he has not looked back giving several commercial and critical hits, his superlative performances include films like Dil (1990), Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Daulat Ki Jung (1992), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander( 1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke( 1993), Parampara (1993), Andaz Apna Apna (1994), Baazi( 1995), Rangeela (1995), Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995), Raja Hindustani (1996), Ishq (1997), Earth(1998), Ghulam (1998), Sarfarosh (1999), Dil Chahta Hai( 2001), Lagaan (2001), Mangal Panday (2005), Fanaa( 2006) and Rang De Basanti (2006).

In 2007 he turned director with the film Taare Zameen Par which not only brought him immense critical acclaim but was a huge box office success. Many of his films are considered as cult classics like QSQT, Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Range De Basanti, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander and Andaz Apna Apna. He divorced his first wife in December 2001 and married Kiran Rao in December 2005.

In 2008 his first all out commercial action film Ghajini went on to become the highest grossing film of its time in Indian Cinema and 4th highest inflation adjusted, grossing a total of Rs.226 on the worldwide box office and the first film to cross 100 crores on the domestic Indian box office, making a total of Rs.115 crores. This record didn't last long though when his next release 3 Idiots went on to shatter not only the highest grosser record but many more. It not only made the highest opening first day, first weekend and first week records but subsequently continued to shatters many record on the following weekends and weeks, making many circuits records on the way. It made a total of Rs.202 crore domestically and Rs.400 crores on worldwide box becoming the highest overseas grosser till date, a staggering feat given that no other film has even come close to making Rs.100 crore on the domestic box office till date, except his own Ghajini last year.

Aamir is said to be the actor who first started the trend of actor's working in one film at a time, when the others worked in four or five at the same time. He is also known to shun popular film trade magazine awards like Filmfare, Star Screen etc as he doesn't have trust in their credibility and transparency. Recently he was awarded the third highest civilian honour Padama Bhushan by the government of India.

Aamir Khan, a method actor, his range of characterizations remains unparalleled and because of this diversity and his ability to portray different characters believably on screen, today he is regarded as not only one of the biggest Superstars but also one of the finest actors of Indian Cinema.

Akhilesh Yadav 13-March

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Akhilesh Yadav - the new iconic face n the chief minister elect of Uttar Pradesh has become a big topic of discussion . He is the son of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj in a by-election in 2000. He retained his seat in the 2004 and 2009 general elections and shall swear-in as chief minister of UP on 15 March, 2012. Akhilesh is married to Dimple (love marriage) and has two daughters and one son. His campaigning style introduced modern elements in Samajwadi party's campaigning style. In the 2012 general election he was able to provide the party with a new image. He extensively campaigned across the state holding cycle rallies and public meetings at various locations. His Rath Yatra conducted across the state was highly successful in bringing young voters and people from across all communities into the Samajwadi party's fold. His persona was a key role in helping the Samajwadi Party towards a victory in the Uttar Pradesh's Assembly Elections held in 2012, with Samajwadi party winning 224 seats out of total 403, becoming the single largest party thus forming the government. He was given credit for the party's rise from a meager 97 seats in the 2007 Vidhan Sabha and was recently elected as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh by the MLAs of the Samajwadi party. He will be the youngest Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh at the age of 38 years..

We wish him a gud n successful political life ahead..!!

Falguni Pathak 12-March

Falguni Pathak was born on March 12, 1964, is an acclaimed singer and performing artist from

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India, based in Mumbai. Her music is based on traditional musical forms from the Indian state of Gujarat. Since her professional debut in 1998, she has developed into an artist with a large fan following across India.
Falguni Pathak rightly coin the undisputed 'Queen of Dandiya' is a hot favourite personality in the dandiya world. A very talented and energetic performer, Falguni is considered as a 'Diva' amongst today's young generation. She is not just famous for her powerful vocal talents but also for her stage appearance and entertainment. She is one of the most noted and respected singers in India and abroad with a lot of fan-following. She could be rightly called today's 'mover & shaker' in the field of dandiya.
She is backed by a powerful and dedicated band 'Ta Thaiyaa' which provides the required punch to make the show a grand success. With a long list of shows in India and abroad Falguni has come a long way since she started off as a dandiya singer.
And now there is an added achievement in her success story. Falguni has released a pop album of which 'Yaad Piya Ki Ane Lagi' has become a chartbuster. Her debut album was released in 1998 and was the first of at least a dozen bearing her name. She has also recorded numerous songs for Bollywood movies. The theme of most of her songs is love. She has performed in many shows in India and other countries, many of which have run all night. Her powerful voice and energetic performances are backed by a band (called Ta Thaiyaa) that can go up to eighteen members.

Parthiv Patel 9-March

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Parthiv Patel (born 9 March 1985) is an Indian cricketer, wicketkeeper-batsman, and a member of theIndian national cricket team. He is a left-handed batsman. He got married in 2008 (at the age of 23) to Avni Zaveri.
Parthiv Patel made his ODI debut against New Zealand in January 2003. He made his Test debut in 2002 in the 2nd Test against England at Nottingham after Ajay Ratra was injured, becoming the youngest wicket-keeper in Test history at 17 years 152 days, eclipsing the previous record of Pakistan's Hanif Mohammad (which stood at 17 years 300 days since 1952), despite still not having played in any domestic first-class matches. He was dismissed for a duck in the first innings but batted for over an hour on the last day to help prevent an English victory. He was selected in the Indian squad for the 2003 Cricket World Cup but did not play any games, withRahul Dravid being used as a make-shift wicket-keeper to allow the use of an extra batsman or bowler. With this policy in place, Patel only made intermittent appearances in ODIs, usually when Dravid was injured or being rested (in full or from wicket-keeping duties). He played 13 ODIs in a two year span, and during an interrupted career managed only an average of 14.66 and a top-score of 28 and was dropped thereafter. Parthiv returned to the Indian team in 2010 in the 4th and 5th Odi vs New Zealand. He celebrated this moment by hitting two back to back half centuries.Later on he was called up for replacing injured Sachin Tendulkar in India tour South Africa .