Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2010 ME auditions on air very soon on Zee TV

Judges-sajid and wajid

Sajid and Wajid rocked Dubai for Zee TV’s famed reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa singing sensation. The most wanted duo were in town recently to judge the Middle East auditions for the show and to take back with them the talented singers who could be the next singing sensation!

Finalist Ms Ritvika Rathore with her parents

The first final contestant Daniel KC collecting his letter

The registration for the auditions started online few weeks back but even the walk-ins were welcomed and given the chest numbers. The auditions which were taking place at the City Seasons Hotel in Deira attracted a lot of attention, as there was music all around.

Nasir Chaudary Finalist

Seeing the enthusiasm of the crowd both the judges did not impose any time restriction for any performance. Every contestant sang whatever they were prepared. For those who did not make it to the next round did learn a lot from the maestros and want to take part only in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa challenge next year as they all know that only this platform has given the music industry in India some of the finest singers like Kunal Ganjawala and Shreya Goshal.

Tamara Finalist

The judges had called for the auditions to stop and continue for their second round on another day but the contestants were highly motivated and enthusiastic to show their talent the same night and seeing this the mentors did not take any break and went onto to select 20 contestants to fly to India for their next round of auditions in Mumbai, India.

Mr Manoj Mathew-Business Head-South Asian channels-Zee Network and RJ Pooja_Jamming the auditions!!

They were quoted saying and agreeing upon a sad but true fact “The pool of talent out here is huge but what we find sad to hear is that majority of the contestants when they were in their home countries they had practiced but since the shift to this part of the world many of these beautifully blessed talents have given up the training required by a good singer ”

Finalist From Pakistan: Ali Rao

They also gave a motivational speech to the finalists before they came in for the 2nd round of auditions. They narrated their obstructions which they had faced and their struggle to come to the humble position and have worked very hard to earn the respect they now have in the industry and with millions of fans worldwide.

Shoaib Ahmed Finalist

At the end they said “The fight in India is tough because contestants over there are not only just singers but also performers” which justifies the whole reason for this show to have that high levels of entry as the singers have to be very versatile and all rounders. The lucky few who have been selected will now have to give their best vocals and performances when they reach India for which we wish each one of them the very best!

Mazha on Asianet

An extensive travel  through Kerala where monsoons releases  nostalgic and everlasting moments.

The programme attempts to provide  a sketch of Monsoon's influence in our society — for example, in literature — where there are many creations sketching the rain smartly. There gazals, soaked in rainy ragas expressing the love for rain.
 Vox Pop with many noted personalities on their feelings for rain. 'Mazha' attempts to capture the  warmth and exotic feel of Monsoon in different places of Kerala.

 Asianet is all set to telecast Mazha on every Sunday  from  13.30  to 14.00.

Happy Holidays on Asianet Plus

A new kids special programme Happy Holidays on Asianet plus is an opportunity for children to have some fun during the holidays. Kalabhavan Navas and young stars of the silver screen present the show, which is full of magic tricks, jokes, riddles and other fun activities. There is also a phone-in segment where viewers can chat with young celebrities like munch star singer juniors, film/serial stars etc.

Asianet Plus is all set to telecast “Happy Holidays” on every Monday to Friday at 19.00.

Harichandanam: A new serial on Asianet.

Starting Date: May 24, 2010.

Time: Monday to Friday from 19.00 to 19.30

Harichandanam is the story of two young girls, Uma and Unnimaya. They are in the midst of rejection and poverty and fight their way through the bitter realities of life.

Uma and Unnimaya are the daughters of Pothuval, who is a master of the art of Kathakali. Pothuval is both mother and father to Unnimaya, a music student and Uma, who is old enough to be married off, for they are motherless. Uma is just s simple girl behind the scenes, whereas Unnimaya is bold enough to face the realities of life and become victorious.

A couple of events at a temple festival changes the life of Unnimaya forever. The scene takes a bad turn, when Unnimaya’s friend Hafiz, takes part in the temple festival  creating confrontation with the authorities. At the moment, a young man by the name Mahadevan comes to her rescue.  It is then that Unnimaya comes to know that he is the sub-inspector in charge of that place. He takes her to   his house and tries to molest her.  Somehow she escapes from there.

Unnimaya invites singer Niranjan for a programme in her music college. She had the privilege to accompany him for the song, which was penned by her. Niranjan was impressed by her song and rewards her with an opportunity to sing for films.

Mahadevan lusts for Unnimaya even more and tries to ensure her with a marriage proposal and presents  before Pothuval through a  Poti. But the marriage is done in a hurry, without following the traditional customs.

Mangalathu Rajeswari Amma, mother of Mahadevan, always holds family status and money as its priority in a marriage, stresses an amount of 501 sovereigns of gold as dowry, because of which Pothuval is forced to sell the house. On the very day itself, Rajeswari Amma finds that there is a shortage in the dowry, making the beginning of a miserable life for Uma. Mahadevan on the other hand acts as an obedient son  and a loving husband.

The battle with the realities of life continues in Harichandanam……..

Cast: Sarath, Kishore, Kaladharan and Sujitha.

Directed and Produced By Baiju Devaraj (Sandras Communications)

Nammal Thammil completes 700 episodes in Asianet

The weekly talk show airing on Asianet and presented by the affable Sreekandan Nair, completes 700 episodes. Over the years the show has tackled incredibly diverse topics ranging from politics to mimicry. Through an intense debate between the panel and the audience, the show has given a forum not only to public officials and celebrities but also the common man too, to make his voice heard.

Sreekandan Nair

Asianet telecast’s Nammal Thammil  on every Saturday at 22.00.

IDEA STAR SINGER SEASON 5 AUDITION

Asianet has announced auditions for the fifth season of the music reality show Idea Star Singer.

Entries have been invited for the Asianet Idea Star Singer: Season 5 contest being organised by Asianet and Idea mobile.

Anchor Ranjini

Those between the ages of 16 and 35 can participate in the contest. Applicants should send their bio-data, a CD comprising songs sung by them and a  photograph to the address ‘Producer, Idea Star Singer: Season 5, Asianet Studio Complex, Puliyarakkonam, Thiruvananthapuram – 695573’ or by e-mail to ‘ iss@asianetworld.tv’.

First Footage from Iceland’s Volcanic Eruption on National Geographic Abu Dhabi

Date and Time: May 14, at 21.00

The devastating eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull in mid-April brought mass disruption to the skies over Europe, shutting down European airspace and stranding hundreds of thousands of air passengers around the world. Moreover, the massive eruption caused extensive evacuations, major flooding, and a plume of ash 9,000 metres high.

As news crews frantically monitored the ash cloud’s progress and reported on stranded tourists and business travellers, a National Geographic film crew were on the ground in Iceland. They documented the dramatic events unfolding at the scene before, during and after the volcano’s eruption on  March 20 and the second, larger eruption on April 14.

This crew was the only one to cover the story from the beginning, securing incredible, unparalleled footage of the volcano as it was erupting. This incredible footage is featured in Iceland Volcano Eruption, premiering in the region on May 14 ^{at 21.00} on National Geographic Abu Dhabi.  

The crew’s work was fraught with danger – as they filmed next to the enormous crater spewing fire and ash, every 10 minutes a gigantic sonic boom hit, rocking them to the core.

Jóhann Sigfússon, the documentary’s director said of his experiences: “We were the only people to land on the glacier atop the volcano (we did it via helicopter) and gain up close access to the volcano as it was erupting. The eruption caused major local flooding which washed away roads and our crew were trapped in one of these floods, which we captured on film.”

At times, the National Geographic crew were forced to drive into the enormous wall of dense ash cloud. With no light and losing all sense of direction, the crew began to have difficulty breathing and had to stop when the road disappeared.

Sigfússon went on to say: “The ash cloud was enormous, a wall of dark grey nasty stuff. I had to drive into it and experience this and hopefully get some good images. We drove forward, entering this devastation with almost all light filtered out from the sun. You could feel the ash in your mouth and face. In my 22 years of filming all around the world this was the most exciting and fantastic experience I have had.”

This timely film also features other dramatic events including Coast Guard rescue flights, exclusive eyewitness accounts from the scene, renowned geologists collecting data from lava and ash, as well as explaining the science behind the volcano chaos and its global impact, including the disruption to air travel.

ZARA NACHKE DIKHA: BIGGEST ME DANCE COMPETITION IN DUBAI

STAR Plus sends 2 participants to the sets of Zara Nachke Dikha, in Mumbai

STAR Plus and KFC I-twist bring to the Middle East, the biggest celebrity dance show/competition  "Zara Nach Ke Dikha" at Chi at The Lodge, Oud Metha, Dubai.

The Dubai auditions will be held on the May 14 and 15 at 14.00 and the final will be on May 19. The event is in association with Elekta, Enchanteur and Lulu.

Watch 12 participants sweat it out and put their best foot forward…all this to make it to the shortlist of the winning 2 participants who get to travel to Mumbai, be on the sets of the show of Zara Nachke Dikha!

All you need to do is, log on to www.starselect.com and register. The Last day of registration is May 13.

ZARA NACH KE DIKHA: THE BIGGEST BATTLE OF THE SEXES… 

Date and Time: May 8 at 21.00

It is a debate that has been ongoing for generations and time immemorial, with strong reactions from both sexes. Boy v/s Girl – the gender war has plagued us in all walks of life. Be it Bollywood, sports, politics, corporate life or our living rooms – the fight for supremacy is an undying battle. Dividing people from all walks of life and across boundaries, this quest for upmanship has made its way to the dance floor and will be brought alive through STAR Plus’ celebrity dance show, Zara Nach Ke Dikha.

Produced by SOL, Zara Nachke Dikha – the ultimate clash of the sexes, promises viewers a high voltage entertainment with a mix of dance, fun, masti, drama and a lot more. With an unprecedented razzmatazz of celebrities fighting it out in the ultimate dance battle of superiority.

Announcing the launch of the show, Sumantra Dutta, Country Head for STAR Middle East, Pakistan and Africa STAR Plus, said, “Known for introducing pioneering concepts across genres, STAR Plus presents the ultimate Celebrity dance reality show – Zara Nach Ke Dikha. STAR Plus yet again lives up to its promise of providing unique and exclusive shows to its audience. Zara Nachke Dikha will showcase some of the biggest celebrities who will redefine the gender war through sheer talent and performance in dance. The show is extremely promising and we are hopeful that our audiences will appreciate it like they have done with our other shows.”

Nine sensational Girls and macho Boys are set to bring the dance floor alive with their grooves, in a bid to establish the leader between the biggest battle of the sexes. Not to be left behind, are young and budding child prodigies – Sparsh and Ayush who will bring the kid power to the fore.

Shilpa Shetty, Arshad Warsia and Vaibhavi Merchant form the extremely glamorous and highly talented set of jury members who are set to judge the show. The participants will be assessed not only for their dancing talent but will also for their performance based on different theme based dances, innovative use of props, impromptu challenge facing abilities, strategies to win the battle,  team spirit etc. – all related to the demands of each round as the competition progresses. The show will move beyond dance as one of the rounds will have the contestants competing against each other through fun physical games.

BOYS

AAMIR ALI

ABHISHEK AVASTHI

ANGAD HASIJA

KARAN KUNDRA

KAPIL NIRMAL

ASKSSHAT SELUJA

SIDDHESH PAI

SUSHANT RAJPUT

AYUSH KHEDEKAR

GIRLS

RAKHI SAWANT

ADITI GUPTA

HAZEL CROWN

KRITIKA KAMRA

MUKTI MOHAN

RASHMI DESAI

SANGEETA GHOSH

SANJEEDA SHEIKH

SPARSH KHANCHANDANI

“Idea Star Singer: Season 4” 250th episode celebrations on Asianet

South Indian televison’s popular reality show “Idea Star Singer: Season 4” is celebrating the completion of  250 episodes. The chief guest of the special event was actor Dileep. Veteran play back singer P Jayachandran, Asianet’s Senior Vice President (Programmes) R Sreekandan Nair, Idea Sr. Manager Sasidharan Nair, Jury members Sarath, KS Chithra and MG Sreekumar  were some of the special dignitaries, who attended the ceremony.

P Jayachandran was felicitated(Gurupooja) by Dileep and the Idea Star Singer: Season 4 contestants for his outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema.

Viewers from  all over the world tune in to watch the show that has seen some of the best musical talents in Kerala, wherein contestants battle it out for the top slot. Film stars, musicians and celebrities from various walks of life will appear as special guests in every episode of the show.

The 250^th episode celebrations will be a mélange of glamour, music and showmanship. The contestants showed their multi talented skills  by performing dance, skits, acrobatic performances and needless to say rendered melodious, fast  and peppy numbers specially for their dear viewers.

Other Cine/TV artistes like Sarayu Mohan, Kavitha Nair, Aswathy, Binda, Archana, Mythili and an acrobatic magical performance by Magician Samraj entertained the viewers.

Asianet will telecast the 250^th episode celebrations of  “Idea Star Singer – Season 4” in four parts, May 6 and 7 &  May 10  and  11 at 20.30 (IST).