News

The Hindu : y>Catch the Oscars live on Star Movies

Hollywood’s biggest names will gather at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles for the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Star Movies will telecast this star-studded event live on February 23, 6.30 a.m. (IST).

The primetime encore at 8.30 p.m. will include an exclusive, on-the-ground Red Carpet special hosted by Channel [V]’s Dominic Lau.

This year’s ceremony promises to be a memorable one with first-time host Hugh Jackman fronting the telecast.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is this year’s frontrunner with 13 nominations, including best picture, best director and a best actor nod for Brad Pitt. He has to competition from Richard Jenkins, Frank Langella, Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke.

The Golden Globe-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” scored 10 Oscar nominations and is in the running for best director, best adapted screenplay and best picture.

The other contenders in the Best Picture category are the inspirational biopic, “Milk”, the holocaust drama “The Reader”, and the based-on-fact “Frost/Nixon”.

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Opus is having the Goan Carnival with the Red & Black Masquerade Ball and Karnival Kroaknight.

Date: February 21 and 22

Venue: Opus No. 1, 1st Main,Chakravarthy Layout, Palace Cross Road

Contact: 9844030198 / 23442580

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Designer Nitin Bal Chauhan on his diverse passions

Photo: Sandeep SaxenaMulti-faceted: Nitin Bal Chauhan

Nitin Bal Chauhan dons different hats — of a fashion designer, a filmmaker and a painter. He also nurtures his passion for the guitar and photography. His film “Lost and Found” made about three years ago toured festivals in Singapore and New York, and his dalliances with colour dot the walls and were exhibited in a group show.

However, it is the designer in himthat is grabbingeyeballs now. He may be only a few seasons old on the fashion circuit, but one knows a “Nitin Bal Chauhan show” will not disappoint. The year has begun on a sprightly note for the 29-year-old. He was the chosen from India at the New Fashion Designer Grand Prix at the Japan Fashion Week last month.

“They were scouting for fresh talent across the globe. They choose one designer to represent a country from Asia,” says Nitin. He was among the nine designersselected as part of the emerging global talent. At the three-day event, he showcased his Spring-Summer 09 collection “Conditions Apply Part I” on the catwalk and a preview of his Autumn Winter 09 “Conditions Apply Part II” at the exhibition stall.

“The collection is about the darker side of urban life. It is inspired from different stories — of depression, dilemma, accidents, divorce,” says the designer on whom the urban realities leave an enduring mark. The Japan experience, which included good press and buyer enquiries, has also won him an invitation to the next edition of the Japan Fashion Week. “Japan is not an easy market to crack. They take nothing but the best,”he avers.

Nitin, who works a lot with organic cotton, hails from Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, and allows the ethnic crafts and motifs to reverberate in his creations. He keeps his links with the local craftsmen and does his bit to…More

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Samashti as part of the Samashti festival is staging T.P. Kailasam’s “Saafalya”, directed by Manjunath L. Badiger and Sathish.

Date: February 21, 7.30 p.m.

Venue: Ranga Shankara

Samashti is staging K.V. Subbanna’s “Miss Sadarame”, directed by Manjunath L. Badiger.

Date: February 22, 3.30 and 7.30 p.m.

Venue: Ranga Shankara

Contact: 9845163380

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Siddhartha Khosla, the man behind the band, Goldspot, speaks about their new album

EVOLVING The sound of the band is a mixture of future, retro, pop rock with Indi

Siddhartha Khosla started singing at the age of seven. Through his school days he heard the likes of Mohd. Rafi and Kishore Kumar with alternative acts like the Smiths, R.E.M., The Beatles and the Cure. By the time he finished high school, Siddhartha was a musician who outshone his own singing ability with his knack of playing various instruments. “I always loved playing the guitars and the drums. It was one of the few things in life that made me extremely happy,” agrees the singer.

Siddhartha who went on to start the band Goldspot with fellow drummer Ramy Antoun is currently riding high on the Indian charts with the success of the band’s first studio record, “Tally of the Yes Man”. Through this album, Siddhartha who is the motivational factor behind Goldspot, tries to frame a particular phase in his life. It is this hint of personal adventure that makes the record extra special. “I had the best time in my life making this album. As a musician, every single hour I spent in the studio, I tried doing something extraordinary,” says Siddhartha.

The singer who wrote most of the album while at work,thinks that independent, low-budget albums brings out the raw talent of musicians. “Tally of the Yes Man” which reached the #10 spot on the UK Alternative Charts has a number of tracks that can leave the listener humming the tune. The first two singles of the record “Friday” and “It’s Getting Old” characterised by some beautiful Indi Pop Rock guitar pieces fails to match the potential of the track, “Time Bomb”. This song revolves around a conversation between the younger and older version of the same person. It is certainly the most…More

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Sanchaya releases Vivek Shanbhag’s play “Bahumukhi”, published by Akshara Prakashana

Date: February 22, 6 p.m.

Venue: Ranga Shankara

Contact: 94484 61718

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The Hindu : y>Architect Rajesh Pai believes in using natural resources and recycled material to design restaurants, discovers SHILPA SEBASTIAN R.

Photo: Murali kumar KIN HARMONY: One should take into consideration the weather conditions while constructing a building, says Rajesh Pai

Rajesh Pai is an architect who designs restaurants. “I come from the Manipal Group, which is a family concern. I trained to be a mechanical engineer and started a printing business. I then took care of the family’s construction business,” says the man who is not a trained architect, but has a “deep passion for designing”.

His style is “to use natural resources and recycled material as I believe in being eco-friendly, and practise it in the design aspect too.” Though he lived most of his life in Mangalore, he was sent to Bangalore and was asked to take care of the Central Park Hotel. “That’s where I started the Pinch of Jazz, the first jazz bar in the city,” says the man, who then soon “got bored” of the family business and branched out on his own.

Rajesh, with his brother Harish, started the boutique Red Earth and “we both got into designing. Our aim is to conceptualise everything according to the theme.”

The first project that triggered off his passion for design, recalls Rajesh, is one that he did in Manipal for a retired bank officer. “We created a heritage village for him. But then the structure had to be moved out of its original place.So we had to transplant, restore and recreate the whole thing.

This was a challenge. My background in construction helped me immensely.”

Rajesh feels that some people in our city “create designs inappropriately. One should make use of the natural weather and also construct the building with material that is available here. This city can afford to go more green and if designed well, we don’t need fans or ACs,” says this designer,…More

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Montblanc Limited Editions are having a display of pens

Date: till February 22

Venue: Mont Blanc store, UB City, Vittal Mallya Road

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The Hindu : y>Deal Pizza Hut has some magical options

Check it out: Loads of pizzas

Pizza Hut presents “Magic Times”, an offer where you can treat yourself to a meal at Rs. 99 per person. This Magic Times “specials” consist of a meal for two and a meal for four option where you can choose your favourite personal pan pizza from three vegetarian and two non-vegetarian choices. This will be served with garlic bread and a Pepsi.

These two specials are priced at Rs.198 and Rs.396, respectively. Magic Times is available across all Pizza Hut restaurants.

Anup Jain, Director Marketing – Pizza Hut, says: “Pizza Hut has always believed in bringing the family together by providing a memorable dining experience. With growing inflationary pressures, our Magic Times offerings will give families more reasons to spend quality time over great food at affordable prices.”

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Sanghamitra, a journal of queer writing published by Good as You will be released by author C.K. Meena, followed by readings.

Date: February 21, 5 p.m.

Venue: The Ants Store, No. 2023/B, 1st Cross, 14th A Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar

Contact: 9845001168

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