Bayou City Art Festival
Apr 7, 2009 Bollywood, Fine Arts, Music
Event: Bayou City Art Festival
Venue: Memorial Park, Houston, Texas
It was perfect weather for an outdoor art festival as Houston celebrated the 12th Annual Bayou City Art Festival at Memorial Park and transformed the 1.1-mile trail of the park into a one-of-a-kind outdoor gallery.
The festival kicked off on Friday March 27 through March 29, 2009. The festival witnessed the perfect marriage of art, culture, and cuisine. On the closing day of the festival, India was highlighted with performances by SAMSKRITI, Society for Indian Performing Arts. The students performed bharatnatyam (Indian form of dance) and the finale was ‘Jai Ho’ from Oscar winning movie ‘Slumdog Millioanire’.
The weather did play a vital role in keeping the enthusiasm going for onlookers, the parking situation however, was a big turn off. The directional signage also left a lot to be desired.
The festival showcased spectacular artwork with high flying price tags but that did not slow down the visitors, as the festival had many other attractions. The center stage thrilled the audience with all kinds of performances. From Bollywood dancing, fusion of Latin and Jazz grooves to Belladonna Dancers.
Talking Points | Slumdog Millionaire
Feb 6, 2009 Bollywood, Talking Points
Hollywood film Slumdog Millionaire’s recent success sparked controversies and debates amongst people around the globe. Americans loved it while some Indians raised eyebrows.
Before the movie walks the red carpet of the 2009 Oscars Awards, Lights Camera Action hosted a discussion with a panel consisting of a diverse group from the world of cinema, art, education, and journalism.
Watch the three part show (31:40), and feel free to leave your opinion in the comments section.
Tags: Bollywood, Discussion, Slumdog Millionaire, Talking Points
A Night in Bollywood
Jan 24, 2009 Bollywood, Fashion, Your Look
Event: A Night in Bollywood
Venue: Momentum BMW West, Houston
Momentum BMW West was the location of ‘a night in bollywood’ organized by Envy Magazine. The Bollywood inspired event treated guests to view luxury cars, a bollywood dance performance by a local troupe, and a high energy fashion show sponsored by Ed Hardy and Guess.
The night was a treat for those into cars and clothes, as well as some ‘bollywood’ first timers! Amongst those interviewed were Alejandra Mejia with Envy, Riyad Abu-Taha, and local Katy residents Aru and Radha Nadesan.
A Healthy Mantra | Pooja Batra
Jan 10, 2009 Articles, Your Look
For those who claim to be fed scantly with Bollywood films, Pooja Batra is that 5 ft 9 inch ex-Miss India who passed her crown to Aishwarya Rai in 1994. As far as her stint with Indian cinema, she is that ‘Hassena Maan Jayegi’ girl who also acted in the super hit ‘Virasat’ opposite Anil Kapoor.
Presently, the tall flamboyant, model-turned actress Pooja Batra makes Los Angeles cozy with her handsome doctor husband Sonu Ahluwalia. For some, marriage might be a slowing down, but for 20 something Pooja its all a beginning.
Batra also takes a sneak peak at other scripts, while theatre is one of her major preferences. Blessed with the combination of Indian and western beauty, Hollywood might not be too far away from her.
Born in Faizabad, UP, India, Pooja started her career with modeling, typically en vogue while in college. Batra breaks the myth that models cannot act. She said that if models could convey their emotions in a few seconds in an ad that convinced buyers, then three hours was sufficient.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bollywood, Health, Pooja Batra, Sonu Ahluwalia, Yoga
Bollywood’s Size Zero Craze!
Dec 23, 2008 Life Bytes
With Bollywood films like Tashan, Race and now Fashion! The question arises are Indians embracing the skinny look, trying to be healthy, or are just crazy for size zero.
Life Bytes host Ruchi M went around Houston town to find the answers.
Former model, socialite Yuki Rogers expressed her shock that Indian actresses are trying to look super skinny.
Gone are the days of Meena Kumari, Hema Malini, Rekha, and Madhuri Dixit, Bollywood seems to be embracing the starved hungry look. The extreme is always a bad idea. With Bollywood’s changing trend, one thing is certain, Indians have surely become more health conscious and fashion conscious.
To get more answers and find out what Houston thinks the next stop was at Rahui & I in Hilcroft where Bapu the owner thought the new skinny trend started in movies like Dhoom 2 and now in Tashan by Kareena Kapoor, but of course he admires Hema Malini and Madhuri. According to Bapu it’s just a new craze and will soon fade and will also lose its sustainability. We even stopped visitors at the store and asked them questions. Farida Hasanali and Ajay Sarpeshkar, both members of NetIP, hoped the skinny look craze did not bring with it insecurity and diseases like bulimia and anorexia amongst teens in India. Also interviewed were Shyam Anandampillai and Srikanth.
Last but not the least was Chloe Dao, a Project Runway winner, who shared what she looks for in a model.
