Author Archives: apul

“This Moment” viewable online

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A Windows Media version of Leena Pendharkar’s short film, “This Moment,” is downloadable over at Cinequest Online (via Hollywood Masala). You can watch the film in its entirety by registering with the site, which is free. The 15-minute film stars Purva Bedi (“American Desi”) and Danny Wooten. From the film’s official web site:

Can love really conqueror all? Uma Balachandran, a 20-something Indian American woman is at a unique crossroads: faced with a romantic, sunrise proposal from her African American boyfriend John Ray, her instinct is to say yes. But she’s haunted by her father’s wishes for her to marry the perfect Indian man. What’s worse, Uma’s old flame of 4 years, the all-American Troy Black, wants Uma back so badly, he’s planning to storm in on Uma and John and break up their sunrise tryst. But an unlikely stranger alters his destiny. Does love really conquer anything? Maybe. Maybe not. Set in front of the rising sun behind the beautiful backdrop of San Francisco, A Moment is about choices. (15 minutes, Super 16 mm)

Unfortunately, Cinequest disdains cross-platfrom compatibility, so the film only plays on Windows Media Player 9 for Windows 98/2000/XP. I won’t be able to watch it on my trusty Mac, so you’ll have to guide me with your reviews.

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“Baby 81” visits U.S.

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Abilass Jeyarajah, a four-month-old Sri Lankan boy who was separated from his parents by December’s tsunami, will travel to the U.S. on Sunday as a guest of a morning news show.

First known to the world as “Baby 81,” Abilass was recently reunited with his birth parents after DNA tests confirmed their paternity. He was claimed by as many as eight other couples. From Reuters:

“Abilass is taking us to America,” his father Murugupillai told Reuters on Thursday on his way to obtain passports for the trip.

The excited father said he had never been out of the country and the baby had brought him and his wife Jenita luck. They are due to fly out on Sunday courtesy of an American television network, reportedly ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

There’s no word yet on who will conduct the interview, but co-hosts Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer shouldn’t have any trouble with precocious Abilass. They’ve both interviewed the president, so they have plenty of experience with someone who doesn’t read newspapers, has trouble swallowing food, and is largely incoherent.

ABC’s “Good Morning America” airs on weekday mornings at 7 a.m., and the interview is slated for Wednesday, March 2.

Reuters/Yahoo!: Tsunami baby goes to America

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Oprah “floored” by spelling nerd

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Yesterday’s episode of Oprah Winfrey’s syndicated television show covered miracles and other oddities caught on video. During the second half of the show, she ran footage of Akshay Buddiga’s performance at the 2004 Scripps Spelling Bee.

Buddiga became late night talk show fodder after he fainted on-stage when asked to spell “alopecoid.” He subsequently got up, spelled it correctly, and went on to capture second place in the competition.

This is an old story, and by now, you’ve probably seen it. In case you haven’t, or long for Oprah’s commentary on the matter, here’s a Quicktime video of the segment (1.5 MB, 1:30 mins.).

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Verizon billboards say the darndest things

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Verizon: A small jar of chutney costs more than a 10-minute call to New Delhi.     Verizon: A ticket to a Bollywood movie costs more than a 20-minute call to New Delhi.

Spotted the billboards pictured above while driving around in Culver City, Calif. Their location is peculiar, because the area doesn’t have a lot of South Asians, as far as I know. The first one is located near an exit for the 10, which is a prime spot. You’ll find the second one when driving east on Venice Blvd., but it is easy to miss. There might be more out there, so if you spot one, please photograph it, and send it our way.

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Manchu and Mehta: Two for the tube

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Actress Lakshmi Manchu appeared on last Monday’s episode of “Las Vegas,” (via Hollywood Masala):

Her character (“Sarasvati Kumar”), who is a recurring guest, became the the love interest for none other than Sylvester Stallone!

“Las Vegas” airs on NBC on Mondays at 9 p.m.

Actor Ajay Mehta makes a guest turn on this week’s episode of “Without a Trace,” which on its own, is quite an enjoyable show. It’s the perfect way to top off a night of slothing it up with “The O.C.” and “The Apprentice.”

“Without a Trace” airs on CBS on Thursdays at 10 p.m.

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Geeksta rap takes aim at technically averse

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Throughout the years, there have been countless attempts by educators and parents to glamorize the academic pursuits of science and technology. Whether it was financial incentives, or catchy tunes on PBS children’s programs, for many, the battle usually ends in bitter defeat. What they should be doing is speaking to kids in a language that they understand — rap and hip-hop.

At least that’s Rajeev Bajaj’s theory, and the 39-year-old engineer from Fremont, Calif. is putting his ideas into motion. From the San Jose Mercury News:

Bajaj recently spent $15,000 of his own money forming an independent record label and hiring musicians to perform four rap and hip-hop songs he wrote in praise of the engineering profession. He hopes his debut album, “Geek Rhythms,” will convince America that engineers indeed are cool.

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Photos tell the Bollywood story

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The February issue of National Geographic Magazine has a comprehensive feature about Bollywood by “Maximum City” author Suketu Mehta. While he offers readers a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the hit film “Veer-Zaara,” the true gem of this package is a narrated photo essay by William Albert Allard. The magazine also delves into the Indian film industry’s less-than-stellar counterpart in Pakistan, dubbed Lollywood.

National Geographic Magazine: Photo Essay (requires Flash), Lollywood, Feature Article

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Bollywood copycats exposed

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Watching Bollywood films can often strike you with a maddening case of deja vu. You think you’ve seen the movie before, but you just can’t identify the what, when and where of your suspicion. Enter Bollycat (via Nirali Magazine), a new web site started by a team of students at SUNY Rockland, which aims to link Bollywood films to their Hollywood “inspirations.”

“It’s wrong to even use the word inspiration here,” said web site creator Haydur Agha in a press release. “It’s really stealing someone else’s creation and molding it to fit the Indian taste without ever officially mentioning or paying for the rights to the original content. And it’s not fair to the fans either.”

The site invites visitors to submit their own listings, and currently cites more than 100 such cases of plagarism: “Shree 420,” a story about a young man’s self-destructive journey to the top, allegedly derives its source from Orson Welle’s classic “Citizen Kane.” My personal favorite, “Dil Chahta Hai,” might have taken its story of post-college estrangement and reunification from “St. Elmo’s Fire,” and “Reality Bites.” I submitted my own Bollycat — last year’s “Kal Ho Naa Ho,” a NRI-flavored tale about an ill-fated love triangle, clearly took its cues from adult megahit “Three-Way Betty IV: Dildo’s Revenge.” Go ahead, try to prove me wrong.

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Racial facials for digital mugs

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St. Andrews Perception Laboratory’s “Face Transformer” allows you to change the age, race or sex of a facial image. The web-based Java app can also morph a photo into the style of a famous artist, caricature, or even an ape.

All you need is a browser that supports Java and a digital face image (JPEG or GIF format). Of special interest to SM readers may be the races, which include Afro-Caribbean, Caucasian, East Asian, and West Asian (their term for South Asian). The whole process is relatively quick and easy. The hardest part is finding a decent photo. While you search for one, here’s a few tests that I ran through the system:

Aishwarya Rai, Actress

Wanted to use Preity Zinta (in a variety of ways), but y’all seem quite smitten with the lovely Ms. Rai. So, whatever, you win. It must feel good to win. It doesn’t feel good to lose.

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“Electro Indian sitar” on a Tuesday evening

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Stumbled upon a hidden musical gem while listening to one of iTunes’ streaming radio channels:

Anup Patel is a unique musician who combines traditional classical Indian music with western pop music. Anup proficiently plays the sitar, table and the keyboard, with his personal favorite being the sitar. Although Anup does not consider himself a master, he has been playing both tablas and sitar for over 30 years, a fact which is easily noticeable in his music.

Sure, it probably isn’t for everybody, but you don’t have to waste any money to figure out whether you’ll like it or not. Online music label Magnatune is so confident that you’ll enjoy Patel, and their other offerings, that their entire library is available on a “try before you buy” basis. You can listen to Patel’s entire album for free, as much as you’d like, and without having to register. Check out “Sweet Dissonance” and “Resolve.” If you’re into it, show the uncle some love and buy the album.

Magnatune: Anup Patel

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