Chatwal announces engagement to model

Posted on December 14, 2004 by apul

Hotelier-turned-actor Vikram Chatwal announced on Thursday his engagement to long-rumored girlfriend Priya Sachdev.

Chatwal was in India to promote his film “One Dollar Curry” at a film festival in Goa. During a visit to Bombay, he asked Sachdev to accompany him to a gurudwara. She describes the rest to The Indian Express:

In true filmi style, after they both did the matha tek, he slipped a 10-carat diamond ring on her finger. “He said, ‘This is an engagement ring. Do you accept?’” says Sachdev. “I was stunned. We couldn’t even hug in the temple. But we called his family and then called mine and everyone was very surprised.”

Delhi-based Sachdev, a former New Yorker, currently splits time between modeling and working on her new television show — an “Entertainment Tonight”-like rundown of films, celebrities and gossip. Like Chatwal, she has big-screen aspirations:

Bollywood offers have already poured in for this Bharatnatyam and Kathak dancer, but most of them have involved playing the third angle in a love triangle. “I don’t want to start as the other woman,” says Sachdev. Apparently, certain producers have also offered striptease roles claiming that she could be the next Bipasha Basu of “Jism.”

The pair have not set a wedding date, but agree that “Jism” is the greatest movie title ever.

The Indian Express: Heroine addict
Endless Sepia Mutiny coverage: On the trail of Vikram Chatwal…, Win a date with…Vikram Chatwal?, One more dream for Chatwal, and Vikram Chatwal…actor?

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When you care enough to send the very Badmash

Posted on December 12, 2004 by apul

Left out in the cold by the greeting card companies’ standard fare? The rambunctious ragamuffins at Badmash have a new set of seasons greetings that are sure to keep you and yours warm with laughter:

Badmash: Holiday cards

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Aishwarya takes time out for 60 Minutes

Posted on December 11, 2004 by apul

Weekly news magazine 60 Minutes will broadcast a first-of-its-kind interview with Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, according to a press release published today on her web site.

The interview comes about a month before the long-awaited release of Gurinder Chadha’s “Bride and Prejudice,” which features Rai as a co-star. The 31-year-old actress won the Miss World crown in 1994, and has since appeared in 30 Bollywood films.

“Ash’s popularity is global and America will soon get a taste of this international phenomenon,” said her manager Simone Sheffield.

The interview was conducted in Bombay by reporter Bob Simon, and produced by Neeraj Khemlani.

“This will mark the first time in the history of 60 Minutes where they feature an in-depth one-on-one profile with a Bollywood star,” said Khemlani.

The interview airs on January 2, 2005 at 7 p.m. on CBS.

Sepia Mutiny: The Windfall that Bhopal never got

Update by Manish: Check out the video clip of Aishwarya’s interview. Continue reading →

“Apprentice” Raj returns with a vengeance

Posted on December 11, 2004 by apul

Donald Trump’s reality show “The Apprentice” featured the second coming of deposed contestant Raj Bhakta last Thursday, and will include the 28-year-old real estate developer in the season finale.

In last week’s episode, Trump whittled his applicant pool down to the final two — software executive Kelly Perdew and lawyer Jennifer Massey. The finalists then were asked to assemble a team of employees comprised of fired cohorts. Each team is assigned the task of putting together a sports fundraiser for a charitable foundation. Raj was chosen by software executive Kelly, who is responsible for organizing a polo tournament.

“I’m doing this because I like winning,” said Raj during the episode. “I couldn’t give a damn about Kelly.”

The three-hour season finale airs this Thursday at 8 p.m. on NBC, and should include some great Raj moments. Oddsmakers place Kelly as the early favorite. Why? Three words: Raj Muthaf—-n’ Bhakta.

Sepia Mutiny: Life after being “Fired”

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Miss Universe wants to “touch and feel” India

Posted on December 11, 2004 by apul

Reigning Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins made her first-ever trip to India last week, and expressed to Sify News an eagerness to “to touch and feel” the country.

What has so captivated the 20-year-old Australian? A report in The Daily Telegraph allows us to rule out India’s rich historical heritage:

This week, (Hawkins) flashed her winning smile and laughed when she was asked whether she would be visiting the Taj Mahal.

“The Taj what?” she replied.

“The Taj Mahal, India’s most famous tourist spot, the monument of love, in Agra,” she was told.

“Oh, really?”

To be fair, perhaps Hawkins is a preoccupied academic who is more impressed by cultural observations than crowded tourist destinations:

“I love the way Indian girls dress up. I’m fascinated by different cultures and clothings here,” she said. “I have a video camera and I have captured people around the streets. Like one man I saw shaving on a footpath.”

The Daily Telegraph: Jen’s in Taj with culture
Sify News: I want to touch and feel India: Miss Universe

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New York Times plants “Seeds” in year’s best

Posted on December 11, 2004 by apul

The New York Times book review placed V.S. Naipaul’s “Magic Seeds,” and Hari Kunzru’s “Transmission” on its list of the year’s 100 best books.

Nobel prize-winning Naipaul’s “Magic Seeds” is a sequel to “Half a Life,” and finds its protagonist making an eyebrow-raising return to India. Hari Kunzru’s “Transmission” is the author’s second book, and follows the travails of a desperate Indian programmer who unleashes a destructive computer virus.

Neither novel advanced to the paper’s top 10, which will be published in tomorrow’s edition.

The New York Times: 100 notable books of the year (free registration required)
Sepia Mutiny: NYT reviews Naipaul’s “Magic Seeds”

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Forbes names India’s richest

Posted on December 10, 2004 by apul

Forbes magazine released its inaugural list of India’s 40 wealthiest businessmen, with half of the entrants hailing from the nation’s burgeoning technology and pharmaceutical sectors.

Topping the list with $11.2 billion is London-based steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who holds 88% of Mittal Steel. The company will become the world’s largest manufacturer of steel following their acquisition of rival International Steel.

Other facts of note:

Nineteen created their fortunes from scratch
Eleven made their money in technology
Nine made their fortunes in pharmaceuticals
Forty percent live in Bombay
Two Patels made the list, which means I will spend this weekend digging through the family tree.

Forbes: India’s 40 richest

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Female mechanics beating caste system

Posted on December 10, 2004 by apul

The Washington Post has an encouraging story (Thanks, Deepa) about female mechanics in India that are successfully overcoming caste and gender restrictions:

In taking on such an important role, the female mechanics have challenged feudal notions of gender roles in village society, after centuries of prejudice and discrimination by members of upper castes.

“For a long time people taunted us when we arrived with our tools,” Kabirdas said. “They shooed us away. The upper castes would say, ‘You untouchable women, stay away from our hand pump. What do you know other than making bread and collecting cow dung?’”

But when the women began repairing the broken pumps promptly, they carved themselves an important niche in the hierarchy of the water-scarce village.

The Washington Post: Low-caste Indians carve a niche (free registration required)

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Justice Department distributes tutorials on head coverings

Posted on December 8, 2004 by apul

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released a pair of posters aimed at assisting authorities with properly identifying and searching Muslims and Sikhs.

The posters come from the DOJ’s Initiative to Combat Post-9/11 Discriminatory Backlash, and offer detailed explanations of each religion’s different head coverings. The posters also include seemingly obvious instructions such as “show respect,” and “searches should be done by members of the same sex.” (Can one request searches from the opposite sex, or does that cost extra?)

For the most part, the photos on the Sikh poster are effective in demonstrating a pagri, patka and chunni. But on the Muslim poster, one of the images is sure to generate confusion in the field (photo on the right). We can only pray that former Attorney General John Ashcroft doesn’t completely lose it when graduation ceremonies commence in May.