Half-Brown apprentice Raj earns a spot next to Vikram Chatwal with this NYPost Page Six blurb – New York Post Online Edition: gossip

November 10, 2004 — RECENTLY fired “Apprentice” Raj Bhakta might be better suited for a role on “The Player.” The would-be lothario distinguished himself last week by hitting on Donald Trump’s assistant, Robin Himmel, while he was waiting for the elevator to take him from the building after his dismissal. However, Himmel may be the only one Bhakta struck out with, as three of his fellow castmates have fallen prey to his charms, a source shared — including Stacy Rotner and Jennifer Crisafulli, who have “at least made out” with Bhakta.

SuperJagjit provides his own tribute to Raj here.

The eagerly anticipated show “Nevermind Nirvana” from NBC has gone through some shakeups. Not only has Kal Penn been replaced as the lead, but the show has been re-named “Nearly Nirvana,” and is still hoping to be a midseason replacement on some network. From Zap2it.com:

As any good Hindu knows, Nirvana (or moksha) is something worth fighting for. After all, it’s not everyday that you get to reunite with Brahman and free your soul from the continuous cycle of rebirths. Of course, the possible NBC comedy “Nearly Nirvana” appears to have several more rebirths still to come. After NBC didn’t pick up “Nevermind Nirvana” for the fall season, the show underwent a name change and dropped lead actor Kal Penn (“Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle”). Now, with its fresh title and a new star in place, “Nirvana” is ready to move forward with a second pilot, even if NBC may not be interested anymore.

According to the industry trades, “Nearly Nirvana” writer and producer Ajay Sahgal has stepped in as star, just before the second pilot was ready to shoot with Arj Barker in the lead.

David Schwimmer from Friends is one of the producers of this show about a young Indian American man, his white girlfriend and his traditional parents. I think he is a doctor too, if I remember right. Its too bad it is this difficult to find a market for a show about Indians on television here. I bet its easier in Canada, which is looking more attractive every day.

I only watched a few of the first season’s episodes, and that’s probably why I never noticed that ‘The O.C.’ had a wee bit o’ brown in it.

Navi Rawat, whose father is Indian and mother is German, starred as Theresa, protagonist Ryan’s (Benjamin McKenzie) ex-girlfriend, whom he leaves Marissa (Mischa Barton) for during the season-ending cliff-hanger that 99% of Sepia Mutiny loyalists didn’t give a rodent’s butt about.

You see, Theresa is pregnant, and we don’t know if the baby is Ryan’s, so he’s doing the stand-up thing and leaving a multi-million dollar mansion in Newport Beach behind to go be with his vulnerable ex- during a tough time. The only reason I know this is because I went to the official OC site, and read the episode summary. I’ll bluntly admit that I was part of the 99%. 😉

I normally wouldn’t think that this talented young thespian’s participation in a scalding hot teen soap opera would be Mutiny-worthy, but NYU-alumna Navi has also been on “24” (as Melanie) as well as Angel, The Street Lawyer and Fastlane. Regarding the big screen, she played “Soraya” in the noteworthy celluloid adaptation of “The House of Sand and Fog” , with other bad-ass half-brownie Ben Kingsley.

If you think she looks familiar– but you don’t watch Generation Y’s nowhere near as good version of 90210– you may have spotted her on the USA network’s “Thought Crimes“, a movie that for some reason makes me think of our Abhi. 😉 Navi starred as the troubled, telepathic teen Freya McAllister in the sci-fi/spy project;

Driven mad by the din of numerous voices in her head, she is eventually recruited by the NSA as a psychic sleuth.

Anyway, ‘The OC’s season premier is just days away, on November 4th. While I toy with the notion of watching for Navi, I’m frankly more excited about the musical line-up for season 2; three of my favourite groups, including Modest Mouse, The Killers and The Walkmen are guest starring on the show. Yum. Continue reading →

Julie Ann Titus is no longer in the running for America’s Next Top Model. Has-been/Naomi Campbell-successor Tyra Banks sent our girl packing, ostensibly because Julie didn’t “want it” enough. Whatever.

The October 25 issue of In Touch magazine featured Julie in its “Losers of the Week” column. I painstakingly reproduce the extensive three question interview for SMers here: 😉

What have you been doing since getting kicked off?

I’m going to school, and then I’ll start my fashion business.

Are you glad they didn’t cut your hair short (during the makeover segment)?

I have good hair, why mess it up? Women should have long hair.

Are you over wanting to be a model?

Nope. I still want the world to see my face.

.

Word, JT.

Oh, and despair away boys…here’s a snippet from Julie’s exit chat transcript from the UPN website that may be of interest to you…

Julie: I figured my parents would get over it because they blessed me with good genes. I wouldn’t have problems with a nude shoot but a more conservative family would.

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Julie, we hardly knew ye…or what ye looked like nekkid. 😉

Photos of Naveen Andrews on ABC’s Lost (previous post):

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Attention LA Desi’s – your opportunity to become the next reality TV star is at hand – Reality dating show with a desi twist – The Economic Times

INDIAWEST Champagne-soaked debauchery, fidgeting, uncomfortable good-night kisses, and brazen put-downs – in short, everything we love about TV dating shows – are soon to take on an Indian twist if the creators of a new TV show get their way. “Prem or Not to Prem” bills itself as the first South Asian reality dating show, and they’re looking for contestants in the Los Angeles area to audition this weekend.

Doh! But it appears we Mutineers didn’t get the scoop to our faithful readers quick enough –

Interested singles are invited to audition Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel at Towne Center, at 12725 Center Court Drive, Cerritos, California.

30 Min to decide if you want to pursue the relationship? Why do they need so much time?

if you want real reality TV, you’ve gotta borrow a hindi movie plotline – Gudiya ki shaadi: Indian reality show on TV – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The life of a young woman being ordered to return to her first husband, who had gone missing for five years, despite being pregnant by her second husband is unfolding before millions of Indians. In a story with all ingredients for a maudlin movie, Gudiya, eight months pregnant with her second husband Taufiq, is being forced by family members and community leaders to return to her first husband, Mohammad Arif, a soldier who had been presumed dead. With Arif’s unexpected return after five years as a prisoner of war in Pakistan, Gudiya’s second marriage has been deemed illegal by Islamic clerics quoting the Shariat. Which man should Gudiya choose?

Truely “the most exciting rose ceremony ever.”