HRAWI CALLS ON ITS MEMBERS TO SUPPORT DRAUGHT HIT REGIONS IN MARATHWADA

‘No Food Wastage’ Resolution By Hotels On New Year’s Eve

Mumbai: In its on-going efforts to inch-up the status of tourism and hospitality both in terms of service quality and social responsibility, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has resolved a ‘No Food Wastage’ Policy for New Year’s celebrations. The association has requested all its members to maintain a protocol aimed at discouraging patrons from wasting food. Additionally, the association has appealed to its members to pledge whatever amounts they can from the day’s earning for the benefit of the draught hit areas in Marathwada. A letter to this effect has been circulated amongst hotels and restaurants across all its member states in the western region that includes Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Diu-Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The resolution comes in the wake of the increasing number of farmer suicides and the association’s desire of expressing solidarity with the agricultural community of which the hotel industry is a direct beneficiary.

“The New Year season has traditionally been a season of festivities and revelry. But it is also a season of charity, good will and compassion. As hoteliers, while we will ensure that the patrons make merry to their fullest, we will also imbibe the spirit of compassion and charity to their merriment,” says Mr. Bharat Malkani, President, HRAWI & Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI).

Among the precautionary steps that the association has identified to curb food wastage, hoteliers have been requested to highlight the No Food Wastage message in all their New Year Eve offers, place placards at all buffet counters and other appropriate places in their respective premises.

“Farmers are succumbing to nature’s will and starvation in our country. We are keen to help them in whatever way we can. We have proposed to our members to pledge a part of their day’s collection to the draught hit in the Marathwada region,” concludes Mr. Kamlesh Barot, past President, HRAWI.

Meanwhile, the hotel industry will also continue its drive to ensure safety of women patrons and like last year, plans to keep taxis queued for those who may leave in high spirits J

About Hotel & Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI)

The Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) is a 65 years old Association of Hotels and Restaurants in Western India. Its members include smaller Hotels up to 5-Star Deluxe categories. The bulk of its members like any growth economy are made up of budget hotels. With around 1300 members across Western India, HRAWI covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa and the Union Territories of Daman, Diu & Silvassa, and is considered to be the voice of the Hotel Industry. The association is part of the national body of Federation of the Hotels & Restaurants Associations of India (FHRAI), located in New Delhi, which was originally founded in Mumbai in 1950 by the late Mr. J.R.D. Tata.

HRAWI APPEALS FOR A SINGLE WINDOW ON DEADLINE EXTENSION APPROVALS

HRAWI Appeals For A Single Window on Deadline Extension Approvals

Expresses Apprehensions About Hosting Christmas Eve Parties As Some Approvals Are Yet To Come Through

Mumbai: The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has welcomed the state government’s decision to allow hotels and restaurants to operate till 5 am on December 24, 25 and 31. However, it has expressed apprehension about being able to host Christmas Eve programmes as the necessary permissions are yet to be granted by the Police. With only a day to go, hotel owners are in a limbo and unable to make arrangements until the police extend their approval too.

The HRAWI has appealed for blanket approvals on extension of timings on these days by default, as against ad hoc approvals given each year. It also has requested the Government to provide such approvals through a single window rather than from multiple departments like Police, Excise and others.

“Firstly, we wish to express our thanks to the State Government for granting an extension on the deadline. But without all the approvals in place we cannot conceive special programmes for our patrons. This not only affects the city from a business point of view in terms of revenues lost, both to exchequer and the establishments, but also restricts revellers from enjoying the spirit of the season to the fullest,” says Mr. Bharat Malkani, President, HRAWI and Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI).

“Each year hotels face the dilemma of whether or not to proceed with making any special arrangements as we are unsure if all the permissions will come through in time. Even if the permissions do come through, it does no good for us to receive it at the eleventh hour because then we have very little time to make the required arrangements. Hence, we request all departments to expedite the process of giving permissions and extend the permissions through a single window,” adds Mr. Malkani.

Earlier this year the Hon’ble Chief Minister (CM) had announced his commitment to promote tourism and create ease of doing business for the hotel industry in the state. Based on the proposals submitted by HRAWI, the Government in principle resolved to reduction of operating licences from 75 to 25, requiring only 5 forms for obtaining all these licences, abolishment of event licences for pre-designated locations and permission for live performances, among others.

“We are thankful to the Maharashtra state and especially Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for acknowledging some of the more critical issues faced by the hotel industry. However, this particular issue of deadline extension approvals coming at the last minute remains unaddressed. HRAWI has been requesting for a blanket deadline which will do away with the need for issuing notifications every year on these three days. This will not only bring in out-of-state tourists but also bring back the lost lustre of Mumbai, being the country's mega polis. We sincerely hope that the State gives this issue the due consideration and includes this in the ambit of ease of doing business in the state,” concludes Mr. Kamlesh Barot, past President, HRAWI.

About Hotel & Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI)

The Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) is a 65 years old Association of Hotels and Restaurants in Western India. Its members include smaller Hotels up to 5-Star Deluxe categories. The bulk of its members like any growth economy are made up of budget hotels. With around 1300 members across Western India, HRAWI covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa and the Union Territories of Daman, Diu & Silvassa, and is considered to be the voice of the Hotel Industry. The association is part of the national body of Federation of the Hotels & Restaurants Associations of India (FHRAI), located in New Delhi, which was originally founded in Mumbai in 1950 by the late Mr. J.R.D. Tata.

SALMAN STARRERS BAJRANGI BHAIJAN & PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO TOP FEATURED FILMS ACROSS MEDIA

2015: Roundup of Bollywood in Media

Mumbai: Calendar year 2015 (December month not considered) saw Salman Khan starers dominating all three forms of media – print, television and e-media. Bajrangi Bhaijan topped the charts followed by Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Tanu Weds Manu 2 and ABCD 2 in the second, third and fourth spot respectively.

“While Print and TV drove Bajrangi Bhaijan’s visibility among all top movies, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo had a more fluctuating breakout. It topped all movies in the web space and managed to retain the second spot in print, but lagged to the third spot in TV. Tanu Weds Manu 2 ranked third overall, but managed to pip Prem Ratan Dhan Payo to the second spot in Internet visibility,” says Ashutosh, Founder & CEO, Kanalytics, the firm that conducted the research.

Launched as India’s first comprehensive trans media intelligence tool by media honcho Ashutosh and Bollywood singer Kailash Kher, Kanalytics uses a proprietary technology based platform to map the presence of brands across media including print, television and the digital space. It uses algorithms to measure the context they have been presented in and the tone and tenor used to describe them both by the traditional as well as the digital media.

For Bajrangi Bhaijan, Salman Khan grabbed 28.4% of total media attention. Of the total write ups in print media, Salman’s share was 47% against 31% in the e-media. Karishma Kapoor trailed him with a share of 16 and 15% in print and e-media respectively. “Interestingly, child Artist Harshaali grabbed more attention than Nawazuddin. Apart from actor related stories, box office collection based stories drove Bajrangi Bhaijaan visibility. This was followed by music and marketing stories,” says Ashutosh.

“If we were to summarize 2015, Bollywood coverage was single-handedly dominated by Salman Khan. Among movies that did not feature Salman Khan, the lead actresses, in contrast, dominated coverage. In Tanu Weds Manu 2 Kangana Ranaut grabbed 44% media attention against R Madhavan’s 16% and Shraddha Kapoor led with 33% against Varun Dhavan’s 31% in print and TV in ABCD 2. Also interesting to note was that by and large industry coverage was positive. A negligible 1% coverage was devoted to negative or controversial stories, Bajrangi Bhaijan being the only notable exception grabbing some negative buzz. Box office and other cast stories were also key driver for movies in 2015. But here too, Bajarangi Bhaijaan bucked the trend with music related stories getting a fair share of the exposure,” concludes Ashutosh.

About Us:

Kanalytics is the first-of-its-kind, fully integrated Media Analytics firm in India. Using a proprietary technology based platform, it maps the presence of brands across media including print, television and the digital space. It also measures Impact of Media called Brand Medium Impression (BMI), a result of quali and quanti parameters, and ascribes a certain value to each article or clip or a post to aid and measure the overall brand perception.

CMC’S LATEST COLLECTION OF ONYX: TRANSLUCENT DELIGHTS

Stone Décor For Classy Interiors

Mumbai: India’s number 1 stone company, Classic Marble Company (CMC) has announced the

Onyx Fantastico

launch of its latest collection of Onyx from its natural stones range. From fringed to veined and even crystalline patterns, the collection is a set of rare gemstones sourced from various parts of the globe.

Titled Onice Fantastico, Bianco Onyx, Jade Onyx Veined, and Honey Crystal Onyx, each has a distinct design characteristic and can be installed in counter tops, vanity tops, wall highlighters or even bar tables. By the day, the stones exhibit beauty as the surface shimmers with the natural light falling on it and by evening, it could be back-lit for light to pass through its translucent area, creating an illusion of colors and patterns.

Translucent back-lighting is a creative support tool that many designers use to achieve artistic, indoor environments. Because of the stone’s rich variety of colors and patterns and its opaque

Bianco Onyx

characteristic, it allows to be experimented and installed in niche areas or otherwise. With it being intrinsically delicate and its ability to be decked up with lighting, Onyx assumes the place of being a princess of the stone world.

Onyx can be installed on vanities and other non-food service counter tops. Being fragile Onyx must be handled with care and caution during installation. Onyx is a delicate, sensitive gemstone hence cleaning should be done with non-acidic detergents.

For more info, please feel free to contact us on our helpline number 9699000300

Actor-Singer Son, Ruhan Kapoor to Recreate History by Performing at Bar Associations 125th Year Celebrations where His Legendary Father had performed 25 years ago

Mahendra Kapoor Comes Live In Delhi 

It was a name that spelt magic. Mahendra Kapoor was one of the leading playback singers who dominated the Golden Age of Hindi Film music along with Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. His evergreen hits like Chalo ik Baar, Neele Gagan ke Tale, Tum Agar Saath Dene ka, Lakhon Hai Yahan Dilwale and many more still echo in the hearts of music lovers across the globe. Actor Manoj Kumar, on whom a great part of his songs were picturized,is known to have said, “he is the voice of the nation” for his patriotic songs ranging from ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti’ to ‘Mere Rang De Basanti Chola’ and ‘Bharat ka Rehne Wala Hoon’ among others. On stage, dynamic Mahendra Kapoor would win the hearts of thousands of listeners with his rich vibrant voice and dazzling showmanship.

Ruhaan Kapoor & Sidhant Kapoor

On December 18, Mahendra Kapoor will come back to regale the audiences through his son, Actor - Singer Ruhan Mahendra Kapoor at the 125th year celebrations of Delhi Bar Association. “My father had performed 25 years ago for the Delhi Bar Association at their 100^th year celebrations and now, it is a great honour for me to perform for the honourable judiciary of our country. I shall sing some of my father's immortal songs as a humble tribute to him,” says Ruhan Kapoor who has performed live with his father at some of the most iconic venues around the world including the Royal Albert Hall in London (UK), The Centre in Vancouver(Canada) and The Sun City (South Africa) among many others. Blessed by his late legendary father with a 'voce melodiosa’ Ruhan still continues to enthrall audiences at live music concerts. Apart from this, Ruhan has also been getting an amazing response for the singles he recently released online. The last one which was a version of his father's classic 'Bhool Sakta hai Bhala Kaun' has the music lovers raving about his melodious voice and the inherited vocal timbre.

Having recently returned from his live tour, Ruhan shall now perform some gems from Mahendra Kapoor’s hits for senior judiciary members at Tees Hazari grounds, Delhi on the Quasquicentennial year of Delhi Bar Association. Ruhan will be joined by worthy composer son Sidhant, who just returned from London having completed his masters in music composition from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and is the third generation of musicians in the Kapoor family

About SidhantKapoor

Being born in a family traditionally rich in music, Sidhant had the privilege of learning music from his grandfather MahendraKapoor and was in turn inspired to chalk out his own journey in the realm of music. . He was trained by PanditMurliManoharShukla and Jazz exponent Sir Xavier Fernandes. He started composing music at an early age for companies in the UK and in USA. His music was well-received by the BBC, Discovery channel, Animal Planet and others of the ilk. He has also worked with Netherland films, New Zealand films, Norwegian films, Australian films and Polish films.

During his post-graduate studies Sidhant worked on incorporating Hindustani musical elements in his compositions for western instruments, and in his experimental works he wrote graphic scores which can be adapted to the raga chosen by the performer.

His winning composition based on Ansel Adams' photography was praised by Michael Adams (son of Ansel Adams). Among his projects at Trinity Laban was an opera based on an Indian mythological story - Birth of Ganesha, which was extoled by prominent classical composers Dr. Deirdre Gribbin and Dr. Stephen Montague.

About RuhanKapoor

Son of a music legend, RuhanKapoor woke up to the melodious sounds of Indian classical music. At the age of nine, he started learning classical music from PanditTulsidaas Sharma, UstadChoteIqbal, Ustad Anwar Hussain and PanditMurliManoharShukla, who belonged to different Gharanas of Hindustani music.

Later, he released Pop albums, such as IshqRab Ki Dua, Oh My Darling and DilTeraDiwana, among others. A renowned actor and musician, he toured the globe with his father, and performed in countries like USA, UK, Canada, France, South Africa, Mauritius, Suriname, Trinidad, Kuwait, Dubai and Australia. The prestigious venues he performed at include The Royal Albert Hall (UK), Wembley Hall (UK), The Centre (Vancouver), Shrine Auditorium (LA, USA), Sun City Auditorium (South Africa), Emirates Auditorium (Dubai) and PalaisGarnier (Paris, France). Also a Bollywood star of the eighties, he featured as the lead in Yash Chopras Faasle, Govinda’s debut film Love 86 and Imandar among others. Recently, Ruhan has been getting amazing response for his singles that he released online. 

PIZZAAH! – INDIA’S 1ST WOOD ‘FIRED’N’SMOKED’ GOURMET PIZZA DELIVERY CHAIN LAUNCHED IN MUMBAI

Gourmet Pizzas At Street Prices

Mumbai: Pizza lovers in Mumbai can now have their pizza the way it was meant to be had. With the launch of PizzAah! – Mumbai’s latest pizza chain, not only can diners satiate their taste buds in wood-fired and smoked flavours but also, can have them delivered at their doorstep.

“Wood ‘Fired’N’Smoked’ pizzas are usually not home delivered as they get soggy very fast. We developed a state of the art oven and custom tweaked it to create authentic wood fired and smoked flavour. A distinctive formula of ingredients, along with a specially developed high heat cooking process, was conceived to ensure that pizzas don’t get soggy even as it retained its aroma, flavour and gourmet taste,” says Mr. Dipesh Dutt Sharma, CEO & Founder, PizzAah!

PizzAah! has been soft launched at Café Lager in Bandra for dine-in as well as delivery. This will be followed by the launch of the company’s first dark kitchen in Andheri by the end of the month, and ten retail outlets by the end of June.

Crunch Veg Thin Crust PizzAaah!

Offered in a spread of four distinguished Italian preparation styles including traditional, classic, contemporary and international, they come in standard sizes of 9 inch and 12 inch with thin or regular crusts. The toppings can be customised as per one’s gastronomic cravings. Keeping in mind the growing health consciousness of the city PizzAah! plans to soon offer whole wheat and gluten free options. The bases are made of preservative-less dough with high quality sauces and cheese and carefully sourced vegetables and meat.

“It is a combination of gourmet taste served at street prices and propelled by a process driven approach. PizzAah! are priced 20% to 35% lower than most pizza chains and will come with a variety of offers. This Christmas season it will literally rain PizzAah!,” concludes Mr. Sharma. 

NOW SAVOR THE JAPANESE TREE HOUSE CHALET EXPERIENCE

New Year’s Eve At Rumourss Sky Villa, Lonavala

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow;

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Alfred Tennyson

Mumbai: New Year’s Eve is a momentous occasion for a Mumbaikar. No city in India celebrates the festival with as much verve and vigor as Mumbai. Every resident is on the lookout to usher in the New Year with as much exuberance and uniqueness as possible. For most, this day is the epitome of an entire year.

This New Year’s Eve, eight lucky families (or a group of two to four pax) will be able to enjoy the Japanese Tree House Chalet experience for the first time in India. Rumourss Sky Villa, India’s first resort built on the lines of Japanese Tree House Chalets, has laid out a fun filled evening that includes unlimited dinner and a pool party under the stars for its patrons at very attractive rates.

“Our focus is on creating an experience rather than a New Year event. We encourage our guests to check in at noon and experience our hospitality till check out time the next day. Most parties held in Mumbai are claustrophobic in a manner of speaking. When you go to a dinner, discotheque or a pub, you are surrounded by walls on four sides and roof over the head. At our resort, we will be offering a surreal experience under the stars, alongside a party lit swimming pool, in the lap of nature. Located on the foothills of a mountain with a magnificent lake on the other side, Rumourss is set on one of the most picturesque locations of Lonavala,” says Mr. Devang Badiani, Managing Director, Rumourss Sky Villa & Resort Pvt. Ltd.

The New Year rentals at the resort are priced at Rs.33,024/- for the Sky Villas and Rs.30,656/- for the Earth Villas with early bird booking discount of 10 per cent. This includes accommodation for two to four pax in each villa, a gala dinner with starters and drinks, next day breakfast, free Wi-Fi and taxes. With a usable area of 400 sq. ft., each villa comes with a spacious balcony, a cozy attic with double mattress, 50 inch LED television, room service and many other standard and exclusive amenities.

“One of our most important highlights is privacy and exclusive service. In the entire resort covering an area of one acre, we have constructed only eight villas. Four of them are sky villas and four are earth villas. This enables us to provide quality service to each of our guests,” adds Mr. Badiani. “Another big differentiator is that we are a pet friendly resort. This New Year our patrons will be able to party with their pets as we not only permit the entry of pets, but encourage our guests to holiday with them.”

“One thing we can promise with absolute certainty is that 2016 New Year’s Eve will be one of the most unique and comprehensive experiences savored by our patrons. Since this is a one of its kind property in India and a mere two hour drive from Mumbai and Pune, the resort has been receiving pre bookings ever since its launch, earlier this year. We have priced it economically to generate goodwill and customer loyalty,” concludes Mr. Badiani.

VEKA INDIA INTRODUCES WINDOW & DOOR PROFILES FOR SOUNDPROOFING

VEKA India Introduces Window & Door Profiles For Soundproofing

Mumbai: VEKA India, a subsidiary of VEKA AG – the world’s second largest manufacturers of windows and doors systems has introduced window profiles that could accommodate glass with thickness of 40 mm. A first-of-a-kind in the Indian scenario, the profiles will efficiently cut noise levels for residences and commercial spaces in the cities. A glass of 40 mm thickness offers the ideal solution for high performance acoustics however there were no suitable profiles available to accommodate glass of such thickness, until now. VEKA India has built these profiles specifically for the Indian market and will be available across all major cities in the country.

Pollution, both noise and dust, being the bigger issues in the metros VEKA India’s uPVC profiles address and provide effective solutions for living spaces. The main USP of uPVC material or windows is the welded corners, the high insulating properties and excellent weather-ability. These characteristics coupled with the possibility of installing glass with thickness of up to 40 mm can reduce external noise by 42 to 47 decibels (dB) and can almost completely eliminate the ingress of dust or even water. The profiles have excellent sound insulating properties and can be equipped with special glazing and could be made more effective by using counter sash or box-type windows. VEKA profiles are suitable for all sound insulation classes.

About VEKA India: In India, the company started operations in Gurgaon – Delhi NCR a decade ago. Today, VEKA India is vendor to some of the leading companies and has provided uPVC window and door systems to India’s premier and well-designed homes and offices. Its 20,000 sq. ft. facility in Navi Mumbai houses a state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution set up, a fabrication training workshop and a Window Testing rig along with an application centre. VEKA India, as a part of the worldwide VEKA Group, remains a wholly family-owned business, just as it has always been since its foundation in 1967.

BECIL ENTERS INTO A FIRST OF ITS KIND TIE UP WITH MUMBAI BASED MEDIA INTELLIGENCE & ANALYTICS FIRM, KANALYTICS

BECIL Enters Into A First Of Its Kind Tie Up With Mumbai Based Media Intelligence & Analytics Firm, Kanalytics

Mumbai: Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL), a Mini Ratna PSU under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has entered into a first of its kind tie up with media intelligence and analysis firm, Kanalytics. Through this agreement, the two companies will jointly offer media intelligence, tracking and analytics services to corporates and the government alike.

Launched as India’s first comprehensive trans media intelligence tool in 2015 by media honcho Ashutosh and Bollywood singer Kailash Kher, Kanalytics is a comprehensive brand intelligence tool that allows companies to monitor, analyze and measure their presence in the Earned Media domain.

“Kanalytics has developed a proprietary technology based platform to map the presence of brands across media including print, television and the digital space and offers daily Tracking and Analytics like none else. We use algorithms to measure the context they have been presented in and the tone and tenor used to describe them both by the traditional media as well as the digital media. The method we have developed is a first of its kind in India,” says Ashutosh, Founder & CEO, Kanalytics.

The key result of this is the measure of Impact of Media called Brand Medium Impression (BMI), a result of quali and quanti parameters, and ascribes a certain value to each article or clip or a post and helps measure Return On Investment (ROI) on marketing and communication initiatives. Subsequently, the web and mobile delivery models serve well for the decision maker.

“The platform developed by Kanalytics enables our customers to set communication targets and be the one stop shop media strategy tool for the industry one operates in. For ease in decision making Kanalytics has dossiers on industry leaders, brands, journalists, publications, electronic channels, social media platforms among others. This, in turn, enables fully-informed, swift and efficient, forward-thinking decision making possible,” adds Ashutosh who has headed multiple media formats in the past including Reliance Broadcasting, Silicon India, Zee Network channels and the movie channel FILMY.

The tie up between Kanalytics and BECIL is expected to enable the latter to increase its bevy of value added services and further enhance its value proposition.

About Us:

Kanalytics is the first-of-its-kind, fully integrated Media Analytics firm in India, offering media analytics based solutions for the decision maker, across industries. Some of the top brands across Bollywood, Agro Chemicals, Construction, Retail, Finance, Private Equity, Insurance and Local Governments have partnered with Kanalytics. Be it advertising or media agencies, individuals working in the field of entertainment, celebrities, event co-ordination companies, government agencies, industry representatives or PR agencies, Kanalytics customizes its solutions to fit every need.

KIDS JUDGE CHILDREN’S FILMS AT THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL CHINH INDIA KIDS FILM FESTIVAL

Kids Judge Children’s Films At The 9^th International CHINH India Kids Film Festival

Child actors share their experiences with kids at the CIKFF

Mumbai: A star studded jury comprising of child actors Sparsh Khanchandani, Saloni Daini, Rakshit and Lakshya Wahi among others judged over 45 films from seven countries at the grand finale of the 9^th International CHINH India Kids Film Festival (CIKFF) today at Bhaidas Auditorium, Mumbai. Actor Sandeep Kulkarni, who played the lead role in the hit Marathi movie - Dombivali Fast was also present to encourage and applaud the kids. One of the most acclaimed children film festivals of the world, CIKFF is accessed by over 2 million students from 1500 schools across India.

Awards for 9^th International CHINH India Kids Film Festival 2015 in pre-school category that won CHINH Gold was ‘The Visitors’ from Australia. In the early education category, winner of CHINH Gold was the film ‘Çhalk’ from India. In the teen category winner of CHINH Gold was the film ‘The Bounce’ from the United Kingdom and in the animation category, winner of CHINH Gold was the film ‘Playground’ from Netherland.

Child actors & Sandeep Kulkarni while congratulating the
winners at the 9th International CIKFF

The highlight of CIKFF is that this is the only film festival in the world whose jury is comprised exclusively of children below the age of 15. The winners announced today in the ‘Kids For Kids’ category included ‘Nature’s Call’ from Coimbatore that won the CHINH Gold and the runner ups were ‘Dark’ again from Coimbatore which won CHINH Silver and ‘Apparent Unseen’ from Delhi bagged the CHINH bronze.

“The thought process of children is different from that of adults, so are their interests, attention span and emotions. What is entertaining for kids is often tiring for adults. So, the practice of adults judging children’s films are intrinsically flawed,” says Meenakshi Vinay Rai, founder of CHINH and the brain behind the festival. “If anyone are equipped to judge children’s films, it is the kids themselves.”

The 9^th edition of CIKFF, presented by Arya Global, has ‘Hope’ as the central theme. The fest comprised of screening films, media literacy workshops, case studies and special forums. “While all the activities are exclusively centered around kids, for this edition we also introduced special forums like Forum on Innovation in Media Literacy for Principals and Forum on Media Literacy in Education for Educators,” says Bharat Malik, Chairman, Arya Global.

Another crucial feature of CIKFF is that it is perhaps the only forum in the world where not only films are made ‘for the children’ but also ‘by the children’. “While we screen films by top children’s film makers, we also have films made by the kids themselves. This demystifies the media to them and cultivates an interest in filmmaking. For the past eight years, children from across India have participated in making child issue based and special films and some of these films have been surprisingly clever. One should never underestimate the imagination of children,” adds Meenakshi Rai.

 

“When we started the fest nine years ago, programmes for children were not very popular in India, but in the last few years there has been a dramatic change. Popularity of Indian toon characters like Chhota Bheem, Mighty Raju and Motu Patlu, and shows like Pakdam Pakdai have created a new interest for the genre. In such a background, fests like CIKFF will play a big role by not only promoting new talent but also cultivating taste for cinema among the kids,” concludes Rai.

THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL CHINH INDIA KIDS FILM FESTIVAL TO KICK OFF IN MUMBAI ON NOV 28

It’s A Kid’s World

One of the world’s most acclaimed film festivals for kids, the 9^th International CHINH India Kids Film Festival (CIKFF) will kick off in Mumbai on Nov 28.  Screening over forty five children’s films from over seven countries, the fest is expected to create access to over 2 million students from 1500 schools. The films will be hosted at the Somaiya School, Ghatkopar on 28^th Nov and at the Bhaidas Hall, Vile Parle on 30^th Nov, 2015.

The highlight of CIKFF is that this is the only film festival in the world whose jury is comprised exclusively of children below the age of 15. “The thought process of children is different from that of adults, so are their interests, attention span and emotions. What is entertaining for kids often tire adults. So, the practice of adults judging children’s films are intrinsically flawed,” says Meenakshi Vinay Rai, founder of CHINH and the brain behind the festival. “If anyone are equipped to judge children’s films, it is the kids themselves.”

The 9^th edition of CIKFF, presented by Arya Global, has ‘hope’ as the central theme. The fest will comprise of screening of films, media literacy workshops, case studies and special forums. “While all the activities are exclusively centered around kids, we also decided to introduce special forums like Forum on Innovation in Media Literacy for Principals and Forum on Media Literacy in Education for Educators,” says Bharat Malik, Chairman, Arya Global

Another crucial feature of CIKFF is that this is perhaps the only forum in the world where not only films are made ‘for the children’ but also ‘by the children’. “While we screen films by top children’s film makers, we also have films made by the kids themselves. This demystifies the media to them and cultivates an interest in film-making. For the past eight years, children from across India have participated in making child issue based and special films. And some of these films have been surprisingly clever. One should never underestimate the imagination of children,” adds Meenakshi Rai.

“When we started the fest nine years back, programmes for children were not very popular in India, but in the last few years there has been a dramatic change. Popularity of Indian toon characters like Chhota Bheem, Mighty Raju and Motu Patlu, and shows like Pakdam Pakdai have created a new interest for the genre. In such a background, fests like CIKFF will play a big role by not only promoting new talent but also cultivating taste for cinema among the kids,” concludes Rai.

VERSATILE ACTOR DALIP TAHIL MARKS HIS DEBUT IN A MYTHOLOGICAL SERIAL; PLAYS RAJA DASHRATH IN ‘SIYA KE RAM’

Versatile Actor Dalip Tahil Marks His Debut In A Mythological Serial; Plays Raja Dashrath In ‘Siya Ke Ram’

Mumbai: Versatile actor Dalip Tahil has marked his debut in a mythological serial by playing Raja Dashrath in the magnum opus “Siya Ke Ram”. The historical television drama will chronicle the journey of Ram and Sita as seen from the eyes of the latter, unlike the other version that has portrayed the journey only from Ram’s perspective. The series will also highlight the significance of the three queens of Raja Dashrath and their eventual roles in Lord Ram going into exile for 14 years.

“To play the part of Raja Dashrath and being part of the team of ‘Siya Ke Ram’ has been an absolute

privilege. The mythic series, based on Ramayana is way different than the previous version we may have seen on TV two decades ago. The series concentrates and showcases Sita’s saga rather than Ram’s. Not just Sita but also my three wives’ roles, especially Sumitra’s, have been accentuated and will come as a surprise to the audiences,” says Dalip Tahil.

Siya Ke Ram will be aired at 8pm, 16 November onwards.

“This is perhaps one of the few costume dramas that I have enjoyed thoroughly. Many new characters have been introduced in the show and the mythology which has been a rough diamond has been buffed and polished to perfection. I am positive that audiences will enjoy watching the series and am as much hopeful that they will appreciate my role in it,” concludes Mr. Tahil.

About Dalip Tahil: An Indian film, television and theatre actor Dalip Tahil did his schooling from the elite Sherwood College in Nainital, India. During his senior years at school, he won the prestigious 'Kendall Cup' for the best actor two years in succession. He was declared the best actor for a record third Time in 1969, his final year at Sherwood College. After moving along with his Family to Mumbai in 1968, Dalip Tahil joined the Theatre Group Bombay, and trained under Alyque & Pearl Padamsee. During one of the plays, film Director Shyam Benegal noticed him and offered him his first ever role in the film Ankur. Since then, he has played principal character roles, demonstrating his versatility and unique talent in over 100 Bollywood films.

CMC INTRODUCES ‘STEEL COLLECTION’ FROM ITS TECHLAM RANGE

Never Seen Before Digital Designs In Porcelain Tiles, Now In India

Mumbai: India’s number 1 stone company, Classic Marble Company (CMC) has announced the launch of a new collection of porcelain tiles from its TECHLAM range. The imported range of tiles has been aptly christened the ‘Steel Collection’ because of its metallic look and finish. The Steel Collection has three varieties viz. Corten, Dark and White, which are specially designed to give buildings ‘and large projects’ exterior facades a touch of distinction. Although, these tiles have already made their mark in most of Europe, it will be the first of its kind in India, introduced by CMC.

Steel Corten

The TECHLAM range of tiles that are popular for their slim dimensions will be a feature of the Steel Collection also and will be available in a wide variety of formats ranging from 1x3 m to 30x50 cm pieces, weighing 7.1 kg/m2.

“These characteristics mean that this product can provide unique solutions for all kinds of applications in the fields of architecture and interior design. The Steel Collection is perhaps the most unique collection of porcelain tiles available in the market today. Also with continuous improvements and outstanding research and development,

Steel Dark

in combination with the sector’s newest digital technology the Steel Collection has been created to satisfy the needs of an increasingly competitive market. This new printing technique will allow producing tailored orders for design requirements that need to meet exact specifications including corporate colours for companies and large hotel chains, retail projects, contract-based orders and artistic creations among others,” says Mr. Vikas Kesarkar, Vice president – Marketing, CMC.

The brown product, Steel Corten is inspired by copper and resembles weathered and rusted look of

Steel White

the metal. Inspired by steel, Steel White is sober and lighter in colour. Steel Dark has an attractive aged iron look and is perfect for spaces that evoke or display antique metal work. The Steel Collection closely resembles aged steel and gives an artistic look to a space. The designs use cutting-edge technology that provides the best digital printing resolution in the market, 400 dpi, as well as wide chromatic variety. Design and technology are united in this innovative collection with which the company is leaping into the digital era.

"The newly launched porcelain tiles have exclusiveness and elegance with high aesthetic qualities to match with all types of surfaces. We are positive that the market including architects and interior designers will find a unique element of design through our latest offering," concludes Mr. Kesarkar.

About Classic Marble Company: A pioneer in the imported marble industry, Classic Marble Company (CMC) since its inception in 1994 has grown to become the number 1 stone company in India. Over 700 of the company’s product offerings are manufactured at its state-of-the-art plant spread over 5,00,000 sq. m. of land and distributed through exclusive showrooms and several distributor and dealer network in India and overseas. CMC’s factory at Silvassa is an ocean of opulence exhibiting 30,000 metric tons of raw blocks, with a production capacity 75,000 sq. ft. of marble and granite and the expertise to execute turnkey projects.