Bollywood star Akshay Kumar honored in martial arts

Akshay Kumar, star of CHANDI CHOWK TO CHINA and dozens of other high-profile action movies in India, has been honored by the local martial arts community by receiving a ceremonial katana and six-degree black belt in karate.
“This day has been a longstanding dream. Karate, along with my father, has made me what I am today. Goju Ryu karate has been the longest love of my life,” said Akshay.
Akshay plans to give back to the art that helped him become a Bollywood action icon. “I came into the film industry knowing only martial arts. Now I am doing as much as I can in return,” he said, adding that he intends to open a karate school. “I wanted to start my own school long ago but never got a decent site. I need about three or four acres for the project.”
Akshay is still relatively unknown in the West despite the recent international release of his latest film, CHANDI CHOWK TO CHINA which Sony Pictures released in the U.S. earlier this year.
The handsome 42-year-old star has been a leading action star in India for nearly 20 years, despite broadening into other genres of late. Having entered the industry with previous experience as a karate instructor, he became known for performing his own daring stunts, most notably in the KHILADI film series where he had a reoccurring role as a James Bond-styled action hero.
Akshay has already starred in three other films this year and has at least four on the way including the sci-fi romantic comedy ACTION REPLAY, where he plays an elderly man who travels backwards in time to his younger years in the 1970s

Some more 'Chiggy Wiggy'

Rachana Trivedi, Sampurn Media

Chiggy Wiggy’ along with the curvaceous grooves of Kylie Minogue has become the signature line for the underwater flick Blue. Adding an oomph factor to the song, ‘Chiggy Wiggy’, a meaningless cacophony is setting a new trend of sorts in the Bollywood music circuit.The guru of cacophony, Sanjay Chhel who started the trend tells us the real reason behind such kind of music. “The trend of cacophony has always been in the industry, but has never got its due recognition like the way it is getting today. Those days Urdu was very much in use, but when I started my journey in the industry around the year 2000, words like ‘mohabbat’ and ‘fiza’ were almost worn out, thus I coined some new words,” adds Sanjay.He adds another reason to the vast use of cacophony in music. “Not only it gives a creative high, but also, it attracts audience to the theatre. This could be termed as a part of jingles that we hear in advertisement, but a much more artistic form than ad jingles. It’s a very challenging job,” he quips. “’Do you want a partner’- the song, a montage in the film Partner, was needed to give a high to Govinda, as he was making a comeback. Also, Salman was addressing him as his partner in the film. This had worked in the past and will do wonders in future too.”Giving few more examples the writer/ lyricist explains, “'Emotional atyachar’ was the opening gate for the movie Dev D. The catch phrase is the latest funda to get more and more audience to the theatre and I feel great that people are following it,” he concludes happily.

World’s Largest Outdoor Theatre Returns For Second Run In Dubai

Following last year’s success, SwissOpenAir Cinema returns to Dubai next month with a new line up of Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters for movie goers to enjoy on the world’s largest outdoor screen.SwissOpenAir is a giant - over 4000 square foot - screen rising six stories high and accompanied by a 32 speaker digital surround sound system, which will host regional and world premiers of the latest Hollywood and Bollywood films.For the screen’s second venture into Dubai, organisers have taken into account the popularity of last year’s screening and moved the event to an even larger venue – the Media City Amphitheatre, where it will be accompanied by a food festival serving international cuisine as well as a DJ which will host an after-party.
“We had an overwhelming response from the fans after first coming here last year and we’re still now getting requests asking when we’re going to be back in Dubai,” said Farzin Samadian, CEO of SwissOpenAir Concept. “In response to all that praise we’re going out of our way to make sure this year in Dubai is going to blow all preconceptions away; we’re making this one really special.”
“This is the biggest screen in the world and the atmosphere on the nights - with the music, the food, the lights and of course, the movies - is always special and a lot of people are very excited about this year’s event in Dubai.”
While keeping the list of films to be premiered a close secret for now, Samadian is confident everyone will be pleased.
“Every film on the program this year is either a world or a regional premier; mostly Hollywood blockbusters, but there will be two Bollywood nights, two family nights and a special charity event which will have to remain a mystery for now.”
The screen itself lies unobtrusively across the water or land during daylight hours and at nightfall is hydraulically raised in under five minutes to stand six stores high.
“In only five minutes, our Giant Screen arises from its ‘sleeping’ position ready for the show,” says Dr. Sam Samadian, Chairman of SwissOpenAir Concept. “This is an exciting musical prelude, full of anticipation and an outstanding lighting show, which has been modified and added to this year so it’ll be a nice surprise for everyone who came last year.”
“There’s more to it than just the screening as well, everything adds up to create this experience - a first-class site, the catering we provide before the show, the after-party and DJ, everything works together to make this a special night for everyone involved.”
“The high-quality cuisine, with selected beverages to suit, is so attractive that many guests arrive hours before screening time in order to relish the atmosphere with their friends.”
SwissOpenAir screens were first developed in 1989 as the world’s largest hydraulically erected mobile screens. Despite their enormous size and weight (up to 70 tons), the screens can be dismantled for convenient transport and are constantly on tour around the world playing to movie lovers in cities such as Zurich, Basel, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro and Pusan in South Korea , where over 5000 people turn out for the show every night.
SwissOpenAir Cinema will run every night from November 26 – December 7, with doors opening at 7pm for dinner and drinks, and will run into the night with entertainment following each premier