MTV Brings a Beatbox Rendition of A.R. Rehman's "Maa Tujhe Salaam", this Independence Day

For the last two decades and more, this iconic song has been instrumental in instilling a sense of patriotic pride and national unity amongst millions. Even after garnering a Guiness World Records for being the song performed in the most number of languages, the legendary A.R. Rahman’s Maa Tujhe Salaam doesn’t cease to amuse us and infuse a plethora of emotions. As we step into the 74th year of India’s Independence, India’s No. 1 Youth Brand, MTV aims to scale up the celebrations with a musical innovation. In partnership with BBXINDIA, MTV is all set to launch a recreated version of A.R. Rahman’s iconic track Maa Tujhe Salaam, with a beatbox version.

This heartfelt rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam, purely created with human mouth and vocal chords (vocal flute, Konakkol, and Beatbox only) for the first time ever, is a modern day tribute to the resilience of our nation on 15th August. Through this offering, the channel brings MTV Beatbox Hustle, an innovative extension to its flagship property, MTV Hustle- India’s first rap reality show. With this collaboration with BBXINDIA, an organization that has pioneered the culture of beatboxing in India, MTV brings a platform for all budding talents to showcase their expertise, create awareness about the subculture and give it a push that it rightly deserves.

This unique track owes its newness to three of the most talented beatboxers in India. Raka Vee, a Chennai-based beatboxer and founder of BBXINDIA, who with his decade-long expertise, has over 100 live shows worldwide to his credit. Ajinkya, a self-trained mouth musician from Mumbai who recreates the wind flute using his vocal cords only; Shivaraj Natraj, a well-trained Carnatic vocalist and Mridangam artist from Bangalore, also known as the Konnakol beatboxer who combines the oldest vocal percussion (Konnakol) with modern age beatboxing and brings the true mix of Indian beatbox flavor. 

This partnership would also entail a series of LIVE sessions with the founder of BBXINDIA, Raka Vee, who will be interviewing talented artists from the Beatbox community for 4 weeks from MTV Hustle’s Instagram page.

So, this Independence Day, rejoice in the spirit of freedom with a vibrant beatbox rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam, only with MTV India.

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/mtvindia/posts/10158326873070102

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MTVIndia/status/1294178070518099968

“Main gaya jahan bhi, bas teri yaad thi

Jo mere saath thi, mujhko tadpa thi rulati

Sab se pyaari, teri soorat

Pyaar hai bas tera, pyaar hi

Maa tujhe salaam” 

Dalmia Bharat Group Pays a Musical Tribute to Covid Warriors with Kailash Kher & Ricky Kej

 

* Jazbaa – e – Bharat, an online concert on 14th August, dedicated to celebrate the undying spirit of our Covid warriors

In its endeavor to celebrate the courage, commitment and unfathomable spirit of our Covid warriors, Dalmia Bharat Group is organizing Jazbaa-e-Bharat – an online musical extravaganza featuring Padma Shri. Kailash Kher and Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej, on 14th August, 2020 at 6:15 pm.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Mahendra Singhi, MD and CEO, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd. said, “We are honoured to have Padma Shri Kailash Kher and Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej at Jazbaa – e – Bharat, a musical concert aimed at honouring our nation’s resilience in the fight against this pandemic.

Words fall short in describing the unwavering dedication of our COVID warriors. Their commitment is inspiring and we salute their tireless efforts and undying spirit. We also take this opportunity to celebrate our global commitment towards sustainability and our operational performance.”

Padma Shri, Kailash Kher said “In the last few months, the world has adopted new ways of living and thinking. There has been a significant change in our priorities which we now call the ‘New Normal’. Individuals and corporates have come together to shoulder responsibility and help each other during these testing times. One such organisation is Dalmia Bharat Group that has worked continuously during this pandemic to support the citizens of our country. Through this musical salutation named after our frontline warriors called Jazbaa- e -Bharat, we aim to give a tribute to those unsung heroes who are fighting the pandemic across the country.”

Commenting on Jazbaa – e - Bharat, Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of this virtual musical concert organized by Dalmia Bharat Group. Their vision for a sustainable future is in sync with my beliefs about the environment. Together, we believe that we owe it to our children to leave behind a better planet than what we inherited. I have always believed in the healing power of rhythms to bring solace, motivation and guidance for people towards a greater good. Music has the power to inspire us to be sustainably conscious and live in harmony with nature.“

Jazbaa-e -Bharat will be a musical extravaganza in its truest sense as it will also host the evergreen Shri. Udit Narayan whose soulful voice rings of nostalgia. He will be joined by his son Aditya Narayan who started his musical career at a very young age and managed to win the hearts of everyone. They will be accompanied by the prominent multi-lingual singer, Benny Dayal who has always managed to make the audience groove to his lively tunes and the ever melodious Jonita Gandhi who has become an instant favorite of her audience in a short span of time.

The link to this musical salutation of our Covid warriors will be available on all social media platforms. Click on the link: https://www.dblconcert.com/ to join the event.

About Dalmia Bharat Group

Dalmia Bharat Group (www.dalmiabharat.com) is a leading Indian conglomerate with a strong presence in Cement, Sugar and Refractories. The Group has a turnover of over 12,000 crore. Dalmia Bharat commenced operations in 1939 and has played a defining role in India's manufacturing sector. The group has significant market presence in each of its sectors of operation. Its cement business has grown exponentially since 2006 in terms of capacity and production and the company is a leader in the specialty cements space. Dalmia Cement is the only cement company in the world to have the lowest carbon footprint.  In sugar, the group is a prominent generic player catering to most of the leading businesses in India. The Group also caters to an enduring and growing customer base in the refractories business and has forayed into sustainable power/energy.

Sona Mohapatra’s to Release “Raat Ke Musaafir” Music Video on Independence Day 2020

 

Music Video

* Ultra Media & Entertainment to release “Raat Ke Musaafir” music video featuring Sona Mohapatra on Independence Day 2020

* Music video showcases struggles that women face when they dare to dream, especially in the context of safe spaces

* Sona Mohapatra’s new single highlights the need for solidarity when creating safe spaces for women in every sphere, including music

Ultra Media & Entertainment presents music video “Raat Ke Musaafir” featuring vocals by Sona Mohapatra. The song is an ode to the struggles that Indian women face when they dare to dream in the context of safe spaces whenever they work or travel at night. The music video will release on Independence Day 2020 on Ultra Bollywood You Tube Channel and later on Gaana,Spotify,Saavn itunes and other leading platforms.

 The music video produced by Kumar Bharti, and directed by Dehradun-based film maker, Ajay Govind, raises the issue of women’s safety at night in Indian cities. Accomplished artiste Sona Mohapatra, who has raised several women-centric issues, lends her powerful voice to highlight the problems working women face when travelling at night and sheds light on the power of female solidarity in building safe spaces for women in every sphere of life.

 “Raat Ke Musaafir” features actors Sakshi Hasija, who plays a female cab driver aspiring to become a civil servant, and Anupama Sunehria, a young hockey player. Sakshi’s character’s strong maturity and the vibrant energy of Sakshi’s character become the crux of the music video. To add an authentic touch, the producers invited a hockey coach, Sonal Shah, to train Anupama on set. The video has been shot in Dehradun.

 The powerful concept, developed by scriptwriter, Remya Sasindran, delves into the barriers that women face when they have to be out at night to achieve their dreams and how women continue to support each other to make the world a safer place.

The song featured in the video is composed by Nitin Krishna Menon, who last composed music for a short film ‘Missing’ directed by actor Vipin Sharma, which was selected for screening at NYIFF 2020.

 Rajat Agrawal of Ultra Media & Entertainment, says, “We are extremely happy to acquire the rights of the music video ‘Raat Ke Musaafir’, which highlights womens' safety issues on the eve of Indian Independence Day. We partnered with the producers because the creative energy of the entire team was infectious and the final output will definitely empower female viewers and raise awareness. Iconic Sona Mohapatra adds to the overall impact in her inimitable voice. We at Ultra intend to start and felicitate #RaatKeMusaafir safety drive for women working at night.”

 Iconic artiste Sona Mohapatra said, "Raat ke Musaafir immediately struck a chord with me. The narrative, both visually & in song was about women's right to public spaces, be it night or day and their right to be able to dream freely & make those dreams come true! There could be no better spirit to celebrate this Independence Day & one that has come right in the middle of a scary pandemic & health scare where it has become even more evident that in order for humankind to get through to the other side, all genders need to work together, with mutual respect, in harmony because there is a much bigger force at play that no one can control. This harmony can be brought about only if we free women from their shackles." Sona added, "This song has strong electric guitars & is a rock ballad. Unconventional in India since such ‘rockstar’ status is reserved for the men folk more often than not & this too breaks barriers subconsciously & overtly! I enjoyed singing this song straight from the heart because it tells a story without preaching or patronising anyone. Women have been trained to speak softly & are expected to sing like a high pitched bird in a sweet voice only & also be a damsel in distress. This is 2020. Those days are over." 

 “We decided to release the song on Independence Day because freedom is a core theme that runs in the song. Eventually the song is a take on everyone's freedom to be themselves and find others in that journey who will support you,” added Ajay Govind lyricist and director of the music video.

 About Ultra Media & Entertainment Group: Apart from producing 16 feature films, various TV programs and on-going content for IPTV, VOD, Internet, Mobile and more, Ultra Media & Entertainment (ULTRA) is one of the leading film acquisition and distribution companies in the Indian entertainment industry. With over 2000 titles across various languages, ULTRA offers movie licensing services, acquires TV rights, audio rights, VOD rights etc. of content belonging to a wide array of genres and formats. Its library of rich and varied content is sought after in the U.K, Middle East, the U.S, Africa, Asia, etc. Not just that, its post-production studio has been a part of some world-class film preservation and archival projects.

An Evening with Living Legend Pt Birju Maharaj and his Romance with Kathak Dance

Prabha Khaitan Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to the socio-cultural welfare and humanitarian cause has through a virtual session of their initiative Ek Mulakat in association with SWAR brought together Kathak maestro Pt Birju Maharaj and his disciple Vidushi Saswati Sen in conversation with the maestro’s granddaughter Shinjini Kulkarni  who is also a kathak dancer to take the audience on an enchanting journey of his life, art and work. The Prabha Khaitan Foundation is devoted towards the promotion of performing arts, culture and literature, and collaborates with caregivers, committed individuals and like-minded institutions to implement cultural, educational, literary and social welfare projects in India. Ek Mulakat provides a platform to eminent personalities from the various segments of the society to share their stories.

Speaking on the virtual session, Ms Manisha Jain, Communications & Branding Chief, Prabha Khaitan Foundation, added, “Prabha Khaitan Foundation has always been an advocate of art, culture and literature.  With the lockdown keeping us all at home, we have endeavoured to bring together the greatest minds from across the country through our virtual sessions, to keep our fellow countrymen inspired during these difficult times. We hope that Pt Birju Maharaj ji’s life and his body of work encourage all our viewers. Be it physically or virtually, Prabha Khaitan Foundation is committed to engage communities in promoting culture and knowledge.”

Pt Birju Maharaj requires no introduction. His legacy precedes him. Not only in India, the legend is known for his art across continents. Among the numerous other awards such as Kalidas Samman, Yash Bharati and Andhra Ratna, the renowned dancer has been the youngest recipient of Padma Vibhushan Award in dance in 1984. His mastery lies not only in Kathak, but he’s also a vocalist, percussionist, musician, poet, composer, choreographer and painter. Vidushi Saswati Sen is probably the most renowned of Pandit ji’s disciples. She stands tall among her contemporaries in the way she has embellished Kathak by integrating the sacredness of a tradition with the creativeness of a contemporary approach. Vidushi Saswati Sen today is regarded as an artist with immense versatility and talent and one of the best exponents of the famed Lucknow gharana. Shinjini Kulkarni, granddaughter and disciple of the icon has followed in his footsteps and is an accomplished Kathak dancer in her own accord.

Throughout the hour-long engaging session, the maestro reminisced events and episodes from his life that have left a mark on his mind. He spoke on his lifelong love affair with kathak. From thumris to tihaai to bols – the maestro left the audience mesmerized and shared several anecdotes from his various choreographies and performances. Vidushi Saswati Sen also iterated many instances and stories with Maharaj ji from her 50-year-old association with him. Shinjini Kulkarni also spoke of many fond memories from her childhood.

Speaking on his Lucknow connect, Pt Birju Maharaj said, “I still pray that I get to go to Lucknow and work with the people there. Everything about Lucknow is engraved in my brain like an image.”

On his inception of his ideas, he added, “I always like to discuss my ideas with my closest confidants because exchange of ideas is important.” On the art of dancing, he stated, “Dance is beyond gender and age. There is no age limit to when one can start learning if you have the art in yourself. It is not a male or female dominated profession it is about honing your art and surrendering yourself to your guru ji.”

Vidushi Saswati Sen, added, “Maharaj ji is a perfectionist and he expects perfection from his students. However, he always gives his students creative liberty and encourages their strengths. He lets them hone their talent. Maharaj ji never discourages anyone from going out of the box. There are so many things that he has introduced to kathak that was not there in the form before and now it is performed and practiced globally.”

Shinjini Kulkarni, added, “My grandfather is extremely open, and war hearted. He makes everyone feel so comfortable that it is almost impossible to have a formal conversation with him. He has been representing Indian classical dancing in different countries when not many Indian artistes performed abroad. I would like to thank Prabha Khaitan Foundation to allow me to have such a splendid conversation with my grandfather.”

The Foundation’s vision to promote and recognise talent from different walks of life has led them to arrange immaculately curated literary sessions in about 30 cities across the country. Encouraged by the response in India, the Foundation has also forayed into the global arena with a bouquet of sessions. They have hosted some of the greatest stalwarts from the world of words, even as they are focused on creating a platform for aspiring talent. Each session carried a different flavour and spread a different essence. Previously, an array of distinguished and influential personalities has been a part of Ek Mulakat sessions such as Dr Shashi Tharoor, Javed Akhtar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Dr Sonal Mansingh, Dia Mirza, Usha Uthup, Nandita Das, Baroness Sandip Verma, Bittu Sahgal, Sudarshan Pattanaik and many more. Now Prabha Khaitan Foundation has taken this initiative to the virtual platform owing to the pandemic starting with Shri Kailash Satyarthi.

About Prabha Khaitan Foundation: 

Prabha Khaitan Foundation is dedicated to the socio-cultural welfare and humanitarian cause. It is a non-profit trust founded by Late Dr. Prabha Khaitan. Based in Kolkata, the Foundation promotes performing arts, culture and literature, and collaborates with caregivers, committed individuals and like-minded institutions to implement cultural, educational, literary and social welfare projects in India. The Foundation supports the UNESCO view that cultural development has the potential to be an alternative way of promoting sustainable development in poor rural communities, especially in the third-world countries. Based in Kolkata, for them culture stands for language, music, literature, visual arts, dance, drama, oral traditions, and traditional practices. The objective of the foundation is to create an enabling structure and promote networking so that communities engage with each other to work towards building positive self-esteem, inspire creativity and pro- mote culture and knowledge.

TECNO Forays into the True Wireless Space with Hipods H2, Aims to Create a TECNO Connected Device Ecosystem

Foray Into Wireless

* Hipods H2 offers a true wireless audio experience with stereo sound effect, environment noise cancelling technology, smart touch controls and 24 hours of non-stop music

* Priced aggressively at Rs. 1,999, Hipods H2 will be available for sale on Amazon from July 27 (12 noon) and at TECNO’s offline retail network of 35,000+ outlets across PAN India

TECNO, the global premium smartphone brand, expands its footprint into the truly wireless and innovative audio devices space with the launch of its next-gen Hipods H2 Bluetooth earbuds. The brand, which is synonymous with ‘industry-first’ smartphone devices in the affordable segment, promises to offer a true wireless consumer experience with its new audio device that, priced aggressively at Rs 1,999, will also supplement the smartphone experience for its category consumers.

The Hipods H2 offers stereo sound effect augmented by Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) technology to provide a wholesome listening experience. H2 can run for 6 hours on single charge, and up to 24 hours when used with its portable charging case. With a mere 15-minute of charging, H2 can play for 2 hours. The earbuds are also equipped with Environment Noise Cancellation (ENC) technology that can effectively reduce ambient sound to provide crisper audio and allows clear voice calling. The device is also equipped with smart touch controls, IPX4 water protection, smart pop-up interface for instant pairing and comes with the latest Bluetooth 5.0.

Commenting on the venture, Mr. Arijeet Talapatra, CEO, TRANSSION India said, “We are excited to announce the launch of TECNO Hipods H2 which also marks our foray into the TWS category. The India TWS market has been growing consistently and the industry is expected to further grow in 2020 with COVID-19 setting off a trend where people working from home and connecting through voice and video calls become more appreciative of the convenience and reliability of TWS devices. The increasing audio consumption, portability and smart assists are making TWS extremely popular among smartphone users and driving demand. With Hipods H2, we, at TECNO, endeavour to build our own connected device ecosystem of TECNO smartphones and extend the best audio experience at an affordable price.”

With Hipods H2, TECNO reinforces its commitment to its ‘ahead of the curve’ approach that aims to provide future-ready, innovative products to its customers. TECNO will be coming out with another TWS & smartphone offerings soon to further strengthen its position in the entry level and affordable segments. The new products are expected to play a strong role in revolutionizing the affordable connected device ecosystem in India.

Available in two color variants – Black and White; The USP of the Hipods H2 include:

* Real Stereo sound with AAC: To enhance the listening experience, the Hipods H2 are equipped with an Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) technology. The earbuds have undergone Acoustic measurements and testing to provide a natural and deep bass.

* 24 hours of non-stop music: In-built with a 45 mAh battery in each earbud, the Hipods H2, provides music playback for up to 6 hours on a single charge, enabling users with a long lasting, seamless audio listening experience. When used with its portable charging case, the playback time can be extended up to 24 hours. Also just a 15-minute charge gives an additional 2 hours of playback.

* IPX4 water resistant: The IPX4 level protects the device from rain or sweat, making it the most suitable device for fitness lovers or people doing outdoor activities, who don’t have to worry about interruptions or spoilage of the device during their activities.

* Noise Cancellation (ENC): The environmental noise cancellation, deep bass and loud treble, altogether intensifies the listening experience. The high performance, dual microphones are induced with noise reduction technology, reduces environmental noise and offers clear phone calls in a noisy environment.

* Smart touch controls: Control calls, music, volume, and activate the phone’s voice assistant with Smart Touch Controls, by just a tap on the earbuds.

* 120ms super low latency: The Hipod H2, provides the perfect sync between audio and video while playing games or watching videos, by reducing the latency to 120 ms.

* Latest BT 5.0: The wireless earbuds encrypted with Bluetooth v5.0, provides a fast and stable connection with both the earbuds for instant synchronization, with the transmission speed being 2 times faster and the capacity being 8 times larger, altogether enhancing the audio listening experience.

* Smart Pop-Up Interface: The Hipods H2 Bluetooth Earbuds features a Smart Pop-Up interface for Instant Pairing that supports an automatic pop-up connection interface on recent Tecno smartphones, as soon as the charging case is opened and Hipods H2 can be easily connected in one click.

TECNO Hipods H2 will be available for sale on Amazon from July 27 (12 noon) and at TECNO’s offline retail network of 35,000 outlets.

About TECNO Mobile

TECNO Mobile is a premium smartphone brand from TRANSSION Holdings. Upholding the brand essence of “Expect More”, TECNO is committed to giving the masses access to latest technology at accessible prices, allowing the consumers to reach beyond their current limitations and uncover a world of possibilities. TECNO understands the needs of consumers from different markets and provides them with localized innovations across a product portfolio featuring smartphones, tablets, and feature phones. TECNO is a major global player with presence in around 60 emerging markets across the world. It is also the global Official Tablet and Handset Partner of Manchester City Football Club. 

Sharekhan Just Went Bollywood! Launches MoneyFLIX, World’s First Financial Movies Platform

Sharekhan Education, a separate entity under Sharekhan, one of the largest brokerage houses in India, has unveiled its maiden edutainment platform - MoneyFLIX - to lead a digital revolution in financial education in the country.

Catering to both, the digitally native millennials and the not so millennial, the platform will offer financial modules with a generous sprinkle of entertainment that aims to keep viewers engaged and hooked. Learning through entertainment and stories is not an entirely novel concept. In fact, it has been part of our tradition for ages, in the form of epics, fables and parables, driving home key values. Teaching consumers about money through ‘edutainment’ seems like an effective way to demystify a complicated subject by using compelling and familiar concepts.

MoneyFLIX’s purpose is to educate and help both, new to market and experienced investors & traders to better understand finance and consequently enable them to better take advantage of financial market opportunities. 

To start with, the platform already has nearly 100 videos ranging from being as small as 5 minutes in duration to almost up to 30 minutes in duration and this number is set to double within the first year itself. These movies cover topics from the simplest Investing principles all the way upto complex trading strategies in a bollywood styled manner.

Embedded with key features such as subtitling in local languages, the ability to capture voice notes on the go & easy references to important points by the click of a button, this state of the art edutainment platform has many technology offerings and thus expects to improve learning and retention.

On the occasion, Rahul Ghose who heads MoneyFLIX said: “The integration of technology in the financial services industry has been radical in uplifting customer experience. However efforts towards literacy have often been complex and hence, the idea was to create content that even millennials resonate with.

This is a significant step that emboldens the ideology and commitment to empower retail investors in the market. This new digital-first endeavour would help us take investing and trading education to even the remotest parts of the country.”

MoneyFLIX ’s yearly subscription for the platform will be at a special price of Rs 1,990+G.S.T. and the monthly subscription will be at Rs 990+G.S.T. Subscribers will have access to the entire premium content of the platform as well as access to 10min video snippets on fundamentals of trending companies, called MoneyFLIX Bytes. MoneyFLIX has ensured something for everybody - anyone who walks through the site will get to enjoy and learn from a vast pool of free movies and tutorials on Trading and investing.

MoneyFLIX APP is available on Google PlayStore.

iOS – App to be released in the end of the year

About Sharekhan Education:

Started over a decade back in the year 2010, our unique approach towards professional financial education helps create a distinctive learning platform for traders as well as investors and help them learn the skills necessary to trade and invest confidently like the professionals. Over the course of the last decade we had over 100,000 people from various walks of life who have attended our workshops and have trained more than 17000 people across the country.

We set up our first education center in Mumbai and since then we have expanded to 6 locations across the country namely, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and New Delhi with traders & investors having experienced our unique hands-on education across the country. Our courses cover a spectrum of trading styles and asset classes. One can learn Short Term Trading, Swing Trading, Position Trading & Pro active Investing, using an array of asset classes namely stocks, options, futures and currencies.

About Sharekhan  

Sharekhan has been founded in 2000 and is a full subsidiary of BNP Paribas, a leading European banking institution. Sharekhan services more than 20 lakh clients aggregating more than 45,848 Cr of assets*, operates via 142 branches all over India and more than 3050 franchisees. It provides equity & derivatives execution, DP services, Portfolio Management, Mutual Funds & Corporate Deposits. Sharekhan executes on average more than 8 lakh trades/day** and performed more than 170 CR trades since inception.

*AUM as of 30th June 2020

**Trades as average in Q1 of 2020

Amazon Prime Video Drops the Trailer for the Highly Anticipated Amazon Original Series Bandish Bandits from August, 4, 2020

Amazon Prime Video has released the trailer of the highly awaited all-new Amazon Original Series Bandish Bandits which will be available to stream from 4th August, 2020. Produced and created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and directed by Anand Tiwari, the all-new Amazon Original Series is set in Jodhpur and tells the story of two young musicians, hailing from contrasting backgrounds. Bandish Bandits also features an exciting original soundtrack, composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who are also making their digital debut with this show.

Talent quotes:

Ritwik Bhowmik, lead actor: “Bandish Bandits has been a dream in the making. Working with stalwarts such as Naseeruddin Shah, Rajesh Tailang, Sheeba Chaddha and Atul Kulkarni for my debut was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Bandish Bandits is a blend of Indian traditions seeped in music that beautifully describes young love, ambition, passion and family values in a simple, yet powerful manner.”

Shreya Chaudhry, lead actress: “Working with Anand Tiwari has always been something I had wanted to do, so being part of Bandish Bandits is nothing short of serendipitous. I could not have asked for a better setting to work and learn more about acting, that too from some of the most talented and respected actors in India! I believe the show is a heart-warming journey of music and love and think it is something the audience would very much enjoy watching.“

Synopsis:

Bandish Bandits follows the story of Radhe and Tamanna. Radhe is a singing prodigy determined to follow in the classical footsteps of his grandfather. Tamanna is a rising pop sensation desperate to become India's first international popstar. Radhe's world is turned upside down when he falls in love with Tamanna. Torn between helping her achieve superstardom and staying true to his own music and his family’s legacy, will he succeed in juggling both at the risk of losing everything he has?

Amazon Prime Video Launches the Trailer of Upcoming Kannada Legal Drama Law on July 17

Amazon Prime offers incredible value with unlimited streaming of the latest and exclusive movies, TV shows, stand-up comedy, Amazon Originals, ad-free music listening through Amazon Prime Music, free fast delivery on India’s largest selection of products, early access to top deals, unlimited reading with Prime Reading and mobile gaming content with Prime Gaming, all available only for Rs. 129 a month.

Amazon Prime Video today launched the trailer of their first Kannada direct-to-service film, Law, a criminal suspense drama that follows the life of Nandhini, a law student who demands justice for a gruesome crime. Law is produced by Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, M Govinda and directed by Raghu Samarth. The legal Kannada drama is led by Ragini Prajwal who makes her debut as a lead actress and Mukhyamantri Chandru, Achyuth Kumar, Sudharani among others. Law is the fourth direct-to-service movie to premiere on Amazon Prime Video after the successful release of Ponmagal Vandhal (Tamil), Gulabo Sitabo (Hindi) and Penguin (Telugu and Tamil with Malayalam dubs). Prime members in India and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide can watch the much-awaited movie in Kannada starting 17th July, 2020.

“Law is close to my heart, because not only does it mark my debut, but the movie also sheds light on an important message that often gets sidelined.” said Law Actress Ragini Prajwal, “Nandhini, is a strong and determined women who overcomes a difficult situation through sheer determination and perseverance. Law is sure to set a new bar in this genre and I am hoping it will be appreciated by critics and audiences alike. I have had the privilege of working with a dream team on Law and I am thrilled our film will be accessible to audiences not only from India but across 200 countries and territories, making the release even more impactful.”

Producer Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar said, “Amazon Prime Video is one of our most valued partners. After the phenomenal success of our films Kavaludaari and Maya Bazaar 2016 which released on the service shortly after its theatrical release, Law is our third collaboration and one of the two titles we would be premiering on Amazon Prime Video worldwide. With Law we not only want to entertain our audience, but also bring to light an issue of great importance. We look forward to customers across 200 countries and territories being able to enjoy the movie from the safety of their own homes.”

Watch the trailer here: https://amzn.to/LawTrailer

Synopsis:

There are umpteen stories that involve crime and investigations. Sometimes, the case even gets dismissed due to lack of evidence and the accused are set free. However, ‘Law’ is a paradigm shift from the rest in this genre. Nandhini, a law student who is caught in a precarious situation fights for justice for a gruesome crime that took place.

Law will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue. These include Indian-produced Amazon Original series like Paatal Lok, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge and Made In Heaven, Four More Shots Please! S1 and S2 and award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Original series, including Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all on Prime Video, which is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bengali.

Prime members will be able to watch Law anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in India at no extra cost with Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

HiPi: An Indian, Homegrown Short Video Platform from ZEE5 Is Set T Connect Fans To Fandom

Bespoke Original Content, Blockbuster Movies, Fun Kids Content, Live TV & News, Music, Games and now an indigenous Short-video platform; ZEE5 has truly established itself as India’s Entertainment Super-App. Keeping up with the promise of delivering an unmatched super-app experience, ZEE5 has revealed the name of the much awaited and India’s first ever fully homegrown short video platform. Made for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, ZEE5’s innovative and exciting platform called ‘HiPi’ is a place where India can create the most ingenious and exciting content with the help of state-of-the-art features.

The name HiPi comes from the vision of a youthful and carefree planet where everyone can express themselves with freedom and confidence. A fun place where users can uninhibitedly and unapologetically be themselves without fear of being judged. ZEE5’s HiPi is driven by the vision to encourage self-expression and it aims to unlock the potential talent that this country has by inviting talented and diverse content creators who are seeking a platform that encourages creativity and paves the way to Stardom.

HiPi will entail exciting features which will allow creative minds to express themselves in the most creative way. It is the destination for all things entertainment and a platform for fandoms and storytellers which they can call their own.

The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) Launches #CreditTheCreators Campaign

Did you know that Jaddanbai, actress Nargis Dutt’s mother was India’s first female music composer? Did you know the most unforgettable song, ‘Itni shakti hame de na daata’ was written by lyricist Abhilaash and composed by Kuldeep Singh? Every song is a musical story written by the composers and lyricists but the creators of many such brilliant creations remain lost in the pages of music sheets.  With World Music Day just round the corner, IPRS in association with Music Plus has launched a thought provoking campaign, “#CreditTheCreators” acclaim the Creators and Celebrate THEM along with their work! The multifaceted campaign will witness veterans and musicians like Javed Akhtar, Sameer Anjaan, Raju Singh, Swanand Kirkire, Sandesh Shandilya, Mayur Puri, Manoj Muntashir, Kuldeep Singh, Abhilash, Kausar Munir, Leslee Lewis, Shashaa Tirupati, Priya Saraiya, Paroma Dasgupta, and many more driving the initiative on social media and traditional platforms.

The first leg of the campaign will roll out on digital with the associated artists performing and talking about their favourite songs and the creators behind such timeless creation. Unfolding stories and talents who remained lost in obscurity. Further, the activation will see association with artists for real life stories, testimonials, UGC, panel discussions and innovative content partnership to drive the message across social and traditional media. Spread over two weeks, the campaign will serve as a thought starter encouraging all of us to acknowledge those behind the power of words and melodies that have shaped our moments of merriment and misery equally, forever etching those songs in our memories.

Speaking on the campaign Mr. Javed Akhtar, Chairman, IPRS commented, “Although popular music and even light classical music in Northern America had influences of Latin and African traditional beats and compositions, what we call fusion today is an international phenomenon that can be called a post Woodstock revolution. It was the performance of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakkha at Woodstock that ultimately broke so many cultural and traditional barriers in the world of western music. Even the conservatives reassessed their “musical morality” and eventually in the whole western world fusion got accepted as a respectable genre. I guess not many people are aware that while in the West, Fusion was recognised in mid-sixties, Indian film music directors were not only using but had mastered fusion as early as late thirties. There are a number of songs in the forties and fifties recorded by maestros like Pankaj Mallik, Naushad, Anil Biswas and C Ramchandra in which the tune of the lyric is based on Indian Ragas but the orchestra uses instruments like guitar piano, trumpet, cello, violin. Some songs have an Indian tune backed by a Western choir.

On this occasion of World Music Day, I salute every such genius who was decades ahead of the world. We must ensure that every creator in India is recognised & remunerated for their creations and their right to be identified as authors of their creations remains sacrosanct.

Happy World Music Day to everyone because as the Bard has said “Music is the food of love”.

Commenting on the initiative Mr. Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS said, “Our endeavour has always been to provide a platform that encourages creativity and fair value for music and its creators. With this campaign, “#CreditTheCreators” we aim to build a strong proposition for acknowledging and honouring the authors and composers of music who spend their lifetime in creating their masterpieces. The way music is consumed has changed significantly over the years. While avenues for distribution and consumption of music has grown manifolds, limited efforts have been made to encourage and acclaim the creators of music.  We are hopeful that through this campaign we will be able to initiate a positive change and will be supported by many to drive the cause.”

Can Yahoo take on Twitter with its new Meme?

After closing the social network platform SpotM, Yahoo has launched Meme, in English, to take on microblogging site Twitter. The company had launched this service in Spanish and Portuguese languages earlier this month.

Meme is currently in an invite-only mode, similar to few microblogging services like Tumblr, Twitter, Pownce and others. After creating the account, users get a blank blog for micro-sharing text, images, music, videos or mash up of all these things.

It also offers the facility to add new friends by searching the internet, which is quite similar to Tumblr and Twitter.

The company's previous efforts to capitalize on the social networking domain kept failing in spite of repeated attempts. The recently launched 'Know Your Mojo' also failed along with the Indian social network, SpotM, which was closed down less than a year after its launch.

Meme does not allow much in terms of customization. The users cannot customize the themes with background images and custom CSS to style the text, as this facility is available with Twitter and Tumblr. Both these services have a rich faux-cabulary, which defines how a person uses the service. Meme does not lend on a particular vocabulary. The setting panel has minimal options like Meme title, 100 character description, avatar/photo and notifications. It also shows the comments posted by the users recently.

Yahoo Meme can have a big advantage over Twitter in terms of reliability. Twitter's image has suffered for frequent service outages, with its "Fail Whale" graphic appearing whenever the site is overloaded, emerging as the company's unofficial logo.

Several technology sites like TechCrunch and paidContent are not pleased with Yahoo's move, they said, "Meme seems to lack in its features and in potential to surpass its competitors." They also pointed out that the company has a spotty record with Mash and SpotM.

Agencies

Browse pure content on NaqaTube; Online version of YouTube

Sick and tired of profanities and explicit nature of some video clips on YouTube, a group of Saudis have developed a “clean” alternative called NaqaTube (naqa being the Arabic word for ‘pure’).

The aim, as they put it, is to prevent the youth from watching sexually explicit video clips online, an Arab news report quoted a moderator of the website as saying. With millions of youth logging into YouTube each day, the group launched NaqaTube, which is simply an amalgamation of “clean” clips from YouTube.

Abu Ibraheem, one of the moderators of the website, said that clips on NaqaTube are religiously safe and often edited prior to being uploaded.

The website’s logo is “participate with us in a clean website.”

The site also censors clips that are against the government, individuals and scholars, or which mock people in general, the report said. Women’s images are totally forbidden, along with music.

“Our dream is to decline the number of visitors to YouTube. Our website has received 5,000 to 6,000 visitors since its launch two months ago,” Ibraheem said.

Much of the material on the site is religiously inclined and the site’s front page displays links to over 10 channels featuring scholars, preachers, children and other Islam-related material. The site hosts clips of scholars from the Arab world delivering Islamic discourse. “We are promoting a moderate Islam, nothing extreme,” he said.

Agencies

Social network with Delhi University students now

Move over Facebook, Orkut. Here comes Delhi University's own networking site, Network DU. With over 2,000 registrations in just four weeks, this site is a virtual campus in which you can look for anyone and anything -- from old friends to scholarships and even information on paying guest accommodation.

Started by Honey Arora, a technical expert, Network DU has all the features of other social networking sites and more.

"Our aim is to get DU more connected through this site. In the IITs and IIMs, the alumni really help their juniors in getting internships and job placements. Network DU will do something similar. Besides friends, a student can get in touch with alumni of the university through this portal and seek help in terms of their career," Arora told IANS.

Of the 2,000 people who have registered, 1,500 are at present studying in the university while the rest are alumni. There is, however, no restriction on a non-DU member joining the network.

Arora himself is not an alumni of the university.

"I was a student of Punjab Technical University. But I, along with some others from IIT Delhi and IIM-Bangalore, zeroed in on Delhi University because I think DU is very tech-savvy," said Arora, who owns Sparks Logics, the firm which started Network DU.

With blogs, music, chat and even an online shopping link, the site gives you all that other networking sites have to offer. It also has debates raging on hot topics like "Should ragging be banned in DU?"with two students in Kirori Mal College getting arrested recently for ragging a junior.

The site also has space for classified information like contact addresses of hostels and PG accommodation around the campus. So if you are looking for a place to stay, all you need to do is log in. Besides this, it has information on the institutes in the campus, scholarships and internships.

Although he is happy with the response that the site has been getting, especially since the advertisement has only been through word of mouth, Arora said that he is planning to go to ex-DU bigwigs like Kapil Sibal and convince them to join the network.

"I am planning to go to Kapil Sibal and ask him to join Network DU and spread some good word about the site. DU has produced some of the most well-placed professionals in the country in every field. If someone like Sibal, who is active on Facebook, joins the site it will make others interested too," he said.

"However I will go to him only after we have got a stronger registration number like 5,000," Arora added.

Arora's mission does not stop at DU. He now plans to create similar networks for other universities.

"I am going to Amity University next and create a portal for their students. The officials of the private universities like Amity are very encouraging and eager to help in such initiatives.

"Money is a problem now but I am looking for investors so that I can create such networks for students of major universities of the country and then connect these networks so that the whole student community can come together in a single platform and interact," Arora said.

Agencies

Can an iPod be a poor man's iPhone?

I try to keep a stiff upper lip about not having an iPhone. Just couldn't afford it — not with the $75 a month or so AT&T charges for service on top of the $199 upfront cost for the device.

I could, however, afford the $229 iPod Touch — and got it as a gift, as it happened. It has most of the same goodies: a Web browser, e-mail, YouTube. And it stores way more music than the iPhone. (Ha!) Plus, the other day I used it to call China.

Yup, a call around the world — on a device that doesn't have a phone. A handful of applications on Apple Inc.'s iTunes store will let you do this, as long as you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot.

My iPhone complex hasn't disappeared, but at least now I have a device that looks just like it, has no monthly service fees, and lets me make free or cheap phone calls.

The best part of these applications — which require the second-generation iPod Touch that came out last year — is that they are free to download, and calls to other people using the same app won't cost you anything.

Two of the services I've tried, Truphone and Fring, will also let you make free calls to Google Talk users and type instant messages to friends online. Both automatically queue up a list of buddies from different services you might have, including Gmail chat, AIM and MSN Messenger, once you log in.

But it's Truphone's pay feature that puts it ahead of the others. TruPhone charges you to make calls to landlines or regular cell phones, but generally at better rates than most wireless carriers. And it's upfront about what you pay.

Your balance — which you can add to with a credit card, either on the device or on your computer browser — pops up with the dial screen. Calls in the U.S. are all 5 cents per minute (2 cents if you sign up to pay a $4 monthly fee).

Rates outside the U.S. vary wildly but you can check in the application before you dial. To call cell phones in China, for instance, is only 5 cents per minute, while France is 25 cents. Antarctica? A whopping $2.25.

You can make regular calls with Fring using a Skype account, but that's another layer to deal with.

The calls on these services sound pretty good, a little tinny but clearer than my regular cell phone connection. IPod Touch users will need Apple's $29 ear buds that have a tiny microphone on the back of the volume control along the cord.

The most serious drawback is the most obvious: While the iPhone uses AT&T's wireless network to provide Internet access anywhere, on the iPod Touch you'll need to stick to Wi-Fi hot spots. For rural or suburban dwellers who don't encounter lots of free Wi-Fi zones, that may very well mean limiting yourself to your house, or other places where there's a computer with the same Internet phone call capabilities anyway.

That means these apps probably won't replace your cell phone. But they can moderate your iPhone envy.

Agencies

Smaller, 4-gigabyte Apple iPod shuffle launched

Apple Inc. unveiled a minuscule new iPod Shuffle on Wednesday that takes its "smaller is better" mantra to a whole new level.

The third-generation Shuffle, a slim aluminum rectangle less than 2 inches long, takes up about half as much space as the previous version even as it doubles music storage space to 4 gigabytes. To achieve such a tiny form, Apple had to remove most of the buttons from the body of the $79 device and build them into the headphone cord instead.

"Smaller has tended to work very well for us," said Greg Joswiak, a marketing vice president at Apple.

The trade-off for a sub-$100 Shuffle has always been the lack of a screen to visually navigate through the music stored on the device. The first generation Shuffle, which launched in 2005, could hold about 240 songs, arguably not enough to warrant a screen.

Now that the device can carry 1,000 songs, Apple has come up with a way for people to identify the music they're listening to or find songs they want. A new feature called VoiceOver can, at the push of a button, speak the song and artist name or rattle off the list of custom mixes — called playlists — that the owner has loaded onto the device.

Here's how it works: As you synchronize a new Shuffle using an updated version of iTunes, your PC or Mac looks at each track and playlist and creates a small file of a computerized voice speaking the title, artist or playlist name. If a song is in Spanish or Chinese, say, the software figures this out and speaks in the appropriate language. Apple says the device can handle 14 languages.

The new Shuffle, which comes in silver or black aluminum with a shiny stainless steel clip, is set to go on sale Thursday. Joswiak said Apple's own earphones will be the only option for early buyers, but that other companies plan to make compatible headphones as well as adapters for regular headphones.

Agencies