Days ahead of Aretha Franklin‘s funeral in her hometown, singer Taylor Swift honoured the late Queen of Soul.

On Tuesday evening, the Reputation singer, 28, performed at Detroit’s Ford Field where she asked the sold-out crowd to pay tribute to Franklin with a moment of silence, reports people.com.

“Last week we lost an irreplaceable force. Aretha Franklin did so much for music, she did so much for women’s rights, she did so much for civil rights,” Swift told concertgoers as heard on videos shared by fans on social media.

“She was one of those people where no matter what you said, no matter what glowing positive thing you said about her, it would be an understatement. Words could never, ever describe how many things she did in her lifetime that made our world a better place. And this is her home.

“I would like it if we could have a moment of silence so that every single one of us could reflect on our love and respect for her and everything that she did in her life. So if we could please cut the lights, we’ll have a moment of silence for Aretha. We love you Aretha,” the pop star added.

Franklin died at age 76 of pancreatic cancer on August 16.

On Tuesday, the day of her funeral, which is open to the public, hundreds of people, some of whom spent the night on the sidewalk to save their spots in line, showed up to pay their respects at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Free Press reported.

(IANS)

Bollywood’s iconic Kapoor family has collectively decided to sell the sprawling landmark RK Studio. Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan says she has fond memories of the studio, built by her late legendary grandfather Raj Kapoor.

Kareena, who has been under the weather for a few days, told IANS here: “I don’t know how far what is actually happening. In fact, I have been quite under the weather and I haven’t even met my father in the last four or five days… But of course, we have all grown up walking around in those corridors.”

“I think it’s probably something that the family has decided, so it’s upto my fathers, his brothers and up to them… If that’s what they have decided, so be it,” added the actress on the sidelines of the Lakme Fashion Week, where she was the showstopper for the finale show.

The Kapoor family has taken the tough decision of selling the two acre RK Studio 70 years after it was established as it was not economically viable to rebuild it after it was gutted down in a fire last year.

Rishi Kapoor, in an interview to Mumbai Mirror on behalf of the family, said they were initially juggling with the idea of renovating the place with state-of-the-art technology, but the investment in rebuilding the studio would just not have yielded sufficient revenue to keep it going. He called it a “level headed decision”.

In September last year, a major fire broke out on the sets of a dance reality show, leaving a section of the studio gutted.

R.K. Studio, the headquarters of the film production company R.K. Films, was founded and named after the Great Showman, Raj Kapoor, in 1948.

Its inaugural banner film “Aag” that year crashed at the box office, but the next year proved to be a good omen when its production “Barsaat” (1949), starring Raj Kapoor-Nargis was a superhit.

In fact, the company’s logo was designed to reflect the poster of a scene from “Barsaat” and after that, the studio never looked back.

It had a string of successful black-and-white releases like “Awaara” (1951), “Boot Polish” (1954), “Shri 420” (1955), “Jaagte Raho” (1956).

Later, the studio was the venue for several other big ticket films like “Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hain” (1960), “Mera Naam Joker” (1970), “Bobby” (1973), the debut film for Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia, “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” (1978), “Prem Rog” (1982), “Ram Teri Ganga Maili” (1985), which was the founder-actor’s last film before his death in June 1988.

(IANS)

Mumbai National Award winning actress Kangana Ranaut, who walked as the showstopper at the Lakme Fashion Week ramp here, says during her growing up days, she used to impersonate models and always hoped she would be accepted in showbiz.

Asked if she thought she would make it big in the fashion world too, Kangana said: “When I was young I didn’t have any guarantee, but I hoped that I get accepted. I remember in the night times I used to rehearse… I was a science student and I was hard working.

“I used to wake up in the nights and wear heels and try and impersonate the catwalk I used to see on Fashion TV. I remember working very hard and hoping I make it someday.”

The 31-year-old actress says every time she walks the runway, it takes her back to her days of “Fashion”, the Madhur Bhandarkar directorial in which plays a supermodel.

“That’s the only time I played a supermodel and I used to rehearse a lot because I never had a modelling background. I never modelled before. So, now when I do these walks it definitely takes me back to my ‘Fashion’ days,” she said.

Kangana on Saturday night walked the ramp for designer duo Pankaj & Nidhi’s show presented by Nokia at the ongoing fashion gala’s Winter/Festive 2018 edition.

The “Queen” actress wore a midnight blue asymmetrical dress with black embellishments. She completed her look with cobalt blue eyeliner, nude make-up and tied her hair into a chic side parted ponytail.

On the garment, she said: “The credit goes to Pankaj & Nidhi for my look and team who have done my hair, make-up and entire styling. I am comfortable because their garments is not just for editorials or for ramp walks. It is for real people to wear for every day events, parties or festivals. I just feel that not just beautiful or edgy but are also practical.”

[IANS]

Bangalore’s very own Odissi dance festival, NAMAN, is back with its 9th edition. City-based premier Odissi institution, Nrityantar will present its 9th Odissi dance festival, NAMAN 2018 on Sunday, August 12, 2018, at ADA Rangamandira, J C Road, Bengaluru.

Being acclaimed as one of the most awaited of all art events in Bengaluru, NAMAN offers a sumptuous array of finest Odissi dance performances to city’s ardent art lovers. It is a humble initiative to bring together and showcase varied styles & schools of Odissi dance. Inaugurated by the iconic Odissi guru, Guru Gangadhar Pradhan in the year 2010, the festival has now grown as one of the most sought-after Odissi dance events in the country. ‘Naman’, literally meaning ‘salutation’, is a tribute to the Guru, the visible embodiment of God. The festival pays rich tributes to the great gurus of Odissi dance for their invaluable contributions in the growth & popularisation of this extremely elegant art form. It is an event where audiences not only get the opportunity to experience the beauty, richness & nuances of different styles & schools of Odissi dance by its finest exponents, they also enjoy and appreciate contributions & works of the great gurus & pioneers. With fully packed & over-flowing hall, the festival has been very well received & attended by audiences in its previous editions, and has featured many stalwarts from the Odissi world like Guru Sangeeta Dash, Guru Aruna Mohanty, Guru Sharmila Biswas, Guru Bijayini Satapathy, Guru Madhavi Mudgal, Guru Surupa Sen, among others. With the exciting line-up of artists, the festival promises to enthrall everyone again.

Odissi dance is an epitome of fluid grace, lyrical beauty, sculptural sensuality and deep spirituality with curvaceous movements, sculptured poses, and impeccable rhythm. Over the centuries, the living tradition of Odissi has been perpetuated by the Maharis (devadasis from Odisha) and the Gotipuas (young boy dancers dressed as girls). The lyrics of the Geeta Govinda written by poet Jayadev form an integral part of abhinaya in Odissi. Complemented by soulful music, this dance of lyrical beauty cast a spell on spectators. Young talented, Bijan Kumar Palai hailing from Bhubaneswar, is a promising male Odissi dancer. He will mesmerize viewers with the vigour, energy & vibrance of his pulsating dance. Shashwati Garai Ghosh, a gifted Odissi dancer from Kolkata, is a recipient of Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar from the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. She will enchant everyone with the clarity & precision of her dance. Recently honoured with the prestigious Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award, celebrated Odissi exponent, Sujata Mohapatra, is rightly considered the diva of Odissi dance today. An epitome of perfection, poise & grace, she is sure to spellbind viewers with the beauty & elegance of her art.

The performances will start sharp at 5:30 pm with Bijan Kumar Palai, followed by Shashwati Garai Ghosh and Sujata Mohapatra. Senior gurus, dancers and dignitaries for the art world will grace the event with their distinguished presence.

The event is a must-see for all art-lovers across the city.

Utopia 2018, the International Cultural Fest of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) Bengalurusaw 613 students come from Afghanistan, Thailand, Tibet, Congo and 27 other countries to celebrate as one, unity and harmony that are the foundations of a better world.
The theme for this year was ‘Eclectica’ which translates to ‘Diversified Unity’. With the rhythm of many nations resonating across the campus, SIBM Bengaluru became the instrument that unifies and celebrates the cultural diversity from across the globe.In a world where new walls are built every day, we came together under one roof to celebrate a world without walls.
“The theme Eclectica symbolises the convergence of a multitude of cultures.”saidMr Robert Dziedzic, the chief guest for the inauguration ceremony.
The first competition of the event Pulse, saw a perfect mix of various dance forms where the participants set the stage ablaze with their energetic moves.The next eventCadence, left everyone in awe. The beats in the air, the breathless crowd and the thundering applause lifted all the bars.The basketball court came alive at the same time with the sports lovers sweating it out at Triki Taka (Futsal).
This was followed by a street play (NukkadNatak) dedicated to creating awareness for blood donation. The next act was Mime which transcended the boundaries of speech. Both the performances captured the very essence of drama: human emotions.
This year SIBM-B came up with Global Grub Fest, an International food fest for every foodie. The students explored varieties of dishes and satisfied their taste buds by devouring the luscious food catered to them.
The day needed a splash of glamour and Poise. A La Moda, the fashion show provided just that. The participants from various colleges sizzled the ramp. The event concluded with an Award Ceremony.
In addition, the Blood Donation drive running parallel to the event collected 167 units of blood, allowing students to contribute to a virtuous cause simultaneously.
Surbhi Kalia, the coordinator of the organising committee said, “Utopia is a festival which truly aligns with the motto of SIU- ‘VasudaivaKutumbakam’. Here at SIBM Bengaluru, we make sure that we translate it into reality. The students of SIBM Bengaluru have made Utopia the success that it was . The fest saw a great number of enthusiastic students from all across Bengaluru.”
The fest ended on a high note as the message of standing together in the face of adversity resonated through the walls of SIBMBengaluru

About the college:
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Bengaluru was established in 2008 as a constituent of Symbiosis International University with the aim of imparting world-class education to students and transforming them into top notch leaders of the corporate world. At SIBM-B, eminent faculty from across the country, holistic learning-focussed pedagogy, passion-driven students and world-class facilities meet the epicentre of knowledge to create the future business leaders.
You can also read this article on the Official College Blog.

In an advisory issued on Saturday, the Goa Police traffic cell warned drivers against mimicking the Kiki challenge which has gone viral on social media, calling the act “highly dangerous” and instead implored people to take up the challenge to quit alcohol and smoking.

“People have been urged to stay away from such foolish challenges, even if some crazy celebrities are doing it,” Traffic Superintendent Dinraj Govekar said in a statement.

“Instead they have been asked to take some other good challenges such as clearing competitive examination, staying fit and healthy, helping poor and needy, quitting smoking or alcohol,” the state’s Information and Publicity division said.

The Kiki Challenge is “highly dangerous to one’s own safety and that of other road users”, the statement said and added that strict action under the Motor Vehicle Act and Indian Penal Code, including arrest and confiscation of the vehicle, could take place for filming the challenge.

The Kiki challenge, which has gone viral all over the world involves people jumping out of moving cars to dance to Canadian rapper Drake’s song “In My Feelings”.

Police in several Indian states has already issued advisories against emulation of the challenge.

Two persons have died and three others have been buried in rubble on a hillside after a cloudburst triggered heavy rains in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, an official said on Friday.

The downpour late on Thursday followed the cloudburst at Malari that led to a major chunk of a hill to collapse. Five labourers involved in some civil project, sleeping by the hillside were trapped in it.

Two of the bodies have been extracted while the search continues for three more.

A team of experts belonging to the State Disaster Management Department has been rushed to the site.

The heavy rains and inclement weather have also disrupted the Char Dham pilgrimage, the official told IANS. The Badrinath-Lambagad highway has been blocked, and also the Gangotri National Highway between Therang and Gangnani, near Nagdevta due to debris coming down on the road.

“Owing to some landslides and the subsequent debris falling on the highway traffic has been halted at Gangotri, Gangnani, Bhatwadi and Uttarkashi,” he added.

Labourers of the Border Road Organization (BRO) are working to clear the road as there is a long queue of vehicles that are part of the annual ‘Char Dham’ (Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath) pilgrimage.

The Hemkund pilgrimage continues uninterrupted.

English actor Simon Pegg described his fight with alcoholism and depression as “awful and terrible”, but he hopes his struggle will help and give strength to people fighting similar demons.

He says it is essential for people dealing with such issues to “find a community”, and that is why he decided to come out in the open about it.

“It is important for people who experience that kind of issue to find a community and to understand that a lot of (people face similar issues). It was just a decision which I made,” Pegg told IANS in an interview during the “Mission: Impossible Fallout” global junket here.

“I feel I have spoken about it enough now and everything that I have said is online to be read. So, I hope they find some comfort in that,” added the actor.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Pegg opened up about his battles with alcoholism and depression, saying “it was awful, terrible. It owned me”. The actor also admitted that he was “lost, unhappy, and an alcoholic” while shooting for “Mission: Impossible 3”.

On how the franchise helped him overcome the addiction, Pegg told IANS: “It is not just the franchise that helped me out of it. It just co-coincided with a certain period of my life. But having something to focus on was really good.

“The diversion and a way to re-focus when you are having any kind of emotional issues… Whatever you do — whether it is your job or a hobby or something to concentrate on and kind of give you a new lease of life. This kind of film is great as it gives you a focus on getting fit and training for new skills.”

The actor and comedian became a part of the “Mission Impossible” world as a lab technician Benji Dunn, but has graduated to a field agent accompanying Ethan Hunt, essayed by Tom Cruise, on his dangerous missions.

He adds a tinge of comic element amid all the action sequences and thrilling fight scenes, and this makes him a fan favourite.

Pegg says Benji’s evolution in the film franchise is parallel to his own “entry into this kind of filmmaking”.

“When I did ‘Mission: Impossible 3’, I had never been in this sort of Hollywood film before. And then as Benji has grown, I have got more and more used to the path and fabric of these kind of films. So, as an actor I think my journey is similar to Benji’s.”

Pegg has projects like “Shaun of the Dead”, “Big Nothing”, “Star Trek”, “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”, “Paul” and “Absolutely Anything” to his credit.

The actor, who will be back as Benji in the forthcoming “Mission: Impossible Fallout”, feels lucky about everything in his life.

Looking back at his journey in the industry, he said: “I just feel lucky to be where I am. I feel lucky to be alive and feel lucky to be doing a job that I love. I always say to my child that if you find a thing you love doing the most, then try and do that for a living and I have been lucky enough to do that.”

At present, he is looking forward to “Mission: Impossible Fallout”. The Paramount Pictures movie will be distributed in India by Viacom18 Motion Pictures. It is set to release in India on July 27 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

For Pegg, the franchise stands for trust and inter-personal relationships.

“This film, for Ethan, is about almost his inability to not put his friends first and desire to look after the needs of many… It is about making a choice. So, I think it says a lot about friendship,” he said.

(IANS)

Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) Sets Up Regional Committees

The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) is the only Government authorized body in the country to administer rights, issue licenses & collect royalties for authors, music composers & music publishers.

Founded in 1969, it has over 4,000, members across the country and represents also the world’s music repertoire. It was recently granted re-registration under the amended Copyright Act.

The Society with registered office at Mumbai also has administrative offices in 12 cites across India.

Last week members of the IPRS’ Governing Council held discussions in Chennai with over a hundred of its members from the South, including stalwarts such as Illayaraja, A. R. Rahman & Vidyasagar. As part of its plan to increase members’ involvement in the governance of the Society and to achieve greater market efficiency.

IPRS is setting up Regional Committees whose task will be to advise the Governing Council on industry matters and relay IPRS policies to regional members & authorities in coordination with its local administrative offices.

The 1st ever Regional Committee was set up last week in Chennai. IPRS is now urging members in other States to join hands and set up similar Committees to help drive the music industry to greater heights.

Commenting on this development, Javed Akhtar, Chairman of the IPRS averred, “IPRS is like a cooperative: it exists by and for its members. We have carefully assessed the situation, analyzed all the challenges faced by the Society and decided on a development plan. Our first step is to effectively localise and bring greater regional involvement in the Society’s operations. We started with South India, which is the country’s largest music producer and music exporter, with internationally acclaimed legends such as Illyaraja and A. R. Rahman. In the coming months, we will expand this regional drive so as to cover all the main music production centers this year itself.”

After meeting & discussing industry issues with the representatives from Tamil music industry, music composer Aashish Rego said, “Meeting all these illustrious composers, lyricists & music publishers was a highly emotional moment for me. We have pledged to increase our local office staff at these places to speed up the licensing process and increase the royalty collection. We trust that these measures will substantially boost our members’ income.”

Addressing the concerns of the artists, composer Raju Singh said, “Lyricists & composers who don’t sing are the most fragile members of music industry: they don’t get concert fees but depend to a great extent on the royalties collected by IPRS when their music is used here or anywhere in the world. It is of utmost importance that the voices of individual creators, wherever they may work, are heard and taken into consideration; it gives us hope that the Society is on the right track and that we will be fairly remunerated whenever our music is used – which has not been the case till today.”

Mandar Thakur, COO of Times Music, further added, “The economic contribution and the international influence of South Indian music industry is second to none and is even greater than Bollywood in several parts of the world, particularly in South-East Asia, Far East and some European countries. But until now we have somehow not been able to properly monetize our assets. I warmly welcome this healing step of IPRS: it goes to show that the new management is inclusive and means business.”

Lyricist Sahithi G also averred, “I am very pleased that the 1st ever step taken by the new IPRS is to move away from its former Mumbai & Bollywood-centric attitude by acknowledging the importance of other music productions centers and by involving every member instead of having just 2 representatives from South on the Governing Council.”

India’s accession to WIPO copyright treaty (WCT) & WIPO performances & phonograms treaty (WPPT) is a game changer according to IPRS.

In fact the IPRS wholeheartedly welcomes the decision of the Union Cabinet on 4th Jul, 2018, as reported by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), that India would accede to the “Internet Treaties” namely the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) & WIPO Performances & Phonograms Treaty (WPPT). This is an extremely positive development which will greatly benefit the Indian creative industries. While India had aligned its Copyright law with WCT & WPPT in 2012, the formal accession by India to these Treaties will greatly help the Indian creative industry by ensuring creators & creative businesses benefit from the digital & online dissemination of their works protected under Berne Convention & other Treaties. The WCT & WPPT will also formalize India’s existing commitment to enhance the protection of works by mandating technological protection measures as also ensure the reliability of digital/online marketplaces by preventing the tampering or dilution of rights management information.

IPRS and its entire membership support thanked the Government of India headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for its decision.

Javed Akhtar, poet, script writer & lyricist & above all Chairman of IPRS averred, “Full credit is due to Suresh Prabhu the Minister Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) as well as to the stellar team at DIPP comprising of Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Rajiv Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Sushil Satpute, Director & Hoshiar Singh The Registrar Copyrights for ensuring that India truly mainstreams its copyright sector into rapidly growing digital markets. This will benefit creators as Berne Convention will find firm footing in the digital domain. I congratulate & thank the Government of India for this positive decision and for supporting artistes & creative sector”

Vikram Mehra, MD of Saregama India Ltd & Director of IPRS avered, “The Cabinet decision to bring India into WIPO Internet Treaties’ fold is a very positive development. Securing & protecting right of distribution & dissemination in online & digital space is just the push needed to ensure that copyright sector truly benefits from rapid expansion of digital & online platforms in India. Kudos to DIPP!”

Raju Singh Composer & Director IPRS said, “India is truly now a part of world -wide market in relation to creative works. The decision of Cabinet to become part of internet Treaties is one thing that we need to signify the arrival of India’s truly significant soft power signified by its creative industries. Congratulations to Government!”

Rakesh Nigam CEO, IPRS said, “it is heartening to see how serious the Government in its efforts to see that the interests of the creative sector are protected not only in India, but that sector is able to benefit from a harmonized system across the world. The decision of the Cabinet to accede to the Internet Treaties will ensure that IPRS & copyright sector in India is able to secure due benefits from around the world in a more efficient manner, particularly in the digital domain”

IPRS is sole Indian copyright society, registered under Copyright Act, 1957, administering musical works & literary works associated with musical works. The members of IPRS comprise of Authors (lyricists), Music Composers & Music Publishers.