"Slumdog" Steals the Show with 8 Oscars

After winning the hearts of moviegoers around world, "Slumdog Millionaire," a buoyantly hopeful romance set amid the poverty of Mumbai, India, won the Academy Award for best picture, capping a night of wins including the best director Oscar for Danny Boyle.

With eight Oscars, "Slumdog" took home the most statuettes of any movie at the 81st Academy Awards held today at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Sean Penn took home his second best actor Oscar, winning for his portrayal of slain San Francisco politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk in the film "Milk" and Kate Winslet won best actress for playing a Nazi concentration camp guard in the "The Reader."

Riffing on Hollywood's perceived political leanings, Penn's first words upon accepting the Oscar were: "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns."

The only real upset of the evening, Penn beat out Mickey Rourke, nominated for the titular role in "The Wrestler," who had bested Penn at the Golden Globes last month. Source : Abc News

Nandita Das's Firaaq honoured in Pak

Nandita Das's Firaaq honoured in Pak. Two Indian films, - Nandita Das' directorial debut Firaaq and a documentary Superman of Malegaon - have won the Ciepie awards at the 7th Kara Film Festival.

After receiving the award, Nandita said she was glad at the response her film had received and the citation that the jury gave, according to reports.

The Best Feature Film award was picked up by Nandita Das' Firaaq that was screened twice during the 12-day festival. Pakistani telefilm Burns Road Ki Niilofer picked up two awards for best screenplay and best female supporting actress.

The Ciepie was awarded to six films, two documentaries - Superman of Malegaon (India), and Kesan Lapsi (Finland) - two short films with one for Best Animated Film awarded to Even Pigeons Go to Heaven (France). The best Short Action Film award went to Match Factor.

Faiza Ahmed Khan is the director of Superman of Malegaon, a spoof on superman films.
Rasheed Naz, who played an important role in Pakistani film Khuda Kay Liye, bagged best actor in a supporting role award, while the special jury award went to Rashid Farooqui for Ramchand Pakistani.

Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, in his short address at the fest, said that festivals like these help in bridging the gap between the two neighbours. He said he was at a shop in Karachi when a guy approached him to ask for help with his neurologically disabled brother.

"The guy asked for help in contacting a neurosurgeon in Mumbai, and I immediately punched in the number and let them set up a possible meeting. This was exactly how film festivals help bring the people of different countries together," said Bhatt.

Speaking about his meeting with noted ghazal singer Mehdi Hasan, Bhatt said that neither he nor Hasan would forget the bonds formed during their meeting.

Source : NDTV

A S Murthy New Satyam CEO

Murthy has been with Satyam since Jan 94. It has appointed Homi Khusrokhan and Partho Datta as special advisors to the Board. The board of fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services on Thursday appointed A S Murthy as new CEO of the IT firm. Murthy was Satyam’s global business head and has been working for the IT company for the last 15 years.

Partho S Dutta and Homi Khusrokhan were appointed Special Advisors.

A S Murthy, will be the chief executive of the company with immediate effect, Satyam said in a statement after a two-day board meeting in Hyderabad.

Satyam has also received bank sanctions for 6 billion rupees towards working capital requirements.

Earlier in the day, agencies reported that the Andhra Pradesh police are likely to make more arrests in the Rs 7,800 crore fraud involving the IT major.

CID officials investigating the case have not ruled out more arrests in about a fortnight.

“We are constantly scrutinising the seized documents and trying to retrieve data from the hard-disks and laptops recovered during the raids of residences and offices of Satyam officials including its former chairman B Ramalinga Raju,” a senior CID official probing the Satyam fraud said on Thursday.

Lara Dutta graces the cover of fashion magazine 'Grazia'

Former beauty queen and Bollywood charmer Lara Dutta is making waves without a single release to her credit last year. She has turned cover-girl for the fashion magazine ‘Grazia’, in another reminder of why the Miss Universe crown looked best on her some years back.

Having lost not a bit of her stunning looks, she is looking ravishing in wine-red evening dress that has seductively slipped off one shoulder.

This year she will be more visible on the big screen with roles in ‘Billu Barber’, ‘Blue’ and ‘Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai’. Last year she did a cameo in Shah Rukh starrer ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’.

The ‘Grazia’ oomph factor is certain to raise her demand in Bollywood soon.

Katrina Kaif refuses to look hot

After having done numerous glamorous roles in her run up to success, Bollywood's reigning queen Katrina Kaif is now in a serious mode.

The Namastey London star has taken on meatier roles, which will allow her to prove her mantle as a good actress. And to begin with Kats will be seen in a completely de glamourised role in Prakash Jha's Rajniti.

Reports also suggest that Jha wants Katrina to sport a non-make up look for the major part of the film. Jha, who in the past has done wonders with his heroines including Madhuri Dixit, Bipasha Basu, is taking a keen interest in Katrina's characterisation.

Reports suggest that Katrina has been advised to undergo voice modulation since she is required to speak in a certain dialect in the film's second half. The film, which is a contemporary take on Mahabharata, also stars Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgan among others.