“My kids are too old to remember this now but, when they were much younger, I swore to them if this miracle ever happened, I would receive it in the spirit of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, and that’s what that was.”
Danny Boyle, explaining why he was bouncing up and down, when accepting his award.

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“There are certain places you never imagine standing – the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium and here.”
From writer Simon Beaufoy’s acceptance speech.

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The Slumdog Millionaire cast were not afraid to strut their stuff on the Oscars red carpet. More pictures…

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With an eight Oscar haul, the Slumdog Milionaire cast was constantly making journeys to the podium to receive their Oscars. Here are some pictures from the award ceremony itself.

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The annual UK Asian Music Awards (UKAMAs) will be held next week at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

The award ceremony aims to recognise and reward music talent from across the British Asian music industry.

It will take place on 5th March and is hosted by singer and actress Karen David alongside B4U’s Mumbai based presenter Salil.
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An anthology of literary pieces tackling the controversial topic of ‘the veil’ will be launched in March, in London. Behind the Hijab has contributions from both Muslim and Non-Muslim women in the UK.

Monsoon Press, which is partly behind the event, say the aim of the book is to enlighten those who have preconceived ideas about women who wear the hijab and perhaps encourage a greater level of understanding and mutual respect.
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The UK Film Council, supported by UK Trade and Investment, (UKTI) is taking the first ever UK export delegation to Mumbai from 16-21 February to meet with Mumbai companies and attend the FICCI Frames Entertainment Conference from 16-19 February.

It is also organising a seminar at Frames on co-production between the UK and India, making best use of the new treaty, and promoting the UK’s strength within international film sales.
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What would you give up to be famous? Bad Karma: My Life Through a Lens, follows the struggles of 4 young adults from Southall, West London, desperate to make it big in a dark insight into the entertainment industry.

The series uncovers the lengths an aspiring actress, a film and TV director, a Bollywood Hero, and rapper/comic book artist will go to fulfil their ambitions. Along the way they encounter scandals, blackmail and even murder.
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by Jaspreet Pandohar
Freelance journalist

Jai Ho! That was the triumphant sound ringing out across London’s Covent Garden on Sunday afternoon as I stepped onto the red carpet outside the Royal Opera House.

It was a song I’d literally been dancing to the evening before at one of London’s newest Bollywood club nights, it seemed almost surreal watching the likes of Hollywood A-listers Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep and Sharon Stone glide past to the rhythm of A R Rahman’s award-winning anthem.

But somehow the melodious tune didn’t seem out of place reverberating around the prestigious venue in the cold winter air. Like the Indian maestro’s legendary scores, it formed the perfect soundtrack to the Orange British Academy Film Awards. Not only the most prominent event in the British movie calendar, the glitzy occasion turned out to be a great night for Anglo-Indian relations and world cinema.
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Not only did the Slumdog Millionaire cast scoop most of the awards, but they also spent more than their share of time on the red carpet talking to the international media.
Jaspeet Pandohar has exclusive pictures from the red carpet for AIM magazine.
(more below the fold)

Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto and Dev Patel

Slumdog Millionaire took the Bafta awards by storm yesterday, winning an incredible seven awards, including Best Film.

The results were not unexpected, however it was a surprise the British/Indian film managed to soundly beat the critically acclaimed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt.
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Zee TV will host its annual Zee Carnival from 13th to 15th February at Olympia, London, despite worries that the recession will hold back Asian visitors.
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The annual Karachi Film Festival is in danger of going under forever unless new funds are found. That was the plea last week of founder Hasan Zaidi who is asking for donations to help sustain a slimmed down version of the film festival.

In an appeal sent out to supporters, he said that the festival had been scheduled for February but the global recession meant many of the sponsors had pulled out at the last minute.
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A poisoned teacup, a mysterious ‘Monsieur’, a profusion of flowers and two sisters caught up in a fantasy of conspiracy and murder. When left alone in the house, Claire and Solange Lemercier indulge in secret rituals of hatred and revenge, directed against their wealthy employer.

They both love and hate their mistress and are drawn daily to act out fantasies of power and submission. Will the game ever reach its conclusion and with what consequences?
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Slumdog Millionaire has become the first British film with a heavy Indian presence to scoop as many as 10 Oscar nominations.

The Academy Awards announced yesterday that it was also in contention for the prestigious Best Picture award.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which stars Brad Pitt, lead the field with 13 Oscar nominations.

Young actor Dev Patel (pictured) said he was amazed. “When we first began working on the film I don’t think any of us ever imagined that we might end up attending the Oscars ceremony as a result.”
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Asian Woman magazine will be hosting its annual Asian Bride Show this weekend – Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th January. The event will be held at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The event will feature designers, photographers, beauticians, caterers, cars, wedding businesses and brands from around the world. It will also showcase latest designs on a model catwalk and music acts throughout both days.

Leicester Square, London, was the host to the premiere of the Bollywood flick From Chandni Chowk to China on Monday night.

Directed by Nikhil Advani (Kal Ho Na Ho) and starring Akshay Kumar, with Deepika Padukone playing his romantic interest in the film, it also features Mithun Chakraborty, Gordon Liu (Kill Bill Volume One and Two) and Roger Yuan (Batman Begins, Bulletproof Monk).

The deadline is approaching for talented performance artists to take part in the 2009 decibel Performing Arts Showcase, which will take place in Manchester from 15-18 September 2009.
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Are arranged marriages over… Is the web a new match maker?

Contemporary British Asians are moving away from the traditions of arranged marriage and are looking at new ways of finding a life partner, exploring new methods to find their soulmate. We all ask ourselves, “will I ever find the one?”, “what’s the secret to happiness?’’ “is the grass really greener on the other side?”

That is the subject of Rifco Arts’ new production: ‘Where’s My Desi Soulmate?’

It used to be so simple. Boy meets girl over a plate of samosas in Auntie Bimla’s living room.
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Various British Asians, in the media and elsewhere, will be honoured by the Queen according to the New Years Honour list, released last week. [full list below]

Most notably, Dr Anita Kumari Bhalla (pictured), currently editor of Public Space at the BBC, is being honoured with an OBE for services to broadcasting.

Ms Bhalla has had a long career at the BBC, including as head of Political and Community Affairs for the English Regions and and as community affairs correspondent for BBC News. She was also a presenter at Channel 4′s Eastern Eye and a member of the Independent Commission on Social Justice.
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An event in January will bring black and minority ethnic talent together with independent radio production companies, to help them progress with their careers.

The free event will provide the opportunity of one-to-one meetings with key representatives from independent radio production companies who make programmes for the broadcasters, particularly the BBC, and often produce programmes developed with individual writers and freelance producers.
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iCrest, the digital agency behind the successful e-tickets website, Chillitickets, has launched another website to complement its speed dating events.

AsianD8Online is a spin-off from their AsianD8Events (formerly AsianSpeedD8) nights held across the country.
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Former BBC journalist Waseem Mahmood has been nominated for a ‘Person of the Year’ award for his anti-terrorism work in Pakistan.

He is in a cast of strong individuals from around the world who have been nominated for embodying the values of OneWorld: “human rights for all; a fair distribution of the world’s natural and economic resources; simple and sustainable ways of life; the right of every individual to inform and be informed; participation and transparency in decision making; and social, cultural, and linguistic diversity.
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The Asian Woman magazine awards took place last week at the Whitehall Palace Banqueting House in central London.

Actress Manjinder Virk with writer Neil Biswas
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A Bollywood film starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan is in contention for a Bafta award.

The period epic Jodhaa Akbar is competing in the Best Foreign Film Category.

It is directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, whose previous film Lagaan was nominated for an Oscar in 2001 as Best Foreign Language Film.
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The London Film Festival has announced a major event for this year’s calendar titled: UK and India:The Shape of Things to Come.

Co-sponsored by the UK Film Council, it will explore the implications of the recent UK-India co-production treaty.
www.lff.org.uk