Hollywood remakes are official now

Good news for movie buffs tired of watching "unofficial" Hollywood remakes or "inspired" movies.

Mukesh Talreja and Nikhil Advani of Orion Pictures are in talks with Warner Brothers to remake Hollywood blockbuster Wedding Crashers.

The company is in talks with two big actors to play the lead in this remake. "I have seen Wedding Crashers and think it is a great property that would certainly lend itself to a Bollywood remake and I am very happy that we will be doing this in the right way in association with Warner Brothers," Talreja said.

Warner Brothers will also take legal action against any party who plans to remake this film in concept or as a remake, according to sources.

Warner Brothers is also presenting Orion Pictures' Akshay Kumar-starrer Chandni Chowk to China in association with Ramesh Sippy Entertainment.

This news was brought to me by NDTV 24x7, the best news channels for NRIs seeking the latest news about India. People in the US can access this channel through DirecTV that guarantees excellent picture and voice quality.

IPL: Royals to take on Kings

It will be Hollywood vs Bollywood today. Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royal's take on Preity Zinta's Kings XI later this evening.

Both the teams lost their opening ties, and so both have something to prove. Jaipur in particular have some work to do with many believing that its one of the weakest squads in the league.

Despite the Hussey heroics that wiped out her team, the smile on Preity's face has not faded and she's looking for a turn-around.

I got this latest update on NDTV 24x7. It is an excellent news channel for NRIs since it provides the most comprehensive news related to India. DirecTV makes it possible to access this channel in the US.

Shoaib can't play in IPL unless ban is lifted

Two days after being handed out a five-year ban for bringing cricket into disrepute, Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Thursday suffered another major setback with the Indian Premier League (IPL) also debarring him from taking part in the cash-rich event.

The IPL's Governing Council made it clear that Akhtar would not play in the Indian Premier League unless its counterpart, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), lifted the five-year ban on him.

Shoaib, who was banned after several run-ins with the board on disciplinary issues, had on Wednesday said that he intended to take the Pakistan cricket board to court if necessary. The bowler asserted that he had always thought of Pakistan's cricket interests and never gave in to the offers made by match fixers.

I received this latest update on cricket through NDTV 24x7. It is an excellent news channel for NRIs as it provides the most comprehensive news related to India. DirecTV makes it possible to access this channel in the US.

India may lose chance to host Hockey WC

India is losing the chance to host the 2010 Hockey World Cup. The International Hockey Federation has decided that the progress on its pet project 'Promoting Indian Hockey' is still far from satisfactory, and that means the world body has already started looking at alternate venues.

The provisional award to India was announced last year.

India's failure to qualify for the Olympics and cold-shoulder to Technical Advisor Ric Charlesworth, its long-standing struggle to find a sponsor for the event and the lack of progress on the infrastructure front are reasons for the mess.

This is due to India’s early exit in the Olympics. I saw this news on NDTV 24x7. It is the best news channel for NRIs who want to receive the latest news about India. This channel is available through DirecTV in the US.

Tata inks JLR deal with Ford

Homegrown auto major Tata Motors has clinched the Jaguar and Land Rover deal estimated to be valued between $2-2.5 billion.

According to sources close to the development, the deal was signed last evening and is estimated to have cost the Tatas between $2-2.5 billion.

The deal has taken almost nine months to finalise as both Ford and Tata and their financiers sought to iron out issues seen as crucial to the future of the two British marques.

It is expected to cover long-term supply of engines to both brands from Ford.

During the race for JLR, in which India’s Mahindra & Mahindra was also in running for sometime, Tatas gained the crucial support from Unite - main trade union of Jaguar and Land Rover.

Tata has made India proud once again. I came to know about this news from NDTV 24×7. It is an excellent channel for NRIs that provides comprehensive coverage to news related to India. This channel is available in the US only through DirecTV.

Indian Sherwani goes global

In another global recognition of India's haute-couture, world-renowned Italian fashion brand Armani has included Sherwani in its latest collections.

Sherwani is a long coat-like garment worn in India and is similar to an Achkan or doublet. It is worn over kurta and churidar, pyjama, salwar or dhoti.

With increasing income and rapidly changing lifestyles, the Indian high-end brand market would join the league of the US, Japan, the UK, China, and Germany.

India's consumer base of high-end brands is expected to grow up to 50 million from less than 1,00,000 at present.

Though I live abroad I am proud to know that India is going global. Isn’t it great that Armani has included Sherwani in its latest collections? I saw the news only on NDTV 24x7. This is an excellent news channel for NRIs who yearn for India related news. This news channel is available in the US only through DirecTV. I was guaranteed excellent voice and picture quality with DirecTV and I wasn't disappointed.

N-deal: UPA-Left committee to meet today

I saw the coverage on NDTV 24x7 about the never-ending saga of the Nuclear deal. The UPA-Left committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal is meeting on Monday to discuss a crucial draft safeguards agreement.

The Left had earlier demanded that the government spell out its nuclear plans by the end of this month.

This is the first time that the government will meet Left leaders after talking to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about an India-specific safeguards agreement.

The government is expected to hand over copies of the draft agreement it has reached with the IAEA. It will also brief the Left on the three-month long negotiations with the nuclear watchdog.

I have been tracking the news on NDTV 24x7 since the very beginning. The Indo-US nuclear deal has played out for over two years with both the government and the Left sticking to their positions. The government believes it is a great deal, but the Left argues otherwise.

NDTV 24x7 is window to India for Indians living in the US. The insightful news channel is available in the US only through DirecTV.

India's first 3D game making waves

I saw the coverage on NDTV 24x7 about India's first 3D game, It's a game where one can zip across a virtual Mumbai, a city in which speed is just a way of life.

But this is no ordinary race, this is the first three dimensional game that has versions applicable in both personal computers and on play station.

The game has been developed entirely in India, which its makers believe is just as good as the games developed anywhere else.And it's not just this technology but also the game itself, which will appeal to hardcore gamers.

It would be fun racing alongside random constructions going on, dug up Mumbai roads, autorikshawallas who drive like a maniac and dogs chasing the cars.

I prefer watching NDTV 24×7 as it provides up–to–the–minute, 24/7 news with unparalleled coverage of the latest in domestic and international news.

The fantastic news channel is available in the US only through DirecTV.

Paes wants Olympic medal with Hesh

Indian tennis star Leander Paes on Sunday said he was confident of winning a medal partnering Mahesh Bhupathi at the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

He refused to comment, on Sania Mirza's decision to pull out of the Bangalore Open. He didn't even comment when asked whether he would partner Sania for a mixed double.

"I think we have a bright chance of winning a medal in Beijing"

On the country not getting another star tennis player after him and Bhupathi, Paes said there is too much of media hype now a days and the likes of Rohan Bopanna "are not able to absorb the pressure".

Paes hoped that Sourav Ganguly would be able to make a comeback into the Indian ODI team. I hope so too. India would win some more games if Ganguly makes it again to the Indian Team.

Whenever I talk to my friends from India I always have an upper hand despite the fact that I stay in the US. I owe this to NDTV 24x7 as the news channel informs keeps me updated about all the happenings in India.

If you are an Indian living in the US (like me), you should immediately subscribe to DirecTv because:

• It is the best TV service provider in the US in all respects.
• NDTV 24x7 is the best Indian news channel.
• DirecTv is the sole provider of NDTV 24x7 in the US.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042

Anju Bobby George bags silver

I didn't even know that the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship is on until I watched the coverage on NDTV 24x7.

Anju Bobby George has won the silver at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha. She's already qualified for the Olympics and now her preparations for Beijing have got off to a winning start. The long jumper, en route to her Asian Games silver in December 2006, began with a modest jump of 6.01 meters but her best jump of 6.38 meters was good enough for second place.
I use to participate in Long Jump while I was in schoo. The maximum I could jump is 4.1 meters. AB George must be flying and not jumping to cover a distance of 6+ meters.

Its good that NDTV 24x7 is available in the US or else I would miss all the action from India. the news channel is available in the US through DirecTV. Here is the URL:
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042

UK Indian wins racism case against Honda

Harbhajan Singh accused for racism, an Indian student is against Oxford University for alleged racism and now Japanese car maker is in the news. I saw the coverage on NDTV 24x7. I am an Indian staying in the US but haven't experienced racism, that's good and it should be that way.

Car giant Honda has been ordered to pay 64,000 Pounds to an Indian worker who was forced to quit after suffering racial abuse at work.

Kalmesh Shah, 30, moved to the UK from Gujarat in April 2004, and joined Honda in October that year.

Shah, who worked at the factory for nearly two years, was allegedly moved randomly between production line jobs without training, bullied and refused toilet breaks by his supervisor.

His poor treatment led to deterioration in his physical and mental health following which he quit.
Shah took Honda to a tribunal that finally ruled in his favour despite an attempt by managers to falsify documents and training records in a bid to dispute his claims.

Shah: "This was never about the money, it was about standing up to a company that treated me like a third-class citizen because of my race. I was persecuted for speaking out and blowing the whistle''

Honda spokeswoman: ''We have accepted the findings of the Employment Tribunal, some nine months ago, and consider this case to be a very unfortunate 'one-off' and deeply regret the offence to Shah caused by an individual associate''.

DirecTv is doing a great job of providing NDTV 24x7 in the US. NDTV 24x7 is India's best news channel as it is home to India's best journalists and reporters. The coverage is to the point and it is the first to deliver news related to India.

Here is the URL for DirecTv:
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042

Indian crowd best behaved: Spanish referee

I was watching NDTV 24x7 for daily updates on sports as I like to be well versed with India's efforts in the Sports arena and the headline "Indian crowd best behaved" took me by surprise. Indian crowd (read: spectators) is always loathed for its unruly behavior specially while cricket matches.

Politicians running sports bodies is commonplace, but one donning the cap of tennis referee is indeed a rare sight. Spanish referee Gabriel Mato, who officiated the recently concluded Davis Cup tie between India and Uzbekistan here, is one such exception. Mato, a Spanish MP, combines his travels all over the world for tennis with his hectic political schedule.

This was Mato's first assignment in India and the affable Spaniard was satisfied with the way the tie was conducted.

Mato also praised the Indian crowd, which he says has been the best behaved he had seen so far despite their sometimes boisterous nature.
Quote: "The tie was well organised. The courts were well dressed and the signages looked good. Moreover both the teams were happy and there have been no complaints"

"I must say that I am very impressed with the crowd here. They make noise, fully back their team but there were no fights. The way they cheered with drums, I found that quite curious. It was a big contrast to all the places where I have officiated"

I prefer watching NDTV 24x7 as it is India’s most respected news channel and the news coverage is ‘to the point’ unlike other news channels where every news is a breaking news.

The experience only improves as I have subscribed to DirecTv. There’s no need to buy any costly equipments, I received installation of a 4-room DirecTV system alongwith the subscription.

Tata Motors soon to finalise Jaguar deal

India on the global map is getting more and more visibility. Thanks to Indian multinationals. Indian news is getting more and more visibility on the news channels. Thanks to NDTV 24x7.

Tata Motors Ltd was satisfied with the progress of negotiations with US carmaker Ford Motor Co to buy British marquee brands Jaguar and Land Rover and would soon reach an agreement. The deal is expected to cost $2 billion. Ford, which bought Jaguar in 1989 for $2.5 billion, and Land Rover in 2000 for $2.73 billion, is selling off the two iconic British luxury brands to recoup losses made in its American operations.
I am sure Tata can turn around the losses into profits over a period of time and bring international cars on Indian roads. It would be interesting to learn how Tata manages Nano and Jaguar under the same company.

If you are an Indian living in the US (like me), you should immediately subscribe to DirecTv because:

• It is the best TV service provider in the US in all respects.
• NDTV 24x7 is the best Indian news channel.
• DirecTv is the sole provider of NDTV 24x7 in the US.

Here is the URL: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042

Pakistan test fires new missiles

I saw the coverage on NDTV 24x7 about Pakistan test firing new missiles. The military has been working on modifying the missile to allow launches from mobile platforms.

Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. The two neighbours have fought three wars after gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

Pakistan on Friday successfully test-fired an upgraded version of a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The army’s Strategic Missile Group launched the Ghauri missile, which has a range of 810 miles, from an undisclosed location, it said.

The relations between the two countries have improved markedly since 2004, when they began a peace process aimed at resolving outstanding disputes, including competing claims to the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir.

I prefer watching NDTV 24x7 as it is India’s most respected news channel and the news coverage is ‘to the point’ unlike other news channel where every news is a breaking news.

The experience only improves as I have subscribed to DirecTv. There’s no need to buy any costly equipments, I received installation of a 4-room DirecTV system alongwith the subscription.

Indian Government confident of 9% economic growth

I live in the US but I was extremely delighted when I saw the news on NDTV 24x7 about India's growth in the near future. That is because I am still an Indian at heart.

The Union Government will make rapid adjustments in economic measures depending upon evolving global economic situation, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Thursday exuding confidence that the growth during the current fiscal would be close to 9 per cent. Inflation is still below four per cent and growth is well above eight percent.

Government would also appoint two Additional Solicitor General's exclusively to deal with direct and indirect tax cases in the Supreme Court and High Courts across the country.

Mile High Racism

Harbhajan Singh called Symonds a Monkey or didn't he? The question and the case against the turbanator is still open. In a unrelated incident British Airways was alleged to be racist. I saw the coverage on NDTV 24*7 available through DirecTV in the US.



A few Indian passengers on a Chennai-London flight accused an airline of racial bias as it allegedly provided accommodation only to white-skinned people.

British Airways flight BA36 from Chennai to London was postponed due to a technical snag. And foreign passengers were provided hotel accommodation and many routed through other airlines, at least fifteen Indian passengers claim they were left to fend for themselves.

This obviously isn't a breaking news and so it doesn't need to be given that much importance. That's exactly how the story was covered on NDTV 24*7. The information was delivered as a matter of fact and not as a sensational news as shown in another news channels from India. I am surprised how other news channels come up with catchy lines for Insignificant news and blow it out of proportion. NDTV 24*7 according to me is a perfectly balanced news channel as the quantum of coverage, analysis, graphics is based on the significance of the news.

NDTV is available only through DirecTv in the US. DirecTv adds to the whole experience as it delivers a digital signal 99.9% of the time without any technical snags.

Indian of the Year

There is a clutter of awards, almost all the channels have their own Awards. Every channel these days wants to name their own 'Indian of the Year'.

I always wondered do these awards mean alot, something or nothing to the nominees and finally the winner. But the NDTV Indian of the Year (IotY) awards made sense to me.

There are a few reason for that, firstly I have always admired Mr. Pronoy Roy since his World this Week days and secondly NDTV is house to one of the best journalists in India. That includes Rajdeep Sardesai, my favorite TV scribe. I always enjoyed watching the show 'Big Fights' on NDTV. The ceremony was covered comprehensively on NDTV this weekend. I'm so glad we NRIs here can still receive these great Indian channels. I have a DirecTV subscription and it works great.

Run Mumbai Run

Yeah...there's nothing new about Mumbai running. The "city that never sleeps" is notorious for its ultra fast lifestyle. Mumbaikars are known to be a busy breed. After all they are the ones who keep the financial nerve center of India alive.

The Mumbai Marathon 2008 brought together stars and commoners on the streets of the country's commercial and entertainment capital.

Over 30,000 Mumbaikars- celebrities, corporate executives, students, social workers, housewives, even the man on the street, tested their stamina and fitness to drive home the message that 'running is not stressful for the heart'.

Even though she wasn't there, this is what Urmila Matondkar had to say about the Marathon, "For practical reasons, I could not participate in the Mumbai Marathon.But I'd love to. I didn't get time to prepare for it. But I support it wholeheartedly. It means standing up for a cause that's close to your heart. It's like doing your bit to keep the energy and integrity of Mumbai intact."


I saw the coverage of the marathon on NDTV through my DirecTV connection. I'm so glad we can receive Indian channels here in the US!