Akshay Kumar has been given the ‘Box Office 1000 Crore Hero’ award at the ‘Star Box Office India Awards’, the first ceremony of its kind. ‘The Box Office 1000 Crore Hero’ award has been given to Akshay to celebrate his collection of over Rs 1000 Crore at the domestic box office over the past five years. For those unfamiliar with the currency, 1000 Crore equates to approximately 100 million Pounds Sterling or 160 million US Dollars!
Whilst a prestigious award to receive, it’s hardly surprising for Akshay to be awarded it, given that films such as ‘Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty’, ‘Housefull 2’ and ‘Rowdy Rathore’ have put him into the 100 Crore Club three times.
‘The Box Office 1000 Crore Hero’ award can be seen as truly indicative of Akshay’s superstar status and the global fan base he has.
Akshay hopes to follow on his recent success with his latest film, ‘The Shaukeens’, which is due to be released on 7th November 2014.
The Shaukeens sees three men in the twlight of their lives embark on a roller-coaster adventure of fun and frivolity, ensuring that their lives will never quite be the same again. Akshay is seen doing a special cameo appearance in the film.
The most highly anticipated Bollywood blockbuster has hit the big screens . Happy New Year, the action packed comedy-drama film starring the king of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan and his female sidekick Deepika Padukone along with a platoon of other familiar faces; Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah, Sonu Sood and Jackie Shroff. The film that released on Diwali- 23 October will have you laughing and cringing at the same time as director Farah Khan skilfully sets up a heist plot against a dance competition scenario in this year’s Happy New Year.
Shah Rukh Khan (8-pack abs)plays Charlie, who secretly puts together a deadly team of down on their luck losers to help him steal millions of pounds worth of diamonds from a rich diamond dealer (Jackie Shroff), who is responsible for framing his father in a fake robbery.
The team consists of avenger Charlie, a safe expert (Boman Irani), young hacker (Vivaan shah), a drunken vomiting loser (Abhishek Bachchan), and a hot-headed ex-army man (Sonu Sood). Introduction and background stories alone takes us an hour into the film where we then come across a bar dancer (Deepika Pudukone) who is recruited by the team to teach them some dance moves to help them go undercover in the World Dance Championship. Regardless of her sinful dancing, Deepika’s character really excels in being the very like-able heroine that manages to win over all of our hearts.
In terms of the story- line, it leaves you to question whether director Farah Khan’s idea was an original one. The movie that is already raking in millions worldwide is a cross between Oceans’ Eleven and the Fast and Furious franchise, with a burst of extra added song and dances of course. And the resemblance is easily recognisable within only a couple of minutes into the film.
Like every Bollywood film everything was very predictable from the outset. You knew that there was going to be some sort of revengeful back story plan taking place, an emerging love story all bound together with the importance of friendship, and it was all going to be very long-winded.
With that being said, the movie was an incredible spectacle which was over the top, loud and blindingly bright. However, for a film of which dance is so integral to its plot, I would have liked it if the musical set pieces and dance routines could have been a bit more apparent and creative as opposed to Shah Rukh Khan’s abs getting most of the limelight. Yes, that’s right. It seems that for the first time in an Indian film there was more male skin on display than female. Abs and biceps and unbuttoned shirts were out in full force thanks to Shah Rukh and Sonu.
Despite the absence focused around the dance routines HNY has some really good dance floor bangers, Lovely and Dance like a Chammiya and of course every Bollywood film a patriotic track (Indiawaale) can never go amiss.
At nearly three hours long, the film has managed to achieve what it set out to do and that was to entertain the masses and it has done a great job at doing that.
Based on lack of originality, this movie managed to reign itself back on its comedic scenes that had me rolling around in my seat and for that I would like to give this film a ***/***** rating.
Detectives investigating the deaths of a family in Clayton, Bradford have now completed post mortem examinations of the four family members who died at an address on Blackberry Way.
A post mortem examination performed on Jitendra Lad (49) has confirmed that he died from compression of the neck caused by hanging. The examination suggested Mr Lad died on Monday .
Post mortem examinations carried out on the rest of the family have revealed that Daksha (44) Trisha (19) and Nisha (16) all died in their beds as a result of stab wounds. These injuries are thought to have been sustained at an earlier point during the weekend.
Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson, from West Yorkshire Police’s Protective Services (Crime), said: “I have spoken to the family members this evening and updated them on the results of the post mortem examinations.
“They are continuing to come to terms with what took place at Blackberry Way, which has robbed a family of two generations, and specially trained officers are supporting them at this very difficult time.
“Enquiries are continuing into the circumstances leading to the incident and we will not be drawn on speculation while our investigation is ongoing.
“I would reiterate that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and neighbourhood officers have increased patrols in the area to offer reassurance to local people.”
Murder investigation launched following the death of family of four found in Clayton, Bradford
Published: 28 October 2014
West Yorkshire Police has today launched a murder investigation following the discovery of four bodies at a detached property on Blackberry Way in the Clayton area of Bradford.
Police were called to the house last night at 8.31pm following concerns from a neighbour, who had not seen the family for some time.
In the property, police found the bodies of two adults – a 49-year-old male Jitendra Lad and his wife Daksha Lad (44).
From left to right: Trisha Lad, Jitendra Lad, Daksha Lad, Nisha Lad
The bodies of two female teenagers were also found; Trisha Lad (19) and Nisha Lad (16) who are the daughters of the couple.
Early indications suggest the bodies may have been in the property for some time. Post mortems will now be carried out to establish the cause of the deaths.
Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson, from West Yorkshire Police’s Protective Services (Crime), said: “This is clearly a significant incident and our investigation will be thorough as we piece together the events that have led to the deaths of a local family.”
Damien Miller, Superintendent Operations of Bradford District, who leads neighbourhood policing across the Bradford District, said: “Clayton is a close knit community and I understand that local people will be understandably upset by what has taken place and I would like to reassure people there is no wider danger to members of the public. Additional neighbourhood officers are in the area speaking to people and offering reassurance.”
A neighbour of the family, who wishes to remain anonymous, said “They were a nice family, quietest on the street. They kept busy working and at home and not many people visited them. The girls were very bright and had a good future. The father was very reserved and I never saw the girls alone, they were always with their dad. They always went out early and came home at 5 like a normal working class family would.
Trisha-left-and-Nisha-Lad-right
The last I saw of them was when they were at home celebrating Diwali, they all looked happy. The father was the one who never really spoke but the mother and daughters always said ‘hi’ and were very pleasant.”
Smorgasbord coffee bar became subject to an arson attack last night at around 8pm. The coffee bar was in the middle of refurbishing the entire shop and had planned a re-opening for this Friday. However last night the coffee shop caught ablaze to a terrible fire which has caused major damage to the outside of the shop.
The owner Arif Mehmood explains that he was alerted at 8:30pm that there had been a break in at the coffee bar, he arranged for his brother to attend and check what had happened as he lives further away. Upon arrival his brother caught site of the destruction that had occurred due to a major fire and informed Arif to make his way there immediately.
The fire brigade had arrived prior to Arif’s arrival and put out the fire. Arif then had a look at their CCTV cameras to see that at 8:23pm a fire was set to the coffee bar, which caused a lot of damage to the outside of the shop but Arif says “Thankfully there wasn’t much damage on the inside, so everything was on the outside.”
The refurbishing of the shop was almost complete however this destruction has now set the coffee bar back financially as well as the timing of the re-opening. Arif says the entire shop will need to be re-done again including plastering, painting and decorating.
According to Arif there isn’t a motive for anyone to carry out such a horrific act, he believes it was simply a “Senseless act of vandalism and arson.”
Arif commended the fire fighters for arriving within ten minutes of the fire setting ablaze and putting it out almost immediately. The coffee shop will now look to re-open within the next few weeks.
Actress Alia Bhatt recently featured in a short film called Going Home. The film is based on the safety of women and visualises a utopia for women, where, unlike today, mistrust and fear don’t dictate actions and decisions.
The film was uploaded to YouTube on October 17th and went viral instantly.
Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher today watched the film and posted the link on his Facebook page, along with the comment “Wow. Just wow.”
Alia said the film was a “Really special short film.” And the message of the film is a strong message which is not only spreading in India but also across the globe.
The film can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EDJxs1yJrQ
A Man appears to have collided with the Prime Minister todayas he left the city’s Civic Hall.
Mr Cameron did not fall over and was driven away from the scene, apparently uninjured.
The police arrested the 28-year-old citizen but he was later released. In a statement Chief Inspector Derek Hughes said ‘‘Around midday today, a 28-year-old local man was briefly arrested after he came close to the Prime Minister’s group, who had just left the Civic Hall in Leeds.
‘‘No threats were made, and after the man’s details were checked, he was de-arrested and allowed on his way.’’
West Yorkshire Police later tweeted that no threat had been made, adding: “Nothing sinister, just a man in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The prime minister was in Leeds to launch government plans to upgrade rail links in the north of England. A member of Mr Cameron’s security team intervened and bundled the man away as the prime minister got into a waiting vehicle.
The police said they believed the man was sprinting to a nearby gym. All seems well and it looks like this was simply a false alarm.
The success of apprentices is being celebrated across West Yorkshire at a graduation ceremony on Monday 10th November 2014 at Leeds Town Hall.
Hundreds of young people from across the region will come together at this prestigious event along with proud parents, employers and other organisations involved in Apprenticeships. Speakers at this high profile event will include Jamie Peacock, Leeds Rhinos star player.
Apprenticeship graduation ceremonies like this one are taking place across England to celebrate the achievement of Higher and Advanced apprentices to raise the profile of Apprenticeships to put them on an equal footing with a university route to success.
The West Yorkshire event is being delivered by a consortium after government funding was recently awarded to West Yorkshire Learning Providers, one of 19 successful Apprenticeship organisations in the country to successfully bid for a grant to plan and host a ceremony in their region. And plans are well underway to make this a night to remember!
Don Brearley, chief executive of West Yorkshire Learning Providers, said “We are delighted to be hosting this event, which will celebrate the enormous success and achievement of all our Higher and Advanced apprentices in West Yorkshire. Every single person who has completed an Apprenticeship can be very proud of what they have achieved. It is important that their success is rewarded in this way to encourage others to aspire to greater things, and that is what this ceremony will do. This event will also help to raise the profile of Apprenticeships and how undertaking an Apprenticeship can lead to a successful future.”
Nick Wilson, Skills Funding Agency’s, Deputy Director of Employer and Delivery Services in the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber said “Apprenticeships are thriving in the region and it’s easy to see why. Nearly every employer that takes on an apprentice reports benefits to their business and this is testimony to the important role they have to play in the country’s economic recovery. And after finishing, most apprentices will stay in employment with two thirds staying with the same employer.
These ceremonies highlight the quality and range of Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships available and I would like to congratulate all of the apprentice graduates who will be attending.
Higher Apprenticeships are available at a range of levels, from the equivalent of a foundation degree to a bachelor’s degree and even master’s degree level in some sectors. More of these specialised and highly-skilled Apprenticeships are being offered each year, giving individuals the chance to continue their professional development and fully realise their potential.”
The graduation ceremonies project is being rolled out nationally following two pilot ceremonies and four trailblazers over the last two years. Some £400,000 of funding has been awarded to the project in total.
The graduation ceremony grants have been managed by the Association of Colleges and Association of Employment and Learning Providers, through the Skills Funding Agency. Grant money accounts for around 60% of the total event costs with the remainder made up of sponsorship from Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, The employment and skills group, YH Training Services, City Training Services, Learning Innovations Training Team and The Skills Consortium.
The fifth and final day of the Diwali celebrations is called the Bhai-Dooj or Bhau-Beej, and it is dedicated to the brother sister bond.
On this day sisters pray for their brother by applying a red Tilak of Kumkum, and pray for the long life, peace and prosperity of the brother. This Tilak is an auspicious mark put on the forehead of the brothers and an Aratis performed. The holy flame of the Diya is a mark of the sisterly love that will protect the brother from all evil and obstacles in life. In turn the sisters are pampered with lavish goodies from their brothers.
Every sister and brother looks forward to this festival that marks the bond of everlasting love and affection and it is also observed by people who are not related through family tree. Which means; this is also an occasion when new bonds are formed, and commemorated and social ties of peace and brotherhood are established and renewed.
The legend goes that Lord Yama, or the God of Death visits his sister Yami on this day when she puts an auspicious mark on his forehead so that her brother stands protected and she prays for his well-being. The belief hence goes that when a sister puts Tilak on the forehead of her brother on this day, he will never be hurled into hell and be protected from all evil and obstacles.
The other legend on this is that Lord Krishna visits his sister Subhadra after vanquishing the demon Narakasura, where she welcomes him with a victor’s Tilak, flowers and sweets.
Indians are known to glorify customs, rituals and relationships through festivals. Bhai Dooj is similar in essence to Raksha Bandan, where sisters observe the day to pray for the long life and well being of their brothers. Raksha Bandan is all about tying a Rakhi on the arm of the brother as a mark of the infallible bond of love and affection, whereby, the brother is committed to protect the sister from all adversities in life.
Happy Bhai-Dooj from the Asian Sunday team, we hope you have had a great week of Diwali celebrations!
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has shown how humble and down to earth he is by stating that stars are just human “not some divinity … we seek humaneness”.
The 72-year-old expressed the love and affection he receives from his fans in his blog srbachchan.tumblr.com. He wrote “The love respect and affection that comes, comes without any incursion from other quarters … I am embarrassed and lulled into thought, why this does occur … and am needing to think that even if I desired an answer I would never get one …
He goes on to explain that celebrities are simply humans like everybody else and must be treated in that way “And so we exist … and so we perish … much like most others … We are human, not some divinity … we seek humaneness,” posted the 72-year-old who stays connected with his fans via blog and Twitter, where he amassed 11 million followers.”
Amitabh has been given the tag of ‘Shahenshah’ by his millions of fans across the globe and his humble action depicts the reason for the adoration by his fans.
Costa has announced plans to open at The Broadway Bradford development.
The UK’s favourite coffee shop brand will be opening in the Broadway centre alongside other leading UK retailers, including anchors Debenhams and Marks & Spencer, together with other major brands from Topshop, Topman and New Look to JD Sports and Boots.
The coffee store will cover a floor space of around 2,100 sq. ft. and will benefit from the modern retail offering at the contemporary development, as well as the anticipated 78% increase in retail spend and 40% increase in footfall following the opening of The Broadway.
Construction work on the development has begun, with large scale cladding works currently underway, forming the Broadway’s underlying steel structure. Upon completion in late 2015, the centre will comprise 6,600 tonnes of structural steel, which will support the 570,000 sq. ft. of floor space.
Keith Mabbett, Westfield’s Director of Leasing said “We’re delighted that Costa will be taking a unit at The Broadway. Costa Coffee, as a global brand, not only adds to the impressive portfolio of retailers that have signed up to the scheme, but is further proof that the development is a key strategic location for other leading UK and international brands.
With well over 50% of the centre’s floor space already committed, demand for spaces is high. As the scheme continues to gain further momentum, we look forward to announcing further retailers over the coming months.”
Caroline Midgley, Acquisition Manager for Costa commented also added “Costa has been voted the nations favourite coffee shop for the third year in a row, offering expertly crafted coffee and a wide selection of hot or cold beverages, complimented by a selection of great tasting sweet and savoury food.
Our new coffee store in The Broadway will provide local shoppers with convenience and quality when they wish to take a break from their shopping and will bring additional footfall to Bradford.”
As half the floor space of the Westfield has been dedicated by high end retail shops and cafes, we can only expect many other fantastic shops to get on board with the Westfield site and begin taking up their spaces.
Whilst a prestigious award to receive, it’s hardly surprising for Akshay to be awarded it, given that films such as ‘Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty’, ‘Housefull 2’ and ‘Rowdy Rathore’ have put him into the 100 Crore Club three times.
