MUMBAI: Its romance all over on STAR Gold! February being the celebrated month of love all over the world, STAR Gold woos its audiences with an impressive line up of romantic films and specials. Join STAR Gold as it promises a variety of non stop entertainment with the best of films all through this month.

The romantic fervor starts with ?Dil Se?, a week long Valentine Special festival commemorating the season of love, romance and relationships. The festival will showcase Bollywood?s popular romantic movies like Just Married, Honeymoon Travels, Baabul, Pyar Ke Side Effects, Bluffmaster and several others from 8th to 14th February. The festival will conclude with the Dhamaka premiere of Hey Baby starring superstar Akshay Kumar and the pretty Vidya Balan at 8 pm on Valentine?s Day.

Spicing up the month of February is the blockbuster movie of the month, Wanted, starring Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia and Mahesh Manjrekar set to create waves on 28th February at 8pm.

The month of specials will also have ?Jabardast Janamdin? a festival celebrating the birthdays of India?s favourite stars including chocolate boy Shahid Kapoor, the charismatic Abhishek Bachchan and the sizzling Urmila Matondkar in. Viewers can treat themselves to the best of entertainment with popular titles of the stars on the occasion of their birthday.

The calendar of birthdays commences with a special line up starring the sensuous Urmila in exceptional films like Ek Hasina Thi, Jungle and Deewangee on 4th Febraury. Abhishek Bachchan will bring his real life romance alive on reel life is ?Dhai Akshar Prem Ke? starring Abhishek with wife Aishwarya. Apart from this other superhit films of the star like Bluffmaster, Drona and Om Jai Jagadish will be aired on 5th February. The festival will also see Shahid Kapoor enthralling audiences on 25th February with romantic comedies including Ishq Vishq, Chup Chup Ke and Jab We Met.

This Valentine month book your schedules in advance as STAR Gold promises to captivate its viewers like never before with entertainment that is sure to keep them glued to their seats!

Enjoy the month of love with your beloved this February only on STAR Gold!

MUMBAI: Times Now, the country‘s most watched English news channel has arranged an action packed weekend for your viewing pleasure.

Making of Ishqiya:
Catch all "behind the scenes" action and masala of the vindictive yet alluring Krishna Verma and the goons Babban and Khalujaan on the sets of ‘Ishqiyan‘ only on Times Now.
Sunday: 3oth January 2010: 1030am
Sunday: 31st January 2010: 0530pm & 1030pm

Frankly Speaking:
Catch Karan Johar up-close and personal as he talks about his journey in the film industry, the movies, his friends and The Khan.
Saturday: 30th January 2010: 0730pm
Sunday: 31st January 2010: 0230pm & 0930pm 

Times Drive:
On Times Drive this week, it‘s the battle of the 220‘s as the Bajaj Pulsar takes on the Hero Honda Karizma ZMR. She‘s an actress, VJ and dancer, and she‘s talking cars; watch as the show catches up with Sophie Chaudhary.
Saturday: 30th January 2010: 1130am & 0630pm
Sunday: 31st January 2010: 1030am

Total Recall:
This week on Total Recall we take you through the journey of Cabaret in Hindi cinema. Teasing? alluring? and the ultimate femme fatale?! Cabaret was Hindi cinema‘s first bold step creating quite a stir in the Hindi film industry.
Saturday: 30th January 2010: Noon & 0800pm
Sunday: 31st January 2010: Noon & 0800pm

The Foodie:
The Foodie this week, gives traditional recipes a modern twist. Watch Kunal Vijayakar as he meets Chef Gresham of the Salt Water Cafe, who uses modern techniques to give mouth watering traditional dishes a unique texture and flavor.
Saturday: 30th January 2010: 0130pm & 0530pm
Sunday: 31st January 2010: 1130am & 0730pm
 

MUMBAI: For over fifty years, Music?s Biggest Night?, the GRAMMY Awards?, has celebrated the music and artists that have touched the hearts and souls of people all over the world. Now, the 2010 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, to be held on 1st February, 2010, is poised to carry on the incredible tradition that has helped make the annual, 3?-hour STAR World special the world?s most popular television musical event for over three decades! STAR World invites its viewers to cheer the Indian nominees and be a part of the massive musical gathering on 1st Feb at 6.30am LIVE on STAR World!

The Grammy awards has always been a spectacular mix of exhilarating performances, exciting productions and exceptional ratings, with almost every major international music star appearing and/or performing on the show. This year?s show will witness the performances of well known international musicians who are also this year?s nominees like Bon Jovi, Beyonc?, the Black Eyed Peas, the Dave Matthews Band, Green Day, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Maxwell, P!nk, Taylor Swift, and the Zac Brown Band. Other nominees this year include Kayne .West, Jay Z, David Guetta, Kings of Leon, Bruce Springsteen and Keith Urpan.

The Indian Nominations for Grammys include musical wizards like A R Rahman, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. The track ?Jai Ho?, which got Rahman two Academy awards and a Golden Globe, has been nominated in the category of Best Song written for Motion Picture, Television or Other visual media. Rahman has also been nominated in the category of ?Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other visual Media for Slumdog Millionaire. Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain has been nominated for the 52nd Grammy award in the Best Classical Crossover album category for the album ?The Melody of Rhythm?. "The Melody of Rhythm" consists of artists like Leonard Slatkin, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer apart from Zakir Hussain. Rahim AlHaj and Amjad Ali Khan have been honoured by the Recording Academy with a 2010 Grammy Nomination in the Best Traditional World Music Category for their CD ?Ancient Sound?.

Many well known international artistes like Kristen Bell, Justin Bieber, Jeff Bridges, Miley Cyrus, Josh Duhamel, The Jonas Brothers, Norah Jones, Ke$Ha, Ll Cool J, Ricky Martin, Carlos Santana, and Ringo Starr are the first presenters that have been announced for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. While the three and a half hour event will air LIVE from the Staples Centre, Los Angeles at 6.30am on 1st Feb, STAR World viewers can catch a repeat of the same at 6.30 pm and 11pm on the same day. The show will also have a weekend repeat on 7th Feb at 6.30pm.

Be there for more of the ?next 50 years? when the world?s brightest music stars light up the stage again on television?s most prestigious annual music event ? The 2010 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards; Monday 1st Feb LIVE at 6.30am only on STAR World!
 

MUMBAI: There was pin-drop silence while everyone anxiously waited with bated breath when Ms Lynn de Souza, Chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group (LMG) opened a sealed envelope and declared Ms Deepam Rami and Mr Vinit Kumar as the two winners of the LMG Moscow Congress Contest at LMG?s Annual Conference in Pattaya today.

It is not so unusual for companies to reward it?s A-raters with a professional membership, which is what a few months ago Lintas Media Group (LMG) did to encourage and enthuse their young professionals when as many as ten (10) youngsters were given the Young Professional memberships of the India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IC-IAA).

Last month as soon as IAA announced details of the 42nd IAA World Congress, which is scheduled to be held in Moscow, Russian Federation, between May 12th and May14th 2010, LMG decided to send two (2) of their IAA Young Professional members to the Moscow Congress, at LMG?s cost, after a minor ?contest?.

In order to be selected they were asked to send in a five hundred word essay on why they think they should go to Moscow to attend this Congress. The winners were to be selected by a panel of three judges from the IAA India Chapter?s Board, and not any one from the agency, to rule out any biases. The entries, they were told, would be decided on the basis of innovation and creativity, expression of key LMG values, and overall communication quality of the submission.

The key LMG values were explained as - a strong performance orientation, and growth by collaboration.

The email IDs of the three eminent judges, who are also Committee Members from India are also on the IAA World Board [Ms Pheroza Bilimoria - Managing Director, Business India Publications Ltd. and Hon. Secretary IAA World Board; Mr Pradeep Guha - Managing Director, Culture Company (I) Pvt. Ltd. and Immediate Past President and current Vice President & Area Director for IAA Asia Pacific Region and Mr Raj Nayak, CEO - NDTV Media Ltd. and President of the India Chapter of IAA] were shared with them and so that the 10 contestants could email their submissions directly by January 15, 2010.

Each mark sheet was collected; collated and final scores were compiled by the India Chapter of the IAA.

The results were put in a sealed envelope which was opened, and the winners names announced at LMG?s annual conference in Pattaya today, Friday the 29th January, 2010.

?There were stars in the eyes of LMG?s Young Professionals! They were thrilled that their words were read and judged by such distinguished people who are also on the IAA World Board?, said Ms Lynn de Souza, Chairman & CEO - Lintas Media Group and Honorary Secretary India Chapter of IAA. ?Here?s wishing Deepam and Vineet a great learning experience amongst head honchos in an international arena?, she said.

Earlier Mr Raj Nayak, President of IAA India Chapter and CEO of NDTV Media, said, ?This is a wonderful way to incentivise and persuade youngsters to push the envelope.? He also said that he was hopeful that more and more companies would be making their young professionals IAA members and thereby giving them greater international exposure in the world of advertising and marketing.

MUMBAI: The real estate sector has always played a significant role in the Indian economy. The time for the sector couldn‘t have been better with huge demand as well as supply in both residential and commercial spheres. Leading the pack of the top real estate investment markets, India is expected to see a rise in FDIs, on the back of progressive reforms by the government as well as the confidence of the players in the segment.

With the increasing number of players in the Real Estate Industry, there is a need to monitor and give credibility to the sector. CNBC AWAAZ Crisil Credai Real Estate Award is India‘s biggest and most credible real estate platform that serves as a definitive benchmark for industry & consumers. Powered with a robust methodology and selection procedure designed by CRISIL, these awards ensure that the best developers and architects are rewarded for their outstanding work and contribution towards the society, the industry, and the nation as a whole.

The CNBC AWAAZ Crisil Credai Real Estate Award 2009 was graced by the presence of Kumari Selja - Minister of Tourism and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Deepak Parekh - Chairman, HDFC. The awards also witnessed attendance from some of the biggest names in the Real Estate Industry who came together to felicitate the best in the sector.
This year‘s association with CREDAI makes these awards even more special by hosting these awards at Natcon 2010. CREDAI brings together 20 state/ city level associations that have over 5000 individual members who share a common vision to improve the real estate industry in India. As real estate is one of India‘s key economy drivers, CREDAI continuously strives towards making the Industry more structured and progressive.

While speaking at the occasion Mr. Sanjay Pugalia, Editor-in-Chief, CNBC AWAAZ said, "Over the past 5 years, CNBC AWAAZ has championed the cause of financial literacy, empowering every community and evolving into a platform for citizens to voice their opinions. The Real Estate sector is growing phenomenally. CNBC AWAAZ Real Estate Awards will help consumers make an informed choice by recognizing the best in the industry."

Methodology of the Awards

CRISIL will be selecting the winners for the various categories of awards based on a rigorous two stage selection procedure. The first stage will be the Short listing stage while the second stage will be the Selection stage.

In the Short listing stage, all the data submitted by the developers in the application form will be thoroughly scrutinized by CRISIL based on stringent short listing criteria. CRISIL might also seek additional information relating to the project from the developer. Based upon the information submitted by the developers, CRISIL will choose a list of finalist in this stage.
In the selection stage, the finalist would be invited to make a presentation in front of the Jury. CRISIL will also ask for a declaration from the developer relating to the project, during this stage. The Jury will evaluate the presentation made by the developer based on the criteria and also ask questions relating to the project and the promoters. The Jury will select the winners for the various categories based upon the presentations made.

The winners of the CNBC AWAAZ Crisil Credai Real Estate Award 2009 include:

The Real Estate Awards recognise the best in the industry that have the potential to raise the bar and set new benchmarks for newer entrants.

MUMBAI: Shobha De, who is often known as India‘s Jackie Collins draws much of the limelight. This time the veteran writer will speak exclusively with Nikhil Wagle, Editor, IBN-Lokmat in Great Bhet on Saturday, 30th January 2010 at 9:30 pm.

In this special rendezvous with Nikhil Wagle on Great Bhet, the graceful lady will talk about her tortuous career journey. Coming from an otherwise orthodox family, the dynamic De started her career in the glitzy field of modeling and created quite a buzz on the ramp. Shobha, in her sixties is followed as a style diva even today. She transited from her glam profession to a literary career in Journalism. Having some renowned names like Stardust, Society, and Celebrity to her credit, Shobha is a known columnist today. She will voice her views about being held responsible for bringing out a sexual revolution through her lucid writings.

Having authored a number of novels on varied issues, the revolutionary writer, will speak about her first book for children titled ?S?s Secret?. Her latest work of fiction throws light into the psyche of a teenager who is considered too old for toys and too young for boys. The book with a simple, na?ve and innocent storyline has got its Marathi edition on the shelves as well. 

With a trademark of speaking her mind, De has earned critical appreciation for her famous novels like ?Socialite Evenings?, Starry Nights?, ?Second Thoughts?, etc which are best sellers.

Grounded to her Maharashtrian roots, the fearless De dame will talk on the stereotype image of the Marathi manoos prevalent in society and her abstinence from getting into the world of politics.

So tune into GREAT BHET on IBN-Lokmat on Saturday, 30th January 2010, at 9:30pm and watch the dynamic Shobha De speak her heart out.

You can also watch the rerun of this ?Great Bhet? episode on Sunday i.e. 31st January 2010 @ 12:00 pm & 5:00 pm.