MUMBAI: The 360 degree communication agency, India News Communications Limited bags the exclusive advertising and publicity rights for the ‘Nauchandi Mela‘ being held at Meerut from 20th April to 20th May, 2009. The INCL Group has also entered into alliance with P7, the 24 hours National Hindi News Channel as the media associate of the Nauchandi Mela.

Commenting on this achievement, Mr. Prashant Kumar, Director & CEO, INCL says, "Consumer fairs like Nauchandi Mela is a wonderful platform for different brands to get them across to a large section of semi-urban and rural audience. Envisioning this huge scope and a promising market opportunity television channels like P7, Colors, Zee TV and brands like Idea, Reliance, Iodex, Piaggio, Godrej, Luminous, PNB, Tata Tea among many others made an active participation in the event".

MUMBAI: All eyes will be on Casey Stoner as the Ducati rider returns to the twin circuit of Motegi after a dominating performance in the season-opener in Qatar.

It was a perfect start for the Aussie at Losail (Qatar). Stoner was fastest in all three 2009 pre-season tests, then every track session, including a lights-to-flag victory in Monday?s rain delayed night race, which he won by a whopping margin of 7.7sec from reigning world champion Valentino Rossi.

While Rossi was outpaced, the next best in the field, George Lorenzo, was as many as 16sec behind Stoner, forcing some of the experts to predict 2009 to be a two-horse battle between Stoner and Rossi. And the second round of that battle will be available live and exclusive on Ten Sports, the most watched sports channel in the Sub-continent.

Live telecast of the Japanese Grand Prix starts at 9:30 AM IST, for the qualifying round on Saturday, April 25 while the Grand Prix of Japan will be telecast live on Sunday, April 26 at 8.15 AM IST.

Stoner may not have the best of records at Motegi, but Ducati did have a hat-trick of wins starting 2005, courtesy of Loris Capirossi. However, Stoner has good memories of riding in Japan as he clinched the championship in 2007 when he finished sixth.

Stoner is confident he can ram home his early advantage in his new carbon fibre chassis GP9 during Sunday?s 24-lap race, saying: ?We had a good race there last year but I haven?t really had too many good races in Japan. I?ve always been quite fast and I think now?s the time to start performing a little bit better.

?And hopefully I don?t lose points like I did at the beginning of last year. This would be the best idea, so I can try to have some better races throughout the season instead of just at the end.?

Rossi, who has excellent memories at Motegi where he secured the 2008 MotoGP World Championship with a 1.9sec victory over Stoner in last September‘s event, is hoping to put up more of a fight as compared to his outing in Qatar.

?My memories of last year at Motegi are incredible, because it was such a special victory after two years without the championship,? he said. ?This year of course will be very different, it?s only the second race and it will be quite strange going there so early in the championship.

?In Qatar, we had one or two small areas that could have been better, so we will be trying hard to improve our setting during the practice time so that we?re able to run at the front on Sunday. I expect that Stoner will be strong again, so we just need to reduce the gap to him so that we can put up more of a fight,? said Rossi.

The 4,801m Twin Ring circuit at Motegi was purpose-built by Honda in the late 1990s as a test track. It is the home of all things Honda. The track was built for a dual purpose, hence the two circuits, one as the only oval track in Japan, for the American Indy Racing League, the other for the hugely popular road events, including the Japanese MotoGP since 2004.

MUMBAI: He is the macho man of Bollywood?the trend setter. He has got the looks?he has got the style too. He has come a long way right from the time he got his first break in Bollywood to the present. Many of his friends in Bollywood look up to him as their support system; he is a friend indeed for his friends in need. He has made a name, for himself, an identity in Bollywood as munna bhai and now in politics as well. He is definitely the eminent face of Indian cinema?the one and only Sanju baba, Sanjay Dutt.

This week Superstars Superlives is all set to feature a five part series on Bollywood?s very own munna bhai aka Sanjay Dutt, on his association with Bollywood, his varied talent, astounding acting skills, nomination for Filmfare award for his negative role in the film Khalnayak, best actor?s trophy for the film Vaastav which made him prove to the world that hard work pays off... It is overall on his life, acting career, his ups and downs, his first break in Bollywood, success, relationships, family, what inspired him to join politics and much more.

Says Robin Bhatt on Sanjay Dutt?s performances, ?Emotional scenes are his forte, and he does it with sincerity?

?I have seen him grow, I have seen him become a superstar, and I have seen him go through tough times. He is one of the strongest human being I have ever met in my life?, states actor, comedian Shakti Kapoor

Says Sanjay Dutt, ?As a person, I am pretty much the same except that I have come to terms with who my real friends and supporters are. I avoid getting too friendly with new faces initially?

Maduri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt?s favorite co-stars said, ?My favorite is Sanjay Dutt, he is such a fun person. He the best fibber, he is witty and at the same time he is a thorough gentleman too. He is a good human being, he a is true and straight forward person?

Find out all about your favorite munna bhai turn neta, tune in to Superstars Superlives ? My Abhi Neta special series with Sanjay Dutt this Monday-Friday, April 27-May 01, 8.30pm only on ZoOm.

MUMBAI: Part of NewsX?s election special programming, Caste Cauldron is a weekly documentary style show, which focuses on caste equations in each region of India.

This week the show will travel to Eastern India, covering the current caste permutations at Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The show also delves into the genesis of each major caste combination in these states and its political implications.

This four part series will be covering the following states in each region of India ? UP, MP and Bihar in North India; Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan in West India; West Bengal, Orissa and North Eastern states in East India and Tamil Nadu, Kerela and Karnataka in South India.

MUMBAI: To assist directors in financing and speeding completion of their projects, the Festival created the Atelier in 2005.

For its 5th edition, the Atelier de la Cin?fondation has chosen 15 projects from 14 countries. The selection has been restricted to highlight both up and coming directors: Ho Wi Ding, Caran Hartsfield or Bertrand Mandico, and established directors: Zhang Yuan, Faouzi Bensaidi, Diego Lerman, Danielle Arbid or Malgoska Szumowska.

Alongside the producer(s) of their films, each director will meet in Cannes from May 15th to May 22nd film industry professional (sales agents, distributors, TV channels, producers, financiers, and representative of funding bodies) during the course of meetings that are presently being organized.

The Livre des Projets and the meeting request form are now online: www.cinefondation.com

MUMBAI: Ernie Els, popularly known as ?The Big Easy?, is not in the field this week, but his nicknamesake is ready to charm golf fans around the world. The PGA Tour returns for its annual stop in New Orleans (a city nicknamed Big Easy) for the Zurich Classic, and the entire action will be available live on Ten Sports, the most watched sports channel in the Sub-continent.

The city, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, will showcase how it has returned to normal business, and Kenny Perry, the man who lost this year?s Masters to Angel Cabrera by blowing away a two-shot lead with bogeys on his final two holes, will hope to display a similar fortitude as he makes his return to the PGA Tour after the heartbreak at Augusta National.

The 48-year-old Perry was hoping to become the oldest man to have ever won a Major championship. But nobody is expecting him to wallow in self-pity at the TPC Louisiana.

Perry, who once famously said he doesn?t need a sports psychologist because ?my faith is my psychologist?, will be the one to watch when the tournament is telecast on Ten Sports. Live action begins 12:30 am IST from Friday, April 24.

Perry has won more PGA Tour title (four) than anybody else in the last 12 months, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson included. And after his painful finish at the Masters, where he lost to Cabrera in the second playoff hole, he said: ?You know what, everything is a bonus now, it really is. I?m just going through each and every day enjoying life a little bit.?

The other players to keep your eyes on this week are Nick Watney, who finished second to Mickelson at the WGC-CA Championship and is fourth in the Money List, Steve Stricker and the red-hot Todd Hamilton, the 2004 Open champion making a strong comeback after a couple of years in the golfing wilderness. Hamilton was contending at the Masters going into the final day before finishing tied 15th, and then was third at last week?s Verizon Heritage.

The par-72, 7,341 yard TPC Louisiana at Avondale is designed by the legendary Pete Dye, and as is his trademark, Dye has created a tough, testing lay-out. The course is designed to give players a good shot, but to also challenge their shot-making ability. The rough is not severe but there is plenty of trouble if players stray from the fairways.