MUMBAI: Bollywood?s ?Crown Prince?, Abhishek Bachchan is now one of India?s most celebrated and sought after actors having emerged from the shadow of his legendary father Amitabh Bachchan.On this week?s TALK ASIA, Bachchan gives his first in-depth interview to an international news channel since his high?profile wedding to actress Aishwarya Rai, walking host Anjali Rao around the live set of his latest film.

The tour offers a rare glimpse into the working atmosphere of a Bollywood blockbuster, which sees Bachchan star alongside his father and wife ? an experience he describes as a ?continued honeymoon?. Pressed on whether on-set tensions arise, Bachchan says he avoids arguments as he ?prefers to sleep on the bed than the couch.?

Despite being born into Bollywood royalty, he recalls the experience of first appearing in more than a dozen flops, enduring heavy criticism ? before finally celebrating his first box office smash with the film ?Dhoom?. He maintains a close relationship with fans, stressing how disappointed he would be if some of the actors he admired turned out to be ?obnoxious human beings?.

On making it to Hollywood, Bachchan states that Indian actors are often not that interested in the roles offered to them - that he has no desire to play a "hot dog vendor" - and that Bollywood provides enough of a challenging environment for an actor.

Having starred in more than thirty movies, Bachchan says his favourite role remains simply being his father?s son, describing the pride he feels in his father ? and how Amitabh in turn enjoys showing off his son to the public, in his own personal ?Lion King moment.?

Airtimes: Indian Standard Time

Saturday, November 17 at 0600 hrs and 2130 hrs
Sunday, November 18 at 0700 and 1930 hrs

MUMBAI: Mint, India‘s fastest growing business newspaper, launched its Bangalore edition today.  Published by HT Media Ltd., the publishers of Hindustan Times and Hindustan, Mint aims to redefine the way business news is presented to Indian readers. The Wall Street Journal is Mint‘s exclusive partner in India. Bangalore, the IT hub of the nation, becomes Mint‘s third edition after New Delhi and Mumbai.

By providing refreshing clarity in business news, MINT has already carved a niche among discerning business readers in the nation‘s political and commercial capitals, where it is the No. 2 paper in terms of circulation with over 100,000 copies. Now Bangalore‘s business leaders get to enjoy its world class editorial. "We have struck a chord among Indian readers with stories that are well researched, well-written and, more importantly, honest," said Raju Narisetti, managing editor of Mint. "We believe that Bangalore‘s demanding and global-minded readers will find that Mint is a distinct and compelling newspaper."

MINT is product of a unique collaboration between HT Media and The Wall Street Journal, and brings life to the world of business while also helping readers with the Business of Life. MINT captures key trends and happenings in Indian business and economy while connecting India to the world and global business to India. It is the only Indian newspaper in the globally proven, convenient Berliner format. MINT is designed by Mario Garcia who has designed over 500 newspapers worldwide including, most recently, The Wall Street Journal.

"We are delighted to launch Mint in Bangalore," said Rajiv Verma, CEO, HT Media Ltd. "It is a key centre for commerce in the country so being here is a natural evolution for Mint and HT Media."

Added Rajan Bhalla, publisher of MINT: "Not only does MINT bring clarity to business readers, its differentiated design and a clean, clutter-free environment also offers advertisers innovative and high-impact opportunities." MINT will be available Monday through Saturday.

Every week day, MINT comes with several pages of international news and analysis from the 1,900 global journalists of The Wall Street Journal and its parent, Dow Jones & Co. These are the articles that are selected by MINT‘s editors with the Indian reader in mind.

Mint comes with Markets Watch, a Tuesday to Saturday liftout that offers comprehensive and relevant market data on stocks and mutual funds.

Campaign is a Monday marketing and advertising liftout in Mint that focuses on strategy, marketing, management and advertising. It has several exclusive columns from Wharton, Oxford, Kellogg as well as a weekly Reader - Q&A column from Jack and Suzy Welch.

On saturday, lounge, the magazine-style weekend edition of MINT, takes center stage with a 24-page, all-colour offering that has quickly emerged as a must read in Mumbai and Delhi. With exclusive columns by Vir Sanghvi and Bangalore‘s very own Shoba Narayan, as well as an extensive palette of stories on culture, art, travel, books, parenting, food, Lounge aims at reinvigorating readers with its emphasis on living richer and happier lives.

Livemint.com is the integrated online offering with Mint. Over & above bringing interactivity to Mint, Livemint.com also offers business news, updates, databases on companies, stocks etc. Livemint.com enables access to these through a variety of channels and cutting edge tools like Desktop Alerts, Email Alerts, Email Newsletters, ePaper etc. Livemint readers are already spread across the nation, and the world, with a significant number coming from Bangalore itself.

MUMBAI: For Reliance Mobile, Diwali is not only the festival of lights, but also the festival of where people are on a buying spree, which naturally results in enormous flow of money in the market.

During the span of Diwali week there is meteoric rise in the expenditure of average individuals as they are gripped by the euphoria of purchasing essential things.

In this context, there is also an upsurge on mobile spending and customers always look for innovative content to celebrate the festive spirit of the season.

Reliance Mobile‘s Diwali Dhamaka will allow customers to download their favourite Diwali wallpapers, animations of celebrations, ringtones, true tones and exciting games at a price which ranges between Rs 5 - 15.

Reliance Communications head ? sales and marketing, applications, solutions and content group Krishna Durbha said, "The launch of Diwali Dhamaka offers a very attractive value proposition and will provide our esteemed customers a variety of applications to choose from.

"With a mix of great original ideas and fantastic execution, we have really added value to our mobile offerings on Reliance Mobile World platform, giving festival goers mobile content that is genuinely fun, relevant and practical."

MUMBAI: Kahe Naa Kahe is an engrossing drama series created by none other than the Czarina of prime-time television, Ekta Kapoor.

MUMBAI: This Diwali, IBN 7 ‘s popular talk show ‘Zindagi Live‘ celebrates the spirit of achievement with the contestants of the recently concluded ‘ Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007‘. Contest winner Aneek Dhar, accompanied by fellow participants Harpreet Deol, Sumedha Karmahe and Poonam Yadav talk candidly about their lives before and after this mega-event, including the huge-step from small-town obscurity to national fame. From childhood memories, struggles, feeling of elation at reaching this national platform, to the confidence that comes with this sense of achievement ? the four eagerly share their varied experiences with the audience. This two-hour Diwali special airs on November 9 at 8 pm with a repeat on Saturday, November 10 at 10 am only on IBN 7.

Having previously dealt with sensitive social issues like homosexuality, obesity, trauma, and autism to name a few, ‘Zindagi Live‘ has earned itself the reputation of being a proverbial ‘beacon of light‘ that has helped raise audience awareness on numerous such inviolable topics. This special episode on Diwali celebrates the achievements and experiences of ordinary people who have accomplished the extraordinary. And they have done this solely on the basis of their talent, often with minimal resources.

Join the show‘s host Richa Anirudh as she introduces the audience to the lives of four gifted youths, who have achieved nation-wide popularity simply with the help of their own hard-work and dedication. The show highlights their journey, achievements and their ability to inspire millions of others and make every person believe that they too can realise their dreams.

Don‘t miss this memorable episode where Aneek, Harpreet, Sumedha and Poonam show us yet another aspect of ‘Zindagi Live‘!

"While people religiously follow reality shows like Zee‘s ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge‘, very rarely do they get the chance to witness the realities behind each of their favourite contestants. This particular show of ‘Zindagi Live‘ does just that and more. " Said Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN 7