Ganesh Hegde, who sings, dances and choreographs, came looking like a rock star. He not only had very useful tips for the youngsters but also demonstrated how they could do it. In the interactive session with the contestants he put many fears to rest. Even an ace performer like Ankita had issues about performing and singing at the same time. Meiyang Chang expressed his concerns about dancing. To the self-proclaimed non-dancer Hegde demonstrated dance steps that Chang is not likely to forget ever! Not just that, he sang, danced and even shook a leg with each contestant. At the end of it every one was convinced there could not have been a more appropriate guest on the show! 
Mark Levin, who penned the film Wimbledon and was a co-producer of 80?s staple The Wonder Years, makes his directorial debut with Little Manhattan. Simultaneously heartwarming and grueling, the film is a charming depiction of urban puppy love. Gabe is a precocious 11-year-old who has a happy life on the Upper West Side, playing ball with his friends and preparing for a football career someday under the eye of his doting dad. The only wrench in the works comes from his parents? long road to divorce, and his mom?s decision to start dating while Dad still lives in the apartment. When Gabe decides to sign up for karate class, his world is turned upside down by Rosemary Tesescoe, the "third-prettiest girl" in his class.
" State of the Nation: India and Pakistan are celebrating 60 years of Independence and to mark the occasion, ‘State of the Nation‘ this year will involve a first-ever two nation simultaneous opinion poll in India and Pakistan. The basic idea is to capture the public‘s opinion on the state of the two nations and invite people to reflect on their shared pasts and future. This exceptional four-episode series will comprise 3 half-hour episodes beginning August 12 at 10:00pm and concluded by a one-hour show on August 15 at 8:00 pm.
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Olympic legend Deng Yaping joins Talk Asia
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MUMBAI: Voted China?s female athlete of the century, Deng Yaping is a sporting legend in China with four Olympic table tennis gold medals and 14 world championships to her name. |
Wrapping up CNN?s dedicated week of coverage ?Countdown Beijing?, host Anjali Rao talks to Deng in this weekend?s Talk Asia. She discusses her experience of winning Gold at the Olympics, her role as ambassador for Beijing?s 2008 Olympics bid and her new job as the deputy director of the Olympic Village - before facing Anjali in a ping-pong showdown.
Standing just 4 foot 10, one of the toughest obstacles Deng Yaping faced was often her small stature. Despite winning national competitions, Deng was never on the coaches? first-string list and had to work particularly hard to get a place in the national team. Her single mindedness and training eventually paid off when she won a total of 4 gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics, earning her the nickname (translated from Chinese) "the smallest giant".
After her surprising retirement at the age of just 24, Deng took up another challenge, namely promoting sport in China and promoting China to the world. The Olympian tells Anjali how difficult it was to persuade voters at the International Olympic Committee as most of them had never set foot in the country and some held rather subjective and stereotyped views of China.
While sport fans speculate how many gold medals China will win in 2008, Deng asks the media to tone down expectations as she knows all too well how pressure and national expectations can burden an athlete. She also reveals to Anjali her mission to instil Chinese traditional culture in the Olympic village, before taking her on in a somewhat one-sided table tennis match.
Airtimes: Indian Standard Times
Saturday, 11 August at 0500, 2030
Sunday, 12 August at 1830
