MUMBAI: In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Gill Woolmer, wife of the deceased Pakistan cricket coach, Bob Woolmer, denied any possibility of a conspiracy behind Woolmer‘s death. Ms Woolmer confirmed to NDTV that Bob Woolmer was very depressed after Pakistan lost to Ireland in the World Cup as he could not believe how it could have happened.

The news of his sudden death shocked the entire cricketing world, just as the World Cup began. Brushing aside reports of a suspected overdose of alcohol, she clarified that Bob Woolmer was not taking any prescription drugs for diabetes. She also shared that the two books being written by Woolmer were in the final stages but refused to give information about when they would be published.

Watch the full interview with Gill Woolmer only on NDTV India at 1930 hrs on March 21, 2007. Gill Woolmer shares why she did not go to Jamaica after Bob Woolmer?s death, his last e-mail, whether it was drug overdose or a conspiracy, his relationship with the Pakistan team, his books, on Cronje, threats he had received, his philosophy of life, his future plans and a lot more?

Excerpts from NDTV?s interview with Gill Woolmer-

On pressure and tension

"I spoke to him last week. We used to chat almost every day when he called up to get news of the family and everyday issues. He didn‘t say anything specifically but I could see him on the TV and I know him well enough to guess that he was under pressure. I could read the expression on his face. He shared his experiences with me all the time. He was very tired. All that cricket, living out of a suitcase, the time difference and the traveling was tiring."

On alcohol

"He had Type 2 Diabetes; he was not prescribed any drugs for it. All that reports about the drinking are also rubbish. He was taking prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs and that is it."

On receiving the news

"I came to know about it when I got a call from the doctor in the hospital in Jamaica."

On the Pakistan team

"He had a very good relationship with the team. They had a lot of fun together and put in a lot of hand work too. The Pakistani administration really looked after him well. All the boys are very friendly, they are nice boys and I enjoyed their company. I never lived in Pakistan; I only stayed in a hotel when I visited. Bob also didn‘t stay in the house too long. He was constantly traveling."

On the day of his death

"I didn‘t speak to him after the match but he emailed me the following morning. He did mention that he was really depressed and could not believe how this could have happened. We discussed some personal issues apart from this. "

On his plans

"His contract with Pakistan was getting over in June 2007 and he was planning to talk to the Pakistan chairman. He didn‘t speak to me regarding any comeback but it was a possibility but he had not made any decision as such. The Pakistani team‘s poor performance affected him as any other big tournament that he lost as a coach (like to South Africa). He believed that what happened....happened.....one has to move on."

On not going to Jamaica

"I didn‘t go to Jamaica because the PCB rules do not allow wives and girlfriends to accompany (anyone) till the team reaches the semi-final stage. Now I don‘t see any point in going as it is a long flight. The doctors and the deputy chief of police and the PCB is handling everything very efficiently."

On the books

"I have the manuscripts with me but I have not read them. I cannot tell you when they will be published but they are in the final stages."

On conspiracy

"No I don‘t see any conspiracy in his death. I am aware that his death is being viewed as a suspicious death. He had nothing to do with the match fixing controversy and any such person being involved is highly unlikely. We never got any threats as far as I know."

MUMBAI: As part of Eye on India special programming week, CNN‘s Talk Asia interviews Indian Television mogul, Ekta Kapoor on March 24, 2007 at 0600hrs & 2130hrs and March 25, 2007 at 0700hrs & 1930hrs.

Kapoor opens the doors to her soap opera empire, touring live sets with CNN‘s Anjali Rao and discussing her role as a young businesswoman in India.

NEW DELHI: What does one do when the Badshah of bollywood compliments them? Naturally, they are in seventh heaven! Komal Ved the roll over contestant is left in awe when SRK gives her a compliment - that she looks like ‘Bombay ki Britney Spears‘!!
Next contestant on the hot seat is Shobha Rajgiri from Kolkata a scholar of 6 different languages. SRK learns a few languages from her and brings in some more doses of innovation and creativity, as he calls for a break in a different language every time.

On being requested by the star host & entertainer she also recites one of the quotes of Rabindranath Tagore in English...

So stay tuned as SRK is all geared to leave the audience amazed again on KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI, Tuesday, March 20th, 9: 00 pm, only on STAR PLUS!!

MUMBAI: In the middle of the World Cup frenzy, India‘s performance exhilarates one day aand disappoints another. But at the cricket academy set up by IIC (Investors in Cricket), the 11 finalists of the Cricket Star are awaiting their turn at stardom. Touted as India‘s first reality based cricket talent hunt- the ‘Cricket Star‘ program is now in its final week. The final eleven contestants are undergoing the audience voting round which will decide the winner.

Cricket Star has been simulcasted on DD and Zee Sports, making it one of the first shows to reach both C&S and terrestrial DD audiences across India simultaneously.

Last week, the Cricket Star finalists played host to the Leicestershire County Cricket Club team, the ‘Leicestershire Foxes‘ who are the current champions in the Twenty20 format. The Cricket Star XI beat the visitors to a 3 wicket victory.

This week, the Cricket Star XI will play the Air India XI, which boasts national players such as Pravin Amre, Samir Dighe, R P Singh, Piyush Chawla and Hrishikesh Kanitkar.

The match will be telecast on Sunday, 25 March at 3:30 pm, on Zee Sports, with the highlights shown earlier, at 11:30 am, on DD-1 and Zee Sports.

Voting also closes at midnight on 25 March and the winner will be announced on 27 March telecast at 8:30 pm. Applications for participation in the second season of Cricket Star will be announced at the grand finale telecast. The second season is likely to go on air during mid year. There are also plans for an international Cricket Star hunt in June.

The Cricket Star stands to win a one year contract to play with Leicestershire Country Cricket Club (UK) as well as other valuable prizes.

MUMBAI: Ashley Judd, acclaimed Hollywood actress is in Mumbai to understand the issues surrounding HIV in India. She comes in her role as Brand Ambassador to Population Services International - an international non-profit working in the area of HIV. Ashley also has a personal mission on this trip. She is hoping to raise funds for a care and nutrition program for women who are HIV positive.

PSI and National Geographic Channel come together for a documentary film on her trip to India. The film is being produced by Miditech and will premiere on NGC on World Aids Day, 1st December 2007.

Vice-President Programming, NGC India, Joy Bhattacharjya comments, "Our enduring partnership with Miditech has given us the opportunity to together create international quality documentaries which manage to retain a uniquely Indian sensibility. This is just one of the many examples where the best Indian talent has been harnessed to create a world class product. This film will be telecast on all the National Geographic channels around the globe."

The film follows Ashley as she embarks on the HIV trail in India to see how this deadly disease spreads from Mumbai, the AIDS hub of the country to other places across the country. She is joined by Bollywood stars Sushmita Sen and Akshay Kumar who hope to create some kind of positive change through their public personas. Shahrukh Khan who also appears in the film invited Ashley to his film set and promised to help in the fight against AIDS.

While Ashley and Sushmita interact with Sex workers in Kamathipura, Akshay connects with the Truck Drivers in Jaipur to understand the real state of the disease and its victims in India.

As they interact with high risk groups, and other people whose life has been changed by HIV, the film will explore the rapid spread of AIDS in India and complex concerns like stigma, sexuality and behaviour patterns that surround this issue.

The filming was done under difficult conditions but director Chandramouli Basu feels, "Everyone we met and interacted with for this film, had a heart wrenching story to tell. I was amazed at their genuine warmth and understanding despite their difficult circumstances that aptly showed during the filming. Ashley had a beautiful connection with everyone she met. Sushmita too struck a chord with the sex workers who were touched that a Bollywood star had taken time out to meet them."

Today India is at the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic - there are an estimated 5.7 million adults living with HIV, higher than the entire population of the New Zealand. And many of the victims are women infected by their husbands or partners and struggling to survive. Ashley hopes that through her interaction with these women, she will be able to raise awareness about HIV related issues.

Dana Ward, Operations Director, PSI says "Women in India are increasingly at risk from HIV/AIDS from their partners who indulge in sex with commercial sex workers while living with their wives. This puts women and the entire family at a great risk. Thus, empowerment of women is essential to prevent the disease from spreading into the general population and to prevent the stigma associated with it. The film is about empowerment of women and HIV/AIDS and we are grateful that Ashley, Sushmita and Akshay have agreed to be a part of this film. We are positive that this will help us to communicate the message we want to."

Mumbai: UTV Motion Pictures, one of India‘s leading studios, announced the online release of its forthcoming film ‘Hattrick‘, day and date with its worldwide theatrical release, on India‘s leading broadband video portal, Rajshri.com.Directed by Milan Luthria and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, ‘Hattrick‘ features Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal, Kunal Kapoor, Rimi Sen & Danny and is scheduled for worldwide release on March 16, 2007.

Says Siddharth Roy Kapur, Executive Vice President - Marketing, Distribution & Syndication, UTV Motion Pictures, "UTV is committed to increasing opportunities for audiences around the world to legally access our content in as convenient a manner as possible and in the best quality. Coupled with this, we are constantly looking to innovate on developing new revenue streams and this initiative is another example of that. We are very excited about this partnership with Rajshri.com and believe it is a win-win for all, the biggest winners being consumers worldwide.

Rajshri.com has proved this model and its technological competence with the successful online premiere of Vivah and we are proud to partner with a company as transparent as Rajshri Media for the online distribution of ‘Hattrick‘."

Rajshri Media (P) Limited Managing Director Rajjat A. Barjatya says "The Internet is emerging as an effective new medium of distribution and a potential new territory of exploitation of films for content owners. After the overwhelming response to the online release of Vivah, we were confident that progressive Indian filmmakers would realise the potential of online distribution and tap into this additional revenue stream."

"We could not have asked for a better partner than UTV in our quest to provide a legal alternative to moviegoers worldwide. Rajshri.com currently serves over 100,000 consumers on a daily basis from over 50 countries, many of which are not served by legitimate theatrical or home video distribution. In a very short span of time, Rajshri.com has become the first choice and one of the only sources of legitimate Indian entertainment content for global Indians and South Asians."

This offering is primarily designed to cater to the South Asian and NRI diaspora overseas. The original Hindi version of ‘Hattrick‘ as well as subtitled versions will be available online. The film will be available for a 72-hour download on-demand 24/7 starting 12 noon IST from March 16. Low and High (DVD quality) bandwidth versions of the film will be available at USD 9.99 and USD 19.99 respectively.