Saketh, Somdev, Sanam to vie for Main Draw Slot at Aircel Chennai Open 2016

Prajnesh Gunneswaran & N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth get wildcards for Qualifying Singles

CHENNAI, 31^st December 2015: Just 4 days to go for tennis action at Chennai’s Nungambakkam Stadium, the excitement is in the air! The Qualifying singles rounds will be played on 2^nd & 3^rd January 2016 at the SDAT Stadium. Four places are up for grabs in the Singles Main Draw, and the result of these two days will determine which four players make it to the 28-player field of the 20^th edition of India’s most premier and South Asia’s only ATP World Tour event in Chennai.

The Qualifying Singles is a draw of 16 with 14 direct acceptances and 2 wildcards. Leading the charge amongst the Indian boys will be Saketh Myneni, Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh. Sanam Singh was granted a wildcard into the Qualifying Singles Draw earlier this week, but has now gained direct entry into the qualifying main draw. In his place, Prajnesh Gunneswaran has been given a wildcard into the Qualifying Singles Draw along with N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth. The talented group will be looking to capitalize on the opportunity of playing against some of the best in the game, right here in Chennai.

The complete Qualifying Singles Draw is:

AIRCEL CHENNAI OPEN 2016 – Qualifying Singles Draw
Sr. No.	NAME	COUNTRY	ATP RANKING
	Luca Vanni	Italy	107
	Jan‐Lennard Struff	Germany	108
	Elias Ymer	Sweden	136
	Blaz Kavcic	Slovenia	151
	James Ward	Great Britain	156
	Thomas Fabiano	Italy	157
	Alexander Kudryavtsev	Russia	164
	@Ante Pavic	Croatia	166
	Hans Podlipnik‐Castillo	Chile	170
	Saketh Myneni	India	171
	Somdev Devvarman	India	180
	Jozef Kovalik	Slovakia	259
	Sanam Singh	India	279
	Matthew Barton	Australia	299
	N. Vijay Sundar Prasanth (WC)	India	378
	Prajnesh Gunneswaran (WC)	India	484

                        @ - Entry protection

ACO 2016 will witness an exceptional line-up of top talent at the US$ 480,000 prize money tournament. The impressive player field for the region's most exciting and hard-fought tennis tournament will see World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka vying for a hat-trick of titles, Chennai-debutant World No. 12 Kevin Anderson, World No. 19, ATP's Comeback Player of the Year 2015 Benoit Paire, World No. 25 Roberto Bautista-Agut, along with Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Gilles Muller, Vasek Pospisil, Borna Coric, and Aljaz Bedene representing nine players from amongst the top 50 in the world.

The Title Sponsor for the tournament is Aircel and the event is supported by a consortium of sponsors in the Platinum, Gold and Silver category, headed by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Pharma Leaders Super Brand Awards Conferred to Nation’s Top Healthcare Leaders

30^th December, Wednesday, Mumbai, Maharashtra India. in a sequel to the sixty days of the voting by the Indian masses to select the best of the best in the final five nominees in various important categories & individual nonvoting categories,Pharmaleaders ( www.pharmaleader.tv ) felicitated top performers in the healthcare industry & medical professionals in Mumbai. Organised by Satya Brahma Founder of Pharmaleaders, The platform witnessed more than 300 professionals of the healthcare industry.

Satya Brahma, Founder of Pharmaleaders in the opening address lambasted the union government for the faulty healthcare reforms & policy paralysis. In a scathing attack to the policy makers, Satya said “the Healthcare Challenges in India at present are of different dimensions & more of cleaning the system at the helm who are responsible for formulating laws, rules & regulations. While we can’t ignore the concerns of the pharma companies facing complex issues in regulatory legal hurdles in IPR challenges, pricing & other issues related to patent regime.

The highlight of the seminar was the panel discussion on “Ethics in Medical Profession” where country’s top doctors & industry debated on the decline of ethics in medical profession & reached at the consensus that the industry & doctors must work closely to build a strong model to promote the dignity of the profession. Followed by an Interesting Panel discussion on Skin and Cosmetology industry and practises in India where communication plays an important role was highlighted an how doctors must come out to let the quacks get silenced for the same.

The event was attended by some of the most renowned doctors and surgeons of the country  and professionals from other sectors for a different perspective who are the winners as well just to name a few Dr Huzaifa Khorakiwala, CEO, Wockhardt Foundation, Mr Gautam Khanna - CEO, PD Hinduja National Hospital ,Mr Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co Ltd, Mr Varun Khanna, Kiren Shrivastav, Founder Fempowerment and CEO Molecule Communications, Padam Sree Professor Shashank Joshi, Dr. Kaushal Pandey, Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery,Dr Viral Desai,Plastic & Cosmetic Surgeon, MD, Becton Dickinson, Dr Rashmi Shetty, Dr Dilip Pawar, Dr Manoj Khanna, Dr Nilayaini and many more.

First Look of Fitoor!!!

Presenting the first  teaser from #Fitoor! Yeh Ishq Nahi Aasaan...#YehFitoorMera #FitoorTrailer releases on Jan 4th!

The teaser of Fitoor is out and it sure does raise the anticipation levels of its audiences.

The first look teaser features Katrina Kaif donning red hair, a look which is a first for the actress.

Set against a winter backdrop, the teaser showcases Katrina standing atop a rugged bridge.

The trailer of the much awaited Fitoor staring Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif and Tabu in pivotal roles is to release on January 4th, 2016.

Fitoor stars Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif opposite each other for the very first time. In fact, a source adds "They both are looking good in the film and share a sizzling chemistry, as seen in the aamsutra ads" this has lead on to generate immense curiosity amongst the audience! 

Produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, Fitoor is all set to release next year on 12th February, 2016, around the Valentines day.

Will Fitoor make 'Body Sculpting' the new in thing?

If one goes by Aditya's new avatar for 'Fitoor', one can surely start believing that, flaunting six- or eight-pack abs for a film have become passe . Aditya Roy Kapur has taken a different route to showcase a well-toned physique in his next- 'Fitoor'. He has opted for body sculpting.

“Aditya has always had an athletic physique, but for 'Fitoor', that stars Katrina Kaif — he decided to take up body sculpting to develop a completely different look from what has been seen of him before,” says a source.

Body sculpting or core conditioning is a non-aerobic, muscle-toning regimen that usually focuses on one’s core strength. “It is a technique that is used to shape the muscles in one’s body to perfection without bulking it up in any way,” adds the source.

Aditya Roy Kapur completely surrendered to his director for the character and transformed himself as per Abhishek Kapoor's vision of him.

Aditya shared, “What I love, as an actor, is the endeavour to adapt yourself to the character that you are playing. For this one, my director had a vision for me, and it meant I had to drop more weight to look a certain way. I guess if you change the way you look then you change the way you feel too. The process was gruelling, but it taught me a lot about myself.”

Fitoor stars Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif opposite each other for the very first time. In fact, the source further adds "They both are looking good in the film and share a sizzling chemistry, as seen in the aamsutra ads"

Produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, Fitoor is all set to release next year on 12th February, 2016, around the Valentines day.

Launch of eLearning Programme OLabs by Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

On Good Governance Day, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, launched a unique eLearning programme called OLabs (http://www.onlinelabs.edu.in) which enables high-school students to perform virtual science-lab experiments online. Under this nationwide initiative, 30,000 teachers across all states in India will be provided free training to teach students how to use OLabs. The eLearning programme will be hosted on the National Knowledge Network (NKN) to support its scaling to millions of students across the country.

Olabs – short for “Online Labs” – has been developed by Amrita CREATE (http://www.amrita.edu/create), an educational technology research initiative of Amrita University under the guidance of the university’s chancellor, Mata Amritanandamayi, in association with CDAC, Mumbai, under a research grant from the Department of Electronics and Information Technology.

Said Vice Chancellor of Amrita University, Dr. Venkat Rangan: “Olabs will help students better understand complex science concepts and build a scientific temper.”

OLabs is officially endorsed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as a teaching aid for all its schools. It will also be available in Hindi, Malayalam and Marathi and offered in both urban and rural schools.

Online Labs is based on the idea that lab experiments can be taught using the Internet more efficiently and less expensively. The labs can also be made available to students with no access to physical labs or where equipment is not available owing to it being scare or costly. Online Labs' technology has an offline tablet-based component, which ultimately will allow teachers being trained to take the Labs into remote villages where Internet connectivity may not be available.

OLabs has been widely praised by educators around the country. “Online Labs by Amrita CREATE is a very useful application for students of science of classes 9th to 12th. It will not only give them first-hand experience of performing experiments, which will build up their scientific temper, but also clarify the scientific concepts to a great extent,” said Dr. Sasi Baneerji, Principal, Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula, Haryana.

“OLabs is a great educational initiative from Amrita University. Compared to other educational software such as SmartClasses and websites developed by the Government as well as private companies, Online Labs stands out for its creativity and originality,” said Gnana Gowri, Chief Education Officer, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, while inaugurating a workshop for school teachers in Tamil Nadu.

“It’s a nice initiative by Amrita University. We need to involve Odisha Government Schools too in this,” said M.S. Padhi, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Government of Odisha, during a workshop in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

'Saala Khadoos' first for Rajkumar Hirani.

Rajkumar Hirani has put his directorial venture on hold till Sala Khadoos releases.

The director at present is involved with the release of his upcoming production Saala Khadoos and has put his directorial venture on hold.

Rajkumar Hirani is said to be next moving on to Sanjay Dutts biopic, however the director will only move on to his next after the release of R Madhavan starrer Saala Khadoos.

The trailer has garnered immense appreciation and has Ritika who is a boxer in real life and will be making her debut through Saal Khadoos.

Salaa Khadoos is all set to release on 29th January, 2016.

Vh1 Supersonic wows music lovers with a magnificent kaleidoscope of lights on day 3; attracts popular faces from world of sports and entertainment

~Day 3 sees a starry attendance with Indian cricket team star Rohit Sharma, popular actors Kritika Kamra and Parth Samthaan amongst others ~

~ Fans get to see musical geniuses W&W, Tuhin Mehta, Joran Van Pol, Norman Doray, Deorro, Culture Shock, Luigi Madonna in action~

~In a fitting finale to the festival, masters of dance music such as Axwell, Nervo, Grum, Albin Myers, Lost Stories, Pearl and many more to take to the stage~

Day 3 - Vh1Supersonic, CANDOLIM, GOA, 29^th December 2015:

A burst of colour, bright lights that twinkle and dazzle, and graphics that consume you mind, body and soul – fans of electronic dance music who had gathered on the sands of Candolim to catch a glimpse of some of the legends of dance music were treated to more than just the best music ever! When artists such as Deorro, Paul Ritch, Culture Shock, Luigi Madonna, DJ Zinc and W&W took to the stage in the late hours of the evening today, the night was awash with every colour on the spectrum and fireworks that lit up the sky…such was the allure of the event that even stars from the world of glamour couldn’t resist it and made a beeline for the event. Spotted partying their hearts out at the event were the superstar of the India Cricket Team – Rohit Sharma,popular actress Kritika Kamra and MTV’s hottest young star Parth Samthaan.

Speaking about here experience at the event, the gorgeous Kritika Kamra said, “I love EDM and Vh1 Supersonic has pulled in some really hard core dance music artists. I was totally blown away by Norman Doray’s set today and I think Deorro was insane because suddenly I saw a whole mass of people just completely going bonkers. It’s crazy and amazing at the same time. I’m here with my parents and friends and after a hectic few months, parting at Candolim to such amazing music is definitely the best way to end the year on a high note! I can’t wait to see Axwell perform tomorrow!”

As the music began with Ryan Nogar VS Sid sharp at the stroke of one on the Laboratoire Supersonique stage, the magic makers at Live Viacom18 set to work creating a display of lights and graphics to reel audiences in. Mesmerizing the audiences through on this balmy Tuesday afternoon with their superlative musical powers were none other than maestros of their art, Bl@nk, Zaeden, Muxka Jar, Ox7gen, Tuhin Mehta, Dubvision and many more. And just as the sun started going lower on the horizon, the three stages Laboratoire Supersonique, Spectrum and the iconic steampunk centerpiece – The Iron Heart, were exploding with creative energy. Lovers of dance music were in for an evening of true magnificence as Pravvy Prav, Norman Doray and Joran Van Pol made some big noise on their respective stages. The energy on Candolim beach was electrifying as thousands of bodies writhed and jumped and a million screams of pure musical ecstasy escaped the lips of the music lovers.

However it was at sun down when all the three stages seemed to erupt with a bang as the lights shined brighter, the colours got deeper and exploded out of the multitude of screens set up across the venue and when the fireworks took the entire show to a whole new level of awesome. Fans were torn between dancing away to the heart thumping music and standing still – hypnotized by the trippy graphics that seemed to touch the heart, mind and soul. When the fireworks lit up the stage during Deorro’s set, the audience couldn’t control themselves from going crazy. The evening witnessed an outstanding climax as W&W, Luigi Madonna, and DJ Zinc gave the audiences a show worth their every hard earned penny and more. Dazzled by the magnitude of the festivals, fans were seen raving on and on about the sheer beauty of the experience that is Vh1 Supersonic 2015.

Joining the fans in their love for dance music on day 3 of the event, Jaideep Singh, Senior EVP and Business head- LIVE Viaocm18 said, “People come to Vh1 Supersonic 2015 for the experience. It’s a festival for those who enjoy electronic dance music from the bottom of their hearts and feel the excitement right in their bones. They know each and every artist and follow their music religiously. It is thus our duty at Live Viacom18 to provide them an experience that they will never ever forget in their lives. They come for the music but they stay back for the show. I’m absolutely proud of my team here that has worked relentlessly to create an event that defies expectations and just becomes bigger and better with each passing year. We do it for the lovers of dance music out there…and seeing their delirious smiles means we’re doing things right!”

As Vh1 Supersonic gears up for the mega finale tomorrow, Candolim will witness a multitude of emotions in the span of just a few hours. Taking to the stage tomorrow are the biggies from the world of dance music such as, Nervo, Grum, Albin Myers, Lost Stories, Pearl and of course, the big headliner for the day, Axwell. It’s going to be the grandest party in town for sure and you better not miss it!

Shout out to all the party mongers! If you’re not already here…make sure you get here…ASAP!

Buy your tickets at: www.gosupersonic.com  and www.meraevents.com/vh1supersonic2015/

Indo Brazilian Indian Film singer of “Sehnorita” & “Le le Mazale” fame

Ms. Carlyta Mouhini ( Maria ) to spin her magic in Goa on 31^st December, 2015 with her  live band ' Viva 2K ' & Ukrainian Dancers on a swanky cruise liner 

 “La Lexicon”

She has also composed a song ' Salome Goa ' in the memory of Fr. Bismarque Dias and for Green Goa

A New Years Eve concert with a twist to the social and environmental justification for ' 'Go Green Goa ' - A Make in India and Merchant Navy of India Endeavor 

Initiated by Mumbai based Indo Brazilian Singer/Columnist and Social worker Ms. Carlyta Mouhini ( Maria )as her new year’s resolution to have the neighboring state of India, Goa to 'Breathe Green’.

Countdown with temperatures rising, aboard the swanky cruise liner ' La Lexicon ' on 31st December , 2015 - The gala mega new year’s evening on Goan shore with a line up to be lapped up with Dj EN  from Mumbai , Zhenya along with her Ukrainian dancers and a live band ' Viva 2K  ' from Kolkata !!

Excited about her performance, she says "I am very excited for my performance and looking forward to the 31st evening. The evening is going to be a musical evening with mind blowing performances along with a cause ' Go Green Goa " 

 The New Years Eve Concert will also mark her  tribute to Fr Bismarque Dias, priest turned social activist, reputed as a warrior for every cause dear to Goans who fought every battle with his full might & his full heart. 

He sang well too on causes around Goa and that is where she felt connected to Fr Bismark . 

Unified we stand for Goa! 

Abundance with spirit , authentic Goan dinner and a cruise along the serene Mandovi river !

NDTV Good Times announces Aishwarya Sushmita as the winner of ‘Kingfisher Supermodels 3’

Gets direct entry to ‘The Kingfisher Calendar 2016~ 

National, December 28, 2015

NDTV Good Times, India’s youngest lifestyle channel has announced the verdict on the much awaited finale of Kingfisher Supermodels 3.Aishwarya Sushmita who hails from Bihar, is a talented girl with a
perfect combination of style and confidence, has won the ultimate crown after a series of challenges on the reality show.

20 Episodes, 10 Tasks, 10 Pool Parties with 1 Task Master – Neha Dhupia; ‘Kingfisher Supermodels 3’ started with 10 girls, different talents and different attitudes, but all with one goal to be the next Calendar Girl. With tough tasks and even tougher judges, these girls didn’t have it easy. The 20 episode series saw models performing exhilarating tasks such as KF Signature Underwater Task,never heard before ‘Confessions of a Supermodel’, photo shoots followed by elimination of one model each week.

An avid singer as well as a belly dancer, Aishwarya Sushmita has done it all. To even cross her check list, she is a national level badminton player. The diva has international looks; she is a perfect combination of style and confidence.

Expressing her excitement, Aishwarya said “Like most of the girls, the glitz, glamour and all the nice things of the industry enticed me to step into the world of modelling. It is a dream come true to have made it as the winner of this year’s Kingfisher Supermodels and be part of the Kingfisher Calendar 2016. I would sincerely like to thank Kingfisher and NDTV Good Times for providing this platform that would bring me recognition.”

Expressing her happiness, judge, mentor and anchor Neha Dhupia said, “Kingfisher Supermodels 3 was a great reality show and it was very challenging to judge these competitive girls on the show. Aishwarya has put in all the efforts that need to be poured into being a model, and I wish her all the success. It's not just Aishwarya but the other models too who will benefit from this platform. I wish them the  very best for the future ahead."

Talking about the success of the show Arati Singh, Channel Head, NDTV Good Timesasserted, “Firstly, we would like to congratulate Aishwarya for the stunning victory. We are happy to join hands with our partner Kingfisher to provide this excellent launchpad to make it big in the modelling industry. Every season of Kingfisher Supermodels has surpassed its own standards and we look forward to continue this legacy forward.”

Talking about the show, Samar Singh Sheikhawat, Senior Vice President Marketing, United Breweries Ltd said, “Kingfisher Supermodels has received an overwhelming response from the audiences. With a diverse mix of talents and challenging tasks, the show gets bigger and bolder every season. Neha Dhupia played the perfect host and as a mentor helped groom the supermodel aspirants to take on the demands of being the Kingfisher Calendar girl. Aishwarya has emerged as the winner of Kingfisher Supermodels and will be featured in the Kingfisher Calendar 2016 along with the other models. The Calendar models have done tremendously well in the past and have carved a niche for themselves in the industry. We are confident that Aishwaya will be soon a name to reckon with in the fashion industry.

 ‘Kingfisher Supermodels’ on NDTV Good Times has contributed in redefining careers of several Indian models such as Ketholeno Kense, Himarsha, Angela Johnson, Nathalia Kaur, amongst many others  who have climbed the peaks of popularity in the world of fashion and films.

Catch the repeat telecast 4th Jan onwards, Mon to Thu 10 pm only on NDTV Good Times! 

About NDTV Good Times: NDTV Good Times is the flagship channel of NDTV Lifestyle, which is a part of the NDTV Group. Launched in September 2007, it quickly became India's top-ranked English-language lifestyle television channel - rapidly drawing in its target audience of socially upbeat, well-travelled, cosmopolitan viewers who want to live in style, admire fashion, are adventurous about food and travel and want more out of every moment in life with both back-packing and high flying budgets.

NDTV Good Times presents fresh, original programming that gives its viewers mantras on how to enjoy food both highway and Michelin star, find good health through salsa and yoga, follow fashion on ramps both Indian and global and most of all on how to live life the fullest, no matter where you are. The line-up of shows covers every aspect of the lifestyle genre to portray and cater to an increasingly global India

With the maturing lifestyle space in India at an inflection point and as pioneers in that space, NDTV Good Times has redefined the lifestyle entertainment category codes once again.

Today, India's oldest lifestyle channel is it’s youngest. With programming that is impulsive, interactive and with an attitude to match. The new logo, icons, indents and a vibrant and dynamic colour palette are a testament to the channel's continuing evolution as India’s premier lifestyle entertainment destination.

The channel tag-line is #LiveYoung#LiveIndian, the only socially integrated tagline in India, which integrates and recognizes social media as a part of the channel's DNA. While it exemplifies what the channel stands for, it is also a call to action, as it exhorts the NDTV Good Times' viewers to live young and live Indian. 

NDTV Good Times has won several programming awards at the Indian Television Academy Awards, Indian Telly Awards & World Media Festival for key shows & interstitials like Highway On My Plate, No Big Deal and Making of the Kingfisher Calendar. Judged as the 'Best

Fashion & Lifestyle Channel' at the ITA (Indian Television Academy) Awards for two consecutive years, NDTV Good Times is beamed directly across international markets such as US, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Maldives. The Channel is present across all major analogue cable markets & all six DTH platforms in India.