Desi Express Magazine April 2015 by Desi Express Magazine

APRIL 2015

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Afzal Mithwani Akbar Kassam Anu Prabhakar Ashok Goyal Chugh Firm Dipannita Ghosh Biswas Natalia Ningthoujam Indo-Asian News Service

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contents WEDDING TECHNOLGY: Wedding Websites … 12

WEDDING FITNESS: Go For The Glow … 16

THEME WEDDING: New Style Traditions … 18

WEDDING TRENDS: Organic Invites … 22

WEDDING JEWELRY: Basic Essentials … 24

WEDDING TECH GRIP: Changes Socially …26

WEDDING TRAVELLER: AROUND TOWN: GAPI Vienna Honeymoon … 28 Educational Awards … 36

AROUND TOWN: TAMA Tax Saving Seminar … 52

MOVIE BUZZ: Upcom‐ ing Releases … 62

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BOLLYWOOD BUZZ: Latest ASTROLOGY: KNOW Bollywood Gossip… 64 YOUR FORCASTS … 68

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WEDDING TECHNOLOGY

Madhura Kakkad, an MBA, said, “It was so romantic to paste our love story on our marriage homepage. We narrated every single moment that brought us closer. Friends were so excited to read about it as me and my husband had kept our relationship closed before announcing our engagement.”

With the advancement of technology, marriage ceremonies have become virtual. The 21st generation which remains glued to the mouse and keyboard for most of the time has come out with an idea of sharing the joy of bonding via the web. Internet-savvy couples can create their wedding page on the web and send the link to their friends and relatives who live far away. The website can provide updated information on the wedding preparation, the guests. This can be done by uploading photographs and videos. When a wedding or a particular ceremony is on, there can be updates about who has come, what is happening and so on. Wedding websites are innovative. They are a creative and innovative

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way of keeping people updated about one’s wedding. There are a number of themes which help to make the website look colorful. The couple can narrow down the look of their page to their liking. Personal wedding websites is a new phenomenon that has taken the wedding world by storm. A personal wedding website is the easiest, most attractive, fastest and colorful way to share all the minute details of a marriage ceremony. It is so trendy that you just have to SMS or e-mail the domain name asking your relatives to keep a follow up. The facility provides one with a space for putting up photographs and video clips. Couples enjoy creating slide shows of wedding photos and posting them on their our wedding site.

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WEDDING TIPS - BRIDE

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Make-up in natural hues and a simple hairstyle are good to go. Loosely tousled, side swept hair with light highlights can add that perfect touch to the outfit. Make-up shouldn’t be too loud. Warm, glossy shades for the lips and neutral palettes for the cheeks will do the trick.

New Delhi, (IANS) Every girl hopes to look her best on her D-day, but some, in this pursuit, go overboard with either their make-up or the color of their dress. To make sure you get your bridal look right, it's vital to keep some points in your mind. Sushma Khan, head of make-up, Lakme Salon Bridal Dream Team, shares how to look gorgeous on your wedding day: 

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Accessorize well: Wear jewelry that complements your outfit. Wearing contemporary styles with traditional outfits and vice versa is a big faux pas. It is also essential to remember that less is more. Indian brides tend to adorn themselves in jewelry, but let not it not take away from the outfit.

Choose The Right Color Lengha to Complement your Skin Tone: Choose the right colour lehenga to complement your skin tone: The key to selecting the right coloured lehenga is to not be a victim of trends. Opt for what suits your skin tone better. Red works better for dusky and wheatish complexions. Pink looks good on women with fair skin tone.

Wear the right make-up and hair:

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Bridal Mehndi Designs Mehndi adds a flavor of tradition and cultural heritage to the celebrations. Choose your designs well in advance, select the perfect blend to match your lengha design and highlight colors. FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

WEDDING FITNESS

The wedding is a trigger that motivates many people to get in shape. Ideally the right time to begin is about six months before the wedding. In this time frame, you can literally look like an entirely different person. It can be a complete transformation. But what if your wedding is sooner? Not to worry. You can do wonders even with a three month regime. Even one and a half months will show results.

sweets, caffeine and colas. This is also a good time to cut down on alcohol and cigarettes. All this is bad for your skin. Instead eat lots of fruits and veggies and drink tons of water. This is the time to eat healthy, not starve to a size zero frames. You need loads of energy before, during and after your wedding.

“Everyone wants to look their best on their wedding day, but who has time for trips to the gym? It is easy to make excuses to avoid exercising and this is a big no-no. Getting in some cardio and yoga everyday is a must for flawless skin. It improves the circulation and this is in turn switches on the glow in you.

EAT RIGHT

No matter how tempting it is to avoid exercise, do it anyway. You won’t regret it,” said Althea Shah, a fitness expert. You just have to realize that you’re not going to lose more than a couple of kilograms. But you can strengthen and tone some key muscles so that even if you don’t lose a significant amount of weight, you will stand taller, you’ll have more energy and feel better, and your clothes will definitely fit and look better. “Don’t skip meals, focus on what you eat: keep a food diary for two weeks and you’ll soon see where your weak points are. Don’t starve yourself in the weeks before the wedding. Not only is it unhealthy, but it can also affect the way you will look on the wedding day, including your skin and your hair,” added Shah. With guests coming frequently, with people to visit and places to go, it is easy to gorge on everything that is offered to you. This is the time to work that will power. Avoid fried food,

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Antioxidants tackle various aging concerns so consume tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant. The meal should be with the correct proportions of minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and water, which hydrates our body. The right combination will help you improve our health and also make your skin look great. Get enough protein: Your body uses 20%‐30% more energy to digest protein foods than carbohydrates. Have some protein rich food at each meal: try fish, chicken, eggs, milk, tofu or pulses. If you are working out hard aim to eat one gram of protein per your weight in pounds. FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

THEME WEDDINGS

"It's just that people have got bored of traditional style weddings. Themes add flavor to the wedding. A theme can be built upon," says Priyanka Chopra, public relations officer of Aggarwal's company. Elements of a wedding can be matched with the theme. For instance, Persian style wedding, the catering can involve falafel. Food, decoration and entertainment are matched and enhanced with themes. The trends in theme weddings are varied this year. From themes based on ice, inspired from the ice lounges of Delhi and Mumbai, to royal themes where the bride and the groom are dressed as maharajas and maharanis. City-based themes are also popular. Entire cities are built on barren land. Cities already tried and tested are Kanpur, Venice and Paris. To build Ahmadabad, it takes a company roughly 40 days of work. Other upcoming trends include a south Indian theme where decorations are made using banana leaves with a lot of elements inspired rom Kathakali 18

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and Trivandrum drums. Among the smaller budget themes are the Persian style, carnival, and color themes. "Our most popular theme this season is heritage theme," says Suhagbhai. The heritage theme includes organizing weddings in old forts like the Hutheesing Palace. The 'green' wedding is something that is still very new, Chopra says that they are trying to come up with separate concepts that are eco-friendly. Money-wise, the slowdown has had an affect on spending on theme weddings. Says Ria, a city-based wedding designer in Gurukul, "People have become wary of spending. So, we have launched plans that tell people how to get their desired wedding within their budget." For the big budget weddings, of over Rs. 50 lakh and above, Chopra says that wedding budgets have not been affected. "The budgets have not changed. People are choosing to concentrate on different areas. While one family may spend more on food, others might concentrate on the decorations." FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

When New-York based photographer Steven Young reached Gujarat to shoot a wedding, he first got a feel of the culture by visiting villages, being invited into people’s homes to be fed tea and biscuits. Young was amused by the kind of grip that Bollywood has over India. Big fat Indian weddings are increasingly getting international photographers, like Chuah, to capture those important moments of a couple’s life. “Discerning brides are the most likely to hire an international photographer,” says Joe Milton, executive director of the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers. Riyaa Sethi, married to Soli Sethi, came across Malaysian photographer Hafiz Ismail’s website and was taken in by the quality she saw. “We thought that hiring a photographer from another country might be out of our budget,” says Riyaa, “but Ismail’s rates began at $3000, which suited us just fine.” Viral Chopra, marketing director of Crayons Advertising, was sure he wanted someone who could shoot his wedding in an artistic way. “I am not saying that traditional Indian photographers are bad, but they do tend to click pictures in a conventional way,” he says. Chopra ended up hiring Chuah and a local photographer. “Wedding photojournalism is far more developed in the West,” explains Paris-based Christophe Viseux, who has shot weddings all over India. “Nowadays young couples are looking for a photographer with a personal style to discover all the emotions and moments they might have missed during the event.” THINK GLOBAL, SHOOT LOCAL At the same time, Indian families are loathe to let go of the local wedding photographers completely. Old hands at shooting weddings, they know the subtle politics which might be invisible to the naive eye of a foreigner. Locals know the thumb rules: Get many flattering shots of the close family members and discreetly avoid the crass ones. Usually, there’s a compromise: The couple hires someone who can take candid shots, without 20

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Couples are hiring international wedding photographers who take candid pictures of their once-in-a-lifetime occasion. letting go of the all-important local photographer. While the traditional wedding photographer is easy to spot, lining up people for his shots, it is easy to mistake a foreign wedding photographer for a guest at the wedding. “I like to be invisible,” says Ismail. “I prefer to document the wedding as it happens… You cannot repeat a joke that was cracked or the tears that the bride shed on her mother’s shoulder.” The variety of traditions in the Indian culture is what keeps me fascinated with shooting Indian weddings. It never gets dull, that’s for sure,” says Adams. For some, the impact is more subtle. “The people of India have a rich culture and at times I wish as an American that our country would work harder at maintaining our cultural values,” says Amy Regeti, a American based in Washington DC, who has shot a wedding in Kerala.

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LATEST WEDDING TRENDS

Organic Wedding Invites New Delhi, (IANS): Going organic is the new trend in the fashion circuit, and wedding invitation card designer Puneet Gupta has come up with eco-wedding invites for environmentally conscious couples who want to make their D-day a nature friendly affair. From organic paper, recycled envelopes, eco-friendly inks, sustainable and organic wines to vegetarian menu to a daytime ceremony, consumers are willing to indulge in green wedding-eco invites, and Gupta feels that what they just need is the right guidance. “There are many who want to ride the green wave. All they need is someone to help them endorse the idea. I as a responsible designer feel that we should take the trend forward. Weddings can be opulent, beautiful and very sophisticated by going all green,” Gupta told IANS.

Green wedding elements are one of the hottest trends among brides. Luckily, vendors are offering eco‐friendly options that make it easy to go green in a chic and stylish way. Though an electronic wedding invitation may be the most eco‐friendly, it’s also a huge no‐no in terms of etiquette. “It actually depends on what and how you do it. For instance, if I am using recycled paper, it's going to be more cost effective than those of imported European mill paper, which a lot of us use,” he said. “The cost lies in your idea. If you plan to use your old beer bottle and just get scrolls made for it, you actually are reusing waste and avoiding the cost of a fancy scroll holder. "For gift wraps, you can use old newspapers with interesting block printing on it rather than using chemical ink machine printing,” he added.

Some of the key materials used for eco-friendly invites are ombré dyed ribbons, jute buttons and frills, burlap tie-ups, handmade papers, elephant dung papers, dried flowers and leaves. The most innovative of all is recycled wood peel boxes and scrolls. Of course, the cost of such weddings is higher. 22

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WEDDING JEWELRY

Bridal necklace: New Delhi, (IANS) The bridal season is here, so while shopping for the big day, make sure you grab the jewelry essentials. Wedding Jewelry is a very important part of the overall look for the bride. An Indian Bride is adorned with jewelry from head to toe on the wedding day. It is perfectly fine to wear simple, elegant designs that enhance your personality on the wedding day. Light jewelry is fine as long as it is well coordinated and looks beautiful with the wedding dress. Wedding jewelry must be coordinated with the wedding dress. Whether you choose a kundan set or a heavy gold set, it must look good when worn with the wedding dress. Traditional gold jewelry is best suited for brides who wear silk saris for their wedding. If it is a daytime wedding, then it is advisable to wear light wedding jewelry as too much jewelry can make a bride look garish and gaudy. You can wear heavy kundan sets for night weddings when the glare of the sun is replaced by the charming moonlight. You could also opt for lighter and simpler jewelry for pre-wedding ceremonies and heavy sets with elaborate detailing and intricate designs for the main wedding. In case of summer weddings, brides can wear pearls matching their wedding dress. Sulish Verma, managing director of Vikas Chain & Jewelry Pvt. Ltd, shared the latest in bridal jewelry:

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There is a great demand for choker neckpieces in gold and diamond. The Mughal-inspired neckpieces where the coverage is more but the weight of precious metal is kept less, are also loved during bridal season.

Bracelet: Versatile pieces where the chains can Be easily detached from the ring and the bracelet and the ring can be worn separately are getting popular.

Maang-tika: The side passa maang-tika is one of the sought after jewelry pieces for the head for instance, colored gemstones engraved in gold.

Nose ring: The round big hollow loop will continue to rule, but brides willing to experiment can try the tribal jewelrydesigned nose ring.

Earring: Danglers have always been in trend, but the brides are opting for longer danglers for pre-wedding functions.

Feet accessories: The payal is no longer slick. The feet accessories are getting thicker and colorful. FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

WEDDING TECH GRIP

New York, (IANS) After she says yes, announcing the engagement on the micro-blogging site Twitter to the world can lead to a "New You" changing your online profile following the proposal, finds an Indian-American researcher.

"People began to paint themselves as a couple rather than as individuals. They are going through a major change in life and it shows on social media as they adapt to society's expectations of their marital identity," explained Munmun De Choudhury, associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology's school of interactive computing. For her study, Choudhury used Twitter as a lens to look into the lives of nearly 1,000 people who used the site to announce their wedding engagement. By comparing tweets before and after, she was able to determine how people changed their online personas following the proposal. Some differences were split along gender lines. Others identified how people alter the words they use on Twitter after they are engaged. The research team then looked at each person's tweets in the nine-month period before the engagement and 12 months afterward (two million total tweets). After people got engaged, tweets with the word "I" or "me" dropped by 69 percent. They were replaced with "we" and "us". Similarly, tweets using familial words such as "future-in-laws" and "children" jumped by 219 percent after the proposal (although men tended to wait until after marriage to tweet family-based words). The study also noticed that men and women gush about each other differently. The most frequent terms used by females when tweeting about their significant other were tied to emotion. Men are more likely to use physical descriptors such as sexy, beautiful or gorgeous when talking about their fiancĂŠe. Dr. Choudhury and co-author Michael Massimi also noticed that engaged people were much more likely to think and tweet about the future. "People are more likely to post that they 'are going on a date night tonight' rather than tweeting that they already did so," the authors pointed out. The paper was presented at "iConference 2015" in Newport Beach, California, March 24-27.

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WEDDING TRAVELER

New Delhi, (IANS) For Nidhi and Rohan Nanda, who have just tied the knot, choosing the perfect honeymoon destination was perhaps the toughest decision. With fingers crossed, Vienna was picked on a friend's recommendation and a week in the quaint city proved to be the perfect ending to their elaborate wedding. The city's relaxed and laidback attitude was the perfect getaway after many tiring weeks of preparations and celebrations that are associated with Indian weddings. The Austrian capital, in the heart of Europe, is one of the country's nine federal states and is home to around 1.8 million people. Boasting of palaces, monuments, cathedrals, parks and vineyards, it's a city where ancient churches stand beside contemporary glass buildings. Kunsthistorisches Museum, which houses perhaps the world's largest collection of paintings, is the most prominent museum in the city along with the Belvedere and the Leopold in the MuseumsQuartier. Then, the Ringtrasse, a circular boulevard of over five kilometres that has grand buildings and manicured gardens on either side entices the travelers to take a long walk and experience the rich history of the city. Also known as the 'City of Music' Vienna has 50 theatres, including four opera houses. And for those who love to shop, the posh first district in the old city is the most sought after address. "Vienna's classic heritage appeal and old-world charm 28

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make it the perfect honeymoon destination. Its cultural and geographical sights transport people back to the 18th century and provides the perfect setting for honeymooners." said Dhal. "From waltzes to cafes, museums to nightclubs, the city is a perfect blend of culture, nature and history modern and traditional at the same time," he added. The fact that numerous Indian restaurants have opened in the city in the last few years has also helped in popularizing Vienna amongst Indian travelers. Among the popular markets are Naschmarkt, the city's largest, which offers a mix of Viennese and international specialties. "Indians love their food and when choosing a destination for a vacation, food is quite important especially if you are a vegetarian. In the last few years, many eateries have opened up here which serve authentic Indian food," Hable said. According to one estimate, the number of Indian restaurants in the city has gone up from around 20 to over 50 in the last five years. The price of an average meal for two costs between 8 and 14 euros. Vienna is a perfect blend of "history, culture and nature", is what brings tourists in droves to the city, says Sharat Dhall, president of online travel portal Yatra.com. Vienna offers everything Indian honeymooners are looking for: authentic Indian food, English-speaking hospitality staff and guides and loads of nightlife, museums and shopping experiences FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

WEDDING FINANCE

New York, (IANS) While people may know the basics to sticking within their budget like not overdoing it with over-the-top florals, there are some less obvious ways to keep the budget in check. Wedding planner Claudia Hoste advises on what you need to be aware of to keep your budget in check, reports huffingtonpost.com:

way to blow up your budget. In addition to the cost of food and beverages for each additional guest, you'll also have to factor in costs of rentals, transportation, and favors. Not being clear on what the site fee includes: Every venue is different.

Buying things before you have a budget and a plan: Don't buy

anything for the wedding until you make your budget guidelines. It's so easy to get caught up in the excitement of starting to buy things, that money can get spent on little fun details that in the end will not mean as much as you originally thought. You could end up spending way more on something that turns out to be not important and then have to skimp on things that are. Getting carried away with the guest list: You want to invite everyone to celebrate the life moment, but not being careful with the guest list is the easiest 30

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Some might require you to rent everything from the napkins to the tables to the lights and bathrooms, which adds up very quickly. Make sure you call a rental company and get quotes for anything that is not included with the site so that you'll know what the total cost is for that venue before you book. Not sticking to your timeline: Usually you contract vendors for a specific number of hours. If you don't stick to your timeline, you run the risk of things running late. This means that you'll end up incurring expensive overtime fees that were not budgeted. FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

WEDDING INVESTMENTS

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WEDDING TIPS - GROOM

New Delhi, (IANS) Wedding day is special not only for the bride but also for the groom. But men are often neglected as the glowing bride takes away the spotlight. To grab all eyeballs on the most important day of your life, it's time to get to work.

Treat yourself to some skin-dulgence: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t depend on photo-shop for acne and scar-free skin in your photos. Pimples, dry skin, an uneven skin tone, tanning and dark circles affect men too. You can opt for facials, peels and even simple home remedies to deal with your skin woes. You can also visit a skin specialist for treatments to combat tanning and pigmentation.

Beat the belly bulge: Being a groom demands being in good shape. A belly bulge as you walk away with your pretty bride is quite an eyesore. A good way to get fit for your big day is to hit the gym months before the wedding day. A combination of cardio and weight training is the best way to look lean. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a gym membership, plug in your favorite music and head out for a jog. You can also try some martial arts power yoga.

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The hair affair: It was one thing to bask in your manliness when you were a bachelor, but post marriage, excessively hairy chests are a big no-no. Though the thought of waxing may make you run in the opposite direction, worry not. You can opt for permanent hair reduction using laser as it is a painless and safe option. It will require multiple sittings, so if you plan to opt for this, go well in advance before the D-Day.

Hair woes: Although most men will not admit to this, they are as obsessive about their hair as women. A nutritious diet and regular oiling, can help you deal with thinning and falling hair. You can also opt for a hair loss prevention service after consulting an expert.

woes: Nail it: The biggest turn-off for your bride would be unshapely and dirty nails. To look good and feel hygienic, a manicure and pedicure at least a week before the wedding will make your hands worthy of that ring.

Oral hygiene: A good smile with pearly whites looks photographs! A pre-wedding dental is essential to be able to not only smile watt smile but also keep away bad

great in clean-up that 1000 breath.

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WEDDING ATTIRE - GROOM

A splash of style can win hearts, brighten moods, bring a spring to the step and is definitely welcome to the eyes. No wonder men don’t seem to shy away from adding a dash of color and style to their outfits and are opting for suits or jackets in vibrant colors with various styles and designs. And apart from keeping in mind styles that are ruling the season, more often than not, they follow their hearts. Designer Manoviraj Khosla who swears by designer and colored suits and wears a lot of it himself feels that the one and only criteria to carry off the look is confidence. “Of course, the physique also matters one needs to be lean and fit but what matters most is the attitude to carry off the colors and style,” he says, adding, “I’ve always loved my colors. Be it on suits, formal jackets or waistcoats, I’ve got them in lemon green, red, light blue, yellow, orange and so on.” Quiz him on what would be the most appropriate time to be seen in one and Manoviraj says, “I have worn them both during the day and in the evening.” Designer Sayon Mitra advocates 36

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jackets in a lot of his designs and has taken the look a step forward in the form of embroidered bandhgala jackets. “It’s a look for all seasons and any time of the day and the confidence to carry off the look is all one needs. Also, being big built helps but one must keep in mind never to opt for this look just because others are trying it too. Colors like pink, red, camel, peach, light yellow, lilac, olive green, rust, powder blue and rust are some of the shades that have made it to men’s jackets,” he informs, adding, “A colored linen jacket is ideal summer wear and can be sported any time of the day.” In fact, short bandhgala jackets too are becoming quite popular for special days, says Sayon. “Bandhgala jackets in saffron, rust, green, red or even blue are doing the rounds and makes for an all-season wear,” he quips. Photographer Waseem Khan says “I don’t like to be boring, which is why I like to add colors to suit my lifestyle. “Apart from the confidence , a certain amount of common sense matters when it comes to colors.”

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ACCOUNTING & TAXES

Starting with this year's filing season, taxpayers must report certain information related to health care coverage on their 2014 tax return when they file this April. In addition, taxpayers must provide proof of health insurance coverage or that they have received an exemption. With that in mind, let's take a look at how the Affordable Care Act might affect your tax situation, and based on your type of coverage, which new tax forms you might be receiving. Tip: For additional information about IRS tax forms related to health care insurance, please see the article, Health Care Law: Changes to IRS Tax Forms, below.

Overview: The biggest change for most taxpayers is found on Line 61 of Form 1040, where individuals must either check a box to show they had health insurance or pay a penalty. In general, the penalty applies to individuals who did not have health insurance for more than three months in 2014. In 2014, the penalty is the greater of one percent of modified adjusted gross income or $95 per adult ($47.50 per child under age 18, up to a maximum of $285 per family). While the IRS cannot issue a lien against you in order to make you pay the penalty, they are allowed to withhold the money from refund. Certain persons may qualify for an exemption from the penalty such as those who do not need to file a tax return ($10,150 for individuals, $13,050 for heads of household, and $20,300 for a married couples filing jointly). Other exceptions (there are eight in total) include being a member of a federally recognized tribe or qualifying for a hardship exemption if you filed for bankruptcy in the last 6 months or had medical expenses you couldn't pay in the last 24 months that resulted in debt. Caution: Taxpayers who believe they qualify for an exemption must apply and receive an exemption certificate from the Marketplace. There's an additional twist for the approximately eight million people who purchased health insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace ("the Exchanges"), many of whom received subsidies that were paid to insurance companies and applied directly to their insurance premiums. What taxpayers might not realize is that in many cases these subsidies were based on household size and income for 2012. Remember, the enrollment period began October 1, 2013 AFZAL MITHWANI CPA, EA, PFS (P) 770-817-7000 (Q) 770-817-7001 afzal@univisioncpa.com

before taxpayers had filed their 2013 tax returns. If income or household size changed in 2014 and the IRS was not notified of these updates, taxpayers may be liable for paying additional subsidy monies or conversely, receive refunds for amounts overpaid. In other words, if you received a bonus in 2014 (change in household income), it could mean that you owe the government money. Enrollment through an Employer, Private Insurance, Medicaid or Medicare New Tax Forms: 1095-B, 1095-C 1095-B. If your healthcare coverage is provided by private I nsurers or self-funded plans, you should receive Form 1095-B; however, because tax year 2014 is a transition year, these forms are not required when filing your 2014 tax return. 1095-C. If your healthcare coverage is provided by your employer, you should receive Form 1095-C; however, because tax year 2014 is a transition year, these forms are not required when filing your 2014 tax return.

Enrollment through the Healthcare Marketplace: New Tax Forms: 1095-A, Form 8962 Form 1095-A. If you purchased health insurance from the Marketplace you will receive Form 1095-A showing details of your coverage such as the effective date, amount of your premium payment, and any advanced premium credit you received. Form 8962. The amount of any advanced premium credit you received in 2014 is reported on Form 8962. This form is also used to figure out the actual premium credit as well.

No Health Insurance: If you DO qualify for an exemption: Taxpayers must apply for the exemption from the Marketplace and if approved, will receive an exemption certificate number, which must be reported on Form 8965. If you DO NOT qualify for an exemption: Taxpayers that do not qualify for an exemption and are uninsured are required to pay a penalty (see above) when filing their tax return. Form 8965 is used to calculate the penalty.

No Rendering of Advice : The information contained within this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for obtaining accounting, tax, or financial advice from a professional accountant. Information presented does not intended to create, and does not constitute, an accountant-client relationship. Readers are advised not to act upon this information without seeking the service of a professional accountant. Any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this article is not intended to be used for the purpose of avoiding penalties under U.S. federal tax law. Accuracy of Information : While we use reasonable efforts to furnish accurate and up-to-date information, we do not warrant that any information contained in or made available through this article is accurate, complete, reliable, current or error-free. We assume no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of this article.

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ONE ON ONE New New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) She battled Hindi diction woes and the 'outsider' tag to win over Bollywood audiences and has worked with top-notch stars and filmmakers in her over decade-long acting career. Model-turned-actress Katrina Kaif says the industry only has space for those who are passionate about their craft - age notwithstanding.

— By Natalia Ningthoujam

It's a hard industry to work in: not easy on a person, 'Outsider' tag (Interview) Facing the arc lights might seem like a cakewalk for many but Katrina, who at one point in her career, gave six back-to-back hits, doesn’t find it easy. "It's a hard industry to work in. It's not easy on a person to be sometimes 14 to 15 hours on the sets. Sometimes, you don't have a lunch or dinner break. It's taxing on a person. You have to be passionate about making movies. So, till the time you are passionate about it, there is space for you in the industry,"

She doesn’t see age as limitation in the field. Citing examples of actresses like Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi, who came back to films after becoming mothers, Katrina said that it’s not age that decides a woman's fate in showbiz. “Otherwise, I think women work as long as they choose to. Kajol is doing great work till today, Aishwarya (Rai) has started doing some amazing work now. It’s up to the individual...how much he or she is interested in pursuing and developing art,” added the talented actress, who has roots in London.

extremely strong roles for me...for any girl to do. So, I don’t think it’s just about whom you are acting with.,” said the actress. Also a popular dancer courtesy her songs "Chikni chameli" and "Sheila ki jawani", Katrina is happy that she has worked with “almost all types of people". “I’ve worked with actors like Govinda, Irrfan Khan, John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh. It’s all been amazing,” she said. She is currently filming “Fitoor” in which she is paired with “Aashiqui 2” fame actor Aditya Roy Kapur.

As an actor, Katrina, who has shared screen space with superstars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan, aims to get her hands on good films, rather than whom she is cast with. “People want to work with them (the Khans) because they are icons of Hindi cinema, but I don’t think people are saying that that’s all they want to do. If you are an actor, your job is to act... to be a part of a good film and do good work,” said the actress, who has done a film as serious as “Raajneeti” as well as a mix of comedies and romantic films. Having started with a box office dud like "Boom" and then going on to creating a success story started with "Namastey London", "Apne", "Partner", "Welcome", "Race" and "Singh Is Kinng", Katrina feels the current crop of films are "amazing", with women playing strong central roles. "Even in the films which I’ve done with Salman and Shah Rukh -- ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ and ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ -- both were

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Adnan Sami Khan concert, the 1st Bollywood show without any surgery or liposuction, using diet, exercise and of 2015, at the beautiful, historic and prestigious the motivation to get healthy for his fans. He mentioned that FOX Theatre on March 15th kicked start the New where there is a will, there is a way and he is the living proof that anybody can do it (weight loss) without a fancy diet or Year for Atlantan’s in a grand style. other techniques. “I like to compose music and when I get a Presented by CB Entertainment& Café Bombay, a division great tune I just like to write dummy lyrics for it. I communiof Walia Hospitality Group operated by Mr. Jay & Ricky cate my thoughts to a lyricist, who then pen my lyrics...I talk Walia in association with Rohil Virani of GA ATL Games, to them about my life, which reflects in their final lyrics.” was a high energy concert for more than two and half hours Adnan had played the piano since the age of five and to a packed audience of over 2,000 music lovers. Adnan Sami composed his first piece of music when he was nine years old. needs no introduction. He is a singer, musician, pianist, actor Now he can play over 35 musical instruments! Adnan was and composer. He is also popularly known as being the accompanied by nine-piece band. Darshan Doshi in the band ‘Fastest Keyboard player in the world’. is one of the finest drummers in Bollywood today. He is also Rekha Pallath, a talented local singer opened the show singing a Limca Book of Records holder for being the youngest a Bollywood number accompanied by talented dancers in drummer in India! Adnan Sami Khan is on a North America lovely costumes choreographed by Prem Dance Studio. Tour 2015 covering USA/Canada with his wife Roya Faryabi. Bhishm Oza, the winner of Atlanta Indian Idol sang several Vinod's Photography provided excellent coverage of the male numbers keeping the audience entertained before the event. In Adnan Sami's own words praising to his Facebook concert began. It took 10 long years for Atlantas to see audience, "Brilliant Photos (Vinod)...you have a very talented Adnan Sami perform live and what a night it turned out eye for detail n capturing 'moments', great artistic aesthetics!!" to be. Audience shouted him to sing "Lift Karadey", Shaboo Jewelers gave away prizes of amazing and exclusive Adnan promised to fulfill all their requests as the screaming jewelry pieces to lucky winners. continued from all corners of the beautiful Fox Theatre. After the success of Adnan Sami concert, CB Entertainment Adnan had the audience sing along with him as everyone sang is bringing the next big name in Music Maestro’s list, the together "Tera Chehra" and "Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein". Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on May 31 at Fox Theatre too. Don’t Everyone sang and danced the evening to a conclusion with miss that one! "Mujhkobhi lift karade". At one point, Sami took a moment to acknowledge his significant weight loss and clear up rumors. From 230kg at his heaviest, Sami said he lost 165kg

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— By Ashok Goyal — Photos: Photography by Vinod

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BAPS SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR WOMEN’S CONFERENCE 2015 - MOVING FORWARD The global advancement of women is as powerful today as it has ever been. Women are encouraged to pursue their personal, professional, and humanitarian goals with the support of one another and their communities alike. This year BAPS hosted its ninth annual Women’s Conference that took place at eleven centers across North America to inspire women of all ages to push themselves further in the pursuit of their dreams, while making a commitment to bring other women along. The conference, themed “Moving Forward,” focused on creating positive change that starts from within. On Saturday, March 15th, 2015 over 650 women gathered at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia to participate in this annual conference. Moving Forward was held over one-day, and challenged the audience to consider three key concepts: compassion, forgiveness, and perseverance. Opening with the topic of Compassion, Ms. Payal Patel, Assistant Vice President and Division Director at Robert Half Legal, shared, “Compassion is a quality that can be learned and improved,” inspiring the audience through her own life and how each individual should reflect on how they currently practice compassion. Further she went on to describe how “compassionate acts do not need to be a big display, nothing is too small to be considerate towards others” and that “compassion comes in many forms, but that it starts with our thoughts and our actions.” The ability to practice forgiveness and demonstrate compassion help one move forward through life, but one must also persevere to overcome the challenges and difficulties faced through life. Dr. Jayshree Patel Pharm. D. asked the audience to recall the incidents “We cannot rest after one challenge. Life will continuously throw challenges at us and we too must persevere through life’s challenges.”

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She created a personal connection amongst all of the women present, helping to realize that each of them are connected “as a woman, we wear many hats – caregiver, teacher, cook, and my personal favorite referee.” With this mindset, it is important to realize that one needs the right motivation and strategy to continue move forward in life. The event included performances from Mrs. Mital Patel, a Software Engineer, who completed a deeply moving abstract dance on the concepts of compassion and perseverance through Kathak, a traditional Indian dance known for its intricate footwork and use of facial expressions. Ms. Yogini Patel, a current student at the University of Georgia, also performed an intense poetry reading, titled Yashoda the Compassionate, describing the internal struggles faced when overcoming different experiences. In closing to the conference, the keynote speaker, Dr. Nazeera Dawood, the current Health Promotion Division Director at Fulton County Department of Health and Awareness, motivated the audience by creating an environment of introspection. Sharing her own journey, she took the audience through a journey of her pathway to overcoming the many challenges and trials she faced by recognizing her ability to continue to strive forward. You just need the right strategies and motivation to continue moving forward in life. Sharing her thoughts on the conference, Ashini Parikh, who also recently worked as the Vice President of Global Marketing for Edelman in Los Angeles, and was the Emcee shared, “By leveraging our strengths, relying on our values and the lessons, and recalling what life continues to offers us, we can go from merely being stagnant to making it happen to moving forward.” FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

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PERFORMANCE OF BEAUTY AND PRECISION DHARSHANA - ARANGETRAM REVIEW Dharshana Venkat, a student of seventh grade, has shown keen interest in dancing, right from the tender age of 5. Her dad said, she used to watch the old movie 'Maya Bazaar' on TV and enact the dance parts of it. So, no wonder she staged a fabulous arangetram when it was time for her to prove her mettle to on the stage.Dharshana is a student of Uma Palam Pulendran and Natya Dhaara Center for Performing Arts. Uma who hails from the school of the world renowned 'Dhananjayans' from Chennai and is also the director and founder of Natya Dhaara a premier dance institution in Atlanta. Dharshana has been learning Bharatanatyam from Uma for the past 7 years. The arangetram included a world class musical ensemble. Vocalist Babu Parameswaran, whose known for his 'golden' voice and who has been a veteran of dance music, was specially flown in from California. He was joined on the flute by G S Rajan who is also a renowned music composer and a brilliant flutist, on the mridangam by Rohan Krishnamurthy, who’s described as musical ambassador and holds a PhD from the famed Eastman School of Music and on the violin by Prasad Mantraratnam a renowned violinist. A rare but a nice addition to the ensemble was veena an ancient and rare instrument played by Priya Chandrasekaran who had the rare privilege of being introduced to the movie industry by maestro Ilayaraja. The performance was presented at the chosen Buford Community Center auditorium an architectural treasure. Dharshana started off in the traditional style invocation prayer on Lord Ganesha choreographed by Shri C V Chandrasekar. The performance continued with a keertanam, a varnam, a stuti, an ashtapathi and a Thillana composed by Dr. Bala Murali Krishna

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and choreographed by her guru. The varnam 'Nee Manamirangi' –the principal piece, composed by Shri Andavan Pitchai in Lathangi ragam and choreographed by Radhika Shurajit brought out the different forms like the depiction of the love and devotion to Lord Muruga. The item detailed the birth of Muruga, the killing of Surapadma and the marriage of Muruga to Devayani and Valli. After the break, the performance continued with a stutianotherkeertanam, an ashtapati and a tillana all choreographed by Uma Pulendran. The last number in the performance was a stellar piece and a totally new one to the stage. It was a tribute to Nelson Mandela with his quotes forming the basis of the item with music composed by G S Rajan and beautifully choreographed by Guru Uma Pulendran. It showcased the three concepts of human values, overcoming fear, human rights and freedom. I was totally awed with the story depicting Malala being shot and rising up against all odds, in dance portrayed subtly to illustrate human rights. It is noteworthy to mention that throughout the performance Dharshana was calm and cool and showed no signs of exhaustion or fatigue even with each item following in quick succession. It really showed the amount of practice she must have underwent to dance for almost 3 hours at her age. She got a standing ovation in the end. For my closing comments I would like to repeat her guru’s last words “I hope Dharshana takes after me, not just take after me but become a bigger better me” I too hope that it happens!

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TELUGU ASSOCIATION OF METRO ATLANTA (TAMA) TAX SAVING SEMINAR The first TAMA Networking/Business Seminar for 2015 started off on a successful note with more than 100 people in attendance. The two-hour session held at Sri Krishna Vilas on 1st March was the most attended and enthusiastic seminar in the recent TAMA events. The topic â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tax Savings and NRI Taxationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presented by Prabhakar Boyapally from Reddy CPA is a very relevant and timely topic as he talked about the general tax system in detail and touched upon various facets of the system like Basic Income tax structure, tax saving opportunities (401K, HSA, FSA, 529 plans, etc.), valid and invalid adjustments and deduction, child care credits, higher education credits and many more. Prabhakar also talked about the concepts of the corporations (LLC, S-CORP) and the also the retirement contribution options within them. By the way, Prabhakar has been helping TAMA in filing taxes and auditing the accounts. Following this with the NRI taxation system, Prabhakar talked about the taxation of income from India, what needs to happen and the concept of Double Taxation Avoidance agreement (DTAA) and briefly touched upon repatriation opportunities. The presentation went off for almost two hours without a break which had the audience in rapt attention and waiting for more. After a break for tea and snacks, Prabhakar took some time to answer questions from the audience. This has been a very educating and entertaining session and based on the

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input and enthusiasm of the audience, we are planning one more session mainly focused on NRI Taxation very soon. The evening ended with the entire EC and Board present thanking Prabhakar for volunteering to make this presentation and the Chairman of the Board Rajesh Jampala talking about the plans for long term projects and future seminars like this for the benefit of the community. Prabhakar also requested the community to give input for the seminar and also for additional topics that can be presented. President Vinay Maddineni thanked the audience for their participation and also invited all for the upcoming Ugadi celebrations on Mar 21st. TAMA would like to thank Viju Chiluveru and Nagesh Doddaka for facilitating this event, coordinating with TAMA EC and Board and making it a success. We would also like to thank Sri Krishna Vilas for accommodating a last minute venue change. And also appreciate Kiran Mudigonda and team from Vakiti creations for covering the event and for the media coverage. TAMA has been organizing Business Networking Seminars since 2011. The focus of past events was on Business Franchises, Cloud Computing, Student Loans, Will and Estate Planning, How to prepare for Worst Economic Times. Several professional from Indian community moderate these sessions. Watch for our announcement of another similar session to discuss tax obligations and implications for NRIs in May 2015. FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

CHAI LOUNGE ARUN KUMAR SINGH IS THE NEW INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE US New Delhi, (IANS) Arun Kumar Singh, currently India’s envoy to France, has been appointed the next ambassador to the US, the government announced on Sunday. Singh, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1979 batch, is expected to take up his assignment shortly, the statement said. He replaces S. Jaishankar, who was appointed foreign secretary on January 28. Singh had earlier served as deputy chief of mission in Washington from October 2008 to April 2013. Prior to that, he was India’s ambassador to Israel. He became ambassador to France in April 2013. He has also served at the important Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran division at the external affairs ministry.

TAKE ACTION TO CHANGE LAWS AND INFLUENCE MINDSETS TO COMBAT GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN INDIA An online petition on www.change.org initiated by IndianAmericans and allies of India in Atlanta is gaining momentum. The petition Modi to take action to change laws and influence mindsets to combat gender-based violence in India. One of the paragraphs of the petition states “Many of us have family and loved ones in India. We implore you and your government to do the utmost to restore the public’s faith in law and order, and to instill a sense of safety, security, and justice.”

CRY ATLANTA ACTION CENTER’S FIRST HOLI RAISES $2000 FOR UNDER PRIVILEGED KIDS We want to help underprivileged children to live their lives with just as much color as we saw there that day. We want them to have the right to food, clean water, good education, and a happy life. We invited people to come and help make a child’s life a little brighter, a little more colorful. And they did. We did. Together we raised enough money to make a real difference, have a real impact and raise awareness for Child’s Rights and You and we couldn’t be prouder,” said a team member. 56

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CHAI LOUNGE OBAMA HONOURS TWO SOUTH ASIAN SCIENCE, MATH MENTORS Washington, (IANS) An Indian-American and a Sri Lankan-origin scientist and teacher are among fourteen individuals and one organization named winners of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). Andhra University graduate Murty S. Kambhampati, a professor of biology at Southern University at New Orleans, and Sri Lankan origin Tilak Ratnanather, an associate professor in the biomedical engineering department of the Johns Hopkins University, Maryland will receive their awards at a White House ceremony later this year.

FBI TO TRACK HATE CRIMES AGAINST SIKHS, HINDUS, ARABS Washington, (IANS) Six US lawmakers along with leading advocacy groups have welcomed the inclusion of Sikh, Hindu, and Arab American communities in the Department of Justice's hate crimes tracking effort. This is the final step in the long-fought effort to encourage the US federal government to finally begin tracking and quantifying hate crimes against these at-risk communities, the lawmakers said at an event on Capitol Hill Wednesday. "Until now, Anti-Sikh hate crimes were not recognized by the FBI," said Rajdeep Singh, Director of Law and Policy at the Sikh Coalition. "Year after year, Sikh Americans were being targeted for harassment and violence because of their distinct identity.

INDIAN-AMERICANS KIDS SHOWCASE THEIR INVENTIONS AT WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE FAIR Washington, (IANS) Several Indian-Americans are among over 100 students from across the country who would showcase their inventions, and innovative science projects at the fifth White House Science Fair hosted by President Barack Obama Monday. Celebrating their extraordinary science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) achievements, this year's exhibits, all built, made, and designed by kids, range from patented inventions to award-winning rockets and robots. 58

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CHAI LOUNGE WIZCRAFT TO CREATE BOLLYWOOD SHOW FOR DUBAI PARK Dubai, (IANS) Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is set to be the region's largest multi-themed leisure and entertainment destination when it opens in October 2016, has signed an agreement with India's communications and entertainment company Wizcraft International Entertainment to create a world class Bollywood show for the Rajmahal Theatre. Situated in Bollywood Parks, which is a part of the Dubai Parks and Resorts, the Rajmahal Theatre reflects the beauty and wonder of India's culture and architectural heritage. The 60,000 sq ft Rajmahal Theatre will feature state-of-the-art LED stage backdrops, along with VIP boxes and exclusive lounges for private events and galas, read a statement.

IIFA RETURNS TO MALAYSIA FOR ITS 16TH EDITION Mumbai, (IANS) The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards and Weekend, an annual glitzy affair which celebrates Indian showbiz on foreign shores, will this year be celebrated in Kuala Lampur in Malaysia. The event will be held early June, and it marks the second time that IIFA is being held in Malaysia. It was last held in Genting Highlands in 2002. "With its rich and diverse culture and the sheer beauty of the city of Kuala Lumpur, we're absolutely certain this year's IIFA celebration will be a sight to behold," said Andre Timmins, director of IIFA.

AMITABH TO BE INAUGURATE FESTIVAL IN EGYPT Delhi, (IANS) Bollywood film icon Amitabh Bachchan will visit Egypt later this month to inaugurate the India By The Nile Festival 2015 featuring contemporary and classical music, dance, theatre, visual art, film, food and literature. The 72-year-old will be the guest of honour at the event, where his 1977 hit Bollywood action comedy "Amar Akbar Anthony" will be screened. The festival, which will get underway on March 30, will conclude on April 17. It aims at collaborative exchanges between India and Egyptian literary figures, performers and visual artistes, said its official website.

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MOVIE BUZZ

Dharam Sankat Mein RELEASE DATE: APRIL 10, 2015 STARRING: PARESH RAWAL, NASEERUDDIN SHAH, ANNU KAPOOR, AURITRA GHOSH New Delhi, (IANS) Popular Punjabi singer Gippy Grewal has sung for Naseeruddin Shah-starrer "Dharam Sankat Mein". He has also done a cameo in the film, which also features Paresh Rawal and Annu Kapoor. The film talks about a journey of a Hindu man who finds out about his adopted past involving a Muslim biological parenthood. Speaking about the concept, director Fuwad Khan said in a statement: "I come from a mixed marriage where my wife is Hindu and I am Muslim. There are various cultural nuances which make such unison extremely special, and that's what drew me to the subject of 'Dharam Sankat Mein’."

Solid Patels RELEASE DATE: APRIL 24, 2015 STARRING: SHIV PANDIT, SHAZAHN PADAMSEE, KITU GIDWANI, ALI ASGAR Mumbai, (IANS) Filmmaker Saurabh Varma's "Solid Patels" will release in 550 screens in North America alone. "Our plans to give the film a big release in non-NRI markets are gaining momentum, and there are enquiries pouring in. "Comedy is a universal genre as far as a film's entertainment appeal is concerned, and hence it was anticipated that 'Solid Patels' will strike an early chord with the film trade," said Ashish Saxena, Big Cinemas.

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Detective Byomkesh Bakshy RELEASE DATE: APRIL 03, 2015 STARRING: SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT, ANAND TIWARI, SWASTIKA MUKHERJEE Mumbai (IANS) In showbiz, actors are often hounded by questions over their speculated look in their next project. But actor Sushant Singh Rajput says it is getting into the skin of the character that is difficult, not the changes in physical appearance. "I think it (changing look) is very simple. I'm normally asked and I guess other actors are also asked questions related to body language, look, lost or gained weight. These are very fundamental and easy things that we do while preparing for the character," said Sushant. The 29-year-old actor embraced look of a dhoti-clad detective Byomkesh Bakshy with an extended toothbrush moustache for his next film

Broken Horses RELEASE DATE: APRIL 10, 2015 STARRING: MARÍA VALVERDE, THOMAS JANE, ANTON YELCHIN New Delhi, (IANS) Indian filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra's maiden Hollywood venture “Broken Horses” will release as a novel in India, Britain and the US, a spokesperson has said. The original story of the film is cowritten by Chopra and Abhijat Joshi, and it gives the former a rare distinction to be an Indian who has written, produced and directed by a Hollywood film. Set in the shadows of US-Mexico border gang wars, “Broken Horses” is a thriller about bonds of brotherhood, laws of loyalty and futility of violence. The trailer of “Broken Horses” was launched by legendary actors Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan. FOR ADVERTISING CALL 404-246-3256

BOLLYWOOD BUZZ

SHILPA SHETTY AND RAJ KUNDRA:

AVANTIKA & IMRAN KHAN:

Shilpa Shetty was one of country's most desirable woman before she got married to London-based businessman Raj Kundra. The couple's wedding was a grand affair. Shilpa and Raj's wedding celebrations began in Khandala with a mehendi-cum-sangeet ceremony. The wedding and pre-wedding functions took place in Khandala at Shilpa's close friend's farm house. The wedding took place with Shilpa's Mangalorean customs. The couple got engaged a month prior to that at Raj Kundra's bungalow in Juhu, Mumbai. Shilpa wore dresses by designer Tarun Tahiliani for all her functions while her groom Raj Kundra chose Shantanu and Nikhil outfits for both the wedding and the reception. It is believed that Shilpa Shetty's wedding saree that has red Swarovski crystals embedded on it costed Rs 50 lakh! It's not just her clothes, Shilpa also splurged on her wedding jewellery and her majestic kundan jewelry with uncut diamonds and emeralds is believed to have cost close to Rs 3 crore. Shilpa and Raj's nine-tier wedding cake at their reception weighed over 80 kg!

Imran Khan got married to his ladylove Avantika Mallik and as expected, the wedding turned out to be a glitzy and glamorous affair! Every function this couple hosted had Bollywood stars and celebrities from all walks of life pouring in. Imran and Avantika's mehendi ceremony took place at Avantika's parent's farmhouse in Karjat. It is believed that to avoid any untoward incident and ensure the security is up to the mark, the guests were given swipe cards to enter the venue. The couple's reception was hosted by Imran Khan's mamu Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran at Mumbai's expensive Taj LandsEnd hotel.

AISHWARYA RAI AND ABHISHEK BACHCHAN: They are Bollywood's golden couple and it is obvious that the wedding ceremony of the world's most beautiful woman Aishwarya Rai and son of legendary Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, was an intimate but nevertheless a grand wedding affair! Ash's wedding saree was a beautiful red and gold zari number designed by her favourite designer Neeta Lulla. Abhishek on the other hand chose designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.

GENELIA & RITEISH DESHMUKH:

KAREENA KAPOOR AND SAIF ALI KHAN: Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor's wedding was one of the most talked about events of the year. Everything from the bride and groom's wedding outfits to the guest list was under a lot of speculation. While the couple chose a simple registered marriage to bind each other in the bond of love, the pre and post wedding functions had the paparazzi going wild. Out of all the functions, it was the post wedding reception called the Dawat-e-Walima hosted by Saif Ali Khan's mother Sharmila Tagore, that was most talked about. Kareena wore her mother-in-law's traditional joda for the function. Invitations were sent to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

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Riteish Deshmukh's wedding to his long time girlfriend and actress Genelia D'Souza was another staple big fat Bollywood affair. Their wedding was a five-day affair and since Riteish and Genelia belong to different cultures, the wedding took place with Maharashtrian customs followed by a Church wedding. A star-studded mehendi and sangeet ceremony was followed by an equally dazzling wedding ceremony. Apart from five star hotels being booked, a lavish spread for the high profile guests; the wedding attire of the bride and groom was a talking point. Riteish's father, Vilasrao Deshmukh, being the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the event had more star power than the country had seen for a long time.

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TELEVISION BUZZ

DEEPIKA SINGH AND ROHIT RAJ

RAKSHANDA KHAN AND SACHIN TYAGI

Actors Rakshanda Khan and Sachin Tyagi met while shooting for the dance reality show, Kabhi Kabhii Pyaar Kabhi Kabhii Yaar, in 2008. After a long affair, they tied the knot this year, in the presence of family and many friends from the television industry.

Los Angeles Deepika Singh, the lead actress of Diya Aur Baati Hum, got married to Rohit Raj, the director of the show, in a traditional ceremony in Mumbai. Though the couple worked together, cupid didn’t strike immediately. It was during Deepika’s sister’s wedding that her parents met Rohit, and were charmed by him. They arranged the marriage, and the couple, incidentally, fell in love, too.

RANNVIJAY SINGHA AND PRIANKA VOHRA MTV VJ and Bollywood actor Rannvijay Singha married his London-based girlfriend Prianka Vohra, in Mombasa, Kenya. The roka and sagai were held in Dubai and London respectively. Rannvijay made an official announcement on twitter about his wedding plans. Later, his friends and TV producers, Raghu and Rajiv, decided to showcase the wedding online as a webshow, Hitched, on YouTube. Rannvijay and Prianka had a traditional Sikh wedding. RAAGESHWARI LOOMBA AND SUDHANSHU SWAROOP

JAY SONI AND POOJA SHAH

TV actor Jay Soni of Sasural Genda Phool, tied the knot with Pooja Shah, a footwear designer. It was an arranged marriage, but Jay and Pooja had known each other for a long time. Jay confessed being “completely in love with her”. A romantic at heart, he was actually planning to get married on Valentine’s Day, but could not.

Bigg Boss 5 participant and singer, Raageshwari Loomba, tied the knot with London-based, human rights barrister, Sudhanshu Swaroop. The couple was introduced to each other by "friends and family", after which they continued communicating online, and finally knew “this was it!” The singer moved to London after the wedding.

RUSLAAN MUMTAZ TIES THE KNOT WITH NIRALI MEHTA It was a quiet, intimate affair as Ruslaan Mumtaz tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Nirali Mehta. While the couple had a rocking sangeet the previous night, the wedding was completely traditional, in Gujarati style. Ruslaan and Nirali later posed with all the guests. The couple will take off for a quiet honeymoon to Maldives before Ruslaan resumes work for his serial.

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JYOTI MAKKER & AJAY SINGH CHAUDHARY

Five years of courtship, the couple had a Hindu wedding at a suburban hotel, followed by a white wedding two days later as Jyoti is half-Catholic and has always wanted a white wedding. The couple enjoyed their honeymoon in Maldives.

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WHAT’S YOUR RASHI? Aries – March 21 through April 20

While you may be having some issues concerning travel, cultures, relocating, shipping, and/or transportation, you are also enjoying quite a bit of financial and professional success. You are a natural leader, you have an excellent sense of your own moral compass and what is right and wrong regardless of what others say is the rules of society. Throughout all of it, you are still having fun, so chances are that you maybe kind of like these dramas and battles because it gives you something to hone your intellectual skills.

Gemini: May 21 to June 20. After a couple of months of amazing social energy, you are ready to focus on your career and how best to move forward while still maintaining your sense of mental health and inner peace. You want to like the work you do and feel that it is ethical and somehow serves a meaningful purpose. You still have social skills, but you are not as interested in just goofing off right now. Your partner or a rival is beginning to get grumpy towards you. You are trying to be pleasant and diplomatic, but there is more animosity brewing.

Cancer: June 21 to July 22.

You have been enjoying a great deal of professional success lately. A partner or rival has disagreed with you throughout the process, but you have done quite well for yourself nevertheless. You end this season of professional good fortune by setting new professional goals or by taking on a new position. As your attention begins drifting towards social and cultural topics, you find that there are those that cannot be trusted and you are torn between what you know to be true and what you intuitively believe ought to be true. You could also encounter a decent amount of emotional burnout as a result. It might be a good idea to start planning for a little vacation in the near future.

Leo: July 23 to August 22.

You are feeling rather extroverted this month. You are able to take on leadership roles, negotiate excellent financial deals, and you are in the mood to socialize and to participate in clubs, committees, and networking activities. You are an amazing team player and you could find you are enjoying meeting new people within various academic, media, political, cultural, religious, and/or travel related organizations. This is an excellent month for mixing business with pleasure and befriending those that you conduct business.

Virgo: August 23 to September 22. You are in the mood to focus on bigger things and concepts, like politics, religion, legal matters, mass media, global awareness, etc. You might decide to go back to school, travel, relocate, get involved in politics, etc. Most of the time, these activities are really fun and enlightening, but with expanding your knowledge, you do find out that what you intuitively feel is the truth and what the gatekeepers of knowledge claim is the truth do not always match. This will naturally cause you some grief, but that will not stop you from exploring these topics and broadening your horizons.

Libra: September 23 to October 22. You and a partner or rival agree to a fresh start and mean it. Or you find a new partner or fun rivalry that brings some joy into your life. Your professional, financial, residential, and social lives are all doing great. The only area where you are really struggling is in the political, legal, cultural, religious, media, and/or academic areas of your life. You

APRIL 2015 could be debating the idea of relocating or you could be sick and tired of listening to people arguing about these subjects. Luckily, when you get people in one-on-one situations and sometimes in select group settings, you can still have fun, learn something new, and maybe help them to see that an open mind can be a good thing.

Scorpio: October 23 to November 22. You have a partner or a competitor that is unhappy with your professional goals, leadership style, boss, or reputation. Luckily, the two of you can spend plenty of time together focusing on the things that you both like and what brings joy into your life. You are still going to focus on your professional and financial goals. But you are making sure to spend quality time with your partner or to find common ground to help you work things out with a competitor. There is a bit of a financial tug-of-war beginning to brew, so you might want to keep an eye on that just to make sure that your personal goals do not get sidetracked.

Sagittarius : November 23 to December 21.

Despite the fact that you and a partner or rival are engaged in some head to head disagreements this month, the two of you have plenty of opportunities to negotiate, compromise, settle disputes, and find some fun common ground between you. You have some battles here and there at work but mostly you are working on your financial and professional goals in a smart and tenacious manner that helps you to keep moving forward even when occasional dramas do surface. Overall, you are happy and productive and finding ways to work through any interpersonal issues that arise.

Capricorn – December 22 through January 20. During most of this month, you are in the mood to play, goof off, go on vacation, schedule some romantic date nights, attend local gatherings, take your children to the playground, etc. You find plenty of time to make these lovely activities into a reality. Then as the month begins to end, you start feeling a need to become more productive and to get back to work. You do not appear to have any trouble balancing both aspects of your life.

Aquarius: January 20 to February 20. You spend most of this month trying to heal, fix, mend, and otherwise improve your residence and/or your relationships with your parents or roommates. At times, your spouse, best friend, business partner, or a rival or competitor is annoyed with what is going on or they are trying to sabotage your efforts. They seem to be blowing things out of proportion. You are financially able to afford whatever improvements you are trying to make and for the most part, these changes are bringing more peace, harmony, and forgiveness into your home and private life.

Pisces – February 19 through March 20 You are still blessed with some good luck blending your financial and professional activities. You are beginning to also find that you are in a more social mood too. You are still getting along wonderfully with friends and colleagues. And now you are also beginning to enjoy spending time with neighbors, extended family, and those in your local community as well. This is a good time for bargain hunting and sales negotiations. You are able to come across as a smart and fair negotiator.

* All astrological predictions are to be considered friendly advice based on the author’s personal opinions and used for entertainment purposes only. These are not to be considered as promises, guarantees, or psychic predictions. They are simply potentials to be used at the reader’s own discretion. For important decisions, consult your personal intuition, doctor, accountant, lawyer, educator, or clergy as needed. It is best to be informed on all levels.

Taurus: April 21 to May 20. You are beginning to experience some financial challenges. It does not have to be a lack of money, but could instead involve something like a debate over whether to work on commissions or for salaries, or it could be a “mine” versus “ours” mindset that is beginning to surface. The good news is that you are also able to funnel plenty of money into your home and household budget and you are evaluating your spiritual approach to money and making sure that you are acting in a way that supports your emotional well-being.

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