India not primary market for my music: Grammy winner Ricky Kej

February 18, 2015

New Delhi, Feb 18: Bengaluru-based musician Ricky Kej, who was honoured with a Grammy Award, says his home country is not the main market for his music.

Ricky KejHe is, however, ready to compose for a Bollywood movie if the script moves him emotionally.

His 2014 release "Winds of Samsara", for which he won the Best New Age Album trophy at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards earlier this month at Los Angeles, debuted at number one on the US Billboard charts.

The album became popular in the US much before he walked home with the prestigious golden gramophone.

"We remained in the top 10 for 12 weeks and it is one of highest selling instrumental albums of 2014. Even on radio, we debuted at number one. So, the album was already extremely popular before the Grammy nomination.

"About sales in India, I am not aware of any of the figures because India has never been a primary market for my music," Kej told IANS in an email interaction.

He has been vocal about piracy affecting the artistes in India.

Suggesting what can be done to curb it, the 33-year-old said: "I think two things need to be done -- the anti-piracy laws that exist need to be enforced very strongly and awareness needs to be created that piracy is not a victimless crime. The victim is the artiste."

The Grammy-winning album, which spotlights the musical, cultural and political connections between India and South Africa from late freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi to Nelson Mandela, is a collaboration with South African flutist Wouter Kellerman.

This certainly isn't the end of collaboration between the two musicians.

"I definitely plan to do another collaboration with Wouter. 'Winds of Samsara' was a fantastic debut collaboration. We have not started recording the new one nor do we have a theme in mind yet. But we hope to release the album in 2017," said Kej, who has 12 albums under his belt.

He promises that the new album "will be a heavily orchestral project and much more ambitious than 'Winds of Samsara' ".

If all works out as planned, the composer, who enjoys genres that involve fusion, cultures and exotic instruments, will also get a chance to work with Hollywood filmmakers.

Asked if post his Grammy win, he was approached by any Hollywood filmmaker, he said: "Yes, two filmmakers."

He says Hollywood interests him as he loves "working on scores involving large orchestras. In terms of score, one can draw from personal experience and emotions to create beautiful melodies, which work with the film".

But that doesn't mean he has shut the doors on the Hindi film industry.

"I would definitely do a Bollywood movie if the script connected with me on an emotional level because then my music would be truly from the heart," said Kej.

He is also impressed with the rise of electronic dance music in the country.

"EDM is a great form of music. The tools to make this form of music is available cheaply and you are limited only by your imagination. I have listened to some of the EDM music created in India and I think it's excellent," said the musician, who grew up listening to rock music.

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News Network
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: Actor Anushka Sharma on Tuesday exhorted people to maintain hygiene and advised to stop open defecation in a bid to avoid coronavirus spread.

As the country is grappling with the coronavirus crisis, the 'PK' actor has joined the initiative with the Swachh Bharat Mission, which aims to tell the people that the contagion can be curbed through strict sanitation process.

"When women all over the country had decided that they would educate everyone on the lesson of close the door, shun the disease, no one had thought that their initiative would turn into such a huge wave!," the actor was seen saying in a video posted in the official Twitter handle of Swachh Bharat I #IndiaFightsCorona.

"Today, in the time of coronavirus pandemic, we all have to again remember and remind others about the lesson of cleanliness," she added.

"If we take care of cleanliness around us, by not defecating in the open, we will keep ourselves healthy and India clean. We will become strong to fight against any kind of disease," the 32-year-old star said.

The 'Sultan' actor noted that by stopping defecating in open and closing the toilet door at all times can be a solid measure to drive the disease out of the country.

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News Network
April 24,2020

Mumbai, Apr 24: A complaint has been filed with police against Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut for allegedly referring to members of a particular community as a terrorist in a video released in support of her sister Rangoli Chandel, an official said on Friday.

The complaint was filed by a lawyer, Ali Kashif Khan Deshmukh, at the suburban Amboli Police Station on Wednesday.

The Twitter account of Chandel, who is also the 33- year-old actor's manager, recently got suspended for alleged hate speech.

According to the complaint, while supporting her sister, Ranaut, in the video, allegedly referred to members of a particular community as "terrorist", the official said.

Ranaut had released the video some time back.

Following the release of the video, Deshmukh submitted an application to the Amboli police seeking registration of a case against the actor, the official said.

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January 30,2020

Mumbai, Jan 30: A day after a woman filed a complaint against Ganesh Acharya alleging that he had forced her to watch pornography, actor Tanushree Dutta said Bollywood should boycott the choreographer.

A 33-year-old woman, an assistant choreographer, has written to the National Commission for Women (NCW) alleging that Acharya used to make her watch porn videos whenever she visited his office in suburban Andheri.

She also alleged that Acharya and two women assaulted her during a function of the Indian Film and Television Choreographers Association (IFTCA) held in suburban Andheri on Sunday. A complaint has been filed in this regard with Amboli police.

"It's time Bollywood and the other Indian film industries boycott choreographer Ganesh Acharya completely. Hiding behind the male superstars who work with this despicable man, he has been abusing his power and position to harass, bully and take advantage of vulnerable young newcomers to the industry," Dutta said in a statement here.

Dutta had alleged that her co-star Nana Patekar harassed and misbehaved with her while shooting for a song for their 2008 film "Horn Ok Pleasss", and Acharya, who was the choreographer, introduced new steps which were "intimate".

Recalling the trauma she faced, Tanushree said even though Acharya was party to all the harassment she faced on the 'Horn ok Pleasss" set, he went on to spoil her name and reputation.

"Nobody had any regard for me and how much I had suffered psychologically and financially because of the turmoil I went though due to these people. I left the industry because I was so scared and hurt over the atrocious treatment meted out to me on 'Horn ok Pleasss' set.

"I had worked very sincerely to get to where I got in life and so went in shock for many years, over the whole episode on that set almost 12 years ago, that led to an attack on my car. They didn't just break my car, they broke my spirit that day," Dutta said, in reference to the attack on her car in 2008.

She expressed her displeasure over how "leading men" and "heroes" of Bollywood continued working with Acharya, whose most recent work includes "Simmba", "Zero", "Sanju" among others.

"Even after all the information of fraud, non payment of dues, sexual harassment of dancers, bullying and intimidation and even physical abuse of dancers is coming out about Ganesh Acharya in the media, if the actors, directors and producers still work with him, it would mean that they themselves are engaging in such acts also.

"It's a warning to the film industry to stay the hell away from Ganesh Acharya otherwise your own reputation will be joined to his character. I'm sure many more girls and boys will come out about his misbehaviour and shady business, opening floodgates in the future," she added.

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