Subbulakshmi to be honoured at UN on Independence Day

August 9, 2016

United Nations, Aug 9: Legendary carnatic vocalist M S Subbulakshmi will be honoured at the United Nations next week on India's 70th Independence Day by a performance by Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman at the world body's iconic General Assembly.

SubbulakshmiCommemorations to mark Subbulakshmi's birth centenary also include a photo exhibition at the UN headquarters by India's Permanent Mission besides the cultural extravaganza here to coincide with the country's independence day.

"Jai Ho to echo UN? AR Rahman to perform at UN in homage to MS Subbulakshmi on India's 70th Independence Day," India's envoy to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.

"Remembering a legend. Photo exhibition @UN in memory of MS Subbulakshmi August 15-19," he said in another tweet.

The Indian mission is gearing up to celebrate India's 70th Independence Day at the UN with the cultural extravaganza featuring Rahman who will become only the second Indian artist after Subbulakshmi to perform at the UN after she was invited for a performance 50 years ago.

The world body's iconic General Assembly hall, from where world leaders address the globe, will reverberate with Rahman's music on the evening of August 15.

Through his performance, Rahman will pay homage to Subbulakshmi, the first musician ever to be awarded India's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna.

The Indian mission is organising the concert - that coincides with the completion of 50 years of Subbulakshmi's performance in the UN General Assembly hall with the support of Chennai-based Sankara Nethralaya, a not-for-profit eye institution.

Subbulakshmi was invited by the then UN Secretary General late U Thant and the then Chef de Cabinet late C V Narasimhan to perform at the world body's headquarters in 1966.

Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar is expected to headline the independence day celebrations being organised at the Indian Consulate in the city.

The Consulate will host a flag-hoisting ceremony on the morning of August 15 and India's Consul General Riva Ganguly Das will ring the closing bell at the NASDAQ stock market in Times Square later that day.

The NASDAQ has been commemorating India's independence day for several years now by inviting the country's ambassadors in the city to ring the closing bell.

Several India Day parades will also be held across the tri-state area.

Actor Abhishek Bachchan and Yoga guru Baba Ramdev will headline the parade in Manhattan, organised on August 21 by the Federation of Indian Associations of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and considered among the largest in the US.

The concert honouring Subbulakshmi at the UN aims to "perpetuate the memory of not only one of the greatest musicians India had ever produced but that of a greatest soul who lived a life of philanthropy and goodwill for all humanity", Sankara Nethralaya's Chairman Emeritus S S Badrinath said in a press release issued here.

Subbulakshmi is among the best musicians India has given to the world, Akbaruddin was quoted as saying in the release.

Sankara Nethralaya will organise a Carnatic music concert by leading Carnatic vocalist and Padma Bhushan awardee Sudha Raghunath and her troupe at the UN on October 2.

It will also organise a musical concert featuring world renowned Indian- origin composer Zubin Mehta, sitar player Anoushka Shankar and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at the famed cultural hotspot Lincoln Center in the city in November.

US-based Sankara Nethralaya Ophthalmic Mission Trust is also planning six concerts by Carnatic composer Sudha Ragunathan in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Chicago and Washington next month.

The trust's president S V Acharya said in the release that it plans on creating a 'Chair for Music' in Subbulakshmi's name in one of the universities in the United States.

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News Network
June 9,2020

Mumbai, Jun 9: Actor Sonu Sood, who has been arranging transport for migrant workers stranded in Mumbai and has faced criticism from the Shiv Sena for "enacting a political script written by BJP", was stopped outside the Bandra Terminus in Mumbai by police from meeting labourers.

A Mumbai Police official said the actor was stopped by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) when he reached the station on Monday night to meet some labourers, and added that they have not received any complaint so far in this connection.

The migrant labourers were supposed to take the Shramik Special train from Bandra Terminus to Uttar Pradesh.

Mumbai's Nirmal Nagar police station's senior inspector Shashikant Bhandare told news agency PTI that "The actor was stopped by the RPF, not by us. He wanted to meet labourers who were going to their native place. We have not received any complaint regarding this till now."

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday wondered whether the BJP propped up Sonu Sood to "offer help" to migrant workers from north India stranded in Maharashtra amidst the lockdown, with the political motive to show the Uddhav Thackeray government in poor light.

In his weekly column 'Rokhthok' in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', Sanjay Raut questioned the sudden rise of "Mahatma" Sood on the social scene of Maharashtra during the lockdown.

Mr Raut also referred to an alleged "sting operation" against Sonu Sood ahead of the 2019 general elections, saying he had agreed to promote the BJP-led government at various platforms through his official social media accounts.

However, later that day Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray lauded Sonu Sood's initiative to arrange buses for stranded migrant workers.

The actor met Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra on Sunday night.

On Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh backed Sonu Sood for his work for stranded migrant workers, and questioned the Maharashtra government's criticism of the actor.

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News Network
January 9,2020

Mumbai, Jan 9: Actor Juhi Chawla on Wednesday said instead of constantly criticising the government, one should reflect on own conduct and talk about uniting rather than dividing.

The actor attended an event which aimed to counter "Free Kashmir (narrative), anti-India slogans, false propaganda and clear the misconception."

Juhi said as artistes, it's unfair to be questioned about incidents "just for a reaction" when they should be given time to truly understand the situation.

"We are going to work, thinking how to execute our task, then some incident happens somewhere and suddenly the media asks, 'what do you think about this?' We haven't understood the matter, people haven't understood the matter but you need a reaction.

"Let people understand, whether it's NRC or CAA, and what's is it about, why is this being talked about," Juhi told reporters.

The actor said it is sad that people talk about division more than unity.

"Everyone is quick to talk about dividing. Why don't we talk about uniting? Why does everyone say 'what is the government doing, why is it doing this?' but I say if you point one finger there then three fingers are at you.

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News Network
June 4,2020

Mumbai, Jun 4: Casting director Krish Kapur, who had worked on films like Mahesh Bhatt's Jalebi and Kriti Kharbanda-starrer Veere Ki Wedding, passed away at the age of 28 due to brain hemorrhage, his family said.

There was speculation that Kapur died in a road accident but his maternal uncle, Sunil Bhalla, dismissed the reports, saying that the casting director fainted at his home in suburban Mira Road here and suffered brain hemorrhage.

According to Bhalla, Kapur breathed his last on May 31.

"He had no medical history. He was healthy and doing absolutely fine. On May 31, he just collapsed and started to bleed. He died of brain hemorrhage," Bhalla said on Wednesday.

Kapur is survived by his mother, wife and seven-year-old child.

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