India International Jewellery Week IIJW

After the many fashion weeks that are held round the year, India has hosted its first ever jewellery week - the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) in Mumbai (Aug 15-19).

The first ever jewellery week is meant to provide an opportunity to the jewellery designers to showcase their talent.

“This is a fabulous platform for jewellery designers to come together and showcase their talent. The fashion industry has their events but this is the first time that the jewellery industry will witness something like this,” says Farah Khan Ali.

‘We want to showcase jewellery as a piece of art and not just an investment.’

The event is being organised by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India, supported by the ministry of commerce and industry.

The five-day extravaganza will showcase collections of 30 designers including Farah Khan Ali, Varun D. Jani, Bina Goenka and Rhea Nasta. Well-knonw jewellery brands like Mirari, Gitanjali, Amrapali, Tanishq and Ganjam will also participate in it.

“IIJW is a platform to showcase India’s prowess in jewellery, be it design, innovation, craftsmanship or quality,” says Vasant Mehta, chairman, Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.

‘Having attained our leadership in diamond manufacturing and being the fastest growing jewellery manufacturing destination globally, it’s time to showcase India’s expertise in design and make India the most sought after destination for designer jewellery,’ Mehta added.

IIJW will also showcase the talents of upcoming designers from the National Institute of Design(NID) and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).

The event has been organized at the Hotel Grand Hyatt, Santa Cruz, Mumbai.

There will be 1,600 stalls that will display the works of 776 exhibitors.

Pavillions of Thailand, Belgium, Israel, Italy, Turkey and the UAE are also set up.

Buyers from Japan, Russia, Britain, China, Italy, Malaysia, Libya, Morocco, Iran, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are expected to attend the event.

Eesha Koppikhar got married with Timmy Narang

Bollywood actress Eesha Koppikhar tied the knot with restaurateur Timmy Narang at a temple in a ceremony that was attended by close family and friends.

The 33 year old married beau Narang at the ISKCON Temple in Juhu in traditional Maharashtrian style.

"The wedding ceremony took place for around four hours in Maharashtrian style. Eesha was wearing a red and yellow sari and the groom was wearing a cream sherwani. They left the temple around 3 pm.

"They brought their own priest and we just provided the hall and the food. They had a booking here from 9 am to 3 pm.”, said an official.

The auspicious time scheduled for the wedding was 11 am.

"I am very excited and I can’t wait to get married”, said Narang before entering the temple.

A reception is scheduled around 9 pm Sunday night at the Narang House in Pali Hill.

Isha Koppikhar on cover of FHM

Eesha Koppikhar screams the headlines of the latest edition of the super glossy and super sexy magazine FHM. This issue of FHM offers you an insight on the Bollywood Sweetheart called Eesha.

The Koppikar babe is all out in the interview, speaking about everything under the sun, which includes her journey to Bollywood, her being stereotyped as the item girl, her definition of fun, her take on Girlfriend, her idea of an ideal guy, her mischief with cockroaches, her mantra for success, etc. etc. etc.

Eesha has made this edition of FHM a collector’s issue.

Sooraj Barjatya returns with Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi

After the grand success of Vivaah, Sooraj R. Barjatya is all geared up with its sequel Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi., a story of strong and beautiful bonding between couples after wedlock. The movie is produced by Sooraj and directed by debutant Kaushik Ghatak, a successful television soap director of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi fame. It stars Sonu Sood of Jodhaa Akbar fame and Isha Koppikar, the Khallas girl of Company (2002) in the lead.

Will this sequel beat the records of its original, only time will tell.

Sooraj Barjatya says he has learnt a few lessons from the debacle of his previous movie, Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon, and the success of his last film, Vivah, which he uses in his latest picture.
“I have to make not what is selling but I have to make something that I really want to make, that’s what I learnt after Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon,” Barjatya said.

He added, “I wanted to make something for the NRI audiences, something which is happy, but is that Sooraj? Am I there? If one cannot imagine a world, then I should not portray it in his films.”

So after the super hit Vivah, Sooraj Barjatya returns to the world he knows best – the great Indian middle class for his new film titled Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi. Based on a short story by Ashapoorna Devi, Barjatya limits himself to the role of a creative producer this time.

“12 years of life of this man and woman together without any bandhan, without any rasam, without any kasam and maryada. They stay in separate houses, they are ideal in society yet they are for each other because the girl is not ready for marriage and the boy says you don’t have to come to our house to prove a point, until you are ready emotionally. It is only then that marriage will happen,” Sooaraj Barjatya explained what his next film will be about.

Though, the story line may seem dated and too puritanical for a today’s audience, Barjatya has enough reasons to be confident.

His last film Vivah was not only panned by critics, even trade pundits predicted it to be flop but it turned out to be blockbuster making over Rs 30 crore at the box office.

“When it was being made, a lot of people told me like that will not work. But I just made it out of sheer self confidence,” Barjatya said.

Directed by debutant Kaushik Ghatak and starring Sonu Sood and Esha Koppikkar, Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi is reportedly shot on a budget of Rs 8 crore and Rajshri is initially planning to release the film with only 50 prints, mostly in the interiors hoping to repeat Vivah’s success strategy.

The movie is expected to go on floors on November 7, 2008.