ConnectedtoIndia.com

13/09/2024

Connected to India speaks to Shekhar Ravjiani, on his collaboration with the Global Indian International School, GIIS – Shekhar Ravjiani School of Music – and his passion for teaching, and love for music.

13/09/2024

Spotlight interview with Dr Chua Soo Pong, doyen of Chinese opera in Singapore, who received international acclaim for his adaptation of Ramayana to various types of Chinese opera, as well as multi-cultural versions of the Hindu epic.

13/09/2024

🎭 **Exclusive Interview with Jyoti Dogra | MAAS (Flesh) at Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay September 27 and 28 🎭

We are thrilled to share our latest interview with the incredible Jyoti Dogra, where she dives deep into her critically acclaimed play MAAS. Witty, humorous, satirical exploration of aging, beauty standards, and body image in an era where society is obsessed with unrealistic ideals set by health gurus and social media influencers. 💫

👉 Watch the full interview .

Kalaa Utsavam - Indian Festival of Arts High Commission of India in Singapore VisitSingapore

12/09/2024

High Commissioner of India to Singapore, Periasamy Kumaran’s key learning as the previous head of the Indian mission in Qatar was the realisation that community organisations can be a “force multiplier” to a mission’s work. Something, he is keen to usher into the high commission’s work in Singapore. His passion for fostering and nurturing engagement with the Indian community is abundantly clear as he speaks about his Qatar tenure, a country where the Indian community constitutes over 25% of the population.

Highly appreciative of the beneficence Singapore government has showcased towards the handling of Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, he made special mention of Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong in the Spotlight interview with Connected to India. Watch the interview with H.E. Periasamy Kumaran where he speaks about his career as a diplomat, the rising clout of Indians abroad, COVID-19 and his plans for Singapore.

12/09/2024

Pakistani Director Mehreen Jabbar in conversation with Himanshu Verma of Connected to India about her latest drama series ‘Ek Jhoothi Love Story’. Tale of Salma and Sohail in the quest for love and an ideal partner. Comedy, a genre Mehreen has not worked in the past.

Stars Bilal Abbas Khan, Madiha Imam, Kinza Razzak, Kiran Haq, Fawad Khan, Beo Zafar and Mohammad Ahmed Written by Umera Ahmed
Content will be available on all ZEE5 Global platforms as SVOD (on subscription) The web series will premiere on Zindagi on 30th October, 2020.

11/09/2024

Pankaj Tripathi on Connected to India's Spotlight interview speaking to Daisy Irani Subiah about lessons learnt, career, his approach to acting, upcoming film Kagaaz on Zee5 and his interesting connection with Singapore.

11/09/2024

Connected to India is shining the spotlight on pan-national star Pooja Hegde, who starred opposite Salman Khan in 'Kisi ka Bhai Kisi ki Jaan', now streaming on Zee5 Global. The model-turned-actress has mostly starred in Telugu films and is now branching out into the Hindi and Tamil film industry.

"I think Indian audiences around the world are looking for that little piece of home, and I hope 'Kisi ka Bhai Kisi ki Jaan' can help them experience that feeling," Pooja told Connected to India. The multi-talented star said that she found her role particularly enjoyable as both her and her character are bubbly, fun-loving and bindaas girls.

She also said that she hopes to lead more female-driven projects in the future.

10/09/2024

In an absolutely heart warming Spotlight interview, the talented and affable Renuka Shahane opens up to Daisy Irani Subaiah. Talking about her entry into films, shifting to direction, her directorial debut, working with Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and her latest woman-centric superhit Tribhanga.

10/09/2024

Daisy Irani Subaiah trains the Spotlight on Alankrita Shrivastava about her upcoming series on Netflix Bombay Begums. To launch on March 8 worldwide.

10/09/2024

Alia opens up about her upcoming film Gangubai Kathiawadi, set to release on February 25, 2022. Adapted from Hussain Zaidi’s Mafia Queens of Mumbai, Alia calls Gangubai her favorite character yet! 💫

She also reminisces about her time shooting Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya in Singapore, spending 45 days exploring the island nation. 🏙✨

On working with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Alia shares, "It's been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the amount I've learned is incredible." 🎥

Catch the gripping story of Gangubai’s rise from Kamathipura to becoming a powerful figure, featuring a stellar cast including Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, and Ajay Devgn in an extended cameo.

09/09/2024

Salman Khan, inarguably one of the most bankable stars of Indian film industry talks about his film Radhe, which releases in cinemas world wide on Eid. The May 13 release is highly anticipated and considering Salman Khan's popularity is expected to bring fans back to movie theatres.

Radhe is directed by Prabhu Deva, produced by Salman Khan, Sohail Khan and Atul Agnihotri and Zee Studios. A remake of 2017 Korean film The Outlaws, the film stars Salman Khan, Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda and Jackie Shroff.

09/09/2024

Connected to India trains the Spotlight on the cast of the upcoming political drama 'Maharani' set to be released on SonyLiv. Created by Subhash Kapoor, directed by Karan Sharma and starring Huma Qureshi as the protagonist Rani Bharti along with Sohum Shah, Amit Sial, Kani Kusruti and Inaamulhaq, the series opens with a housewife being handpicked to become the chief minister of Bihar.

"We had a winner of a script; we all fell in love with it," Huma Qureshi told Connected to India. "Each character was so well-written. Of course, it's Rani Bharti's journey from a village woman to becoming the chief minister of Bihar and navigating that world, but all the characters bring so much to the show and are so real and authentic."

'Loosely' based on real-life events from Bihar in the 90s, when Lalu Prasad Yadav made his homemaker wife Rabri Devi his successor, Maharani will stream on SonyLIV from tomorrow.

"It's real; you get to see how the characters, the politicians behave in public and private spaces. This story has explored that very well," said Amit Sial.

Directed by Karan Sharma and created by Subhash Kapoor, Maharani is a politically charged, 10-episode series that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Set in Bihar 90’s, this story shows how an illiterate woman handles the state as chief minister. The plot of the show revolves around Rani Bharti, a homemaker and wife of Bihar’s Chief Minister whose life takes an interesting turn when her husband, Bhim Singh Bharati, announces her to be the next Chief Minister of Bihar. While all the party members look pretty excited to know the name of the successor, this decision by Bihar’s CM shocks everyone. The Web series- Maharani features Huma Qureshi in the lead role. Besides Huma, the show stars an ensemble cast that includes actors like Sohum Shah, Pramod Pathak, and Amit Sial, among others. So what are you waiting for? If you are looking for a gripping political drama to binge-watch this weekend, then watch Maharani, exclusively on SonyLIV.

08/09/2024

Himanshu Verma of Connected to India speaks to Sunil Grover and Ranvir Shorey about the upcoming web series ‘Sunflower’. The murder mystery laced with dark humour has Ranvir Shorey playing Inspector Digendra, Girish Kulkarni as Inspector Tambe, Ashish Vidyarthi as Dilip Iyer, Mukul Chadda as Mr. Ahuja, Radha Bhatt as his wife Mrs. Ahuja, Ashish Kaushal as Raj Kapoor, Shonali Nagrani as Mrs. Raj Kapoor and Saloni Khanna.

Set to release on June 11 in global markets, ‘Sunflower’ is the story of a middle-class housing society in Mumbai with quirky characters. The series revolves around the thrills, comedy and drama created by these characters with their relatable stories.

Produced by Reliance Entertainment and Good Co., the series is written by Vikas Bahl and co-directed by Rahul Sengupta and Vikas Bahl.

08/09/2024

For he's a jolly good fellow. Easy going and affable, Varun Sharma in conversation with Himanshu Verma of Connected to India. Reminisces about his big screen debut with Fukrey and shares his excitement on his OTT debut with Chutzpah on Sony Liv. Chilled out young actor from Jalandhar with great easy going charm clearly enjoying his time in the entertainment industry.

07/09/2024

Kriti Kharbanda and Vikrant Massey in conversation about their Zee5 original 14 Phere. On Connected to India's Spotlight. In an easy going chat the two young actors discuss the movie, their careers, working with each and their admiration of each other's work.

14 Phere is a Hindi-language social comedy drama film directed by Devanshu Singh and produced by Zee Studios. Other actors of the film include Gauhar Khan, Jameel Khan, Vineet Kumar, Sumit Suri, Manoj Bakshi and others.

07/09/2024

Post her OTT debut with - A Suitable Boy - on Netflix, Tanya Maniktala will be seen on Chutzpah, a web series to go live on Sony Liv on July 23. Here in a Spotlight interview talking to Himanshu Verma of Connected to India she talks about her role, acting debut and answers five rapid fire questions.

06/09/2024

Dino Morea, over a Zoom interview with Connected to India, said that he got onboard to produce 'Helmet' because he could “relate” to the story on a very “personal” level.

The movie is set to release as a ZEE5 Original across the world this Friday, September 3. Directed by debutant Satram Ramani and co-produced by Dino Morea and Sony Pictures, it stars Aparshakti Khurana, Pranutan Bahl, Ashish Verma and Abhishek Banerjee.

06/09/2024

One of Singapore’s most prominent comedians, Sharul Channa has performed to packed houses all over Asia and Australia during her career as a comedian over the past decade.

Formally trained in theatre from Lasalle, College of the Arts, Sharul says she tries to use comedy to shed light on important and sometimes neglected, social issues in Singapore.

Her bold stance on feminism and gender equality was highlighted by her productions ‘Crazy Poor Sita’ and ‘Sharul weds Sharul’, which opened to packed houses.

In an exclusive chat with Connected to India, Sharul talks about ‘Unmasked’, the play she devised and will be directing, which explores the dilemma faced by an Indian expat stranded in Singapore during the lockdown.

She said she is glad to get back to stage performances as she had missed interacting with people above all else during the pandemic.

“I was very lucky because even during the lockdown I was doing online shows. I think what I missed the most was this environment; the theatre, the backstage, the live audience, the energy,” Sharul said.

Over the past year, Sharul performed ‘Am I Old?’, a play that explores the life of a 68-year-old Singaporean retired school teacher, multiple times on Zoom and on stage while Singapore was under lockdown during COVID-19 in collaboration with AWARE.

06/09/2024

In a poetic sense, nature seems to be striking back and mankind finds itself in a situation where the world came to a grinding halt last year.
Raging wildfires, extreme climate changes, rising sea levels are among reminders by Mother Earth to not take her bounties for granted.
Keeping this in mind, Singapore’s Temple of Fine Arts (TFA) has created a musical tribute mixing Indian classical traditions and various musical styles to pay a tribute to Mother Earth in Bhumi Pranam for Kalaa Utsavam this year.
“We have stopped paying attention to the beautiful sounds of nature. We do not listen anymore.” says, Nawaz Mirajkar, Artistic Director, Composer, and Tabla Player who has been associated with TFA for many years and has created this beautiful seven-part composition with another local musician Renu Suresh.
Creative Director, Co-Composer and Pianist Renu Suresh reminds, “We have inherited this planet and have to leave it a better place for the generations to come.”
In a Connected to India Spotlight, hear what the two musicians and other artists had to say about what audiences in Singapore have in store in Bhumi Pranam at Kalaa Utsavam 2021. Incidentally the 20th edition of the leading festival of Indian arts in the region.

04/09/2024

Exclusive contest for members of SIPA - Singapore Indian Puja Association.

SIPA takes pride in shunning hierarchical roles in its Durga Puja celebrations, with every SIPA member designated only “volunteer”. All are equal here, they say. :-) Giving every member a sense of pride and involvement, regardless of the quantum of their contribution.

High Commission of India in Singapore

04/09/2024

Lillete Dubey is one of India’s most prolific theatre actors and directors. The vivacious actor is known for her unforgettable performances in films like Zubeidaa, Monsoon Wedding (Winner Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival), Kal Ho Naa Ho and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel series.

Her theatrical work has traveled across the globe and has been appreciated by both Indian and non-Indian audiences alike.

'Lockdown Liaisons', a series of five monologues directed by Lillete and adapted from Shobhaa De's anthology, is about the varied experiences of people during the Covid-19 lockdown. After a multi-city tour in India, the production is headed to Singapore. It stars Lillete, her daughter Ira Dubey and Joy Sengupta. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to return to one of my favourite cities to come and perform in,” Lillete told Connected to India.

Ira, who started performing on stage at the age of six, in comparison to her mother has been more active in the theatre. Joy Sengupta is known for his work in Bengali and Hindi movies, television series, and of course theatre. Kolkatta-born Joy studied and worked in Delhi before moving to Mumbai.

Lillete has directed 34 plays for The Primetime Theatre Company, performed in over 70 films & TV shows, both national and international, and acted in over 50 plays. She has been the Artistic Director of her company for over 30 years.

The performance, organised by arts and entertainment company Teamwork Productions, will be held at the Drama Centre Theatre in Singapore on May 21-22. Tickets for the show are available online.

04/09/2024

It takes 30 seconds to get mesmerised by twins Sriram and Ganesh Balasubramanian singing. It is as much a pleasure to hear their Carnatic-trained voices as it is to witness the chemistry between the brothers. Born and brought up in Singapore, music prodigies, are now building a career halfway across the world in the glamour capital of the world, Los Angeles.

Their father Bala Narayanan, a mridangam player himself, got his sons enrolled in SIFAS when they were little. The musical brothers took to Carnatic music like fish to water and never looked back. In addition to Carnatic music, the Bala brothers have trained in Western Vocals, and have found their own unique eclectic sound of strict adherence to classical vocals infused with a distinctively modern sound.

Recipients of the prestigious Berklee Asia Scholarship from Singapore, they graduated from Berklee College of Music, Boston’s Class of 2021, and have since moved to Los Angeles to develop their music. Some of their notable performances include being chosen as lead singers of the Berklee Indian Ensemble. They sang a Qawwali song composed by Ustad Zakir Hussain, with the maestro himself playing the tabla.

The twins are students of Carnatic Music Maestro Abhishek Raghuram and started learning music under eminent musicians and Gurus NR Prashanth and Poorna Pragna Rao at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS), and Srividya Sriram.

Watch Sriram and Ganesh Bala talk about their musical journey and plans for the future.

03/09/2024

Speaking with Connected to India, Shalima Motial, Himanshu Motial and Ishika Sircar, producers, co-director and actors in the Singapore independent film Dominoes, discuss the movie’s upcoming release, balancing their professions with their passion for acting and the time and energy that went into creating the film. Directed by Rajith Mohan and Himanshu Motial, the movie is scheduled for release in Singapore on February 3, 2023 at Carnival Cinemas.

03/09/2024

United Kacche, starring Sunil Grover and directed by Manav Shah, will have its world digital premiere on ZEE5 Global on March 31, 2023.

The comedy-drama web series revolves around Tango (Sunil Grover), who wishes to immigrate to another country. He obtains a tourist visa for the United Kingdom and eventually succeeds, but as a kaccha, an unauthorised immigrant. The series is a take on the real struggle of living abroad.

"People think that living day-to-day in any foreign country, life becomes good. No, they have to struggle, work hard...a salute to those people who make it big in places abroad. It's not easy," Sunil Grover told Connected to India.

Apart from Sunil Grover, the web series also features Sapna Pabbi, Nikhil Vijay, Manu Rishi Chadha, Nayani Dixit, Diksha Juneja, Nilu Kohli, Poojan Chhabra, and Satish Shah. Catch our interview with Sunil Grover here:

02/09/2024

Devdas, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic novella, has two enthralling Hindi cinema versions, with the titular role played by none other than Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan, and several stage renditions. A Bengali screen adaptation of the story starred two of the most iconic Bengali actors, Soumitra Chatterjee (as Devdas) and Uttam Kumar (as Chuni Babu). Then, in the age of experimental Bollywood cinema, this story of doomed love also inspired a black comedy version, titled Dev.D.

Getting another variant of Devdas, while knowing the plot to the very second, still fills you with a desire to watch this one, too.

Aanchal Chauhan, who plays “Paro” and Sunil Kumar Palwal, who plays Devdas in Devdas – the Musical, speak passionately, in an exclusive chat with Connected to India, about the art form of stage musicals and insist that this production would blow audiences away.

Aanchal said that their goal has been to keep the essence of the classic story and not let it be lost in translation to the stage.

“Everybody knows the story of Devdas, but they are coming to watch what’s new in it and what new flavour we’ve added to it. If I talk about Singapore, there will be a multicultural audience. Keeping all that in mind, we have tried to make the story as easy to digest for everyone, not only Indians,” she added.

‘Devdas – the Musical’ was created by Mumbai-based AGP World. Brought to Singapore by Akila Iyengar’s Arte Compass and Zee TV APAC, this is the musical version adapted and directed for the stage, with original content that connects with the audience through music, dialogue, dance, and theatrics. Elaborate set designs, vibrant colours, evocative lighting and special effects recreate the opulence of India’s former capital, Calcutta, during the early 1900s.

“Devdas is India’s answer to Romeo and Juliet,” Sunil told Connected to India. “We all have a Devdas inside us; we all go through this circle of life and go on the path of destruction. That’s why people relate to the story of Devdas.”

There will be two shows in Hindi with English surtitles at 8 pm on April 21 and 22 and two shows in English with Mandarin surtitles on April 22 at 3 pm and on April 23 at 5 pm at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets for the show are available online.

02/09/2024

Connected to India is shining the spotlight on pan-national star Pooja Hegde, who starred opposite Salman Khan in 'Kisi ka Bhai Kisi ki Jaan', now streaming on Zee5 Global. The model-turned-actress has mostly starred in Telugu films and is now branching out into the Hindi and Tamil film industry.

"I think Indian audiences around the world are looking for that little piece of home, and I hope 'Kisi ka Bhai Kisi ki Jaan' can help them experience that feeling," Pooja told Connected to India. The multi-talented star said that she found her role particularly enjoyable as both her and her character are bubbly, fun-loving and bindaas girls.

02/09/2024

Rahul Bose Aparshakti Khurana Ishwak Singh Anupria Goenka, and veteran actor star in Berlin set in the politically charged atmosphere of 1990s New Delhi, Berlin is a collaboration between Zee Studios

In the frigid winter of 1993 New Delhi, Berlin unfolds as a tense espionage thriller when authorities arrest a deaf-mute young man (Ishwak Singh) on suspicion of being a foreign spy. The case takes a complex turn as a skilled sign language expert (Aparshakti Khurana) is brought in to interpret, only...

01/09/2024

Speaking to Connected to India ahead of these events, Bommisetty and Rahul Venkit, Indian-Belgian, Founder of Brussels Bollywood Choir, talk about how the Indian diaspora has grown in Belgium and how Indian culture is contributing to Indian soft power in Europe.

31/08/2024

Veteran journalist Shoma Chatterji interviews leading Bengali actor Churni Gangly on Connected to India's Spotlight