… featuring Jay Sean on the Premiere Episode.

Bollywood, Music and Entertainment channel Zing presents a unique local interactive show, Rock The Vibe.

Starting from 21 May, weekdays at 4:30pm, Rock The Vibe is an entertainment show that will get audiences talking – with discussions on a new topic every day, designed especially for the Asians of Britain. Adding a touch of glamour – special episodes will see lucky callers getting to speak with celebrities. And the show has pulled out all stops  to feature UK’s global talent Jay Sean in its very first episode on Monday 21 May, 4:30pm.

From relationships to marriage, fashion, food, movies, Bollywood, celebrities to local happenings – a range of Brit-Asian themes will be explored in each episode. All this will be in direct discussion with the viewers themselves – who will be invited to share their views and experiences via calls and messages. The show will make the most of the new-age power of social media in TV, with  each episode going beyond TV to discussions on the web, Facebook and Twitter.

Archana Kanade, Zing Channel Head, UK “Rock The Vibe puts the viewer at the heart of its entertainment. It’s a unique concept set to bring a local touch to connecting with Zing’s audiences on the trends that are in with the youth of Britain today. Keeping with current trends, the show will build an interactive relationship with its viewers – with trivia and topics being tweeted and facebooked about beyond the front room TV – engaging with viewers with a  personal touch. The show will also give viewers the chance to not only catch their favourite celebs on-screen, but also hear their views, join in and speak with them. We want the audience to guide the show so come on board and Rock The Vibe!”

The show will be presented by Zing’s very own VJ and Actor-Producer Asad Shan, current presenter on Zing’s other local offering Brit’s Bollywood. Speaking of the show, he says “This will be one cool experience for the people! The show is bursting with a variety of highlights. With so much going on in each episode the viewers are in for a treat! I cannot wait to get talking with the young Asians of Britain – finally they get a show built around them.”

Discussions on the show will be alongside Bollywood, Pop, Urban, Bhangra and alternate music, with viewers again able to view their choices. A mix of competitions and give-aways will also get the vibe flowing.

Zing will be celebrating the start of the show with a Rock The Vibe Launch Party on 19 May, at Jewel Bar, St Pauls, London, in association with Voodoo Entertainment. Join in for the party of the year!

Watch out for upcoming special celebrity features. Join in the show every Monday to Friday at 4:30pm from 21 May, repeated at 9:30pm – not missing Jay Sean on the premiere episode! For the latest on the show and to get involved, follow Rock The Vibe on Facebook and Twitter.

The show is gaining huge support from the UK media industry:

Raj Ghai, Director of Media Moguls, London “I am delighted with the concept of a locally produced daily show for the Asian community in the UK. It’s something that’s been greatly lacking and I congratulate Zing for having the initiative to fill the gap. I also applaud Zing for having the foresight to extensively include social media in this project, thereby reaching out to a whole new generation of savvy Asians.  I know for sure that my music clients, like Jay Sean, will be thrilled to have a brand new and exciting platform for them to share their talents with. Asian TV comes of age!”

Pedro Carvalho, Director of Fnik, “It’s so good to see British Asian’s being given a daily television platform to air their talents, Zing is about to make this extraordinary move, which I’m sure will make changes to many people’s viewing habits. There is no excuse to  now say  that you can’t see good quality music videos and interesting lifestyle stories on British Asian TV, and to add to this, viewers can also participate in the show by calling in. If you miss this high quality daily show on Zing then you may as well throw your TV away!”

Waleed Jahangir, Director of Mumbai Rouge Entertainment, “This program will fill a major gap for young ethnic youth from around the world.  UK has become a hub for ethnic entertainment worldwide and this program is a great platform for all events and news.  I salute Zing for recognising the needs of British Asian entertainment.   This will be great for all our events and artists and will benefit the industry in a big way. Something new, something unique and at last something for the Brit Asians. Making the show interactive is a great idea and adding a celebrity factor takes the entertainment to yet another level. Looking forward to this!”

A film by Ben Drew, AKA Plan B starring Riz Ahmed

‘A film for our times’

SIMONE BAIRD – TIME OUT

iLL MANORS is the highly anticipated directorial debut by British music artist Ben Drew (aka Plan B), taking viewers on a thrilling ride through action and music.  The film stars highly acclaimed British Asian actor and musician Riz Ahmed in the lead role.

The first of its kind, iLL MANORS is a bold and visually stunning unique crime thriller, harrowing and shocking, yet laced with street-wise humour. Set in the backdrop of the unforgiving streets of London, the film follows six disparate lives, all struggling to survive the circles of violence that engulf them.

iLL MANORS revolves around a series of events that inter-weave between characters and their narrative interplay: Junkie Michelle (Anouksa Mond) is looking for her next hit, leading her to cross a destructive path with the raw and menacing thuggery of Ed (Ed Skrien) the local drug-dealer, who will stop at nothing to find his missing phone. Newly released from prison, ex-drug dealer Kirby (Keith Coggins), attempts to re-adjust back into the treacherous streets that put him away 15 years ago, and in doing so encounters local gangster Chris (Lee Allen), on his own warpath, and out for revenge. The youngest of them all is Jake (Ryan Dela Cruz Indianda), who finds a dark and icy acceptance in a local gang lead by Marcel (Nickolas Sagar). The outsider, Katya (Natalie Press), races through the London streets to escape her sex traffickers and stumbles upon Aaron (Riz Ahmed), the central protagonist, just trying to do the right thing  – but torn between his head and his heart.

“My main characters were based on every single adult I know – because we spend our entire adult lives trying to fix the things that someone – our parents or someone – broke inside of us when we were kids ,” said Ben ‘Plan B’ Drew.

Ahmed, who was hand-picked for the role of Aaron by Ben Drew says of his character: “Aaron was someone who I felt like I hadn’t played before, because he’s someone who lives in a really kind tough environment, but who is really vulnerable. He’s a lot softer than he’s forced to make out, so I thought that was a really interesting and challenging combination.”

Riz concludes: “I think we can all relate to both my character and to the characters in iLL MANORS in general, even if our lives aren’t as messy or troubled as theirs. I hope that audiences will go on the same journey that I went on in developing Aaron’s character; which is that it’s not necessarily the same as my life at all, but the writing and the characterisation of the story draws you into it, until you invest enough and you feel like that person is fighting your battle.”

Amitabh Buchchan and Madhur Bhandarker make up following spat over Aishwarya’s pregnancy.

Since Aishwarya Rai quit Madhur Bhandarker’s film Heroine mid way due to her pregnancy, the director was left a little miffed, so much so that he expressed his disappointment to the media over being kept in the dark about it.

As expected, this didn’t go down very well with the stunning actress’s father-in-law Amitabh Buchchan, who defended her by saying that every actor has the right to get married and have children.

Since the outburst, a silent feud broke out between Amitabh and Bhandarker, with the two avoiding one another.

But according to Indian tabloid Mirror, the two have built bridges.

Last month, the actor and director ran into one another at a suburban five-star hotel.

A witness told the publication, “The cold war is a thing of the past. Bhandarkar actually walked up to Bachchan while he was shooting for a commercial at the hotel. Bachchan looked at him, smiled and met him very warmly. After that, the two were seen chatting quite animatedly. Both appeared very gracious toward each other.”
The witness further said, “It was difficult to overhear what the two of them were saying but it was clear that they had put the past behind them. While onlookers were surprised, it was quite a heartwarming sight.”

Single guys can rejoice.

Bachelors wishing to catch Katrina Kaif’s attention won’t be in for disappointment, as the sultry actress has revealed that she’s still single.

Katrina told reporters that she is still waiting for Mr Right when questioned during the unveiling of the Nakshatra logo in Mumbai last month.

“To get married, one has to be asked. When I am asked, I will let you know. I have no idea who I am waiting for,” she said.

The actress’ dating profile includes Salman Kahn and Ranbir Kapoor, but neither were the princes that she was meant to marry.

There were rumours that Katrina was back with Salman during the shoot of their film Ek Tha Tiger, but the buzz was all rubbished as gossip.

The actress has been busy shooting a song for the film.

She said, “I don’t know what you call an item number. It is a very interesting song. I will shoot for it tomorrow.”

Chart-topping Bhangra Brothers collaborate with award winning German actress ‘Indira WeIs’

The sought after German-duo, ‘Bhangra Brothers’ are back with a feature project. They have the honor to be featured by the German super star Indira Weis discovered the Bhangra Brothers on the german market and signed them.  The project is single is an unusual mix of a European, Punjabi sound, fused with some Indian electro pop and produced by the brothers themselves.

Last year the two brothers Wiki and Gurinder debuted their career with ‘Sun Baliye’, which was produced by RDB, and hit the number 1 spots in music charts acrossUK,CanadaandAustralia. They are now back with Indira Weis to unleash a brand new exciting sound with Indian Electro Pop an interesting collaboration that  brings together a crazy European sound fusing Punjabi lyrics, with a dubstep beat!

The song  also promotes a social message about the Indian-Pakistani conflict, a heavy issue, which they tried to transport by a party message, as the hook says in the end “Tonight we gonna party punjabi style, come on maharaja give me a smile… Indian or Pakistani, let us forget about the fight”. It was important for Indira feat. Bhangra Brothers to leave a message that celebrating together in peace is a good way to bring people together, and even those which are in fight with each other.

The half German and half Indian actress and singer Indira Weis who has worked in many German films, television shows and was even awarded trendsetter of the year, was related to a half German and half Pakistani former US5 singer Jay Khan.

Speaking about the new track, the duo said: “We’re very excited about this project and sure that all of our fans are going to love this brand new fusion of sound. We feel honored to have been given the chance to work with Indira Weis, and are sure that she is certainly going to get people talking in the Punjabi scene.”

Also the famous Dubstep DJ Pinju was flashed by Indian Electro Pop and did one of his famous remixes, which are already running on theUKturn tables.

ShamedPakistancricketer Mohammad Asif, one of three found guilty of match-fixing, has been released from prison after serving half of his 12-month sentence.

The 29-year-old was freed from Canterbury Prison inKentearlier this month.

The British Interior Ministry decided not to deport Asif, for the player decided to file an appeal against his conviction.

The cricketer’s counsel, Ravi Gill told reporters that an appeal to extend his clients visa had been made, since his visa had already expired, but they have not received an answer so far.

The former world number two Test bowler was jailed in November last year, along with team mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir.

The scam was uncovered by an undercover journalist from the defunct News of the World newspaper, who approached sports agent Mazhar Majeed, jailed also for his role in pretending to be a wealthy Indian businessman looking for players for an upcoming tournament.

The trio were sentenced and given five-year playing bans for bowling deliberate no balls in a Test match againstEnglandin 2010.

Both Asif and Butt have been imprisoned at theCanterburyprison, but Amir returned toPakistanin March after serving half of his sentence at a young offenders’ facility.

Amir, who is the youngest of the three, decided against appealing against the five-year ban, given by the ICC (International Cricket Council.)

Former team captain Butt was given a 30-month sentence and although he and his tainted team mates appealed against their sentences, they were all rejected by the Lord Chief Justice.

In February this year, the ICC tribunal banned Butt for 10 years, with the last five years suspended should no further offences occur.

The sporting organisation gave Asif a seven-year ban (the last two suspended, if further offence do not happen), while Mohammad Amir was given five years.

Asif’s lawyer told the media that his client’s case will be appealed, as well as the ICC’s banning decision.

Appeal documents have been gathered and the cricketer may stay with friends and family during his time inEngland.

In an interview, Asif’s father said his son had learnt his lesson and the game is full of crooks.

Hasan Asif originally wanted his son follow his footsteps in agriculture and animal breeding and had shown distain in his youngest child’s decision to carve a career in cricket.

He told the media, “I have enough land to cultivate and enough animals to make a good living, so why burn your skin in the sun when he had all the luxury to sit in the house and live like a prince? I still have the energy and will to work for my kids, but he never listened to me and is now paying the price.”

Hasan told reporters that he hopes that his son will return to the village.

“I am sure that he has learnt his lesson. I don’t have a passport, so I cannot go and meet him inEngland. But as time flies, I am sure this phase too will pass. I don’t know what crime he has done, but I know that he was not on the right track, not in the right profession.”

Venky’s owners Venkatesh and Balaji Rao have been under fire since Blackburn Rovers were relegated from the Premier League.

The Rovers lost 1-0 to Wigan Athletic, causing fans to blame manager Steve Kean and the Indian poultry company owners.

The pair, who run Pune-based chicken company Venky’s, have been attacked by fans since they took over the club in November 2010.

The owners have been criticised for having a very poor grasp on the realities of football, as well as their far-fetched promises of signing big names like David Beckham andBrazil’s Ronaldinho.

They also promised that Blackburn Rovers would compete for the Champions League, drawing mockery from fans and critics alike.

The Rovers loss was given a more humiliating twist when a chicken was released onto the field, clad in the Blackburn team colours with the sign ‘Out’ on it’s front.

The stunt was not as ugly as the fans reaction, with many invading the pitch and some reportedly throwing tennis balls at Kean.

The Rao brother’s absence from the match also drew critism from the press.

“If there is a blueprint for how not to run a football club, it will surely come embossed with the Venky’s logo,” wrote Mark Ogden in the Daily Telegraph, while the Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel wrote, “Kean will take the brunt of the criticism, but his absentee employers are the real culprits here.”

“The most depressing message here — beyond the oaths and excesses heaped on a man for failure — is the utter powerlessness of supporters when faced with distant owners who refuse to engage.”

Venkatesh and Balaji Rao’s failure to reviveBlackburnhas not drawn any sympathies from Indian sports fans at home.

Abhishek Iyer, a third year student at a premier engineering institute in Rajasthan told the Times of India.

“I don’t care about them – didn’t like them as a team much and (having) Indian owners don’t change that. Reasonably satisfied they’re gone.”

All India Football Federation (AIFF) Vice President Subrata Dutta also agreed, telling the publication that the brothers have failed to invest in football in their home soil.

“Venky’s has not invested in Indian football… Apart from one exhibition match between Pune FC and the club, Blackburn Rovers has in no way contributed for Indian football. So we are not bothered about their relegation.”

Sports Awards winner Salma Bi took on the challenge to host charity tournament, the Women’s Indoor Cricket T10 World Cup 2012.

The Believe in M.A.D (Making a Difference) Executive Director hosted her second ladies-only event on 21^st March at the Birmingham Futsal Arena.

Despite team West-Indies pulling out of the Tournament a day before, the event went swimmingly, resulting in a victory for teamEngland.

The opening ceremony saw all four captains lead the way with their teams, which included Australia, India, Pakistan and England.

The Mencap team were present to remind audiences of why they were doing this to raise money for disabled people and to remind each other of how important it is to be doing sports with the ability we have and that we should make the most of our capability.

T10 World Cup lifted off with style, big shots, wickets and big scores. During breaks, players didn’t miss an opportunity to practice their skills and were itching to play their next games.

Play-Off for third and fourth Place rested on the Pakistan vs India game. Both captains were given the choice to play a Super Over or Bowl Out. Pakistan Captain Zem won the toss and chose Bowl Out.

Pakistan was on top with their first point struck by Farzana and then followed by Joanne.

India was yet to strike and unfortunately all eight girls missed the target, leaving for the Pakistan captain to wrap it with a clean hit winning by 3-0 on the T10 Bowl-Out.

The finals saw India upsetting the League Table by beating England. But it also gave big hope to Australia, who beat Pakistan, to steal the title.

England, whose team captain was Salma Bi, won the toss for the first time all day and chose to bat.

It was a Steady start for the team, scoring at a rate of 20 runs per over until Australia’s Mina and captain Amna upset the batsman by taking 6 wickets in 4 overs.

England then fought back with consistent batting by Nicky and Anisha, from 7th over to 10th England managed to put on another 50 runs without losing any wickets finishing at a score of 281.

A gettable score especially for Australia who were the only team to put on 309 highest score in the T10 World Cup so Far!

The Women’s T10 World Cup 2012 was won by England, the first ever champions for T10 cricket.

Before medals and certificated were presented to the winners, each captain selected their two most improved players of the day in the team. This not only encourages team work but also raises awareness of development within a player, who may have never had much exposure in such a sport previously.

Prize winners for team Pakistan included Joanne Insley and Halima Khan, while India’s captain Gemma Goode awarded Hassina Begum and Gemma Smith.

Aisha Bi and Hayley Shaddick were given accolades by their captain Amna Rafiq, while Nicky Preston was the only girl from the England team who received an award by team captain Salma Bi.

HOW THE GAME PLAYED OUT

Game 1- ENGLAND 248 V PAKISTAN 246 (ENG WIN BY 2 RUNS)

Game 2- INDIA 256 V AUSTRALIA 273 (AUS WIN BY 17 RUNS)

Game 3- INDIA 240 V ENGLAND 301 (ENG WIN BY 61 RUNS)

Game 4- PAKISTAN 164 V AUSTRALIA 277 (AUS WIN BY 113 RUNS)

Game 5- ENGLAND 274 V AUSTRALIA 268 (ENG WIN BY 6 RUNS)

Game 6- PAKISTAN 301 V INDIA 270 (PAK WIN BY 31 RUNS)

Game 7- PAKISTAN 247 V ENGLAND 299 (ENG WIN BY 52 RUNS)

Game 8- AUSTRALIA 309 V INDIA 244 (AUS WIN BY 65 RUNS)

Game 9- ENGLAND 277 V INDIA 278 (IND WIN BY 1 RUN)

Game 10-AUSTRALIA 284 V PAKISTAN 247 (AUS WIN BY 37 RUNS)

Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation Ambassador Awards 2012.

The shortlist for the inaugural MWSF Ambassador Awards 2012, supported by the FA, has been announced. Fifty eight entries over six categories were received from the UK and abroad with nominees ranging from royalty and elite athletes to grassroots community organisations and volunteers.

The judging panel consisted of influential members from the world of sport, business and the community. Chairing the panel was Lorraine Deschamps, one of the top female football referees in the UK and ambassador of diversity and equality for the black and minority ethnic community, joined by Pinky Lilani OBE, food guru and founder of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards, Durdana Ansari OBE, journalist and pioneer of the Ethnic Minority Foundation’s Muslim Women’s Project and Mohammed Amin, vice chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum and treasurer of the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester.

The event taking place at Wembley Stadium on 2^nd May 2012 is the first of its kind and will specifically focus on female role models from the Muslim community and those, Muslim and non-Muslim, who have worked to increase access to sports for Muslim women across the globe.

In addition to the main categories a ‘Special Recognition’ Award will be presented to HRH Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein and Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan for their achievements, influence and contribution toward Muslim women’s sport.

The MWSF Ambassador Awards will be hosted by Na’eem Raza and Ruhana Ali, with category winners announced on the night.

Shortlisted nominees:

Community Award:

Muslim Scouts

Muslim Women’s Collective (Savita Ayling)

Women’s Only Group

International Sportswoman:

Ibtihaj Muhammad

Kulsoom Abdullah

Sadaf Rahimi

Outstanding Contribution:

Faezeh Hashemi

Salma Bi

Tansin Benn

UK Coach:

Khadijah Safari

Sehrish Mumtaz

Shaafia Bi

UK Sportswoman:

Amira Rashid

Ruqsana Begum

Sahra Hassan

Volunteer of the year:

Maryam Amatullah

Rabiya Ahmed

Shona Pollock

PCB Selector dashes hopes for Azhar Mahmood, who wishes to represent Pakistan in Sri Lanka Tour.

Following Azhar Mahmood’s interest in representing Pakistan on its Sri Lanka tour, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials have said that they are no longer judging players based on their appearances in domestic cricket.

Mahmood expressed his interest to join the team on its 46-day tour in an interview.

However, selector Saleem Jaffar told PakPassion.net that appearing in televised games is second to none in the selection criteria.

“Past international performances and those in domestic competitions of other countries aren’t really what the selectors are basing their judgment of players upon,” he told the online publication.

Chances of Mahmood’s comeback to the international stage after his hiatus have been reported as slim, despite his excellent performance in the Twenty20 around the world.

But it wasn’t all sad news for the 37-year-old, for Jaffar said that he fitted the bill when it came to attitude and level of fitness and that age would not be an issue.

However, Mahmood has not appeared in cricketing since 2012, which the selector believes is a better barometer for measuring the ability to impress in international cricket.

He said, “I give you the example of Yasir Arafat, he has played cricket around the world but has always ensured that if he was fully fit, he would play in every domestic competition in Pakistan. You simply cannot pick and choose which competitions you want to play in back home and when you feel like it.”