Abhi-Aish, Katrina, Bipasha Set for 'India Splendor'

The 60th anniversary of India's independence is being celebrated with a splash, as Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu, Mani Ratnam, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Oscar winner Ben Kingsley, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and many other top artists and personalities from India will descend on Los Angeles from Aug. 10 for "India Splendor," a colorful, star-studded event designed to present the best of India's arts, culture and spirituality to American audiences.

"India Splendor" is hosted by MGlobal Trust in association with the leading Hollywood talent agency ICM and the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Hollywood producer Ashok Amritraj has been named cultural ambassador for "India Splendor."

Remarkably, every event, including each film screening, the closing night concert and each panel discussion, will be free to the public, but reservations will be required for every event and can be made online at www.IndiaSplendor.com from Aug. 1 onwards.

The six-day extravaganza kicks off Aug. 10 with the premiere of "Chak De India!", the highly anticipated Shah Rukh Khan film. Director Shimit Amin and screenwriter Jaideep Sahni will be in attendance at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater to answer audience questions after the screening.

Top Bollywood playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan, temptress Bipasha Basu and sitar maestro Nishat Khan, supported by the Shiamak Davar dance troupe, will headline a concert and awards ceremony at UCLA's Royce Hall Aug. 15, emceed by comedienne Archana Puran Singh; while an exhaustive lineup of panel discussions, celebrity Q&As and fashion and arts events will round out the series, which will be held at some of the most elegant entertainment venues in West Los Angeles.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, will present a spiritual discourse Aug. 12 at the Billy Wilder Theater; while a tribute to filmmaker Raj Kapoor - featuring appearances by Rishi Kapoor and hot newcomer Ranbir Kapoor - will take place at the Hammer Museum Aug. 11, followed by a fashion show showcasing the designs of Suneet Varma.

Mani Ratnam will participate in a Q&A following a screening of "Guru" Aug. 14, moderated by Variety scribe Patrick Frater; and Vidhu Vinod Chopra will be on hand for a discussion after a screening of "Eklavya" with Screen International's Mike Goodridge Aug. 12.

Author Anupama Chopra will launch her new book, "The King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema," at the Billy Wilder Theater earlier in the day on Aug. 12.

"Life ... In a Metro" will screen at the Billy Wilder Theater Aug. 13, followed by a panel discussion on Indians in Hollywood, featuring Sheetal Sheth, Gulshan Grover, Amrapali Ambegaonkar, Noel D'Souza and Namrata Singh Gujral.

A nod to India's history - both political and artistic - will take place Aug. 11 at the Billy Wilder Theater, when UCLA honors the late film legend Raj Kapoor. "Kehta Hai Joker," a new documentary on Kapoor, will be screened, followed by a Q&A with acclaimed veteran actor Rishi Kapoor (Raj's son), Neetu Kapoor (Raj's daughter-in-law) and Ranbir Kapoor (Raj's grandson and an upcoming actor set to appear in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Saawariya").
The Q&A will be moderated by Los Angeles-based journalist and Kapoor family friend, Mira Advani Honeycutt.

Later that evening, actor Ben Kingsley will be on hand for a 25th anniversary screening of the Academy Award-winning film "Gandhi." A culinary event called "Kitchens of India" and a fashion show with Suneet Verma will take place at the Hammer Museum the same evening.

Each afternoon over the six-day event, an art workshop at UCLA's Melnitz Hall will take place as well.

India Splendor, several years in the making, is the brainchild of Bhuvan Lall, an Indian film executive who divides his time between Los Angeles and New Delhi.

"India Splendor is more than just a film festival or a Bollywood event," Lall told India-West by phone July 31. "It's bringing together food, fashion, the arts and business leaders, as a cultural exchange with the United States.

"Our target audience is Americans. We want to show them what India has achieved over the last 60 years of independence." Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are expected to attend, as well as influential decision makers from ICM and students and faculty from UCLA's film school.

Movies will play a large part in the appeal of India Splendor. Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Modi, chairman of MCorp Global, said in a statement: "With this industry showcase, we look to catalyze long-term creative and business connections between our two international capitals of cinema, which together produce more popular entertainment than the rest of the world combined."

Added Jeffrey Berg, chairman and CEO of ICM, "Indian cinema is an important force, and we are pleased to help lead an exchange of ideas and artistic expression between filmmakers from Mumbai to Los Angeles."

Robert Rosen, dean of UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, said, "UCLA is proud to collaborate on India Splendor, and we look forward to hosting many of its events on our campus."

India Splendor is supported by several nonprofits such as ArtWallah, Habiart Foundation, Sahara Foundation, TiE Southern California, Maybach Family Foundation and the Art of Living Foundation.

Festival affiliates include Yashraj Films, the National Film Development Corporation of India, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Eros Entertainment, Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions, UTV, Madras Talkies, Kaleidoscope and WizCraft. Event sponsors include Spice Telecom, Wipro and Zeti India