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FORTNIGHTLY ISSUE NO. 26 JUNE 25, 2010 AUCKLAND

RAJESH KUMAR- 14 years of Legal & Immigration experience- Specialise in Skilled Migrant Category & Family Residence- Study to work to Residence Permit- Visitor/Work Visa/Permit to Residence Permit for spouse/partner- Residence Visa/Permit under Sibling/Adult Child category [last number]- Long Term Business Visa/Permit - Enterprenuer Category [Residence]- Appeal/Review/Reconsideration of declined cases.

Ph: (09) 279 9228Mobile: 021 205 5507Fax: (09) 279 9224

1st Floor, 150-A Great South Road, Papatoetoe, AucklandP.O.Box 23450, Hunters Corner, Papatoetoe, AucklandE-mail: raj_hannah@yahoo.co.nz

Immigration Advisor

Rajesh KumarMA LLB, LLM Hons (NZ)

★ ★

IMRAN KHAN

Immigrati

“I would like to do a film “I would like to do a film like ‘QSQT’ some day”like ‘QSQT’ some day”

Contrary to the title of his latest fi lm, ‘I Hate Luv Storys’, Imran Khan likes love stories and feels they give him a better scope for acting. After making a promising debut in ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’, Imran had drifted from his freshly acquired romantic image to play a kidnapper in ‘Kidnap’ and a gambler in ‘Luck’. The 27-year-old nephew of superstar Aamir Khan is back to romancing on screen.

See details on page 13ee details on page 1ee details on pagep gpp ggp g 11

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DESI INTERNATIONAL SHOWBIZ PRESENTS

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLANDWWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ ADVERTORIAL02

1 & 6 - 7 - Cover story

IMRAN KHAN

4 - Previews

KAJRAARE

TERE BIN LADEN

5 - Point of view

AAMIR KHAN

8 - 9 - What’s up

10 - Spotlight

SAMEERA REDDY

11 - Events

12 - King Poster

NEETU CHANDRA

14 - 16 - Gupshup

18 - Abhas Advertorial

19- SONZ Advertorial

20 - Star Talk

MANOJ BAJPAI

22 - NZ diary

PUBLICATION DETAILSPublisher: Metsons(N.Z) Ltd.

Editor: Vinay MehtaAssociate Editor ( Mumbai): M.J. Rajendrakumar.

Consulting Editor: R Manishaa (manishaa.gplus@gmail.com)Address: 17-A, Robson street, Lynfi eld, Auckland.

Copyright reserved: Metsons (NZ) ltd.For Advertising contact: Vinay Mehta - (09) 6294849,021893424

e mail: info@gplus.co.nz. website: www.gplus.co.nz

Editor’s note,There is a wave of disappointment in the cinemas after the dismal response

to ‘Raavan’. The fi lm was a visual treat in every respect and had it succeeded, it could have worked wonders for Abhishek Bachchan’s career. The failure of the fi lm has proved yet again that the best of locations and cinematography cannot work for a fi lm, if it does not have a solid script and characterizations.

On the other hand, the political experiment in ‘Raajneeti’ seems to have clicked in a big way, with the audiences endorsing the fi lm all over. Experimentation and novelty works provided it is in tune with the hearts of the audiences.

Coming to experimentation, we have been receiving several letters asking us to showcase the younger lot of actors on our cover, which is why we chose the promising Imran Khan. We would love to receive our readers’ feedback on this.

Vinay Mehta - Editor

’s note,

Readers’ feedback

CONTENTS

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAI

Milan Luthria’s Once Upon a Time In Mumbai traces the changing face

of the Mumbai underworld and how it all started. The fi lm, set primarily in the 1970s Mumbai, follows the rise of Sultan (Ajay Devgn), and the confl ict, when his protégé Shoaib (Emraan Hashmi), challenges his supremacy, and usurps power to rule the murky underbelly of Mumbai.

The fi lm is presented in a retro chic style and is a glamorous and powerful rewind to the golden era. A super-entertaining rewind to the era of romance, smuggling, cabaret and the mafi a the fi lm stars Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut and Prachi Desai.

It is the characterization of Ajay Devgan on the lines of the famous underworld don, Haji Mastan, and his look that has created a considerable curiosity about the fi lm. The fi lm is set for a July 30 release.

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Super Cassettes Industries’ ‘Kajraare’ is a complete package of good music by actor, singer and composer, Himesh

Reshammmiya. The fi lm has him playing the role of a rock star (Rajiv) who falls in love with a girl from Pakistan. However, Rajiv has to go through a series of uphill tasks before he is able to unite with his true love.

Synopsis:When Rajiv Behl (Himesh Reshammiya) a

well-to-do drifter with no particular destination,

fi rst sets his eyes on the beautiful but melancholic face of Nargis (Monalaizza) in the hush of the pre-dawn light, on the deserted streets of Jordan, he realizes that she is the one that God has created just for him.

But strange are the ways of the world. As Rajiv pursues Nargis he soon fi nds out to his utter shock that she comes from a lineage of tawaifs from Pakistan’s Heera Mandi and she is about to be sold to the highest bidder. His quest for love hurls him into the famous Red Light district of Shahi Mohalla in Lahore, a region where supposedly ‘fallen’ women and the men who benefi t fi nancially from them, rub shoulders with ordinary folk. Here, he has to lock horns with the woman who controls the Red Light district, the foul mouthed Zohra Bai, who believes that the only creed of a tawaaif is to be a pleasure peddler. To leave Shahi Mohalla in order to lead a normal life is forbidden.

In his attempt to save his love from her terrible fate, Rajiv embarks on a journey to outbid those who want to buy her, and in the process, is compelled to re-connect with his true identity.

This opens a Pandora’s Box, which not only shocks his beloved Nargis but makes him a moving target all over again.

For Rajiv is actually Rocky, a pop star of Indian origin from UK, who has incurred the wrath of Baabar, the dreaded international terrorist. Rocky has not only subverted one of his major terrorist plans two years ago, he has also testifi ed against him in a court of law. Rocky is therefore under a witness protection programme and his life is now in serious danger....

When Avtar Singh, the head of the Counter-Terrorist Unit in the UK reprimands Rocky for being reckless, and tells him that the only way he can protect his loved one is to stay away from her, Rocky decides to stop being the hunted... and turns into the hunter. He vows to fi nd Baabar and kill him.

Is the union of Rocky and Nargis really pre-ordained by the Gods or is it merely the desire of a young man? Does the rock star overcome the treachery of a Trans-national terrorist and if yes, how? Does Rocky succeed in fi nding emancipation for Nargis? Come and fi nd out in this musical tale of love and passion... ‘Kajraare’.

Produced by Bhushan Kumar and directed by Pooja Bhatt, the fi lm stars Himesh Reshammiya and popular Pakistani actress, Monalaizza, who is a famous name on the television scene in Pakistan. The script of the fi lm has been written by Mahesh Bhatt. The biggest scoring factor of the fi lm is however Himesh Reshmmiya’s foot-tapping musical score. The fi lm is scheduled for an August 6 release.

Walk water Media’s ‘Tere Bin Laden’ is a tongue-in-cheek comedy about an ambitious young news reporter from Pakistan who is desperate to migrate to the US in pursuit of the American dream. His

repeated attempts to immigrate are shot down as his visa is always rejected. But when things couldn’t look worse he comes across an Osama bin laden look alike. Ali then hatches a scheme

to produce a fake Osama video and sell it to news channels as a breakthrough scoop. He tries to fulfill his “American dream” with the help of the video tape! Unfortunately there are serious ramifications as the White House gets involved and dispatches an overzealous secret agent on Ali’s trail.

The film marks the acting debut of Pakistani musician, actor, painter and model, Ali Zafar, known as the ‘Prince of Pop’ in Pakistani. Zafar has also lent his voice to two songs in the film. Besides Zafar, the film stars a relatively new cast comprising Chinmay Mandlekar, Chirag Vohra, Nikhil Ratnaparkhi, Pradhuman Singh, Rahul Singh, and Sugandha Garg, along with Piyush Mishra, Seema Bhargava and Barry John.

‘Tere Bin Laden’ is set in Pakistan and is essentially set in a Pakistani milieu. The film is set for a worldwide release on July 16, with the music composed by Shankar Mahadevan.

KAJRAARE TERE BIN TERE BIN LADENLADEN

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLAND POINT OF VIEW 05WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

Aamir Khan’s advice to students A day before the SSC results which are considered extremely crucial for a student’s career, Aamir Khan posted this piece of advice for students on his personal blog, not to panic and let go off their self-esteem. He also advised parents not to judge their child’s potential based on the figures in the mark sheet.

The SSC results are about to be announced and this takes me back to my school

days. I remember being petrifi ed of exams, even more petrifi ed of the results. The red lines on my report card were demeaning, disheartening, and most discouraging. How could I face my friends and family? Shame! Broken self-esteem.

I remember I used to have nightmares. In fact, after having put in a distance of more than 20 years between myself and my last exam, I still haven’t managed to escape the cold fear of exams and results. I still wake up with the shivers after a nightmare about going blank in front of a question paper with time running out.

I am sure there are many children out there who go through similar emotions and are currently in a state of panic about the impending SSC results. Kids, don’t be afraid. Just chill.

All izzz well!Don’t look upon the SSC

Boards as a milestone in your life, it’s just another stone with many miles on it! You have a long way to go and many more important exams to face. Not the school or college exams, but the exams of life. And those are the ones to be prepared for. The mark sheets to look out for are not the ones printed on some paper, but the ones on the faces of the people you love. Those are the mark sheets that matter. Bring a smile on the face of your mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend, and you have done well in the exam of life.

I remember that the one person who always gave me strong support and encouragement even after bad results was my father. My mom would complain and tell him that I had failed in Marathi or History or something and he would laugh it off and say “What?

You failed in only 2 subjects? I always failed in at least 4!” “Don’t worry about exams,” he always said, “just have a good time in school and be honest.” Honesty was always a big one for him. It genuinely never bothered him that I had done badly. And when I look back now I realize that it was probably because of his utter and absolute belief in me, and his strong support, that I grew up with confi dence in myself. Had he lost faith in me I would NEVER have been able to reach where I have in life, and achieve what I have.

Parents, there is a strong lesson here for all of us. Tomorrow the SSC results will be out. I want each of you to remember that we need to accept our children as they are. Your child might fail, or get average marks, or might miss by half a percent the result that you may desire, either way, I want you to accept him/her as he/she is. Is the mark sheet more important or

is your child more important? Do not be disappointed with

one exam. Life has so much to offer. Each one of us is special. And for each one of us to do well in life we need the encouragement and support of the people who love us, especially our parents. REMEMBER THE MARK SHEET OF LIFE. And this mark sheet has only 3 subjects – love, caring and happiness. Fame, success and money are calculated on some other mark sheet, and they cannot compete with the value of love, caring and happiness. Let us, as parents, not to fail in the exam of life. Remember our face is also a mark sheet, as is the face of our beloved child. Let us see really high scores on each and every face this time!

This exam, no matter what the marks of the child, I want every parent to hug his/her child when they come home with their results. Try it, and see the power of love.

See what it did to me when I came home to my father.

This exam I would like teachers and principals to click photos NOT WITH THE TOPPERS but with the students who have not done as well. Reach out not to the toppers but to the ones at the other end. Give them your encouragement and support, they need it much more.

Kids, any problems with your parents, show them TZP and 3i. You have the power to change the world no matter how much you have scored in your exams. The whole wide world is ahead of you to enjoy and contribute to in small and big ways.

By the way, did any of you know what Gandhiji scored in his Matriculation Exams (which is equivalent to our SSC boards today)? 40%.

Now do you believe me?Posted by Aamir Khan at

01:17 AM on Jun,18,2010

Afseb

he SSC results are about A

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLANDCOVER STORY06 WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

You are playing the role of an assistant director in the ‘I Hate Luv

Storys’. Did you model your role on any director in particular?Not anyone in particular but when I was doing ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ I used to watch Abbas Tyrewala who was working as a casting director. He was married at that time. To an extent, I guess I must have been inspired by him.

The news doing the rounds is that your character in ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ is quite similar to the one you played in ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’. How far is it true? That’s absolutely false. The characters in the two fi lms are a total contrast. In ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’, I was depicted as a very innocent young man. In this fi lm, I play the character of Jai Dhingra, who is a compulsive fl irt, a Casanova who goes all out to impress girls. Jai is humorous and cheeky and he believes in dating good-looking girls. Also, in ‘Jaane Tu’ my equation with Genelia was shown to be very different. In ‘I

Hate Luv Storys’, the character of Sonam hates Jai’s presence and dreads everything he does.

What difference did you fi nd between Sonam and Genelia?Sonam is a very prepared actress. She is composed and rehearses her dialogue and scenes well in advance. When she came on the sets she was well aware that I was ready to attempt my next scene. On the other hand, Genelia is spontaneous. She often took me by surprise on the sets of ‘Jaane Tu…. It was good because the role needed her to be such a

person.

You reportedly did workshops for this fi lm.Yes, the director wanted us to be prepared well in advance. When Sonam and I sat down to read our script and lines, Punit would sit and watch us and then instruct us how to go about the scene. We had a 15-day workshop, which was fi ne with us because we did not have to rehearse again after coming on the sets.

You are also said to have worked hard on your physique for the role?

The makers wanted me to have a sexy look, especially for a song and asked me to work on my body. I worked for one and half months to get the desired physique. I would start my day with yoga and train on weights in the evenings. My diet in this period was restricted to steamed fi sh, boiled vegetables and boiled sweet potatoes. I am a complete foodie and keeping away from good food depressed me but I had to push myself to do it because of my job. My trainer Yasmin Karachiwala took very good care.

Was it comfortable working with Punit Malhotra, since he is a fi rst-time director?I have worked with fi rst time

directors earlier too. This was defi nitely not the fi rst time for me. We speak the same language. Working with Punit was fun because we could understand each other. He is just two years older than I am but then we think very similarly.

Has your fi ancée Avantika seen the movie and what is her reaction?She liked the movie but she did not like the title. She said it had to be in Hindi. I felt the same too but we did not fi nd a good Hindi title.

Are you looking at consolidating your romantic image through this fi lm? I don’t believe in an image. Aamir Khan never had an image either. He did fi lms like ‘Lagaan’, ‘Mangal Pandey’, ‘Taare Zameen Par’ and 3 Idiots’, all with different roles and never got stuck up in an image. An actor keeps changing from fi lm to fi lm. I did this fi lm because I was in a mood to do a light romantic comedy. Besides, I was tired of all the action after ‘Kidnap’ and ‘Luck’. The fi lms did not do well either.

So what do you think you are more comfortable at -

action or romance?I am comfortable in any role as an actor. In action movies, there is less scope for acting since there is more of action to do. On the other hand, one needs to perform in romantic fi lms as there is more of emotion. Your co-star is dependent on you. Only when you give a reaction, will she react.

Any love story fi lms that have left a mark on you?Yes, ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ was my favourite. I want to do that kind of role.

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLAND COVER STORY 07WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

What do you think went wrong with your earlier fi lms after a super duper hit like ‘Jaane Tu….Na?When a fi lm is being made you’re just an actor. We can neither change it nor control it. I can enhance my role but nothing more than that. When I heard the scripts of some of the fi lms I liked them but when they were released they turned out to be something else. But you can’t let failure affect you. ‘Kidnap’ was a good fi lm but the fi lm was not marketed well. Besides, I signed these fi lms before ‘Jaane Tu…Na’. I could not make demands at that time. Today I am in a position where I can demand changes in my script. Didn’t Aamir give you any tips?Aamir always feels that I should learn the hard way. He never gives me tips on what I should do. He is of the opinion that one learns with mistakes. He never asks me what fi lms I sign or what I am doing, nor does he come on my sets. Whenever we meet, it is purely a family gathering and nothing more.

Which fi lms of Aamir’s do you like the most?I have never been on the sets and watched Mamu act. I

would love to do it someday. I like his ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Dil Chahata Hai’ and ‘Lagaan’. In fact, I like all his fi lms.

There were talks of Ranbir and you doing a fi lm together?People have been talking about us doing a fi lm together after the Film Fare awards but no one has offered any good script. Irrespective of the rumours

doing the rounds in the trade, we are very good friends. I have known Ranbir for one and a half years now. He is a good actor and has proved himself. His fi lms have done well at the box offi ce too. You don’t seem to have many friends in the industry.My professional life and personal life are different. I prefer to keep them apart. Most of my friends are not from the industry. Even

when Aamir comes home we are just family. Any dream role in mind?I do not dream. I cannot dream about roles hoping that some one will offer them to me on a platter. Any plans to do fi lms in the south? No, my biggest weakness is my language. I learnt Hindi after I signed ‘Jaane Tu...’ I speak

basic French and Spanish. I grew up in the South so I know a little bit of Tamil. You have become choosy about projects. Is it a conscious decision?Yes, I do not want to do fi lms I am not happy with. When you do fi lms with people you want to work with, it refl ects in the fi lm. I should be happy to go on the sets every morning when I wake up. What about your uncle Mansoor Khan? He is not doing any fi lms?Mansoor is settled in Ooty. He does not want to do fi lms. He is happy there. When he wanted to make fi lms he made them. He says he’s not a showman and is happy with the life there. He creates music and writes a lot. Tell us about your next movie ‘Break Ke Baad’?It’s a romantic fi lm about growing up. It’s an interesting movie. What about marriage to Avantika?Not this year. I have a lot of work on hand and have no time to devote to her. We are planning to get married next year.

By B. Preshit

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLANDWWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ08 WHAT’S UP

Subhash Ghai celebrates with IIFW members at a cocktail party

Memorable launch of ‘Lamhaa’ music

Indian Independent Filmmakers Worldwide, a non- profit association started by practicing

filmmakers, with the objective of promoting and nurturing Indian independent films, held a party at Blue Frog to celebrate the launch of their unique show, Master Class, on FOX History Channel. Present on the

occasion were some of the leading directors in the industry including Subhash Ghai, Sudhir Mishra, Anurag Kashyap, Ketan Mehta, Rahul Dholakia, Vipin Sharma, Rachna Shah, Piyush Jha and others.

Master Class has masters of the film industry talking about their trade secrets and handing out tips to others.

The music launch of award-winning director, Rahul Dholakia’s Lamhaa at Oberoi

Mall, Goregaon, was a memorable affair, with the young music director of the film, Mithoon, performing live at the mall amidst thousands of cheering crowds.

The music was unveiled in the presence of producer Bunty Walia and the entire cast and crew of the film including Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Kunal Kapoor, Rahul Dholakia, Sohail Maklai, Debi Dutta and others. T-series’ Bhushan Kumar was all praise for the film’s music.

Celebrated actor Ajay Devgan gave hampers to 11 lucky winners for their valuable views on

politics posted on his facebook page, on the eve of the release of his fi lm, Raajneeti. The intense actor had been constantly connecting with fans on his facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ajaydevgn.offi cialpage through a ‘Raajneeti Contest’. He had asked four simple questions to which his fans from over the country and overseas gave an overwhelming response. The contest closed with the release of Raajneeti.

Apart from the 11 winners, Ranjan

Kr, Rohan Bhelerao, Rohan Dasgupta & Devesh Singh were the four lucky winners who not only got to meet the star at his offi ce in Juhu but also got to take home Ajay Devgn’s costumes from Raajneeti. Speaking on the occasion Devgn said, “It has been an immense pleasure to connect with my fans directly on facebook. They have given me a lot of support throughout my career and I’m thrilled to be in constant touch with them. Raajneeti has a huge canvass and it is extremely humbling that my audience has appreciated my performance”.

A special show of ‘Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta’ was recently held in PVR Cinemas, Juhu, Mumbai,

for which the film’s heroine Aruna Shields specially flew down to India. Aruna who was clad in a backless black gown was the centre of attention at the show for her controversial nude scenes in the film.

Among others present at the screening were the film’s director Pravesh Bhardwaj, filmmakers Boney Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Ashwini Chaudhary, Piyush Jha and Ramesh Sippy with his wife Kiran Juneja,

Karan Oberoi and Rajesh Khattar. Anil Kapoor kept a low profile while Bollywood’s bad man Shakti Kapoor came with his wife and daughter Shraddha Kapoor. The latter looked gorgeous in a red short dress.

The other guests who attended the show were producer Tutu Sharma with actress-wife Padmini Kolhapure and sister-in-law, Tejaswini Kolhapure, the ever-gorgeous Poonam Dhillon, actor Prashant Narayan, filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, producer Manu Kumaran and Vashu Bhagnani.

Ajay Devgn meets the ‘Raajneeti’ contest winners

Special show of ‘Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta’

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLAND WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ 09WHAT’S UP

It was fun and revelry for the television fraternity as the who’s who of the telly industry recently

congregated at the third Boroplus Gold Awards, organized by Vikaas Kalantri at Film City in Mumbai. Among those seen were Divyanka Tripathi, Ratan Rajput, Mahi Vij, Soumya Tandon, Ankita Lokhande Sushant Rajput, Karan Singh Grover and Nicole, Gaurav Chopra and girlfriend Mouni Roy, Heena Khan and her on-screen mother-in-law, Sonali Verma and Karan Mehra.

Rohit Khurana and Tina Dutta came together followed by Rashmi Desai and Nandish Sandhum, besides Ayub Khan,

Pragati Mehra and Vaishali Thakkar. Also present were Ronit Roy with his wife, Karan Wahi, Jennifer Winget, Kamya Punjabi. Producer Asit Modi came with Taarak Mehta ka Oolta Chasmah’s entire team.

Other guests seen were Mohnish Behl, Abhishek Rawat, Gurmeet Choudhary with Debina Bonnerjee, Alok Nath, Rakesh Bedi, Dheeraj Kumar, Supriya Kumari, Priya Marathe and Swati Anand, Rati Pandey, Jay Bhanushali, Drashti Dhami, Sonia Singh, Sachal Tyagi with his girlfriend, Ather Habib to name a few.

The golden night for televisions stars

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLAND SPOTLIGHT10 WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

Lately there seems to be a sudden obsession among heroines to do de glam roles whether it

was Katrina in ‘Rajneeti’, Bipasha in Lamhaa and now you in ‘Red Alert’.

I guess a majority of actresses have always been game for such roles. Unfortunately, such roles were not written for heroines in earlier fi lms. But the earliest actress who attempted it was Rani Mukherjee with her performance in ‘Black’. Rani proved that heroines need not always look glamourous in fi lms in order to be successful. Also I believe that almost every glamourous actress has another talented side to her, which remains under stated because she never gets a chance to prove herself.

How different is the role in ‘Red Alert’ from any of the roles that you have done so far?

I would say that it is one of the most diffi cult roles I have ever attempted in my career. In my earlier two fi lms, ‘Musafi r’ and ‘De Dana Dan’, I just breezed through the characters. I did not have to get so involved in them. Also, the role in ‘Red Alert’ is way apart from the kind of person that I am and it took me some time to get into the psyche of the character.

We are told that you met a Naxalite woman as a part of your preparation for the role in ‘Red Alert’. How far is it true?

That’s not true. In fact, I had never interacted with a Naxalite and had no idea how to go about playing the character, though I had read about the Naxal movement in the news papers. It was only when I did the role that I realized why they do what they do. I am of the belief that nobody is a born terrorist. In the case of the fi lm, my character Lakshmi is raped and fi nds

her self in a police station locked in the bathroom. The Naxalites fi nd her and come to her rescue. She is a straight girl who lands up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She has no other way out but to join the movement. You become a terrorist because you go through such situations.

Do such heavy scenes weigh on you after your shoot?

I make it a point to keep my professional and personal life apart. But yes, I was a bit upset for a day after the post-rape scene in the fi lm.

Do you sympathise with Naxalites?

There is no justifi cation for violence

or killings. I feel bad for these people but that does not justify your actions. Osama Bin Laden was humiliated but then there is a way you deal with pain. You cannot just go and blow up people

Why has ‘Red Alert’ taken such a long time for release?

The fi lm was doing the rounds of

festivals over the world. Also, fi lmmakers may choose to deny it but like all other fi lms, this one too was hit by the wave of recession. That was the period when a majority of fi lms were kept on hold and stars had to cut down their prices in order to keep their under-production fi lms going.

You have been conspicuous by your

absence, where have you been all the while?

I have been doing movies down south. My Tamil fi lm ‘Varnam Iram’ has been chosen as the best fi lm of the year. It was a beautiful love story with Surya. Frankie I am quite happy with the movies down south. Later, I completed Nagesh Kuknoor’s ‘Yeh Hausla’ which is

yet to be released.

Which of the south actors do you fi nd very promising to work with?

Rana Dagubbati is promising and so is Surya. Surya is a fantastic actor. In my next fi lm, he’s played the role in which he starts off as a 15-year old boy and goes on to tell a story till he is 80-years old.

You seem to have lost oodles of weight and the new slim look is complimenting your appearance.

I am glad everyone feels so. Two years ago, I began to develop an identity crisis. I felt that I was nobody. I was not happy about the way I was perceived and I was going mad. My stress levels were high and I was in a depressed state

of mind as a result of which I would binge on food. That’s when I changed my outlook towards life. I realized that when you are happy your body listens to you. I started eating less; I started yoga and meditation which helped me. I feel if your start recognizing yourself, half the battle is won. ‘Focus on yourself’ is my motto now.

By Sharmishta T

“I have changed my outlook towards life”

“I am of the belief that nobody is a born terrorist. You become

a terrorist because you go through such

situations.”

Sameera Reddy is all excited about her fi rst deglam role in Anant Mahadevan’s ‘Red Alert’. The actress speaks about her experience and her movies down south.

SAMEERA REDDY

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLAND EVENTS 11WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

‘Raajneeti’ success party

The team of ‘Raajneeti’ recently celebrated its success arty at a suburban Mumbai hotel. The party had the best of B-towners who made it despite the heavy rains. However, conspicuous by their absence at the do were Katrina

Kaif, who was shooting in Spain and Ajay Devgn. Arjun Rampal came with wife Mehr while Ranbir Kapoor was accompanied by his dad Rishi and mom Neetu Kapoor. Others who joined in the celebrations were Gul Panag, Alyque Padamsee and daughter Shazahn, Amrita Rao, Mughda Godse, Sonu Niigaam, Kailash Kher, Ravi Kissen, Ramesh Sippy and wife Kiran Juneja, Madhur Bhandarkar, Govind Nihalani, Gulshan Grover, Shekhar Suman, Rageshwari and others.

*Conditions: Please read this information carefully because additional charges may apply to some flights. Book and pay by 30 Jun 10. Fares are for return Economy Class travel ex Auckland per person & include taxes, fees & fuel surcharges, correct as at 01 Jun 10. Minimum two adult passengers must travel together on the same outbound and inbound flight. Prices may fluctuate due to changes in currency exchange, fuel surcharges, fees & taxes. Prices based on departures between 15 Jul 10 and 15 Nov 10 & 8 Feb 11 and 31 Mar 11. Limited seats available and may not be available on every day/flight throughout the travel period. Scheduling is subject to change. Max stay applies. Baggage allowance is 30kg. A stopover is permitted in Kuala Lumpur in one direction only at passenger’s own expense and will incur additional taxes. Local taxes may also apply. Cancellation and change fees apply. Other conditions apply. MAS0388_GP

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JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLANDKING POSTER12 WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

There’ s more There’ s more to Neetu to Neetu

Chandra than Chandra than her sex appea l her sex appea l

The ever-sexy Neetu Chandra is looking ravishing these days. The reason- Neetu has lost 10 kgs of weight and looks like a diva with her new svelte fi gure. After sizzling on screen in multifarious roles, this Bollywood babe from Bihar, who’s also a black belt 2nd Dan, a kathak dancer and a singer, is now ready to take life head-on and display her talent, more than anything else.

LION BEATSRECORDING STUDIO

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLANDWWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

Boman Irani is currently on cloud nine with his new innings as a singer. After his successful hatric in

three metro cities of India with composer cum singer Shankar Mahadevan, Boman left the Kolkatta fans hooked on to their seats till the end of the show. In fact the response was so overwhelming that the fans couldn’t get enough of him and kept asking for more.

S h a n k a r started the evening with his most popular numbers ‘Breathless’ and ‘Maa’ (Taare Zameen Par) after Boman set the stage on fi re with the English number, ‘We Are The World’. The most remarkable moment was when Boman was joined in by singing queen, Usha Uthup. After performing the superhit song, ‘Give me some sunshine’ from his blockbuster

fi lm ‘3 Idiots’ both Shankar and Boman performed a duet on ‘My Way’ and ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ on which the crowd gave a standing ovation appreciating the immense talent displayed by the

singers.Boman is

truly excited by the way his fans have received him. “I am glad that my audience has accepted me as an actor and welcomed me with open arms as a singer. Now with just one more metro city left I assure that it will surely be a time to chill and leave worries aside”

It may be recalled that Boman recently took the decision to perform live with

music maestro, Shankar Mahadevan at the Teachers awards to be held in fi ve leading metros of Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkatta, Pune and Hyderabad.

14

Boman Irani keeps Kolkatta night lovers asking for more

A majority of Bollywood stars have a tough time connecting with the Marathi manoos in Mumbai

but not so with Akshay Kumar. After attempting diverse roles in various fi lms, Akshay is now making a bid to conquer the hearts of the Maharashtrian audiences by playing one in his upcoming comedy, Khatta Meetha. The action hero who is said to be fairly well acquainted with Marathi speaking skills is putting them to good use in the fi lm. Not just

that, Akshay will be seen gyrating to the tunes of a Marathi number ‘Nana-chi-taang (which means ‘teri aiski ki taisi’ in Hindi) along with his co-star, newcomer Trisha. The new Jodi will swing to the tune of Pritam, which combines the melody of rock with a tinge of the Maharashtrian tadka. From a Punjabi munda to a Marathi mulga, it will be interesting to check out Akshay’s new avatar and how far the audiences identify with him.

The melody queen of Kolkatta, Suparna Acharya is

currently making waves on the music scene with her great rendition of a Thumri based ghazal ‘Ab katla hoke teri mehfi l mein aye’ in Pooja Bhatt’s Kajraare. Kajraare which is a romantic musical with actor, singer and composer Himmesh Reshammiya, is lately making the news for its fabulous musical score.

According to music directors, Bapi –Tutul, Suparna’s voice takes one to the golden era of Begum Akhtar and is perfect for Thumri based numbers. Suparna who has also sung in Ram Gopal Varma’s forthcoming Vivek Oberoi starrer fi lm ‘Rakta Charitra’ is all excited to get established as a Thumri singer. She says, ‘There are many singers in our industry giving tough competition to each other but I want to establish myself in a genre forgotten by many.”

Akshay says Nana-chi Taang!

NEIL NEIL EXPLORES EXPLORES PHOTOGENIC PHOTOGENIC COORG TO COORG TO THE BEST THE BEST

Neil Nitin Mukesh can never forget the Coorg schedule of his film, ‘Saat Khoon Maaf’. The actor who is closely attached to his family panicked initially when he realized that they were in a ‘no network’

zone and he would not be able to get in touch with his family. However he was soon at peace when he opened his eyes to the blissful mountains and the abundant greenery around. That’s when Neil decided to make the very best out of the opportunity and capture nature at its very best in his camera. Reveals a unit source, “Before long, Neil was lost in clicking away the picturesque locales of Coorg in the early morning hours. He was truly reveling in the whole experience.” Well, he did manage to get in touch with his parents first thing when the unit landed at Mysore.

Neil is now buy sharing the pictures with his fans online, wondering whether he would be able get to Coorg once again. Never mind the network problem.

Suparna’s thumri ghazal in ‘Kajraare’ rocks music charts

GUPSHUP

From every outlook of the Auckland Entertainment spectrum, the Bollywood High School Dance Competition 2010, is a spectacular event to boast on for. Some 300 plus students, dazzle on stage with a full fledge, five to ten minutes of half a years’ prepared vogue. Desi International Showbiz once again gives a commute opportu-nity amongst thirty High Schools in Auckland to showcase their talent at the well reknown Logan Campbell Theatre.

In advance of time for the event , the thirty High Schools gathered last Saturday 19th June, 2010 at a meeting held in preparation for ideas on costume, music, dance and choreography. The delighted thrill of students awaiting to choose contestant numbers, and be given further information on the features of the nite was encap-tured by Narendra Bedekar, which the below photos are from.

This year, as well as the previous years, Desi International Showbiz looks forward to present yet another highly accomplished event of Bollywood celebration.

-WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NEXT ISSUE.

The Contestant numbers for the nite are as follows :-

1 Southern Cross College 25 Lynfield College 2 Onehunga High 26 Avondale College 3 Botany Downs College 27 De La Salle College 4 Rutherford College 28 Papatoetoe High 5 De La Salle College 29 Westlake Girls 6 Alfriston College 30 Kelston Boys College 7 Epsom Girls Grammer 8 Strathellan College 9 Tangaroa College 10 Manurewa High 11 Hamilton Boys High 12 Mt Albert Grammer 13 Marist College 14 Mt Roskill Grammer 15 Marcellin College 16 Pakuranga College 17 Greenbay High School 18 Mt Roskill Grammer 19 Auckland Girls Grammer 20 One Tree Hill 21 Otahuhu College 22 Edgewater College 23 James Cool High 24 St Kentigern College

Correspondence by Neera Sumer

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLANDWWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ16

Forty Five Costumes for Kareena

Ranbir’s hairy stories

Kareena Kapoor who is the brand a m b a s s a d o r

for Sony and recently unveiled the company’s new ‘Zero Laptops’, had a tough time shooting for the commercial since she had to change 45 costumes while shooting for it. Along with the costumes the actress had to shoot for a harrowing 16-17 hours till dawn. Kareena recently recalled the experience, “I had to change 45 costumes since my costumes in the commercial change according to the colour of the laptop. The entire commercial was shot on motion control camera. Honestly, it was quiet tough, as I had to change my clothes and laptops and walk all the time. I walked 20 km in one single day. It was crazy pacing up and down and it hurt my knees,” she said adding that she still enjoyed all the hard work. “It was worth it as it is one of the coolest commercials I have ever shot. It was a great concept.”

The actress, who is busy shooting for Shah Rukh Khan’s Home Production ‘Ra One’ these

days, says that being tech savvy has helped her

keep track of all the good and bad news about her through her laptop. “I travel a lot with work and don’t have enough time to keep track or even watch television or

read newspapers. But I carry my lap top with

me and keep myself updated,” she smiles.

Kareena is also looking forward to gifting a lap

top to her niece Samaira. “I would love to gift a pink

colour one to my neice, Samara, since that’s her favourite

colour and my favourite colour too.”

Talking of endorsements, Kareena has decided to say a strict

no-no to certain products. “I refrain from endorsing tobacco-smoking,

alcohol and non-vegetarian food. You will never see me in Mc Donalds or KFC ads, as I am a hardcore vegetarian. All these products are complete no no for me!” she says.

Ranbir Kapoor is defi nitely excited about Rockstar, the

fi lm he is doing with director Imtiaz Ali. The debonir Kapoor reportedly tried out three different looks for the movie in keeping with his role of a rock star. The fi rst look had him with a short crop, the second was a long-haired look, while the third had him sporting shoulder length hair. Sources inform that after trying out the different looks for the movie, Ranbir Kapoor and director Imtiaz Ali fi nally settled for the shoulder length hair.

Rockstar isn’t the only fi lm which has Ranbir experimenting with his looks. The bespectacled look in ‘Raajneeti’ was reportedly suggested by him. Prior to that, he had donned eight different looks in ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’.

Aamir Khan is currently on a hiring spree. No

the perfectionist actor is not revamping his production house but merely hiring people to read scripts since his office is flooded with scripts. Our source informs that most of the scripts that have come to his office are not with him as an actor but for production, which is not surprising considering the films he has produced so far from Lagaan to Taare Zameen Par, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Peepli Live.. Explains this source, “Aamir Khan Productions gets around 8 to 10 scripts a day. Aamir has no time to go through all the scripts personally but he would not like

to disrespect any of the scripts and the writers by ignoring them. He is therefore in the process of hiring people who can go through the scripts and shortlist them, besides sending a response to all writers.” We’ll have to wait and find out whether Aamir’s new staff is judicious enough to make the right choice of scripts.

Aamir hires script readers now

Deepika Padukone is busy learning diving in her free time while shooting for Danish

Aslam’s debut venture Break Ke Baad, produced by director-turned-producer Kunal Kohli. But her co star Imran Khan is making sure he loses no time and has been busy honing his driving skills.

Imran knows how to ride a bicycle and drive a car but what he really wanted to learn was to ride a scooter, since he was never allowed to ride one as a teenager. So when he was

required to ride a scooter for the shoot in Mauritius, Imran lost no time in learning. And guess what! He was a pro within minutes of learning the mechanics so much so that he promptly took Deepika for a ride. Don’t be surprised if you see Imran zooming off the streets in Mumbai now..

Incidentally, Break Ke Baad is an upcoming romantic coming-of-age comedy drama directed by Danish Aslam and starring Deepika Padukone, Imran Khan and Sharmila Tagore .

Deepika and Imran’s new obsessions

GUPSHUP

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLANDWWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

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JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLAND WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

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More than 260 prospective contestants from Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Rotorua, New Plymouth (Taranaki) and Christchurch have so far registered for the audition. Those contestants who have submitted their snaps could be witnessed on the event website: www.starofnewzealand.co.nz Christchurch based Indian Social & Cultural Club will conduct its Indian Mid-Winter Ekta programme on July 3 at the Rudolf Steiner School, St Martins. Vice-President Thomas Kurian said the show will include Indian Star of Christchurch. Interested persons can contact him on 021-2397167. Mr. Jayesh Bateriwala will be attending the Auditions and representing Star Of New Zealand as one of the Judges in Christchurch. Auditions in New Plymouth is on Sun 11th July from 10am onwardsVenue: Quality Hotel ( Plymouth International Hotel & Conference Centre) Corner Courtenay & Leach Sts New Plymouth Marlaina Curtis Director of MC Arts is the coordinator of the Star Of New Zealand Auditions in New Plymouth. Interested participants can contact her on mc@atrs19.com or 0272236071 / 06 7532746 Mr. Viraf Todywalla will be attending the New Plymouth Auditions and representing Star Of New Zealand as one of the Judges in New Plymouth. Sellected contestants through judges and public voting will participate in the Finale of Reality Show Star of New Zealand. However we would like to announce that the Winners of Indian Star Of Christchurch and Taranaki Star will be our events Wild Card Entry ie, irrespective of judges points & public voting they will be performing for the Grand Finale of Star Of New Zealand. Show Manager of Star of N.Z. said chosen participants will commence performing on Triangle television on every Saturday between 31st July and 4th Sepember at 10.30am. Although one can watch Auditions on Stratos, Freeview, U Tube and the event website: www.starofnewzealand.co.nz We will announce details in G Plus, Indian Newslink, Radio Tarana, Indya.com and Triangle TV. There will be a public voting system through text and online. Semifi nals will be held on Saturday 14th August at Dorothy Winstone.The grand fi nale will be held on September 25, with the winner of the title,The Ultimate Entertainer of the YearStar of New Zealand, will qualify for a Car as the fi rst prize. The programme has three other partners including Vishal Rikhi, Managing Director, Aashirwad Foods Limited, Jayesh Bateriwala, Director, Kshitij Enterprises Ltd and Vinay Mehta, Editor & Director, GPlus. Kindly fwd this msg to all yr family and friends.... You never know.The person you informed casually can WIN A C A R

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Your performance in ‘Raajneeti’ has been widely appreciated by both the audiences and

critics alike. How does it feel being back in the success league once again? Success is not new to me but I am quite overwhelmed about the appreciation that has come my way with ‘Raajneeti’. After Bhiku Mhatre in ‘Satya’, it is Virendra Pratap Singh in ‘Raajneeti’ that the audiences could truly connect with. The fact that people have started addressing me by my screen name is an indicator that the character has clicked in a big way. After I did ‘Satya’, I thought that there would never be a character that would come up to the same level. But ‘Raajneeti’ has touched another high altogether.

We are told that Katrina touched your feet after the screening of the movie.It was just a gesture by her to show her appreciation. It surprised me. But it says so much about her. Katrina has worked her way up in life. She is very determined, genuine and hard working. She was almost written off with her fi rst movie but today she has reached the top. I am proud of her. She has done a fantastic job in the movie.

But there was a certain lull in your career after ‘Satya’. What do you think went wrong? There was never a lull. I did fi lms like ‘Kaun’, ‘Shool’, ‘Zubeida’, and ‘Pinjar’ which also did well at the box offi ce. However, I fell seriously ill in 1971. I was bed ridden for almost three years. I couldn’t even move my hands. Predictably, the critics wrote me off. They said my career was fi nished. I was out of circulation but somewhere within, I knew that I had to fi ght back. I knew a day would come when all this would change. My wife supported me a lot during this period. I came back with a vengeance with fi lms like ‘Acid Factory’ and ‘Jail’. I was critically appreciated for my performances in these fi lms

but unfortunately the fi lms did not click due to lack of promotion. This is a commercially driven industry and people here bow down only to the rising sun. Fortunately, ‘Raajneeti’ brought me back in the reckoning.

Did the period of lying low depress you?No I don’t get depressed. I am a very practical person. I am aware of the fact that everything here is valued by money.

You also attempted a comedy venture Money Hai Toh Honey Hai’ in the intervening period.I took up the fi lm because I wanted to break out of the mould of serious roles. The fi lm was directed by my good friend Ganesh Acharya. I had worked with Ganesh in his fi rst fi lm ‘Swamy’ and he stood by me in the lowest ebb of my career, which is also why I agreed to do the fi lm. It was sad that the fi lm didn’t do well. However, that hasn’t put me off comedy fl icks. I have decided that I will be a part of comedy ventures provided the script is good. I am doing one more fi lm titled ‘Dus Tola’ which is a soft humorous role. Tell us more about ‘Dus Tola’. ‘Dus Tola’ is a soft humorous story of a goldsmith who hails from a lower middle

class family. I even underwent training in making gold jewelry for one month to make the role look as convincing as possible. The tough part however was gaining weight for the role, since I had lost considerable weight for my role in Acid Factory. I also had to change my body language to suit the role of a simpleton. .

Which are the other fi lms that you are looking forward to? There is Anurag Kashyap’s ‘The Gangs of Wasseypur’, which is an adaptation of Godfather. I play a typical coal miner from Bihar. I am also doing ‘Chittagong Upsirising’, in which I play the character

of Surjya Sen.

Looking back, how would you defi ne your journey in Bollywood so far? It has indeed been a long journey, physically as well as mentally tiring. Fortunately for me, my friends have stood by my side during these good and bad years. I did not have a place to stay when I fi rst landed here but once you come here you learn to survive. I learnt the hard way about acting. I knew one thing for sure that when you learn to fall you learn to rise too. I learnt to follow my dreams. I took my own decision and am glad about what I have done so far. Your wife has been an actress too. Did you not consider the idea of working together at any point of time? My wife Shabnam is a fi ne actress and I would love to work with her but we have not been offered roles together. Right now, she is happy being at home. She is a lovely cook and makes great pasta and Chinese. We are a satisfi ed couple. Sometimes I help with the cooking at home. We wash utensils and cook together. At times I make tea for her too. Whenever we fi nd the time we watch movies together or go for long drives.

By Sharmishta T

“‘Raajneeti’ has brought me back in the brought me back in the reckoning”reckoning”

MANOJ BAJPAI

His powerful debut in Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Satya’ was the talk of the fi lm trade. However, the talented Manoj Bajpai almost vanished into oblivion, with a majority of his roles making little impact on his career. More recently, he was back with a bang in Prakash Jha’s ‘Raajneeti’, which once again brought his talent to the fore. He talks about his career post the success of the fi lm.

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLAND EVENTS 21WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

The international premier of B o l l y w o o d ’ s

most anticipated fi lm, ‘Raavan’ was held at the British Film Institute South bank in London on 16th June, 2010. The event witnessed the attendance of several Bollywood A-listers, besides international celebrities, besides the Bachchan family-Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai and the entire cast and crew of the fi lm including Vikram, Govinda, Ravi Kishen, Oscar-winning musician, A R. Rahman. Director Mani Ratnam stood calm and composed as ever with his wife Suhasini, but it was the presence of superstar Shah Rukh Khan with his wife Gauri that created a fl utter among the crowds. Shah Rukh had been invited by the senior Bachchan to the premier.

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Star-studded London premier of ‘Raavan’

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLANDNEW ZEALAND DIARY22 WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ

The contestants for the “Star of NZ’ have already started lining

up. They are all multi-faceted, gorgeous looking and raring to go.

We present some of the contestants here.

“National wants every young New Zealander to reach their full potential and be

given the opportunities they need to succeed. We are committed to helping lift student achievement and giving children the best possible start in life. That’s why we’re boosting education spending by $1.4 billion over four years in Budget 2010. This includes more money for early childhood education, more frontline funding for schools, more money for the Youth Guarantee, funding to roll out ultra-fast broadband to schools, and more places at universities and polytechnics.

Quality early childhood education is crucial to providing a good start in our children’s education.

“But some communities haven’t been accessing services, so we’re putting more than $90 million into fi ve projects to get families more involved in early childhood education.

This funding will help families most in need give their children the best possible start in life.

National also recognises the importance of ensuring schools have enough funding to provide resources and meet their students’ needs.

“We’re giving schools more money for frontline costs. This includes $350 million for new schools and buildings, improving existing structure, and repairing leaky buildings. And $156 million to provide more classroom resources and give schools the fl exibility

to invest in areas that their students need the most. Budget 2010 also provides funding to buy two new school sites, open three new schools in 2013, and redevelop one special school.

“Another part of our approach to lifting student achievement is the Youth Guarantee.

This programme is aimed at helping young people stay engaged with education and training beyond school. It gives them the opportunity to study and learn practical skills.

National is putting an extra $48.1 million into providing 500 extra places (2500 in total) for 16- and-17-year-olds to continue their education at selected private training establishments, institutes of technology, and polytechnics

“We are investing $48.3 million to build ultra-fast broadband support for schools. The focus is on upgrading schools’ networks in preparation for the use of ultra-fast broadband in their teaching and learning programmes.

“National is also focused on making the tertiary education sector more accountable to deliver better results for all New Zealanders. In Budget 2010, we’re funding 765 more places at universities and 455 places at technology institutes and polytechnics. And we’ve made changes to the student loan system so we can provide more opportunities for study.

The National-led Government is focused on lifting student achievement. Our future relies on unlocking the potential of our next generation.”

“As Minister of Immigration I have become increasingly

aware of concerns amongst our Ethnic communities about immigration policies for religious workers. I have listened to these concerns and last week I announced a review of the policy settings relating to religious workers.

“Most religious leaders applying to enter New Zealand are currently only granted a temporary Work Permit. We are looking at whether this meets the needs of communities. Religious workers make up a small proportion of Immigration New Zealand’s case load. Around 10 religious workers are granted

residence each year. The New Zealand Residence Programme allows for 45,000 - 50,000 migrants annually. About 300 religious workers are granted work permits (out of 177,361 temporary work permits issued annually).

Currently Immigration New Zealand has no specifi c policies for religious workers to become residents. They currently must apply for residence along with everybody else. The current situation does not recognise the non-standard qualifi cations of religious leaders and the strong desire of our faith communities that they want religious leaders who can stay in New Zealand long term.

“I have asked the Department

of Labour to review the current policies to see if they are appropriate, while ensuring the integrity of the immigration system is maintained.

The Depart of Labour has released the Review of immigration policies available to religious workers document for feedback. The review focuses on ensuring that visas for religious leaders suit the needs of our religious communities. The review report can be downloaded from the Department of Labour’s website http://www.dol.govt.nz/consultation/religious-workers/index.asp where you can also fi nd the details of the feedback process which can be done via mail or email.

“The fi rst new immigration category proposed in the policy review for religious workers would be a temporary entry visa. To gain this visa a religious worker would need a sponsoring religious organisation which would provide accommodation, maintenance and repatriation costs.

“To get the visa the religious leader would need to do religious work and prove they have religious training or work experience. This visa would apply for two years and could be renewed for another two years. This temporary visa could only be issued by a religious leader when the sponsoring religious group cannot fi nd a religious leader in New Zealand.

“There is currently no pathway to residence for religious leaders so we are looking at this at part of the review. The idea would be that a religious leader could apply for residency once they have been on the temporary entry visa. The English requirement , age limit and conditions required for the temporary entry visa and possible residence pathways are yet to be determined . We are seeking feedback from religious communities on these criteria.

I encourage you to make submissions to the Department of Labour on the Review of immigration policies available to religious workers, see http://dol .govt .nz/consul tat ion/index.asp for details.”

Star of NZ contestants

Hon John Key discusses National’s plans for school studentsGiving our children the tools to achieve

National reviews religious workers immigration policyBy Hon Jonathan Coleman, Minister of Immigration

JUNE 25, 2010, AUCKLAND STAR CLASSIFIED 23WWW. LESS4U.CO.NZ