Greetings Curry Lovers!

Now that New Year's resolutions are just a distant memory, I am left pondering if my cup is "half empty or half full", i.e. am I a pessimist or an optimist? A MORI poll, undertaken last month, showed that nearly 40% or those surveyed would prefer to live in in an area where people are from the same ethnic background as themselves. "Half empty" people would seize on this is as statistic to show to the increasing rate of ethnic intolerance. On the other hand, "half full" people would note that this means 60% prefer to live in ethnically mixed neighbourhoods!

One area of disquiet is the lack of Asian political clout, and more importantly presence of Asian leaders outside of the business arena. The BBC announced that Andrea Callender was appointed its new Head of Diversity and I could not help wondering if there should have been an Asian chosen for this role. Ironically, even in the business arena, where Asians traditionally feel they excel, a recent LDA survey has shown that SME's in the capital are held back by poor management and insufficient business planning. The UK's best loved comic business leader, David Brent (played by Ricky Gervais), did not let this stop him picking up two American Golden Globe Awards yesterday.

BBC DIVERSITY HEAD SHOULD BE ASIAN	SME'S HELD BACK BY POOR MANAGERS
What do Andrea Callender, the new BBC Head of Diversity, Trevor Phillips, Chair of the CRE, Yvonne Thompson, Chair of the EMF, Paul Boateng MP, Baroness Amos MP, and Lee Jasper, Mayor's Policy Director, all have in common? None is Asian. read more	Management weaknesses and insufficient business planning appear to be hindering the performance of London businesses. An independent survey showed that businesses need basic management practices. read more
POLL SHOWS FEW TRUST DIVERSITY	TEACHING AWARDS 2004 - NOMINATIONS
A MORI poll, conducted for Prospect Magazine, has shown that nearly 40% of people in Britain would prefer to live in an area where people are from the same ethnic background as themselves. read more	With less than a week left to nominate the unsung stars of the classroom for the Teaching Awards 2004, parents, pupils, former pupils, governors and colleagues are urged to put forward an inspiring individual for the top prize. read more

One area where Asians do continue to excel is in cuisine. Alex Salmond M.P. and founder Tommy Miah announced the shortlist for the title of this year's Indian Chef of the Year trophy. With over 5000 entrants vying to invent a new dish incorporating that old Indian staple...haddock(!)... into their menu, the cook-off next month promises to be a fishy affair.

Kuldeep Singh's Chowki restaurant in Denman Street is competing with last year's winner Chutney Mary, new comer the New Tayyab, Michelin-starred Zaika and The Painted Heron for this year's London Restaurant Awards.

INDIAN CHEF OF THE YEAR 2004	LONDON RESTAURANT AWARDS SHORTLIST
Alex Salmond M.P. announced the names of seven finalists in the 2003/4 Indian Chef of the Year Competition at a reception in the House of Commons on 15 Jan 2004. read more	Curry tops the menu at the London Restaurant Awards - the most exciting event in the restaurant calendar. Chowki, New Tayyab, The Painted Heron, Zaika and Chutney Mary are all shortlisted. read more

The South Asian Arts scene looks set to explode this year. dbXpo 2004 in the West Midlands will showcase the talents of Nitin Sawhney, A R Rahman, club collective Shaanti and Peshkar Production's new play 'Masala Girls - The Wedding'. Those in Harrow can enjoy its 'That's Indian' season of film, music and dance.

dB Xpo 2004, 9 FEB - APRIL.	'THAT'S INDIAN' SEASON, 12 FEB - 19 MARCH
dB Xpo 2004, a major Asian Arts Festival in the West Midlands features Nitin Sawhney, A R Rahman, club collective Shaanti, and a new play 'Masala Girls - The Wedding'. read more	Harrow Arts Centre is to celebrate the launch of it's 'That's Indian' season of dance, music and film which runs from 12 Feb until 19 Mar 2004 and features dance performances by Pali Chandra and the Nina Rajarani Dance Company. read more

When it comes to Bollywood song and dance, our "cup runneth over". Latest release Khakee, which opened at cinemas on 23 January, features an all star cast including Amitabh Bachchan and golden girl Aishwarya Rai. Also showing is a kind off 'Ocean's Eleven' style of caper called Plan. The Hindu/Muslim relationship is explored in Ishq Hai Tumse and the world's oldest profession is given a rose-tinted hue in Chameli. Line of Control is Bollywood's take on the war movie, and Sanjay Dutt takes a comic turn in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.

KHAKEE, UK RELEASE 23 JANUARY 2004	ISHQ HAI TUMSE
Khakee, the latest film from the highly respected director Rajkumar Santoshi is released 23 Jan 2004. This dramatic police thriller boasts an all star cast including Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan & golden girl Aishwarya Rai. read more	This is the story of two friends - one Hindu and the other Muslim. Their friendship is a unique example of religious tolerance and national integrity. Their families are so close to each other that they look like one big happy family. read more
PLAN	CHAMELI
When four strangers met in train compartment, sharing their little plans about their future, little did they know that Mumbai had other plans for them. read more	One dark night. Chameli, a much hardened women of the streets, stands at her corner waiting for a customer. Two strangers. A sudden rainstorm brings them together and sparks off a romance unlike any other. read more
LINE OF CONTROL (L.O.C)	MUNNA BHAI M.B.B.S
India is an idea worth dying for.. whether u are Hindu or Muslim, an inhospitable graveyard at half the height of Everest, that was Kargil, the nation's youth reduced to memories of valour. read more	Munnabhai is a happy man. He lives with his gang in the bylanes of a 'dhobi ghat' in Mumbai and enjoys his booze & brawls. Not much bothers Munna except his parents' annual visit. read more

The search for a British Asian Bollywood idol continues. Samir & Leylah Bhamra have launched the BollyIdol talent search for actors and designers for a musical called 'Precious Bazaar'. Channel 4's Bollywood Star also received a reprieve this week when Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt stepped in to guarantee that the winner of this reality TV contest actually has a movie to star in at the end! This week also sees the DVD & Video release of Deepa Mehta's 'Bollywood/Hollywood' and true-to-form we have two copies to give away to those who can answer our ludicrously easy question.

'BOLLYIDOL' TALENT SEARCH	BOLLYWOOD STAR REPRIEVE
Samir and Leylah Bhamra, the husband and wife duo behind Phizzical are giving talented young Asians the chance to star in a brand new musical. The 'BollyIdol' search is to hold auditions which take place in March 2004. read more	Bollywood Star, this summer's Channel 4 programme to find a new British Bollywood idol, has confirmed that Director Mahesh Bhatt is to offer the winner a part in his next film. read more
BBC APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF DIVERSITY	STAR TV NOW BUNDLED FOR FREE BY BSKYB
The BBC announced that it has appointed Andrea Callender as Head of Diversity. Andrea will co-ordinate the BBC's objective to reflect fully the diversity of the UK, both in its programmes, and in staffing. read more	From 1st March 2004, over 7 million households who subscribe to Sky Digital's Family Pack or Lifestyle Pack will be able to watch Star Plus & Star News without paying an additional subscription fee. read more
BOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD OUT ON DVD & VIDEO
The smash hit film, Bollywood Hollywood, written and directed by Deepa Mehta will be available on VHS & DVD from 26 January 2004! Bollywood Hollywood is a romantic comedy about a mixed group of Indian Canadians. The characters range from a millionaire to a car mechanic, a high attitude escort girl, a conservative grandmother to a rebellious teenager. They all share a common passion - Bollywood! The story centres on Rahul Seth (Rahul Khanna) a dashing millionaire who believes he is "western" enough to rebel against his mother (Moushumi Chatterjee) and grandmother (Dina Pathak). read more
**** BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD DVD COMPETITION ****
We have 2 copies of the recently released 'Bollywood/Hollywood' DVD to give away. To win a one, simply answer the question below: Q1) Name two films that Deepa Mehta has previously directed? HOW TO ENTER 1. Reply to this email with your answer. Ensure you provide your full name, a DAYTIME DELIVERY address and TELEPHONE NUMBER. 2. If you are unable to reply to this email, send a separate email to webmaster@redhotcurry.com with your answer. Ensure you provide your full name, a DAYTIME DELIVERY address and TELEPHONE NUMBER. TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. Competition is open to UK Residents over the age of 18 only. 2. You must be a registered member of Redhotcurry.com. Please take a moment to sign up. 3. Winners will be chosen from the first two correct answers received. 4. The Editor's decision is final.

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai has been making headlines again. This time as the "Most Attractive Woman' of 2003 in a Hello! magazine poll. Unfortunately there were no Bollywood heartthrobs in the 'Most Attractive Man' of the year category which left me wondering exactly who was doing all the voting. For those who might like to look like Aishwarya, the Asian Wedding Exhibition 2004 returns to Wembley Exhibition Halls this weekend. It promises the very best in Eastern fashion and beauty so making a beeline for it might be a good idea.

AISH - MOST ATTRACTIVE WOMAN 2003	ASIAN WEDDING EXHIBITION 2004
India's most famous actress, Aishwarya Rai, has been voted the most attractive woman of 2003 by hellomagazine.com readers. The green-eyed beauty took some 33% of the vote, despite a strong challenge from Keira Knightley. read more	The Asian Wedding Exhibition returns to Wembley Exhibition Halls in London on Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February 2004 . Celebrating it's tenth year, the event will be showcasing the very best of East and West fashion and beauty. read more

There is a pun in there somewhere about queen bees, beeline and busy bee's, but I'll just buzz off now!

Until next time,
Lopa Patel (Editor - redhotcurry.com)

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