The German celebrity and the supermodel, Heidi Klum has invited the displeasure of the Hindu leaders in America by dressing up as Hindu goddess Kali for a Halloween party. Her husband, singer Seal, dressed up as Indian mythical character, Angulimaal, at the party thrown in New York by Klum herself, and attended by many celebrities.

According to a website report, the leaders are demanding a public apology from Klum, for posing as a sacred figure in a party. Indian-American community leader Rajan Zed said: “Goddess Kali is highly revered in Hinduism and she is meant to be worshipped in temples and not to be used in clubs for publicity stunts or thrown around loosely for dramatic effect.”

A local court in Chandigarh admitted a criminal complaint against cricketer Harbhajan Singh and TV actress Mona Singh for hurting the sentiments of Hindus and Sikhs by their performance in a reality T.V. dance show.

The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate here listed proceedings of the case for next Monday.

Harbhajan Singh and Mona Singh, both Sikhs had appeared on the show, Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena on Colors channel dressed up as Mythological characters Ravana and Sita and performed a dance number. This has irked both Hindu and Sikh groups which have demanded apologies from both performers.

A Pakistani cultural troupe is slated to present a play in Jammu and Kashmir next week on Baba Bulleh Shah, a 17th century Sufi saint who was revered by both Hindus and Muslims in his time.

The troupe of 20 artistes, comprising qawwals and actors of the Pakistani group Ajok, will give a performance in Jammu on Jan 27 and 28.

Jammu is preparing in a big way to receive the artistes with theatres fully booked.

The group, which has won acclaim for its play “Ek Thee Nani”, is led by two well known Pakistani artistes, Maliha Gauhar and Shahid Nadeem.

Would you like a Slurpee with that?” says the brown skinned, turban clad Sikh man behind the 7-11 counter. And this introduction serves as the basis for most Americans’ perception of the South Asian experience.

We supposedly work 27 hours a day at gas stations, Patel-owned motels, quick shop marts, Subway stores, computer firms, or emergency wards — and that’s it. On television, our entire culture is represented by television icon Apu Nahasapeemapetalan, the Indian immigrant owner of “Kwik-e- Mart” on The Simpsons. A visually one-dimensional cartoon character with more animation and character than the one-dimensional cardboard caricatures seen in most Hollywood movies, TV shows (with the exception of Naveen Andrews in Lost); talk radio, and academic history books. Desis are also in the news because of “outsourcing:” Our brown brethren of the East are supposedly systematically destroying the American job market by working the same job for 1/10 of the pay.

A period movie is a daunting undertaking, even for experienced and accomplished directors and financially profitable production houses. In Laaj, former civil servant Rauf Khalid has ambitiously selected a true story from British India (1936) for his debut as a producer, writer and director. That made the production a multiple challenge. The film starts with love blossoming between a rich Hindu girl and a poor Muslim boy, which culminates in an armed clash between the British colonial rulers and the Pathans. How has he fared?

It is an offbeat movie, but nothing should detract from the fact that it is an important effort that tries to break fresh and extremely difficult ground. In our times of absurd local cinema, distinct from cinema of the absurd, Laaj should be welcomed as a breath of fresh air.

The Chirpy Chawla is still very much a part of the film industry, inspite of her having turned mommy. Though her last few films haven’t necessarily got the cash registers ringing, her next project in the form of ‘Jhankar Beats’ promises to be a biggie at the BO. At least that’s what sources say. Besides this film, Juhi has also been roped in for Tanuja Chandra’s ‘Vaasta’ and another one titled ‘Ek Dat Tak’ in which she plays a housewife in a conservative Hindu family. Well, we hope these bring her the success she hopes for.