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In 2009 alone, four films and one television series titled “Karma” were made. Starting with J.L. Freer-Hunt directed 1933 “Karma”, 21 films titled “Karma” have been produced. Beginning with 1912 “The Reincarnation of Karma” (about a snake who is said to resume human form every 100 years) to upcoming 2011 “The Karma Coalition”, there are 61 films whose name includes word “Karma” in it, including “Karma Café”, “Instant Karma”, “Karma Police”, “Karma Bitch”, “Karma Cats”, “Karma Baby”, etc.

There are nine people in entertainment industry whose names somehow have “Karma” attached to it and 68 more who have “Karma” as a part of their names. There have been five characters named “Karma” in movies and two whose name included “Karma”. There are 48 entertainment related companies with “Karma” as part of their names.

Hollywood diva Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls), 23, wrote on social networking service ‘twitter’ sometime back: “i’m all about Karma.. what goes around comes around!”

Hindus have expressed concern over the usage of Hindu terminology loosely in movies and other entertainment industries. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Hindus welcomed world filmmakers to make films about Hindu subjects but taking Hinduism seriously and respectfully and not reimagining its concepts and symbols just for mercantile greed. “Karma” had definite meaning for devotees and improper usage of such terms was not okay.

Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that “Karma”, the web of cause and effect and the rule of universal causality resulting from action, was first commented in ancient Satapatha Brahmana, and now forms one of the basic principles of Hindu philosophy. The sum total of one’s actions, desires, feelings, and thoughts form one’s Karma, which is a cosmic law of debit and credit for good and evil.

Meanwhile, Bhavna Shinde of Forum for Hindu Awakening also urged filmmakers to be careful when handling Hinduism concepts and terminology and traditions as insensitive handling resulted in plundering serious spiritual convictions and revered symbols and thus tormenting the devotees.

Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

Hindus concerned over usage of “Karma” & other concepts loosely in Hollywood

“Karma” is becoming highly popular in Hollywood and other entertainment industries.

In 2009 alone, four films and one television series titled “Karma” were made. Starting with J.L. Freer-Hunt directed 1933 “Karma”, 21 films titled “Karma” have been produced. Beginning with 1912 “The Reincarnation of Karma” (about a snake who is said to resume human form every 100 years) to upcoming 2011 “The Karma Coalition”, there are 61 films whose name includes word “Karma” in it, including “Karma Café”, “Instant Karma”, “Karma Police”, “Karma Bitch”, “Karma Cats”, “Karma Baby”, etc.

There are nine people in entertainment industry whose names somehow have “Karma” attached to it and 68 more who have “Karma” as a part of their names. There have been five characters named “Karma” in movies and two whose name included “Karma”. There are 48 entertainment related companies with “Karma” as part of their names.

Hollywood diva Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls), 23, wrote on social networking service ‘twitter’ sometime back: “i’m all about Karma.. what goes around comes around!”

Hindus have expressed concern over the usage of Hindu terminology loosely in movies and other entertainment industries. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Hindus welcomed world filmmakers to make films about Hindu subjects but taking Hinduism seriously and respectfully and not reimagining its concepts and symbols just for mercantile greed. “Karma” had definite meaning for devotees and improper usage of such terms was not okay.

Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that “Karma”, the web of cause and effect and the rule of universal causality resulting from action, was first commented in ancient Satapatha Brahmana, and now forms one of the basic principles of Hindu philosophy. The sum total of one’s actions, desires, feelings, and thoughts form one’s Karma, which is a cosmic law of debit and credit for good and evil.

Meanwhile, Bhavna Shinde of Forum for Hindu Awakening also urged filmmakers to be careful when handling Hinduism concepts and terminology and traditions as insensitive handling resulted in plundering serious spiritual convictions and revered symbols and thus tormenting the devotees.

Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

~RJ

The award is for her “outstanding contribution to Cinema spanning over three decades”, which will be presented by “Tongues on Fire” film festival in a gala dinner at Sheraton Hotel in Piccadilly area of London (United Kingdom), hosted by British television and film actor Rizwan Ahmed (Shifty).

Her son Filmfare winner Abhishek Bachchan (Dostana) will also be present. Tickets are 150 Pounds (about 10,700 Indian Rupees) plus Value Added Tax.

“Tongues on Fire”, being held in United Kingdom from March 5th  to 14th, 2010, is a film festival dedicated to expressing the drive and spirit of Asian independent media and cinema cultures of South Asia. It provides a unique international platform for Asians working in film and media around the world.

 Jaya Bachchan (Kal Ho Naa Ho), 61, started her career at 15 in legendary Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film “Mahanagar” (1963), acted in about 44 movies and has been producer, writer and Rajya Sabha member. She has received Padma Shri, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and has won six Filmfare awards. She is the wife of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan (Black) and mother-in-law of superstar Aishwarya Rai (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). She is an alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

~RJZ

Oscar winner A.R. Rahman is providing music for this futuristic film about water wars between rich and poor, which includes a love story also. Spirituality author Deepak Chopra (Secrets of the Seven Sounds) is another producer while Oscar nominated Jill Bilcock (Moulin Rouge!) is the editor. Cast of “Paani”, slated to be released in 2011, includes Filmfare winner Vivek Oberoi (Company).

They include: Today’s Special (David Kaplan), Love Aaj Kal (Imtiaz Ali), Cooking With Stella (Dilip Mehta), Diana (Aleem Khan), Scene 32 (Shambhavi Kaul), Talentime (Yasmin Ahmad), and Flying (Kirthi Nath). In addition, the following Indian or India related shorts will participate: Narmeen (Dipti Gogna), Clap Clap (Tanuj Chopra), Anjali (Maya Anand), Kavi (Gregg Helvey), and A Day’s Work (Rajeev Dassani).

The SFIAAFF, presented by Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) every March, is claimed to be the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 120 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose in California (USA) since 1982. Chi-hui Yang is Festival Director while Stephen Gong is CAAM Executive Director.

Photocredit: SFIAAFF

Sharpe has previously composed music for Oscar nominated “Firedancer”, John Shea directed “Southie”, and internationally acclaimed documentary “Peace One Day”.

This Warner Bros distributed film, which has won Special Jury Award at WorldFest Houston, was shot in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands, Putrajaya), Pakistan (Lahore), and India (Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu-Kashmir, Maharashtra). This sports-action film; directed by Sanjay Puransingh Chauhan and produced by Vivek Khatkar; stars Aanaahad, Shraddha Das, Farouque Shaikh, and Nafisa Ali.

Lisbeth Scott, whose credits include “Avatar”, “The Passion of the Christ”, “The Chronicles of Narnia”, “and Munich”, is one of the playback singers. Other playback singers include Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, and Daler Mehndi.