A popular drama season celebrating Bengali theatre in East London has attracted a crop of talented writers to stage a series of original works as well as providing new takes on existing material.

Organised by Tower Hamlets Council’s Arts and Event team, A Season of Bangla Drama, is an annual event now in its eighth year showcasing new writing and the work of local drama groups in the borough chronicling the Bengali diaspora. Eight works have been selected to premiere at the festival.

The Season of Bangla Drama includes plays tackling a wide range of issues from the plight of restaurant workers in the UK to women’s’ rights and social inequality but with a fresh, funny and light-hearted approach.

Friday 26 and Saturday 27 November: Street Seduction written by Hussain Ismail - Street Seduction tells the story of a tough streetwise young man and the battle for his soul between his girl-next-door, a seductive beauty and an avenging fury. Only his estranged father’s love can redeem him and give him peace. (In English).

Saturday 27 November: The Legend of the Black Lotus Adapted by Rez Kabir - Come along with two siblings sent on a epic journey of danger and discovery to find the legendary Black Lotus. To a world beyond their dreams and imagination, encounter magical beasts, strange monsters of illusion and trickery. Will they overcome their challenge to save their family from the evil clutches of their uncle. An interactive story to amuse, enchant and excite the senses. Great family fun! Whitechapel Idea Store

Sunday 28: Bashon (The Salver) written by Selim Al-Din - Ashek is a poor farmer from a formerly wealthy family who, in their zenith, were mighty landowners of the village. Now reduced to poverty, his one treasured possession and heirloom from more prosperous times is the salver, the great dish which still symbolises the lost status of aristocracy. Ashek is thinking of selling the Salver, the prospective buyer of the salver is the village’s new landowner, Ajajil, who has coveted this treasure for some time. Ashek’s daughter asks Ashek not to sell the dish as it is the only link to their glorious past. The drama unfolds to confront issues of retribution and exposes the darker sides of human nature, but with flashes of humour and insight.

Address:

The Brady Arts Centre in Hanbury Street, Whitechapel

192-196 Hanbury St
City of London E1 5HU
020 7364 7900

Go on a limo ride with Imran Khan, then backstage with Sean Kingston! Also take a peak at the Asian Bachelor Awards 2010!

More mayhem on this week’s episode of Connect With the Stars.

Sunday 28 November @ 7pm only on Zing! FREE on Sky 789 and Freesat 509. Also avail on Virgin Media 811

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6Xue-ryEko

On this week’s episode of Brit’s Bollywood catch the secrets of how to have a goo break up coming straight from Imran Khan!

Sunday 28 November @ 11:30am only on Zing. FREE on Sky 780 and Freesat 509. Also avail on Virgin Media 811. Repeated at various times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVFNQ07pJlM

Get up close and personal with Jazzy B on this week’s Connect With The Stars. Also get talking with Kelly Rowland and go backstage with the Blackeyed Peas! A fun packed episode! Catch the repeat today @ 4pm only on Zing! FREE on Sky 789

Congratulations to Zee TV’s Action Replayy Competition winners! For your chance to win more goodies click here: www.zeetv.co.uk

Action Replayy - Zee TV Competition

Akshay Kumar’s jacket

Mit Gajjar, London

Goodie Bags

laiba Ilyas, Walthamstow

Laxmi Bhatti, Walsall

Kanisha, London

Fawad, Milton Keynes

Fidahoussen Shahista, France

Shumina Miah, London

Israt Jahan, Middlesborough

Javed Imran, Southall

Nari Manghani, Barnet

Kunal Sahni, Italy

Ritesh Parmar, Harrow

Yamini Vakharia, Southall

Atif Hussain, Windsor

Harman Unadkat, Northolt

Atiya Naaz, Wembley

Get up close and personal with Jazzy B on this week’s Connect With The Stars. Also get talking with Kelly Rowland and go backstage with the Blackeyed Peas! A fun packed episode!

Sun 21 Nov @ 7pm only on Zing! FREE on Sky 789 and Freesat 509. Also on Virgin Media 811

Rudra’s revenge on Gauri involves marrying and then abandoning her. But he isn’t aware of the love that she is hiding for him.

Watch Sanjog Se Bani Sangini Mon-Thu @ 10pm only on Zee TV!

It’s no mean task to essay a historical character like Jhansi Ki Rani especially when the story track revolves around the famous battles she fought. We have seen big Bollywood stars get fit & beef up for a particular role but the sets of Zee TV’s Jhansi Ki Rani looks like the battle ground in preparation for war. And war indeed it is! In their efforts to recreate the battle of Bithur to perfection, the team is pulling out all stops and has laid a very strict training regimen for the cast.

The hours devoted to training for the battle scenes have been increased and the actors are up at the crack of dawn to rehearse for the major war that is currently being shot.  Kratika Sengar, the lead actress of the show, is training for nearly 4 hours each day to perfect her sword wielding technique. Word has it that the ancient art of Malakhamb has been brought to the sets by a trainer who has been whipping Kratika into shape in the efforts to increase her stamina, flexibility & endurance.

Malkhamb is a traditional Indian sport in which a gymnast performs feats and poses in concert with a vertical wooden pole or rope. Though earliest references to the sport date back to the 12th century, its practice was not well recorded until its reinvention in the 19th century by Balambhatta Dada Deodhar, the fitness instructor of Peshwa Bajirao II during the reign of the Peshwas. It involves the participant performing various acrobatic feats and poses while hanging on a vertical wooden pole fixed in the ground.

“The scenes that we are shooting are more physically demanding than the ones that I have been used to doing in the show so far. The extreme heat on the outdoor shoot does not help in any way either so I do appreciate all the help that I can get. The role demands it and I’m doing all to ensure that it looks authentic and it is not like they are making me slave away against my wishes” she says with a laugh.

We cannot wait to see history re-enacted as the plot gets into high gear as it approaches major battles that Jhansi Ki Rani fights to protect her kingdom and her people. With preparations on in full swing,  there is no doubt that it will make for a very interesting battle indeed!

Watch history come to life on your TV screens on Jhansi Ki Rani, everyMonday to Friday at 9:30pm, only on Zee TV.

O2’s search for the next Indian Soap Star continues..

O2’s Indian Soap Star audition teams hit the Midlands this week in a bid to find the next star of Zee’s award-winning Indian TV show Pavitra Rishta.

The O2 Indian Soap Star crew will be landing in Birmingham and Leicester on Thursday to audition aspiring stars for the prize of a lifetime.  Not only will one lucky winner win a part in Pavitra Rishta, watched by a staggering 60 million people, they will also be treated to a week long, 5-star, Bollywood holiday in Mumbai.

Last week hundreds of people made it down to audition in London, Manchester and Glasgow – check out their auditions on our dedicated You Tube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/o2indiansoapstar

For more information about the competition or to find out where your nearest audition is taking place visit www.facebook.com/o2uk

DID is back! And this time if you’re from the UK or Europe you have a chance to audition in the DID Doubles Auditions!

If you are in between the age group of 18 — 35 years and are professional trained in at least 2 different styles of dancing (for eg. Ballroom/ Jive/ Salsa/ Modern Contemporary/ Hip Hop/ Indian Classical)…

Then here is the chance for you to take part in DID Doubles. Just log on to www.zeetv.co.uk, download the application form, complete the form and send us a DVD having your dance performances, along with a copy of your passport and 2 passport size photographs by 20th Nov to — DID DOUBLES EUROPE AUDITIONS, Zee TV, UNIT 7, BELVUE BUSINESS CENTRE, BELVUE ROAD, NORTHOLT, UB5 5QQ

For more information log on to www.zeetv.co.uk