Google Maps now with Real Time Traffic Info.

Just noticed this: Take a look for Detroit, Michigan:

Color coded routes indicate traffic levels

Nishabd - A Desi Lolita comes to Michigan

Nishabd a love story between a 60 year old man(Amitabh Bachchan) and a 18 year old girl (Jiah Khan) is scheduled to be shown at SR Movies, Novi, MI from March 2nd thru March 8th.

Story sounds somewhat similar to Vladimir Nobokov's novel Lolita

For showtimes visit MIMANTRA

Hrithik Roshan and Kajol - Bollywood's Best (2006)

Hrithik Roshan got the best actor award for Dhoom 2 and Kajol got the best for Fanaa. The awards were given at the 52nd annual Filmfare awards held at Mumbai (02/24/07).

Best Picture award went to Rang De Basanti.

Related: Bollywood's Filmfare awards History.

Upcoming Holi Events in Michigan (2007)

Uttar Pradesh Association of Greater Detroit (UPAD) is having their annual HOLI function (BARAS RAHE RANG) on Saturday March 10th, 2007 at Bharatiya Temple, located at Troy, MI. Visit UPAD website for more details.

Michigan Indian American Cultural Association (MIIACA) is having their annual HOLI function (HOLI and VAISAKHI celebration) on Saturday April 14th, 2007 at Costick Center located at 28600 Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI. Visit the MIIACA website for more details.

Do you know of any other HOLI functions in Michigan then do let the community know by posting a comment or sending me an email.

Desi Romeos - A sizzling Doritos idea for you

A friend forwarded this to me. Supposedly it is a advertisement for Doritos Tandoori Sizzler. Hilarious...

Bollywood's Filmfare award history

The 52nd Filmfare Awards will be held on February 25th, 2007.

Here's a Google Maps Mashup of the Best Actors and Actresses from 1953 to present day. There's also YouTube video clips embedded in the Map for some of the actors and actresses.

Indian Restaurants in Windsor, Ontario

If you plan to go across the river to Windsor, Ontario then check this Google Maps Mashup of Indian Restaurants. If you like the food then do vote for the restaurant.

(Note: If you know of any other restaurants in Windsor, Ontario then do let me know)

Haryana Train Blasts claim 66+ lives

Fire caused by explosives claimed 66+ lives on board Atari express. The accident occured near Diwana Railway Station, Haryana (Google Maps View). For more on this story check out IBN.

Amitabh Bachchan - President of India???

Yes, some political parties in India are considering nominating Amitabh Bachchan to be the next President of India. (Click here for more details)

What do you think?

Indian American reaches the top 24 in American Idol

Sanjaya Malakar 17, from Federal Way, WA reaches the top 24 in FOX's American Idol.

Indian Cricket Team for World Cup 2007 on Google Maps

Here's a Google Maps Mashup of Indian Cricket Team for World Cup Cricket 2007. There's also YouTube video embedded in the mashup for each of the 15 players.

Aishwarya Rai and Mallika Sherawat in Top 99 Most Desirable Women's List

Aishwarya Rai moved up 7 notches from 47 to 40 in Askmen's list of Top 99 most desirable women. Mallika Sherawat the only other Indian to appear in the list is ranked 78th.


Check out the entire list of Top 99 women (including YouTube video) on Google Maps at MIBAZAAR.

First Aishwarya Rai and now a Bentley

Earlier in the year Abhishek Bachchan got engaged to Aishwarya Rai. And yesterday on the occasion of Abhishek's 31st Birthday Papa Bachchan gifted son Abhishek with a Bentley worth Rs 2 crore.

And what did Aishwarya Rai give Abhishek? According to her secretary

Aishwarya's gift, if any besides the bouquet, remains a guarded secret. "Her gift to Abhishek is too personal and confidential," Aishwarya's secretary Hari Singh told reporters.

Hmmmm!

Eklavya: The Royal Guard comes to SR Movies, MI

Eklavya: The Royal Guard, a Bollywood Hindi movie is coming to SR Movies, Novi on February 16th. Check MIMANTRA for show timings.

Eklavya stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Raima Sen, Jackie Shroff, Jimmy Shergill and Boman Irani.

From Wikipedia:

The film is set in contemporary India. For nine generations Eklavya's (Amitabh Bachchan) family has guarded the Kings of Devigarh. He has only one purpose: to protect the Devigarh dynasty, the fort and the king. Eklavya has vowed to himself that whatever secrets he knows of the family will die with him on his funeral pyre. Having served the royal family all his life, he is getting old and blind.

The heir of the throne, Prince Harshwardhan (Saif Ali Khan) tired of the unfair customs ruling the land escaped to London but reluctantly returns for the funeral of his mother Queen Suhasinidevi (Sharmila Tagore). The kingdom is overjoyed with his return as is his mentally challenged twin sister, Princess Nandini (Raima Sen) and his childhood sweetheart Rajjo (Vidya Balan).

However the kingdom is torn because the farmers are being stripped of their lands. King Rana Jaywardhan (Boman Irani) along with his brother Rana Jyotiwardhan (Jackie Shroff) support the injustice to the farmers. The king receives a death threat over the phone. Pannalal Chohaar (Sanjay Dutt) investigates the threat to the king but with the kingdom already in turmoil his help may be too late. As carnage breaks the secrets of the Devigarh dynasty are revealed...

Sistar Mortgage - Indian owned Mortgage Co. in MI

Rajeev Gandhi, owner of SISTAR MORTGAGE was recently interviewed by Detroit Free Press (01/28/07).

The Free Press article highlights SISTAR MORTGAGE's expansion into states outside Michigan.

Quoting the Free Press article:

Since he began, he has expanded into 17 other states, including California, Texas and Florida.

Indeed, Michigan's cooling housing market has impacted his business, which is why he has been expanding elsewhere.

"When we began, 100% of our business was in Michigan," Gandhi said. "This year, we will do about 60% of our business outside of Michigan."

Rajeev Gandhi is originally from New Delhi and he is an engineer by profession. He started SISTAR MORTGAGE in 2001.

In a email reponse to MIBAZAAR Rajeev states that SISTAR MORTGAGE is already in 18 states and will be expanding into 40 states.

An impressive showing by a Michigan Indian owned Company. You can reach SISTAR MORTGAGE at 888-841-4238

Indian American Teen from Bloomfield Hills excels in Intel Talent Search Competition

Sohan Venkat Mikkilineni, 17, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan is one of the four Indian Americans among the 40 finalists selected January 31st in the ongoing Intel Science Talent Search competition -- the country's elite science competition for high school students.

Sohan's Bio as mentioned in the Intel Talent Search Website

Sohan Venkat Mikkilineni, 17, of Bloomfield Hills, submitted an Intel Science Talent Search mathematics project that analyzed determinantal sequences. A d-determinantal sequence is a doubly infinite sequence of integers (..., an-1, an, an+1,...) such that the two-by-two determinant anan+3 - an+1an+2 = d. Note that three consecutive entries, together with d, determine the sequence. For ¦d¦>1 and where there is no common divisor of all the terms with odd indices (and similarly for even indices), Sohan proved that there are, with few exceptions, only finitely many solutions. By setting x = a1, y = a2 one sees a link between determinantal sequences and those solutions of the equation ax2 + abxy - by2 = -d with none of the pairs (x,b), (y,a) and (x,y) having a non-trivial common divisor.

Sohan attends Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, and is captain of the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Club. His scientific achievements have earned him a certificate of tribute from Governor Granholm. An accomplished cellist, Sohan is a member of the Detroit Civic Sinfonia Orchestra. The son of Drs. Prasad and Jhansi Mikkilineni, he plans to study pre-medicine at MIT or Stanford.