Sunidhi Chauhan coming to Metro Detroit

Sunidhi Chauhan, Javed Ali and Hard Kaur will be performing at Michigan Association of Physicians of Indian Origin's (MAPI) Annual Gala Event on August 15th, 2009 at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway, Detroit MI 48226. The show starts at 8.00 PM. This event will feature Sunidhi Chauhan, Javed Ali and Hard Kaur.

It will be great if the organizers can invite Michigan's very own, the talented Darshana Menon (Winner of SA RE GA MA PA USA) to do the opening act and introduce Sunidhi Chauhan.

For more details visit MAPI website.

Indian Culture in Michigan

Tanya Muzumdar writes an excellent article in the current issue of Metromode about "How South Asian culture as expressed through Bollywood films, dance and specialty foods has moved beyond local enclaves onto Main Street Michigan".

She writes about "Bhangra" which is India's famous pop culture export, which is also a inspiration for dance numbers in bollywood films and how Michigan's very own - the talented Anuja Rajendra (founder of Bollyfit) teaches it all over Metro Detroit. Anuja's students are not limited to Indian dancers. Its pretty diverse.

I have written about this before and Tanya also mentions it: Nipa Shah of MIICC has arranged for Bollywood Acting classes in our area which will be taught by Anupam Kher's Actor Prepares School.

Tanya then writes about Novi Town Center 8 where bollywood films are screened and where folks come from as far as Toledo, Lansing, Cincinnati.

The article also writes about Indian Restaurants in our area and there are plenty of restaurants here. Tanya writes about Royal Sweets located in Farmington Hills which is the only store in Michigan carrying fresh sweets, made in-store daily, from all regions of the Indian subcontinent.

Tanya makes a brief mention about the various Michigan Indian Radio Hosts including Mumtaz Haque who is advisor to Gov. Granholm on Asian and Pacific Affairs in Michigan.

Finally yes, Tanya writes about my Michigan Indian Community Blog and the work I do with Google Maps, Twitter, YouTube API's.

India Day 2009

India League of America brings to you "India Day 2009" a mega Indian Event of 2009 in Michigan. The event will be held on August 16th, 2009 from 10 AM to 8 PM at Rock Financial Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue, Novi, MI 48374.

Celebrate India's Independence Day with "Free Admission" to this event. You can participate in "Freedom Parade", enjoy live Indian Cultural Programs. There will also be plenty of authentic Indian Food from local area Indian Restaurants. At this event you can also shop for Indian clothing, jewelery and artifacts.

Visit the event website for more details

Indian Classical Dance at Lansing, MI

Michigan Odissi Dance Academy brings to you "An Evening of Indian Classical Dance" with Shreelina Ghosh and Manasi Mishra on Saturday August 29th, 2009 from 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm at:
Kinawa Middle School Auditorium
1900 Kinawa Drive, Okemos, MI 48864

Tickets are priced very reasonably at $5.00 for students and $10.00 for family. For more details visit michiganodissi.googlepages.com

This is a great opportunity to experience the glimpses of ancient Indian classical aesthetic and spiritual traditions. Odissi is a 2000 year old performative art in India and one of the seven classical dances of the region. Both Shreelina Ghosh and Manasi Mishra will not only demonstrate the physical aspects of performance, but also how it evolved from the sculptures of Konark and Khajuraho temples and vegetable-dye "Pata Chitra" artwork.

Here's Shreelina Ghosh:

Michgan Indian - Dr. Sarab Neelam

Last week I wrote a blog post on "Ocean of Pearls" a Hollywood movie made by Michigan Indian Physician Dr. Sarab Neelam. Just got a word that Nipa Shah of MIICC has just interviewed Dr. Sarab Neelam.

In the interview Dr. Sarab Neelam talks about always wanting to make movies ever since he was a young boy living in India. With the encouragement of his parents though he became a medical doctor.

During his residency in Michigan, he met Jim Burnstein a screen writer professor at University of Michigan. Jim has been a friend and mentor to Dr. Sarab Neelam since then.

So what motivated Dr. Sarab Neelam to make "Ocean of Pearls". There were several world events such as 1984 crisis in India, Iran hostage standoff, and 9/11 that made the Sikhs feel as outcasts and terrorists. Sikhs were misunderstood in the world. These events strengthened his desire to tell the world about who Sikhs really are. Sikhs were a victim of hate crimes and waves of intolerance. Quoting Dr. Sarab Neelam:

At times I questioned myself as to why was I born a Sikh and why couldn't I be like everyone else. It is only with time and experience that you realize that just because you wear a turban doesn't make you a Sikh and just because you wear a white coat doesn't make you a doctor. So "Ocean of Pearls" became the story of a young Sikh doctor battling the injustices of the American Health System and ultimately his own identity.

Plymouth Township leads in Michigan - Best Places to live in United States -2009

Michigan has 5 cities listed in this year's "Best Places to live in United States". Coming in at #28 is Plymouth Township, MI followed by (38)Gross Ile, (52)Rochester, (68)Saline, (93)Tecumseh.

Even though Fortune has mapped out the data on Google Maps, I have taken the same data and created a Google Maps Mashup with "numbered" markers and also added a search capability (located on the left of the map) which narrows your results by "states".

(data source: FORTUNE)

Ocean of Pearls - A Hollywood Film with a Michigan Indian Connection

Sarab Neelam, M.D., is a physician at St. John Macomb Hospital in Warren, Michigan. He is also the man incharge (director) of Ocean of Pearls a Hollywood Film.

"Ocean of Pearls" premiers Aug. 7 at Landmark Maple Art Theatre in Bloomfield Hills, MI and soon after at AMC Forum 30 in Sterling Heights, MI.


Short Synopsis:

Amrit Singh is of two worlds, but belongs to neither. A turban-wearing Sikh, he has lived his life in North America out of sorts and out of place, cast adrift at an uneasy crossroads between East and West. But when he is offered a prestigious position as a transplant surgeon in a Detroit hospital, the young doctor sees it as a opportunity to start fresh. He struggles to be the man he believes he is and at the same time the person he wants to be. His ambitious pursuit of success, however eventually leads to tragedy and it is only in defining his singular identity that he finds peace.

Pictures - Ann Arbor Summer Festival

Ann Arbor Summer Festival was recently held at Ann Arbor. Michigan's very own Anuja Rajendra of Bollyfit along with her group took part in the festivities on June 30th, 2009. Here are some pictures of Anuja and her group from the event.

(More pictures on Facebook)

Odissi dancers in Michigan

Meet Shreelina Ghosh Mukherjee and Manasi Mishra both accomplished Odissi dancers from Michigan.

Shreelina Ghosh Mukherjee

Shreelina Ghosh Mukherjee is an Odissi exponent from Calcutta who has learned Odissi for the last twenty-five years from Smt Aloka Kanungo. She is currently pursuing PhD in Digital/Cultural Rhetoric at Michigan State University.

Shreelina received “Star of Tomorrow Award 2002” from West Bengal Dance Group Federation and other recognitions at a competitive level from West Bengal State Music Academy, West Bengal Music Circle among other State-level awards.

(Click here for more information on Shreelina Ghosh Mukherjee)

Manasi Mishra
Manasi Mishra is an accomplished Odissi dancer currently living in Okemos, Michigan. She has performed both Odissi folk and classical dances widely over India and USA since her childhood.

Manasi is known for her beautiful abhinayas or facial expressions, which is an integral part of an Odissi repertoire.

She has been a teacher of this art for several years since moving to United States from Orissa, the birthplace of this dance form.

Avinash Rachmale of Bloomfield Hills wins SBA Award

Avinash Rachmale, resident of Bloomfield Hills and a founder of Lakeshore Engineering Services was honored with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2009 Champion Award for Entrepreneurial Success. Mr. Rachmale went to Washington, D.C., to be recognized by President Obama with the national award.

Mr. Avinash Rachmale is originally from Maharashtra, India. He studied engineering at Wayne State University.

Mr. Rachmale founded Lakeshore Engineering Services in 1994. Lakeshore Engineering provides a full range of construction, environmental and technological services for public- and private-sector employers.

(via Oakland Press)

Bollywood Acting classes coming to Michigan

MIICC (Michigan Indian Chamber of Commerce) has invited Anupam Kher's "Actor Prepares" school to host a 4 week "Bollywood Acting" workshop here in Michigan. The workshop would begin sometime in October 2009.

The curriculum for the 4 week workshop:
(There will be 2 concurrent sessions during the four week period)

Bollywood dance
Acting techniques
Acting for Camera

Workshop Duration & Timings

Session 1 - 4 weeks total duration

Timing: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (4 hours per day)
Days: Monday to Friday (5 days per week)
Location: Novi
Cost: $1500

Session 2 - 4 weeks total duration

Timing: 5:00 am to 9:00 pm (4 hours per day)
Days: Monday to Friday (5 days per week)
Location: Novi
Cost: $1500

Early Bird Registration

15% off if registered between July 1st to July 31st 2009 - $1275
10% off if registered online between August 1st to September 1st 2009 - $1350

There will be a 5% additional discount to the 2nd member of the same family.

Visit MIICC for more details