Indian TV Show Hitler Didi Creates Controversy

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a spokeswoman for Zee TV stated that the channel had received the letter from the rights group; however, they are yet to respond to it. She said that the show’s title has got nothing to do with Hitler himself and clarified that the show is intended to portray the girl’s temperament. The spokeswoman said the show till date has not received any complaints from India on its name.  Later she declined to comment on whether they are considering changing its name.

A member of the civil rights group Abraham H Foxman said, “It was ‘shocking’ that millions of soap opera fans in India are now hearing and talking about a program with the name ‘Hitler’ on a daily basis.”

This kind of a controversial title in India has often annoyed the observers as the German dictators name is used more casually in India than elsewhere to tag a person who is extremely strict and has a dominating nature.

Last year in 2010, renowned Indian actor Anupam Kher opted to back out from the film named “Dear Friend Hitler,” after being condemned by the fans. The Film is featured on the letters that Mahatma Gandhi wrote to Hitler. However, the film was finally made but with a different actor in the lead role. There was also an action packed Hindi movie named “Hitler” that was released in 1998 featuring Mithun Chakravarty in the lead role.

It is often seen that people in the western countries are quite sensitive about using the name of Adolf Hitler who was responsible for the World War II. However, in India there is a different scenario and Hitler’s autobiography “Mein Kampf,” is a huge hit in India. In countries like Austria, Germany and Russia, “Mein Kampf ” is considered to be illegal. It is reported that in one of the book shops in Delhi, the book is the second best-selling work of non-fiction after Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography. The book is said to be very popular among the business management students in the country, and is also popular among the university students who frequently consider it in their reading list.

A professor at Delhi’s Jawahal Nehru University, Surinder Jodhka, said that in India people can escape by using the name of Hitler in different context as Indians have not directly faced the violence caused by Hitler.

Veena Malik's nude photo causes fury in Pakistan

A Pakistani actress who posed in the nude for an Indian magazine with the initials of Pakistan's feared and powerful intelligence agency on her arm has triggered fury across this conservative nation.

Veena Malik's photo on the website of FHM India, in advance of its publication in the magazine's December issue, has been lighting up social network website Facebook and Twitter since earlier this week.

Many here anticipate a backlash, as nationalists and Islamists regularly stage rallies against anything they deem an insult to Islam or to the national honor. India and Pakistan have fought three wars, and the Inter-Services Intelligenceagency or ISI has been accused of sponsoring terrorist attacks inside India.

Malik has broken Pakistani religious and national taboos in the past. She is a target for conservative ire and a heroine to some Pakistani liberals.

Conservative cleric Maulana Abdul Qawi declared on Aaj TV on Saturday that her latest venture into controversy was a "shame for all Muslims." Farzana Naz, interviewed by the same channel on the streets of Lahore, said that the actress had "bowed all us women in shame."

Twitter commentator Umair Javed however called on Pakistanis to "make copies of the picture and bury it in your backyard. This way, our grandkids will know there were some amongst us who lived free!"

Asked by reporters whether Pakistan would "pursue the matter" legally, the country's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Saturday, "First, let us see whether it is real or fake."

Malik for her part says that the photo at the root of the current uproar was published in violation of her agreement with FHM India. In an interview with Pakistani Geo television broadcast Saturday, Malik acknowledged having been photographed for a "bold but not nude shot." She said the editor of the magazine had promised that he would cover most of the photo with the ISI initials.

Malik said that the photo was intended to poke fun at the Indian fear of Pakistani spies: "Whatever happens (in India), people say ISI is behind that."

Malik said she would "probably" take a legal action against the magazine for violating terms and condition.

Magazine editor Kabeer Sharma said Malik did all with her full consent.

"We have all the record(s)," he told the Pakistani television station. "Veena was very excited about that ISI idea."

Malik does most of her work in India. The entertainment sector there is booming, while Pakistan's is moribund. Her ties to Pakistan's archrival have landed her in controversy in the past.

During a much-publicized talk show appearance early this year, she lashed out her nemesis Abdul Qawi, who criticized her for having a scripted love affair with an Indian actor on an Indian reality show.

"What is your problem with me?" an angry Malik demanded of the scholar, who had accused her of insulting Islam
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'Up Close and Personal with PZ' fails to deliver

With an overtly pink and too bubbly promo and a disappointing first episode, 'Up Close and Personal with PZ' – doesn’t seem to have hit the mark with the public.

Not all actors can en-cash on the fame ticket once their silver screen time is over. Preity Zinta’s foray in to small screen with her own chat show seems to be an unwise decision on her part.

After her stint with the IPL and all the enthusiastic cheering from the stands, Preity Zinta has chosen a new turf to play on – her own chat show.

The public so far had been dealing with a Simi Garewal and a Karan Johar. Both in their own rights were interesting and the public were still enthusiastic enough to push their shows – 'Rendezvous with Simi Garewal' and 'Koffee with Karan' well past season one. In this genre of chat hosts, Preity is a new player and this lack of experience shows.

‘PZ’ in her scene, seems to be running in the flavour of her on screen personas of a vivacious, bubbly girl. Bubbly and vivacious she is – but she seems to be trying much too hard.

Her ‘candid’ conversations with Salman Khan, her first guest on the show, seem rather contrived. For an actress who is inviting her former co-stars to an easy and fun conversation – the effort she is making becomes too visible. The easy dialogue just doesn’t find its flow. With the easy chemistry missing, the show disappoints.

‘PZ’ jokes with Salman, asking him to marry her. He says that he wants to marry some one who is quite a brat (roughly translating) to which PZ insists that she is quite a brat. Desperate? But true.

She dances with Salman, makes him do a step from his latest hit ‘Bodyguard’ and gifts him a track suit and even prior to all this drama – the two actors had a promo photo-shoot where Salman was in a band-master’s outfit and ‘PZ’ is in a ‘lehenga’ posing with a trumpet.

The audience are forced to wonder where this is headed – the show and ‘PZ’ both. We can only hope it picks up momentum from the next episode.