CitySaheli has been on a hiatus but is back to bring a must attend event for our brides-to-be. CitySaheli, along with Shaadi Studio, is hosting another Bridal Insider Series, “WOW, you can serve THAT at a wedding?”  Meet Kamal Arora, CEO of Moghul Catering, who will provide insider tips on booking a caterer.  In this 60 minute bootcamp session, you will become well equipped with what to ask any caterer for any event.  The session will wrap up with a complimentary food tasting, courtesy of Moghul Caterers.  Also be the first to try their new recipes of 2011. 

When: TBD

Where: Shaadi Studio
               336 West 37^th Street between 8^th and 9^th Suite 600
Register at: http://www.shaadistudio.com/registerguest

After the fabulous Bridal Insider launch party, we’re returning to the basics.  The first workshop is a bootcamp session with wedding planners from Spotlight Style.  Learn the basics on how to draw a wedding planning roadmap and get FREE advice and tips from planners who have been in the industry for over eight years.  BridalGal will also top the session off with complimentary makeovers.  Hurry and sign up.  The event is free but we request that only brides and close friends attend.   Register here.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 10, 2010, Registration starts at 6PM – Sessions to begin at 6 30
WHERE: 336 West 37th Avenue between 8th and 9th Avenue

MIAAC Film Festival

The longest-running, most prestigious Indian film festival in the country, the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival, rolls out the red carpets from Nov. 10th – 14th to welcome filmmakers, cast and crew, and industry heavyweights from all over the world to the independent cinema capital of the country – New York City. While the features, shorts, and documentaries (all world or New York premieres) are the main focus at the SVA Theater (333 W.23rd St., between 8th and 9th Avenues in Chelsea), the sidebar festival, “Bhumika: The Roles of Smita Patil,” at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater (165 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam), FILMINDIA, a series of panel discussions about film production in India, and the daily after-parties at glamorous venues all over the city will share some of the festival’s spotlight.

Confirmed celebrities attending the film festival and walking the red carpets include: Mani Ratnam, Ketan Mehta, Mira Nair, Rituparno Ghosh, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Madhur Jaffrey, Ekta Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Padma Lakshmi, Rahul Bose, Salman Rushdie, Aasif Mandvi, Samrat Chakrabarti, Manu Narayan, Tannishtha Chatterjeee, Seema Biswas, Ajay Naidu, Arun Vaidyanathan, and many others.

For more information or to buy tickets click here

Bollywood Wedding

Bollywood Wedding is back for another show November 4th, 2010.  Set in New York City, the story is packed with high-energy fueled by Bollywood Fusion music and sultry dances. It is a show that truly involves the audience become part of the wedding. An Indian girl from an upper-class westernized family, Nisha, falls in love with an Indian boy, Raj, who is from a middle-class proud family. The two families are still getting to know each other and they have to, at the same time, put together a wedding . At this supposedly joyful wedding, Raj’s jealousy, love and dark secrets are unveiled as he discovers the unknown story of  Nisha’s past. When one family tries to leave their heritage in the past and the other defends it to great lengths, utter chaos breaks out.

Bollywood Wedding was a hit this past summer.  If you missed it, this is your chance to see what all the hype was about.

 For more information or to buy tickets click here

Jamming for Pakistan

On Thursday, November 18^th, hip hop, rock, punk and urdu come together to jam for Pakistan in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  The evening features Arooj Aftab, The Kominas and Zerobridge.  Proceeds raised go to the Edhi Foundation to assist the survivors of the flooding in Pakistan.  The evening is co-sponsored by Action for Progressive Pakistan, Khadijah’s Caravan, Left Turn NYC, Pakistan Solidarity Network, South Asia Solidarity  Initiative. The event will take place at 93 North 6^th Street, Willliamsburg, Brooklyn.  Tickets are $20 and doors open at 8pm.

SAWLF – Alpha Generation: Leading Women in Hedge Funds

South Asian Women’s Leadership Forum Women in Finance cordially invites you to a special event featuring leading women in hedge funds on Tuesday, November 16^th from 6:30-8:30pm.  Special Guest Speakers includeShahla Ali, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, Millennium Partners, Shireen Qadri, Partner, Pilot Advisors LP, Sangeetha Ramaswamy, Eton Park Capital Management.
 
This special presentation will showcase the experiences of senior women at New York hedge funds whose roles include investing and portfolio risk management functions; macro-economic analysis; and trading and research of individual sectors. The speakers will share their experience of challenge and achievement as well as offer insights into the dynamic hedge fund industry including advice for women with a passion for investing.

For more information and to register online click here

I’ve got the Bling Now What?
This Wednesday, November 10^th, Bridal Insider is back with a great new topic…you’re engaged and on cloud 9 now what? Sign up for this free session to get tips on wedding planning from Preeti Shah from Spotlight Style. She will be hosting a bootcamp session on how to start wedding planning and equip you with the basics to make your big day a SMASHING success. Lilly Rivera from BridalGal will also be providing mini makeovers to glam you up. This will all take place at Shaadi Studio 336 West 37th Avenue between 8th and 9th Avenue.

Be sure to register here

Play.  Diwali often turns into an evening of gambling and playing cards.  If you don’t know how to play the traditional Teen Pathi (also known as Flash) , get the rules and tips here.  Remember you can play newer games like Texas Hold Em for a good time. 

Watch.  Spend time with your family with some classic Bollywood movies.  Here are some oldies but goodies.

Khabi Khushi Khabie Gum
Baghban
Karun Arjun
Maine Pyar Kiya

Eat.  Diwali is all about the food, so this is absolutely the time to showcase your cooking skills.  There is often mithai and other delicious sweets during this holiday, but you can also spice things up in the kitchen with savory delights.  Pick up Madhur Jaffrey’s newest cookbook ,  “At Home with Madhur Jaffrey” . If you don’t have time to go to the bookstore, there are some great recipe sites online.  One of CitySaheli’s favorites is http://showmethecurry.com/.   With instructional videos to help guide you, cooking up a South Asian storm couldn’t have been made easier. 

Happy Diwali Sahelis!

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

From one of the most acclaimed Turkish novelists of our time, this 2002 bestseller is set to be re-released on November 2 with a new introduction from the author.  Set in 16^th-century Istanbul Pamuk beautifully tells a story that is part-murder-mystery, part-love-story.  Pamuk guides the reader through the lavish world of 16^th-century Istanbul with lush prose and vivid descriptions.  

Fireflies in the Mist by Qurratulain Hyder

Hailed as “one of the most important Indian voices of the 20^th century” by Amitav Ghosh, Qurratulain Hyder brings to life the tumult and chaos of contemporary Bengal in this vastly rich novel.  She explores the violence and chaos that accompanied the transformation of Dhaka from a British-ruled Indian city to capital to an independent Bangladesh, and does so with an understated elegance and clarity.

Difficulty of Being Good by Gurcharan Das

Combining the depth of personal reflection with lessons from the epic of the Mahabharat, Gurcharan Das explores the elusive notion of dharma, what he simply terms as doing the right thing.  Das explores the variety of perspectives in the Mahabharata and compares the successes and failures of its many characters to highly visible players in the world of economics, business, and politics. Connecting the timeless epic to the complexities of contemporary society, Das depicts a search for the meaning of dharma that is simultaneously intellectual and emotional.

The Immortals by Amit Chaudhri

Another bestseller makes its way to paperback with Amit Chaudhri’s The Immortals.  The story of a highly regarded voice teacher and his sixteen-year-old student in 1980s Bombay is the center of Chaudhri’s portrait of the chaotic passion that characterizes the infamous Indian city.  With wit and winks to the reader, Chaudhri manages to bring to life the conflict of old confronting the new in this erudite and luminous story.

Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie

Rushdie follows up the successful fantasy novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories with the story of Haroun’s younger brother, Luka. Dedicated to his son, the target audience for the novel may be younger than Rushdie’s usual readers, but the imagination behind this story is worth reading at any age.  Older readers will relish the entertaining wordplay as well as the more subtle in-jokes and wry humor.

South Asian Songs (Courtesy of Amrit Minhas of Bollywood DJ’s)

1. Kal jisne janam yahan. Vivah (Father/Daughter)
2. Baabul ki duaayein leti ja. Neel Kamal (Father/Daughter)
3. Mere ghar aayi ek Nani pari. Kabhie Kabhie (Father/Daughter)
4. Yaadein (title song). Yaadein. (Father/Daughter)
5. Papa ki pari hoon mein. Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon.  (Father/Daughter)
6. Maye ni maye.  Hum aapke hain kaun.  (Mother/Daughter)
7. Maa Da laadla (also avail. in remix). Dostana (Mother/Son)
8. Meri Maa. Dasvidaniya. (Mother/Son)
9. Tu Kitni Achhi hain. Raja Aur Runk. (Mother/Son)
10. Meri Maa.  Taare Zameen Par.  (Mother/Son)
11. Khushiyon ka din aaya.  Beta.  (Mother/Son) 

Western Songs

1.  Unforgettable.  Natalie Cole
2. The Way You Look Tonight.  Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett
3. Butterfly Kisses.  Bob Carlisle
4. What a Wonderful World.  Louie Armstrong
5. I’ll Stand By You.  Pretenders
6. Father and Daughter.  Paul Simon
7. My Girl.  The Temptations

The foundation of Karva Chauth dates back many centuries and was actually founded upon the basis that new brides would reach out to and befriend other women to become their Godfriends or Godsisters for life; someone who they could depend on in their new married life.  The festival originated to celebrate this relationship between the women. Also usually falling in the month of October, Karva Chauth celebrates the harvest of new crops. 

The husband’s significance is very important in this observance because if it wasn’t for the holy sanctity of marriage, the newlywed wife wouldn’t have been able to find her Godfriends or Godsisters.  The celebration begins with the worship of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh, Kartikeya, and the moon. The blessings are asked for longevity and prosperity of their husbands and children, followed by the consumption of “Sargi” which is food provided by the mother in law, to consume before sunrise.

In the modern day Karva Chauth, wives take this opportunity to relive their wedding day by getting henna applied, dressing up in beautiful red sarees and lenghas, and celebrating the bonds of marriage and husbands with their Godfriends and Godsisters in evening puja. 

If you are waiting for the moon to come out today, but aren’t able to get henna or dress up in a saree, consider going to the salon with a friend for a mani/pedi or going for a walk with a good friend.  Remember, it’s also a day to celebrate your girlfriends, your sahelis. 

Known onstage as “Raskol Khan,” Cyrus McGoldrick is not your average 22-year-old. A couple of months ago, when the nation was trapped in a hostile argument over the mosque at Ground Zero, CNN called him a “Muslim who raps for peace.” In an era where young Muslims find themselves defending their faith as often as worshipping, McGoldrick has emerged as a powerful voice in the chorus. He plays the saxophone and writes his own lyrics, using his music to present a deeply personal reflection of himself. For McGoldrick, the personal is inextricably linked to the public, as his ideals and beliefs consistently drive his creativity.

A recent convert to Islam, McGoldrick’s faith takes center stage in his music—the intersection of hip-hop and Islam is a natural one to him. His search for identity as a young Muslim is one that he believes resonates strongly in hip-hop, he explains, “At the end of the day, we’re all dealing with issues of identity, trying to figure out who we are. This is my way of doing just that.” With his faith driving his creativity, McGoldrick has quickly garnered a following that appreciates his music as much as they respect his courage of conviction.

Having read both the Bhagavad Gita and Sufi poetry before eventually converting to Islam, McGoldrick’s spiritual influences are as diverse as the music he plays. (He’s even a Bollywood fan!) He performs often with the Freddy Fuego band, a NYC-based group that combines jazz, hip-hop and a number of other musical styles to create a fusion that is simultaneously innovative and timeless.

Over the next two months, McGoldrick is devoting a number of performances to charity gigs where proceeds will benefit victims of the recent flood in Pakistan. With a firm belief in the power of community activism, he is hoping these concerts can be just the beginning of an organized and resonating response from the community. “There has been a lot of care and positive energy among New Yorkers,” he explains, “but we need more.”

One of the bigger fundraisers he’ll be a part of takes place this Saturday at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center. Performing with renowned spoken word artist Amir Sulaiman, DJ Raichous, Alex Schein, Hasan Salaam, and many more, “Sounds of Solidarity” promises to be both inspiring and entertaining.

Click here for more info about Cyrus, including tour dates and music clips!

For more info about this Saturday’s “Sounds of Solidarity” concert, and to purchase advance tickets, visit http://soundsofsolidarity.eventbrite.com

The American India Foundation: Your Voice For The Cause

Join AIF’s New York Young Professionals Chapter at their fourth annual “Your Voice for the Cause” fall mixer and 2010-2011 Initiative  Selection.

Sunita Shekhawat Jaipur, Jeweler to Indian Royalty and Movie Stars.

She strives to marry contemporary tastes with intricate craftsmanship passed on for generations
by the Karigars who were settled in Jaipur many centuries ago by Maharaja Jai Singh. The
exclusive collection includes pieces set in gold with enamel work, diamonds, polki (rosecut
diamonds), emeralds, rubies and unusual gems like champagne diamonds and pink opal.

You are invited to a showcase and sale of exquisitely crafted modern and bridal fine jewelry by
Sunita Shekhawat Jaipur, jeweler to Indian royalty and movie stars.

When: October 21-22 from 10am to 8pm
Where: Empire Hotel, Living Room Suite, New York City

Playwrights Week

When: October 28-24, 2010
Where:  The Lark Theatre
Click here for more information.  

Book Launch: At Home with Madhur Jaffrey

When:  October 19, 2010
Where: John McWhinnie@Glenn Horowitz Bookseller
50 ½ East 64^th Street, NYC

Shailja Gupta’s Walk Away

Love, lust, loss, hope….what will they walk away from???  Find out by attending Shailja Gupta’s new film Walk Away.

When: October 22, 2010
Where: Big Pictures, 59^th Street & 2^nd Avenue, New York, NY

IAAC Art Auction

The IAAC benefit auction is being held this month!  Participating artists include Shalina, Aminda Ahmed, Shelly Bahl, Smanta Batra Mehta, Fareen Butt, Niyeti Chadha Kannal, Nandini Chirimar, Ruby Christi, Vinod Dave, Asha Ganpat and more!

When:  October 26, 2010
Preview: 11:00am – 6:00pm
Auction: 7:00pm

Where:  Sundaram Tagore Gallery

547 West 27^th Street, New York, NY

Click here for more information.

The Fourth New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest (NJISACF) 2010

NJISACF 2010 will showcase films by and about South Asian women from around the world that challenge the stereotypical and traditional portrayal of South Asian women in mainstream commercial cinema. 

The fourth NJISACF will be a free-for-all film festival, meaning that the audience will not be charged any entry fee. This is possible because of a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. Additional funding will come from donations from community patrons and small grants.

The festival will feature filmmaker Q&As and panel discussions (with topics including: Changing Representations of Women in South Asian Cinema and South Asian Women Reshaping their Identity : a discussion on South Asian Diasporic Women Filmmakers) with participation from scholars and academics from a variety of disciplines.

When:  October 29 & 30, 2010