Kina Maya Ma premier show on August 27 at Gangtok

BHUMIKA DAHAL

GANGTOK, July 29: Indian Idol III Prashant Tamang’s third Nepali feature film ‘Kina Maya Ma’, which is running successfully in Nepal, would have its Indian premier show at Gangtok on August 27.

            This was announced today here by Gangtok based respected filmmaker Chunnilal Ghimire who has directed the movie.  This is the first feature film of Channel Ace Productions run by Ghimire who has several telefilms and documentaries under his banner.

            “The premier show of ‘Kina Maya Ma’ would be held on August 27 at Vajra cinema hall. Then after the movie will run in Gangtok for some time after which we will take it to Darjeeling and Kalimpong for screening”, said Ghimire.

            Prashant, who shot to fame after winning the Indian Idol season 3 reality show, has already two more Nepali feature films to his credit-‘Gorkha Paltan’ and ‘Angalo Yo Mayo Ko’. The latter was released simultaneously in Nepal along with ‘Kina Maya Ma’ on June 24.

            ‘Kina Maya Ma’ was screened in Kathmandu Valley for three weeks in six theaters and presently it is running at cinema halls at Pokhara, Damak and Birtamore.

            Prashant, who in his real-life is a singer, is playing a similar role in the 2 hours, 17 minutes long film where he is a singer from Nepal and falls in love with a girl (played by Sumina Ghimire) from Sikkim.

            But, the ‘Kina Maya Ma’ director feels that Prashant has some distance to go before the audience accepts him as an actor than a singer. “He is singer in real life and playing as a singer in the film. He has not sung in the film as he was out in Europe during the recording. This is his third film and his acting skills have matured. He can act but people still see him as a singer”, he said.

            At the same time, Ghimire asserted that Prashant had not been cast into ‘Kina Maya Ma’ just because of his popularity arising from Indian Idol III. “We did not aim to simply cash on his brand. It was our support to him as we feel that he has been discriminated by major television channels who gave more exposure to other Indian Idol winners”, he said.

            Ghimire said that ‘Kina Maya Ma’ has attracted good response from Nepal. “The response from the audience in Nepal has been good and we are satisfied that we have come up with a quality product. We expect even better response from Sikkim and Darjeeling”, he said.

            The filmmaker argued that people here should not compare the Nepali films produced from Sikkim or elsewhere with those of Hollywood and Bollywood. “Our films are made on a humble budget. ‘Kina Maya Ma’ had a budget of Rs. 58 lakhs. If the Nepali speaking community don’t want their movies then who will watch the Nepali language movies? People must come and watch the movie whether it is bad or good. Just coming to the movie hall will encourage the local artistes and technicians”, he said.

            The film shooting started from September 2 and completed on October 13. Post production was done at Kathmandu.

            Ashoke Rai is the executive producer for ‘Kina Maya Rai’. The other local faces in the movie are Rohit Raj Luitel, Timothy Rai, Hemant Giri, Chanchal Lepcha and Nismani Rai.

Bhanu Jayanti at PNG school`

Bhumika Dahal

GANGTOK, July 26: Students of Paljor Namgyal Girls senior secondary school today celebrated the 197^th Bhanu Jayanti at the school premises with poem recitation, cultural presentations and recitation of the Ramayana.

            Padmashree Sanu Lama chaired the function which was also attended by Sikkim University lecturer Geeta Niraula, Siliguri College lecturer Tej Man Baraily and faculty of the host school. The celebrations started with a reading of Ramayana Path and then progressed to poem recitation, presentation of cultural items and concluded with a rousing debate competition between the four houses of the school.

‘Love@Sikkim.com’ shooting at MG Marg

Pappu Mallick

GANGTOK, July 25: Traffic and spit free MG Marg here has been a prime shooting place for Nepali films as portions of ‘Love@Sikkim.com’ shooting gets underway over the past few days.

The film directed by Anirban Ghosh with Rohit Raj and Bhagarati as lead actors and actress in Sikkim is being shot in four languages – Nepali, English, Bengali and French.

Some untouched, beautiful locations in all the four Districts, it is informed have been chosen as prime locations for the shooting of the film.

Soumyadeep and Junnu are the lead actors in Kolkata. Others acting in the film are Aman Sundas, Kunal Sundas, Bikram Subba, Gopal Sah, Tshering D. Sherpa, Ranjana Karki, Pooja Sharma,TS Subedi, Suboratta, Santa Bir Rai, Rina, Ashish Das and others.

Ugen Gurung to feature in 6th World Taekwondo Championship

Ugen Gurung to feature in 6^th World Taekwondo Championship

BHUMIKA DAHAL

GANGTOK, July 23: Sikkim Amateur Taekwondo Association (SATA) player Ugen Gurung will be representing India in the 6^th World Taekwondo Championship to be held at Vlodivastok, Russia from July 29 to 31.

Gurung will be playing in the junior individual category in this event where players from 192 countries are featuring.

SATA president YB Thapa extended his good wishes to Gurung for the world championship.

It was informed that Gurung has trained under SATA chief coach Trilok Subba.

I will also be attending a pre-selection camp this December and if I perform well then I will be selected for the London Olympics 2010, said Gurung.

Unidentified body recovered

Pappu Mallick

GANGTOK, July 21: Gangtok Sadar Police today recovered an unidentified male body from a jhora here at Lall Bazaar. The deceased, about 30-35 years old, could have been lying dead in the jhora for the past few days as the body was decomposing.

            The body was first spotted by a local resident in the morning who informed the police. No foul play has been suspected at the moment.

            The autopsy was conducted today and an unnatural death case has been registered at Sadar police station. The body is being preserved for 72 hours for identification purposes.

Thukchuk heads to Nepal to display yoga skill

Thukchuk heads to Nepal to display yoga skill

Pappu Mallick 

GANGTOK, July 20: Thukchuk Lachungpa will be displaying his hidden talent – yoga skill – during the two-day long yoga camp scheduled to be held at Kathmandu from July 23.

A nine-member delegation of the newly formed organisation ‘Healthy Self’ headed by its founder Lachungpa today left for Nepal, after the flagging off was done by the president of Vividh Kala Akademi of Sikkim, Kiran Rasaily.

Speaking to media persons, Rasaily said Lachungpa will be demonstrating yoga skills in Kathmandu on both the days. He added that this was for the first time that a team from Sikkim is going out in this kind of programme.

The team, it is informed has been invited by Swami Haridas and the members of Radha Manav Uthan Samiti of Kathmandu.

Lachungpa, who is also the president of Sikkim Citizen Forum and a social worker, said that his new organisation ‘healthy self’ was adopted to keep one healthy and to synchronize one’s mind, soul and body. When asked about his experiences in the field of imparting yoga, he said that he derives enormous joy and happiness after the workout, which is why he wants to share this joy and happiness with the fellow citizens.

Lachungpa has already adopted this skill in Sikkim and is working successfully. He has also promised to hold a similar camp in Gangtok upon his return from Nepal.

Sikkim has seen rapid progression and maturity in journalistic abilities: Justice Wangdi

Homnath Dabari bags most promising journalist award, Arun Kumar Rasaily felicitated

Sikkim has seen rapid progression and maturity in journalistic abilities: Justice Wangdi

Staff Reporter

GANGTOK, July 17: Senior journalist Bijay Bantawa was today conferred with Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar in a function celebrating the ninth foundation day of Press Club of Sikkim (PCS) here today.

The Judge of High Court of Sikkim, Sonam Pintso Wangdi, who attended the function as chief guest handed away the citation, shawl, memento and a cash award of Rs 5001 to Bantawa, also the editor and publisher of Nepali weekly ‘Himgiri’. Bantawa has been into journalism for the past 35 years.

Similarly, Correspondent (Namchi), Samay Dainik, a Nepali daily, Homnath Dabari was given away the award for the most promising journalist of the year.

Correspondent of Siliguri based newspaper ‘Sunakhari’, Arun Kumar Rasaily from Kalimpong was also felicitated on the occasion for his unstinted contribution in the field of journalism.

While addressing the function, Justice Wangdi said Sikkim has seen a rapid growth in journalism in the past few years. “The maturity in journalism, which we have witnessed in Sikkim over the years indicate growth in the journalistic skills,” he said while urging the scribes to also lay stress on analysis and writing features besides reporting daily events.

Justice Wangdi also advised the journalists to write on social issues such as human trafficking, prostitution, domestic violence, juvenile justice, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, Right to Education and others. The Judge of the High Court of Sikkim said this while referring on the responsibility of the journalists in disseminating correct information to the general masses in simple language understood by all and sundry.

The chief advisor of PCS CD Rai thanked the Governor of Sikkim for instituting an award in rural reporting. This, he added would ignite and inspire reporters to carry out their beat reporting in rural areas in issues that are part of the daily life in villages.

“The reporters should always be unbiased while reporting and should maintain the code and the ethics of the journalism,” Rai added.

Speaking on Right to Information Act, the guest of honour BB Gooroong said that the Act has become one of the vital tools of democracy in maintaining transparency. Gooroong, Chairperson of Social Welfare Board told the reporters not get manipulated by vested interests.

In his address, Bijay Bantawa dedicated the award to his late wife Kamal Ashu. He said obstacles and challenges should not be a hindrance to unify the journalists under any circumstances.

Homnath Dabari on the other hand highlighted the problems faced by District Correspondents due to lack of proper facilities. He also urged the reporters to be more rural centric rather than the capital centric.

Arun Kumar Rasaily said the recognition has made him more responsible towards his profession.

Earlier, the president of PCS, Bhim Rawat highlighted the activities carried out by the Club since its inception in 2002.

The chief guest also handed away the certificates to the participants of mountain biking during the observation of anti-drug day.