Talk of the town

Now you can receive mail from your relatives in America through the Internet even if you can't access it. And that too free. If that sounds unbelievable, read on.

To avail of this service, a non-resident Indian settled in America has to simply open an e-mail account on indiatimes.com, log into to the `indiatimes-Overnite-US Smart Sewa Service' and leave the message -- a maximum limit of 500 words -- for an addressee in India.

The electronic mail would be received by the IT team at Overnite Express Ltd. in Delhi who in turn would hand deliver a hard copy of the e-mail to the recipient's door-step within a couple of working days -- effectively combining the personal touch of snail mail and the instantaneous feature of e-mail.

Along with the message, a 10 per cent discount coupon on packages that recipients might want to send for their relatives in America are also in the offing.

Through this service Indians living even in the remotest villages, with no access to Internet, can be in constant touch with their relatives in U.S.

This service, launched on October 10 in the Capital, has been introduced by three players -- indiatimes.com and Overnite Express Limited in association with United States Postal Services -- who have synergised their strengths to give Internet a truly global character.

* * *

After the phenomenal success of ``Gadar -- Ek Prem Katha'', Bollywood's ``betaab'' badshah, Sunny Deol, is once again on top of the world. Mulling over the box office collections of ``Gadar'', Sunny is frank in admitting that the overwhelming public response to the film has been quite astounding.

``I am yet to digest the success of the film,'' says the Bollywood action hero even as he gets ready for the release of his next film ``Indian'' which along with Shah Rukh Khan's ``Asoka The Great'' will hit the big screen on October 29. ``No, I am not taking anyone on,'' he says, even as he shrugs off with a smile the fact that while ``Gadar'' was released alongside Aamir Khan's ``Lagaan'', ``Indian'' is being released with the other reigning Khan of Bollywood.

As regards his role in ``Indian'' Sunny says it is once again full of patriotic fervour. ``It is a nice film and I am sure people will like it,'' Sunny says, hoping that the film will do as well as ``Gadar''. ``It has been picturised well,'' he points out. Besides Sunny, the model-turned actor, Rahul Dev, who made his debut last year in the former's ``Champion'' also has a significant role.

Interestingly, even an earlier film of Sunny ``Kasam'' with co- star Kumar Gaurav which has taken nearly nine years in the making is slated for release later this year. Definitely, the post ``Gadar'' Sunny is riding a crest!

* * *

There was a time when Bhangra King Daler Mehndi was struggling to establish himself in the music industry. Renowned music director, Jawahar Wattal, spotted this talent and the rest, as they say, is history.

Aiming to give back to society what he had received, Daler has now set up a music company called DM Music. ``Our vision is to promote real talent and spark off a real tomorrow of Indian music,'' Daler says, adding that ``apart from promoting upcoming talent, we will also aim at reviving the forgotten''.

Already, 13 new albums have rolled out of the DM Music bandwagon, all in a span of less than a year. This includes Parvez Mehdi's ``Toot Jaaye Na Bharam'', Sher Ali Meher Ali's ``Ab Ve Mahi'' and ``Noorjahan: A Tribute''. And, of course, as the 14th album that has come out is younger brother Mikka's ``Gabru''.

``DM Music is all set to storm the Indian music market with abundant talent in every category -- classical, devotional, regional, ghazals, pop, remixes, instrumental and educational. In the long term, we also plan to bring forth western and Indian artists,'' says Daler.

(By Anjali Malhotra and K. Kannan).

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