"A Jihad for Love" is the first feature documentary to explore the complex intersections between Islam and homosexuality.

A Jihad for Love
US Theatrical Premiere opens May 21
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave at W 3rd St.
www.ifccenter.com

Tashan, Tattoos and Wedding Rings

Saif discloses the influence girlfriend Bebo has had on him of late, even rolling up the sleeve of his suit jacket to reveal a glimpse of his famous tattoo. The performer was also sporting a ring on the third finger of his left hand...

One of the most eagerly awaited movies of 2008, Tashan has aroused curiosity through the tight-lipped promotional strategy coming out of the Yash Raj camp. The movie marks a departure for the production house, who typically unleash their lavish promos and red-hot music months in advance of the film's Friday opening. Guitar-playing-rocker Khan compares the banner's silence to one of his favourite bands.

Hungry for a cock-meat sandwich served by the guardians of Guantanamo Bay? Thirsty for a little va-ji-ji at a bottomless party in South Beach? You don’t need to be stoned to laugh tirelessly at the antics of the cannabis-craving couple John Cho and Kal Penn in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Although it has been four years since Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Escape immediately reminds the audiences that they never went away in their newest exploits as mistaken deputies of al-Qaeda and Kim Jong Il.

Picking right up from where White Castle left off, Harold Lee and Kumar Patel find themselves on their way to Amsterdam in pursuit of Harold’s love crush Maria, played beautifully by the stunning Paula Garcés. Unfortunately, they only make it twenty minutes over the Atlantic before Kumar’s high-tech, homemade “bong” gets mistaken for a “bomb”.

As Farah Khan's 'Om Shanti Om' releases on DVD, complete with a 16-page booklet that gives an insight into the cast and crew of the movie, I caught up with one of the stars of the film: Simon Hewitt. Simon who? Shah Rukh Khan's bodyguard. That's who.

Movie buffs will recall Simon as the foreign bodyguard who appeared constantly by the side of Shah Rukh's Om Kapoor character in the blockbuster. Clad in a black suit, with ever present dark glasses, the 6' 3" Australian born actor cuts an imposing figure on celluloid. At the scheduled interview location, a Mahim coffee shop, on the edge of Bombay's filmi society; the patrons excited whispers of Om Shanti Om rebounds as Hewitt enters.

His ancestors were rabble-rousing abolitionists so Ben Skinner grew up in a family that talked a lot about slavery. He spent four years on five continents in order to find and give voice to slaves and writes that, "There are more slaves today than at any point in human history". Slavery to-day exists in forms that might otherwise go unnoticed, like forced domestic servitude. Through tireless reporting coupled with poignant narratives of survivors like Tatiana, tricked into sex slavery when her boyfriend finds her an "au pair" job in Amsterdam, Skinner exposes the harsh realities of bondage.

He believes that “the South Asian Diaspora holds the key to ending bondage on the subcontinent, and, ending bondage on the subcontinent will erase much of the problem worldwide.”

Parag Khanna's recently published book, The Second World blends the assertions of realpolitik with those of a traveler's intuition. Substantiated by copious research and based on his experiences as a Senior Research Fellow at the New America Foundation, The Second World shatters myths and raises potent questions with panache.

EGO Magazine highly recommends The Second World.

Based on a novel by Winifred Watson of the same title, this movie opens in select theatres on March 7th.

Director Bharat Nalluri, famous for directing the miniseries “Tsunami: The Aftermath”, calls this movie “A fairy tale for adults” and therein lies the crux. This exquisitely directed and beautifully shot movie has a fun plot with many twists and turns, which might just leave the non-believing wayfarer behind. Thus, walk into the movie theatre armed with your best “I believe” hat on and you are bound to have a great time.