A BIG thank you to everyone that came out and supported the 10th Annual MyBindi Comedy Night.  As you can see from the photo albums it was indeed an awesome night.  Check out the photos here and feel free to tag yourself and your friends!

Tonight is the opening night of the 13th Annual Filmi South Asian Film Festival!  Check out the exciting line-up of films and if there's a film you want to see just ask for FREE passes on MyBindi's Facebook Fan Page and we'll set them aside for you.

Yes, we love spoiling our fans with FREE stuff. We still have a few more passes left for this Saturday's Paths to Love a spellbinding performance that will depict the emotions of love through Kathak and other Contemporary Dance Forms.   To claim a pair of FREE passes to the simply complete this form! Yes, it's really that easy.  Simply complete this form and claim your FREE passes to Paths to Love scheduled for this Saturday, September 29 at the City Playhouse Theatre in Vaughan!
 

Back by overwhelming demand, Why Not Theatre is proud to present Beyond Bollywood, starring legendary actors Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Heeba Shah, in 2 award-winning plays: Dear Liar & Ismat Apa Ke Naam.

Dear Liar (performed in English Sept. 28, 29, & 30) is an American play, about the taboo love affair between the great playwright George Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, a famous actress of the time.
The second play, Ismat Apa Ke Naam (performed in Urdu/Hindi with English surtitles Oct. 5, 6, & 7) is an adaptation for three beautiful and witty short stories by one of India's most beloved authors, Ismat Chughtai.

Both shows will be at the new Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre in Toronto.

For more information, seating charts and tickets, please click HERE or call 647.278.5203.

In association with Why Not Theatre, internationally renowned Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah joins us on October 4 for a celebration of his prolific and versatile career on stage and screen.

Shah has performed over 130 roles over nearly four decades in both mainstream Indian cinema and in India's art film-driven Parallel Cinema. He has also worked on several acclaimed international projects including Monsoon Wedding (2001), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) and Amal (2007). Shah is the founder and Artistic Director of Motley Theatre Group, which has been touring for over thirty-three years with award-winning productions in English, Hindi and Urdu. In 2003, the Government of India honoured Shah with the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civil honours, for his contributions to Indian cinema.

Naseeruddin Shah will join director Richie Mehta to introduce Mehta's award-winning Canadian film Amal (2007). ***Please note: this is not part of the In Conversation With event and will require the purchase of another ticket. ***

When: Thursday, October 4, 2012
Where: TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto


This event is proudly supported by MyBindi.com.

Football 101 sessions for new Canadians, featuring the Toronto Argonauts, will take place October 10th and 11th in the GTA. 

 

The Toronto Argonauts have been part of the fabric of our community for 139 years, and now the club is inviting the newest members of our community to learn about our great game from those who know it best.

 

Through a pair of Football 101 sessions hosted by local TV personalities, participants will be welcomed by hometown defensive back Matt Black and Canadian offensive tackle Chris Van Zeyl. Those in attendance will learn about the basics of the Canadian game and, by the end of the sessions, be able to join all Canadians and Torontonians in celebrating every first down and touchdown by the Double Blue!

 

Registration is FREE! Click HERE to sign up now. 

 

Click HERE to learn more.  

The City of Markham in partnership with the Markham Arts Council is pleased to present the second annual International Festival of Authors (IFOA Markham) Touring Event.  

 

This year Mayor Frank Scarpitti will be hosting the Mayor's Hour reception welcoming this year's headlining author and past recipient of the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize--Dr. Vincent Lam, along with international world renowned authors: Marjorie Celona, Ayesha Chaterjee and Chan Koonchung. The Mayor's Hour will include authors meet-and-greet, musical entertainment, an exciting visual arts exhibit and performances by award winning YorkSlam champions.

 

Join the City of Markham, the Markham Arts Council in partnership as a participating sponsor of this prestigious event and showcase your brand alongside four of our generation's literary superstars to a captive audience of 400+ people.

 

When: Tuesday, October 23, 2012  

 

Click HERE for more information.

 

This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.

 

"Totally enjoyable, part history and part travelogue." (Lethbridge Herald, August 28, 2012)

 

The merging of cultures is an experience that can never be the same for two people or two families but reading Just Matata - Sin, Saints and Settlers, allows us to reflect on how our own Indian cultures have been molded by our host country, regardless of whether we live in Kenya, Canada, or elsewhere in the world.  

 

Goa has been an integral part of the Indian Union for over half a century, yet relatively few South Asians know much of the special Indo-Portuguese culture, and how their immigration to East Africa, along with thousands of Indians before them who built the Railways from the Ocean port of Mombasa to Lake Victoria, shaped modern African history.

 

This is the broad overarching theme that is the coming together of two cultures that are joined by the Indian Ocean.

 

Click HERE for more information. 

Defined by his physical deformity and demonized by society, Richard is ever the outsider. In a whirlwind of horrible deeds and unspeakable acts, he fights to claim his position as monarch at all costs.

Metachroma ('beyond colour') Theatre addresses the under-representation of visible minority actors in Canadian theatre, challenging current perceptions by telling stories with a diverse cast in order to normalize the presence of these artists on stage.

With: Metachroma Theatre members Quincy Armorer, Tamara Brown, Lucinda Davis, Julie Tamiko Manning, Mike Payette and Jamie Robinson, along with Walter Borden, Jimmy Blais, Diana Fajrajsl, Azeem Nathoo, Meilie Ng and Amrit Sanger.

When: September 19 to 30, 2012
Where: Segal Centre for Performing Arts Studio, Montreal

For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.

This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.

Corporate Canada Cricket Club and the presenting partner CIBC are hosting the 3rd Mississauga Mayor's Cricket Festival with the theme of "CRICKET WITH A CAUSE™  - An Active and Healthy Lifestyle and Multiculturalism".

The festival provides a unique opportunity to the charity partners to showcase their programs and services to the communities, and encourage youth and adults to adopt sport (cricket) as a vehicle for an active and healthy lifestyle and showcase their batting, bowling, wicket keeping, and fielding skills on the field.

There will be FREE face painting and henna/mehndi from 11am to 2pm.

The Chief Guest will be Honourable Hazel McCallion at 12pm.

This is a FREE event!

Click HERE for more information.

FILMI is an annual Toronto film festival showcasing the best in South Asian cinema from Canada and the world.

FILMI will celebrate its 13th anniversary with a full schedule of screenings and industry workshops September 27th - September 30th, 2012. Screenings will be at Carlton Cinema in Toronto.

Click HERE for more information.

Join NetIP Toronto at Marben for an evening of great connections. Meet new people and learn how to effectively network! Bring your business cards and be prepared to meet and build relationships with many local professionals.

After the formal speed networking portion of the evening is complete feel free to mingle and network with your new connections. You will also have the opportunity to purchase advance discounted tickets to NetIP Toronto's Annual Gala to be held on November 17, 2012 at Novotel North York.

This is a FREE event for NetIP members! $15 tickets will be available at the door for non-members.

Space is limited and past events have been sold out so please secure your tickets early!

Click HERE for more information.

Click HERE to register and purchase tickets.

 

The 'Inspired' remake is based on the life of Kanjibhai (Paresh Rawal), an antique shopkeeper. When a tornado destroys his antique store, he begins to disbelieve in God. The film revolves around his journey at taking down God which he is unable to do, but clearly doesn't realize, and soon begins to fight all the priests of the city, which starts mayhem until Lord Krishna (Akshay Kumar) pays Kanji an unexpected visit. It is loosely based on the Gujarati play, Kanji Virrudh Kanji and also Hindi play, Kishen vs Kanhaiya.

 

 

MyBindi is a proud promotional partner of Albion and Woodside Cinemas - delivering the best of Bollywood Cinema in the GTA!

Let's say you have a goal to lose ten pounds. What happens when you think that thought? Notice the body sensations. Where do you feel it and what does it feel like? These sensations are the first clue to knowing if that goal is above the line or below the line.

Below the line are our shadow selves - where anger, greed, jealousy, doubt and fear rule the experience. Above the line is a place of higher consciousness, love, compassion, forgiveness and joy are some examples.

As human beings we never want to lose anything. It goes against our nature and innate tendencies - would you ever deliberately want to lose your keys or a relationship? The phrase itself may actually create the opposite effect. Looking at the mirror and pinching or squishing body parts likely comes from an inner mean voice that compares and judges what is right and wrong. We hurt ourselves with thoughts like that. Not the best place to set goals from.

This is the Ego talking. Maybe it shows up to help us avoid pain or to maintain status quo. Keeping things the same when you are ready and capable of reaching for more is actually harmful. It is part of the pattern of numbing out that creates addictions to food, alcohol, smoke, television or shopping. We pick our poisons to avoid feeling what we need to feel. When you numb your pain, you also numb your joy.

I have a bit of work to do. Yup, baby weight. Its not a crazy amount - but enough to keep me out of my old wardrobe! I have to admit, I have really fallen off the healthy eating wagon - between living in NYC (oh, how I miss the food!), moving back home, being pregnant and now no time with baby - our nutrition has taken a back seat to say the least. But I'm getting back on the wagon and here's my list of a few items on my grocery list for the weekend. I wanted wanted to share it with you to help you next time you're shopping:

• Black beans
• Oats
• Avocado
• Salmon
• Chicken breast
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Brown rice
• Pears
• Grapefruit
• Kidney beans
• Almonds ...  

Click HERE to read more.

International Festival of Authors Returns to Markham

Following a tremendously successful inaugural event last fall, Markham has again been chosen to host the International Festival of Authors (IFOA) touring event for York Region. Markham is one of only two IFOA touring event locations in the GTA. The City of Markham, in partnership with the Markham Arts Council (MAC), will host an exclusive engagement on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 at the Flato Markham Theatre, featuring four of the world's best writers of contemporary literature.

 

This year's headlining author, Dr. Vincent Lam, is a past recipient of the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize, and the inaugural One Book, One Markham author. He will be joined by world-renowned authors Marjorie Celona (recently long-listed for the Scotiabank Giller Prize), Ayesha Chatterjee, and Chan Koonchung. All will read from their latest works, followed by the popular informal audience discussion and a book signing.

 

Click HERE to read more.


Priyanka Chopra releases debut single 'In My City'

Listen to Priyanka's debut single feat. famous rap artist and Black Eyed Peas singer Will.i.am!

 

Priyanka Chopra's much-awaited music single has already become the talk of B-town. Many A-list stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor amongst many others from the industry are stunned to hear her voice which sounds nothing less than an international pop artist.  

 

Priyanka is also busy receiving compliments for her enduring performance in Anurag Basu's Barfi!  

 

However, the actress claims that she is nervous when it comes to her international music debut first single 'In My City'.

 

Click HERE to read more.


Bollywood divas of the past rising like phoenix to strike back

Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit had bowed out gracefully more than a decade ago after ruling over the box office, but when they announced their intentions to grace the spotlight once again a wave of anticipation started building up for them amongst the fans. Sridevi's test to underline her sojourn at the box office is just a few days ahead, what with ENGLISH VINGLISH releasing this Friday. If the reports from USA are to be believed, she has made waves through her comeback movie ENGLISH VINGLISH outside India, and it would be seen with interest, whether she is able to achieve same results again. But the moot point is that the sheer fact that Sridevi was making a comeback made the audiences swoon in anticipation.

 

Same is the case with Madhuri Dixit, who already is making the fans eat out of her elfin charm through the dance show JHALAK DIKHLAJA and is reportedly charging Rs. 1 crore per episode. The moot point is that if she is able to command this kind of remuneration after such a long gap, it is a clear pointer to the status that she enjoyed at the box office along with Sridevi. Ranbir Kapoor when he had appeared in one of the episodes to promote BARFI! was moon eyed and expressed rather sheepishly his unfulfilled desire of dancing with Madhuri. And when Madhuri had condescended, Ranbir Kapoor was literally over the moon.

 

Click HERE to read more.



The Sweet Side of the Subcontinent

Dessert might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about South Asian food, but sweets are an integral part of South Asian cuisine and culture. Often overlooked, forgotten or even unknown outside of South Asia, sweets seem to have gotten lost in translation on many of the Westernized menus that we find in the United States. Where thousands of stand-alone shops sell nothing but sweets in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, in the United States shops that offer any kind South Asian sweet, let alone ones singularly dedicated to sweets, are few and far between.

 

From deep-fried pancakes soaked in sugary syrup, to fudge-like squares garnished with edible, silver foil, South Asian sweets come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. With such great and delicious variety, it's too bad these confections seem to have such a low profile outside of South Asia.

 

Having not been exposed to the wonderful world of South Asian sweets before I studied in India, I was relieved and excited to discover that my sweet tooth would not be neglected during my stay.

 

Click HERE to read more.

 

Ravi Jain, actor and director, has taken his company Why Not Theatre to great lengths in Toronto's theatre scene in just five years. After a sold out show in February 2011 for Ismat Apa Ke Naam, Jain decided to bring legendary actor Naseeruddin Shah, in association with Motley Theatre, back to Toronto in Fall 2012 to facilitate his latest project: Beyond Bollywood.

 

This time Jain chose to feature Shah in two award-winning plays: Dear Liar and, back by popular demand, Ismat Apa Ke Naam.

 

MyBindi.com's Ashna Singh goes behind the scenes with Ravi Jain for the inside scoop on Naseeruddin Shah and his upcoming shows with Why Not Theatre.

 

How does it feel to have Naseeruddin Shah - one of the finest Indian stage and film actors - perform in association with Why Not Theatre?

First of all, every morning we play tennis (he likes to stay in shape) and I have to pinch myself saying "Oh my God... I'm playing tennis with Naseeruddin Shah". I then say "Oh my God, he's 64 years old and he's kicking my ass!"

Naseer is a champion for young artists and it is an incredible feeling to have the trust and faith of an actor of his caliber. We both believe in the importance of bringing Dear Liar to Toronto. It's the first time they've brought a western play to the West, and they are eager to see what audiences have to say about it. His curiosity and passion are infectious and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.

 

Click HERE to read more. 

FILMI is proud to celebrate the works of Vipin Sharma. Vipin was a resident of Toronto and left Canada to make it in the indie movie scene for Mumbai. Vipin has starred in such popular films as 'Like Stars on Earth (Taare Zameen Par)', 'Karthik Calling Karthik', 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Shahid' and 'Calcutta Taxi'.

 

FILMI opens with this award-winning film by Rajan Khosla 'Gattu'. 'Gattu' is a heart warming story that follows the magical life of the orphan Gattu.

 

 

Click HERE to read more.