Greetings Curry Lovers!

It seems that the pixels have barely settled on my last newsletter and here I am donning the red coat (and mixing my metaphors) to bring you another instalment of what's happening on the Asian scene in the UK. Of course, this is partly because as soon as I've sent out one missive, I get zillions of emails telling me about the forthcoming event I forgot to mention. I'm beginning to get a glimpse of what being a true Butlin's Red Coat must feel like. Anyway campers...last weekend saw the Midlands Region winners of the Asian Jewel Awards 2004. Nominations can still be made for the Southern Region.

One possible candidate might be Londoner Anoushka Kachelo who has just become the youngest woman and first Pakistani to reach The North Pole. Not content with that she intends to also try walking to the South Pole which seems like an awfully long way to me....

ASIAN JEWEL AWARDS - MIDLANDS	ASIAN WOMAN REACHES NORTH POLE
Asian Jewel Awards 2004 Midlands winners included Lord Tarsem King, Nageena Khaliq, Perween Warsi, Apache Indian and Nat Puri among others. read more	Londoner, Anoushka Kachelo, 24, is thought to have become the youngest woman, and first Pakistani, to walk to the North Pole. Anoushka achieved her goal at 7.10am (GMT) on Sunday April 24, 2004. read more

The Silk Road was another long trek - a trade route stretching from Europe right through to China. Next week sees the launch of this major exhibition with an open-air party in the British Library Piazza. The library has also roped in business leaders like Sir Gulam Noon for a season of panel discussions entitled 'The Silk Road to Success' starting on 11 May 2004. Last week's Black Workers conference by the TUC highlighted that 'racism is still rife in Britain's workplaces', but thankfully there's Ken Livingstone threading together £50 million for London's Creative Industries!

Little wonder Asian entrepreneurs go it alone...with this much help, it can take an awfully long time to unravel what you want to do. Domino's Pizza Franchise may seem a stringy thread for many Asian entrepreneurs - nearly 40% of their 120 franchisees are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

'THE SILK ROAD TO SUCCESS'	'RACISM RIFE IN BRITAIN'S WORKPLACES'
'The Silk Road to Success' is a season of panel discussions featuring Asian business leaders including Sir Gulam Noon being held at the British Library starting on Tuesday 11 May at 6.30pm - 8.30pm. read more	Racism is still blighting the lives of Britain's black workers, despite the success of schemes like the 'New Deal'. The TUC is calling for legislation to ensure private sector employers promote good race relations in Britain's workplaces. read more
AID FOR LONDON'S CREATIVE INDUSTRIES	MAKING A MINT FROM MOZZARELLA!
At the launch of Creative London, a major package of support for London's creative industries was announced to boost the capital's reputation as a leading centre of creativity. This includeds a £50 million seed fund for businesses. read more	Franchising is becoming an increasingly popular option for business people. Currently 7% of all franchisees in the UK are 'non-white'. Within the Domino's Pizza network approximately 40% of its 120 franchisees are from ethnic minority backgrounds. read more

Another event netting the pounds was the Clive of India Treasure auction at Christie's this week, with a rare Mughal jewelled flask fetching £2.9 million alone. The sale cashed in £4.7 million in total. Phew! It is almost obscene to have this bonanza displayed alongside another exhibition entitled 'The Hard Core Poor Show' which is about five of the world's poorest Bangladeshi women who decided to change their lives around. The show runs until 16 May at the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum in Bristol. Also at the same venue is the Vanishing Rites exhibition about the traditions of the people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh and Kolam, the traditional art of the women of Tamil Nadu.

THE SILK ROAD, 7 MAY - 12 SEPT 2004	SILK ROAD LIVE, TUESDAY 4 MAY 2004
Priceless and rarely seen Silk Road treasures from Aurel Stein's collection will go on display in 'The Silk Road' exhibition at the British Library from 7 May - 12 September 2004. Sir Aurel Stein fought rivals to be the first to uncover long-lost multicultural civilisations. read more	Silk Road Live is a one day open-air festival being staged in the British Library Piazza on 4 May 2004, offering an opportunity to experience one of the world's greatest journeys and the role it played in forging cultural and economic links between Europe and Asia. read more
CLIVE OF INDIA TREASURE NETS £4.7M	VANISHING RITES, 12 FEBRUARY - 16 JULY
An extraordinarily splendid jewelled jade flask produced for the Mughal royal court in India in the 17th century, sold at Christie's today (27 April 2004) for £2,917,250. It was part of the Clive of India Treasure. read more	‘Vanishing Rites’ at the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, is a visual display of the traditional way of life of the people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. read more
KOLAM, 29 JANUARY - 15 JULY 2004	THE HARD CORE POOR SHOW TILL 16 MAY
A photographic exhibition giving an insight into the unique Indian art form of Kolam from the women of Tamil Nadu read more	The Hard Core Poor Show (HCPS) is an interactive exhibition about a poverty-free world. In a village in Bangladesh, five of the poorest women decide to turn their lives around. read more

Today also sees the launch of the 'Epic Centuries of Indian Art' exhibition - an enticing collection of traditional & tribal art from India - at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in West Kensington. If you've been wondering how to become a shining star in your field, then next week's launch of 'Precious Bazaar', the eagerly-awaited result of the BollyIdol star search might give you some pointers. The show, which features music by Bally Sagoo and Raghav, promises that there will definitely be no dancing around trees in Bollywood ishtyle!

For the more serious minded, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'Erendira' is being staged at The ICA later in May. South Asian Dance body Akademi is also hosting a symposium on 22 May, also at The ICA, on the thorny issue of what 'South Asianness' means. Although of course, we all know that it means whatever we want it to mean......as long there's money in it!

EPIC CENTURIES OF INDIAN ART	PRECIOUS BAZAAR, 4-7 MAY & 13-16 MAY
'Epic Centuries of Indian Art', presented by Visual Art, is an enticing collection of traditional and tribal paintings from India. These colourful works are showcases of the lives, legends and inspiration of their creators. read more	Winners of BollyIdol star search for young Asian talent are set to appear in 'Precious Bazaar', a modern story about young decisions, family values and honour. Be amazed by the fashion trends with a touch of golden Bollywood songs and hits by Bally Sagoo & Raghav. read more
ERENDIRA, 18 -22 MAY 2004	'NO MAN'S LAND' SYMPOSIUM
Innocent Erendira is the story, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, of a twelve-year-old girl whose grandmother sells her into prostitution in order to make money. Erendira runs at the ICA from 18 - 24 May 2004. read more	'South Asianness': new nationality or convenient catchall? To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Akademi presents a one-day symposium to discuss the issues. read more

Bollywood releases in the UK include the eagerly anticipated movie 'Main Hoon Na' starring Shah Rukh Khan and 'Bardaasht' starring Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta. Shah Rukh is also starring in 'Yeh Lamhe Judaai Ke' (what a busy little red coat he must be!), a romantic tale (is there any other kind?) with the ravishing Raveena Tandon. Still showing in cinemas is Masti, a tongue-in-cheek (is there any other kind?) comedy and Muskaan another love-story-cum-murder-investigation caper. But if, like me, you keep hearing the phrase "they don't make them like they used to" (in reference to films of course!), then Coventry is the place to go. Kabhi Ritz Kabhie Palladium is re-enacting the hey-day of Bollywood cinema with free screenings of classics like Awara, Bobby, Kabhie Kabhie and more.

MAIN HOON NA, UK RELEASE 30 APRIL	KABHI RITZ KABHIE PALLADIUM SCREENINGS
Main Hoon Na sees the return of one of the biggest Bollywood stars, Shah Rukh Khan. It is directed by celebrated ex-choreographer Farah Khan and the music is composed by Anu Malik. read more	A season of the greatest vintage Bollywood epics has been announced at Coventry's Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. It includes free screenings of classics such as Sangam, Bobby and Awara. The season has been created following a screening of the classic film 'Mother India'. read more
BARDAASHT, UK RELEASE 23 APRIL	MASTI
In Bardaasht, Bobby Deol plays Aditya Srivastav, an ex-army officer who falls in love with his senior officer's daughter, Payal. He is a promising soldier but is forced to leave for not obeying orders. read more	Masti is an unashamedly tongue-in-cheek Bollywood comedy farce directed by Indra Kumar. It is a story of three friends, Meet, Prem and Amar who believe that whoever said marriage is a lovely institution should be locked up! read more

YEH LAMHE JUDAAI KE	MUSKAAN
Shahrukh Khan and Raveena Tandon star in this tale of ambition, wealth and murder. Love, romance and sweet memories have always played a special role in life. read more	Mumbai fashion designer Sameer becomes phone friends with a girl named Muskaan. They don't know each other's name but begin to fall in love. When they meet, they become embroiled in a murder. read more

If it is not films, then it has to be books. Kavita Daswani is first off the block with her second novel 'Everything Happens for a Reason' ready to hit the shelves in June just when we are all looking for something to fill our holiday suitcases (well at least I am!). Ziauddin Sardar's autobiography 'Desperately Seeking Paradise' sounds like a monumental holiday search, but is in fact a quest to grasp the meaning of religion and find holy paradise.

Siddarth Shanghvi's irreverent debut novel 'The Last Song of Dusk' has set the literary world buzzing with gossip that he may be the new Vikram Seth (although I think the original Vikram Seth is still very much around). Having started in the Midlands I'll finish in the Midlands.....Saffron Tea is an anthology that brings together nine poets from the region in an exploration of the interaction between the British Empire and its people.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON	DESPERATELY SEEKING PARADISE
Priya, growing up in a comfortable home in Delhi, is the youngest of four sisters, but the first for whom a marriage has been arranged. Priya moves to Los Angeles with her new family. And then trouble begins! read more	'Desperately Seeking Paradise' is an autobiography of the life of Muslim intellectual Ziauddin Sardar. As a young student in London, Sardar sets out on a quest to grasp the meaning of religion, and to find 'paradise'. read more
THE LAST SONG OF DUSK	SAFFRON TEA - A POETRY ANTHOLOGY
Set in colonial India, 'The Last Song of Dusk' follows the fortunes of a young woman, Anuradha, whose fabled beauty is such that the peacocks of Udaipur gather to bid her farewell as she journeys to meet her groom. read more	Saffron Tea, edited by Kampta Karran, is an exploration of the origins of nine poets and tells of the long and chequered history of interaction between the empire and the "jewel in the crown". read more

Empire, Art, Silk Road, Jewels........I just hope you have a gem of a time for the next few weeks.

Until next time,
Lopa Patel (Editor - redhotcurry.com)

PS. Our special free gift offer for new users who sign-up is simmering nicely, so why not tell a friend to sign-up? They might be grateful for the suggestion.