Press Launch For 14th Annual Miss Showbiz India

Los Angeles, Aug 03, 2009
By Dilip Butani

A press conference was held on August 2, 2009, at the Tangy Tomato Restaurant, Artesia, CA; to launch the 14th Annual Miss Showbiz India USA Pageant 2009-10. Celebrities in attendance included actress Tanisha Mukherjee. The hosts for afternoon were Ritu Mahindru, the movie review critic and Ashish Wahi, the Entertainment News host for Showbiz India TV.

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The luncheon program was specially arranged to meet the lovely contestants and to get a sneak peak at what to expect at this year’s pageant. Some of the highlights of the day included the Most Beautiful Eyes, Most Beautiful Hair and Most Beautiful Smile competitions.

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The Miss Showbiz India USA Pageant 2009-10 will be taking place at the House of Blues on Sunset in West Hollywood on August 29th. Reshma Dordi, former Miss LA India and the Executive Producer of Pearl Entertainment Inc., and Bollywood actress Tanisha Mukherjee will be hosting the event that promises to be memorable while crowning one lucky winner the next Miss Showbiz India. Guests confirmed for the pageant include Tanuja, Gulshan Grover and Pooja Batra,

Like every year, this year also, the Organizers promised that the Pageant will be filled with radiance and beauty. Through the years, Showbiz’s goal has been to open doors and create a platform for young girls as they build a higher level of self-confidence and lifelong relationships. The pageant will not only showcase the beauty of these young women, but also their talent and intelligence.

The panel of judges included Anjani Ambegaonkar, a renowned senior guru of Kathak dance, an educator, choreographer, and collaborator for the past 40 years in the USA; Mira Advani Honyecutt, a writer whose articles have appeared in the Hollywood Reporter, LA times, USA Today, Kate Linder, an actress who currently appears in the top-rated daytime drama Young & the Restless; Jon Matsumoto, a freelance journalist and social worker who has written articles to publications such as the LA Times, Hollywood Reporter, Emmy Magazine, People and the San Jose Mercury News; Alton Patton, considered one of the world’s most versatile and charismatic TV and radio presenters. He currently hosts the magazine TV show “FaceTime” on the Lilal Network; Shani Rigsbee, a featured vocalist in the 20th Century Fox epic, “One Night with the King.” Her song “El Llamar de Pasion” is featured in the academy award winning film “ “Crash.”; and Ghalib Shiraz, a LA-based writer and is the editor of the online magazine IndulgeMagazine.com. His debut novel, Ode to Lata, went onto create milestones as the first south Asian gay novel, ever to be reviewed by the LA Times book review and was adapted for the motion picture, The Ode.

The contestants, vying for a chance to win the coveted title, were Farnaz Amuyan, Joy Chowdhury, Lakhbir Dhiman, Rupali Jain, Natasha Kanvry, Sapna Lohiya, Aamira Ali Mir, Puja Mohanani, Lakshmi Mohindroo, Natasha Patel, Rupangi Patel, Anisha Tekade, Premal Trivedi and Avni Vachhani.

The sponsors include; ADI, Atirma Collections, Chakra Indian Cuisine, Continental Airlines, Highglow Jewellers, Maazda Travels, Saffron Spot, Paul Kalra of Signature America, Sitar Indian Cuisine, Star India Plus, Tangy Tomato, LA Mumbai Sisters City, Malibu Family Wines and SCALA.

Pearl Entertainment Inc. has been a leader in South Asian Entertainment for over a decade. With established roots in the community, they continue to successfully present South Asian culture to the mainstream. “Showbiz India Television Network,” produced under the banner of Pearl Entertainment, is the premiere-watched South Asian television show. Bringing Bollywood a little closer to Hollywood each week, the show brings exclusive Bollywood celebrity interviews such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Showbiz India has also had opportunities to interview Hollywood celebrities including Justin Timberlake, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Freida Pinto, Dev Patel, Miss Universe and Miss World. The weekly radio program “Palken” provides the latest in Bollywood entertainment. In addition, Palken addresses important community needs through talk shows and public service announcements. The event management division of the company has produced film premiers, organized charity events, and annually produced the coveted Miss California India Beauty Pageant.

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