Last year 14th June Mansi & Lt. Aditya tied the Nuptial Knot..

 Lt. Aditya & Mansi got married on 14th June 2011. It was a traditional Maharashtrian Marriage which is perhaps the simplest and the least opulent in the whole country. Unlike other weddings, most of the rituals are preformed early in the morning.

The wedding ceremony is one of the oldest rituals of UNITY in history, no matter what religious or secular beliefs a couple has, the end result of the ceremony is the union of two souls.

The marriage ceremony called Vivah in Sanskrit, is 5000 years old Vivah means "that which
carries us along." The marriage is a sacred bond between man and woman and not entered into
lightly. The marriage is meant to carry the couple along the path of Dharma, or righteousness.

Ganesha Puja

The wedding ceremony begins with worship of Shri Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles and
provider of good luck. All traditional hindu ceremonies begin with invocation of Ganesha. Other
pujas are also performed evoking the presence of other forms of God to preside over the
wedding ceremony.

Milan

The bride’s family greets the groom.He receives the red tilaka (red powder) mark on his
forhead signifying the Lord’s blessing upon him.He is led to the mandapam, or canopy under
which the ceremony will take place.

Jayamala

The bride hidden behind a curtain, is escorted to the mandapam..The priest will lower the
curtain and the bride and groom will shower each other withj rice.The rice represents
prosperity, but is also to establish dominance in the marriage.The bride and groom exchange flower garlands
signifying their acceptance for each other.

No tobacco day....at . The Taj President...

Date 27th May... Place DDK Mumbai...Time...11am... Tring.. Tring .The phone rings .It was a call from Shaina NC..the renowned designer.." Mukesh I would request you to walk the ramp..on 31st May.". "What ? Say it again" was my instant reaction. "Yes I want you to take a walk on the ramp on the occasion  of No Tobacco Day.. There will be film, fashion & media heads .Pl don't say No" "And what will I be wearing on the ramp". Pat came the reply from Shaina "Nita Lulla's designed dress" And before I could say Jack Robinson, Shaina had hung up. So no choice. Internally I felt good for 3 reasons. One that I will be walking for a cause. Two, I will be walking with the top model Resham Bombaywala and third it was a chance to wear Nita Lulla's Designed dress.

Can you spot Nita Lulla's Dress?

31st May 2003....Time 8pm...Place The Taj President...

 60 eminent representatives of media, film, fashion, WHO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, CPAA and a large section of Mumbai glitterati assembled at the Taj President to watch a unique fashion show. They represented the soul of Aamchi Mumbai and they came together to Say No to Tobacco. The collections of Shaina NC, Neeta Lulla, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Wendell Rodriques was choreographed by Hemant Trivedi and compered by Mandira Bedi.

Mukesh Sharma & the model  Resham Bombaywala

World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is meant to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe.The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in 1987.

Remembering Chacha Nehru on 27th May....

 I remember it was 27th May 1964,  I was in Srinagar with my family for vacation.   I was 7 years old. We were planning to go out and watch the shooting of  the film Jab Jab Phool khiley (JJPK) at the Dal Lake. Shashi Kapoor and Nanda were there for the shoot. (Incidently Raja Hindustaani is a remake of JJPK)  We were invited by the producer of the film.

Shooting in Kashmir in 1964

Nehru with Impressionable minds 

Suddenly there was a panic in the city and we heard that Pt Nehru had Died. People thought there will be riots in Kashmir. Luckily nothing untoward happened. But it was a sad day for India. A sad  day for a 7 year old impressionable mind.  27thMay has etched in my memory as any one would remember his or her birthday or an anniversary. Except for the fact that this was the death anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru , the first and longest of the serving prime minister of independent India & the founding father of our freedom struggle.

Chacha Nehru..The Last Journey 

 Nehru's appreciation for parliamentary democracy coupled with concerns for the poor and underprivileged enabled him to formulate policies that often reflected his socialist leanings. Both as prime minister and as Congress president, Nehru pushed through the Indian Parliament, dominated by members of his own party, a series of legal reforms intended to emancipate Hindu women and bring equality. These reforms included raising the minimum marriageable age from twelve to fifteen, empowering women to divorce their husbands and inherit property, and declaring illegal the ruinous dowry system. His long tenure was instrumental in shaping the traditions and structures of independent India.

The Parliament

The following video is a tribute from the golden voice of India, Mohammed Rafi. The Song Meri Awaaz Suno pyar Ka raag suno was picturised on the funeral procession of the stock shot footage of late Pandit Nehru. As usual the heart breaking music was rendered by Madan Mohan. Lets view the video from the film Naunihal and remember our Chacha Nehru on 27th may 2012...48 years after his demise.

Remembering Pramod Mahajan...3rd May 2012

On 9th June 2001,  Late Pramod Mahajan the then I & B Minister visted DDK Mumbai. I was heading the DD Kendra .He was one minister, who would n't minced words. He would call a spade a spade. DD per se was not in his good books.So I was a bit shaky. He had come for the Live Hello DD Program .

Pramod Mahajan at DDK Mumbai writing memoirs

 DD10 Marathi channel becomes DD Sahyadri on 5th April 2000...

Jitendra, Prem Chopra,Rakesh Roshan, Raj Thackery, SM Krishna (Guv. Mah)

Very few people know that on April 5th 2012 DD Sahydri per se turned 12. Why I said per se because it was on 5th April 2000 that DD10 Marathi TV channel (of DDK Mumbai) was renamed as Sahyadri. Exactly after a month I took charge at DDK Mumbai.

MF Hussain, Pooja Bhatt

Needless to mention, DD Sahyadri was in a terrible state . Poor connectivity, substandard programmes and low grade technical infrastructure had placed it lowest in the Marathi channel chart, behind ETV Marathi, Alpha Marathi (now Zee Marathi), Tara Marathi and Prabhat. I wanted to change this.

I started with the connectivity issue. The issue was discussed with the cable operators and the DD Public Relations (PR) machinery was effectively used to improve the relationship with all concerned. Within six months, we were seen, heard and known. DD Sahyadri discovered its own identity and that made a huge difference. I have never sold the channel as Doordarshan. I always positioned it and marketed it as Sahyadri.

SWOT ANALYSIS

Anupam Kher, Subhash Ghai

To improve the programming, I did a SWOT analysis of the channel and identified my target group (TG) as citizens and not consumers. I decided to run Sahyadri like a real public channel. To reach out to the masses, phone-in programmes were conceptualised. This was something new in those times. I realised that, DD Sahyadri's USP should be, 'a channel that reaches the masses and empowers them -- especially women -- through its programmes'.

PROGRAMMING LANDMARKS

Our first ever phone-in programme Hello Sakhi, has completed 12 years as a daily show now. The programme gives expert advice on issues such as legal, career, education and health and the programme was first its kind when it was introduced in 2000. Even phone-in programmes were a rare affair then, whether on DD or satellite channels.

Amol palekar,Lata Mangeshkar, Anil Sharma

Raza, Prem Chopra &Shabana Azmi, 

Then came Hello Doctor in 2001, again targeted at the masses. We also kicked off the Navratna Awards, which felicitates nine talented Maharashtrians, in the same year. Another award property Navjot Sahyadri Che was initiated in 2002 in association with Unicef. Then in 2003, we introduced Lux Hirkani Awards to honour 'women of substance'

TAM LANDMARKS

From April 2000 to August 2001 as per TAM ratings, Sahyadri's Reach in Maharashtra in All TV Homes grew from 7.1 to 59.6. A whooping 739%. Its reach in all Cable TV Homes rose from 10 to 55.9%. i.e 459%. Sahyadri's. Reach from 1 million to 9 million which means 800% growth. The channel share from 6.8 59.8. A massive 779% growth. No wonder the foundation laid by me and my colleagues till date continues to bear fruits as DD Sahyadri continues to rake in moolah.  Sahyadri earns more than Rs 400 million annually.All other Regional DD channels earn less then Rs 100 million.

The Caption says it all..

Sahyadri gets The Best Kendra Award

DD Sahyadri was the 1st Kendra in the country (along with DDK Delhi) to get the 1st DD Award when it was instituted. Nearly 40 awards were won by Sahyadri and its staff in a span of 7 years. Right from MATA Samman, RAPA Award, AIBD Award, RAPA Hameed Sayani Trophy, Indian Telly Award, Giant Group Award, DD Awards , Ashirwad Award and the list is endless

Anna Hazare at Sahyadri Channel..when he wasn't fasting

You name it and they were there..

The Icing on the cake was that every known Politician, Sports person Film, TV & Theater personality came to DD Sahydri to participate in the programs. Ustad Bismillah Khan, Hema Malini, shabana Azmi, Devanand, Lata Mangeshkar, Sachin Tendulkar, Bala Sahab Thackery, Vilas Rao Desh Mukh, Sushil Kumar Shinde, SM Krishna ( Governor Maharashtra), Jitendra, Shekhar Suman , Pandit Jasraj,Sunil Dutt , Raj Thackery, Amol Palekar, Asha bhosle, Ashutosh Gawarikar, Shatrughan Sinha, Bhupen Hazarika, Anna Hazare and so on and so forth..

Bala Sahab Thackery & Baba Sahab Purendre

Foreign Minister, SM Krishna

Sahyadri contributes to TV programming in the early 2000..

Overall, DD Sahyadri launched about 25 programmes during this six-year period. These cut across all the programming genres such as talk shows, game shows, events, musicals and soaps. I would say, DD Sahyadri gave a significant contribution to television in its infancy by introducing such diverse genres to the masses and the huge success these shows recorded underlines their popularity.

 DD10 Marathi channel becomes DD Sahyadri on 5th April 2000...

Very few people know that on April 5th 2012 DD Sahydri per se turned 12. Why I said per se because it was on 5th April 2000 that DD10 Marathi TV channel (of DDK Mumbai) was renamed as Sahyadri. Exactly after a month I took charge at DDK Mumbai.

 Needless to mention, DD Sahyadri was in a terrible state . Poor connectivity, substandard programmes and low grade technical infrastructure had placed it lowest in the Marathi channel chart, behind ETV Marathi, Alpha Marathi (now Zee Marathi), Tara Marathi and Prabhat. I wanted to change this.

I started with the connectivity issue. The issue was discussed with the cable operators and the DD Public Relations (PR) machinery was effectively used to improve the relationship with all concerned. Within six months, we were seen, heard and known. DD Sahyadri discovered its own identity and that made a huge difference. I have never sold the channel as Doordarshan. I always positioned it and marketed it as Sahyadri.

SWOT ANALYSIS

To improve the programming, I did a SWOT analysis of the channel and identified my target group (TG) as citizens and not consumers. I decided to run Sahyadri like a real public channel. To reach out to the masses, phone-in programmes were conceptualised. This was something new in those times. I realised that, DD Sahyadri's USP should be, 'a channel that reaches the masses and empowers them -- especially women -- through its programmes'.

PROGRAMMING LANDMARKS

Our first ever phone-in programme Hello Sakhi, has completed six years as a daily show now. So, I can say, DD Sahyadri has about 1500 hours of women empowerment programming unleashed in Maharashtra. The programme gives expert advice on issues such as legal, career, education and health and the programme was first its kind when it was introduced in 2000. Even phone-in programmes were a rare affair then, whether on DD or satellite channels.

Then came Hello Doctor in 2001, again targeted at the masses. We also kicked off the Navratna Awards, which felicitates nine talented Maharashtrians, in the same year. Another award property Navjot Sahyadri Che was initiated in 2002 in association with Unicef. Then in 2003, we introduced Lux Hirkani Awards to honour 'women of substance'

TAM LANDMARKS

From April 2000 to August 2001 as per TAM ratings, Sahyadri's Reach in Maharashtra in All TV Homes grew from 7.1 to 59.6. A whooping 739%. Its reach in all Cable TV Homes rose from 10 to 55.9%. i.e 459%. Sahyadri's. Reach from 1 million to 9 million which means 800% growth. The channel share from 6.8 59.8. A massive 779% growth. No wonder the foundation laid by me and my colleagues till date continues to bear fruits as DD Sahyadri continues to rake in moolah.  Sahyadri earns more than Rs 400 million annually.All other Regional DD channels earn less then Rs 100 million.

Sahyadri gets The Best Kendra Award

DD Sahyadri was the 1st Kendra in the country (along with DDK Delhi) to get the 1st DD Award when it was instituted. Nearly 40 awards were won by Sahyadri and its staff in a span of 7 years. Right from MATA Samman, RAPA Award, AIBD Award, RAPA Hameed Sayani Trophy, Indian Telly Award, Giant Group Award, DD Awards , Ashirwad Award and the list is endless

You name it and they were there..
The Icing on the cake was that every known Politician, Sports person Film, TV & Theater personality came to DD Sahydri to participate in the programs. Ustad Bismillah Khan, Hema Malini, shabana Azmi, Devanand, Lata Mangeshkar, Sachin Tendulkar, Bala Sahab Thackery, Vilas Rao Desh Mukh, Sushil Kumar Shinde, SM Krishna ( Governor Maharashtra), Jitendra, Shekhar Suman , Pandit Jasraj,Sunil Dutt , Raj Thackery, Amol Palekar, Asha bhosle, Ashutosh Gawarikar, Shatrughan Sinha and so on and so forth..

Sahyadri contributes to TV programming in the early 2000..

Overall, DD Sahyadri launched about 25 programmes during this six-year period. These cut across all the programming genres such as talk shows, game shows, events, musicals and soaps. I would say, DD Sahyadri gave a significant contribution to television in its infancy by introducing such diverse genres to the masses and the huge success these shows recorded underlines their popularity.

Sahydri Navratna Awards 2004

The Sahyadri Navratna Awards, into its third year, is being held this year on 14 April on Doordarshan's premises at Worli in central Mumbai.The Sahyadri awards are presented to eminent Maharashtrians for excellence in a particular field of interest. One of the highlights of this year's awards ceremony is that the guest list includes India's nightingale Lata Mangeshkar.

The nine-member jury for the Navratna Awards 2004 comprises eminent people from various spheres. The list includes renouned journalist Arun Tikekar, Marathi theatre artist Mohan Wagh, film producer and ex sheriff of Mumbai Kiran Shantaram, industrialist Minal Mohandikar, vice-chancellor SNDT University Mumbai Rupa Shah, former editor Femina Vimla Patil, director general information and publicity (government of Maharashtra) Nitin Gadre, renouned music critic Dr Ashok Ranade and cricketer Ajit Wadekar.The list of awardees this year comprises of people working in varied fields like music, films, education, drama and so on. The nine Navratra's this year consists of people like Shridhar Phadke, who's receiving the Swar Ratna Award for music while the Chitra Ratna Award is going to Sachin Pilgaonkar for his achievements in the field of films and entertainment. Than there is Dr Shankarrao Magar who's receiving the Shiksha Ratna Award for his work in education. Meanwhile, Prabhakar Panshikar, Anjali Bhagwat Vedpathak and Dr Anil Avachat are getting awards for drama, sports and social work respectively. The Ratnasharda Award for women this year will go to Rajiya Patel. while Vijay Kuwalekar will take home the Ratnadarpan Award for his work in journalism. Lastly there is the IT Entrepreneur Ratna Udami that will go to Dr Vijay Bhatkar. Sahyadri channel director Mukesh Sharma said he is very happy to be a part of the Navratna Awrads. But he also stressed that the channel did not play any part as far as choice of awardee was concerned. MUMBAI: The third Sahyadri Navratna Awards ceremony took place at Doordarshan's premises at Worli on Wednesday 14 April. Inaugurated by Prasar Bharati chief executive KS Sarma, the event was attended by eminent personalities from various spheres.     Lata Mangeskar lit the lamp. Later she was felicitated by a memento and Rs one lakh by KS Sarma. It was followed by the felicitation of the nine-member award jury by Mukesh Sharma.Other prominent personalities who attended the event included actors Raza Murad, Kabir Bedi, singer Ila Arun, billiard master Geet Sethi and cricketer Bapu Nadkarni. The first award of the evening, Natyaratna, was presented by Lata Mangeskar to Prabhakar Panshikar for drama. Ila Arun and Vijay Kalantri presented the Ratna Udyami Award to Dr. Vijay Bhatkar for his excellence in the field of IT. Ratna Saurabhi was awarded to Anjali Bhagwat Vedpathak for her excellent in sports, by Geet Sethi and Bapu Nadkarni. Sachin Pilgaonkar won the award in the entertainment section while Shridhar Phadke got the Swar Ratna for music. Dr Shankarrao Magar received the Shiksha Ratna for his contribution in the field of education and Dr Anil Avachat walked away with the Seva Ratna for social work. Vijay Kuwalkar won the Ratna Sharda award for his works in journalism. Ratna Sharda for women went to Rajiya Patel. The Sahyadri awards are presented to eminent Maharashtrians for excellence in particular fields of interest. Sahyadri will telecast the award ceremony on 1 May, which is Maharashtra day.