Sexiest Asian Woman

BRITISH-BORN BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS KATRINA KAIF
RECLAIMS HER CROWN AS THE WORLD’S SEXIEST ASIAN WOMAN

Her conspicuous year-long absence from the big screen, hasn’t prevented Katrina Kaif from claiming the ‘World’s Sexiest Asian Woman’ crown for a record-breaking fourth time. The British-born Bollywood star defeated reigning champion Priyanka Chopra, TV superstar Drashti Dhami, and Hindi cinema’s current box office queen Deepika Padukone, following another year of record-breaking votes pouring in from fans around the globe.

Stunning Katrina, secured the top spot in the world-renowned 50 Sexiest Asian Women List 2013 - compiled by Eastern Eye newspaper - with actress and singer Priyanka Chopra coming in at second place, TV actress Drashti Dhami in third and fellow Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone in fourth.  A permanent fixture in the top three for the past six years, the A-lister beat stiff competition from the world’s most stunning Asian women in the tenth edition of the UK based, Eastern Eye newspaper’sdefinitive ‘Sexy List’.

The unprecedented fourth win comes just weeks before Katrina hits the big screen again in one of the year’s biggest Bollywood blockbusters Dhoom 3: Back In Action.

Surprised by the win, Katrina said: “I didn't know it was a record! That's a nice surprise and a lot of fun to hear. I like it because Eastern Eye newspaper is the one my sisters see because they live in London. It's lovely, but also people are reacting to what they see. Obviously if everyone were to see me when I wake up in the morning or in my track pants and then vote for me, then maybe I would be a little bit more believing of it myself. But of course it's very flattering.”

As chairman of the judging panel and showbiz editor at Eastern Eye, Asjad Nazir, who founded and compiles the list, said it was a close run race and considers Katrina’s win as a precursor to a big 12 months ahead for the actress. “Being crowned the sexiest woman 2013 and with the impending release of Dhoom 3, we will see a dramatic and monumental shift in Katrina’s career in the coming year. With a number of big movies scheduled for 2014, a loyal fan base and undeniable sex-appeal, it looks like the most bankable leading lady in Hindi cinema will be getting her Bollywood crown back very soon.” commented Nazir.

Similar to the list last year, the biggest surprise of 2013 was the sheer dominance of television actresses from India. One notable name is Drashti Dhami, who added to a dream year by becoming the first television actress to crack the top three. Sanaya Irani entered the top 10 for the first time at sixth position. Other Indian television actresses who made the list included last year’s highest new entry Nia Sharma (11), Jennifer Winget (15), Asha Negi (18), Krystle D’Souza (19) and Rubina Dilaik (26), who was the highest new entry in terms of TV stars. 

“Small screen actresses entering the list in force once again showed that Bollywood is no longer dominant in India. In fact at one stage it looks like Drashti was going to win. It highlights how television is playing a much bigger part in the lives of people in India and around the world. Such is the fan-base power of small screen stars that it wouldn’t surprise me if a television personality topped the list for the first time in 2014,” said Asjad Nazir.

The highest new entry was Aashiqui 2 star Shraddha Kapoor (12), who narrowly missed out on the Top 10. The highest placed Pakistani was Humaima Malick (15) and the only non-Indian in the top 10, was Anger Management star Noureen DeWulf (10). The American actress, who stars with Charlie Sheen in the hit US sitcom, dominated the non-Asian vote. The oldest women in the list were Bollywood icons Madhuri Dixit (23) and Sridevi (40).

Mass interest in the 2013 List exploded across social media, with many of the stars trending across Twitter during the voting process. Other notable stars in this year’s list include Sonam Kapoor (5), Parineeti Chopra (14), Sophie Choudry (21), Mehreen Syed (22), Sunidhi Chauhan (28), Ankita Lokhande (29), Hina Khan (31) and Shreya Ghoshal (43).

The 50 Sexiest Asian Women List, now in its tenth year, has become the most definitive list of its kind in the world and talks are on to finally turn it into a big television special in 2014. Asjad adds; “What makes this list really special is that most voters look at the all-round qualities of those they are voting for. Significantly, that is why a lot of female fans also vote and why the list generates such huge interest from fans across the world. The planned 2014 television special is a logical response to the list’s huge global appeal, especially in an age when fans want to feel really close to their favourite stars.”

2013’s full list is published in UK’s most established and popular Asian newspaper Eastern Eye and is out on Friday 6^th December.

Coming soon… The 50 Sexiest Asian Men List will be revealed in Eastern Eye newspaper soon!

London Stories Exhibition

The Serco Prize for Illustration 2014 – London Stories

Opening Friday 14 February 2014

 

• New exhibition of illustrations 14 February to 6 April 2014
• Friday Late on 14 February 2014

Across the ages, London has produced and inspired countless stories. Fictitious and real characters and events in this amazing city have always held fascination, from anecdotal urban myths to grand tales of historic legend.

London Stories, a new exhibition featuring the best of the entries for The Serco Prize for Illustration 2014, opens on 14 February 2014 and will feature over 50 works of art.

Entrants were asked to create an illustration which visually captures a well-known or obscure London narrative; stories that are contemporary or historical, real or imagined.

The shortlisted illustrations celebrate a vibrant, multi-layered London – urban myths, historic events, remarkable characters and London’s animal population. From ghost buses, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show of 1887 and Lenin’s ‘love letter to London’ to a Pearly King and Queen, and an escaped Monkey jazz band. Other entries depict the ravens and the white bear of the Tower of London, Tin Pan Alley as well as literary and musical references such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Girl from Petrovka, Mary Poppins, Sweeney Todd and Oranges and Lemons. For the first time the exhibition will also feature five short animated films. From the rise and fall of high rise tower blocks, LND Flying machine to the animated video about “Our Town”.

There’s also a chance to explore the exhibition after hours and enjoy the opening evening of London Stories during our Friday Late on 14 February 2014. There will be a cash bar, DJ and storytelling for adults on board some of our heritage vehicles; a chance to illustrate your own London Story with short illustration workshops, and to strike a pose in our photo-booth with a choice of props. There will also be tours of our new Poster Parade – I Love London.

Organised by London Transport Museum in partnership with the Association of Illustrators (AOI) and sponsored by Serco, all of the illustrations are accompanied by a short text written by the artists summarising the inspiration behind their creation.

The Serco Prize for Illustration 2014 continues Transport for London’s legacy of design that dates back over 100 years. The Museum’s collection of graphic art is one of the best in the world and includes over 5,000 posters and artworks by famous artists including Man Ray, Paul Nash and Edward McKnight Kauffer. The exhibition closes on Sunday 6 April 2014.

The London Stories exhibition is displayed in the CBS Outdoor Gallery at London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Piazza, London, WC2E 7BB and admission is included in the entry ticket to the main Museum galleries (adults £15.00 or £11.50 concessions). Tickets allow unlimited admission for 12 months. Children and young people aged 17 and under go free. For further information visit www.ltmuseum.co.uk or call 020 7565 7298.

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House of Cards Returns

EMMY-AWARD WINNING NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES,
“HOUSE OF CARDS” RETURNS FOR
SECOND SEASON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14

From Media Rights Capital, All 13-Episodes of Second Season Starring
Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright 
Available to Netflix Members Everywhere at Launch

(Beverly Hills, CA – December 4, 2013) – The second season of the Netflix original series, from Media Rights Capital, “House of Cards,” premieres Friday, February 14, 2014. All 13-episodes of the season starring Academy Award® winner Kevin Spacey (“Horrible Bosses,” “American Beauty,” “The Usual Suspects”) and Golden Globe® nominee Robin Wright (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Forrest Gump”), who both received Emmy® nominations for their performances in the first season, will be available for members to watch instantly in all territories where Netflix is available.

From director David Fincher (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Social Network”), award-winning playwright and Academy Award® nominated screenwriter Beau Willimon (“Farragut North,” “The Ides of March”) and Academy Award® winner Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump,” “Munich,” “The Insider”), this critically-acclaimed drama slithers beneath the curtain and through the back halls of greed, sex, love and corruption in modern Washington D.C.

In the second season, Francis (Spacey) and Claire (Wright) Underwood continue their ruthless rise to power as threats mount on all fronts. Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara, “American Horror Story”), an up-and-coming reporter and Francis’s former paramour, is inching closer to the truth about his crimes. President Walker’s (Michel Gill, “The Good Wife”) billionaire confidante Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney, “Southland”) demands that Francis reciprocate political favors or face retribution. And Claire must confront the increasing glare of the spotlight as it eats away at her and Francis’s once private existence. The Underwood’s must overcome these dangers -- past and present -- to avoid losing everything, regardless of collateral damage they leave in their wake.

In addition to Spacey, Wright, Mara, Gill and McRaney, the series also stars Mahershala Ali (“Treme”), Sebastian Arcelus (“Person of Interest”), Kristen Connolly (“The Cabin in the Woods”), Nathan Darrow (“Rigged”), Sakina Jaffrey (“Definitely Maybe”), Michael Kelly (“The Adjustment Bureau”) and Molly Parker (“Deadwood”).

Additional cast members appearing in the series include: Jayne Atkinson (“The Following”), Gil Birmingham (“The Lone Ranger”), Rachel Brosnahan (“Orange is the New Black”), Reg E. Cathey (“Grimm”), Derek Cecil (“Treme”), Terry Chen (“Bates Motel”), Ben Daniels (“Merlin”), Joanna Going (“Mad Men”), Boris McGiver (“Person of Interest”), Mozhan Marno (“In Plain Sight”) Sam Page (“Mad Men”), Kate Lyn Sheil (“V/H/S”), Jimmi Simpson (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and Constance Zimmer (“The Newsroom”).

Carl Franklin (“Homeland”), James Foley (“Glengarry Glen Ross”), John David Coles (“Justified”), Jodie Foster (“Orange is the New Black”) and Robin Wright all direct season-two episodes.

“House of Cards,” the first original series produced by Media Rights Capital for Netflix, received enormous critical acclaim for its first season. The Telegraph (UK) lauded the series as “the most remarkable new television drama of the year,” while the Philadelphia Inquirer hailed the show “a fascinating, first-class political thriller” and Entertainment Weekly described it as “deliciously bingeable.”

In the summer of 2013, for its first season, “House of Cards” made history as the first ever streaming series to earn Primetime Emmy® nominations in major categories, including: Outstanding Drama Series,Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Spacey), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Wright), Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series (Laray Mayfield and Julie Schubert), Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Fincher), Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series (Eigil Bryld), Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series (Kirk Baxter), Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Jeff Beal). In all, the show took home three Emmy® wins for casting, directing and cinematography for its first season.

Based on the BBC miniseries of the same name, the second season of “House of Cards” is executive produced by Fincher, Willimon, Joshua Donen, Eric Roth, Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti, Andrew Davies, Michael Dobbs and David Manson. The one-hour drama is produced by Donen/Fincher/Roth and Trigger Street Productions, Inc. in association with Media Rights Capital for Netflix.

For additional information on “House of Cards,” go to: 

http://facebook.com/houseofcards , 

http://houseofcards.tumblr.com or

http://netflix.com/houseofcards