An Aussie girl in Mumbai

An aspiring young Aussie wins a chance of a lifetime to star in a Bollywood film

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BY - DANIELLE , MATHIAS

As a young child Teigan Lloyd-Evans would sit down with her mum to watch Hollywood films. She never imagined then that she would one day get a chance co be part of the most prolific film industry in the world

However, the 24-year-old winner of the SBS TV show Bol!yu,ood Star has landed a role in a film directed by the legendary Indian film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, and is on her way to a challenging - and hopefully prosperous - Bollywood career.

It was her passion for Boll)7WOod films tl1ac made the Gold Coast native decide to audition for Bol!y1vood Stm; a reality show tl1at sought Bollywood aspirants in Australia to prove their acting prowess and w in a chance to act in a H indi movie.

"\X!hen this opporrunity arose, it just felt right," Teigan cold Indian Llnk. "I could have ignored my interest in th.is industry, b ut when you know sometlung feels right, you have to go for it!"

As she got older, Teigan began to see 'being white' as being less of an issue in relation to a career in films, despite her \'{!eJsh, Danish and Australian backgrmmds.

" \'qhy can't a Caucasian girl be accepted in Bollywood , I said to myself. That just seems ridiculous in this day and age. l believed that with tl1e right help and with persistence (I could make it) There was notl1ing I could foresee that was going to stop me on this journey"

The most challenging aspect of me competition for tlus gutsy ymmg lady was being unable to speak Hindi, but she was determined co learn the language.

"A lot of peop le didn't believe in me because I don't speak Hindi ," she revealed. ' 'But as I have tried to tell a lot of people, it is a language. A lot of peop le learn a new language every clay for different opponu1uties in Life, so why c.m'L I?"

From the histrionics point of view, emotions often hindered ratl1er than helped Teigan diroughout the competition. She also said that personal ch allenges aUowed her to relate more closely to Bollywood films. " 1 think in life you go through phases, and it was such an amazing phase of my Life being involved in B0J!),1vood 1ta1: I was too elated to act with my raw emotion!" revealed Teigan.

"Bollywood films have such raw, unclefeatable, intense pai n and emotion, it just strikes a chord in me. I come from a very smal l family which has been torn apart and there is no lon ger a sense of 'family' left. That has always been a huge struggle for me, because I know what it is like to have that beautiful fanul y bond and scruggle with die loss of it," she added.

The last few years have been chall engin g for Teigan: her parents split up, her relationship broke down, and her beloved clog passed away. She tackled Bof!yJJJoor/ Stt,r with newfound determination, and came out with Aying colours.

During the competition the six finalises were sent to Mumbai to undergo intense Bollrvood training and get an insight into lnclian culrure. In d1e fourtl1 episode, Teigan and the other contestants were sp li t up and sent to Live with Indian fanulies in the slu m s of Dharavi for 24 hours. lt becan1e an experience Teigan isn't Likely to forget in a hurry.

"M nmbai was crazy! lt is a place where you can't scop watching what is going on around you in case yo u miss something. Living ,;;,;~th m y little fanilly for a night taught me so man y things about how strong people are, and how happiness is rife in all walks of life n o matter how sad or heartbreaking. I don 't tlunk 1 have ever been so impressed with a community in m y Life!"

Although livi ng in India is such a stark contrast to the Aus tralian Ii festyl e, the true bl ue Aussie never felt homesick.

"Of course, I tliink the majority of Australians would struggle slightly," she admitted. ' 'But honestly I was just so happy to be there and absorb this amazing p lace that it didn ' t really get co me. \'(le are so fortunate in Australia, and whe neve r I would start to think about tlus contrast i t made me so grateful to be able to experience a p lace Like India so I can gr()W as a person and expand my knowledge of the world".

Teigan had a good rappon with all tl1e judges d1roughout me competition. Indeed, judge A nupam Sharma's excited mutterings as soon as she walked into that audition, gave it away that we would be seeing more of her in the conung ep isodes! But Teigan cl aims it was with Emma Brown Garrett chat she bonded most.

''i\11 of tl1e judges helped me immensely. 1 had a fantastic relationship with Emma - she is su cl1 a lovely wo rnan, she wanted co help us in an y way she cottld," revealed d1e young wannabe acttess. Emma Brown Garrett is a Caucasian Australian actress ,vorking in Bollywood films.

During the competition, Teigan became very close to the otl1er .linalists - Gautam ' 'G-Luv" Koul, Sharon Johal and Saral1 Roberts.

''I r eally hold m y relationships with me other finalists close to m y heart," said Teigan with disarming candidness. "Th ey are all so beautiful and so individ ual There is honestly nor a single bad tlung that wou ld even cross m y mind about any of tl1em. They are stand up people. Anyone who has tl1e chance to know any o n e of them is a lucky person".

Al t hough she is n ow famous for winning Bol911voodStar, t here is more co Teigan than just that. She applied 3 years ago to be a student paran1edic from Queens land, and is currently in training, Living two of he r dreams at the same time.

"My experiences wit!, Bolfy111ood Slcir have hel ped me to be a better, more caring paran1eclic," she said.

Teigan's mother, who not only introduced her to Bo llywood but also to Bol/y1voodStar, has been a huge inAuence i11 het Life and her success. " \),'hen I first watched Bollywood, I tl1oughr tlus is just so beautiful, i t's so free, it's so colourful," said Teig an's mother in an interview on SBS. She mother has been very supportive of botl1 Teigan's career choices.

"J\fy mum would have always rooted for my career as a Bollywood star," Teigan acknowledged. "S he has always said that. I know she i s biased because she is my motl1er, but yo ur m ocher knows you better than anyone, and she has always wanted me to try thi s avenue!"

In December this year, Teigan will Ay to l'vfumbai to star in Mahesh Bhatr's film. ''I seriously can't wait and l am extreme ly grateful to be ab le to make a mov ie with him," she said enthusiastically.

Teigan described winning Bof!yJJJood Star as being tl1e turning point of her life. Through her hard-work, determination and positive attimcle, she bas made a social impact and has raised the profile of BoUywoocl in Australia. "I have been getting a lot of positive feedback since winning the title, m ostly from young women w h o are Caucasian and feel they might be interested in giving tl1e industry a go," she said.

In terms of what the future holds for her two dreams, Teigan said witl1 a smile, "My Life in the next few weeks, months and years is going to have serio u s time management issues! I will do me best that l can witl1 what time l have, but obviously t!1ese are two careers that are both very rime consunung. l could never make a choice between either of them as I am extremely passionate about botl1. Just wish me luck!"

WHERE IS THE PROPERTY MARKET HEADED?

va lues. Until recentl y the river city ' s home prices were falling most across Austral ian capital cities but last monlh they dipped just 0.3 per cent. Adela ide was an exception and omperformed all orher capitals wiu1 1.2 per ccm rise in May. Perth had a decline of 1.7 per cent , Darw i n 2.4, Canberra I .5 and l::lobart 1.2. Mucb of the weakness in rcaJ estate vaJues was in detached housing rather than apartments so it is clear tbat the market is becoming increasingly price-point driven with stronger performances across more affordable markets. unit va lues across the combined capitals increased in May and are up by 1.3 per cent over the first five monu1s of the year. On the positive note. the rental demand and the weekJy rental return is pretty strong. We get this concern from peop le that we could also see a crash in the property market. si111ila.r to US however the biggest difference I find between US and Aus tralian market is the supply of houses In Australia we still have shortage of dwellings and r here is a huge demand from both prospective tenants and first home buyers. so if you ask my opin ion. this is one of the best times to get in the property market as the prices are soft. We all know that we go through cycles in the property market and curren tl y we are going through a lean period however if you look at the low interest rate~ bei11g offered by the lenders, the return is pretry good whether you a.re a first home buyer or an investor. If you are looking for a good deal on your home loan , please contact us on 0296763417 or 0412 452 429 and we can find the best deal for you as per your situation. our services are absolute ly free.

RECEN T CHANGES FOR FI RST HOME BUYERS AN D I NVESTORS

As you all know the NSW government announced their annual budget and apart of various other changes they have intmduced some substantial changes for the first home buyers and second home buyers/ investors. First Home buyers have been significantly affected. especially the ones who a.re looking to purchase an estab l ished property, these changes arc coming in effect from Isl October 2012. I have ou tlined below the changes that are going to take p lace:

FIRST HOME .BUYERS lf contract of sale is exchanged before 1st October 20 12:

People who arc buying an established home will get 110 stamp-duty exemption however will be eligible for tJ1e $7 ,000 grant from the government

People who are buying a brand new or off the plan home will get full stamp-duty exemption upto the val ue of $SOOK and partial up to $600K and also will be eligible for the $7,000 granr from the govc.rnmenr

FIRST HOME .BUYERS lf contract of sale is exchanged on or after 1st October 2012

People who are buying an established home will get no stamp-duty exemption and also will not be eligible for any government granr.

People who are buying a brand new or offlhe pla11-home will get full stamp-ducy exemption upto IJ1c val ue of $650K and aJso will be e l igible for IJ1e $15,000 grant from the government

SE'.COND HOME BUYERS/l_NVESTORS .IJ contract of sale is exchanged before 30th June 2012

People who are buying an established home will get 110 stamp-duty exemption and also will not be eligible for any government grant.

People who arc buying a brand new home wi l l be eligible for 25% exemption in stamp duty (for the property to the vaJue of $600K) but no grant. If IJ1ey are buying off the plan home they will be eligib le for full stamp-duty exemption upto the val ue of $600K of completed Jiome on the other hand Lhey wil l get a full stamp duty exemption on a land purchase upto the value of ,$400K (with a view to build in near future)

SECOND HOME BUYERS/1:NVESTORS Lf contract of sale i-< exchanged on or after 1st Ju ly 2012

From J ul y I.2012, a new $5,0QO grant will be provided to buyers of11ew homes, whether off the plan or newly built. with a value up lo $650,000 a.nd to buyers of vacant land that is imcnded to be the site of a new home valued up 10 $450.000 but the downside is t hat they w ill get 110 stamp-duty exemptions.

I have tried to explain the changes ln a simple language however if IJ1ere is something you want clarification on, please call me or send me an email and J'U respond immediately. There has been a mixed reaction with these changes Some are saying tha t most benefit will go to the devc l operl; and bu ilders who will now hike their prices. The first home buyers wbo wish to buy an established property will lose Olli on the benefits and may have to wait longer as they now have to come up wi th more deposit. on the other hand first home buyers who are buying brand - new property now need less deposit than before.

Thank you for reading this artic le and your continued support, as mentioned before if you are looki11g for a good deal on your home loan, please contact us at Gain Home Loans, Ly l I. 15 Flushcombe Rd. Blacktown, Ph: 02 9676 34 17 and 04 12 452-l29 or you can drop me an email at info@gainhomcloans.com.au

Disclaimer: Any ad1 ice gi,•en in this article does 1101 lake inro accoum the personal 11eeds and objecti1•es or ji11a11cial sit11a1ion of rhe re.oder. Tl,e reader should consider the appropriatene rs of rhis and reek profe ssitmal adviG·e l/4ore makini; a decision whether to acquire or c ontinue the products and services me111io11ed. For appointment or any other information, call

A young Australian of Indian origin will play for the Rams at the upcoming U/16 National Championships.

ustralian Rules, co1nmonly referred co as AFL (al tl1o ug b this is tb e name o f the competition) origi n ated in Vicco ria in J 859 as the Victorian FootbaU League. The spore, w hile extremely popular in Aus tralia, h as had a cough time gaining p opular ity overseas It i s very encouraging tl1en, mar a yo ung Australian of lndian origin has b een recently select ed in tl1e U/ 16 I SW/ ACT R a m s side to comest me upcoming NAB AFL U/16 National Cham p io n ships.

Late last year d1e AFL hosted me International Cup, which included teams from seve ral nations, including Sweden , Fij i, France a nd lndia W hile India has AFL programmes in Ke rala a nd West Bengal and tl1e spo r t is defi ni tely gaini n g popularity, in Australia, Angad Roy is the fuse p layer fro m an Indian background co represent l SW/ ACT at any l ational Cham p ionshi ps Angad p lays in ch e centre half-back/ forward pos itio n , a n d bas been part of the Slater & Go rd o n Giants Acad emy fo r the past three years Lachlan Bus7.,ard, tbe Acad emy i\lian ager, sees A ngad 's selection in me side as an importa nt ste p towards a p otential career in tl1e AFL. He i s one of tl1ree young players in tl1e academy from an Indian background.

Speaking about Angad's selection in the side, Buszard was excited. "It's a great opp ortunity for A ngad to p lay ag ainst the best yo Lmg plarers in Au stra lia and gain an insight into w hat it's like co be an AFL player in terms of recovery, game preparation and diet," he said "It's a chance fo r A n gad ro test himself and see where he is placed ac ross me national talent pool".

"The selec tio n of A ngad shows the growth of me ga me in d1e Western Sydney region, a nd the multicultural di vers ity of the Greater \Xlestern Sydney area is also r e p resented rnrough his se lectio n ," he added.

A ngad al so believes his experiences at the academ y have b een very positive. "T he acad em y has been excellent in developing m y game," h e told lndi,111 Link,

"and I have found I h ave improve d a lot n ot only in ter m s of my APL skills, b m things like di scip Line, diet a.ncl tl1e way l conduct mysel f ove rall. l t also helps to have som e()ne l ike R yan HuJihan, who played 200+ gam es fo r Carlton, as a coach and mento r to help me t m de rstand what I need co improve o n and what I need co do i f I want to play AFL at th e h ighest level".

Altl1ough Angad atte n ds tl1e Ki ngs Sch oo l in Parramatta, wh ere tbe foc u s is o n rugby, h e has foun d no trouble 6tri.og in AFL arow1d his schoo l commitments. " l\,[y friends have take n a.n in te rest in what l donot as m uch me gam e i tself, as l go to a predominantly rugby school, however mey have shown more interest tl1an what rney had previously shown My school has been very supportive and gave me an exemp tion from playing rugby thi s year so that l could focus more o n AFL".

For t his young man, AFL brings with it an al together differe n t leve l of c halle nges to oilier sports.

"I a m drawn to AFL m ore because of t he fact mac you have to be good at so m any different rnings, such as kicking, hand b alling, fitness and pace," he observed

You need to h ave this to be successful a nd n one of it comes wi tl1our practice. This challenge bas provided me w im a work eth ic no t only in AFL, b ut i n most parts of m y Ji fe".

And ind eed, Ang ad 's crai ning routine is hectic. Five days of training, along w itl1 matches o n Su ndays, mean Angad is much busier th an most ocher b oys h is age "It sometimes takes away from school, but tl1a t all comes dow n to rime management," he noted wirn man1rity. "Howeve r, school and AFL go weU togeth er as o n e provides as a n escap e from tl1e othe r"

Much of Angad's success can be owed co his supportive parents, w ho intro d uced him to the sport afte r falli n g in love wim i t upon coming co Australia " Th ey have probab ly been the biggest h elp in terms of where I have gotte n today. Th ey don't miss a game o f mine or my br omer's"

Angad recognises iliac a futme in AFL in volves p lenty of hard wor k and a.n extrem e focus. It's early days yet - but it has definitely been a fan tastic start to hi s journ ey

,_. J BY / RAKAMITRA

The Sydney Indian Film Festival kicked off its third year on June 24 w idi the glitz and gla mour that ha s b ecome synonymous with all things Bollywood. This yea.r's festival aptly titled 'Bollywood a nd Beyond' showcases the best of Bollywood, regiona l blockbusters an d arc- house fil m s i\,1in d Blowing Films ha s been bringing mis magic to us and ic just gets better eve r y year, now being dubbed as die largest festival of i rs kind in the Sou tliern Hemisphere. Having just concluded a success ful Melbomne festival, di.rector Mitt1 Bhowmick Lange was tired buc g lowing as she em barked upon the Sydney leg of tli e festival. While she had rounded u p cop stars Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra for the Melbourne evem, she made up with a high gla.m quotient for Sydney with the srunn.ing Ma.laika

Arora Khan, and an equally high cerebral element w ith off- beat film- maker R itup a.rno Ghosh

Th e festival marked its ope n ing ceremony wid1 both special guests

Malaika graced the red carper in h e r usual style, braving the b itter wi n ter chill in a dazzling black lehe11ga, leaving a positively starstruck audience in her wake. An exclusive premiere screening of Ritt1parno Ghosh's Chitrangada at Fox Smdio's Cinem a Paris was also well attended by mo,,ie buffs. (Ghosh's other lilm in me festival, Me1J1ories in JV!arch, where he scars again but dus time with Bollywood's Deepti N av al and Raim a Sen, is a n unu sual bur critically acclaimed film on me bond between a gay p rotagonist a nd lus dead boyfriend's mother).

Other films in the festival included me mainstream Kahaani, The Dir(y Picture, Do11 2, Delhi Be!!J', l3oc!Jguan4 Tshaqzaade, Zindagi Na Milegi Dohara, Aamkshan, Paan Singh Tontm· and T Am K1t!aatJ1. From regional films me line-up included So11 ef Ad11111 and Ummi (Malayalam), I'[yi11g Fish (Tamil/ Sinhalese), Bo/ (Urdu), Beatt()' and Brains (Nepalese), Mehe,ja,m (Bengali), Chah-ak (Bengali/ Tamil), Laptop (Bengali), Se11gadal (Tamil), B,t!m Band Baqja (Maratlii) a nd offbeat Hindi films Michael a nd Shab,i

Meeting Malaika

A hush falls within the room as a beautiful young woma n is seen descending the glass elevator at WoolloomooUoo's Hotel Blu.

\Vith just a few hours of sleep after a long plane journey, h ow· s he scill manages to look the way she does is beyond me! Malaika

Arora Khan steps off me e levator and bedazzles all of us with a smile cha t comes from with in.

Welcomes are mumbled as this is her first visit to Sydney, but me real question is, "Will Munni be back fo r Dahba11g 2?"

But we begin wit h Malail-a's p lans for her trip to Sydney: what is s he looking fo rwa rd to seeing a n d ex periencing?

'T he Opera House! My son said to me, 'Mom, make sure you ge t a picture of tl1e Opera House', so I h ave tO go there. I hear Bondi Beach is beautiful, but it might be a bit cold at this time of the year Also, I hear Sydney has good food, so I hope to experience som e of that," says Malaika enthusi astically.

I explai n tha t food is a sub ject cl ose to my own h eart; so what kind of food would Ma.laika like to taste here:, "I'm happy to try anything I love a good steak but 1 wo n't cry kangaro o! I love spicy food actt1ally; South lndian food is o ne of my favourites," she says

And how does a foodie like you maintain that figure, I have ro ask envious ly. "I eat everything I l ove food buc I live a routine, I exercise eve r y day, go to the gym, dance a n d maimain a healtl1y lifestyle. A b u sy lifestyle as well," admits M al aika.

How does she balance a tough lifestyle and motherhood, is i t challengi n g? "Well, 1 am not different to any other woman, r eally. Yes, I have work and commitments, but most moms do. I have help and support at home as weU," says M alaika candidly.

The actress is in volved wid, a Joe of dancing ta.lent shows. Being a mother of a young child, w h at d oes she think the impact of competition is on children of such tender years?

"T h is is a question that is cl ose to my heart. I have always voiced my concerns regarding children on sh ows. I p ersonally feel dilldren should be out p laying and enjoying their childhood, hut then tl1e otl1er side of tl1e srory is that it's just a platform for children ro showcase theL r talent,"

says Malaika

So did sbe always want to be a Bollr-vood sra.r? "Acttially I always loved dance, and figured I ,vould re ach and open a dance school. But BoUywood happened. 1 am a qualified child psycho logist and was a.II set to head into chat direction. Bur then som e things fell into p lace and here I am," she says with an elegant shrug. And finally, l wait for the answer we're all hoping co hear. So, will Nfonni make a comeback in Dabbang 2? "Well, we ace shooti n g for Dabba11g 2 at the moment. So you wi11 just have co wait and watch," says tvfalaika wi th a mysterious smile \XleU, some answer is bette r tha n no answer at alll

Reinventing an epic Legend has it chat Chicrangada was a pri nc ess born co the King of Manipura, and dus legend formed the bas.is of R abindranath Tagore's famed Bengali dance drama o f tlie same nam e. As the onlr child of the Ki ng and beir to d1e t hro n e, the Princess Chitra.ngada is trained in martial art s and dresses as a man tO presume her responsibilities co guide her kingdom. One day she meets A rjun o n a h unting trip and falls in love. A rjun is impressed by her skill and agility but is confused by h e r feminine ma sculin.i ty or rather, masculine fe rninin.ity. Ch.itra n gada is fo rl orn as she realises that Arj un can never love her in her current form and goes to find Kamadev, the Goel of Love. Witl1 his help she is bo rn anew as a beautiful woman, bur returns co a kingdom in chaos. Their l ove s tory is complete when Arjtm realises die beautiful woman is none other than tlie skilled young warrior he met on the bunting expedi tion.

Ritt1pa.mo Ghosh's interpretation of dus classic can be described as nothing if not fo rnud able, in bis film Chitrangada. He pushes the botmdari es of societal stigm a s by suggesting that Chicrangacla was a man. He resurrec ts Kaniacl ev as a cos m etic surgeon w h o performs gender reassignment surgery on Chitra n gada. Whilst in d1e classi c tale, Chitrangada was embraced by her Arjun, this tale has a more realistic hearcbear. The movie follows the emotional passage of a man going through such a procedure. It h ig hlights the strains in his relationships wi th t he people in his Life, and rakes the audience on a journey of acceptatio n , realisatio n and liberation.

\\?hen quizzed abo u t his expectations of audie nc e reaction specifically in India, a country scill cloistered in the closet when it comes to sexuality, Ghosh responds saying, "There are rwo types of audienc e in India. One is more educat ed and understands the importance of showi ng such cinema ro die masses And the och e r is one chat will always create a fuss! Bue I am not worried abouc them " Ghosh is quietly confident that his movie will make its mark.

G h os h laughs when questioned about the i.mricacies of being the lead acto r and directo r in the movie. "\~ell, it wasn't easy a nd I had to have a lot of faidi in my assistant directors It was also in teresting to experi ence what i t 's like being on the other side," he says with a chuckle.

This tasteful and magnificent interpretation of ao epic tale i s firring in its release, acknowledging the 150th birm anniversa ry of the immortal T agore.

Short film contest

A n integral part of the film festival is die Western Union Short FiLn Competitio n \Vhicb encourages fiLn - makets form India, New Zea11nd as well as Australia to p articipate and get their work judged by experts This year's theme was 'Connections'. This year's w inner is Nielesh Verma from the S)'dney Film Schoo l, who received accol ades from the audience for his movie, utlers Ho111e The film beautifally encapsulates how, in crying co protect our loved ones from h arsh realities, we often treat tbem as strangers by filtering me messages we se nd to diem.

"The judging pane l of this year's competition comprised of renowned film -mal<ers and produ ce rs like Raj Kumar Hirani, M ick Molloy, Kabir Khan and Kuna! Kohli," i\,iitu said in Melbourn e as she annoLrncecl the winn er " I t was difficult for them to pick a winner amongst the brilliant work chat was seen chis year. The the m e of 'Connections' was wonderfully exp lored by all the entrants"

Contestam Shau n Thomas won from Z, Soumya Guruprasad from i'vfel b ourne and Ma nja.ri Makijany fro m India.