Be a star!

The IIFA Weekend 7-10 June 2007 Yorkshire

Look out for Oxfam at the International Indian Film Academy Weekend and Fringe events Visit www.oxfam.org.uk

2 Photos on outer and inside cover: Jasmine Pettersen ‘Mr Velvet Ear’ on flickr.com

Photo source: IIFA.com

Every year, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) holds its spectacular film awards ceremony in a different country, to acknowledge the ever-growing popularity of Indian Cinema beyond the shores of India and the Asian sub-continent.

In 2007, Yorkshire plays host to this extravaganza.

Oxfam is grateful to IIFA for its support of our fight against poverty.

CONTENTS Page An introduction 3 IIFA nominations 2007 4 My passion for Indian cinema 6 Oxfam’s work in southern Asia 8 Oxfam with the UK’s Asian community 10 Be a star!

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Oxfam is proud to be one of IIFA’s official charity partners this year. We work in more than 70 countries – helping people to fight poverty and improve their way of life.

Be a star for Oxfam! Say I’m in to ending world poverty. Because we can’t do our work without you.

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Some of the nominations for 2007

4 Photo source: IIFA.com

Best picture Dhoom 2 A globetrotting master thief steals the Queen of England’s crown. In Mumbai, he evades capture when an undercover police agent falls in love with him. They pull off another successful heist in Rio de Janeiro, before the tables start to turn...

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Never having to say goodbye) Two strangers, who met by chance four years previously, meet again. They agree to help each other to mend their respective marriages – but this is just the start of an intricately tangled plot...

Krrish

Rang de Basanti (Paint it Spring)

Krrish, an orphaned child, discovers that he has inherited alien super powers. Hired by a scientist to build a computer that can predict future disasters, he discovers that the scientist has more selfish, devious plans for the hardware...

A British filmmaker arrives to tell the story of four Independence Movement campaigners, during India’s struggle for freedom from British rule.

But she’s soon caught up in current local events, helping to expose a defence minister whose corrupt dealings have led to tragedy.

Lage Raho Munna Bhai (Carry on Munna Bhai) Munna Bhai falls in love with the voice of a radio presenter. Keen to meet her, he cheats to win a competition that she has set about Mahatma Gandhi. Munna further deceives the presenter by telling her that he’s a history professor. She invites him to give a lecture! While Munna researches exhaustively, the image of Mahatma appears...

Vivah (Marriage) Having lost both her parents, Poonam has been brought up by her jealous aunt Rama, who considers Poonam to be more beautiful than her own daughter Ravni. Poonam becomes badly scarred just two days before her wedding, after she rescues Ravni from a fire...

Photo: filming of ‘Dance Baby Dance’

by Yash Raj Films in Shad Thames, London.

Credits: edvvc at flickr.com

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Best performance in a male role

Best performance in a female role

Best performance in a negative role (Best ‘villain’)

Here are three classics to get you started!

Shah Rukh Khan

Don

Aishwarya Rai

Dhoom 2

Hrithik Roshan

Dhoom 2

Hrithik Roshan

Krrish

Kajol

Fanaa

Emraan Hashmi

Gangster

Mother India (1957). A woman is left to raise her two sons by herself. The first film in Hindi ever to be nominated for a Hollywood Oscar.

Sanjay Dutt

Lage Raho Munna Bhai

Kangana Ranaut

Gangster

Boman Irani

Lage Raho Munna Bhai

Ajay Devgan

Omkara

Rani Mukherji

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

Saif Ali Khan

Omkara

Aamir Khan

Rang De Basanti

Vidya Balan

Lage Raho Munnabhai

John Abraham

Zinda

Kareena Kapoor

Omkara

‘Bollywood’ for beginners

Shree 420 (1955) Directed by and starring the legendary Raj Kapoor. An orphan travels to Bombay to seek success. But after he meets a crooked businessman, he becomes a swindler. Fans of Chaplin’s The Tramp will recognise Kapoor’s influences for this ‘Bollywood’ favourite.

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Monsoon Wedding (2001) Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film festival, and nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes. A father organises an expensive wedding for his daughter, who has only known her groom for a few weeks.

But the daughter has been having an affair with her married ex-boss (and that’s just one of the many sub-plots!)…

Best story

Best music direction

Best film director Karan Johar

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

Aditya Chopra

Dhoom 2

Pritam

Rakesh Roshan

Krrish

Shankar Ehsaan Loy Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

Rakesh Roshan

Krrish

Rajkumar Hirani

Lage Raho Munna Bhai

Rajesh Roshan

Dhoop Nikalti hai Jahan Se

Rajkumar Hirani

Lage Raho Munna Bhai

Vishal Bharadwaj

Omkara

Vishal Bharadwaj

Omkara / Beedi

Vishal Bharadwaj

Omkara

Kamlesh Pandey

Rang De Basanti

A.R. Rehman

Rang De Basanti/Ru Baroo

Rakeysh O. Mehra

Rang De Basanti

Dhoom 2

My passion for Indian cinema “As a young child growing up in Bangalore, cinema meant everything me. I’d often sneak in to the big tent that was showing the latest ‘touring talkie’. When I didn’t have enough money, I used to risk sneaking in unspotted – such was the overpowering urge to get in to see the film. Afterwards, on my way home, I’d have to concoct yet another yarn about why I had left home without my parents’ permission!

“I saw hundreds of films, in many languages... not just my native Tamil. Language didn’t matter. If the screenplay gripped my heart, I’d understand the plot intuitively. Many films stirred my emotions for a long time afterwards, and some still do today.

Oxfam’s Pushpanath Krishnamurthy (far right) being filmed interviewing politician David Cameron – just one of the many interviews that he conducts as part of his work for Oxfam.

Photo: Christian Guthier/Oxfam

“Many of the stories in Asian cinema are about hope – for better, happier, more prosperous times ahead. Oxfam’s work with poor communities is helping people turn their hope into reality.

People work very hard to overcome their poverty, because they know that it will ensure their children a place in school... that they won’t have to go to bed with empty stomachs... that there’ll be safe water to drink every day, close to home...

“With help from the rest of us, ending poverty is not impossible.”

Pushpanath Krishnamurthy

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Oxfam’s work Oxfam works in more than 70 countries – helping people to fight poverty and improve their way of life.

Wherever there is poverty, it’s likely that most adults in a community – especially the women – will not have been able to go to school, and cannot read or write. Their children might be among the 100 million who cannot go to school today. Or tomorrow.

Street theatre teaches people about hygiene, and how to protect themselves from disease. It saves lives.

And here, it’s making sure that people understand their rights – and know how to claim them. Oxfam’s We Can campaign – a massive movement across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal – calls for an end to violence against women and girls, and for women to be an equal part of the decision-making within their communities.

Equality between women and men is at the heart of everything that Oxfam does.

8 Photo: Rajendra Shaw/Oxfam

Around the world, Oxfam works with poor communities whose survival depends on farming and fishing.

In Bundelkhand (pictured here), Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, we’re helping people to earn a better income. Not just through training, but also by making them aware of their legal rights to the land and waters close to their villages.

Villagers are already sharing new knowledge and skills with neighbouring communities. Through drama, rallies, slogans, and singing, people are now spreading the word that they can reduce their poverty – by working together, sharing their resources, equipment and workload.

Life for the villagers is beginning to improve.

They are making more money by selling their surplus crops and fish at markets in the nearest towns.

9 Photo: Rajendra Shaw/Oxfam

Strong links with Asian communities in the UK Oxfam has been working with communities across southern Asia since 1951.

We also work with ethnic communities in the UK, providing education opportunities, and helping people to resolve issues such as discrimination, inequality and domestic violence.

Here, at Masmumma Din’s computing class – part of a project supported by Oxfam – Saynab Rashid and Rahima Wikturya are learning a new skill. Masmumma’s lessons are also helping her students to improve their English.

Great support

10 Photo: Karen Robinson/Oxfam

We rely on Asian individuals, organisations, and communities to help us publicise all of our work.

In a single day last year, Club Asia Radio collected over £20,000 for our Kashmir earthquake appeal, and 300 listeners became new Oxfam supporters.

Be a music star for Oxfam!

Find out about the many ways you can be a star with Oxfam: Come into one of our 750 shops, visit www.oxfam.org.uk or call 0870 333 2700

Barry’s a star!

“The thing that kicked me off wanting to volunteer with Oxfam was going to India in 2001, just after the Gujarat earthquake.

When a natural disaster hits a country like that, it can be too much for people to cope with. Oxfam was one of the first charities on the scene with support and aid, and I just thought there must be so much work and money needed to make that possible.”

Barry Cheema, Oxfam volunteer, Walsall

Arrange a concert in your neighbourhood to raise funds for Oxfam. In 2007, Dr Krishna Raghavendra was one of 5,000 performers who took part in more than 1,000 UK concerts for our Oxjam Music Festival.

The next festival takes place throughout October 2007– and we’d love you to be on stage for us!

Play your part...

Our 750 shops are always happy to receive gifts of any good-quality clothing that you no longer need – and that we can re-sell.

And, of course, you are always very welcome to come in and buy from our range of crafts, jewellery, music, foods, coffees, and teas.

You can even play your part by volunteering to work for a few hours each week in your local shop. Just ask at the counter for more details.

Oxfam Unwrapped gifts are perfect for baray and bachay of all ages Find inspiration for every occasion with perfect gifts for friends and family. When you buy an Oxfam Unwrapped pressie, you’ll get one of our beautiful cards with a gift description, plus a fridge magnet. And a poor community will receive your chosen gift to help them overcome poverty and suffering. Brilliant. Ask at your local Oxfam shop, or visit our website. e For the complet sic beginner: The Mu Rough Guide’s CD. Bollywood Gold shops!

On sale at Oxfam

More starring roles...

Spread the word for Oxfam at festivals, gigs, melas and other events throughout the UK. Support Oxfam’s Health and Education campaign; it’s our call to world leaders to provide the four million health workers and two million teachers who are still desperately needed in the world’s poorest countries.

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Photo source: IIFA.com

Find out about the many ways you can be a star with Oxfam: Come into one of our 750 shops, visit www.oxfam.org.uk or call 0870 333 2700

Oxfam GB Oxfam House John Smith Drive Cowley Oxford OX4 2JY

Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International. Registered charity No. 202918. Inhouse Job No. 3348

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