Shankar Ehsaan Loy 2013 US Tour
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Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtracks across four languages. Among the most critically acclaimed Indian musicians, the trio have won over twenty awards, including one National Film Award, three Filmfare Awards, three IIFA Awards among several other awards and nominations. They are often referred to as "Amar Akbar Anthony" of Hindi film music by several, including eminent critic Rajeev Masand. See below for all tour information.
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| Date | City | |
| Fri, Jun 07 | Durham, NC | |
| Sat, Jun 15 | Dallas, TX | |
| Fri, Jun 21 | Detroit, MI | |
| Sat, Jun 22 | Newark, NJ | |
| Fri, Jun 28 | Fairfax, VA |
Review of Indian Consulate in Houston
 | | If you are a non-resident Indian then you have no choice but to deal with an Indian consulate to get things done such as passport renewals, attestations, OCI documents etc. Our prior experiences in the US have been with the consulate in New York and the consulate in San Francisco. While not the most stellar in customer service, the San Francisco consulate did answer the phones during the business hours and replied to emails in a timely manner. Having moved to Texas, I had to deal with the Indian Consulate in Houston for a passport renewal and it was quite a frustrating experience. My passport was close to its expiration date and I wanted to apply for a new passport. The Indian consulate website had some instructions but were very poor. I had some clarifications but when I tried contacting them, there was no response. I must have tried on 5 separate occasions but no response. I eventually made a best guess attempt at it and couriered my paperwork. The only acknowledgment I got was from UPS to say they delivered the package to the consulate. The website said it would take 4-6 weeks to get the new passport. |
After about 4 weeks, I was a little anxious to see if there was any update and I tried calling the consulate but no answer. I even sent them emails everyday asking for an email but no response. One day, I let the phone ring for 45 minutes (yes, I wanted to see how long it would ring) and no one picked up the call. I searched the web for other numbers and called but no response. It was very frustrating that no one answered the phone or responded to emails for 2 weeks. After about 7 weeks since sending the passport I did get my new passport delivered so I was glad to see it come through.
What bothered me overall is, what if someone has a real emergency, like a death, accident, deportation and they needed urgent attention or advise, there is no help from the consulate. They are sent to foreign countries to help Indian citizens and they have a don't care attitude. With probably little to no monitoring on what they actually do, it must be quite a cushy job. As someone from India, I quite expect this but imagine a US citizen trying to reach them and experiencing this. It sets such a bad example for a country that says "We are an emerging market, come visit us and do business with us". Hopefully things will change (but I seriously doubt they would)
Update:
Consulate General of India, Houston has engaged M/s VFS Global as an outsourced agency for facilitating the process of obtaining passport related services, with effect from May 18, 2012. They are located at 1415 North Loop West, Suite 205, Houston, Texas-77018. Applications can be submitted in person or delivered by mail on or after May 18, 2012 to the address of VFS Global mentioned above. Things may actually get better.
Bappi Lahiri 2012 US Tour
 | | Bappi Lahiri or Alokesh Lahiri is a music director in the Hindi film industry. He popularized the use of synthesized disco music in Indian cinema and sang some of his own compositions. He was popular in the 1980s with filmi soundtracks like Disco Dancer, Namak Halaal and Sharaabi among others. Currently, Bappi Lahiri is transcending the barriers between the East and West and is striving to make history once more with his new album: My Love. Over the decades and through years of well deserved fame and accolades, Bappi Lahiri remains the undisputed Disco King of India, and one of the most amiable celebrities in the Hindi film industry today. Coming to the following venues with his latest hit "Ooh La La" North Brunswick NJ : Sunday, Aug 12 2012 5:00PM |
Houston TX : Friday, Aug 17 2012 8:00PM
Wortham Center, 500 Texas Ave, Houston,
Hosted by : Indo American Association
Phone: 281-648-0422
Chicago, IL : Friday, Aug 24 2012 9:00PM
Copernicus (Gateway) Theatre, 5216 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago,
Hosted by : Manpasand Inc
Phone: 630-913-6660
Columbus, OH : Aug 26, 2012 5:00 PM
Capitol Theatre 77 S High St 43215 Columbus, OH, US
Tickets at ticketmaster.com
Dallas, TX : Aug 25th 2010 7:00 PM
Meyerson Symphony Hall, 2301 Flora Dallas TX 75201
Phone: 214.670.3600
Tickets at meraticket.com
Cocktail Theatre Release
 | | Cocktail is an upcoming Bollywood romantic comedy film directed by Homi Adajania under Saif Ali Khan's banner Illuminati Films. The film stars Khan alongisde Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty in lead roles. Randeep Hooda, Dimple Kapadia and Boman Irani feature in supporting roles. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on 13 July 2012. The film is set to release on July 13, 2012. |
The movie stars
- Saif Ali Khan as Gautam Kapoor
- Deepika Padukone as Veronica D'Costa
- Diana Penty as Meera Gupta
- Dimple Kapadia as Kavita Kapoor
- Boman Irani as Rishabh Kapadia (Randy)
- Randeep Hooda as Jeremy Viegas
You can watch the movie at a local theatre near you listed below
- Indian Theatres in Australia
- Indian Theatres in the United Kingdom
- Indian Theatres in the United States
- Indian Theatres in the United Arab Emirates