MUMBAI: Noted playwright, novelist, author of children?s books, commentator, actor and documentary filmmaker Partap Sharma, remembered for his hosting of What?s the Good Word, passed away this morning. He was 71.

In his illustrious career, Sharma voiced a number of radio commercials and TV commercials that led to his being recognised by the Ad Club of Mumbai for Lifetime Contribution to Advertising in 2000.

Among other recognitions Sharma received include the Cleo Award for best voice, RAPA First Prize for best voice in radio spots in 1976, the Hamid Sayani Trophy for a lifetime of all-round excellence in radio and television in 1992 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award with the citation ?the voice of India? on behalf of 35 associations of professional cine workers representing all branches of the Indian film industry in 2004.

Sharma leaves behind his wife Susan and daughters Namrita and actress Tara Sharma.

MUMBAI: Close on the heels of announcing the Chennai franchisee, Nimbus? hockey league initiative World Series Hockey (WSH) has announced the Bangalore franchise, which has been acquired by Sporting Ace.

Sporting Ace is a part of the Zentrum Group and has Bollywood action hero Suniel Shetty as the Chief Mentor.

Zentrum Group is a global player in the field of energy, chemicals, education, sports, information technology, consulting, media and outsourcing and works with corporate houses, governments, and institutions. The franchise has been called Karnataka Lions

Shetty said, "I am proud to spearhead the Karnataka Lions in World Series Hockey. I have been the brand ambassador for Indian Hockey and felt it was about time I took a more active role in creating a global platform for our hockey players to excel."

Sporting Ace MD Sagar Pol Chowdhury said, "The Bangalore franchise will be much more than just a profitable venture for us. We are committed to invest in sports and the newly formed entity Sporting Ace will look at promoting multiple sports and help build necessary infrastructure. WSH is the first and most important step in that direction. I am delighted to have Suniel Shetty as the Chief Mentor and his passion for sports is a perfect fit with the vision of our organisation"

Nimbus Sport COO Yannick Colaco said, "We are indeed proud to welcome Suniel Shetty and Sporting Ace to the WSH family. It is heartening to see the passion for Hockey they bring to the table and I am confident this will translate into an extremely large and loyal fan base for the Karnataka Lions".

The WSH will be held from 17 December, 2011 to 22 January, 2012 and will involve 200 players -- Indian and international -- who will showcase their talent in 61 matches. It will be a multi-city franchise-based League with players being allocated to the teams based on the internationally accepted and practiced ?draft? system.

The inaugural edition of the league will comprise eight teams out of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune, Bhopal, Punjab, Ranchi and Rourkela.

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World Series Hockey to have total prize money of Rs 100 mn

MUMBAI: Nimbus? hockey league initiative World Series Hockey has announced the highest ever prize money for any hockey event in the world. The company adds that the champion team in WSH stands to win almost 30 times more prize money, as compared to the Euro Hockey League, the leading domestic Hockey league in Europe

The total prize money, in excess of Rs 100 million is structured in a manner to incentivise teams and players.

As per the plan, champions will get Rs 40 million while runners up will be given Rs 20 million. The team on third and fourth place will get Rs 10 million each.

All WSH franchises have committed to sharing a minimum of 50 per cent of their team winnings with the players, creating a player winning purse of at least Rs 40 million and significantly enhancing the potential of earnings for all the players of the teams who finish in the top four spots of the inaugural season of WSH.

In addition to the prize money listed above, there are several individual awards recognising match winners and stars including:

WSH Rockstar (Most Valuable Player): Rs 10 million
Indian Super Star (Star Indian Player): Rs 5 million
Golden Stick (Highest Goal Scorer): Rs 2.5 million
Game Changer (Best Midfielder, Defender or Goal Keeper): Rs 2.5 million
Rookie of the Year (Best emerging player under 21): Rs 1 million

If an Indian player is adjudged ?WSH Rockstar?, the award for the "Indian Superstar" will go the next best Indian player. This ensures a player prize purse of a minimum Rs 60 million made available to the players of WSH, over and above their contract fees.

Nimbus Sport COO Yannick Colaco said, "This is a definite game changer for hockey players in India and across the world. WSH has ensured that the time for hockey players to take centre stage is finally here! By offering the highest prize money and creating an environment where players compete with the best in the world, youngsters can finally look at playing Hockey as a viable profession."

The WSH will be held from 17 December, 2011 to 22 January, 2012 and will involve 200 players -- Indian and international -- who will showcase their talent in 61 matches.

It will be a multi-city franchise-based League with players being allocated to the teams based on the internationally accepted and practised ?draft? system.

The inaugural edition of the league will comprise eight teams out of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune, Bhopal, Punjab, Ranchi and Rourkela.

MUMBAI: BBC Entertainment has launched a new comedy show ?Come Fly with me? which airs every Friday at 9 pm.

From flight crew to check-in, paparazzi to passengers, comic duo, Matt Lucas and David Williams (stars and writers of ?Little Britain?) play almost 50 characters in this mock-documentary set in an airport terminal.

Among their creations are Omar, the owner of Flylo (Britain?s eighth favourite low cost airline) and Flylo?s check in girls, Melody and Keeley. Other characters of the show are Mickey and Buster, the airport?s resident photographers, and Precious Little, the world?s laziest coffee kiosk lady.

Also featured, are the snobby staff of the country?s most prestigious airline, Great British Air. Supported by costume and make-up teams and shot on location at Britain?s airports, the two stars draw on every aspect of airport life to create an array of comic characters.

In order to promote the show in an innovative way, the BBC Entertainment has tied up with The Comedy Store in Mumbai. As a part of this tie-up BBC Entertainment is organising Saturday comedy nights at 8.30 pm with the show title of The Comedy Store in association with BBC Entertainment present ?The Best In Stand-Up Comedy?. 

MUMBAI: UTV Bindass, the youth channel from the UTV Group, is launching a new non-fiction drama series The Khan Sisters, which allows its viewers to take a sneak peek in to the real lifestyle of B-town sisters Gauahar & Nigaar Khan.

Premiering on 19 November, the show will be aired every Saturday at 7 pm.

The show consists of 13 episodes, showcasing a mixture of reality and drama. It brings to fore the lives the sisters lead in Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai- the love, the fights and the differences in their lives.

UTV Bindass business head Keith Alphonso said, "The treatment of the show is refreshingly different from anything else that you would have seen before on Indian television. With this show we aim to redefine the reality genre. The Khan Sisters is all about discovering the unseen side of the reel stars. I am sure the audience would love to get a sneak peek into their lives."

The show is a window into their private world of the two sisters. It?s about all those unspoken territories that happen in a celebrity?s life. As the show progresses, it will go on to divulge the developments that take shape in the lives of the Khan sisters and their family, all of this while the camera rolls on.