The web is your best friend when looking for a work-from-home journalism internship in India. LinkedIn and other job portals are ripe with internship opportunities for journalism freshers and students.
Alternatively, students can also look for internships through websites of media groups. Dale Bhagwagar Media Group is currently offering a 2-month online internship opportunity in India.
While it is an unpaid internship, there is unlimited scope for learning and growth. It is a great chance to work from home and gain exposure to the functioning and operations of the media industry.
Miss World 1997 Diana Hayden “still doesn’t know why she was singled out and targeted” by Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb last week, says Bollywood publicist Dale Bhagwagar. The CM attacked her “out-of-the-blue and a full twenty years after she won the title. One can’t help but wonder if there was any PR agenda behind it,” added the public relations man.
Dale who handled the media for Diana earlier was the first person to stand up for her and react after the CM’s barbs. “When I read about what was said, I could not hold back. I spoke up and tried to get in touch with Diana. When I spoke to her, the first question she asked me was why this was happening after all these years.” That question still remains and it seems like only Biplab Deb can answer it.
Deb first has created a media storm when he claimed that the internet existed in India during Mahabharata era. And even before the hoopla died, he attacked Diana Hayden saying that the beauty pageant winner does not represent Indian beauty; Aishwarya Rai does. He went on to say, “Indian beauty is all about Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati. Diana Hayden does not fit to that class of beauty.”
When Diana reacted to his outbursts, Deb had to eat his words. Dale points out that the beauty queen “handled the controversy most graciously, intelligently countering the CM in the media.” This, along with public outrage, compelled him to regret his comments and give an apology to news channels within 24 hours.
Sreetama Karmakar from NSHM Institute of Media and Design, Kolkata, interviewed me this week for her thesis. She is in the final semester of her Masters in Media Science. Her dissertation topic is ‘Importance of Public Relations in the Film Industry’ and I hope she is happy with the gyaan I tried to give her.
Wake up my fellow Bollywood PRs. And do it like Dale does. 😉
1 Press Release / 24 hours / 40 links for my PR client Preetisheel Singh. Covering leading outlets The Times of India (and no, Dale never does Paid News. NEVER), Mid-Day, Times Now, Zoom, Santa Banta, Koi Moi, Yahoo, Bollywood Dhamaka, Bollywood Hungama and The Quint. And this without the help of UNI, PTI, IANS or Reuters.
There was a time political parties would break media offices and bash journalists. But times are a changin’. According to a new law passed by Maharashtra Government, violence against a media person or against premises of a media institution is now a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
Such cases will be required to be investigated by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and will carry a prison term of 3 years and a fine of Rs 50,000. Plus, media persons and media institutions can recover compensation for any medical expenses or physical damage to their movable or immovable property.
The gorgeous Mandana Karimi who is all set to make her Bollywood debut in Vikram Bhatt’s thriller Bhaag Johnny, has revealed her fitness secrets in a cover feature with Krunch Today magazine this month.
The cover girl says she works out four times a week with weights for two days and cardio for two other. When shooting or traveling, Mandana does twenty minutes of online-stimulated workout in her room.
“I eat healthy and eat a lot,” she admits. “But I’m very active throughout the day. Plus I don’t mind becoming a bit fuller,” she winks.
What’s surprising is that the shapely gal has no diet plan at all! “I’ve never had one,” she reveals. “I’m blessed with very high metabolism. But recently, when I returned to my routine after a break, I was asked to eat chocolates only once in a week.”
Bananas, almonds, salmon, dark chocolate and eggs are Mandana’s energy boosters. For a zero-flab diet, the girl recommends eating breakfast regularly and snacking throughout the day; as well as drinking lots of water to keep energy levels high.
But talk to her about her lifestyle and she says “it’s boring”. She doesn’t smoke or drink alcohol. Neither does she enjoy nightlife much! “I try to sleep and wake up early and love to have lots of baby sleep in my free time. I also try to get as many massages I can, as they are fab for blood circulation.”
But what Mandana craves for is a nice meal at her favourite quaint restaurants on weekends. Come Sundays, and she also plays table tennis. Makes us wonder if we can call her a homely firebrand!
Jackie Chan once explored comedy within the action genre and won the hearts of millions. Now India is attempting a similar feat, starting off with a humble beginning.
This week, the country will get its first own full-blown ‘martial arts comedy’ in the form of Kenny Basumatary’s Assamese feature film Local Kung Fu which boasts of some fabulously choreographed action sequences amidst rip-roaring humour.
What’s more! This is one of the most inexpensive action films ever made, with a budget less than a lakh of rupees! The film’s team neither had a great budget nor the need to use trickery-like wires etc to execute their fights. All the fighters of Local Kung Fu are genuine martial artists who’ve trained for several years.
Kenny Basumatary has not only written and directed the film, but also plays the main protagonist along with other cast comprising Utkal Hazowary, Sangeeta Nair, Bonny Deori, Bibhash Sinha, Ronnie Deori, Johny Deori and AS Deori.
Come September 27 and Local Kung Fu will release in seven prominent cities in the country with English subtitles for audiences outside Assam. The film will be screened by PVR in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai, apart from an independent release in Assam.
When Anita Advani got in touch with Bollywood PR specialist Dale Bhagwagar about Bigg Boss, the best advice he probably gave her was to be herself on the show.
The publicist, who handled all the hype and controversy about Advani’s Rajesh Khanna connection after the superstar’s demise, says she is an “overtly emotional person” and “would very likely have multiple breakdowns in the cutthroat atmosphere of the Bigg Boss house.”
“But mind you, she also has a lot of inner strength and can bounce back with great clarity. Basically, she’s a fighter, so don’t underestimate her as a weak contestant just because of the overflowing sentiments or tears,” reveals the publicist.
“Anitaji was wondering what could be in store for her in the house of scandal. I could have told her many things to guide her, but all I asked her to be, is herself.” Dale gave this simple advice to her for a reason.
He explains, “Many contestants go on Bigg Boss with an agenda. Normally, there is a PR plan in place to help them reach the finals. But Anitaji has gone there to face her past and move on in life. There is no plan; no agenda. Neither am I handling her PR while she is in Bigg Boss. So, to be herself, was the best advice I could have given her, knowing well the person she is.”
For the record, Dale was himself invited as a contestant for BB7, but he chose not to take it up. Now, let’s see how far Anita Advani goes without a PR plan in Bigg Boss.
