He’s back!  Sanjaya Malakar, the ex-American Idol contestant, is set to star in the next “Life Comes at you Fast” Nationwide Insurance commercial.  So what if he can’t sing…at least he’s found a way to make it big by using his hair as his biggest asset.  Real entrepreneur.  And man…his hair is crazy!

Here is the latest statement from Nationwide Insurance, found on the Nationwide website:

Sanjaya’s “American Idol” experience is another Life Comes at You Fast example. The images (pictured above) are from Sanjaya’s shoot in India where the ad was developed. In the spot, Sanjaya visits a monastery in India to seek advice and he is told that he needs a retirement plan, and some work on his hair. Read the Q&A with Sanjaya to find out more about his partnership with Nationwide.

This is the third year Nationwide created advertising specifically targeting the South Asian market. The Sanjaya ad is one of six new spots that will specifically target the South Asian market. The ad also makes an appeal to its younger audience, reminding them to start planning for their retirement now, even if it seems a long way off.

Read full article

So for all you Indian kids - don’t worry if your dad is still cutting your hair using a metal bowl…he may just be getting you ready to be the next Sanjaya.  Haha..just Kidding Samir…we love you man!  You’re still the spelling bee champ in our books!

Samir Patel - The Greatest Spelling Bee Contestant of all Time

Read SABAsearch Blog’s “Samir is the Man” Post here

The SABAsearch Blog staff is saddened to learn that Vinay Chakravarthy passed away on the morning of June 25th.  Vinay was diagnosed with Leukemia and was the spotlight of a nationwide promotion to get South Asians registered for the National Marrow Donor Program.  Vinay did receive a bone marrow donor and transplant, but unfortunately relapsed and passed away shortly after.   

Vinay’s fight brought inspiration to many South Asians, including our entire blog staff.  His positive attitude and striving personality could clearly be visualized through his blog posts on HelpVinay.org and his dedication to raise awareness for South Asian bone marrow registration was truly amazing.  Sameer Bhatia, who passed away from Leukemia in March 2008, also played a vital role in raising awareness for this cause and served as inspiration for Vinay and his family.

Although we cannot bring Vinay and Sameer back, there is still much that we can and should related to their cause.  There is a deep need for members of the South Asian community to register themselves in the Bone Marrow registry as there are not enough South Asian donors within the program.  Therefore, the program has offered South Asians FREE registration, and we’d be foolish (not to mention selfish) not to take advantage of this life saving opportunity.

Here is a video clip of Russell Peters urging South Asians to register in the National Marrow Donor Program on behalf of Vinay’s struggle:

So at this point, we are calling ALL South Asians to STEP UP to the plate and help save a life.  Here’s how:

The first step is to find out whether you are registered within the Bone Marrow Donor program.  To do so, please click here and fill out the status information form.   The registry will check their records and return a status memo to your email. 

If you are not yet registered for the marrow donor program, there are many ways you can do so.  If you live in Houston, there are many Bone Marrow Donor Drives throughout the year.  Click on the link below to find one near you:

Join the National Marrow Donor Program

You can also go directly to a Donor Center to register.  Please visit the Donor Center Locator Page on the National Marrow Donor Program website to find a donor center near you.

We hope that all of you will take the time to get this done.  

Our hearts go out to the families of Vinay and Sameer.  The impact that both of these men have had on our lives through their strength and smiles will never be forgotten.   

On this episode of SABAsearch Blog’s Weekend “Wee”deos, we bring you some clips from the new web-series, Foreign Body. Foreign Body, based off a Robin Cook novel, is a new web-based show with a unique South Asian twist. This show is definitely catered to the men, as it features two hot young South Asian women (Rachna Khatau and Pranidhi Varshney) who come to the states to pursue a professional opportunity and get themselves involved in all of the benefits and troubles of the western world.

Here is the storyline as per the Foreign Body TV website:

An Exotic Thriller:

A group of dangerous Indian beauties, brimming with hope and desire are brought to the sunny shores of Southern California and are promised the American dream. They are taken in by a group of young, cutthroat medical entrepreneurs who hope to train them and cultivate their nursing skills for their own mysterious ends. The women soon become seduced by the brash and ambitious charmer who lords over them, but for him, his lust for the one, mysterious, unattainable beauty threatens to unravel the very conspiracy he built.

But who is seducing whom and what exactly are the women really being trained to do? With freedoms in America they could never imagine, the girls discover they just might get what they want, no matter the consequences or the risks involved.

Take this trip into seduction, murder, and international intrigue. From the exotic streets of Delhi, India to the sun-soaked sands of Santa Monica, mystery, deceit, and romance are around every corner. Witness how this tale of illicit passion, murderous ambition, and the dark underbelly of medicine unfolds and how life will never be the same for everyone involved.

Here is the trailer for the new show:

Here is a compilation of Foreign Body, Week 2 (week 1 is kinda slow, and just lays out the story line for ya…week 2 is a little bit more interesting):

Have a great weekend everyone!

M. Night Shyamalan is at it again. “The Happening” opened at box offices on Friday, June 13th. M. Night is the director that shocked the world with “The Sixth Sense“, one of the greatest movies of the late 1990’s. M. Night is definitely not your typical director and all his movies are meant to make you think. Many of his movies after “The Sixth Sense” have been criticized and have not met the expectations set forth by “The Sixth Sense”. “The Happening” seems to fall into this category. A key selling point for this new movie is that this is M. Night’s first R-rated movie. I am not sure what this means, but they seem to market this fact pretty hard. Unfortunately, the reviews for this movie have not been great. If you enjoyed his other movies (other than “The Sixth Sense”) then you will probably like this one. As with all his movies, you have to think way outside the box, and sometimes you get it, and sometimes you don’t. You will have to decide for yourself.

As always, we like to applaud the efforts of members from the South Asian community. M. Night has made it big in Hollywood and we wish him continued success in the future. You can check out the trailer for “The Happening” below.

Here is a little bio on M. Night Shyamalan:

Houston’s very own Sunil T has been the ONLY individual from North America selected to participate in Star One’s Great Indian Laughter Challenge.  Sunil T, Founder and Host of Music Masala Radio, is one of the 20 contestants chosen from applicants from all over the world.

Indoamerican News was the first to cover the story.  Here is an excerpt from the article posted online:

Sunil T will be adding an international dimension to the humor show dominated so far by the talent in the subcontinent. His selection was based on the comedy routines he submitted last month.

Sunil left Monday for Mumbai to take part in a 10-day camp and shootings scheduled to begin May 25. He is optimistic that he will do well.

“I was not trained in India, I was trained in Houston,” he said. “Everything I have learnt and have, I owe it to the city.”
Sunil said that he came to Houston to study engineering and make a living. It was in Houston that he took the mike for the first time. “My abilities in this field have kind of grown with the city. When I came to the city, I was quite new to all this.”

 

Read more

The SABAsearch Blog staff would like to congratulate Sunil T once again for his dedication to entertainment and comedy in the South Asian community.  Sunil T has built a true character for himself by hosting the Music Masala Radio show, producing the hit comedy Dude, Where’s the Party?, and hosting the famous party boats known as the Masala Cruises. 

Please join us in wishing Sunil T all the best for this upcoming competition! 

I have always dreamed of the day that I could log onto ESPN.com and see a South Asian on the home page. Well, that day became reality yesterday. Right there, on the home page of ESPN.com was Samir Patel. No, he does not play basketball. And no, he does not play football or even baseball. He is a spelling bee wiz and he is from Texas.

A few days ago we reported on another South Asian who won the National Geographic Bee and now we are reporting on a kid who is a spelling bee veteran. Just another example that proves South Asians are pretty darn smart. Many of you may remember when ESPN actually broadcasted spelling bees live (must have been a slow time in sports), and it actually got decent ratings. The bees were intense, stressful, and very competitive. And as always, there are a few South Asians in the mix when it comes to educational competitions. Samir actually never won the spelling bee championship, but was very close for several years. ESPN calls him a “spelling bee icon” and a “spelling bee rock star”. This kid is not only smart, he is pretty funny. Watch the clip below to see what I am talking about.

Congratulations to Samir Patel for all your success and for fulfilling my dream of seeing a South Asian on ESPN! Good luck in the future.

Source

There have been many rumors since the beginning of the year that McCain was looking at Bobby Jindal as a potential VP candidate if nominated as the republican presidential hopeful.  That rumor got much more serious over the weekend as Jindal was invited to Mccain’s ranch in Arizona along with other business leaders and politicians.

Jindal denied any talks he may have had with Mccain regarding that topic, but did mention that they were able to discuss many “topics” of interest behind closed doors.  When also asked about declining an offer to be VP, Jindal responded “You don’t turn down the pretty girl from prom before she asks…”

Analysts say that Jindal is still very much a potential running mate for Mccain as he provides the minority touch that the Mccain camp so badly needs to compete with Obama.

The following is a video report of Jindal’s trip to Arizona from Hardball:

So do you think Jindal will win the slot for VP?  Pandits are saying that Jindal offers the popular face among the republicans with his conservative views and striking personality.   Jindal, coming from a South Asian background, is a devout catholic, and also offers experience in a tax program that Mccain looks to install.

If he wins the VP, how does this impact the South Asian community? 

Ready, set, comment…

Inc’s 30 under 30 list is said to feature America’s coolest young entrepreneurs.  Thousands of business startups and entrepreneurs compete to be listed on this prestigious list.  In 2007, two South Asian entrepreneurs were featured:

#9:  Raj Lahoti, CEO, Online Guru
Age:  25
Location:  San Diego
2006 Revenue:  $11.5 Million
After a few years dabbling in Internet domain acquisition and traffic brokering, Raj Lahoti set out to build up one of his brother’s domains in order to provide meaningful content in an area that, well, generally lacks it. DMV.ORG, the “Online Unofficial Guide to the DMV,” aggregates information from the (often dreaded) Department of Motor Vehicles in each state — all in one place. Users can access information on everything from applying for a license to ordering a driving record, without the aggravation of standing in the DMV’s endless lines.

#23:  Mangesh Hattikudur, Mental Floss
Age:  23
Location:  Birmingham, AL
2006 Revenues:  $1.7 Million
Mental Floss magazine offers a fun, irreverent look at knowledge and facts. As Pearson put it, “Our mission is to find anyway we can to blur the lines between education and entertainment.” The founders started the venture at Duke University as a campus publication and quickly turned it into a national magazine. But they have pushed the brand further than the magazine — producing books, board games, and soon a series of children’s books.

Click here to see the full 30 under 30 list on Inc.com.

We’re glad to see young South Asians featured within this magazine, but we all know that Inc Magazine has only scraped the surface when it comes to young South Asian entrepreneurs in America(Don’t worry Inc Magazine, we still love ya!).  There are TONS of other young South Asian entrepreneurs who are on the road to making it BIG and deserve recognition.  If you know of any South Asian businesses or startups that deserve recognition, please give them a shot out within our comments section.  

And cheers to the launch of our own SABAsearch Blog 30 South Asian Entrepreneurs under 30 List!  :) 

To look for various South Asian entrepreneurs and businesses in Houston, please visit the SABAsearch.com’s South Asian business directory.

No lies.  The Atlanta-based Dalip Singh Rana, who is from Himachal Pradesh, stands over 7ft tall and weighs over 400 pounds.  That’s right, we got a brown brotha in the WWE, and he is HUGE!

BBC reported today that “Great Khali” (his wrestling name) is now back in India to shoot a documentary on his life.  Rana has been in the US for the past few years acting as a WWE wrestler and also was featured in a couple of Hollywood films.

Rana, 36, is now back in India to spend some time at home and shoot a documentary on his life.

He is the first Indian to be signed up by WWE, and enjoys top billing in the famous American showbiz circus alongside fighters such as Hulk Hogan and The Rock.

“Americans could not imagine someone from India in WWE. They are now actually having a lot of fun,” he says.

He briefly wrested the world champion’s mantle in 2007 with a series of superlative performances at WWE.

“Legend states that the Punjabi Warrior has stared into the abyss and the earth trembled at his gaze.”

Rana laughs when reminded of this dizzy tribute.

 ”Hailing from India, the Great Khali stands at an impressive 7ft 3in [2.21m] and weighs 420 pounds. This enormous monster has walked the jungles of India unafraid of pythons and wrestled White Bengal tigers,” says the WWE website.

Funny quote about Rana by Steve Carrell…

Literally, you shake his hand and you are shaking the inner part of his palm. He could put his hand over your entire head and crush you,” Carell told a reporter later.

“He’s a very sweet guy, but he did not speak English really well. I don’t even know if he was completely aware that he was doing a movie.”

Here is the link to the full article.

There you have it…another case of South Asians DOIN’ IT BIG…REAL BIG!