The last member to be evicted was ex-cricketer Vinod Kambli.

The eight remaining Big Boss 3 contestants are:

1) Aditi Gowatrikar
2) Claudia Ciesla

Photo: Claudia Ciesla

3) Poonam Dhillon
4) Rohit Varma
5) Bhaktiyar Irani
6)Pravesh Rana

Photo: Pravesh Rana

7) Raju Srivastava

Photo: Raju Srivastava

Vindu Dara Singh

Who’s going to be the Big Boss 3 winner?

Historically, Big Boss winners have been male, be it Rohit Roy who won Big Boss 1 or Ashutosh Kaushik, winner of Big Boss 2.

Will Big Boss 3 break the gender jinx? Assuming it doesn’t and Indian voters stick by male contestants, then the choice would be between Rohit Varma, Vindu Dara Singh, Raju Srivastava, Bhaktiyar Irani, and Pravesh Rana.

Of these Rohit Varma can be safely crossed out, largely because of his unpleasant personality and maybe for being gay, which would be a sad reason, but then Indian audiences are not known to be too kind to transgender individuals.

One of the patterns that has emerged in the eviction choices so far is the audience’s rejection of contestants without any personality.

Bad but vivid is better than good or harmless and wishy-washy. Case in point being Kamal Rashid Khan. TRPs fell when the controversial director was thrown out. He has now been brought back through a wild card entry, which is suspect will only last a week tops.

Another example is Vinod Kambli. He made no impression in the one week that he was there except for flitting around like a specter.

Ditto for Sheryln Chopra, Ismail Darbar, and Jaya Sawant. Sheryln Chopra is also an interesting example. Many expected her to repeat Rakhi Sawant’s performance. Didn’t happen. Why? The girl had no chutzpah. Unlike a vibrant Rakhi Sawant who made her presence felt, Sheryln was practically invisible. Oh Jejus!

Why was the bright Tanaaz evicted then? Most likely because she was nominated with her husband, Bhaktiyar Irani. If there is a choice between a male and a female, the female will go.

So keeping the pattern in mind, Bhaktiyar Irani may be evicted because he is a big bore. The man behaves as though he is acting in a B-grade Bollywood film, crying and wringing his hands.

Then there is Vindu Dara Singh. The chinless wonder can drive anyone mad with his nonsensical chatter. It will stand out even more as the number of contestants dwindle. Therefore, he is likely to be evicted as well.

What we are left with are Raju Srivastava and Pravesh Rana. Here, things get a bit sticky. Raju Srivastava has a very big fan following that he is counting on. But, on the other hand, even though he has been funny at times, he has not really enlivened things.

Pravesh Rana has a decent chance too. He is young and good looking and has street smarts. He is also entertaining to boot; so it could be touch and go between the two. Depends on how many fans Pravesh Rana can acquire.

Coming to the women participants, if, and its a big IF, audiences are not biased against them because they are women, then who would have a good chance to win?

Of the three women participants left in the house, Poonam Dhillon and Aditi Gowatrikar are guilty of a cardinal sin. They are simply too boring. The former is like a proper mother hen (so not good TV) and the latter is too grave. Doesn’t work that way.

Claudia Ciesla may have a good chance to make it the top three but I do not think she will be the winner of Big Boss 3. For if ever there is a choice between her and, say Raju Srivastava, or Pravesh Rana, she will most likely be out.

So, my final three contestants are most likely to be Raju Srivastava, Pravesh Rana, and Claudia Ciesla.

We’ll find out soon enough, I guess.

Photo: Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean

Topping the list of the World’s 50 sexiest male movie stars is, unsurprisingly, Johnny Depp, followed by Robert Pattinson at No 2.

Photo: Robert Pattinson

Frankly, I cannot for the life of me understand the so-called sex appeal of this dopey-eyed boy but then I belong to a different generation, the one that wants to pick him up by the scruff of his neck and throw him in a bath or check him into rehab.

Number three, four and five on the list are Robert Downey Jr., Brad Pitt and Christian Bale.

Sixth on the list is Hugh Jackman, followed by George Clooney, Alan Rickman, James McAvoy, and Gerard Butler.

Photo: Gerard Butler

Of these I would definitely nudge George Clooney and Gerard Butler to number 5 or so.

As for the sexiest female movie stars, the numero uno sexiest star is again, unsuprisingly, Megan Fox.

Photo: Megan Fox

Number two in Angelina Jolie and three is Emma Watson (huh?)

The number four to ten top 50 sexiest female movie stars ever are:

Photo: Scarlett Johansson

4. Scarlett Johansson (I would put her at 2 or 3, as would most XY chromosomes)

5. Zoe Saldana
6. Natalie Portman
7. Kristen Stewart
8. Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
9. Helena Bonham Carter

UPDATE: No surprises here! 3o Rock has won the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

The general consensus is 30 Rock, and I’ll go with that as well. It would be very surprising if any other TV series won this time.

The sitcoms that have been nominated for the 2009 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series are:

1) 30 Rock, NBC, produced by Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios

30 Rock is touted to win the 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series

This comedy series was the winner of the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series and is expected to win again.

Alec Baldwin, who plays Jack Donaghy in this sitcom about a fictional comedy series, also won the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

2) Entourage, HBO, produced by Leverage and Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

Entourage premiered on HBO in 2004, and is currently in its sixth season. Actor Jeremy Piven won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

3) Family Guy, FOX, produced by Fox Television Animation

Family Guy, an animated sitcom, revolves around a dysfunctional family, the Griffins, who live in a fictional town called Quahog, in Rhode Island. The sitcom debuted in 1999 and has completed eight seasons. It is slated to be on air till 2012.

4) Flight of the Conchords, HBO, produced by Dakota Pictures and Comedy Arts in association with HBO Entertainment

Flight of the Conchords debuted on HBO in 2007, and has been nominated for six Emmy Awards in 2009.

5) How I Met Your Mother, CBS, produced by 20th Century Fox Television

How I met Your Mother began airing on CBS in 2005 and will enter season five on September 21, 2009.

6) The Office, NBC, produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille LLC in association with Universal Media Studios

The Office, starring Steve Carell, debuted on NBC in 2005. It is an adaptation of the BBC series by the same name.

7) Weeds, Showtime, produced by Showtime Presents in association with Lionsgate Television and Tilted Productions, Inc.

Weeds, starring Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, and David Hoselton, premiered in 2005.

UPDATE: As expected Bryan Cranston has won the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Breaking Bad.

But it is very likely that Hugh either Laurie or Michael C. Hall will walk away with the honors this year.

Here are the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the 2009 Emmy Awards.

1)  Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad, AMC, produced by High Bridge, Gran Via Productions, Sony Pictures Television

Bryan Cranston, winner of the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series

Bryan Cranston plays Walter White in the drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan, that debuted in 2008.

Bryan Cranston won the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Breaking Bad.

2) Hugh Laurie, House, produced by FOX Universal Media Studios in association with Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions

Photo: Hugh Laurie in House

Hugh Laurie appears as Dr. Gregory House, in the medical mystery TV series House. Co-stars include Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer, Peter Jacobson, Kal Penn, and Olivia Wilde.

Hugh Laurie has been nominated consecutively for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series from 2005 to 2009. Will this be his big year?

3) Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment, HBO, produced by Leverage, Closest To The Hole Productions and Sheleg in association with HBO Entertainment

Gabriel Byrne in In Treatment

Gabriel Byrne plays Paul Weston in In Treatment.

He has already won the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama, for In Treatment.

4) Michael C. Hall, Dexter, produced by Showtime Showtime Presents in association with John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company, Clyde Phillips Productions

Michael C. Hall plays Dexter Morgan, in the TV series Dexter, that premiered in 2006 with its fourth series slated to go on air on September 27, 2009.

Hall was nominated for a 2008 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in Drama Series and the 2008 Golden Globe awardfo  Best Actor in a TV Drama, for Dexter.

5) Simon Baker, The Mentalist, CBS, produced by Warner Bros. Television

Simon Baker has been nominated for a 2009 Emmy award for Outstanding Actor in a drama series for his role as Patrick Jane in The Mentalist.

6) Jon Hamm, Mad Men, AMC, produced by Lionsgate Television

Jon Hamm plays Don Draper in the drama TV series Mad Men, which debuted in July 2007.

He is the winner of the 2008 Golden Globe award for his role in Mad Men.

The 2009 Emmy Awards will be held on September 20, 2009, at the Nokia theatre in Los Angeles, and will be aired live on CBS at 8 PM.

UPDATE: Toni Collette is the surprise winner of the 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Here is a list of nominees for the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series:

1) Tina Fey, 30 Rock, NBC, produced by Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios

Tina Fey: Winner of the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

In 2008, Tina Fey won three Emmy awards for writing, producing, and acting in 30 Rock. In 2009, she has already won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy and two SAG awards.

Tina Fey has also won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a TV series in 2009, for playing Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live.

2) Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program Comedy Central, Central Productions/Eleven Eleven O’Clock Productions/Oil Factory Inc.

Photo: Sarah Silverman

This stand-up comedienne, writer, singer, and actress won the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Jerry Kimmel Live!
3)  Toni Collette, United States Of Tara Showtime, produced by Showtime presents in association with Dreamworks Television

Toni Collette has been nominated for role as Tara Gregson in Showtime’s original series United States of Tara.

4) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds, produced by Showtime Presents in association with Lionsgate Television and Tilted Productions, Inc.

Mary-Louise Parker, who plays Nancy Botwin in Weeds, has been nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for three years in a row from 2007-2009.

5) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, CBS, produced by Kari’s Logo Here in association with Warner Bros. Television

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won two Emmys so far:
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Seinfeld,  in 1996
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for The New Adventures of Old Christine
in 2006.

6)  Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?, ABC, produced by ABC Studios

Christina Applegate, who plays Samantha Newly, in Samantha Who?, has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Friends, in 2003.

UPDATE: Glenn Close has taken home the 2009 Emmy award trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Is it going to be the seasoned Glenn Close, Mariska Hargitay, or the rookie Elisabeth Moss? I would say Elisabeth Moss.

Take a look list of nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and decide for yourself.

1. Glenn Close, Damages, FX Networks and FX Productions and Sony Pictures

Glenn Close: Favorite to win the 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series

Glenn Close is top of the list for obvious reasons. She has been nominated for her work in Damages where she plays Patty Hewes, a brilliant lawyer who runs her
own law firm.

Close was nominated last year as well for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Will she score this time? Very likely, I think.

2.  Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men, AMC, produced by Lionsgate Television

Photo: Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men

Elisabeth Moss plays Peggy Olson in the award winning drama series Mad Men. She may just be the surprise winner that the Emmys pull out every year.

3. Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NBC, produced by Wolf Films in association with Universal Media Studios

Photo: Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay plays Detecitve Olivia Benson in  Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Mariska has been nominated ever year for the Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, since the TV series debuted in 2004.

She was the winner of the 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

4.  Holly Hunter, Saving Grace, TNT, produced by Fox Television

Holly Hunter who plays Grace Hanadarko in Saving Grace, that debuted in 2007, has received a Golden Globe Award nomination, two SAG nominations, and an Emmy Award nomination.

5.  Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer, TNT, produced by The Shephard/Robin Company, in association with Warner Bros. Television

Photo: Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer

Kyra Sedgwick stars as Brenda Leigh Johnson in the drama series The Closer.

The actress is the winner of the 2007 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a lead role. Kyra Sedgwick has been nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy award from 2006-2009. She is another strong contender to win the award this year.

6. Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters, ABC, produced by ABC Studios

Photo: Sally Field in Brothers & Sisters

Sally Field plays Nora Walker in TV drama series Brothers & Series, that debuted in 2006. She is the winner of the 2007 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

The 2009 Emmy Awards will be held on September 20, 2009, at the Nokia theatre in Los Angeles, and will be aired live on CBS at 8 PM.

Who is going to be the winner of the 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series?

Most predictions go with Mad Men, winner of the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, for a repeat win.

Lost and Breaking Bad are contenders as well.

Here is a list of the TV dramas that have been nominated for the 2009 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series:

1.   Mad Men, AMC, produced by Lionsgate Television

Photo: Mad Men TV series 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Drama Series winner

Matthew Weiner, Executive Producer
Scott Hornbacher, Co-Executive Producer
AndrÇ Jacquemetton, Supervising Producer
Maria Jacquemetton, Supervising Producer
Lisa Albert, Supervising Producer

Mad Men, that premiered in 2007, is now in its third season. Starring Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones, Christina Hendricks, Bryan Batt, and John Slattery. The TV series won the 2008 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama in the same year.

2.   Lost, ABC, produced by Grass Skirt Productions and ABC Studios

Photo: Lost TV series

J.J. Abrams, Executive Producer
Jack Bender, Executive Producer
Bryan Burk, Executive Producer
Carlton Cuse, Executive Producer
Adam Horowitz, Executive Producer
Edward Kitsis, Executive Producer
Damon Lindelof, Executive Producer
Jean Higgins, Co-Executive Producer
Elizabeth Sarnoff, Co-Executive Producer
Stephen Williams, Co-Executive Producer
Paul Zbyszewski, Supervising Producer
Pat Churchill, Producer
Ra’uf Glasgow, Producer
Brian K. Vaughan, Producer

The extremely popular Lost was first aired in 2004 is now in its sixth series that will end in May 2010.

Lost is the winner of the 2005 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

3.   House, FOX, produced by Universal Media Studios in association with Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions

House is a medical mystery show that premiered in 2004 and stars Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer, Peter Jacobson, Kal Penn, and Olivia Wilde.

4.   Dexter, Showtime, produced by Showtime Presents in association with John Goldwyn Productions

Dexter premiered in 2006 and its fourth series will go on air on September 27, 2009.

The TV series stars Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, David Zayas, and C.S. Lee.

5.  Breaking Bad,  AMC, produced by High Bridge, Gran Via Productions and Sony Pictures Television

High Bridge, Gran Via Productions, Sony Pictures Television
Vince Gilligan, Executive Producer
Mark Johnson, Executive Producer
Melissa Bernstein, Producer
Stewart A Lyons, Producer

Breaking Bad, created and produced by Vince Gilligan went on air in 2008.

The cast of Breaking Bad includes Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte.

In 2008, Bryan Cranston won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
6.  Big Love, HBO, produced by Anima Sola Productions and Playtone in association with HBO Entertainment

Mark V. Olsen, Executive Producer;
Will Scheffer, Executive Producer;
Tom Hanks, Executive Producer;
Gary Goetzman, Executive Producer;
David Knoller, Executive Producer;
Bernadette Caulfield, Co-Executive Producer;
Steve Turner, Producer

Big Love, that went on air in 2006, is now in its fourth season. The TV drama stars Bill Paxton, Chloë Sevigny, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ginnifer Goodwin, Harry Dean Stanton, Amanda Seyfried, Douglas Smith, Grace Zabriskie, and Matt Ross.

UPDATE: Alec Baldwin was the winner of the 2009 Emmy Award for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, for 30 Rock.

Here is the list of the 2009 Emmy Award nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy Series

1.Steve Carell, The Office, NBC, produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille LLC in association with Universal Media Studios

Photo: Steve Carell in The Office

In The Office, Steve Carell plays Michael Scott, a regional manager of Dunder Mifflin Inc., a paper supply company. The immensely popular show, that was launched in 2005, is now entering its sixth season.

Stevel Carell is the winner of the 2006 Golden Globe award for The Office and has been nominated four times for the Emmy award (2006-2009) for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, again for The Office. Will Steve Carell be fourth time lucky?

2. Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory, CBS, produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

Photo: Jim Parsons in The Big Bang Theory

Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper in the popular sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, that started in 2007, has been nominated for the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy Series.

Sheldon Cooper is a geeky theoretical physicist who lives with his friend Leonard, an experimental physicist, on the same floor as an attractive waitress, Penny.

Jim Parsons won the TCA award for the highest individual achievements in comedy, in August 2009.

3. Tony Shalhoub, Monk, USA, produced by Universal Cable Productions in association with Mandeville Films and ABC Studios

Tony Shalhoub is best known for role as Adrian Monk, in the runaway hit sitcom Monk. Adrian Monk is a detective who suffers from a compulsive obsessive disorder.

Shalhoub has been nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series seven times, from 2003-2009.

He has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, three times, in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

Tony Shalhoub was last seen in the John Cusack-starrer 1408, in 2007.

4. Alec Baldwin,  30 Rock, NBC, produced by Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios

Alec Baldwin was the winner of the 2008 Emmy Award for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, for 30 Rock, and two Golden Globe awards.

In 30 Rock, Baldwin plays Jack Donaghy in a sitcom about behind-the-scene dramas of a fictional comedy series that is aired on NBC.

30 Rock that was first aired in 2004 is now in its fourth season. In 2009, it has been nominated in 22 categories for the Emmy Awards, the highest ever in a single year for a comedy series.

Photo: Jemaine Clement

5. Jemaine Clement, Flight Of The Conchords, HBO, produced by Dakota Pictures and Comedy Arts in association with HBO Entertainment

In the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, that was launched in 2007, Jemaine
Clement appears as himself, part of a two-man comedy band from New Zealand.

Flight of the Conchords has been nominated for six Emmy Awards in 2009.

6. Charlie Sheen, Two And A Half Men, CBS, Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., The Tannenbaum Company in association with Warner Bros. Television

In Two And A Half Men, Charlie Sheen plays Charlie Harper a jingle writer used to doing his own thing, whose life gets complicated when his brother and nephew move in with him in his beachhouse.

Two And a Half Men started airing in 2003 and is in its seventh season.

Who is going to the 2009 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy Award winner? Is Alec Baldwin going to garner his second consecutive win? Or is it going to be newbies Jim Parsons or Jemaine Clement?

I would put my money on Jim Parsons, followed by Alec Baldwin and Jemain Clement.

The 2009 Videocon India Icon of the Year is Rahul Gandhi.

Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan are the winners of the 2009 Videocon India Youth Icon Award in the field of entertainment.

The 2009 Videocon India Icon of the Year in the field of Sports is Abhinav Bindra.

The 2009 Videocon India Icon of the Year in the field of Arts is Chetan Bhagat.

Rahul Bose is the winner of the 2009 Videocon India Icon of the Year in the category of social justice and welfare.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has won the Global Face of the Year award.

The 2009 Videocon India Fashion Icon of the Year is Deepika Padukone.

The first Videocon India Youth Icon Awards ceremony was held on September 25, 2009, at Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon.

The 2009 Videocon India Youth Icon Awards will honor achievements in the fields of Business, Sports, Entertainment, Media, Social Welfare and Justice, Technology, Arts, Politics, Entertainment, and Icon of The Year Award.

The show will be put together by Wizcraft in association with Sahara India Media.

The 2009 Videocon India Youth Icon Awards nominees are:

Entertainment

1. Priyanka Chopra
2. Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan with Barbara Mori in Kites

3. Farhan Akhtar

4. Katrina Kaif

Sports

1. Abhinav Bindra (Shooting)
2. Vijender Singh (Boxing)
3. Saina Nehwal (Badminton)
4. M.S. Dhoni (Cricket)
5. Ritwik Bhattacharya (Squash)
6. Pankaj Advani (Billiards)

Technology

1. Alok Kejriwal (Chief Executive Officer & Founder/Chairman, Games 2 Win/C2W Companies)
2. Neeraj Roy (Founder, Hungama.com)
3. Anupam Mittal (CEO, Shaadi.com)
4. Sachin Bhatia (Founder & CEO, Makemytrip.com)
5. Rohit Sharma (CEO, Zapak.com)

Arts

1. Chetan Bhagat (Author)
2. Namita Devidayal (Author)
3. Arzan Khambatta (Sculptor)
4. Shafi Quraishy (Artist)
5. Vikram Bawa (Photographer)
6. Tarun Khiwal (Photographer)

Entrepreneurship (Private)

1. Ajay Bijli (Chairman & Managing Director, PVR Cinemas Ltd.)
2. Alok Kejriwal (Chief Executive Officer & Founder/Chairman, Games 2 Win/C2W Companies)
3. Raaja Kanwar (Managing Director, UFO Moviez)
4. Neeraj Roy (Managing Director & CEO, Hungama.com)
5. Sanjay Nayak (CEO & MD, Tejas Networks India Ltd.)

Media

1. Rajdeep Sardesai (Editor-in-chief, IBN Network 18)
2. Harinder Baweja (Editor, Investigations – Tehelka)
3. Barkha Dutt (Group Editor, English News – NDTV)
4. Udayan Mukherjee (Indian TV news anchor and editor, CNBC TV 18)
5. Tarun Tejpal (CEO, Tehelka)
6. Sanjay Gupta (Editor, Dainik Jagran)

Social Justice and Welfare

1. Vikram Akula (Founder and CEO, SKS Micro Finance Pvt. Ltd.)
2. Ambalal Panchal Hiralal,(Social Activist, Community)
3. Mamta Ranka (Social Activist, Community)
4. Shehnaaz (Social Activist, Pukar)
5. Chandrakant Uttekar (Social Activist, Pukar)
6. Rahul Bose (Founder, The Foundation)
7. Arbind Singh (Founder, Nidan)

Politics

1. Sachin Pilot
2. Agatha Sangma
3. Priya Dutt
4. Omar Abdullah
5. Milind Deora

The 2009 Videocon India Youth Icon Award nominees were decided by a panel comprising IPS officer Kiran Bedi, journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, filmmaker Shyam Benegal, tennis ace Leander Paes, renowned cardiologist Naresh Trehan, actor and social activist Shabana Azmi, singer Usha Uthup and Venugopal Dhoot, chairman of Videocon Industries Limited.

The winners of the 2009 Videocon India Youth Icon Awards will be selected through online voting.

The Academy Award ceremony will now take place on 7 March, 2010 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. For many years the ceremony was aired in February. This year’s award ceremony was hosted by Australian actor Hugh Jackman and the event was on February 22nd. The academy made the same compromise in 2006 when the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics coincided with the dates of red carpet to the Oscars.

“Having an extra week is something that’s helpful, especially with late-coming movies,” said Barry Dale Johnson, Oscar consultant for ID PR. Academy “members have more time to see movies,” he said.

The 2010 Oscar Awards nominations will be announced on 22 February, 2010.  This year, Oscar nominations were announced on 22 January.

“In terms of the nominating process, that puts another week in the schedule for members to see movies,” Leslie Unger, an academy spokeswoman, told People, a celebrity and lifestyle magazine.

ABC will broadcast the Oscar ceremony, and the Olympics will be aired by NBC.

Several Oscar strategists think that the change in the Oscar dates can change the DVD release of the Oscar nominated movies since many prefer to release the DVD’s in accord to Oscar dates.