14 August 10, 2012 CITY VIEWS Group Champions Community’s Cause on Capitol Hill By Sunthar Visuvalingam “the need to cut off foreign aid to – eaders of the National Pakistan until it Indian American Coalition completely abandons L(NIAC) converged on Capitol terrorist activities” Hill to engage Republican mem- bers of Congress in championing Indian-American causes. Over two days, July 31 and Aug. 1, the NIAC members met with 40 con- eign aid to Pakistan until it com- gressmen – including Majority pletely abandons terrorist activi- Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and ties,” he said. Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam The NIAC began lobbying of Illinois. Congress cut off foreign aid to According to a press release Pakistan in June 2011. It support- from NIAC, 42 of its leaders from ed H.R. 1699 introduced by Poe, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, New and an amendment to H.R. 5836 York, Maryland, Virginia and appropriations bill to cut military met with lawmakers from aid to Pakistan by half for the 2013 14 states to discuss a wide range fiscal year. of issues, including terrorism, for- As part of this campaign, NIAC eign aid to Pakistan and visa. The screened two video clips of 9/11 meetings were part of the as well as Mumbai terror on Chicago-based NIAC’s “Coffee 26/11. The screening was followed With Congress” program. by a recorded speech of U.S. Sen. Participating lawmakers Mark Kirk, R-Ill., a naval reserve included Reps. Adam Kinzinger intelligence officer, who conclud- ed that “foreign aid to Pakistan is Top, members of the National Indian American Coalition met with Republican naïve at best and counterproduc- lawmakers on Capitol Hill on July 31 and tive as worst.” Chicago Production Company Announces 1st Film Aug. 1. Above left, South Asia expert The NIAC also brought in Stephen Yates. Above right, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Republican from Illinois’s 11th Stephen Yates, an expert on By Sunthar Visuvalingam Shehzad Yousuf District, NIAC’s Shalli Kumar and House Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, Ali Rehmani and Majority Leader Eric Cantor. to speak with the lawmakers. – CHICAGO Mirza Parvez are founders of Bobby Schilling, Joe Walsh, Randy Yates also argued for cutting off comedy that revolves HollyBolly Hultgren and Bob Dold, all from foreign aid to Pakistan. “The lone around two close friends, Productions. Illinois; Ted Poe, Pete Olsen and superpower on this planet should Aa Muslim and a Hindu, Ron Paul of Texas; Kevin Yoder of not allow itself to be blackmailed and the ups and downs of their Kansas; Reid Ribble of ; … there are alternate routes for lives as they pursue their stud- Phil Gingrey of Georgia; and Chris transportation through central ies and take on odd jobs to sup- Gibson of New York. NIAC leaders Asian countries and U.S. can and port themselves will be the first also held separate meetings with should do everything to safe film to be produced by Roskam and Cantor, who pledged guard Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal,” HollyBolly Productions, a new to reactivate Republican outreach he said. production company in the to Indian-Americans. Poe announced that he will Chicago area. “We were quite pleased with introduce another bill to declare Founded on Feb. 1, effort that gradually transforms from mid-August. the response in Congress. Walsh, the Haqqani network in Pakistan HollyBolly Productions him. He eventually goes back to HollyBolly is negotiating Hultgren, Roskam, Schilling and to be a terrorist organization and launched its first film at a July Mumbai, while his companion with two Mumbai stars, but has Kinzinger worked very hard to to remove Pakistan’s status as a 12 press conference at its office remains in Chicago and mar- Chicago talent to fall back on. make this a success,” NIAC co- non-NATO ally. here. Director Mirza Parvez and ries here. The producers have already founder Shalabh Kumar told Desi Nirmala Sitharaman, spokes- producer Shehzad Yousuf Ali This love story, with senti- received clips from 3-4 local Talk. woman for India’s Bharatiya Rehmani spoke to Desi Talk mental touches and serious candidates. Kumar told the lawmakers that Janata Party, was among those about the movie and its plot. undertones, will be shot entire- Parvez, who has lived in Indian-Americans number 3.2 who attended the meeting. She “Mumbai Se Chicago” is a ly in Chicago, mostly outdoors Chicago for the past eight years, million and have the highest edu- told the audience “This aid seems humorous look at the chal- in four landmark locations: was immersed since childhood cation as well as highest per capi- to be misdirected towards encour- lenges and confrontations the Navy Pier, atop and around in the Mumbai film industry. ta income among ethnic groups. aging and facilitating terrorists two transplants from Mumbai Sears Tower, the Buckingham He was director and writer for “It is high time that US Congress groups in Pakistan, who seem to face as they attempt to recon- Fountain and the narrow strip Aamir Khan’s “Deewanaa Mujh pays attention to the needs and be moving freely in Afghanistan cile work and study in Chicago. through Museum Campus Sa Nahin,” and has worked as desires of ,” and also probably targeting The extrovert of the pair stretching out to Adler assistant writer for Kader Khan including “the need to cut off for- India.” wants to experience the world Planetarium on Lake on more than 50 films, remixes through casual flirting with with its beautiful view of the of Tamil and Telugu movies into young women from diverse cityscape. Hindi dialogue. He has written Indian Woman Killed in Illinois Bus Crash ethnicities to learn firsthand Shooting will start from mid- the screenplay and dialogues to Columbia, Mo. State police told how they diverge from his September and is expected to for “Deewana” and “Ayee Milan From News Dispatches NBC News Avhad was sitting Indian stereotype. His friend be completed in a month. Ki Raat,” as well as for TV’s “Jai above the driver on the second attempts to restrain him, which Production staff is already lined Veer Hanuman.” n Indian woman was killed floor of the bus. repeatedly leads to funny situa- up. Rehmani, who has lived here Aug. 2 in a bus A spokesman for the tions. New Jersey cameraman for 25 years, is the producer of Acrash on a University of Missouri told There are, likewise, two Hyder Bilgrami will use the lat- “Chicago Idol,” the annual southern Illinois inter- The Indian Express that heroines, both desi girls from est Epic Red digital camera to campuswide singing competi- state highway. she a graduate student at Chicago, of whom one is shoot the two-hour movie. tion that began two years ago Aditi R. Avhad, 25, the university in Columbia, “Americanized,” comes from a Dialogue will be primarily in and aired on Zee TV. died when the double- which was on the route of broken family and abandons Hindi and the film is being tar- HollyBolly has begun casting decker bus run by the bus. Thirty-eight peo- her father upon learning the geted at South Asian audiences. for “Mumbai Se Chicago” and Megabus coach lines ple, including the driver, truth about her identity. The Songs will be recorded India. invites local talent to apply for crashed into a pole on were injured in the crash. elderly father confides to the A mass marketing campaign various roles by auditioning Interstate 55 near The bus was carrying 81 extrovert student the responsi- through radio, cinemas, through http://hollybollypro- Litchefield, Illinois State Police passengers from Chicago to St. bility of finding his daughter, an schools, etc., will be launched ductions.com/form.html. said. Louis, Mo. The cause of the crash Ahvad was reportedly traveling is being investigated.

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