Down Memory Lane with Micheal Jackson in India

Journalist Flynn Remedios recounts his memories of covering the Micheal Jackson tour in India in 1996..

“The year was 1996 and I was then with Island magazine from the Magna Group. Raj Thackeray and his newly formed Shiv Udyog Sena in association with Wizcraft had announced the HISTory Micheal Jackson Tour in India (for charitable purpose of course – the proceeds of the tour was to be used to generate job opportunities for the SUS) and we were all naturally very excited. We were waiting for the big day. Jackson was supposed to come to Mumbai a couple of days before. He was to stay in a suite at The Oberoi and as field reporters we had been assigned to find out how The Oberoi was preparing to make the King of Pop feel at home.”


As a reporter who religiously covered and reported on the controversies surrounding the Micheal Jackson tour in India in 1996, Flynn Remedios recalls how Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray – then the roaring tiger in Maharashtra whose one word could bring the entire state to a standstill - had blushed like a child before the media when he admitted that Micheal Jackson used his personal toilet when he visited his newly done up and renovated residence Matoshree at Kala Nagar in suburban Bandra. Thackeray had just about moved into his newly furnished residence – superbly done up by Unity Constructions Ltd and got Jackson to almost inaugurate his residence.

“I clearly remember the crowd from the airport to Thackeray’s residence. Jackson who landed at the Sahar airport had stopped over for cup of tea at Thackeray’s residence. I had managed to hitch hike on a media vehicle – there were very few TV News channels then – the roads were lined with lakhs of students and fans. The energy and sentiment was ecstatic as though a god was driving down.”

“I was covering that press conference and wanted to ask Thackeray if he had a western or Indian toilet, but looking at the tough looking sainiks around, I kept my mouth shut, he says, recalling the trouble that the Jackson Concert got his friends from Wizcraft – Andre Timmins, Sabbas Joseph and Viraf; and not to forget Raj Thackerey and his SUS (Shiv Udyog Sena – for those who came in late) – with all the allegations of entertainment tax evasion.

“I also remember reading some report that the tax chaps from the Suburban District Collector’s office had raided Andre and Viraf’s residence and tried to attach their personal belongings like the refrigerator and TV set. Then the jokes that followed when Sonali Bendre was asked to ‘welcome’ MJ at the airport with an ‘aarti’.

Showtime magazine had then asked me to interview Raj Thackeray post the concert and ask him about the ‘reported alleged linkup’ with Sonali Bendre. I was trembling as I went into the tiger cub’s den at Prabhadevi near Dadar. The Ramesh Kini episode was roving around in my mind and I was praying that my corpse wouldn’t be found somewhere in some desolate place, for asking Raj all the ‘tough’ questions.

Fortunately, the interview went off well – and I lived to tell the tale. Raj had said his wife Sharmila – who was sitting by his side during the interview - had recommended Sonali Bendre as she was her friend. In spite of his tough exterior, Raj Thackeray was a very congenial, jovial person who liked to joke. Raj was of course a great fan of Micheal Jackson, he had said in the interview. This interview with Raj was followed by many smaller interviews and continued for almost two years when I joined the Sunday Observer.

Post the Jackson tour, which was a resounding success – not surprisingly because the tax guys made life miserable for Wizcraft later on – there was an auction of Jackson’s personal effects that he used at The Oberoi. I remember seeing Shobha De jump up to the podium at the auction, pump Micheal Jackson’s hand and later on tell the media ‘it was a great orgasm’. I don’t exactly remember how much the pillow that Micheal slept on at The Oberoi went for – if I am not mistaken, it was sold for Rs One Lakh. I just hope that I haven’t mixed up any facts here, says Flynn Remedios, adding that everybody right from Prabhudeva in the south to Amitabh Bachchan in Mumbai had joined the “praise Micheal Jackson’ bandwagon, each claiming some reason for hero-worshiping the hero.

Watching the news of MJ’s death on TV, I couldn’t help but recall seeing a frail, weak and tired Balasaheb Thackeray return home from Lilavati Hospital just days before the news of Jackson’s death became known.

How the hands of time move? How life comes full circle? How time takes its toll on everyone? Veterans, stalwarts, enigmas like Micheal Jackson and Balasaheb Thackeray who made the world ‘stop’ at their whims and fancy have fallen to the silent killer ‘Time’. Long Live Micheal.. You will always live in our hearts.

(Excerpts from a yet-to-be published book by Flynn Remedios tentatively titled 18 Years of Reporting. This excerpt or article is © Flynn Remedios/Futuristic Media Network)

Michael Jackson: Accident, Murder or Suicide?

By Flynn Remedios – Futuristic Media Network

Like all great enigmas of his time - Princess Diana and Ernest Hemingway to name two, Michael Jackson’s untimely and unexpected death – or murder or suicide – has stirred a hornet’s nest. Was Michael Jackson murdered? Or did he commit suicide? Who dialed 911 from Jackson’s residence? Did someone spike Jackson’s drinks or water with an over dose of his painkillers Demerol? Why was his personal physician – who was supposed to be with him day in and day out - missing from the scene or went missing as soon as he was rushed to the Emergency Centre? (The personal physician has since surfaced and is being questioned by police). Did the caller call 911 after confirming that Micheal Jackson was dead or couldn’t be revived? Did the caller (in that case) have a hand in that case in his murder or was an indirect accessory to murder. Was Micheal fed up of life and his problems and knowingly consumed an over dose of painkillers. Did Micheal Jackson’s companion in his last few moments know about this and was part of the suicide pact. Did Micheal Jackson ‘choose’ to die at 50? Did Micheal Jackson really die of a cardiac arrest or was a cardiac arrest created with an over dose of Demerol?

Why didn’t Micheal Jackson - who was ailing and under medication – with all his wealth and riches not have 24x7 emergency aid available to him at his residence?

Hopefully these questions will be answered in a couple of weeks when final results of the toxicology tests are out and made public. However, the theory that Jackson probably committed suicide or was administered a lethal cocktail of drugs, with or without his knowledge and consent gained ground when Jackson’s personal physician Dr Conrad Murray who was the last person to see him alive refused to sign the death certificate. This is compounded by the disappearance of the physician when Jackson was rushed to hospital.

Police officials carried out a second autopsy on the body of the 50-year-old Pop icon. The results will take at least two weeks say reports.

Another question remains unanswered. Why didn’t Dr Conrad Murray immediately call 911? Was he trying to confirm that Jackson was dead before the emergency rescue service came in? Was Dr Conrad Murray ‘paid to do Jackson’.

According to reports in the western press, emergency services were only contacted after the singer’s father Joe - who was alerted to Jackson’s condition by a security guard at the singer’s home - made a “huge commotion”.

Jackson is believed to have been given a shot of the methadone-based pain killer Demerol the night before he died. Dr Murray, had attempted to revive Jackson with CPR after his collapse, apparently successfully answered all police queries – of course after spending nearly 24 hours in ‘hiding’ with his lawyers.

Media reports say that Jackson was taking two other powerful narcotic pain relievers – Dilaudid and Vicodin – in addition to Demerol. Maybe on the fateful night, Jackson took a cocktail of painkillers that pinned the last nail in his coffin. Probably the truth will never come out. Did Jackson take the lethal cocktail himself, or was he unknowingly administered the poison?

Jackson’s other drugs included muscle relaxant Soma, a sedative called Xanax and anti depressant Zoloft. He also took Paxil for anxiety and Prilosec, a heartburn pill, say reports.

Bollywood actress Shradha Sharma’s nude sex clip crops up in Ahmedabad

FOR MORE PICS OF SHRADHA SHARMA CLICK HERE AND HERE


By Rajesh Sawant – Futuristic Media Network

After the Salman-Katrina, Roadie Tammna and the MTV Splitsvilla participant Sakshi Pradhan sex clip scandals, the latest sex clip to crop up is that of the voluptuous and curvaceous Shradha Sharma. According to Shradha Sharma’s media manager, Flynn Remedios, the clip surfaced in Ahmedabad and is now available on the internet and is fast spreading via Bluetooth all over the country. “I have not yet seen the clip,” said Shradha, adding, please send me a copy if you get one.


One techie said that the sex clip may also contain a mobile phone virus in disguise given the rapid progress the clip has made in just about two days. The clip was first officially reported in Ahmedabad on Wednesday when a journalist from a local English tabloid called up Shradha’s manager for a clarification. The clip seems to spread to other cell phones if one’s Bluetooth connection is in the “discover” or “search devices” mode. “This looks like more than a movie clip; it’s definitely a mobile phone virus masquerading as a porno sex clip. Maybe somebody renamed the sex clip file as Shradha Sharma as it bears hardly any resemblance to the popular television actress,” said Flynn Remedios.

The fake sex clip which is available on the internet can be VIEWED HERE

Recently Shradha Sharma has been in the news for her link-ups with Dj Shezwood and Raja Chaudhary. The sexy actress has been seen often with both of them sparking rumours that she is dating both of them.

The female in the 1.5 min clip has a vague resemblance to Shradha Sharma and looks like a very amateur fake job. It shows a buxom woman undressing and having sex with a man who looks more like a European than an Indian.

(PHOTOS/CONTENT COURTSEY: FLYNN REMEDIOS)

SHOCK AND DISBELIEF: INDIAN MICHEAL JACKSON FANS MOURN THE LEGEND

Thousands of Indian Micheal Jackson fans in India watching late night television watched in utter disbelief as the news of the cardiac arrest of the legend and the subsequent announcement of his death filtered in.

Since most Indian television channels show only repeats of earlier recorded news bulletins, the internet, news websites, blogs and foreign channels were much in demand. Social Networking sites like Facebook, Orkut and Twitter became sources for the latest bits or tweets of info.

SMS networks in India also registered a significant rise in SMS traffic since 4.30 am on Friday morning as news of the King of Pop filtered in. For journalists like Flynn Remedios who grew up on Man in the Mirror, Black or White, Beat it and several other MJ tracks the news came as a big shock.

Long Live MJ. May your soul rest in peace.



updated from my mobile device



a

NANDANA SEN TO GO TOPLESS FOR BOLLYWOOD FASHION DESIGNER UMAIR ZAFAR??

By Flynn Remedios – Futuristic Media Network


According to sources, Bollywood fashion designer Umair Zafar is planning a mega fashion event and plans to feature none other than Nandana Sen as his show stopper. Also planned is a steamy photo shoot which according to insiders and unconfirmed sources will feature Bengali Tigeress Nandana Sen in the nude.
Nandana Sen had apparently refused to do any topless or nude scenes or shoots after the controversial nude scenes in Ketan Mehta’s Rang Rasiya. Bollywood gossip also suggested that Nandana Sen turned down several prestigious offers including one by Italian film maker Italo Spinelli to pose in the buff. Then what prompted her to say yes to Umair Zafar?

Fashion designer Umair Zafar when queried said, “Yes we have approached Nandana Sen to be part of this mega event next month. She has expressed her willingness to join us and we are yet to decide on the concept, outfits, fabric, etc. I do not know where you have got this news from? Yes she is going to wear a very hot and sexy outfit, but I cannot say anything more.”

Spinelli script had Nandana playing the lead role of a tribal woman who is surreptitiously shot nude by a photographer. However, Nandana apparently turned down the offer including several others that required her to show flesh.

Umair Zafar refused to reveal any further details about the fashion event or the photo shoot. However an assistant to the designer told us, “It seems that Nandana Sen has consented to do a nude or semi nude shoot, but it would be done in a very artistic, aesthetic and classy way.”

We spoke to Nandana Sen and she acknowledged that she has been talking to Umair Zafar. “We are yet to work out the concept, outfits and other stuff, was all that she would reveal at this stage.”

Neither Umair Zafar nor Nandana Sen were willing to share further details, but insiders say that a very volatile and steamy photo session is being planned wherein the Bong siren may even go nude.

SHINEY AHUJA CASE: VICTIM CONTRADICTS HERSELF, MALE FRIEND GOES UNDERGROUND

By Frank Franklyn – Futuristic Media Network

Just as Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja was remanded to judicial custody – meaning he would be shifted from the police lockup to Arthur Road Jail in Central Mumbai, the first chinks in the armour of the alleged victim’s testimony have cropped up.

According to another domestic help at Shiney Ahuja’s house Sangeetha, on the fateful day, she had asked the victim to accompany her when she left the premises at about 5 pm. The alleged victim had REFUSED to go with her and insisted on staying on in the house, knowing well that she was all alone in the flat.

The same victim in her statement to the police and in the FIR has stated that Shiney Ahuja had allegedly tried to get fresh with her and tried to molest her the previous day. Even a simpleton would understand that no 17 or 18 or 20 year-old girl would want to stay alone in a flat with a man who had tried to molest or touch her or made advances towards her just a day before. She would have tried her level best to ensure that her “sister maid” was also there with her or would have tried to leave with the other maid.

But in this case, the sister maid while leaving actually asked the alleged victim to accompany her while she went to attend a church service (according to her sister maid Sangeetha, it was the victim’s idea earlier to join her) but the victim REFUSED TO GO WITH HER KNOWING WELL THAT SHE WOULD BE ALONE IN THE HOUSE with Shiney Ahuja who had just a day before tried to molest her according to her very own statement to the police. Now is this the normal behaviour of a young girl – irrespective of whether she is a virgin or not or has been accustomed to sex or not? To the best of my knowledge and belief any girl or even a hard-boiled aspiring Bollywood actress who has learnt how to avoid the lecherous C-grade producers and other ‘hawks’ would try to get away as quickly as possible from a man she perceives or thinks could act fresh or smart with her.

This argument brings to the fore the conspiracy theory put forth in another article by Flynn Remedios titled Shiney Ahuja: Rape or Blackmail, Villain or Victim? Further, it probably also explains why the alleged victim’s so-called boyfriend or friend suddenly has gone underground and switched off his phone when the media began hunting for him after his presence in the drama was exposed by Flynn Remedios in the same article. This could also explain Shiney Ahuja’s initial and first statements to the police when he was picked up and brought to the police station. Shiney Ahuja had maintained that the sex was consensual and that they had even ‘done it a day before’.

Whatever be the case, the first chinks in the victim’s testimony have begun to surface with a few days of her allegations. May the Truth Prevail and may Justice Be Done!

HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS CLAUDIA CIESLA INJURED AT JUHIU IN MUMBAI

By Frank Franklyn – Futuristic Media Network

A crazy – and probably drunk, motorcyclist brushed past German supermodel and Hollywood actress Claudia Ciesla late on Wednesday night (early Thursday morning) while she was getting out of a car causing minor bruises on her right hand.

Claudia who was scheduled to fly out of India in the wee hours of Thursday morning to Germany was driving back to her hotel along the Juhu-Chowpatty road. When she neared her hotel, she asked her driver to stop. It was then that a speeding motorcyclist brushed passed her at full speed from behind just as she opened the door of her car and stepped out.

Claudia sustained minor bruises on her right hand which were treated and bandaged at a nearby hospital on her way to the airport.

Confirming the freak accident, Flynn Remedios, Claudia Ciesla’s spokesperson and publicist for India said, “Yes it is correct that Claudia was slightly injured when an errant speeding motorcyclist brushed past her while she was getting out of her car from the right side door. Since this incident happened in the early hours of Thursday morning and as Claudia had a flight to catch, we learnt about it only when she reached Germany.”

The motor cyclist sped away so fast that neither Claudia nor her driver managed to get a glance at his registration number, added Flynn Remedios.