Apurv Shukla – 
Adding more spark to the Festival of Lights, Radio Tarana is organising its ‘Manukau Diwali’ on October 24, 2016.
The day-long event, entry to which is free for all, will be held at Vodafone Events Centre, 770 Great South Road, Manukau.
As in the past, Radio Tarana is giving people an opportunity to celebrate the joyous festival of Diwali with their friends and family and meet Hindi film star Emraan Hashmi.
The Festival will culminate in the evening with a grand fireworks display.
Celebrating Culture
Manukau Diwali is an occasion to celebrate Indian culture and enjoy cultural performances staged by local and visiting artistes.
The past years have witnessed songs, dances and skits with a festive and Bollywood undertone as a highlight.
Audiences have been treated to a high standard of performances, especially by children who exemplify the wonderful local talent in Auckland.
Manukau Diwali presents an ideal platform for these talented individuals and groups to showcase their ability to a large number of people.
Talent contests
Radio Tarana also runs Talent contests on its channel throughout the year.
Manukau Diwali will be an event where standout performers from these talent hunts will get to be in front of a live audience.
It will also have amusement rides for children.
Many food stalls serving quality Indian cuisine will hopefully make this event a gastronomic delight.
For the past several years, Radio Tarana has made Manukau Diwali more exciting by inviting a Hindi film star to be a part of the celebrations. Among them were Bobby Deol, his father Dharmendra and Jackie Shroff.
Diwali attraction
Emraan Hashmi will certainly be a major draw on October 24, 2016.
The 37-year-old actor made his debut in Hindi Cinema in 2003 with ‘Footpath.’
An alumnus of Sydenham College (Mumbai), he was an Assistant Director at Vishesh Films before becoming an actor.
He is the nephew of the prolific producer-director duo Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt.
Year 2004 proved to be a turning point in Emraan’s career with ‘Murder,’ a romantic thriller hitting the jackpot. It provided a successful template for future hits.
It had a fast paced story with ample twists and turns, melodious music and Emraan played a character with shades of grey.
Turning Point
Two years later (2006) the young actor won his first Filmfare nomination for ‘Best Actor in a Negative Role’ in ‘Gangster,’ directed by Anurag Basu.
Many believe that his best performance came as a criminal in Mohit Suri’s ‘Awarapan’ released in 2007.
Emraan holds the record for appearing in the most franchisee films in Hindi cinema. He has been part of the successful horror series ‘Raaz’ and the bold thriller franchisee ‘Murder.’
He was an assistant to the Director of ‘Raaz 1’ before top-lining the cast in its next three editions.
In 2014, his four-year-old son was diagnosed with stage one Cancer from which he has recovered now.
Emraan released his autobiography called ‘Kiss of Life’ recently.
Manukau Diwali is a family friendly event designed to give attendees a chance to celebrate the Festival of Lights, relive the sights and sounds of India and meet a popular Hindi cinema star for free.
Radio Tarana organises Manukau Diwali and other community events throughout the year. This event is another initiative of the Radio Station to recognise and express its gratitude to thousands of listeners who have enabled it to grow from strength to strength.
Radio Tarana celebrated its 20th anniversary in June this year.
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Photo Caption:
- The ‘Murder Series’ became a turning point in Emraan Hashmi’s career
- Bobby Deol at Manukau Diwali 2013
- Dharmendra drew huge crowds at Tarana’s Diwali in 2014
- Jackie Shroff was a big draw at Manukau Diwali 2015
