Stars confirmed for ZEE Mela; BBC supports

Stars for this year’s mega ZEE Mela have been confirmed. Furthermore broadcaster BBC Asian Network has been roped in to support the event.

Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Kajol and Ajay Devgan, along with British Asian talents Rishi Rich, Juggy D, Jay Sean and Hunterz,will be appearing at the Mela, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from between Friday 17th Novemeber to Sunday 19th November.

The ‘Ultimate Bollywood’ stage gives visitors the chance to meet critically acclaimed Bollywood couple Kajol and Ajay Devgan, along with super successful heartthrob Saif Ali Khan. They’ll enjoy live and exclusive interviews with the stars and see the ‘Best of Bollywood’ with film screenings hosted by headline media partner ZEE TV throughout the event.

The ‘Ultimate Entertainment Theatre’, in association with BBC Asian Network, showcases performances by the very best of British Asian talent, alongside Asian stars from around the world. Whilst Hunterz, Hadiqa Kiani Ali Zafar will perform a brand new track created as a unique collaboration specifically for Mela ’06, whilst the Rishi Rich Project will headline each of the shows, taking place three times a day across all three days of the event.

Feisty female rap artist, Hard Kaur, is sure to get the crowds going with her sassy style and Paul Chowdhry, one of the most popular Asian comedians in the UK, will offer a hilarious look at multi cultural diversity in contemporary Britain.

Supported by BAFTA, Mela ’06 will also showcase exclusive interviews with Aamir Khan, Karan Johar,and Preity Zinta; Shah Rukh Khan in conversation with Gurinder Chadha and a BAFTA tribute to Yash Chopra.

As exclusively speculated earlier on BizAsia.co.uk, BBC Asian Network support of Mela �۪06, the largest and most comprehensive Asian lifestyle show to be staged in the UK. Representing the best in Asian press, radio and TV, the BBC joins a top line up of high profile media partners, each responsible for partnering on a key feature at the show.

The Mela�۪s Grand Entertainment Theatre will be hosted by the BBC Asian Network team, providing a showcase for chart topping international music stars, along with dance and comedy performances by top Asian artists.

Clarion Events, the organisers of the event, have invested �1,000,000 in the huge Mela. ZEE Network was named headline sponsors in April, a month after its hugely succesful ZEE Carnival in London.

With the BBC Asian Network clinching the radio sponsor deal, the news will come as a major blow for Birmingham based Radio XL who had been supporting the NEC Mela for the past few years.