A CELEBRITY singer was a guest at an Indian New Year celebration in Basingstoke.

Malavika, who won a TV talent competition in India, performed at the Ugadi event, held at Carnival Hall, in Council Road.

The celebration was organised by the Telugu Association of Basingstoke (TAB-UK), which represents those from south India who live in the town, although some of the 120 people who attended came from across the region.

Children at the event also sang to the audience, while food served included paneer cheese, roti bread and biryani.

Sreeni Vavilala, a committee member of TAB-UK, said: “It went very well. People enjoyed it and the main object of it was to celebrate the New Year as a community.

“Malavika won a talent competition in India and sings in the movies. She was going to Reading anyway and I spoke to her management company and asked if she could come out here. She comes from the same region as us.”