By Radhika Bhirani

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Singer Jaspinder Narula, who is back after

a prolonged break from the playback scene, says her singing potential

and versatility have not been utilised well enough in Bollywood.

“My personal style of singing has never been used. I feel my voice is

suited best for romantic and softer songs. But I have never been given a

chance. Now I am looking forward to good work,” Jaspinder told

IANS on phone from Mumbai.

Currently a participant in NDTV Imagine’s new music show “Dhoom

Macha De”, Jaspinder feels that singers in the Indian music industry are

underestimated in terms of their versatility and calibre.

Jaspinder shot to fame in 1998 after a duet with Remo Fernandes in

the Kajol- Ajay Devgan starrer “Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha”. Since then,

she has been offered only folk or energetic and loud numbers in films.

She said: “I have worked with a number of music directors but

unfortunately I have always been offered to sing ‘dhoom dhadake’

(loud and peppy) numbers only. The directors should explore the full

potential of a singer.”

Among the present lot of music directors in India, Jaspinder loves the

music composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Pritam and Vishal-Shekhar

and would like to work with them in the near future.

So is Shankar Mahadevan in her list of favourites because he is a judge

for “Dhoom Macha De”?

Jaspinder clarified that her association with Shankar went back to the

time when both of them were struggling to carve a niche as singers in

Bollywood.

“I don’t think he will be partial towards me,” she said.

Asked why she decided to participate in the TV show, Jaspinder said:

“‘Dhoom Macha De’ is a unique reality show. It was a chance for me to

share the stage with many of my contemporaries and basically it is a lot

of fun!”

Jaspinder, who was in Canada for the past few months, is also pursuing

a PhD on the influence of Urdu and Persian on Hindustani classical

music and will be receiving her degree soon.

She hopes to bring back the real aesthetics of Indian music, which she

says is getting lost due to the influence of Western music.

By Paras Ramoutar

Port-of-Spain, Feb 19 (IANS) Well-known Bollywood singer Zubeen

Garg, who hails from Assam, enthralled an overflowing audience at the

Trinidad & Tobago capital with his latest hits, “Ya Ali” and “Subah

Subah”.

The talented musician, who plays several instruments and is also an

accomplished singer, had the crowd swaying to his numbers at the

Centre of Excellence here Saturday in a delayed Valentine’s Day soiree.

Zubeen shared the stage with the heartthrob of Trinidad and Tobago

(T&T), Raymond Ramnarine.

The concert, over the weekend, was organised and coordinated by

international Indian cultural activist, promoter and commentator, Rafi

Mohammed, son of former T&T deputy prime minister Kamaluddin

Mohammed.

Zubeen is billed as the first Indian entertainer from Assam to perform

here. He was supported by Ramnarine’s Dil-e-Dan, one of the oldest

Indian bands in T&T, which has been in the entertainment business for

the past 40 years. Zubeen also used his own sound track for the show.

Zubeen had the young-at-heart couples dancing along with senior

citizens as he belted out some of his hits like “Ya Ali”, “Subah Subah”,

“Jag Lal”, “Ek Din” and “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom”. He even played the

drum with one of his renditions.

Zubeen has more than 7,000 songs in his repertoire and over 40

albums to his credit.

Zubeen said he had looked forward to coming to T&T and was

“extremely happy to play for the much-talked-about T&T audience”.

Raymond, in an interview, said he wanted to share stage with Zubeen

Garg. “I could not wait to meet this great singer. His songs are topping

the charts in local frequencies as people throughout the land are

requesting for his hits, ‘Ya Ali’ and ‘Subah Subah’, on the local radio,”

he said.

Zubeen, also an actor and director, has premiered in his own Assamese

movie, “Tum Mor Matho Mor”, and acted in several other movies. He

is now working on his latest venture, “Chakra”.

Over the past four decades, T&T has hosted several well-known Indian

performers from Bollywood like Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar,

Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, her sister Asha Bhonsle, Hemant Kumar,

Kumar Sanu and recently Shah Rukh Khan.

Mumbai, Feb 26 (IANS) The legendary singer Mukesh’s wife Saral is

dead.

Saral, who had married Mukesh on July 22, 1946, passed away here

Monday, thereby drawing to a close a golden period in the history of

Hindi film music.

Neil Mukesh Mathur, who debuted in last year’s crime thriller “Johnny

Gaddaar”, was very close to his grandmother Saral and was

inconsolable.

“I spent a lot of time with my grandmother who lived in the same

building as my parents and I did,” he said.

“While we occupy the first floor, Daadee stayed on the seventh floor.

As a child I’d look forward to weekends. Every Friday my sister and I

would rush to her floor. And since there was no school on Saturdays

and Sundays we were allowed to sleep with her,” Neil said.

“She would tell us so many stories about my grandfather (Mukesh), his

friendship with Raj Uncle (Raj Kapoor). I’d stare at the pictures of my

grandfather and Raj Uncle and at the Filmfare trophies lined up on her

shelf, hoping that one day I’d get one too,” he said, remembering his

grandmother.

“It’s strange but I danced at the Filmfare award for the first time just

two days before Daadee died.”

By Subhash K. Jha, Bollywood Hungama News Network

On the night of January 9 in Hollywood Los Angeles, history was

created as Bollywood’s composer Aadesh Shrivastava spent a good two

hours jamming on stage with American hip-hop and rap sensation

Akon.

Akon, known for his controversial image and provocative songs like

‘Konvicted’ is currently the undisputed pop-rap king in the US. Aadesh

and Akon along with rapper Wyclef Jean played Bhangra and Hip- hop

together on stage, bringing the audiences to their collective feet with

their rousing performance.

Exhausted but triumphant, Aadesh could barely contain his excitement

hours after the triumphant performance. “It’s been the most

exhilarating experience of my life. Akon is more than an icon. He’s

currently the slogan-mongerer the anthem-man, so to speak. When he

got on stage with me and Wyclef at the House Of Blues, I didn’t know

what was in store. Akon and I played Bhangra together for a couple of

hours. He loved what I was doing with the rhythms and acoustics. And

I loved his hip-hop sounds. We played each other’s music. The

audience went wild.”

And now Akon wants to do an album with Aadesh! Says the jubilant

desi composer, “Yes, after the show last night we’ve discussed an

album together. But I’ve made it clear that I’ll be playing only my brand

of music. Bhangra and ragas….I’m very clear about this. I don’t want to

go out West and ape the singers there…When my 10-year old son back

home heard that I played live with Akon, he was clean bowled. ‘Papa,

Akon is THE HOTTEST.’ I think my boy suddenly respects me a bit

more,” laughs Aadesh.

By Subhash K. Jha, Bollywood Hungama News Network

Pritam never denies his sources of inspiration. Whether it is the

successful songs in Awaraapan or Race, he accepts the inspirational

charges with grace. But the charge that the chartbuster ‘Yeh Ishq Haaye

Jannat Dikhaye’ in Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met is ripped off from

Indonesian singer Anggun’s French number ‘Etre une femme’ has the

habitually-calm composer frothing in indignance.

“I’ve never denied the sources for my songs. So why should I deny it

now? But the fact is, I had never heard Anggun’s song when I

composed the song in Jab We Met. I don’t know the song myself. My

friend who’s a keyboard player had the groove programmed. I liked the

groove and I composed my tune on it. I composed the song in front of

so many people. I can guarantee the melody isn’t anyone’s but my own.

I must admit the groove is similar to the one in my song. But that’s it.

And too to is totally unintentional. Not a note in the rest of my song

sounds like Anggun’s tune. And if anyone can prove I’ve copied her

song I’m ready to stop composing songs forever.

Catching his breath Pritam admits, “In fact, let me tell you my songs in

Mukesh Bhatt’s forthcoming film, Jannat, which I had claimed were

completely original are no longer so. Some parts of the soundtrack

now have borrowed sounds. But ‘Yeh Ishq Haye’ in Jab We Met is an

absolute original.”

Vishal Bharadwaj has composed music for Ajay Devgan’s directorial

debut “U, Me Aur Hum” and the soundtrack is a pleasure to listen to.

Beginning on a great note, the album starts with “Dil dhadka hai”, sung

by Adnan Sami and Shreya Ghoshal who sound perfect for the track.

Lyricist Munna Dhiman swishes his poetical wand, promising a

likeable number along with Bharadwaj’s good sense of music. A

romantic number with a difference, this track will impress.

Salsa takes over from Bollywood romance in “Jee le”, sung by Adnan

and Shreya. Once again it is hard to miss Dhiman’s outstanding poetry,

which gives listeners a break from the typical lyrics they’re used to.

With a racy tempo and a zingy touch to it, audiences are likely to get

hooked to this song as well.

Unconventional bhangra takes form in “Phatte”. Adnan pairs up with

Sunidhi Chauhan for the fun song that is Punjabi in genre and yet is

different in its approach. “Phatte” will be better watched than heard.

Another track that would be better watched than heard is “Saiyaan”.

Sunidhi croons Dhiman’s wonderfully imaginative lyrics. Bharadwaj’s

music has been carefully and successfully adapted to the situation.

Solo renditions continue with Shreya taking over the mike next to

croon to the first version of the title track. Melody, rhythm and

harmony rule the song entirely and kudos to Bharadwaj for composing

such a wonderful song. Shreya’s sweet vocals complement the track

perfectly and she deserves major credit if the song becomes a

chartbuster.

Bharadwaj has once again hit the jackpot with “U, Me Aur Hum” and

his decision to rope in Dhiman for the lyrics has proved beneficial not

only to the lyricist but to him as well. Both the lyricist and the

composer have stayed away from the conventional route but retained

the commercial aspect in this venture.

By Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Hungama News Network

Bhatt brothers have been known for their taste when it comes to

quality music. Meanwhile, Pritam too has rightly acquired the tag of

hit machine in the music industry. Hence, when the team comes

together again, it is time for great anticipation for something

extraordinary to happen again.

Now, after a hat-trick of musical successes in Gangster, Woh Lamhe

and Awarapan, Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt have roped in

composer Pritam again for the music of Jannat. The film revolves

around the theme of match fixing and betting in the world of cricket

and stars Emraan Hashmi as the lead protagonist. With Sayeed Quadri

roped in as a lyricist, Bhatts have a lot in stake from the music of

Jannat. The good news is that Pritam delivers yet again…and how!

It’s the music from Far East which opens the proceedings for ‘Zara Sa’.

Once the initial set up manages to create a romantic mood for the song,

KK takes over who hits a sixer in the very first minute of the album.

His voice continues to throw surprises in each of his outings and ‘Zara

Sa’ is no exception! The rhythm of ‘O Oyo Oyo’ which forms the theme

sound of the song would only make one head for a candle light dinner

with his/her loved one!

Write your own music review of Jannat
Together Pritam, Sayeed Quadri and KK do everything right to make a

song which is a sure shot chartbuster in the making. Add on Emraan

Hashmi to the song and you know that the melodious ‘Zara Sa’ would

definitely scale greater heights. With a title like ‘Power Ballad’, one

would have expected the next version of ‘Zara Sa’ to be a full on Club

mix. However, that’s not the case as it is set as an unplugged rendition

by KK with just a guitar in background. In fact, this version sounds

even better and is worth the price that one may for the music CD.

Excellent!

Kamran Ahmed not just sings and writes ‘Judai’ but is also an original

composer for the song. And yes, before any controversy erupts, the

artist has been credited for his entire work on the song. Based on age

old folk number ‘Lambi Judai - Chaar Dinon Ka Pyaar O Rabba’, the

song takes a different take in it’s 2008 version as it gets into a rock

setting.

With a lounge feel to it, courtesy some cutting edge mixing and

arrangements which takes the song to a different level altogether,

‘Judai’ at places also has Richa Sharma’s voice in the background that

creates a haunting feel. Also notable is the guitar which accompanies

Kamran throughout and creates a catchy rhythm. The young man has a

good voice and he is rewarded with a ‘Kilogram Mix’ which comes at

the very end of the album. Does it carry an expected weight (pun

intended)? Yes, it does! Check this version out which gets you into an

‘enigma’-tic setting and keeps you mesmerized for hours to follow!

After being heard in the background for a brief duration, Richa Sharma

gets an entire solo for herself as she gets to sing ‘Lambi Judai’. The

only time in the album when a female voice makes an appearance,

Richa makes most of the opportunity. Now one waits to see if this

version finds a place at least as a part of the film’s background music!

By Subhash K. Jha, Bollywood Hungama News Network

The posh premiere on Friday night of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s opera

Padmavati at the pricey Theatre Du Chatelet was attended by the

who’s- who of Paris.

“Some of Paris most well-known figures from arts, culture, and

politics were present to see Sanjay’s version of Padmavati. Among

them was the legendary French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier who

slipped in minutes before the performance with his lady friend and sat

enthralled throughout the performance,” says an eyewitness at the

premiere.

Apparently, Sanjay couldn’t recognize the mythic designer. It was his

sister, Bela who discreetly pointed out the presence of Gaultier and

whispered his name into her brother’s ear. At the party held after the

premiere show, it was Sanjay’s unaffected and utterly gregarious

mother who bonded big- time with Gaultier and specially his lady

friend who seemed extremely taken up with Mrs. Leela Bhansali’s

disarming simplicity. Says a guest at the venue, “Sanjay’s mom just

took to Gaultier and his leading lady, she even invited them to India on

her son’s behalf. Sanjay was too nervous and preoccupied to converse

too long with Gaultier or anyone else at the event. His focus was on

getting everything right. And when it went well he simply sat back and

relaxed for the first time in two months.”

Sanjay wore a Rajesh Pratap Singh creation. “But it didn’t matter what

he wore. His concentration was on getting the first show right. Now

that he has gone swimmingly, the opera producers are making big plans

for Padmavati’s progression in Paris and abroad.” For the opening

night, the Saawariya duo Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor were also

expected to join Sanjay and his family in Paris but had to bow out at

the last minute due to packed schedules. “But it didn’t really matter

because I knew I had the good wishes of the entire country with me,”

said the overwhelmed director. “We had a private staging of the play a

day before the play opened to the public. The press and elite audiences

were extremely positive. Now that Padmavati has opened to such an

overwhelming ovation, all I can say is, I feel I was to the opera-born.

V. Shantaram’s colorful flamboyant style of filmmaking was always

my forte. On stage, I got a chance to pay homage to Shantaram without

bothering about camera angles. Padmavati is me, unexpunged.”

The forthcoming shows of the play are already booked well in advance.

Sanjay is looking at a work that’s fated to becoming the first

worldwide operatic triumph by an Indian creator. “I’m so into it right

now, so consumed by the crew’s commitment and infected by the

audiences’ response that I can’t think of anything else. All I want to say

to people back home in India is if I’ve made the country proud then I’ve

succeeded as an individual and an artiste.”

Typically, from a film with an Army background, one expects a theme soundtrack. In addition, when the film has a Court Martial forming a major part of the narrative, one wonders if there would be any scope for music. However, Shaurya is a six track album and has Adnan Sami and Javed Akhtar saab roped in as composer and lyricist respectively which makes one look forward to this album.

There is a surprise in store at the very beginning of the album as Adnan Sami successfully creates an atmosphere, which would have befitted the stature of someone like R.D. Burman at the helm of affairs. Reminding of the kind of romantic numbers that Pancham would have loved to compose, ‘Dheere Dheere’ is a smooth sailing track, which truly manages to have a smooth sailing feel to it.

Write your own music review of Shaurya
Whether it is the ‘mukhda’ or the ‘antara’ portions, both Adnan Sami and Sunidhi Chauhan bring on such beautiful rendition that makes one fall for the song in the very first listening. Sung at a low pitch, ‘Dheere Dheere’ has it’s composition in complete sync with the lyrics and moves quite ‘dheere dheere’! And yes, thank goodness there are no remixes this time around to kill the impact of such a beautiful number.

A similar smooth sailing feel is prevalent even in ‘Dosti Kya Hai’. Instead of falling in the trap of ‘Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi Chodenge’ kind of setting, ‘Dosti Kya Hai’ is almost a romantic number if one closely observes the way it has been composed. Since the film is set in hills and mountains, the ice cold effect can be witnessed even in the way Udit Narayan and Abhijeet go about singing the number.

Going as per the mood of the film, this song, which is supposedly picturized on Rahul Bose and Javed Jaffrey, should make for a pleasant watch. Special mention again for the music arrangements, which manage to sustain the quality quotient of the album.

A complete turnaround happens in the proceedings as ‘Jaane Kyun Jaaneman’ arrives next. A club track with all around Western mode and styling, this appears to be an item number in the offering. However, what one gets to hear is hardly something which one would love to play on in a repeat mode. More than the sudden change in proceedings which surprise, it is the composition and singing (by Adnan Sami and Sunidhi Chauhan) which makes one look the other way round. An average track which is all sound and fury and nothing more!

Tashan is truly the biggest and most awaited project of the season. And the reasons are aplenty.

a) This is the first YRF project in 2008 and comes straight after double-bill disappointments in the form of Aaja Nachle and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag

b) Vishal and Shekhar have a music release more than six months after 2007’s biggest success (both film-wise as well as musically) - Om Shanti Om

c) The film stars four top-line actors who have been having a great box office run - Akshay Kumar (5 successful films in a row), Saif Ali Khan (Race), Anil Kapoor (Race, Welcome) and Kareena Kapoor (Jab We Met)

d) Last but definitely not the least - absolutely nothing is known about the film’s plot. No wonder, curiosity is simply killing!

Taking these factors into consideration (especially the last one), as a listener, you have absolutely no idea about what to expect from the soundtrack.

Is it going to be a full-on rock album?

Is it going to have ‘bhangra’ beats holding prominence since the word ‘tashan’ originates from North India?

Is it going to be full on ‘dhinchaak’ since Tashan has Vishal-Shekhar composing for a hardcore commercial project?

Well, hold on to all the anticipation and expectation since the five songs which follow belong to the kind which give an altogether different dimension to a movie soundtrack.

‘Dil Haara’ is a unique composition all the way as one struggles to even describe the flow of the song from beginning till the end. It has Sukhwinder Singh giving a folkish beginning to it, is followed by the sound of rock and has a sufi flavor to it as the ‘mukhda’ reaches it’s peak. The arrangements which follow have an amalgamation of rock and folk sound which makes you sit up and wait to be surprised. Written by Piyush Mishra, expectedly, ‘Dil Haara’ has lyrics which are truly different from what one normally expects from a Bollywood love song and have a certain ethnic/philosophical touch to them. Picturised on Saif Ali Khan, the song is a huge chartbuster on its way.

Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor get a couplet each for them as they talk about what ‘tashan’ means to them through ‘Pooja Ka Tashan’, ‘Jimmy Ka Tashan’, ‘Bachchan Pande Ka Tashan’ and ‘Bhaiyyaji Ka Tashan’ respectively. Wish this was longer though as the combined duration of each of these four tracks is barely 70 seconds!

Piyush Mishra gets behind the mike for a couple of lines (and repeats them towards the middle of the song) before Sunidhi Chauhan takes over the proceedings in ‘Chhaliya’. ‘Chhaliya’ too isn’t linear in it’s format as it has a melodic beginning to it which changes course pretty quick with a Western sound imbibed into the proceedings. A number with a trademark Vishal-Shekhar stamp to it, ‘Chhaliya’ is written by Anvita Dutt Guptan and has it’s rhythm coming from the line - ‘Na Lada Na Lada, Tu Ankh Na Lada’ - which forms the major part of the song. A high on beats number which goes perfectly well with the perky on-screen image of Kareena Kapoor!

Sureshot massy entertainer of the album comes in the form of ‘Dil Dance Maare’ which would definitely have been the riskiest and the most complex song to be created. Reason? When presented with lyrics like ‘White White Face Dekhe, Dilwa Beating Fast, Sasura Chance Maare Re; O Very Happy In My Heart, Dil Dance Maare Re’, it doesn’t make a composer’s job easy. And when the lyricist is Vishal Dadlani himself, there is no one else to blame too!

Well, Vishal and Shekhar get into a full on ‘dhamaal’ mode here and go truly mad in giving a kind of sound which no song so far in a 21st century Bollywood song has carried! Getting inspired from Laxmikant-Pyaarelal school of music when songs belonging to this mood and style were in vogue during late 70s/early 80s, ‘Dil Dance Maare’ (picturised on Akshay and Kareena) has a rooted appeal to it and turns out to be one of the most innovative works of Vishal-Shekhar.

While Sukhwinder Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan are in great form, it is refreshing to hear Udit Narayan have a major song to his credit after long. The man certainly seems to be having fun and the rest aren’t far behind, especially with Vishal going truly ballistic with lyrics like - ‘Tohre Dil Ke Theater Maan, Dil Deewana Booking Advance Maare Re’! Are ‘bhojpuri’ film makers listening?

The composer duo get into Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy territory with ‘Falak Tak’ which reminds of ‘Chup Chup Ke’ [Bunty Aur Babli] and ‘Bol Na Halke Halke’ [Jhoom Barabar Jhoom] when it comes to the romantic genre being explored. A duet by Udit Narayan & Mahalaxmi Iyer, ‘Falak Tak’ completely turns around the mood of the album. From a ‘masti’ and ‘dhamaal’ time that a listener was having all this while, proceedings turn truly romantic with ‘Falak Tak’ which boasts of some innovative poetic lyrics by Kausar Munir. A soothing number which is made special by its singers, especially Udit Narayan, ‘Falak Tak’ is the only number in Tashan where you get some breather as a listener.

And this is because soon arrives the title track ‘Tashan Mein’ which is based on the kind of music which one associates with Quentin Tarantino. Heard of background music from films like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill series? ‘Tashan Mein’ has a guitar creating a similar sound which forms the initial base of the song. While Vishal and Saleem go about adding on to the haunting appeal of the song, it is only after around a minute that the song catches up pace with the sound of ‘Tashan Mein, Tashan Mein’. The song turns truly rock here as Piyush Mishra and Vishal weave lyrics which give the ’style’ element to the film’s characters! A track which should come as a background piece at regular intervals in the film’s narrative.

Songs in Tashan excite, get on to you quickly and make you put them on a repeat mode. There is not a single dull moment in this entire album which has its tallest highpoints in ‘Dil Dance Maare’, ‘Dil Haara’ and ‘Falak Tak’. YRF, Vishal and Shekhar can uncork a champagne bottle since Tashan is all set to record music sales which would be at par with the combined music sales of all of Yash Raj Films projects in 2007 (Ta Ra Rum Pum, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Chak De India, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Aaja Nachle).

Mumbai, March 31 (IANS) Composer-singer-actor Himesh Reshammiya, who debuted as a crooner with “Aashiq Banaya Aapne” in 2005, has recorded 75 songs in just a record time.

“I’ve already released 50 songs. I intend to use the 25 songs I’ve in my music bank for the four films ‘Karzzzz’, ‘Kajraare’, ‘A Love Iiisshtory’ and ‘Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh’ that I’m starring in,” he said.

In his forthcoming films he wants to introduce at least one new singer. Reshammiya feels he owes it to the industry.

“I think I must give new talent to the music industry because even I was a newcomer once. And fresh, untried talent always works since my music usually caters to younger audiences. They are always on the look out for fresh unconventional voices.”

For “Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh”, which is a love triangle, Reshammiya intends to introduce new singing talent for the two leading ladies, Niharika Singh and Jennifer Kotwal.

“I came across some mind blowing female voices while I was judging ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’. I’ll be using these for ‘Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh’.”

Reshammiya intends to introduce four new singers in these four films

New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) Talent hunts, meet your favourite stars and

gifts galore - private FM radio stations are increasingly turning to

innovative contests and competitions to outshine one another and

attract as many listeners as possible.

A well-executed idea for a radio contest invariably leads to a 10-12

percent increase in the number of listeners, said Anand Chakravarthy,

vice president (marketing) of Big 92.7 FM.

“Such contests are certainly meant to grab a higher share of listeners,”

he said.

Agreed Riya Mukherjee, national head of brand integration and

corporate social responsibility (CSR), Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM.

“These contests are introduced mainly to draw a larger audience.

Basically, it is done for a dual purpose - to engage active listeners

(those who already listen to the station regularly) and to attract

attention from passive listeners (those who tune in once in a while).”

Radio Mirchi frequently organises innovative contests on various

occasions. It held a special “Holi Ka Samaan” for the festival of

colours last week.

The recent partnership between Big FM and playback singer Sonu

Nigam for their “Sing with Sonu” contest is expected to start a new

trend in the FM industry - that of incorporating celebrities in

competitions.

“We have indeed set a trend that others might follow and the charm of

an opportunity of sharing the stage with a celebrity draws an even

larger audience,” Chakravarthy told IANS over the phone from

Mumbai.

Reality hunts, currently popular on television, have also begun to catch

the fancy of FM stations. Radio City 91.1 FM recently organised “RC

Live” - a nationwide hunt for India’s best Hindi music band.

The prize for winners was an album release contract with music label

EMI and a joint promotion by Radio City and EMI for one year. The

contest received an overwhelming response across the country.

Mukherjee explained that such competitions result in definite spikes.

But considering that they are in a business, she said they do not

primarily look at temporary growth.

“Achieving sustained growth holds more priority for anyone in a

business,” she said.

According to her, youngsters and homemakers are the prime target

audience of these contests.

“Either we target the time or the mind space of these people and

basically a worthwhile reward or a prize is a big draw for them,” she

said.

Chakravarthy seconded the thought and said that people who fall in the

age bracket of 12 to 29 years form the largest chunk of their customers

and hence their target audience.

The radio channels face stiff competition as a result of the increasing

number of listeners among all sections of society.

“The audience for radio has grown exponentially over the past

two-three years,” said Mukherjee.

She said that it wasn’t a surprise when on one occasion the

‘listenership’ of Radio Mirchi had gone higher than the viewership of

any national TV channel.

Chakravarthy pointed out that there had been a dramatic increase of

over 45 percent in the number of listeners of their radio station over

the past few years.

“According to our listenership report of 2007, there was a 21 percent

increase in urban cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. In fact, the

listenership in smaller cities is also rising significantly,” he said.

Apart from contests, what helps a radio station build a respectable

position for itself?

Said Chakravarthy: ” ‘Listen to your listeners’ is the mantra. As long as

the content of a station is relevant to the listeners, it will be popular.”

You can’t request more than 20 captcha challenges without solving them. Your previous captcha challenges were flushed.

By Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama News Network

Rakesh Roshan launched the music of KRAZZY 4 with the

promotional song of Shah Rukh Khan. The song, filmed most lavishly,

caught the attention of one and all. The next track, filmed on Rakhi

Sawant, also became hugely popular with those who love desi

numbers. The question was, would Hrithik Roshan’s song be as

impressive as SRK’s?

Now that the song is on air [it’ll feature in the end credits of the film],

everyone’s unanimous that Hrithik has outdone himself. Ask Roshan

Sr. whether the song would now be a part of the story thanks to its

popularity, he denies it outright. “If we force the song in the narrative,

it would only act as a speed-breaker, spoiling the flow of the story. The

song was never meant to be a part of the story; it was always supposed

to be used during the end credits,” he states. That’s honesty!

Mumbai, March 27 (IANS) With international buyers and style experts

all set to mark their presence, the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) brings

hope for good business. And when a fashion fiesta takes place in tinsel

town, a brush with celebrities is not unexpected.

The autumn-winter edition of the fashion event that starts here

Saturday is a joint initiative by Lakme, a cosmetics brand of Hindustan

Unilever Ltd, and IMG, a leading international event management firm.

“LFW has steadily established itself as a platform for attracting

international designers and labels, a vibrant place to do business for

buyers and inspiring a global pool of talent,” said Anil Chopra, vice

president of Lakme Unilever.

“It further reinforces our commitment to integrate India into the global

fashion world,” he added.

Hectic preparations are on at the National Centre for Performing Arts

(NCPA) to ensure that everything at the five-day event is a success.

Organisers believe that many Bollywood stars will make their presence

felt at the fashion extravaganza due to their friendships with the

designers presenting their collection at the March 29-April 2 show.

The fashion fete will also see the likes of New York based Elsye Kroll

of trade show Coterie, Albert Morris of fashion store Browns, Pamela

and Lydia Pearson and Tiziana Cardini of store La Rinascente.

Renowned fashionistas and journalists from around the world,

including Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of International Herald Tribune,

Carole Sabas of Vogue France, Michael Mickey Boardman, deputy

editorial director of Paper Magazine, and Stellene Volandes, senior

fashion editor of Departures Magazine, will be present at the fashion

week.

As many as 57 designers, established and new, will display their

creativity over five action and glamour packed days.

Among the designers participating are J.J. Valaya, Drashta Sarvaiya,

Kaushie, Rakesh Agarwal, Ruchi Mehta, Krishna Mehta, Manish

Malhotra, Arjun Khanna, Sudhir Nayak and Tapas Biswas.

Sonam Dubal, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Neeta Lulla, Pria Kataria Puri,

Narendra Kumar, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Wendell Rodricks, Anand

Kabra, Prriya and Chintan, Arshiya Fakih Eappen, Anupama Dayal,

Shyamal and Bhumika will also feature at LFW.

The biannual event will also preview some of the best-established and

upcoming names among models, choreographers, and hair and

make-up teams.

Vikram Raizada, IMG’s head of fashion, said: “The fashion week

proves a great platform for both established and upcoming talent. For

instance, IMG Models, IMG’s international model scouting agency, has

come calling for selecting the next international supermodel from

India.”

The indigenous and international brands associated with the LFW

autumn-winter extravaganza includes Gitanjali, Samsonite, Allen

Solly, AZA, Park Avenue, Chivas, Westside, Peroni, DHL, Taj

President and Tag Media Network.

By Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Hungama News Network

Months after the release of Om Shanti Om and Welcome, a film has

managed to take a stupendous opening at the box office. Race, the film

which Bollywood was looking forward to after a relative lean 2008

(that only had Jodhaa Akbar, has got audience back into the theaters.

The film has worked all over, whether A, B or C centers, and is

drawing all segments of audience with family crowds as well as

student community thronging the theaters. In addition, Race has turned

out to be one of those few films which has broken single screens v/s

multiplex audience and taken an exceptional opening all over.

No wonder, Saif Ali Khan is on cloud nine as he, along with Bipasha

Basu, has been appreciated most for his performance. With a solid

success under his belt, Saif is now turning out to be the most versatile

of the top lot after experimenting with Being Cyrus (dark), Omkara

(villain) and Ta Ra Rum Pum (candy floss).

Saif has firmly established a quartet of Khans now which was earlier

restricted to Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman. With Akshay Kumar and

Hrithik Roshan, we have six most saleable actors in Bollywood now

who can afford to have a film run completely on their shoulders even if

they have a solo hero release.

With great expectations from him, Saif Ali Khan’s four upcoming

films in 2008 are being looked at with great interest. Here are the

reasons why:

Tashan

Just one week into its promotion and Tashan is already creating

amazing buzz. And why not? After all it has super success written all

over with names like Aditya Chopra, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Saif

Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vishal and Shekhar involved. With the

film’s punch line - The ishtyle, the goodluck, the pharmoola -

managing to throw quite a punch, the film is said to have an unabashed

entertainment quotient with a holds-no-bar approach towards making

commercial cinema.

Kunal Kohli’s next

Absolutely nothing is known about this project, not even the title. Still,

one thing which is clear is that there are fantasy elements in this film,

courtesy Rani Mukherjee’s fairy act. Director Kunal Kohli and Saif Ali

Khan had given a new lease of life to each other when they came

together last in Hum Tum. This time around they also have Amisha

Patel for company. Arriving this summer, this film is set as a

mandatory candy floss entertainer from the house of Yash Raj Films.

Roadside Romeo

So what if the only thing we get to see (or rather hear) of Saif in

Roadside Romeo is his voice! He still has Kareena for company and as

a dog and bitch (in Saif’s own words), it is going to be quite some

pairing at work. Though one wonders if actor turned director Jugal

Hansraj would indeed be able to come up with an animation film

which would be able to match international standards, Yash Raj Films’

backing makes one confident of the project. Arriving this Diwali, the

film is being pitched as a festive family entertainer.

Imtiaz Ali’s next

Jab Imtiaz Met Saif and also roped in Deepika Padukone, magic to

hona hi hai! Yet untitled, this is one of the most exciting projects of

the year and already announced as a Christmas release. It is said to be

yet another ‘different’ yet entertaining piece of cinema from Imtiaz Ali

who has defied stereotype twice in Jab We Met and Socha Na Tha.

With Saif also producing the film and looking at pushing the envelope,

audiences won’t settle down for anything less than extraordinary.

Expect a grand finale to 2008 with the film’s release!

the shots. “All I can tell you is that the film is very different
from the novel.”