Why did you choose to be a part of this film? I didn’t choose the film, it’s the film ‘Kuchh Kariye’ that has chosen me. I was originally approached to do one song for them but the film’s director Mr Jagbir Dahiya saw me recording and thought that I suited the character very well.

Whenever I sing a song, I get into the spirit of it and the expressions show on my face. So he offered me this role.

Initially I refused, but when he insisted that I must read the script which was very interesting and meaningful I agreed. Tell us about your character in the film? I play Rishi.

He is a simple boy from small town but is a philosopher and highly principled too. He bothers too much about people and society.

It’s his journey with two more friends that creates the crux of this socially relevant film. It’s kind of an awakening.

Did you always want to be act? We are acting all the time in real life too! No, I never thought that I will an actor someday. I enjoy myself as a singer and musician.

But I was never averse to acting. And when it happened in natural course, I accepted the challenge, specially because the character is not of chocolate boy and has a lot of strength.

Are you also going to be singing for the film? Whose voice can suit me the best? Yes, I am singing all the songs that are picturised on me. But we also have a qawali that is sung by Hans Raj Hans ji.

Then Zubin Garg and Navraj Hans have also sung. In fact I have not even given the music for this film.

Music is by a new director Onkar and he has done an excellent job. I will never impose myself unnecessarily.

Any acting projects in the future? Does this affect your singing career? It’ll be too early for me to comment on that, but if I get any good offer for acting, that I feel comfortable doing, I am not going to refuse but I will not accept anything and everything. As for singing that is my passion and my first love.

I will never disassociate from singing or music in general. I am still singing for few films and also giving music for few.

Tell us about your co stars in the film? Shriya, girl opposite me, is quite spontaneous. Vikrum Kumar, Rufi Khan, Shriya and Khuahhish have played their characters well.

We all had fun while shooting. Any memorable moment while shooting for ‘Kuchh Kariye’? When we were shooting in Manali, weather was extremely cold.

If the hands are out of the gloves for 2 minutes, the fingers would start turning blue. During one shot, they wanted me and Shriya to go on a cliff that was very steep and narrow.

Both of us were all the time looking down and it was scary. In the end the shot went very well.

Since now you have ventured into acting, will singing take back seat? Singing is my first love and will remain so. I will never move away from music, it is my life line.

Acting is by chance and not by design. But when it happened, I enjoyed it and did it with full honesty.

Very few singers succeeded in acting career, comment. I have not done acting to see myself on screen.

‘Kuchh Kariye’ is a film that is dealing with issues close to my heart. It is not a fluff film where I have to run around the trees.

It’s an interesting story and honest effort by all of us. There is no comparison with anybody.

Your forthcoming films as a singer? Ravana with AR Rahman, Saat Khoon Maaf of Vishal Bharadwaj, Rajpal Yadav’s next, Raktcharita of Ram Gopal Varma..

. actually there are many but it’s difficult to remember all the names (less)

But the actress admits she's put down the microphone to help her nine-year-old daughter record and release her debut album. "I have always had a love for music, always, always, and always.

I probably started to pursue it a little late in life. But it was always a passion of mine.

I had always been too afraid to venture into music, but I decided when I was about 30 to just go for it. I started a metal band called Wicked Wisdom.

I toured and I loved it," Jada said. "But soon after, my kids' careers started taking off, so I sacrificed it.

I am pleased to say my daughter, Willow, will be putting out an album soon and I look forward to enjoying music through her creations. So I am excited about that, and she's pretty awesome," she added (less)

Dom is offered a chance to get his life back together by planting an idea instead of stealing one ??but an enemy he never expected is after him. Check out this smashing poster for Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The sci-fi action movie tells the story of Dom Cobb, a thief who steals secrets from within the subconscious during dream states, but pays dearly for his life of theft. Dom is offered a chance to get his life back together by planting an idea instead of stealing one ??but an enemy he never expected is after him.

Check out this smashing poster for Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The sci-fi action movie tells the story of Dom Cobb, a thief who steals secrets from within the subconscious during dream states, but pays dearly for his life of theft.

Dom is offered a chance to get his life back together by planting an idea instead of stealing one ??but an enemy he never expected is after him. Check out this smashing poster for Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The sci-fi action movie tells the story of Dom Cobb, a thief who steals secrets from within the subconscious during dream states, but pays dearly for his life of theft. Dom is offered a chance to get his life back together by planting an idea instead of stealing one ??but an enemy he never expected is after him.

Check out this smashing poster for Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The sci-fi action movie tells the story of Dom Cobb, a thief who steals secrets from within the subconscious during dream states, but pays dearly for his life of theft.

Dom is offered a chance to get his life back together by planting an idea instead of stealing one ??but an enemy he never expected is after him (less)

On one such occasion while working on the movie, Rahul impressed his music director Lalit, by playing the Harmonica. So impressed was Lalit that he made his entire team listen to Rahul’s melodious tune and gave Rahul an overwhelming applause.

The music of Na Ghar Ke Na Ghaat Ke releases today (less)

?We've done a lot of concerts recently, but this one will be the most memorable because we got visas last night and went from the airport to sound check now!? Kailash Kher told the crowd after singing the first song of the night. Although his Kailasa was the only main band of the evening, Kailash Kher did not disappoint the people.

Fans were seen dancing, clapping and singing along with Kailash the entire night. Kailash's third number was a Sufi song for which he also invited a beautiful girl on stage to dance.

?The songs are basically love songs with very deep meaning, ? he said and dedicated the songs to all the lovers or people who believe in love. He performed songs like 'Chandan mein', 'Babbam bum lehri', 'Teri diwani', 'Kaise bataun' etc but people went crazy when he sung his debut song 'Allah ke bande' and repeated this song at least four times.

''Sufi is also special, '' Kailash said, adding he mixed different dialects from India and combined them for his lyrics. The Twilight Dance Series began in 1983 with the success of 1983's Santa Monica Pier Save the Pier Week, a week-long festival in response to the devastating El Nino winter storms in which 450 feet of the Santa Monica Pier were demolished (less)

During my college, I was part of a rock band and was very passionate about it. I would also write jingles, sending them to agencies in Mumbai.

Then 14 years back, I got a chance to come to Mumbai and sing the jingles myself. That was my big break in the industry.

I never thought that I would end up staying here, but this city gives you the impetus, the urge to dream. I would often go to Nariman Point and look at the Queen's Necklace and the buildings around and I would return with a renewed energy to achieve my goals.

Mumbai let's you be the way you want to be; it gives you the option to choose what you want or don't want. I'm as popular as my last hit song.

I'm happy as long as my listeners like my music. But yes, positive feedback always makes you strive for more.

I'm a bit of an introvert and would do anything to protect my privacy. When I'm not working, I'm spending time with my family; it's not important for me to be in news.

I don't have a fascination with the word pal but surprisingly I've sung quite a few songs with the word in the lyrics (laughs). Actually, when it comes to singing, I never rush into a song.

I listen to my mind and heart. I don't take stress at all.

I only do things that my gut tells me to do. There's no clutter in my life; there's only a clean-cut path and a lot of calm.

One thing very few people know is that I love to talk. My wife and I chat from morning till evening.

Eventually, my 16-year-old son has to come and ask us to break our chatting session! Kishoreda's my favourite. Only he had the ability to get into the thread of each song and sing it as if it was written keeping him in mind.

His voice was just divine, there's no other word. Among the contemporary artists I like Uditiji, Sonu, Shaan and Mohit Chauhan's voice.

And let me tell you that many are under the false impression that melody has disappeared from our songs today, that's so not true. It's just that the music arrangement has changed otherwise good singers would be extinct.

WHAT: Talking about being a low profile singer I've been born and brought up in Delhi. During my college, I was part of a rock band and was very passionate about it.

I would also write jingles, sending them to agencies in Mumbai. Then 14 years back, I got a chance to come to Mumbai and sing the jingles myself.

That was my big break in the industry. I never thought that I would end up staying here, but this city gives you the impetus, the urge to dream.

I would often go to Nariman Point and look at the Queen's Necklace and the buildings around and I would return with a renewed energy to achieve my goals. Mumbai let's you be the way you want to be; it gives you the option to choose what you want or don't want.

Mumbai connect Though his career might be soaring with the success of his song 'Zindagi Do Pal Ki' from Kites, singer KK's feet are strongly planted on the ground. Here's the real man behind the mic: I've been born and brought up in Delhi.

During my college, I was part of a rock band and was very passionate about it. I would also write jingles, sending them to agencies in Mumbai.

Then 14 years back, I got a chance to come to Mumbai and sing the jingles myself. That was my big break in the industry.

I never thought that I would end up staying here, but this city gives you the impetus, the urge to dream. I would often go to Nariman Point and look at the Queen's Necklace and the buildings around and I would return with a renewed energy to achieve my goals.

Mumbai let's you be the way you want to be; it gives you the option to choose what you want or don't want. I'm as popular as my last hit song.

I'm happy as long as my listeners like my music. But yes, positive feedback always makes you strive for more.

I'm a bit of an introvert and would do anything to protect my privacy. When I'm not working, I'm spending time with my family; it's not important for me to be in news.

I don't have a fascination with the word pal but surprisingly I've sung quite a few songs with the word in the lyrics (laughs). Actually, when it comes to singing, I never rush into a song.

I listen to my mind and heart. I don't take stress at all.

I only do things that my gut tells me to do. There's no clutter in my life; there's only a clean-cut path and a lot of calm.

One thing very few people know is that I love to talk. My wife and I chat from morning till evening.

Eventually, my 16-year-old son has to come and ask us to break our chatting session! Kishoreda's my favourite. Only he had the ability to get into the thread of each song and sing it as if it was written keeping him in mind.

His voice was just divine, there's no other word. Among the contemporary artists I like Uditiji, Sonu, Shaan and Mohit Chauhan's voice.

And let me tell you that many are under the false impression that melody has disappeared from our songs today, that's so not true. It's just that the music arrangement has changed otherwise good singers would be extinct.

On the charts Though his career might be soaring with the success of his song 'Zindagi Do Pal Ki' from Kites, singer KK's feet are strongly planted on the ground. Here's the real man behind the mic: I've been born and brought up in Delhi.

During my college, I was part of a rock band and was very passionate about it. I would also write jingles, sending them to agencies in Mumbai.

Then 14 years back, I got a chance to come to Mumbai and sing the jingles myself. That was my big break in the industry.

I never thought that I would end up staying here, but this city gives you the impetus, the urge to dream. I would often go to Nariman Point and look at the Queen's Necklace and the buildings around and I would return with a renewed energy to achieve my goals.

Mumbai let's you be the way you want to be; it gives you the option to choose what you want or don't want. I'm as popular as my last hit song.

I'm happy as long as my listeners like my music. But yes, positive feedback always makes you strive for more.

I'm a bit of an introvert and would do anything to protect my privacy. When I'm not working, I'm spending time with my family; it's not important for me to be in news.

I don't have a fascination with the word pal but surprisingly I've sung quite a few songs with the word in the lyrics (laughs). Actually, when it comes to singing, I never rush into a song.

I listen to my mind and heart. I don't take stress at all.

I only do things that my gut tells me to do. There's no clutter in my life; there's only a clean-cut path and a lot of calm.

One thing very few people know is that I love to talk. My wife and I chat from morning till evening.

Eventually, my 16-year-old son has to come and ask us to break our chatting session! Kishoreda's my favourite. Only he had the ability to get into the thread of each song and sing it as if it was written keeping him in mind.

His voice was just divine, there's no other word. Among the contemporary artists I like Uditiji, Sonu, Shaan and Mohit Chauhan's voice.

And let me tell you that many are under the false impression that melody has disappeared from our songs today, that's so not true. It's just that the music arrangement has changed otherwise good singers would be extinct.

Pal perfect Though his career might be soaring with the success of his song 'Zindagi Do Pal Ki' from Kites, singer KK's feet are strongly planted on the ground. Here's the real man behind the mic: I've been born and brought up in Delhi.

During my college, I was part of a rock band and was very passionate about it. I would also write jingles, sending them to agencies in Mumbai.

Then 14 years back, I got a chance to come to Mumbai and sing the jingles myself. That was my big break in the industry.

I never thought that I would end up staying here, but this city gives you the impetus, the urge to dream. I would often go to Nariman Point and look at the Queen's Necklace and the buildings around and I would return with a renewed energy to achieve my goals.

Mumbai let's you be the way you want to be; it gives you the option to choose what you want or don't want. I'm as popular as my last hit song.

I'm happy as long as my listeners like my music. But yes, positive feedback always makes you strive for more.

I'm a bit of an introvert and would do anything to protect my privacy. When I'm not working, I'm spending time with my family; it's not important for me to be in news.

I don't have a fascination with the word pal but surprisingly I've sung quite a few songs with the word in the lyrics (laughs). Actually, when it comes to singing, I never rush into a song.

I listen to my mind and heart. I don't take stress at all.

I only do things that my gut tells me to do. There's no clutter in my life; there's only a clean-cut path and a lot of calm.

One thing very few people know is that I love to talk. My wife and I chat from morning till evening.

Eventually, my 16-year-old son has to come and ask us to break our chatting session! Kishoreda's my favourite. Only he had the ability to get into the thread of each song and sing it as if it was written keeping him in mind.

His voice was just divine, there's no other word. Among the contemporary artists I like Uditiji, Sonu, Shaan and Mohit Chauhan's voice.

And let me tell you that many are under the false impression that melody has disappeared from our songs today, that's so not true. It's just that the music arrangement has changed otherwise good singers would be extinct (less)

Shruti is also the first musician from the country who is singing and writing the lyrics of a rock track alongside Dave, who is composing it. The song will be aired globally and Shruti is expected to fly to the US to work on the project.

"When the opportunity to work with US supergroup guru David Kushner came to me, I was really excited. I really loved Dave's song and felt a connect between it and my music, thereby making it a meaningful collaboration for me.

As a singer, songwriter and musician and a rock-n-roll loyalist, this is a dream come true," Shruti reveals. She adds, " Dave is an icon and it's an unbelievable opportunity for any musician.

I'm also so thrilled to be able to express myself as an artist on a global platform of this caliber. To be the first Indian to get an opportunity like this to not just sing but also write the English lyrics for this track, is truly an honour.

" Velvet Revolver , the American rock-n-roll group, consists of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum . Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland was the lead singer and Dave was part of the former punk band Wasted Youth before joining Velvet (less)

released an album of Shabads (Verses from the Guru Granth Sahib), sung by Dr. Ashok Chopra and composed by Surjeet Singh Parmar, at an event supported by the Sun Foundation.

The CD contains 8 shabads, based on Indian classical music (ragas), derives its title from the opening track, 'Mittar pyare noon, 'Haal Muriddan da kehna', a 'khayal' (thought) of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, which he composed in the Macheevada jungle (near Ludhiana), after the martyrdom of his whole family. 'We spent a lot of time getting the soul of this sad 'khayal' just right, and by the time we got the true feel of it, it was 4 am.

That is when we recorded it,' says Dr. Chopra.

A Punjabi Hindu, Dr. Chopra is a very devout person in the true secular sense of the term.

He has already made a name as a singer of naatiya kalaam (Muslim religious verse) and bhajans (Hindu devotional singing), holding concerts across the country. "I am happy that with the blessings of everybody, I have been able to launch this album," divulges Ashok Chopra.

Dr. Ashok Chopra, MBBS, MS, now 60, was a brilliant student, as well as a gifted singer.

He was, and remains, a die-hard fan of Mohammed Rafi and Madan Mohan. For eleven continuous years, he conducted the school prayers, led the school choir and was always the winner of his school singing competitions.

On completing his medical studies, he joined the army in 1974, retired in 1997, and settled in Bareilly, where he was last posted, till 2001. He now lives and practices Laser Lipolisi Surgery in Mumbai.

Surjeet Singh Parmar was so taken-up by Dr. Ashok Chopra's rendition of Gurbani at that Gurdwara in suburban Mumbai that he decided to work on an album with the doctor.

Eight tracks were carefully chosen, with classical base and minimal use of instruments, to retain the richness of the religious thoughts. Parmar is a trained musician, lyric writer and singer, who has studied formal music for four years in Chandigarh and has been in the music industry for 20 years now.

His idols are A.R.

Rahman and Mohammed Rafi. 'Working with Dr.

Chopra has been so satisfying that we are already planning our second album together,' adds Parmar. The same event also launched the 'Save the Girl Child' Campaign initiated by Priyanka Chopra, Dr.

Ashok Chopra and Vikramjit S. Sahney (Head of Sun Foundation), a well known entrepreneur, educationist and social worker.

He is particularly committed to bring about a positive change in the mindset of Indian society, with respect to the Girl Child. The Foundation has made a two-minute documentary on the subject, as well as a public interest message, delivered by Priyanka Chopra, in English and Hindi.

Tags: Login or register (less)

The show had me on the sitar along with two artists on the tabla. A lot of classical music lovers were present and I played some ragas like Bhatiyar, Lalit, forms of Bhairav, Todi and Asavari.

Now I am really looking forward to the programme with Mallika, as it will feature both Mallika and her son Revantha. They will perform a unique duet and I will play for them.

Many ask me why I choose to play both the sitar and the tabla. Well, my upbringing was such.

My father, Padmabhushan Nikhil Ghosh, was a great tabla player, while my granddad Akshay Kumar Ghosh was a sitarist. As a child, I learned both the instruments.

I feel that the two complement each other. The melody of the sitar brings musicality to my tabla and the complex rhythmic structure of the tabla brings dynamism to my sitar.

I remember playing with Ustad Vilayat Khan just before he passed away. He had finished his recital and rose up to a standing ovation.

He took the microphone and said that my accompaniment on the tabla reminded him of my father. That really made my day! Our government and corporate world should step in with constructive steps to protect classical music.

They should subsidise and organise a far greater number of music festivals across India. The government must compel every TV channel to telecast performances and hold discussions on classical music at prime time slot, at least once a week.

Last but not the least, music should be made an integral part of school curriculum, right from nursery level. Juggling the two The Sunday concert was special because I performed at 6.

30am. The show had me on the sitar along with two artists on the tabla.

A lot of classical music lovers were present and I played some ragas like Bhatiyar, Lalit, forms of Bhairav, Todi and Asavari. Now I am really looking forward to the programme with Mallika, as it will feature both Mallika and her son Revantha.

They will perform a unique duet and I will play for them. Rooting for classical music Maestro Nayan Ghosh, who just performed at the Morning Raga Concert last Sunday and is looking forward to a show with Mallika Sarabhai on March 26 at NCPA, talks to CS about his music: The Sunday concert was special because I performed at 6.

30am. The show had me on the sitar along with two artists on the tabla.

A lot of classical music lovers were present and I played some ragas like Bhatiyar, Lalit, forms of Bhairav, Todi and Asavari. Now I am really looking forward to the programme with Mallika, as it will feature both Mallika and her son Revantha.

They will perform a unique duet and I will play for them. Many ask me why I choose to play both the sitar and the tabla.

Well, my upbringing was such. My father, Padmabhushan Nikhil Ghosh, was a great tabla player, while my granddad Akshay Kumar Ghosh was a sitarist.

As a child, I learned both the instruments. I feel that the two complement each other.

The melody of the sitar brings musicality to my tabla and the complex rhythmic structure of the tabla brings dynamism to my sitar. I remember playing with Ustad Vilayat Khan just before he passed away.

He had finished his recital and rose up to a standing ovation. He took the microphone and said that my accompaniment on the tabla reminded him of my father.

That really made my day! Our government and corporate world should step in with constructive steps to protect classical music. They should subsidise and organise a far greater number of music festivals across India.

The government must compel every TV channel to telecast performances and hold discussions on classical music at prime time slot, at least once a week. Last but not the least, music should be made an integral part of school curriculum, right from nursery level.

Many ask me why I choose to play both the sitar and the tabla. Well, my upbringing was such.

My father, Padmabhushan Nikhil Ghosh, was a great tabla player, while my granddad Akshay Kumar Ghosh was a sitarist. As a child, I learned both the instruments.

I feel that the two complement each other. The melody of the sitar brings musicality to my tabla and the complex rhythmic structure of the tabla brings dynamism to my sitar.

I remember playing with Ustad Vilayat Khan just before he passed away. He had finished his recital and rose up to a standing ovation.

He took the microphone and said that my accompaniment on the tabla reminded him of my father. That really made my day! (less)

But present compositions don't have anything special. I hope that this phase will be over soon.

" A Padma Shri awardee, Udhas hit the jackpot with "Chitthi aayee hai" in the movie "Naam" in 1986. He also sang hit non-film ghazals like "Aap jinke kareeb hote hain", "Aur aahista kijiye baatein", "Chandi jaisa rang hai tera", "Deewaron se milkar", "Dekh ke tumko kya hota hai" and "Ghungroo toot gaye".

Udhas, 58, fears that movies will soon become songless. "Cinema is the biggest source of music, but I have a strong feeling that in the next two-three years no music will be left in our movies.

Then we will have to depend upon individual performers. "There is no dearth of talents in India and they have got a great platform in the form of talent hunt reality shows.

The participants of these shows are not only famous in India but also in countries like the US and UK. They have entered the bedrooms of people living there," he said.

But the singer also feels that music reality shows have their drawbacks. "The sad part is that once the show ends, these participants have nowhere to go.

There is no surety of their future and they just end up doing live concerts and that too for a year or two. "We do not need films to nourish new singers because one can easily make his or her mark without them.

We made a space for ourselves not through films but with our talent. So nobody can stop true talent," he said.

Udhas, who has two daughters, says he doesn't force his children to sing. "I have two daughters and they are free to choose any career.

I have never forced my daughters to adopt singing. My elder daughter Nayab is doing select work for TV channels, while younger daughter Rewa is more interested in painting than singing.

" The ghazal maestro, who lost his father to cancer, is also organising a show titled "Khazana - a festival of Ghazals and Mushaira" to raise funds for cancer and thalassemia patients. About his preference in music, Udhas said: "I grew up hearing Begum Akhtar and she had a great influence on my singing.

I also admire Mehdi Hassan. Ghazals will always be my first preference.

If I get a chance, I would like to sing in the Punjabi language." Udhas was here Saturday to perform at a live concert.

"I have many friends living in this state and I love to come here," he said. Pankaj Udhas, one of India's most popular ghazal singers, feels the music industry is going through one of its worst phases as it lacks quality content and is all about marketing and packaging.

"Today, a new genre of music has emerged, which is beyond any definition. It is just about packaging and marketing and unfortunately there is no content in it," Mumbai-based Udhas, who was here for a concert, said in an interview.

"They are doing a huge compromise in terms of creativity and it is adversely affecting our ghazals, folk and devotional music. "The music of our movies has also undergone a drastic change.

The music of the 60s, 70s and even 80s was good and we still remember them. But present compositions don't have anything special.

I hope that this phase will be over soon." A Padma Shri awardee, Udhas hit the jackpot with "Chitthi aayee hai" in the movie "Naam" in 1986.

He also sang hit non-film ghazals like "Aap jinke kareeb hote hain", "Aur aahista kijiye baatein", "Chandi jaisa rang hai tera", "Deewaron se milkar", "Dekh ke tumko kya hota hai" and "Ghungroo toot gaye". Udhas, 58, fears that movies will soon become songless.

"Cinema is the biggest source of music, but I have a strong feeling that in the next two-three years no music will be left in our movies. Then we will have to depend upon individual performers.

"There is no dearth of talents in India and they have got a great platform in the form of talent hunt reality shows. The participants of these shows are not only famous in India but also in countries like the US and UK.

They have entered the bedrooms of people living there," he said. But the singer also feels that music reality shows have their drawbacks.

"The sad part is that once the show ends, these participants have nowhere to go. There is no surety of their future and they just end up doing live concerts and that too for a year or two.

"We do not need films to nourish new singers because one can easily make his or her mark without them. We made a space for ourselves not through films but with our talent.

So nobody can stop true talent," he said. Udhas, who has two daughters, says he doesn't force his children to sing.

"I have two daughters and they are free to choose any career. I have never forced my daughters to adopt singing.

My elder daughter Nayab is doing select work for TV channels, while younger daughter Rewa is more interested in painting than singing." The ghazal maestro, who lost his father to cancer, is also organising a show titled "Khazana - a festival of Ghazals and Mushaira" to raise funds for cancer and thalassemia patients.

About his preference in music, Udhas said: "I grew up hearing Begum Akhtar and she had a great influence on my singing. I also admire Mehdi Hassan.

Ghazals will always be my first preference. If I get a chance, I would like to sing in the Punjabi language.

" Udhas was here Saturday to perform at a live concert. "I have many friends living in this state and I love to come here," he said.

Pankaj Udhas, one of India's most popular ghazal singers, feels the music industry is going through one of its worst phases as it lacks quality content and is all about marketing and packaging. "Today, a new genre of music has emerged, which is beyond any definition.

It is just about packaging and marketing and unfortunately there is no content in it," Mumbai-based Udhas, who was here for a concert, said in an interview. "They are doing a huge compromise in terms of creativity and it is adversely affecting our ghazals, folk and devotional music.

"The music of our movies has also undergone a drastic change. The music of the 60s, 70s and even 80s was good and we still remember them.

But present compositions don't have anything special. I hope that this phase will be over soon.

" A Padma Shri awardee, Udhas hit the jackpot with "Chitthi aayee hai" in the movie "Naam" in 1986. He also sang hit non-film ghazals like "Aap jinke kareeb hote hain", "Aur aahista kijiye baatein", "Chandi jaisa rang hai tera", "Deewaron se milkar", "Dekh ke tumko kya hota hai" and "Ghungroo toot gaye".

Udhas, 58, fears that movies will soon become songless. "Cinema is the biggest source of music, but I have a strong feeling that in the next two-three years no music will be left in our movies.

Then we will have to depend upon individual performers. "There is no dearth of talents in India and they have got a great platform in the form of talent hunt reality shows.

The participants of these shows are not only famous in India but also in countries like the US and UK. They have entered the bedrooms of people living there," he said.

But the singer also feels that music reality shows have their drawbacks. "The sad part is that once the show ends, these participants have nowhere to go.

There is no surety of their future and they just end up doing live concerts and that too for a year or two. "We do not need films to nourish new singers because one can easily make his or her mark without them.

We made a space for ourselves not through films but with our talent. So nobody can stop true talent," he said.

Udhas, who has two daughters, says he doesn't force his children to sing. "I have two daughters and they are free to choose any career.

I have never forced my daughters to adopt singing. My elder daughter Nayab is doing select work for TV channels, while younger daughter Rewa is more interested in painting than singing.

" The ghazal maestro, who lost his father to cancer, is also organising a show titled "Khazana - a festival of Ghazals and Mushaira" to raise funds for cancer and thalassemia patients. About his preference in music, Udhas said: "I grew up hearing Begum Akhtar and she had a great influence on my singing.

I also admire Mehdi Hassan. Ghazals will always be my first preference.

If I get a chance, I would like to sing in the Punjabi language." Udhas was here Saturday to perform at a live concert.

"I have many friends living in this state and I love to come here," he said. Pankaj Udhas, one of India's most popular ghazal singers, feels the music industry is going through one of its worst phases as it lacks quality content and is all about marketing and packaging.

"Today, a new genre of music has emerged, which is beyond any definition. It is just about packaging and marketing and unfortunately there is no content in it," Mumbai-based Udhas, who was here for a concert, said in an interview.

"They are doing a huge compromise in terms of creativity and it is adversely affecting our ghazals, folk and devotional music. "The music of our movies has also undergone a drastic change.

The music of the 60s, 70s and even 80s was good and we still remember them. But present compositions don't have anything special.

I hope that this phase will be over soon." A Padma Shri awardee, Udhas hit the jackpot with "Chitthi aayee hai" in the movie "Naam" in 1986.

He also sang hit non-film ghazals like "Aap jinke kareeb hote hain", "Aur aahista kijiye baatein", "Chandi jaisa rang hai tera", "Deewaron se milkar", "Dekh ke tumko kya hota hai" and "Ghungroo toot gaye". Udhas, 58, fears that movies will soon become songless.

"Cinema is the biggest source of music, but I have a strong feeling that in the next two-three years no music will be left in our movies. Then we will have to depend upon individual performers.

"There is no dearth of talents in India and they have got a great platform in the form of talent hunt reality shows. The participants of these shows are not only famous in India but also in countries like the US and UK.

They have entered the bedrooms of people living there," he said. But the singer also feels that music reality shows have their drawbacks.

"The sad part is that once the show ends, these participants have nowhere to go. There is no surety of their future and they just end up doing live concerts and that too for a year or two.

"We do not need films to nourish new singers because one can easily make his or her mark without them. We made a space for ourselves not through films but with our talent.

So nobody can stop true talent," he said. Udhas, who has two daughters, says he doesn't force his children to sing.

"I have two daughters and they are free to choose any career. I have never forced my daughters to adopt singing.

My elder daughter Nayab is doing select work for TV channels, while younger daughter Rewa is more interested in painting than singing." The ghazal maestro, who lost his father to cancer, is also organising a show titled "Khazana - a festival of Ghazals and Mushaira" to raise funds for cancer and thalassemia patients.

About his preference in music, Udhas said: "I grew up hearing Begum Akhtar and she had a great influence on my singing. I also admire Mehdi Hassan.

Ghazals will always be my first preference. If I get a chance, I would like to sing in the Punjabi language.

" Udhas was here Saturday to perform at a live concert. "I have many friends living in this state and I love to come here," he said.

Pankaj Udhas, one of India's most popular ghazal singers, feels the music industry is going through one of its worst phases as it lacks quality content and is all about marketing and packaging. "Today, a new genre of music has emerged, which is beyond any definition.

It is just about packaging and marketing and unfortunately there is no content in it," Mumbai-based Udhas, who was here for a concert, said in an interview. "They are doing a huge compromise in terms of creativity and it is adversely affecting our ghazals, folk and devotional music.

"The music of our movies has also undergone a drastic change. The music of the 60s, 70s and even 80s was good and we still remember them.

But present compositions don't have anything special. I hope that this phase will be over soon.

" A Padma Shri awardee, Udhas hit the jackpot with "Chitthi aayee hai" in the movie "Naam" in 1986. He also sang hit non-film ghazals like "Aap jinke kareeb hote hain", "Aur aahista kijiye baatein", "Chandi jaisa rang hai tera", "Deewaron se milkar", "Dekh ke tumko kya hota hai" and "Ghungroo toot gaye".

Udhas, 58, fears that movies will soon become songless. "Cinema is the biggest source of music, but I have a strong feeling that in the next two-three years no music will be left in our movies.

Then we will have to depend upon individual performers. "There is no dearth of talents in India and they have got a great platform in the form of talent hunt reality shows.

The participants of these shows are not only famous in India but also in countries like the US and UK. They have entered the bedrooms of people living there," he said.

But the singer also feels that music reality shows have their drawbacks. "The sad part is that once the show ends, these participants have nowhere to go.

There is no surety of their future and they just end up doing live concerts and that too for a year or two. "We do not need films to nourish new singers because one can easily make his or her mark without them.

We made a space for ourselves not through films but with our talent. So nobody can stop true talent," he said.

Udhas, who has two daughters, says he doesn't force his children to sing. "I have two daughters and they are free to choose any career.

I have never forced my daughters to adopt singing. My elder daughter Nayab is doing select work for TV channels, while younger daughter Rewa is more interested in painting than singing.

" The ghazal maestro, who lost his father to cancer, is also organising a show titled "Khazana - a festival of Ghazals and Mushaira" to raise funds for cancer and thalassemia patients. About his preference in music, Udhas said: "I grew up hearing Begum Akhtar and she had a great influence on my singing.

I also admire Mehdi Hassan. Ghazals will always be my first preference.

If I get a chance, I would like to sing in the Punjabi language." Udhas was here Saturday to perform at a live concert.

"I have many friends living in this state and I love to come here," he said (less)

The 30-year-old singer said that he is eager to hit the studio with his new duo, troubled singer Winehouse, who will be back to the music scene after four years and R&B superstar Beyonce, but admited the collaborations will work if both singers sing on the same wavelength. Legend said that Winehouse is among those few people with whom he will love to write songs for or with.

"Usually I'm a fan of their work on some level and I think we could make something great together, and it's usually just a phone call away and a little bit of scheduling and we usually make it happen," Legend said. "As long as everyone comes into it with the right attitude, you know, a little bit of humility and a bit of that collaborative spirit, then you usually make something good out of it," he added (less)

As it turns out, the actor can also learn to play other instruments in a very short time. On his Moroccan schedule for his home production Agent Vinod , he learnt to play the guembri very quickly -- and soon had local musicians dancing to his tunes! Says Saif's production partner Dinesh Vijan, "We were shooting on the top of Mount Atlas in Marrakech.

At the time, Saif and I were having lunch in a local cafe by the river when a local musician approached us and began playing a tune. After hearing it through, Saif appeared intrigued by the instrument called a guembri.

He's a guitarist and quickly learnt the tune on the instrument. Much to everyone's amusement, when Saif started playing, the musician started dancing to his tune.

" Dinesh adds that the chote nawab awarded the musician with a handsome tip (in Moroccan dirhams). "Saif took the instrument, tuned a few strings and learnt the whole tune in five minutes.

It was obvious that he knows his music well. Initially, it went off-key but the musician showed him a few tricks and soon Saif was playing like a pro.

The man was very happy. It has been over a month that we have been shooting in Morocco and Saif is missing his music.

He's also not carrying his guitar with him. Saif knows how to play the sitar too.

" The Agent Vinod unit has now shifted to Rigga in Latvia. Saif says, "The guembri is basically like the sitar but has no frets.

Frets are the separating parts on the neck of a guitar that indicate different notes." (less)

“After The Extramentals disbanded because one of the founding members left, I didn’t really get around forming another band for some reason or the other,” says the pretty rockstar, “Sure, I continued to perform, but it was always a collaborative effort; it was never with my own band.” So, what prompted her to finally get the cogs of her ‘band’wagon into motion? “I have been working hard on a lot of material over the last couple of months, my own songs and compositions.

And I realised that I would need a proper band if the material was to come to fruition the way I wanted it to. And hey, what’s a good singer without a good band?” The band itself will feature musicians from the city, like Alok (keyboards), Naveen (bass), Vasanth (drums) and Bruce (guitar), all Chennai-based musicians, because as Shruti confesses, “Somehow, I find that as far as making music goes, my loyalties lie with Chennai musicians.

This is an extremely exciting venture for me — both as singer and songwriter. We will play alternative rock music, with a lot of jazz and pop influences thrown in.

It’ll be easy-listening, happy music.” The band, which goes by the name Shruti at present, is all set to perform on a regular basis from now on (in fact, shows have already been lined up in Hyderabad and Calcutta) using predominantly their own compositions as Shruti firmly believes in promoting original material.

Meanwhile, the stunner might have achieved a lot in so little time but she still relishes the smaller moments and achievements in life. What’s her latest achievement? “It’s silly to talk about it, but I learned to ride a scooter recently,” she smiles, “I was apprehensive at first but once I got on the bike, it was pretty easy.

” But with her edgy biker-babe persona, does she see herself riding meaner machines sometime in the future? “While I am not really a speed-freak, I absolutely love motorbikes,” admits the actress, whose movie with Suriya is scheduled to begin in June, “I have ridden a bike once before and, who knows, may be one day I might just mount a chopper!” Check out Shruti Hassan’s homepage (less)

Apparently, the manager of the project was looking for an Indian artiste and since Kher had just completed a successful international tour with his band Kailasa, he was chosen for the project. Kher is now in Los Angeles recording the songs.

One of his songs is a solo, while he will be collaborating with internationally renowned artistes for the other two songs. Kher will sing a duet with Algerian singer Cheb Khaled (of Didi, Aicha fame) and a third song with Khaled, Nigerian singer King Sunny Ade and European rock band Flying Machine.

Kher has composed and written the solo, while all the artistes have contributed to the music and lyrics of the other songs. The tracks will be released in April, while the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on 11 June.

Kailasa singer Kailash Kher has been signed to sing three songs for an album to be associated with the FIFA World Cup 2010. Mobile service providers T-Mobile and Fender Guitars, who are the official sponsors for the sporting event, will be coming out with the album.

Apparently, the manager of the project was looking for an Indian artiste and since Kher had just completed a successful international tour with his band Kailasa, he was chosen for the project. Kher is now in Los Angeles recording the songs.

One of his songs is a solo, while he will be collaborating with internationally renowned artistes for the other two songs. Kher will sing a duet with Algerian singer Cheb Khaled (of Didi, Aicha fame) and a third song with Khaled, Nigerian singer King Sunny Ade and European rock band Flying Machine.

Kher has composed and written the solo, while all the artistes have contributed to the music and lyrics of the other songs. The tracks will be released in April, while the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on 11 June.

Kailasa singer Kailash Kher has been signed to sing three songs for an album to be associated with the FIFA World Cup 2010. Mobile service providers T-Mobile and Fender Guitars, who are the official sponsors for the sporting event, will be coming out with the album.

Apparently, the manager of the project was looking for an Indian artiste and since Kher had just completed a successful international tour with his band Kailasa, he was chosen for the project. Kher is now in Los Angeles recording the songs.

One of his songs is a solo, while he will be collaborating with internationally renowned artistes for the other two songs. Kher will sing a duet with Algerian singer Cheb Khaled (of Didi, Aicha fame) and a third song with Khaled, Nigerian singer King Sunny Ade and European rock band Flying Machine.

Kher has composed and written the solo, while all the artistes have contributed to the music and lyrics of the other songs. The tracks will be released in April, while the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on 11 June.

Kailasa singer Kailash Kher has been signed to sing three songs for an album to be associated with the FIFA World Cup 2010. Mobile service providers T-Mobile and Fender Guitars, who are the official sponsors for the sporting event, will be coming out with the album.

Apparently, the manager of the project was looking for an Indian artiste and since Kher had just completed a successful international tour with his band Kailasa, he was chosen for the project. Kher is now in Los Angeles recording the songs.

One of his songs is a solo, while he will be collaborating with internationally renowned artistes for the other two songs. Kher will sing a duet with Algerian singer Cheb Khaled (of Didi, Aicha fame) and a third song with Khaled, Nigerian singer King Sunny Ade and European rock band Flying Machine.

Kher has composed and written the solo, while all the artistes have contributed to the music and lyrics of the other songs. The tracks will be released in April, while the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on 11 June.

Kailasa singer Kailash Kher has been signed to sing three songs for an album to be associated with the FIFA World Cup 2010. Mobile service providers T-Mobile and Fender Guitars, who are the official sponsors for the sporting event, will be coming out with the album.

Apparently, the manager of the project was looking for an Indian artiste and since Kher had just completed a successful international tour with his band Kailasa, he was chosen for the project. Kher is now in Los Angeles recording the songs.

One of his songs is a solo, while he will be collaborating with internationally renowned artistes for the other two songs. Kher will sing a duet with Algerian singer Cheb Khaled (of Didi, Aicha fame) and a third song with Khaled, Nigerian singer King Sunny Ade and European rock band Flying Machine.

Kher has composed and written the solo, while all the artistes have contributed to the music and lyrics of the other songs. The tracks will be released in April, while the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on 11 June (less)

co.uk.

"It would be a lot of fun. It's been talked about a lot over the years but it would be awesome to play Danny," he said.

Asked who he would like to play Danny's love interest Sandy, formerly played by Olivia Newton John, Bieber said: "I would go for Miley Cyrus without hesitation. She can sing, dance and act.

" He also admits he would love to get Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle on board to play a role in the film. "I'd want some great people to star in it.

Wouldn't Susan Boyle make an amazing Principal McGee? We'd just need to write it into the script that she broke into song," he said. "I am obsessed with Susan.

When I look at her original audition it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up," he added. Although currently known only for his singing talents, Bieber will soon portray himself in an upcoming biopic about his life due for release in February 2011 (less)

By the end of our interview, we're very impressed with his humour but more so with his humility. The actor has played some of modern Bollywood's most memorable roles ' think Dr.

Asthana in 'Munnabhai MBBS', Lucky Singh in 'Lage Raho Munnbhai' and, of course, Viru Sahastrabuddhe (Virus) in '3 Idiots'. It's a very impressive list (just like the number of awards he's won!), but what really floors us is when he says, 'I never take myself seriously as an actor.

I've just always been encouraged by the people around me.' That's kind of what led to his special show, 'An Evening With Boman Irani', that we'll get to see in Dubai on July 9.

'I'd be telling jokes and singing for friends and they'd say ' You should do this on stage'. And that's what he's doing, starting off his world tour in Dubai, the city with which he feels a very special connection.

We wanted to find out a lot more from Boman Irani, ahead of his show in the UAE, and here's what we asked him. When we ask Boman Irani to tell us things most people don't know about him, he reveals, 'I'm not funny 24/7!' Then he proceeds to tell us a hilarious story about how people expect him to be funny 24/7.

By the end of our interview, we're very impressed with his humour but more so with his humility. The actor has played some of modern Bollywood's most memorable roles ' think Dr.

Asthana in 'Munnabhai MBBS', Lucky Singh in 'Lage Raho Munnbhai' and, of course, Viru Sahastrabuddhe (Virus) in '3 Idiots'. It's a very impressive list (just like the number of awards he's won!), but what really floors us is when he says, 'I never take myself seriously as an actor.

I've just always been encouraged by the people around me.' That's kind of what led to his special show, 'An Evening With Boman Irani', that we'll get to see in Dubai on July 9.

'I'd be telling jokes and singing for friends and they'd say ' You should do this on stage'. And that's what he's doing, starting off his world tour in Dubai, the city with which he feels a very special connection.

We wanted to find out a lot more from Boman Irani, ahead of his show in the UAE, and here's what we asked him. Of all the roles you've played so far, what's been the most fun for you? (Thinks for a while) It would be 'Well Done Abba'.

It was a film that started on just the right note. We had a 32-day schedule away from Mumbai for it and when you're shooting at a stretch there's a different connection with the character.

Generally, I don't like being away from home and shooting. But this was a breeze.

I had thought Mr. Shyam Benegal (the director) would be quite serious and the sets would have a similar atmosphere, but we had so much fun.

I've had fun shooting for most of my movies. 'Housefull' was a blast.

And I recently shot for 'Game' in Greece, that was a hysterically funny set. Abhishek was there, and Aishwarya joined him.

Then there was the very talented Shahana Goswami, and Jimmy Shergil who's the funniest guy. He's a sweet rascal really! Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher were there too.

There was nobody on the island except for our unit so we had a really great time. What role has been the most challenging for you? Playing Virus in '3 Idiots'.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed myself on the sets with Aamir and Raju Hirani and the entire team. They're all lots of fun.

It's just that the character I was playing was so grim and dark. That made shooting hard for me.

I enjoyed it a lot more later when I watched the movie. Do you see yourself directing a movie in the future? Now if I answer that you'll have a lot more questions for me, like what kind of story it will be and who I'd want to star in the movie, and why I'd want them in the movie.

(Laughs) So I'll just say that I do see myself directing in the future but I haven't thought about all the details. You're a professional photographer.

Do you still get time to pursue that? I don't find time these days but I do carry my camera whenever I'm out shooting. I got some nice work done on the sets of 'Housefull'.

But on certain shoots you're just too busy. I do miss having more time for photography but I'm also glad to have found other expressions through acting, and singing as well.

We're going to hear you sing on stage in Dubai. Tell us how you rate yourself as a singer.

I never take myself seriously, be it as an actor or as a singer. It's the people around me who have been so encouraging.

That's what led to my becoming an actor, a singer. That's what led to this show.

When I told jokes at a party, a friend said why don't you do this in front of the public? When I thought of singing 'Give me some sunshine' from '3 Idiots' at IIFA, music director Raju Singh encouraged me so much. Shankar Mahadevan has also supported me a lot.

These people have not only encouraged me, they've shared the stage with me. And that's an incredible thing to do for someone.

When you've got a day off work, what are you likely to be doing? I'm the laziest man on the planet! I can be so energetic when it comes to work but on a day off I just don't do anything. I become quite a nuisance at home at times! I'll just sit around watching movies, reading books, playing games (Boman's a PS3 fan).

What's your favourite thing about Dubai? The moment I land in Dubai, I stop worrying. I don't know why but there's such sukoon (peace).

I love going to London but I worry when I'm there. In Dubai, there's just so much peace.

I like that it's a multicultural city, and that it's so clean. And the people are extremely warm and friendly.

I get so much affection here. Speaking of fan interactions, what's the craziest thing someone has done for you? Once at IIFA in Amsterdam, a fan jumped on me and piggybacked on me! It was just an affectionate thing she did because she couldn't reach me.

That was shown on the news channels, of course. And, later, one young fellow in Dubai did the same thing! After he'd jumped on me and piggybacked on me, he said, 'I'm just repeating what happened to you earlier!' What do we expect from your show here? And what's the reason for starting your world tour from Dubai? I'll be talking about my life in a light-hearted manner in the show.

I'll be sharing my stories and experiences with the audience, lots of anecdotes that they can identify with. There'll be music too, and I'll play the guitar! We're starting in Dubai because my son has started an event management company and is organising this event.

He plans to settle in Dubai. RAPID-FIRE WITH BOMAN IRANI Three things most people don't know about you 1.

I get very agitated when people don't follow road rules while driving. It's one of those things that really gets my goat, and even contributes to my ill-health.

2. I'm not funny 24/7.

I'm not chirpy through the day. I am human.

People often expect me to be funny all the time. You know once I'd gone into a radio station for an interview wearing a suit.

The RJ took one look at me and said, ' Aap toh serious hain '. And I hadn't even said anything, I was just there wearing a suit! I was thinking ' did you expect me to do cartwheels as I came in?3.

I love sentimental movies Three all-time fave Hindi movies The old GolmaalSholay Munnabhai MBBS Who're the funniest people in B'wood? Ranbir KapoorAnupam KherKaran Johar Who's Bollywood's hottest woman? I'm too old to answer that! Who's Bollywood's hottest man? I'm too much of a man to answer that! for more information on Boman Irani's show in Dubai. Of all the roles you've played so far, what's been the most fun for you? (Thinks for a while) It would be 'Well Done Abba'.

It was a film that started on just the right note. We had a 32-day schedule away from Mumbai for it and when you're shooting at a stretch there's a different connection with the character.

Generally, I don't like being away from home and shooting. But this was a breeze.

I had thought Mr. Shyam Benegal (the director) would be quite serious and the sets would have a similar atmosphere, but we had so much fun.

I've had fun shooting for most of my movies. 'Housefull' was a blast.

And I recently shot for 'Game' in Greece, that was a hysterically funny set. Abhishek was there, and Aishwarya joined him.

Then there was the very talented Shahana Goswami, and Jimmy Shergil who's the funniest guy. He's a sweet rascal really! Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher were there too.

There was nobody on the island except for our unit so we had a really great time. When we ask Boman Irani to tell us things most people don't know about him, he reveals, 'I'm not funny 24/7!' Then he proceeds to tell us a hilarious story about how people expect him to be funny 24/7.

By the end of our interview, we're very impressed with his humour but more so with his humility. The actor has played some of modern Bollywood's most memorable roles ' think Dr.

Asthana in 'Munnabhai MBBS', Lucky Singh in 'Lage Raho Munnbhai' and, of course, Viru Sahastrabuddhe (Virus) in '3 Idiots'. It's a very impressive list (just like the number of awards he's won!), but what really floors us is when he says, 'I never take myself seriously as an actor.

I've just always been encouraged by the people around me.' That's kind of what led to his special show, 'An Evening With Boman Irani', that we'll get to see in Dubai on July 9.

'I'd be telling jokes and singing for friends and they'd say ' You should do this on stage'. And that's what he's doing, starting off his world tour in Dubai, the city with which he feels a very special connection.

We wanted to find out a lot more from Boman Irani, ahead of his show in the UAE, and here's what we asked him. Of all the roles you've played so far, what's been the most fun for you? (Thinks for a while) It would be 'Well Done Abba'.

It was a film that started on just the right note. We had a 32-day schedule away from Mumbai for it and when you're shooting at a stretch there's a different connection with the character.

Generally, I don't like being away from home and shooting. But this was a breeze.

I had thought Mr. Shyam Benegal (the director) would be quite serious and the sets would have a similar atmosphere, but we had so much fun.

I've had fun shooting for most of my movies. 'Housefull' was a blast.

And I recently shot for 'Game' in Greece, that was a hysterically funny set. Abhishek was there, and Aishwarya joined him.

Then there was the very talented Shahana Goswami, and Jimmy Shergil who's the funniest guy. He's a sweet rascal really! Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher were there too.

There was nobody on the island except for our unit so we had a really great time. What role has been the most challenging for you? Playing Virus in '3 Idiots'.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed myself on the sets with Aamir and Raju Hirani and the entire team. They're all lots of fun.

It's just that the character I was playing was so grim and dark. That made shooting hard for me.

I enjoyed it a lot more later when I watched the movie. Do you see yourself directing a movie in the future? Now if I answer that you'll have a lot more questions for me, like what kind of story it will be and who I'd want to star in the movie, and why I'd want them in the movie.

(Laughs) So I'll just say that I do see myself directing in the future but I haven't thought about all the details. You're a professional photographer.

Do you still get time to pursue that? I don't find time these days but I do carry my camera whenever I'm out shooting. I got some nice work done on the sets of 'Housefull'.

But on certain shoots you're just too busy. I do miss having more time for photography but I'm also glad to have found other expressions through acting, and singing as well.

We're going to hear you sing on stage in Dubai. Tell us how you rate yourself as a singer.

I never take myself seriously, be it as an actor or as a singer. It's the people around me who have been so encouraging.

That's what led to my becoming an actor, a singer. That's what led to this show.

When I told jokes at a party, a friend said why don't you do this in front of the public? When I thought of singing 'Give me some sunshine' from '3 Idiots' at IIFA, music director Raju Singh encouraged me so much. Shankar Mahadevan has also supported me a lot.

These people have not only encouraged me, they've shared the stage with me. And that's an incredible thing to do for someone.

When you've got a day off work, what are you likely to be doing? I'm the laziest man on the planet! I can be so energetic when it comes to work but on a day off I just don't do anything. I become quite a nuisance at home at times! I'll just sit around watching movies, reading books, playing games (Boman's a PS3 fan).

What's your favourite thing about Dubai? The moment I land in Dubai, I stop worrying. I don't know why but there's such sukoon (peace).

I love going to London but I worry when I'm there. In Dubai, there's just so much peace.

I like that it's a multicultural city, and that it's so clean. And the people are extremely warm and friendly.

I get so much affection here. Speaking of fan interactions, what's the craziest thing someone has done for you? Once at IIFA in Amsterdam, a fan jumped on me and piggybacked on me! It was just an affectionate thing she did because she couldn't reach me.

That was shown on the news channels, of course. And, later, one young fellow in Dubai did the same thing! After he'd jumped on me and piggybacked on me, he said, 'I'm just repeating what happened to you earlier!' What do we expect from your show here? And what's the reason for starting your world tour from Dubai? I'll be talking about my life in a light-hearted manner in the show.

I'll be sharing my stories and experiences with the audience, lots of anecdotes that they can identify with. There'll be music too, and I'll play the guitar! We're starting in Dubai because my son has started an event management company and is organising this event.

He plans to settle in Dubai. RAPID-FIRE WITH BOMAN IRANI Three things most people don't know about you 1.

I get very agitated when people don't follow road rules while driving. It's one of those things that really gets my goat, and even contributes to my ill-health.

2. I'm not funny 24/7.

I'm not chirpy through the day. I am human.

People often expect me to be funny all the time. You know once I'd gone into a radio station for an interview wearing a suit.

The RJ took one look at me and said, ' Aap toh serious hain '. And I hadn't even said anything, I was just there wearing a suit! I was thinking ' did you expect me to do cartwheels as I came in?3.

I love sentimental movies Three all-time fave Hindi movies The old GolmaalSholay Munnabhai MBBS Who're the funniest people in B'wood? Ranbir KapoorAnupam KherKaran Johar Who's Bollywood's hottest woman? I'm too old to answer that! Who's Bollywood's hottest man? I'm too much of a man to answer that! for more information on Boman Irani's show in Dubai. What role has been the most challenging for you? Do you see yourself directing a movie in the future? Now if I answer that you'll have a lot more questions for me, like what kind of story it will be and who I'd want to star in the movie, and why I'd want them in the movie.

(Laughs) So I'll just say that I do see myself directing in the future but I haven't thought about all the details (less)

"It's a proud feeling that I am here for a noble cause of bridging the gap between India and Pakistan. At least I am playing my role.

The relationship between the two countries has worsened due to some people and the only positive connection we have is through music. The fan following of Pakistani singers in India and vice-versa proves my point," Shafqat told PTI in an interview.

Trained in classical music tradition of both India and Pakistan since he was just four-years-old, Shafqat left Fuzon in 2006 to embark on a solo career and has not looked back since then. "There has been no change in my singing style.

It wasn't a very difficult decision to break away from the band, they were insecure of me which I found hard to deal with," he said. He stepped into Bollywood the same year with Mitwa and is now a recognisable name in Indian films with tracks like Tere Naina for My Name Is Khan and Bin Tere from the movie I Hate Luv Storys.

"So far I have sung only other people's compositions. They want you to sing in their own way but it's been really great.

This new experience has been very good and doing play back is very exciting," Shafqat said. " Mitwa was my first song in Bollywood.

It always reminds me of my first step in films so it is very close to my heart. I am also looking forward to work with Vishal Bhardwaj and AR Rahman," he added (less)

Gallagher will announce a film project based on the book 'The Longest Cocktail Party: An Insider's Diary Of The Beatles, Their Million Dollar Apple Empire And Its Wild Rise And Fall at Cannes'. The singer has called DiLello's book "brilliant" (less)

The incident took place as the couple drove through London's West End on Wednesday night and Lee was charged and arrested the next day, said the police, reported Daily Mail online. "Lee Ryan, 27, self-employed, of Henley-on-Thames, is due to appear on bail at court on Friday August 27 charged with common assault," a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

But the singer is denying the charges. "Lee 100 percent denies common assault.

He categorically did not hit Sammi and will be fighting these charges in court," his spokesperson said. The incident comes a year after the couple were pictured having an explosive row in the street.

Lee was photographed shouting at his fiancee outside the Mayfair Hotel before thrusting a fist full of bank notes at her. The couple have been together since Autumn 2007 after meeting on social networking site MySpace.

Miller gave birth to their son Rayn Lee Amethyst, just a year after they first met. Their relationship suffered another blow last year when it emerged that Lee had fathered a secret love child three years ago.

Lee and bandmates Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe enjoyed hits such as All Rise and One Love along with a duet with Elton John on a cover of Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word. The group sold 3.

5 million records before splitting in 2005 but have since reunited and are recording a comeback album (less)

"I didn't know such a good singer was growing in my house. I had seen him playing guitar, sometimes humming some tune, but I never lent ear to that very seriously.

He has a small band. Once he was performing somewhere and I decided to go and see what he does.

To my surprise, he was singing so well that people were clapping and whistling on his performance. He was singing very well," says the proud father.

"I made him sing in a couple of my ads, he was fantastic. Anandh (music director) was looking for a fresh voice, one who could sing in high pitch and modulate well between the notes.

He chose him for the song," Sarkar said in an interview. The director, who has given films like Parineeta (2005) and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag: Journey of a Woman (2007), has teamed up with Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh and other actors to present the story of a group of youngsters living in the backstreets of Mumbai.

"We heard a verse Kabhi saaf, kabhi gande, lafangey parindey and from that we fell in love with the phrase Lafangey Parindey . Lafangey means wild and parindey as we all know means birds.

Together it means the flight of a bird. The film is about hope," said Sarkar.

It was reported that in the film Deepika and Neil utter some swear words in keeping with the backdrop of the film, but the director puts off such speculations. "There is no offensive language used in the film.

Those used are the colloquial words which are invariably used by people of that society. Basically, I didn't get away from the language that is there.

There is a phrase called magic reality, I have tried to evolve that," Sarkar added. Talking about the leading lady of the film, Sarkar said: "Deepika never takes anything as an obstacle.

However difficult things get, she always gives her best with a smiling face. That's the first interesting quality that you notice about her, she is always smiling.

She is always ready to do whatever is asked for the role." However, Sarkar doesn't quite share the same views about her male counterpart.

"Neil is a sober guy, but every moment he is into some mischievous stuff. During the shooting of the film, he used to do his own make up, practise a lot for his fighting sequences and other times used to play pranks on crew members.

So the lafanganess (wildness) is in-built in him." Lafangey Parindey hits the theatres Aug 20 (less)

"While new singers are still looking forward to getting a break, the established singers are struggling to find work..

. most of the female singers are hardly getting any solo song to sing.

The competition is fierce," said Chang, who will be seen as the host of UTV Bindaas? new horror reality show "Chair", told. "The Chair", starting Sep 12, will see 13 daring individuals tread unchartered territory in haunted locations across India and connect with the dead.

A dentist by profession, Chang rose to fame as a contestant of "Indian Idol" season 3. He later went on to host the fourth season of the reality show and second season of Indian Premier League.

He entered films with Parmeet Sethi?s "Badmaash Company" that had Shahid Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in the leads, but so far no singing assignments. Chang, who also formed a band with his "Indian Idol 3" co-contestants Suhit Gosain, Parleen Singh Gill and Abhishek Kumar that didn?t last long, rues pop music has lost its fervor and a lot of focus is being put on Bollywood singing.

"There are no takers for pop music in India today. Even the album of singers like Kailash Kher had no takers because today there?s more focus on Bollywood music.

I remember there was a time when both pop and film music was doing very well. I hope that that time comes back," he said.

"And if that time comes back, it will make life much more easier for singers like us, who want to experiment beyond Bollywood," he added. Chang says his work on small screen has given him creative satisfaction.

"The kind of creative satisfaction I have received here, I wouldn?t have received anywhere else regardless the fact whether it is good experience or bad experience. "You are working with the best and the worst, you are working with both higher strata of society and others and this sort of exposure helps in learning a lot.

It gives you a better perspective," he added. But the 27-year-old is now itching to get back to music.

"After 'Indian Idol' ended, the kind of success that other things gave me like IPL (Indian Premier League) hosting, 'Indian Idol 4' hosting took away my focus from singing because I felt that if I am doing good in this field, I should concentrate on this only. Now I really want to go back to singing again," he said.

Chang says he is in talks to take out a private album. He is also in talks to star in a film on China-Tibet conflict.

Talking about "The Chair", his new show as a host, Chang said, "The existence of ghosts still remains a mystery. While some believe they exist, others believe they don?t.

I am a non-believer myself. It is a show that will help answer the questions surrounding the mystery.

" (less)

Well, Alka Yagnik is all set to cast her spell on the little ones with her new album, Lories. She speaks to CS about the magic of lullabies: Frankly, I was a little surprised when the producer told me that it was an album of lories.

But the idea was a new one, and appealed to me. I like lories because of their sweet and lilting nature.

But I feel that the concept of singing lories to one's child is slowly dying out. They are a part of our tradition and need to be nurtured.

When you sing a loree to an infant, you're building a bond with your child. I feel it's every child's birthright to have someone to sing a loree to her.

The album has a number of soft, melodious numbers that create a peaceful atmosphere. A kid will feel relaxed after hearing the songs.

After all, lories have a universal appeal; it's loved by all kids, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor. Like all traditional mothers, my mom too used to sing lories to me.

She used to sing 'Chandan Ka Palna, Resham Ki Doree', 'Aaja Re Aaa Nindiya', 'So Jaa Rajkumari' and others. Every child loves the sound of her mother's voice and I was no different.

I feel that every new age mother should also know to sing lories to her baby. My daughter, Sayesha, loved every loree that I'd croon to her; Chanda O Chanda was her favourite.

?? The life of a working mom is quite challenging. I couldn't spend as much time with Sayesha as I would have liked to.

I remember rushing through my studio assignments in order to go home and spend time with her. My parents looked after her when I went to work.

As a result, I was assured that she was in the safest of hands and that gave me the courage to pursue my career.?? I would love to sing something different now.

After doing a lot of tried and tested stuff, I want something challenging. A number of good singers have entered the industry and it's amazing to see the talent in India.

My only regret is that most of today's songs don't have the everlasting melody to them. There is less concentration on melody and more on rhythm patterns and techno sounds.

WHAT: Speaks about her new album, Lories When we met, we couldn't help asking her to sing a few lines of her evergreen hit, 'Vaada Raha Sanam'. In the stillness of the studio, the melody of her voice was captivating to say the least.

Well, Alka Yagnik is all set to cast her spell on the little ones with her new album, Lories. She speaks to CS about the magic of lullabies: Frankly, I was a little surprised when the producer told me that it was an album of lories.

But the idea was a new one, and appealed to me. I like lories because of their sweet and lilting nature.

But I feel that the concept of singing lories to one's child is slowly dying out. They are a part of our tradition and need to be nurtured.

When you sing a loree to an infant, you're building a bond with your child. I feel it's every child's birthright to have someone to sing a loree to her.

The album has a number of soft, melodious numbers that create a peaceful atmosphere. A kid will feel relaxed after hearing the songs.

After all, lories have a universal appeal; it's loved by all kids, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor. Like all traditional mothers, my mom too used to sing lories to me.

She used to sing 'Chandan Ka Palna, Resham Ki Doree', 'Aaja Re Aaa Nindiya', 'So Jaa Rajkumari' and others. Every child loves the sound of her mother's voice and I was no different.

I feel that every new age mother should also know to sing lories to her baby. My daughter, Sayesha, loved every loree that I'd croon to her; Chanda O Chanda was her favourite.

?? The life of a working mom is quite challenging. I couldn't spend as much time with Sayesha as I would have liked to.

I remember rushing through my studio assignments in order to go home and spend time with her. My parents looked after her when I went to work.

As a result, I was assured that she was in the safest of hands and that gave me the courage to pursue my career.?? I would love to sing something different now.

After doing a lot of tried and tested stuff, I want something challenging. A number of good singers have entered the industry and it's amazing to see the talent in India.

My only regret is that most of today's songs don't have the everlasting melody to them. There is less concentration on melody and more on rhythm patterns and techno sounds.

WHERE: Her studio in Andheri When we met, we couldn't help asking her to sing a few lines of her evergreen hit, 'Vaada Raha Sanam'. In the stillness of the studio, the melody of her voice was captivating to say the least.

Well, Alka Yagnik is all set to cast her spell on the little ones with her new album, Lories. She speaks to CS about the magic of lullabies: Frankly, I was a little surprised when the producer told me that it was an album of lories.

But the idea was a new one, and appealed to me. I like lories because of their sweet and lilting nature.

But I feel that the concept of singing lories to one's child is slowly dying out. They are a part of our tradition and need to be nurtured.

When you sing a loree to an infant, you're building a bond with your child. I feel it's every child's birthright to have someone to sing a loree to her.

The album has a number of soft, melodious numbers that create a peaceful atmosphere. A kid will feel relaxed after hearing the songs.

After all, lories have a universal appeal; it's loved by all kids, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor. Like all traditional mothers, my mom too used to sing lories to me.

She used to sing 'Chandan Ka Palna, Resham Ki Doree', 'Aaja Re Aaa Nindiya', 'So Jaa Rajkumari' and others. Every child loves the sound of her mother's voice and I was no different.

I feel that every new age mother should also know to sing lories to her baby. My daughter, Sayesha, loved every loree that I'd croon to her; Chanda O Chanda was her favourite.

?? The life of a working mom is quite challenging. I couldn't spend as much time with Sayesha as I would have liked to.

I remember rushing through my studio assignments in order to go home and spend time with her. My parents looked after her when I went to work.

As a result, I was assured that she was in the safest of hands and that gave me the courage to pursue my career.?? I would love to sing something different now.

After doing a lot of tried and tested stuff, I want something challenging. A number of good singers have entered the industry and it's amazing to see the talent in India.

My only regret is that most of today's songs don't have the everlasting melody to them. There is less concentration on melody and more on rhythm patterns and techno sounds.

Lalla lalla loree When we met, we couldn't help asking her to sing a few lines of her evergreen hit, 'Vaada Raha Sanam'. In the stillness of the studio, the melody of her voice was captivating to say the least.

Well, Alka Yagnik is all set to cast her spell on the little ones with her new album, Lories. She speaks to CS about the magic of lullabies: Frankly, I was a little surprised when the producer told me that it was an album of lories.

But the idea was a new one, and appealed to me. I like lories because of their sweet and lilting nature.

But I feel that the concept of singing lories to one's child is slowly dying out. They are a part of our tradition and need to be nurtured.

When you sing a loree to an infant, you're building a bond with your child. I feel it's every child's birthright to have someone to sing a loree to her.

The album has a number of soft, melodious numbers that create a peaceful atmosphere. A kid will feel relaxed after hearing the songs.

After all, lories have a universal appeal; it's loved by all kids, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor. Like all traditional mothers, my mom too used to sing lories to me.

She used to sing 'Chandan Ka Palna, Resham Ki Doree', 'Aaja Re Aaa Nindiya', 'So Jaa Rajkumari' and others. Every child loves the sound of her mother's voice and I was no different.

I feel that every new age mother should also know to sing lories to her baby. My daughter, Sayesha, loved every loree that I'd croon to her; Chanda O Chanda was her favourite.

?? The life of a working mom is quite challenging. I couldn't spend as much time with Sayesha as I would have liked to.

I remember rushing through my studio assignments in order to go home and spend time with her. My parents looked after her when I went to work.

As a result, I was assured that she was in the safest of hands and that gave me the courage to pursue my career.?? I would love to sing something different now.

After doing a lot of tried and tested stuff, I want something challenging. A number of good singers have entered the industry and it's amazing to see the talent in India.

My only regret is that most of today's songs don't have the everlasting melody to them. There is less concentration on melody and more on rhythm patterns and techno sounds.

My favourites When we met, we couldn't help asking her to sing a few lines of her evergreen hit, 'Vaada Raha Sanam'. In the stillness of the studio, the melody of her voice was captivating to say the least.

Well, Alka Yagnik is all set to cast her spell on the little ones with her new album, Lories. She speaks to CS about the magic of lullabies: Frankly, I was a little surprised when the producer told me that it was an album of lories.

But the idea was a new one, and appealed to me. I like lories because of their sweet and lilting nature.

But I feel that the concept of singing lories to one's child is slowly dying out. They are a part of our tradition and need to be nurtured.

When you sing a loree to an infant, you're building a bond with your child. I feel it's every child's birthright to have someone to sing a loree to her.

The album has a number of soft, melodious numbers that create a peaceful atmosphere. A kid will feel relaxed after hearing the songs.

After all, lories have a universal appeal; it's loved by all kids, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor. Like all traditional mothers, my mom too used to sing lories to me.

She used to sing 'Chandan Ka Palna, Resham Ki Doree', 'Aaja Re Aaa Nindiya', 'So Jaa Rajkumari' and others. Every child loves the sound of her mother's voice and I was no different.

I feel that every new age mother should also know to sing lories to her baby. My daughter, Sayesha, loved every loree that I'd croon to her; Chanda O Chanda was her favourite.

?? The life of a working mom is quite challenging. I couldn't spend as much time with Sayesha as I would have liked to.

I remember rushing through my studio assignments in order to go home and spend time with her. My parents looked after her when I went to work.

As a result, I was assured that she was in the safest of hands and that gave me the courage to pursue my career.?? I would love to sing something different now.

After doing a lot of tried and tested stuff, I want something challenging. A number of good singers have entered the industry and it's amazing to see the talent in India.

My only regret is that most of today's songs don't have the everlasting melody to them. There is less concentration on melody and more on rhythm patterns and techno sounds (less)

Excerpts: What made you decide to sing for a Hindi movie? The composer, Wayne Sharpe, liked my work in several films he had seen, and he contacted me about singing on his score for Lahore. When I heard about the film and its compelling subject matter, I knew I would love to sing on it.

How was your experience working for the film Lahore? It was a wonderful and intense experience working with Wayne on his beautiful score to Lahore. It was cold in New York when I arrived and I was working on another project in the city during my visit as well.

We had all been working long hours and were a bit bleary eyed. When Wayne and I first got together, he decided to start by giving me an idea of the film and showed me the first fight scene .

I was mesmerized and realized what an important and special film this was. We worked steadily after that for several days and had a very easy and organic creative interaction.

I am very excited to see and hear the final results! Did you have to sing any kind of Hindi or Indian melody or raga? I have sung in Hindi before also and I have used Indian based styles for the film and not the raga. There was a very big movement in USA and I sang in yoga vocals in Sanskrit and Hindi words and in some instances I have sung those with the Indian artist.

What you have sung is quite similar of what you have done in Hollywood projects as it is a part of background and not a song situation for actors and actress? It is quite interesting and it is not exactly the background score because there is sometime the voice and the score are secret and sounds of the film drafts away all you see is visual then you hear my voice and music. And yes, it?s not a song situation for the cast.

It?s the opening soundtrack of the film. If given a chance to work with Indian singer whom would you prefer? Personally I would choose A.

R Rahman who did the score for Slumdog Millionaire. I love Indian sound and I have always been drawn to classical music.

When you were singing for Lahore, was there something new you did which you haven?t done before in Hollywood projects? Nice thing about Wayne Sharpe?s score is that he manages to blend the styles and sounds differently and he also has sense of world music. I used my voice differently as there was an Indian flavor to it and the wonderful part of this movie is that it has a universal message about cultural borders and healing conflicts.

Did you find any similarities between your singing in avatar and Lahore? Yes there were similarities in the approaches. There were several scenes in avatar which I watched and listened to the music which was written by the composer and created certain melodies and responding to the emotions and similarly I did that with Wayne Sharpe too.

He allowed me to create my own melody and give my response. Have you watched some Indian movies to understand the genre of music we play here? My favourite movie is Lagaan.

That was the first movie I saw quite a few years back. For me, it was musically a dream come true.

The music which was played was fantastic and an eye opening experience. The film had intense passion that made me love Bollywood movies.

What attracted you to Indian music? The first time I got interested in the Indian music was when I was a child. When I was 12 year old, I had a jazz music teacher and he was an Indian.

One day he played Pt. Ravi Shankar?s signature music and I remember I was so fascinated and speechless as the music was fantastic and after that I had this immense love for Indian music.

As you are big fan of A.R Rahman how much you loved the music of Slumdog Millionaire and what do you like about his music? When I heard his music in Slumdog Millionaire, I was completely blown away (laughs).

One thing that I loved about his music is that he sings a song and creates a melody in such a way which takes the listener to a harmonious journey and it opens your heart. He creates a world of his own that is very powerful thing for an artist and he is a master of that.

What inspires you to work in Hollywood instead of creating your own album? And you are one of the busiest singers in Hollywood what does it take for a singer to get consistent work in Hollywood and get positive acclamation and become well known? I have already done lot of work as a solo artist and I do have nine albums of my own. When I came first to Hollywood, one of my friends heard me singing and that friend knew a film composer and he asked me to sing for a Hollywood movie that is how I entered Hollywood.

Certainly then I started singing in Hollywood. I love being a part of musical world.

I think that the passion for your work makes you successful and I love whatever I do. I love the intensity of expression, languages and I just love singing and listening to music.

I love to take all the challenges which I come across (less)

Nita Chawla is an Indian-American musician with a captivating voice and can deliver flowing acoustic guitar or can switch to Southern US-influenced pop/rock songs. 'Ehsaas' is a Pakistani-American band in the emerging Pakistani rock tradition of 'Vital Signs' and 'Junoon'.

Asif Hasan from the band 'Dum' will offer punchy pop/rock infused with eastern melodies and Punjabi lyrics. Adeel Salman is a multi-instrumentalist who heads the band 'Anesthezia' and play songs in both Urdu and English, ranging from light guitar instrumentals to screaming rock ballads.

The artist H2O Wata Flo will add a new dimension to the show with his infectious Indo-Guyanese reggae rhythms. The founder of DAMA, Sanjay Gupta will end the show with his own blend of Hindi rock, frequently enlisting the aid of classical Spanish guitar or other exotic instruments.

Sanjay, who immigrated from Gloa, a town near Lucknow India, said, "I grew up loving South Asian rock and Bollywood music. After I moved here I realized that young South Asian musicians in the US who are heavily influenced by pop, rock, R&B, and other genres, were neglected by the mainstream as well as by their own communities.

" DAMA has been created to promote and spread awareness of the alternative music scene for artists living anywhere in the world who are first or second generation immigrants from South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, he said. It aims to bring this alternative music to a wider, more mainstream audience while creating networking opportunities for the artists with record labels, managers and agents (less)

Video footage of the rock band's Toronto gig initially shows Tyler giving Perry a playful hip bump during a rendition of the band's hit Love in an Elevator . But the 62-year-old front man got more than he bargained for when Perry bumped him back so hard that Tyler ended up falling off the stage, reported New York Post.

Tyler recovered, and was helped back on stage by Perry, before announcing, "It ain't gonna happen again, baby." "I'm a dancing fool out there.

I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to risk-taking, but I do what I do," he had told the Huffington Post last month. The latest drama adds to the singer's tumultuous year, his injury and the subsequent tour cancellation led to rumours he had left the band.

He was also admitted to rehab last December rehab for a painkiller addiction (less)

Roop Kumar Rathod, singer Coming from a family of musicians, my journey with music started from my mother's womb itself. My dad used to sing for her during her pregnancy.

And so, music for me is like taking a breath. I am really blessed to follow my passion as my profession.

And I'm lucky to have Sunali as my life-partner, as a non-musical person can't understand the moods of a musician. ?? As clich ??d as it may sound, music means everything to me.

My musical journey started when I was as young as seven, I started learning classical music and then it was all about singing competitions in school and college. Then I got into jingles.

So music has been my life since a very young age, and everything else has revolved around it.?? '? Music is my soul; rhythm is my God, while percussion is my first love.

?? Music is my life. I live and breathe music.

Music is what gives me peace and energy in life. Music keeps me alive; it's what oxygen is for a living being.

You can't live without air, can you? Music is also my way to connect with the divine. '? It wouldn't be wrong to say that I am addicted to music.

For me, listening to music is like spending time with an old friend. Music is the reflection of all my experiences??-- be it my childhood, my teen years, my early experiences with my brother, my joys, pains??-- everything.

It brings out all that's in my heart. Just like people confide in friends, I confide in music.

I talk through my music. To me, World Music Day is about uniting?? the world through music.

After all, music doesn't need a passport. Anyone can reach out and connect with it.

'? Music is everything for me; it's my life, my oxygen. I can't live without it.

I like listening to world music. After all, music is music, it's omnipresent.

I feel that I am truly blessed to pursue my passion. It's my life.

I eat, drink and breathe music. I was a classical singer for quite some time and destiny brought me to the playback industry.

I don't think that I could survive in any other profession. Mahalakshmi Iyer,??singer ?? Sivamani Coming from a family of musicians, my journey with music started from my mother's womb itself.

My dad used to sing for her during her pregnancy. And so, music for me is like taking a breath.

I am really blessed to follow my passion as my profession. And I'm lucky to have Sunali as my life-partner, as a non-musical person can't understand the moods of a musician.

?? As clich ??d as it may sound, music means everything to me. My musical journey started when I was as young as seven, I started learning classical music and then it was all about singing competitions in school and college.

Then I got into jingles. So music has been my life since a very young age, and everything else has revolved around it.

?? '? Music is my soul; rhythm is my God, while percussion is my first love.?? Music is my life.

I live and breathe music. Music is what gives me peace and energy in life.

Music keeps me alive; it's what oxygen is for a living being. You can't live without air, can you? Music is also my way to connect with the divine.

'? It wouldn't be wrong to say that I am addicted to music. For me, listening to music is like spending time with an old friend.

Music is the reflection of all my experiences??-- be it my childhood, my teen years, my early experiences with my brother, my joys, pains??-- everything. It brings out all that's in my heart.

Just like people confide in friends, I confide in music. I talk through my music.

To me, World Music Day is about uniting?? the world through music. After all, music doesn't need a passport.

Anyone can reach out and connect with it. '? Music is everything for me; it's my life, my oxygen.

I can't live without it. I like listening to world music.

After all, music is music, it's omnipresent. I feel that I am truly blessed to pursue my passion.

It's my life. I eat, drink and breathe music.

I was a classical singer for quite some time and destiny brought me to the playback industry. I don't think that I could survive in any other profession.

Sukhwinder Singh, singer '? (less)

On his Moroccan schedule for his home production Agent Vinod, he learnt to play the guembri very quickly-- and soon had local musicians dancing to his tunes! Says Saif's production partner Dinesh Vijan, "We were shooting on the top of Mount Atlas in Marrakech. At the time, Saif and I were having lunch in a local caf by the river when a local musician approached us and began playing a tune.

After hearing it through, Saif appeared intrigued by the instrument called a guembri. He's a guitarist and quickly learnt the tune on the instrument.

Much to everyone's amusement, when Saif started playing, the musician started dancing to his tune."Dinesh adds that the chote nawab awarded the musician with a handsome tip (in Moroccan dirhams).

"Saif took the instrument, tuned a few strings and learnt the whole tune in five minutes. It was obvious that he knows his music well.

Initially, it went off-key but the musician showed him a few tricks and soon Saif was playing like a pro. The man was very happy.

It has been over a month that we have been shooting in Morocco and Saif is missing his music. He's also not carrying his guitar with him.

Saif knows how to play the sitar too."The Agent Vinod unit has now shifted to Rigga in Latvia.

Saif says, "The guembri is basically like the sitar but has no frets. Frets are the separating parts on the neck of a guitar that indicate different notes.

" A guembri or sintir is the main melodic instrument of the Gnawa (pronounced naa-vaa). A three-stringed long-necked lute, it is one of the most common stringed instruments found in West Africa.

It is also said to be the ancestor of the American banjo (less)

The documentary maker took the photos as a 16-year-old Yorkshire Evening Post editorial assistant given unlimited access to the band in 1963, which was on the verge of fame, Daily Mail reported. "When I took those pictures, the Beatles were at the bottom of the bill.

But I knew they were going to be successful because they had an aura, and months later they were world famous," Berriff said. The photographs show the Fab Four - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - playing, rehearsing and relaxing as they toured venues such as the Huddersfield ABC Cinema, Manchester Apollo and the Leeds Odeon.

"I started to root around in the attic, because I knew I had taken some pictures of pop groups, but I thought there would only be about five or six of the Beatles. It was like finding hidden treasure," the photographer said.

The English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, continues to be a great cultural and social influence 50 years after its birth (less)

I simply addressed the need of the hour. Singing cover-versions and remixes was like playing Ranji Trophy for me.

It was preparing me for bigger things. I am grateful to the music companies that got me work, as they provided me with the platform to learn how to sing in front of the microphone '' something I had never done in Kolkata.

I sang in bulk, 50 songs a day, and filled my coffers. It took care of all financial matters and more! Lots of non-singers are coming into the industry today.

You do not have to be in tune and you could still be delivering successive hits. That's the deal.

No good singer is indispensible today. When Akon can come to India to do a track, you need to explore as many avenues for yourself as you can '' be it world tours or stage shows or anything else.

You don't need to be a playback singer to be in touch with your music, really. I am a complete film buff.

And I must confess that I am really fascinated by the concept of leaving home at six in the morning with a script in hand and spending hours on a set. It was in 2008, when I had actually gone to sing for Tarun Mazumdar in Kolkata that he asked me if I had ever given acting a thought.

I was amazed. The universe does actually conspire to get you want you really want! I got a role in Tarun's Chandan Bari opposite Rituparna Sengupta.

The film was a hit and following that, I got another offer to work with Satyajit Ray's son Sandip Ray in Hitlist to play the negative character. Let me be honest.

I have never aspired to be a hero. All I have is a strong urge to explore character acting.

Bollywood has created a space for it and it does excite me. There have been singers before me who've tried their luck in the acting industry and haven't met with much success.

But if you can afford to give a debutant 10 films to prove his mettle as an actor, why would you not be that gracious to singers? New tunes I came to Mumbai at a time when there wasn't a need for a playback singer. I simply addressed the need of the hour.

Singing cover-versions and remixes was like playing Ranji Trophy for me. It was preparing me for bigger things.

I am grateful to the music companies that got me work, as they provided me with the platform to learn how to sing in front of the microphone '' something I had never done in Kolkata. I sang in bulk, 50 songs a day, and filled my coffers.

It took care of all financial matters and more! Screen craze He speaks to CS about singing and his mid-April Bengali film release that's a remake of Uttam Kumar's Ogo Bodhu Shundari: I came to Mumbai at a time when there wasn't a need for a playback singer. I simply addressed the need of the hour.

Singing cover-versions and remixes was like playing Ranji Trophy for me. It was preparing me for bigger things.

I am grateful to the music companies that got me work, as they provided me with the platform to learn how to sing in front of the microphone '' something I had never done in Kolkata. I sang in bulk, 50 songs a day, and filled my coffers.

It took care of all financial matters and more! Lots of non-singers are coming into the industry today. You do not have to be in tune and you could still be delivering successive hits.

That's the deal. No good singer is indispensible today.

When Akon can come to India to do a track, you need to explore as many avenues for yourself as you can '' be it world tours or stage shows or anything else. You don't need to be a playback singer to be in touch with your music, really.

I am a complete film buff. And I must confess that I am really fascinated by the concept of leaving home at six in the morning with a script in hand and spending hours on a set.

It was in 2008, when I had actually gone to sing for Tarun Mazumdar in Kolkata that he asked me if I had ever given acting a thought. I was amazed.

The universe does actually conspire to get you want you really want! I got a role in Tarun's Chandan Bari opposite Rituparna Sengupta. The film was a hit and following that, I got another offer to work with Satyajit Ray's son Sandip Ray in Hitlist to play the negative character.

Let me be honest. I have never aspired to be a hero.

All I have is a strong urge to explore character acting. Bollywood has created a space for it and it does excite me.

There have been singers before me who've tried their luck in the acting industry and haven't met with much success. But if you can afford to give a debutant 10 films to prove his mettle as an actor, why would you not be that gracious to singers? Lots of non-singers are coming into the industry today.

You do not have to be in tune and you could still be delivering successive hits. That's the deal.

No good singer is indispensible today. When Akon can come to India to do a track, you need to explore as many avenues for yourself as you can '' be it world tours or stage shows or anything else.

You don't need to be a playback singer to be in touch with your music, really (less)

As it turns out, the actor can also learn to play other instruments in a very short time. On his Moroccan schedule for his home production Agent Vinod , he learnt to play the guembri very quickly -- and soon had local musicians dancing to his tunes! Says Saif's production partner Dinesh Vijan, "We were shooting on the top of Mount Atlas in Marrakech.

At the time, Saif and I were having lunch in a local cafe by the river when a local musician approached us and began playing a tune. After hearing it through, Saif appeared intrigued by the instrument called a guembri.

He's a guitarist and quickly learnt the tune on the instrument. Much to everyone's amusement, when Saif started playing, the musician started dancing to his tune.

" Dinesh adds that the chote nawab awarded the musician with a handsome tip (in Moroccan dirhams). "Saif took the instrument, tuned a few strings and learnt the whole tune in five minutes.

It was obvious that he knows his music well. Initially, it went off-key but the musician showed him a few tricks and soon Saif was playing like a pro.

The man was very happy. It has been over a month that we have been shooting in Morocco and Saif is missing his music.

He's also not carrying his guitar with him. Saif knows how to play the sitar too.

" The Agent Vinod unit has now shifted to Rigga in Latvia. Saif says, "The guembri is basically like the sitar but has no frets.

Frets are the separating parts on the neck of a guitar that indicate different notes." (less)

Fazal talks to CS: My father was one of those rare human beings, totally soaked in tradition but always open to experimenting. He had a modern outlook and open mind.

He didn't boast about his achievements, he just let his music do all the talking. He was a kind, humble person and it is his goodwill that so many senior artists like Louis Banks and Roop Kumar Rathod have readily agreed to perform at this concert.

?? Expressions Through Tabla, our concert is all about showcasing the tabla and its different facets. We want to show how tabla syllables can show expressions and how musical notes can be played on it.

My father was one of the first musicians to bring tabla into the spotlight and turn it from an accompanist to a solo instrument. Then Zakirbhai (Fazal's elder brother Zakir Hussain) came on the scene popularising it further.

In the olden days, the tabla player would sit a few feet behind the vocalist. Today, he has taken centrestage.

Through this concert, I want to track the evolution of its status in our musical tradition. There is a section where we will play my father's recorded music and follow it up with a live performance by me and my students.

Few people know that my father loved to teach. Even with all his shows and hectic traveling, he took time to work with his students, who sometimes even lived with us.

Even then, he never forced any of his own sons to pursue music. In fact he started teaching me the tabla only after he observed my growing interest in it.

It was actually one of his young 16-year-old foreign students who inspired me to take the tabla seriously. I'd watch him practise daily and wonder at his dedication.

Slowly I started practising with him and I realised I was good at it too. Today, as I work with my students, I realise that teaching is a two-way process.

It helps me revise my learning as an artist too. My father believed in encouraging new talent (I remember how he and Zakirbhai kept egging me on to keep playing at my first concert with both of them) and I try my best to carry on his legacy.

?? Wah Ustad My father was one of those rare human beings, totally soaked in tradition but always open to experimenting. He had a modern outlook and open mind.

He didn't boast about his achievements, he just let his music do all the talking. He was a kind, humble person and it is his goodwill that so many senior artists like Louis Banks and Roop Kumar Rathod have readily agreed to perform at this concert.

?? WHO: Fazal Qureshi My father was one of those rare human beings, totally soaked in tradition but always open to experimenting. He had a modern outlook and open mind.

He didn't boast about his achievements, he just let his music do all the talking. He was a kind, humble person and it is his goodwill that so many senior artists like Louis Banks and Roop Kumar Rathod have readily agreed to perform at this concert.

?? Expressions Through Tabla, our concert is all about showcasing the tabla and its different facets. We want to show how tabla syllables can show expressions and how musical notes can be played on it.

My father was one of the first musicians to bring tabla into the spotlight and turn it from an accompanist to a solo instrument. Then Zakirbhai (Fazal's elder brother Zakir Hussain) came on the scene popularising it further.

In the olden days, the tabla player would sit a few feet behind the vocalist. Today, he has taken centrestage.

Through this concert, I want to track the evolution of its status in our musical tradition. There is a section where we will play my father's recorded music and follow it up with a live performance by me and my students.

Few people know that my father loved to teach. Even with all his shows and hectic traveling, he took time to work with his students, who sometimes even lived with us.

Even then, he never forced any of his own sons to pursue music. In fact he started teaching me the tabla only after he observed my growing interest in it.

It was actually one of his young 16-year-old foreign students who inspired me to take the tabla seriously. I'd watch him practise daily and wonder at his dedication.

Slowly I started practising with him and I realised I was good at it too. Today, as I work with my students, I realise that teaching is a two-way process.

It helps me revise my learning as an artist too. My father believed in encouraging new talent (I remember how he and Zakirbhai kept egging me on to keep playing at my first concert with both of them) and I try my best to carry on his legacy.

?? WHAT: Showing off his tabla tricks Expressions Through Tabla, our concert is all about showcasing the tabla and its different facets. We want to show how tabla syllables can show expressions and how musical notes can be played on it.

My father was one of the first musicians to bring tabla into the spotlight and turn it from an accompanist to a solo instrument. Then Zakirbhai (Fazal's elder brother Zakir Hussain) came on the scene popularising it further.

In the olden days, the tabla player would sit a few feet behind the vocalist. Today, he has taken centrestage.

Through this concert, I want to track the evolution of its status in our musical tradition. There is a section where we will play my father's recorded music and follow it up with a live performance by me and my students.

WHERE: Marine Plaza My father was one of those rare human beings, totally soaked in tradition but always open to experimenting. He had a modern outlook and open mind.

He didn't boast about his achievements, he just let his music do all the talking. He was a kind, humble person and it is his goodwill that so many senior artists like Louis Banks and Roop Kumar Rathod have readily agreed to perform at this concert.

?? Expressions Through Tabla, our concert is all about showcasing the tabla and its different facets. We want to show how tabla syllables can show expressions and how musical notes can be played on it.

My father was one of the first musicians to bring tabla into the spotlight and turn it from an accompanist to a solo instrument. Then Zakirbhai (Fazal's elder brother Zakir Hussain) came on the scene popularising it further.

In the olden days, the tabla player would sit a few feet behind the vocalist. Today, he has taken centrestage.

Through this concert, I want to track the evolution of its status in our musical tradition. There is a section where we will play my father's recorded music and follow it up with a live performance by me and my students.

Few people know that my father loved to teach. Even with all his shows and hectic traveling, he took time to work with his students, who sometimes even lived with us.

Even then, he never forced any of his own sons to pursue music. In fact he started teaching me the tabla only after he observed my growing interest in it.

It was actually one of his young 16-year-old foreign students who inspired me to take the tabla seriously. I'd watch him practise daily and wonder at his dedication.

Slowly I started practising with him and I realised I was good at it too. Today, as I work with my students, I realise that teaching is a two-way process.

It helps me revise my learning as an artist too. My father believed in encouraging new talent (I remember how he and Zakirbhai kept egging me on to keep playing at my first concert with both of them) and I try my best to carry on his legacy.

?? (less)

The tabla maestro humility is one of the few things that he has drawn from his dad, the late Ustad Allarakha Khan. He tells CS, "My father always told me, 'Never try to be a master.

Be a good student and you'll do just fine'." Zakir, who is gearing up for the 10th Barsi concert to pay tribute to his Abbaji, talks about him: I'm very happy to put this concert together.

For a long time we were undecided whether to have the celebrations this year, as my mother passed away in October 2009. So it was at the eleventh hour that we took a call to go ahead with it.

I'm especially looking forward to this concert because Billy Cobham, my favourite drummer and friend of 30 years, is going to be a part of it. I'll also be collaborating with Taksim Trio, a Turkish band.

This concert isn't a celebration of my dad's life, but is a kind of metaphor to celebrate what my father stood for.?? I shared many layers of relationship with my dad.

I was a baby in his arms, his student, his apprentice, colleague and then a friend. It is truly rare to experience such a deep bond with one's father.

My dad didn't tell me how to treat people or how to approach situations. But the one thing that he did teach me was to be a student for life.

I can't help recalling a story that I love. Someone once went to a musician and said, 'You played great, maestro!' The musician replied, 'I didn't play good enough to quit.

' I feel that if you start thinking that you're the best ever, it is time for you to hang up your boots.?? As a young kid, I was in such a hurry to perform that I didn't realise the enormity of what being an artist entails.

Since I was the only member in the family who could speak English, I would read all my dad's letters. If there were invitations for him to perform, I would reply back saying that Allarakha wouldn't be free, but his son would be.

I never gave out my age to them. I would collect money from my friends, book my ticket and take off without intimating my parents.

My mother would be frantic. That's how I started touring as a 12-year-old kid.

It was only because of my father's goodwill with other musicians that I didn't get into trouble. WHAT: Goes down memory lane Zakir Hussain doesn't like being called Ustad.

He prefers Zakir instead. The tabla maestro humility is one of the few things that he has drawn from his dad, the late Ustad Allarakha Khan.

He tells CS, "My father always told me, 'Never try to be a master. Be a good student and you'll do just fine'.

" Zakir, who is gearing up for the 10th Barsi concert to pay tribute to his Abbaji, talks about him: I'm very happy to put this concert together. For a long time we were undecided whether to have the celebrations this year, as my mother passed away in October 2009.

So it was at the eleventh hour that we took a call to go ahead with it. I'm especially looking forward to this concert because Billy Cobham, my favourite drummer and friend of 30 years, is going to be a part of it.

I'll also be collaborating with Taksim Trio, a Turkish band. This concert isn't a celebration of my dad's life, but is a kind of metaphor to celebrate what my father stood for.

?? I shared many layers of relationship with my dad. I was a baby in his arms, his student, his apprentice, colleague and then a friend.

It is truly rare to experience such a deep bond with one's father. My dad didn't tell me how to treat people or how to approach situations.

But the one thing that he did teach me was to be a student for life. I can't help recalling a story that I love.

Someone once went to a musician and said, 'You played great, maestro!' The musician replied, 'I didn't play good enough to quit.' I feel that if you start thinking that you're the best ever, it is time for you to hang up your boots.

?? As a young kid, I was in such a hurry to perform that I didn't realise the enormity of what being an artist entails. Since I was the only member in the family who could speak English, I would read all my dad's letters.

If there were invitations for him to perform, I would reply back saying that Allarakha wouldn't be free, but his son would be. I never gave out my age to them.

I would collect money from my friends, book my ticket and take off without intimating my parents. My mother would be frantic.

That's how I started touring as a 12-year-old kid. It was only because of my father's goodwill with other musicians that I didn't get into trouble.

WHERE: Hotel Orchid I'm very happy to put this concert together. For a long time we were undecided whether to have the celebrations this year, as my mother passed away in October 2009.

So it was at the eleventh hour that we took a call to go ahead with it. I'm especially looking forward to this concert because Billy Cobham, my favourite drummer and friend of 30 years, is going to be a part of it.

I'll also be collaborating with Taksim Trio, a Turkish band. This concert isn't a celebration of my dad's life, but is a kind of metaphor to celebrate what my father stood for.

?? Show time Zakir Hussain doesn't like being called Ustad. He prefers Zakir instead.

The tabla maestro humility is one of the few things that he has drawn from his dad, the late Ustad Allarakha Khan. He tells CS, "My father always told me, 'Never try to be a master.

Be a good student and you'll do just fine'." Zakir, who is gearing up for the 10th Barsi concert to pay tribute to his Abbaji, talks about him: I'm very happy to put this concert together.

For a long time we were undecided whether to have the celebrations this year, as my mother passed away in October 2009. So it was at the eleventh hour that we took a call to go ahead with it.

I'm especially looking forward to this concert because Billy Cobham, my favourite drummer and friend of 30 years, is going to be a part of it. I'll also be collaborating with Taksim Trio, a Turkish band.

This concert isn't a celebration of my dad's life, but is a kind of metaphor to celebrate what my father stood for.?? I shared many layers of relationship with my dad.

I was a baby in his arms, his student, his apprentice, colleague and then a friend. It is truly rare to experience such a deep bond with one's father.

My dad didn't tell me how to treat people or how to approach situations. But the one thing that he did teach me was to be a student for life.

I can't help recalling a story that I love. Someone once went to a musician and said, 'You played great, maestro!' The musician replied, 'I didn't play good enough to quit.

' I feel that if you start thinking that you're the best ever, it is time for you to hang up your boots.?? As a young kid, I was in such a hurry to perform that I didn't realise the enormity of what being an artist entails.

Since I was the only member in the family who could speak English, I would read all my dad's letters. If there were invitations for him to perform, I would reply back saying that Allarakha wouldn't be free, but his son would be.

I never gave out my age to them. I would collect money from my friends, book my ticket and take off without intimating my parents.

My mother would be frantic. That's how I started touring as a 12-year-old kid.

It was only because of my father's goodwill with other musicians that I didn't get into trouble. Daddy cool I shared many layers of relationship with my dad.

I was a baby in his arms, his student, his apprentice, colleague and then a friend. It is truly rare to experience such a deep bond with one's father.

My dad didn't tell me how to treat people or how to approach situations. But the one thing that he did teach me was to be a student for life.

I can't help recalling a story that I love. Someone once went to a musician and said, 'You played great, maestro!' The musician replied, 'I didn't play good enough to quit.

' I feel that if you start thinking that you're the best ever, it is time for you to hang up your boots.?? (less)

The news is that, the trio of S-E-L is not alone now; as they have the light eyed actor-singer-musician Lucky Ali, joining them as the brand ambassador for Sennheiser. Sources close to Bollywood Hungama vouch on this deal to be one of the most lucrative deals to have taken place between a musician and a FMCG company.

Even though Lucky Ali's career did not take flight as an actor, this man continues to make music as a singer-composer and now a brand ambassador! Looks like 'Sunoh' days ..

. we mean .

..

sunny days are back again for Lucky Ali! (less)

The Inception actress recently toured for two months with her musician friend Yodelice, playing a variety of instruments and singing under the name Simone, Interview magazine reported. "I was in Los Angeles last January, a friend called me up who is an amazing singer who goes by the name Yodelice.

He said, 'Would you come to the studio? I would love for you to sing one of my songs.' So I went down and ended up going from a background singer to being in a duet.

Then my friend said he was playing at the Olympia in Paris and asked me if I would sing with him there and I said, 'Oh, yeah, of course'," she said. However, the 34-year-old actress had to change her name to pursue singing.

"I changed my name, of course. I said, 'I can't be Marion Cotillard.

' We ended up using Simone, which is my other grandmother's name. She passed away many years ago but always wanted to be a singer.

So sometimes Simone appears with the band," Cottilard said. "I love being Simone.

I'm waiting for my schedule to open up in a month or two so I can pick up with the band and be a musician again. I love being one of the musicians in the back.

The light is on the singer and I'm in the band. I love that," she added (less)

Rahman's son follow in his footsteps? The answer is yes, as Rahman junior gets set to enter the world of music at the age of six. The Oscar Award winning musician said that his son would soon sing for films.

"My son Alim Rahman is just six. He is learning music now and he will certainly sing in Tamil films soon," Rahman said at a function in Chennai.

On reports that his son Alim would be singing in a Hollywood movie, Rahman said: "He is just six and has started to learn music." Indo-Asian News Service Will music maestro A.

R. Rahman's son follow in his footsteps? The answer is yes, as Rahman junior gets set to enter the world of music at the age of six.

The Oscar Award winning musician said that his son would soon sing for films. "My son Alim Rahman is just six.

He is learning music now and he will certainly sing in Tamil films soon," Rahman said at a function in Chennai. On reports that his son Alim would be singing in a Hollywood movie, Rahman said: "He is just six and has started to learn music.

" Indo-Asian News Service Will music maestro A.R.

Rahman's son follow in his footsteps? The answer is yes, as Rahman junior gets set to enter the world of music at the age of six. The Oscar Award winning musician said that his son would soon sing for films.

"My son Alim Rahman is just six. He is learning music now and he will certainly sing in Tamil films soon," Rahman said at a function in Chennai.

On reports that his son Alim would be singing in a Hollywood movie, Rahman said: "He is just six and has started to learn music." Indo-Asian News Service Will music maestro A.

R. Rahman's son follow in his footsteps? The answer is yes, as Rahman junior gets set to enter the world of music at the age of six.

The Oscar Award winning musician said that his son would soon sing for films. "My son Alim Rahman is just six.

He is learning music now and he will certainly sing in Tamil films soon," Rahman said at a function in Chennai. On reports that his son Alim would be singing in a Hollywood movie, Rahman said: "He is just six and has started to learn music.

" Indo-Asian News Service Will music maestro A.R.

Rahman's son follow in his footsteps? The answer is yes, as Rahman junior gets set to enter the world of music at the age of six. The Oscar Award winning musician said that his son would soon sing for films.

"My son Alim Rahman is just six. He is learning music now and he will certainly sing in Tamil films soon," Rahman said at a function in Chennai.

On reports that his son Alim would be singing in a Hollywood movie, Rahman said: "He is just six and has started to learn music." Indo-Asian News Service (less)

The contestants accuseParleen Singh, of upstaging them with his performances and using his nose (NOSE?) to khatarnak advantage. If all this seemed a bit far-fetched watch recap on sunday, if only for the Masti song.

Question : Do they make the one most probable to be voted out sing on Roobaroo of that week? Prashant last week and Parleen this week? Coming to this week’s singing. The theme for this week’s gala round was ‘Love’.

Everyone wore red and sang ‘Signal, Pyar Ka Signal’. The contestants danced to this number.

The tone of a romantic night was set with heart shaped balloons, misty smoke and bike rides on the stage. Contestents were looking gorgeous in red.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

They talk about how music keeps them together: "If you can have a Father's Day and Teacher's Day, you can also have a World Music Day for sure. After all, music is a force that binds us together and it would be fitting to pay a tribute to it," says Ehsaan.

Shankar also had a zillion ideas on how to make the day special. "I would like to see a celebration, maybe an elaborate concert that can bring musicians and music lovers together.

And we would be very happy to be a part of such a gig," he thought aloud. It is fairly apparent that these guys spend a good chunk of their lives in their recording studio.

The place is as lived in as a mechanic's workshop. And though the three have music in common, they do have their share of arguments.

Explains Loy, "We have solid fights, but they're all from the creative perspective. Even though we like very different forms of music, we vibe well together.

" Chips in Ehsaan, "Over the years, we've had our ups and downs and grown closer and more tolerant of each other." Shankar butts in, "The music keeps us going.

Even today, Ehsaan is thoroughly excited when he hears of guitar lessons; Loy's day is made if he gets a chance to play with, say an international bass musician, and I'm thrilled to perform at some vague spiritual concert." We guess the band's chemistry is going to be evident on their USA and Canada tour that they set out on next month.

WHAT: Talking music The talented threesome, composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, had no idea that today is World Music Day. But once they knew, they were all gung-ho about how they'd love to celebrate it.

They talk about how music keeps them together: "If you can have a Father's Day and Teacher's Day, you can also have a World Music Day for sure. After all, music is a force that binds us together and it would be fitting to pay a tribute to it," says Ehsaan.

Shankar also had a zillion ideas on how to make the day special. "I would like to see a celebration, maybe an elaborate concert that can bring musicians and music lovers together.

And we would be very happy to be a part of such a gig," he thought aloud. It is fairly apparent that these guys spend a good chunk of their lives in their recording studio.

The place is as lived in as a mechanic's workshop. And though the three have music in common, they do have their share of arguments.

Explains Loy, "We have solid fights, but they're all from the creative perspective. Even though we like very different forms of music, we vibe well together.

" Chips in Ehsaan, "Over the years, we've had our ups and downs and grown closer and more tolerant of each other." Shankar butts in, "The music keeps us going.

Even today, Ehsaan is thoroughly excited when he hears of guitar lessons; Loy's day is made if he gets a chance to play with, say an international bass musician, and I'm thrilled to perform at some vague spiritual concert." We guess the band's chemistry is going to be evident on their USA and Canada tour that they set out on next month.

WHERE: At their recording studio "If you can have a Father's Day and Teacher's Day, you can also have a World Music Day for sure. After all, music is a force that binds us together and it would be fitting to pay a tribute to it," says Ehsaan.

Shankar also had a zillion ideas on how to make the day special. "I would like to see a celebration, maybe an elaborate concert that can bring musicians and music lovers together.

And we would be very happy to be a part of such a gig," he thought aloud. Musical binds The talented threesome, composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, had no idea that today is World Music Day.

But once they knew, they were all gung-ho about how they'd love to celebrate it. They talk about how music keeps them together: "If you can have a Father's Day and Teacher's Day, you can also have a World Music Day for sure.

After all, music is a force that binds us together and it would be fitting to pay a tribute to it," says Ehsaan. Shankar also had a zillion ideas on how to make the day special.

"I would like to see a celebration, maybe an elaborate concert that can bring musicians and music lovers together. And we would be very happy to be a part of such a gig," he thought aloud.

It is fairly apparent that these guys spend a good chunk of their lives in their recording studio. The place is as lived in as a mechanic's workshop.

And though the three have music in common, they do have their share of arguments. Explains Loy, "We have solid fights, but they're all from the creative perspective.

Even though we like very different forms of music, we vibe well together." Chips in Ehsaan, "Over the years, we've had our ups and downs and grown closer and more tolerant of each other.

" Shankar butts in, "The music keeps us going. Even today, Ehsaan is thoroughly excited when he hears of guitar lessons; Loy's day is made if he gets a chance to play with, say an international bass musician, and I'm thrilled to perform at some vague spiritual concert.

" We guess the band's chemistry is going to be evident on their USA and Canada tour that they set out on next month. Creative fights It is fairly apparent that these guys spend a good chunk of their lives in their recording studio.

The place is as lived in as a mechanic's workshop. And though the three have music in common, they do have their share of arguments.

Explains Loy, "We have solid fights, but they're all from the creative perspective. Even though we like very different forms of music, we vibe well together.

" Chips in Ehsaan, "Over the years, we've had our ups and downs and grown closer and more tolerant of each other." (less)

I hardly get the time to indulge in my hobbies, but I still pursue a few. I love to paint, listen to ghazals and dance.

Painting helps me get my thoughts onto paper. It helps me visualise better and I feel much more relaxed.

The different colours give me a lot of happiness. I feel there is so much more to life when I take up the paint brush, it's bliss in totality.

I paint abstract images to faces to just lines. Sometimes you may find a hidden meaning, if you look at them closely.

I want to nurture this talent further. But so far I haven't had the time.

I'm not complaining though as acting has kept me busy and that is what I love doing the most. But I seriously plan to pursue art.

I love to dance because it helps me emote and being an actor it is very essential to gain control over expressions. When at home, I listen to ghazals by Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhas; they give me a lot of peace.

It is like a physical tranquiliser. I've stocked quite a few CDs of ghazals and soft music in my car as I travel a lot.

I hardly get the time to indulge in my hobbies, but I still pursue a few. I love to paint, listen to ghazals and dance.

Painting helps me get my thoughts onto paper. It helps me visualise better and I feel much more relaxed.

The different colours give me a lot of happiness. I feel there is so much more to life when I take up the paint brush, it's bliss in totality.

I paint abstract images to faces to just lines. Sometimes you may find a hidden meaning, if you look at them closely.

I want to nurture this talent further. But so far I haven't had the time.

I'm not complaining though as acting has kept me busy and that is what I love doing the most. But I seriously plan to pursue art.

I love to dance because it helps me emote and being an actor it is very essential to gain control over expressions. When at home, I listen to ghazals by Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhas; they give me a lot of peace.

It is like a physical tranquiliser. I've stocked quite a few CDs of ghazals and soft music in my car as I travel a lot.

I hardly get the time to indulge in my hobbies, but I still pursue a few. I love to paint, listen to ghazals and dance.

Painting helps me get my thoughts onto paper. It helps me visualise better and I feel much more relaxed.

The different colours give me a lot of happiness. I feel there is so much more to life when I take up the paint brush, it's bliss in totality.

I paint abstract images to faces to just lines. Sometimes you may find a hidden meaning, if you look at them closely.

I want to nurture this talent further. But so far I haven't had the time.

I'm not complaining though as acting has kept me busy and that is what I love doing the most. But I seriously plan to pursue art.

I love to dance because it helps me emote and being an actor it is very essential to gain control over expressions. When at home, I listen to ghazals by Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhas; they give me a lot of peace.

It is like a physical tranquiliser. I've stocked quite a few CDs of ghazals and soft music in my car as I travel a lot.

I hardly get the time to indulge in my hobbies, but I still pursue a few. I love to paint, listen to ghazals and dance.

Painting helps me get my thoughts onto paper. It helps me visualise better and I feel much more relaxed.

The different colours give me a lot of happiness. I feel there is so much more to life when I take up the paint brush, it's bliss in totality.

I paint abstract images to faces to just lines. Sometimes you may find a hidden meaning, if you look at them closely.

I want to nurture this talent further. But so far I haven't had the time.

I'm not complaining though as acting has kept me busy and that is what I love doing the most. But I seriously plan to pursue art.

I love to dance because it helps me emote and being an actor it is very essential to gain control over expressions. When at home, I listen to ghazals by Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhas; they give me a lot of peace.

It is like a physical tranquiliser. I've stocked quite a few CDs of ghazals and soft music in my car as I travel a lot (less)

On his Moroccan schedule for his home production Agent Vinod, he learnt to play the guembri very quickly -- and soon had local musicians dancing to his tunes! Says Saif's production partner Dinesh Vijan, "We were shooting on the top of Mount Atlas in Marrakech. At the time, Saif and I were having lunch in a local cafe by the river when a local musician approached us and began playing a tune.

After hearing it through, Saif appeared intrigued by the instrument called a guembri. He's a guitarist and quickly learnt the tune on the instrument.

Much to everyone's amusement, when Saif started playing, the musician started dancing to his tune." Dinesh adds that the chote nawab awarded the musician with a handsome tip (in Moroccan dirhams).

"Saif took the instrument, tuned a few strings and learnt the whole tune in five minutes. It was obvious that he knows his music well.

Initially, it went off-key but the musician showed him a few tricks and soon Saif was playing like a pro. The man was very happy.

It has been over a month that we have been shooting in Morocco and Saif is missing his music. He's also not carrying his guitar with him.

Saif knows how to play the sitar too." The Agent Vinod unit has now shifted to Rigga in Latvia.

Saif says, "The guembri is basically like the sitar but has no frets. Frets are the separating parts on the neck of a guitar that indicate different notes.

" Aaila, yeh kya! A guembri or sintir is the main melodic instrument of the Gnawa (pronounced naa-vaa). A three-stringed long-necked lute, it is one of the most common stringed instruments found in West Africa.

It is also said to be the ancestor of the American banjo. Courtesy: Mid-Day.

com (less)

"No one helped me. I would go begging for work.

It was not easy as I had no godfather or someone to help me. A lonely person tends to make mistakes, it is always better to have someone to guide you.

I had no one," Bhosle said in an interview. Bhosle, who has been the voice of more that 12,000 songs in a career spanning six decades, does not find Bollywood exciting anymore.

"I have been singing for so long. I will do playback only if something new and exciting comes my way," she says.

When asked about the stories of rivalry with her elder sister, Asha declined to comment. "I don't want to comment on what the media says," said the singer, adding that the love of her fans has kept her alive.

"Apart from my parents, I am thankful to the musicians who gave me work when I was a newcomer in the industry. Also I am grateful to my listeners who have kept Asha alive, she would have died otherwise," said the singer.

Bhosle, who always tries to do something new on each of her birthdays, is now planning to launch a record with tabla maestro Shujat Khan. "I am making an album with Shujat, which is an amalgamation of classical and folk music.

I did live recording after years and it was such fun," said the singer. Bhosle has mastered almost all genres of music be it pop, ghazal, classical or qawali and now is in talks with Mexican-American artiste Carlos Santana for a duet.

The voice behind hits like In ankhon ki masti , Sona re and Rangeela , Bhosle says she is now trying to popularise Indian music in the West. The singer will celebrate her birthday during a concert in Singapore.

"My energy is my lifeline. I cannot do without it.

I am planning to open the ninth outlet of my restaurant Asha's in Dubai," said Bhosle, adding that she only concentrates on the menu while the financial aspects of the business are looked after by her son Anand. "The menu includes my favourite dishes and I keep checking the quality of the food," she added (less)

The 24-year-old singer took up music five years ago with the dreams of achieving international stardom one day. "I want to make it big on a national stage and then represent my country on the international circuit.

I want to achieve fame like Brian Adams, Beyonce Knowles, the Backstreet Boys and Westlife, who are internationally popular," said Sreeram. A native of Hyderabad, Sreeram has graduated in engineering and trained in classical Carnatic music.

He intends to carry on learning music as well as establish himself as a playback singer in Bollywood. Sreeram has already recorded a duet with Shreya Ghosal for music composer duo Salim-Suleiman.

"I am looking forward to the release of the song which I sung with Shreya Ghosal and also the album I will be recording with Sony," said Sreeram, who has also bagged a deal with Yashraj Films to sing in one of their forthcoming films as a part of his Indian Idol win. Sreeram has grown up listening to the likes of Kishore Kumar and A R Rahman and is heavily inspired by them.

"I listened to Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Shankar Mahadevan, Rahman saab. I also am influenced by the west and love Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi," he said.

Throughout his Indian Idol journey, not for once did Sreeram come into the bottom three or face the danger of getting voted out. Was he always confident about his win? "I was the only one who never came in to the danger zone and I am glad that people loved my singing so much.

But I always tried to maintain a balance and keep myself prepared for the worst," said Sreeram, who got his Idol trophy from none other than Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Bachchan also took pity on a breathless Sreeram and helped him deliver his thank you speech, which is now a fond memory with the singer.

"It was the best moment of my life," he added (less)

Sounds like a masterclass. Then comes the trite question, "What is your favourite pasta?" The retort is dripping with sarcasm: "Finally! A serious question.

..

" A; Musical/Drama We see the life of Contini through the eyes of the women in his life -- his mamma (Loren), costume designer and lifelong friend and confidante Lilli (Dench), wife (and once his muse) Luisa (Cotillard), mistress Carla (Cruz) and current muse and international superstar Claudia (Kidman). Dir: Rob Marshall The music scored by Andrea Guerra and set to lyrics by Maury Yeston is brilliant and deserves repeat listens.

As is Marion's performance as the suffering wife Luisa, who bares her soul with "My Husband Makes Movies" and "Take It All". *** Pen'?lope raises the temperature with the seductive track, "A Call From The Vatican" (less)

She talks to CS: I respect the trio immensely and when Shankar told me I'd to sing this song, I wasn't too sure at first. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan had already sung it and the scale was too low for me.

But it was Shankar who gave me that much needed boost. He said, "According to me, you're the only one who can sing this song.

" That encouragement was enough. In fact, I've got more praise for Sajda than I ever got for Billo Rani or Mahiway.

Till now I get calls and when they come from the creme de la creme of the industry, you know that your efforts have paid off. Now I'm dying to sing the number with Shankar Ehsaan Loy on stage and experience the first-hand reactions from the audiences.

I began singing when I was eight years old and have thanked God every day of my life for giving me such a distinct voice. Since my childhood, I've been very devotional and I think my bend toward Sufi music was quite natural.

But when I started anchoring for Antakshari with Anu Kapoor, the programming head told me I'd to sing filmy songs. It was a first for me though I'd grown up listening to Lataji and Ashaji.

This is how I got introduced to playback singing. But it doesn't matter to me what songs I sing as long as I'm connected to music.

Thats my connection with God. Oh my God! She is still basking in the glory of Sajda, even three months after the film's release.

Singer Richa Sharma, who is now set to tour America and Canada the whole of next month, can't wait to get on stage with composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy to sing her most popular song yet. She talks to CS: I respect the trio immensely and when Shankar told me I'd to sing this song, I wasn't too sure at first.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan had already sung it and the scale was too low for me. But it was Shankar who gave me that much needed boost.

He said, "According to me, you're the only one who can sing this song." That encouragement was enough.

In fact, I've got more praise for Sajda than I ever got for Billo Rani or Mahiway. Till now I get calls and when they come from the creme de la creme of the industry, you know that your efforts have paid off.

Now I'm dying to sing the number with Shankar Ehsaan Loy on stage and experience the first-hand reactions from the audiences. I began singing when I was eight years old and have thanked God every day of my life for giving me such a distinct voice.

Since my childhood, I've been very devotional and I think my bend toward Sufi music was quite natural. But when I started anchoring for Antakshari with Anu Kapoor, the programming head told me I'd to sing filmy songs.

It was a first for me though I'd grown up listening to Lataji and Ashaji. This is how I got introduced to playback singing.

But it doesn't matter to me what songs I sing as long as I'm connected to music. Thats my connection with God.

Personal favourites She is still basking in the glory of Sajda, even three months after the film's release. Singer Richa Sharma, who is now set to tour America and Canada the whole of next month, can't wait to get on stage with composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy to sing her most popular song yet.

She talks to CS: I respect the trio immensely and when Shankar told me I'd to sing this song, I wasn't too sure at first. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan had already sung it and the scale was too low for me.

But it was Shankar who gave me that much needed boost. He said, "According to me, you're the only one who can sing this song.

" That encouragement was enough. In fact, I've got more praise for Sajda than I ever got for Billo Rani or Mahiway.

Till now I get calls and when they come from the creme de la creme of the industry, you know that your efforts have paid off. Now I'm dying to sing the number with Shankar Ehsaan Loy on stage and experience the first-hand reactions from the audiences.

I began singing when I was eight years old and have thanked God every day of my life for giving me such a distinct voice. Since my childhood, I've been very devotional and I think my bend toward Sufi music was quite natural.

But when I started anchoring for Antakshari with Anu Kapoor, the programming head told me I'd to sing filmy songs. It was a first for me though I'd grown up listening to Lataji and Ashaji.

This is how I got introduced to playback singing. But it doesn't matter to me what songs I sing as long as I'm connected to music.

Thats my connection with God. I love listening to Abidaji (Parveen); people even say that my singing is sometimes influenced by her style.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is another favourite. Among the contemporary artists, I think Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Rekha Bharadwaj are my favourites.

She is still basking in the glory of Sajda, even three months after the film's release. Singer Richa Sharma, who is now set to tour America and Canada the whole of next month, can't wait to get on stage with composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy to sing her most popular song yet.

She talks to CS: I respect the trio immensely and when Shankar told me I'd to sing this song, I wasn't too sure at first. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan had already sung it and the scale was too low for me.

But it was Shankar who gave me that much needed boost. He said, "According to me, you're the only one who can sing this song.

" That encouragement was enough. In fact, I've got more praise for Sajda than I ever got for Billo Rani or Mahiway.

Till now I get calls and when they come from the creme de la creme of the industry, you know that your efforts have paid off. Now I'm dying to sing the number with Shankar Ehsaan Loy on stage and experience the first-hand reactions from the audiences.

I began singing when I was eight years old and have thanked God every day of my life for giving me such a distinct voice. Since my childhood, I've been very devotional and I think my bend toward Sufi music was quite natural.

But when I started anchoring for Antakshari with Anu Kapoor, the programming head told me I'd to sing filmy songs. It was a first for me though I'd grown up listening to Lataji and Ashaji.

This is how I got introduced to playback singing. But it doesn't matter to me what songs I sing as long as I'm connected to music.

Thats my connection with God. I am constantly in touch with music, and sometimes it makes its way into my house in strange ways.

Sometimes interesting compositions evolve from friendly get-togethers. In fact, I've collected three songs this way and am now working towards more so that I can come out with an album that'll mostly have original Sufi songs with sensible fusion music.

She is still basking in the glory of Sajda, even three months after the film's release. Singer Richa Sharma, who is now set to tour America and Canada the whole of next month, can't wait to get on stage with composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy to sing her most popular song yet.

She talks to CS: I respect the trio immensely and when Shankar told me I'd to sing this song, I wasn't too sure at first. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan had already sung it and the scale was too low for me.

But it was Shankar who gave me that much needed boost. He said, "According to me, you're the only one who can sing this song.

" That encouragement was enough. In fact, I've got more praise for Sajda than I ever got for Billo Rani or Mahiway.

Till now I get calls and when they come from the creme de la creme of the industry, you know that your efforts have paid off. Now I'm dying to sing the number with Shankar Ehsaan Loy on stage and experience the first-hand reactions from the audiences.

I began singing when I was eight years old and have thanked God every day of my life for giving me such a distinct voice. Since my childhood, I've been very devotional and I think my bend toward Sufi music was quite natural.

But when I started anchoring for Antakshari with Anu Kapoor, the programming head told me I'd to sing filmy songs. It was a first for me though I'd grown up listening to Lataji and Ashaji.

This is how I got introduced to playback singing. But it doesn't matter to me what songs I sing as long as I'm connected to music.

Thats my connection with God (less)

"Cindy and I are blessed to have found each other. Being in love is a gift from the universe, and the spirit and vibrations that come with it are infinitely powerful," Santana said.

"I look forward to expressing that incredible energy through my music, and in helping to tip the balance toward more love in the world with what Cindy and I share," he added. Just before the proposal, Blackman, who has recorded and toured with artists like Lenny Kravitz and Sam Rivers in the past joined Santana for a drum solo on his hit Corazon Espinado .

This will be the Mexican musician's second marriage as his wife of 34 years, Deborah had filed for a divorce from him in 2007 (less)

"No one helped me. I would go begging for work.

It was not easy as I had no godfather or someone to help me. A lonely person tends to make mistakes, it is always better to have someone to guide you.

I had no one," Bhosle said in an interview. Bhosle, who has been the voice of more that 12,000 songs in a career spanning six decades, does not find Bollywood exciting anymore.

"I have been singing for so long. I will do playback only if something new and exciting comes my way," she says.

When asked about the stories of rivalry with her elder sister, Asha declined to comment. "I don't want to comment on what the media says," said the singer, adding that the love of her fans has kept her alive.

"Apart from my parents, I am thankful to the musicians who gave me work when I was a newcomer in the industry. Also I am grateful to my listeners who have kept Asha alive, she would have died otherwise," said the singer.

Bhosle, who always tries to do something new on each of her birthdays, is now planning to launch a record with tabla maestro Shujat Khan. "I am making an album with Shujat, which is an amalgamation of classical and folk music.

I did live recording after years and it was such fun," said the singer. Bhosle has mastered almost all genres of music be it pop, ghazal, classical or qawali and now is in talks with Mexican-American artiste Carlos Santana for a duet.

The voice behind hits like In ankhon ki masti , Sona re and Rangeela , Bhosle says she is now trying to popularise Indian music in the West. The singer will celebrate her birthday during a concert in Singapore.

"My energy is my lifeline. I cannot do without it.

I am planning to open the ninth outlet of my restaurant Asha's in Dubai," said Bhosle, adding that she only concentrates on the menu while the financial aspects of the business are looked after by her son Anand. "The menu includes my favourite dishes and I keep checking the quality of the food," she added (less)

The 24-year-old singer took up music five years ago with the dreams of achieving international stardom one day. "I want to make it big on a national stage and then represent my country on the international circuit.

I want to achieve fame like Brian Adams, Beyonce Knowles, the Backstreet Boys and Westlife, who are internationally popular," said Sreeram. A native of Hyderabad, Sreeram has graduated in engineering and trained in classical Carnatic music.

He intends to carry on learning music as well as establish himself as a playback singer in Bollywood. Sreeram has already recorded a duet with Shreya Ghosal for music composer duo Salim-Suleiman.

"I am looking forward to the release of the song which I sung with Shreya Ghosal and also the album I will be recording with Sony," said Sreeram, who has also bagged a deal with Yashraj Films to sing in one of their forthcoming films as a part of his Indian Idol win. Sreeram has grown up listening to the likes of Kishore Kumar and A R Rahman and is heavily inspired by them.

"I listened to Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Shankar Mahadevan, Rahman saab. I also am influenced by the west and love Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi," he said.

Throughout his Indian Idol journey, not for once did Sreeram come into the bottom three or face the danger of getting voted out. Was he always confident about his win? "I was the only one who never came in to the danger zone and I am glad that people loved my singing so much.

But I always tried to maintain a balance and keep myself prepared for the worst," said Sreeram, who got his Idol trophy from none other than Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Bachchan also took pity on a breathless Sreeram and helped him deliver his thank you speech, which is now a fond memory with the singer.

"It was the best moment of my life," he added (less)

Do you miss Kerala? I am an Iyer from Palakkad, but born and brought up in Mumbai. I would love to say that I am from South and I migrated to Mumbai.

But if you come to Mumbai and see certain areas, especially areas like Chembur (where I grew up) and Matunga, you are not going to miss South India because, the people over there, the markets, the clothes that people wear, the way they talk?you will feel that you are in Palakkad actually. From a software engineer at Oracle to a musician, what made you take such a risky plunge? There's something called a livelihood and something called passion.

It should always be your aim to make your passion your livelihood?you will be able to work 24 hours if you are doing what you love to. I was singing here and there a little bit.

I was from a middle-class South Indian family and education was very important for us; it still is. Education is important for your confidence.

So, as I was saying, I completed my education and started working. But after sometime, you need to introspect.

Did you alone take the decision to change your profession or consulted friends and family? I was hugely motivated by Sangeetha?she was not my wife then, we were still going around and about to get married. She was the one responsible for me turning full-time musician (laughs).

Unless you have the correct support from the person you love the most, it's very difficult to take a decision; and she supported me. So, what is music to you? All that there is to music are the seven notes; everything is created through these, mixed in various proportions and intensity.

What makes you get involved in so many things at the same time-composing songs, jingles, playback singing, cutting your own albums, live concerts? Ya?someone told me that I am a supermarket of music with special deals everywhere (laughs). It's an extension of your passion.

If there's a particular thing you want to do, you will do it. I don't believe in excuses like 'I don't have the time', or 'I am too busy doing this', or 'I can only focus on one thing'.

I can only focus on music. But within music, there are so many branches for me to explore and I am a very restless student from inside.

I always want to learn more about music and till I learn about a particular thing perfectly, I am never at peace. My interest towards ghazals, film music, fusions, western music, jingles?all are part of my interest and my craving to learn beyond.

Some people say you have slight Tamil flavor when you sing in Malayalam? I completely agree that there are still two languages which I need to work on to perfect?Malayalam and Bengali. These two languages are so deep-rooted that unless you have lived in that area and the language is a part of your system, it is really difficult to get the perfect diction.

You were an overnight success with the album Breathless. Brethless was the album that brought me to public and said: 'See this guy?he is Shankar Mahadevan'.

That was the first time my face and voice came together. You are said to be one person who can sing at low and high pitch with equal smoothness.

Do you agree? I don't know?I have a strange voice?it's a distinct one though. Dil Chahta Hai was a major breakthrough for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy as music composers.

Do you believe it to be your best work so far? I can't say that. But Dil Chahta Hai took us to places and it completely changed the way people listen to Hindi film music.

But success didn't come so easy. When we made Dil Chahta Hai, the first impression from two-three major music companies was-'It sounds like jingle'.

Why? Because, the music was given by people who also make jingles. Your two sons (Siddharth and Shivam) are also good singers.

Yes. They are really dedicated and passionate about music.

Give them a shruti and they will sing it. But we (wife Sangeetha and me) as parents, never push them with music.

We never tell them- 'See, you try to become like your father'. Both of them are very good in music and we are letting them be what they are.

We heard you are a complete foodie. True? Yes?food totally does it for me.

I will give you an example. I recently went on Teacher's Origin Highnights trip to Kolkata.

Seriously speaking, I agreed on the trip mainly because of the food; Sayantani, a member of our team, used to get us lunch from her home and her mother prepared amazing Bengali delicacies like Golda Chingrir Malaikari and Ilish Bhapa. It has been long that we had another Breathless? All I can say right now is that we (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) are working on a new album and it's going to be something different (less)

We had gone there to meet the war victims. I’ve had very fond memories of Ladakh.

The Shanti Stupa was so peaceful that I think I could almost spend a whole day there. The Kali Mata temple and Gurudwara Patthar Sahib — I can’t still believe that all these places have been damaged by cloudburst.

Since I am now in a position to garner some financial support, I have decided to talk to everyone in the industry to organise a show and collect money for the victim. I’ll soon have a talk with Raj Chakrabarty, who went to shoot for Prem Amar in Leh last year.

” Incidentally, three of Jeet’s songs — Nachiketa’s Jagere jagere, Kunal Ganjawala’s Uru uru and Kunal Ganjawalla and Gayatri Ganjawalla’s Prem Amar — were picturised on Soham and Payel in Leh last year. Meanwhile, Kunal Ganjawala is excited with the idea.

“It’s a fantastic idea. I’ve all my support for such an endeavour.

” Incidentally, Kunal and Jeet go back a long way and it’s only expected that the singer would give his complete support to Jeet’s endeavour. To illustrate their friendship, Jeet narrates an incident.

“Kunal is a huge fan of Panchamda. Every day, he’d wait outside Panchamda’s house hoping to get a dekko of the composer.

But he never got to meet him. However, whenever he waited outside Panchamda’s house, he’d imbibe a sweet fragrance.

He couldn’t fathom where it came from till the day Panchamda died. When his body was being taken to the crematorium, Kunal saw people spraying a perfume that smelt similarly.

He got to know that it was a French perfume, which Panchamda used. For years, Kunal has been trying to find out where Panchamda got that perfume from.

Recently, his uncle got hold of the fragrance from Italy and gifted him four such bottles. While Kunal doesn’t use them often, recently, he gifted one of these bottles to me as a gesture of his love and appreciation.

And that too after he had heard a composition that I had done for him titled Sedin dekha hoyechhilo. Kunal was so moved with this song that I wanted him to sing for Sujit Mondal’s next that in return, he gifted me that perfume.

I can safely say that Kunal will be there to support me in all my endeavours.” Actor Payel Sarkar, who had shot in Ladakh for seven days, says she would be more than happy to do something for the people of the Valley.

“The thought is nice and I would do anything in my capacity to help those in need there. I have such good memories of the place.

We had a small local unit, that had helped us immensely during the shoot. While shooting, we had to scale high mountains.

There were times when they would actually sit below and hold our legs while we canned the shots atop the hills. Sometimes, I wonder what has happened to them.

Not all of those in the unit were financially very well off.” Singer Gayatri, on her part, is also very supportive.

But more than financial help, she feels that it’s important to create an awareness about the problems that the people of this place face. “Of course, financial assistance is important.

But we can’t just forget our responsibilities only by signing a cheque or organising a concert. Kunal and I have noticed that people who live chose to Nature are also the ones who are most affected by the fury of Nature.

Those like us, who live in the cities, who live in excesses, are often the catalyst to whatever is happening. When we donate, send relief or aid in any rehabilitation process, we need to ask ourselves if we’ve been a catalyst to any destructive process.

” The date for the concert hasn’t been announced as yet. “I’ll rope in all my musician friends to contribute.

We might not be able to raise as much money as Bollywood will but even a contribution work `4-5 lac would be welcome. I’d personally want to go down to Leh and give this amount to the victims.

” And here too, Jeet has company in Payel. As a parting shot, Payel says, “No, I’m not afraid.

Even if I can go down today, I’m game.” (less)

He can sing parts ranging from bass, to baritone, and to a high falsetto/soprano. He says that he originally started to develop his range to confuse his chorus teacher in school.

>>??In '92, he said that his father sexually abused of him when he was two. Axl Rose is always in the news for all the wrong reasons.

When it's not drugs, it's his rants. Well this time he's making the headlines for something as inane as always??-- falling on the stage in the middle of a performance.

The Guns N' Roses lead vocalist was running on the stage when he toppled over. But he was hardly embarassed??- he resumed the number unfazed.

Here's more dope of him: >> The only original member still part of the band's line-up, Rose still places high in numerous polls as one of hard rock's all-time greatest frontmen, but is also infamous for his onstage antics and high-profile disputes with former bandmates and others musicians. >> He speaks in the baritone register, because he originally sang in the low baritone range in his choir.

However, his singing voice is of a tenor range. He can sing parts ranging from bass, to baritone, and to a high falsetto/soprano.

He says that he originally started to develop his range to confuse his chorus teacher in school.>>??At 16, he was kicked out of his house for not cutting his hair.

That's when Rose also met future Guns guitarist Izzy Stradlin in a driver's education class. They eventually started playing in bands together.

>>??In '92, he said that his father sexually abused of him when he was two. Axl Rose is always in the news for all the wrong reasons.

When it's not drugs, it's his rants. Well this time he's making the headlines for something as inane as always??-- falling on the stage in the middle of a performance.

The Guns N' Roses lead vocalist was running on the stage when he toppled over. But he was hardly embarassed??- he resumed the number unfazed.

Here's more dope of him: >> The only original member still part of the band's line-up, Rose still places high in numerous polls as one of hard rock's all-time greatest frontmen, but is also infamous for his onstage antics and high-profile disputes with former bandmates and others musicians. >> He speaks in the baritone register, because he originally sang in the low baritone range in his choir.

However, his singing voice is of a tenor range. He can sing parts ranging from bass, to baritone, and to a high falsetto/soprano.

He says that he originally started to develop his range to confuse his chorus teacher in school.>>??At 16, he was kicked out of his house for not cutting his hair.

That's when Rose also met future Guns guitarist Izzy Stradlin in a driver's education class. They eventually started playing in bands together.

>>??In '92, he said that his father sexually abused of him when he was two. Axl Rose is always in the news for all the wrong reasons.

When it's not drugs, it's his rants. Well this time he's making the headlines for something as inane as always??-- falling on the stage in the middle of a performance.

The Guns N' Roses lead vocalist was running on the stage when he toppled over. But he was hardly embarassed??- he resumed the number unfazed.

Here's more dope of him: >> The only original member still part of the band's line-up, Rose still places high in numerous polls as one of hard rock's all-time greatest frontmen, but is also infamous for his onstage antics and high-profile disputes with former bandmates and others musicians. >> He speaks in the baritone register, because he originally sang in the low baritone range in his choir.

However, his singing voice is of a tenor range. He can sing parts ranging from bass, to baritone, and to a high falsetto/soprano.

He says that he originally started to develop his range to confuse his chorus teacher in school.>>??At 16, he was kicked out of his house for not cutting his hair.

That's when Rose also met future Guns guitarist Izzy Stradlin in a driver's education class. They eventually started playing in bands together.

>>??In '92, he said that his father sexually abused of him when he was two (less)

He is touring five Indian cities with music director Shankar Mahadevan but says he does not want to make a career out of it. "I never look at it as a career.

First enjoy it yourself and make sure that others also enjoy it. And you are not sickening them with your work.

But I don't say that I want to be a singer because I got to make a career out of it. I don't plan that too much," Boman told IANS in an exclusive interview.

Wizcraft roped him with music director Shankar Mahadevan for Teachers' Origin Highnights, for which they are travelling to Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore. Asked if he has any plans to perform on stage beyond the present tour, he said: "Of course we are planning something outside India.

Let's see how it goes. "This opportunity (to sing) came in IIFA (International Indian Film Academy awards), picking up the guitar and singing with 50 little kids.

But what I have to say is I just love to explore other things," said Boman. The actor confessed that it was not an impromptu effort and he had taken lessons for the show.

"I have been practising singing. There is a wonderful lady called Marion D'Cruz with whom I sat for five sessions to perform at IIFA.

That was required to open up my voice because you know sometimes we don't use all the registers of our voice. "Music director Raju Singh made the track for 'Give me some sunshine.

..

' He is the guy who used to play guitar for R.D.

Burman. I went to him, became friends and asked him to help me out to gain confidence on just strumming the guitar.

I can't call them classes though; I went to him seven-eight days," the actor said. "See, eventually, any form of art, be it music, cinema or acting or painting, it's a release.

When you can sing, when music is involved..

..

and we love music so much, it is very, very important to release it. Don't keep it bottled in.

When you get that opportunity, don't let that opportunity go. It doesn't come a second time around.

" Boman says that "Munna Bhai..

." was one such opportunity that he is glad he didn't let it go.

"When "Munna Bhai..

." came I was lucky to have taken it, though I had said no initially.

When opportunity comes, never let it go." Check out Boman Irani���s pics (less)