Sonali roots for girls

Sonali Bendre openly supports the female contestants on Indian Idol. After watching the tremendous talent amongst the girls this season she fervently hopes it is a girl who will win the Indian Idol title this year.

She has high hopes from all the girls but she is full of praise for Shini, the girl with the golden voice. Shini, the only married girl on the show, has reached the Top 14 with a lot of determination. Her ouster shocked everybody. But with Shini''s return in the Wild Card entry, Sonali''s hopes are soaring once again.

Being a married woman herself, Sonali probably identifies with her more. Few would recall that Sonali herself is a discovery of a film magazine''s talent contest. "I was in college then. I went thinking it was an audition for a commercial, but once there I was told I was selected and was to be launched in a film! I was sure my mother would freak out at the very thought of my being an actress!" she recalls with a smile.

Shini is lucky. She has a supportive husband, family and in-laws backing her to achieve her goal and she has Sonali rooting for her too.

Shafqat Amanat Ali

This ''Rock star Ustad'' from Pakistan captured millions of Indian hearts when he sang Mitwa for Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. He then won acclaim for Yeh hausla from Dor. He has also sung for films like Hello, Mumbai Cuttings and Aashayen. Now, Shafqat Amanat Ali, the seventh generation of the Patiala Gharana, has released his album Tabeer.

The singer flew down from Pakistan to meet with the Indian Idol contestants on Rubaroo. Not only did he listen to them perform, but he also gave them tips on how to better their singing. We met up with the singer on the sets.

Have you been following Indian Idol on television?

Not one hundred percent—but yes I have been following it. I think it''s amazing the kind of talent the show has found.

How would you say the talent this time is?

It''s too early to say. The last time I listened to the contestants, they had already finished their training and they were very confident when they sang. The present set of contestants is getting there.

You got a chance to interact with the contestants. Did you give them any advice?

I did give them a few tip. Like they have to learn how to handle the mike. I told them that their voice needs to remain kulla. Because if you go on the higher notes aur aap awaaz ko thoda daba le, that''s not correct—that way you lose your points, you lose the beauty of your voice. So I advised them that when you hit the high notes, just move the mike away.

Three boys performed for you. How did you find the performances and who did you think was the best?

Kuldeep’s Piya nahi bole was very passionate and Mohit''s Lal meri had soul in it. But I think Roshan’s Mitwa was the best. He was very innovative. There were choti choti murkhiyaan here and there that are not in the original song. That shows that he can be a good playback singer.

Any comments about the judges>

Javed sir has seen and heard so much, he has the right to give any judgement he wants. Annu Malek is a little strong in his comments. I think he should tone it down a little. Kailash is a singer and he give his comments from that point of view, whcih is great.

Could you tell us something about your new album? It''s called Tabeer and it is already out in the market. We started the album off as a Sufi album. But soon it changed into something else because we included lots of fusion. There is mankabat, durbari fusion, semi pop—in fact it''s a mixture of everything.

Shini Kalvint MakeOver

Shini means: I was nicknamed chini because I sing sweetly. This soon became Shini
About myself: I’ve auditioned for Indian Idol before, but I didn’t get through. I met my husband during professional shows. It is a love marriage-I proposed to him
Family: My mother is a singer-she won the Gwalior Lata Mangeshkar Award. I loved to dance, but I also wanted to follow mom’s footsteps
Inspiration: Lata Mangeshkar
Fear: Sleeping alone at night. I enjoy horror films, but only with my mother
One thing I would like to change in myself: I would like to change my physicality-gain some weight

Annu Malek cheers for Roshan!

This young lad from Kannur district made his mark in the judge''s minds in the auditions itself. But it seemed that he was too conscious and as a result had lost his nerve in the first round. Roshan was lucky to survive…But some harsh comments from the judges seemed to have shaken him out of that stupor.

Roshan who has quit his studies for his love of singing made a mark this time around and surprised the judges with his performance. So much to say that the hard-to-impress judge - Annu Malek was quick to name him "Roshan ki roshani"!

Here''s hoping that Roshan''s singing lights up the hearts of millions of viewers and they vote for him too. Many of the contestants from southern India have suffered for the lack of votes in the past… We hope that it does not happen with this talented young boy…

Annu Malek is knowledgeable, but can be rude

Music director Annu Malek, who is a judge on music reality show Indian Idol 4, can be harsh with his comments to the participants, but the youngsters can learn a lot from his knowledge and experience, says host and television actor Hussain Kuwajerwala.

"Annu Malek k can be rude sometimes but he has immense knowledge and experience. The participants get to learn a lot from him," said Hussain.

Apart from Malek , writer-poet Javed Akhtar, singer Kailash Kher and actress Sonali Bendre are judges on the fourth season of the show.

The audience gets to see many a verbal duel between Malik and Akhtar, but Hussain says it is normal as "both are specialised in their respective fields".

"Javed-ji is very good with explanations. He can explain the mistakes to the contestants in a very simple and convincing fashion," he said.

Hussain started his TV career with Aashirwad and then went on to become a part of popular soaps like Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Krishna Arjun and Kumkum.

His popularity went a notch higher when he won the second season of dance reality show Nach Baliye along with his wife Tina.

He has hosted several reality shows earlier like Shabaash India, Kisme Kitna Hai Dum, Kuch Kar Dikhana Hai, Khullja Sim Sim 2, Indian Idol 3 and Nach Baliye 3.

The actor-cum-anchor says it is a pleasure to host Indian Idol again.

"Being the host of a show like Indian Idol all over again gives me immense pleasure because I have a lot of fun while anchoring it," he said.

According to him, the sets of the show have a positive energy and the entire excitement that surrounds the programme spurs him to do his best.

Asked what makes Indian Idol stand out among the myriad reality shows on air, Hussain said: "A show like Indian Idol is very entertaining and has extremely talented contestants, that''s why it clicks with the audience and they like it.

"Also everybody likes music, so a music-based show does find its way to the audiences'' hearts a little more easily."

It`s the time to party!

Belated birthday celebrations for Annu and Bhavya with a lot of fanfare and chocolate cake

Who will win Indian Idol this year, Girls or Boys?

As the girls outperform the boys, the audience is in store for a huge shock with 10 participants being eliminated from the show this week.
They came, they sang, they conquered!!! And not only that, they convinced one and all that they are here to stay. We are talking about the girls on Indian Idol. And the boys, in true sportsman spirit, cheered them on.
This season, the girls outdo the boys not only in number, but in performance too. They rendered some confident and rocking numbers. Which leads us to the age old question, ‘who will win the coveted title of Indian Idol 4 this year?’ Sonali Bendre firmly believes that a girl will walk away with the crown while Javed Akhtar hopes a good singer wins – be it a boy or a girl. Annu Malek, on the other hand, with his keen sense has picked one from the lot – Bhavya Pandit, the first among the singers to get an offer to sing for him in a forthcoming film.
But with laughter come tears. As Saturday dawns, the viewers and the contestants are in for a huge shock. After every singer putting in their maximum effort with round the clock riyaaz, wanting to be a part of Indian Idol 4 with all their heart and soul, 10 of the participants will have the carpet yanked off their feet.
So catch the great singing, enchanting performances and shocking eliminations on Indian Idol 4 this Saturday, November 1st at 9.00 pm only on Sony Entertainment Television.

Rajdeep returns with a vengeance

Public voting always shocks the judges; it seems the audience minds have a different outlook than that of the judges. Last week, it surprised everybody that a talented singer like Rajdeep Chatterjee did not manage enough votes. He landed in the bottom six while lesser talented singers were sitting comfortably with votes in their kitty.
It seems to have spurred the ever smiling young man even more to give his best shot to his singing. His performance in this round once again raised the bar on Indian Idol. He sang Sonu Nigam''s Ae dilruba… with such verve that he won over the judges and the audience with his performance. One hopes he stays on the show until the finals. He deserves to be there and voted in.

Bhanu makes history on Indian Idol 4

Bhanu Pratap Singh, the long-haired guy who was put down by his two female partners for not singing well enough, ended in near nervous breakdown when he was rejected. The judges decided to give him a second chance and he made it to Mumbai.
Once here, the guy is leaving no stone unturned to make his presence felt. His confidence is soaring and his singing has taken everyone by surprise. As a result the dark horse (Bhanu Pratap) was the only one to receive Silver Coin awarded to the best performance of the day on Diwali from the judges.
Bhanu''s joy knows no bounds. Kailash Kher believes that Bhanu Pratap Singh is destined to make history on Indian Idol! Who can forget that last year Prashant Tamang started his journey on Indian Idol with his partner refusing to sing with him in the theatre round? His partner was eliminated in the first round and Prashant survived to win the title. History repeats itself, they say…

Jugal Hansraj rocks Indian Idol 4

Indian Idol 4 has stolen all the hearts. Now get ready to know your favorite contestants as we bring the uncensored and personal anecdotes about them on Indian Idol 4 Rubaroo, starting this Thursday October 23 at 7.30 pm & a repeat at 10.30 pm. Hosts Chang and Deepali take you into the lives and present to you the little known side of this year's contestants.Kick starting the episode this week we have a very special guest on board. He is the chocolate boy, Jugal Hansraj, who stole every heart in town when he made his debut in Masoom many years ago. Jugal Hansraj, the actor- turned -director came with his two debutantes- Romeo and Laila from his first directorial debut, the animation film – Roadside Romeo. Needless to say, he was completely floored and dazzled by the young talent this season. They too were delighted to be with him and put up an impromptu show of singing, dancing and mimicry. In between shots they even sang all the songs from Jugal's films - Tujhse naraaz nahi..., Ghar se nikalte hi… Chalte chalte yuhi ruk jata hoon main amongst others.

The actor-director was humbled and touched by this gesture of the contestants and he enjoyed the attention everbody gave him. Inspite of a bad cold Jugal happily posed and interacted with all the contestants. He promised to send everyone a music CD of his film as a token of appreciation. Well, it was not only the girls who were floored by this chocolaty actor- turned -director but everyone else on the sets too adored him and his two debutantes – the naughty Romeo and cute Laila… as together they entertained the contestants with a dance performance from the film Roadside Romeo.

Roadside Romeo on Rubaru

Cupid on the sets?

Turns out that ever since Keshav laid eyes on Torsha Sarkar, he has been smitten. And some say his feelings may be reciprocated, too. And thus began ‘Sarkar Raj’. [Ha, and you thought it had something to do with Ramu’s film.] I haven’t been able to get further details, but keep watching this space—because I never admit defeat.
Now, Charit’s story is even more hazy. Seems all the girls think he is hot, but they also think he is boring because he doesn’t talk too much and he certainly does not rowdy around with them. However, Priyanka Negi is of a different opinion. To her, he is just HOT, HOT, HOT. There could be a romance brewing here, people!
In fact, Chang and Deepali tried to force Charit’s hand in the matter—to make him admit to the little crush. Chang gave him a rose and asked him to present it to the girl he liked the best. But Charit turned out to be as wily as a fox. He coolly ignored Priyanka and gave the rose to the only married woman in the group, Shini.