Fame X Synopsis/Articles: No Comments - Page 3

Posted: 17 years ago
'Judges on reality shows are biased': Palash
Rachna Kanwar

The first impression that one gets on meeting Palash Sen is that he is not your regular reality show dude.

Polished, non-filmy and humble, that's what this Delhi rocker is all about. Leading his band 'Euphoria' through the initial stages of college concerts to smash hit albums, Dr. Palash Sen is now ready to take up the role of a Dean in the Fame Academy on SAB TV's 'Fame X' (erstwhile 'Fame Gurukul'). "I never wanted to do a reality show honestly. They offered me and I thought that it was a better idea to be a dean than a judge. It gives me a chance to groom young kids and realize their dreams. If I was asked to be a judge I would never take it up. Being a judge is a very biased job. Everybody has got their preferences. There is no common denominator as to who is good and who is bad," reasons out Palash whose videos were stepping stones for Bollywood beauties like Vidya Balan and Rimii Sen.  

The guy who is known as the 'father of Hind Rock', Palash feels that the reality show winners don't sustain because by the end of the show there is no mystery around them any more. "Everybody knows everything about you. To date people don't know whether I am a dentist or an orthopedic surgeon or a gynecologist. They just know that Palash is a doctor, so there is some mystery around you. If everything is revealed about you then there is nothing to know," he adds. Does he agree with the fact that the talent that has emerged from these reality shows is at best, ordinary? He jumps to the rescue of the reality brigade, "I don't agree at all. Abhijeet Sawant is very good. Rahul Vaidya is very good. Amit Sana, Karunya and Sandeep are good too. Qazi Tauqeer may not be a very good singer, but then he had something in him that made him very popular. If you look at it, none of the Pakistani pop-stars sing very well, but they are very popular."

Palash feels that public voting is more efficient than leaving the results to the judges. He says "How can Daler Mehndi or Ganesh Hegde be better judges than millions of people? We are living in a country where the Parliament is chosen by the people, this is just a reality show. Eventually who is going to listen to the music? It is the public, so let them decide."

The entire team on 'Fame Gurukul' headed by Ila Arun last year was wiped out by SAB this year making way for a fresh team headed by Palash. He jokes, "The difference that I bring this year is that I am much younger than Ila Arun and it is going to be a rock show now that I am here."

On being asked why he hasn't made a transition from a pop-star to a Bollywood singer despite his contacts in the film industry, he just shrugs and says, "I don't like it. I am not very comfortable with it."
Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
Mumbai's hopes at Fame X
   By: Shaheen Parkar
   November 29, 2006
Karke dikhaenge! Jyotika Sharma, Rehan Khan and Neethi Nair

Three Mumbai youngsters, Jyotika Sharma, Rehan Khan and Neethi Nair have made it to the final 16 on SAB's reality show, Fame X. In this second season of Sony's Fame Gurukul, the trio battles for the top honour — a contract with Sony BMG as well as a chance to sing India's Cricket World Cup anthem next year, besides being MTV's artiste of the month (March 2007).

Potential winners

Neethi, 19, is a resident of Dombivli and is studying for a BSc at Somaiya College. Besides singing, she has also learnt bharatnatyam, mohiniattam and kathakali. She has been performing on stage since childhood and has also sung jingles.

Jyotika, also 19, who was studying arts at SIES College, has taken a break from studies. She has featured in several television game shows.
Rehan, 23, is a resident of Mira Road. After completing his class 12, he has performed with Indian Idol Abhijit Sawant and Fame Gurukul runner-up Rex D'souza. He has also done several shows with last year's Fame winner, Qazi Touqeer. Says Rehan, "I had taken part in Indian Idol as I aspire to be a playback singer. The contest has just begun and every contestant has the potential. All of us want to do our best. The rest is in the hands of the judges."

Regional divide

It is learnt that barely a week into the show, the 16 participants have already begun bonding. According to a unit source, "There is already a 'Mumbai on one side, the rest on the other' divide. There's also a clear divide between those contestants who are into rock music and the rest of the group. The contestants from the North have gelled among themselves. There is already plenty of groupism among the contestants. The focus this time is on the X factor of the contestant, so there is this geographical bonding."

The participants are housed at the Fame X Academy, which has been set up at RK Studios, Chembur. They will spend the next three months at the academy, away from the outside world. Palash Sen (of the band Euphoria) is the dean of the academy and Soumya Raoh is training the singers. The judges of the show include Daler Mehndi, Ganesh Hegde and MTV (represented by Nikhil Chinappa).

The rest of the contestants

Aditya Jassi, 24, from Delhi, is a journalist by profession. But music is his life and his first love is composing songs and performing with his band.

Rohit Raj Sinha, 24, from Allahabad, had participated in Indian Idol 2 but was eliminated prior to the final 12 list. His interest in music began as a challenge: to prove to himself that he could!

Samrat Kaushal, 22, from Punjab, has been training under his father. He experiments with his voice to render each composition in a different style.

Ashutosh Jain, 23, from Delhi, is a software geek who has left his job to pursue his passion — music. He can play the guitar, drums and keyboards.

Rakesh Sharma, 30, Madhya Pradesh, is a Sufi singer who seeks inspiration from the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Alok Chaubey, 18, Bihar, considers himself a performer. His parents are artistes at All India Radio.

Anandrupa Bagchi, 19, Bihar, comes from a musical family and is trained by her mother, a music teacher. Since the past year, she has being training with Suresh Wadekar. She plays the sitar and tanpura and adores Sonu Niigaam.

Ritu Pathak, 19, Madhya Pradesh, plays the tabla and harmonium and is passionate about pursuing music as a career.

Vidhan Chandra Pandey, 21, Uttar Pradesh, stammers when he speaks but sings flawlessly. This self-taught singer listens to Mohammed Rafi for inspiration.

Priyadarshi Banerjee-Banjo, 23, West Bengal is a rock singer and considers himself extremely innovative in his performance.

Arunima Bhattacharya, 23, West Bengal, is a trained classical singer and has been performing since the age of six. She participated in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa (World Series) and Indian Idol.

Trupti Pandkar, 20, Pune, sings mostly Western songs. She is the lead vocalist in a band.

Priyanka Purohit, 21, left her biotechnology course to pursue music. She is not a trained singer but has made it to the final list of Fame X.

Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
On stage you have to exert your voice or you have to be little loud. In a studio you have to be extra careful" – Sowmya Raoh 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, July 19, 2006 - 23:39 IST
Sowmya Raoh – does the name strike a chord? Well, it surely will when we tell you that she is the voice behind songs like Nach Baliye (Bunty Aur Babli), Dilbara (Dhoom), Jeena (Dum) and Laila Laila (Samay) ! Just to name a few.

This trained singer from South believes in quality work. Sowmya speaks to IndiaFM about her singing down south, in Bollywood and her journey so far.

Was taking up singing as a career your personal choice or something that happened due to the influence of your father, considering he was a reputed singer?
My mother was a Kannada singer and I used to accompany her to the recording studios. Then I started as a child singer. My father was with RBI. He was also a singer and along with them I started singing. Then I took a break for some years and resumed singing when I was in college. That time I was not quite serious as I never thought that I will take it as a profession.

Did your training happen at home or did you take any formal training in singing from outside?
It's a discipline in South that each child should learn either music or singing. I learnt Karnataka classical singing for 5 to 6 years. Later I shifted to light music.

It's a discipline in South that each child should learn either music or singing.
You started off as a dubbing artist…
Yes, when I was in Bangalore in 1993, I started as dubbing artist. After that people began to know me and my work. Music composer Sandeep Chowta was looking for a singer, who could sing Hindi songs. Initially when I used to sing with Chitra, I used to observe her. I learned few things from her. And of course everyone learns from trails and errors, I too. It is a slow process but quality has been a part of my work.

Wasn't the Telugu song "Greekuveerudu" from the film "Ninna Pelladata" a turning point in your career?
Yes it was. I was singing for Sandeep Chowta at Banglore when 'Ninna Pelladata' happened. The response was quite appreciating. Sandeep wanted a singer to sing in Tamil and Telugu along with Hindi.

How did you start out in Bollywood?
Well, I can say that I grew up watching Hindi music so there were no extra efforts to grasp the language. In year 2000, when I used to visit Bombay on and off, I got my first project. I lent my song for the 'Soul of Jungle' and then a background track of 'Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya'. Company was my first Hindi film as a singer. After that, other Hindi films like Dum, Bunty Aur Bubli happened.

Does the actor's personality affect the voice you lend to them?
No, it doesn't affect to any actor's personality. While in my case my voice is heroine oriented so I don't have to modulate my voice. I have sung for many actresses in various languages and different types of songs.

My voice is heroine oriented so I don't have to modulate my voice.
Do you believe in singing only for a particular type of songs or would like to try different genres?
I love to experiment; similarly I would like to try the entire genre. I want to explore my voice in every genre. Till now I have not restricted myself to any specific types of songs. I am open to every new thing that excites me as a singer.

How tough is it to sing in different languages?
Kannada is my mother tongue, so if you know Kannada language then you end up following Tamil and Telgu languages too. I used to hear lot of languages and grasp it quite fast.

I used to hear lot of languages and grasp it quite fast.
Who is your favorite singer in Bollywood?
I like Lata Mangeshkar, Sukhwinder, K.K, Shaan and they all are good singers. But if you ask me about my favorite singer then I would say its Sonu Nigam. He is the most versatile singer in Bollywood. He is an idol for me.

Sonu Nigam is the most versatile singer in Bollywood.
Any particular music director that you would like to work with?
I have worked with most of the music directors like Sandeep Chowta, Anu Mallik, Vishal Shekhar and Shankar Ehsaan Loy. There are many with whom I would like to work with. I want to work with everyone as they all have their own style of music.

You have done many live shows. What's the difference between performing live and singing in a studio?
Performing live on stage is totally different from singing in a studio. On stage you have to exert your voice or you have to be little loud. Whereas in a studio you have to be extra careful as there is lot of creativity involved in making a song.

On stage you have to exert your voice or you have to be little loud. In a studio you have to be extra careful
How important is winning awards for you?
Winning an award is good but it doesn't mean that if you get an award, you are a good singer or vice versa. It feels good when you are appreciated by the audiences. But at the same time you have to be realistic as there are so many talented people around. So in that case winning an award is like getting appreciated by our audience.

It doesn't mean that if you get an award, you are a good singer or vice versa.
Tell us about your upcoming assignments?
There are some films that I am working on. But I can't name them as they are under production. I have sung for Khosla Ka Ghosla that's releasing soon. I am also singing for a Yash Raj movie.
Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
Name: Sowmya Raoh
Claim to fame:
'Aiyyo aiyyo rama' from 'Jungle'
'Roundhe hai' from 'Pyar Tu Ne Kya Kiya'
'Aankhon mein raho' from 'Company'
'Jeena' & 'Dil hi dil mein' from 'Dum'
'Charas' from 'Charas'
'Bheegi bheegi' from 'Girlfriend'
'Kesariya Balam' from 'Mitti'
'Khoobsurat hai tu' from 'Now That's Sandeep Chowta'
'Hai re hai tera ghunghta' -
Leslie Lewis
'Zara zara' - Jackie V
Waiting my turn : "I'm waiting for that big number that will catapult me to stardom. Being in Mumbai has been great, but sometimes it tests your patience, and drives you to frustration. I feel that the music industry is going through a slump - I am sure that situation is a temporary one, but then all the work goes only to the top bracket of singers and newcomers like me get only the remnants. That's tough. But I know I'm on the right track, and am doing the right thing, so success is not far from where I'm standing.
No raunchy stuff here : I don't believe in grabbing attention by doing raunchy video numbers because then the viewers don't know whether the girls in the video are singers or performers - I will wait for my big moment.
I sing along to : I love the old timers - Noor Jahan, Mohd Rafi, Mukesh, Lataji, Ashaji, and S Janaki from down south. I've grown up listening to Indian Hindi film music and ghazals and I listen to a lot of Ghulam Ali and others from his generation.
I know what's good for me : I love the versatility that my singing has. I like to sing depending on the character, the ambience and the lyrics. The mood and sense of feeling is very important to me. I also believe in doing 'riyaz' every day - sure some days I don't feel like it so I don't push myself too much, but I listen to good music and practise. Like I said, I hope to make it big one day."
Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
Sowmya Raoh speaks on 'SOWMYA'!

By Sameer Wadekar, Bollywood Trade News Network

Sowmya RaohShe is credited with more than 200 songs down South and is a huge craze amongst her fans there especially after her stupendously hit Telugu number "Greekuveerudu"  (from the film NINNA PELLADATA) which ran for 20 consecutive weeks at No 1 position. She has extensively worked with maestros like A R Rahman, Deva, Illyraja and Vidyasagar. But she was eager to sing for Bollywood and that opportunity came through Sandeep Chowta with 'Aiyo Aiyo Rama' (JUNGLE). She then sang some wide popular songs like 'Ankhom Mein Rahon' (COMPANY), 'Zindagi' (SAMAY) and 'Jeena Tere Liye' (DUM). But it was 'Katra Katra' (FAMILY) and 'Nach Baliye' (BUNTY AUR BABLI) that has catapulted her to the zenith. We are talkin' about Sowmya Raoh!

BUNTY AUR BABLI was one of 2005's biggest hits and its songs were an absolute rage. 'Nach Baliye' was a standout for its easy-on-ears catchy tune and Sowmya's soothingly ecstatic voice. The talented trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy did the musical score for the film.

And now this brilliant singer has added another gem into her kitty! Her self-titled album SOWMYA had its official launch on 5th April 2006 at the hands of veteran actress Dipti Naval and versatile composer Sandeep Chowta. The album is released by Times Music.

The album has in all nine tracks, five of which she has sung previously including the peppy 'Haai Re Haai Tera Ghoongta' (from the album JALWA 3). The rest four numbers are original compositions of which one is composed by Sowmya herself! The track is called 'Nazar Na Lage' which is more in the Qawwali format.

But is it the right time to cut a pop album? There's a 'Sowmya' reply, "Yes I know that the non-film music segment is not doing well these days. But I have made an effort to keep my album as innovative as possible so that it reaches out to a vast multitude. Isme Har Mood Ke Liye Gaana Hai. (This album has got songs for every mood)."

Sowmya RaohThere is a video song called 'Pyaar Hai' composed by Taufees Akhtar who has also done the remix of the same number. Directed by N C Matthew this is Sowmya's first commercial video "It was wonderful to work with Matthew. We shot the video in Chennai in soaring temperatures but it was a lot of fun," Sowmya chuckles excitedly.

What are her current assignments? "Well, there are a few film songs I am doing right now but it's too early to speak about it, you see."

And her expectations from this album; is she nervous? "I am excited but I haven't kept any exorbitant expectations. Basically this is another crack at my musical endeavor and I hope my fans would welcome it open-heartedly! That's all I wish at this moment," she concludes.

Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
Mumbai's hopes at Fame X
   By: Shaheen Parkar
   November 29, 2006
Karke dikhaenge! Jyotika Sharma, Rehan Khan and Neethi Nair

Three Mumbai youngsters, Jyotika Sharma, Rehan Khan and Neethi Nair have made it to the final 16 on SAB's reality show, Fame X. In this second season of Sony's Fame Gurukul, the trio battles for the top honour — a contract with Sony BMG as well as a chance to sing India's Cricket World Cup anthem next year, besides being MTV's artiste of the month (March 2007).

Potential winners

Neethi, 19, is a resident of Dombivli and is studying for a BSc at Somaiya College. Besides singing, she has also learnt bharatnatyam, mohiniattam and kathakali. She has been performing on stage since childhood and has also sung jingles.

Jyotika, also 19, who was studying arts at SIES College, has taken a break from studies. She has featured in several television game shows.
Rehan, 23, is a resident of Mira Road. After completing his class 12, he has performed with Indian Idol Abhijit Sawant and Fame Gurukul runner-up Rex D'souza. He has also done several shows with last year's Fame winner, Qazi Touqeer. Says Rehan, "I had taken part in Indian Idol as I aspire to be a playback singer. The contest has just begun and every contestant has the potential. All of us want to do our best. The rest is in the hands of the judges."

Regional divide

It is learnt that barely a week into the show, the 16 participants have already begun bonding. According to a unit source, "There is already a 'Mumbai on one side, the rest on the other' divide. There's also a clear divide between those contestants who are into rock music and the rest of the group. The contestants from the North have gelled among themselves. There is already plenty of groupism among the contestants. The focus this time is on the X factor of the contestant, so there is this geographical bonding."

The participants are housed at the Fame X Academy, which has been set up at RK Studios, Chembur. They will spend the next three months at the academy, away from the outside world. Palash Sen (of the band Euphoria) is the dean of the academy and Soumya Raoh is training the singers. The judges of the show include Daler Mehndi, Ganesh Hegde and MTV (represented by Nikhil Chinappa).

The rest of the contestants

Aditya Jassi, 24, from Delhi, is a journalist by profession. But music is his life and his first love is composing songs and performing with his band.

Rohit Raj Sinha, 24, from Allahabad, had participated in Indian Idol 2 but was eliminated prior to the final 12 list. His interest in music began as a challenge: to prove to himself that he could!

Samrat Kaushal, 22, from Punjab, has been training under his father. He experiments with his voice to render each composition in a different style.

Ashutosh Jain, 23, from Delhi, is a software geek who has left his job to pursue his passion — music. He can play the guitar, drums and keyboards.

Rakesh Sharma, 30, Madhya Pradesh, is a Sufi singer who seeks inspiration from the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Alok Chaubey, 18, Bihar, considers himself a performer. His parents are artistes at All India Radio.

Anandrupa Bagchi, 19, Bihar, comes from a musical family and is trained by her mother, a music teacher. Since the past year, she has being training with Suresh Wadekar. She plays the sitar and tanpura and adores Sonu Niigaam.

Ritu Pathak, 19, Madhya Pradesh, plays the tabla and harmonium and is passionate about pursuing music as a career.

Vidhan Chandra Pandey, 21, Uttar Pradesh, stammers when he speaks but sings flawlessly. This self-taught singer listens to Mohammed Rafi for inspiration.

Priyadarshi Banerjee-Banjo, 23, West Bengal is a rock singer and considers himself extremely innovative in his performance.

Arunima Bhattacharya, 23, West Bengal, is a trained classical singer and has been performing since the age of six. She participated in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa (World Series) and Indian Idol.

Trupti Pandkar, 20, Pune, sings mostly Western songs. She is the lead vocalist in a band.

Priyanka Purohit, 21, left her biotechnology course to pursue music. She is not a trained singer but has made it to the final list of Fame X

http://www.mid-day.com/hitlist/2006/november/147423.htm

Posted: 17 years ago
Who'll be the next 'fame'ous one
Friday, November 03, 2006 10:57:31 IST
With Daler Mehndi announced as the first judge, Fame Gurukul will now be revamped in terms of its concept and name
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Last year, there was a sudden spat of reality shows like Nach Baliye, Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul. While Indian Idol has finished with its second season a long while ago, Nach Baliye is halfway through its second season, then how could Fame Gurukul be left far behind?
Starting from the 23rd of this month, Fame Gurukul will now be revamped not only in terms of its concept but also in terms of its name. The show, which essentially is a singing competition, has already conducted its auditions in the various cities of India. From as many as 200 participants, 14 will be selected.
The show has a couple of twists too. It is now called Fame X and now Euphoria lead singer Palash Sen will be the dean of Fame Academy. While Fame Gurukul was telecast on Sony, Fame X will be aired on SAB.
"Fame X is very different from its earlier version in terms of selection of the judges, look and feel of the academy, which will be an indoor and outdoor set up. Also there will be one single winner who will be entitled for a Sony BMG contract and a special honour of singing an anthem for the Indian cricket team," said Priya Mishra, Programming Head, SAB.
The first judge to be announced by the channel is Daler Mehndi. Speaking about his new role as judge, Daler Mehndi said, "I agreed to be a part of Fame X as I liked the concept of this show. I will be playing a key role in the growth of the 14 contestants as I will be their mentor, their critic and above all their guiding force."
Explaining the reason for the choice of their judge, Vikas Bahl, Senior VP and Business Head, SAB said, "SAB is consciously making an effort to reach to the new age Indian and offer them popular entertainment that is innovative, inspirational and optimistic. We are very delighted to announce that Daler Mehndi will don the judge's cap in our first reality show Fame X. We are very glad to have the nation's biggest singing sensation, who has already made a mark on the Indian youth, to be a part of Fame X."

Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
Aditya Jassi

Age - 24 years

From - New Delhi

Aditya is a journalist by profession and also plays in a band called Heavy Metal. He has never been trained in music, but plays the guitar, mouth organ and sings like a dream. He is the naughty boy with a charming personality.

He is the country boy who has the charm to make the audience melt with his performing capabilities. Pink Floyd, KK, Shaan, and Indian Ocean are his favourites. His sweet arrogance is just what is required

Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
Alok Chaubey

Age - 18 years

From - Bihar

The shy guy from Patna, belongs to a family of farmers and has grown up in a conservative, rural society. His family has a history of singing in temples and being the boy of the house, he has sustained this tradition. He sings in Jagrans, but at the same time, he is very adaptable to Indian music beyond his own region. Because of his delightful and authentic character,

Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
Anandrupa Bagchi

Age - 19 years

From - Bihar

She is from Jamshedpur, studying in Mumbai. This filmy girl is also the talkative one, a great performer and has participated in lots of shows. A very ambitious girl, Anandrupa is a die-hard fan of Sonu Nigam. She has this flirtatious streak to her and loves being in the limelight. And she is all here to grab everyone's attention.

Rohitraj Sinha

Age - 24 years

From - Allahabad

A wonderful singer and a great dancer, this Allahabadi believes in seizing any opportunity and loves to be in the limelight. A filmy kind of guy, he wants to be a star and believes that Fame X is his platform for stardom. Rohitraj was just waiting for this opportunity and has no intentions of letting it go.

Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago

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