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Resul Pookutty, born in 1971, is an Academy Award and BAFTA Award winning Indian film sound designer and mixer. Pookutty is from Vilakkupara, Kollam in Kerala. He is the first Indian and only Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing.

Resul Pookutty was born in a Muslim family in Vilakkupara, Anchal 23 km from Kollam, Kerala. He was the youngest of eight children born to an impoverished family. His father was a private bus conductor, and he had to walk 6 km to the nearest school and studied in the light of the kerosene lamp as their village had no electricity.

He is a 1995 graduate from Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. Pookutty is married to Shadia. They have a son Rayan and a daughter, Salna.

  

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Anand Raaj Anand hails from Delhi and belongs to a jeweller’s background. He was extremely passionate about music since he was a child. On stage at school, he would sing his own compositions rather than film songs. He even convinced his college principal to start musical activities.He was also part of a music group, which participated and won numerous local competitions.

His love for music and desire to create his own identity brought him to Mumbai in 1992, which heralded his struggle in the industry. Ironically no one was interested in his multi-faceted skills of writing lyrics, composing and singing as well. Thus, the singer took a backseat and he chose to come forth as a composer.

Pravin Shah of Times Music finally recorded seven songs out of which three were used in the film ‘Masoom’. One of Anand’s creations; ‘Chota Baccha Samajhke’ became a hit. And soon enough he gave music for films like ‘Major Saab’, ‘Qila’, ‘Pardesi Babu’ and ‘Ek Hindustani’.

It was after these films, that the industry took note of this unqualified musician. His latest films are Sanjay Gupta’s ‘Kaante’, Feroz Khan’s ‘Janasheen’ and the forthcoming ‘Sarhad Paar’. At a time when the industry is flooded with techno beats and remixes, Anand has adapted to the market’s requirements and yet retained the unique quality of his music.

  

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Sambhavana Seth is an item girl and film actress. She born on 21st November 1982. She was seen in the movie 36 China Town with Upen Patel.

She came more into the notice when she appeared in the Famous reality show Big Boss 2 on Colors TV Channel. She also participated in the TV reality show named “Dancing Queen” on colors channel.

  

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Vishal-Shekhar are a music directing duo (Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani) for Bollywood films. They have had a number of successes including Salaam Namaste and Dus and Bluffmaster.

The duo rose in prominence when they composed the score for the film Jhankaar Beats, which included the hit song tu aashiqui hai. Their efforts paid off when they won the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent for Jhankaar Beats. The music for the film Musafir became very popular with youths. They combined techno music with Indian sounds. The score of the film included the music hits Saaqi and Door Se Paas. 2005 was a good year for the duo as they composed the scores for three hit films: Salaam Namaste and Dus and Bluffmaster.

They are now judges on the Zee TV show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007. They also directed the music of Tara Rum Pum, a hit.

Vishal Dadlani is also the vocalist of Mumbai-based electronic band Pentagram, and was a sometime-VJ at Channel V.

Shekhar is Gujarati and Vishal is Sindhi. Vishal is a vegeterian.Vishal-Shekhar were recently seen judging a popular music talent hunt show on Zee TV.

Shekhar is married and has a daughter named Bipasha. Vishal is still very much a part of the Indian rock band Pentagram. Shekhar is a trained classical singer and has a sound base of Indian music. Their music is thus a combination of Indian classical with western rock influence brought by Vishal.

  

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Javed Jaffrey was born on 4 December 1970 in Mumbai. Jaaved Jaffrey has played roles in various Hindi movies and serials. He is famous for his Maggi tomato ketchup advertisements. He is also popular as taporis for his portrayals of Bombay hoodlums. His dubbed commentary has been used in the famous Japanese TV show, Takeshi’s Castle, on Pogo TV. He is Muslim by religion. He is married. His contact address is: 101 A Greengate, Preyy X Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai 400 050.

He first came as a villain in the film Meri Jung released in the year 1985. He did show his dancing prowess in the role he played, but got forgotten in movies. His comic prowess came to the fore via Television in the 1990s. With the launch of cable TV, particularly MTV and it’s irreverent sense of humour gave him the space for his brand of comedy.

He anchored a show called Blast from the Past, where his deadpan expressions and bilingual Puns got him a fan following (for example-” What is Yaadon Ki Baraat in Hindi- A procession of Mammaries” the last being a play of words in how some people in India pronounce Memory, and a delightful reminder that the film starred Zeenat Aman and Neetu Singh. He also anchored a top of the charts song programme, Timex Timepass, playing various characters.

He won his first IIFA award for best comic role in Salaam Namaste in 2006.He hosts the dance competition show Boogie Woogie on Sony Entertainment Television Asia with his brother, Naved Jaffery and friend Ravi Behl.

  

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Shiamak Davar is an Indian choreographer. He has choreographed many Bollywood movies like Dil to Pagal Hai, Taal, Kisna, Bunty Aur Babli, I See you the latest being Dhoom 2. He also choreographed many stage shows and Indian Movie Awards Nites like IIFA, Stardust, Filmfare Awards and represented India at world events including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games Melbourne 2006, Indo-Japan Friendship Year 2007 innaugural event in Tokyo and Indian Economic Forum in Rome, Italy.

Shiamak is also a gifted singer and has performed with the legendary singer and song writer Sting. His Hindi-pop album “Mohabbat Karle” sold more than 1.2 million copies in India alone. Shiamak also won the best music video award for Dil Chahe which he directed, designed and choreographed.

Shiamak established his own school of dancing in 1992, Shiamak Davar Institute for the Performing Arts (SDIPA), which is very famous in India and is responsible for bringing out some of the best talents in the country. Originally with two centres in Mumbai, today there are branches in all the major Indian cities, including Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Chandigarh, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow.

SDIPA is known for teaching all kind of dances including Shiamak’s Indo Jazz Dance Movement, Shiamak’s Bollywood Jazz and also Jazz , Afro-Jazz , Salsa and Rock n Roll.

At the end of the summer and winter workshops conducted by SPIDA, the students perform at the Summer Funk and Winter Funk Show.

SDIPA’s motto is “Have feet will dance”.

Shiamak’s Victory Arts Foundation (VAF is a not-for-profit trust) also spreads the joy and power of dance to underprivileged children, children who are infected, affected or vulnerable to HIV / ADIS, physically or mentally challenged children. Have Spirit. Will Trimph. VAF runs various programs in most of the cities that SDIPA operates in India and reaches out to many children from the above backgrounds.

  

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Neelima Azeem is the mother of Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor from first husband Bollywood actor Pankaj Kapoor. They divorced when Shahid Kapoor was 3 years old. She is an Indian TV actress. She is also the mother of Ishaan Khattar from her second husband Rajesh Khattar, a TV artist. She also divorced Rajesh Khattar to marry singer Raza Ali Khan.

Neelima Azeem is known around India, Mumbai for her TV shows and has majored in classical Indian Dance. Her performances in the dance Kathak have been penominal.

  

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Shahid Kapoor born on February 25, 1981 in Mumbai, India is a Bollywood actor and model. Shahid was born to actor Pankaj Kapoor and actress/classical dancer Neelima Azeem. His parents divorced when he was three and he usually lived with his mother. His step-mother is Supriya Pathak He is a trained dancer and studied under Shiamak Davar. He stands at 5′ 7″ (1.70 m). Shahid Kapoor has a little brother and a little sister called Ruhan and Sanaa.

His debut film Ishq Vishk (2003) was a success. He received the Filmfare Award 2003 in the Debut category for his performance along with the same award from the Star Screen Awards and the Zee Cine Awards. In 2004, he starred in two more films: Fida, a thriller co-starring his current girlfriend Kareena Kapoor and Fardeen Khan as well as Dil Maange More, a romantic comedy alongside Soha Ali Khan, Tulip Joshi, and Ayesha Takia. Both films bombed at the box office, and Kapoor received positive reviews for his performances.

In 2005 all three of his films, Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi, Deewane Huye Pagal, and Shikhar failed to do well at the box office but his performances were praised. He received a Star Screen Best Actor Nomination for his work in Shikhar.

In 2006, Shahid received his first box office success since his debut with the multi-starrer, 36 China Town. Despite mixed reviews the comic-thriller became an above-average success. Shortly after the release of 36 China Town, Shahid’s second 2006 release, Chup Chup Ke released, which was an average success.

In the summer of 2006, Shahid embarked on a World Tour along with fellow Bollywood stars, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, John Abraham, Esha Deol, Mallika Sherawat and Zayed Khan.

His most recent film Vivah along with Amrita Rao was a blockbuster despite its outdated theme, continuing steady in the top five at the Indian box office even in its thirteenth week. His performance was well appreciated with audiences and critics both in India and abroad.

  

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Shreya ghoshal grew up in the remote southern corner of Rajasthan, in the small township of Rawatbhata near the city of Kota. Her father works in Bhabha Atomic Research Center as an Engineer in the nuclear power plant by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd and mother is a postgraduate in literature. She belongs to a highly academic family. Her early days as a singer started from the age of four. Her mother was a good singer and whenever she used to play any note on the harmonium, Shreya used to sing correctly on her own. Her father recognized her talent and decided to give her proper training. But as she was residing in an isolated place near Kota, she could not get much help. Later on she started going to Kota and started learning proper Hindustani classical music.

She auditioned for Sa Re Ga Ma, an Indian television show, and they sent her for a year and a half training. It was here that music director Ismail Darbar discovered her and determined that she should be the voice of Paro, the heroine in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (played on-screen by Aishwarya Rai). She began recording songs for the movie in 2000; the film itself was released two years later.

Ghosal has completed her college education, and is planning to pursue her MA in literature, a subject which she adores. She enjoys Symphony and instrumental in western music and her favourite is ABBA group. But Indian music is definitely her soul. Her voice has a texture that suits romantic songs and she can project voice very well (a fine example is “Jadu Hai Nasha Hai ” from Jism). She is also comfortable singing sad songs or peppy songs. She has recorded in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi, besides Hindi. Apart from Devdas, she has done songs for Jism, Saaya, Inteha, Out of Control, Khakee, Munnabhai MBBS, Dhoop, Kuchh Kaha Aapne, Aarman, Desh Devi, Tujhe Meri Kasam, LOC Kargil, Aetbaar, Police Force, Lage Raho Munnabhai,GURU etc.

Moviegoers from across the world heard Ghosal’s singing voice pictured on Aishwarya Rai, and she quickly became one of the top female playback singers in Bollywood, alongside Alka Yagnik, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sadhana Sargam and Kavita Krishnamurthy. Since Devdas, she has gone on to sing for many more actresses under the baton of various music directors, including M.M. Kreem, for whom she sang “Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai”, a sensuous number pictured on Bipasha Basu in Jism.

  

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Shiv Kumar Sharma’s name is synonymous with santoor, Indian classical music instrument. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is credited with single-handedly making the santoor a popular classical instrument.

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma was born on January 13, 1938. Shivkumar Sharma took his initial training in music under his father, Pandit Uma Dutt Sharma, an exponent of the Benaras Gharana and the “raj pandit” at the court of Maharaja Pratap Singh. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma learnt both the Tabla and the Santoor. He was also a vocalist. But, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma became famous because of his improvisations with santoor, a folk instrument from the valley of Kashmir.

In the early decades of the twentieth century, santoor, also called as Shata-Tantri Veena, was used as an accompaniment to a specific type of singing called Sufiana Mausiqi. Pandit Uma Dutt Sharma was convinced of the potentialities of the instrument and after extensive research on santoor he bestowed the responsibility of establishing it on the concert platform on his only son Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.

Shiv Kumar Sharma modified santoor to make it more suitable for his classical technique. He introduced the new chromatic arrangement of notes and increased the range to cover full three octaves. He also improvised a new technique of playing with which he could sustain notes and maintain sound continuity. Shiv Kumar Sharma brought Santoor at par with other classical instruments, well established it not just all over India, but also across the globe.

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is the recipient of many national and international awards. These include: Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1986), Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar (1990), Honorary Doctorate from the University of Jammu (1991), Padmashree (1991), Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Award (1998), and Padma Vibhushan (2001). He is also received the honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore, USA (1985).

  

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MS Subbulakshmi was a legendary Carnatic musician. She was popularly known as Nightingale of India. Her rendering of bhajans (devotional songs) was divine and used to enthrall and transfix listeners, and transport them into a different world

MS Subbulakshmi (Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi) was born as Kunjamma in the temple city of Madurai on September 16, 1916. She was born into a family of musicians. Her grandmother Akkammal played the violin and her mother was a veena artist.

MS Subbulakshmi started learning Carnatic music from a very early age. She made her debut as a singer at the age of eight and went on to perform in concerts, a domain traditionally reserved for males. She began her Carnatic classical music training under Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and then Hindustani classical training under Pandit Narayan Rao Vyas.

By the age of 17, Subbulakshmi was giving concerts on her own, including major performances at the Madras Music Academy, the prestigious center for the study and promotion of Carnatic music. In 1940, she married T. Sadasivam, a freedom fighter, and a follower of Rajaji. He played a key role in advancing her career.

She also acted in a few Tamil films in her youth. Her first movie “Sevasadanam” was released in 1938. MS Subbulakshmi also played the male role of Narada in “Savitri” (1941) to raise money for launching Kalki, her husband’s nationalist Tamil weekly. Her title role of the Rajasthani saint-poetess Meera in the eponymous film (1945) gave her national prominence. This movie was re-made in Hindi in 1947. The movie had M.S Subbulakshmi. sing the famous Meera bhajans, with Dilipkumar Roy as the music director. Those renditions by M.S. continue to haunt listeners to this day. Following the success of the film she quit films and turned wholly to concert music.

MS Subbulakshmi traveled to London, New York, Canada, the Far East, and other places as India’s cultural ambassador. Her concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York; the UN General Assembly on UN day in 1966; the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1982; and at the Festival of India in Moscow in 1987 were significant landmarks in her career.

MS Subbulakshmi received many honours and awards. These include Padma Bhushan in 1954, Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1968 (She was the first woman recipient of the title), Ramon Magsaysay award in 1974, the Padma Vibhushan in 1975, the Kalidasa Samman in 1988, the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in 1990, and the Bharat Ratna in 1998. She was also honored as the court-singer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

After the death of her husband Sadasivam in 1997, MS Subbulakshmi stopped all her public performances. She had no children. MS Subbulakshmi died on December 11, 2004 after a brief illness.

  

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Pandit Jasraj is one of India’s premier classical vocalists and the foremost exponent of Mewati Gharana.

Pandit Jasraj was born in 1930 to a musical family. At the age of six Pandit Jasraj was mesmerized by the soulful voice of the famous ghazal singer Begum Akhtar. He was initiated into vocal music by his father Pandit Motiramji. However, after the sudden demise of his father, Pandit Jasraj opted for the tabla under the training of Pandit Pratapnarayan, as an additional means of livelihood in order to lighten the burden of family responsibilities.

But, at the age of fourteen as a rebellion against the humiliating treatment given to accompanying artists, young Jasraj vowed never to be an accompanist, and decided to sing. He took his vocal training under the guidance of his elder brother Pandit Muniram and Maharaja Jaywant Singhji Waghela.

Pandit Jasraj is blessed with a rich, soulful and sonorous voice which traverses effortlessly over all three and a half octaves. The highlight of Pandit Jasraj’s vocalizing is his perfect diction, clarity in sur and extreme tunefulness. Pandit Jasraj’s greatest contribution to Indian music is his conception of an unique and novel jugalbandhi based on the ancient system of moorchanas, between a male and a female vocalist, each singing in their respective scales and different ragas at the same time.

Pandit Jasraj is the recipient of several honors and awards. These include Padma Bhushan, Surer Guru , Sangeet Martand , Sangeet Kala Ratna, Sangeet Natak Academy Award , Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar , and Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.

  

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Ustad Ali Akbar Khan is a North Indian classical musician of the Maihar gharana who plays the sarod. His performances worldwide have established the modern sarod idiom and contributed to greater awareness of Indian classical music.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan is one of the most accomplished Indian classical musicians. He is admired all over the world for his brilliant compositions and his mastery of the sarode. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan is considered by many as the “Indian Johann Sebastian Bach.”

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan was born on April 14, 1922 in East Bengal (Bangladesh). His family traces its gharana (ancestral tradition) to Mian Tansen, a 16th century musical genius and court musician of Emperor Akbar. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s father, the late Padma Vibhusan Acharya Dr. Allauddin Khan, was regarded as the greatest figure in North Indian music in 20th century.

Ali Akbar Khan started learning music from the age of three. He learnt vocal music from his father and drums from his uncle, Fakir Aftabuddin. Ali Akbar Khan learnt several other musical instruments too but finally decided to concentrate on the sarode and on vocal.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan gave his first public performance in Allahabad at the age of thirteen. In his early twenties, Ali Akbar Khan made his first recording in Lucknow for the HMV label, and the next year, he became the court musician to the Maharaja of Jodhpur. He worked there for seven years and the state of Jodhpur bestowed upon him the title of Ustad. Several years later Ustad Ali Akbar Khan received the title of Hathi Saropao and Dowari Tajeem at the Jodhpur Palace’s Golden Jubilee Celebraton in 1993.

Ali Akbar Khan first visited the United States in 1955 on the request of Lord Menuhin and gave a memorable concert at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan played a major role in popularizing Indian classical music in the US. He founded the Ali Akbar College of Music in Calcutta, India, in 1956. He began teaching in America in 1965. Later, he founded the Ali Akbar College of Music in Marin County, California.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan has given music in several films. These include: “Aandhiyan” by Chetan Anand (1953), “House Holder” by Ivory/Merchant, “Khudita Pashan” for which he won the “Best Musician of the Year” award, “Devi” by Satyajit Ray, and “Little Buddha” by Bernardo Bertolucci.

In 1997, Ali Akbar Khan was chosen for the Asian Paints Shiromani Award – Hall of Fame. He was the second recipient of the award after Satyajit Ray.

Presently, he lives in USA and teaches Indian classical music.

  

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Actress, dancer. Born Jennifer Mary Butala, on September 30, 1971, in Northridge, California. She was the youngest of three children born into a middle-class family. Raised by her parents, Richard and Susan Butala, Elfman enjoyed a carefree childhood in Southern, California, where she began classical ballet training at age five. In 1989, she entered Los Angeles County High School for the Arts as a dance major. Shortly after her enrollment, she abandoned a professional ballet career when a recurring ankle injury limited her range of motion.

Born: 09/30/1971
Birthplace: Los Angeles
Status: Married
Sign: Libra Biography

After briefly attending the University of California at Northridge, Elfman’s first step toward a career in show business came when she was awarded the opportunity to perform in the opening presentation for the 1991 Academy Awards Show. The exposure led to greater opportunities, and she was cast in a slew of rock videos for various artists, including Depeche Mode and Chris Isaak. Standing 5’10” tall, the striking California blonde, also toured with ZZ Top as one of the band’s signature “Legs” girls.

While moonlighting in rock videos, Elfman sharpened her acting skills at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, studying under famed acting teacher Milton Katselas. In the early 1990s, she launched her acting career with appearances in dozens of national television commercials.

Elfman eventually earned more substantial work on some of TV’s most popular sitcoms, including Roseanne and The Single Guy, as well as dramas such as N.Y.P.D. Blue and Murder One. In 1996, she was cast as a regular on the sitcom Townies, which explored the lives of three working women living in an East Coast fishing community. The short-lived series did not fare well among television viewers, however, Elfman was noted for her part as a promiscuous waitress. In 1997, Elfman landed her most important role to date – that of the free-spirited half of the husband-and-wife duo Dharma and Greg. Elfman and costar Thomas Gibson (whose conservative character, Greg, perfectly complimented Elfman’s passionate Dharma) shared a great small-screen chemistry. The ABC sitcom was warmly received by critics and audiences, who credited the show for its refreshing take on modern day romance.

Recently Elfman’s success on TV has allowed her to cross over to films, making her debut in the 1997 dark comedy Grosse Pointe Blank, which starred Minnie Driver and John Cusack. The following year, she landed her first lead role in the disappointing Richard Dreyfuss vehicle Krippendorf’s Tribe. She exhibited her diverse talents when she provided the voice of an owl in the Eddie Murphy comedy Doctor Dolittle (1998).

Elfman’s role as Dharma earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 1999. Later that year, her popularity was confirmed when she was asked to co-host the Emmy Awards presentation, alongside David Hyde Pierce. In her most recent work, Elfman offered charming performances in the comedies EdTV (1999) and Keeping the Faith (2000), opposite Edward Norton and Ben Stiller. Her latest effort, Town and Country (2000), cast her alongside a stellar company compromised of Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Andie MacDowell, and Goldie Hawn. During an audition for a Sprite commercial, in 1991, Elfman met her future husband, and fellow aspiring actor, Bodhi Elfman. The couple lived together for four years and married in 1995. They are both devout Scientologists.

  

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Linkin Park’s sound is utterly their own, an accomplishment strengthened by the band’s remarkably powerful and unforced songwriting. But almost everything about Linkin Park has been unforced, including their Southern California origins. Linkin Park has created a sound all their own, their music has incredibly catchy beats that you can get stuck in your head for days at a time. And then to back up the beat, are the emotionaly driven vocals that seem to come straight from their soul and into yours.

The songs have hip hop elements in them, while also throwing in the hard core rock and electronic industrial sounds. Plus the vocals arent the hellraising blood curtling screams that are in so much music nowadays, showing that the vocalists in Linkin Park actually have some form of skill, and are capable of more than screaming.

Brad and Mike attended the same highschool togeter where Brad also met Rob. Mike then went to the Pasadena Art Center where he studied Painting. While he was there he met Joe. Next Chester came into the picture to complete the Linkin Park lineup and to form what was to be one of the best up and coming bands in the world today. Then they began to perform shows and get a huge underground following. They hooked up with Warner Brothers and are recording their first album titled “Hybrid Theory”.

Delson and emcee/vocalist Mike Shinoda attended the same high school together, where Delson also met the band’s drummer, Rob Bourdon. Shinoda then hooked up with DJ Joseph Hahn while studying painting at the Pasadena Art Center. The final piece in the puzzle was singer Chester Bennington, a transplanted Arizona native who started making records when he was sixteen

“Since I learned how to talk I’ve been telling everybody I was gonna grow up to be a singer,” laughs Bennington. “When I was two, I used to run around singing Foreigner songs there’s tapes of me doing that.

The combination of Bennington’s rich, mammoth vocal style clicked immediately with Shinoda’s streetwise emceeing. “I think one of Chester and Mike’s goals is to be as intergrated as possible,” offers Delson. “We want our sound to come across so that people go, ‘oh, that’s Linkin Park,’ not ‘I heard this hip-hop part, and now they’re hitting me over the head with this rock chorus.’ We want everything to have dynamics, but also a continuous cohesive flavor, so that you know what band you’re listening to.”

The end result is an album that’s as well-crafted and melodic as it is confrontational, with a strong lyrical message.

“I’ve wanted to do this my whole life, and I feel really blessed to be here,” says Bennington. “A lot of hard work and dedication and faith can get you through anything and make it happen.”

Linkin Park is Brad Delson (Guitar), Rob Bourdon (Drums) , Joe Hahn (Turntables), Mike Shinoda (Vocals), and Chester Benninton (Vocals).

  

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HE WAS one of the earliest faces of Indipop, part of India’s first and only brother-sister band, and he went solo a year ago. You guessed it right, Shaan, aka Shantanu Mukherjee, is the man.

Shaan has been around right from the days of Q-Funk (Qawali Funk, that is). Many of us hardcore Indipop fans may recall seeing him in the medley video of the album. Later in 1996, he went on to do the pop album Naujawan with his sister, Sagarika and one of the tracks, “Aisa hota hai,” became quite popular. Till date, it is the only siblings’ album in the market.

After Naujawan, both Shaan and Sagarika decided to go their separate ways. First, it was Sagarika who branched out with an emotional Maa, which struck a chord with the listeners. In fact, the second video of Naujawan was Sagarika’s solo track, a pumped-up remix of “Disco Deewane”.

Soon afterwards, it was Shaan’s turn to go solo, and so Love-ology happened. Its title track went on to become a huge hit with the teenyboppers. The cool lyrics and the college campus mood did the trick.

Shaan was fast becoming popular, and with his remix rendering of popular old numbers such as “Dil kya kare” and “Hum bewafa”, he became a regular on all the countdown charts. Then came a phase of film soundtracks when he was heard in quite a few Hindi film songs. The most popular being “Musu musu” from Pyaar mein kabhi kabhi, and more recently, “Tune mujhe pehchaana nahi” from Raju Chacha.

A few remixes later, Shaan made a comeback in 2001 with his second solo album, Tanha Dil, which stayed on MTV charts for a record number of weeks, and went on to bag the MTV Asia Award in the “Favourite Indian Artiste – Pop category” in 2002.

And now, he is back with Shaan – Bhool Ja and Other Hits, (Virgin Records/Sony Music, CDs Rs. 199, Cassettes Rs. 65). It is a collection of Shaan’s best tracks including a new single from Tanha Dil. Most of you would already have seen the video of Bhool Ja – one which could easily be on the list of best Indipop songs in recent times. Some excellent guitar performance, powered by some deadly beats and an infectious tune, make for an excellent track. The lyrics tell a message of “don’t cry over spilt milk” and to carry on with your life. This song will be a welcome gift to many of those heartbroken soul types.

The album also includes two tracks from Tanha Dil. The title song needs no explanation. It has already had its wave of popularity due to its pleasant pace and meaningful words. The second one is “Gum sum ho kyon” which has deep emotions and a mellow tint to it.

The album also features two songs such as “Woh pehli baar”, and “Musu musu” from the film Pyaar mein kabhi kabhi, along with “Tune mujhe pehchana nahi” from Raju chacha. The remix versions of “Dil kya kare” and “Hum bewafa” deserve a good listening, while the Latino mix of “Mana janaab ne pukaara nahin” and the desi mix of “Musafir hoon yaaron” are mediocre. But, listen to Bhool Ja once, and you feel you have got your money’s worth.

  

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Born in 1986, from Hyderabad. This young girl is very determined. She moved to Mumbai from home town Hyderabad chasing her dream of becoming a singer. Businessman father and homeopath mother are totally supportive. After all Chhavi was recognized as a child prodigy by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and she was also awarded the “Excellence in Music” scholarship by Pandit Jasraj. The writing on the wall was clear. She is looking forward to the training at the Fame Gurukul. Performing in front of a live audience is her biggest high. This is closest she has come to achieving her dreams and is thrilled about just everything – the reality show, meeting the celebs, giving interviews and most of all performing.

  

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Born in 1986, from Srinagar. This dude from Srinagar loves to seek attention. And he gets it in ample measure. His mom is a teacher and his dad a lawyer. He loves acting and has been part of many stage shows.

  

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Born in 1986, from Noida, UP. Dhoom dadak songs and fast beats are his style. This young Jat has attitude enough for ten. Deepak wears his identity – stuns you with his Khadi boli. He still has close links with his village in Uttaranchal and goes their frequently. His Dad runs a shop near Delhi but it is Deepak’s talent that made him pursue a different calling. Deepak has no formal training; he is just a born performer. Singing apart he also keeps you amused with his funny faces. He is just unique, in the way he stands and the way his expressions change. Even during the auditions our funny man had the judges in splits. He also writes songs as a pass time. Fame Gurukul has opened a whole new world for him with unlimited possibilities. He feels that the training will just make him a better performer and this is the most crucial part of the show.

  

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Born in 1980, from Mumbai. You cannot put a good voice down. This is a story of a struggling artist who has been doing all kinds of jobs just to be able to keep singing. He has worked at a call center for 5 years. Basically he is a Delhi boy having graduated from Kirorimal College. Mumbai is his “karam bhumi”. He pours six years of classical training into his songs. It is a question of involvement with the song and the audience and Shamit believes in connecting with both. He has been drawn toward Buddhism and does chanting. Singing for him is a brain and soul thing, which brings him happiness. But Buddhism has taught him love for the larger humanity. Fame Gurukul he feels will give him a platform to bring happiness to many more people.

  

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Born in 1979, from Mumbai. Music runs in his blood and he has a strong tradition of folk music. Dad Karsan Sangatia was the one who punctuated the songs of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam with a Gujarati flavour. Kirti has always been close to show biz and has never thought of doing anything but sing. He has been learning classical music and even shares a Guru with the first Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant. He is versatile and original. He is at home on stage and no song is tough for him. But off stage this guy is pulp. Sensitive to the core he just can’t bear to hurt anyone. He has been a struggling singer and for him the Fame Gurukul is a short cut to fame and fortune and he means to make the most of this opportunity offered to him.

  

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Born in 1981, from Mumbai. He is here for the love of performing, he enjoys being on stage and it’s not his style to be nervous. He is out to win hearts as his favourite numbers are all romantic and he believes that a smile can conquer every mountain. If Dad had his way he would be holding a steady job but it was Mum that encouraged him to join an orchestra. Rex has had no formal training in music but his talent gave him a place in the workshop for musicians put together by the employees of the Western Railway. For the last two years he has been doings gigs and has performed with the Jhonny Lever show. Singing apart he loves to party and hang out with friends. For him being in the Fame Gurukul is an opportunity of a life time it could be a rocket jump from small does to the big league.

  

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Born in 1981, from Mumbai. Amit has learnt everything he knows from Hindi film songs. His talent has flourished with the several performances he has given with orchestras. He is an accomplished dancer and that too self taught. He is fun loving and confident. The Gurukul he feels will polish his act.

  

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Born in 1981, from Jaipur. Her first love was dancing and she has learnt Kathak, but she is also a trained classical singer. This one is multi talented and just needs a stage to set her going. She has given many live shows. She feels that her mast attitude and her ability to involve the audience are her strengths. She loves singing Hindi film and western songs. Deepshika’s mother is a teacher so not surprisingly she also has a BSc degree but is disinclined to study further. Always getting praised for her voice quality it has been her dream to become a playback singer. So when she needed to fly to Mumbai for the auditions her mother and farmer farther just bought her a ticket. She appreciates training and is deadly serious when it comes to hard work, so she promises that if she makes it to the top twelve then she will leave no stone unturned to try and reach the very top.

  

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Born in 1978, from Jabalpur. Her Dad set the trend, a defence guy he has a master’s degree in music. In fact he was her first guru. A late bloomer this bookworm only started singing on stage in college. A versatile singer she has a special way with Punjabi songs. In fact this is something she discovered during the audition for Fame Gurukul. Gurpreet is not a full “fledged dancer” she says but knows how to work the audience. For her the rise to fame of Prajakta Shukre another resident of Jabalpur during the Indian Idol is inspiring. Prajakta’s senior by ten years Gurpreet now realizes the importance of such a platform. For her coming to Mumbai with a chance to enter the Gurukul is like standing at the door of a whole new world. “I really want o be in the top twelve so that I can learn from professionals from the industry. In a town like Jabalpur there is no scope for this kind of an exposure”

  

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Born in 1984, from Kolkata. Ruprekha has been pursuing a degree in BSc. but has always been clear from the start that she wants to be a playback singer. She has sung the “la la la” bits, to the antara to a stanza in songs for Bengali films. She has also sung the title song for a Bengali serial. She counts on all the hours she has put into her riyaz and her voice quality. While she can sing all kinds of songs her favourite are romantic numbers. Her parents run a catering business but for this lady it is only singing. She has a keen interest in dancing and has been practicing to make sure her performances are a hit in every way. She has always dreamt of singing in Mumbai and through Fame Gurukul this dream has become a reality.

  

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Born in 1987, From Murshidabad. After the Kolkata round of auditions for Fame Gurukul got postponed this young man trekked all the way to Delhi. What if the Kolkata auditions never took place? But Delhi was not to be conquered. Arijit blames it on his choice of song which was heavy on classical. He switched strategies in Kolkata and sang a ghazal and the Sukhvinder hit “Chainya Chainya” and the rest is history. Though Arijit is from a small town in Bengal he does not feel disadvantaged at all. He is full of confidence and rearing to go. He feels his “lagan and riyaz” show through. Pursuing music has never been that easy.

His father is a LIC agent and mother is a housewife. Though he comes from a simple background, he has never lacked family support when comes to following his heart. Arijit is a trained classical singer and has performed on stage but his dream is to become a popular singer. His desire to hit the popularity charts has brought him to Fame Gurukul.

  

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Born in 1982, from Mumbai. Arpita has been single mindedly chasing the goal of becoming a play back singer. For the last year and half she has moved camp to Mumbai from Delhi with her mother. Music runs in her family. Her mother was her first Guru. Her elder sister is a gold medalist with a master’s degree in classical music. A trained classical singer Arpita likes to seduce audiences a la Asha Bhosle ishstyle. She enjoys singing all the cabere numbers. One can call her a quick and willing learner who is in search of perfection. She believes in 100% dedication. If the Fame Gurukul has the faculty she has the raw material.

  

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Born in 1986, from Delhi. She is nearly a split personality. On stage she can sing and dance and has done both at competitive level. Off stage she is rather reserved and is a very to the point person. This very to the point attitude is what she brings to singing and feels that there is no substitute for riyaz.

She has been learning classical music from the Gandharva School of Music and is certain that it is training that has helped her stand out among the millions who auditioned for Fame Gurukul. When it comes to popular music Lata Mangeshkar is her all time favourite. She comes from a simple family and the word SIMPLE sums it all up.

So for a simple person, Mona says to get a platform that is fair and there is healthy competition is an opportunity in itself. Then to further get a chance to train at the Gurukul under celebrities “is a jackpot”.

Her small family of her Mum, elder sister and elder brother are going to support her with all their wishes and love.

  

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Varg Vikernes was born Kristian Vikernes on February 11, 1973, outside of Bergen, Norway. Known by the nom de plume Count Grishnackh during the early days of black metal in Norway, Vikernes was the man behind the one-man music project Burzum, and lately has become a prominent voice for Neo-Nazism.

He is currently incarcerated for the 1993 murder of his former friend and member of the black metal-band Mayhem systein Aarseth (AKA Euronymous), serving a sentence of 21 years, the maximum possible in Norway. Euronymous published the first Burzum records, though the circumstances surrounding the reason for the murder are not entirely clear.

Aarseth no longer had control of Vikernes’ material, but Vikernes claims Aarseth had threatened to kill him and that his act was in fact ‘premeditated self-defense’, which according to his own “Nordic” code of ethics was a perfectly viable reason. According to those who knew both, these claims are probably fictitious. Some say they had an argument about a girl.

Vikernes is a proponent of the Asatru religion and believes it is a religion for all Germanic peoples. He helped create the Odalist movement & co-founded the ‘All-Germanic Heathen Front’ (although he is neither a member nor a leader). He is the author of several short works on his personal weltanschauung, namely ‘Vargsm’l’ (lit. ‘the speech of Varg’), ‘Irminsul’ & ‘Germansk Mytologi og Verdensanskuelse’. Vikernes interprets the old lore in a fascistic way and belongs to the leading heads of modern esoteric fascism.

He terminated his musical project that he continued from prison in 2000 due to the ‘negative notoriety’ which he believed he continually received from it as well as believing he was constantly misunderstood and misinterpreted by an ‘ignorant’ “fan” base that saw contradictions in either his outlook or how things he has said correlated to his outlook which he assures were never contradictive but simply novel & pervasive.

Vikernes has written lyrics for several songs by the band Darkthrone (“quintessence,” “as fittermice as satan’s spys” etc) that make use of characteristics from old Germanic folklore. In these, “satan” is brought up in the context of an ‘eye’ which is a source of light (i.e. the Sun) with mentions of a ‘spear,’ a ‘hall of battle.’ All of which are masked references to the Germanic god Odin as he has been identified by the Christian Church. This was done with the double meaning that Vikernes does indeed consider Odin the “Adversary” of Judeo-Christianity as they could understand it. This has been mostly mistaken as ‘proving’ that Vikernes was at one time a “Satanist” and therefore someone who cannot adhere to one line of thinking, but in fact the case is that he is an artist as well as an ideologue. Vikernes has stated many times that he is entirely opposed to Satanism as he considers it a reactionary form of Christianity.

He was apparently fascinated with the fictional realm of Mordor from The Lord of the Rings, and claimed to have mastered the Black Speech, from which he took the name Burzum. Again this shows a double meaning in that the Christianized perspective of Teutonic sourced myths which J.R.R. Tolkien used in his Lord of the Rings books to create that language made him give the word ‘Burz’ the meaning “Darkness.” When in the old Germanic language of heathen times “Berts” meant ‘Bright,’ ‘Light’ or ‘Brilliant.’ Vikernes was using fiction to empathize the truth on a Jungian archetypal level.

In October 2003 he attempted to escape from jail. After hijacking a car and apparently driving around with no clear plan he was apprehended by the police. He was caught with an Assault rifle, a handheld GPS system and had Military Uniforms/Camouflage clothes with him.

  

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Yo-Yo Ma (??? Pinyin: Ma Youyou) (born October 7, 1955) is a world-famous Chinese-American cellist. He was born in Paris to Chinese parents (with ancestry in Zhejiang), and had a musical upbringing. His mother, Marina Lu (???), was a singer, while his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma (???), was a conductor and composer. Ma began to study the violin, then the viola, before taking up the cello. His family moved to New York City, United States when he was seven.

Ma was a child prodigy, appearing on American television at the age of eight in a concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein. He entered the Juilliard School, and then went to Harvard (where he was in Currier House), but was questioning whether he should continue his studies until, in the 1970s, Pablo Casals’s performing inspired him.

Since that time, he has steadily gained in fame, and has performed with most of the world’s major orchestras. His recordings and performances of Johann Sebastian Bach’s suites for unaccompanied cello are particularly acclaimed, and he has also played a good deal of chamber music, often with the pianist Emanuel Ax. One of his cellos, the “Davidov Stradivarius”, was previously played regularly by Jacqueline du Pre and left to him upon her death.

Yo-Yo Ma has been called “the most omnivorous of all cellists” by critics and indeed possesses a far more eclectic repertoire than typical for a classical player. He has performed and recorded Baroque pieces on period instruments, American Bluegrass music, traditional Chinese melodies, the Argentinian tangos of Astor Piazzolla, Brazilian music, the soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and Philip Glass’s minimalist score of Naqoyqatsi in addition to numerous recordings of the standard classical repertoire.

He currently plays in his own project, The Silk Road Ensemble and records on the Sony Classical label.

Ma married his long-time girlfriend, Jill Hornor, a violinist, in 1978. They have two children, Nicholas and Emily. Ma’s elder sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma (???), also born in Paris, is a violinist, married to Michael Dadap, a New York guitarist.

Interestingly, Ma appeared on the children’s television series, Arthur.

  

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John Haley “Zoot” Sims was an American jazz musician.

Born on October 29, 1925 in Inglewood, California, Zoot?s family was involved in vaudeville, for his part, Zoot learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age.

Sims developed into an innovative tenor saxophone player and played with a number of renowned acts throughout his career, including Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, and Buddy Rich. Sims frequently led his own combos and frequently toured with friends Al Cohn and Gerry Mulligan.

Zoot Sims died in New York on March 23, 1985.

  

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Ziggy Marley (October 17, 1968) is a Jamaican musician, the oldest son of Rita and Bob Marley. He learned how to play guitar and drums from his father, a legendary roots rock reggae singer. Ziggy was born David Marley but nicknamed in reference to British glam rocker David Bowie and his 1972 album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

In 1979, Ziggy and his siblings, Cedella, Stephen and Sharon, made their recording debut with their father, “Children Playing in the Streets”. The Melody Makers, as the group came to be known, played occasionally for several years, including at their father’s funeral. His father, Bob, died in 1981. Their debut LP was Play the Game Right , which was a very pop-oriented album, earning Ziggy some derision from critics. The band’s label, EMI, wanted to market Ziggy as a solo act, and so the Melody Makers moved to Virgin Records, where they recorded Conscious Party (1988, produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth). The album was critically and popularly successful, as was One Bright Day (1989) and Jahmeyka (1991).

As the 1990s continued, the Melody Makers’ sales slowly declined, beginning with Joy and Blues (1993), Free Like We Want to Be (1995) and Fallen Is Babylon (1997). Ziggy had become politically active by this time, working with the United Nations and creating a record label called Ghetto Youth United . A solo album, Dragonfly was released on April 15, 2003.

He appeared in the film Shark Tale as a Rasta jellyfish

  

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Arshad Warsi (born April 19, 1968). Arshad Warsi’s debut film was Tere Mere Sapne. It was a big hit. After that he had done many movies Betaabi, hogi Pyar ki Jeet, Hero Hindustani and Mujhe meri Biwi Se Bachaao etc but never come out as a big star. He had never come as a solo hero till now. His two latest released are Munnabhai MBBS with Sanjay Dutt. In this movie he had played a comic character and Waisa Bhi Hota Hai directed by Shasanka Ghosh is being dubbed in english and the portion in the film in which Arshad gives a speech in english will be dubbed in ‘Italian’.

Arshad is also doing ‘Karishma’ a serial for ‘Sahara TV’. He is doing this because he feel that this serial is being made in movie format. Even the actor in it, are movie actors. He had received many offers beside Karishma on TV.

He has also offered a English film in which the option is given to him to choice to play Hero or Villian role. He don’t want to stuck in any one image. Arshad has not signed a single film after Munnabhai MBBS he feels that numbers of producer are not important but tht quality of producer is important. The only film he has consented to grace with his presence is Kabul Express to be directed by first timer Kabir Khan.

  

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The Nightingale of India , Lata Mangeshkar , with her three octaves spinning, honey-sweet voice, has been the prima donna of Hindi film music, for over five decades. The eldest child of a Gujarati mother and a Marathi Stage actor-singer father, Dinanath Mangeshkar, Lata trained under her father during her childhood.

Lata made her debut as a playback singer in the marathi film ‘Kiti Kasaal’. Lata Mangeshkar had to act in quite a few Marathi as well as Hindi films due to economic necessities. Lata got her break in Hindi playback singing in the film ‘Majboor’ (1948). The very next year, the films ‘Andaaz’, ‘Barsaat’ and ‘Mahal’, steered Lata towards the pinnacle of success.

Gradually, her record of hit songs made Lata the most powerful woman in the film industry, She continues her perennial search for perfection. She has recorded over 25,000 songs in 14 major languages. Even at this age she sings for many new actresses.

  

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Ustad Ali Khan the great classical vocalist was born in Lahore, Punjab into a family of Musicians. His father Ali Baksh Khan was a well known vocalist and Sarangi player, while his uncle Kale Khan was also an extremely renowned musician.

Ustad’s fine musical voice, intelligence and innate discipline contributed to his great success as a vocalist. Bade Gulam Ali Khan trained rigorously under Kale Khan his uncle for 10 years , practicing from dawn to midnight. He was unsurpassed as the master of ‘Thumri’ Tradition. The Ustad’s melodious voice had an effortless range and style which gripped the listeners. He has recorded several Khayals and Thumris. Some of them are ‘Yad piya ki aaye’, ‘Katena birahaki raat’, Tirachhi Nazariya ke baan’, ‘Premke fandeme aakar sajani’, ‘Aaye na baalam’, ‘Kya karun sajani’, ‘Naina more taras rahe hatn’ and ‘Prem ki maar katarand’ these albums recorded many years ago, are still popular with listeners not only in India but also abroad.

Bade Gulam Ali’s study of music was extensive. He had knowledge and definite ideas about any aspect of music. During partition he went to Pakistan but came back and settled in India where he had innumerable admirers. His brother Ustad Barakat Ali Khan, and Bade Gulam Ali’s younger son, Munawar Ali who always accompanied him on the tanpura and imbibed his father’s musical knowledge, are talented in their own rights. Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan passed away in 1968, leaving behind a priceless and glorious heritage of music.

  

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S.Janaki, the Melody Queen of South India with her magnificent voice, captured the hearts of millions of people in her reigning days. She was born on 23rd April, 1938, in Pallapatla, Repalle village, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh.

Janaki showed interest in music at a tender age and started singing at the age of three. She started learning music from Sree Paidiswamy and continued her lessons until she was ten years old. Then she moved to Madras on the advice of her uncle Dr. Chandrashekar who nurtured her talents. She received a second prize from the former President Dr. Rajendra Prasad at the competitions held by AIR (All India Radio) in 1956. Mr. Chandrasekhar, her uncle recommended her for a job as a singer in AVM Studio. She joined and started her career with Tamil films in 1957 in the film ‘Vidhiyin Vilayattu’ under the famous music director T. Chalapati Rao. Later, she got a chance in a Telugu film MLA. From then on, there was no looking back for her. She has several unforgettable hit songs with the association of the maestros of music.

Janaki has a unique capability to change her voice and sing in a range of tones. She could sing in a child’s voice or an old woman’s voice or along with a Shenai quite naturally. She is not only a singer but also a good lyricist and a good music composer. She wrote many songs for Tamil and Telugu films. She has sung about 20,000 songs in her career, in almost all languages in South India as well as in Hindi, Simhalese, Bengali, Oriya, English, Sanskrit, Konkini, Tulu, Saurashtra, Baduga, and German. She has given several unforgettable hit songs on her own and with the association of the maestros of music.

She has received many awards for her talent. She won national awards for best singer four times -in 1976 for the song ‘Senthoora Poove’ in the Tamil Film ’16 vayadhinile’, in 1980 for the song ‘Ettumanoorambalathil’ in the Malayalam Film ‘Oppol’, in 1984 for the song’ Vennello godari andham’ in the Telugu film ‘Sithara’, 1992 for the song ‘Inji Idippazagha’ in the Tamil Film ‘Devar magan’. She has won Tamil Nadu state government award 7 times, Kerala state Government awards 14 times, Andhra state government awards 10 times. She was honoured with ‘Kalai Mamani’ in 1986, ‘Sur singar’ award in 1987, Cinema ‘Achiever Award’ by the government of Kerala in the year 2002 and many more.

She has almost retired from the industry after husband Sri.V.Rama Prasad’s death. A devotee of Lord Krishna and Shirdi Sai Baba, she spends a lot of time praying and has also released devotional music cassettes on Meera. She lives with her son Murali Krishna, an actor and daughter-in-law Uma Murali Krishna, a classical dancer (Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi) and two grand daughters Amruthavarshini and Apsara. Janaki with her magnificent and versatile voice will remain in the hearts of music lovers for ages to come.

  

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Kundan Lal (K.L.) Saigal (April 11, 1904 – January 18, 1947) was an Indian actor and singer who is considered the first big superstar of Bollywood, the Hindi film industry centred in Mumbai.

Early life and career at new theatres
Saigal was born in Jammu, in the present-day Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. His ancestors came from the city of Jalandhar in Punjab. As a child, he occassionally played Sita in the Jammu Ramlila, the play that tells the story of the Hindu god Rama. He received his initial musical training from a Sufi saint named Salman Yussuf; he would later use this musical training to master the art of singing the ghazal form of Urdu poetry.

Saigal dropped out of school and worked as a railway timekeeper and then as a typewriter salesman before being hired by the Calcutta-based New Theatres by the studio head, B.N. Sircar. At New Theatres, his singing style was influenced by the studio’s top music directors, such as R.C. Boral, Pankaj Mullick, and Timir Baran. As an actor, his first film was Mohabbat Ke Aansoo (1932), but it wasn’t until Chandidas in 1934 that he became a bonafide star in Hindi cinema. As a youngster, India’s “melody queen” herself, Lata Mangeshkar, is alleged to have said that she wanted to marry K.L. Saigal after seeing his performance in Chandidas.

In 1935, Saigal played the role that would come to define his acting career: that of the drunken title character in Devdas based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel by the same name, directed by P.C. Barua. His songs in the film, Balam Aaye Baso Mere Man Mein and Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahi, became feverishly popular throughout the country. Saigal’s association with New Theatres continued to bear fruit in subsequent films that became all the rage, such as Didi (Bengali)/President (Hindi) in 1937, Saathi (Bengali)/Street Singer (Hindi) in 1938, and Zindagi in 1940. In Street Singer, Saigal rendered the song Babul Mora live in front of the camera, even though playback was becoming the preferred method of singing songs in movies.

  

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Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is a famous Bansuri flute artist.

Born in Allahabad, India, he was a student of Pt. Bholanath Prasanna and Annapurna Devi. As a performing artiste, Chaurasia is as much a traditionalist as he is an innovator, preserving the traditional indian style of Ragas, as well as playing with jazz musicians like John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek and Chris Hinze on the flute.

  

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L. Subramaniam is an Indian violinist, trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition of southern India, but has dabbled in various other genres: he has recorded with Stephane Grappelli, Yehudi Menuhin and others, written works for orchestra and film scores, and written books on Carnatic music.

  

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Dr. Kattassery Joseph Yesudas (born January 10, 1940), is a noted South Indian musician. He was born in Fort Kochi, Kerala to Augustine and Elizabeth Joseph. His father Augustine Joseph, who was his first guru (teacher), was a well known Malayalam classical musician and stage actor of his time.

Yesudas is a Malayali singer, and exponent of carnatic music. He joined the Music Academy in Thirupunithura and won a gold medal for music at a local competition in Fort Kochi at age 7.

In his career he has sung more than 30,000 songs for thousands of Indian films in many languages such as Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Gujarati, Telugu and Bengali. He was also invited by the Soviet Government to perform music concerts in various cities of the U.S.S.R in 1965.

His first movie playback song was for the movie Kalpadukal, in 1961. His first Hindi song was for the movie Anand Mahal, with music given by Salil Chowdhury. His most popular Hindi songs are from the movie Chitchor, with music given by Ravindra Jain.

The President of India conferred on him the title of Padmashree in 1973.

Dr. Yesudas and his wife Prabha have three sons, Vinod, Vijay and Vishal. The family is currently settled in Madras, India.

  

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Sarod ‘samrat’, Amjad Ali Khan is one of the most distinguished maestro in the world of Indian classical music. Amjad Ali Khan, born on October 9th, 1945 at
Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, is the sixth-generation sarod player in his illustrious family. His ancestors of famous musicians, from the Bangash lineage rooted in the Senia Bangash School of music,has the distinction of having developed and shaped the instrument ‘Sarod’ over several hundred years from the ancient Rabab (an Iran Folk Instrument).

Amjad is the youngest son of Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan a musician to the royal family of Gwalior who has received musical tuition from descendants or followers of Miyan Tansen (c1520-1590), one of India’s most celebrated singers and court musician to the great Mughal emperor Akbar. Taught by his father, Amjad started playing the sarod at a very young age. He made an early debut giving his first solo recital at the age of 12 in 1958. From then on there was no looking back for the master. He had a special mastery and love for the instrument that he gave a new and yet timeless interpretation to it. Keeping to the tradition and yet being innovative, he created many enchanting new ragas of his own. He composed raga Priyadarshini and Kamalashree in memory of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Some of the other melodies composed by him are Kiran Ranjani, Haripriya Kanada, Shivanjali, Shyam Shri, Suhag Bhairav, Lalit Dhwani, Amiri Todi, Jawahar Manjari, Bapukauns and so on and has cut many records and discs. He composed a piece for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yoshikazu Fukumora titled ‘Tribute to Hong Kong’, with guitarist Charley Byrd, Violinist Igor Frolov, Suprano Glenda Simpson, Guitarist Barry Mason and UK Cellist Matthew Barley.

Ustad has achieved immense popularity in India as well as abroad. He has the distinction of being the first north Indian artist to have performed in honour of Thyagaraja at the saint musician’s Thiruvaiyur shrine. He has traveled widely and performed in several international music festivals in Pakistan, China, New Zealand, London, Rome, USA, Moscow, Germany, Japan etc. A regular performer at the famous halls such as Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Kennedy Center, Santury Hall (First Indian performer), House of Commons, Theater Dela Ville, ESPLANADE in Singapore, Mozart Hall in Frankfurt, Chicago Symphony Center, St. James Palace and the Opera House in Australia, the master has received Hon’ry Citizenship to the States of Texas, Massachusetts, Tennessee and the city of Atlanta.

Amjad Ali Khan has won several titles and honours – the ‘Padmashree’ in 1975, the Sangeet Natak Academy award in1989, the Tansen Award in 1989, Sarod Samrat, UNESCO Award in 1970, Unicef’s National Ambassadorship, the Padma Bhushan in 1991, the International Music Forum Award etc. and Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of York, England, Delhi University, the Vishva Bharti (Deshikottam) in Shantiniketan and ‘Commander of the order of Arts and letters’ by the French Government. Two books written on him are the ‘World of Amjad Ali Khan’ (1995) and ‘Abba- God’s Greatest gift to us’ by his sons Amaan and Ayaan in 2002.

In 1977, he founded the Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Memorial Society which organises music festivals in different parts of India. He has contributed in propagating and creating music for children. In Gwalior, the family house where Amjad Ali Khan was born, has been converted into Sarod Ghar (the ‘Home of the Sarod’) a teaching centre and museum of his family and the sarod, with an impressive collection of instruments including his ancestor’s rababs.

Ustad lives with his wife Subbalakshmi and two sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash. His sons Aman and Ayan are promising sarod players referred to as the ‘coming masters’. They are the seventh generation in the family to continue the Sarod tradition.

The great master remains devoted to Sarod and popularising his music throughout the world.

  

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Lalgudi Jayaraman, a legendary violinist in his own lifetime has gained the title with his spell binding technique and mastery over the instrument. In the sphere of Carnatic music, Sri
Lalgudi Jayaraman is a name that is instantly associated with musical excellence in melody, rhythm, style and technique.

Born in the lineage of an illustrious disciple of the great saint musician Thyagaraja, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman inherited the essence of Carnatic music from his versatile father late V R Gopala Iyer who trained him meticulously. At the early age of 12 he started his musical career as an accompanying violinist. Being endowed with rich imagination, quick grasp and an ability to adapt easily to the individual styles of the leading maestros in Carnatic music while accompanying them in their concerts , he reached the forefront in rapid strides. The rich concert experience he thus gained, coupled with sheer hard work and perseverance and the strong urge to give original expression to the musical ideas surging in him, he emerged as a solo violinist of rare brilliance.

He revolutionised the style of violin playing by inventing a whole new technique that is designed to best suit the needs of Indian Classical Music and establishing a unique style that came to be known as ‘Lalgudi Bani’. His flawless and fascinating style, graceful and original, yet not divorced from traditional roots gained him numerous fans. This multi dimensional personality have to his credit composed several ‘Krithis’, ‘thillanas’ and ‘varnams’ and dance compositions, which are a scintillating blend of raga, bhava, rhythm and lyrical beauty. The unique feature about Lalgudi is that his music is very expressive. Lalgudi’s instrumental genius comes to the fore in the form of lyrical excellence.

He has been in great demand for accompanying vocalists, and has accompanied such great vocal virtuosos as Ariyakkudi Sri Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi Sri Srinivasa Iyer, Sri G. N. Balasubramaniam, Alathur Brothers, Karaikkudi Sambasiva Iyer etc. His accompanying wizardry and lightning quick responses to the various challenges posed by the main artistes remain unsurpassed. His accomplishments are numerous but chief of them is the fact that he was the first to bring international attention to the Carnatic style of violin playing. He also introduced a new concept of musical ensemble with violin, venu (flute) and veena in 1966 and gave several outstanding concerts.

  

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Born in Thiruvananthapuram the capital of Kerala state, K.S.Chitra, with her melodious voice, has built a formidable reputation as a playback singer for South Indian as well as Hindi films. She has to her credit, over 11,000 songs in languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali and Oriya.

From her young age she learned the basics in music from her father, late Krishnan Nair who was a singer and composer of repute. The gifted singer learned music at the graduate and post-graduate levels and completed her B A in music with the third rank from the university. She went on to complete her MA in music from Kerala University, for which she was chosen under the aegis of the National Talent Search Scholarship programme and was trained by Professor K.Omanakutty.

Ms Chitra got a chance in films when Prof. K.Omanakutty introduced her to her brother Mr. M.G.Radhakrishnan, a famous music director in Malayalam film industry. Her first songs were for the films like ‘Attahaasam’, ‘Snehapoorvam Meera’, and ‘Njaan Ekananu’ and from then on there was no looking back. Her expressive melodious voice got her plenty of offers and she was soon making a mark in Malayalam films to the extent that she has today monopolised Malayalam film music. Ilayaraja gave her the big break into Tamil films through his film ‘Nee Thaanaa Antha Kuyil’ but it was with ‘Sindhu Bhairavi’ she became a known name in Tamil industry which also won her the National Award for best playback singer. Ms Chitra’s foray into Hindi film music was with the song ‘Saathiya, ye tune kya kiya’ in the film ‘Love’. Some of the Hindi films that she has given hit songs are ‘Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya’, ‘Aks’, ‘Ashoka’, ‘Rangeela’ etc. She is one singer who has successfully broken the North-South divide and blazed a trail of glory in both worlds.

She has won the National Award for the best playback singer five times. For ‘ Sindhu Bhairavi’ (Tamil, 1986),’ Nakhashatangal’ (Malayalam, 1987), ‘ Vaishali’ ( Malayalam, 1989 ), Minsara Kanavu ( Tamil, 1996 ), Virasat (Hindi, 1997).

The Kerala government has heaped upon her the best playback singer award more than 12 times and she has the unique distinction of being the first female singer in the history of South Indian film playback singing to be honoured by all the four southern state governments as the best playback singer.

Chitra who has a strong base in classical music has an ability to pick up even the most difficult pitch with ease. Ms Chitra has many albums especially devotional music to her credit. She has also tried her hand in pop music and made an album with the ‘Voodoo Rapper’. Her hugely successful albums include ‘Piya Basanti’; her collaboration with sarangi exponent Ustad Sultan Khan, ‘Sunset Point’, where she worked with Gulzar and Bhupinder. She has had the opportunities to work with famous music directors like Salil Choudhary, Anu Malik, Nadeem-Shravan and world renowned music maestro A R Rahman. But she remains her simple down to earth self with the trademark pleasant smile. This immensely talented singer continues to impress her numerous fans with memorable songs.

  

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Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is generally acknowledged to be the foremost living vocalist of Hindustani music. Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was born on February 14, 1922, in the village of Gadag, in the Dharwad district of Karnataka in South India. Born to a conservative school-master, he was drawn to music from a young age, but his father insisted that he get a sound education in a respectable profession like medicine or engineering.

In 1933 when he was 11 years old, in order to further his musical education, he decided to run away; having heard that Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur in North India were the best places to learn classical music, his first destination was Gwalior. After he had spent a few years in Gwalior, Lucknow, and Rampur, his father relented and had him brought back, to begin the major part of his musical education in the nearby town of Kundgol, under Rambhau Kundgolkar, better known as Sawai Gandharva.

Sawai Gandharva was the chief disciple of Abdul Karim Khan, who along with his cousin Abdul Waheed Khan was the founder of the Kirana Gharana school of Hindustani music. Bhimsen Joshi stayed with Sawai Gandharva between 1936 and 1940, absorbing as much as possible. At the end of that period, he parted ways with his guru and set out on his own with a strict regimen of sixteen hours of riyaz (practice) per day.

Bhimsen Joshi gave his first concert when he was 19. At age 20 he made his first recording, a few light classical songs in Kannada and Hindi, and a few years later made his first classical recording. Within a few years of this he had become known as ‘the flying musician of India’, because he often took two flights a day to get to all his concerts.

Bhimsen Joshi has received numerous awards for his singing, notably the Padma Shree in 1972, the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1976, and the Padma Bhushan in 1985. He also earned his first platinum disc in 1986.

While Bhimsen Joshi is, like all modern Hindustani classical vocalists, a khyal singer, he also spent a year in Lucknow in the 1940s learning from the great thumri masters of the time. In fact, he has said that singing a thumri well is much harder than performing a khyal.

With his knowledge of Hindustani Music and being originally from South India, it gave Bhimsen Joshi, unique opportunity to sing some of the songs sung in Carnatic Music ( popular in South India ) in Hindustani Style. Some of the songs became so popular with Bhimsen Joshi’s version, that the original Carnatic version sounds strange for the younger generation.

  

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Madurai Shanmukhavadivu (M.S) Subbalakshmi, the great Carnatic singer was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on September 16, 1916 to noted Veena player Shanmukhavadivu and lawyer Subramania Iyer. Hailed as the nightingale of Carnatic music this genius of a singer is a living legend.

Young Kunchamma as she was called and her siblings was brought up in a musical environment in her home close to the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Her grand mother Akkammal was a violinist. Her mother used to play and rehearse constantly and Kunchamma used to listen and hum ragas along with the Veena and the Nadaswaram recitals frequently heard from the temple. Her first Guru was Madurai Srinivasa Iyengar but her lessons could not last long as her guru passed away soon after she finished her foundations. But she kept practicing on her own for long hours. She did her formal schooling only till class 5th and music became the world for her. Subbalakshmi’s perfect pitch whether high or low and fantastic range of voice is the result of her dedication, toil and hours of continuous practice. As a child, when she practiced she would stop playing the tambura in between to check whether she is maintaining the pitch with and without it. She also learned Hindustani music from Pandit Narayan Rao Vyas for a short while. In the 1930′s she learned ‘khayals’ and ‘thumris’ from Dwijenderlal Roy in Calcutta and later from Siddheshwari Devi of Benares and bhajans and Rabindra Sangeet from Dilipkumar Roy, she incorporates bhajans in almost all her concerts.

  

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The celebrated Carnatic Musical Genius ‘Padmashri’ Dr. Bal Murali Krishna is a
renowned singer, composer as well as an instrumentalist. He plays instruments like Violin, Veena, Mridangam, and Khanjira.

Murali Krishna was born on 6th July 1930 at Sankaraguptam in Andhra Pradesh in an artistically inclined family. His father Mangalampalli Pattabhiramayya, was a famous flautist and mother Suryakanthamma a Veena artiste. Balmurali Krishna took training in music under Parupalli Rama Krishnayya Pantulu. When he was eight years old he gave his first public performance at Vijayawada during the ‘Sadguru Arandhanotsavas’. He was given the title ‘Bala’ by Musunuri Satyanarayana, a distinguished Harikatha performer. Young Murali Krishna exposed his extreme talent by writing a detailed work on the 72 Janakaraga or Melakarta (basic scales of music) scheme at the the tender age of 14.

Murali Krishna stopped his education in class 6th due to his continuous concerts and dedicated himself completely to music. Balamuralikrishna has innovated the Tala systems by introducing new principles and is credited with over 300-400 compositions and many new ragas. The ragas he has composed are Mahati, Sumukham, Trisakthi, Omkari, Rohini, Pratimadhyamavathi, Janasammodini, Manorama, Vallabhi, Lavangi etc. He has also recorded and released many albums.

Several honours and award has been bestowed on him which include Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri, Best Play Back Singer(1976)& Best Music Director (1987) in the National Film Festivals and the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Silver Medal, State Musician of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the Asthana Vidwan of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Sringeri Peetam and Adivyadhi Hara Baktha Anjaneya Swami Temple, Nanganallur. Dr. Balamuralikrishna has also been granted a doctorate of Letters by the Sri Venkateshwara University(1981).

Murali Krishna is the founder of MBK trust for developing art and culture and imparting training. He also founded ‘Academy of Performing Arts and Research’ in Switzerland and is also working on music therapy. He has given innumerable concerts throughout the world and has recreated the traditional style in his own neo classical style well received by his audience.

  

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Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, the legendary Bharatnatyam dancer is a rare combination of a
dancer, research scholar, choreographer, music composer & musician, teacher, author and indologist. She is now the director of ‘Nrithyodaya’- the dance school founded in 1942 by her father, in Chennai.

Padma grew up in an environment where both her parents were artistically inclined. Her father K. Subrahmanyam was an internationally reputed film director, freedom fighter and a parental personality in the cultural field while her mother Meenakshi was a dancer, choreographer, instrumentalist and a lyricist in Sanskrit and Tamil.

Padma Subrahmanyam started learning dance under Kausalya, a young teacher at Nrityodaya. Later, she came under the wings of guru Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai. She had her ‘arangetram’ (first performance) in 1956, since then she has given innumerable performances in concerts conducted by her guru, her school in India and toured abroad extensively during the past three decades. Meanwhile she continued her formal college education. She has had a number of gurus especially during her research- Guru Dandayuthapani Pillai and the various Devadasis from whom she learned ‘ adavus’, Gowri Ammal from whom she learnt ‘abhinaya’ being some of them. Padma has also trained in music under B.V. Lakshman and Salil Chaudhry.

Padma has a Bachelor’s degree in Music, Master’s in Ethno Musicology and Ph.D in dance from Annamalai University. As a research scholar she did her thesis on ‘Karanas in Indian dance and sculpture’ and highlighted the fact that the 108 Karanas (which is the basic units of dance) are actually movements and not just static poses. She has also designed the sculptures of the 108 Karanas of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati in black granite for the Nataraja temple at Satara in Maharashtra. She has given several solo and group presentations such as ‘ Meenakshi Kalyanam’, ‘ Viralimalai Kuravanji’, ‘Silappadikaram’, ‘ Vande Mataram’ etc. and composed music for most of her compositions and sung for a couple of albums. She was the first dancer to introduce ‘Pushpanjali’ as a dance piece and to use a ‘meera bhajan’ to be scored to suit the grammar of ‘Pada Varnam’ and has revived the mono acting technique in her dance dramas. She has also composed the first Bengali Varnam, set to the lyrics by Salil Chaudhry. She has numerous articles, research papers and travelogues to her credit like ‘Bharata’s Art – then and now’, ‘Bharatakkalai Kotpadu’ (in Tamil), ‘Natya Sastra and National Unity’ and ‘Kanchi Mahaswami’s Vision of Asian Culture’. She has written ‘Legacy of a Legend’ which is a collection of articles by her.

Padma Subramanyam has many awards and honours to her credit including ‘Padma Bhushan’, ‘Padmashri’, ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Award’, ‘Kalaimamani Award’ from Govt. of Tamilnadu, ‘Kalidas Samman’ from Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, ‘Nada Brahmam’ from Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai, ‘Bharata Sastra Rakshamani’ and so on. She has also received the prestigious ‘Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize’ from Japan for her contribution to development and harmony in Asia. She has served as a non-official member of the Indo-Sub-commission for education and culture.

This multi faceted and multi talented artist enchants viewers with her perfect gestures, timing, expressions and original ideas. Famous in India as well as abroad, several films and documentaries have been made in her honour by countries like Japan, Australia and Russia. She imparts her immense knowledge to others by teaching dance, conducting workshops, giving lectures, doing research and writing articles.

  

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Yamini Purna Tilaka Krishnamurthy alias Yamini Krishnamurthy, accomplished Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer who has dedicated her life to Indian classical dance for decades, was born in 1940, in Madanapalli, Andhra Pradesh. She hails from an eminent family which was more literarily than artistically inclined. Yamini’s father, M. Krishnamurthy, was a Sanskrit scholar and grandfather was an expert in Urdu poetry.

Yamini enrolled as a student of Bharat Natyam at the age of five in Kalakshetra School of Dance, Chennai and her initial training was under Rukmini Devi Arundale. After acquiring a structural base at Kalakshetra, she went on to higher studies under renowned masters such as Kanchipuram Ellappa Pillai, Thanjavur Kittapa Pillai, Dhandayudhapani Pillai and Mylapore Gouri Amma. She trained in Kuchipudi under Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Shastri, Chinta Krishnamurthi and Pasumarthy Venugopal Krishna Sharma. In addition to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, she learnt Odissi from Pankaj Charan Das and Kelucharan Mohapatra. She was trained in Carnatic vocal music by M.D. Ramanathan and learnt the Veena from Kalpakam Swaminathan.

Yamini gave her debut in 1957 in Chennai, where her charisma and stage presence were recognized, when she was only seventeen. By 1960, she became one of the most admired dancers in the country. Her performances brought about national and international recognition to the classical styles of Bharat Natyam and Kuchipudi. Yamini played a significant role in popularizing Kuchipudi which was then emerging as a solo dance form of Andhra Pradesh in southern India.

A multi-faceted artist, Yamini recieved ‘Padmashree’ in 1968 and ‘Sangeet Natak Academy Award’ in 1977. The title of ‘Asthana Narthaki’ was bestowed upon her by the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam, one of the most sacrosanct temples of India. Along with stage performances, Yamini made a 13-part serial for Doordarshan on dance. In 1990, she started ‘Yamini school of Dance’ in Delhi. She wrote a book ‘A Passion For Dance’, which was well-received by the critics.

Yamini is working on a ballet, titled ‘The Gandhian Order of Life’ and another on Tagore and Subramania Bharati and their depiction of the Goddess Kali. Totally dedicated, her life revolves around her dance school, her students and her compositions.

  

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Govind Arun Ahuja (born December 21, 1963 in Virar, Maharashtra India), popularly known as Govinda, is an actor in Hindi films. Starting with his debut in 1985, he has acted in over 120 Hindi films. In 2004, he joined politics, winning a parliamentary seat from Mumbai.

Govinda was born to Arun Ahuja and Nirmala Arun Ahuja. He studied at Annasaheb Vartak College in Vasai, Maharashtra. His elder brother Kirti Kumar is an actor and director. He has appeared in some of Govinda’s films playing supporting roles and has directed his brother in some films most notably Hatya (1988). Govinda initially wanted to marry actress Neelam with whom he had made many films but eventually gave up and married according to his mother’s choice. He married Sunita Govind Ahuja on 11 March 1987 and has two children with her.

Govinda made his film debut in the 1986 film Ilzaam which was a success and launched his career. He acted in a string of movies after that with mixed success. He was often paired opposite Neelam and together they appeared in hit films such as Love 86 (1986), Khudgarz (1987) and his brother Kirti Kumar’s directed Hatya (1988). He worked with David Dhawan for the first time in the 1989 film Taaqatwar which was an action film. He then did several other films with David Dhawan most notably Shola Aur Shabnam (1992) and Aankhen (1993), that were not only successful but also pulled Govinda towards comic roles. He then went onto star in many successful comedy films in the 1990s which were directed by David Dhawan and where he was frequently paired with actresses such as Karishma Kapoor and Raveena Tandon.

Raja Babu (1994), Coolie No. 1 (1995), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Hero No. 1 (1997), Deewana Mastana (1997), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999) and Jodi No. 1 (2000) were some of the hit movies that the Govinda and David Dhawan combination did.

In an attempt to try a different role, Govinda played a negative role for the first time in Shikari (2000). Although the movie was not a commercial success, Govinda’s convincing portrayal of a villain was critically acclaimed. His movies since then have not been box-office succeesses.

He decided to move to politics in 2003 and did not have any new film releases although some of his delayed films released in 2005 which were Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen and Ssukh the latter which he had also produced.