अनिल कपूर ने सिकंदर खेर को फ़ोन पर दिया रोल

सिकंदर खेर ने अपनी पिछली फिल्म तेरे बिन लादेन २ के लिए न सिर्फ लोगो और क्रिटिकस के काफी सराहना  मिली थी बल्कि बॉलीवुड के मशहूर अभिनेता अनिल कपूर भी सिकंदर की एक्टिंग के दीवाने हो गए थे। अनिल कपूर आजकल अपने टीवी शो २४ के वजह से खबरों में बने हुए है, क्योंकि वह एक बार फिर तैयार हैं शो २४ के सीजन २ को लांच करने के लिए। अगर सूत्रों की मानी जाये तो २४ के सीजन २ में दर्शकों को काफी कुछ नया देखने मिलेगा। सिकंदर खेर इस शो में निगेटिव रोल में दिखाई देंगे। सिकंदर कमाल के एक्टर तो है ही, लेकिन उन्हें इस नए रूप में देखकर तो उनके दीवाने ज़रूर ही हो जायेंगे। शो में सिकंदर का लुक बिलकुल अलग है। सिकन्दर ने अपने करैक्टर को एक अलग पहचान देने की भी कोशिश की है। सिकंदर ने यह रोल पाने के लिए लोगो को देख देख कर न सिर्फ गोरखपुरी भाषा सीखी बल्कि अपनी बॉडी लैंग्वेज पर भी काफी काम किया।  जब उन्हें लगा की वह परफेक्ट हो गए है, तक सिकंदर ने अनिल कपूर को फ़ोन लगाया और उनसे फ़ोन पर गोरखपुरी भाषा में बात की, अनिल कपूर इतने इम्प्रेस हो गए की उन्होंने सिकंदर को तभी अपने शो २४ के लिए साइन लिया लिया। सिकंदर की गोरखपुरी ने अनिल कपूर के अलावा शो के डायरेक्टर अभिनय देव और रेंसिल डिसूज़ा को भी काफी प्रभावित कर लिया  है। अपने रोल के बारे में सिकंदर कहते है, "में बहुत  खुश हूँ कि  मुझे २४ जैसे शो का हिस्सा बंनने का मौका मिला, यह शो बाकी शोज के मुकाबले काफी अलग है, और अनिल कपूर सर के साथ काम करने में काफी मज़ा आया. "

RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN’S “ZAROORI THA”MUSIC VIDEO BECOMES THE ONLY `ORIGINAL’ NON FILM SONG TO HIT 100 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE/VEVO!

   

UNIVERSAL MUSIC ACHIEVES THIS HISTORIC FEAT ON THE BACK OF A                      SUSTAINED MARKETING CAMPAIGN

The maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has just achieved what was always considered impossible! A historic 100 Million Views on YT/VEVO for a non-film music video for an original song was never thought to be achievable in the current times of Bollywood music…but leading label Universal Music has made this possible! 

The track in question is “Zaroori Tha” - the epic ballad from Rahat’s best-selling studio album `Back 2 Love’ released last year that has smashed the 100 million views mark! The video directed by Rahul Sud, cleverly featured the then-real life couple Gauhar Khanand Kushal Tandon in a beautifully shot video in Dubai. Their off screen chemistry was brought out in full glory in the video as the two protagonists lead a heart wrenching love story that brought out the true meaning of the song’s lyric.

The success of the “Zaroori Tha” video prompted many a label to imitate this masterstroke but none could match up to the kind of numbers this video has achieved.

While speaking on this momentous occasion, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan says, “I am overwhelmed and humbled to have reached this land mark! 100 million views for a non-film song video is incredible and full credit to Universal Music India who made this possible with their sustained efforts. A big `thank you’ to the video director Rahul Sud as well as Gauhar Khan, Kushal Tandon and the entire production team for making such a beautiful music video to my song. I’d also like to thank my producer Salman Ahmed whose vision it was to make such a successful album in `Back 2 Love’. And finally - all my fans out there without whom this achievement would not have been possible! You continue to inspire me to make great music! Thank you!”

Devraj Sanyal Managing Director and CEO, Universal Music Group, South Asia, “We’ve been working domestic non film music since the last few years when no other label believed in it. We were pretty much the only label supporting non film music and it is historical moments like these that make you feel extremely proud and happy to have continued to support this genre! I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rahat saab on this achievement and also thank him for giving us such a beautiful song to work with. We look forward to re-creating this magic with him in the future!”

While the singing sensation has conquered the film industry his immense success has been greatly earned in non-film music which has set him apart from the rest. He has lent his voice for some of the biggest Bollywood movies and numerous award winning songs.  A highlight of his career came with the song “Jiya Dhadak Dhadak” from Kalyug for which he won both the Guild as well as the IIFA award for Best Playback Singer (Male). With the musical genius’ song “Zaroori Tha” reaching the 100 million milestone, the singer’s success continues to soar to dizzy heights!

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s album Back 2 Love is available exclusively on Universal Music across physical and digital formats.

You can watch the VIDEO here: 

INDIA’S FIRST TRANSGENDER BAND, SIX PACK WINS THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARD AT THE CANNES FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY (GLASS LION)

Six Pack, India’s first transgender band brings pride to the Indian creative community by winning theGlass Grand Prix at the 63^rd Cannes Festival of Creativity (Glass Lion). This is the 1^st time an Indian has won this prestigious award. The Six Pack Band was chosen from amongst thousands of other creative entries sent from all over the world.

The Six pack band is India’s first transgender band comprising of Fida, Ravina, Asha, Komal, Chandni & Bhavika was curated and formed over a period of nine months. Shameer Tandon, curator and composer of the band, sent his team to every traffic signal and railway station to search for everyone and call them for an audition. After auditioning hundreds of people of the transgender community, where quite a few men had also turned up dressed as hijras (transgender), the band was selected. The journey has been magical for the band coming from such humbled backgrounds to working with the likes of Hrithik Roshan and Sonu Nigam. The win at Cannes acts like an icing on the cake for them.

There were four entries from India for the Grand Prix award from India and every campaign focused on a certain message. The Six Pack Band surpassed all of them and emerged winner. Their first music video, a cover of Pharell Williams’ known as ‘Hum Hain Happy’ crossed more 1.6 million views in less than a week and post that they have launched four more videos with the fifth video coming out on the 28^th of June. They have already crossed 25 million views on their videos as well. This is not Six Pack’s 1^st international recognition as they won India its first Webby Award, the Internet’s highest honor, in the Public Service and Activism category. The jury for the Webbys comprised of luminaries like Kevin Spacey, Jimmy Kimmel, Biz Stone and Shane Smith.

“Our journey started about a year ago when we set out on the traffic signals and railway stations searching for the right people to be part of this band. Our objective was to create awareness amongst the people through pop music in order to change the way people treat them. We are very happy that our relentless effort of a year has given us such a huge honor. We are going to take this as an opportunity and create more content in order to give the transgender community a place in the society that they deserve.” Said Mr. Shamir Tandon, Curator and Composer, Six Pack Band. Mr Tandon has worked very closely with lata mangeshkar , asha bhosle , late Jagjit singh shaan, shubha mudgal and international artists like boy band blue, enrique Iglesias and launched multiple international artists like Norah Jones Robbie Williams in the indian subcontinent.

“From an idea that started at a traffic signal to it now picking up what is considered the ultimate benchmark for judging creativity - we at Y-Films are honored & humbled to bring home India's 1st Cannes Grand Prix Glass Lion. We are also thrilled to have partners like Brooke Bond Red Label & Mindshare who gave this ballsy idea wings”, said Mr. Ashish Patil, Producer of the Project & Brand Management and Talent Partnerships at Y-Films.

This marks a new revolutionary movement in India where in the transgender community is getting the recognition and respect that they deserve and with the success at Cannes we can only await their future releases and more laurels internationally that the Six Pack Band will win for India.

Sunil Grover’s hilarious performance for Salman Khan on The Kapil Sharma Show (in pics)

Sunil Grover’s hilarious performance for Salman Khan on The Kapil Sharma Show

As the entire nation awaits with bated breath to see Bollywood’s Sultan Salman Khan on Sony Entertainment Television’s The Kapil Sharma Show, their wish is finally about to be fulfilled as Salman and Anushka will become Kappu’s guests this week. However, Kapil and his team had a special surprise planned for Salman which had the hunk in splits. Sunil Grover donned the avatar of Salman’s popular heroines and danced with him on his hit tracks. When it comes to imitating popular actors, no one can beat Sunil Grover to the craft and he proved this once again on the show. 

A source from the show informs, “Sunil made an entry as Haryanvi cop Suman. On seeing Salman, Suman couldn’t control herself and decided to woo him by performing on his hit tracks. Sunil came dressed as Bhagyashree, Katrina and Aishwarya and danced romantically for Salman on tracks like Mere Rang Me Rangnewali, Tu Hi To Mera Dost Hai and Chaand Chupa Badal Mein. Sunil also donned a white robe with Salman’s Sultan body painted on it. Salman couldn’t control his laughter looking at Sunil’s different garbs and antics. It sure was a hilarious moment as everyone present were rolling on the floor laughing.”