Abhishekh Bachchan had to go through this, Kareena Kapoor too faced the same for a while, Uday Chopra was almost strangulated because of it, and poor Sanjay Kapoor, and he probably left the industry as a result of it. Closer home, sing a song names, Lakhwinder Wadali, Sachin Ahuja, Kuldeep Manak, Saleem, Navraj Hans… they too are dealing with the same. And this is something that the industry's sons and daughters have dealt with always — the unfair 'comparisons' to their 'successful' parents. As offsprings of successful parents, they do enjoy certain privileges but life is not a smooth ride either. They face criticism, and some still, before they make a niche for themselves. All said and done, this is unfair. Like father like son…why can't a son or a daughter be different from their parents? What if they could not touch the same zenith?

Lakhwinder Wadali, son of famous sufi singer Puran Chand Wadali, had heard the word 'comparison' more than once to answer how it feels to be compared to his famous father. "Great. Comparisons are inevitable. Puran Chand Wadali da beta hona bahut wadi gal hai. People will talk about me. They would want to know whether I am as good as my father or worse," says Lakhwinder. Having said this, Lakhwinder adds that there shouldn't be any comparisons whatsoever. "My father has been singing professionally for the past 14-15 years now, while I am a fresher in this field, almost six-year-old. It is not just to compare 15 years of experience with six years of mine."

Ditto for Yudhvir Manak, kaliyaa dey badshah Kuldeep Manak's son, who too feels that comparisons are inevitable. "Sometimes I feel people listen to me to see whether I am anyway close to my father. It is a good thing. Such comparisons are good as they give me the push to sing well," he adds. "But not always," he interrupts. "It affects my singing. What listeners need to realise that I have a style of my own, like any others singer. My father is a legend with his style and I am trying to sing what suits me. All the same, it is an honour for me to be compared to Kuldeep Manak. I know I can come nowhere close to him, but I can try to sing good."

Comparisons are inevitable and expectations are huge. Even when it is an honour to be compared to their parents, the second-generation singers want to be looked at as individuals with their own style.

Offers Saleem, of Maa Da Ladla fame (Dostaana), Puran Shah Koti's son, "Eh rab di maar hi hundi hai jey singer da beta ya beti singer na hovey. And I am glad that I am doing what my father had done. At the same time, I do feel that I have a style of my own. I would want to sing in all genres, folk, filmi or sufi. Nevertheless, I think my singing bears some reflection of his."

Take it from Hans Raj Hans, the proud farther of Navraj, who is struggling in Mumbai without the name of his father. "I have sent Navraj to Mumbai and he is struggling on his own. I want him to make a name for himself without clinging on to mine. I'd rather want him to struggle for long, than to adopt any short cut. I would want to be known as Navraj's daddy," says Hans Raj Hans. As for Puran Chand Wadali, "I am waiting for the day when people would call me as Lakhwinder's father. I believe I am his best critic, and there is no harm in comparisons. This only gets him to perform even better."

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If salsa is sensuous and hip-hop is happening, then what is Bollywood kind of dancing? "Bindaas," says Jorge Aldana, an artiste from Spain. We asked him to elaborate this new-found definition of dance that predominantly has jhatakas and matkas in it. "Unlike salsa or hip-hop, Bollywood dance does not follow a set pattern. New steps are invented for every song and it gives you the freedom to innovate," he says. In his three years of stay in India, it seems he has picked up Hindi really well.

All right, so what exactly is his connection with our tinsel town? "The first time I came to India was as a part of the troupe to perform to a Bollywood song. Faraha Khan spotted me then and asked me to choreograph a song for the movie Janeman with her." Also, he choreographed a stage show for Akshay Kumar for International Aids Day, but it was called off due to the 26/11 terror attacks.

A trained western classical dancer, Jorge has performed across the world and his one significant achievement is performing at the Royal Opera House in London. Also, what brought him to Chandigarh on Wednesday is dance again. "I am looking forward to opening a dance academy in collaboration with a modelling agency and the Chandigarh Administration here and hope it will work out."

Other than dance, there is something else that Jorge is helping Bollywood with. All the foreign dancers that you saw in dance sequences in Dostana, Bhul Bhuliya, Race, Singh is Kingg and the upcoming flick, Dilli 6 have been provided by him. "As I have danced with different troupes across the world, I can bring the best of dancers."

And that's not all, as he says, "Dance for me is an art and a medium of cultural exchange. Just as I am bringing dancers from abroad here, I will also be taking Indians with me to participate in the Nuit Blanche, a cultural nite held annually in France."

Speaking about his experience in India, he regrets one incident that still bothers him. Besides movies, Jorge also provided cheerleaders to Shah Rukh Khan's and Preity Zinta's IPL teams. "I was shell-shocked when two African dancers from my group were asked to climb down the stage during an IPL match at Mohali." He is still fighting a legal battle with the company. "After the incident, I asked for an apology from them but they didn't bother. To avoid controversy, the company chucked out the whole group without paying them.”

Amidst all this, he has not forgotten to keep his focus on the Bollywood projects he is getting, "Some offers have come but things are yet to materialise." 

Konkana Sen Sharma, one of the most bankable actors in Bollywood, with her offbeat choice of roles and fair share of mainstream cinema, has definitely carved a niche for herself. She has entered the Bollywood big league. For the very professional and wonderful actor, talent comes naturally.

Lifestyle talks to her about her next film Luck By Chance, directed by debutante director Zoya Akhtar. Konkana tells us about her strike with celestial stars.

Most of your films are multistarrers. How do you still manage to get noticed?

God knows. I think you should ask the audience about this.

You come from the serious actor's genre but your next film, Luck By Chance is an out and out commercial film?

It is a commercial film but it is a sensible film. It has all the Bollywood masala in it but it stays in touch with the reality. I did this film because I loved the script and my role and also Zoya is an intelligent director.

And your role?

I play Sona, a young aspiring actor who wants to make it big in the Bollywood. She has not made it to top as yet but she is very ambitious.

How was it working with Zoya, Farhan and Javed Akhtar?

It was great. Farhan is a great and an easy actor to work with. And Zoya as I said, had a very clear idea of what she wanted. I connected very well with her vision of the film and the role. And for Javed sir, I have known him before and he is a great support and person to work with.

How has Bollywood been portrayed in this film?

It is portrayed in a very real and a funny way actually. They have definitely shown the cruel side of it, which is hard to digest but still true. And it's funny because there are these larger than life characters which may look a little over the top but you do find few of these too.

How is the music of the film and which is your favourite song?

The music is lovely. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy has done a wonderful job at it. And as for my favouraite song, it has to be Sapnon Se Bhare Naina.

How’s the on screenchemistry between Farhan and you?

We both are professionals and at the end of the day it is all about the final product. I would like to believe our work and chemistry will be appreciated.

Your next projects?

There is Rituparno Ghosh's Sunglass and the horror film Amavas

— Dharampal

The Khiladi Kumar has once again proved his love for action, by 'adopting' six wrestlers, who come from economically backward class, in a bid to popularise the sport.

"Akshay's decision came days before the 10th All India Wrestling Championship opens here Feb 1st. Participants and lovers of this sport from all over India are expected to gather here," said Sanjay Nirupam, Congress spokesman in Maharashtra and organiser of the event.

"Last year, when Akshay attended the programme, he had publicly expressed a desire to adopt a few wrestlers to encourage more to take up the ancient Indian sport. We are happy that he has honoured the commitment," Nirupam said.

Nirupam introduced six of the year's best wrestlers to Akshay and the star readily accepted the proposal. The wrestlers are - Bipin Varma, Ajay Yadav, Kallu Yadav, Gopal Yadav (all from Mumbai), Amol Patil (Jalgaon) and Ranjeet Nalawade (Kolhapur).

The 'adoption' means that Akshay will sponsor their diet for the next five years.

"Wrestlers usually hail from economically backward sections and are unable to afford the specialised diet to excel in the challenging sport. Akshay's sponsorship will go a long way in helping these six wrestlers confidently tackle domestic and international challenges, including the next Olympics - our prime target," Nirupam explained.

While Akshay is a self-confessed fitness freak and martial arts lover, his father Hari Om Bhatia was an accomplished wrester from Punjab. —IANS

His Raaz- the Mystery continues has got an encouraging opening and actor Emraan Hashmi is all set to work in the third instalment of the spooky thriller. He also feels secure enough to start a family now.

"We're trying for a baby and we should be parents by next year. One is never prepared for fatherhood. And if I wait to be fully prepared, it will never happen. But I'm getting into the mindset now," said Emraan, who is married to Parveen Shahani.

Talking about Raaz 3, he said, "Yes we're on, the third part will also be directed by Mohit Suri and I'll play the lead. The rest of the details are yet to be decided. The cast of the second Raaz film was totally new. And I think I'm going to be the only actor common to Raaz 2 and 3." Emraan feels vindicated by the audiences' response to Raaz- The Mystery Continues, which also starred Kangana Ranaut and newcomer Adhyayan Suman.

"My wife kept telling me I should try the genre. I had never done horror before. It's believed in the trade that horror films open well and then soon fizzle out.

"Kangana and Adhyayan is a real-life couple. I can't concoct an affair just to be noticed. I was confident my work would speak for itself. Sure enough, I believe people clap when I come on screen. I do have fan base, though it is small," he said. —IANS

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan launched a new show on television, a weekly sitcom Ghar Ki Baat Hai being produced by Sharukh's production house, Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited. The show is directed by Anant Mahadevan and Bhavana Sresht and the cast includes Sumeet Raghavan, Juhi Babbar, Swapnil Joshi, Ali Asgar, Jayati Bhatia and Deven Munjal.

It is said to be based on the country's first sitcom Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi of 80's, which remains one of the biggest hits on Indian television till date. According to Shahrukh, the show is not a copy but a tribute to Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi.

"I think the originality of this soap opera will depend on its presentation. Times have changed, so the way of presentation is also different," Shahrukh said while talking to reporters after the launch ceremony.

The show will be on air from today onwards on NDTV Imagine. — ANI

Let alone winning, many of us (actually, none of us) would not even be able to make it to the destination if a train was missed or the route was changed.

And chronologically speaking, they reached, they played, they won. Invincible! Hey, did we mention? That also happens to be the very name of the 10-member dance troupe from Panjab Engineering College-12. Back after winning the IIT Kharagpur competition, we chat up the group, but preceding all the questions, is the ‘missed-the-train’ episode that weighs heavy on our minds. Details follow.

“We missed the train and instead of Kharagpur, we actually reached Howrah, Kolkata,” says Mukul Chhabra, third year IT student and a member of the group.

“The only thing is that we did not get time to practice,” says Abhinav Kumar, the choreographer. But who cares? The group went on to win the competition where 16 other teams battled too. The dance club of the institute, however, is not new to such winning spree, having won Goonj, UIET’s annual extravaganza. So, what their genre? “Freestyle,” says Abhinav. Needless to say, the troupe does experiment and incorporate.

Even more than the enthusiasm, what strikes is the gender ratio. All 10 are boys. No girls? Isn’t that a limitation? Chips in Hemant Gupta, II year student, “Not really, because there are so many forms of dance we can still perform. Moreover, that way we can practice in hostels at a stretch.” How long do they put in? Says Akshay Mahajan, another member, “We have classes up till one and during weekdays we practice two to three hours that goes up to 10 on weekends.” Whoever equated only civil service entrances with extensive schedule? But their rewards traverse trophies and certificates. As Akshay says, “The feeling that comes while you are on stage and people cheering for you is enough.”

Coming back to college fests and performances, any change they’ve noticed in the dance culture or format in other parts of India? Says Abhinav, “We over here are very open, bold and expressive about the dance and incorporate a lot of hip-hop, but others are more theme-based that borders on the classical formats.” Lastly, engineering and dance is quite a combination. They chorus, “Variety is the spice of life.” No arguments.

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The name ‘Barbeques of the World’ for a food festival clearly obviates any explanation. We skim and skip and get straight to business…err…barbeques.

So, is such a festival being held for the first time? Answers D N Kaul, head, North region, “Every six months we keep experimenting. Can’t keep people in a monotonous state of mind.”

The 10-day-fest includes barbeques from places like Egypt, Morocco and Caribbean, with some of the desserts from Tibet and Italy. So, there are Chermoula prawns from Morocco, Egyptian lamb kofta with garlic mayonnaise to spicy Pattaya chicken cakes from Thailand. Vegetarians too have an option in paneer malai tikka with mint sauce or Cajun spiced potatoes from Louisiana, among others. Says Kaul, “We have around 10-12 desserts and the same number for starters.” They have retained the authenticity while trying to suit the local palette. As says Kaul, “There was a lot of research involved to find out what would suit the taste buds here. But whatever’s on the menu is totally authentic with no experimentation.”

Now, over to the men who are actually behind it all. How long have the arrangements been going? Says Rajeev Tripathi, chef, “Preparations have been going on in full swing since a week now.” Any of the fare being dished live? He says, “We undercook them, around 90 per cent, so that the rest is in front while it is being savoured.” Much more than the raw materials, it is the flavouring and condiments that characterise the barbeques from various regions of the world. Says Rajeev, “It is the spices that chiefly set apart one from the other.” Grill and non-veg lovers must give it a try. — TNS

On till February 8.