She has been in this industry for 25 years and every song for the past 10-15 years has her voice for sure. For some, Alka Yagnik is the voice of Bollywood, for others she is a melody in herself. But there is no denying the fact that if one generation idolised Lata Mangeshkar, another has defined rhythm in Alka Yagnik. The singer was back in town after almost 15 years, to perform live at the Rose festival. “It has been a long time since I did a show here. It feels good to be in Chandigarh, knowing that we still have cities that are so well maintained, neat and clean and done up pretty well,” she says.

When an entire nation is running high on Slumdog fever, Alka shows her calm, “When we recorded for Slumdog…, I was not aware of the fact that this would become a global phenomenon. But we must not get carried away, I really hope Rahman gets the success he so deserves,” she says. But she also adds that she is not in awe of the Hollywood or the global stage. “I believe in respecting the recognition of our own awards and people. For me a Filmfare is as big as an Oscar.” On the instant-catapulted status of Bollywood on the global front, she says that Bollywood always had a global appeal. With a whole new crop of singing sensations popping up every passing day in Bollywood, selectivity rules for Alka. “I feel my voice has been overexposed and after a while you have to be selective in your work to maintain a standard. I believe in less on quantity and more on quality,” she says. But is quick to add, “The music being made these days is not my cup of tea. I have to be comfortable with the song I have to sing.” Her disappointment with the quality of music is direct, “I am amazed at the pace of the lowering standards. The lyrics have been compromised and music completely westernised. I have sung item numbers like Chamma Chamma, but the lyrics had some substance to it, today it’s all beats,” she says, adding, “But it’s a phase that will fade out and until then, we have to adapt to it.”

Doing a live show after such a long time in city reminds her how her fans still ask her to sing the old melodies. “Sometimes in a live performance people demand to hear my songs from Saajan or Raja Hindustani. The tastes haven’t changed but just moulded towards the changing trends,” she said. But music isn’t the only culprit. The one-song wonders of the industry are making it more difficult to find takers for quality. Blame it on the reality shows? “To a large extent, yes. But we have to set a limit to the level of compromise we do,” she clears the air. With the sudden death of an era when the voice behind our on-screen darlings went unnoticed, it is time when the singers are stars. “Singers were always stars, they were just not projected well before. Earlier people would know Alka Yagnik’s voice but now they know her face too,” she signs off with the declaration.

lifestyle@gmail.com

Shh…we’ll hush, sneak, tiptoe and ship you back to the times when singing was religion, love meant music, talent still unconnected to reality shows, and qualifications signified not a three years Bachelors in Music but two decades of untiring commitment to passion. Incredulously true! Courtesy renowned Sufi singer Shaukat Ali Khan. In city, for a performance at Chandigarh Club, the meeting shakes and stirs the newly acquired notions and concepts that’ve come to be associated with music. Join the retrospection.

If it were rock, we’d ask for the genre; since it’s Sufi, natural to ask for the meaning, the interpretation. He says, “Sufi means qawwalli. To me, it means speaking the truth. Not just to me, in fact, it means speaking the truth. Truth is bitter and even if people don’t wish to listen.”

Don’t know about that but for sure people, must have thrust, his phenomenal ‘kadi te hass bol ve, na jind sadi rol ve’ down their play lists and i- pods. Belonging to a village near Malerkotla, he classifies his music as one from Patiala Gharana. “I’m also nick-named as Shaukat Ali Matoi.”

So what does he have to say about the current music scene in India, the talent hunt shows, and today’s singing generation? A slight sigh and he begins, “I don’t know, depends one one’s opinion. Like in our times we used to rehearse for umpteen years. I myself practiced for twenty years. Would keep rehearsing in front of harmonium, would fall asleep unconsciously, then wake up, again and continue.” Did dedication find a new definition? He adds, “Some stand and dance alongside singing, but for us it doesn’t happen that ways. We believe in sitting, concentrating and singing. It’s a question of opinion.” Does Chandigarh audience understand Sufi? “Yes. They do, pretty much. Wherever we’ve gone, have been immensely appreciated. If not all, then at least 100 out of 500 people in the audience, completely understand Sufi, they in turn, will go about and tell further hundred.” He doesn’t easily recall his albums and songs and shows, with Shaaheed-e-Mohabbat, Pind di kudi, being a few. He doesn’t remember, but bet his audience wouldn’t forget his renditions. He missed meeting Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, while in London at the same time, by a whisker.

Finally, the unfortunate 26/11 episode, Pakistani artists being banned; his message? Comes the reply, “Music is above all this. Artists don’t have religion. At least don’t let the politics and fights reach us.” Did we tell you, he was introduced to music at the age of 5-6 years and would even walk six kms to learn from his mentor? Snap..snap… Transported to the old world charm? Told you so!

manpriya@tribunemail.com

The mood was set, the crowd almost hysterical and the atmosphere was electric. And Sanobar Kabir made her sensational entry. The dazzling dancing diva was ready to rock on gyrating numbers, kajra re and bidi jalayele, and add the oomph factor to the Rose Festival. And with her on stage and her fans off it, excitement and energy were the buzzwords. “I have always maintained that Punjabi crowd is the best crowd in the world. The energy levels are tripled while performing in front of such audience,” she said after her performance.

An entertainment personality of her own, Sanober has tasted all waters in the glamour world - an actress, dancer and now a singer – she defines a complete performer. “Acting bug runs in my family, so it was nothing new to me. Singing though happened by chance,” she says. “When my first album was released, there was a trend of making music videos where one was singing, acting and dancing. And then came the remix era,” she adds. With more than 400 stage shows to her credit, Sanober is a veteran when it comes to dance performances. For her dance is all about discipline, passion, love and having fun. Having trained under big names like Shaimak Davar and Terence Lewis she spells out dance as her life. And so it was natural for a reality show like Dancing Queen to come across, “It’s a show that gives a big platform to common talent. It’s fun working with young girls who are good dancers and grooming them becomes a big responsibility,” she says.

Of course, but reality TV means big controversies too, and with hot and happening queens of Bollywood in one frame, there is sure to be some sparks. “Well, with 20 girls on one show, something or the other keeps popping up. But I share a good rapport with everybody. Sambhavna Seth, the real controversy queen is a good friend. So, nothing cooking up there,” she says candidly. Though she admits that performing in front of Hema Malini and Jeetendra is scary. “Its fun but scary at the same time. Hema Ji sometimes asks very technical questions and the bareeki with which she judges makes us nervous. But it’s always encouraging. Jeetu ji is a sweetheart,’ she says. But she adds that she is graceful with criticism and doesn’t believe in puking, falling or crying for attention.

At personal front, she has no hassles in saying that she is single and loves spending her leisure time traveling places. “ I love travelling but that comes with the job,” she says. Her idea of a perfect weekend is escaping to her Portugese abode in Goa. And what keeps her company, “I am not a gizmo person but I keep on buying latest stuff just because everybody else is. I got a PlayStation, an Apple I-pod and many other things but just don’t use them,” she says. As for her success mantra, “Success levels are defined by one’s satisfaction level. It has no end, but if you can’t enjoy your success then what’s the fun of having it.” With Dancing Queen and plans of playback singing, Sanober says, “It’s time to work hard.” And working hard is Sanober Kabir.

— lifestyle@tribunemail.com

VIP. A brand synonymous with luggage, and another with mens’ undergarments. Now if you meet someone with this name, VIP, you can’t help push forth your query. VIP, what a name? Has it been shortened for convenience or twisted to add on extra funny affects. “It was always VIP,” smiles VIP. “The only difference was that earlier people used to call me Vijay Ishwar Pawar, and now they call me VIP. In fact, I was also apprehensive about using the abbreviated name, but now I think it has done me good.” In city to perform at the Rose Festival, VIP interacts in his original voice. We thought, we would never get to hear your original voice? “I too thought so,” he flashes a patent smile. “Even on the show, I hardly had dialogues in my original voice.”

Now, for those of you who have dismissed television as an idiot box, VIP exhibits his mimicry skills on Sony Televisions Comedy Circus. “Aisa koi actor nahin jiski awaaz VIP ji mimic nahin kar sakety”, someone standing next to VIP tells us. Just in case we are those non- television types. “I used to mimic film stars when I was young, and then I got the knack of it and now I can mimic almost every actor, “ tells VIP. Which actors do you like to mimic? “Nana Patekar, Pankaj Kapoor. I like to mimic all. Let me tell you mimicking is an art that takes lot more than just copying a particular voice. When I mimic, my body language changes accordingly.”

Now, with the success, VIP is gunning for Guinness book of world records wherein we would do a non-stop mimicry of 51 voices. “Pray that I am able to do it successfully.”

If someone asks the similarity between fashion and cars, the obvious choices would be luxury, design and exclusivity. But Saturday evening saw Gayatri Khanna blending the two into pure indulgence. In an exclusively designed collection for Mercedes Benz, ‘Exquisit’ was stylish, sophisticated and unique, everything that the brand stands for. The occasion was the regional tee-off of the Mercedes Trophy and Gayatri Khanna was upbeat about her tribute to the brand. “My collection is designed in a series of five couture lines, drawing inspiration from the attributes and sensibilities of the Mercedes brand like performance, passion, tradition, luxury and sophistication, which is also synonymous with my brand,” she said.

After an experience of two and a half years, her label, Gayatri Khanna House of fashion and Milaaya is one of the premium fashion brands in the world. It caters to the biggies in the industry and global players like Armani, Christian Dior, Escada. So what sells the Indian fashion? “We have hi-end fabrics, modern silhouettes but the international market laps up our highly skilled embroidery. The kaarigari of our designs is what makes us stand apart,’ she says. With sports now becoming a stylish profession, her advice for our sport style icons is too choose comfort over style. “You don’t have to go overboard with your style statement. Adding bright colours to the outfit will do the trick.”

With all the elite elements attached to this designer, read fashion, Mercedes and golf, she would like to dress up Vijay Amritraj. But her next venture would be rather ‘grounded’, “My next collection would be based on people, culture and Obama,” she says. Well, another fan, we say!

Metabolic Rate is the rate at which the body burns up calories. The secret of burning calories lies in knowing what determines your metabolic rate and what you can do to influence it.

You can speed up your rate of burning calories using some, or all, of the following tactics:

1) Build Muscle

The single most important factor in determining your resting metabolic rate is how much lean muscle tissue you have. Your muscle tissue uses 16-22% of your daily calories just to exist. So smarten up and Increase the amount of muscle in your body by training with weights just 3 times a week for around 20 minutes.

2) Fidget More

Some ideas for burning calories; Tap your feet, Swing your legs, Drum your fingers, Stand up and stretch, Move your head from side to side, Change position, Pace up and down.

3) Aerobic Exercise

Try 30 minute sessions of heart rate raising exercise, such as vigorous walking, step aerobics, jogging or swimming, 5-6 times a week.

4) Eat Spicy Food

There is evidence to show that spices, especially chilly, can raise the metabolic rate by up to 50% for up to 3 hours after you’ve eaten a spicy meal.

Drinks containing caffeine also stimulate the metabolism, as does green tea.

5) Eat Little and Often

There is some evidence to suggest that eating small, regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger, less frequent meals. Provided your small meals don’t fall into the quick-fix, high fat, high sugar snacks, eating little and often can also help to control hunger and make you less likely binge.

6) Drink iced water

It takes one calorie to raise the temperature of one litre of water by 1 degree. The body needs to heat water to body temperature (36.8C). The difference between the temperature of iced water and body temperature means you’ll burn 36.8 calories “warming up” a liter of iced water. Sipping two litres, therefore, is enough to burn off half a Kit Kat. At least, that’s the theory. 

7) Frontload your day

Metabolic rate is shaped like an ice-cream cone, highest in the morning, declining gradually through the day. Starting the day with a meal, boosts resting metabolic rate by 10%.

8) Increase Thermic Effect of Food

Ten per cent of the calories we consume each day are used up in digesting what we’ve eaten. Complex, high-fiber carbohydrates, like high-fiber vegetables and cereals, however burn more calories than simple carbohydrates.

9) Use your cycle

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) fluctuates throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle. BMR tends to be at its lowest a week before ovulation., and research has found an 8-16% rise in energy expenditure during the 14-day period following ovulation (the luteal phase). A study showed that, while women burn about 4% more calories a day during this time - they also consume 4% more calories.

kalrasachin@hotmail.com

For an industry that indulges in mere entertainment, Hollywood takes itself pretty seriously. But the overbearing self-importance displayed by many who work in the cinematic trades will be exquisitely deflated Saturday night when a group of renegade movie buffs delight in naming the worst movie moments of the year.The dubious Golden Raspberry dishonours, affectionately known as the Razzie awards, are now in their 29th year and never seem to lack worthy candidates.This year, the favourite for Razzie notoriety is the grossly overrated Canadian comedy star Mike Myers, who has a leading seven nominations for his truly awful movie The Love Guru.The movie was a worthy successor to the crude and unimaginative Austin Powers series, and got its just deserves at box offices, where it was one of the year’s most notable flops.

The film bomb was judged to be so bad by the hardened Razzie nominators that they chose it to compete in all the major categories including acting dishonours for Myers, Verne Troyer, Jessica Alba and even Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley.But The Love Guru has plenty of competition. Also featuring highly on the list of nominees was Paris Hilton, whose every screen moment seemed to yield a Razzie nod. She was nominated for worst actress for the classic comedy The Hottie and the Nottie, worst supporting actress for Repo: The Genetic Opera and as one-half of the year’s worst screen couple together with both Hottie costar Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore.Hottie will compete for worst movie with The Love Guru, The Happening, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and Meet the Spartans.

Beside Myers, the worst-actor nominees include Eddie Murphy for Meet Dave, Al Pacino for both 88 Minutes and Righteous Kill, and Mark Wahlberg, who also scored a double nomination for The Happening and Max Payne. No less than nine women are vying for worst actress, thanks to an ensemble nomination for the cast of The Women, which featured Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Meg Ryan. The other nominees are Cameron Diaz (What Happens in Vegas), Kate Hudson (Fool’s Gold and My Best Friend’s Girl), Alba and Hilton.The biggest winner might turn out to be German director Uwe Boll, who will be the recipient of the worst career achievement for such timeless gems as the Bloodrayne series, Alone in the Dark and House of the Dead.Boll, who specialises in adapting video games to movies was also nominated as worst supporting actor for Postal and 1968: Tunnel Rats, while his In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is up for the worst-movie award.

Alone among cinematic auteurs, he seems to actually regard being the recipient of a Razzie with the honour it deserves, and even apologised in an online interview that he would be unable to attend in person to accept the prize.“I will be filming out in South Africa, so I cannot be there in person,” he said.Asked whether anyone else might deserve the worst career achievement more than him, he was indignant: “No one, only me,” he answered.Film fans may have other opinions, but at least with the Razzies they can do something about it. The Golden Raspberry allows anyone to vote - as long as they prove that they care enough to pay a $25 registration fee. — Agencies

Will he, won’t he? The buzz around whether music maestro A.R. Rahman will flaunt an outfit by Rohit Bal or another designer at the Oscar ceremonies is gaining momentum as Bal reveals that the chances of Rahman wearing his outfit seem slim.Rahman is the first Indian to get three Oscar nominations for his score in British filmmaker Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, a rags-to-riches story set in India, which was also nominated for seven other categories including best film and best director.Rahman has been nominated for best original score and also for the best original song for the numbers Jai Ho and O Saya respectively.“He will now be wearing some other outfit. I think it is Lanvin,” Bal told .Lanvin is a French brand and if Rahman chooses to wear it, he might be seen in a tuxedo and not in Indian attire unlike at the Oscar luncheon and at the BAFTA awards where he wore a midnight blue sherwani and a bandhgala respectively.Even his stylist Vijayeta Kumar has made it clear that he is opting for a suit because of the strict dress code at the Oscars.According to him, Rahman has zeroed in on two outfits for each of the parties - the Oscars and the post-awards party by Vanity Fair.Earlier there were speculations that Rahman had selected a tapered bandhgala and slim pants in black by Rohit Bal for the grand red carpet event. — IANS

As Slumdog Millionaire, the feel good film about a Mumbai tea boy, has grown to be more and more of an Oscar contender tonight, the murky Hollywood art of ‘sliming’ seems to have swung into action.A spate of negative stories about Slumdog has erupted in the local Hollywood newspapers ahead of the 81st Oscar, claiming the film to be ‘poverty porn’ and that its actors have been ripped off and exploited.

Based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup’s novel Q&A, the movie is threatening to be one of the biggest Oscar upsets this year by beating big-budget Hollywood movies and its most luminous superstars.In an article headlined ‘Oscar’s dirty Tricks’, the newspaper report said: “Produced for just 10 million pounds, Slumdog is threatening to be one of the great Oscar upsets by beating big-budget Hollywood superstars.”

“The path to Academy Award victory, however, is beset with many dangers. As Slumdog has grown to be more and more of an Oscar contender, the murky Hollywood art of ‘sliming’ seems to have swung into action. Local Hollywood newspapers claim the film is “poverty porn”, that it somehow insults Mumbai slum dwellers and that its actors have been ripped off and exploited.” — PTI

She is hoping her brother will bring back at least two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire. Music maestro A.R. Rahman’s elder sister Reihana, a well-known Tamil music composer and singer, says the family is very excited and deliriously happy at his super success.“We are hoping he will win at least two Oscars. We trust in god and have surrendered to him,” Reihana told. Rahman has been nominated for three Oscars - Best Original Score, for the song Jai Ho and for O Saya.Though Rahman’s bagging awards is nothing new for the family, an Academy Award will of course be special.“Awards may have become commonplace for Rahman, but we are deliriously happy on every occasion. The mood now is similar to that on the eve of his maiden honour for ‘Roja’. We are excited, but not nervous about the special honour,” Reihana said.Reihana has yet to wish her brother luck. “I will, when everybody else has finished doing that,” she said with a chuckle.

Tanvi Shah, who crooned the Oscar-nominated Jai Ho, is optimistic and proud of her mentor.“When Rahman Sir wins the Oscar, it would be for the whole nation,” Shah told .“Two weeks ago when I congratulated him breathlessly, he replied, ‘Congrats to you too!’ This shows why we have a proud sense of belonging as he values our team work. He may be thousands of miles away, in a different continent, but to us he is virtually next door,” Shah said.Shah has also rendered another number Gangsta Blues in the movie.

Young Madhumita, another singer in Slumdog, is sure Rahman will bring home at least one Oscar.“I have a very strong feeling that he will come home with an Oscar. I want to catch every second from the moment when Rahman’s name is announced,” Madhumita told .Already in celebration mode, Madhumita is all keyed up to watch the big event and the man who, according to her, “unleashes the creativity in every singer”.“I will always be grateful to Rahman Sir for the Slumdog... opportunity. I only came to know how big it was when I saw the album with Mia and Sukhvinder’s names on it too,” she recalled.“The Liquid Dance number was a challenge because Rahman asked me to rap with ‘jathis’ (notations), which are normally used only in south Indian classical music,” Madhumita added. — IANS

Madonna will take Brazilian model Jesus Luz as her date to the Oscars, it has emerged. According to reports, the 50-year-old singer has been arranging matching outfits for the awards ceremony with the 22-year-old toy-boy.The pair, who has still not gone public with the romance, has been spotted kissing at a pre-Oscars dinner in Los Angeles.Luz has posed in a raunchy photo shoot with Madonna for W magazine.Madonna recently reached a settlement in her messy divorce from British film director Guy Ritchie. — ANI

Professional gatecrasher, who sneaked into last year’s Oscars, has been hired to secure this year’s ceremony to fill in any security cracks. Scott Weiss will keep fellow offenders from getting themselves to a shoulder-rubbing distance with the celebrities .

The 48-year-old has also previously managed to break into the gates at the Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards - and got himself snapped with the A-listers.“If you dress the part and put on an air that you belong there - and that you don’t really have time to be stopped by anyone - people are generally very polite,” told Weiss — ANI