Catch all the Excitement on Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa

SRGMP on ZEE TV at 8pm (UAE) on Sept 25th

Ranbir’s Secret Weekend Wedding?

Pretty and talented Zee TV’s Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar, Rini Chandra, had come all prepared with a bagful of shagun items necessary to conduct a wedding. A huge fan of Ranbir Kapoor, Rini proposed to him when he made an appearance as a celebrity guest along with Priyanka Chopra to promote their latest flick, Anjaana Anjaani. The dashing Ranbir who had no intention of leaving a lady at the altar, ran onto the stage and accepted the charming young lady’s proposal, much to the audience and Rini’s delight. And, Ranbir got married to her in such a jiffy before she could even wink an eye.

Infact, Priyanka had already set a precedent of getting married to Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs contestant Swarit earlier this year. She was overheard welcoming Ranbir to the family saying ‘Ye toh mera sasural hai, meri pehla shaadi bhi yahi par hui thi.’ What followed was a totally filmy ishtyle wedding with director Siddharth Anand and all the mentors joining in to marry off the Anjaana and Anjaani. Rini’s kanyadaan was done by none other than Piggy Chops, who was in absolute raptures in getting her co-star married into the same family that was present at her own wedding. So excited were the newly married couple to be off on their honeymoon that they had to be stopped by Priyanka and brought back to the set. Said Piggy chops , ‘arrreee…honeymoon ke liye itni jaldi kya hai…show khatam karke phir chale jaana…’

Priyanka Chopra Sings Live on TV for the first time

Priyanka Chopra is well known in the Indian film industry for her beauty and more recently for taking Bollywood by storm with her versatility as an actress, having delivered one smash hit after another. What many don’t know is the fact that this lissome lass is also a veritable powerhouse when it comes to singing a tune. While on Zee TV’s Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa to promote her upcoming Anjaana Anjaani with co star Ranbir Kapoor and director Siddharth Anand, music directors Vishal — Shekar requested the beauty to sing the song ‘Tinka Tinka’.

A little known fact is that way back in 2005, during the making of Karam, our Piggy Chops had sung the playback for the track ‘Tinka Tinka’. But since the young lass was just finding her feet as an actress in the industry, she did not want to be put into the niche of a playback singer and hence asked Alisha Chinoy to do the playback for the track. Looks like Bollywood has finally found themselves a heroine for all seasons!

Having synced along with Sugandha’s performance, Priyanka proceeded to take to the stage with her own rendition of the song. With her rich powerful voice and soulful melody, she did not seem in the least bit nervous or apprehensive as she went on stage and performed on live television for the first time. And it certainly is a performance to remember! Watch out all established singers who playback for Priyanka…with a magical voice like hers, she really doesn’t need anyone to sing for her!!!

Ranbir: The perfect gentleman

Lady luck seems to be smiling on Sugandha Mishra these days. Following her performance with Priyanka Chopra on Zee TV’s Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar, Sugandha was also privy to a dose of the legendary Kapoor chivalry. With all the excitement of having Ranbir Kapoor on the show, the poor girl ended up falling off stage and spraining her ankle during rehearsals. Being the gentleman that he is, Ranbir went forward to escort an injured Sugandha to and fro from the stage for her performance. Chivalry is not dead…not with Ranbir around for sure!!!

Also, while on stage the actor recollected her desire of standing with him in the famous Titanic pose. Being the affable young man that he is, Ranbir gladly obliged to pose with her, much to her obvious delight.

“My leg was paining a lot after the accident during rehearsals, but I never expected a superstar like him to come and help me get to the stage. He was SUCH a gentleman!” gushed an excited Sugandha when we spoke to her after the show.

Thoughtfulness and making dreams come true is an ancient Kapoor tradition…that holds true even today!!!

SERIAL KISSER RANBIR

Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra floored the audience with their fun impromptu acts on this week’s episode of Zee TV’s Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar. The Kapoor chirag was a celebrity guest to promote his forthcoming flick, Anjaana Anjaani along with co-star Priyanka Chopra. He was shown a video clip where all the female contestants expressed what they would do if got given a chance to spend the day with Ranbir.

Watching the video, Ranbir was grinning from ear to ear after hearing that one wanted to kiss him, another  spend a day with him chilling on a beach, and one wanted to stand with him enacting the famous “TITANIC” pose. Blushing, Ranbir had to give into the stimulus of the happy hormone. Ranbir suddenly got up and being a gentleman, planted a kiss on every woman’s hand who had spelt out their fantasy.

All went well till he reached Kamal Khan and took his hand and kissed him too!!! Kamal was shocked and couldn’t believe what Ranbir was doing. Manish Paul, the host for the week, being his spontaneous jovial self regaled everyone with his razor sharp wit saying, ‘Aakhir Maa da Ladla bigaad hi gaya’. Ranbir is a good actor but when he was caught in a situation like this he could not hide his natural emotion at that moment which was nothing but embarrassment cause he just kept going from one contestant to another thinking it’s a girl. Everyone had a hearty laugh including Ranbir who managed a sheepish smile and tried to forget the faux paus as a harmless mistake!

According to a source on the sets, ‘Ranbir and Priyanka were full of energy. Ranbir made it a point to be with all the contestants and did something special for all. Both of them were great fun to be with.’

MUJHSE HUG KAROGI

Priyanka Chopra, the reigning Bollywood queen is the dream girl for teeming millions not only in India but worldwide. Khurram, is one star struck contestant from Pakistan, who went weak in his knees after meeting her on the sets. After his performance, Priyanka was so thrilled hearing him that she said, ‘Mujhe aapse thoda sa ishq ho gaya  hai’. Hearing the comment, Khurram was on the seventh heaven. He wasted no time in asking Priyanka if he could come and hug her once.

The desire to get closer shocked Priyanka…But this bold and beautiful lass saved the day with a repartee and said, ‘Arrey aap toh bahut fast forward nikle…ye toh bas Pyaar ki shuruat hai…abhi dur se hi thik hai…’. Khurram was not ready to give up so soon and pleaded once again, ‘Pleeeaaaseee.. One hug... Let me hug you just once…’

Just when one thought that the situation was getting out of hands, Daler Paaji known for his brazen humor, galloped into the scene like a knight in shining armor and his comment made people fall off their chairs in laughter. As Khurram kept pleading ‘Can I Hug you ..Hug you……’ Daler ji said, ‘Bhai ye Hug..ne.. wagne ka kaam yahan mat karo … uske liye toilet hai peeche…’ This smart retort eased the tension and the sets rocked with peals of laughter.

Viacom18’s ‘COLORS’ channel launches on Pehla in the ME

India’s favourite Hindi Entertainment Channel ties up with Arab Digital Distribution, to be available as part of the Pehla packages

Rajesh Kamat, Colors CEO and Abdel Ghani Ali, CFO, Arab Media Corporation.

Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd, an equal joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) and Network18, one of India’s leading entertainment conglomerates, announced the launch of its flagship channel, COLORS, in the Middle East in a press conference held at Majlis Al Mina Ballroom, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. Rajesh Kamat, Colors CEO, Abdel Ghani Ali, CFO, Arab Media Corporation, Sonia Huria, Colors Senior Manager — Communications were present at the event.

After successful launches in the US, the UK, and Australia — New Zealand, COLORS now aims to entertain the widespread South Asian community residing in the Middle East & North Africa with its popular fiction series, reality shows and blockbuster Bollywood films. Additionally, the channel is also looking at capturing the local Arab and Arab expat audience, particularly the young generation that is familiar with Bollywood entertainment. It will be available as part of all three Asian packages offered by ADD — Pehla Basic, Pehla Silver and Pehla Gold.

Rajesh Kamat, Group COO — Viacom18 and CEO — COLORS, said: “It is a matter of pride for us that in a short duration of two years, COLORS has not only become India’s favourite entertainment destination but is on its way to replicate its success in other key markets as well. After our successful launch in the US and the UK this year, we are pleased to partner with Arab Digital Distribution to offer the best of family entertainment to our viewers in the Middle East. The launch is part of Viacom18’s aggressive growth plans to extend our flagship brand outside India.”

Commenting on the partnership with Viacom18, Abdel Ghani Ali, CFO, Arab Media Corporation (AMC), the parent company of ADD said: “With the addition of COLORS to the Pehla bouquet, ADD is further strengthening its position as the regional market leader. Over the years, ADD has consistently added some of the best known Asian television channels to its Pehla bouquet, thus catering to the varied and ever evolving media needs of its customers. COLORS certainly adds a greater depth to the general entertainment quotient of the Pehla bouquet.”

“The tie-up with ADD offers enormous strategic advantage to COLORS as the channel will leverage Pehla’s established audience franchise across the MENA region,” added Mr. Ghani.

Viewers in the Middle East now will be able to watch the most popular Indian fiction shows including Balika Vadhu, Uttaran, Laagi Tujhse Lagan and Naa Aana Iss Des Laado on the same day as the Indian telecast. They can look forward to an exciting line up of big ticket reality shows including Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi x 3, hosted by Bollywood’s reigning queen, Priyanka Chopra and Bigg Boss Season 4 featuring the most wanted superstar, Salman ‘Dabangg’ Khan on the channel.

Priyanka Chopra with participatns of Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi x 3

A Bollywood extravaganza awaits them as COLORS readies to premiere the latest and the biggest Hindi blockbuster films in the months to come. The exciting movie line-up on the channel includes Akshay Kumar starrer, Khatta Meetha and Tees Maar Khan; Salman Khan’s mega-blockbuster, Dabangg; Ajay Devgn’s gritty thriller, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai; Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much awaited, Guzaarish featuring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai; Priyanka Chopra’s Saat Khoon Maaf; Sonam Kapoor starrer, Aisha and Abhishek Bachchan-Deepika Padukone starrer Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, amongst others.

Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar September 17 & 18

Who is John Abraham’s New Crush?

Who has captured a piece of John’s heart? - Saregamapa contestant Sugandha Mishra

Sugandha Mishra, who first shot to fame as a comedy artiste on Indian television is now one of the top 14 contestants of Zee TV’s popular Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstars. This talented young classical vocalist from Vishal Shekar’s Hit Squad has taken many a stage by storm as she delivers one brilliant performance after another.

However, during a recent filming of an upcoming episode of the show, Sugandha could not help but gush when she came face to face with the charming John Abraham who made an appearance as a guest judge.

After her heartfelt performance of ‘Hai Rama ye kya hua’ from Rangeela, Sugandha could not help but state her long standing crush on Bollywood’s favourite blue eyed boy and requested him to dance with her for which the ever charming actor gladly obliged.

John joined Sugandha on stage for a short jig to ‘Maa da laadla’. The actor then turned around and caught her by surprise when he bestowed her with a peck on the cheek declaring ‘actually sach batau toh mujhe bhi aap par ek chota sa crush hai!’

Sugandha is surely one lucky girl…!!

Baby Sumo arm wrestles With John Abraham

Harnoor Singh, the hatta katta Punjabi munda from Jalandhar has Punjab written all over him. Punjabis are known to be daredevils but Harnoor is known for his cute devilish acts. Daler Mehndi has named him ‘Baby Sumo’. He loves to do two things in life – Khaana aur Gaana. Both his favorite activities are brought to the forefront in many occasions. He has won appreciation for all his performances and is known to take panga with all the celebs who come as guests to Lulu SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstar.

Harnoor had taken up a challenge with his friends back home that he will pick Salman Khan on his shoulders. Salman is no lean mean movie machine but a hefty man with boulder shoulders. Harnoor surprised everybody on the sets by picking Salman Bhai on his shoulders with élan, when he was on the sets.

Recently when John Abraham was on the sets he challenged John to arm wrestle with him. John Abraham has a well toned body and is known to work out at the gym. John took up the challenge and the moment their hands clasped, there was anticipation among the audience.

Throughout the challenge, John had a smile on his face and he seemed to croon a tune in his mind, while Harnoor had beads of sweat up and down his chubby cheeks. Harnoor had a tough time beating John as he was evidently a strong contender.

Harnoor take a break brother! Concentrate on your singing. Probably John did not want to break your heart and lost on purpose. Waise Bhi his doctor had advised him not to apply too much strain on his muscles as he had over worked himself at the gym. Par Koi Nai Hanoor Puttar we love your positive attitude and your penchant to live life to the fullest. Jeeyo mere Sumo!

Eid of your Favourite Zee TV stars

Look at what your favourite Zee TV stars are up to this Eid …

Iqbal Khan (Rudra of Sanjog Se Bani Sangini)

Typically, I wake up before sunrise on the day of Eid. My family and I offer Salatul Fajr, clean our teeth with a Miswaak or a brush, take a shower (Gosul) after Fajr, put on new clothes and dab on some perfume before attending the special Eid prayer (salah). My parent’s stay in Kashmir and whenever I am away from them due to shoots or personal commitments, I miss them a lot. My wife makes sure she compensates for this loss. She prepares an elaborate feast along with Sheer Kurma, my favourite dish. Tasting these traditional home-made goodies makes me really nostalgic! As a child I used to look forward to receiving Eidi, small sums of money, from elders and new clothes.

Lubna Salim (Jasoda of Mera Naam Karegi Roshan):

In my family, Eid is all about trotting on an elaborate gastronomical trail throughout the holy month and also on the day we break our fast. I love to cook and the elaborate feast makes sure the kitchen is abuzz with action.

I remember queuing up with my cousins and siblings to receive Eidi from one of my uncles who used to keep a wad of crisp bank notes, which he distributed among children. I still remember the thrill of receiving those ‘Karare notes’. Being the eldest child of my parents I used to get the maximum amount of Eidi. In the evenings we used to pool in all the money and buy things, which were on our priority list.

Times have changed and my children demand designer clothes and Eidi in thousands. It’s a tradition in our family that every year we go to Mohammad Ali road or Bhindi Bazaar and savour the delicacies there. On the day of Eid we call our friends and relatives for a feast and our Hindu friends love coming over and gorging on the ‘sewaiyaan, pulao, biriyani and sheer kurma’ prepared by me.

Sana Shailkh (Reet of Mera Naam Karegi Roshan)

Eid is an Arabic word meaning ‘festivity’, while Fitr means ‘to purify’; and so the holiday symbolises the purification after completing the fasting month. This is the most special festival in our calendar and every year has been special. My favourite dish is the mutton biriyani and my mum makes the most scrumptious biriyani in the world. In the evenings I used to spend my Eidi on eating out. There used to be an overflow of food at home but eating out with my own money made me feel like a grown up.

Waseem (Anuj of 12/24 Karol Bagh)

Whenever I think of Eid, the first thing that comes to my mind is how, as kids, we used to be all excited about receiving new clothes and Eidi from the elders of our family. I used to go out with my cousins in the evening and burst fire crackers. In recent years, I have always tried and joined my parents during Eid but this year I will not be able to go back home because of my hectic shooting schedule. However, this will be my first Eid with my fiancee as she has come down to Delhi specially for celebrating Eid with me...so I’m looking forward to it. I wish everybody ‘Eid Mubarak’...

Khurram (Top 18 - Contestant from Pakistan, SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstar)

This is the first time I am away from my family and friends during Eid and my eyes are filled with tears when I think about them. I remember the night before Eid when the entire markets in Pakistan would be lit up and there would be an air of festivity. We would shop the whole night and in the morning go for the ‘Eid Ka Namaaz’. We pray in huge open grounds and after the prayers are over, gorge on various sweets and delicacies prepared at home.

This year will be a special Eid because I will be spending it with my new family here on the sets of SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstar. People here have ensured that I don’t miss my family and have a blast in India.

Kamal Khan (Top 18 – Contestant, SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstar)

The feeling of ‘a home away from home’ is taking some time to sink in especially during the festive time of Eid. We have a tradition that all our family members and relatives would get together and eat, sing, dance and make merry!

Although I feel at home here on the sets of SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstar, sometimes I feel tempted to run back home. But at the end of the day, Allah has given me the opportunity to make a mark in the music industry and I would ensure I give in my best.

Hum Bill De Chuke Sanam: Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Salman Khan special episode on Zee TV

Tune-into Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar on Saturday, September 4 at 8pm to watch this special episode.

Salman Khan is known for all the wrong reasons in the media but in his recent appearance on the sets of Zee TV’s Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar he proved his critics wrong by yet another act of benevolence. Whenever on this side of town, Salman Bhai can’t miss his favorite food items — Jain Pizza from Haji Ali. Sallu believes in ‘sharing is caring’ and he ordered not one or two but 150 pizzas not only for the participants but also for the audience watching the shoot.

Add to it, Salman Khan nonchalantly picked up the tab for the pizzas and said, ‘This is on me’, leaving the channel officials bewildered as he threatened to leave the sets if Sa Re Ga Ma Pa team didn’t allow him to pay the bill. Salman didn’t have any starry airs and showed why he’s such a hit with the masses.

It seems Salman also loves to slurp on the thick and yummy milkshakes from Haji Ali. So all fans of Salman now have another place to flock on a lazy evening and get a taste of the Superstar’s gastronomical favorites.

Salman Bhai Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega

Khurram bowls Salman over with his dedication

Khurram, a contestant from Pakistan is a self proclaimed worshipper of Salman Khan. He has not missed a single Salman flick and has seen each Salman Khan movie a minimum of 15 times and knows all his famous dialogues by heart. During Salman Khan’s recent visit on the sets of Zee TV’s Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar, Khurram was so excited that he did not break his ‘Roza’ at 7 pm like others but patiently waited for his ‘God’ to come and hand over his first morsel.

Khurram was delighted to meet Salman Khan and narrated an incident in his life that took Salman by surprise. It seems Khurram had forgotten his wallet at home and tried to cross the border in a hurry to catch the first screening of ‘Veer’. He was caught by the officials at the border and to avoid getting caught, Khurram offered to sing a few Salman numbers. No prizes in guessing that he dedicated one of the songs which he had sung to regale the border officials to Salman Khan.

Salman was moved beyond words to meet his ardent follower and fan and it was an emotional moment when he handed Khurram a piece of date to break his Roza fast. Khurram gifted him a beautiful ornate prayer mat as a token of his love and appreciation.

Tune-into Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar on Saturday, September 4 at 8pm to watch this special episode.

When Ash Made Salman Smile

It’s routine in a reality show to have the judges’ comments after a contestant has finished his performance but the tables turned when Salman Khan visited the sets of Zee TV’s Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar.

Being a Salman Khan special episode, Shreyasi, a Kolkata based singer beautifully sang the title track of ‘Hum Dil Chuke Sanam’. After her performance she spoke her heart out to Salman saying that she loves the movie and has seen it umpteen times.

Gushing over the film and its performances, very innocently Shreyasi says, “I felt very bad and helpless with the way Aishwarya had left you heartbroken in the end. Had I been in her shoes I would have given up everything and married you.” Completely speechless and highly amused, Salman Khan with a mischievous grin looked at the control room and said, “Zee TV ko aapne aaj promo de diya hai”.

Preet Se Bandhi Ye Dori –Salman Aur Zee Tv Ki Jodi

It’s Salman’s eighth appearance on Zee TV and each one has been memorable with either a quote or a performance from Sallu Bhai. For the crew, it’s always a delight when Salman is on the sets as they have lots of fun when Salman is around.

Not only the channel but Salman Khan also considers himself to be the lucky charm for Zee TV’s reality shows. Salman is treated more like a family member than a celebrity when he is on the sets. During his recent appearance on Lulu Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar, the creative team surprised him with a special AV which had culled out footages from all his past appearances on the show. The crowd including the judges whistled and clapped keeping Salman flushed throughout the duration of the screening. Be it the famous towel dance or Salman making Aneek Dhar remove his shirt before singing ‘Oh O Jaane Jaana’ there is always a level of uncertainty when he is around and the beauty lies in his unpredictability.

It’s a common phrase that ‘Mumbai’s rains and Salman’s mood are both unpredictable’ and this ‘what will happen next?’ feeling makes every visit of Salman memorable.