Bollywood Bible - Honeys Dance Academy

Honey Kalaria
Bollywood Bible
Bollywood Bible
Advice, Overview and an Insight
By
Honey Kalaria
1
Honey Kalaria
Bollywood Bible
Originally published in 2004
and
updated in
Copyright © 2007 Diva Entertainments Ltd
All Rights Reserved
No part of this E Book version may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying ,
recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher in any form
without the written consent of the author
www.honeykalaria.com
Honey Kalaria, c/o Diva Entertainments,
50-54 Farnham Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex, IG3 8QD, UK
TEL: 0208 590 8050 FAX: 0208 590 8056
[email protected] www.divaentertainments.com
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Acknowledgements
I want to acknowledge the huge list of people who have touched my life in a positive way
and made it so meaningful. These include my Guruji, my parents, my brother, my friends,
my colleagues, supporters, well wishers, fans, journalists, teachers and countless others
who have been there to encourage and support me throughout my career. I am grateful to
all those who have contributed in helping to produce this E Book, including all those who
have forwarded questions to me, the answers to which have been included within this book.
Note
Whilst the advice and the information in this book is believed to be accurate, neither the author nor the publisher
will be responsible for any injury, losses, damages, actions, proceedings, claims, demands, expenses and costs
(including legal costs or expenses)
incurred or in any way arising out of following the advice and information in this book.
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Content
HONEY KALARIA
• Who is Honey Kalaria
• Foreword by Honey Kalaria
ENTER INTO THE WORLD OF BOLLYWOOD
• What is Bollywood
• When was the first Bollywood film screened
• When did Bollywood start getting popular within the UK
• Can you tell me a bit about the economics of the Indian Film Industry
• What do you think is the future for Bollywood
BOLLYWOOD DANCE
• When did you set up Honeys Dance Academy
• What are the benefits of holding Bollywood classes and workshops
• Are there any drawbacks of Bollywood Dance
• What exactly is the Bollywood Dance Style
• Why is there traditional and Modern Bollywood dance
• I work as a teacher in a school. Can you share some ideas on how I
could get my pupils involved and learning about Bollywood?
HISTORY OF INDIAN DANCE
• Where did Indian dance originate from
• What are the main elements of Indian dance
• Who is Natraj – The dancing God
• What types of Indian Classical dances are involved in Bollywood
• What is Bharat Natyam
• How does Kathak differ from Bharat Natyam
• Why is Bhangra very popular
• Make up, jewellery and costumes used in Indian dance
• Why is acting and expression also important in Bollywood dance
• What kind of emotions are displayed in Bollywood Dance
BOLLYWOOD AS A PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING ARTS FORM
• What gave you an idea of devising a Bollywood Syllabus
• Does that mean that the Bollywood Dance Syllabus is set in stone
• How did you manage to write a Bollywood Syllabus
• What is the International Association of Modern Indian Arts (IAMIA)
• What are the aims and objectives of IAMIA
BOLLYWOOD CHOREOGRAPHERS
• Within the Indian film industry which Bollywood choreographers do
you like
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BOLLYWOOD MUSIC
• Can you tell me about some of the Music Directors and composers
within the Bollywood Film Industry
• Who are the best lyricists in the Bollywood film industry
• Is it true that actors do not really sing in Bollywood Films
• Who are the best playback singers within the film industry
• Have you ever worked with any of the playback singers
BOLLYWOOD FILMS
• Bollywood Musical films
• 100 films to keep as a private collection at your home
BOLLYWOOD WEBSITES
•
Could you advise me on what Bollywood sites I should visit
BOLLYWOOD PROJECTS
• What was it like working with Bollywood Stars?
Amitabh Bachchan
Govinda
Shah Rukh Khan
Manoj Bajpai
Hrithik Roshan
Saif Ali Khan
Sunil Shetty
Salman Khan
Others…
• How do you promote Indian art and culture and Bollywood to
mainstream audiences?
SOME HINDI TERMS USED IN BOLLYWOOD
• Hindi is not my first language but I have an Indian girlfriend. Could
you give me information on some common Hindi relationship words?
• Can you explain some Hindi terms that are commonly used in film
titles
HEALTH AND FITNESS
• Can you tell me about your Bollywood Workout and Fitness program
• Would you say you’re a stressful sort of person? If so, how do you
relax
• What sort of complementary therapies do you like
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MAKE UP, BEAUTY AND FASHION
• I am 42 years old. How can I use Bollywood dance and fitness
more effectively to help make me age gracefully and enhance
my physical appearance
• What is your secret of looking so young? How can I look 10
years younger
Make up and Fashion
Exercises
Detoxifying
Beauty comes from within
BUSINESS GOALS AND SECRETS OF SUCCESS
• Why do people call you “The Bollywood Ambassador to the UK”?
• When do you get the time to do Charity work?
•
You have been nominated as Business Woman of the Year. How do
you mix Bollywood with your business?
•
How did you start your Bollywood business and what kind of
challenges did you have to deal with?
HONEY – THE PERSONALITY
• What star sign are you? Are you typical of your sign?
• Do you think you were destined to be working in the field of
Bollywood?
• Do you follow any sort of religion
• What makes you happy? Why?
• Why do you put a lot of emphasis on spirituality and what does it
mean to you
• What are your views on love
SECRET TIPS AND ADVICE FROM HONEY
• It is so difficult for me to stick to a diet, an exercise program or
complete a dance course. I just can’t do it! What can I do to achieve
success
• How can I get maximum benefits from your dance and fitness
courses
• Honey I want to be able to dance like you. How can I become a
fantastic dancer and turn my dream into reality
• Everyone talks about getting motivated but how do you get
motivated
• What skills do I require to enter into the Bollywood film industry
• What advice can you give to someone who wishes to work in the
Bollywood or dance industry
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HONEY KALARIA?
Who is Honey Kalaria?
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♦
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Did you know that Honey Kalaria…
♦ is considered to be Britain’s top Bollywood
dance expert. She is a lethal combination of
beauty and brains who is frequently referred
to as “The UK’s Bollywood Ambassador”
♦ has been asked to perform around the world
and in front of dignitaries such as the Late
Princess Diana, HRH Queen and Tony
Blair
♦ has worked with top Bollywood stars including
Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan,
Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan amongst others.
has been nominated as Business Woman of the Year and short listed
as one of the top three Asian Business Women in the UK
runs Honeys Dance Academy and Agency, with 15 centers across
Greater London now boasting 1,800 students. Her Academy has
recently been hailed by the BBC as ‘The 21st Century Fame
School”
was presented with the Best International Artist Award for her role
in the Bollywood film “Indian Babu” directed by Lawrence D’Souza
Released a ‘Bollywood Workout’ video that secured the no.1
position for mainstream Keep Fit videos in 2003.
was one of the judges for Channel 4’s 2004 hit series ‘Bollywood
Star’ and has been the Bollywood Guru for ITV’s hit show “For One
Night Only” to be screened this year. Recently she completed
filming for BBC2’s “Home”, MTV’s “Bust a Move” and “Bump and
Grind”.
possesses a Masters degree in Public Relations and has received
an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of East London.
has been trained in Bollywood, bhangra, Indian Classical Dance, Rock
& Roll, Latin American, Belly Dance and street dance
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♦ is a highly sought after choreographer and both she and her students
have appeared in high profile shows such as Andrew Lloyd Weber’s
“Bombay Dreams”, Gareth Gates “Spirit in the Sky”, BBC Prom,
Party in the Park, Blue Peter, Ruby Wax, Top of the Pops, Jamie Oliver,
Ant and Dec, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Mohabbatein and Bride and
Prejudice.
♦ launched the first ever Bollywood Dance syllabus allowing students and
professionals to take accredited Bollywood dance exams and at same
time creating history
♦ has also launched the first ever Bollywood and Bhangra Dance &
Fitness Personal Coaching pack enabling Indian dance lovers from all
over the world to learn Bollywood dance step by step and shape up in the
comfort of their own home
MEDIA COVERAGE INCLUDES:
v Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Zest, She, New Woman, Company,
Essentials, Health & Fitness, OK! Magazine, Woman’s Own, Radio
Times, Girl About Town, Angel North Magazine, Spirit & Destiny,
Travel News Magazine, Dance Expression, Dance Today….
v Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Independent Review, The Times,
Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Mail, Daily Mail Weekend,
Daily Mirror, The Sun, Evening Standard, Metro, Time Out, The
Stage, Teletext, Press Association….
v BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, GLR, London Today, MTV, Zee
TV, B4U, Sony, MATV, Venus TV, Sunrise, Club Asia.…
v Clickwalla, Red Hot Curry, Garavi Gujarat, Eastern Eye, BBC Asian
Network, Asian Leader, Asian Voice, Zee TV, Snoop, Asian Times,
Sunrise Radio, Club Asia, Asian Woman, Asiana, Desi, Occasions
magazine
Honey Kalaria, c/o Diva Entertainments,
50-54 Farnham Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex, IG3 8QD, UK
TEL: 0208 590 8050 FAX: 0208 590 8056
[email protected] www.divaentertainments.com
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Bollywood Bible
Foreword by Honey Kalaria
I am Honey Kalaria and I am delighted to share with you my views, experiences
and knowledge about the world of Bollywood. Yes, Bollywood – the fun,
fashionable and trendy world of Indian Cinema. In 1997, when I was setting up
Honey’s
Dance
Academy, I found it a
struggle to convince
people of the potential of the
Bollywood industry and
dance form. Since then the
world of Bollywood has
just exploded in the UK, and
every one is either
talking about it or hearing
about it, if not getting
involved in it in some shape
or
form.
From
advertisements like the
Peugeot car advert to films like Bride and Prejudice right through to music such
as Gareth Gates “Spirit in the Sky” and TV shows such as Channel 4’s
“Bollywood Star”. It seems Bollywood is everywhere!
This book contains information and answers to questions that are forwarded to
me by people throughout the world. The questions may be forwarded by a wide
range of people; professionals from the industry wanting to know more about
Bollywood Dancing, students who wish to improve on their performance skills,
those wishing to enter the Bollywood Film Industry, and the media who just have
an interest in my work and wish to know the secrets of my success that I have
been blessed with.
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ENTER INTO THE WORLD OF BOLLYWOOD
What is Bollywood?
Bollywood is a term that refers to the Indian film industry. People sometimes
wonder why the name “Bollywood”? As the Indian Film Industry is based in
Bombay, the ‘H’ from Hollywood has been replaced by the ‘B’ in Bollywood.
Nearly all Indian films are musicals like the western films - ‘The sound of music’,
‘Grease’ or ‘Moulin Rouge’ and packed with songs and dances, which are
sometimes referred to as Bollywood songs and Bollywood dances.
The dances can incorporate a fusion of both Eastern and Western choreography
and learning Bollywood dancing can seriously transform you into quite a versatile
dancer. I am delighted to share with you that Bollywood is one of the fastest
growing dance forms in the UK, proving to be extremely popular amongst people
of all backgrounds. Living in the multi-cultural society of Britain and with
performing arts and entertainment becoming such a global industry, I feel that in
the future, Bollywood will jump to another level on an international scale.
When was the first Bollywood film screened?
In 1899 the first Indian short film was screened and Bollywood was born. Just as
in Hollywood, the films were silent to begin with, then in 1933 sound was
introduced and the films became 'Indian talkies'. As we are aware, many Indians
came to live and work in Britain around fifty years ago, and they brought their
culture with them to the UK and that includes Bollywood films. Now, Bollywood's
biggest audience outside India is Britain and it is fast attracting attention in many
parts of the world.
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When did Bollywood start getting popular within the UK?
Apart from me being on a mission to teach people about Bollywood in 1997, it
started to get introduced to the mainstream markets around 2000 and it was in
2002 when the Bollywood explosion started in the UK. For example:
♦ A season of Indian films was shown on mainstream television when
England had a cricket match with India.
♦ Selfridges, the departmental store, devoted a month to Indian fashion,
dance, music, ethnic items and shops everywhere were full of colourful
clothes, bindis, bangles, saris and henna painting.
♦ Andrew Lloyd Weber decided to introduce a Bollywood
musical called Bombay Dreams in the West End and with
Harvey Goldsmith came “Merchants of Bollywood”
♦ Mainstream cinemas also showed Bollywood classic films
♦ Museums such as The Victoria and Albert Museum
organized exhibitions featuring Bollywood film posters,
history and related items.
♦ Lagaan, an extremely successful Bollywood hit film, was nominated for an
Oscar.
♦ The charts were full of Indian and bhangra music, with Justin Timberlake,
Dr Dre, Britney Spears and the Neptunes sampling Indian beats and
Punjabi MC having a huge success.
♦ Indian themed television adverts were also produced and aired with funky
Bollywood music in the back ground, such as the Peugeot commercial.
♦ Bollywood films have managed to cross over and now it's not just Indian
families watching them - they're being shown in big
cinemas across the UK.
♦ IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) is scheduled to
be staged in Yorkshire, UK in 2007. This event will attract
an international audience of 315 million; 28,000 visitors will
be visiting Yorkshire, spending an estimated total of £9.5
million; 12,000 hotel rooms will be booked and new flight
routes are being created to cope with the number of
visitors.
♦ Even Momentum Pictures approached me to produce a Bollywood
Workout program, which went to number 1 in the mainstream fitness
charts…and was reported to be Madonna’s favourite fitness program in
one of the glossy magazines.
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Can you tell me a bit about the economics of the Indian Film Industry?
The Bollywood film industry is massive. It produces up to 1,000 films per year twice as many as Hollywood. About 14 million Indian people go to the cinema
everyday….yes 14 million people go to watch a Bollywood film every day – that’s
almost 100million people watching a Bollywood film every week in India….that’s
massive! Annual Ticket sales are $3.5 billion with major block buster movies
costing $10-20 million. Nowadays over 50% of major films are shot in overseas
locations. For example my company was involved in providing artists and
dancers for Kabhie Khushie Kabhi Ghum and Mahobatein that were shot in the
UK. According to a recent study, when Bollywood production companies use
unknown locations to film, it helps to attract an increase in tourists by 800% to
the area. Bollywood is the jewel of the crown of India.
What do you think is the future for Bollywood?
The future looks even brighter for
Bollywood. Big US film companies
such as Warner Brothers and
Twentieth Century Fox have been
setting up offices in India as they have
been studying the trends within the
Indian Film industry. Also, the launch
of the Bollywood Dance syllabus will
allow people from all over the world to
be educated about Bollywood, receive
accredited qualifications and recognize it as a professional dance form.
There are more crossover movies being produced such as Bride and Prejudice
and The Guru. Many Bollywood films are selecting UK locations to film at,
Bollywood stage events are being organised including Melas (Indian Fairs),
Concerts, Musicals such as Merchants of Bollywood that we have recently been
promoting, TV Projects such as MTV’s “Bust a Move”, Trouble TV’s “Bump &
Grind” and ITV’s “Bollywood Farmers”, all of which I have been involved with. I
am sure there are so many other areas of the UK and the world where
Bollywood is being introduced.
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BOLLYWOOD DANCE
When did you set up Honeys Dance Academy?
I set up a Bollywood dance school called Honey’s Dance Academy in September
1997 with 22 students. Within a year I had 3 centres running and over 300
students learning dance. Today we run 15 centres throughout London and
surrounding areas with a total of 1,800 students coming to learn Bollywood
dance every week.
We have just opened up another school in Leicester and plan to open up 2 more
in Birmingham and Manchester. Honey’s Dance Academy is the largest and
leading Bollywood Performing Arts Academy in Europe, educating, entertaining
and informing people from all backgrounds about Modern Indian Arts. The dance
classes are proving to be so popular that other Bollywood schools are now
springing up everywhere – there definitely is a huge demand!
What are the benefits of holding Bollywood classes and workshops?
My Bollywood trainers are invited regularly to conduct dance classes that are fun
and energetic, that promote health and fitness and are a fantastic way of allowing
students to experience Indian culture. These could range from regular classes,
workshops or lectures on Bollywood held at educational establishments,
theatres, Community Centres or professional dance organisations.
Bollywood dance also has other benefits such as educating, entertaining and
informing people about Indian art and culture, together with promoting cultural
diversity. It is a great way to help people with personal development – whether
you are a child, a teenager or an adult.
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I find that there are numerous benefits associated with teaching Bollywood
Dance and getting participants involved in stage events. For participants the
following benefits can be experienced:
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develop self-confidence
gain a sense of achievement
discover new skills, interests and talents
develop leadership skills and abilities
discover exciting opportunities
make new friends
get involved in a worthwhile activity
experience teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making
increase motivation and enhance self-esteem
develops communication, social and inter personal skills
become fitter and healthier
learning by having fun!
develop creativity and the means to express oneself
experience new lifestyles and cultures
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♦ experience a variety of learning and teaching styles with people from
different walks of life
♦ help expand awareness levels, knowledge base and remove ignorance
♦ brings people together from all walks of life, encouraging exchange of
ideas and developing racial harmony
Are there any drawbacks of Bollywood Dance?
The only concern of mine is that
standards need to be established,
maintained and monitored to ensure
that the students get the high level of
training that they deserve. Also,
Bollywood teachers, instructors and
examiners should to be trained to a
competent level with a deeper
understanding of the art form, so they
become highly skilled and possess
enough knowledge to train and
examine others. This will now be possible, or at least we can start moving in the
right direction, with a Bollywood Syllabus that has recently been launched. Even
more important is that many more dance instructors will get the opportunity to
become trained in this fashionable and trendy style of dance and in turn allow
thousands more students from all cultural backgrounds to experience and learn
Bollywood Dance.
For this reason a team and an organisation called
International Association of Modern Indian Arts (IAMIA) has been set up to deal
with this important issue. You will be hearing more about them in the future.
What exactly is the Bollywood Dance Style?
Bollywood dance is made up of many dance forms such as Indian classical,
Indian Folk, Bhangra, Arabic, Hip Hop, Latin American, Street dance and others.
It is therefore very important that a Bollywood performer is versatile and capable
of picking up different styles of choreography. You need to be highly skilled in
many different dance styles in order to become an expert in Bollywood dance.
Why is there traditional and Modern Bollywood dance?
As mentioned, apart from Indian classical and folk dance, there are many other
dance forms included within Bollywood such as Hip Hop, Street, Rock and Roll,
Arabic and Latin American. There is a simple reason for this! We must remember
that in Bollywood dance there must be a contrast of dance styles depending on
the music, setting and theme of the song within the film or within the context of
the stage show or event. For example, a group of dancers performing at a
wedding will select a song comprising of lyrics that relate to the special occasion
and incorporate traditional Indian dance movements. If the scene required two
people meeting in a night club and falling in love, then the dance performance is
highly likely to be to a modern Indian song and therefore the choreography will
include more westernised moves.
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Therefore it is important to understand that the Bollywood dance choreography
within a film would be dependent on the lyrical composition, choice of music and
musical instruments used, mingled with highly emotional and appealing stories
which are enacted to allow the film to tell it’s story or move the story along.
Applying techniques, grace, speed, style, versatility, knowledge of various dance
forms, isolation of body movements, facial expressions and clean intricate
movements will result in working towards complete mastery of the art form. An in
depth understanding of all these elements is necessary to do full justice when
performing a Bollywood dance.
I work as a teacher in a school. Can you share some ideas on how I could
get my pupils involved and learning about Bollywood?
Firstly, I think it is a fantastic step and initiative that you are taking. You can use
the “How to Dance – Bollywood Style” double DVD program to teach Bollywood
dance steps during your dance or physical education time. It could also be a
lunch time activity. There are also Bollywood dance routines taught step by step
within the program that the children could learn and perform. The Bollywood
Workout is also a very effective program that could be used to promote fitness
and help tackle child obesity. Other activities apart from dance and fitness could
be:• Bollywood Fashion – pupils could get involved in dressing up in Indian
costumes / clothes and learning about them. Older students could even
create Bollywood designs.
• Art – create Bollywood posters, drawings or paintings.
• Drama – translate some Bollywood film dialogue into English, study some
film clips and enact the scene in a drama class.
• History – Research into traditional Indian dance. Find out the history
behind the different dance styles incorporated within Indian films.
• Geography - Study where the various dance styles used in Bollywood
sequences originate from and which parts of India they come from. Learn
about what the costumes are like from different parts of India.
• Indian Culture and Tradition - There are many songs used to celebrate
Indian festivals in Bollywood films. Songs and dances can be used and
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Bollywood Bible
shown to teach pupils about the Indian festivals such as Diwali, Holi,
Vaisakhi, Raksha Bandhan, Navratri, Eid etc.
Henna Tatoos – A henna artist could be brought in to teach students how
to create henna designs. Alternatively ready made henna cones can be
bought for the pupils to try out designs on each other in class.
Indian Food – Pupils could be taught easy to make recipes and shown
how to make Indian dishes.
Music, Musical Instruments and Musicians – Bollywood music could be
played and discussions encouraged on the various sounds. Musical
instruments can be brought in and pupils can try out the various
instruments or Indian musicians can be brought in to demonstrate and
give a lecture.
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HISTORY OF INDIAN DANCE
Where did Indian dance originate from ?
Traditional Indian dance is said to have originated from ‘ Natya Shastra’, which
are detailed scriptures written on all aspects of Indian dance. The author of
‘Natya Shastra’ was ‘Bharat Muni’ who wrote this some time in the 2nd century
B.C. The ‘Natya Shastra’ has been instrumental in providing information on the
clothing, ornaments, the stage setting and the various gestures and techniques
for all types of Indian dance.
What are the main elements of Indian dance?
Indian dance consists of:
♦ rhythm called ‘nritta’,
♦ expression called ‘nritya’
♦ drama called ‘natya’.
♦ hand gestures called ‘mudras’
♦ portrayal of emotions called ‘rasa’
♦ These are the nine main types of emotions portrayed in Indian dance –
hasya (happiness), krodha (anger), bhibasta (disgust), bhaya (fear), shoka
(sorrow), viram (courage) karuna (compassion), adbhuta (wonder), and
shanta (serenity), although my view is that in Bollywood there are more
added such as prem (love) and havas (lust).
Who is Natraj – The dancing God?
The most significant symbol of Indian dance is the ‘Natraj’.
This is a dance pose of the god ‘shiva’ in a posture signifying
various aspects of human life. Shiva’s dance signifies creation,
preservation and destruction. In the
‘Natraj’ pose, Lord Shiva is balancing on one foot with the other
leg raised from the knee. His body, surrounded by flames portrays
his intense energy, and Lord Shiva’s dance represents the dance
of life. Being a very important symbol within Indian dance, I decided to use it as
the main symbol to represent Bollywood dance.
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What types of Indian Classical dances are involved in Bollywood?
Bharat Natyam and Kathak are two popular styles of Indian Classical dance that
are used in Bollywood Dance, although there are other classical styles which
include Manipuri, Orrisi, Kuchipuri and Kathakali.
What is Bharat Natyam?
Bharat Natyam is the most widely known of the classical Indian
dances. The history of Bharat Natyam is interesting. The dance
amalgamates a number of elements from earlier dance forms
known as Dassi Attam, a dance form originally performed by
temple dancing girls and Sadr which was a dance form found in the
royal palaces of southern India.
A number of people contributed to the development of Bharat Natyam, but the
most well known was Krishna Iyer in the 1930’s. He was from Madras – a place
now known as Chennai.
All of the traditional elements of classical dance are present in Bharat Natyam.
The mudras (hand position), abhinaya (facial expressions) and padams
(narrative dances) which tell a story and form the basis of the performance.
There are a number of well defined routines included in Bharat Natyam. These
are known as Alarippu, Jatis, Sabdam, Varanam, Tillana and Mangalam.
How does Kathak differ from Bharat Natyam?
Kathak is another major Indian classical dance form that comes from North India.
The word Kathak originates from Katha which means a story. In ancient India,
there were Kathakars or storytellers who used to recite religious and mythological
tales to the accompaniment of music, mime and dance. These were associated
with temples and shrines.
Their particular dance forms later came to be known as Kathak. The dance form
involves a lot of intricate footwork, graceful hand gestures and breath taking
spins. Sometimes whilst performing, there is a sort of a contest between the
dancer and the drummer known as a tabla player. During the performance the
drummer plays and weaves a complex selection of beats which in turn is danced
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by the dancer, using footwork to represent the beats played. The item which is
technically known as jagaj dhikana is a kind of friendly challenge and competition
between the musician and dancer full of innovation and improvisation.
Why is Bhangra very popular?
Bhangra is an Indian folk dance that comes from the State of Punjab. It’s a dance
form that was used to celebrate a good harvest, and performed to the sound of
Indian drums called the Dhol. Originally only men used to dance to Bhangra, and
therefore the dance form involves a lot of shoulder movements, squats and is
very energetic. Over the years the moves have evolved from representing sowing
of seeds and cutting the harvest to becoming modernised and performed to
upbeat funky music. This dance style is also used regularly in Bollywood films.
The term I use when describing Modern Bhangra is “freestyle bhangra”. Due to
the style of dance movements and the drum beats, Bhangra is a style that is
used extensively in British Asian night clubs, Wedding celebrations and Social
Parties.
Can you tell me about the kind of make up, jewellery and costumes used in
Indian dance?
Looking glamorous with make up, costumes and jewellery, is
important for the Bollywood perfomer. Traditional Indian dancers
paint their faces elaborately. They use ‘kajal’ (black eye liner)
around their eyes to make them look bigger and more
expressive, put on dark red lipstick and blusher and wear a
‘bindi’ ( a small ornament in the shape of a tear drop , a circle,
diamond or a moon and star) on the centre of their forehead.
They wear large ornaments such as earrings, necklaces,
armlets, anklets, rings and an Indian jewel, which is used to
adorn the head. Dancers wear bright coloured costumes with gold and silver
embroidered borders. They apply ‘mehndi’ (henna tattoos) on the palms of their
hands and soles of their feet.
Bollywood dancers on the other hand may not have to enhance their make up so
strongly as normally they would be filmed on camera and the make up has to be
more subtle. Stage make up could be heavier.
Nowadays there are different styles, colors and designs with costumes ranging
from traditional Indian to modern western.
Why is acting and expression also important in Bollywood dance?
Although basic Bollywood dancing can be performed with dance movements
only, facial expressions and acting, known as ABHINAYA in Indian dance
terminology, is common to all Bollywood dances. When performing on a more
advanced or professional level, this will include:
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♦ Vocal Miming where the performer mimes to the Bollywood song they are
dancing to. These songs are normally sung by a playback singer and are
pre-recorded, but on screen or stage it gives the impression that the
performer is singing.
♦ Angika which represents physical movements of the body to convey
meaning, with hand gestures known as hastmudras and postures known
as mandis. Angika would also include the walk of the dancer.
♦ The facial expressions and dance can be enhanced by setting the mood
and representing a theme by using costumes, make-up, accessories,
jewellery, props and sets. These external aspects of Indian dance are
known as Aharyabhinaya.
♦ Another area is where the performer feels the mood, the character and the
emotions as emanating from the self. These can be shown by the eyes in
particular and by the entire being of the performer. This is the
psychological part of the dancing known as Satvikabhinaya.
What kind of emotions are displayed in Bollywood Dance?
In addition, various emotions known as the navrasas, give all Bollywood dances
a completeness that allows the dancer and the audience to experience the full
beauty and meaning of the lyrics and the movements of the song and dance.
These emotions are expressed in the eyes, the face, subtle muscle shifts, the
body as a whole and whilst interacting with others. They include emotions such
as:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
hasya (happiness)
krodha (anger)
bhibasta (disgust)
bhayanaka (fear)
shoka (sorrow)
veera (courage)
karuna (compassion)
adbhuta (wonder)
shanta (serenity)
Prem (love)
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BOLLYWOOD AS A PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING ARTS FORM
What gave you an idea of devising a Bollywood Syllabus?
Currently Bollywood is not recognized or accredited in the same way as other
performing art forms and my vision is to see Bollywood recognized worldwide. It
is important to establish, maintain and monitor standards in Indian performing
arts and enable people from the wider international community to discover,
experience and develop their skills within this area. Students of Bollywood dance
should be able to take professionally accredited exams anywhere in the world
and have something to show for the training they are receiving.
Does that mean that the Bollywood Dance Syllabus is set in stone?
The Bollywood Dance syllabus has now been written and developed over a
period of 7 years. The first hurdle I had was to convince the dance industry that
Bollywood is a dance form that should be recognised. Secondly, a syllabus had
to be drawn from scratch and developed constantly until it was accepted by an
official professional dance body, and thirdly, which was extremely challenging,
was to start setting a format and structure to the syllabus – I have been
continuously developing this over the past 4 years.
What we have to bear in mind is that just as in popular music, freestyle dance or
street and Hip Hop dancing, the Bollywood dance form is progressive and will
continue to evolve, Eg:- Break dancing or street locking got introduced at
particular periods of time and started getting incorporated in dance
choreography. Bollywood is not only restricted to film but it can also be
incorporated in stage, theatre and keep fit training modules. Also, new forms of
dance may get introduced to Bollywood. For example at various periods, different
dance styles were incorporated within Bollywood dancing, including Rock and
Roll in the 1960’s (Beatles), Disco Dancing in the 70’s (Saturday Night Fever)
and Break Dance in the 80’s (Break Dance the movie). Therefore the Bollywood
syllabus is progressive and will continuously be developed in the future. The
important thing is we have managed to get it started and hopefully many people
throughout the world will be able to benefit from the time invested and the vision.
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How did you manage to write a Bollywood Syllabus?
I had fantastic support from two dear friends and experts. Coming back to the
1997 scenario when I was inspired to go on a mission to educate as many
people as I could about the world of Bollywood, luckily the idea of creating a
recognised accreditation for Bollywood was expanded upon by Ansell Chezan,
an examiner for the United Kingdom Alliance (UKA) who supported and
encouraged me throughout the development process. I am so grateful to him for
his belief in the dance form and of course for lending me his expertise by way of
time, effort and knowledge. Lorraine Hastings, a teacher and examiner for the
International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) is another wonderful person
who has continuously provided me with guidance, advice and much needed
support. I thank both Ansell and Lorraine for being part of a dynamic team. They
have helped create history by contributing towards the formation of this
Bollywood Dance syllabus.
What is the International Association of Modern Indian Arts (IAMIA)
IAMIA’s vision is to unite the world in celebration of Indian culture and is run by a
committee of industry Dance and Arts experts
and advisors, including dance examiners, arts
officials and myself. Our mission is to, “raise
and maintain standards in Bollywood and Indian
performing arts by introducing and promoting
internationally recognised accredited qualifications
to artists and providing support to them.” IAMIA
will bring together people from different
cultural backgrounds and create a forum which will allow people throughout the
world to exchange their thoughts, creations and ideas.
What are the aims and objectives of IAMIA?
The aims and objectives of IAMIA are to:♦ Promote Indian arts in education, dance and community based settings in
the United Kingdom and on an international basis.
♦ Provide training in Bollywood (Indian Film Industry) Dance and Acting,
Indian classical and Bhangra dance in formal and informal education
settings, and to provide internationally recognized accredited
qualifications.
♦ Promote Indian Dance shows and events in order to raise awareness of
Indian art & culture and offer opportunities to the youth and professionals
to get involved in multi cultural projects. To offer participants the chance to
work in television, film, theatre and other projects.
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♦ Work in partnership with other organizations. This includes charities,
underprivileged groups, youth groups, Asian societies, educational
establishments, theatres and any other groups.
♦ Promote cultural diversity, promote understanding and remove ignorance.
♦ Organise regional, national and international dance competitions, events
and tours.
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BOLLYWOOD CHOREOGRAPHERS
Within the Indian film industry, which Bollywood choreographers do you
like?
I enjoy watching and studying different choreographers work and admire different
people for their individual skills and the contribution they are making to the world
of dance. These are some of my current favorites:Farah Khan
Farah is an Indian film director although she is better
known for her choreographical work. She choreographed
for the film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, this was followed by
many more dance hits. She met actor, Shah Rukh Khan on
the sets of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, and they have been
friends ever since.
She became an internationally known talent when she
choreographed Monsoon Wedding, Bombay Dreams and
Vanity Fair. She was nominated for Broadway's 2004 Tony
Award as Best Choreographer, along with collaborator
Anthony Van Laast, for Bombay Dreams. She then
directed her first film Main Hoon Na, produced by Shah Rukh Khan. The film was
a huge hit and her direction was praised. She became the first ever female
director to be nominated for Filmfare Best Director Award. She has won the
Filmfare Best Choreography Award four times respectively (1998, 2000, 2001
and 2003)
She trained Latin Sensation Shakira for a Bollywood version of her hit "Hips Don't
Lie" for the MTV Video Music Awards on August 31st 2006, live in Radio City
Music Hall. I have met Farah quite a few times. I believe she is an extremely hard
worker and has a passion for what she does. I admire her work as she is sharing
the Bollywood dance knowledge and delivering it to many mainstream audiences
through her Western projects.
Vaibhavi Merchant
Vaibhavi is one of the most recognised dance choreographers in Bollywood, the
Indian film industry. She started out by assisting her uncle Chinni Prakash who I
worked with when I acted in the film “Indian Babu”.
She worked as an assistant to choreographer Chinni Prakash and eventually
made her way to choreographing the song 'Dhol Baaje' for the hit film Hum Dil De
Chuke Sanam. She won a National Film Award for her work in the song. She
took a short break from the industry and then returned with a bang in the form of
the song 'O Ri Chhori' from the Oscar-nominated Lagaan in 2001. She continued
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to choreograph selected numbers in prominent films such as Devdas, Baghban,
Fida, Dhoom, and Veer Zaara. She also choreographed the most popular
number 'Kajra Re', from Bunty aur Babli which had real-life father and son
Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan shaking a leg with Aishwarya Rai.
She won a tremendous amount of awards for 'Kajra Re'. She also choreographed
for the Australian musical “The Merchants of Bollywood” which Honey’s Dance
Academy was involved in promoting.
Prabhu Deva Sundaram
Prabhu Deva Sundaram was born on 3 April 1973 and is a choreographer, actor
and film director in India. He is popularly called "India's Michael Jackson" for his
fast dance movements. His first movie as a dance director was Vetri Vizha
(Tamil) . He has since choreographed over 100 movies. He has received
National Awards as Best Choreographer for the film "Minsara Kanavu" in Tamil
and "Lakshya" in Hindi.
He is the son of the legendary dance master Sundaram, and dancing is his
passion. From choreography he went on to establish himself as an actor. He
became a star in Kollywood with his seemingly impossible dance steps. Prabhu
Deva's success can be attributed more to his dancing than anything else. He has
a large following in the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada film industry. I have never
met Prabhu Deva but his work is totally amazing – his body is so flexible, it
reminds me of plasticine!
Saroj Khan
Saroj Khan is one of the most prominent dance choreographers in Hindilanguage films in India. She was born around 1950, and has choreographed
more than 200 films.
I had read in an article that Saroj Khan had choreographed dances of nine films
in nine days – and didn’t sleep during all this time. She always creates her
choreography directly on the film set.
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Saroj Khan is today one of the most successful choreographers in India who has
worked with all the famous heroines and won innumerable awards in the film
industry. Saroj loved to dance since she was a child and was brought to the film
studios by the age of three to support her family. Her father changed her name
from Nirmala to Saroj so that the religious family wouldn’t know that the girl was
working in films which was not regarded as respectable. Saroj developed from
child actress to group dancer, then assistant of a choreographer and finally
debuted 1974 as a dance master in a film.
She has choreographed some of my favorite movies - Devdas, Taal, Lagaan,
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Mohra, Chandni and many more. I recall having a
fantastic and inspiring meeting with Saroj Khan in middle of her filming in Mumbai
and discussing a dance project that I wished her to be involved in. She is one of
my favorite dance choreographers as I really enjoy her Indian dance technique
and style.
Shiamak Davar
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 Nite like IIFA, Stardust,
Filmfare awards 2006 and represented India at the closing ceremony
of the Commonwealth Games 2006.
Shiamak is also a gifted singer and his dance and music in the song "Mohabbat
karle karle" were much talked about and very popular. In fact I have also taught
that number in my Honeys Dance Academy classes.
Shiamak established his own school of dancing in 1992, Shiamak Davar Institute
for the Performing Arts (SDIPA), which is famous in India and is responsible for
bringing out some of the best talents in the country. I am a great admirer of his
work as I love the way he has been able to help so many people develop their
dancing skills and offer opportunities to young talent to display their talent on
stage.
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Ganesh Hegde
Born in 1974 Ganesh Hegde is an Indian singer and Bollywood choreographer.
Best-known for his work in the Oscar-nominated film Lagaan and for his musical
numbers in Company. Ganesh has choreographed many stage shows, namely
Temptations 2004, the Bollywood rock concert which toured America with huge
stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan and
Arjun Rampal. Hegde is also known for choreographing the opening sequence of
Michael Jackson's concert in India.
He has been associated with the Zee Cine Awards since conception and has
been choreographing the Filmfare Awards for the past decade. Hegde's famous
choreographed sequences include It's Magic from Koi Mil Gaya, Dum from Dum
and Main Hoon Don from Don - The Chase Begins Again.
In October 2005 Ganesh released his début album "G" with the backing and
promotion of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. He is reported as the first Indian
pop act to produce, write, direct and star in his début music video (for his single
Main Deewana). Ganesh is definitely a very good stage show choreographer and
I love the energy that is demonstrated through his work.
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BOLLYWOOD MUSIC
Can you tell me about some of the Music Directors and composers within
the Bollywood Film Industry?
There are many talented and well known Music Directors within the
film industry. Some of them are listed below with some background
and research that you may find interesting:
Nadeem-Shravan
Nadeem and Shravan are the songwriting pair who have given hits like “Raja
Hindustani”, “Ek Rishtaa”, and “Dhadkan”. They also star in one of the music
industry's biggest scandals: “Nadeem Saifee has been implicated in the 1997
mafia murder of film producer Gulshan Kumar. His Indian passport has been
revoked, and he is currently residing in London, where a British court has denied
an extradition plea by Indian authorities. Despite the enforced separation, the
duo continues to work together. Nadeem explains, "We keep in touch over the
telephone; besides, [when] the producers come here we discuss work and
compose music together here in London." (source; music.indya.com)
Anu Malik:
Anu Malik agrees with Nadeem's take on allegations of plagiarism: “Eventually all
music is permutations and combinations of those same seven notes. No music
director is original, but I became a favourite whipping boy to the press. If you
hear R D Burman, Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad saab, all great composers,
they're 'inspired...” (source: music.indya.com) For such a prolific composer, it is
perhaps inevitable that his scores vary dramatically in quality; yet fans find it
difficult to credit the same man that scored 2001's exquisite Asoka with 1999's
massive failure “Jaanam Samjha Karo”.
Jatin-Lalit:
Brother duo Jatin-Lalit wrote their first film score in 1989, but it was 1995's
“Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” that thrust them into stardom. Karan Johar, who
worked on that film as assistant director, subsequently hired them with
spectacular results for his 1998 directorial debut, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”. The duo
then signed on to score his follow-up film, “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham”, which
my company was involved in co-ordinating in the UK.
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A.R. Rahman:
Though A.R. Rahman now sells more records than Madonna and
Britney combined, he began his career composing music for
commercials - surprisingly undistinguished employment for the
boy who'd won a scholarship to pursue a degree in Western
Classical Music from Oxford University, and had played with
maestro Zakir Hussain on stages worldwide.
Rahman's first break in the film world came from South Indian
director Mani Ratnam, for whom he composed the score for the Tamil film “Roja”.
This, as well as his soundtrack for Ratnam's subsequent film “Bombay”, were
dubbed into Hindi and became huge hits. He then began to receive assignments
in Bollywood, and his first composition for a Hindi film was 1995's smash success
“Rangeela”.
Rahman has recently come to the attention of the international music world,
recording a single with Michael Jackson and composing Andrew Lloyd Weber’s
“Bombay Dreams”.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
The trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is one of the up-and-coming forces in Bollywood
music, having signed for a high-profile Hollywood/Bollywood co-production
directed by Willard Carroll called "Playing By Heart". Shankar Mahadevan, one of
the members of the trio, is also renowned for his playback singing, which is ably
demonstrated on the trio's hit soundtracks for “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Mission
Kashmir”.
Ismail Darbar,
Meanwhile, Ismail Darbar, who was "discovered" while playing violin for JatinLalit's 1996 “Khamoshi” soundtrack, has written four soundtracks, two of which,
“Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” and “Devdas” have been hailed as instant classics.
Rajesh Roshan
Rajesh Roshan was born to a famous music director and has successfully
continued the tradition, composing some of his best scores for his brother,
director Rakesh Roshan. Arguably his most notable score is 2000's “Kaho Na
Pyaar Hai”, since the movie also served as a vehicle for the launch of his nephew
Hrithik.
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Kalyanji Anandji
The duet of Kalyanji Anandji was very well known within the industry until
unfortunately Anandji passed away. Kalyanji and Anandji were born to Virji Shah.
The brothers were known for their humility and easy-to-approach nature. The
popular and famous films that they composed and directed music for included
Aap jaisa Koyi from Quarbani, Khaike Paan Banaraswala from Don and Mere
Desh Ki Dharti from Upkaar. Kalyanji Shah is a very dear soul and a personal
friend who has given me a lot of guidance and support. Although he is not
currently doing much music directing work, he is very keen on promoting young
children who possess singing talent. I recall getting over 20 young dancers from
Honeys Dance Academy involved in a show called “Little Stars” staged at the
Wembley Arena.
Who are the best lyricists in the Bollywood film industry?
Anand Bakshi
The recent death of Anand Bakshi elicited a wave of grief in the
Indian nation. Born in pre-Independence Rawalpindi (now part of
Pakistan), Bakshi penned the words to some of Bollywood's most
popular soundtracks of the '60s and '70s. More recent works like
“Mohabbatein”, “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge”, and “Dil To Pagal
Hai” have impacted a fresh generation and ensure him a prominent
place in film history.
Gulzar
Gulzar is another famed lyricist who hails from what is now Pakistan. Born as
Sampooran Singh on August 18, 1936, he and his family were forced by the
upheavals of Partition to migrate to Delhi. Widely considered to be the finest film
lyricist living, his verse for the soundtrack of 1998's “Dil Se” proves his poetic
genius.
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar, the son of famous poet and film lyricist Jan Nisar
Akhtar, has scripted lyrics for some of Amitabh Bachchan's most
famous movies, including “Sholay”, “Zanjeer”, and “Deewar”. He met
his future wife, Honey Irani, while scripting the 70s film “Seeta Aur
Geeta”, and their son, Farhan Akhtar, has recently made his directorial
debut with the 2001 hit “Dil Chahta Hai”. Akhtar is now married to
actress and activist Shabana Azmi.
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Is it true that actors do not really sing in Bollywood Films?
Yes that is absolutely right. Bollywood stars would normally mime to the words of
a pre recorded song that is sung by a playback singer. Whilst filming songs and
performing dances in films, the actors would learn routines, wear appropriate
costumes and pretend that they are singing. Many years ago there were very few
playback singers who ruled the Bollywood industry, but nowadays there are
many new singers emerging and being introduced.
Who are the best playback singers within the film industry?
Some of the more popular ones are:
Lata Mangeshkar
Only one name can begin such a discussion: Lata
Mangeshkar, born September 28, 1929. Her voice has
graced the greatest Indian films of the last five decades.
She holds the Guinness Books of World Record for
number of songs recorded and according to them over
50,000 songs had been recorded at last count!
Asha Bhosle
Lata's equally talented sister, Asha Bhosle, struggled to emerge from
the shadow cast by her famous sibling. But Bhosle's voice assured
her a rightful place in the limelight, as did her second marriage to
legendary music director R.D. Burman. Never were her vocals more
sublime than in the 1981 film “Umrao Jaan”, although I have to say
that she is one of my favourite playback singers. She sang many of
the dancing tracks in the Bollywood films.
Kavita Krishnamurthy Subramaniam
Kavita Krishnamurthy Subramaniam is the prime prospect to inherit Lata
Mangeshkar's entitlement of greatness. Praised by composers like Ismail Darbar,
who praises her as the only playback singer in Mumbai who regularly does riyaaz
(singing practice in classical technique), she has distinguished herself throughout
two decades of work with her mastery of intricate sequences and her comfort in
the high end of the vocal range. Her performance in 2002's “Devdas” has brought
her particular acclaim.
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Udit Narayan
Udit Narayan is, without a doubt, the reigning king of current male
playback singers. Born to a farmer on the border of India and
Nepal, Narayan started by singing for Nepali radio. When a
scholarship from the Indian Embassy offered him the chance to
study classical music at a prestigious school in Mumbai, he wasted
no time in moving. But success did not come instantly. Only after
years of study and several unnoticed recordings did he hit gold with
his vocals for Aamir Khan in 1988's “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”.
Kumar Sanu
Kumar Sanu occupies a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for having
recorded the greatest number of songs in one day - 28 of them! Such drive helps
to explain how a man who earned a BA in business from Calcutta University
managed to become one of the top playback singers in Bollywood. Sanu sings
with equal comfort in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Brij, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali,
and Punjabi which are various types of Indian language originating from different
parts of India.
Alka Yagnik
Alka Yagnik, the daughter of a classical singer, started singing for
radio at the age of six. She shot to fame with her vocals in Madhuri
Dixit’s famous ‘Ek Do Teen’ dance number from “Tezaab”. Along
with Kavita K. Subramaniam, she is now widely considered to be
one of the top female playback singers in Bollywood.
Chitra
Chitra is one of the only playback singers to work successfully in both Bollywood
and South Indian films, where she dominates the competition. Her linguistic
dexterity is awesome: she has recorded thousands of songs in Hindi, Tamil,
Bengali, Oriya, Telugu, and Malayalam. Most recently her performance in ‘Raat
Ka Nasha’ in 2001's “Asoka” earned a shower of praise from critics and fans
alike.
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Sukhwinder Singh,
Sukhwinder Singh is known to be the highest-priced singer in
Bollywood and shot to fame with his vocals for “Dil Se's”
‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’. Singh composes as well, having worked with
Mychael Danna on the “Monsoon Wedding” soundtrack and he
wrote lyrics for various songs including the Punjabi ‘Thaiyya
Thaiyya’ in “Dil Se”.
Usha Uttap
One of the very few playback singers who sings not only in Hindi but fluently in
English and other languages, Usha Uttap made her mark by singing many hit
songs such as ‘ Pyar Karne Wale’ from the film “Shaan” and ‘Rambha ho’ from
“Armaan”.
Jaspinder Narula
Jaspinder Narula hit success with her vocals in 1998's “Pyaar to Hona Hi Tha”,
and has continued to receive praise for her performance for hits like ‘Bhumro’
from “Mission Kashmir”.
Vasundhara Das's
Vasundhara Das's English vocals for Rachel Shelley in the oscar nominated film
“Lagaan”, and her performance in ‘Shakalaka Baby’ for another A.R. Rahman
soundtrack from “Nayak” had everyone’s feet tapping. ‘Shakalaka Baby’ was
later re-mixed for Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Bombay Dreams”.
Have you ever worked with any of the playback singers?
Yes, I have had the opportunity to work with and meet some of the playback
singers. These include Sukhwinder Singh who I choreographed a concert for at
the Birmingham NEC, UK. He is one of my favorite playback singers, especially
because I like the melody of the tracks he selects to sing and they are mostly
dance related. Others I have worked with include Sonu Nigham when I
performed with him at the Wembley Arena, and Usha Uttap when I took part in
staging a Bollywood concert at a Race course – that was different and fun. There
are others which include Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik and Kavita Krishnamurti.
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BOLLYWOOD FILMS
I really enjoy music and dance. Can you recommend any Bollywood
Musical films?
Although most films are full of music and dance,
there are movies that are remembered as
Bollywood Musicals. A Director would have placed
a huge emphasis on ensuring the music, songs
and / or dance plays a significant part in the
movie, or the general public would have made the
film popular by enjoying the music and making it
successful. Listed below are some of the
industries and my favourites:
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Taal
Dil Se
Dil To Pagal Hai
Devdas
Navrang
Jeans
Umrao Jaan
Amrapali
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
Raja Hindustani
Sholay
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Julie
Pakeezah
Guide
Lagaan
1942: A Love Story
Thakshak
Dil Chahta Hai
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If you had to select 100 films to keep as a private collection at your home,
which ones would they be?
Oh this is a tough one, as there are so many films
that I enjoy for different reasons. Some films are
ones where you can learn cultural and life lessons
from and some are politically or socially based,
whilst many may be action oriented and others
romantic or comedy based. These are some of
the Top 100 ones that the Bollywood Film Industry
and I would recommend:Mughal-E-Azam (1960)*
Guide (1965)
Awara (1951)
Devdas (1955)
Madhumati (1958)
Deewar (1975)
Lagaan (2001)*
Shakti (1982)
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995)*
Parinda (1989)
Kanoon (1960)
Satya (1998)*
Mother India (1957)
Qurbani (1980)
Kabhi Kabhie (1976)
Haqeeqat (1964)
Waqt (1965)
Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
Bandani (1963)
Pyaasa (1957)
Ram aur Shyam (1967)
Mera Naam Joker (1970)
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)*
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983)
Anand (1971)
Abhimaan (1973)*
Aan (1951)
Prem Rog (1982)
Pakeezah (1972)
Do Bigha Zamin (1953)
Zanjeer (1973)
Sarfarosh (1999)
Mr. India (1987)
Jewel Thief (1967)
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Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994)
Lamhe (1991)
Bandit Queen (1994)
Trishul (1978)
Ganga Jumna (1961)
Bobby (1973)
Teesri Manzil (1966)
Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)*
Daag (1973)
Phool Aur Patthar (1966)
Reshma aur Shera (1971)
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)*
Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977)
Padosan (1968)
1942: A Love Story (1994)*
Sholay (1975)*
Masoom (1982)
Umrao Jaan (1981)
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)
Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974)
Border (1997)
Aandhi (1975)
Kala Patthar (1979)
Ghulami (1985)
Mahal (1949)
Agneepath (1990)
Barsaat (1949)
Upkar (1967)
Johny Mera Naam (1970)
Naseeb (1981)
Rangeela (1995)*
Sangam (1964)
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988)*
Seeta Aur Geeta (1972)
Ghayal (1990)
Dharam-Veer (1977)
Arth (1982)
Chupke Chupke (1975)
Silsila (1981)
Saagar (1985)
Andaz (1949)
Purab Aur Paschim (1971)
Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971)
Khamoshi (1969)
Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)
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Betaab (1983)
Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965)
Chandni (1989)
Ardh Satya (1983)
Tezaab (1988)
Shri 420 (1955)
Aradhana (1969)
Junglee (1961)
Guddi (1971) ]
Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981)
Kudrat (1981)
Shor (1972)
C.I.D. (1956)
Shaan (1980)
Asoka (2001)*
Don (1978)
Roja (1993)
Kaun (1999)*
Khamoshi (1996)
Dil Chahta Hai (2001)*
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BOLLYWOOD WEBSITES
Could you advise me on what Bollywood sites I should visit?
If you wish to find out more about the Bollywood film industry, catch up with
the latest news and gossip, order a CD and DVD or find some lyrics to a
Bollywood song to mime to, then there are some useful Bollywood related
sites that you can visit. At the time of writing this book, the following were my
favourites:-
Masti
Masti.net is an online forum which gives all the news and latest information
about Bollywood, the Indian film industry. Get all the latest news about your
favorite stars and read the reviews of the new releases from this site. You can
also download wallpapers or check out the jokes in www.masti.net. Become
a member of this forum and keep yourself updated with the latest happenings
in Bollywood.
Bollywood World
The official site of www.Bollywood.com , India's premiere Bollywood portal,
offers extensive information on Bollywood. Get all the latest news and gossips
about your favorite stars, read movie reviews, download wallpapers and get
all the information about parties and major events from this site. Find
information on music releases, music videos or listen to music from
Bollywood.com. You can play games or read jokes from this site also.
Bollywood Vista
The official site of www.bollyvista.com , it provides extensive information on
Bollywood, the Indian film industry. Find out information about the hottest
stars of the entertainment world, download wallpapers and pictures, check out
the audio clips, read movie reviews or play Filmi games on this website.
Bollyvista.com also contains a list of various other websites from where you
can get information on Bollywood. You can use the online shopping system to
purchase DVD's or other merchandise form this site.
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Glamsham
Owned by Fifth Quarter Infomedia Pvt. Ltd., this site gives all the latest news,
gossips and upcoming events in Bollywood. www.glamsham.com is an
online info-tainment magazine where you can get all the latest news about the
hottest movie stars, read their interviews or go through the movie reviews,
download wallpapers, screensavers, calendars, play games or read jokes.
The site also gives information on the top 10 music videos of the country.
Glamsham.com also offers information on star birthdays.
Masala Network
Website of Masala Board, www.masalanetwork.com offers information on
Bollywood. Get complete information on film actors and actresses, movies,
music videos and other relevant information about the Indian film industry.
Information is also available on Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films also. Get
information new releases as well as latest gossips from Masalanetwork.com.
Apun Ka Choice
One of the most popular sites on Bollywood, www.apunkachoice.com gives
extensive information on the Indian film industry. You can find all sorts of
information on the film actors and actresses, movies, music latest gossips
and hottest news about favorite stars. You can send e-cards from this site or
check out your horoscope, also read movie reviews or check out the pictures
of the celebrities from Apun Ka Choice.
Planet Bollywood
Owned by www.INDOLink.com Planet Bollywood is the site which provides
extensive information on the film and entertainment industry in India. Get all
the information on Bollywood movies, read reviews, check out the latest news
of your favorite stars from this portal. Planet Bollywood also offers information
on top songs, top films and box-office hits. Other facilities include astrological
predictions and chat.
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Pyara
Owned by Jaan Productions, www.pyara.com offers information on
Bollywood, the Indian film industry. The site gives extensive information on
the recent happenings in the Indian entertainment industry. Learn about your
stars, read movie reviews, read jokes, play online games and get updates
about latest music albums from Pyara.com. Other features include
information on cricket, sports, poetry and others.
India FM
www.indiafm.com offers information regarding Indian actors and actresses
as well as movies made in Bollywood and the Indian film industry. It allows
you to access the latest gossip and news about the films being released.
Bollywood Lyrics
There are many times that I have got stuck as I needed the lyrics of the song I
would be choreographing a dance routine to that where www.Bollywood
lyrics.com comes in handy. You can visit this site if you need to find lyrics of
various Bollywood songs.
Some other bonus sites include:♦ www.Bollywoodflix.com - buy Bollywood films / song and music
DVD’s
♦ www.Bollywoodsamachar.com – latest news on Bollywood and
entertainment related stories
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HEALTH AND FITNESS
Can you tell me about your Bollywood Workout and Fitness program?
Bollywood has become part of my life! I have had the privilege to teach
thousands of people dance, conduct workshops nationally and internationally,
provide media interviews, give lectures, train celebrities and stars, together with
choreographing dance routines for stage concerts, pop videos and films using
Bollywood dance. In addition, I have also been
involved in releasing a Bollywood Workout program
– available on DVD and video, incorporating a fun
and energetic Fitness program using Bollywood
dancing. It was produced by Momentum Pictures
and directed by Steve Kempsley who also worked
on the Geri Haliwell’s Yoga Workout program.
This is an amazing home training programme that
went to number 1 in the fitness charts and is
claimed to be Madonnas favourite fitness video.
The Bollywood Workout offers you a chance to
become super fit. It was the first ever of it’s kind,
and designed to instantly help a participant improve
their fitness level, develop flexibility and grace,
increase stamina and endurance levels and help to
tone the body, whilst utilising Indian dance techniques and powerful dance
movements to improve posture.
If you are a dance instructor or a fitness coach, you can also incorporate
Bollywood dancing in your training program. Using the latest Bollywood dance
moves will add excellent variety and make a workout more interesting for the
participant.
Would you say you’re a stressful sort of person? If so, how do you relax?
I am not really a stressful person but I can get
frustrated if I am sitting around and not doing
much. I really enjoy being active or utilising my
time doing something constructive, and when I feel
I need a rest, then I will ensure I take time out to re
energise. My relaxing time is doing meditation
every day. It is fantastic and has helped me
tremendously in my life. I use a method called
Samarpan Meditation and it has positively affected
my life by making me more emotionally balanced,
building mental clarity and focus into my life,
boosting physical health (I haven’t seen a doctor for almost 10 years), materially I
am comfortable as I find that decisions that I make intuitively tend to help me
achieve maximum success in most of my projects and spiritually I feel and have
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experienced a strong connection to the universal energy (or God as some people
may say). Visit www.samarpanmeditation.org for further information.
What sort of complementary therapies do you like?
I am all about complementary therapies because I am not a very strong fan of
orthodox medicine. I feel that if you can cure something without any side effects
then why not. Also, I strongly believe that prevention is better then cure so
healthy living, exercise and a balanced diet is a must! I use very natural skin care
creams, home made facial masks, massage, ayurvedic medicine, positive
thinking, yoga, aromatherapy and reflexology and am open to experiencing and
learning about all types of natural complementary therapies. I find Bollywood
dance is also very therapeutic!
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MAKE UP, BEAUTY AND FASHION
I am 42 years old. How can I use Bollywood dance and fitness more
effectively to help make me age gracefully and enhance my physical
appearance?
If you are referring to the ageing process brought upon by the passing of years
then let’s look into this in more detail. Ageing affects every aspect of your body,
from your organs and bones to your muscles and joints. That doesn't however
mean that your physical health has to suffer as you get older. Taking proactive
steps to boost your well-being can bring a dramatic difference to your life in the
future.
Start with exercise, perhaps the Bollywood Workout or any other method that you
feel more drawn towards. An active lifestyle can help you maintain strength,
flexibility, endurance and balance and let you age gracefully. Strength training is
especially important for women, whose bone density peaks in their early thirties
and declines sharply after menopause. Regular Bollywood dancing would be fun
as it would allow the participant to listen to uplifting Bollywood tracks, perform
moves to make them fitter and add variety by doing different routines on a weekly
basis.
Not only will exercise help make your bones stronger, it will also increase muscle
mass, which in turn boosts metabolism so you burn more calories at rest. That's
good news for avoiding the age-related weight creep that plagues many women.
While younger females gain weight on their thighs and hips, older women may be
more likely to bulge around the mid-section. The effects of this extra abdominal
weight show up not only in the mirror but also in the form of increased risk of
heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure and many other illnesses.
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What you eat is extremely important and matters. Filling up on so-called "empty
calories" like refined carbohydrates takes extra toll on your body's systems and
saps your energy reserves. Eating plenty of whole grains, lean proteins, and
fresh fruits and vegetables will help to maintain your overall health, and ensure
that you also get all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Also, don't forget to safeguard your health by getting an annual health
examianation. Your check-up should include a full blood test to measure
cholesterol levels. Depending on one’s age, a pap smear, mammogram, bonedensity exam or thyroid test may also be warranted.
Honey what is your secret of looking so young? How can I look 10 years
younger?
Firstly, thank you for the wonderful compliment. I have parents, especially my
mother who looks very young for her age, so I should give part of the credit to my
genes. Also, by adding a few positive lifestyle changes in my life, I have been
able to receive many benefits naturally to help improve, maintain and enhance
my facial skin structure. These include:
♦ Meditating daily which helps to take away much of the daily stress and
tension that could effect the skin (if you see Indian Yogis who regularly
meditate and do yoga, you will discover that they do not seem to age like
everyone else, in both physical health and appearance)
♦ Drinking plenty of pure mineral water. Just like a plant, the complexion
needs hydration to flourish (I try not to drink tap water due to any
chemicals that may be present such as nitrates, lead, aluminium etc.)
♦ Eating a minimum of 3 fruits a day (or fresh fruit juices) and including
plenty of vegetables in my diet
♦ Using sun screen lotions when I travel abroad to hot sunny countries for
my tours and shows
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♦ Using home made face packs (when I have the time) using natural
ingredients to help increase blood circulation, neutralize bacteria,
stimulate the elimination of waste, moisturize the skin and close the pores
♦ Occasionally treating myself to full body and face pampering sessions
♦ I am a non smoker, do not drink alcohol and am a vegetarian
What do you do to make yourself look beautiful?
Apart from what I have just mentioned, there are also other ways of supporting
the personal appearance. These include:Make up and Fashion
If we look from the physical point of view, then there are various ways of
maintaining a youthful appearance. The most obvious one is to ensure that you
put on make up that is complimentary to you by enhancing your features and
hiding the not so strong ones. Also, it helps to understand what make up colors
suit your complexion, how to put on make up correctly and stylizing your look by
using appropriate accessories. One of the investments I had made was to go to a
colour stylist and find out what I should have in my wardrobe collection so I don’t
waste money buying wrong colored clothes or colours that do not enhance my
look.
Exercise
There are also exercises one can do to specifically help target, tone and tighten
facial muscles. You just need 5 - 10 minutes but they should be done regularly.
There is a great book called the “10 minute Facelift” by Tessa Thomas. There are
exercises to help prevent and tighten forehead frown lines, raise droopy eyelids,
reduce laughter lines, tighten double chins, work on crow’s feet and many other
effective exercises. For me, I find that some of the yoga exercises I do gives me
tremendous benefits and tend to give me an overall workout. For example I do a
yoga exercise similar to one known as “The Cobra”. The difference is I do a
press up at the same time to add strength to my arms by lifting my whole body,
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the back bend helps to add flexibility to my spine and torso and the head that is
normally raised back helps to tighten up the double chin and jaw area. I am a firm
believer in time management so normally try to discover ways of getting
maximum results in the shortest amount of time!
Beauty comes from within
I believe that “beauty comes from within”. By remaining cheerful, positive and
possessing a zest for life, you will discover that a beautiful magnetic aura is
created around you. People will like you, not because you “look” beautiful but
because you “are” beautiful! They will love you for who you are not what you look
like. Many times I have seen that an average looking person who is self assured
and pleasant to be around attracts more friends compared to a good looking
person who is always complaining, gossiping, negative and totally self absorbed.
When you start enjoying life to the fullest, it will automatically show on your
complexion and your way of being.
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BOLLYWOOD PROJECTS
What was it like working with Bollywood Stars?
So many supporters ask me questions such as these! My experiences of working
with other Bollywood stars have been varied, exciting and memorable. The
following are some of my experiences whilst being involved in a range of
projects:Amitabh Bachchan
I met Amitabhji quite a few times, including at the Bade
Miya Chote Miya premiere which one of my companies
Diva Entertainments was sponsoring, on the sets of
“Mohabbatein” where my company was involved in
providing 300 artists for the shoot and again at the IFFA
(Indian Film Fare Awards) launch at the House of
Commons. Each time I meet him my respect for him grows
as he is a true super star. I have found that those people
who are true stars normally remain very humble whilst
others who are trying to be stars throw tantrums and have a lot of behavioural
problems related to their ego.
Shah Rukh Khan
I worked with Shah Rukh Khan on a few projects including
the filming of Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham where my company
once again provided almost 1,000 artists, extras and
dancers. With me he was very friendly and I enjoyed a
pleasant conversation with him over lunch. He is a Scorpion,
and as my dad studies astrology, we talked about his
personality traits and his life as a star generally. They say
Scorpions are the most passionate of all star signs and I wondered whether it is
this magnetic appeal that has millions of fans throughout the world worshipping
him as an idol. I admired his reasoning skills whilst we spoke of a possible joint
East West production project, and I found him to be an astute business man. I
have great admiration for him as a star but I just wish he would not smoke so
much – I say this not as a preacher but as a well wisher!
Govinda
Working with Govinda was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, as
he was the first Bollywood star I had ever worked with. One day I got a call from
one of the top Bollywood promoters within the UK – Farhath Hussain, and he
enquired whether I was available to choreograph a Bollywood concert for him. I
remembered my mum listening to our telephone conversation and just staring at
me in disbelief, because a few years earlier I had told her that one day I will be
working with Bollywood stars. At that time she had just looked at me and thought
“yes, yes…..all little girls want to work within the field of Bollywood”, but when it
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actually happened she was totally surprised. Since then I met him a few times
too.
Manoj Bajpai
I was honoured when I was invited to attend an Awards ceremony in Mumbai,
India to collect “The Best Bollywood International Artist” award for my work in the
film “Indian Babu” and in recognition of my efforts in promoting Bollywood within
the UK. I met the character artist Manoj Bajpai, who has starred in non
conventional movies such as Road, Satya, Pinjar and Aks there. He was
extremely down to earth. Other stars nominated for awards were Vivek Oberoi
and Esha Deol at the function. I have never seen such a mob in my life as
thousands of fans welcomed me as a British Asian artist from overseas. My
management team in India had to whisk me away through the back door in a car
whilst others diverted their attention. No wonder Michael Jackson needs a bodydouble when attending events!!!
Hrithik Roshan
I admired Hrithik’s dancing abilities on the sets of Mohobbatein. I observed his
natural dance ability, admired his hard working nature and watched how he
immediately stole people’s hearts by being friendly, having photos taken and
signing autographs. I have studied that this is one of the best ways to create a
loyal fan base – it is due to the fans that stars are made and therefore a little time
and effort given by the star goes a long way. I remember all my artists saying
how fantastic and friendly Hrithik was. He behaved in the same manner at
another event where we were both performing. When conversing with him, I
remember him saying that he prefers to call Bollywood films “Indian Talkies”
which was the name that Indian films were referred to in the past.
Saif Ali
Saif was someone I met in Paris at the fairy tale
wedding ceremony held for the steel tycoon Mr Mittal’s
daughter. The 4 day event was spectacular and it was a
once in a lifetime experience to see such grandeur and
splendour. Farah Khan was the other bollywood
choreographer involved in training artists for the
celebrations. Saif Ali, Shah Rukh Khan, DJ Akeel and
many other celebrities including Kylie Minogue were involved in performing at the
various functions. I met Saif once again at a Lifestyle exhibition where I was
performing. My mum used to be a great fan of his actress mother Sharmila
Tagore and really likes Saif Ali too.
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Sunil Shetty
When I received my honorary Doctorate of Arts from the
University of East London, Sunil attended the private
celebrations that I held for a few selected special guests. We
also discussed the possibility of him being involved in a
Bollywood Musical that I was organising shortly after. He
showed great interest and also spoke about some of his own
productions which was fascinating.
Salman Khan
I have met Salman on quite a few occasions. A few times we have met at events
and concerts but a more recent meeting was when I was invited to an exclusive
party back at his hotel room after an Awards ceremony. Sohail Khan was also
there with his beautiful wife Malaika as was his girlfriend and her family. They
were all very friendly and hospitable. I also had an opportunity to meet and talk to
John Abraham who was with Bipasha Basu in a lift on my way to the party. I think
John Abraham is one of the most good looking Bollywood actors around, and he
is down to earth too!
Others:There have been many other Bollywood stars I have worked with or met during
events or interviewed during TV shows. These include:- Karishma Kapoor,
Akshay Khanna, Gulshan Grover, Rakesh Roshan, Jeetendra, Tanuja, Aftaab,
Juhi Chawla, Abhishek Bachchan, Sri Devi and many more.
Kajol
Akshay Kumar
Kareena Kapoor
How do you promote Indian art and culture and Bollywood to mainstream
audiences?
There are many ways. For example, when I am invited to attend
special functions as a British Asian Artist, I use these
opportunities to represent Indian Art and Culture and Bollywood
which I am proud of. It has also been fantastic to share
experiences with wonderful people at various events such as the
opening of the Christmas sales at Hamley’s toy store in London
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with guests including Richard and Judy, Joanna Lumley and others, launch
events with artists such as Ronan Keating and attending as a judge at numerous
beauty contests and dance championships. It has also been a delight to have
been invited to countless television programs ranging from Jamie Oliver’s “Oliver
Twist”, Top of the Pops and Blue Peter to Channel 4’s Bollywood Star, ITV’s “For
one night only” and GMTV’s Lorraine Kelly show. There have been events such
as BBC Prom and Comic Relief right through to meeting pop groups such as
Busted, Beyonce and Mystique, where cultural exchanges can take place. I enjoy
meeting people from different backgrounds and feel truly blessed as I get so
many chances to enjoy my life’s journey and gain positive experiences!
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SOME HINDI TERMS – USED IN BOLLYWOOD
Hindi is not my first language but I have an Indian girlfriend. Could you
give me information on some common Hindi relationship words? Some
relationship terms that are widely used within the film industry are:Pita, abba, baabul
maata, amma, maa
beta
Beti
bahin, bahana
Didi, jeejee
bhai, bhaiyya
bhaabhi, jeejee
jeejaa
daada, baaba (daadii)
naana (naanii)
Pati
patni, biwi, bibi
bahu
daamaad
sasur
saas
samdhii
samdhin
Jeth (jethaani)
devar (devraani)
nanad
pota, poti
naatii, naatin
maamaa (maamii)
mausii (mausa)
chacha, kaaka (chachii, kaakii)
taa'uu (taa'ii)
phuuphii (pron. poopii), bu'aa
phuuphaa
bahano'ii
saala
saalii
father
mother
son
daughter
sister
older sister
brother
elder brother's wife
big sister's husband
paternal grandfather (grandmother)
maternal grandfather (grandmother)
husband
wife
daughter-in-law
son-in-law
father-in-law
mother-in-law
father of daughter- or son-in-law
mother of daughter- or son-in-law
husband's elder brother (his wife)
husband's little brother (his wife)
husband's sister
son's children (male, female)
daughter's children (m, f)
maternal uncle (his wife)
maternal aunt (her husband)
father's younger brother (his wife)
father's elder brother (his wife)
paternal aunt
paternal aunt's husband
sister's husband
wife's brother (also an insult used by men to men:
implies they've had carnal relations with the man's
sister)
wife's sister
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Can you give me some advice on Hindi terms that are commonly used in
film titles.
Here are some of the most popular terms with their translations:heart
dil
pyaar, ishq, muhabbat, prem
love
ham, hum
we; also used to mean 'I'
main
I
tu, tum, aap
you (in order of ascending formality)
kabhi, kabhi kabhi
sometimes
mera, meri
my, mine
tera, teri
your, yours
hamara, hamaara, hamari,
our, ours; also used to mean 'my'
hamaari
what (also used to indicate that a
kya
question is being asked)
sanam,
jaanam,
jaan,
darling, sweetheart
jaanejaan
chori, chori chori, chupke se
in secret; quietly
present tense conjugations of the verb
huun, ho, hai, hain
'hona,' meaning 'to be'
past tense conjugations of the verb
tha, thi, the
'hona,' meaning 'to be'
kuch, kuchh
something, some
koi, koii
anyone, any, some, someone
kahaan
where
kaun
who
kaisa, kaise
how, what kind
past tense conjugations of 'jaana,'
meaning 'to go'; verb also functions to
gaya, gaye, gayii, ga'ii
add a sense of immediacy to other
verbs.
future tense conjugations of 'jaana'; see
jaayega, jayenge
above
possessive; works like the apostrophe +
ka, ke, ki
s in 'David's hat'
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BUSINESS GOALS AND SECRETS OF SUCCESS
Why do people call you “The Bollywood Ambassador to the UK”?
The media has regularly addressed me in this way and since then whenever I
make my special appearances and perform at concerts, the hosts of the evening
introduce me in this manner. Perhaps it is because I was so passionate about
promoting Bollywood in the UK and since 1997 I have fondly and relentlessly
worked on ensuring that Bollywood is accepted and appreciated by mainstream
audiences. I am also fortunate to be invited with many high profile talk shows,
television shows, radio programs, media campaigns and events that are
Bollywood related.
When do you get the time to do Charity work?
I am extremely passionate about contributing to make this world a better place in
which ever way possible. Since the age of 13, I have dreamt of making a
difference to this world by utilising my dance skills and talents that God has
blessed me with. With this in mind, I am happy to support various charities – this
could be by performing, doing special appearances, raising awareness of the
charity’s work and generally using Bollywood to help raise funds for good causes.
In fact I have had the most amazing and memorable experiences whilst raising
funds such as the exhilarating experience of parachute jumping and setting up
mobile eye hospitals in India. I have worked with numerous charities and
currently I am appointed to represent Forgotten Children International as an
Ambassador. There are many kind hearted Bollywood stars in India who support
causes and have also been involved in charity work using their Bollywood
Celebrity status.
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You have been nominated as Business Woman of the Year. How do you
mix Bollywood with your business?
I am a graduate in Accounts and Finance and have an MSc in Public Relations
and have also received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of East
London. Therefore, my work involves implementing business strategies,
communicating messages and promoting Art and Culture. To give you a clearer
understanding of how much fun it can be using the world of Bollywood to earn a
living, I would like to take this opportunity to share an interview I did with
“Creative Match” with you.
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Take 5 - Dancer and Businesswoman
Honey Kalaria
What does creative mean to you?
Creative to me means thinking outside
the box, being a visionary, not setting
any limitations to what can be achieved,
surrounding myself with the right people
and having fun.
What is your best piece of business
advice?
Do what you enjoy doing! Earn from a hobby so that you can get up each
morning and just love life. Business, work and making a living should not
be a chore, it should be a way of life and part of your being. Trust me, it’s
the best piece of advice I can offer.
Who do you most admire?
I admire various people for different things. I admire Madonna for being
able to re-invent herself continuously, Nelson Mandela for his belief and
faith in freeing South Africa, Mother Teresa for her unconditional love and
selfless service, Gandhi for his principles of non-violence and truth, Richard
Branson for being an incredible person and a business tycoon and Anita
Rodrick for being a woman who brings in policies of ethical business
practice within her work environment.
What in the world could be done better?
Helping people to become more humanitarian; Working to not only benefit
but also to give back; Providing support and encouragement to maximise
the potential of each individual living on this planet.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
Having great memories of a creative journey, learning valuable lessons
from experiences in my life, shaping my destiny in the direction I wish it to
go in and having contributed to making this world a better place.
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How did you start your Bollywood business and what kind of challenges
did you have to deal with?
I initially started my business with a small overdraft facility. At that time I also had
a huge professional studies loan outstanding as I had just completed my MSc in
Public Relations. I decided to hire a place to conduct my business from – I found
a place that was cost effective although it was based in a residential area. Again
people around me said “Don’t start so big…..build slowly,” but I was determined
to create a business empire and needed a base to operate from. Within a year I
had made £40,000 and paid off all my debts. It wasn’t easy as I had to work 7
days a week and almost 16 hours a day. I remember dropping leaflets about my
dance classes in every house nearby and not being able to walk the next day as
my legs were hurting so much. I also realised that my skills were better utilised in
helping the business grow, develop contacts and bringing in the business and
therefore decided to get an administrative assistant to deal with all my phone
calls and paperwork. It was the best move I had made as so much of my time
was available in working “ON” my business, rather then “IN” my business! I was
lucky as I had a lot of support and encouragement from my family, especially just
being there and having belief in me and unconditionally loving me was enough to
motivate me.
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HONEY – THE PERSONALITY
What star sign are you? Are you typical of your sign?
I am an Aquarian and my birthday is on
7th February. This is a summary of how
others may describe an Aquarian and I
have to say it does seem to be quite
typical of how I am.
“Clever, friendly, kind and humane,
Aquarians are the easiest people to
make friends with but probably the
hardest to really know. They are often
more comfortable with acquaintances
than with those
who are close to
them.
Being
dutiful,
they
would never let a
member of their family go without their basic
requirements, but they can be strangely blind to their
underlying needs and real feelings. They are more
comfortable with causes and their idealistic ideas than
with the day-to-day routine of everyday life. Being patient
with people, make them good teachers and they are
always willing to learn something new. They make a
point of being 'different' and they can usually feel very unsettled and uneasy if
made to conform to rules. Their restless minds mean that they need an alternate
kind of lifestyle which stretches them mentally”. Everyone has positive and
negative traits therefore my journey in life has been to work on improving the
personality traits that I feel do not serve me. I like working on mastering my own
destiny!
Do you think you were destined to be working in the field of Bollywood?
I believe in the Law of Karma, therefore my view is that most people have their
fate and destiny partly pre-written, including certain personality traits and talents.
I also believe that a different and brighter future can be created by putting in
extra effort, energy and taking action in order to develop personality traits and
attitudes that may not come naturally but if mastered would help you achieve
your goals.
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As a result this would enable people to change their fate! This is normally called
“The Law of Cause and Effect” in Eastern philosophy and may mean sometimes
going against natural tendencies, habits and behaviour patterns. This path may
be more challenging, but this may also be the path that differentiates the
successful people from the not so successful ones! Successful people hardly
complain about the environment shaping them, being born with personality traits
that they can’t change, blaming other people for their problems or outside factors
influencing their success – they just go out there and start putting in time and
effort to make things happen or work on changing their situation!
What makes you happy? Why?
Happiness comes from within. I believe that until you are not fully happy and
satisfied then you will not be able to spread happiness to others around you. You
could be the richest person on earth but if you are not happy and satisfied from
within then what is the point. People strive for all sorts of goals and once
achieved think what was the point and continue feeling restless. I am normally
quite a happy go lucky person, have a strong positive outlook towards life and
am always grateful for everything that I have been blessed with. Doing what I
enjoy and bringing joy to other people makes me happy, therefore it is important
for me to incorporate that in my work and life. My motto in life is “Make a
difference – to your life, to the life of others and the whole world”!
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Why do you put a lot of emphasis on spirituality and what does it mean to
you?
Spiritual strength is the power to live spontaneously and freely
and having the courage to live exactly as you choose whilst
remaining fully responsible for your actions, behaviour and
words whilst being aware of each present moment. Through
meditation I feel I tend to remain relaxed but fully alert!
What are your views on love?
Bollywood love is based on fantasy and we have to remember that it is a story,
actors are playing particular characters and real life is very different. Life is a
journey and there is no “living happily ever after” as there are many adventures,
situations, dramas, challenges and lessons on the way.
A passage from the Bible says, “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy,”
but then there are many types of love – love for your friends, for your partner, for
your pet, for your family etc. Don’t forget some people may mistake infatuation
for love so it is important to differentiate.
These are some of my views regarding “love” and “infatuation” in personal
relationships:• I think love grows over time, whilst infatuation is when love fades away
• Genuine love concentrates on making the partner happy, whilst with
infatuation you concentrate on your own personal needs
• Genuine love is focused only on one person whilst someone infatuated
may be attracted to or in love with more partners
• A person in love finds solutions to problems instead of ignoring them
• Physical attraction is a part of genuine love but the central focus in
infatuation
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An infatuated couple may feel an urge to get married instantly whilst
genuine love can wait for their partner as they feel they are something
really worth waiting for, and not there just for lustful needs
Of course there are other aspects to love – understanding, laughing, caring,
sharing, celebrating, learning, supporting, encouraging, being passionate and
much more. Unconditional love is one of the hardest things to develop – but
worth working towards!
Do you follow any sort of religion?
I have always been interested in learning about God and discovering the
meaning of life. I was born into a Hindu family, pursued Bible study classes
during my teenage years, learnt about Buddhism when I became a young adult
and during my spiritual path I have studied about various different religions and
spiritual belief systems. I have arrived at a point where my understanding is that
God is not a form, but universal energy – the energy or spirit is everywhere,
including deep inside us! You can choose to visualise the energy in whatever
form you wish in order for you to connect. I believe religions are there to guide
and inspire us, and the teachings are there to help us refine ourselves and
become better people. I do not think that you need to become strict and rigid in
your views but should work on raising your awareness levels, removing
ignorance and becoming tolerant of all belief systems. The most important thing I
feel is to follow a Religion of Humanity where you use the life that you have been
blessed with to develop yourself positively and become a better human being,
whilst contributing to make this world a better place. It’s leading by example that I
feel is most important!
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SECRET TIPS AND ADVICE FROM HONEY
It is so difficult for me to stick to a diet, an exercise program or complete a
dance course. I just can’t do it! What can I do to achieve success?
First thing is to stop saying you can’t do it and replace it with I can do it! Success
depends on what kind of habits we tend to have. Habits are behaviour patterns
that have been repeated so many times that they have become part of your life
without thinking. We might feel great while engaging in the habits, but afterwards
we feel terrible. So in order to stick to a diet or fitness program such as the
Bollywood Workout, we need to takes steps to ensure success.
Success could mean different things to different people but for our sake lets
follow a step by step plan. Ask yourself :1) Can you do it? Do you have the ability? Of course yes, because you probably
haven’t realised how amazing you really are! If others can do it why can’t you?
2) Will you use this remarkable ability to make a huge difference to your life?
Well, it can definitely be done through effort and perseverance.
3) When will you begin – Next week, Tomorrow …. don’t wait, start “Now”!
The good news is that big changes can happen fast! In order to change the
habit, we need to reprogram our brains by replacing your current habit with
another kind of behaviour. You may have learnt to over eat, get stressed,
procrastinate, get angry, have low self esteem, dislike change etc.
But they can be replaced by: Eating more fruits and vegetables, taking 10 mins
out a day to meditate, setting regular goals for yourself, developing self control,
becoming more confident and enjoy challenges.
It is important to focus on an end goal and have a vision. People have become
amazing dancers with regular training, lost a stone within a month, stopped
smoking on the day they made the decision to quit, if others can do it, so can
you!
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How can I get maximum benefits from your dance and fitness courses?
First decide what you want from the program? Do you wish to lose weight, learn
to dance, develop choreography skills, attract a life partner, move confidently on
the dance floor etc?
Chances are if you carry on doing what you have always done you will get the
same results as you have always had, so it is time to change the way you do
things so that you can get different results – better results! Under average effort
and dedication gives under average results, outstanding efforts and dedication
will give you outstanding results.
You cannot do something once and expect immediate results. e,g. going to the
gym, lifting weights and expecting bigger biceps in one day. So follow the
programme with determination and be fully committed. I guarantee you won’t be
disappointed! Thousands of people have succeeded – why not you?
Honey, I want to be able to dance like you. How can I become a fantastic
dancer and turn my dream into reality?
1) Let’s ask ourselves what turns dreams into reality.
You need to first of all make a decision, be fully committed and then take action.
Your decision determines what you think, feel, do and what / who you
become!
2) Now, ask ourselves what separates the successful people from the not so
successful.
My view is that successful people will commit to achieving and do whatever it
takes to succeed. For eg: many people just read a book on weight loss but won’t
follow the advice, many join gyms but do not attend and others may buy personal
development programmes but not take any action!
3) Finally, imagine what your end goal will be.
How will you be dancing?
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What would be different in your life?
What would your eating habits be like?
What will you not be doing anymore and moreover what will you be doing?
How would you be feeling?
In your case, you wish to become a fantastic dancer – what does a fantastic
dancer mean to you? Think about this for a moment and decide to start your
training program and step by step start working towards your end goal.
Everything takes effort, perseverance and dedication, but I can assure you, it is
well worth it!
Everyone talks about getting motivated but how do you get motivated?
Getting motivated is nothing more than persuading yourself to do whatever it is
you want to do! We need to generate that feeling to help compel us to move in
our chosen direction. However, as most people associate effort with these things,
they become more motivated to stay where they are. Change is linked to pain in
our minds! The best way to move forward is to increase the pain associated with
not taking action!
The difference between those who can break a habit and those who have failed
in the past is that the latter will either lower their expectation or blame others or
forces beyond their control for the inability to change or reach a certain goal.
If you truly believe you can break your habit you should act in ways that support
that belief. What are you prepared to do that will support your beliefs.
For eg: Your plan could include:• learning to dance and losing 8lbs within 8 weeks
• Set a side ½ hr x 3 times a week for the next 1 month to learn Bhangra
dance with some friends
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Eat healthy with at least 3 fruits a days and a bowl of salad
Perform Honey Kalaria’s Bollywood Workout for 20 mins every day
Drink 2 litres of still mineral water everyday
Lose 2lbs a week and weigh myself every Sunday
Go shopping on the 28th day and treat myself to a new pair of designer
jeans / favourite handbag
Book a social evening in 4 weeks time where I can put my dance skills to
the test!
I can guarantee that you will start seeing a huge difference and feel good at the
same time! Hopefully you are feeling inspired, enlightened and are ready to take
off. Get a piece of paper and list down your plan. It is easy to go back to the way
you were before but you do have the resources to achieve your goals. You are
probably great at looking after others but it’s important for you to take care of
yourself too – go on, you’re worth it!
What skills do I require to enter into the Bollywood film industry?
It’s like anything in life – you need to prepare your self with the tools of the trade.
You need to
• work on your image if you are thinking of going for the lead star roles –
nowadays there is a lot of emphasis on the physical looks of the actors.
Go to the gym, eat healthily, discover what colours look good on you,
develop a style. Give out a confident look.
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learn the Hindi Language, unless you come from a Western background
and wish to audition for a Western part in a Bollywood film. Study
dialogues from Bollywood films, study their customs, ways, traditions and
costumes. I think the drawback we have here in the UK is that being
British Asians, directors and producers expect us to be Modern and
Westernised and will only offer such roles. Therefore in order to do well in
the industry you should be able to deal with all kinds of roles.
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Get dance training so that you are prepared for all the song and dances in
the movies. Dancing plays a very important part in Indian films. Many
years ago the male heroes were not strong dancers but nowadays both
males and females are expected to dance well. It is also important to be
versatile so you can perform both the Indian Classical and the Modern
Western styled choreography to suit the evolving tastes of the industry
Polish up and develop your acting skills. There is a difference between
“Trying” to be a hero and “Being” a hero. Just the presence will speak for
itself! Also dialogue delivery, camera technique, voice improvisation, body
language and other techniques need to be brushed up
Get a professional portfolio made because a picture says a thousand
words. Casting directors normally ask for photographs to be forwarded
and then shortlist candidates from the photos they receive, so you need to
ensure they promote you in the best way possible
Try getting involved in events, filming, stage shows and anything that you
can put onto your CV. This will allow you to build up your confidence, gain
experience and provide an opportunity to be seen by those working in the
entertainment business (I say to people, what use is your talent if you are
going to keep dancing in front of a mirror at home and hope to be
discovered someday)
What advice can you give to someone who wishes to work in the
Bollywood or dance industry?
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Make sure you are healthy and fit so that you can cope with long days and
heavy schedules. Your body is your asset to conduct your dance or acting
work.
Learn to increase your powers of concentration so that you can remain
focused and remember dance steps or dialogues.
Keep positive and remain friendly even if you are rejected and don’t get
through an audition. You may be kept on the file for another time.
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Develop an attractive voice and clear speech. Don’t speak too fast or too
slow and add various tones to your voice instead of remaining monotone.
Go out of your way to give more than is expected from you. It’s by going
just that little bit extra that an ordinary person appears extraordinary.
Try to cooperate and remain flexible when working instead of generating
conflicts. Develop strong interpersonal communication and listening skills,
as people enjoy working with friendly individuals.
Become solutions orientated instead of focusing on problems that you
may be experiencing. There is always a way to improve the situation.
Try spreading happiness and joy wherever you go. You will become a
‘people’ magnet’ as people like spending time with those who are positive
and uplifting instead of those always complaining, depressive and always
focusing on negative things.
Be clear about which direction you wish to move in and what goals you
wish to pursue. Have a clear vision and purpose in life, so that all your
energy can be focussed there.
Once you have achieved a goal, there is nothing stopping you having
another goal. Life remains interesting when you are doing something
constructive and growing by developing new skills, talents and gaining
new knowledge.
Don’t wholeheartedly believe in a pre-determined fate as action and
willpower can help you start shaping a new tomorrow, thereby changing
your whole destiny and a future of your dream.
I hate losing but I’m not scared of making mistakes is a quote that I really
believe in. So try and keep trying. Don’t give up even if you experience
setbacks!
By taking steps to do something you give yourself a 50 – 50% chance in
succeeding or failing, but by not trying you give yourself a 100% chance of
failing.
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Good Luck and Best Wishes
Lots of love
Honey x x x
The publisher welcomes you to send in your views, comments, questions
and share your success stories to [email protected]
www.honeysdanceacademy.com
Honey Kalaria c/o Diva Entertainments Ltd,
50-54 Farnham Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex, IG3 8QD, UK
TEL: 0208 590 8050 FAX: 0208 590 8056
[email protected] www.divaentertainments.com
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