Idol goes to New York - Page 2

Indian Idol is a popular television show on Indian television a singing talent contest to

Sonu Nigam

Sonu Nigam is one of India's most famous singers. He was born on 30th July 1973 in Faridabad, Haryana. His family moved to Delhi, whem Sonu was still small. He started singing at the age of four-and-a-half, when he sang a Mohammad Rafi number at a concert where his father was due to perform. He moved from Delhi to Mumbai in search of work in the field of singing at the age of 17. His father and mother are singers, too. Sonu has two younger sisters and one of them, Nikita Nigam, begann her singing career some time ago.

He started his career singing covers of Mohammad Rafi songs. He got his big break as a playback singer for films with the song "Accha Sila Diya Tune" from Bewafa Sanam. About the same time, he started hosting SaReGaMa, a television singing competition that went on to become very popular. From then on, the offers poured in, albeit slowly at first. He shot to fame with the song "Sandese Aate Hai" from Border. In the initial stages, he was stuck with the image of a Rafi-sound-alike, but things changed drastically after his "Dil Deewana" song in the film Pardes. Since then, he has created a style of his own.

As years went, Sonu Nigam became a major force in the music industry. He has now released several pop album including Mausam, Sapnay Ki Baat, Kismat, Deewana, Jaan, Yaad and Chanda ki Doli. He has a number of successful songs under his belt, none more so than his rendition of the title song of Kal Ho Na Ho, a modern legend of a song.

He has also acted in a few films including Jaani Dushman, Kaash Aap Hamare Hote, and Love in Nepal. Apart from SaReGaMa, he has also hosted Kisme Kitna Hai Dum and been a judge on Indian Idol. Recently, he has also started hosting his own radio programme called Life Ki Dhun With Sonu Nigam on Radiocity 91 FM.

He is due to release a semi-classical album as well as an English album in the near future.

Farah Khan

Farah Khan 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 Haa Kabhi Naa, they have been friends ever since.

She became an international known face when she choreographed for 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 married her boyfriend and the editor of Main Hoon Na, Shrish Kunder on 9th December 2004, according to Hindu and Muslim rites. She has recently choreographed her husband's directorial debut, Jaaneman and good friend Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Other than that she has the international project, Marigold:An Adventure in India, Farhan Akhtar's Don and Rakesh Roshan's Krrish.


Anu Malik


Anu Malik is one of the most well known & successful music directors in the Hindi Film industry or Bollywood. He has created lovely music for the last two decade which include chart buster films like Baazigar(1993), Akele Hum Akele Tum (1996), Kareeb (1997), Border (1997), Refugee (2000), Fiza (2000), Asoka (2001), Aks (2001), Filhal (2002), LOC-Kargil (2003), Main Hoon Na (2004), Murder (2004) and others.

He is known to be the most versatile among the Indian music directors, giving music to almost all kinds of films, without being repetitive, which is said to be the reason for his success.

His versitality was best exhibited in 2001 when he gave movies like Aks, Fiza, Filhal & Mujhe Kuch Kehena hai (among others), all loved by their respective audience, yet being exclusive in their kind.

Another speciality of Anu Malik is his choice of singers & lyricists. Unlike his peers like Nadeem Shravan, who tend to prefer main stream singers like Kumar Sanu & popular lyricist Sameer in all their films, Anu Malik has always tried different singers & lyricist. He was the first to use singers like KK, and Sonu Nigham as lead singers in his films, thus adding variety. Many of his hit albumns don't have one single lead lyrisict, instead a host of individual lyricist.

Anu Malik is one of the 3 judges in the TV show Indian Idol. He has won Filmfare Best Music Director Award twice (Main Hoon Na 2004 and Baazigar 1993). In 2001, he won The National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the film Refugee.

In the movie Murder, the song "Jana Jane Jana" has striking similarity with the song "Firie Dao", which belongs to the Bangladeshi Rock band Miles. Miles has filed a lawsuit against Anu Malik, demanding Rs. 5 Crore (50 million) worth of compensation. Also in the movie Murder a song called "Kaho Na Kaho" was included in the soundtrack, which actually belongs to Pakistani Artist Amir Jamal.

2006 is a quiet year for Anu Malik as he has Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, Pyare Mohan and a single track in Aatma to his credit. Umrao Jaan will be his next which will be in Diwali which will be worth the wait. Compared to other years ago he was mainly the mostly heard composer but due to Himesh Reshammiya's success in his singing he has taken a back seat this year.

Anu Malik, like most Indian music directors, is criticized for taking inspiration from other composers. But, Anu Malik pays the required credits on the album cover to the original composer most often.

Indian Idol 2

Sandeep Acharya is Indian Idol 2

Hema, Himabindu and Karunya.